News

Maine’s Paid Leave Law and Trucking

Maine 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

FMCSA 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 […]

Maine Jobs Council Announces First Executive Director

Augusta, ME — The Board of Directors of the Maine Jobs Council is pleased to announce that Ben Lucas will serve as the first Executive Director for the newly created membership-based association. Mr. Lucas assumed his new duties on December 21st. “The Maine Jobs Council is extremely pleased to announce the hiring of its first […]

FMCSA Grants Extension of CDL/CLP/Medical Certificates Waiver

FROM ATA Dear ATA Member: Moments ago, FMCSA posted on their website another extension of the CDL/CLP/Medical Certificates waiver that was set to expire on December 31st. FMCSA has cited that the extension was needed due to the potential backlogs that exist at some State Driver’s License Agencies (SDLA) across the country. In addition, the […]

ATA Reports FMCSA Emergency Declaration Expansion and Extension

FMCSA has announced that they have expanded and extended the Emergency Declaration that was set to expire on December 31st. 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 September 11th modified and extended declaration. The primary […]

MMTA Asks Mills for Vaccination Distribution Clarification

Announcements recently from Pfizer and Moderna announcing the potential efficacy of their respective COVID-19 vaccines is certainly welcome news. As we prepare for global and local distribution, understanding initial supplies will likely be limited, we checked into reports that the Maine CDC has published the four phases that vaccines will be delivered in our state. […]

Trucking Must Prepare for Climate Initiatives

When it comes to MMTA being involved with matters of public policy on behalf of the trucking industry, climate initiatives have taken center stage. And quite a bit of our time lately. Whether it is the efforts of the Maine Climate Council, Governor Mills signing on to the Multi-State Medium and Heavy Duty Zero Emission […]

MMTA Drug and Alcohol Testing Program Transition

Over the last year, our drug testing program with Fleet Screen has undergone changes…much of which has gone smoothly. There have been some service issues during late September and early October with delays in fourth quarter selections, and new account set ups. We apologize for these short-term inconveniences and trust that members will find the […]