WASHINGTON — Leading members of the House Subcommittee on Transit and Highways from both parties sharply criticized the Department of Transportation’s recent push toward privatization and public-private partnerships.

ARLINGTON, Va. — With a pair of lawsuits challenging federal driver work rules still pending, American Trucking Associations officials have begun preparing responses to the rulings.

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations said last week it would become more vocal in its support for increased fuel efficiency in heavy trucks and ratified an agreement with the biodiesel industry to promote that fuel at the federal level.

In addition to providing billions of dollars for congestion relief, the Department of Transportation’s $67 billion fiscal 2008 budget proposal included millions of dollars for commercial vehicle safety.

SAN ANTONIO — Truck-stop industry officials meeting here said their main focus this year would be preparing for the expected increase in biodiesel use.

Manufacturers of electronic onboard recorders had differing views of the federal government’s proposal to require recorders for some motor carriers, with some saying the government was treating EOBRs punitively and others hailing the move as an important safety development.

The Transportation Department’s recent proposal to use electronic onboard recorders to monitor driver hours is “weak” and ineffective, safety advocacy groups said last week, while some trucking industry organizations applauded the plan.

In their first days as Congress’ new majority, Democrats on Capitol Hill introduced legislation calling for greater cargo screening and tracking of hazardous materials shipments.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed a rule Thursday to mandate the use of electronic onboard recorders for habitual violators of federal hours-of-service rules.

The White House late last month gave its approval for a proposal that could force truckers to use electronic recorders to monitor their hours of service, clearing the way for the rule to be published after more than two years of discussion.