Safety

The Senate Commerce Committee last week approved a bill aimed at encouraging states to pass their own distracted driving laws, sending the measure to the Senate floor.

North Carolina’s secretary of transportation is supporting a plan by Virginia to put tolls on Interstate 95 near the border of the two states, the Associated Press reported.

President Obama’s recent announcement that he was kicking off a major effort to improve the fuel efficiency of commercial vehicles was welcome news to the trucking industry.

Reading the May 24 “Opinion” column on how hard it would be for the smaller freight brokers to exist with a higher bond, my heart goes out to them, but my sympathies run with the trucking companies that use these brokers, small or large.

American Trucking Associations, truck manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have urged the Senate to address a research and development bill on increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

I agree with “Opinion” writer Paul Landry: There’s no question that safety is more important than money. As consumers, we need to do the same when it comes to setting priorities.

The Senate passed its version of banking reform on May 20, including provisions that would impose tighter regulations on the trading of derivatives such as crude oil.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. Please check back on Tuesday, June 1, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.

As a former New York Department of Transportation regulator and a current player in the motor carrier transportation industry, I have followed the concerns voiced by members of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Transportation Intermediaries Association, which represents property brokers and other third-party intermediaries.