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As the Supreme Court opens its current session, two of the items scheduled for Nov. 7 are environmental issues that potentially have huge ramifications for how federal standards are established.

Congress is still trying to keep the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from issuing an ergonomics rule with a law banning OSHA from spending any money to write or issue the standard.

Allegations that Australians and New Zealanders are working as truck drivers in Iowa without complying with immigration laws have sparked a federal investigation, according to the Des Moines Register newspaper.

In the news this morning: Full House slated to vote on transport bill with hours deal; House Commerce Committee unanimously approves safety bill; Mexican President-elect Fox calls for lower oil prices; and more to come.

The Senate and the House of Representatives Friday approved the transportation funding bill for fiscal 2001 that delays any revision in current hours of service rules for at least a year.

Transportal Network, an online service aiming to help trucking companies run more effectively, is suspending operations because of a lack of funding.

Today's technology headlines: BellSouth, SBC wireless venture to be named Cingular; GPS brings location sensing, mobile commerce to the market; retailers look to outsource holiday logistics madness; and more.

This afternoon's headlines: GM moving Janesville, Wis., medium truck production to Flint plant; biodiesel planned for 100% of 95-truck garbage fleet; heating oil, natural gas costs likely to rise this winter; and more to come.

Canada’s Trimac Corp. - the second-largest bulk-hauling carrier on the continent - could vanish from the Toronto Stock Exchange by Nov. 30 and become a privately held firm if a proposal from the company’s dominant McCaig family comes to pass.

Logistics and trucking industry leaders are creating their own Internet-based services because they consider information generated by their network of suppliers and customers too valuable to pass on to third-party, Internet-based firms.