Government

About Government News...

Transport Topics government and regulatory coverage keeps managers of a highly-regulated industry aware of the policy decisions that can shape their businesses. Covering both the legislative and regulatory aspects of policy-making, at both the state and national levels, the news in this category includes looks at infrastructure, hours of service, emissions rules, funding measures, leadership appointments, and more. Readers can follow what’s happening in Congress, at the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, and in state and local governments.

Government

Analysis: Two Experts Envision Trade Under President Trump — Goodbye, Wal-Mart

What would the U.S. economy look like without the trade deals of the past 70 years?

Paula Dwyer | Bloomberg News
August 30, 2016
Government, Business

Highway Fatalities Jumped 7.2% Last Year, DOT Says

U.S. highway fatalities in 2015 jumped 7.2% to 35,092, an increase of 2,348 deaths from 2014, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Aug. 29.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
August 29, 2016
Business, Government, Safety, Autonomous

Regulations, Business Trends Put Pressure on Private Fleets

Operators of corporate-owned truck fleets are facing pressure to keep up with a growing number of regulations while also dealing with legal and business issues that go well beyond the traditional realm of equipment maintenance and driver management.

Daniel P. Bearth | Staff Writer
August 29, 2016
Government, Business

Pennsylvania Lawmaker Meets With Trucking Leaders About Driver Shortage

U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, a Chester County Republican who represents part of Berks County, was in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 16 for the Commercial Drivers License Roundtable hosted by Berks Technical Institute

Dan Kelly | Reading (Pa.) Eagle
August 29, 2016
Perspective, Business, Government, Safety

Opinion: SOLAS Container Weight Rule Reaches Critical Milestones

Approximately 10% of ocean cargo may cite an inaccurate weight, according to Loadstar. In 2015, an estimated 16.3 million out of 200.5 million TEUs, or industry- standard 20-foot-equivalent container units, of cargo were shipped without an accurate measurement, which speaks to an industrywide problem.

August 29, 2016
Government, Safety, Business

Advisers Offer Sleep Apnea Guidelines as FMCSA Considers Health Proposal

Top medical advisers to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have recommended a slate of sleep apnea guidelines that would require truck drivers to participate in costly diagnostic sleep studies if they have a body mass index of 40 or higher, experienced excessive fatigue or sleepiness while driving or have been in a sleep-related accident.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
August 29, 2016
Government, Business

Trucks Continue to Haul Most Nafta Freight by Value, DOT Says

Trucks remained the most heavily used mode for moving goods in June to and from the United States and its Nafta trade partners, Canada and Mexico, hauling 65.4% of freight, U.S. Department of Transportation said Aug. 25.

August 26, 2016
Government, Business

US Proposes Mandatory Speed Limiter Devices

The federal government is proposing that heavy-duty vehicles be equipped with devices that limit their speeds on U.S. roadways but said the limiters will not be required to be tamper-proof.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
August 26, 2016
Government

Texas Transportation Commission Approves 2017 Unified Transportation Program

Texas’ Transportation Commission approved the state’s 2017 Unified Transportation Plan on Aug. 25. The $70 billion, 10-year plan is the largest in the agency’s history, more than twice the size of the $33 billion, 10-year plan released just last year. 

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
August 26, 2016
Government, Business

Consumer Sentiment Eases in August to Four-Month Low

Consumer confidence eased in August to a four-month low as Americans become less optimistic about their finances for the year ahead.

August 26, 2016