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The National Transportation Safety Board is about to chide the Department of Transportation for not providing truck drivers adequate opportunities to get a full measure of rest while on the road, according to the chairman of the NTSB.

The future that trailer-maker Donald “Jerry” Ehrlich sees for his industry involves trailers that are smarter, provide a smoother ride and carry more payload.

Rising distillate inventories brought a 1-cent drop in the price of diesel fuel last week, although falling stocks of crude oil and a strike that has halted Norway’s North Sea oil exports seemed to threaten another jump in price.

The check isn’t in the mail yet, but sources say an additional $5 million has been “found” for further development of U.S. Customs Service’s Automated Commercial Environment computer system.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, after hearing two months of testimony, does not have a clear directive from industry and labor on how the agency should proceed with its workplace standard to reduce injuries, but it acknowledges that modifications are in order.

The decision by Texas to require a special clean diesel fuel in the Dallas area reawakens trucking’s fear that carriers will have to buy fuel on a state-by-state basis.

The Illinois Transportation Association is trying to build interest in taking over management of the soon-to-be defunct Intermodal Conference of American Trucking Associations.

Mom knew what she was talking about when it comes to what a good night’s sleep can provide, said sleep authorities, who have looked at truck drivers, combat pilots and astronauts.

Tired of the controversy surrounding hours of service for truck drivers? Now that the Department of Transportation’s long-awaited proposal is on the table for everyone to examine, expect even more tooth-gnashing, centering on the scientific research into fatigue that forms the basis for the government’s revisions of the regulations.

Some of the men and women on the front lines of the battle against driver fatigue are worried that the Department of Transportation’s revisions to the hours-of-service regulations may be too complicated to enforce effectively.