TruckingDo you remember what your priorities were in February, before COVID-19 became our main focus? At the Manitoba Trucking Association, we identified a few key projects at that time in our newsletter: some LCV program participants weren’t following the program requirements, the driver shortage, the upcoming ELD mandate, the Trucking Efficiency Program, and the Office of the Auditor General’s report on commercial vehicle oversight.
When COVID-19 became a public health emergency in March, many of those items were pushed to the back-burner as we acted and reacted as quickly as we could to local, provincial, federal, and even international regulatory changes that impacted our industry. We sent out over fifty member notices at that time that were strictly related to COVID-19, as well as regular eBulletins and newsletters that covered COVID updates as well as other regulatory changes.
Now that the crisis is over and we have learned how to manage it better, we are able to return to our pre-pandemic priorities. Specifically, truck electrification, the Office of the Auditor General’s report from December, NSC audit reform, carrier profiles and safety rating reform, wide base tire policy, a weigh scale bypass program, plus a long list of other items now occupy our time. Of course, COVID-19 related issues continue to dominate many of our discussions, but we have returned to our advocacy work for the trucking industry in general, rather than being focused entirely on the imapcts of COVID-19 on the truckng industry.
Members with questions are encouraged to contact us. Non-members, if you want a say in the direction of Manitoba’s trucking industry, it’s time to join the Manitoba Trucking Association. Contact us at 204-632-6600.