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I have been following with interest the published articles covering the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new CSA program. The articles include a front-page story in the June 28 edition of this newspaper headlined “CSA Training Could Affect O-Os, Some Industry Officials Worry.”

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has proposed a rule that would eliminate requirements for special permits to haul some hazmats, ranging from liquefied petroleum gas to anhydrous ammonia fertilizers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it sent its hours-of-service proposal to the White House for review on July 26.

The Obama administration must produce a plan to solve the ongoing border trucking dispute with Mexico by October, under a provision inserted in the Transportation Department’s 2011 budget.

Surface transportation trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico jumped 39.5% in May, the largest increase since records began, the Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The American Transportation Research Institute has updated its online guide of state and local anti-idling regulations, the group said Thursday.

The exodus of drivers during the economic downturn is creating a driver shortage as the economy begins to recover. Add to this escalating costs for carriers complying with new federal regulations for tractors, trailers and communications and you have a recipe for reduced capacity and higher prices.

The second National Distracted Driving Summit will be held Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C., Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced.

Kansas City Southern said it earned $34.6 million, or 34 cents a share, in its second quarter, compared with $6.5 million, or 7 cents, the previous year.

Twenty-five percent of the nation’s 603,000 bridges are structurally deficient in some way, but the federal government lacks the analytic and procedural tools to determine what impact federal bridge money would have in addressing the problem, a Government Accountability Office report said.