2009 Member News
2009
CMV Awareness Training
In a recent letter from the FMCSA Associate Administrator for Enforcement and Program Delivery, William A. Quade, to the State Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) agencies, you were encouraged to take advantage of a unique training opportunity available through our Foreign Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Training Program. (See the attached brochure on this important training initiative.)
CVSA continues to support this training initiative and reminds you all that we, as the enforcement community, play a very large role in ensuring safety on our nation’s highways, requiring our need for preparation at all levels as more and more foreign carriers continue to operate in the U.S.
Options for obtaining the “train-the-trainer” training vary from hosting a session in your state with a number of your officers receiving the training or by sending a select number of officers to receive the training. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has already sent a letter to the local law enforcement agencies notifying them of the availability to the training from trained MCSAP trainers. Again, please contact Ms. Horn at the IACP (contact info listed above) to request the “train-the-trainer” training for your officers.
The letter stated that in 2007, FMCSA, along with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and CVSA partnered to develop and implement the Foreign Commercial Motor Vehicle Awareness Training Program. The outreach and training program is a very important safety initiative made available by the FMCSA’s current authorization, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
The one-day program is designed to provide training to uniformed State and local law enforcement officers on the potential safety enforcement issues involving foreign-based CMVs and drivers operating in the United States, including providing information about the basic operating requirements for foreign-based CMVs and drivers. For example, officers involved in enforcing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations will learn about requirements relating to operating authority, vehicle safety and security, and Mexican and Canadian driver licenses. The knowledge gained through this training is useful during routine traffic stops or in response to crashes.
The termination of the United States-Mexico Cross-Border Demonstration Project on March 11, 2009, by the Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations Act does not diminish the importance of this training. The President has tasked the U.S. Department of Transportation to work with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of State, along with leaders in Congress and Mexican officials, to propose legislation creating a new trucking project that will meet the concerns of Congress and our North American Free Trade Agreement commitments. Also, considering that there are over 5 million annual CMV crossings from Mexico into the U.S. commercial zones along the border and over 22,000 Canada-domiciled carriers currently authorized to operate in the United States, the need for foreign CMV awareness training remains paramount.
In 2006 and 2007, training sessions were conducted and qualified 177 Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) trainers throughout the United States. From 2007 to 2008, those trainers provided foreign CMV awareness training to over 1,700 law enforcement officers. As there are currently over 700,000 sworn law enforcement officers and over 17,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, we still have a large segment of law enforcement personnel who can also take advantage of this training.
In an effort to better meet your needs, we are asking for your input on the number of individuals in your organization who have an interest in taking this training. The IACP, in coordination with FMCSA, serves as facilitator of the Foreign CMV Awareness Training Program. Please contact Ms. Sarah Horn at IACP at (703) 836-6767 ext. 215, or by email at horn@theiacp.org and let her know your interest in the program and training needs. The cost for the training session is eligible under your State’s basic MCSAP grants, as is any training provided to local officers by the State officers.
We encourage you to qualify at least two individuals under this program who then can reach out and train other law enforcement officers. We value your participation in the training and your efforts in ensuring the safe operation of foreign-based CMVs and drivers.
2009
Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division
In support of the Presidential Inauguration, the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division saturated the Baltimore and Washington, DC, area conducting safety inspections and homeland security operations. On January 17th, President-Elect Obama arrived in Baltimore by train. The State Police saturated the Baltimore Beltway (Operation Whistle Stop) and worked the major roads in the area. From January 18 – 21st, State Police moved their activities to the Washington Capitol Region (Operation Guardian Angel). Again the area was blanketed with stationary and mobile teams conducting safety inspections and homeland security operations to intercept any attempts to use commercial vehicles to disrupt Inaugural events.
Operations Whistle Stop and Guardian Angel resulted in 2,129 commercial vehicles being inspected; 235 vehicles were placed out-of-service; 90 drivers were placed out-of-service; 228 inspections of hazardous materials were conducted with 14 being placed out-of-service; 17 motor coaches were inspected and 3 were placed out-of-service (including one for violating a FMCSA out-of-service order). In addition, there were 6 criminal arrests made in this operation. The Maryland State Police were assisted by the Maryland Department of Environment, Calvert County Sheriff’s Office, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, and the Riverdale Heights Police Department.
