News

MTAC is pleased to announce an upcoming class on the Electronic Logging Device rule, presented by MTAC members Omnitracs and Verizon Telematics. The date of April 1, 2018 at which point law enforcement will begin issuing Out Of Service (OOS) orders for non-compliance with the ELD rule is fast approaching. Attend this presentation to get…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has extended its regional emergency declaration until 11:59 PM February 28, 2018. This means that the Hours of Service waiver for the interstate transportation of home heating fuels only is in effect until that date. It should be noted that FMCSA’s waiver does not cover the transportation of…

From Transport Topics. Details of a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan that would propose funding for rural projects and streamlining the permitting process will be unveiled by President Donald Trump on Feb. 12, a White House official told Transport Topics. The regulatory process for projects would be reduced from 10 years to two years in the…

From CT Post. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Wednesday offered a sermon on fairness, using his final State of the State address to push back at President Donald Trump’s policies and boost his own agenda and legacy. “We find ourselves at a defining moment in our history, as a state and as a nation,” Malloy…

From CT Post. Motorists would navigate under dozens of overhead toll gantries along state highways throughout Connecticut under a funding plan for transportation that would also raise the state’s gasoline tax to 39 cents from 25 cents per gallon over the next few years. While legislative Republicans balked after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Wednesday morning…

Letter to the editor by Axel Carrion, UPS. If you tax people, you will raise money. That’s the gist of The Hartford Courant’s Jan. 12 editorial: “How To Pay For Roads? Tolls, Obviously” [courant.com]. The editorial doesn’t address the consequences of tolls: the double taxation of drivers who pay fuel taxes, the impact on Connecticut…

From Yankee Institute. Pension and healthcare costs for employees with the Department of Transportation grew nearly $30 million over three years, increasing operating costs for Connecticut’s beleaguered Special Transportation Fund. According to figures from the State Comptroller’s Office, between 2014 and 2017 state pension contributions increased $20.9 million, while healthcare costs increased $8.8 million. Some…

Senior officials from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will visit the MTAC office on Wednesday, March 21 to discuss how interested businesses can apply for funds to help upgrade or replace older vehicles. The meeting is free to members, and will begin at 10 a.m. The funds will be available because…

From Transport Topics. A six-page document that is purported to be a draft outline of President Donald Trump’s high-profile infrastructure plan is drawing criticism from trucking industry groups due to its focus on expanding tolling across the country and for commercializing interstate rest areas. The draft, first published by Axios on Jan. 22, would allow…

In comments submitted January 5, ATA strongly recommended EPA not advance its Proposed Rule for Repeal of Emission Requirements for Glider Vehicles, Glider Engines, and Glider Kits. The agency had originally directed the phase-out of gliders under the Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks finalized in October 2016,…