PLC Member Weekly Update August 11, 2023

Southern Maine Log A Load Golf Tournament 2023

One team spot(comes with sponsorship) remains!

The PLC’s 2023 Log A Load for Maine Kids Southern Maine Golf Tournament is only two weeks away and we are very close to our goal – only one sponsorship remains! The tee sponsorship for $3,000. It comes with a team! Don’t miss this chance to help the kids!

This year, the tournament will be held Aug. 25 in Lovell at Lake Kezar Country Club. Register now to help Maine kids and have a blast doing it. There are also numerous sponsorship opportunities still available! Click the link below to learn more or call Jessica at 207-688-8195! See you at the tournament!

Register or Sponsor Now – Aug. 25, Kezar Lake Country Club, Lovell

Electric Trucks Rule Public Hearing – We Need Your Help!!!!

Members, this message is to alert you about an upcoming public hearing before Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 17 at the Augusta Civic Center where they will consider adoption of the California Advanced Clean Trucks Rule. We are encouraging all PLC Members to attend this hearing and testify in opposition because if this rule is adopted, it could add significant cost to your business that you cannot afford.

The Maine DEP has been petitioned by environmental interest groups to undertake rulemaking requiring Maine to adopt California’s Advanced Clean Trucks Rule (ACT) to accelerate sales of zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles in an effort to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed manufacturer ZEV Sales Percentage Schedule by vehicle class in the rule starts with model year 2027 and increases incrementally through model year 2038.

Maine is not California, and the PLC has identified serious concerns associated with this proposed rule.  The PLC has also joined the Mainers for Smart Energy Coalition to support a more reasonable transition to zero emission trucks.  The PLC will also be a signatory of a letter being developed to be submitted on behalf of members of the coalition. The current draft of this letter is available HERE.

Most businesses and industries support protecting the environment and want cleaner air. However, regulations that create uncertainty and are cost prohibitive are not advantageous to the environment, manufacturers, supply chains or to our membership. We agree with the need to be engaged in the reduction of GHG emissions and air pollutants and believe the market should drive innovation, but not if it will create cost without benefit to all of you.

We need our members to come to Augusta to speak loudly in opposition with other members of the trucking industry.  If you can attend this hearing, please contact me directly at executivedirector@maineloggers.com or 207-688-8195. Talking points and additional information to assist with your testimony are available at the link below. Thank you.

Reminder: Employees Under 18 and Hazardous Occupations

Members, this is a reminder that under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, companies cannot employ people under the age of 18 unless it is in non-hazardous occupations. As many of you have read in news articles this week, including this one in the Portland Press Herald, a Maine logging company was among companies recently penalized for not following the law on under-18 employees. This can be an expensive mistake at a time when you are already facing too many expenses. If you have any questions on this issue, please do not hesitate to contact the PLC. Thank you.

The Logger’s Voice Summer 2023

Now Available!

The Summer 2023 edition of The Logger’s Voice is now available! Copies have been mailed out!

Feller buncher volunteer instructors needed! Short-term commitment!

Good Morning PLC Members,

Just a quick update on the Mechanized Logging Operations and Forest Trucking Program (MLOFT) and a call for action to all of you.  

As you are likely aware, MLOFT began in Milford, ME at Randall Madden Trucking’s garage on Monday, June 26th with 14 students. The next four weeks were focused on CDL training with a sprinkling of traditional Donald Burr logging fare. The students have now migrated to the woods and are training on harvesting equipment. 

Donald reports that they currently have three instructors and possibly another part-time instructor but are still seeking 1-2 more with experience on feller buncher and crane/slasher. Feller buncher instructors are needed the most. With operations commencing in the woods, this void has put Donald between a rock and a hard place with not enough instructors for the number of students in the program. I know, many of you will say, welcome to the club.

To assist with this void, I told Donald that I would reach out to the Members to see if all of you, or some of your best buncher or crane operators, could potentially volunteer to act as a guest instructor for 2-5 days over the next 10 weeks. If we can get one of you or one of your employees to volunteer to instruct, we could fill this void very quickly. Donald even has funds to help pay for hotel rooms if that would help defer cost. 

If you are willing to help or can volunteer one of your better employees to help Donald for a few days, we could quickly take care of this issue and put together a schedule that works for everyone. 

If you can do this, please contact Donald at (207) 356-1541, or email myself (executivedirector@maineloggers.com) or Jess (jessica@maineloggers.com) and let us know if this is possible and how many days you might be able to commit to. We can put together a schedule from there. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

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! (For guests who would like to call to book their reservation. Please call 800-207-2365 and refer to Group Code 86B5IN.)

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

PLC Upcoming Meetings

PLC Full Board Meeting

Sept. 14

Location TBD, Bangor ME

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

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!

Now FREE to Maine Loggers! A $300 value!

LEARN MORE

Dear Employer,

      Workplace safety requirements can seem complex – join the Maine Department of Labor for no-cost upcoming safety trainings!

Upcoming classes:

• Fire Service Respiratory Protection: August 21, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• This half-day class will cover the OSHA respiratory protection standard, state statutes, and agency rules relating to the fire service’s use of SCBAs. Other topics include written programs, medical clearances, fit testing, facial hair, two-in and two-out, annual training requirements, flow and hydrostatic testing requirements, weekly/monthly checks, the OSHA and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) rules for breathing air compressors, licensing, maintenance and recordkeeping.

• Improving Your Safety Training Program: August 22, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• An effective safety training program will lead to positive effects on safety knowledge and the adoption of safe work practices and behaviors. This one-day training assists safety professionals and safety committees learn how to analyze their audience, update on new training techniques, and develop top notch training programs.

• Public Sector Compliance: August 23, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m., Virtual
• This assistance program is for state, county, municipal, and quasi-municipal employers, managers, and employees. The program is an overview of public-sector employer responsibilities including injury/fatality reporting, written programs, training, equipment/facility inspections, and recordkeeping.

• Impairment Detection Training for Employers: August 24, 2023 from 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. at the Portland CareerCenter, 151 Jetport Blvd, Portland
• This one-day training session is designed to help owners, managers, and supervisors recognize and respond appropriately to employee-impairment in the workplace in order to reduce worker accidents and injuries. Participants will be taught procedures to detect impairment regardless of the substance or cause. This class is designed to fulfill the federal DOT requirements for reasonable suspicion training of supervisors. In addition, participants will learn how to develop and implement policies that address impairment in the workplace and are in compliance with Maine’s Substance Use Testing Law. 

• A Practical Approach to Electrical Safety: August 28, 2023 from 8:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• In this half-day class, you will learn how to protect workers from electrical hazards. NFPA 70E requirements will be discussed in layman’s terms.

• Scaffolding and Fall Protection: August 29, 2023 from 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m., at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta
• This course covers the OSHA requirements for scaffolding and fall protection, including the definition of “competent person.”

• NFPA #1 Fire Code: August 31, 2023 from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., at the SafetyWorks! Training Institute, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta

• This one-day course provides overview training to fire fighters and emergency response personnel. This multi-part document has 16 sections to safeguard life and protect property from dangerous conditions caused by fire and explosion. Other fire codes including NFPA 101, 57, 58, 30, 13, 25, and 72 are referred to in this code.

SafetyWorks! is also a host site for the Region 1 OSHA Training Institute Education Center. The next class will be:

• August 18: 205 Chainsaw Safety & Tree Felling

To register go to www.oshaedne.com or call 800-449-6742.  Please note, these classes have a registration fee to attend.

Register and browse more SafetyWorks! classes: https://www.safetyworksmaine.gov/training/scheduled_classes/register.shtml

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

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

 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign Kick-Off Event and State’s Largest Hiring Fair to be Held August 17

AUGUSTA – Maine’s annual Hire-A-Vet Campaign, a statewide effort with the goal of at least 100 employers hiring at least 100 veterans and military family members during a 100-day period, is back! The campaign is kicking off with an in-person hiring fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on August 17 at the Augusta Civic Center. It will be followed by monthly in-person hiring events throughout the campaign.

Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman and other guest speakers will take part in an opening ceremony prior to the kickoff hiring fair, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The campaign is expecting to feature over 100 hiring employers and resource providers at the event, which is open to all job seekers!

This year’s campaign will feature multiple in-person hiring events:

• August 17, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta (Employer registration deadline: August 11, 2023)
• September 21, 2023 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Eastern Maine Community College, 354 Hogan Road, Bangor (Employer registration deadline: September 15, 2023)
• October 19, 2023 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Point, 345 Clarks Pond Pkwy, South Portland (Employer registration is at capacity)
• November 9, 2023 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Auburn Mall, 550 Center St., Auburn (Employer registration deadline: October 1, 2023)

Employers can sign up to participate, at no cost, and get more information at https://www.mainecareercenter.com/mhav/

ALC As We See It August 2023

Jay will not be reimbursed for reduced state revenue-sharing funds related to mill explosion

A bill approved by the Senate and House died for lack of funding in the Appropriations Committee.

Logger News Online

Licensed Foresters – August 8, 2023

       BEGAP: $1 million for physical damages to Ag operations | Vermont Business Magazine

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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! 

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