Amtrak Has Bright Future in Freight
A budding express freight delivery service that competes with truckload carriers holds promise of becoming a profit center for Amtrak, according to a federal report.
Trucking Agency Bill Introduced
Legislation to create a National Motor Carrier Administration was introduced Tuesday by members of the House Transportation Committee.
DOT Sends Safety Bill to Congress
The Department of Transportation sent its surface transportation safety bill late Monday to Congress, where it is likely to be superseded by legislation from the House Transportation Committee.
Driver Fatigue Subject of Seminars
The Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety and the American Trucking Associations started their latest round of driver fatigue training July 29 in Portland, Ore.
Black Boxes Lead DOT Safety Bill
The Department of Transportation is preparing to unveil a sweeping safety bill that would require carriers to install on-board recorders or GPS devices to monitor hours-of-service compliance.
Meal Tax Fix Clears Hurdle
A measure to speed the return of the 80% tax deduction for truckers’ meals cleared a hurdle last week as the Senate Finance Committee approved a $792 billion tax-cut bill.
House Staff Drafts Proposal for Trucking Administration
The staff of the powerful House Transportation Committee is circulating a rough draft of a proposal to create a separate motor carrier administration within the Department of Transportation.
FHWA Hosts First Rest Area Forum
Carriers, drivers, regulators and truck stop operators grappled last week with the issue of where tired truck drivers can get some rest while on the job. The biggest issues raised during the Federal Highway Administration’s Rest Area Forum were providing information on parking, adding spaces and increasing safety.
Feds Ponder Safety Summit Revival
Federal officials are considering rescheduling the safety summit that was abruptly canceled in December, but no decisions have been made on whether the Truck and Bus Safety Summit will actually take place, said Julie Cirillo, program manager for the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety.
NITL Shifts Focus to Trucking, Rail
The National Industrial Transportation League, which focused almost single-mindedly on deregulating ocean carriage, is now looking to tackle problems ashore. NITL President Edward M. Emmett is paying greater attention to surface transportation issues, especially trucking.