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Earlier this month, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced a bill that he says would modernize truck safety standards on American highways. The Truck Safety Act (TSA) would reduce the number of crashes involving trucks, according to Booker. “Truck drivers work extremely long days to deliver the goods we depend on and keep our…

A proposed $3.5 billion merger of Sysco Corporation and US Foods will not go forward after a federal judge blocked the deal in late June. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued to block the deal, saying the merger would “eliminate significant competition in the marketplace.” Federal Judge Amit Mehta sided with FTC. After Mehta’s ruling,…

Samsung, a company best known for its consumer electronics, has taken its big screen technology to the road with the Samsung Safety Truck, which features a giant screen mounted on the back of a semi-trailer that gives following traffic a view from the front of the truck. The Samsung Safety Truck features a wireless front…

Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bill, commonly referred to as THUD. Lawmakers approved the $55.3 billion measure by a razor-thin margin, 216-210, after rejecting amendments from Democrats that would have increased funding for Amtrak and the D.C. Metro,…

President Obama somewhat reluctantly signed a two-month extension to the highway bill last week, but he wasn’t happy about it. “It is the president’s view that the era of short-term patches and chronic under-investment in our transportation infrastructure must come to an end,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Obama previously proposed a six-year, $478…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is pushing the automotive and trucking industry to adopt life-saving collision avoidance technology sooner than later, according to a recent NTSB report. “You don’t pay extra for your seatbelt,” said Chairman Christopher A. Hart. “And you shouldn’t have to pay extra for technology that can help prevent a collision…

A study published last month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology raises questions about truck fleets switching from diesel to natural gas. The study, “The Influence of Methane Emissions and Vehicle Efficiency on the Climate Implications of Heavy-Duty Natural Gas Trucks,” was conducted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Columbia University’s Lenfest Center…

As Congress stumbles toward yet another short-term extension for funding the Highway Trust Fund, Oregon is preparing to launch the nation’s first pay-by-the-mile or Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) road usage funding program. OReGO, as it is called, will roll out July 1. The OReGO program is a voluntary one where drivers will be able to…

Last year, the U.S. trucking industry generated more than $700 billion in revenue, a historical high, according to the American Trucking Trends report, produced by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). “Last year, we saw freight volumes grow significantly,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Increases in freight, combined with continued tight capacity helped drive revenues…