News

From Waterbury Republican American. Naugatuck businessman John Pruchnicki guesses that highway tolls could cost his petroleum transportation business $200,000 to $300,000 a year. Without an actual tolling plan, he can only ballpark an estimate of how much the fleet of 22 tanker trucks operating out of the Ansonia and Bloomfield terminals of Coastal Carriers of…

From FMCSA. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced a final rule streamlining the process and reducing costs to upgrade from a Class B to Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). By adopting a new Class A CDL theory instruction upgrade curriculum, the final rule will save eligible driver…

This week, MTAC members Jim Rizzo from Gabrielli Trucks and Luis Tejeda from Freightliner of Hartford testified in support of HB 6771, which would “permit motor vehicle dealers to register large commercial motor vehicles online and thereby create efficiencies and make the process more convenient.” Jim Rizzo said, in part, “Currently, we are only allowed…

This week, MTAC President Joe Sculley testified in opposition to a bill that would require truck-specific GPS devices to be in use on all trucks with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds. Sculley’s testimony said the bill was likely introduced in response to trucks driving through no-through truck zones in certain municipalities. He said…

This week, MTAC President Joe Sculley testified in opposition to a bill that would add a $10 surcharge on to the cost of a non-consensual tow. Sculley said that the bill is an attempt to circumvent the regulation of rates for non-consensual tows. He said that the regulation of non-consensual tows is an important aspect…

From CT News Junkie. Connecticut’s trucking industry is cautiously watching a recent slowdown in activity that follows a highly successful 2018, because it could be a harbinger of economic slowdown. Freight hauling, truck orders and trailer orders all declined in November and December. And while January numbers crawled back up just a bit, there’s reason…

From Yankee Institute. Trucking companies from across Connecticut said the plan to install tolls on Connecticut’s highways would cost their companies upwards of $500,000 per year in a video released by the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut. Trucking company owners from East Windsor, Hartford, Granby and numerous other locations throughout the state discussed the number…

This week, MTAC released a video which includes testimony from several members about how tolls in Connecticut would negatively impact their business. Please watch the video and distribute far and wide.

From CT Mirror. Gov. Ned Lamont used his first budget Wednesday to lay the groundwork for the restoration of tolls to Connecticut highways. Administration officials stressed they are just beginning a conversation with lawmakers about tolls. But the budget proposal also would cancel a crucial transfer of sales tax receipts to the Special Transportation Fund…

This week, MTAC President Joe Sculley testified on a bill which would create a Connecticut Infrastructure Bank. Sculley explained that MTAC is not necessarily opposed to the concept of an Infrastructure Bank. However, he suggested that the issue should be studied further before the legislature votes to create the proposed Bank. Sculley said that the…