Safety

Drought has again closed a portion of the Mississippi River — and this time shrunk a part of the major U.S. waterway in Memphis, Tenn., to its lowest level ever.

California port officials announced an unprecedented increase in harmful emissions last year. Although the increase in pollution was substantial, officials said emissions are still much lower than levels in the mid-2000s.

Kodiak Robotics Inc. has started piloting autonomous freight deliveries in Texas in cooperation with Ikea Supply Chain Operations, the companies announced Oct. 18.

Additional safety strategies for the nation’s mobility networks were recently announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of its comprehensive plan.

Three additional participants in staged accidents with trucks in the New Orleans area have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud charges, bringing to 41 the number of convicted conspirators in the FBI’s “Operation Sideswipe” investigation.

American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear said he is excited to talk about the victories the federation has achieved over the past year, but he’s equally energized about taking on the issues facing it in the months ahead.

A five-day unannounced hazardous materials and dangerous goods inspection special enforcement effort in June netted 1,774 violations in the United States and Canada, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance reported Oct. 12.

EAST LIBERTY, Ohio — ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Systems Division showcased separately on two heavy-duty trucks its OnGuardMax autonomous emergency braking system and its adjustable electric power steering feature — both coming soon to the North American market.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied an exemption to the manufacturer of a brake-lamp technology with a pulsating bulb feature intended to help reduce rear-end collisions with trucks and trailers.