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.
Louisiana State Rep. Not Ready to Give Up on Improving Roads: ‘We Have to Fix It’
Seven months after their push for a hike in the state gas tax died, road and bridge advocates are scrambling to see what, if any, other options are available for traffic relief.
Federal Research Program Gives States Room to Repair Highways, Test Technology
WASHINGTON — The Maine Department of Transportation is in the process of repaving major routes with better-quality pavement with help from a federal research partnership.
Can Bridges Handle Weight of Platooning Trucks? Engineering Firm Wants to Know
WASHINGTON — While truck-to-truck communication, driver training and safety have advanced the effort to hasten platooning to market, another critical aspect is looming and just may cause momentum to pull back some: the impact on infrastructure.
Value of NAFTA Freight Jumped in October, BTS Finds
The United States carried more freight by value with its North American Free Trade Agreement partners in October 2017 than in October 2016, according to a study released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics Jan. 4.
N.Y. Gov. Proposes Eliminating Toll Booths From State Thruway by 2020
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to eliminate toll booths from the State Thruway by 2020.
Severe Storm Prompts States to Issue Restrictions, Emergency Plans
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation banned tractor-trailers from all state highways for most of Jan. 4 as the state faced heavy snow and high winds.
Ports, Railroads Tout Victories on the Tax Law to Their Industries
Like the trucking industry, the port authorities and Class I railroads believe the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will benefit their modes of transportation, according to associations that represent them.
New Tax Law Will Compel Trucking Companies to Analyze How to Adjust Their Business Models
From large carriers to single-truck fleets, many in the industry are analyzing how the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will impact their income and are formulating strategies to adapt to the new rules — including the possibility of restructuring their companies, accountants said.
Editorial: Cold Outside, but Transportation’s a Hot Topic
It's cold outside, but trucking issues will heat up with the Transportation Research Board's annual meeting just around the corner.
January 4, 2018Complex Proposed CSA Replacement May Take Time to Decipher
A possible replacement for the much-maligned Compliance, Safety, Accountability framework the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration uses to measure motor carriers’ safety performance has been recommended by an elite panel of academics, but its complexity may prove challenging to the trucking industry, experts said.