Safety

The U.S. Senate is poised to vote Sept. 10 on whether to advance a slimmed-down Republican-crafted pandemic relief bill, opening what’s likely to be the final stage of the monthslong partisan battle over fiscal stimulus.

A new economic relief proposal by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell short of passage in the chamber by a vote of 52-47.

The Federal Highway Administration announced the availability of $70 million through the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects grant program Sept. 8.

Trucking technology supplier Omnitracs has agreed to acquire SmartDrive Systems, one of the transportation industry’s largest providers of onboard cameras and video-based safety systems.

The American Transportation Research Institute has opened its annual survey asking trucking industry representatives to identify major industrywide issues.

Boeing Co. has slowed deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner as crews check for a new manufacturing flaw involving gaps in the horizontal stabilizer, the small wing in the aircraft tail.

Congressional leaders hardened their battle lines on additional fiscal stimulus on Sept. 8, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi labeling Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s proposal for a slimmed-down package “fraudulent.”

The Department of Health and Human Services on Sept. 8 announced its long-delayed proposed mandatory guidelines to allow employers to drug test truck drivers and other federal workers for pre-employment and random testing using hair specimens.

The U.S. labor-market rebound extended for a fourth month in August, offering hope that the economy can continue to recover despite a persistent pandemic and Washington’s standoff over further government aid to jobless Americans and small businesses.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced a proposal and request for comment on a new pilot program to allow drivers ages 18-20 to operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate commerce.