MTA Annual Convention
Excited to announce the MTA Annual Convention! Stay tuned later this week for more information on registration, hotel reservations, sponsorship, activities and draft agenda!
Montana's 2024 Roadway Fatalities and Fatal Crashes
Truckers With Dogs Returning From Outside US Need New Form
Truckers who take their dogs back and forth between the United States and either Canada or Mexico will soon be required to complete a federal form that asserts their pets are at low risk of carrying rabies back into the country.
Starting Aug. 1, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part of a rabies prevention measure will require that all dogs crossing into the U.S. be accompanied by the new Dog Import Form. All dogs entering the U.S. after that date also must have a microchip and be over 6 months of age.
The requirements were included in a 123-page rule issued May 13 called “Control of Communicable Diseases; Foreign Quarantine: Importation of Dogs and Cats.” The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office has issued numerous advisories since June from field offices near the borders of both countries regarding the CDC dog importation requirements. On July 22, CDC in response to questions from Transport Topics detailed how the rule affects truck drivers who travel with pets.
ATA: Truck Tonnage Slipped in June
American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 1.6% in June after increasing 3% in May, the organization said.
In June, the index equaled 113.5 (2015=100) compared with 115.3 in May.
May’s increase was revised down from our June 18 press release.
Slow But Steady Positive Trend
Compared with June 2023, the index decreased 0.4%. In May, the index was up 1% from a year earlier, which was the first year-over-year gain since February 2023.
“While giving back some of the gain from May, it appears that truck freight tonnage is slowly going in the right direction since hitting a recent low in January,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Despite June’s decline, the second quarter average was 0.2% above the first quarter and only 0.2% below the second quarter in 2023, which are good signs that truck freight might be finally turning the corner.”
The not-seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 113.1 in June, 5.5% below May.
ATA’s For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index is dominated by contract freight as opposed to traditional spot market freight. Read More
NTSB Voices Concerns Over Potential Downgrade of Marijuana
The National Transportation Safety Board filed comments with the Drug Enforcement Administration expressing concerns that a proposed rule to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act could imperil federally required drug testing for truck drivers, airline pilots and many others in safety-sensitive positions.
In comments made public July 23, NTSB said it is concerned that the proposed move would prohibit continued federally required testing of safety-sensitive transportation employees for marijuana use because laboratories certified by the Department of Health and Human Services for such testing are not authorized to test for Schedule III controlled substances.
NTSB’s comments were in response to DEA’s May 21 Federal Register proposal to downgrade marijuana. In its comment, NTSB urged the DEA to “ensure that any final rule to reschedule marijuana does not compromise marijuana testing under DOT and HHS procedures applicable to safety-sensitive transportation employees.” Read More
Will's Safety Message
Businesses in Montana rely on workers of all ages to get the job done well. And for a business owner, having skills and perspectives that span decades can be an enormous benefit. Whenever the “new way” and the “old way” cooperate well, experience and innovation can meet and find ways to optimize the work at hand.
That said, there are challenges specific to having aging workers on staff: a skills gap that emerges as older workers retire, friction over adopting new practices, physical risks when workers are no longer performing tasks that fit their abilities, and more. But with thoughtful attention, smart training and (as always!) good communication, workers of all ages can continue to make valuable contributions to a company and lead fulfilling work lives too.
GETTING STARTED:
Among the challenges that come with an ageing workforce is the need to update procedures and practices, even if some staff members don’t see a need to do so. Rather than simply dictating a new practice and hoping for adoption, use these steps to increase the likelihood that everyone will get on board:
Have an open conversation about your reasons for considering a new procedure or training.
Ask for suggestions on how to perform the task better.
Use workers’ years of experience to help teach the new procedure or equipment or training.
Ask workers to share a story of an accident with the old process, then compare how the new method could eliminate or reduce the chance of that accident happening.
Be clear about the “so what,” the end goal or the reasons why behind the new procedures, systems or job tasks.
Identify solutions to prevent workers from going back to old habits.
Ask workers how the new procedure is working and seek ongoing input for improvement.
Stay Safe!
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