With federal funds for road repairs being sliced from state budgets, transportation and government officials are being forced to get creative in order to keep infrastructure viable and safe. Some states, like Pennsylvania, are angling to raise taxes on oil companies doing business there, as well as to increase a variety of license, registration and vehicle fees to raise the $1 billion to help repair the state’s 5,646 structurally deficient bridges and nearly 7,000 miles of highway in “poor” condition. Other states, like Arizona, are lobbying to open up rest areas to commercial businesses to help Continue Reading

While most U.S. voters are concerned about getting employment and the economy back on track, one of the top representatives for the trucking industry says its biggest issue is the implementation of the Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) performance model. An initiative of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the safety measurement tool will help improve the nation’s highways by holding drivers and carriers Continue Reading

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is reaching out to industry stakeholders to gauge what they believe are trucking’s top concerns. The 2010 Top Industry Issues Survey asks participants to rank the industry’s top issues and provide strategies for addressing them. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) commissions the study annually and the results will be presented at Continue Reading

Canada’s Ontario province is taking steps to increase the integrity and safety of live animal transport within its borders. Most of the recommendations from the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Livestock Transporters’ Division’s policy paper pertain to training and inspections for both vehicle and animal safety. The OTA’s livestock transporters’ division members operate close to 600 tractors across Continue Reading

Been stuck in traffic lately? If you think it’s bad now, a new report from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) says it’s only going to get worse in the next two decades. With 1.8 million more trucks expected to hit the highways in the next 10 years and for every Continue Reading

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is taking steps to preserve historic bridges in the United States. The first of these is $9.4 million in grants to help rehabilitate and preserve 14 bridges in 10 states. Bridges tapped by the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program range from unique construction techniques to the Continue Reading

In the aftermath of BP’s oil-rig collapse and the ensuing millions of gallons of oil it has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico, a more widespread use of electric vehicles is being called a necessity to help protect national security and the environment. With upwards of 70 percent of oil consumption fueling the transportation industry, the first call is for the government to invest more dollars into making electrification for Continue Reading

Costs for ground transportation for Canadian shippers took a slight hit in March, according to the latest Canadian General Freight Index. Overall, freight costs dropped 2.6 percent that month, erasing the gains from February. Base rates, excluding fuel surcharges, decreased 1.9% with average Continue Reading

The addition of 50 hybrid delivery trucks in the Philadelphia area brings UPS Inc.’s total fleet of low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles to 20,000. Delivery routes in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix have already incorporated hybrid trucks, and plans call for the addition of more in eight U.S. cities. The carrier is estimating that these 200 hybrids will help Continue Reading

Anticipating the need for environmental engineers and technicians to grow over the next decade, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Women’s Transportation Seminar International are teaming up to encourage women to pursue careers in the field. The joint initiative will support the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to counter Continue Reading