News
Safety group insurance program
During this era of tough economic times and increases in insurance rates, is your business getting the most out of its insurance coverage? MTAC has an insurance program, run in conjunction with Acadia Insurance, and endorsed sponsoring agent Bouvier Insurance, that pays dividends directly back to qualifying businesses. The MTAC insurance program provides commercial property…
Read MoreMullen to step down from FMCSA
From Overdrive Online. Jim Mullen, who’s helmed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in an interim capacity since October 2019, is leaving the agency at the end of August. Wiley Deck, currently the senior policy advisor to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and FMCSA’s former director of government affairs, will assume the role of Deputy Administrator…
Read MoreHow fleets can use ELDs to improve preventive maintenance
From Fleet Owner. For some fleets, the sole purpose of investing in an electronic logging device (ELD) is to track driving time in compliance with the hours of service (HOS) regulations. However, some ELDs are capable of collecting a much broader array of vehicle data that can help the fleet in additional ways. “There are…
Read MoreTrailer orders keep climbing in July, hit 19,300
From Transport Topics. U.S. trailer orders climbed again in July, reaching 19,300, the most this year, FTR reported. The gain was up 84% from a year earlier and was also 33% more than in June, according to FTR. Dry van orders sustained their momentum after diving precipitously during the pandemic. Refrigerated van orders were solid…
Read MoreFMCSA Update: Modified/Expanded COVID-19 Emergency Declaration
Via American Trucking Associations (ATA) FMCSA extended – and modified – the emergency declaration that was set to expire on Aug. 14. The modified declaration provides regulatory relief for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to COVID-19, and has been expanded to included emergency restocking of distribution centers…
Read MoreCVSA’s International Roadcheck rescheduled for Sept. 9-11
From Transport Topics. The postponed International Roadcheck event has been rescheduled for Sept. 9-11, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced Aug. 10. CVSA officials postponed the event in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Although the coronavirus pandemic understandably shifted priorities and personnel during the spring, the commercial motor vehicle law enforcement community has reasserted…
Read MoreConnecticut will need emergency loan to bolster unemployment trust
This could lead to higher taxes on businesses. From CT Mirror. Having paid out billions of dollars in benefits since the coronavirus pandemic struck in mid-March, Connecticut’s unemployment trust fund is headed for insolvency later this month or in early September, according state Labor Department officials. That means Connecticut will need an emergency federal loan…
Read MoreMnuchin pushes for limited stimulus as stalemate persists
From Bloomberg News via Transport Topics. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin renewed a push for a more limited next-round U.S. pandemic relief package of “a little more than $1 trillion” on Aug. 12, saying that Democratic demands for spending more could be discussed down the road. “We can always come back later in the year or…
Read MoreNew DMV policy eliminates unnecessary paperwork
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has now firmly implemented a new policy that will eliminate the need for carriers to present a Federal Annual Inspection (FAI) form, and an inspector qualification form, at the time of vehicle registration. This policy change has been pending since the beginning of the year, and per this…
Read MoreThe high cost of electric vehicle subsidies
MTAC members may be interested in reading a recent report titled Short Circuit: The High Cost of Electric Vehicle Subsidies, which was written by Ph.D. author Jonathan Lesser, and published by the Manhattan Institute. Some key areas of focus in the report are the impact on ratepayers, emissions, and inequality. In light of news that…
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