Government

Federal lawmakers and industry proponents are divided over how much funding should be dedicated to a federal program to reduce emissions and improve clean diesel technology.

A recent report detailing the country’s congestion woes prompted the top transportation lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives to again urge colleagues to legislate on comprehensive infrastructure policy when they return to Washington after a five-week summer break.

Trucking executives fear sharp hikes in the cost of diesel, and perhaps a shortage, as the industry competes for fuel with ocean carriers, which have a mandate to sharply reduce pollution in fewer than 90 days.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to extend the date by which state driver licensing agencies must comply with certain Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule requirements.

Maine has been awarded $61 million in federal grants to help replace eight aging highway bridges over the next five years. The two federal grants will help fund construction of bridges on Interstate 295, in Franklin County and Madawaska.

Illinois state transportation officials say this year’s 19-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase means millions of more dollars to help fix aging downstate roads.

As Hurricane Dorian continued to creep up the East Coast and terminals shuttered in anticipation, logistics groups launched into action.

Growth at U.S. service industries in August comfortably topped expectations on the sharpest monthly rebound in business activity since early 2008, favorable figures that were tempered by a slowdown in hiring.

Productivity rose at a healthy pace in the second quarter but dropped at American factories, another sign of trouble for manufacturers.