New MCS Division Administrator
Eric Belford is the new MCS Division Administrator. The Association has a great relationship with Eric and look forward to working with him. Congrats Eric.
Eric worked in Law Enforcement for 29 years with the last 22 years in Motor Carrier Services before retiring as the MCS Enforcement Major in 2018. Eric served as the Commercial Vehicle Operations Bureau Chief from 2018 until November 2024 when he accepted the MCS Division Administrator position. In addition to his work at MDT, Eric is the current Vice-Chair for the IRP Board of Directors, the President of the National Commission of State Transportation Specialist, a member of the UCR Audit Committee and the Past Chair for the IFTA Law Enforcement Committee. He lives in Helena with his wife Sheryl and they have 3 adult children and 2 grandchildren.
FMCSA Announces Changes to SMS
FMCSA identified a set of changes to the Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology used to prioritize carriers for intervention. On Nov. 20, FMCSA announced the adoption of these changes and is currently updating the rest of its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program to account for these changes. See Link for full article.
Senate Approves TSA Clearance Bill for Truckers
The U.S. Senate recently passed a bill meant to facilitate commercial drivers’ applications for security credentials.
The bipartisan Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, introduced by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), is designed to standardize the security application process for the freight workforce. Specifically, the bill, which easily passed the Senate Nov. 21, would facilitate access to multiple credentials.
“We need to do everything possible to power American commerce. My bill is one step toward that goal. It would help essential workers save time and money, adding more truckers to the workforce and keeping supply chains moving,” Wicker said shortly after the bill’s passage. He is the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee. Read More
Will's Safety Message
Do you listen to loud music? Maybe go to concerts or to motorsport events? Read on for ways to protect your hearing and prevent hearing loss from doing the things you love!
This will be a 4-part series event starting with this message brought to us by the Iowa Head and Neck Institute. Part-one includes what exactly MIHL is, and we will dive into more later!
Although people may enjoy playing or listening to loud music, extensive exposure to loud music can result in permanent damage to hearing, called music-induced hearing loss. Music-induced hearing loss (MIHL) is common among musicians and avid music listeners. In 2015, the World Health Organization warned that 1.1 billion young people (or about 50%) were at risk of hearing loss due to personal listening devices and music venues in which sounds may reach dangerously loud levels for hours on end. Even though music settings may be just as loud as construction sites, factories, riflery ranges, or lawn mowers, the use of hearing protection is much less common among music listeners and musicians
Music-Induced Hearing Loss (MIHL): Music-induced hearing loss is a hearing loss resulting from exposure to high levels of music over prolonged periods of time.
There are 5 hearing disorders caused by music-induced hearing loss (Kahari et al., 2003).
Hearing loss
Total or partial inability to hear sounds. In MIHL, this often, but not always, affects higher frequencies.
To hear an example of the loss of high frequencies click on this link.
Distortion of sound
Sounds (such as "s" and "t" consonants) may blur together and lack clarity.
To hear an example of hearing loss with lack of clarity click on this link.
Tinnitus
Perception of sound in the absence of it (such as whistling, buzzing or roaring sounds within the ear or head)
To hear examples of tinnitus click on this link.
Hyperacusis
Decreased sound tolerance; increased physical discomfort from sounds that are loud, but tolerable to others
Can lead to phonophobia - the fear of sound
Diplacusis
Distortion of pitch
One pitch may sound like different pitches to each ear or as different pitches in the same ear.
Inability to match pitch, or one note being heard as two
To hear an example of diplacusis click on this link.
Stay Safe!
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