The United Motorcoach Association, the American Trucking Associations and the American Bus Association are posting critical post-Hurricane Katrina-related information and regulatory changes on their Web sites.
UMA's Web site, www.uma.org, for example, contains updated information about state and federal regulations, and a link to the official U.S. Department of Transportation hurricane recovery situation report.
It also carries a warning issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that recommends that any personnel who went to the New Orleans area to assist with disaster relief be up to date on their tetanus shots, whether they came in contact with the contaminated water or not. The CDC recommends adults receive a tetanus shot once every 10 years.
Additionally, there is information about the easing of the federal Hours-of-Service Rules for carriers helping with the relief.
UMA urges operators to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the notices that eased the hours-of-service rules. It points out that drivers are not automatically exempt if they were doing work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency or state emergency management offices. Understanding the provisions and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations' guidance will be "critically important during future compliance reviews or military audits, UMA notes.
Plus, there is information about the IRS waiving diesel fuel penalties and changes in state regulations.
The American Trucking Associations launched a Web page to inform motor carriers of road closures, changes to regulations, and other critical information. The site has links to information on:
Business Tax Relief & Operating Requirements
Emergency Size and Weight Limits
Fuel Waivers
Relief from Hours of Service
Road Closure Information
State DOT Hurricane Information
State Emergency Management Agencies
To access the information, go to www.truckline.com, and click on "Katrina Relief Effort" in the upper left.
ABA's Web site, in addition to providing information about rules changes and plans to use an ABA Foundation-sponsored golf tournament to raise money for the relief effort, also has a forum for exchanging messages about individuals and institutions affected by the disaster.
ABA's Web address is www.buses.org and the message exchange is at www.buses.org/forums.