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Mobile carriers are shutting down their 3G networks, which may impact motor carriers if their ELDs rely on a 3G network. Read more about the 3G sunset. The final announced 3G sunset date is December 31, 2022, when Verizon will complete the shutdown of its 3G network. Any ELD that requires 3G cellular connectivity to perform its functionality will no longer be in compliance with the technical specifications in the ELD rule after the 3G network it relies on is sunset. When in an area that does not support 3G, a 3G device will register a malfunction. In accordance with 49 CFR 395.34, the carrier has 8 days to get the malfunction resolved, in this case by replacement, unless an extension is granted.

device to one that will be supported after the 3G sunset, and to complete the necessary actions as soon as possible. FMCSA strongly encourages motor carriers to take the above actions as soon as possible to avoid compliance issues. See the announced dates listed below and plan accordingly to avoid service disruptions and compliance issues. Note that portions of carrier 3G networks will be unsupported in advance of the announced sunset dates.

The announced sunset dates are below.* These are dates for completing the shutdowns. Mobile carriers are planning to retire parts of their networks sooner. AT&T 3G: February 22, 2022 Sprint 3G (T-Mobile): March 31, 2022 Sprint LTE (T-Mobile): June 30, 2022 T-Mobile 3G: July 1, 2022 Verizon 3G: December 31, 2022 Note: Many carriers, such as Cricket, Boost, Straight Talk, and several Lifeline mobile service providers, utilize the AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile networks. *Sunset dates are subject to change. Contact your mobile carrier for up-to-date information.

If you are unsure if your ELD relies on a 3G network, contact your ELD provider. If your ELD does not rely on 3G, and meets all minimum requirements, no further action is needed.

If your ELD relies on a 3G network, ask your ELD provider about their plan for upgrading or replacing your

U.S. Department of Transportation bulletin It has come to the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that some Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP) are providing Return-to-Duty (RTD) timelines to employees who have violated the DOT drug and/or alcohol regulations before conducting the required initial evaluation and SAP assessment of the

employee. Doing so directly contravenes 49 CFR Part 40 and potentially compromises public safety. It also undermines the SAP’s role in evaluating each individual employee and directing that employee to get the specific help the employee needs. As a reminder, your role as a SAP is important to the DOT return-to-duty process. You are not an advocate for the employer or the employee. Your function as a SAP is to protect the public interest in safety by evaluating the employee and recommending appropriate education and/or treatment, follow-up tests, and aftercare. As a SAP, the decisions you make and the actions you take regarding an employee who has violated the DOT drug and/or alcohol regulations have the potential to impact transportation safety. The ultimate goals of the SAP process are to address the employee’s needs for rehabilitation for the sake of the employee, and to give the employee the tools the employee needs to return to the performance of safetysensitive duties. Consistent with sound clinical and established SAP standards of care in clinical practice, and utilizing reliable alcohol and drug abuse assessment tools, you must conduct an assessment and evaluation, either in-person or virtually (per applicable guidance), of the employee. In our longstanding SAP Guidelines, we have told SAPs, “The evaluation should be comprised of a review of the employee’s psychosocial history, an in-depth review of the employee’s drug and alcohol use history (with information regarding onset, duration, frequency, and amount of use; substance(s) of use and choice; emotional and physical characteristics of use; and associated health, work, family, personal, and interpersonal problems); and an evaluation of the employee’s current mental status.” We want to strongly remind SAPs of the following 49 CFR Part 40 regulatory requirements: Provide a comprehensive assessment and clinical

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evaluation unique to the employee. [See 40.293(a)] Recommend a course of education and/or treatment unique to the needs of the employee whom you have assessed and evaluated. You must make a recommendation for education and/or treatment that will, to the greatest extent possible, protect public safety in the event that the employee returns to the performance of safety-sensitive functions. [See 40.293(b) and 40.293(b)(2)] In determining what your recommendation will be, SAPs must not take into consideration any of the following: Employee claims that the testing process was unjust or inaccurate. [See 40.293(f)(1)] Employee attempts to mitigate the seriousness of the violation (e.g., hemp oil, “medical marijuana” use, “contact positives”, poppy seed ingestion, job stress). [See 40.293(f) (2)]

Personal opinions about the justification or rationale for the drug and alcohol testing. [See 40.293(f)(3)] Again, SAPs should not provide employees with estimated RTD timelines because each employee’s situation is unique.

Maine DOT News Release for December 14, 2022 HAMPDEN - Construction on the Maine Department of Transportation's Hampden Bridge Bundle Project is now substantially finished. This project involved rebuilding eight bridges and rehabilitating a ninth bridge along a four-mile stretch of I-95 in Hampden between Exits 174 and 180. Three of these bridge pairs cross the Souadabscook Stream, and one pair crosses Emerson Mill Road and the Central Maine & Quebec Railway. The one bridge rehabilitation involved with this project occurred at the Exit 180 off-ramp on Cold Brook Road over I-95. The project involved the construction of four temporary bridges to keep interstate traffic moving throughout this project. The contractor on the Hampden Bridge Bundle Project was Cianbro Corporation of Pittsfield.