Gas Tax 'Off the Table' as Highway Funding Option, Shuster Says
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) has ruled out higher fuel taxes or taxing miles traveled to pay for transportation, an announcement that narrows the options for a new road funding bill in 2015.
Collins Defends Change to Restart Requirements
Federal data shows that the accident rate for trucks is higher during morning peak traffic, one of the reasons the 34-hour restart requirement in the federal hours-of-service rule was suspended pending further study, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in an op-ed column for the Bangor Daily News.
Not Enough Data to Project Mexican Drivers as Safe For Longhaul, Report Concludes
The pilot program that allowed Mexican trucks to run in the United States for three years didn’t yield enough results to determine the program’s worthiness, said a report from the Inspector General within the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Senate Approves Bill That Would Save Trucking Industry Millions
A bill that provides millions of dollars in tax credits to the trucking industry in everything from truck buying to using natural gas has been approved by the Senate and sent to President Obama.
Diesel Declines 11.6¢ to $3.419 a Gallon
The average retail price of diesel plummeted another 11.6 cents this week, sending trucking’s main fuel down to $3.419 a gallon, a low not seen in almost four years, the Department of Energy said.
Federal Spending on Transportation Benefits All Job Sectors, Study Says
A coalition of road builders and labor unions has released a study that details how federal spending on transportation infrastructure boosts the economy by creating jobs beyond the construction sector.
Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Alabama Diesel Sales Tax Case
The State of Alabama argued before the U.S. Supreme Court Dec. 9 that just because truckers are exempt from the state’s sales tax on diesel purchases does not mean that railroads are discriminated against because they must pay the tax when buying off-road diesel.
To Maintain Current Highway Conditions, AASHTO Says $120 Billion Is Needed Annually
Local, state and federal governments need to spend a combined $120 billion annually for the next six years just to bring highways and bridges to a condition that meets today’s traffic demands, said a new report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
House OKs Restoration of Tax Breaks
The House has passed a bill that could give the trucking industry hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks this year for everything from buying new trucks to using natural gas.
Natural Gas Proponents Outline Challenges for Senate
Trucking and natural-gas industry witnesses told a Senate panel Dec. 3 that Congress could spur the use of the alternative fuel in the transportation sector by changing the tax code, subsidizing a fueling network and addressing existing weight restrictions on highways.