PLC Member Weekly Update Sept. 8, 2023
In this Issue
PLC Northern Maine Log A Load Golf Tournament – See you next week!
MLOFT Student Job Shadowing – Opportunities Needed Fridays!
ALC Annual Meeting Oct. 4-6 – Register Now! Preliminary Agenda Available!
Cost Calculators – Members Only
PLC Store – Many items for sale
Safety Resources – Acadia Safety Meeting Sept. 14!
Trucking – Latest news
Classified listings – Check them out!
Member Discounts – Many to choose from
Logging News – Latest headlines
PLC Log A Load for Maine Kids Northern Maine Golf Tournament next Friday, Sept. 15!
We are looking forward to seeing everyone next Friday at Jato Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln for the 27th Annual Northern Maine Log A Load for Maine Kids Golf Tournament! Let’s reach deep and do our best for the kids, see you all there!
MLOFT Student Job Shadowing Opportunities Needed
PLC Members,
Students in this year’s Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program (MLOFT) are seeking opportunities to job shadow with contractors on Fridays this summer and early fall. This is not only a great learning opportunity for them, but also a chance for you to meet and evaluate potential future employees for your business.
You may view information on each student below. If you are interested in having one or more students job shadow with you on a Friday, please contact Vanessa Tillson at 207-688-8195 or email office@maineloggers.com.
Contractors are also welcome to visit the MLOFT program to meet students and see the program in action. If you are interested in visiting, please contact Donald Burr directly at (207) 356-1541 or email safety@maineloggers.com
ALC 2023 Annual Meeting October 4-6 in Maine!
Register Now!
Registration is now open for the 2023 American Loggers Council Conference and Membership Meeting at the Sunday River Resort in Newry, Maine October 4-6!
American Loggers Council President and long-time PLC Board Member Andy Irish and his wife Kathy look forward to hosting timber industry representatives for the peak “Leaf Peeping” season. Rooms are available to book and the preliminary agenda is now available. More information will be coming soon, meanwhile the event packet is available HERE and links for registration and rooms are available below! *Please note, most of the rooms at the resort are reserved, a handful remain. There is another resort hotel, the Jordan (855-516-1090) that is a few miles from the main resort as an additional lodging option. Jordan Hotel – ReservationDesk.com
PLC Members Only!
Equipment Cost Calculators Available
Members,
With expenses rising rapidly in the industry we know you are struggling to get a handle on your costs. This is a great time to utilize the cost calculators created in 2021 for PLC Members.
These new, easy to use, logging equipment and log trucking cost calculators are available on the PLC Members Only section of our web site You may access this private section of the web site with your member login or set up a login HERE.
These calculators allow you to quickly estimate the hourly cost of operation for any piece of your equipment.
DISCLAIMER: These calculators are being made available for your business use as a member benefit. They produce equipment estimates and are not official products of the PLC nor should they be used for negotiation purposes.
PLC Online Store
Looking for great PLC items and apparel? Gifts? First Aid packs, safety items and more? You will find them at the new PLC Online Store on our web site. Ordering is easy.
CHECK IT OUT HERE
PLC Upcoming Meetings
PLC Full Board Meeting
8 a.m., Sept. 14
Randy Madden’s Garage, Milford
*Board members will be visiting the MLOFT program midday following the meeting. Lunch will be provided.
Safety Resources
Acadia Logging Meeting Sept. 14!
The PLC encourages all Member contractors who are Acadia clients or who might be interested in learning more about Acadia to attend this meeting from 3-6 p.m. Thursday Sept. 14 at the Cross Insurance Center. RSVP to laurie.palow@acadia-ins.com
Save the Date!
PLC Safety Committee Meeting – Wednesday, Oct. 11
Please mark you calendars to join us at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Wednesday, October 11 for a PLC Safety Committee (open to ALL PLC members) meeting to develop our safety training programs for 2024. You will also learn about training requirements and online training options that are available in 2023/2024.
From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., join us, along with your local insurance agent and representatives from Acadia and MEMIC, to develop our safety plans for 2024. Following the safety committee meeting, Acadia clients and affiliated agents are invited to stay for a presentation from Acadia Insurance from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to learn about claim trends, rates and areas of focus for 2024.
RSVP notices will go out soon. See you there!
New Small PLC Operator/Driver First Aid Pack!
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PLC Crew First Aid Backpack
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PLC Safety Posters! Are yours up yet?
Posters don’t work until they’re up on a wall, like these at Pope Woods Forestry or the one below at Elliot Jordan and Son! Send pictures of yours to office@maineloggers.com
Members, last winter the PLC developed a series of safety information posters on a range of topics designed specifically for our membership, focused on logging and trucking. These posters were distributed to PLC Members who attended one of our Spring Logger and Fleet Safety Trainings. Thank you to those Members who have already posted them, and if you have not, this is a reminder to please do so.
For Members who were not able to attend a training, the PLC is mailing posters to your companies. If you do not receive them please reach out to Vanessa at office@maineloggers.com and we will send some out to you.
Please put them up at your shop or on the jobsite when you receive them and send along a photo to show us!
Finally, special thanks to PLC Preferred Supporting Members Chalmers Insurance and Whited Peterbilt for sponsoring these posters!
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CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens certification: Did you know your employees are required to have this training every two years? If your employees need this training in 2023, contact Jessica at Jessica@maineloggers.com or 207-688-8195 and the PLC will schedule training in your area. THIS TRAINING IS FREE TO MEMBERS!
Dear Employer,
Workplace safety requirements can seem complex – join the Maine Department of Labor for no-cost upcoming safety trainings!
- Work Zone Safety: September 11, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
- Private companies and public agencies that work on public roads must follow the traffic control standards of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This hands-on, half-day workshop covers the MUTCD standards and use of cones, signs, flags, and paddles.
- How to Conduct a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Assessment: September 12, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Presque Isle CareerCenter, 66 Spruce Street, Suite 1, Presque Isle
- This half-day course is designed to assist you in developing a PPE assessment 1910.132(d). Employers must conduct a hazard assessment prior to requiring employees to use PPE. The assessment provides information needed to select the appropriate PPE for the hazards at the workplace. Learn how to conduct a hazard assessment in this hands-on class.
- Lockout/Tagout – Control of Hazardous Energy: September 15, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
- This half-day training session covers the OSHA requirements and procedures to be used in the Lockout/Tagout process to ensure safety during the repair and maintenance of equipment.
- Monitoring and Evaluating for Air and Noise Hazards: September 19, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. -4 p.m., at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
- If you are new to industrial hygiene, this beginner course explains the terminology, explores the equipment, and dives into the standards to ensure the health of your employees.
- Wage and Hour Compliance Assistance: September 20, 2023 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Rockland CareerCenter, 91 Camden Street, Suite 201, Rockland
- This course is designed for human resource or benefits professionals, accountants, business owners, managers, or payroll supervisors. Labor laws can be complex. This seminar covers wage and hour laws, including minimum wage, overtime, youth employment, severance pay, equal pay, rest breaks, leave requirements (earned paid leave, family medical leave, family sick leave and leave for victims of violence). This class addresses commonly asked labor-related questions.
Register and browse more SafetyWorks! classes: https://www.
If you have questions about safety or upcoming classes, reach out to SafetyWorks! at 1-877-SAFE-345 or general.bls-safetyworks@maine.gov.
If you have questions about Wage and Hour compliance, please reach out to the Wage and Hour Division at 207-623-7900 or bls.mdol@maine.gov, or visit www.maine.gov/labor/bls/.
Thank you,
The Maine Department of Labor
Trucking
FMCSA has removed four ELDs from the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)
Motor carriers and drivers using ALL TRUCKERS ELD, GOLDEN ELD, PRIMELD, and SECURE ELD devices have 60 days to replace the revoked devices with compliant ELDs.
On July 25, 2023, FMCSA removed the four ELDs from the list of registered ELDs due to the companies’ failure to meet the minimum requirements established in 49 CFR part 395, subpart B, appendix A.
Motor carriers and drivers who use the ELDs must take the following actions:
Discontinue using the revoked ELDs and revert to paper logs or logging software to record required hours of service data.
Replace the revoked ELDs with compliant ELDs from the Registered Devices list before September 23, 2023.
Motor carriers and drivers who continue to use the revoked ELDs listed above on or after September 23, 2023, will be in violation of 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)—“No record of duty status” and drivers will be placed out-of-service in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) OOS Criteria.
If the ELD providers correct all identified deficiencies, FMCSA will place the ELDs back on the Registered Devices list and inform the industry and the field. However, FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the actions listed above now to avoid compliance issues in the event that these deficiencies are not addressed in time.
Questions?
Contact ELD@dot.gov.
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FMCSA has reinstated GOLDEN ELD to the list of registered Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs).
As of July 25, 2023, the following device is now listed on the list of registered ELDs. The ELD was previously revoked but has been reinstated.
ELD Name: GOLDEN ELD
ELD Model number: GRS
ELD Identifier: GRS199
ELD Provider: GOLDEN ELD
2020/2023 vs 2017 Federal Custody and Control Form (CCF)
U.S. Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 07/05/2023 01:05 PM EDT
The Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC) would like to remind urine specimen collectors and DOT-regulated employers of the following:
- The 2023 Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF) has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with no changes to the current 2020 Federal CCF.
- Because the 2023 Federal CCF is the same as the 2020 Federal CCF, DOT-regulated employers, and their service agents (collectors, laboratories, medical review officers) may continue to use the 2020 Federal CCF.
- As of August 31, 2023, the 2020/2023 Federal CCF must be used for DOT-regulated specimens.
- The 2020/2023 Federal CCF can be viewed here https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/workplace/2020-fed-ccf-proof.pdf
- Regarding the expired 2017 Federal CCF:
- The 2017 Federal CCF may be used without a memorandum for the record (MFR) until August 31, 2023.
- As of August 31,2023, if the 2017 Federal CCF is used, labs must treat the use of the 2017 Federal CCF as a correctable discrepancy. A MFR must be completed per §40.205(b)(2).
- Best practice:
- Collectors should use up their existing supply of 2017 Federal CCFs before August 31, 2023.
Logging News
Japanese Beetles Released in Maine to Devour Invasive Tree-Killing Insects
Japanese beetles, which are likewise regarded as non-native pests, will be used by authorities to combat the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that has been damaging trees in Maine.
Member Discounts
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ALC Member Discounts
PLC Members, because the PLC is a member of the American Loggers Council YOU are entitled to special discounts! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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Fabian Oil Discount
Wallingford’s Discounts
Maine Trailer Discounts
PLC Members get a 5% discount on culverts purchased at Treeline and Frank Martin & Sons
Hale Trailer discounts for PLC Members on new trailer purchases! Call Neal at 207-232-7969 for details!
Cross Arena Discounts for PLC!
Classifieds
PLC Classified Section
Check out the equipment and job opportunities our members have listed at the LOGGING ZONE! If you have equipment for sale, are looking to buy, are looking for employees, or
Preferred Supporting Members
Enhanced Supporting Members
