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.
Lawmakers Pitch Solutions to Driver Texting ‘Epidemic’
WASHINGTON — While government officials, researchers and industry executives debated the merits of limiting driver distractions, state and federal lawmakers used last week’s distracted driving summit to pitch their various solutions to what Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called “an epidemic.”
October 5, 2009PC-Miler 23 Gets TMW Certification
Transportation software firm ALK Technologies said that the latest version of its PC-Miler software, PC-Miler 23, has been certified by its partner TMW Systems.
October 5, 2009ISM Services Index Shows Expansion for First Time in a Year
The U.S. economy’s service sector showed expansion in September for the first time in more than a year, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday.
October 5, 2009EPA’s New Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule to Exempt Medium-, Heavy-Duty Fleets
The first-ever federal rule for greenhouse gas emissions reporting will not require trucking companies operating medium- and heavy-duty fleets to record and report carbon emissions data.
October 5, 2009Senate Expected to Introduce Measure Addressing Rail Shipping Rate Gripes
Long-awaited rail legislation to address customers’ complaints about high rail shipping rates could be introduced in the Senate shortly, said analysts and trade groups who are eager to see the bill’s details.
October 5, 2009DOT to Ban Texts, Limit In-Cab Devices
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will move to ban cell-phone texting by truck drivers and to restrict the use of other in-cab communications units, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
October 5, 2009Letters: ‘No’ to Natural Gas, Driver Recruiters, Drivers and Lumpers
Just say “no” to the T. Boone Pickens plan and to H.R. 1835, the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act — the NAT GAS Act of 2009 — a bipartisan bill recently introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.).
October 5, 2009Getting It Right
Twice in recent days, the New York Times has uncharacteristically turned its attention to the trucking industry, and twice it has tried to give trucking a black eye, strongly implying that the industry is unsafe and has little interest in getting safer.
October 5, 2009DDC Asks EPA Approval for Its 2010 SCR Engines
Detroit Diesel Corp. completed its filing with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval of its 2010 truck engines, the third U.S. engine maker to do so, the company said Sept. 29, adding that it also filed with the California Air Resources Board.
October 5, 2009Industry Groups Blast UCR Plan while States Support Fee Hike
In comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about the agency’s proposed sharp Unified Carrier Registration fee increase, industry groups and state enforcement agencies continued to debate the need for and size of the increase.
October 5, 2009