Truck drivers in Ohio are asking state lawmakers to raise the highway speed limit for large trucks to a 65 mph limit, matching the speed limit for passenger cars, saying such a change would help make roadways safer, the Associated Press reported.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusiness
Lawmakers Consider Requiring Snow and Ice Removal from Vehicles
Two states and the District of Columbia may soon enact legislation requiring drivers to remove snow and ice from atop their vehicles, news outlets have reported.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusiness
Personal Spending Falls for Sixth Straight Month
Consumer personal spending fell for a record sixth straight month in December, the Commerce Department said Monday.
February 2, 2009BusinessSafetyGovernment
December Truck Tonnage Plummets 14.1%
December truck tonnage plummeted 14.1% from year-earlier levels and 11.1% from November, the worst freight performance in more than a decade.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusinessFuel
Spot Market Freight Rates Dive as Recession Slashes Demand
Rates for freight services bought on the spot market have nose dived to 1990s levels as shrinking fuel surcharges have sent prices falling further while the recession continues to ravage shipping demand.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusinessSafety
FMCSA Withdraws EOBR Rule For Review, Possible Expansion
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has pulled back its formal proposal to require some carriers to use electronic onboard recorders, with indications the Obama administration may want to expand their use.
February 2, 2009BusinessFuelGovernment
3PLs Caught in Middle of Shipper-Carrier Struggle as Cost Reductions Drive Fierce Competition
After surviving a record run-up in fuel prices during 2008, shippers and carriers now face an even bigger supply chain challenge: coping with a sharp downturn in freight volume as businesses cut back on production in response to lower sales.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusinessSafetyFuel
Graves Says ATA Will Fight L.A. Port’s Concession Plans
American Trucking Associations will exhaust all legal avenues to fight employee-only concession requirements contained in the Port of Los Angeles’ clean trucks plan, ATA President Bill Graves said.
February 2, 2009GovernmentBusinessSafety
Senate Confirms LaHood to Run DOT
The U.S. Senate confirmed several key cabinet posts, including Ray LaHood as secretary of transportation, but the Obama administration has yet to announce the president’s choices to lead several key transportation agencies within DOT.
February 2, 2009BusinessFuelGovernment
Retail Diesel Continues Falling
U.S. retail diesel prices continued to edge down last week, as the average dipped 2.8 cents to $2.268 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported.
February 2, 2009