News Briefs - Aug. 18
The Latest Headlines:
- Airlines to Cut Flights at Chicago O'Hare
- G.I. Trucking Says Business to Hawaii Growing
- Trucker Remains Jailed in Immigrant Smuggling Case
- Oregon Study Recommends Against Raising Some Speed Limits
- G.I. Trucking Says Business to Hawaii Growing
Airlines to Cut Flights at Chicago O'Hare
Officials have reached a temporary agreement to ease congestion at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport that calls for a reduction of 37 daily arrivals by United Airlines and American Airlines, the Associated Press reported.The order would be in effect from Nov. 1 through April. Under the new agreement, all the airlines agreed to a goal of reducing the average number of arrivals to 88 during peak hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., AP said.
Passenger planes often times carry cargo that is later transferred to trucks.
G.I. Trucking Says Business to Hawaii Growing
Less-than-truckload carrier G.I. Trucking Co. said it has continued to see a significant increase in the number of shipments to and from Hawaii.G.I. said in a statement that in the first quarter, shipments to Hawaii rose 33% and revenue increased 70% on those shipments, compared with a year earlier. In 2003, shipments rose 40% over the year before.
The company said it offers Wednesday and Saturday sailings with ocean carrier Matson Navigation.
G.I. Trucking is ranked No. 84 on the Transport Topics 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies. Transport Topics
Trucker Remains Jailed in Immigrant Smuggling Case
A truck driver accused of smuggling 79 illegal immigrants was ordered to remain in federal custody by a judge who said the man could be a flight risk, the Associated Press reported.The driver was arrested earlier this month after police stopped his tractor-trailer in Fort Worth, Texas. Prosecutors were given 30 days to seek an indictment against the driver, AP said.
Authorities said they found 79 immigrants -- including 14 children -- who allegedly paid $1,500 each for the trip.
Several of the immigrants were expected to remain in the United States as witnesses, but the rest were being deported, AP said. Transport Topics
Oregon Study Recommends Against Raising Some Speed Limits
An Oregon Department of Transportation study advised against boosting the current 65 mph limit for cars on rural freeways, mostly because that would require the speed limits for trucks to go up as well, the Associated Press reported.Oregon state law sets truck speed limits at 5 mph below car limits.
The 2003 Legislature authorized the Transportation Commission to raise speed limits to 70 mph for cars and 65 mph for trucks. The law was backed by the Oregon Trucking Association as long as the 5 mph rule for trucks remained intact, AP said.
However, ODOT did recommend raising existing speeds in four areas where traffic had been slowed below the 65 mph statewide limit including Interstate 5 in Eugene and I-84 in Portland.
It is not known whether transportation officials would follow the study's recommendations, AP said. Transport Topics
