Government
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.
FMCSA to Keep Random Drug Testing Level at 50% in 2015
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced that the trucking industry will have to continue randomly testing at least 50% of its drivers for drug and alcohol use during 2015.
FRP Board Approves Spinoff of Trucking Unit
FRP Holdings Inc., which owns real estate and trucking businesses, said its board has approved the spinoff of the trucking operation to be known as New Patriot.
December 31, 2014Gas Tax 'Off the Table' as Highway Funding Option, Shuster Says
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) has ruled out higher fuel taxes or taxing miles traveled to pay for transportation, an announcement that narrows the options for a new road funding bill in 2015.
Collins Defends Change to Restart Requirements
Federal data shows that the accident rate for trucks is higher during morning peak traffic, one of the reasons the 34-hour restart requirement in the federal hours-of-service rule was suspended pending further study, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in an op-ed column for the Bangor Daily News.
Not Enough Data to Project Mexican Drivers as Safe For Longhaul, Report Concludes
The pilot program that allowed Mexican trucks to run in the United States for three years didn’t yield enough results to determine the program’s worthiness, said a report from the Inspector General within the U.S. Department of Transportation.
U.S. Attorneys Crack Down on Brokerage Schemes in Illinois, New York
The U.S. departments of Transportation and Justice announced two legal actions aimed at bogus freight brokers operating improperly: a guilty plea in Illinois and an indictment in New York.
Obama Signs Nat Gas Tax-Extenders Legislation
President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill that will allow fleets that purchase new trucks or use natural gas to reap large tax credits.
December 29, 2014Economy Grows by Most in a Decade on Consumer-Spending Gain
The world’s largest economy surged in the third quarter, expanding at the fastest pace in more than a decade, as U.S. consumers and businesses spent more than previously estimated.
Commercial Vehicle Demand Softens in China, ACT Reports
The pace of China’s economy tapered in the third quarter, leading to a slower rate of growth in truck demand, according to the most recent quarterly China Commercial Vehicle Outlook, published jointly by ACT Research Co. and China’s State Information Center.
HOS Restart Change Is Law
The trucking industry’s long-sought suspension of last year’s changes to the hours-of-service restart provision became reality last week as President Obama signed a $1 trillion fiscal 2015 funding bill.
December 22, 2014