***original post from Trucking Moves America Forward***

Trucking plays a vital role in every community across America.

Our 3.5 million drivers travel 279.1 billion miles annually to deliver the goods that our towns and cities need to thrive - from groceries and medicine, to retail goods, school supplies, and more. In fact, roughly 70 percent of the nation's freight is moved by nearly 32 million trucks on the road, day in and day out.

The problem is: these millions of hardworking men and women behind the wheel are traversing roads that receive a "D" grade from the American Society of Civil Engineers; moreover, the ASCE found nearly one-third of our roads are in "poor or mediocre" condition, and one in nine of the nation's bridges are structurally deficient.

In other words, our roads are outdated and our bridges are crumbling - facts the trucking industry understands as well as anyone. And when failing infrastructure slows down trucking, it slows down America, too. Congestion, which is a symptom of our increasingly inadequate infrastructure, cost the trucking industry almost $50 billion in wasted time and fuel last year alone, a cost that affects the entire economy. In fact, as several of the country's lawmakers have noted, due to the conditions of our roadways "American businesses pay $27 billion a year in extra freight transportation costs, increasing shipping delays and raising prices on everyday products."

The costs associated with insufficient roads, bridges, tunnels and more don't end there: The ASCE also found that by 2020, this deteriorating infrastructure will cost the economy nearly 1 million jobs and hurt GDP growth by $1 trillion. That includes deteriorating pavement and bridge conditions that alone will cost our economy $58 billion per year, and the resulting highway congestion that will cost us more than a quarter billion dollars.

So, what can we do about it?

Trucking is proud of the vital role we play in our communities and the economy (to which we contribute $726.4 billion in revenue every year). And we've been enthusiastic supporters of Infrastructure Week ever since we launched our industry movement - Trucking Moves America Forward.

We support the message and want to spread the word far and wide that to keep Moving America Forward, there's no denying it's time to invest and build. The trucking industry won't sit idly when poor infrastructure puts our mission in jeopardy and prevents us from doing our jobs as safely and efficiently as possible.

As long as we need to, TMAF will stand strong, advocating for infrastructure spending that improves the highway networks most critical to the movement of freight and interstate travel, while prioritizing the safety of the motoring public in the process.

Importantly, we'll continue to call on our political leaders at the state and federal levels to work with us to close the nation's infrastructure investment gap.

Our hardworking drivers depend on structurally sound and safe roads to deliver America's goods. Families, neighborhoods, hospitals, businesses and individuals like you and I - indeed the entire American economy - are counting on it.

And the 7 million-plus workers in the professional trucking industry stand in agreement with all of Infrastructure Week's affiliates and supporters by echoing a unified, clear message: it's #TimeToBuild.

Kevin Burch is the co-chairman of TMAF, chairman of American Trucking Associations and president of Jet Express Inc.

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) customers are reminded that the current South Plainfield Agency site located at 698 Oak Tree Avenue will permanently close after business hours, at 1:00 P.M., on Saturday, May 13, 2017.

Customers are encouraged to visit one of these lower volume MVC agencies:

Flemington 181-B Routes 31 & 202 Ringoes, NJ 08822	South Brunswick 2236 Route 130 North Dayton, NJ 08810
Somerville 10 Roosevelt Place Somerville, NJ 08876	Hazlet 1374 Highway 36 Airport Plaza Mall Hazlet, NJ 07730

The automated written driver’s license test is available at the following MVC agencies:

Bakers Basin                         3200 Brunswick Pike (Rt 1) Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Washington 404 E Washington Ave Washington, NJ 07882

Directions and additional agency locations are available on the MVC website, www.njmvc.gov.

The MVC reminds customers to always check our website before any visit to a local office and to take advantage of our “Skip the Trip” license renewal process and our on-line services such as vehicle registration renewals, driver abstract requests, and surcharge and restoration payments.
For more information about the ongoing positive changes at the MVC, please visit www.njmvc.gov.

February 2017 North American Freight Numbers

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) 30th annual International Roadcheck will take place June 6-8, 2017. Over a 72-hour period, CVSA-certified commercial motor vehicle inspectors in jurisdictions throughout North America will conduct inspections of commercial motor vehicles and their drivers.

Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of violations. This year’s focus is cargo securement. While checking for compliance with safe cargo securement regulations is always part of roadside inspections, CVSA is highlighting cargo securement safety this year as a reminder of its importance to highway safety.

Inspectors will primarily be conducting the North American Standard Level I Inspection, which is the most thorough roadside inspection. It is a 37-step procedure that includes an examination of both driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness. Drivers are required to provide items such as their driver’s license, hours-of-service documentation, motor carrier registration and shipping documentation, and inspectors will be checking drivers for seat belt usage and the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. The vehicle inspection includes checking items such as the brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices (required lamps), steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims and hubs, windshield wipers, and emergency exits (on buses).

International Roadcheck is the largest targeted enforcement program on commercial motor vehicles in the world, with nearly 17 trucks or buses inspected, on average, every minute in Canada, the United States and Mexico during a 72-hour period. Since its inception, more than 1.5 million roadside inspections have been conducted during International Roadcheck campaigns.

International Roadcheck is a CVSA program with participation by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).

Learn more about International Roadcheck.

Intermittent Closures of Manhattan Bound RFK Bridge Harlem River Lift Span Scheduled for Early Thursday 15-minute Closures of Manhattan Bound Side of the Span Planned

Intermittent, full closures on the Manhattan bound side of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge’s Harlem River Lift Span are scheduled for Thursday, May 11, from 12:01 a.m. to 5 a.m. for installation of a large gantry structure. Each closure lasts approximately 15 minutes. Motorists should allow additional travel time or consider an alternate route. Motorists can sign up for MTA e-mail or text alerts at www.mta.info and check the Bridges and Tunnels homepage or Facebook page for the latest information on this planned work.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced that it is seeking applications from nonprofit organizations interested in providing instructor-led classes on occupational safety and health as part of the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers Program. The national program serves private and public sector employers, supervisors, and workers within OSHA's jurisdiction.

The program was initiated in 1992 to meet a growing demand for private and public sector training similar to that provided by the agency's OSHA Training Institute (OTI) in Arlington Heights, IL. In the past 10 years, OTI Education Centers have trained more than a quarter of a million students and more than 52,000 students received training in FY 2016 alone.

For information on how to apply, see the Federal Register notice. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 30, 2017, and must be submitted by regular mail to Jim Brock, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA Directorate of Training and Education, 2020 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4102. Prospective applicants with questions should contact Mr. Brock at Brock.James.E@dol.gov or by telephone at 847-759-7700.

A proposal conference will be held at the same Arlington Heights location on May 17, 2017, to provide potential applicants with information about the training program, expectations for OTI Education Centers, and administrative and program requirements.

OSHA does not predetermine the number of organizations selected to act as OTI Education Centers but selects organizations according to each applicant's qualifications, ability to serve regional populations and OSHA's training needs.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

This year's National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down, from May 8-12, encourages companies and workers to observe a pause during the workday for topical discussions, safety demonstrations, and training in hazard recognition and fall prevention.

The stand-downs should also provide an opportunity for employers and their workers to talk about hazards, protective methods and the company's safety policies, goals and expectations. The length of a stand-down is up to the employer.

The lack of proper fall protection is the violation cited most frequently by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors. Joining OSHA in raising awareness about fall-related incidents are several partners, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Center for Construction Research and Training.

OSHA anticipates thousands of employers nationwide to participate in 2017. To guide their efforts, the agency is offering a National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down webpage with information on conducting a successful event, how to post local events, and additional educational resources in English and Spanish. Employers are encouraged to provide feedback after their events, and to obtain a personalized certificate of participation.

Also supporting the event are the National Occupational Research Agenda, OSHA-approved State Plans, state consultation programs, the American Society of Safety Engineers, the National Safety Council, the National Construction Safety Executives, the U.S. Air Force and the OSHA Training Institute Education Centers.

For more facts on preventable falls, watch this new short video. To learn more about preventing falls in construction, visit http://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/.

February 2017 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI)

ELD Phase II: Phased In Compliance Phase

This video provides motor carriers and drivers with information on Phase II of the ELD Implementation Plan.

The following topics are discussed in this video: 

·         Electronic Logging Device (ELD) registration process;

·         What motor carriers and drivers can expect during Phase II; and 

·         Driver’s and motor carrier’s responsibility.

This video, along with other ELD videos, is available at the following link: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/hours-service/elds/training-and-events.

Today, members of the American Trucking Associations, along with a contingent of America’s Road Team Captains – ATA’s group of elite professional drivers – visited the White House for a conversation about issues affecting the trucking industry, including health care.

 “Trucking is the backbone of the nation’s economy. We employ 1 in 16 people in the U.S. Driving a truck is the top job in 29 states. Trucking moves 70% of the nation’s freight and 56% of GDP. To grow our economy, we need to take care of the people that move America forward, said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The Affordable Care Act is just plain unaffordable. Replacing this law will help trucking employees, their families and our customers by lowering insurance costs, decrease mandates, liabilities and administrative burdens, and provide access to quality care and patient choice.”  

 “The 7.3 million people who work in the trucking industry – of which 3.5 million are professional truck drivers – have a common thread – to be safe and dependable and that requires a healthy professional behind the wheel,” ATA Chairman Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express Inc., said. “One thing for certain the professional men and women drivers in America are proud of hauling America’s freight. We are here to tell you Mr. President, that the trucking industry will support you as you work towards solving America’s health care challenges. In addition, we look forward to working with you on improving our workplace, which is our highways.”

 “Truck drivers are in all 50 states – every single day. As a driver, we feel the weight of the numerous regulations placed on us, as well as our companies – and those that we serve,” said America’s Road Team Captain Don Logan, a professional truck driver with FedEx Freight, from Eskridge, Kan. “We proudly stand with you in your effort to improve the current healthcare law making it easier for us to make a living and serve America.”

 Burch and Logan were joined by a number of trucking executives: Jim Burg, president and CEO, James Burg Trucking Co., Warren, Mich.; David Congdon, CEO, Old Dominion Freight Line, Thomasville, N.C.; Mike Ducker, president and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, Tenn.; Eric Fuller, CEO, U.S. Xpress Inc., Chattanooga, Tenn.; Neal Kedzie, president, Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association, Madison, Wisc.; Rich McArdle, president, UPS Freight, Richmond, Va.; Dennis Nash, CEO, Kenan Advantage Group, North Canton, Ohio; Tonn Ostergard, president and CEO, Crete Carrier Corp., Lincoln, Neb., and John Smith, chairman, CRST International Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

 In addition, ATA was privileged to bring its Image Truck – Interstate One – and a trailer provided by Jet Express featuring Trucking Moves America Forward imaging, hauled by ATA’s Share the Road Truck. These trucks are being driven and escorted by 12 professional drivers with a combined 319 years of driving experience and 29.4 million accident-free miles: Steve Fields, Independence, Mo., (YRC Freight); Ralph Garcia, Albuquerque, N.M., (ABF Freight System); David Green, Hot Springs, Ark., (Werner Enterprises); Rhonda Hartman, Des Moines, Iowa, (Old Dominion Freight Line); John Lex, Monroe, Ga., (Walmart Transportation); David Livingston, Springfield, Ga., (TCW Inc.); Don Logan, Eskridge, Kan., (FedEx Freight); Charlton Paul Jr., Chester, N.Y., (UPS Freight); Russell Simpson, South Vienna, Ohio, (Holland Inc.); Todd Stine, Altoona, Pa., (Carbon Express); Barney Earl Taylor, Orlando, Fla., (Penske) and Derrick Whittle, Fieldale, Va., (Cargo Transporters Inc.).

 Photos and video of the event will be available upon request, or via ATA’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter feeds.