With oil from a massive explosion and fire on a rig in the Gulf of Mexico threatening the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is granting a reprieve in the Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules. For now, these exemptions will extend through May 30 at 11:59 P.M. ET and apply to carriers Continue Reading

Undertaking yet another move to boost safety on the nation’s roadways, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced its Pre-Employment Screening Program for professional drivers, a move applauded by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Screenings will provide motor carriers with up to five years of Continue Reading

Buoyed by declining unemployment and increased consumer spending, freight and freight revenue should expect brighter days ahead, according to a new forecast released by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The report, titled “The ATA U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast to 2021,” anticipates a 25 percent growth in total freight tonnage in the next Continue Reading

ArvinMeritor’s new line of trailer-arm air ride suspensions feature three technological advancements with distinct operating benefits, according to the company. The Meritor Trailing-Arm Air (MTA) series was recently unveiled, but its various high-mount and low-mount models will produced beginning in the fall of this year and continuing through Continue Reading

The American Trucking Associations is dismissing the American Power Act, a climate change bill introduced by U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, as a means to place a financial burden on the trucking industry without making significant progress in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The Senate bill would require oil refiners to buy billions of dollars of carbon allowances corresponding to their environmental footprint, and the ATA fears that Continue Reading

For the first time since July 2008, the Freight Transportation Services Index posted a year-to-year increase. The data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics indicates a nearly 1 percent growth from February to March, marking the third consecutive month the Freight TSI has risen. In eight of the last Continue Reading

The latest North American Commercial Vehicle Outlook from ACT Research suggests increased Class 8 production in 2010 and 2011. Buoyed by a stronger economy and tightening capacity, Class 8 truck production is predicted to show a 19 percent year-over-year increase this year, followed by an anticipated 67 percent Continue Reading

In an effort to reduce surface transportation congestion, the U.S. Department of Transportation introduced a new initiative to boost cargo movement on America’s marine highways. Under the initiative, rivers and coastal routes that can efficiently move cargo will be identified, all with the benefit of bypassing congested roads and reducing Continue Reading

With the back of state and federal funding, Ryder will become the first large commercial truck renting and leasing organization to utilize trucks fueled by natural gas. Selected by the San Bernardino Assciated Governments (SANBAG) Board, Ryder will receive nearly $20 million in state and federal funding through the local association to purchase more than Continue Reading

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will delay the launch of its measurement tool intended to improve safety, but officials insists it will be rolled out in 2010. Once expected to be unveiled in June, the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) won’t be unveiled until November. CSA 2010 will utilize a scoring system Continue Reading