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.
Montana Truck Inspectors to Get Guns
The Montana Department of Transportation has authorized issuing guns to some commercial vehicle inspectors, a decision that has drawn opposition from the state’s trucking industry.
Senate Passes Sleep Apnea Bill
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration would be blocked from implementing or enforcing regulations on sleep disorders of commercial truck drivers that are not adopted in a rulemaking process under a Senate-passed bill that has been sent to President Obama for his signature, Bloomberg News reported.
October 7, 2013Gasoline Price Falls 13.8 Cents, Lundberg Survey Says
Gasoline’s national average price decreased 13.8 cents in the past two weeks to $3.383 a gallon, according to the latest Lundberg Survey of filling stations.
October 7, 2013Editorial: Not Much Harm — Yet
The opening days of the sad soap opera being played out on Capitol Hill apparently did little damage to the nation’s freight distribution system, according to what industry executives told our reporters last week.
October 7, 2013FMCSA Reaffirms Tank Rule Boosting Driver Requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a proposed rule that reaffirms an earlier requirement that truck drivers who haul bulk containers totaling at least 1,000 gallons of liquid obtain tank endorsements.
October 7, 2013FMCSA Enacts Rule Changes, Including Higher Carrier Fines
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has enacted a multipart rule that increases the maximum fines that can be assessed against regulations violators and allows the agency to place a fleet out of service if its trucks are operated without Department of Transportation registration.
October 7, 2013ATA Asks Court to Reconsider Upholding Calif. Low Carbon Fuel Standard
American Trucking Associations and several oil producer and user trade groups have asked an appeals court to reconsider a three-judge appeals panel’s ruling upholding California’s low-carbon fuel standard.
DAT Reports Dip in Weekly Load-Board Activity
Load-board activity as reported by DAT Trendlines showed a 1.5% dip in loads for the week of Sept. 22-28 compared with the previous week.
October 4, 2013Highway Programs Continue Despite Government Shutdown
Highway construction and safety programs will remain operational despite most federal government functions shutting down Oct. 1 after legislators failed to agree on a measure to fund the government, the Department of Transportation said.
October 2, 2013Shippers Push Lawmakers for Higher Truck Weights
Allowing higher truck weights on interstate highways and helping captive shippers who use the railroads would promote freight mobility and make American companies more competitive globally, representatives of large shippers told a special U.S. House panel exploring freight issues.