transport news - Idaho Trucking Association

TRANSPORT NEWS
3405 East Overland Road, Suite 175
Meridian, ID 83642
Bi-weekly news brief to ITA members
Phone: 208.342.3521 / Fax: 208.343.8397
E-mail: contact@idtrucking.org
February 24, 2012
Session Update and Bill Tracking
Information
The 2012 Session of the Idaho Legislature appears to be at its midpoint. As you
know, the Idaho Legislature does not have an official end date in statute and the
session can go on as long as needed, but usually ends by the first of April.
The Legislature has set a revenue target of $2.667 billion for the FY 2013 budget,
and that is about $33 million less than what Governor Otter recommended in the
budget he outlined in his State of the State address on January 7, 2012. By setting this
revenue target, the process of setting agency budgets and funding major legislative
initiatives can now begin.
To date, the 2012 Legislative Session has been dominated by the following issues:
1. Legislative redistricting--a process that must be completed every 10 years to set
the legislative boundaries for the next ten years. Setting these boundaries has had
quite a bit of controversy to date, but a plan adopted in January appears to be
finalized without further court challenges.
2. Establishment of an Idaho Health Insurance Exchange as part of federal health
care reform.
3. Implementation of Idaho Comprehensive Education Reforms enacted last year-primary issues this year are restoring teacher salaries and paying for technology
deployment to Idaho high schools.
4. Corporate and individual income tax relief and other incentives aimed to grow
Idaho's economy.
5. Funding for across the board state employee pay increases--state employee pay
has not been raised in the last three years.
6. Idaho's Global Entrepreneurial Mission Grant (IGEM)--a proposal by Governor
Otter which funds public-private, university-based research aimed at meeting the
needs of Idaho's growing businesses.
7. Restoration of cuts made to adult Medicaid programs.
8. Idaho energy and power generation issues and regulations.
All of these issues will be moving forward toward a resolution before the 2012
Legislative session comes to a close in the coming weeks
Skip Smyser and Jason Kreizenbeck, Lobby Idaho, LLC
Welcome the Following New ITA Members:
Dan Rankin Trucking, Post Falls, ID
Dan Rankin, Owner
DATS Trucking, St. George, UT
Don Ipson, President
Dale Ipson, Safety Supervisor
FSF, Inc. dba Scott Fulcher Trucking, Caldwell, ID
Scott Fulcher, President
Deborah Johnson, General Manager
Rob Musgrave, Safety Supervisor
Westone Logistics, LLC / Gelling Moving & Storage, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID
Kendra Keim, President
Steven Keim, Vice President
Brent Keim, Safety Supervisor
2012 Truck Driving
Competition
May 11 – 12
Idaho State Police Facility
Boise
Watch for Sign-ups being
mailed out in March.
Mar. 13
Mar. 15
April 3
May 11-12
Jul. 11-13
Aug. 7-9
Calendar of Events
SMC Meeting Boise – “Telematics that enable you to collect,
organize, and use data in ways that fundamentally change behavior”
SMC Meeting Twin Falls & Blackfoot – “Telematics that enable
you to collect, organize, and use data in ways that fundamentally
change behavior”
Hazardous Materials Transportation Workshop sponsored by
USDOT/PHMSA and Great West Casualty Company (see
attachment)
Annual Truck Driving Competition – Meridian
Rocky Mountain Regional Safety Rendezvous – Helena, MT
Annual Convention – McCall
ITA Website:
www.idtrucking.org
“Change Will Come With or Without Us”
There’s a wry (and ancient) Chinese curse that Kyle Treadway, the outgoing
chairman of the American Truck Dealers trade group can fully appreciate: “May you
live in interesting times.”
“As you all well know, it’s been an amazing ride—not for the fainthearted,”
Treadway noted in his final speech at ATD’s convention in Las Vegas. “Between the
relentless waves of government regulations altering the engineering and cost of our
equipment, the collapse of the housing and construction markets, the whipsaw effect
of fuel pricing and the manic-depressive stock market, we have witnessed the demise
and rebirth of our economy, industry and markets.”
He also pointed out that consolidation—a fact of life in the trucking business long
before the 21st century got rolling—accelerated significantly over the last decade.
“There are far fewer of us, yet we are tasked with managing what the FMCSA predicts
will be a doubling of domestic freight volume from the year 2012 through 2035,”
Treadway noted.
“At the same time, the practices and methods we use to manage that demand are
increasingly under scrutiny by federal, state and local officials. Our customers have
been bearing the increasing weight of hours of service, the FMCSA’s Compliance,
Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, diverse weight and length restrictions,
mandatory drug testing, (and) questionable emissions and fuel economy regulations—
all while balancing operational challenges of driver shortages, overcapacity, freight
rates, equipments costs and maintenance expense.”
Yet Treadway remains upbeat—indeed, that’s one of his “calling cards.” In a way
he’s always looked for the positives in any given situation. For example, he made
reference to the “Arab Spring” movement that’s reshaped the nations of Northern
Africa and the Middle East – leading to ouster of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, the
overthrow and death of Libya’s dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and the ongoing civil war
in Syria. “You might interpret all this revolution as anarchy—a misguided,
disorganized cacophony of unproductive noise,” Treadway said. “But you could also
read a few encouraging trends: the youth of the world care; they are using their voice
to lead change movements; modern technology in the form of ‘social media’ is more
powerful than we all realized; and change will come with or without our cooperation.”
He explained that today’s truck dealer (and I would add trucking companies) are
facing the same reality—that, “change will come, with or without us ”
ITA Joined In Signing Letter Opposing Tolls
The Idaho Trucking Association joined sixty-seven (67) other transportation
associations in signing a letter to the U.S. Senate opposing tolls on existing interstates
in the Senate Surface Transportation Bill (S 1813). In addition to associations from all
50 states, organizations that signed include the Truckload Carriers Association,
American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers
Association, National Private Truck Council, NATSO and National Tank Truck
Carriers. Shippers, brokers, and automotive and enforcement interests also signed the
letter, which urges the Senate to vote against the bill
Serving all of your
insurance needs
851 E. Fairview Avenue
Meridian, ID 83642
(800) 213-8214
Local (208)323-8214
www.ballardandco.com
Organization of the Trucking Advisory
Council
The Governor’s Motor Carrier Advisory Committee existed for many years as an
important tool to provide the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) with valuable
information regarding trucking and freight issues. This Committee was disbanded in
February 2010. However, ITD recognizes the ongoing need to stay involved with the
trucking industry as partners in highway transport, safety, operations, and freight
management. Consequently, ITD, with recommendations from the Motor Vehicle
Administrator, in consultation with the trucking industry has organized a new group
called the “Trucking Advisory Council.” It will be organized after the same structure
as the ITD Board of Directors which consists of a chairman and one member from
each of the six districts. Those making up the first Council are as follows:
Council Chair – Bill Moad
District 1 Member – Jack Buell
District 2 Member – Bill Stellmon
District 3 Member – Tony Black
District 4 Member – Kevin Iverson
District 5 Member – Evan Hayes
District 6 Member – John Pocock
We want to congratulate those ITA members who have agreed to serve on this
important council
Before You Just Pay An Overweight
Citation, There Are a Few Things You
Should Know
Your driver just received an overweight citation. There are a few things you
should think about.
First, determine under which section of the vehicle code your driver was cited.
Second, find out from your driver how the vehicle was weighed. Were there any
issues that arose during the weighing that may create doubt as to the accuracy of
the scale? Did the officer properly weigh the vehicle?
Third, make sure that the fine amount was calculated correctly. It is imperative
that before you plead guilty and pay the fine amount you verify that the fine
amount is proper.
Fourth, if your vehicle was traveling pursuant to a permit, determine whether or
not the citation was issued based upon the permit weight and/or the legal weight.
Fifth, consider retaining an attorney to review the citation and/or handle the
hearing. At a hearing, an attorney can be particularly beneficial in cases in which
the officer does not prove all of the necessary facts for its case and can articulate
why judgment should be entered for the defendant.
Another good defense to an overweight citation is prevention and—avoid having
the expense in time and money of having to deal with the ticket in the first place. If
your truck is traveling pursuant to a permit, stress the importance of following the
conditions of the permit to your drivers.
Not only will a violation of a permit condition allow the permit to be revoked, but
in some instances it may permit the officer to disregard the permitted weight and use
the legal weight resulting in an increased overweight citation. For instance, if a driver
is found traveling off route, the permitted weight is no longer applicable when
determining the overweight fine amount.
Drivers should also be careful to avoid roads and bridges with weight limit signs
posted.
Any time an overweight citation is received or any other traffic citation, the driver
and company should consider what could have been done in order to avoid the
citation.
-by Angela N. Rainey, Esq., Marcello & Kivisto, LLC
New ITD Board Chairman Focuses On
Improvement
Governor Butch Otter recently appointed Jerry Whitehead as chairman of the ITD
board, giving him oversight of the entire state. He replaces former Chairman Darrell
Manning. Whitehead recently responded to the Idaho Press-Tribune’s questions about
his new role:
Can you explain what your role is on the Board?
The board helps set the direction of the Transportation Department. It sets policy.
As chairman, I will lead the board, run meetings and only vote in case of a tie.
What aspects of your new role are you most looking forward to?
Transportation is so important—it’s vital to the economy. ITD can have a positive
impact on the economy. That is one of our newer focus areas. It’s exciting to be
involved, to partner with the Department of Commerce and many other agencies to
promote economic opportunities.
I am very pleased with the current direction the Department is heading. I am
looking forward to continuing to foster the excellent partnerships that we have
established and continue collaboration to address the state’s transportation issues.
What challenges face transportation planners in Idaho this year?
One of the biggest challenges is insufficient funding. Idaho’s transportation
system is deteriorating. We are doing our best to maintain the current system, but that
is getting harder and harder to do with our limited funding. Because one of our highest
priorities is taking care of the existing system, there is very little money left to expand
the system.
Today 13% of our pavements are deficient. Without additional funding, our
projections are that the deficient pavement rate will increase to 28% by 2021.
Additionally, today there are over 500 bridges over 50 years old. That number will
double over the next ten years. We need funding to take care of the current system, let
alone to address the increasing needs of the state as it continues to grow in population.
All areas of transportation need more money—airports and public
transportation—not just highways and bridges.
Another major concern is personnel. The turnover rate is high, especially in the
transportation technician series—the snowplow drivers. The Department is having a
difficult time paying competitive wages. We are training staff, investing in employees,
and then they often leave for better salaries elsewhere. This turnover is costly.
Additionally, 50% of the transportation department employees will be eligible to
retire in the next five years. This is also a grave concern as we lose dedicated,
knowledgeable staff and their expertise and institutional knowledge.
How have you represented southwest Idaho residents and interests, and how do
you plan to represent them in the future?
Although I hope I have represented District 3 well and have been a strong
advocate to improve the transportation system in southwest Idaho, I hope I have also
been a strong advocate for the entire state.
The Transportation Board is a statewide board. It oversees a statewide network. It
doesn’t do any good to have a top-quality transportation system in southwest Idaho if
people can’t get to northern Idaho or can’t get their products to eastern Idaho because
the transportation system is inadequate in other parts of the state.
Southwest Idaho has benefitted greatly from the GARVEE and federal stimulus
funding. I intend to continue focusing on the needs of the statewide system and make
decisions that are in the best interest of the state and the entire statewide transportation
system
- from Idaho Press Tribune