Government

With emptier roads during the coronavirus pandemic tempting some drivers to pick up the pace, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is taking a fresh look at the motivations that compel drivers to speed.

Less than two months before the country’s current highway policy law expires, congressional leaders and the White House are plodding through negotiations on a new highway bill.

The average price of diesel increased for the first time in four weeks, inching up four-tenths of a cent nationally to $2.428 per gallon on Aug. 10, according to the Energy Information Administration’s weekly report.

Australian authorities detained at least two cargo ships for alleged labor violations related to demands from seafarers to be sent home, some of whom have spent more than a year at sea.

An organization representing the Phoenix metropolitan area is conducting a study of truck parking issues in the region.

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber Technologies Inc., threatened to temporarily shut down service in California if it loses a drawn-out fight over a state law seeking to reclassify contractors as employees.

Public agencies at all levels of government, including the ones related to transportation, should incorporate health considerations into policy decisions, a planning expert said.

The trucking and freight economy appears to be doing better than the overall U.S. economy as fleets adjust to contend with supply chain changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin renewed a push for a more limited next-round U.S. pandemic relief package of “a little more than $1 trillion” on Aug. 12, saying that Democratic demands for spending more could be discussed down the road.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has again extended its emergency declaration relaxing hours-of-service rules for motor carriers that are providing direct assistance in support of coronavirus-related relief efforts.