ACPA's recent advocacy efforts led to a major victory with hours-of-service regulations. Now, concrete pump operators may count on-duty time toward the required 30-minute rest break in hours-of-service regulations for interstate commercial motor vehicle drivers. On March 21, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation announced its acceptance of the ACPA's request for an exemption to the 30-minute rest break.
Whether or not you voted for Donald Trump, it is hard to dismiss the sense of optimism about breaking the gridlock in Washington. For the last six years, the Obama administration and the GOP Congress engaged in the political equivalent of trench warfare, each staking out immovable positions on most major issues, leaving very little room for legislative maneuvering other than for “must pass” legislation—for example, preventing government shutdowns, etc.
It’s crunch time in D.C., as all of the unfinished legislative business piled up over the course of the year comes to a head. ACPA is making good progress on the Hill related to the overtaxing of concrete pumps for job site fuel use. For more information on that initiative, see the article on page 32 of this issue.
In the 2014 midterm elections, the GOP rode a wave of discontent with President Obama to win big gains at every level of government. Republicans picked up nine seats in the Senate, 12 seats in the House (possibly 13 by the time you read this), three governorships (including two in the traditionally blue states of Maryland and Massachusetts), and control of 11 state legislative chambers.
On September 15, 2014, Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX25) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR03) introduced the American Concrete Pump Tax Fairness Act of 2014 (HR 5474). This bill rights the wrong of the 2004 JOBS Act that indirectly prevented concrete pumps from maintaining their previous fuel tax exemption by applying a 7500 miles per year prerequisite.
