Government

DETROIT — Nearly 43,000 people were killed on U.S. roads last year, the highest number in 16 years as Americans returned to the highways after the pandemic forced many to stay at home.

Truck drivers will continue to provide key contributions to the freight industry as automation is steadily adopted throughout the transportation landscape, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said recently.

While local communities have more access to federal infrastructure funds to improve transportation, rising project costs are creating difficulties.

U.S. retail sales grew at a solid pace in April, reflecting broad-based gains and suggesting demand for merchandise remains resilient despite rampant inflation.

The Alabama Trucking Association aims to elevate the industry’s visibility in the state’s current election cycle with an ad campaign backing incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey, a candidate the group said has been a key supporter of trucking.

The national average price of diesel dipped after a two-week surge, dropping 1 cent to $5.613 a gallon, the Energy Information Administration reported May 16.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The American Transportation Research Institute unveiled its top five research areas for 2022 at American Trucking Associations’ annual Mid-Year Management Conference May 16.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello estimates that the industry needs at least 80,000 drivers today and more in the future to account for rising freight levels. The Biden administration has made efforts in the past year to encourage more men and women to enter the trucking industry. With the Department of Transportation and Department of Labor working in cooperation with industry stakeholders for paid apprenticeship and training programs, how successful are these efforts? In this special edition of Newsmakers, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins TT's Eugene Mulero and Dan Ronan to discuss the industry's workforce concerns, changing perceptions of trade professions, and partnering with public and private groups to work toward a common goal.

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said a dearth of refining capacity meant that gasoline and other oil products would remain expensive even if the world’s biggest exporters pumped more crude.

WASHINGTON — Six months after the signing of President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure package, the government said May 16 there are 4,300 projects underway with more than $110 billion in funding announced — milestones the administration is publicly heralding as midterm politics intensify.