91��Ƶ

The ongoing refusal of the U.S. government to honor the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement is about to claim some new, and as yet unknown, victims.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new enforcement plan, Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, seems destined to be a major step forward in how the federal government oversees truck fleets and drivers.

The mid-Atlantic region is the latest area to be reminded of Mother Nature’s capriciousness and unrelenting fury, as a seemingly endless string of major snowstorms has dumped record amounts from Virginia to New Jersey.

If it works as advertised, trucking’s new safety rating machinery will be as quick and as responsive as a sports car when compared to the old, glacial way of doing things.

At long last, we report this week that American Trucking Associations’ freight index actually rose, as tonnage carried by fleets in December was 6.6% greater than what was moved in the same month of 2008.

Usually in Washington, as elsewhere, something has to be broken, or at least underperforming, before some branch of the government moves to repair or replace it. That being the case, you might ask why the Department of Transportation is looking to tinker around with its hours-of-service rule.

An economist with lots of experience in freight transportation has some interesting things to say that directly challenge the railroad industry’s extensive advertising blitz apparently aimed at convincing Americans that their way is the green way.

We all have to hope that officials of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration really have their ears open when they hold their three public “listening sessions” later this month over their embattled hours-of-service rule for the nation’s truck drivers.

News Flash: Since the administration has rejected any move to raise fuel taxes, it’s incumbent on the Department of Transportation to work with Congress to select another funding source for the nation’s infrastructure needs.

Why is it so hard to get Washington to pay attention to transportation and infrastructure issues, no matter which party rules the roost at the White House and Capitol Hill?