We Want You to Know

D.G. Coleman, Inc. has contributed a 50” Plasma TV to be raffled off to benefit the Ray Smith Scholarship fund. Raffle tickets will go on sale starting May 31, 2008 at the CMCA Roadeo. Tickets will be 1 for $5.00 or 5 for $20.00.

The winning ticket will be drawn at the CMCA Convention, on Saturday night October 18, 2008. The winner does not need to be present to win.

We want to thank D.G. Coleman Company and the Coleman family for contributing so generously to such a great cause as the Ray Smith Scholarship fund. This benefits all of our CMCA family in furthering their education

"Fuel Management" Now Critical as Carriers Shop for Fuel Prices

Four dollar per gallon diesel is changing the way carriers purchase fuel. In the old days, drivers were often given the option of buying fuel where-ever they wanted. Now days, according to Bob Sneed, vice president of Comdata in Brentwood, TN. drivers are being routed to locations where they the carrier has a pre-negotiated discount.

DISCOUNTS -- “If you’re going to buy 100 gallons every month, nobody’s going to give you a discount,” he said. “But if you’re going to buy 10,000 gallons, you’ve got some bargaining power", pointed out Dave Rewers, VP for FleetOne, Nashville, TN. By maximizing the number of gallons purchased at each stop, carrier's are in a better position to receive discounts.

Fuel Cards have become very popular and competition between providers has intensified. Card users get a discount, pre-negotiated between card providers and fueling stations nationwide. in the case of FleetOne and Comdate, users get between 1-3 cent-a-gallon discount.

In addition, fuel-card providers are now offering additional services to show fleets how to use their services to maximize savings. "Fuel management" is now the goal. Fleets are now even hiring Fuel Management staff to track usage and optimize purchases.

T-Chek Systems, Eden Prairie, MN provides carriers with tools to show real-time visibility of its account and cards. The firm provides current retail and wholesale fuel price data from across North America.

SOFTWARE AIDS -- Software to help fleets plan trips and optimize the value of fuel purchases are gaining popularity. Not only can they minimize out-of-route miles, but they can maximize the route to include the lowest-cost fuel purchase options. Check "Expert Fuel" from ISDC Corp, Richardson, TX. This type software also can advise where various fuel cards are accepted.

Unfortunately, fuel card policies can also lead to higher driver turnover. One more aspect of driver freedom is being removed with management of the fueling decision. And ,of course, truck stops are not just for buying fuel.

Content of this article courtesy of Transport Topics. See Transport Topics (May 5, 2008) for a longer version of story.

2008 CMCA Truck Roadeo Just Around the Corner

This year's truck roadeo will be held on Saturday May 31, at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO.

Driver written exams and oral interviews this year will be held early on May 17 and May 30 at the CMCA office in Denver. These tasks can not be completed during the roadeo event. Click here for full details.

Toll Proposal for I-70 Dies

SB 213, which would have allowed for tolls on existing highway lanes on I-70, died on Thursday. The sponsor, Senator Andy McElhaney, killed his own bill. Senator McElahany and proponents of this measure had been working over the last two weeks to obtain enough votes to pass the bill out of the Senate. CMCA working with others actively opposed the bill and had lined up enough votes to defeat the bill if it was brought up for a vote on the Senate floor. Rather than have the measure fail, the Senator chose to end his efforts for passage of it.

Throughout the debate on this measure CMCA had contended that tolling of existing highway lanes represented double taxation. CMCA also disputed the fact that tolling I-70 would only affect users of that highway. CMCA clearly told legislators and others that ALL Colorado residents would bear the cost for the tolls because many food items and consumer products travel over I-70 and then are dispersed throughout the state. Further, CMCA noted that the measure only addressed one piece of the state’s transportation needs and that a broader financial funding program was needed. Along with this CMCA challenged the fact that a proposal to toll this highway would improve congestion. Rather, CMCA felt that tolls on existing lanes would increase congestion. Finally, CMCA questioned “why” the General Assembly should dictate a transportation solution that was neither supported by the current plan for that corridor nor the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel for Transportation Funding.

The real key to this victory for CMCA was its members and their support. Our Chairman, Doug Sampson, testified on the toll bill and helped to shape our arguments. Other CMCA members generated several hundred emails to their state senators, wrote letters to the editor, and two of our members (Wendy Shupe and Carl Maxey) had op-ed pieces printed in local newspapers in Greeley and Fort Collins. In addition many of you spoke directly to your state senator and others so as to point out flaws and problems with this measure. Along with our members we clearly appreciate the efforts of the American Trucking Associations and Utah Trucking Association who assisted us with materials and other support which proved invaluable. Finally, special thanks to our lobbying team of RJ Hicks and Associates who did an outstanding job in convincing many legislators to “Just Say No” to tolls on I-70.

Need to Register for Online Training?

Contact Tracy Sakaguchi, CMCA manager of member services or call (303) 433-3375.  Tracy will sign you up and provide the CMCA ID and password needed to enter the online training site.   Once you are ready, click the access button to link to the training site.

The next meeting of the West Slope conference of CMCA is set for May 29th. Details to be announced.

West Slope Newsletter is available here. Click above link.

CMCA Maintenance Council will meet next on May 13th. The meeting is sponsored by Volvo of Denver. Click here for RSVP notice.

Mortgage Crisis Cools Market for Road Privatization

Wall Street’s sub prime mortgage crisis has chilled the market for private infrastructure funding by making it more expensive for investors to get financing, according to Transport Topics interviews with several executives. Read about it in Transport Topics.

CMCA Safety Awards Pictures Posted

A set of fantastic images from the recent 2008 CMCA Safety Awards Banquet have been posted here. Click on the camera image.

Goodyear Tire Joins EPA SmartWay Partnership

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., has joined the Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership. EPA has certified Goodyear's line of "Fuel Max"commercial tires for use of SmartWay-eligible trucks.

Goodyear's "Fuel Max linehaul tires" have been shown to provide up to 4% improved truck fuel economy and when used with other Smart-Way qualified components can result in saving up to 4,000 gallons of fuel per year for each 18-wheeler tractor trailer combination rig. That translates to more than $11,000 in savings annually.

Goodyear Vice President Steve McClellan said "we continue to do our part for the environment with our innovative technologies that reduce tire rolling resistance and energy use at all facilities and eliminate all waste disposal in landfills."

SmartWay, a collaboration between the trucking industry and EPA, is focused on increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution.

By 2012, SmartWay aims to save between 3.3 and 6.6 billion gallons of diesel and eliminate between 33 and 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrous oxide emissions per year.