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Beginning January 1, 2008, truckers heading to California will have two new emissions regulations to contend with and another one on the way in December 2008.

As of January 1, truckers won't be allowed to idle for more than five (5) minutes when parked, and 2008 model year engines will be required to have an automatic shutoff functions. The shutoff function will warn a driver within 30 seconds of shutting off.

Also in California, drivers with a diesel-powered Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) attached to the truck that has a 2007 and newer engine must have a particulate filter installed on the APU.

Beginning in December 2008, reefers operating in California that have engines from 2001 or before will have to be retrofitted to reduce emissions by 50 percent. The regulation continually moves up required retrofits on a seven-year, phase-in schedule, with 2002-year reefer units needing retrofits by December 2009, and 2003 units by 2010. A new ultra-low emission standard will begin for engines by 2010.

Safety is Good Business

Whether you are a new motor carrier just starting out or an established company with years of experience, safety is good for your business. Good safety practices can save lives, reduce injuries, and improve your bottom line.

Crashes are devastating in terms of fatalities and injuries, financial costs, damaged reputations, the inability to attract and retain good drivers, and general goodwill in the industry.

The average cost of a large truck crash involving a fatality is $3.6 million per crash. The average crash with injuries is almost $200,000 per crash. And finally the average cost of all large truck crashes is about $91,000 per crash. And you wonder why your truck insurance is so high.

So how do you reduce your accidents? How do you find good drivers in a driver shortage period? How you do train the ones that you have? The answer is simple: Have your drivers train online at their own convenience, where they won't lose time on the job. New drivers can get the same training to set them apart from others. Trust me, if I had to choose between two drivers and only one had a Certificate of Training from the DOT, I would definitely choose the certificated driver hands down without blinking.

Last year, North American Transportation Association teamed up with Advance Online & the US DOT's Transportation Safety Institute to bring the trucking industry certificated training courses. We are especially excited and proud to announce that we have now more than doubled the number of online courses from 45 to 94 on our website. We have added twelve courses on Cargo Securement, covering the proper training on metal coils, concrete pipe, intermodal containers, paper rolls, machinery, dressed lumber, logs, large boulders, and more. We now have over 40 OSHA courses.

So it doesn't matter if you are a sole proprietor or part of a large company, the only way you are going to get ahead of the game in this transportation industry is to take the applicable US DOT/TSI certificated courses. Mark my words, this certificate will get you more money and reduce your insurance costs.

Starting this month, for those of you that do not need certificated courses; NTA has developed one of the best online web-based interactive training libraries. The NTA library contains more than 100 30 to 45 minute interactive videos on Safety, Hazmat and Regulatory compliance. Many of these courses are available in Spanish as well as English.

Federal Law Would Penalize Licensing Illegals

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced a bill that would withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds from states that issue driver licenses to illegal immigrants. Under the bill, states would have to verify that license applicants are in the United States legally. The bill would redistribute withheld funding to states that are following the law.

The day after Barrasso introduced his legislation, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D) dropped his plan to grant driver licenses to illegal immigrants in the state. Also, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) introduced a bill prohibiting states from issuing driver licenses and other forms of valid identification to illegal aliens.

New Program for Brokers: Guaranteed Carrier Payment

A Transportation Intermediaries Association program guaranteeing payments to carrier from brokers for up to $100,000 in freight charges is now in operation.

This is the right time for this program. It means that motor carriers who do business with TIA broker members are guaranteed up to $100,000 in freight charges. The guaranteed payment program, two years in the making, provides qualified TIA members with coverage beyond the standard U.S. Department of Transportation requirement of $10,000. The new program's surety partners are Avalon Risk Management and Lincoln General Insurance Companies.

There is no charge either for carriers or third-party logistics providers to use the program. So far, seven TIA members have been approved for the program. They include Choptank Transport, Preston, Maryland; Midwestern Transit Service, Ashley, Illinois; Triple T Transport, Lewis Center, Ohio; Freight Tec Management Group, Bountiful, Utah; VTI Transport, Chester, Virginia; Twin Modal, Roseville, Minnesota and Des Monies Truck Brokers, Norwalk, Iowa.

NTA, Inc. is available to members only. If you're not a member, join now. The NTA, Inc. is a nationwide association established to provide services, benefits and information to private fleets, trucking companies and owner-operators. We are the only association that provides our members with more FREE services and benefits than any other. For more information or details call (562) 630-7637 in California or 800 805-0040 toll free. You can e-mail me at wayne@ntassoc.com.