On January 5 the federal government declared reduced annual fees for commercial carriers required by law to participate in the UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) Plan. In addition to it, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which has supervision of UCR published the final rulemaking in its official webpage. The new fees go into effect instantly.   What is UCR? Being established in 2005, the UCR Act, requires motor carriers…

On Thursday morning Congressman Brian had a speech urging Trump to cancel the fast-approaching ELD mandate. Bubin presented his speech today, on December 14 just 4 days before ELD mandate (December 18). The ELD Extension Act, or H.R. 3282, was introduced in the summer of 2017 and has since gained 68 additional sponsors. Still, despite the support, the bill has never been brought to the floor for a vote according…

A 27-year-old man Aaron G. Hynes, was arrested for illegally obtaining 2,100 DOT numbers. He planned to sell this numbers. According to police, he is going to spend 18 months.   Aaron G. Hynes was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Nov. 8 to 18 months in jail and two years of supervised release for making untrue statements to the FMCSA. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment…

FMCSA (the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) today announced on Nov. 20 that in advance of the Dec. 18, 2017 execution of the Congressionally-mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule, and to further facilitate a transition to the rule by motor carriers, the Agency will be providing guidance related to implementation procedures during the ELD transition.   These will embrace a 90-day temporary refusal from the ELD…

Attention truckers! Since the first of next year, truckers will be tested for the use of four commonly prescribed and sometimes abused pain medications.   The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is amending its drug testing panel in order to meet new Health and Human Services drug testing rules. A final rule was published in the Federal Register Monday, Nov. 13. Testing standards go into effect on Jan. 1 for: ♦ Hydrocodone    …

FMCSA (the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has declared Earnest Paul Biddwell, Tennessee-licensed trucker to be an imminent hazard to public safety. In addition, FMCSA suspended his operation of any commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.  Paul Bidwell was served the federal order since Cotomer, 2017.   On August 3, CDL holder Didwell was operating a large commercial truck along Tennessee State Route 305 in McMinn…

Attention! The United Carrier Registration (UCR) Board of Directors is canceling until further notice the start of the 2018 registration period though FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) finishes the rulemaking process for 2018 payments.   UCR is recommending to all states that the implementation period for 2018 compliance not begin until 90 days after the final rulemaking is published because of this unanticipated further delay. The fee levels being…

A trucker has been charged in federal court with threatening to kill President Donald Trump in numerous phone calls to Secret Service field offices. Matthew Lariviere a Special Agent wrote in a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday that James Anthony Jackson repetitively called the Secret Service field office in Chicago on Oct. 12-13 and made more phone calls on Oct. 18 to the field office in Detroit threatening to “blow Trump’s…

  President Donald Trump plans to nominate Raymond P. Martinez to run the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to an update posted to the White House’s website. Martinez is the current chief administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.   Martinez must be confirmed by the Senate, to become the official head of the FMCSA.   Martinez was serving as the head of New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission…

Elaine L. Chao the Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation has directed FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) to provide the following states with Regional Emergency Declaration before Hurricane Irma: Georgia Florida Alabama North and South Carolina Mississipi Tennessee the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico,  and the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands   Emergency Declarations will cause the temporary postponement of certain Federal safety regulations for drivers and motor carriers…