Safety
Transportation businesses face a host of dynamic risk issues that can significantly impact their financial and operational health. The news in this category focuses on the latest safety and security initiatives, resources and regulations and addresses topics that include fleet safety, claims administration, driver hiring and retention, risk management and compliance.
AASHTO Sets Roadside Safety Device Installation Schedule
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials announced its approval on Dec. 22 of a schedule for implementing the use of such roadside safety hardware devices as guardrails and crash cushions on the National Highway System that meet new crash-testing standards.
Missouri Senate Transportation Chairman Hopeful About Fuel-Tax Hike
Missouri’s 17-cent tax for both gas and diesel is among the lowest of any state and barely half of the nationwide average.
James Bass Chosen as Texas DOT Leader
The Texas Transportation Commission selected James Bass to be the executive director of the state’s Department of Transportation, effective Jan. 1. Bass has been the agency’s chief financial officer since 2005.
NACFE Report Urges Fleets to View Maintenance as Fuel-Economy Measure
Proper maintenance saves fuel. That was the key finding in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s latest Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report covering maintenance, the group said in releasing the report.
December 16, 2015Congress Rejects Twin 33s Trailer Provision in Funding Bill
A provision that would have authorized the use of twin 33-foot trailers nationwide did not make the final version of a large fiscal 2016 bill that would fund the federal government through September.
Chicago Freight Rail Bypass Gaining Steam, Founder Says
BRODHEAD, Wis. — A privately funded $8 billion freight rail proposed to bypass Chicago and connect to an existing line in Rock County is gaining steam faster than the founder expected.
NHTSA Issues Proposed Rule to Upgrade Rear Impact Guard Standard
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Dec. 7 issued a proposed rule to upgrade current rear impact guards on trucks and trailers to address underride protection in car crashes into trailers and semitrailers.
New American Highway Users Alliance Study Identifies Top 50 Bottlenecks in US
A new study decrying the state of the nation’s congested highways arrived just in time for the holidays as a record 47 million Americans hit the road and Congress begins debating the merits of a long-term highway bill, several transportation leaders said at a Nov. 23 news conference.
DOT Undersecretary Peter Rogoff to Take CEO Post at Seattle Transit Agency
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s undersecretary for policy, Peter Rogoff, will step down in a few weeks to take over operations at Seattle’s transit agency.
November 23, 2015Highway Bill Expected Soon; Long-Term Funding Uncertain
WASHINGTON — A multiyear highway bill that would ensure funding for infrastructure projects and reform a controversial safety performance scoring program for motor carriers will be unveiled Nov. 30, the top transportation leader in the U.S. House of Representatives said.