Blog

Officials from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently criticized President Obama’s proposed 2015 budget because it favors rail and intermodal freight movement over highways and trucking. “The administration’s proposed budget misses the mark when it comes to the transportation needs of the U.S. economy,” said ATA President Bill Graves. “It provides no real funding solutions for…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a public listening session in late February to gain input on the agency’s 2014-18 strategic plan and both the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) were quick to weigh in. “Public feedback will assist the agency in preparing to meet the…

A new research white paper released by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) suggests that drivers who received targeted simulator training had fewer safety incidents over time, but those effects dissipated after one year. The report, Safety Impacts of Truck Driver Simulator Training, investigated the effectiveness of using customized truck driving simulators to target specific driving…

Phil Byrd, chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and president and CEO of Bulldog Hiway Express, will be the featured speaker for ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting slated for March 10-13 in Nashville. “TMC represents an important part of ATA and our industry – the suppliers, fleet managers and technicians that…

In our digital age, cyber security is part of the cost of doing business. We understand that we have to protect our digital lives, ever mindful that cyber wolves are constantly at the virtual door. Now that vigilance that once applied only to our computer systems has spilled into the truck cab, where many truckers…

The debate over truck speeds is taking shape across the nation as 16 states are now considering changes to speed limits on the open highway. Road Safe America (RSA) and the American Trucking Associations (ATA) are pushing for federally mandated trucker speed limiters or governors. Some in the industry think faster speeds would not present…

With severe winter road conditions hindering transportation across the U.S., state transportation agencies have proven they can be creative in solving the problems that come with snow and ice. Transportation agencies have turned to high-tech solutions like GPS guidance systems and low-tech products like potato juice to improve efficiency and minimize environmental impacts. “New technologies…

The Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) of the American Trucking Associations’ Future Truck program has been looking at the future of trucking for three decades now and its latest survey of trucking industry officials offers up the following predictions: 1. Better fuel economy More than half the fleets in TMC’s survey think we’ll see trucks…

A recent U.S. DOT Office of the Inspector General audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found the agency lacking in inspection resources at the U.S.-Mexico border as well as having a computer glitch that has prevented U.S. states from uploading Mexican driver conviction reports into CDLIS. The audit also found that FMCSA…