On the Move

2 | Thursday | May 26, 2011 | Bangor Daily News

By Brian Swartz

SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

Maine Trailer relocates to 101 Cold-brook Road, Hampden effectiveWednesday, June 1, and the move bene-fits customers and the company alike.

“We’re very happy with the move,”said Bill Peters, who purchased MaineTrailer from Irwin Singer in February2001. “This works well for us.”

After starting Maine Trailer in the early1980s, Singer constructed a large buildingat 1701 Hammond St. (Route 2) in Her-mon in 1984. When that building burnttwo years later, Singer promptly rebuilt it.Maine Trailer kept growing, and today thecompany has a 1,200-trailer fleet, withmany “on the road outside Maine,” saidVice President Rod Hathaway.

According to Peters, Maine Trailer:• Leases over-the-road dry vans and

flatbed trailers to motor carriers;• Rents office trailers, storage trailers,

and storage containers similar to thosetransported on container ships;

• Sells utility trailers that range in sizefrom “what a homeowner would use to a25-ton trailer to carry a bulldozer,”Peters said;

• Distributes trailer parts statewide;• Services trailers, not only Maine

Trailer’s, but those belonging to cus-tomers throughout Maine.

“Service is a major part of our busi-ness,” Peters said. “The members of ourservice group are incredibly good arti-sans” who “can repair a trailer that hashit a bridge or tipped over. They canrebuild a trailer from the ground up; wehad one customer who bought a longflatbed and brought it to us and asked usto make two trailers out of it. We did.”

Peters indicated that fleet owners often“send their trailers here for servicing,”with Maine Trailer technicians repairingelectrical and hydraulic systems, anti-lockbrakes, roll-up doors, and damaged trail-er exteriors. “There’s a skill in doing itwhich these guys have,” he said.

“We do a lot of work on straighttrucks … repairing body work on the

box of the truck,” Hathaway said.The Maine Trailer name appears across

Maine. “We have equipment in Madawas-ka, down in Kittery, over in Rumford, inBethel,” Hathaway said. Contractors rentoffice trailers for use at construction sites;due to economics, other companies mayrent office trailers for long-term use ratherthan construct new buildings.

By August 2010, Peters and Hathawayrealized that “we needed to look at otherlocations” for the company, Peters said.He explained that the existing building“is over 25-years-old and is getting a lit-tle weary.” The 5 to 6 acres surroundingthe building limited available on-siteparking for trailers.

Peters asked Maine Commercial Realty“to find a site.” He and Hathaway exam-ined “25 or 30 properties” in the Bangor-Brewer area before the realtors “broughtus to 101 Coldbrook Road,” a vacant com-mercial building located next to Angler’sRestaurant and bordered by Route 202.

“We realized it could work for us,”Peters said. “The building’s smaller on asquare-footage basis, but we were usingonly 60 percent of the space here [inHermon]. The site gives us access to 18acres, so we can park all our equipmenthere rather than lease land like we donow for the overflow from Hermon.”

The building’s owner has extensivelyrenovated the approximately 11,500-square-foot facility since Peters agreed tolease it. “They completely built a new wallfacing Coldbrook Road,” Peters said. Theoffices, which “are totally brand new,” willconsolidate various Maine Traileremployees into closer proximity than theyhave at Hermon, a step that “improvesoperational efficiencies,” he said.

“Our sales people will be in oneroom,” Hathaway said. “They will becross-trained to sell parts, so when ourcustomers contact us, we can respondimmediately to their parts needs. It’sgoing to make everything more efficient.”

The Hampden building has four serv-ice bays, the same number as at MaineTrailer’s Hermon location, and “somedoors were raised to accommodate theheight of newer trailers,” Peters said.

The new facility will have “an Inter-net-based, hosted phone system andhosted computer system,” he indicated.

“Our phone system is 6-years-old,and it’s already in need of upgrades,”Hathaway said. “We’re trying to increaseour efficiencies.”

“If we had stayed in Hermon, wewould’ve needed to replace all our hard-ware for our computer system,” Peterssaid. “By going to a hosted system, all theupgrades are free. It will be so muchmore efficient and cost-effective for us.”

In conjunction with EfficiencyMaine, new lighting has been installedthroughout the Hampden building, andthe heating system has been upgraded,Hathaway noted. “We will see lowerenergy costs,” he said.

Peters and Hathaway met with Hamp-den officials, including the PlanningBoard, after deciding to move Maine Trail-er to 101 Coldbrook Road. “They seemvery excited to have us,” Hathaway said.

The move will relocate 21 employeesto Hampden; three people also work atMaine Trailer at 840 Washington St.,Auburn. “We have a terrific group ofemployees who are dedicated to our cus-tomers,” Peters said. “We’re handling allthe move ourselves. Normally in a movelike this, you would bring in an outsidecompany; we’re all loaded up, and wewill actually be all moved in by Memor-ial Day weekend.”

According to Peters, the ColdbrookRoad location provides “excellentaccess” to Interstate 95, Interstate 395,and Route 1; Hathaway noted that thebuilding has good visibility from Cold-brook Road and Route 202.

“We can easily direct our customers herefrom Dysart’s,” he said. “We can tell them,‘Turn right out of Dysart’s, go through thefirst light, and turn right immediately.’Theywon’t have a problem finding us.”

Starting June 1, Maine Trailer willmaintain the same hours at Hampden asit did at Hermon: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.,

Monday-Friday for sales, service, andparts and 7:30 a.m.-12 noon, Saturday,for sales and parts. Business has beenimproving since last year, Peters said,adding that Maine Trailer has hired fourpeople “in the last few months.

“The transportation industry is com-ing back,” he said.“Trucking lost so muchcapacity” during the recession thatmotor carriers “are able to charge therates they need to stay in business” ratherthan lower rates “just to obtain loads.

“As the economy picks up, there ismore freight to haul,” he said.

Maine Trailer’s new location benefits business, customers

BDN PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZ(Top left) Overseeing the relocation of Maine Trailer from Route 2 in Hermon to 101 Coldbrook, Hampden are

Vice President Rod Hathaway (left) and Owner Bill Peters. (Top right) Maine Trailer technician Chris Jellison, wholives in Newburgh, installs a bolt on an 8-by-4-foot aluminum headboard he has placed on a flatbed trailer.

(Below) At the Maine Trailer service shop, technician Bruce Smith of Kenduskeag dusts a top nose rail beforeinstalling it on a 53-foot dry van.

Bangor Daily News | Thursday | May 26, 2011 | 3

Varney Agency offers a complete portfolio of business insurance products for companies of all sizes. By partnering with both regional and national carriers, the Varney Agency is able to provide customized insurance plans tailored to your company’s unique needs.

As a Varney Agency client, you have a trusted partner to help you identify risks, explain options, and find ways to both minimize risks and maximize protection.

877-947-8637 www.varneyagency.com

Bangor Bingham Calais Dexter Dover-Foxcroft EllsworthGray Greenville Houlton Lincoln MachiasUnitySearsport Bedford, NH

PROUD TO

THE TRUCKS OFMAINE

PROTECTPROTECT

Monthly payments without the finance charge Direct access to the company - No brokers Zero down payment for renewals

By Brian Swartz


Proposed rules changes published in the FederalRegister by the Federal Motor Carrier SafetyAdministration have ignited a firestorm amongmotor carriers and professional truckers.

On Dec. 23, 2010, the FMCSA proposed majorchanges to existing hours of service regulations. Thechanges would “really impact our industry” and“reduce productivity,” said Brian Parke, MaineMotor Transport Association CEO.

“Everybody loses if this passes,” said Tim Doyle,MMTA vice president.“The FMCSA is considering realserious changes that will be felt across the economy.”

The proposed rules would apply to “all property-carrying drivers and motor carriers,” according to anAmerican Trucking Associations’ comparison chartpublished in the January/February 2011 “MaineNews,” an MMTA magazine (see chart at right).

“If these rules pass, traffic patterns are going tochange — and that’s just the start,” Parke said.Referring to the mandatory 12 midnight-6 a.m. restbreak, he explained that “this would force a lot oftruck traffic out onto the road at 6 a.m., right at thebeginning of the morning rush hour.

“Do we want all these additional trucks sharingthe road with school buses and commuters? I don’tthink so,” he said. “Truckers who could be driving

through the night would haveto pull off the road and resttwo nights a week, regardlessof the hours they’ve actuallydriven to that point. It’s crazy.”

Backing the FMCSA proposalare several national organizations“advocating that truckers aredriving too many hours,” Doylesaid. “Nobody’s advocating put-ting tired truckers on the road.

“Commercial drivers already work under stringenthours of operation. These proposed rules would forcedrivers and motor carriers to rearrange their sched-ules to comply with hours of operation that reallymake no sense,” he commented.

The FMCSA cites improved safety as one reasonto impose new hours of operation; statistics sayotherwise, according to Doyle. Fatalities involvingtruck-related crashes have declined 33 percent since2003; the ATA reports that “both fatality and injurycrash rates are at their lowest level since the USDOTbegan keeping records.”

“Trucking has been safer than it ever has been,”Doyle said. “Why fix something that isn’t broken?”

Conforming to the FMCSA proposal wouldrequire “major logistical changes,” he said. “Compa-nies that have ‘just-in-time delivery’ would have toalter their delivery schedules.”

Because the rules would reduce the weekly hourswhen a driver could work, more truck drivers mustbe hired to meet delivery schedules, Doyle indicat-ed. “We’re moving the same amount of freight, butthe available experienced drivers will have less timeto move it because of the proposed rules.

“So more drivers must be hired to keep thetrucks moving,” he said. “Many of those drivers willbe inexperienced. This raises the potential for acci-dents. Why, if the current hours of operation areworking and truck safety is the best it’s ever been,are we changing the rules?”

Proposed rules changes raises ire of carriers and truckers

MMTA PHOTOBrian Parke is the MaineMotor Transport Associa-

tion CEO.


power delivery system gives you peace of mindthat your trailers have the complete packagethat will keep you on the road safely and legally.

Lighting violations are taken seriously by CSA, infact, an out of operation Stop-Tail-Turn lamp will

t get caught in the Dark! Stop by Traction for your CSARoadside Repair Kit TODAY!

Augusta72 Darin Dr.(207) 622-7174

Bangor/Hermon585 Coldbrook Rd.(207) 945-6466

Lewiston380 Lincoln St.(207) 786-2431

Presque Isle850 Central Dr.(207) 769-2141

Skowhegan91 Waterville Dr.(207) 474-9587

www.traction.com

By Brian Swartz


Truckers (and everybody else) traveling onRoute 2 between Canaan and Newport this sum-mer will cross 380-acre Sibley Pond on a causeway,not on the 790-foot bridge that has spanned thepond since 1938.

Draining the Canaan Bog and a few streams inHartland and Pittsfield, Sibley Pond straddles theCanaan-Pittsfield boundary in southeasternSomerset County. Spilling across a small damnear the Canaan Post Office, Carrabassett Streamdrains Sibley Pond into the Kennebec River atClinton.

Until 1938, Route 2 crossed the pond on a bridge-connected causeway. That year the Maine StateHighway Commission bypassed the causeway byconstructing a bridge with a steel-reinforced con-crete deck set on concrete piles. Crews then removedthe causeway’s bridge; nature reclaimed the cause-way, now frequented by boaters and fishermen.

This spring, a Lane Construction Corp. crewstarted rebuilding the long-abandoned causeway,over which Route 2 traffic will soon be diverted asa new bridge takes shape across Sibley Pond.According to Wendell Harriman, P.E., the MaineDepartment of Transportation resident engineerassigned to the project, traffic will use the causeway

until the new bridge opens late this year.“We plan on having traffic on the [new] bridge

by December 11th,” he said.The MDOT will spend $7.8 million to build a

new Sibley Pond Bridge because time and traffichave impacted the 1938 bridge, as evidenced byrecent pier repairs. “They’ve been repaired quite afew times in the past,” Harriman said. “As part ofthis project, we did more repairs before startingwork on the new bridge.”

Throughout the day, trucks, passenger vehicles,and RVs roll across the 1938 bridge. Log and deliv-ery trucks dominate the commercial traffic, which“never seems to stop,” said MDOT bridge inspectorGuy Hews as three log trucks convoyed east-to-westacross the existing bridge. Then a fourth, smallerlog truck rumbled eastbound onto the bridge fromthe Canaan shore.

Nearby on the causeway lay a long pipe pile,resembling a massive 50-to-55-foot nail paintedMDOT green. The new bridge will incorporate a“next beam-designed bridge deck on pipe piles,”Harriman said during an interview at his officetrailer on Canaan’s Tropical Fish Road. The pipepiles “have concrete and [steel] reinforcing” insidethem, he indicated.

Using a Link-Belt crane, Lane Constructionemployees are driving 36 pipe piles to form the

Bridge construction will ease traffic on Route 2

BDN PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZConstruction started this spring on a new 790-foot bridge that will carry Route 2 across Sibley

Pond on the Canaan-Pittsfield town line.See SIBLEY, Page 5


bridge’s nine piers, with four pilesper pier. “The piles are driven all theway to ledge,” Hew said, estimatingthat the piles are driven an average45 feet deep before reachingbedrock.

A reinforced-concrete pier cap cov-ers each pier; once the piers are com-pleted, the crane will lift into place theprecast concrete next beams that willextend from pier to pier — and that’swhy traffic will divert to the causeway.“We’ve got to shut down the [existing]bridge so we can move the crane outthere to pick up the next beams,” Har-riman explained.

Manufactured in Vermont andtrucked across Route 2 to Canaan, thenext beams form the bridge deck’ssubstructure and the bridge deckitself, according to Harriman. Thecrane will set four next beams side byside to form a single span, and 10such spans will form the new 790-foot bridge.

The next-beam design was selectedamong three competing designs, Har-riman indicated. “This is a design-build project” with “certain criteria

defined” for the new bridge, he said;five such bridge projects are currentlyunderway in Maine.

For Sibley Pond, the MDOT select-

ed the design submitted by Lane Con-struction and Parsons Brinckerhoff.“The new bridge is designed [to last]for 100 years,” Harriman said.

Besides the pipe piles, Lane Con-struction will drive eight H-piles for

SibleyContinued from Page 4

BDN PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZThis view of the Sibley Pond construction site reveals the existing Route 2 bridge (right), two concrete-

capped piers already built for the new bridge (center), and the rebuilt causeway across which traffic willbe diverted this summer (left). The wood beams will be removed before the causeway is paved and

guard rails are set in place. A temporary bridge will span the gap between the causeway’s two sections.(Bottom right): To build the nine piers for the new Sibley Pond Bridge, workers are driving four long pylon

piles for each pier. Each pylon will be driven an average 45 feet deep to bedrock.

See BRIDGE, Page 10

By Brian Swartz


With the Eastport Port Authority undertakinga $7 million expansion project, could commer-cial rail service return to eastern WashingtonCounty?

Truckers would likely benefit, since restoringsuch rail service would involve building a trans-load facility in Perry. By carrying freight to thisfacility, trains could reduce the long distances nowtraveled by trucks, and the Eastport Port Authoritycould handle more freight. More trucks might beneeded to haul this freight, incoming or outgoing,between Eastport and Perry.

Commercial rail reduced to a few miles

Until 1978, the Maine Central Railroad oper-ated trains to Eastport along a 15½-mile spurfrom Ayers Junction in Pembroke. The spur pri-marily served sardine canneries located in East-port.

When the sardine canning industry faded 40-50years ago, shipments dropped dramatically alongthe Eastport Branch; the MCRR abandoned it in1978 and removed the rails and ties.

In 1985, the Maine Central abandoned its 134-mile Calais Branch, which ran from Brewer to

Ayers Junction. The Maine Department of Trans-portation quickly acquired this branch — andalso, fortunately:

• 12.56 miles extending from Ayers Junction toSt. Croix Junction in Calais in Calais;

• 8.9 miles extending from Ayers Junction to apoint just west of Route 1 in Perry.

Today, the only remaining commercial railservice in Washington County involves the PamAm Railway and a 10.6-mile spur connectingMilltown Junction in Calais with the WoodlandPulp LLC pulp mill in Baileyville. Purchased fromDomtar by the International Grand InvestmentCorp. of Hong Kong, the mill produces only pulp;Domtar had already shut down an existing papermachine.

Deepwater port served only by highway

According to the “Eastport Gateway Project —Engineering Study” completed by HNTB for theEastport Port Authority and released in August2009, a commercial port opened in Eastport in1977, the year before MCRR abandoned its EastportBranch. That abandonment limited the surfaceshipment of freight to Eastport to 100,000-poundtrucks.

The Eastport Port Authority graduallyincreased shipments via Estes Head over the years;shipments exceeded 400,000 tons in 2010. Bai-

leyville-produced pulp comprises most tonnage,with dairy cows recently appearing on Eastportcargo manifests.

Despite its excellent deep-water pier atEstes Head, the Eastport Port Authority pri-marily handles outgoing cargo; easternMaine’s manufacturing infrastructure requireslittle inbound cargo, especially with nearbyports available at Searsport and Saint John,New Brunswick.

The construction project currently underway atEstes Head will add a bi-directional conveyor sys-tem, an outdoor storage area, and a warehouse.When completed, the project will provide the East-port Port Authority with additional capability tohandle specific cargoes.

According to the “Eastport Gateway Project,” a“lack of rail freight service” hampers cargo diversi-fication and future growth at Eastport. “Railfreight access is a necessity if the Port of Eastportis to continue to grow and provide increased eco-

nomic vitality to Washington County,” the reportstates.

The Eastport Port Authority commissioned theengineering study “to estimate the cost of restoringrail freight service” to Eastport “and to determine afeasible location, layout and cost for a rail to trucktrans-load facility within reasonable distance” ofEstes Head, according to the report.

As quoted by Christopher Cousins in the March22, 2011 NEWS, Eastport Port Authority directorChristopher Gardner noted that “if we can garnerthat rail connection or at least bring it close to thenearby town of Perry, there’s a lot of markets outthere to be captured.”

At Estes Head, the Eastport Port Authority pierhas berths measuring 900 feet and 550 feet; theocean depth is 64 feet at mean low tide. Extending arailroad from Perry directly to Estes Head likely willnot occur; rebuilding the 21 miles of railroad fromSt. Croix Junction to a Perry trans-load facility


Eastport Port Authority project will get Mainers moving

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM LOWEA construction project currently underway at Estes Head in Eastport will expand the cargo-

handling capabilities of the Eastport Port Authority, which has proposed building a trans-load facility in Pembroke and rehabilitating the railroad tracks extending from there to

Calais. Trucks would carry freight between the trans-load facility and Estes Head.

Continued on next page

Bangor Daily News, Thursday | May 26, 2011 | 7

could happen, if funding becomes available.The “Eastport Gateway Project” examined

the construction factors and costs related torebuilding the existing rail line and a Perrytrans-load facility; possible track upgradesincluded operating 263,000- or 286,000-pound cars on the line.

“The purpose of a rail to truck transferfacility in Perry is to facilitate the transfer ofvarious commodities to and from rail cars totrucks, both imports and exports, as well as towarehousing and open ground storage,” theengineering study reported.

Locating a trans-load facility

The “Eastport Gateway Project” revealedthat a trans-load facility should cover at least22 acres, with an expansion “to approximately72 acres” possible in the future. After identify-ing and discussing four sites where a trans-load facility could be built in Perry, the reportrecommended “a wooded upland furtheralong the rail corridor towards Ayers Junc-tion.”

Field inspections were conducted along theaffected railroad corridors in mid-June 2009.The 8.9-mile section from Ayers Junction toPerry would require extensive reconstruction— and replacing three bridges.

The “Eastport Gateway Project” citedfour options and their estimated costs forbuilding a Perry trans-load facility andrehabilitating railroad tracks from thereto Calais; each option included cost esti-mates to upgrade supporting track in New

Brunswick.Cost estimates for work within Maine

ranged from $37.8 million to $57.7 million,based on rail-car weights and train speeds. Allfour options included $9.882 million for initialtrans-load facility construction.

Continued from previous page

BDN PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZFor trains to reach a new truck-served trans-load facility in Pembroke, the MaineDepartment of Transportation would have to rebuild approximately 21½ miles oftrack from Calais to Pembroke, including this section crossing a marsh in Calais.


By Brian Swartz


Truckers driving new 2010 and ’11trucks purchased at Freightliner ofMaine are reporting “good news,”according to FOM General ManagerTim Caldwell.

Already the exclusive Freightlinerdealer for Maine, Freightliner of Mainealso has the Western Star franchise forsouthern Maine. The company sells andservices Freightliners at 422 Perry Roadin Bangor and 10 Terminal St. in West-brook; the Westbrook facility also sellsand services Western Stars. Freightlinerof Maine operates parts departments inBangor and Westbrook and at 7 RodmanRoad, Auburn and 2 Piper Way, Water-ville and sells and services Barko loadersand Thermo King refrigeration units.

Under licensing agreements withFreightliner of Maine, Ouellette’s Garagein St. David and The Big Rig Shop inOxford carry Freightliner parts and per-form Freightliner warranty service.

Freightliner of Maine distributesDunlop, Goodyear, Kelly, and Ohtsu

tires; the company’s Bangor headquar-ters is a Goodyear retreader.

Of the various 2010 truck engines avail-able on new trucks, Freightliner of Maineequips its trucks with Cummins or DetroitDiesel engines. No matter which newengine powers a Freightliner of Mainetruck, the results are proving favorable.

“Everybody came out with newengines last year to meet [tightened]emissions standards,” Caldwell said.“The big news is, the ’10 emissionsengines that we have are a new technol-ogy, and they’re working well.”

The 2010 engines supplanted 2007engines, which “were a major step”toward reducing engine emissions, butdelivered “mixed results with that tech-nology,” he indicated. A 2007 enginerecirculates exhaust gases, and a filterremoves particulates.

“Exhaust gas recirculation is hard onmotors,” Caldwell said. “More wateraccumulates in the engine, there’s moredirt. The engine has to work harder; thataffects gas mileage.”

When a 2007 engine-equipped truckoperates at highway speeds, heat supplied

Freightliner of Maine trucks are a benefit to working truckers

BDN PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZDuring the May 2011 Northeastern Forest Products Equipment Expo, the Freightliner of Maine display includeda new Freightliner Coronado SD (left), purchased by Randy Bourgoin of “American Loggers” fame, and another

new Freightliner Coronado SD, equipped with a Detroit Diesel DD15.See FREIGHTLINER, Page 9

BDN PHOTO BY BRIANSWARTZ

A familiar sightthroughout Maine, two

log-laden trucks rum-ble south along Route

201 near downtownSkowhegan in early

April 2011.

Truckers are loggin’ it


to the particulate filter will “burn off”the collected par-ticulates, Caldwell said. However, if “a truck wouldnever stay hot enough to do a passive regen[eration],”the on-board computer will “idle the truck at highengine rpms,” he noted.“The driver can’t use the truckfor 30 minutes or so, and it’s sitting there, burning fuel.”

So, while reducing emissions, the 2007 truckengines also reduced fuel mileage, thus increasingcosts for truckers and motor carriers. Today, byemploying a different technology, engine manufac-turers are producing 2010 engines that cut emis-sions and improve fuel mileage.

On a 2010 engine, urea is injected “into theexhaust stream after combustion,” and the enginerecirculates less exhaust gas, Caldwell said. Thetechnology lowers engine emissions, keeps theengine cleaner, improves fuel mileage, and providesbetter throttle response, he indicated.

Although urea consumption approximates 2percent of fuel consumption, a 2010 truck enginedelivers 5-7 percent higher fuel mileage when com-pared to a 2007 engine. “The oil-change interval hasbeen extended to 40,000 miles,” which reducesmaintenance costs, Caldwell said.

He noted that the B-50 life on new truck engines“has been increased to 1.2 million miles from750,000 miles”; this means that new trucks shouldachieve longer operational life “without a majorengine failure,” Caldwell said.

Among new Freightliners equipped with the2010 engines are the Coronado SD, Coronado Clas-sic, and 114SD. “The Coronado SD has been a realsuccess for us,” Caldwell noted. “It’s a heavy haulapplication, very robust, durable. That businessseems to be coming back a little bit, especiallyamong people working in the woods.”

As new truck prices have risen, Freightliner ofMaine has seen sales increase for gliders, defined as“power” or “roller.” “A [power] glider is a [new] truckcab and framerails that’s missing two of the threemajor components, basically a cab with an engine andno transmission or rear end,”Caldwell said. Federal lawallows a truck owner to purchase a power glider andinstall in it the transmission and rear end taken froman existing truck. Parts are matched by serial numbers.

A “roller” glider typically is a new truck cab andchassis, but no engine. Federal law lets a truckowner install in a “roller” glider the engine takenfrom an existing truck.

A truck owner can also replace an existingengine with a similar engine; according to Caldwell,engine manufacturers still produce replacementengines dating to the early 1990s. Engines are

swapped by serial numbers.“The cost of a glider can’t exceed 80 percent of

the cost of a new truck without the buyer paying thefederal excise tax,” Caldwell pointed out. “They’vealways been available; there are a lot of them beingsold. It’s getting to be a big business.”

He explained that economic factors, including

new truck prices, are causing some motor carriersto “hang onto trucks and not trade them as often.They’re maintaining them more, which has boostedbusiness in our service departments.

“They’re also finding it’s cost-effective to buy a glid-er,”Caldwell said.“They get a new truck with some oldercomponents, and it costs less than buying a new truck.”

FreightlinerContinued from Page 8

Behind the scenes at the May 14, 2011 Truck Driving Championship

BDN PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZAT LEFT: Spectators watch as a

commercial driver steers a tractor-tanker rig through the course

while participating in the 2011Maine State Truck Driving Champi-onships, held May 14 in Hermon.

AT RIGHT: Judges measure howclose a commercial driver has

parked his big rig to a simulatedcurb while participating in the

2011 Maine State Truck DrivingChampionships. The event was

held May 14 in Hermon.


ABOVE ARTWORK BY PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF; BDN PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZThe new 790-foot Sibley Pond Bridge will feature two 12-foot travel lanes and two 6-foot shoulders to carry Route 2 traffic across the Canaan Bog. (Below) Traveling west-bound on the

existing Sibley Pond Bridge in Canaan, a log truck approaches a pier surrounded by wooden framework. Several piers were repaired before construction started on a new bridge.

each abutment. The bridge will “runstraight” from “shore to shore,” and onthe Pittsfield shore, the abutment willslightly encroach on the 1938 bridge,Harriman said.

Rising at a 1 percent grade from eithershore, the new bridge will reach its apexat its center. Measuring 39 feet, 4 inches“from outside to outside,” the bridge willfeature two 12-foot travel lanes and two6-foot shoulders, Harriman noted. Twodrains placed at either end will divertrunoff from the bridge deck.

The Lane Construction crew willpave a 22-foot roadway on both cause-way approaches, install guardrails, andplace a temporary bridge before clos-ing the existing bridge in a few weeks.Then the crane will move onto the1938 bridge so crews can finish thenew bridge; after doing so, crews will

move the crane to that bridge beforedemolishing and removing the olderbridge.

“They will cut the 29 piers to a depthof 1 foot below the pond bed,” Harri-man said.

By rebuilding the causeway, theMDOT avoided creating a long detouraround the construction site, he indi-cated. Before the contract closes onJune 15, 2012, a Lane Constructioncrew will restore the causeway “backto its original condition,” Harrimansaid.

So trucks will soon disappear fromthe Sibley Pond Bridge, which lasted23 years beyond its planned 50-yearobsolescence. For some six months,truckers will experience history asthey use a causeway last crossed bytheir grandfathers or great-grandfa-thers in 1938.

The Maine State Highway Commis-sion knew how to build bridges backthen — and the MDOT certainly knowshow to build bridges today.

BridgeContinued from Page 5

By Brian Swartz


The Maine Motor Transport Association hasrenamed its transportation-related scholarship forthe late John W. Austin, a past MMTA chairman.

Born in October 1958, Austin owned PortlandAir Freight prior to his death in Portland on Friday,Jan. 7, 2011. He served the MMTA in various capac-ities for many years, including a long stint on theMMTA Board of Directors. Austin chaired thatboard, its executive and nominating committees,and the MMTA’s budget and political action com-mittees.

Austin also served on MMTA Workers’ Compen-sation Trust Board of Trustees.

“He was always committed to the truckingindustry, often leading the charge on issues, partic-ularly political issues,” wrote MMTA CEO BrianParke in the March/April 2011 “Maine News,” anMMTA magazine. “He was never shy with his polit-ical views, and you always knew which side of theissue he was on.

“I will miss his unique articulation of the facts. Iwill miss his trusted counsel on matters personaland professional. I will miss his unassuming pres-ence, his genuine concern, and his sunny outlook onlife,” Parke wrote.

Austin, who lived in Saco, is survived by his wife,Beth, and their two children, Reeve and Kylemore.

To honor Austin, the MMTA renamed itsscholarship fund as the John W. Austin Memori-

al Scholarship Fund. “This scholarship is forgraduating high school seniors going into truck-ing or the transportation sector,” Parke said dur-ing an April 2011 interview. “An applicant mustbe planning to study in a field with some nexus

to transportation.”The MMTA is soliciting contributions to the

scholarship fund. “What better way [is there] tohonor the memory of our good friend John Austinthan being able to deliver educational opportunitiesto kids who might not otherwise be able to affordit,” Parke wrote in “Maine News.”

Applications are due by late May each year; onlygraduating high school seniors can apply. For moreinformation, log onto www.mmta.com/jwa.

According to www.mmta.com., “final selection

will be made based upon criteria which includeprior academic performance, recommendationsfrom instructors, financial need and/or demonstrat-ed ability with respect to skills relevant to the motortransportation industry.”

Contributions can be sent to:John W. Austin Memorial Scholarship FundAttn: Brian ParkeP.O. Box 857Augusta, ME 04332-0857Phone: (207)623-4128


MMTA PHOTOJohn Austin, a past Maine Motor Transport

Association chairman, poses with Sen.Susan Collins (R-Maine) in this photo provid-ed by the MMTA. To honor Austin, who died

in early January 2011, the MMTA hasrenamed its scholarship fund as the John W.

Austin Memorial Scholarship Fund.

MMTA renames annual scholarship in honor of past chair John Austin

By tractor trailer, truck, boat, bus, train, or car, Mainers are on the move

BDN PHOTOS BY BRIAN SWARTZ AND DEBRA BELL(Left) Cars are transported to Maine islands to bring peo-

ple and supplies. These vehicles are departing the ferryonto Great Cranberry Island. (Middle) An over-the-road trac-tor-trailer rolls along Main Street in Presque Isle on a cold

winter's day. (Right) Road construction in Winterport hascars and tractor trailers moving cautiously.

By Brian Swartz


On Monday, May 23, the Legislature passed LD 736, a bill that pro-hibits all drivers from texting while driving. However, certain driversalready could not text while driving: commercial drivers, includingtruckers and bus drivers.

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010, U.S. Transportation Secretary RayLaHood announced an interim texting ban for commercial drivers.Applied to the drivers of buses and large trucks, the ban came afterseveral serious accidents involved texting as a contributing factor tothe crash, including a May 2009 accident involving a texting conduc-tor and a trolley on the MBTA’s Green Line in Boston.

According to a USDOT press release, drivers violating the bancould face “up to $2,750” in “civil or criminal penalties.”

While many drivers of all vehicle classes text behind the wheel, com-mercial drivers have a special responsibility to operate safely. Researchconducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicatesthat for every 6 seconds spent texting, a driver looks away from the roadan average 4.6 seconds, the time needed to drive “the length of a footballfield, including the end zones,” according to a USDOT press release.

Texting drivers “are more than 20 times more likely to get involvedin an accident than [are] non-distracted drivers,” the FMCSA reports.

Texting has exploded, as reported by the CTIA-The Wireless Asso-ciation. From Jan. 1-June 30, 2005, association members calculatedthat their customers transmitted 32.6 billion text messages.

From Jan. 1-June 30, 2009, association members calculated thatcustomers transmitted 740 billion text messages. “This represents a2,200 percent increase in five years,” the FMCSA noted.

“Considering the increase in texting, FMCSA maintains that texting

by CMV drivers while operating on public roads has the poten-tial of becoming a widespread safety problem in the absence ofan explicit Federal prohibition,” the agency reported.

On Wednesday, March 31, 2010, LaHood announced a pro-posed rule to replace the interim texting ban for commercialdrivers.

Published in the Federal Register on April 1 as 75 FR 16391,the proposed rule underwent regulatory review and drew morethan 400 public comments.

In its final wording, the proposed rule appeared in the FederalRegister on Monday, Sept. 27, 2010. Titled “Limiting the Use ofWireless Communication Devices,” the rule took effect onWednesday, Oct. 27, 2010.

The rule “prohibits texting by commercial motor vehicle(CMV) drivers while operating in interstate commerce andimposes sanctions, including civil penalties and disqualificationfrom operating CMVs in interstate commerce, for drivers whofail to comply with this rule.”

The rule also:• Prohibits “motor carriers … from requiring or allowing

their drivers to engage in texting while driving”;• Amended the FMCSA’s CDL regulations “to add to the list

of disqualifying offenses a conviction under State or local trafficlaws or ordinances that prohibit texting by CDL drivers whileoperating a CMV, including school bus drivers.”

The text ban imposes stiff penalties: “Civil penalties may beimposed on drivers, in an amount up to $2,750 [per violation],and on employers, in an amount up to $11,000 [per violation].”The FMCSA can also revoke a commercial driver’s authorizationto haul freight between states.

According to the FMCSA, “this rulemaking increases safety on theNation’s highways by reducing the prevalence of or preventing certain

truck- and bus-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries associated withdistracted driving.”


Nationwide texting ban was already in effect for commercial drivers

BDN PHOTO BY BRIAN SWARTZOn Monday, May 23, the Legislature enacted a ban on texting by

all drivers. Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation enact-ed a rule that banned texting by all commercial drivers, including

those behind the wheels of large trucks and buses.

On the Move

Documents

Transcript of On the Move