The American Trucking Associations is calling on U.S. regulatory agencies to remove or revise what it’s calling “outdated” or “obsolete” trucking regulations because they are no longer cost effective or no longer serve the purpose for which they were created. Among the rules cited by the ATA as needing to be removed, many relate to fuel tanks. Others the lobbying agency says should be scrapped are Continue Reading

A strong freight market in June led to a weakened one in July, according to the American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index. The seasonally adjusted numbers for June reflected a 2.6 percent increase, which fell 1.3 percent in July. In three of the last four months, tonnage has fallen. ATA economists believe the stronger June showing was followed by a weaker one and that the weaker numbers are in line Continue Reading

After the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently proposed toll hikes, the American Trucking Associations is now calling on the governors of the two states to reject the increase. With the higher toll, truckers will be faced with paying three times more than comparable bridges nationwide, said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. But, the lobbying organization is even more at odds over Continue Reading

Trucking industry groups have come out in support of a U.S.-Canada oil pipeline, but environmental groups aren’t supportive of the idea. The Keystone XL pipeline project would transport crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Texas by way of the Midwest. The U.S. State Department has announced its findings on the environmental impact, saying that it was unlikely to be significant. The American Trucking Associations backs the project for its potential to reduce fuel costs, create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign oil sources. The Sierra Club Continue Reading

Most stakeholder groups in the trucking industry are cheering the new federal fuel efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks announced Tuesday. With the exception of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. (OOIDA), the new targets for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions were met with praise. One of the advantages of the plan is to reduce dependence on foreign oil. In order to develop technologies to achieve these ambitious standards, a number of OEMs will be put to work, though several said the new federal fuel efficiency goals align well with Continue Reading

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) last week released the first study of the trucking labor market since the end of the most recent recession. As the economy improves and the amount of freight to be moved grows, retaining and recruiting qualified drivers takes on even greater importance. The ATA Driver Compensation Study, updated with data from 2010 and 2011, collects regional and Continue Reading

Even as some lobbying groups have voiced their criticism about the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking agreement, more and more have expressed their support. In addition to the American Trucking Assns. (ATA), several farm products groups were pleased that lifting the retaliatory tariffs as part of the agreement could help boost exports. Both the American Frozen Food Institute and the International Dairy Foods Continue Reading

It didn’t take long for the newly-signed cross-border trucking program between the U.S. and Mexico to hit a speed bump. Just hours after the top transportation officials for both countries inked the deal, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn. (OOIDA) filed a suit to block it. Citing the “arbitrary” and “capricious” nature of the program, OOIDA questioned U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s circumspect Continue Reading

While the American Trucking Associations and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association are calling for crashworthiness standards for cars and light trucks to be applied to heavy-duty Class 7 and 8 vehicles, some OEMs are already saying their final products independently meets even higher standards. Volvo’s trucks feature a three-point seat belt, a driver’s side airbag, and technologies that reconfigure the steering wheel and Continue Reading

A prominent road safety researcher who once headed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s research division is calling into question the methodology and thus conclusions drawn from several studies used as the basis for proposals to revise the current hours-of-service rules. Dr. Ronald R. Knipling says the handful of studies the FMCSA allowed comment on during the extended discussion period were flawed either in their sampling or the stretch in comparing two very different subjects. At best, these findings would need more research or attempts at replication to make them Continue Reading