Emergency Declaration Notifications Issued by State(s)

The State Association Safety Committee of the Safety Management Council of the American Trucking Associations asks the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to consider a request from our committee to expand your list of law enforcement agencies which are notified in the event of an emergency declaration issued by a state or states. A larger list might help ensure that relief efforts carried out by motor carriers and drivers are not interrupted by those in the law enforcement community who are unaware of the emergency declaration in place. The State Association Safety Committee said some truck drivers have been placed out-of-service in the past, preventing their delivery of emergency supplies. Additionally, the alert to law enforcement should go beyond the states affected, since our committee finds that motor carriers and drivers from outside the affected area want to help as well in relief efforts. In addition to MCSAP personnel, our committee is urging that sheriffs, chiefs of police and others with jurisdiction be informed of emergency declarations that might help our drivers deliver aid on time.

We urge the matter be considered as soon as possible. In the past, some of our member companies have been placed out-of-service in efforts to aid victims of Katrina and in the transport of heating oil to states in the Northeast during severe winter weather.

The State Safety Association Committee with the Safety Management Council of the American Trucking Associations requests that CVSA expand its list of law enforcement agencies which are notified in the event of an emergency declaration issued by a state or states. This would help ensure that relief efforts by trucking companies from inside and outside the affected areas are not interrupted by law enforcement agencies who are not aware of the alert.