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The public overwhelmingly favors an overhaul of federal motor vehicle safety standards, stepped-up attention to intersection safety and more frequent license testing for the nation’s youngest and oldest drivers, according to a Louis Harris poll released Sept. 27.

Overnite Transportation Co. Chairman Leo Suggs challenged the Teamsters union to a winner-take-all national vote by company workers on whether they want to join the union.

Faced with the possibility of new taxes to cover dredging operations, ports are starting to exercise their political muscle.

Despite stiff opposition from rail labor organizations and farm-state senators, the Senate Commerce Committee voted Sept. 30 to confirm Linda J. Morgan to a second five-year term as chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.

There is no sign that rising prices of petroleum and diesel fuel have “topped off,” a commodities specialist told truck fleet managers last week.

The retail price of diesel fuel failed to rise this week – for the first time in 16 weeks – but analysts saw little significance in the pause and most continue to predict further increases.

Oregon Trucking Associations hired Michael G. Moises as president and elected Mike Card as chairman of the board, filling two vacant spots at the organization.

Transit Group agreed to acquire the assets of Land Transportation LLC and a related freight brokerage operation from Rocor International of Oklahoma City for $18.5 million in cash and debt, plus an undetermined number of shares of its common stock.

The legislative process is slow and often Byzantine, but every now and then, progress is apparent to the naked eye. Such was the case on Capitol Hill last week as Congress took tangible steps toward ordering the creation of a federal administration to oversee trucking’s safety programs.

Call me an optimist, but transportation issues may play a role in next year’s elections.