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.
ATA Truck Tonnage Index Has Best Year in 20 Years
Truck tonnage closed out 2018 on a 20-year high with an annual increase of 6.6%, American Trucking Associations announced.
XPO Accepts Violation in Fatal Accident Involving Granite Slabs
XPO Logistics has agreed to accept a serious violation and pay a fine of more than $10,000 in connection with a June 25 accident that claimed the lives of two workers.
Autonomous Technology Promises Safety Benefits, TRB Speakers Say
WASHINGTON — While the debut of automated vehicles in the marketplace remains years away, the technology already available has the potential of improving safety for commercial drivers, officials and experts at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board here said.
Diesel Falls for 14th Consecutive Week
The U.S. average retail price of diesel dropped 1.1 cents to $2.965 a gallon for the week of Jan. 21, despite an increase in crude oil prices to $53 per barrel, or $3 higher than a week before.
Advocates Name Best, Worst States for Highway Safety Laws
Rhode Island has again topped an advocacy group’s report that evaluates states’ road safety enforcement efforts.
Capitol Agenda for the Week of Jan. 21: Autonomous Anxiety
Why don't consumers trust autonomous vehicles? Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao says it's partly because manufacturers need to do a better job explaining the vehicles' capabilities. Here's the week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill.
Federal Shutdown Affects Oklahoma DOT’s Future Road Projects
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has delayed the bidding process for upcoming infrastructure projects due to funding uncertainty caused by the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government.
U.S.-China Trade Talks Falling Short on Make-or-Break IP Issues
According to people close to the discussions, the two sides have so far made little progress on the issue that any deal Trump strikes with China may ultimately be judged on: ending what the U.S. has dubbed as decades of state-coordinated Chinese theft of American intellectual property.
Shutdown at Day 32 as Democrats Vow to Reject Trump Offer
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history entered its 32nd day on Jan. 22 with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expected to call up legislation to advance a proposal from President Donald Trump, which Democrats have already said they’ll reject.
New York Hadn't Been Enforcing the ELD Mandate. Now It Is.
The New York State Department of Transportation announced that state inspectors will begin enforcing federal electronic logging device rules, ending a year-plus stretch during which a lawsuit kept the state law enforcement in limbo and left federal inspectors as the sole enforcers of the rule in the state.