Safety

Intermodal rail traffic fell 24.6% for the week ended Saturday, compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

The U.S. economy continued to decline from the end of February through the beginning of April, affecting transportation industry services and demand, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has sent the White House recommendations aimed at ending a trucking dispute with Mexico, expected to be high on the agenda when President Obama visits Mexico later this week, Reuters reported.

President Obama will nominate John Porcari, Maryland Transportation Secretary as deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation, the No. 2 DOT job, the White House said.

Conga lines of idle trucks waiting to clear U.S. customs are daily a fact for trade traffic at America’s major border-crossing points, north and south.

Most Transport Topics readers have experienced the current downturn firsthand — dwindling freight demand, fluctuating fuel prices, clean-engine mandates and downward-spiraling leading indicators.

Here we go again — the safety freaks filing yet another challenge to the current hours of service, led unfortunately by my illustrious leader, James Hoffa. I think he needs to pull his head out of the sand on this one.

A new study linking obesity and obstructive sleep apnea found that truck drivers are so resistant to testing and treatment that the federal government should mandate screening because the disorder plays a larger role in accidents than officially reported.

The Transportation Security Administration said it will not delay the April 15 deadline for an estimated 1.2 million workers to obtain their Transportation Worker Identification Credentials, but the U.S. Coast Guard will allow entry at some ports through mid-May to workers who present proof they have passed a security screening but have not yet received their credential cards from TSA.