Final comments on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to change the hours-of-service rules are due by close of business Friday, but at least two trucking groups beat the last-minute rush.

A possible government shutdown was averted when congressional Republicans and the White House met Dec. 7, and agreed “to continue talking” about four appropriation bills, including the Labor Department’s plan to institute its controversial ergonomics rules in 2001.

Final comments on the Department of Transportation’s proposal to change the hours-of-service rules are due by close of business Dec. 15, but at least two trucking groups beat the last-minute rush. National Tank Truck Carriers and the Distribution & LTL Carriers Association filed in late November, requesting a review of driver on-duty time and the costs of implementing the rule changes.

Long-haul drivers who work for less in return for being reimbursed for their meals are better off financially than drivers who get full compensation and itemize their meal expenses for tax purposes, said David Goodson, editor of the National Survey of Driver Wages.

A Philadelphia jury concluded that a rear underride guard on a Strick Corp. trailer was not defective and denied the plaintiff’s request for $8 million in a product liability lawsuit filed against the trailer maker.

Long-haul drivers who work for less in return for being reimbursed for their meals are better off financially than drivers who get full pay and take the meals deduction, said David Goodson, editor of the National Survey of Driver Wages.

Every motor carrier will have to update its MCS-150 identification report to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration every two years instead of merely filing it once when beginning business.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld an arbitrator’s decision that allowed the driver of a coal-ming truck under union contract to return to work after he twice tested positive for marijuana use within 16 months. The decision is not likely to have an effect on unionized freight carriers.

Every motor carrier will have to update its MCS-150 identification report to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration every two years instead of merely filing it once when beginning business.

All new diesel trucks sold in California and 13 other states may soon be required to meet tough smog standards for 2005 and 2006, state officials said.