Editorial

At last, we’ve had some movement on Capitol Hill toward enactment of a new federal transportation funding act.

The good news is that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration missed the court-imposed deadline for submitting its latest iteration of the hours-of-service rule to govern commercial drivers.

The most recent bits of news about business conditions and the economy suggest that, while we can’t be sure we’re out of the woods yet, the most dire predictions of a double-dip recession a couple of months ago apparently were too pessimistic.

While it’s certainly hard to single out just one “most important” accomplishment at the recent ATA Management Conference & Exhibition, the new alliance with the Truckload Carriers Association on truck weights is certainly a contender.

This will be a busy week for the leaders of the nation’s trucking industry who will be meeting at American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition.

When the leadership of the nation’s trucking industry gathers in Grapevine, Texas, later this month for American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition, the country’s infrastructure will be the top item on what is sure to be a busy agenda.

Back in 2003, Virginia began its ill-advised drive to toll an existing federal highway to raise money for road work, much to the displeasure of the region’s business community, and especially the trucking industry.

We agree with President Obama that federal funding of infrastructure projects is a great way to help spark the national economy and get Americans working.

It’s disappointing to see that the Department of Transportation’s own inspector general doesn’t think the agency is ready to proceed with the interminably delayed cross-border trucking pilot program with Mexico.

We were disappointed to see the federal appellate court’s ruling overturning the requirement that some motor carriers install electronic recording devices to monitor drivers’ compliance with the hours-of-service rule.