Translogistics

12/10/2012 President to Visit Detroit Diesel Plant

President Obama is scheduled to travel today to Redford Township, Mich., for an event on the economy at the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant.

According to published reports, the trip is part of a public campaign designed to pressure congressional Republicans to back his plan to address the “fiscal cliff,” a series of tax hikes and budget cuts that take effect next year if the White House and Congress are unable to reach a debt reduction plan.

Obama wants to extend George W. Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class, but let them expire for incomes over $250,000 a year.

Republicans have said that is not an option, and instead have proposed raising more revenue by eliminating unnamed tax loopholes and deductions.

Trucking reporters also are scheduled to meet with key Daimler Trucks officials in conjunction with the president’s visit.

Government: Related News

12/10/2012 – President to Visit Detroit Diesel Plant President Obama is scheduled to travel today to Redford Township, Mich., for an event on the economy at the Daimler Detroit Diesel plant…. More >¹

12/10/2012 – Pennsylvania Opens Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection began accepting applications Dec. 1 for its Natural Gas Vehicle Grant program, which will provide up to $20 million over the next three years to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles…. More >²

12/7/2012 – Trucking Interests Prepare for New Committee Lineups on the Hill The election did not change the balance of power in Washington, but committee leadership in Congress is in flux and trucking lobbyists are alert for what that might mean.

They also are watching for a possible change at the Department of Transportation…. More >³

12/7/2012 – FMCSA Cracks Down on Household Goods Movers The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is going after two California carriers for holding household goods hostage, using the new authority granted to it under the highway bill passed earlier this year…. More >⁴

12/6/2012 – CSA Advisory Committee Takes on Daunting Analysis The advisory committee that is preparing recommendations on the CSA enforcement program for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a dense thicket to chop through.

The complexities and contradictions of CSA were on full display yesterday as a subcommittee of the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee took in testimony from the analysts who designed the program and researchers who have enumerated its flaws…. More >⁵

12/6/2012 – House Bill Would Require Pilot Program for DOT Hair Testing for Drugs Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wisc.) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct a pilot program to evaluate the use of hair samples to test commercial drivers for illicit drug use…. More >⁶

12/5/2012 – CARB Deadlines Looms For Trucks and Buses The California Air Resources Board is reminding truck and bus owners to check now to see if their vehicle fleets are among those that will have new rules to follow as of Jan. 1, 2013.

As the new year begins, heavy-duty trucks and buses (more than 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating) with 2000 – 2004 model year engines will likely need diesel soot filters… More >⁷

12/4/2012 – FMCSA Advisory Panel Takes on Driver Training Federal regulators have been trying for more than 20 years to set training standards for entry-level truck drivers – without success.

Now, under pressure from Congress and the courts, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is trying to reinvigorate the regulatory process by asking its Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee for suggestions on how to get the job done…. More >⁸

12/4/2012 – FMCSA Implements CSA Improvements The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented a number of improvements to its CSA safety enforcement program, including dropping the Cargo-Related BASIC and adding a new Hazardous Materials BASIC that is expected to put more scrutiny on carriers hauling hazmat…. More >⁹

11/29/2012 – Rep. Bill Shuster Will Take Reins of Key House Transportation Committee Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., will replace Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

T&I is the key truck-related panel in the House, with oversight over the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It is the committee that will draft the next major highway bill, due in 2014…. More >¹⁰

11/27/2012 – Pennsylvania Officials Cracking Down on Overweight Trucks The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the commonwealth’s Department of Environmental Protection are intensifying efforts to stop trucks from bringing overweight loads to Pennsylvania landfills…. More >¹¹

11/19/2012 – CARB Posts Guidance for Electric Standby, Hybrid Electric Reefers The California Air Resources Board has posted Regulatory Guidance for Electric Standby and Hybrid Electric Systems for Transport Refrigeration Units…. More >¹²

11/15/2012 – FMCSA Proposes Tough Sanctions for Carriers That Repeatedly Disregard Safety Rules Safety regulators want to impose the ultimate penalty, loss of registration, on truck and bus operations that show egregious disregard for the rules.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says that every year a small number of carriers try to avoid compliance or disguise non-compliance. These carriers often submit new applications under a different name after they have been placed out of service, the agency said…. More >¹³

11/14/2012 – FMCSA New Initiative to Validate Driver Medical Cards The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced that it and its state partners will be conducting random verifications of driver Medical Examiner’s Certificates during enforcement activities. … More >¹⁴

11/13/2012 – Millions of Gallons of Emergency Diesel Reserves to be Released The U.S. Energy Department recently stated that 4.2 million gallons of diesel would be released to help fuel shortages in Connecticut in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

As part of the government-wide response and recovery effort for the storm, the Energy Department is providing the Department of Defense with additional ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. … More >¹⁵

11/12/2012 – NY Thruway Toll Increases for Trucks Still Undecided Questions about whether or not trucks would see an increase in toll costs on the New York State Thruway still remain unanswered.

The New York State Thruway Authority postponed a meeting, originally scheduled for Friday, Nov. 9, until the following Tuesday. The authority gave no reasons for why the meeting was delayed…. More >¹⁶

11/9/2012 – Massachusetts Voters Say Yes to Right to Repair for All Vehicles UPDATED — When the Massachusetts state Legislature passed the nation’s first right to repair law earlier this year, it excluded vehicles over 10,000 pounds. Tuesday, state voters overwhelmingly approved a different version of the law, which includes all motor vehicles sold in the state…. More >¹⁷

11/9/2012 – Sandy Recovery Efforts Continue as Latest Storm Moves On Despite the arrival of another storm last night, recovery efforts from the hurricane-turned-superstorm Sandy continue throughout the Northeast, while fuel problems have a domino effect in the Southeast…. More >¹⁸

11/6/2012 – FMCSA to Lead Interstate Petroleum Transport Team to Speed Hurricane Response The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Monday that it is leading an Interstate Petroleum Transport Team to ensure the fastest and most efficient movement of fuel to the region devastated by Hurricane Sandy…. More >¹⁹

11/2/2012 – $12 million DOT Emergency Relief Funds Released for Hurricane Sandy Damage U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced he is making $12 million in quick release emergency relief funds immediately available to New Jersey and Connecticut to help begin repairing the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, while assessments continue throughout the Northeast to determine the full extent of the damage. … More >²⁰

11/1/2012 – ATRI Needs Carrier Feedback on 34-hour Restart Changes The American Transportation Research Institute is gathering carrier opinions on the potential impacts of changes to the 34-hour restart rule. … More >²¹

10/26/2012 – FMCSA Defends Hours Rule The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration defended its hours-of-service rule in a court filing, arguing that limits on the 34-hour restart are reasonable.

The agency also told a federal appeals court that the risks of the 11-hour limit on driving are outweighed by the productivity savings, and the 30-minute rest break improves safety…. More >²²

10/24/2012 – New Jersey Legislation Targets Independent Contractors The New Jersey Assembly is going after trucking companies it says are improperly listing truck drivers as independent contractors, with a bill that the New Jersey Motor Truck Association warned would cause many trucking companies and owner-operators to leave the state — along with many of their customers…. More >²³

10/22/2012 – President Signs Military CDL Act President Barack Obama Friday signed the Military Commercial Drivers’ License Act of 2012, which will make it easier for veterans and service men and women to obtain Commercial Drivers’ Licenses, making them more employable once they leave active-duty…. More >²⁴

10/19/2012 – CSA Advisory Panel Plans Broad Review A CSA advisory panel plans to undertake an extensive review of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s flagship truck safety program.

At a two-day planning session this week, the CSA Subcommittee of the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee agreed on a review process that will include presentations from researchers who have been critical of the program…. More >²⁵

10/19/2012 – FMCSA Posts Penalties for Taking Household Goods Hostage Household goods movers who hold shipments for hostage will face stiff penalties under a new federal policy…. More >²⁶

10/17/2012 – CSA Scrutiny Intensifies Scrutiny of the CSA truck safety program went up a notch this week with a congressional request for an audit and the launch of a review by a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration advisory group…. More >²⁷

10/17/2012 – CARB Says “Gear Up for Clean Truck Month” a Success The California Air Resources Board announced that its month-long multi-agency campaign to ensure that trucks traveling on California’s roadways are obeying state air pollution laws was a huge success…. More >²⁸

10/16/2012 – EPA Awards $30 Million for Clean Diesel Projects The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $30 million for clean diesel projects as part of its ongoing campaign to reduce harmful diesel exhaust. … More >²⁹

10/11/2012 – ATA Adopts New Position on Sleep Disorder Screening and Testing LAS VEGAS – Seeing disturbing indications that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration may plan to address the issue of sleep apnea among truck drivers with a “guidance” rather than a rulemaking, the American Trucking Associations has a new policy position that will allow its staff to work to convince agency leaders that a formal rulemaking process is necessary…. More >³⁰

10/10/2012 – FMCSA Stands by Driver Fitness Measurement The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says it has long acknowledged shortcomings in its CSA program, but will continue to enforce elements of the program that have come under criticism…. More >³¹

10/2/2012 – Congress Passes Legislation for Easier CDLs for Military The House of Representatives Friday passed a Senate bill (S. 3624) that lets states issue commercial driver’s licenses to military personnel stationed in the state instead of in their home state…. More >³²

10/2/2012 – New Research Points to CSA Shortcomings, Reforms A new research report finds that while some CSA scores are accurate predictors of crash risk, others work in the opposite direction.

The report by the American Transportation Research Institute, an arm of American Trucking Associations, uses statistical analysis to see how scores in the five public BASICs relate to actual crash involvement…. More >³³

9/28/2012 – CARB Extends GHG Regulation Registration Deadline for Small Fleets The California Air Resources Board has extended the registration deadline for the Small Fleet Compliance Plan to Jan. 1…. More >³⁴

9/27/2012 – Bill Would Make it Easier for Service Members to Get CDL Legislation could soon ease the process for former military troops to obtain their commercial driver’s licenses when they leave the service and are back home looking for work as commercial drivers…. More >³⁵

9/26/2012 – Schumer Calls for Federal Standards on Truck GPS Systems Too many New York truck drivers are relying on consumer GPS systems to plan their routes, a practice that is leading to frequent encounters with low bridges, says Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y…. More >³⁶

9/24/2012 – Grant money in New Jersey for Snow and Ice Removal Facilities Grant money has been made available in the state of New Jersey for snow and ice removal equipment for commercial vehicles…. More >³⁷

9/21/2012 – EPA Inspector General: SmartWay Works Well But Needs Data Verification SmartWay, the voluntary truck fuel economy and sustainability program run by the Environmental Protection Agency, is working well but needs to ensure that carrier data remains valid, says the agency’s Inspector General Arthur Elkins…. More >³⁸

9/20/2012 – FMCSA Shuts Down Kansas Trucking Company for Extreme Hours of Service Violations The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Kansas-based commercial truck company HP Distribution LLP and an affiliated company, HP Distribution LLC, to immediately cease all transportation services based on serious hours-of-service and other safety violations that posed an imminent hazard to public safety…. More >³⁹

9/18/2012 – House Passes Continuing Resolution without MAP-21 Spending Levels The House passed a six-month continuing resolution Thursday evening to fund the government until early 2013 — without incorporating the transportation funding levels enacted in the new transportation bill, MAP-21…. More >⁴⁰

9/14/2012 – Ryder $1 Million Settlement to CARB to Help Pay for Education, Natural Gas Service The California Air Resources Board announced that Ryder System paid $1 million for failure to conduct testing and maintain complete records of required annual opacity tests on heavy-duty vehicles in its California fleet in 2008 and 2009…. More >⁴¹

9/14/2012 – House Committee Hears CSA Complaints A congressional hearing yesterday on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA safety enforcement program gave critics a chance to vent, but the committee appears content for the time being to let the agency and its constituents work things out…. More >⁴²

9/13/2012 – CSA Issues to be Aired on Hill Today The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s flagship CSA safety enforcement program will face congressional scrutiny today as a House subcommittee airs questions about the program’s effectiveness…. More >⁴³

9/12/2012 – NTSB’s Strategic Plan Available For Comment A draft of the National Transportation Safety Boards’ strategic plan for 2013 through 2016 is available to the public for comment…. More >⁴⁴

9/12/2012 – Alliance for Driver Safety & Security Expands Agenda Beyond EOBRs The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, a Washington, D.C. coalition of transportation companies that promoted recent federal legislation to require electronic on-board recording devices (EOBRs) in all commercial trucks, has named Callie Hoyt its manager of governmental affairs and is expanding its focus to other trucking safety issues…. More >⁴⁵

9/11/2012 – Audit Finds Familiar Shortcoming in Cross-Border Trucking Program It is hard to measure the safety performance of cross-border Mexican trucks because too few of them participate in the trade, says the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation. This is one of several findings in the most recent review of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration border program…. More >⁴⁶

9/10/2012 – Virginia Scales Back I-95 Toll Plans The Virginia Department of Transportation has reduced the number of toll points requested in its application to the U.S. Department of Transportation to toll I-95. Originally, the application named two separate toll locations along I-95, but the VDOT decreased the scope of the tolling project to simply one…. More >⁴⁷

9/7/2012 – DOT Inspector General to Audit Cross-Border Program The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s cross-border trucking program with Mexico is up for a scheduled review by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation…. More >⁴⁸

9/7/2012 – Small Brokers Take Issue with New $75,000 Bond Requirement The ink on the new highway bill is hardly dry, yet one transportation group already is pushing for an amendment.

The Association of Independent Property Brokers & Agents is lobbying to repeal the $75,000 bond requirement for brokers and freight forwarders that’s in the law Congress passed in June…. More >⁴⁹

9/5/2012 – Aftermarket Groups Say Adding Heavy-Duty Could Have Derailed Mass. Right to Repair Just because the new Massachusetts Right to Repair law only covers light-duty vehicles (up to 10,000 pounds) doesn’t mean that independent heavy-duty repair interests aren’t continuing the fight to extend accessibility of repair information to the heavier vehicles…. More >⁵⁰

9/4/2012 – DOT Orders Shutdown of Reincarnated Tennessee Carrier The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Tennessee-based trucking company Terri’s Farm to immediately cease all interstate transportation services, based on evidence that it was a chameleon operation for an unsafe company previously shut down by the agency…. More >⁵¹

8/31/2012 – Navistar Gets to Pay Penalties for Emissions Noncompliance, EPA Rules The Environmental Protection Agency will allow Navistar International to pay penalties on engines that do not meet clean air standards. The rule, which has not yet been published, sets a maximum penalty of about $3,800 per engine, the agency said last night…. More >⁵²

8/30/2012 – California Reaches $100 million Milestone in Loan Assistance to Truckers The California Air Resources Board and the California Pollution Control Financing Authority, part of the State Treasurer’s Office, hit the $100 million mark in financial assistance to small-business truckers so they can buy cleaner-burning vehicles…. More >⁵³

8/29/2012 – New Highway Law a Big Work Order for FMCSA The new highway law⁵⁴ sets an ambitious agenda for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration over the next couple of years.

Most of the requirements in MAP-21 came from the agency’s strategic plan, said administrator Anne Ferro as she introduced a presentation Monday on the agency’s plans to implement the law…. More >⁵⁵

8/28/2012 – New Advisory Panel Broadens Access to CSA Planning The trucking industry and other interest groups are getting more say in how the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shapes its signature CSA safety enforcement program.

At the first meeting of a new CSA advisory panel yesterday, the agency spelled out the help it needs, calling for ideas and suggestions on how to solve such long-standing issues as public access to data, improvements in the data correction system and whether or not carriers should get credit for safety technology…. More >⁵⁶

8/27/2012 – FMCSA Adds HazMat Basic, Makes Other Changes to CSA Program The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Friday announced several changes to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability enforcement program, including going ahead with a new HazMat BASIC that has prompted a lot of criticism from the industry…. More >⁵⁷

8/24/2012 – DOT Creates Freight Policy Council The Department of Transportation yesterday officially launched the Freight Policy Council, the first step in creating the first national freight policy as mandated in the recent highway bill. The council will focus on improving the condition and performance of the national freight network to better ensure the ability of the United States to compete in today’s global economy…. More >⁵⁸

8/23/2012 – DOT: States to Get $17.5 Million to Fight Distracted Driving The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a new grant program that will provide approximately $17.5 million to states that have laws banning distracted driving in fiscal year 2013…. More >⁵⁹

8/20/2012 – Obama Administration Frees up Unspent Earmark Funds for Infrastructure Projects The Obama administration announced that it won’t allow infrastructure funds to sit idle as a result of stalled earmark projects. It’s making more than $470 million in unspent earmarks immediately available to states for projects that will create jobs and help improve transportation…. More >⁶⁰

8/20/2012 – FMCSA Launches Facebook Page The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has launched a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FMCSA… More >⁶¹⁶²

8/17/2012 – FMCSA Puts Clock on New Entrant Applications New entrants to trucking will face a shorter deadline for correcting problems in their applications, under a new policy by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration…. More >⁶³

8/16/2012 – FMCSA Shifts Gears on Oilfield Hauler HOS Guidance Reacting to strong protests against its proposed new hours of service guidance for oilfield haulers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended the deadline for comments and scheduled several public listening sessions…. More >⁶⁴⁶⁵

8/15/2012 – FMCSA Spells Out Policy on Applications The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration spelled out its policy on evaluating applications for authority, listing a half-dozen performance factors that it evaluates…. More >⁶⁶

8/15/2012 – A Bid to Have Obama, Romney Debate Infrastructure Investment President Obama just signed a new highway law, but the program runs for only two years, so either Obama or Mitt Romney is going to have to sign another one.

What should that law accomplish?

A trio of political leaders is asking the Commission on Presidential Debates to make infrastructure one of the six topics covered in the Obama-Romney debate in Denver on October 3…. More >⁶⁷

8/13/2012 – Industry Research Favors Roll Stability over Electronic Stability Controls New research by the trucking industry finds that for some carriers, roll stability control technology may be more effective than electronic stability control…. More >⁶⁸

8/10/2012 – EPA’s Navistar Proposal Up for Final Review The Environmental Protection Agency is close to releasing a revised proposal on whether or not Navistar International can pay penalties on engines that don’t meet clean air standards.

The proposed rule, which still is under wraps, is awaiting final review at the White House Office of Management and Budget…. More >⁶⁹

8/9/2012 – CSA Changes Draw Strong Commentary When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration asked for comments on changes in its CSA safety enforcement program, it got an earful.

Almost everyone supports the concept of the overall CSA program, but the details do not get much love…. More >⁷⁰

8/7/2012 – ATA Seeks Nominations for “Good Stuff” Trucking Image Award The American Trucking Associations is seeking nominations for the sixth annual Mike Russell “Good Stuff” Trucking Image Award…. More >⁷¹

8/6/2012 – CARB Steps Up Diesel Truck Enforcement in August The California Air Resources Board has designated August “Gear Up for Clean Truck Month,” to remind diesel users that the rules are in effect and being vigorously enforced…. More >⁷²

8/6/2012 – Kentucky Gets Digital Driver Licenses Kentucky has begun a transition to a new driver’s license that contains security features for greater protection of privacy and resistance to tampering…. More >⁷³

8/1/2012 – Carb to Focus on Compliance in August The California Air Resources Board has designated August as “Gear Up for Clean Truck Month.” … More >⁷⁴

8/1/2012 – Trucking Allies File Amicus Brief on HOS The National Retail Federation joined a coalition of manufacturers, shippers and transportation providers to file an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals opposing new hours-of-service rules…. More >⁷⁵

8/1/2012 – ATA to FMCSA: New CSA Revision Process a Start, but Serious Flaws Remain In comments filed July 30, American Trucking Associations told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that while it supports the agency’s new process for improving its carrier oversight program Compliance, Safety, Accountability, the system still has serious deficiencies that must be corrected. … More >⁷⁶

7/31/2012 – Indiana Police Targeting ‘Hot Trucks’ Indiana State Police have stepped up enforcement of what are being called “hot trucks” — refrigerated trucks found to be delivering food that’s not being kept at the proper temperature.

On July 1, a new state law went into effect that gave the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division of the Indiana State Police the authority to stop suspected “hot” trucks,… More >⁷⁷

7/31/2012 – Safety Groups Challenge Hours Rule The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration erred when it preserved the 34-hour restart and 11-hour driving limit in driver work rules, truck safety advocates told a federal appeals court…. More >⁷⁸

7/31/2012 – Kansas Adds Online IFTA Filing Submitting International Fuel Tax Agreement Quarterly Tax Returns just got easier for Kansas-based motor carriers, thanks to the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Kansas IFTA Quarterly Filings application.… More >⁷⁹⁸⁰

7/26/2012 – ATA Fires Opening Salvo in Hours of Service Suit American Trucking Associations and its allies have asked a federal appeals court to strike four provisions of the hours-of-service rule that is scheduled to take effect next July.

The trucking interests told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration erred when it limited the 34-hour restart to once a week and required each restart to include two rest periods between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. … More >⁸¹

7/25/2012 – NHTSA’s Stability Control Proposal Gets First Public Airing Trucking interests, including manufacturers and carriers, support the idea of a federal mandate for stability control systems in new tractors, but have concerns about details in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed rule…. More >⁸²

7/24/2012 – Ferro Announces Crash Accountability Research Plans The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is going to take on three central questions in its analysis of the hot-button issue of crash accountability.

Are police accident reports reliable enough to determine accountability? Are the benefits of determining accountability worth the costs – as much as $3 million a year? And how should the agency manage the process, giving the public a chance to participate?… More >⁸³

7/23/2012 – Government Investigating NE Toll Agencies The federal Government Accountability Office is looking into recent toll increases imposed by bi-state agencies on bridges in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, according to published reports…. More >⁸⁴

7/23/2012 – Small Carriers, Brokers Launch Legal Challenge to CSA A group of small carriers and brokers asked a federal appeals court to review a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration explanation of its CSA safety enforcement program…. More >⁸⁵

7/20/2012 – FMCSA Plans Changes in Pre-Employment Screening Data The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is planning to make some changes in its handling of data in the Pre-Employment Screening Program…. More >⁸⁶

7/19/2012 – NHTSA to Hold Hearing on Electronic Stability Control Proposal The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will host a public hearing in Washington, D.C., next week to get reaction to its proposed mandate for electronic stability control systems on heavy-duty trucks and buses…. More >⁸⁷⁸⁸

7/19/2012 – Maryland Helps Truckers Go Paperless, Offers E-Hauling Permits The Maryland State Highway Administration is now providing truckers a way to carry paperless permits, allowing drivers to display them in electronic format during inspections, replacing traditional paper-issued permits and attachments…. More >⁸⁹

7/18/2012 – OOIDA Sues FMCSA over Pre-Employment Screening Program The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s pre-employment screening program violates drivers’ rights, claims the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association in a lawsuit. OOIDA told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that under the program, drivers can be in effect found guilty of safety violations before they get due process in court. … More >⁹⁰

7/13/2012 – FMCSA Posts EOBR FAQ, Says it is Revisiting Cost-Benefit Analysis The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration indicates it will re-examine the costs-vs-benefits of mandatory electronic onboard recorders in a new list of frequently asked questions it posted this week on its website…. More >⁹¹

7/12/2012 – Concerns about CSA Aired at House Hearing Opponents of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA enforcement program took their case to Congress yesterday, charging in a hearing that the program is being misused and harms small carriers…. More >⁹²

7/11/2012 – FMCSA Schedule for Crash Accountability Research Due This Month The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is edging closer to action on weighing carrier fault in the CSA safety enforcement database. This month, the agency should announce a research schedule for figuring out how to separate at-fault crashes from not-at-fault crashes when it looks at a carrier’s safety performance…. More >⁹³

7/9/2012 – EOBR Cut-Off Faces Opposition in Senate A bid by owner-operators to cut off funding for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s electronic onboard recorder rule appears unlikely to pass. Close followers of the issue note that while it is not wise to say “never” in Washington, the cutoff faces stiff opposition in the Senate…. More >⁹⁴

7/6/2012 – Right to Repair Submits Final Signatures for Ballot Initiative The Right to Repair Coalition today submitted 16,000 signatures to the Massachusetts secretary of state to secure the initiative’s place on the November ballot…. More >⁹⁵

7/5/2012 – CARB Extends Reporting Deadline for Greenhouse Gas Regulation The California Air Resources Board has extended the reporting deadline to September 1, 2012, for its greenhouse gas tractor-trailer regulation so that small fleets can take advantage of flexibility options…. More >⁹⁶

7/3/2012 – NHTSA Announces Public Hearing on Proposed Stability Control Systems Rule The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced a public hearing on the proposed rule for heavy vehicle electronic stability control systems…. More >⁹⁷

7/2/2012 – Congress Passes Highway Bill; House Bill Would Block EOBR Mandate The House and Senate passed the highway reauthorization bill Friday afternoon. The bill easily cleared both chambers: The House vote was 373-52, and the Senate vote was 74-19. It now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it…. More >⁹⁸

6/29/2012 – Agreement Sets New Course for Highway Program It turns out that Congress can compromise after all.

At the last moment, House and Senate negotiators wheeled and dealed their way to a highway agreement in which no one gets everything and everyone gets something…. More >⁹⁹

6/29/2012 – Congress Passes Highway Bill The House and Senate passed the highway reauthorization bill this afternoon. The bill easily cleared both chambers: The House vote was 373-52, and the Senate vote was 74-19. It now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it…. More >¹⁰⁰

6/28/2012 – Congress Signals Agreement on Highway Bill CORRECTED — Congress appears close to agreement on reauthorization of the federal highway program.

Reports from various sources last evening indicated congressional leaders had a tentative agreement on a two-year bill. It appears that the bill will not include a controversial provision requiring approval of the Keystone XL pipeline…. More >¹⁰¹

6/27/2012 – Rep. Issa Challenges EPA on Heavy Truck Fuel Economy Standard The House Oversight Committee is claiming that the California Air Resources Board was too influential in the drafting of federal truck fuel efficiency standards.

Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency that CARB appears to have been “heavily invested and highly involved” in development of the standards for heavy-duty trucks…. More >¹⁰²

6/26/2012 – Iowa Waives CDL Drive Skills Test for Military Personnel A new law in Iowa makes it easier for former military personnel to make the switch to a commercial driving career…. More >¹⁰³

6/22/2012 – DOT, Veterans Affairs Offering Help for Veterans Who Want Transportation Jobs U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki today unveiled a new portal on their departments’ websites designed to help military veterans find jobs in the transportation industry…. More >¹⁰⁴

6/20/2012 – New EPA Emission Proposal Seen Having Little Impact on Trucking The Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed new standard for fine particle pollution is not likely to have much impact on highway trucking, although it could lead to retrofit requirements and anti-idling regulations in a few places…. More >¹⁰⁵

6/19/2012 – HOS Court Battle Starts Next Month The court battle over the hours-of-service rule gets under way in July, according to a schedule posted last week by the appeals court.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has consolidated lawsuits by a number of trucking groups that believe the rule is too restrictive, and by several safety advocacy groups that believe the rule is too liberal…. More >¹⁰⁶

6/18/2012 – FMCSA to Post CSA Study in Response to ATA Request In response to prodding by American Trucking Associations, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it will release a study of the links between violations and crash risk that it uses in the CSA safety enforcement system…. More >¹⁰⁷

References

1. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
2. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
3. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
4. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
5. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
6. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
7. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
8. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
9. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
10. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
11. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
12. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
13. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
14. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
15. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
16. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
17. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
18. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
19. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
20. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
21. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
22. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
23. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
24. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
25. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
26. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
27. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
28. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
29. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
30. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
31. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
32. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
33. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
34. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
35. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
36. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
37. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
38. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
39. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
40. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
41. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
42. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
43. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
44. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
45. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
46. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
47. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
48. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
49. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
50. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
51. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
52. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
53. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
54. ^{^} new highway law (www.truckinginfo.com)
55. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
56. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
57. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
58. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
59. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
60. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
61. ^{^} https://www.facebook.com/FMCSA (www.facebook.com)
62. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
63. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
64. ^{^} extended the deadline (www.gpo.gov)
65. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
66. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
67. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
68. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
69. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
70. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
71. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
72. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
73. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
74. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
75. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
76. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
77. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
78. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
79. ^{^} Kansas IFTA Quarterly Filings application. (www.kansas.gov)
80. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
81. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
82. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
83. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
84. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
85. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
86. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
87. ^{^} public hearing (www.federalregister.gov)
88. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
89. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
90. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
91. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
92. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
93. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
94. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
95. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
96. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
97. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
98. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
99. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
100. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
101. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
102. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
103. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
104. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
105. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
106. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)
107. ^{^} More > (www.truckinginfo.com)