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September 5, 2006
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Headline News
FMCSA
Has Renewed Vision Exemptions
Through two separate announcements in the Federal Register , the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced its decision
to renew the exemptions from the vision requirement for 16 and 22 individuals
respectively.
FMCSA has concluded that granting these exemptions will
provide a level of safety that will be equivalent to, or greater than, the
level of safety maintained without the exemptions for these Commercial Motor
Vehicle (CMV) drivers.
For a review of the exemption renewals for the 16 applicants, as it appeared in
the Federal Register,
click here.
For a review of the exemption renewals for the 22 applicants, as it appeared in
the Federal Register,
click here.
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Lawsuits
Challenge FMCSA Changes To Hours-of-Service Regulations
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has scheduled
oral arguments for Dec. 4 in lawsuits challenging the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration's latest changes to the hours-of-service regulations.
In response to a July 2004 appeals court ruling, FMCSA last year modified the
rules that took effect in January 2004 by severely restricting the use of split
rest to comply with mandatory off-duty requirements.
Public Citizen and several other safety advocacy groups challenged the revision
as not going far enough because it left in place the additional hour of
driving, the 34-hour restart and other elements of the 2004 rules.
On the other hand, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is asking
that the appeals court throw out some aspects of the sleeper-berth changes so
that team drivers would have more flexibility and so that a mandatory two-hour
break would stop the 14-hour clock , according to Commercial Carrier Journal
(CCJ) Magazine.
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Federal
Support To Recruit and Train Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Drivers
On October 26, FMCSA Administrator John Hill toured SAGE Truck Driving School in
Phoenixville , PA , to announce new federal support to recruit and train
Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers. Administrator Hill saw first hand how
SAGE would use federal support to attract students and promote safe truck
driving.
The tour included a demonstration of driver training using the school's
commercial equipment and a meeting with current students to discuss how
individual drivers can contribute to reducing crashes on highways, according to
the U.S. Department of Transportation .
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FHWA
Has Issued Interstate Oasis Policy
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued its
final Interstate Oasis Program policy document through the Federal Register
on October 18. The policy, in a response to a request for comments issued in
February, provides definitions and recognition for “Interstate Oases”, but does
not guarantee additional parking for commercial motor vehicles.
Included in FHWA's new policy, are the parameters of what would define an
Interstate Oasis, such as distance from the interstate, staffing and usage of
facilities. The new policy even includes proper signing to post along the
interstate designating the facilities as recognized Interstate Oasis. However,
the new policy does not address the issue of number of available parking spaces
for large trucks, only that parking must be available for them.
To review a copy of the policy as it appears in the Federal Register,
please click here
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FMCSA
Seeks Public Comments on COMPASS
As announced in the Federal Register , the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA) is inviting public comment on its plan to request the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve their new information
collection system COMPASS. The collection system involves the assessment of
FMCSA's strategic decision to integrate its Information Technology (IT) with
its business processes using portal technology to consolidate its systems and
databases and launch a modernization initiative to create the FMCSA COMPASS
Portal. The information to be collected will be used to assess the satisfaction
of Federal, State and industry customers with the FMCSA COMPASS Portal.
COMPASS, presented to the Safety and Security Division at its Annual Meeting in
San Antonio , TX , in May, is FMCSA's wide initiative to improve its business
processes; integrate them with the Agency's information systems; and make them
more seamless, secure, and supportive of the Agency's mission of saving lives
in the years to come.
Currently, with FMCSA's 21 information systems, having this many stand-alone
systems has led to data quality concerns, a need for excessive IDs and
passwords, and significant operational and maintenance costs. Through the use
of portal technology, COMPASS will pull together numerous services and
functions on a single screen and provide tailored services that seek to meet
the needs of specific constituencies within our customer universe.
In early 2007, FMCSA will launch the first of a series of releases of new IT
applications to its Federal, State, and industry customers. Over the coming
years, more than 15 releases are planned, with four planned for the next 3
years.
For additional information on the COMPASS program, please click the following
link to proceed to the FMCSA website:
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/what-we-do/keyprograms/compass-faq.htm
To review the request for comments on COMPASS, as it appeared in the Federal
Register, please
click here.
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FMCSA
Aims To Simplify Driver Medical Qualification Requirements
FMCSA invites comments on its plan to request approval from OMB to renew an
information collection concerning the requirements set forth in 49 CFR parts
391 and 398 (Physical Qualification of Drivers) for the following activities:
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(1) A medical examination form and certificate to be completed by a
licensed medical examiner;
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(2) The submission of an application to FMCSA for the Agency to
resolve conflicts of medical evaluations between medical examiners; |
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(3) A driver qualification (DQ) file for:
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(a) Motor carriers to include the medical certificate; |
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(b) Motor carriers of migrant workers to include a doctor's certificate for
every driver employed or used by them;
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(c) Motor carriers to include a Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate
issued to a driver with a limb disability;
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(4) Information collected from carriers, drivers and interested
parties used in Agency determinations for granting exemptions from the vision
and diabetes requirements in the FMCSRs.
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FMCSA is requesting comment on any aspect of this information collection,
including:
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(1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FMCSA's
performance;
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(2) The accuracy of the estimated burden;
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(3) Ways for the FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
collected information;
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(4) Ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the
collected information.
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To review the request for comments as it appears in the Federal Register,
please
click here
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Truck
Collisions at Railroad Crossings Will Be Reduced
FMCSA hopes to reduce the number of truck collisions at railroad crossings by
distributing new safety tip cards to every truck driver. The cards are designed
to help reduce the more than 700 truck and bus highway rail grade crossing
collisions that occur each year. The two-sided laminated card reminds truck
drivers of specific actions required to safely cross railroad tracks, such as
making certain there is enough space on the other side of the tracks before
proceeding and what to do if their vehicle stalls or hangs upon the tracks. The
card also includes emergency contact numbers for the major railroads, according
to the Texas Motor Transport Association (TMTA).
To view the card, please
click here
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FMCSA
Seeks Public Feedback on CSA 2010
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is holding a public
listening session to obtain feedback on the Agency's Comprehensive Safety
Analysis 2010 initiative (CSA 2010), a comprehensive review and analysis of
FMCSA's current commercial motor carrier safety and enforcement programs. FMCSA
will use the upcoming listening session to inform the public on the conceptual
direction and progress of CSA 2010, and obtain feedback from its partners and
stakeholders.
The Public Listening Session will be held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill,
400 New Jersey Avenue , NW., Washington , DC 20001 . The telephone number is
(202) 737-1234. To attend the listening session, attendees can register online
at http://www.csa2010.com
The session will include a morning plenary session starting at 9:00 a.m. and
four facilitated breakout sessions from 10:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., related to the
CSA 2010 operational model:
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(1) Measurement |
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(2) Safety Fitness Determination |
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(3) Intervention Selection |
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(4) Safety Data and Validation |
Attendees will be able to participate in one of the breakout sessions and will
have an opportunity to comment on key questions listed with the announcement,
as well as hear the comments of other stakeholders assigned to the topic.
To review a copy of the announcement and pertaining information on CSA 2010 as
it appears in the Federal Register, please
click here
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Life of SUV Driver Saved By Highway
Angel
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2006
Contact: Tom Burns, Communications Manager
703/838-1950 or tburns@truckload.org
TCA Salutes Highway Angel John Barber of Des Moines , Iowa
Alexandria , VA , October 24, 2006 – The
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) recently recognized John Barber of Des
Moines , Iowa , as a Highway Angel for his selfless actions, which saved the
life of a SUV driver.
Barber, a driver for Schneider National Carriers, Inc., was driving northbound
on I-530 near Little Rock , Arkansas , when a black SUV in the left lane
swerved in front of him, drove over the shoulder and crashed into an embankment
of trees. He carefully parked his truck on the shoulder and ran towards the
SUV.
“As I was running, I saw that the SUV had flipped over onto its roof and the top
of the trees had been sheered off by the SUV. When I arrived at the scene of
the accident, the driver was halfway out of her SUV, had incurred cuts all over
her legs from the glass and was in shock. With the smell of fuel in the air, I
had to get her out of the SUV quickly and escort her to a safe distance away
from the accident,” Barber said. Fortunately, for the driver, Barber kept her
calm and prevented her from wondering onto the on-coming highway traffic.
As he kept her calm, another driver parked his car on the shoulder and called
911. Then Barber waved down a county sheriff who relayed the accident
information to his dispatcher. An ambulance arrived on the scene and the driver
was taken to a nearby hospital for the treatment of her injuries. The driver
“had been reaching down to pick up her cell phone, lost control of the SUV and
crashed into the embankment of trees,” Barber said. As the first person to
arrive at the scene of the accident, he helped the driver out of the SUV and
saved her life.
“It is no big deal that I helped the driver. My father was a truck driver for 30
years and he would be rolling over in his grave, if he knew I was being
recognized as a Highway Angel,” said Barber.
Since its inception in August 1997, the Highway Angel program has recognized
hundreds of drivers for the unusual kindness, courtesy, and courage they have
shown others while on the job. TCA has received letters and emails from people
across the country nominating truck drivers for the program.
“The kindness and generosity of these professional truck drivers, who risk
everything to save the life of a driver or passenger on our roads, continues to
amaze us”, said Nancy O'Liddy, director of public relations and marketing for
TCA. “TCA is proud and delighted to provide this program, to highlight the
positive impact these drivers have on our roads.”
Barber received a Highway Angel lapel pin, certificate, and patch for his
efforts, and his employer, Schneider National Carriers, Inc. , also received a
certificate for acknowledging a Highway Angel in their midst. Barber has been
driving for Schneider National Carriers, Inc. for two years and as son of a
truck driver, he always knew he would be a truck driver.
To view archival copies of past Highway Angel press releases, visit our website
address at www.truckload.org/pressroom/index.htm#angelnews.
To nominate a driver online, go to
www.truckload.org/highwayangels/nominate.asp. For more information on
the program, contact TCA at 703/838-1950 or via email at
Angel@truckload.org.
TCA is the only national trade association whose collective sole focus
is the truckload segment of the motor carrier industry. The association
represents dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, and intermodal container carriers
operating in the 48 contiguous states as well as Alaska , Mexico , and Canada .
Representing operators of over 200,000 trucks, which collectively produce
annual revenue of over $20 billion, TCA is an organization tailored to specific
truckload carrier needs.
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Treat
Drivers As Professionals For Recruitment and Retention
If you want to recruit and retain professional drivers they need to be treated
as professionals within your company. Career paths are one of the ways to
demonstrate professionalism to your drivers. A career path should provide an
outline to personal improvement, an opportunity to advance in skill sets, an
opportunity to improve income and recognition for experience and skills. In
other words, drivers need to feel a sense of upward mobility, according to Duff
Swain . Below are six professional driver levels that demonstrate
upward mobility.
Six Professional Driver Levels
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Level #1 SPA (Service Provider Applicant) represents the new
driver and covers from the first day of employment to the 90 th day of
employment. New drivers coming to the company with more than the minimum of 3
years of experience would be given a small but meaningful perk for this. Here
the basic minimums would apply to all newcomers. However, in addition, the
pre-requisite to successfully pass the 90-day probation period would be passing
the general orientation course and the 85 plus day in-field orientation
program.
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Level #2 SPP (Service Provider Professional ) would be an
extended trial period extending from the 91 st day of employment to the end of
the second year. Some of the requisites for successfully completing this driver
level would include the following: mileage minimum, minimum number of work days
per week (sick leave, personal days, emergency situation would not be counted,
if valid), no moving violation, meets safety standards, meets maintenance
standards, meets fuel standards, meets log maintenance standards, meets
customer relations standards, meets on time delivery standards, meets alcohol
and drug standards and completes on-line, self-study or classroom training
courses.
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Level #3 SPPS (Service Provider Pro-Silver) begins with the
third year of employment. Here all the above standards continue. The perk of a
small raise in pay or a one time paid bonus would provide a celebration of
having successfully met this challenge. Other celebration items could include a
special hat that denotes the silver level driver, a certificate, and a small
but special present for the driver's family. If the driver doesn't have a
family, another item would be substituted. In addition, new
educational-training programs would need to be completed, again on-line,
self-study or classroom. Further, at this level drivers would be eligible to
qualify for other positions such as driver mentors, trainers, etc.
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Level #4 SPPG (Service Provider Pro-Gold) begins with the
fourth year of employment. All the standards of previous levels would apply.
The pay raise, bonus and celebration package would also apply here and be a
little larger in scope and value. The educational/training program would once
again continue.
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Level #5 SPPP (Service Provider Pro-Platinum) begins with the
sixth year of employment. All the standards of previous levels would apply. The
pay raise, bonus and celebration package would also apply here and be a little
larger in scope and value. The educational/training program would once again
continue.
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Level #6 MSP (Master Service Provider) begins with the
eleventh year of employment.
All the standards of previous levels would apply. The pay raise, bonus and
celebration package would also apply here and be a little larger in scope and
value. The educational/training program would once again continue.
TRINCON GROUP is a business advisory company that,
since 1982, has provided strategies, planning and implementation services to
ownership and management teams in the trucking and transportation industry.
President Duff H. Swain has more than 30 years of industry experience and has
authored several white papers and trade articles on the subjects of driver
turnover, cost-based accounting and other topics. The Driver Career Path is
part of a larger publication, Driver Hiring & Retention, and is available
at www.trincon.com . For more
information, visit www.trincon.com; call 614-442-0590, or e-mail
consultants@trincon.com .
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New
TCA and PTDI Headquarters Address
In case you missed the news, TCA and PTDI have moved their headquarters as of
August 21, 2006 to the following address:
NEW TCA and PTDI HEADQUARTERS ADDRESS
555 E. Braddock Road
Alexandria , VA 22314
PTDI Main line: 703-647-7015
Fax: 703 836-6610
Please note that at the present time, we no longer have individual extensions,
so if you need to reach a staff person, please contact them at the main number
703-838-1950.
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