Government

About Government News...

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.

Government

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, 2008
Government, Business, Safety

Fed 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, 2008
Business, Safety, Government

ISM 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, 2008
Government, Business, Safety

Productivity 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, 2008
Business, Government

ABF 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, 2008
Fuel, Business, Logistics, Government

Diesel’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, 2008
Government, Business, Safety

FMCSA 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, 2008
Business, Safety, Government, Logistics

U.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, 2008
Business, Safety, Government, Equipment, Technology

Meritor 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, 2008
Business, Logistics, Government

CTA 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