Glostone Newsletter September 2014
posted in Blog, Newsletter by Brian Gray
Glostone Newsletter September 2014
Misinformation May Lead to CDL Holders’ Downgraded Licenses
Be wary! Many drivers and motor carriers are incorrectly assuming the Medical Examiner will submit proof of medical certification to State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) on behalf Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders. This is untrue. MEs have not been assigned this task. CDL holders that mistakenly believe this is taking place may find their CDLs downgraded (i.e., inactive for use in interstate commerce) if they fail to personally submit the medical examiner’s certificate.
The exams performed through CleanFleet are given by DOT certified examiners and they will assist you in transmitting the required information to your Driver Licensing Agency. Should you need to renew your medical card, call for an appointment at 503-479-6082.
NJ Congratulates Itself on Collections from Carriers
Every few weeks we hear of trucking companies who are being held up by the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Many carriers don’t realize that doing pick-ups and/or deliveries in New Jersey requires them to be registered for the state’s corporate business tax. New Jersey tax agents actively pursue carriers at truck stops and warehouses to collect this tax. Trucks are stopped, drivers harassed, and truck, driver, and cargo may be held by agents of the state taxation department until the carrier wires money to pay off the agents’ seat-of-the-pants tax “assessment.” The assessment is often times as much as $2,000. In fact, in the summer issue of The New Jersey State Tax News, the department brags it has since July of last year, collected $1.2 million from its stops of trucks. See the details here: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/pubs/stn/summer14.pdf.
FMCSA Looking At CSA Improvements
The FMCSA is looking to soon release improvement information in two areas of their Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program.
In the first area, a study is soon to be released on the FMCSA’s recommendations of how to treat “no fault” crash scoring. The current CSA methodology scores all reportable crashes, whether “at fault” or “not at fault”, equally.
The study is in response to industry’s criticism of the current CSA policy. The industry recommendation has been that “no fault” crashes should not become part of the CSA scoring. The FMCSA has not provided any details to hint at what the actual recommendations might entail.
The FMCSA has also announced that it will present a rule making by February 15, 2015, that will tie a Carriers safety fitness determination to its CSA scoring data. Currently, a safety fitness determination of Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory can only be assigned to a carrier after an audit of records by FMCSA enforcement officials. The CSA data leads enforcement to the carrier but it’s the audit that actually determines the safety rating.
The FMCSA rule proposal will bypass the audit requirement and will let the CSA data automatically assign a safety fitness determination. Depending upon how this rule is to be implemented, this rule has the potential of changing a carrier’s safety rating each month as CSA scores are updated. This rule could be an industry game changer (not in a good way)and should be looked at carefully once the details have been published.
Upcoming Classroom Training Schedule
Glostone Trucking Solutions, through their Rules of the Road Learning Center, is offering the following classroom training opportunities in September and October.
September 24 Employer Responsibilities For Managing A DOT Regulated Drug and Alcohol Program
8:30am to Noon at the Clackamas Learning Center.
September 30 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Fundamentals
8:30am to 5pm at the Monarch Hotel and Conference Center-Hosted by Skip Nash
October 8 Log Book Mastery Course
8:30 to 4:30 at the Clackamas Learning Center
October 22 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations-Beyond Basics
8:30 to 4:30 at the Clackamas Learning Center
To register for a class, go to www.glostone.com and choose the Training link or call Jennifer at 503-607-1088.
