The Department of Transportation’s inspector general said that information the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uses to track trucking companies was so “poor” that he questioned the agency’s request for funds to upgrade its computer system.

A congressional subcommittee has scheduled a hearing July 20 to look into the effect of new driver hours rules and examine possible changes to them, a congressional aide said.

Republican Senate and House leaders traded criticisms last week as lawmakers continued to struggle over a six-year spending bill to determine much of what happens to America’s roads, ports and transit systems.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration should change some of its definitions of injury and not record commercial motor vehicle accident information when the agency institutes its Site Specific Targeting Enforcement Program, American Trucking Associations said.

WASHINGTON — Fuels blended specifically for a locality or a region make diesel fuel too expensive, costing the trucking industry billions of dollars, and Congress should set a single national standard for diesel, a trucking company executive told Congress last week.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has failed to adequately improve its oversight of the commercial driver license program, leaving the nation vulnerable to terror attacks and poorly trained drivers, according to a high-ranking Department of Transportation official.

HYATTSTOWN, Md. — Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said June 9 that he doubted Congress could finish work on a six-year transportation bill by June 30, and that he thought it would probably extend the current legislation for a year.

HYATTSTOWN, Md. — Food Lion driver Leonard Smith was in for a shock June 9 when he pulled into a weigh station on Interstate 270 south of Frederick, Md. Not only was he flagged out of line for a Class I inspection, his truck also got a going-over by Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta.

After months of pressure from Congress and industry, the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to issue a new proposed rule on oil-spill containment delaying enforcement beyond the previous Aug. 17 deadline, said Dave Evans, head of the agency’s oil program.

Package delivery services UPS and FedEx are trying to head off legislation pending in Congress that would make them responsible for helping states collect excise taxes on cigarettes sold by Internet and mail order.