Blog

Rep. Bud Shuster (R-PA), a key member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says this is the year for the modernization of freight corridors, according to a report in Bloomberg News. “Freight is very important. And we’re looking at putting dollars back into the corridors,” said Shuster. Shuster’s committee will be a major player…

Leaders of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) expressed disappointment with President Obama’s recent State of the Union speech for his lack of detail about U.S. infrastructure investment. “Just mentioning infrastructure is not a solution to our nation’s critical needs, and by simply bringing the topic up without details President Obama missed an opportunity to underscore…

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AAA auto club and American Trucking Associations are urging Congress to raise the federal gas tax to close a transportation funding shortfall that has reached an estimated $16 billion per year. “There are many challenges that Congress must address this year, but we believe that finding a solution for funding…

A New York startup called Transfix has joined companies such as DashHaul, CargoMatic and Keychain Logistics vying to become the “Uber” of trucking. Drew McElroy’s startup has a smartphone app that matches shipments with drivers. Transfix is already being tested by Barnes and Noble, Samsung, SuperValu and J.Crew, and cutting their “deadhead” runs (time driving…

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will soon launch a national program to train police officers in traffic enforcement for large trucks. Jack Van Steenburg, chief safety officer at the agency, said the agency worked with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) on a curriculum covering the basics of truck safety enforcement and will…

Massachusetts lawmakers are proposing getting tougher on protesters who block highways. Rep. Colleen Garry has filed legislation that proposes making it a felony to block highways. If approved, her bill could result in stiffer penalties for those who participate in protests such as the ones that recently blocked Interstate 93 in two different places during…

While truckers and consumers are enjoying five-year lows at the pump, clean fuel alternatives are suffering. Biodiesel fuel producers, who use vegetable oil and animal fats, have cut prices and margins in an attempt to stay competitive with diesel fuel, which is down 20 percent from a year ago. “The producers have to be getting…

A federal judge in Kentucky is asking for more information about business arrangements between Pilot J truck stops and several trucking companies. U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar asked attorneys to provide more details about what Pilot J had promised the trucking companies. The request came during a motion by Pilot J to dismiss lawsuits against…

Advances in technology will make trucking safer in the future. The only question that remains is how soon the future will come. For example, a NHTSA-funded study conducted by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute concluded that a more advanced crash avoidance technology that engages truck brakes automatically before an impending crash could prevent…

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) reports that results of a survey of 130 fleets and more than 130,000 drivers shows that the median pay for drivers is on par with the national median and the industry offers drivers “competitive” benefits. “The data in our Driver Compensation Study shows that now more than ever, trucking is…