Government

About Government News...

Transport Topics government and regulatory coverage keeps managers of a highly-regulated industry aware of the policy decisions that can shape their businesses. Covering both the legislative and regulatory aspects of policy-making, at both the state and national levels, the news in this category includes looks at infrastructure, hours of service, emissions rules, funding measures, leadership appointments, and more. Readers can follow what’s happening in Congress, at the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, and in state and local governments.

Government, Business, Safety

Rep. Hanna Urges U.S. Transportation Chief to Ensure Fair HOS Study

Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) recently urged Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to make sure a study of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service rule consists of drivers who are representative of the industry.

Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter
April 7, 2015
Government, Business, Fuel

NTSB Urges Increased Safety Requirements for Oil Tank Cars

The National Transportation Safety Board on April 6 urged hazardous material regulators to step up requirements for replacing or retrofitting tank railcars that carry flammable liquids such as crude oil and ethanol with better thermal protection.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
April 7, 2015
Government, Business, Safety

Arkansas Truckers Now Operating With Anti-Indemnification Protection

Arkansas has become the 42nd state to protect truckers against having to choose between losing a load or signing a contract that makes them liable for any and all accidents, regardless of who is to blame.

Michele Fuetsch | Staff Reporter
April 6, 2015
Government, Business, Safety

Texas, Indiana Counties Issue Most CSA Points, Vigillo’s Bryan Says

An inordinate number of inspection violations issued in several counties in Texas and Indiana are examples of “disparate enforcement” that limits the effectiveness of the federal Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, according to the head of a data analytics firm.

Eric Miller | Senior Reporter
April 6, 2015
Government

ILWU Rank-and-File Vote Begins After Leaders Back Contract

International Longshore and Warehouse Union leaders recommended approval of a tentative five-year contract, clearing the way for a vote by 20,000 rank-and-file dockworkers over the next month.

April 6, 2015
Government, Business, Safety

Rep. Bill Shuster, Colleagues Discuss Transportation in Pennsylvania This Week

Rep. Bill Shuster, the top transportation authorizer in the U.S. House, has assembled a group of fellow lawmakers and transportation officials for a two-day tour of his home state of Pennsylvania to meet with stakeholders to discuss ways of improving aging infrastructure.

Eugene Mulero | Senior Reporter
April 6, 2015
Business, Government

TT Archives: Gas Tax

After what reporter Thomas Strah described in this Aug. 16, 1993 edition of Transport Topics as “dramatic and partisan legislative showdown,” Congress passed a bill raising the federal tax on gasoline and diesel by 4.7 cents a gallon.

April 6, 2015
Business, Government, Safety, Fuel, Autonomous

US Delays Greenhouse-Gas Rule

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The federal government has delayed the publication of a new greenhouse-gas emissions rule for trucks, a topic that was already top of mind for engineers, manufacturers and other industry leaders attending the Mid-America Trucking Show.

April 6, 2015
Business, Safety, Government, Technology

FMCSA Official Defends CSA, New App; Truckers Express Concern, Frustration

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A senior Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration official defended the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program and the recently unveiled smartphone app designed to facilitate access to the program’s ratings and performance data.

April 6, 2015
Government, Business, Safety, Autonomous

Drivers Worry Federal Medical Guidelines Could Result in Additional Disqualifications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Drivers attending the Mid-America Trucking Show criticized current medical guidelines, but a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration official stressed the need to ensure they are fit to work.

April 6, 2015