6-17-2024 | Issue 12

TODAY'S NEWSLETTER IS SPONSORED BY:

We are now taking commitments for the 2024 Newsline Sponsorships. If your company would like to be a sponsor, please contact Carol Foster at (615) 777-2882 or email cfoster@tntrucking.org to reserve your edition. The cost will be $300.00 per edition with your logo and a link to your website. If you would like a banner ad linked to your website it would be $500.00 per edition. There will be a total of 24 editions this year.

THANK YOU to those that sponsored in 2023!!!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Logan Wilks

417 Martling Rd

Albertville, AL 35951

Phone: 256-878-0216

Email:logan.wilks@wilkstire.com

https://www.wilkstire.com

Joshua Cloud

201 Office Park Drive

Birmingham, AL 35223

Phone: 205-879-6447 ext 2216

Email: joshuacloud@ergoscience.com

https://www.ergoscience.com

In Today's Newsletter:

• Members in the News: Werner CEO says freight market returning to normal
• Industry Updates: 500+ CMVs Removed from North American Roads in One Day
• Foundation News: Summer Camp Fun with the Road Team
• Safety Spotlight: Marty Pollock Shares DataQ Tips

• South East Tennessee (ETN) Safety & Maintenance Council Meeting (6/18/2024)
• Middle Tennessee Sporting Clay Shoot (6/27/2024)
• West Tennessee Sporting Clay Shoot (7/11/2024)
• NATMI - Safety & DOT Compliance (7/23/2024 to 7/24/2024)
• Greeneville Scales Roadside (8/6/2024)
• Knoxville Scales Roadside (9/24/2024)
• 94th Annual Convention - Beyond the Horizon Navigating Tomorrow's Trucking

More Events

Hello TTA Members,

I am pleased to share some updates from the Tennessee Trucking Association.

First and foremost, we are embarking on an exciting journey of transitioning to a new membership platform. This platform promises to streamline registration, payment, and communication. If you have not had the chance, please take a moment to log in and set up your membership portal (you can even add a picture of your smiling face to your profile).

While we are still in the midst of this transition, some features may not be fully functional. However, we will work to keep you updated as these changes roll out. 

This new platform will also send our invoices, so don't be alarmed if they appear a tad different. Each PDF now includes a convenient payment link, streamlining the payment process for you. We sincerely appreciate your patience during this transition period.

On a more somber note, one of our long-standing TTA team members is on medical leave. We ask that you keep Carol Foster in your thoughts and prayers. Should you have any urgent matters, contacting us by phone will be the fastest way for us to assist you.

Speaking of transitions, we’re excited to share some incredible events lined up, including our sporting clay shoots, roadside gatherings, and, of course, the much-anticipated 94th Annual Convention. Registering for these events is easy now with the new membership portal. We hope to see every one of you at one of our events. 

I want to emphasize the importance of your role within our association. It's because of members like you that we can enact meaningful change, such as addressing the recent issue of the Bad Towers in Memphis. Thank you to all of the members who called, emailed, and brought this to our attention.

As the summer unfolds, I extend my warmest wishes to you all. May the season be filled with unforgettable moments and safe journeys as we continue the mission of Safely Keeping Tennessee on the Move. 

Donna England,

President & CEO

TTA Honored as Outstanding Partner at NATMI Annual Meeting

During the NATMI Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on Saturday, June 1st, TTA was recognized as an Outstanding State Trucking Association Partner at the evening reception. Greg Shipman of Vertical Alliance Group was in attendance to accept the award and speak on behalf of the Tennessee Trucking Association.

Thank you, NATMI, for your commitment to education and to our members who support these trainings and made this award possible.

Share your company news! Submit your story today.

Final Rule: Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement

FMCSA amends the regulations governing the annual registration fees that participating States collect from motor carriers, motor private carriers of property, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan and Agreement for the 2025 registration year and subsequent registration years. 

Following a reduction in fees of an average of 37.3 percent over the two prior years, the fees for the 2025 registration year will be increased above the fees for the 2024 registration year by an average of 25 percent overall, with varying increases between $9 and $9,000 per entity, depending on the applicable fee bracket. The final rule is based upon a recommendation from the UCR Plan.

While it is often said “knowledge is power”, really it is “understanding of the knowledge” that is real power. Too many motor carriers do not have the time or resources to make sense of their CSA data, and is the reason why fleets end up not knowing that non-preventable crashes are harming their CSA scores.

Reviewing your DOT inspection data each month helps keep your fleet moving and not involved with frequent inspections based on your last two years of inspection data. Inspections result in downtime for the driver and vehicle. Poor ongoing results can negatively impact company revenues. With the rolling results of FMCSA and SMS, it takes time to correct the past.

If you notice incorrect information in the CSA Safety Measurement System (SMS), the DataQ process is there to help companies and drivers fight and remove these records that could be keeping your scores or insurance rates high.

The most common hurdle is gathering enough evidence to make a convincing case. It’s important to provide detailed information in the system that pertains to the carrier, driver, vehicle, or data that’s being disputed. Before starting a DataQ process, make sure you have the report number for the record being challenged. The supporting documentation that may be required ranges and is determined case by case. Even with clear evidence, fixing errors in the system can be difficult and time-consuming when a filing gets rejected. That whole time, which can take months, the violation is in the CSA score system and damages your CSA score, insurance rates, and ability to do business.

Where do I start? Start by creating an account on the DataQs website at: dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov. If you already have an FMCSA portal account, you can log in to the portal (portal.fmcsa.dot.gov) and access DataQs from there. You’ll need your DOT number and PIN to get full functionality. If you have lost your DOT-assigned PIN, the website has instructions for requesting it.

Tips to remember:

•      Make sure you know what happened. Investigate, don’t just take someone’s word for it.

•      Being specific

•      Reference the correct regulations and interpretations.

•      State the facts

 Be clear, concise, and accurate

Marty Pollock, Director of Safety

Tennessee Trucking Association

Road Team Captains on the Move!

Summer is officially in full swing and our Road Team Captains have been sharing the importance of highway safety to summer camps across the state! The summer months are the most dangerous for teen drivers, so we take every opportunity we can to share all the ways that young and future drivers should share the road with large trucks!

Bri Law

Foundation Coordinator

Tennessee Trucking Association

Tennessee Trucking Foundation Contribution

Want to make a contribution to our Foundation? You can easily donate to the foundation on our website. Thank you to all who support our Foundation's mission. 



• Advancing highway safety
• Educating the public through programs designed to make our roads safer
• Providing Tennessee children’s charities with funds to improve the lives of our state’s children
• The TTF Scholarship, administered annually by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Visit the website to donate.