Caltrans – California Transportation Permits Advisory Council (CTPAC) Meeting was held in Sacramento on February 26^th, our next meeting will be on June 8^th also in Sacramento.

• Tridem Bonus Purple Proposal – Equal Tridem axle group weight distribution for a 4 Group Tridem combination for Hauled Vehicles.

We are expecting a final draft for review any day for review and/or approval, which then it should be implemented over the next couple weeks if not sooner.  This will allow Industry with more than 2 groups of Tridem to allow consecutive groups within 25’ to split their weight: for example take the #52,000 lbs on the first group and 60,000 lbs on the second group, once added together 112,000 lbs.  You then divide the 112,000 lbs by 2, equals 56,000 lbs for each of the two Tridem groups.  This will increase the Carrier’s payload of 8,000 lbs per two tridem groups.  This would increase their payload by 16,000 lbs for a 4 group tridem combination.

• I-40 bridges repaired - The Final 8 troubled bridges on I- 40 between Barstow and Needles have completed the necessary repairs that for the past several years that have restricted all loads exceeding legal weight from travel.

For the past several years  Caltrans has restricted overweight permit from travel due to several weak bridges and funding not available to make the necessary repairs immediately.  It wasn’t until recently that the final 8 bridges were repaired.   So for several years now, the Heavyhaul Industry has been detoured around the restricted section of I-40, which added an additional 35 miles to the route by having to travel from the south on I-15 n/b to Nipton Rd to Hwy 95 back to I-40 through Searchlight and then from the south, I-10 to Hwy 177 to Hwy 95 north to I-40.  In most cases, this also created an additional cost for Pilot Cars required.

Caltrans has not removed the restriction from this section of I-40 as of yet, but once they do, this will be a major relief for thosr that find it necessary to travel I-40.

City of Los Angeles – Next Transportation AD- HOC working group meeting, May 20, 2010.

Transportation Ad-Hoc Workgroup Meeting – Industry met with staff and CHP Southern Division Captain Tommi Tyler on Thursday March 18^th where we discussed several issues.  Some of which were simple clarifications and the ones noted below were agreed upon and/or the city will need additional time to discuss the issues with the appropriate department.

a.  Insurance Certificates will no longer be accepted from the carrier.

The city will no longer be accepting a certificate of insurance from any carrier.  The insurance companies will now be required to upload their customers’ certificate of insurance direct to the city’s Risk Management Division through the city’s web site. Once approved by the City Attorney your permit should be issued in no time at all.

b.   Peak Hour Construction on City Street violations - Citations are being issued to contractors and/or trucking companies violating the Mayor’s Executive Directive No 2, Prohibition of Construction during rush hour.

The Mayor’s Peak Hour Construction directive restricts any type of construction operation performing work in the street from 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm unless a special permit has been obtained.  The minimum fine of $250 can go up to $500 for parking or staging your vehicle or crane in the street without a permit.

Citations are being issued to contractors and/or trucking companies for hindering or causing traffic delays in any way on major and secondary streets within the city.  When your customer calls at the last minute for a 7:00 am start the following day, you need to tell them the price just went up by $500!

c.   Pilot Car required or not? – Industry struggled for years with the permit language stating, “One Pilot Car is required” which is stated on the face of all Transportation Permits.

If the vehicle and/or load doesn’t exceed 12’ wide, a Pilot Car isn’t required by the city’s own permit conditions.  We asked why should there be any confusion in the first place, and asked that the city’s IT Department correct the language on the permit.  It has only taken two years to get the correction made and there should be no more confusion on this issue.

d.   Intermodal Containers Bureau of Street Service Special Conditions – The Language currently states on the face of the permit, “NOT VALID FOR INTERMODAL CONTAINERS”  and yet the permit is issued for an Overweight Intermodal Container or extra high and wide loads when transported on a Flatrack or Open Top.

We explained that there is no reason to even have this additional language that is automatically being stated on the face of all transportation permits.  We used an example of being allowed 24/7 travel, but yet on the face of the permit it states no night movement.  The permits are counterdicting what the permit is being issued for.

The Bureau of Street Services has agreed to eliminate the language from the face of the transportation permits.   This will resolve a long time issue and any further confusion or interpretation.

e.   30-Day Permits eliminated in 2006 –

In 2006, the city stopped issuing their 30-Day Permit that they had on the books since November 12, 1936.  This was done after the city was questioned why they were charging $279 for a 30-Day Permit. The staff agreed they were over charging, but instead of negotiating a reduction in the permit fee, they simply stopped issuing the 30 Day Permits overnight. Now if you need a 30-day time window, they will happily issue 30 single trip permits at $16 each—a cost of $480.   This has been a major setback and their knee jerk reaction had cost the Industry thousands and thousands of dollars for no reason other than to increase revenue.  We are still engaged on the issue which relates to our next item

f.    Continuous 72-Hour Permits agreed for Intermodal – Street Services recently has agreed to issue a “Continuous 72-hour period” permit that would be valid Monday through Friday only.

The Intermodal Industry requested some kind of relief from the burden they have been experiencing since their 30-Day Permits were denied.  These permits are issued or Overweight Intermodal Containers or due to being overheight and/or over-length when being transported on a Flatrack or Open Top Sea Container.  We think it might be useful for construction as well.

1. Council File # 08-3278 required changes in the Ordinance language – We were informed by the City Attorney’s office that the new ordinance language that their office has been tasked with is completed.

It will now be scheduled for the next upcoming City Council meeting, where it will be added to the agenda.  Once it is approved by City Council, it will then be implemented.

The 4 ordinance changes included in Council File #08-3278 will start benefiting our industry immediately are the following.

• Annual Permits will expire 1 year from date of issuance
• 24/7 travel
• Loads exceeding 10’ wide are restricted travel through curfew hours, curfew hours are from 7:00 am to 9:00 am and 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm.  Curfew applies to all loads exceeding 10’ wide.  Currently it applies to all loads exceeding legal width (8’ 6”) are required to stop travel during this period.
• Annual Permits will be issued for Intermodal Carriers authorized to use the Overweight Corridor.

h.    Unladen Travel included on an Annual Permits – We have requested that the verbiage “UNLADEN TRAVEL INCLUDED” to be added to all Annual Permits.

This will allow a 9-axle that already has an Annual Permit to be able to travel back out of the city after the delivery has been made and is unladen..

County of Sonora – The County has informed us that they are being directed by law enforcement that if a road doesn’t have any striping down the center, then CHP would be required at a 4 hour minimum.   We have been requested to look into this.  We had something similar in the past and they refused to do business with a member.

Reaffirming Our Purpose:

If you have any problems with a local agency (city/county) and you find yourself asking ‘why we have to do things this way’ and the agency tells you, ‘this is the way we have always done it’, let me know. We are here to make California transportation operations as smooth, efficient and safe as possible.

Respectfully submitted,