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Idealease Safety Bulletin - Memorial Day Holiday Safety

May. 28 2021 Miscellaneous By McCandless Idealease

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Please note: There will be no safety bulletin next Friday due to the Memorial Day Holiday. Your next Idealease Safety Bulletin will be available on June 11, 2021. Have an enjoyable holiday weekend and be safe! Take time to pay respect and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

The latest Idealease Safety Bulletin is here just in time for the Memorial Day Holiday!  Read the entire bulletin online here to find important tips and reminders about the upcoming holiday, or click the image below to download a PDF version.  Don't forget to sign up to have them delivered straight to your inbox each week for instant access to the latest safety news, tips and information!  

Looking for some information in a previous bulletin? Access the complete Safety Bulletin archive at: https://www.idealease.com/safety-compliance/safety-bulletins

PREPARE YOUR TERMINAL FACILITY FOR THE LONG MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND HOLIDAY

It is not uncommon for thieves to target truck dealerships and terminals over holidays, and being that it is the 1st three-day holiday weekend of the year, it is important to take extra precautions. Not only has there been an increase in vehicle break-ins since the COVID-19 pandemic, but DPFs (Diesel Particulate Filters) have become more of a target recently due to containing precious metals.  Using some common sense along with some precautions can help deter thieves from targeting your facility and vehicles. 

Some important security tips and reminders:

1. Take extra precaution to secure the trucks and items of value at your facility.

2. Instruct the drivers not to fill the units at the end of the day if your units do not have anti-siphon fuel devices or locking fuel caps.

3.  Make sure that all security alarms and cameras are in working order.

4.  Walk the perimeter of the yard to make sure that security fencing is in good condition.

5.  Move units and all other materials far enough away from the fence so they cannot be used to climb on to get over the fence.

6.  Review your security lighting to make sure it is operational and adequate. Lighting can be obstructed by vehicles or trees allowing a thief a place to be unseen.

7.  Make sure the security alarm system is operational and cameras are adjusted.

8.  Consider blocking the entrance and exits to the lot so units cannot be stolen and assign management personnel to check the terminal randomly.

9.  Notify local law enforcement officials of your hours of operation over the holidays so they know when to expect activity at your location.

FMCSA EXTENDS COVID-19 WAIVERS FOR ANOTHER 3 MONTHS

Review the Emergency Declaration here

The declaration, license and medical card waivers were all set to expire 5/31/21 following a number of extensions throughout 2020.  Due to continuing impacts, the FMCSA has extended the waivers yet again.  

Qualifying truck and bus drivers now have through August 31st operating under the terms of the new waivers. The FMCSA could terminate or modify the waivers before then, however.

Emergency Declaration

The Emergency Declaration applies to those motor carriers and their drivers providing direct assistance to the pandemic emergency.

The exemption is limited to transportation of:

  • Livestock and livestock feed;
  • Pandemic-related medical supplies and equipment, vaccines, and products related to vaccine administration and distribution;
  • Masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap, disinfectants, and similar supplies and equipment; and
  • Food, paper products, and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.

Direct assistance does not include nonemergency transportation of qualifying commodities or routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration.

Qualifying motor carriers and drivers are exempt from 49 CFR Parts 390-399, except as noted in the emergency declaration that will be made available at fmcsa.dot.gov/COVID-19.

Find Information on License and Medical Card Waivers here 

Drivers now have more time to renew/update licenses or medical certificates. 

The most recent waiver for commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), commercial learner's permits (CLPs), and medical certificates is effective June 1, 2021, and will remain in place until August 31, 2021. The FMCSA says it will review these waivers on July 1 to verify they are still needed.

Under the licensing waiver, states have the option to extend the validity of CDLs and CLPs that expired on or after March 1, 2020, until August 31, 2021.

For CLP holders, the FMCSA has also waived:

  • The requirement to retake the knowledge test if more than a year has passed since the permit was issued,
  • The 14-day waiting period for taking the CDL skills test,
  • The requirement that a CLP holder be accompanied by a CDL holder physically present in the front seat (he or she may be elsewhere in the cab), and
  • Restrictions on states performing skills tests on out-of-state applicants and using certain third-party skills-test examiners who are not fully trained.

The licensing waiver is not binding on the states, so drivers should verify that their state is honoring it.

Under the revised medical-card waiver, a driver can qualify for an extension on an expiring medical card if:

  • His or her existing medical card expired on or after March 1, 2021;
  • The existing medical card was issued for at least 90 days;
  • The driver has not been diagnosed with a disqualifying medical condition since the previous medical exam; and
  • The driver carries a copy of his or her expired medical certificate and any required variance.

Reporting crashes

Drivers taking advantage of the licensing or medical-card waivers must notify the FMCSA of any DOT-recordable crashes involving those drivers. 

CDL DRIVERS AND CBD PRODUCTS - What Drivers should know

Marijuana has been detected in over half of all drug tests that have been filed in the Clearinghouse as of 5/1/21.

Positive drug tests account for 81% of the total violations since 1/6/2020.  View Clearinghouse Report

USDOT’s “CBD Notice” : https://www.transportation.gov/odapc/cbd-notice

It is important for all employees who perform safety-sensitive functions, including CDL drivers, to know:

  • The USDOT requires testing for marijuana and not CBD.
  • The labeling of many CBD products may be misleading because the products could contain higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than what’s stated on the product label.
  • The USDOT’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation, 49 CFR Part 40, does not authorize the use of Schedule I drugs, including marijuana, for any reason.
  • CBD use is not a legitimate medical explanation for a laboratory-confirmed marijuana positive result. Therefore, Medical Review Officers will verify a drug test confirmed at the appropriate cutoffs as positive, even if an employee claims they only used a CBD product.
  • Since the use of CBD products could lead to a positive drug test result, USDOT-regulated CDL drivers should exercise caution when considering whether to use CBD products.


*The Idealease Safety Bulletin is provided for Idealease locations and their customers and is not to be construed as a complete or exhaustive source of compliance or safety information. The Idealease Safety Bulletin is advisory in nature and does not warrant, guarantee, or otherwise certify compliance with laws, regulations, requirements, or guidelines of any local, state, or Federal agency and/or governing body, or industry standards.