Official Magazine of the Motor Carriers ofMontana


Roadwise is owned by the Motor Carriers


ofMontana and is published bimonthly by Matthews PublishingGroup. For additional


copies, to order reprints of individual articles or to become a subscriber to Roadwise, contact Katie Bowlds at 406-442-6600.


publisher JENNIFER MATTHEWS KIDD


jennifer@matthewspublishing.com executive editor


BARRY “SPOOK”STANG spook@mttrucking.org


art director JON D. KENNEDY


freelanceco@comcast.net contributing writers


STEVE BRAWNER, SAM EIFLING, ERIC FRANCIS JENNIFER BARNETT REED, JOHN SCHULZ, TODD TRAUB


illustrator


BRENT BENNETT brentdraw@cox.net


photographers MARK BRYANT


TOMBURTCHAELL ad production


DEAH CHISENHALL DUSTY TOWNSEND


printer


TCPrint Solutions www.tcprint.com


Now that the legislative session is over I would like to revisit some of our successes and thank those MCM members who contacted their legislators to help us with a successful session.


We were successful in securing four newCDL Examiners for the Department of Justice. This should reduce the amount of time needed to schedule appointments for your drivers or prospective drivers to take both the written and driving portion of the test.


MCM was also successful in passing our major billHB 347. HB 347 voided provisions in Montana contracts that required cross-party indemnification was passed and signed by the Governor and is now law.


MCM along with other business groups were successful in killingSB 173. SB 173 would have required Montana State Fund to take over the liability of the OldFun, thus eliminating dividends for current employers and go down the path of having the Legislature micro manage the State Fund, a practice that was disastrous in the late 80’s. Thanks to former MCM member Mike Lang for taking the initiative to defeat this bill in theHouse.


executive vice president BARRY “SPOOK”STANG spook@mttrucking.org


administrative assistant KATIE BOWLDS


katie@mttrucking.org


safety diretor KEVIN ERNST


kevin@mttrucking.org


safety transportation consultant AL CALKIN


al@mttrucking.org


MCM also testified for a number of bills that revamped both the workers compensation system as well as the Department of Labor’s unemployment standards. Hopefully these changes will provide more directives for the department when determining wrongful discharge and defining misconduct.


MCM also partnered with the MontanaContractorsAssociation in the passage of bothSJ 26 andHB 513. Both of these measures deal with the movement of oversize loads throughout Montana. HB 513 exempts these loads from the MEPA process as long as existing right of way is used. SJ 26 will conduct a study to try and identify the routes these large loads can use and set some parameters for the movement. This should provide stability to both the communities they pass through and the shippers as they will know up front what they are dealing with.


An affiliate of the American Trucking Associations


Motor Carriers ofMontana (MCM) has served as the voice for Montana’s trucking industry since 1939. MCM is a trade association dedicated to the furtherance of the trucking industry’s goals and interests in Montana and the United States. Our membership is a very diverse group comprised of trucking companies, passenger carriers, garbage haulers, construction & excavation companies, and companies providing products and services to the industry. MCM serves these companies as a governmental affairs representative before legislative, regulatory and executive branches of government on issues that affect the trucking industry. The organization also provides public relations services, operation services and serves as a forum for industry meetings and membership relations.


Phone 406-442-6600 Facsimile 406-443-4281 www.mttrucking.org


For more information, contact MCM at: Motor Carriers ofMontana 501N. Sanders, Suite 201 Helena, MT 59601


As the session was ending reality started to set in and now our focus will be on the newHours of Service and how we can help MCM members comply. There is still a very slim chance that the court may still throw them out but we think it is time for our members to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. You should soon see a schedule ofHOS seminars in late June or early July. We will try to plan them in all corners of the state for the convenience of members.


Recently an old and contentious issue of guns for MotorCarrier Service officers reared its head. It has come to the attention of yours truly that MDT is looking at circumventing the legislative process to arm their officers. The proposal to arm officers has met twice with disapproval of the legislature and would assume that the legislature would not look kindly on MDT if they should try to do this between sessions. MCM will keep you in the loop has to how this is progressing.


Make sure your positions are heard;Remember the world is run by those who show up, get involved today.


Barry “Spook” Stang


Executive Vice President,Motor Carriers ofMontana spook@mttrucking.org


ROADWISE | ISSUE 3, 2013 | www.mttrucking.org 5


From the Executive VP


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