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This week, MTAC President Joe Sculley visited MTAC Board member Dennis Botticello of Botticello’s, Inc., in Manchester, Conn. Botticello’s is a long-time member which serves all of Connecticut for a variety of services, including trucking. They are also in the equipment sales and rentals business, and have commercial, industrial, and municipal services. Botticello’s provides a…

From the George Mason University Mercatus Center. On the basis of its fiscal solvency in five separate categories, Connecticut ranks 50th among the US states and Puerto Rico for its fiscal health. Connecticut’s fiscal position is poor across all categories. With between only 0.46 and 1.19 times the cash needed to cover short-term liabilities, Connecticut’s…

From Transport Topics. Bestpass Inc. announced that it now offers complete nationwide toll-management coverage for commercial fleets with the addition of services in Oklahoma. “When we started processing tolls with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, we added the final piece necessary to deliver a truly national tolling solution and to cover 100% of all major U.S.…

Effective July 1, 2016, Connecticut will increase the costs to obtain oversize and overweight permits. Legislation sponsored by Democratic leadership will raise the costs for individual permits from $23 to $30. It will also raise the cost of an “electronic transmittal fee” to electronically pay for the permits from $3 to $5. Additionally, the bill…

From the Connecticut Post. The state Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on the planned Exit 33 ramp project on I-95. The hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, June 16 at the Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2017 “based on the availability of funding.”…

From Transport Topics. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on May 20 forwarded to the White House Office of Management and Budget its final rule that would establish a national database of truck drivers who have failed or refused to take drug and alcohol tests, marking the final step in the approval process. The…

More than 30 drivers have enrolled in the upcoming Connecticut Truck Driving Championship set for June 11 at the Fedex Freight facility in Windsor Locks. However, it is not too late to sign up to compete. Specifically, the Flatbed and Straight Truck fields are wide open, so members should be sure to consider having their drivers…

Construction will begin soon on a 525,000 square foot FedEx Ground distribution hub on Middle Street at the former site of the Aetna campus. Local and state officials participated in a groundbreaking Thursday morning with FedEx Ground, which says it will create at least 400 jobs with the new center, scheduled to open in August…

MTAC recently met with senior Connecticut Department of Labor officials to discuss the availability of apprenticeship funds that could be used by the trucking industry. Specifically, funds are available that could be used towards the cost of tuition at a commercial driving school. Department of Labor officials reported that as much as $3,500 is available…

As a reminder, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Roadcheck with a focus on tires will be held in June. Do not operate trucks with tires that: have less than the minimum tread depth (minimum tread depth for steer tires is 4/32-inch, and 2/32-inch for any other wheel position); have body ply or belt material exposed…