Washington Upgrading Skagit River Bridge to Allow Greater Truck Clearance
Washington state officials are upgrading the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River that collapsed in May, with a goal of raising its overhead clearance to avoid damage from future incidents, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.
July 26, 2013Bill Would Boost Carriers’ Insurance Minimums Nearly 500%
A House bill would increase the minimum liability insurance trucking companies must have to $4,422,000, from the current $750,000, which hasn’t changed in 33 years.
July 22, 2013Officials Object to FMCSA Medical Data Proposal
Medical professionals and state driver licensing agencies objected to a proposal to require daily updates of commercial drivers’ physical exam information, telling federal regulators the system would be burdensome and costly.
July 16, 2013FMCSA to Waive HOS Rest-Break Requirement for Livestock Truckers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it will waive the new rest-break requirement for 90 days for truck drivers who are carrying live animals, because of the above-average temperatures forecast for the summer and fall in much of the United States.
July 9, 2013Senate Unanimously Confirms Anthony Foxx as Transportation Secretary
The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Anthony Foxx to be the new secretary of transportation.
June 28, 2013FMCSA Grants Permanent Authority to Four Mexican Carriers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced this week that it had moved multiple Mexican carriers through various stages of registration in the cross-border trucking pilot program this week, including giving permanent authority to four fleets that allows them to operate throughout the United States.
June 28, 2013New York Passes Bill to Define Owner-Operator Classification Status
The New York State Legislature passed a bill late last week to clearly define independent owner-operators in the trucking industry and crack down on employers who use the owner-operator model to avoid giving employees certain benefits.
June 24, 2013HOS Restart Changes to Cost Industry $189 Million a Year, ATRI Says
Upcoming restrictions to the 34-hour restart provision of the hours-of-service rule for truck drivers will cost the trucking industry $189 million annually — a $322 million difference from the $133 million benefit that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimated when it wrote the new restrictions, according to a new American Transportation Research Institute study.
June 18, 2013Supreme Court Rules in ATA’s Favor on Los Angeles Port’s Parking, Placard Requirements
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Port of Los Angeles cannot require trucking companies serving the port to display placards on trucks that have the proper permits and to submit parking plans before being allowed to operate, saying the rules violate federal law.
June 14, 2013Driver Tells NTSB He Felt ‘Crowded’ Before Washington I-5 Bridge Collapse
In a preliminary report about the May 23 Interstate 5 bridge collapse in Washington state, the National Transportation Safety Board said a truck driver may have swerved to the right on the bridge just before it collapsed because he felt “crowded” by another truck passing him.
June 12, 2013