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.
GAO Says Workers Were Issued TWICs Despite Some Having Criminal Records
A new congressional report charged that transportation workers with criminal records have been issued Transportation Worker Identification Credentials because federal officials are being denied full access to the FBI’s criminal history database.
December 19, 2011U.S., Canada to Speed Border Crossings for ‘Trusted’ Firms
President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled a plan last week aimed at speeding border crossings and enhancing trade between the United States and Canada.
December 15, 2011New York Manufacturing Index Jumps
Manufacturing activity in the New York region expanded in December to the highest level in seven months, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Thursday.
December 15, 2011TWIC Background Checks Fall Short, GAO Says
Transportation workers with potentially disqualifying criminal records are being issued Transportation Worker Identification Credentials in some cases because Transportation Security Administration officials are not permitted full access to information contained in FBI criminal databases, according to a new report by congressional investigators.
Payment of Fine Constitutes Guilt, FMCSA Says
Federal regulators this week issued a formal clarification intended to close a potential loophole that has permitted some motor carriers to pay a civil fine in full without admitting guilt or liability of a violation.
Consumer Confidence Improves
Consumer confidence rose this month to a six-month high, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Friday.
December 9, 2011U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows in October
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed by 1.6% in October, shrinking to its lowest level of the year, the Commerce Department said Friday.
December 9, 2011TSA Offers Replacements for Unreadable TWIC Cards
The federal government will replace thousands of Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards that were improperly encoded and do not work with card readers, the Transportation Safety Administration said.
North Carolina Senate Rejects Capping Fuel Taxes
The North Carolina State Senate has killed a proposal to cap the state’s 35-cent tax on gasoline and diesel, which is about to rise sharply, by voting to end its session.
FMCSA Accepts Hazmat Carriers’ Petition
Federal regulators have accepted a petition from several trade organizations who have complained that fluctuating federal hazardous materials safety permit requirements are causing some safe motor carriers to loose their eligibility and even cease operations.
