News

In December 2021 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule (https://www.nj.gov/dep/aqm/currentrules/Sub33.pdf).

The rule has a one-time reporting requirement for large businesses, government agencies, or contractors that operate or dispatch vehicles with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 8,500 lbs. in New Jersey. This includes medium-duty vehicles such as vans and ¾ ton pickups and heavier vehicles such as delivery trucks, school buses, transit buses, and tractor-trailer trucks. The information is required by April 1, 2023. 

VIEW DEP LETTER

This topic will be covered at the Annual Membership Meeting on November 30th at the Pines Manor.

Jeffrey L. Cantor, Bureau of Mobile Sources, NJ Department of Environmental Protection will discuss the new reporting system and how to report online.

To register for the Annual Meeting go to New Jersey Motor Truck Association - NJMTA Annual Meeting - REGISTER TODAY! (wildapricot.org)

Beginning January 6, 2023, a pre-employment Clearinghouse query will satisfy the requirement to investigate a prospective driver's previous drug and alcohol program violations, as set forth in 49 CFR 391.23(e)(4) and 382.413(b).  

Employers of CDL drivers are required to conduct background investigations before hiring a driver. This process includes determining if the driver has violated the drug and alcohol regulations of any Department of Transportation (DOT) mode within the past three years (see 49 CFR 391.23(e)(1)-(3) and 382.413(a)). Currently, this requires employers or their designated consortia/third-party administrators (C/TPAs) to conduct both electronic queries in the Clearinghouse and manual inquiries with previous employers to meet the three-year time frame.

Beginning January 6, 2023, when three years of violation data is stored in the Clearinghouse,prospective employers must conduct a pre-employment query of the Clearinghouse, as set forth in § 382.701(a), to comply with the inquiry requirement in §§ 382.413(b) and 391.23(e)(4), as it pertains to FMCSA-regulated employers. Inquiries not conducted under § 382.701(a) will not satisfy these inquiry requirements.

NOTE: The Clearinghouse contains only information about drivers employed by FMCSA-regulated employers. If a prospective employee was employed by an employer regulated by a DOT agency other than FMCSA (such as the Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, etc.) during the three-year time frame, prospective employers will still be required to directly request drug and alcohol violation information from those DOT-regulated employers in accordance with 391.23(e)(4)(ii) and 382.413(c), since this information is not reported to the Clearinghouse.

Annual query requirements have not changed.

Employers of CDL drivers must conduct a query in the Clearinghouse at least once a year for each CDL driver they employ (see § 382.701(b)). This annual query requirement applies on a rolling 12-month basis, which means that if you conducted your last annual queries in December 2021, it is time to conduct the next round of annual queries.

Employers must obtain general consent from CDL drivers they employ before conducting limited queries in the Clearinghouse to view these drivers’ information (you can download a sample limited query consent form).

Are you up-to-date on your annual queries?

Log in to the Clearinghouse and visit your Query History page to see if your annual queries are due. For instructions on conducting annual queries, download the How to Conduct a Limited Query job aid.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reduced the online renewal enrollment fee for transportation workers who possess a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC^®) as well as the enrollment fee for Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) and TWIC applicants who maintain an existing Security Threat Assessment (STA) for the comparable program. 

TSA uses biographic and biometric information provided by applicants to conduct a STA for all HME and TWIC applicants, and the fees cover the agency’s costs for vetting applicants and issuing biometric credentials to the maritime workforce.

“The HME and TWIC fee reductions present a great opportunity for critical transportation workers credentialed with TSA who are interested in renewing their TWIC credential online and/or applying for a TWIC or HME at a lower cost,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “These updates are part of TSA’s ongoing efforts to improve the HME and TWIC enrollment experience and pass on cost savings to applicants.”

The HME Threat Assessment Program is required by the USA PATRIOT Act for any driver seeking to obtain, renew and transfer a HME on a state-issued commercial driver’s license. The TWIC Program is required by the Maritime Transportation Security Act for workers who need access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime facilities and vessels.

Through a Federal Register Notice published today, TSA announced a new fee structure for online renewals and comparable STAs. These updates allow TSA to continue to improve the HME and TWIC enrollment experience, mitigate potential security risks and ensure that the programs remain fully funded. 

TWIC applicants can now pay a reduced fee when renewing their credentials online: $117.25, compared to the in-person fee of $125.25. Additionally, TWIC applicants who hold an existing HME or Free and Secure Trade (FAST) STA are eligible for a reduced-fee enrollment: $93 compared to $105.25.

The fee for commercial drivers with an existing TWIC STA required to apply for an HME STA has been reduced from $67.00 to $41.00 (eligibility is dependent upon the driver’s license state of issuance).

Comparison of Current and New TWIC and HME Fees and Enrollment Type
Enrollment Type	TWIC Program Fees	HME Program Fees
Current	New	Current	New
New enrollment	$125.25	$125.25	$86.50	$86.50
Renewal (in-person)	$125.25	$125.25	$86.50	$86.50
Renewal (online)	N/A	$117.25	N/A	N/A
Comparable STA	$105.25	$93	$67	$41
Replacement card	$60	$60	N/A	N/A

 

 In August 2022, TSA enhanced the renewal process for TWIC, allowing current TWIC holders to renew their credentials online, eliminating the need to go to an enrollment center and making the renewal process more convenient.

TWIC services and fee changes are published at https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/twic. HME services and fee changes are published at https://www.tsa.gov/for-industry/hazmat-endorsement.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) provides EPA with $3 billion to fund zero-emission port equipment and technology and to help ports develop climate action plans to reduce air pollutants at U.S. ports. This new funding program will build on EPA’s Ports Initiative that the Agency established to ensure that our nation’s ports, a critical part of our infrastructure and supply chain, help address public health and environmental impacts on surrounding communities. 

See below for legislative text enabling this historic funding program.

EPA wants to hear from you on how to build the Clean Ports funding program in the IRA! EPA is hosting two listening sessions on:

·    November 9, 2022 1:00-3:00 PM ET  

·    December 6, 2022 1:00-3:00 PM ET 

The format of these sessions will be the same. Please attend one or both. These sessions will begin with a brief overview of the legislation and conclude with an interactive listening session. We encourage all to attend, whether you work at a port, work with near-port communities, or simply are interested in helping ports transition to zero-emissions. Please come prepared to share your feedback on the program, including:

1. What types of zero-emission port technologies or related planning support do you see as most critical for delivering emissions reductions?

2. What do you see as the biggest hurdles to transitioning to zero-emission port equipment?

3. How do you see this program complementing other available funding programs (e.g., at EPA, other federal or state programs) that can support efforts to reduce emissions at ports?

4. How would you like to see funding for zero-emission port technology, related planning and permitting, and development of climate action plans work together? Should the funding opportunities be sequenced or combined?

5. How can we help ensure this program addresses concerns of near-port communities and advances environmental justice? 

Register for the Nov. 9 listening session

Register for the Dec. 6 listening session

Spanish interpretation and live captioning will be available. If you require special accommodations, including live translation into a language other than English or Spanish, please contact cleanports@epa.gov one week prior to the event to make arrangements.

If you are unable to attend, you may also submit suggestions about program implementation to cleanports@epa.gov.

Information about the IRA Clean Ports funding listening sessions can be found on the EPA Ports Initiative website

NJMTA Member Carbon Express driver Tood Stine sits down with the NJ DOT Office of Freight Planning to talk about a typical day of driving in the garden state.

Check out the video on our Facebook page, (20) New Jersey Motor Truck Association | East Brunswick NJ | Facebook, or use one of the links below.

https://twitter.com/NewJerseyDOT/status/1585354819984052224

https://fb.watch/gqmxOKL8gb/

Today, the American Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization, released its 18th annual Top Industry Issues report, identifying the leading industry concerns including fuel prices, the driver shortage, truck parking, driver compensation, the economy and for the first time, speed limiters. 

“ATRI’s list is a true reflection of what it was like to be a trucker this year,” said ATA Chairman Harold A. Sumerford Jr. “High fuel prices and finding drivers were two of our industry’s biggest challenges – challenges made more difficult by the economy and the continued lack of truck parking. Thankfully, ATRI doesn’t just tell us what the issues are, it provides a number of possible solutions that decision makers can use to address them.” 

In a year that saw record-high fuel costs, Fuel Prices were ranked as the top industry concern, replacing the Driver Shortage, which had been the number one issue for five years in a row. This year, the Driver Shortage was the second-ranked issue, followed by the lack of available Truck Parking. Rounding out the top five this year were Driver Compensation and the Economy. 

With the release earlier this year of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Notice of Intent to enter into a speed limiter rulemaking in 2023, Speed Limiters ranked in the top ten this year for the first time, coming in ninth overall and fifth among commercial driver respondents.  

Over 47 percent of the survey respondents were professional truck drivers and 39 percent were motor carrier executives. Among driver respondents, Truck Parking, Fuel Prices and Driver Compensation were the top three concerns, while motor carriers ranked the Driver Shortage, Driver Retention and Fuel Prices as their top three concerns. 

More than 4,200 trucking industry stakeholders participated in this year’s survey, including motor carriers, truck drivers, industry suppliers, driver trainers, law enforcement, and others.  

“This year’s survey had the highest number of responses to date, showing how committed our industry is to identifying the most critical concerns and more importantly, figuring out how we collectively deal with each issue,” said ATRI President and COO Rebecca Brewster. 

The complete results of the annual survey were released as part of 2022 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference and Exhibition. The full report can be found at ATRI’s website here. 

On June 13-17, commercial motor vehicle inspectors inspected 6,204 vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods (HM/DG) and 6,668 HM/DG packages in Canada and the U.S. for a five-day unannounced HM/DG inspection and enforcement initiative for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The total number of violations was 1,774.

Drivers who transport HM/DG are specially trained in emergency safety and applicable HM/DG federal regulations. CVSA’s HM/DG Road Blitz spotlights the safety-compliant drivers, shippers and motor carriers that ensure HM/DG are always appropriately marked, placarded, packaged and secured while being transported on our roadways.

Vehicles found to have HM/DG-related out-of-service violations, and/or any other driver or vehicle out-of-service violations, were restricted from traveling until all out-of-service violations were addressed.

During the 2022 HM/DG Road Blitz, inspectors discovered the following HM/DG violations:

• 408 shipping papers violations
• 269 non-bulk/small means of containment packaging violations
• 272 bulk packaging/large means of containment placarding violations
• 76 non-bulk/small means of containment labeling violations
• 159 bulk packaging/large means of containment placarding violations
• 79 other safety marks violations
• 168 loading and securement violations
• 43 HM/DG package integrity (leaking) violations
• 84 Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Certificate violations (Canada only)

Below is a summary of the HM/DG class types inspected, broken out by country and combined for a North American total.

Class	Description	Canada	U.S.	Total
Class 1	Explosives, such as ammunition, fireworks, flares, etc.	15	150	165
Class 2	Gases, Flammable, non-flammable oxygen and inhalation hazards	129	1,343	1,472
Class 3	Flammable and combustible liquids, such as fuel oil, acetone, adhesives, paints, gasoline, ethanol, methanol, some pesticides, etc.	240	2,962	3,202
Class 4	Flammable solids, substances liable to spontaneously combust and substances that, on contact with water, emit flammable gases, such as white phosphorus and sodium.	6	331	337
Class 5	Oxidizing agents and organic peroxides, such as hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate, sodium nitrite, ammonium nitrate fertilizers and oxygen generators.	8	179	187
Class 6	Toxic and infectious substances; any material, other than a gas, that is so toxic to humans that it presents a health hazard during transportation, such as cyanide, biological samples, clinical wastes and some pesticides.	12	119	131
Class 7	Radioactive materials, such as cobalt 60 and cesium 137.	0	19	19
Class 8	Liquid or solid corrosive substances, such as sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide, that cause full thickness destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified time.	64	921	985
Class 9	Miscellaneous HM/DG, such as acetaldehyde ammonia, asbestos, elevated temperature materials and benzaldehyde.	11	369	380

Governments in Canada and the U.S. have strict inspection and enforcement programs to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the transportation of HM/DG. In the U.S., the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are responsible for regulating and ensuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials. In Canada, the TDG Regulations are the safety requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods.

According to FMCSA’s data for last calendar year (as of Aug. 26, 2022), the top five hazmat violations in the U.S. were:

1. Package not secure in vehicle
2. No copy of USDOT HM registration number
3. No or improper shipping papers (carrier)
4. Shipping paper accessibility
5. Vehicle not placarded as required

The HM/DG Road Blitz helps increase awareness of the HM/DG rules and regulations in place to keep the driver, the public and the environment safe. It also highlights the hard-working, specially trained commercial motor vehicle law enforcement individuals who inspect vehicles transporting HM/DG.

Wilbert Vano a driver from XPO was NJMTA's TDC Grand Champion. He also won all three test awards - Pre-Trip, Written and Skills Tests.

Wilbert went on to Nationals and has won the First Place for 3-axle. 

Congratulations to Wilbert for bringing home a first-place win!

_________________________________________________________________

Roland Bolduc, a professional driver with FedEx Express, was named Bendix Grand Champion tonight at the conclusion of the 85th National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships.

Bolduc, competing in the sleeper berth, bested a field of 408 drivers with nearly 730 million combined accident-free miles to claim the coveted title of Grand Champion at this year’s Super Bowl of Safety.

“Congratulations to Roland and the great team at FedEx for being crowned Bendix Grand Champion,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “It has been a long road for these drivers to get here, and to emerge as the best of a truly elite group is a tremendous honor. Roland’s commitment to safety and professionalism is an example of what this industry and this event are truly about.”

This is Bolduc’s second Bendix Grand Championship, having won the coveted title in 2017. A resident of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, he has more than 2.5 million safe driving miles in his more than 40-year-long career. Bolduc was named an America’s Road Team Captain in 2000.

In addition, ATA crowned Tyler Tollefson, from FedEx Freight, as 2022 Rookie of the Year. To compete as an NTDC rookie, a driver must be a first-time competitor at their state competition who advanced to nationals. This year, there were 22 rookies competing at the National Truck Driving Championships.

ATA also recognized the state of North Carolina with the NTDC Team Championship, placing five drivers into the finals. New York finished second in the team competition and Connecticut finished third.

The National Truck Driving Championships are made possible by dozens of NTDC committee members and volunteers who judge the course, serve as liaisons to the drivers, conduct course walk-throughs and perform a number of other key tasks. As such, ATA and ATA's Safety Management Council honor one volunteer each year with the Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award. This year's Sam Gillette Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Michelle Wells of the South Dakota Trucking Association.

In addition, Anthony Spero, a professional driver with ABF Freight System Inc., was recognized with the Neil Darmstadter Professional Excellence Award as the competitor “who most exemplifies all the best attributes of a professional truck driver.”

“NTDC was a tremendous success thanks to all the drivers, staff and volunteers who made it happen,” said ATA Chairman Harold Sumerford Jr., president of J&M Tank Lines Inc. “After two long years, it was great to be back and see this competition in person, getting to observe the professionalism and dedication to safety of these drivers was a great privilege.”

Champions from each of the nine vehicle classes were also announced. Joining Bolduc on the list of national champions are:

Three-Axle Division 

1. Wilbert Vano, XPO Logistics Inc. (New Jersey)
2. Chris Poynor, XPO Logistics Inc. (Washington)
3. Brian Walker, TForce Freight (North Carolina)                                               

Four-Axle Division

1. Martin McMahon, RIST Transport (New York)
2. Miguel Corral, UPS (Illinois)
3. David Rohman, FedEx Express (North Carolina)                                             

Five-Axle Division

1. David Guinn, Publix Super Markets Inc. (Florida)
2. Timothy Banasiak, UPS (Illinois)
3. Alphonso Lewis, Yellow (Alabama)                                              

Flatbed Division

1. Eric Ramsdell, Walmart Transportation LLC (Arizona)
2. Raymond Waage, FedEx Freight (New York)
3. Kenneth Rageth, FedEx Freight (Wyoming)                                               

Sleeper Berth Division                                             

1. Roland Bolduc, FedEx Express (Connecticut)
2. Eric Courville, FedEx Freight (Louisiana)
3. Charles White, Walmart Transportation LLC (Indiana)                                               

Straight Truck Division                  

1. Christopher Shaw, FedEx Express (New Mexico)
2. Michael Bills, FedEx Express (North Carolina)
3. Jesse Benkert, FedEx Ground (Kentucky)                                               

Tank Truck Division                       

1. Michael Flippin, FedEx Freight (Colorado)
2. Heladio Fernandez, FedEx Freight (Oregon)
3. Dennis Shirar, Walmart Transportation LLC (Indiana)                                            

Twins Division                                              

1. Damien Hebert, XPO Logistics Inc. (Louisiana)
2. Leslie Smyth, FedEx Freight (Florida)
3. Jeffrey Langenhahn, XPO Logistics Inc. (Wisconsin)                                              

Step Van Division

1. Gregory Long, FedEx Express (Maryland)
2. Ceth Christensen, UPS (Illinois)
3. Jerome De La Cruz, FedEx Express (Alaska)

Today is the first day of Brake Safety Week, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) seven-day brake inspection and enforcement initiative and brake-safety outreach and awareness campaign.

From Aug. 21-27, commercial motor vehicle inspectors in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will be conducting their usual North American Standard Level I and IV Inspections; however, in addition, they will be documenting brake-related out-of-service violations and brake hose/tube chafing violations and will submit that data to CVSA. The results will be released later this year.

CVSA devotes a week to brake-safety inspections and education because:

• Last year’s CVSA International Roadcheck results found that brake systems and brake adjustment violations accounted for 38.9% of all vehicle out-of-service violations, the most of any category of vehicle violations.
• During CVSA’s unannounced one-day brake safety initiative in April, 14.1% of the 9,132 commercial motor vehicles inspected that day were placed out of service for brake-related critical vehicle inspection item violations.
• Brake-related violations accounted for seven out of the top 20 vehicle violations in 2021, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Motor Carrier Management Information System data snapshot (as of July 29, 2022).
• Brake system was the third most cited vehicle-related factor in large truck fatal crashes, according to FMCSA’s most recent (2019) Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report.

Properly functioning brake systems are crucial to safe commercial motor vehicle operation. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce the braking capacity and increase stopping distances for trucks and motorcoaches, which pose serious risks to driver and vehicle safety.

During Brake Safety Week, and every day of the year, when an inspector discovers critical vehicle inspection items, as identified in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, that vehicle will be placed out of service until the condition is corrected.

Brake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake program in partnership with FMCSA, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada and Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and the National Guard. Operation Airbrake is a comprehensive program dedicated to improving commercial motor vehicle brake safety throughout North America. The goal is to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty braking systems by conducting roadside inspections and educating drivers, mechanics, owner-operators and others on the importance of proper brake inspection, maintenance and operation.