Business
Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.
Letter: Highway Bill
Hidden deep within the massive Senate Transportation Bill, No. 1813, on pages 1283-1284, is a provision that will make owners and directors of corporations personally liable for civil penalties if the bill, which has passed the Senate and is headed for the House, becomes law.
March 26, 2012Opinion: We’re All in It Together
It has become something of a cliché that what followed the economic deregulation of trucking in the early 1980s was even more regulation, albeit in different forms.
March 26, 2012FMCSA Launches Bus Safety iPhone App
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it launched an iPhone application last week that allows users to search for and find bus companies’ safety records. The application does not display data for trucking companies, and an agency spokeswoman did not say whether FMCSA plans to eventually include those data.
March 26, 2012House May Vote on Highway Bill Monday Night
The House could vote as soon as Monday night on a highway bill extension, which would avert a shutdown on transportation funding in advance of Saturday’s deadline on funding, Bloomberg reported.
March 26, 2012Repair Kits for Brake Valves Being Delivered, Bendix Says
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Permanent repair kits for defective ATR-6 traction-relay brake valves are moving to truck makers, executives of Bendix Commercial Vehicle System said.
March 26, 2012House Bill Would Resurrect Tax Break That Helped Spark Truck Sales in 2011
A bill that would extend a tax break credited with helping spur trucks sales last year has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
March 26, 2012Food Safety Rules Likely to Affect Reefer Fleets, but Bigger Burden Will Hit Shippers, Experts Say
New federal food safety regulations will bring new requirements to refrigerated trucking fleets, although many of the rules — which will not affect carriers directly — simply could reflect current best practices in the industry, according to manufacturers and experts.
March 26, 2012Natural Gas Takes Center Stage at Mid-America
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The nation’s largest annual trucking show here last week illustrated just how much the U.S. truck market has been reinvigorated, as more-prosperous equipment manufacturers eagerly chased the business of solid, stable motor carriers.
March 26, 2012FMCSA to Raise Hazmat Oversight
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has decided to raise the importance of hazmat handling under its new safety rating program, while it will reduce the emphasis on load securement.
March 26, 2012UPS to Acquire TNT Express, Double European Presence
UPS Inc. last week announced its largest-ever acquisition, a $6.8 billion deal to buy Dutch package carrier TNT Express NV.
March 26, 2012