The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning a Safety Summit on March 19 for motor carriers, drivers, safety technology developers and users, federal and state partners, and safety advocate groups to share ideas on improving truck safety.

Stakeholder comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to aggressively reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions generally were positive, but with some caveats.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has contracted with research firm Battelle to study and survey the prevalence, seriousness and nature of the problem of harassment and assaults against female and minority male truckers.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied Walmart Inc. a rehearing in a lawsuit that now leaves the carrier with a lower court judgment to pay a large certified class of its California truck drivers more than $54 million in back pay for mostly layovers and rest breaks.

New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo has indicated a willingness to provide information to the federal government on individuals enrolling or renewing their applications for Trusted Traveler Programs, but remains adamant in his refusal to provide state Department of Motor Vehicles database information.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Feb. 24 that it is seeking comment on a 2019 request from United Parcel Service Inc. in which the carrier seeks a five-year renewable exemption from federal regulations in order to allow its driver-trainees with commercial learner permits to operate twin 28-foot trailers on public roads.

Nearly 8,000 substance abuse violations have been detected and identified by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse since it went live Jan. 6, the agency announced Feb. 21.

The Department of Transportation has issued a compliance notice warning truck drivers and other safety-sensitive transportation workers about the potential mislabeling of hemp-derived products that could contain illegal levels of marijuana that might test positive in a DOT drug test.

Federal trucking regulators are reviewing a petition filed by the National Association of the Deaf seeking to relax requirements for deaf truck and bus drivers.

A plan by California environmental regulators to get zero-emissions vehicles on the road as soon as possible is getting pushback from truckers and other concerned industry stakeholders.