Keeping Up With the Times

I have for quite some time now, as the Bay Chapter Chair person, wanted to edit and clean up our Chapter membership list. I have had this on one of my bucket lists. Incidentally, another big one on the list was seeing my favorite musicians live (before they die) and they aren’t getting any younger.

I knew years ago that to undertake the membership list project would be a very long, hard, manually laborious task. Having knee surgery recently and not being able to do my usual activities helped me with this project. When you have to sit with your leg up for the better part of the day a person will go crazy without something to do. Read more

Test Drivers Wanted:

Heavy-Duty Truck Eco-Driving Technology and Behavior Research Project

You are cordially invited to participate in a research study being carried out by University of California – Riverside and Cal State University – San Bernardino.  This research study is focused on evaluating heavy-duty truck eco-driving technology and studying the behavioral impact eco-driving may have on truck drivers. Drivers will get to operate state-of-the-art truck driving simulators which will take approximately one hour.

During the study, you will be asked to complete a survey and then drive on a truck driving simulator while truck operational and fuel economy data will be recorded. The driving simulators are easy, safe, and fun to drive.

Drivers who fully participate will receive $100 for their time and effort.

For further information, please contact Jose Luis Garcia by email (jluis67@wans.net) or
by phone: 951-333-6442.

You must sign-up by September 30th to qualify for the $100 incentive.

Workers’ Comp Rates Headed Up Again

Workers’ Compensation insurance rates will be going up in 2014. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones adopted an advisory average pure premium rate of $2.70 per $100 of employer payroll for workers compensation rates effective January 1, 2014. Read more

CCTA Urges Opposition to ‘Job Killer’ Allowing Unproven Wage Liens

The California Chamber of Commerce and CCTA are urging members to ask senators to oppose a “job killer” bill that would allow employees to harass employers by filing prejudgment unproven wage liens on their property.
The bill, AB 2416 (Stone; D-Scotts Valley), creates a dangerous and unfair precedent in the wage and hour arena by allowing employees to file liens on an employer’s real or personal property, or property where work was performed, based upon alleged-yet-unproven wage claims. Read more

CCTA Supports AB 69

On July 6 we formally participated in a coalition letter supporting AB 69 (Perea), which will delay for three years the inclusion of transportation fuels under CARB’s cap-and-trade program.

Without AB 69, gasoline and diesel fuels will be subject to cap-and-trade beginning on January 1, 2015. Read more

People Who Drink and Drive Won’t Be Able to Avoid This Breathalyser Test

SCIENCEALERT.COM

A laser that detects if there’s alcohol vapour inside cars has the potential to reduce the numbers of road injuries related to irresponsible drinking.
Researchers in Poland have created a device that detects alcohol vapour inside moving cars, and it can help detect blood alcohol levels as low as 0.1% in drivers, reports The Verge. Read more

Cal Con at Cal Con

The California Construction Trucking Association and American Alliance Drug Testing were at the California Construction Expo in Long Beach held at the Long Beach convention center on July 31st. Lee Brown and my self spent the day meeting and greeting convention guests who stopped by the booth. Read more

Workers’ Comp Medical Costs Up and Down

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) recently released the California Workers’ Compensation Aggregate Medical Payment Trends report comparing medical payment transaction data from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2012.

WCIRB researchers used reported medical payment data representing more than 90 percent of the California insurance market and accounting for approximately $1.3 billion in payments annually. Read more

Anne Ferro Resigns: Many “Drivers” Cheer

I believe the best word to describe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) head, Anne Ferro’s July, would be – tumultuous! There was a pretty aggressive call for her resignation by a trucking association and tepid support for her from other “inside-the-beltway” transportation associations. On July 25th, Ms. Ferro announced her departure from the agency. Read more

Catching Up After a Once in a Life-time Trip

Betty Plowman – Membership Services Director NorCal

My vacation back to Louisiana and the east in July was absolutely one of my life’s greatest experiences. I have put off for way too many years reconnecting with family members there. The “Cousins Reunion” in Baton Rouge cured that for now. Read more