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.
ATA Reaffirms Industry Priorities
SAN DIEGO — Leaders of American Trucking Associations meeting here said they have put themselves in the best position to successfully see long overdue highway funding and other legislation passed, while preventing what they view as an explosion of burdensome regulations.
October 13, 2014FMCSA to Propose Dropping Requirement That Drivers With Diabetes Seek Exemption
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is scheduled to publish a proposed rule in April that would drop a current requirement that insulin-treated interstate truck drivers with diabetes apply for a special exemption to be issued a medical certification card.
October 13, 2014Diesel Price Keeps Falling, Lowest Since July 2012
Diesel fuel’s national average retail price fell 2.2 cents to $3.733 a gallon, the 14th straight week without an increase and 25th drop in the past 30 weeks, the Department of Energy reported.
October 13, 2014Regulators to Meet on Risks of Truckers on Legal Drugs
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s advisory committee and medical review board will meet later this month to “identify concepts” the regulatory agency should consider in updating its policy regarding the risks of truck drivers’ legal use of stimulants, depressants and opioids.
Wholesale Inventories Rise by Most in Four Months
Wholesale inventories rose 0.7% in August, the largest increase in four months, after rising 0.1% the prior month, the Commerce Department reported Oct. 9.
October 9, 2014OOIDA Asks Court to Review Calif. GHG Truck Regs
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has asked an appeals court to review a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waiver allowing California regulators to proceed with enforcement of the state’s strict greenhouse gas-emissions reduction rule for heavy-duty trucks based or doing business in California.
Darling Defends HOS Restart
In his first interview since being named acting administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in August, Scott Darling III said he is committed to keeping the agency’s hours-of-service rule intact.
October 6, 2014Editorial: Keep the Dialogue Open
We strive to interact directly with those who have the most influence on the trucking and freight transportation industry, so we thank Scott Darling III, acting chief of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, for speaking with Transport Topics last week.
October 6, 2014The History of Trucking, On Display at Museums
The gleaming old trucks housed in transportation museums across the country do more than offer visitors something pretty to see; they can provide a history lesson in how far the trucking industry has come.
October 6, 2014Trade Gap Narrows in August on Record Exports
The trade deficit in the U.S. shrank in August to the lowest level in seven months as exports edged up to a record.
October 3, 2014