EXEMPTION 2020-14

Pursuant to the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency issued by the Governor on March 6, 2020, and 75 Pa. C.S. § 6108, the waivers in this exemption apply to individuals who have a Hazardous Material Endorsement (“HME”) that is scheduled to expire between March 6, 2020, and May 31, 2020. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation hereby issues the following exemption:

TYPE OF OPERATION: An individual who transports hazardous materials via commercial motor vehicle is required by Federal law, 49 CFR part 1572, to undergo a security threat analysis in order to be issued an HME under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1610. As part of the application process for renewal of an HME, the applicant must complete a security threat analysis no later than sixty (60) days before the current HME expires. 49 CFR part 1572.

EXTENT OF EXEMPTION: The expiration date of an HME for an individual who is a Pennsylvania-licensed commercial driver’s license holder and who held a valid, unexpired HME with a determination of no security threat on or after March 6, 2020, is extended until May 31, 2020.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 6, 2020 0001 hours.

TERMINATION DATE: May 31, 2020 2359 hours.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

1. An individual whose HME is extended in accordance with this exemption must initiate a security threat analysis no later than sixty (60) days before the extended expiration date of the individual’s HME.

2. The Federal Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, has authorized States to grant an extension for renewal of an HME. See: https://dps.sd.gov/application/files/3015/8628/8498/noticecovid-19-hme-exemption-20200402.pdf 

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Portal Support If you are experiencing difficulties that are preventing you from linking to your Portal account in the Clearinghouse, please contact the FMCSA Portal Registration Call Center at 800-724-2811. The Portal Registration Call Center’s hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. EDT. FMCSA Updates SMS Website FMCSA has updated the CSA SMS Website with the March 27, 2020 results. Complete SMS results are available to enforcement users and motor carriers that are logged into the SMS. Logged-in enforcement users can view all carrier safety data, while logged-in motor carriers can only view their own data. If you are a motor carrier and do not have login credentials, please click here for more information on how to obtain your PIN.

In light of the recent cancellation of the 2020 Truck Driving Championships, PMTA has continued conversations with The Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, Pa, the planned site of the event. 

PMTA has now confirmed that the 2021 championships will be held at The Kalahari Resort June 17-19. Reservations that were made for the 2020 dates at the resort can be changed to the new 2021 dates or cancelled. 

Click here for more information about the 2021 event.

On April 10, 2020 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued guidance clarifying that confirmed COVID-19 cases may be considered recordable illness. In areas with ongoing community transmission however, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion. Under the guidance, employers are not required to make a work-related determination except where:

1. There is objective evidence that the cases may be work related, including multiple cases developing among workers working closely together; and
2. Evidence was reasonably available to the employer that the cases may be work related.

COVID-19 cases should be coded as a respiratory illness on the OSHA Form 300.

 

CAMP HILL, Pa. -- The Safety Management Council's Truck Driving Championships Committee has decided to not hold the championships in 2020. The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association is making the health of all our members a top priority and in light of that, and the cancellation of the National Truck Driving Championships, the decision was made.

The 2020 event was scheduled for June 12-13 at the Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, Pa. Any participants that have already registered will be refunded. 

PMTA will be continuing conversations with the Kalahari Resort and more updates about the 2021 TDCs will be made in the near future.

Stay up to date by visiting www.pmta.org/news and following our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

To better assist motor carriers, FMCSA has set up a new phone line for support with the FMCSA Portal. The Portal Registration Call Center’s hours of operation are Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am-8:00 pm, EDT.  FMCSA is continuing to work on streamlining support for this effort.

 

FMCSA Portal Registration Call Center

800-724-2811

 

Clearinghouse Help Line

844-955-0207

Also available is the Clearinghouse Help form in the Contact Us page.

 

Enforcement Resources

For more information on how employers and other stakeholders are required to use the Clearinghouse, be sure to visit the Clearinghouse Enforcement Resources page. 

On April 1, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a guidance document to provide additional clarity to: (1) State and local governments considering quarantine or travel restrictions; and (2) to drivers providing direct assistance for the COVID-19 National Emergency. The guidance encourages State and local government to consider the Department of Homeland Security guidelines that identify truck and bus drivers as essential workers when implementing actions that may impact freight and passenger transportation and recommends unrestricted movements and access for these workers.  This new FMCSA document also highlights the CDC’s Travel Advisory for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which expressly excludes truck drivers and notes that these employees “have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules.”  Finally, the FMCSA document highlights the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to truck drivers which provides recommendations on how a driver can stay safe while delivering essential supplies.

Additionally, Also of interest is a new document issued by AAMVA which lists all temporary operational changes to SDLA’s, which may provide a bit more authoritative document. You can find it here.

This guidance document provides clarity to DOT-regulated employers, employees, and service agents on conducting DOT drug-and-alcohol testing given concerns about the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  We, as a Nation, are facing an unprecedented public health emergency that is straining medical resources and altering aspects of American life, including the workplace. The Nation’s transportation industries, which are not immune to the impacts and disruptions resulting from the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, are playing a vital role in mitigating the effects of COVID-19.

DOT is committed to maintaining public safety while providing maximum flexibility to allow transportation industries to conduct their operations safely and efficiently during this period of national emergency.  

The attached guidance on compliance with the DOT and modal drug and alcohol testing programs apply during this period of national emergency.  

Guidance Document

Visit: https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/compliance-with-dot-drug-and-alcohol-testing-regulations

As many Americans are forced to quarantine, practice social distancing and work from home, our truck drivers aren't afforded those opportunities.

The ones behind the wheel are the ones responsible for keeping the supply chain moving.

From the American Trucking Association:

Over the past week, Americans have rushed to stock up on goods as they prepare to hunker down to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. We've watched schools, businesses, major sports and other cultural pillars come to a complete stop as personal health and well-being take top priority. 

But one thing that won't stop: trucking. Because when trucking stops, all of America stops.

The American trucker sits at a vital intersection in society. They are the critical link between the valued goods we produce and the demands of our most pressing needs. For the healthcare professional tending to the sick, for the mother providing for her family, for the scientist working overnight to develop a vaccine—truckers are sacrificing daily to ensure everyone has the essentials in hand to remain healthy, nourished and productive.

So thank you Truck Drivers, thank you for the sacrifice that you and your families are making to keep America moving. 

These trucks are lined up outside the Proctor & Gamble plant near Tunkhannock, PA. The line stretches for as far as you can see and then some. What do they make at this plant? Toilet paper.

Let that sink in. :P pic.twitter.com/wIHjazfvRw

— John Johnson (@papajohn1974) March 13, 2020

There’s no better time to #ThankATrucker than during this time of uncertainty when truckers are carrying the load for Americans in need. pic.twitter.com/4r7CPCblw5

— Great West Casualty Company (@GreatWestCC) March 17, 2020

THANK YOU! #ThankATrucker https://t.co/VgzJ2LXXpi

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 19, 2020