James Bass Chosen as Texas DOT Leader
The Texas Transportation Commission selected James Bass to be the executive director of the state’s Department of Transportation, effective Jan. 1. Bass has been the agency’s chief financial officer since 2005.
December 18, 2015Daily Briefings from Transport Topics
Transport Topics has partnered with Spoken Layer to make one-minute daily briefings available on all your smart devices. Simply say “Alexa, play Transport Topics” or “Okay Google, talk to Transport Topics” to get the day’s biggest trucking headlines.
NACFE Report Urges Fleets to View Maintenance as Fuel-Economy Measure
Proper maintenance saves fuel. That was the key finding in the North American Council for Freight Efficiency’s latest Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report covering maintenance, the group said in releasing the report.
December 16, 2015Congress Rejects Twin 33s Trailer Provision in Funding Bill
A provision that would have authorized the use of twin 33-foot trailers nationwide did not make the final version of a large fiscal 2016 bill that would fund the federal government through September.
December 16, 2015Chicago Freight Rail Bypass Gaining Steam, Founder Says
BRODHEAD, Wis. — A privately funded $8 billion freight rail proposed to bypass Chicago and connect to an existing line in Rock County is gaining steam faster than the founder expected.
December 9, 2015NHTSA Issues Proposed Rule to Upgrade Rear Impact Guard Standard
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Dec. 7 issued a proposed rule to upgrade current rear impact guards on trucks and trailers to address underride protection in car crashes into trailers and semitrailers.
December 7, 2015New American Highway Users Alliance Study Identifies Top 50 Bottlenecks in US
A new study decrying the state of the nation’s congested highways arrived just in time for the holidays as a record 47 million Americans hit the road and Congress begins debating the merits of a long-term highway bill, several transportation leaders said at a Nov. 23 news conference.
November 23, 2015DOT Undersecretary Peter Rogoff to Take CEO Post at Seattle Transit Agency
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s undersecretary for policy, Peter Rogoff, will step down in a few weeks to take over operations at Seattle’s transit agency.
November 23, 2015Highway Bill Expected Soon; Long-Term Funding Uncertain
WASHINGTON — A multiyear highway bill that would ensure funding for infrastructure projects and reform a controversial safety performance scoring program for motor carriers will be unveiled Nov. 30, the top transportation leader in the U.S. House of Representatives said.
November 23, 2015Atlanta Interchange Tops ATRI List of Worst Truck Bottlenecks in US
The nation’s worst truck bottleneck is located in Atlanta, where a five-level stack interchange known as “Spaghetti Junction” joins Interstate 285 and I-85 north, according to a new American Transportation Research Institute truck congestion survey.
November 23, 2015Canadian Pacific Makes $28.1 Billion Offer for Norfolk Southern in Consolidation Move
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. last week presented Norfolk Southern Corp. with an acquisition offer worth at least $28.1 billion, rekindling the fires of rail consolidation that have been dormant since 1999.
November 23, 2015