Arlington, Virginia – The American Transportation Research Institute today released a new report detailing the costs of deploying and operating a national vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax. This study was identified as a top research priority by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee in 2020. With a goal of understanding the opportunities and challenges of a federal […]
Industry News
Maine Commercial Tire Opens Waterville Location
March 16, 2021PRESS RELEASE Maine Commercial Tire has been servicing the heavy equipment tire needs in Maine with its four locations for more than 30 years. For 25 of those years MCT operated a location on Leighton Road in Augusta that was too small for them the day they moved in. This February the 4,000-square-foot Augusta location […]
Trucking Industry Applauds Introduction of DRIVE Safe Act
March 10, 2021Arlington, VA — Today, American Trucking Associations applauded the introduction of the DRIVE Safe Act in both the U.S. House and Senate by a group of bipartisan legislators. The legislation addresses the economy’s growing shortage of professional truck drivers by expanding job opportunities for younger members of the trucking workforce, while also strengthening safety training […]
FMCSA extends CDL/CLP and Medical Card Waiver
February 17, 2021February 17, 2021 FMCSA issued another extension to the previous CDL/CLP and Medical Examination waivers that were set to expire the end of this month. This waiver becomes effective on March 1, 2021 and expires on May 31, 2021. NOTE: MMTA has been advising members for months that renewal of CDLs and Medical cards should […]
John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund Increases Future Awards
February 16, 2021After decades of helping Maine students achieve their educational and training goals, the MMTA is pleased to announce exciting changes to the John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund starting with this year’s applicants. In the past, scholarships have generally been for $1,000 for graduating high school seniors seeking higher education, including technical training, in areas […]
FMCSA Extends Emergency Declaration – Expires May 31, 2021
February 15, 2021FMCSA announced that they have extended the Emergency Declaration that was set to expire on February 28th. This extension includes the same regulatory relief for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to COVID-19, as included in the December 1st declaration. This expanded declaration is limited to the transportation […]
Tax Conformity – Today’s Update
February 9, 2021Today, the Taxation Committee discussed the Governor’s recent proposal regarding tax conformity for companies receiving PPP loans. In a nutshell, Governor Mills is proposing full tax conformity for businesses that received under $1,000,000 in PPP loans. Additionally, those businesses that received over $1,000,000 would get full conformity on the first $1,000,000 and then the remaining […]
COVID Vaccine – Employer Legal Considerations Webinar Now Available for Viewing
February 8, 2021As the prospects of an increase in the availability of the COVID vaccine improve, we know that MMTA members are preparing for the eventuality that trucking’s workforce will be eligible to receive the vaccine. In response, we hosted a webinar to answer a lot of the questions our member have had such as: Can employers […]
Maine’s Paid Leave Law and Trucking
January 15, 2021Maine Motor Transport Association has received numerous calls from members regarding the new Earned Paid Leave (EPL) law that became effective on January 1, 2021 specific to their trucking operations. It is important to note that the new law does not impact employers with 10 or fewer employees or those with a collective bargaining agreement […]
CDL HAZMAT EXPIRATIONS
January 6, 2021FMCSA has issued an extension of the waiver for CDL’s and CLP’s that became effective 1/1/2021 and is set to expire on 2/28/2021. This waiver is outlined in the blue text below. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), however, did not renew the exemption for waiver of the Security Threat Assessment (STA) which is required in […]