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WASHINGTON — Congress no longer can put off finding a long-term solution to U.S. infrastructure needs without risking that the nation will slip behind global competitors, several industry leaders said Nov. 21 during a transportation conference here.

House Republicans and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro sparred over the 34-hour restart provision of the new hours-of-service rule for truck drivers at a hearing last week, with some members accusing her agency of “arrogance” and slowness in producing a congressionally required study on the rule.

A bill requiring companies to track the distribution of prescription drugs and pharmaceuticals was approved by Congress last week.

Fleets that use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Pre-Employment Screening Program to check driver safety records had 8% fewer crashes than carriers that don’t use the system, according to a recent FMCSA study.

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.

Just four months into the federal hours-of-service rules on rest breaks, carriers said they have had to hire more drivers, pay higher wages, buy more rigs, juggle work schedules and lower customer expectations of service.

WASHINGTON — The federal government’s main source of transportation funding is headed for its own “fiscal cliff” unless Congress acts to pay for infrastructure needs that are critical to the economy, a transportation official said Nov. 21 during an American Highway Users Alliance conference.

The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration and an Ohio trucking company settled a civil lawsuit after two drivers claimed they were fired for being whistleblowers, OSHA said.

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.