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, Business

Texas State Funds to Target Three Houston Freeway Trouble Spots

With Houston choking on traffic congestion, an infusion of $447 million in state funds promises relief sooner than expected at three notorious freeway bottlenecks.

Dug Begley | Houston Chronicle
January 28, 2016
Government, Business

Federal Driver Coercion Rule Takes Effect Today

A final rule that prohibits fleets, shippers and brokers from coercing truck drivers to violate hours-of-service and other safety regulations officially takes effect today.

January 28, 2016
Government, Business

ATA Supports Rhode Island Trucking in Tolling Dispute With Governor

American Trucking Associations is supporting the Rhode Island Trucking Association’s strong opposition to Gov. Gina Raimondo’s toll-based transportation plan.

David Elfin | Staff Reporter
January 28, 2016
Government

Idaho Transportation Committees Take Aim at Large Highway Truckloads, Real ID Rules

Taking action related to Real ID and allowing 129,000-pound loads on Idaho's interstate highways are two of the top issues for the House and Senate transportation committees this session.

William L. Spence | Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune
January 28, 2016
Government, Business

MoDOT Director Says 'Tidal Wave' of Repairs on Horizon, Urges Lawmakers to Act

The new director of the Missouri Department of Transportation on Jan. 26 continued his call to boost state transportation spending.

Jack Suntrup | St. Louis Post-Dispatch
January 27, 2016
Government, Business

Federal Data: 2015 on Pace to Be Most Heavily Traveled Year

Americans drove about 2.88 trillion miles by the end of November 2015, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration. The figure signals the strong possibility that last year likely will be the most traveled year in the country’s history.

January 27, 2016
Business, Safety, Government

Drivers Form Human Chain to Rescue Trucker Dangling Over Embankment

When a tractor-trailer traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike 20 miles east of Bedford lost control and went partially over an embankment Jan. 22 during the historic winter blizzard, drivers stopped to help by forming a human chain and pulling the trucker to safety.

January 27, 2016
Government, Business

New Mexico Proposes Plan to Recover Millions From Tax-Dodging Truckers

The New Mexico Department of Transportation is asking lawmakers to change how weigh stations are managed in an effort to capture as much as $56 million a year that analysts estimate the state is losing to truckers who don’t pay fees to haul their loads across New Mexico roads.

Dan Schwartz | The Santa Fe New Mexican
January 27, 2016
Business, Government

Georgia Port Cargo Slumps 6.3% in December

The Georgia Ports Authority reported that containerized cargo slumped 6.3% in December, marking the first year-over-year decline since July 2013.

January 26, 2016
Government

Canadian Freight Index Falls 36% Year-Over-Year in December

Load board operator TransCore Link Logistics said its freight index for Canadian and cross-border loads declined 36% in December compared with a year earlier. However, a dip in equipment volumes led to tightening of the truck-to-load ratio.

January 26, 2016