Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that the expiration date for apportioned vehicle registrations for Pennsylvania residents that were set to expire between May 31, 2021 and June 16, 2021 are extended through June 16, 2021.

Apportioned registrants should mail their apportioned renewal applications to the Department for processing, or it may be completed in person at the Riverfront Office Center in Harrisburg, at 1101 S. Front Street, Harrisburg.  Apportioned invoices may be paid by certified check, cashier's check, money order or wire transfer. Certified check, cashier's check, money orders should be made payable to: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Customers in need of apportioned registration renewals now have until on June 16, 2021 to complete the renewal process.

For more information on Driver and Vehicle Services, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov. Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver's license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hereby declares that the continuing national emergency warrants extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002.  This extension of the expanded modified emergency declaration addresses national emergency conditions that create a need for immediate transportation of essential supplies, and provides necessary relief from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for motor carriers and drivers.

This extension of the expanded modified Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002 is effective at 12:00 A.M. (ET), June 1, 2021 and shall remain in effect until 11:59 P.M. (ET), August 31, 2021, modification or termination by FMCSA, or revocation of the declaration of national emergency under 42 U.S.C. § 5191(b), whichever is soonest.  FMCSA intends to review the status of this Emergency Declaration as of July 1, 2021, and may take action to modify or terminate the Emergency Declaration sooner if conditions warrant.

Attached to this email is a copy of the extended Emergency Declaration No. 2020-002.

The extension is limited when transportation of:

• Livestock and livestock feed.
• Medical supplies and equipment related to the testing, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.
• Vaccines, constituent products, and medical supplies and equipment including ancillary supplies/kits for the administration of vaccines, related to the prevention of COVID-19.
• Supplies and equipment necessary for community safety, sanitation, and prevention of community transmission of COVID-19 such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, soap and disinfectants.
• Food, paper products and other groceries for emergency restocking of distribution centers or stores.

Direct assistance means “transportation and other relief services provided by a motor carrier or its driver(s) incident to the immediate restoration of essential services (such as medical care) or essential supplies related to COVID-19 during the emergency.

Direct assistance does not include non-emergency 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. To be eligible for the exemption, the transportation must be both (i) of qualifying commodities and (ii) incident to the immediate restoration of those essential supplies.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that a recently enacted state law, Act 131 of 2020, extends the validity period of a commercial learner’s permit and helps address the issue of human trafficking through severe penalties levied on commercial drivers or those who wish to obtain a commercial driver’s license.

“This law helps ensure commercial drivers have adequate time to prepare for their commercial driving test while also addressing punishment for a serious crime,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian.

Act 131 of 2020 extends the validity period of a commercial learner’s permit from 180 days to one year. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently changed regulations to allow a jurisdiction the choice of the 180-day commercial learner’s permit with an additional 180-day extension or a one-year commercial learner’s permit. A one-year permit is more convenient for customers, giving them more time to prepare for their skills test. Additionally, a longer validity period means that fewer customers will need to extend their permit, which will help decrease customer traffic in driver license centers. This section of the law became effective May 23, 2021.

Act 131 will also update requirements and restrictions for commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders, including reporting requirements for convictions and violations. One of these changes disqualifies an individual from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life if they are convicted of using a commercial motor vehicle to commit certain forms of severe human trafficking. This section of the law became effective May 25, 2021.

For more information on Driver and Vehicle Services, please visit www.dmv.pa.gov.

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation.

 

(Harrisburg, PA) — Wreaths Across America (WAA) is proud to announce a local stop for the WAA Mobile Education Exhibit (MEE) national tour. The MEE started its tour at the WAA Headquarters in Maine and will be in the area June 18 for a scheduled event that is both free and open to the public. The event will take place at Mission BBQ located at 5045 Jonestown Rd, Harrisburg, PA 17112.

“The goal of the Wreaths Across America Mobile Education Exhibit is to bring community together and teach patriotism while remembering the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “However, over the last year, in light of the current health crisis, we feel this exhibit has taken on even more meaning by providing the opportunity for people to safely participate in something that is both educational and inspiring, while supporting and giving back to the communities it visits.”

The MEE achieves this goal by bringing the local community, veterans, active-duty military and their families together through interactive exhibits, short films, and shared stories. The exhibit serves as a mobile museum, educating visitors about the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes as well as to serve as an official ‘welcome home’ station for our nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

Learn more here/Share this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK6rgTEndQU

All veterans, active-duty military, their families, and the local community members are invited and encouraged to visit, take a tour and speak with WAA representatives and volunteers. They can also share more about the national nonprofit, and the work its volunteers do to support our heroes and their communities year-round.

The public tours for the MEE are free and open to the public with social distancing, sanitation and COVID-19 safety procedures in place to protect the health of all visitors in accordance with the CDCs recommendation for large gatherings stemming from concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the media, dignitaries, veterans and other interested groups are urged to come, ask questions, share stories and experience this one-of-a-kind exhibit.

Wreaths Across America is the non-profit organization best known for placing wreaths on veteran’s headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. However, in 2020 alone, the organization placed more than 1.7 million sponsored veterans’ wreaths at 2,557 participating locations nationwide. Throughout the calendar year you can tune in to Wreaths Across America Radio, 24/7, to learn more about the mission and those who support it across the country, as well as the hundreds of local charitable efforts nationwide that are funded through wreath sponsorships.

You can sponsor a veteran’s wreath anytime for $15 at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. Each sponsorship goes toward a live, balsam wreath that will be placed on the headstone of an American hero as we endeavor to honor all veterans laid to rest at noon on Saturday, December 18, 2021, as part of National Wreaths across America Day.

Click here to find a local participating cemetery near you to support go to and type in your town and/or state.

# # #

About Wreaths Across America

Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission – Remember, Honor, Teach –is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 statesand beyond. 

For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

Press contacts:

Brandon Moree
[email protected]
717-454-9038

National WAA HQ (All other inquiries)
Sean Sullivan
Wreaths Across America – Public Relations Liaison

[email protected]
(207) 230-4599

The Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association would like to thank everyone that participated in the Virtual Annual Membership Conference that took place on May 12-14. 

The event was sponsored by Wright-Knox Motor Lines and several other contributing sponsors. Gold level sponsors for the even included ECBM, EROAD, Omnitracs, UPS and the Lancaster Chapter of PMTA. The York/Adams Chapter was also a supporting sponsor.

Video Sponsors included Hub international, Pennsylvania Chamber Insurance and Scraper Systems FleetPlow. Slide Sponsors included Barley Snyder, Maven Machines and Saxton & Stump Lawyers and Consultants. 

The event began on Wednesday morning with a State of the Association update from Chairman Mark Giuffre and President and CEO Rebecca Oyler. After a roundtable discussion of legislative issues of interest in the second part of the morning session, PMTA announced the winners of the Fleet Safety Awards, presented by Great West Casualty Insurance.

Those winners are:

General Commodities – T/L

1st Place - Watsontown Trucking Company

2nd Place - WFM Transport, INC

General Commodities – LTL Under 15 Million Miles

1st Place – CLI Transport, LP/Sheetz

2nd Place – Peters Brothers, INC

3rd Place – Feeser’s INC

General Commodities – LTL Over 15 Million Miles

1st Place - Pitt Ohio

2nd Place - FedEx Freight, INC

Tank Truck

1st Place - CLI Transport, LP

2nd Place - H R Ewell, INC

3rd Place - Lansberry Trucking, INC

Dump Truck

1st Place - Lansberry Trucking, INC

2nd Place - Shiloh Paving and Excavating, INC

3rd Place - New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., INC

Heavy Haul

1st Place - Aaron Leasing Company, LLC

Miscellaneous

1st Place - CLI Transport, LP / SBK

Most Improved

Feeser’s INC.

You can view all of the Wednesday Session here.

On Thursday morning, Ed Gilroy, the Senior VP of Legislative Affairs at ATA and Elisabeth Barna, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs for ATA, gave an update on federal issues and ATA happenings. 

You can view Elisabeth's presentation here.

Thursday's second session featured all four of the Pennsylvania House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairmen. Sen. Wayne Langerholc was unable to attend but provided this video message and Sen. John Sabatina, Rep. Tim Hennessey and Rep. Michael Carroll participated in a panel hosted by Rebecca Oyler. Notably, bridge tolling was discussed as well as Langerholc's SB 382, which would stop the current bridge tolling initiative proposed by PennDOT. Rep. Hennessey indicated that the House Transportation Committee would likely not address the bill at this time, even though it has already passed the Senate. 

You can view the full legislative panel here.

On Friday, PMTA hosted its first in person event in more than 18 months at Fox Chase Golf Club in Stevens, PA. There were 22 teams of four golfer participating in the event which was sponsored by Five Star. The full list of sponsors include: 

Closest to the Pin – Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Longest Drive – Triumph Business Capital

Straightest Drive – UPS

Hole Sponsors

Harding Yost Insurance Associates

Bergey Truck Centers

ECBM

AFS

Hess Auctioneers

GFI Transport

Peterbilt Motors Company

Cummins Inc

Pion law

Mack Trucks

Ancra Cargo

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Saxton & Stump

National Van Lines

Cassel

Ball Sponsor - Service Tire

The winning team came from Harding & Yost. Dan Trump, Josh Becker, Matt Mordas and Marty Sowa posted a score of 18-under par.

Josh Macknik won the closest to the pin challenge, Bridget Ort hit the straightest drive and Derick Fritchey hit the longest drive. 

 The Department of Transportation (Department) will host a telephone town hall meeting for a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study exploring sustainable transportation funding options. The telephone town hall event will take place on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 6 p.m.

 Call in on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 6 p.m. to learn more about the Department Pathways draft PEL Study. Individuals can pre-register at https://dashboard.teletownhall.us/registration/XZ3RGB2WJC7V; visit: www.penndot.gov/funding and click on the registration button to receive a phone call to join at the start of the meeting; or individuals can dial in directly to the meeting at (855) 756-7520, Entry Code Ext: 73539#.

 The PEL Study, in support of the Department Pathways Program (Program), is being conducted to identify near and long-term alternative funding solutions and establish a methodology for their evaluation. In February, the Department announced candidate bridge projects being considered as a part of the Major Bridges Public-Private Partnership (P3) initiative. This initiative, the first of the Program, was formed in response to one of the early findings of the PEL Study—that tolling of major bridges in need of replacement or rehabilitation is a potential viable near-term funding solution. The draft PEL Study report is currently available for review and comment and identifies additional medium-term to long-term funding alternatives that could be considered for implementation.

 In addition to the telephone town hall event, the Department is hosting an on-demand virtual public meeting for the PEL Study. The virtual public meeting takes place from April 29, 2021, to June 1, 2021, and will be accessible online at all hours of the day at www.penndot.gov/funding. Online comments can be submitted directly from the virtual public meeting web site or by other comment submission methods, including:

 • E-mail: [email protected]

 • Hotline: (717) 325-6129

 The Department encourages everyone to learn more about the draft PEL Study and provide comments by means of the telephone town hall event or virtual public meeting.

 For more information about the Program, individuals can visit www.penndot.gov/funding.

YASSMIN GRAMIAN, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 21-774. Filed for public inspection May 14, 2021, 9:00 a.m.]

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced today as part of the federal government’s efforts to actively assess the implications of the Colonial Pipeline incident and to avoid disruption to supply, that the USDOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is taking steps to create more flexibility for motor carriers and drivers.

FMCSA is issuing a temporary hours of service exemption that applies to those transporting gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products to Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
 
USDOT’s top priority is safety, and while current circumstances dictate providing industry flexibility, FMCSA will work closely with its state and industry partners to monitor driver work hours and conditions for the duration of the exemption.  
 
The full text of FMSCA’s action can be found here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/esc-ssc-wsc-regional-emergency-declaration-2021-002-05-09-2021

Arlington, Virginia – Today, the American Trucking Associations called for the nation’s safest and most professional truck drivers to participate in the 2021 National Battle of the States: Virtual Truck Driving Championships.

“Our industry has braved the front-line, providing essential services and delivering goods to American households throughout the nation in the fight against COVID-19.  It’s yet another reason to celebrate our industry heroes – truck drivers,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The National Battle of the States: Virtual Truck Driving Championships will provide our industry an opportunity to recognize the best of the best in our industry.”

The event will begin on July 31 with state-level trivia contests based on Facts for Drivers, federal and state laws, state trucking history and culture. That leads into the national competition that takes place on August 14 with the National Battle of the States.

“NTDC is annually one of the highlights of the ATA calendar, and we are very happy to bring the ‘Super Bowl of Safety’ back in this virtual format,” Spear said.

For more information on how to qualify for the National Battle of the States: Virtual Truck Driving Championships, visit BattleofTheStates.trucking.org.

More information on PMTA's participation will be available soon.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is hosting an on-demand virtual public meeting and comment period for a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study exploring sustainable transportation funding options. The public meeting is accessible online at all hours of the day through June 1, 2021, at www.penndot.gov/funding.

The PEL study, in support of the PennDOT Pathways program, is being conducted to identify near- and long-term alternative funding solutions and establish a methodology for their evaluation.

In February, PennDOT announced candidate bridge projects being considered as a part of the Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership (P3) Initiative. This initiative, the first of the PennDOT Pathways Program, was formed in response to one of the early findings of the PEL study – that tolling of major bridges in need of replacement or rehabilitation is a potentially viable near-term funding solution. The draft PEL study report is currently available for review and comment and identifies additional medium- to long-term funding alternatives that could be considered for implementation.

PennDOT encourages the public to review the materials presented in the virtual meeting and to provide comments, which will be accepted throughout the duration of the meeting. Online comments can be submitted directly from the meeting website or via other comment submission methods, including:

• Email: [email protected]
• Hotline: 717-325-6129

For more information about the PennDOT Pathways program, visit www.penndot.gov/funding.

The Transportation Revenue Options Commission (TROC), which was established by Governor Tom Wolf's Executive Order on March 12, today received a briefing on the draft PEL study. When completed, the final PEL study will be provided to the TROC.

PennDOT will make all reasonable modifications to policies, programs, and documents to ensure that people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. In accordance with Governor Tom Wolf's COVID-19 mitigation efforts, the Virtual Public Meeting will be held online only.

To request assistance to participate in the virtual public meeting or review the PEL study, please contact PennDOT's Communications Office by emailing [email protected] or calling 717-783-8800 from 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM. PennDOT will not place a surcharge on an individual with a disability or those with limited English proficiency to cover the costs of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy. If you have other questions or challenges, please contact PennDOT's Bureau of Equal Opportunity to request help by emailing [email protected] or calling 1-800-468-4201; TTY (711).

Subscribe to statewide PennDOT news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.gov/news or choose a region under "Regional Offices." Information about the state's infrastructure and results the department is delivering for Pennsylvanians can be found at www.penndot.gov/results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and like the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.