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.
FMCSA Nominee Robin Hutcheson Awaits Senate Confirmation
President Joe Biden’s pick to oversee federal trucking regulations is awaiting a confirmation vote in the U.S. Senate.
NOAA Still Expects Active Hurricane Season
It’s been a quiet hurricane season so far, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a busy peak is ahead. The agency expects 14 to 20 named storms, with six to 10 developing into hurricanes and three to five of those strengthening into major storms of Category 3 and up.
FMCSA Awards Educational Funds for Veterans, Others to Get CDLs
To help veterans, spouses and active duty military members gain truck driving jobs, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration awarded $3.1 million in grants to 19 community colleges and truck driving schools throughout the country.
OPEC+ Boosts Oil Output by Slower Pace Than Previous Months
The OPEC oil cartel and its allies decided Aug. 3 to boost production in September by a much slower pace than in previous months at a time of high gasoline prices and unstable energy supplies exacerbated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Automakers Blitz Congress to Fix an EV Tax Credit They Can’t Use
Automakers including Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are making a last-ditch lobbying push to change Democrats’ proposed new spending bill over concern that they stand to lose out from strict new limits on electric vehicle credits.
Pelosi’s Taiwan Trip Spurs CATL to Pause EV Battery Plant Plans
A giant Chinese supplier of electric vehicle batteries decided to push back announcing a multibillion-dollar North American plant to supply Tesla Inc. and Ford Motor Co. due to tensions raised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter.
August 2, 2022Alaskans Help State Officials Prepare for EV Charging
The Alaska Energy Authority is working to overcome public perception barriers of cold climate performance, driving range anxiety and high electricity demand charges in its electric vehicle infrastructure push.
Bureau of Prisons Expands CDL Training for Women
Efforts are underway in federal and state-level prison systems to help inmates train for and transition into careers in trucking upon their release, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons expanding its commercial driver license programs to focus on women.
Senate Transportation Leaders Applaud Water Bill’s Passage
Legislation meant to facilitate the flow of freight along the nation’s waterways easily passed in the Senate, garnering strong endorsements from the chamber’s transportation leaders.
Average Price of Diesel Sheds Another 13¢ to Reach $5.138 a Gallon
The national average price for a gallon of diesel continued to decrease, falling 13 cents to $5.138, according to Energy Information Administration data released Aug. 1
August 1, 2022