Good Gathering
The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association’s annual conference once again brought together members to conduct the association’s business, set the course for the coming year, give members a chance to reconnect socially, and present awards for safety, project performance, membership longevity, and service to the organization.
As usual, it succeeded at all four.
Committee Business
Both the transportation and the crane and rigging committees had some big news for members during the conference.
On the crane side, Scott Ketcham, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction attended the Crane & Rigging Governance Committee meeting to update members about the latest developments in OSHA’s compliance directive for its Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard.
The changes include guidelines for enforcement procedures and inspection guidance conducted for equipment covered by Subpart CC.
Jason Bell, SC&RA director of membership, told members about a new affinity program from CrownSource, which offers discounts on commercial tires for SC&RA members.
And the organization unveiled a new members-only guidance document about best practices for borrowing and lending equipment.
On the transportation side, the annual conference once again hosted AASHTO meetings and offered SC&RA members the chance to talk with representatives of the departments of transportation from many states.
Also, the transportation safety committee hosted Adrian Gildea of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, an association of law-enforcement organizations from the U.S. and Canada who inspect heavy haulers. Gildea talked about how new technology is changing inspection methods and criteria.
A representative of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA), updated the group about the government’s program for developing CDL drivers who are under 21 years old. The program aims to help ease the shortage of truck drivers while maintaining high safety standards.
New Officers Introduced
The annual conference also saw the new officers for 2022-2023 announced.
They include Ed Bernard (Precision Specialized Inc.), president; Scott Bragg (Bragg Companies), vice president; Michael Vlaming (Vlaming & Associates), treasurer; and J. Rozum (MSA Delivery Service), assistant treasurer.
Bernard, from Brantford, Ontario, Canada, is the first Canadian to serve as the organization’s president.
New board members include Brett Berard (Berard Transportation), Rafael de los Santos (Tradelossa), Rob Keelan (Doral Equipment Rental), Pat Collins (Link-Belt Cranes), Keith Settle (Oxbo Mega Transport Solutions), and Andy Steinberg (Mr. Crane).
Also joining the board will be four group chairs, who will serve one-year terms: Kerry Koberg (Dica), Mike Connelly (Connelly Crane Rental Group), Keith Settle (Oxbo Mega Transport Solutions), and Janet Fastuca (Python America).
