Government
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.
Obama Signs Nat Gas Tax-Extenders Legislation
President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill that will allow fleets that purchase new trucks or use natural gas to reap large tax credits.
December 29, 2014TT Podcasts: RoadSigns
Volvo's Chayene de Souza and Magnus Gustafson discuss how new, connected trucks can boost business, enhance safety practices, and reinforce preventative maintenance plans.
Economy Grows by Most in a Decade on Consumer-Spending Gain
The world’s largest economy surged in the third quarter, expanding at the fastest pace in more than a decade, as U.S. consumers and businesses spent more than previously estimated.
Commercial Vehicle Demand Softens in China, ACT Reports
The pace of China’s economy tapered in the third quarter, leading to a slower rate of growth in truck demand, according to the most recent quarterly China Commercial Vehicle Outlook, published jointly by ACT Research Co. and China’s State Information Center.
HOS Restart Change Is Law
The trucking industry’s long-sought suspension of last year’s changes to the hours-of-service restart provision became reality last week as President Obama signed a $1 trillion fiscal 2015 funding bill.
December 22, 2014Fatalities From Large-Truck Crashes Up Just Slightly in '13, Says NHTSA Report
U.S. fatalities from crashes involving large trucks increased by 0.5% in 2013, rising to 3,964 from 3,944 people the year before, according to a Dec. 19 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Mary Phillips Joins Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Mary Phillips, a former senior vice president for Legislative Affairs for American Trucking Associations, is joining the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit as a senior professional staff member.
December 19, 2014DOT Awards $2 Million to Assist California Repair of Flood-Damaged Roads
The federal Department of Transportation is sending California $2 million to assist communities in repairing roads damaged by recent floods.
Super-Heavy Trucks Can Stay on U.S. 41
On his way out the door toward retirement, Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) included a technical provision in “Cromnibus” that allows trucks to keep using U.S. 41, the main highway between Milwaukee and Green Bay.
FMCSA’s Website Updates HOS Enforcement Guidance
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration updated its website on Dec. 17 to reflect the recent suspension of parts of its hours of service rule, a change that took effect when President Obama signed a $1 trillion bill into law Dec. 16.
Cuomo to Ban Fracking; Health Officials Call It Unsafe
The New York state Health Department said fracking for natural gas can’t be done safely, dooming prospects that Governor Andrew Cuomo will end a six-year moratorium.