For the 5th year TRAA will hold its annual Fall Board of Directors' Meeting and Committee meetings in Chattanooga. A change this year will be that the meetings will take place at the Chattanooga Choo Choo instead of at the International Towing and recovery Museum as they have been in the past.

Schedule of Events (PDF 8k)

LEGISLATIVE NEWS
FMCSA Proposes New CDL Requirements

Press Release (PDF 105k)

Commercial driver license applicants would be required to complete classroom and behind-the-wheel training from an accredited program, under a proposed new federal rule announced last Wednesday.

Beginning three years after the effective date of a final rule, CDL or upgraded CDL applicants would be required to provide a valid certificate from an accredited truck driving program, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced.

The rule would not affect current CDL holders.

The training curriculum includes CDL safety regulations, vehicle operation and safe operating practices, FMCSA said.

The educational institution must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.

For a "Class A" CDLs for tractor-trailer drivers, the rule would require a minimum of 76 hours of classroom instruction and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel training, for a total of 120 hours.

For "Class B" CDLs (large "box" or van trucks) and "Class C" CDLs (hazardous materials or certain passenger-carrying vehicles), the proposed rule would require a minimum of 58 hours of classroom instruction and 32 hours behind-the-wheel training, for a total of 90 hours. — L&MT

FMCSA RETAINS CURRENT DRIVERS' HOURS OF SERVICE LIMITS IN INTERIM FINAL RULE

Washington, D. C.

Truck drivers will continue to be limited to driving only 11 hours within a 14-hour duty period, after which they must go off duty for at least 10 hours under an Interim Final Rule (IFR) made public by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The IFR was developed after new data showed that safety levels have been maintained since the II-hour driving limit was first implemented in 2003.

"This proposal keeps in place hours-of-service limits that improve highway safety by ensuring that drivers are rested and ready to work," FMCSA Administrator John H. Hill said. "The data makes clear that these rules continue to protect drivers, make our roads safer and keep our economy moving."

The agency noted that, in 2006, the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled was 1.94-the lowest rate ever recorded. Similarly, since 2003, the percentage oflarge trucksinvolvedinfatigue-related fata crashes in the 11th hour of driving has remained below average for the years 1991-2002. In 2005 alone, the agency noted, there was only one large truck involved in a fatigue related fatal crash in the 11th hour of driving while in 2004 were none.

In addition, between 2003, when the II-hour driving limit and the 34-hour restart were adopted, and 2006, the percent offatigue-related large truck crashes relative to all fatal large truck crashes has remained consistent. And the agency's estimates show that only seven percent oflarge truck crashes are fatigue related.

Hill noted that the agency also is working to finalize a proposed rule that would require drivers and trucking companies with serious or repeat hours-of-service violations to track their hours-of-service using electronic on-board recorders.

The agency issued the new hours-of-service rule in response to the recent decision by the D.C. Circuit Court ofAppeals vacating key provisions ofthe existing hours-of-service rules effective December 27. In order to ensure no gap in coverage ofthese important safety rules, today's rule temporarily reinstates those two provisions while the agency gathers public comment on its actions and the underlying safety analysis before issuing a final rule.

Excerpted from the Beacon/March 2008.

 

Texas Tow Act Clearly Explained

Report to Congress "Review of Federal and State Laws Regarding Vehicle Towing" Released

The long awaited report to congress follows, see PDF for details. (PDF 18k)