California Regulations Will Effect Trucking Industry 2016

Have you heard? New enforcement regarding the BIT Program will effect the trucking industry, as of January 1, 2016. This is true! An Assembly Bill was revised and passed in 2013. Click on the link if you wish to read it for yourself, I must warn you that it is not an easy read, so good luck. https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB529/2013

In brief, for those of you who attempted to read the bill and your eyes are glazing over, The Bill will introduce into the Bit Program a lower weight classification. The Safety Measurement System, not new to the industry, will now have a greater impact to a company’s safety rating. The bill explains that these new changes are to improve safety on public roads and highways.

This weight classification defines a commercial vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 10,001 lbs. and above, an example of this weight class will include utility bed trucks, two axle trucks and 1 ton pickups, if they are used for compensation. The Department of Motor Vehicles is supposed to notify those Motor Carriers, whose vehicles are required to comply, 90 days prior to the law taking effect. You will then have to get registered with the Motor Carrier Department and DMV and get prepared with all your required paperwork. 90 days seems like a good amount of time to complete the paperwork and pay for dues, right? Unfortunately, if you have spent any time at DMV lately, you would know to bring your coffee, blanket and laptop sit tight and watch Netflix because you will be there most of your day.

I highly recommend you get proactive and complete your paperwork early. Because once word gets out, you may see people camping outside the DMV. Also, keep in mind, even if you submit your paperwork within the 90 days as you have been instructed to do, the DMV may not be able to process the paperwork within the time, due to the over whelming amount of "new entrants", and thus you will be out of compliance. Regardless the responsibility still falls back on you.

To be light hearted on a tough subject, I highly encourage you to not wait until the last minute, or grab your tooth brush and Happy Camping!

These changes in the industry are raising some hot topics for conversation. We encourage our readers to ask questions. Stay tuned for upcoming articles.

Melissa Erickson

CBR Services

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