July 18, 2008

CMCA Working on Revocable Permits’ Issue

Several of our members have received notices from the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Ports of Entry that their request for renewal of their revocable permits, which allows companies to be exempt from the requirement to enter a port each time vehicles come within five miles of that location, had been denied.   POE has indicated that in reviewing the current law and rules for such permits, that many of the companies did not meet the requirements of those rules.  Specifically, the rules call for vehicles operated on a regularly scheduled route.  In the case of less than truckload carriers, they may have many deliveries daily within five miles of the port but their routes and schedules vary based on their deliveries.

Realizing the impact and costs associated with this recent development, CMCA is working with the Colorado Department of Revenues and Ports of Entry toward the adoption of revised rules which will allow trucking companies similar flexibility as they enjoy today through the revocable permits.  We are hoping that the State will proceed with emergency rules, which would allow changes to the rules to be effective in a very short timeframe.  This would be followed by a formal rulemaking process later so as to obtain public comment.

Denver Rolls Out Traffic Plans for DNC

Earlier in the week the City of Denver outlined proposed plans for routing of traffic as well as some street and highway restrictions for the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver which will be held from August 25th through August 28th.  The product is the result of  work by local, state and federal transportation and security officials to meet the DNC needs while keeping downtown Denver open and accessible.  The City and County of Denver provided information Wednesday about local mobility given that the August 28 venue change from the Pepsi Center to Invesco Field at Mile High was just announced last week; roadway impacts have not yet been finalized for Thursday, August 28 and will be announced by early August.

Mayor John Hickenlooper stated in the announcement that “We have worked very hard to ensure that downtown residents and workers can get around and access their buildings with ease during the Democratic National Convention.  We have said from the beginning that - while there will be some additional screening procedures and security measures in some locations - all downtown residents will be able to access their homes and parking garages, and downtown businesses will be able to remain open with access to employees and customers.  Keeping the roads open and transit running will also enable Metro Denver residents to come downtown and enjoy the many public events around the Convention.”

While the Mayor’s pronouncements sound good, CMCA has expressed significant concern that the needs of trucking companies (and their customers) as to access and through traffic have not been adequately considered.  With the exception of the release this week there has been very little information and almost no discussions with the freight industry.  Unfortunately, the proposed roadway plans and restrictions were developed without any input from our association or others in our industry.  This is significantly different than what has occurred in previous venues for the DNC where the industry’s involvement was sought early.

On our part we will be reviewing the traffic plans with our members.  City staff did contact CMCA on Friday and has indicated that they would like to meet with us to review the plans as well as any concerns that we may have.  We welcome this opportunity to meet with the city but we also recognize that the limited time left before the event may make changes to their plans difficult.

We will have the mayor’s press release on Access and Mobility during the DNC on our web site early next week.  We will also have the map to accompany it.  Please visit www.cmca.com.

 

EPA Defers Action on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Bush administration rejected regulating greenhouse gases, saying it would cripple the U.S. economy, and effectively moved the issue to a future administration, the Associated Press reported.

The Environmental Protection Agency, in a 588-page federal notice, made no finding on whether global warming poses a threat to people's health or welfare, reversing an earlier conclusion at the insistence of the White House, AP said. The action officially moves any decision on a solution to the next president and Congress, AP reported.

The White House on Thursday rejected EPA’s suggestion three weeks earlier that the 1970 Clean Air Act can be both workable and effective for addressing global climate change, and EPA said that law is “ill-suited” for dealing with global warming, AP reported.

Allied Golf Tournament

The golf tournament is set for July 28, 2008 at Riverdale Dunes/Knolls. Foursomes are going fast so get your registration in today. Check in at 7:30am and the shotgun start will be at 9:00am.  After you arrive at your assigned hole you will play a full 18 holes.  Stick around for the awards lunch. Click here for a registration form.

We also have various sponsorships available, so to get in on this great opportunity. Call Tracy at 303-433-3375 ext. 103 or e-mail tracy@cmca.com.

National Road Check
Shows Improvements in Industry Safety

The U.S. trucking industry showed improvement in truck safety, including a significant increase in the number of drivers who passed roadside safety inspections and were in compliance with driver work and rest rules, according to the results of the 2008 truck safety Roadcheck conducted throughout North America by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

Figures also showed the highest percent of vehicles passing Level I safety inspections in two decades during the annual three-day safety enforcement event.

ATA President and CEO Bill Graves praised CVSA for a successful Roadcheck saying, “The numbers bear out that education and enforcement are having a positive impact on safety. ATA supports this annual safety inspection blitz and the removal of unsafe trucks from the road. We appreciate CVSA’s annual Roadcheck effort.”

This year’s figures show that the trucking industry continues to make progress in educating drivers about truck safety measures. Ninety-five percent of drivers inspected passed the safety inspection, representing a 14.5 percent improvement over 2007’s figures, as drivers continue to become more comfortable with and properly apply the hours-of-service rules that govern work and rest. In 2008, 96.2 percent of all drivers were in compliance with hours-of-service rules, compared with 95.1 percent a year earlier.

Similarly, the number of drivers in compliance with hazardous materials regulations increased to 97.6 percent from 96.5 percent in 2007.

The number of vehicles that passed the roadside inspections increased to 79.2 percent, compared with 78.5 percent a year earlier.  

The majority of Roadcheck safety inspections were not performed at random. Trucks and drivers were targeted for inspection based upon the safety record or previous inspection records of the motor carrier or the driver, or upon the observation skills of the trained inspectors. The inspectors use a computerized Inspection Selection System (ISS) by entering the vehicle, company and driver identifying information into the computer. The ISS then gives the inspector one of three results: “inspect,” “inspection optional” or “don’t inspect.”

 

ATA Testifies Before House Ag Committee On Oil Speculation

Testifying on behalf of ATA before the House Committee on Agriculture, ATA Senior Vice President Tim Lynch asked the Federal government to implement a plan that ensures transparent petroleum markets free from excessive speculation and manipulation, cuts petroleum demand, and expands the petroleum supply.

“The fuel crisis we face today is severe,” Lynch said. “There is no one single solution to high oil prices. We need to conserve fuel and increase oil production to emerge from this crisis. But neither of these in itself is a total solution. Congress must embrace a multifaceted approach to solving this problem.”

Lynch testified that the current price of petroleum is no longer driven purely by supply and demand and that excessive speculation may be contributing to the rapid increase in the price of oil. ATA believes that increasing the transparency of the petroleum market combined with reasonable position limits could help burst any speculative bubble that has formed. ATA asked Congress to consider the merits of expanding government oversight of electronic petroleum exchanges and requiring the CFTC to establish position limits that ensure adequate liquidity while reigning in excessive speculation. Courtesy of TAEC Update

Open House

The Center for Transportation Safety and their joint partners in highway safety, we would like to cordially invite you and your staff to join them for the grand opening of our new training campus and corporate offices.

Tour this spectacular new training facility to:

-Test drive the latest in snow plow simulation
-Witness driving while intoxicated in the safety of a simulator
-Test your ability to recover from a skid in a skid control vehicle
-Learn more about Alive at 25, the most important 4-1/2 hours of a teen’s life

July 23, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
5700 E. 58th Avenue
Commerce City, CO  80022
303-227-0131

Bar-B-Q
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Additional refreshments throughout the day.

Minnesota Raises Biodiesel Mandate

Minnesota, the only state with a fully-implemented biodiesel mandate, has enacted legislation to increase its current mandate from 2 percent of every gallon of diesel sold to 20 percent. The increase is phased in over time, jumping to 5 percent on May 1, 2009, then increasing to 10 percent on May 1, 2012, and then to 20 percent on May 1, 2015 (although only 5 percent biodiesel would be required from October through March – a recognition of biodiesel’s poor cold weather performance). The law exempts locomotives, vehicles used exclusively on an aircraft landing field, off road logging equipment and certain mining equipment; however, these exemptions are scheduled to expire in 2012.

The Minnesota law requires biodiesel to meet the ASTM D6751 standard for pure biodiesel (B100) and requires the fuel to be obtained only from producers and distributors that are certified by under the National Biodiesel Board’s BQ-9000 accreditation program. Click here for a copy of the Minnesota law.