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November 22, 2005
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Headline
News
Trucking Industry Offers Attractive Careers to Returning Military
As the trucking industry scrambles to find qualified drivers, thousands of men and women returning from active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan are seeking employment. In the first quarter of 2005 alone, the monthly average of unemployed veterans 20- to 24-years-old was 43,000, according to figures released from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). With so many young people seeking to enter the job market, and the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) projecting the industry will need to fill an additional 80,000 positions every year for the next 10 years, s omehow the two groups must connect. For both parties, it seems like a win/win situation.
Many of those now separating from the military entered just out of high school. As a result, they have little employment experience, no interviewing or job-seeking skills, and no idea where to turn. Often these veterans face the prospect of working at minimum wage jobs while dealing with the rising cost of housing. This can lead to difficulties in paying rent, and, even worse, homelessness. In fact, recent reports indicate an increasing number of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are showing up at homeless shelters. For these newly separated military, as well as for older veterans, the truck driving profession offers an attractive alternative.
After completing a two- to three-month truck driver training program and passing the commercial driver's license test, veterans can enjoy a long-term career with a top-notch trucking company. According to TCA, graduates of truck-driver training programs can expect entry level salaries ranging from $40,000 to $45,000 per year. Plus, a career in truck driving offers job security and benefits—and, in some cases, sign-on bonuses—all making it a viable option for young vets uncertain about their future.
“It creates a level of comfort for those who have no idea where to look for work, or have no jobs,” says Harry Kowalchyk, president of National Tractor Trailer School . Kowalchyk has long targeted veterans for his truck driver training program. Courses at National Tractor Trailer School have been certified by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), which means students receive training based on established industry standards that make all the difference in producing safe, well-prepared, professional drivers. And with such a demand for professional drivers, graduates can choose where they want to be employed. They will immediately qualify for a good-paying job in a rapidly growing industry with the possibility of becoming self-employed, or an independent owner-operator, down the line.
It seems like a great opportunity for veterans, but carriers will benefit just as much. Not only can veterans help supply a need in the trucking industry, they make ideal truck driver candidates. According to TCA, recruiters for driver training programs actively seek former military personnel because they make the best students and have a higher training graduation rate than their civilian counterparts. Veterans are known for their leadership skills, ability to work well with others, respect for procedures, integrity, self-motivation, and level of maturity. Most veterans, particularly those who have been recently separated from the armed services, have no problem passing drug and alcohol screening tests or the physical examination process, and chances are they have a good civilian driving record. Carriers know these characteristics are critical to a successful career as a professional commercial truck driver.
“Their posture, their mannerisms, their positive attitude – vets are a great asset, based on their military experience, their composure, the discipline, and the things they've been exposed to at young age, which has brought them to a greater maturity level,” says Kowalchyk. He cites a case of a young man in his training program who, at 21-years old, had completed two military tours and in the process had matured significantly. “They're not coming to you with all this baggage,” he explains.
In an attempt to attract prospective drivers, Kowalchyk participates in the VA's “Operation Transition.” He speaks to military personnel on base at nearby Fort Drum , and advises potential students on the best way to take advantage of the benefits the VA offers. He also attempts to recruit National Guard and reservists, posts career information at outreach centers, attends job fairs, and advertises in base newspapers.
In his quest to attract veterans to the trucking profession, Kowalchyk has learned a lot about GI benefits, which is why he urges military personnel to receive truck-driver training while on active duty. He encourages them to attend school part-time on weekends while stationed at Fort Drum . As he explains to his audience, there is very little, if any, cost to an active duty soldier enrolled in a truck driver training program, as long as the program is VA approved so veterans can receive benefits/reimbursement for taking the course. He also encourages those interested in taking his VA-approved program to start planning early.
The VA is attempting to help facilitate the transition of veterans into the civilian world by developing a job-search initiative called the Veterans Employment Initiative. Expected to be operational in early January 2006, the initiative will offer targeted and sustained career information and job search assistance. According to Richard Larson, staff assistant, Office of the Secretary, veterans can benefit substantially from this initiative. “I believe that once the initiative is up and operating, word of mouth regarding its availability and success will help bring veterans to use it and to realize its benefits,” Larson said.
A portal page will be created for national employer associations that will allow employers and service members to locate one another. The American Trucking Associations and TCA plans to use the portal page to post jobs, access resumes, and display promotional materials to tout the benefits of trucking as a viable career. Individual employers will have the ability to link their Web page to the initiative to promote their business and identify their location to prospective candidates. But where the business is located may not be as important as the benefits, at least for those struggling to find work.
“At the point of separation, many vets will make the choice of going where the career is,” Larson said. What is important is that a veteran knows where to go to find desirable employment. He or she won't necessarily go “home” if there are no jobs there, he explained.
To date, however, government tuition reimbursement has been slow, causing the ATA to advocate for improvements in veterans' educational assistance at the congressional level. ATA is supporting H.R. 717, legislation that would add commercial truck driving schools to the list of educational/training institutions eligible for the accelerated payment program under Chapter 30 of the Montgomery GI bill. Proponents believe that if this bill is enacted, not only would it enable qualified veterans to pursue a professional career in commercial vehicle driving at little or no cost to them, but VA-approved truck driving schools would benefit by possibly doubling their enrollment of veterans.
According to Ray Kuntz, ATA vice president, “For those individuals who are willing to work, are careful, safe, and responsible, the trucking industry offers them a wonderful opportunity. Where else can an individual with a high school degree enter a profession with only 8 weeks of training, which is unlikely to experience ‘downsizing,' and offers them an entry-level salary of between $40,000 to $45,000 a year?”
By helping to make these opportunities available for veterans, TCA/ATA hopes to provide a solution for both unemployed/underemployed vets and a short-staffed industry.
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Online Truck Driver Safety Training Wins Learning Award
O/E Learning Inc., which provides human performance improvement solutions, and its customer, Professional Development Associates (PDA), have received a Silver Custom Content Development award from Brandon Hall Research for the "Professional Truck Driver" online course.
O/E Learning Vice President Brian Makowski said, "We are proud that our partnership with PDA and the National Safety Council has allowed us to demonstrate our instructional, creative and programming skills used in building the Professional Truck Driver online course.”
O/E Learning and PDA have collaborated on the design and development of other online driver safety training programs, including Defensive Driving DDC-Online, for the National Safety Council.
The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards are presented by Brandon Hall Research, one of the leading research and consulting firms in the training and development field. Now in its 11th year, the awards program showcases exceptional work in innovative learning.
For additional information on O/E Learning, visit www.oelearning.com. Top
Proposed Rulemaking on the Storage of Explosives and High Hazard Materials During Transportation
In the November 16, 2005, Federal Register , the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) for the Requirements for the Storage of Explosives and Other High-Hazard Materials During Transportation.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is considering requirements to address the current safety and security risks associated with the storage of explosives during transportation. In this notice, PHMSA is soliciting comments concerning measures to reduce the risks posed by the storage of explosives while they are in transportation and whether regulatory action is warranted. For example, the agency has concerns regarding the lack of Federal standards for safe havens and inconsistent State requirements of those safe havens. Also included is a request for comments as to whether enhanced requirements for storage incidental to movement should apply to other hazardous materials as well.
How to Comment
Comments for the ANPRM must be received by February 14, 2006 through any of the following methods:
- Web Site: http://dms.dot.gov follow the instructions submitting comments on the DOT electronic docket site.
- Fax: 1-202-493-2251
- Mail:
Docket Management System, US DOT
400 Seventh Street, SW, Nassif Building,
Room PL-402
Washington , D.C. 20590-0001
- Hand Delivery: 9am – 5pm (M-F)
RM PL-401
On the plaza level of the Nassif Building
400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, D.C.
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Diabetes Exemption Process Notice Published
Section 4129 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, signed into law on August 10, 2005, required the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to modify its Diabetes exemption program within 90 days of enactment. The exemption program would allow individuals who use insulin to treat diabetes mellitus to operate CMVs in interstate commerce, without having to demonstrate safe driving experience operating a CMV while using insulin, while at the same time implementing certain other requirements contained in section 4129.
The changes will remain in effect until FMCSA completes a rulemaking to revise the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to allow drivers with insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM) to operate CMVs in interstate commerce in accordance with applicable statutory standards.
The required notice was published as a “Notice of revised final disposition” in the November 8, 2005, Federal Register and was effective immediately. FMCSA began accepting applications for exemptions under the new criteria on that date.
Drivers with ITDM who meet the modified criteria contained in this notice may now request an exemption from 49 CFR 391.41(b)(3) by sending an exemption application request to:
Federal Diabetes Exemption Program (MC-PSP)
Office of Bus and Truck Standards and Operations Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
400 Seventh Street SW, Washington DC 20590-0001
Comments may be submitted on the limited issue of the information collection burden in this notice. FMCSA must comment by January 9, 2006. Please identify them with the DOT DMS Docket Number FMCSA-2001-9800.
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DOT Considers Possible Wireless Safety System
Vehicle Infrastructure Integration, or VII, is a new wireless technology being considered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Using equipment similar to the short-range wireless technology found in many laptop computers, special in-road sensors and in-vehicle navigation systems would be able to communicate with one another, and alert drivers to upcoming traffic dangers or problems.
Although the program – which would have to become a standard in every vehicle manufactured in order to be effective – has not yet caught hold, some serious names in the auto manufacturing industry, including DaimlerChrysler and Nissan have thrown their hats into the ring, according to trade publication Network World .
Additionally, the system – which comes with a $3 billion to $10 billion price tag attached – would require more than 200,000 “hot spots” to be installed along interstates and state highways in order to be functional, according to the program's website. Top
AAMVA Offers CDL Solutions to Congress
In testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Economic Security, Infrastructure Protection and Cybersecurity, the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) president and CEO Linda Lewis-Pickett discussed the impacts of a “two-tier” commercial driver credentialing system on state Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs). She cited outstanding concerns with the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) practices in administering the Commercial Driver's License – Hazardous Materials (hazmat) program. In addition, she recommended an integrated solution that will ensure a more secure and timely transfer of driver threat assessments from TSA to the DMV.
Three issues were highlighted in the testimony:
- AAMVA members are concerned with the proposed “two-tier” credentialing system, which incorporates a pocket card. Such a two-tier credentialing system would attempt to differentiate between commercial drivers hauling “very” hazardous materials and those transporting materials considered to be less hazardous. Initial response indicates AAMVA members are concerned that, no matter how hazardous materials are classified, it is difficult to reliably tie a hazmat driver to the shipment he/she is carrying. Other concerns focus on the administrative burden and cost of asking states to handle gradients of hazmat materials.
Most DMVs don't know what types of hazardous loads drivers are required to transport and, therefore, are not in a position to inform drivers what clearance process they need to undergo. Developing additional classifications in the system, at this time, will likely result in more service complications and will increase the margin for error.
Development of a “pocket card” also concerns the DMVs because of possible document fraud, lack of a secure issuance process, and lack of resources to administer such a program. If the two-tier program were to proceed with the use of a “pocket card,” this Committee must consider concerns of the state agencies and sanction either TSA or DHS to take full responsibility for program implementation.
DMVs are concerned that the administrative costs of implementing a new program, focusing on further classification of drivers, would cause an undue burden on an already overwhelmed staff and resources. States fully understand and empathize with the hardships faced by commercial drivers with HAZMAT endorsements. However, don't solve one problem by creating multiple other problems and increasing the burden on the DMVs.
- The second issue deals with the hazmat program itself. While TSA has made improvements to the program since the previous Congressional hearing, problems still remain at the state level. For example: In Georgia , commercial drivers are receiving clearance letters before TSA formally notifies the state. Montana needs more TSA agents to accommodate drivers who are traveling up to 200 miles to apply for a threat assessment. Virginia is spending time contacting other states to verify if a driver, transferring to their state, has really applied for and received a threat assessment from the former state of licensure. It's important that TSA follow-up with the states to remedy these administrative problems.
- The third issue is use of the Commercial Drivers License Information System or CDLIS to communicate the driver threat assessment from TSA to the state DMVs. Since 1992, the federal government and the states have partnered to use CDLIS to manage the commercial driver program. TSA's decision not to use this network has created an added burden on the states to share this information.
DMVs are reporting that they are making do with the process, but most indicate that the process is burdensome. Many state complaints are directly related to delays in receiving threat assessment information, which is not currently integrated into their driver licensing process. States currently have to manually contact another state to assess a driver's status, relative to the hazmat endorsement.
Congress recently approved a CDLIS modernization project in the Highway Bill. The DMV-desired solution is for DHS to integrate and fund a process to transfer driver threat assessments from TSA to the DMV, as part of the CDLIS modernization project. Top
FMCSA Withdrawals Safety Fitness Procedures ANPRM
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced in the November 7 Federal Register the withdrawal of its July 20, 1998 ANPRM and request for comments pertaining to the future evolution of the safety fitness rating system. After the ANPRM was published, FMCSA began the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 Initiative (CSA 2010), a comprehensive review and analysis of FMCSA's current commercial motor carrier safety compliance and enforcement programs.
FMCSA held a series of public listening sessions pertaining to CSA 2010 in September and October 2004. Many commenters at those listening sessions suggested that FMCSA delay publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) until the agency makes its final decisions regarding its long-term plan for monitoring motor carrier safety under CSA 2010. Therefore, this rulemaking is no longer necessary because, as CSA 2010 proceeds, FMCSA expects to publish a rulemaking that would propose a new and improved safety compliance and monitoring methodology based on more recent information and policy. To view the Federal Register notice click here for a PDF and here for an HTML version. Top
New EPA Rule Eases Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Transition
To facilitate the transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD), the EPA is providing a 45-day extension for terminals and retail outlets to comply with the 15 ppm standard, moving the retail compliance date to Oct. 15, 2006. During this extended transition period, diesel fuel meeting a 22 ppm level can be marketed as ULSD at the pump. The agency does not expect to adjust the schedule again.
This 45-day extension does not affect the start date for refineries to be producing ULSD fuel. The reason for the extension is that some in the fuel distribution industry had indicated that on the current schedule, ULSD may not be available at a small number of retail outlets. The EPA stated that the impacts of the recent Gulf Coast hurricanes were not a factor in the action.
The revised transition dates will cause some manufacturers of diesel engines and vehicles to delay their introduction of the 2007 models that must use ULSD exclusively. However, because these changes will help ensure the universal availability of ULSD, the engine and vehicle industry has indicated that these limited changes are acceptable.
Today's direct final rule helps ensure that the full environmental benefits of this historic Clean Diesel Program will be achieved. For more information click here.
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EPA Announces Minor Changes to Fuel Additive Program
The EPA's gasoline deposit control program, established in July 1996 to ensure U.S. gasoline supplies contain detergent-like additives to reduce tailpipe emissions, has been amended to improve compliance and maintain the environmental benefits of the program.
The minor revisions include clarification of maximum concentration levels of fuel deposit control additives and changes to reporting requirements. As a result of this program, vehicle emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides have been reduced by more than 595,000 tons annually. For more information click here.
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3Q Truck, Trailer Repossessions Up From 2004
Truck and trailer repossessions and liquidations in the third quarter of 2005 increased 188 percent compared to the same quarter in 2004, according to Nassau Asset Management.
In comparison, repossessions of construction equipment were up 126 percent, machine tools 22 percent.
“There is no question that rising fuel costs earlier this year made it harder for truckers, construction companies and other firms to do business,” says Edward Castagna, Nassau's president.
Greater leasing activity is another factor, Castagna said. If lease volume increases, liquidations and repossessions will increase as well, even if the delinquency rate is as low as 1 percent.
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Professional Driver Apprenticeship in Ontario
The Honorable Minister Bennett from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) will announce a new “Voluntary” Apprenticeship Program for entry level professional drivers, who are looking to apprentice with an Ontario carrier who is involved in the “Voluntary” Apprenticeship Program.
Over 75 industry stakeholders representing every sector group of the trucking industry have pulled together to work with Government making this Canada 's first official apprenticeship for professional drivers.
Close to 2 years of effort has gone into this project which has been endorsed by the Ontario Trucking Association, Owner-Operator's Business Association of Canada (OBAC), Teamsters Canada and the Insurance Industry.
Research material for the curriculum design were materials and modules from the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI), ACTS and Canadian Trucking Human Resource Council (CTHRC).
It is expected that the first group of drivers will be able to start their apprenticeship with the carriers who volunteer for the program in early 2006.
For more information contact:
Ray Haight Executive Director, MacKinnon Transport 800-265-0444
Clark Wilson Fanshawe College , James N. Allan Campus Simcoe Ontario 519-426-8260 ext. 238
Tom Philips Vice President, General Manager TST Truckload Express 800-392-1543
Kim Richardson President, KRTS Transportation Specialists Inc. 800-771-8171
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