2900 SW Topeka Blvd.Topeka, KS 66611

785-267-1641On Facebook: Kansas Motor

Carriers AssociationOn Twitter: KSMotorCarriers

DISPATCHKansas Motor Carriers Association | Afilliated with the American Trucking Associations

78

Inside7 Steps for Safety

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

In Memoriam: Ernest Schroeder, Jr.

Don’t use FMCSA App for Safety Data

Stand Up and Be Counted: Register as TAT

Trained Today!

And Much More

All KMCA forms are available on our website:

March 2015

Kansas Legislature Grinds Towards First Adjournment

The 2015 Session of the Kansas Legislature is attempting to wrap up their work addressing the estimated $600 million budget shortfall for fiscal year 2016 which begins July 1, 2015. In record time, the House and Senate passed a block grant bill for K – 12 school funding and totally dismantled the current funding formula. The Governor is expected to sign the education bill. The House Appropriations Committee has completed its “mega” budget bill that will be debated the week of March 23rd. The Committee’s legislation would require a tax increase of $139 million to balance the budget. It is uncertain where this money will come from, and KMCA is keeping a watchful eye on these proceedings. Several issues affecting trucking are moving through the Legislature, below is a brief description of these bills.

•Senate Bill 21 – The bill removes the exemption from KCC Safety rules and regulations for for-hire carriers operating vehicles between 10,001 pounds GVWR and 26,000 pounds GVWR. SB 21 passed the Senate on a 40 – 0 vote and passed the House 114-1. The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature

•Senate Bill 162 – This legislation would change current Kansas law pertaining to workers compensation guidelines for disability determination. Some believe the change effective January 1, 2015, will be found to be unconstitutional and thereby subject employers to tort action. Any action on this bill will be held over to the 2016 Legislative Session.

•Senate Bill 150 – The bill would, for the first time, allow a motor carrier that is a corporation to have an authorized representative of the corporation or counsel to appear before the KCC on matters of civil penalties of $500 or less. Current law requires a corporation to be represented by counsel. SB 150 was approved by the Senate on a vote of 40 – 0. Awaits action on the House floor.

•House Bill 2094 – Eliminated the use of “estimated miles” for apportioned registration. This is no longer needed because of full reciprocity within the IRP. Passed the Senate on a vote of 40-0 and was placed in a Conference Committee.

•House Bill 2085 – The bill removes the sunset provision from statutes allowing the recent partnership between the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the Kansas Department of Transportation. KMCA opposed this merger in 2013 because of a fear the State would siphon funds from KTA. Language was inserted in the legislation to only allow toll revenue to be spent on turnpike project. The bill approved by the House and Senate and is headed for the Governor.

•House Bill 2273 – This bill would have added onerous regulations to tow companies operating in Riley, Shawnee, Johnson, Wyandotte and Sedgwick counties. The bill is dead.

Story continued on page 3

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Page 2 March 2015

Kansas Safety Awards Banquet

The “Best of the Best” of 2014 to be recognized:Drivers of the Month

Driver of the YearSafety Professional of the YearFleet Safety Contest Winners

Thursday, April 23, 2015Manor Conference Center/Capitol Plaza Hotel

1717 SW Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KSReception: Emerald IV-V

Dinner: Emerald I-IIISocial Begins at 6:00 p.m., Dinner follows at 6:30 p.m.

_______________________________________________________________________________________Contact Person

_______________________________________________________________________________________Company Name

_______________________________________________________________________________________Address/City/St/Zip

_______________________________________________________________________________________Phone/E-mail

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Company Representatve ACCEPTING Fleet Safety Award (if applicable)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________Additional Company Reps/Guests Attending

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____Check Enclosed

________________________________________ ________Visa/Mastercard/American Express number 3-digit code

_________ ______________________________________Exp Date Name on Card

________________________________________________Signature

Banquet Reservations are $45 per person

Banquet reservations are required and must be made by Thursday, April 15, 2015.Payment MUST Accompany Registration.

Hotel rooms are available at the Capitol Plaza Hotel

Reservation Line: (785) 431-7200Room Rate is $79

Hosted by Kansas Motor Carriers Association and its Safety Management CouncilRSVP to Kansas Motor Carriers Association, PO Box 1673, Topeka, KS 66601-1673

Fax: 785-266-6551 Email: msowers@kmca.org Phone: 785-267-1641

For Office Use Only: pd db nt

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Page 3 March 2015

•House Bill 2242 – This legislation was requested by the Kansas Aggregate Producers Association to exempt quarry trucks from the axle weight limits. KMCA opposed the bill because it would have removed axle weight limits on all trucks transporting aggregate products and subsequently destroying the roads we all have paid for. The bill is dead.

KMCA provides gavel to gavel representation for the Kansas trucking industry. If you have questions concerning these bills or other issues before the Kansas Legislature, please contact Tom Whitaker at 785-267-1641 or by e-mail at tomw@kmca.org.

Continued From the Cover:Kansas Legislature Grinds Towards

First Adjournment

PREFERRED PARTNER

Kansas Professional Truck Driving Championships

Every year, KMCA’s Safety Management Council hosts drivers from all companies and locations in Kansas to see who is the best of the best in Professional Truck Driving. The annual event is help June 19 and 20 in Topeka, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. This event is open to any driver of a member company who wants to show off their skills. Drivers need to be employed by the company and accident free for the 12 months prior to the event. Each driver will complete a written multiple choice test on driver safety, regulations, and history of the trucking industry. (Study books are available from KMCA for those participating.) Drivers will also complete a timed pre-trip inspection and a 6 problem skills course. Entry fee is $85 per driver which includes their meals for the two days. For more information, contact Becky Crawford, 785-267-1641 or bcrawford@kmca.org. Deadline to enter is May 29th.

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Page 4 March 2015

A Tournament to Benefit KMCA’s PRO TRUCK PAC

Payment Information**Payment must accompany registration**

_____Enclosed is a check payable to KMCA PRO TRUCK PAC_____I authorize the charge to the credit card I have specified.

____Visa ____Mastercard ____ American Express _____ Discover

Credit Card number ________________________________________Exp Date____________

Name on Card____________________________________3-digit code__________

Return this form to KMCA PRO TRUCK PAC, P.O. Box 1673, Topeka, KS 66601785.267.1641--Fax 785.266.6551

Please specify if all people listed are on the same team, or note who they would like

to be paired with.

1. Name and Company ________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________________

Telephone ________________________E-mail __________________________________________

2. Name and Company ________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________________

Telephone ________________________E-mail __________________________________________

3. Name and Company ________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________________

Telephone ________________________E-mail __________________________________________

4. Name and Company ________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________________

Telephone ________________________E-mail __________________________________________

Golf RegistrationThursday, June 4, 2015

Sand Creek Station, 920 Meadowbrook Dr., Newton, KS 67114 Registration Deadline: June 1, 2015

Entry Fee: $99 per person or $356 per foursome - A $40 DiscountSchedule: 11:30 a.m. - Registration, 12:00 p.m. - Lunch Provided

1:00 p.m. Shotgun Start

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Page 5 March 2015

A Tournament to Benefit KMCA’s PRO TRUCK PAC

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Sponsorship Form

Schedule: Registration - 11:30 a.m.

Lunch (Lunch is Provided) - 12:00 p.m.Shotgun Start - 1:00 p.m.

Sand Creek Station • 920 Meadowbrook Dr. • Newton, KS 67114

Total Enclosed for Sponsorships: $___________________

Name ________________________________________ Company __________________________________ Address _____________________________________ City ____________________ State ____ Zip _______ Phone Number _____________________________ E-mail ____________________________________

Payment Method: Check ______VISA, Mastercard, Discover or American Express? _______________ 3 Digit ID Code ____________

Name on Card ___________________________________________________________________

Card Number _____________________________________________ Expires ________________

*Payment MUST accompany this form!*KMCA PRO TRUCK PAC ~P.O. Box 1673~Topeka, KS 66601~Fax: 785.266.6551

Title SponsorLunch, Beverage Cart, Hole-In-One

Platinum Sponsor

Hole Sponsorships Available: $200

If you have any items that you would like to donate for the tournament, please contact Melissa Sowers at msowers@kmca.org or (785) 267-1641.

Kansas City, Topeka, Salina & Wichita

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Page 6 March 2015

Stand Up and Be Counted: Register as Truckers Against Trafficking Trained Today!

In an effort to determine how many members of the American trucking industry have already viewed our Truckers Against Trafficking training DVD, and are now equipped with our wallet card which contains the NHTRC# 1-888-3737-888 (so that you can call and report what you know when you suspect a human trafficking situation), we ask that you please register as TAT Trained on our website. This is a 2 minute process. Here is the direct link for companies:http://tat8.nodejitsu.com/main/Company/reg

•If you’re an individual, either an independent driver or a company employee, please click on the Register tab, select Individual and fill out your information. (one-time-only)

•If you represent a company (either a carrier or manufacturer, or a truck stop, etc.) please click on the

Register tab, select Company and let us know how many employees you’ve trained with TAT materials.

•If you’re an instructor at a trucking school, please click on the Register tab, select School and let us know how many student drivers you’ve trained with TAT materials.

*TAT has recently launched its Shipping Partners Program, wherein we are asking shippers to encourage their carrier partners to train their drivers with TAT materials. We already have shippers asking us which companies are TAT Trained, so if you have trained your drivers, be sure to register with us so that you can be counted!

For more information on Truckers against Trafficking contact Becky Crawford at 785-267-1641 or bcrawford@kmca.org

DISPATCH7 Steps for Safety

Highway-Rail Grade Crossings1. Approach with careWarn others that you are slowing down. Turn on 4-way flashers. Use pull-out lane if available.

2. Prepare to stop.Turn off fans and radio and roll down windows.Locate your cell phone for use in emergency.

Stop at least 15 feet, but not more than 50 feet, from nearest rail.

3. Look both ways and listen carefullyBend forward to see around mirrors and A-pilars.

4. If it won’t fit, don’t commit. Do not enter a crossing unless you can drive completely through without stopping!And, remember trains are wider than the track. Before you pull onto the track, make sure there is enough room on the other side for the back for your vehicle (and any overhanging cargo) to be at least 6 feet beyond the furthest rail.

5. Look again.Before you move, look again in both directions.

6. Cross tracks with care.Signal, watch for a safe gap, pull back onto the road if you used a pull-out lane. Use highest gear that will let you cross without shifting.

7. Keep going once you start, even if lights start to flash or gates come down.

1. GET OUT IMMEDIATELY.Evacuate your vehicle (Trains traveling at 60 mph may take a mile or more to stop.)

2. Move away.Walk toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle. (If your vehicle is hit, debris will spread out from the tracks in the same direction the train is moving.)

3. Locate the emergency phone numberWhen you are safely away from the tracks, find the railroad’s emergency phone number and the DOT crossing identification number posted near the crossing. (See below for examples)

4. Call for help!Call the railroad’s emergency phone number, the local police, or 911. Tell them a vehicle is on the tracks. Provide the location, crossing number (if posted), and the name of the road or highway.

What To Do If Your Vehicle Stalls Or Hangs Up On The Tracks

Page 7 March 2015

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Page 8 March 2015

Less than eight hours after the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it had developed a user friendly app for the general public to find Compliance Safety Accountability scores on motor carriers and bus companies, the American Trucking Associations said the available CSA data was unreliable and urged the public “not to use this app given the serious flaws that have been identified by the General Accounting Office and others.”

Called “QCMobile,” (QC standing for “Query Central”), the FMCSA said Tuesday the new app is expected to be a particularly valuable tool for state and federal law enforcement personnel, as well as insurers, brokers, freight-forwarders, and others interested in reviewing the U.S. Department of registration and safety performance information of motor carriers.

“Tuesday’s announcement by FMCSA is recklessness cloaking itself as transparency,” said Sean McNally, a spokesperson for the ATA. “The Compliance, Safety, Accountability system was designed to better target potentially unsafe carriers, but a report issued by the Government Accountability Office last year characterized CSA safety scores as often being unreliable and imprecise. Early this month, in testimony before the U.S. Senate, GAO said the system suffers from a number of data quality and

Don’t Use FMCSA App for Safety Data, ATA Warns Publicsufficiency issues and therefore ‘does not effectively identify high-risk carriers.’”

In a recent hearing before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, the GAO chided the FMCSA for ignoring its criticisms about the quality and quantity of data used to generate CSA scores, and recommended “FMCSA revise the SMS methodology to better account for limitations in available information when drawing comparisons of safety performance across carriers.”

McNally said the FMCSA has looked past many examples of how CSA erroneously labels safe fleets as unsafe and vice-versa.“Given the serious problems with the validity of CSA scores, it is wholly inappropriate for FMCSA to encourage and facilitate public access and use,” he said. “If CSA cannot effectively identify high-risk carriers, making safe carriers’ unreliable scores more accessible to the public is simply irresponsible. The agency should immediately pull this tool from the marketplace.”

Written & Reprinted with permission by The Trucker News Services, www.thetrucker.com

Ernest (Ernie) Schroeder, Jr., 73, of Topeka, KS passed away March 7, 2015 at a local hospital. He was born August 20th, 1941, in New Orleans, LA, the son of Ernest and Anna Schroeder, Sr. He served his country in the Air Force from 1959 to 1963. On September 22, 1963 he married Sharron Redfern.

Ernie was an over-the-road truck driver for many

In Memoriam: Ernest (Ernie) Schroeder, Jr.

years with Safeway and Frito-Lay, and was one of the first inductees into Frito-Lay’s Million Miles Club for one million miles of accident free safe driving. While with Frito-Lay he was appointed to their National Communications Team. He also served as a Road Team

Captain for the Kansas Motor Carriers Association, and was a volunteer for many of KMCA’s safety events.

Ernie is survived by his wife, Sharron; sons, Brent (Sandy) and Mark; grandchildren, Amber and Brandon (Trish) Schroeder; great-step granddaughter, Isabelle; a brother, David (Georgia); and nephews, Chris (Amanda) and Jon Schroeder. He is preceded in death by his parents.

Per his wishes, Ernie was cremated. A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at the Mount Hope Mausoleum Chapel, 4700 SW 17th Street in Topeka. A visitation for family and friends will be held one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to Berryton United Methodist Church, 7010 SE Berryton Rd. Berryton, KS 66409 or The American Legion Millard Post 374, 13913 S. Street, Omaha, NE 68137

Ernie Schroeder, Jr.

DISPATCH

2015 KMCA Calendar of Upcoming Events

Apr. 14-16, 2015 – KMCA’s Call on Washington – Washington, D.C.Apr. 23, 2015 - Safety Awards Banquet - Capitol Plaza Hotel - Topeka

May 12, 2015 - Safety Management Council - KMCA Office - TopekaJune 19 & 20, 2015 - Kansas Professional Truck Driving Championships - Capitol

Plaza Hotel – TopekaJuly 14, 2015 - Safety Management Council - KMCA Office - TopekaSept. 8, 2015 - Safety Management Council - KMCA Office - Topeka

Sept. 23-25, 2015 - KMCA Annual Convention – DoubleTree – Wichita Nov. 10 2015 - Safety Management Council - KMCA Office - Topeka

Welcome to our New Members!Apex CDL Institute - De Soto, KS

Smith Transportation Inc.- Edwardsville, KSTim Barrett- Wellsville, KS

Cornerstone Wealth Management – Overland Park, KS

Fort Scott Community College - Fort Scott, KS

Thank you PEP Contributors From February 13, 2015 - March 18, 2015

2nd Quarter IRP PaymentsAre due on or before

April 1st!

Advertising opportunities are now available for 2015. Advertising is available in our monthly newsletter Dispatch, which has a circulation of 1,500. Dispatch advertising space is limited, and Dispatch ads will be taken on a first come basis. Our website also offers advertising opportunities as well. It is viewed by members, people involved in the industry, people looking to get involved in the industry and many others. If you would like more information or have questions, please contact Melissa Sowers, Director of Communications/Events, at 785-267-1641 or by e-mail at msowers@kmca.org.

2015 KMCA Foundation Scholarship Deadline

April 1, 2015Visit www.kmcafoundation.org or call Tom Whitaker (785) 267-1641 or e-mail

tomw@kmca.org, for more information and application!

Page 9 March 2015

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Page 10 March 2015

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That’s where we can help. We have approved lists of quality repair shops and have local adjusters wherever you need assistance. We’ll help you choose the right shop so you can be back on the road in no time. Plus, any time, day or night, you can talk to a real, live person who’ll give you the answers you need.

Great West Casualty Company – Because no matter where you are, we’re with you every step of the way.

GREAT WEST’S COLLISION AND REPAIR EXPRESS

Not available in all states. All policy terms, conditions, definitions, and exclusions apply to this coverage. Please

see your agent for exact provisions.

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Page 11 March 2015

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You benefit from this partnership. A portion of the revenue from your purchase supports your State Trucking Association.

TM

Give your hazmat drivers the training they need … in ALL required areas!

J. J. Keller’s Hazmat Transportation: Driver Training program thoroughly addresses all four critical areas of DOT-required training — general awareness, function-specific, safety and security awareness — to ensure that every driver, from new hires to veterans, receives the training necessary to do their specific job correctly.

Find critical safety information on:

• Definitions, including Hazardous Material

• Hazard Classification (Classes and Divisions)

• The Hazardous Materials Table

• Shipping Papers and Emergency Response Information

• Marking and Packaging

• Labels and Placards

• Loading and Segregation

• Transportation Safety

• Security Awareness

THERE’S A LOT TO KNOW ABOUT TRANSPORTING HAZMAT.

Did You Know?DOT requires that hazmat drivers be trained:

• Within 90 days of employment, and• Within 90 days of a change to a hazmat job

function, plus• Every 3 years thereafter.

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