PMTA Updates
Driver Poem: A Year’s Journey
By: Patrick Johnston, Pennsylvania TDC Competitor, Day & Ross Driver
The time has come once again
Saying ‘see you later’ to old and new friends
We've had our ups, and we've had our downs
Watching great competitors gain new crowns
A year’s long journey on these roads
Is a true testament to what our future holds
So, as we toast and bid our farewells
I wish you safe travels and hope you live well
Drivers Can Monitor PSP Record Changes With New FMCSA Subscription Service
By: Megan Magensky, Director of Communications, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) launched a free Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) monitoring service that can let drivers know of changes made to their safety record.
Only drivers can sign up for this optional, free monitoring service that will send an email to a driver any time that their PSP record changes.
According to FMCSA, to enroll in the service, drivers will need to log into PSP and go to the Driver Dashboard, then click on Enroll in PSP Monitoring.
The PSP report is a safety record maintained by the FMCSA that includes a truck driver’s 5-year crash and 3-year roadside inspection history. The FMCSA says the PSP is designed to “assist the motor carrier industry in assessing individual operators’ crash and serious safety violation history as a pre-employment condition.”
A PSP record displays the motor carrier for which the driver was operating for at the time of the crash or inspection. It also shows the location and date that a crash or inspection occurred. Additional safety details about crashes such as injuries, fatalities, and towaways are included in a PSP record. Likewise, inspections show details like whether a vehicle was placed out of service.
If you would like to request your PSP record, visit https://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov/psp/applicant/1. There is a $10 charge to obtain your PSP record from the FMCSA.
Truckers Against Trafficking Builds a Coalition in Philadelphia
By: Megan Magensky, Director of Communications, Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA)
Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) teamed up with the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA) and the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General to form a coalition in the Philadelphia area committed to stopping human trafficking.
The Coalition Build was sponsored by PMTA’s Philadelphia / Delaware Valley Chapter and hosted at the 1912 Club in Plymouth Meeting.
Attorney General Michelle Henry offered opening remarks, which included a first-hand account of some of the cases her office is dealing with in PA.
“You often need such advanced techniques to build cases around victims and survivors who are often terrified - sometimes even unaware - that they’re being trafficked.” Henry said.
At the beginning of 2024, Henry launched the office’s first-ever Human Trafficking Section, to address and bolster statewide efforts to effectively investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases and facilitate assistance for victims.
“When we get these cases sometimes the survivors need housing, medical attention, substance abuse treatment, psychological and emotional support.”
Heather Castellino, Chief Deputy Attorney General, leads the Human Trafficking Section. She presented a 101 overview of human trafficking. From signs for the public to be aware of to the psychological abuse that keeps victims in these trafficking arrangements.
Kelley Alsobrook, a TAT Training Specialist and survivor of human trafficking told her story of how a childhood of emotional and sexual abuse from her father led her into the arms of any man promising to care for her – even if it came at a grave price.
She spoke of positive and negative encounters with law enforcement, attempts to leave her traffickers and finally finding safety.
To close out the event, TAT Director of Strategic Partnerships Sara Sefried moderated a panel with law enforcement and other industry stakeholders.
PMTA, TAT and the Attorney General’s office will be hosting another coalition build in Pittsburgh on November 13, 2024 at Acrisure Stadium. More information will be posted on www.pmta.org.