Special Edition V.2 (March 2020)
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
FMCSA Expands Emergency Declaration
March 18,2020

Please read the updated Emergency Declaration HERE.

A few changes are the inclusion of fuels, further clarification of "direct assistance" examples, adding "immediate precursor raw materials", as well as further defining a "nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief" when it comes to excluding mixed loads.

Governor Mills Takes Further Steps to Respond to COVID-19, Protect Health and Safety of Maine People
Press Release from Office of Governor Janet Mills

Governor prohibits dine-in service at bars and restaurants; bans gatherings more than 10 people & signs emergency legislation to respond to COVID-19

Under authority granted to her in a civil state of emergency, Governor Janet Mills today issued an Executive Order mandating that all restaurants and bars statewide close to dine-in customers effective today, March 18, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. for a period of 14 days until midnight, March 31, 2020. Take-out, delivery, and drive-through options can continue. In her order, the Governor also prohibited all gatherings of more than 10 people until further notice, mandating the latest U.S. CDC’s guidance on gatherings. In addition, Governor Mills strongly urged non-essential public-facing businesses, such as gyms, hair salons, theatres, casinos, shopping malls, to close their doors for the next two weeks to minimize public gatherings. These new actions come as Governor Mills seeks to significantly strengthen social distancing measures in Maine. Social distancing is considered one of the most effective methods to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19..... READ MORE
Questions Remain on Key CDL Issues in Maine
3/18/20

After last night's adjournment of the Maine legislature, we understand the Governor has the sole authority to add clarity relative to the state's emergency response. Here are the issues MMTA has posed to the Governor's office relative to the closing of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the ongoing needs of the trucking industry:
Given the Governor’s authority to manage to the state’s emergency response, we have a couple of issues to bring to your attention. We have reached out to Motor Carrier Services at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and they have told us the Governor is the only one who can address the following:

  • Drivers license credentialing. Specifically, those drivers whose credentials expire while the BMV is closed. The absence of clarity might cause truck drivers to be taken off the road when our state needs all qualified drivers to be delivering relief supplies. We request consideration for all CDL credentials to be extended by at least 30-days after the emergency expires.
  • Medical card self-certification needs to happen through BMV when a CDL driver’s medical card is renewed. With BMV closed, they cannot self-certify when they get a new medical card, which results in the downgrade of a CDL license. Please consider waiving the downgrade process for drivers who are unable to self-certify due to BMV’s closure.
  • Please consider extending the expiration of Motor Vehicle Annual Inspection Stickers for at least 30-days after the emergency expires.

  • Registrations for vehicle purchases:
  • For vehicles purchased at a new or used vehicle dealership, temporary plates expire in 14-days. We request consideration for this expiration to be extended by at least 30-days after the emergency expires.
  • When a vehicle has a temporary plate, the law doesn’t allow a temporary registration to be used in commerce while loaded. This law should be waived to allow for temporary credentials to be operated with passengers or loads to be used in commerce. This too should be in effect for 30-days beyond the emergency declaration expiration.
  • For private sales, there is no 14-day plate available and this vehicle cannot be registered until the towns open back up and collect excise tax with the registration.

You may also consider a broader exemption for any commercial credential to be extended by at least 30-days after the emergency expires. This would include, but would not be limited to annual permits, fuel decals, etc.

Obviously, we ask for clarification of these issues as a matter of keeping the supply chain moving as efficiently as possible. If you could provide us guidance on these matters, we will communicate with our members and the trucking industry at large.

Thank you for your time and for your efforts to keep Mainers safe and healthy.

We will keep MMTA members posted as information comes in. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to email Tim, Randy or Brian if you have questions.
ATA Letter to President Trump – Trucking Considerations for Further Restrictions
3/18/20

Dear President Trump and Vice President Pence:

We appreciate the hard work that you, your Administration, and all levels of government are undertaking to keep us safe during the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Public officials and private counterparts are responding in ways we have never seen, and they are having an impact.

On behalf of the trucking industry, we are writing to ask your assistance to assure that trucks are able to continue to safely deliver medicine, food, fuel, water and other basic necessities to communities and homes. Mail and parcel delivery is also essential when Americans are avoiding public places and receive supplies and checks at home... READ MORE

THANK YOU MMTA ANNUAL SPONSORS
Maine Motor Transport Association
P.O. Box 857
Augusta, ME 04332-0857
ph: (207)623-4128
fax: (207)623-4096