Safety

Pennsylvania state lawmakers gave final approval Nov. 21 to a transportation spending bill that will raise $2.4 billion more annually for the state’s roads, bridges and transit systems.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced legislation to create a $10 billion infrastructure bank that would use loans and loan guarantees to encourage private investment in transportation projects.

Trucking companies using the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Pre-Employment Screening Program reduced their crash rates by 15%, with midsize carriers seeing even greater improvements, according to a recent FMCSA study.

At No. 21 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers, Prime Inc. is a major trucking industry player. The company has more than 5,000 drivers, most of them trained by Prime’s safety director, Don Lacy. Many, however, have had additional coaching in weight control and exercise by fellow driver Siphiwe Baleka.

U.S. workers’ productivity rose at a 1.9% annual rate in the third quarter, the Labor Department reported.

Dear Motor Carriers and Shippers:   In an effort to keep you informed of state legislative changes in Texas that could potentially affect your business, I am sending you this letter as a courtesy.

The Presidential Youth Fitness Program announced by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition during a recent function in Washington, D.C., provides a model for fitness education that includes the use of a health-related fitness assessment and educational and motivational tools that support educators and encourage students to adopt an active lifestyle.

A new study has found trucks using lane-departure warning and roll-stability control systems are less likely to be involved in an accident than those not using the system.