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.
October Factory Orders Fall 5.1%
U.S. factory orders fell 5.1% in October, the most in eight years, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
December 4, 2008Fed Cites Lag in Transport Services Demand
Demand for transportation services has lowered since early October, and costs for services have fallen in some areas, and demand for transportation services will continue into 2009, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.
December 3, 2008ISM Services Index Falls to Record Low
The U.S. economy’s service sector declined in November at the fastest pace on record, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.
December 3, 2008Productivity Rises More Than Forecast
Third-quarter U.S. worker productivity rose 1.3% in the third quarter, the Labor Department said Wednesday, more than a previous estimate.
December 3, 2008ABF Cites Union Contract Concerns
Arkansas Best Corp. may seek to amend its labor contract with the Teamsters union following the union’s tentative agreement to make contract changes to help reduce costs at less-than-truckload carrier YRC Worldwide, Bloomberg reported.
December 3, 2008Diesel’s Decline Slows; Fuel Falls 4.9¢ to $2.615
Diesel fuel’s national average price continued its downward trend but slowed its rate of decline, falling 4.9 cents to $2.615 a gallon, the Department of Energy said.
December 2, 2008FMCSA Sets Stronger Medical Requirements for Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has finalized a streamlined process for combining the commercial driver’s license and medical certificate records for commercial truck and bus drivers.
December 2, 2008U.S. Economy Has Been in Recession a Year, Business Group Says
The U.S. economy has been in a recession for the past year, the Associated Press reported Monday, citing a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
December 1, 2008Meritor WABCO Debuts System for Automatic Truck Braking
ATLANTA — Meritor WABCO demonstrated its new automatic braking system for heavy-duty trucks that is integrated with its anti-lock braking and stability control systems. Executives said the system can cut accident rates, especially rear-end collisions, which account for nearly 20% of all truck-involved crashes.
December 1, 2008CTA Asks For Environmental Technology Exceptions
The Canadian Trucking Alliance called on provincial governments to act swiftly to make regulations to allow weight and length considerations for technologies associated with CTA's enviroTruck program.
December 1, 2008