Mover’s Edge, January, 2011

Happy New Year

The board of directors and staff of the Canadian Association of Movers wish you, your family and staff a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

CAM Conference Video

We videotaped all speakers at CAM’s 2010 annual conference in November. It has been a learning experience. The recordings are not broadcast quality. The recordings for one or two speakers are only marginally useful.

The complete audio/video content of all presentations is available on DVD for purchase by CAM members for $60, including taxes and shipping.

If wish to purchase a set of the DVDs, please contact the CAM office on or before January 10 at which time we will produce the DVDs for all orders.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

AMSA advises that new hours-of-service regulations are being considered in the USA. The FMCSA has issued its proposed revisions to their Hours-of-Service requirements for commercial truck drivers. Past experience has been that Canadian regulations follow the US model and these will be the regulations that movers working in cross-border service will have to follow. A copy of the new proposed rules has been posted (pdf).

The proposed rule would make seven changes from current requirements. First, the proposed rule would limit drivers to either 10 or 11 hours of driving time following a period of at least 10 consecutive hours off duty; on the basis of all relevant considerations, FMCSA currently favors a 10-hour limit, but its ultimate decision will include a careful consideration of comments and any additional data received. Second, it would limit the standard “driving window” to 14 hours, while allowing that number to be extended to 16 hours twice a week. Third, actual duty time within the driving window would be limited to 13 hours. Fourth, drivers would be permitted to drive only if 7 hours or less have passed since their last off-duty or sleeper-berth period of at least 30 minutes. Fifth, the 34-hour restart would be retained, subject to certain limits: The restart would have to include two periods between midnight and 6 a.m. and could be started no sooner than 168 hours (7 days) after the beginning of the previously designated restart. Sixth, the definition of “on duty” would be revised to allow some time spent in or on the CMV to be logged as off duty. Seventh, the oilfield operations exception would be revised to clarify the language on waiting time and to state that waiting time would not be included in the calculation of the driving window.

Cell Phones on Canada’s Do Not Call List

There is a persistent e-mail circulating through Canada and the USA stating that all cell-phone numbers will be released to telemarketers and that all cell phones should be registered on the National Do Not Call List (DNCL). Cell-phone numbers will not be released to telemarketers.

Wireless telephone providers would require the permission of each of their subscribers before they could create or release a directory of cell-phones. Consequently, a national cell-phone directory is not available. But it can’t hurt to register your cell-phone number with the DNCL.

CAM’s Annual Conference

We need your feedback on the future of CAM’s Annual Conference. Would you please complete the attached questionnaire (pdf) and return it to us by the end of this week? Thank you.

CAM’s Buy-and-Sell List

Moving equipment and other items have been added to CAM’s buy-and-sell list on the website (pdf).