MY ETT News » transportation

States scramble for transportation funding sources

Mryan — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:30:43 +0000

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 underwrite operating expenses. To accomplish that, state officials must amend a 1956 federal law banning the commercialization of public highway rest stops. Forced to close rest areas, a growing number of other states are joining with Arizona in hopes of generating much needed funding.

State governments are trying new tactics to generate funds needed to operate, repair, and expand their roadway networks – efforts exacerbated by recent cutbacks in federal highway monies.

Pennsylvania’s state legislature, for example, is wrestling plans to generate $1 billion in extra monies through increased taxes and fees to help it reach a $3.5 billion a year funding level required to keep highways, bridges and transit in a state of good repair, according to research compiled by Pennsylvania’s Dept. of Transportation (PennDOT).

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Jobs and economy top voter issues says ATA’s Graves

Mryan — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:14:26 +0000

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 accountable for their actions, something much needed according to the American Trucking Associations’ president and CEO, Bill Graves. Other industry concerns include hours-of-service regulations, distracted driving and funding to maintain the nation’s roads and bridges.

According to Gov. Bill Graves, president & CEO of the American Trucking Assns.(ATA), a poll done in June indicates U.S. voters are most concerned about jobs and economic growth, followed by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the federal deficit, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, national security and terrorism, health care and social issues.

Graves, the keynoter for the annual PeopleNet User Conference being held in Boca Raton, FL, this week, spoke to a packed ballroom of some 500 attendees about the issues facing trucking and the country as a whole as the mid-term Congressional elections approach.

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ATRI Survey Seeks Trucking Industry’s Top Concerns

Mryan — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:19:15 +0000

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 the agency’s Management Conference and Exhibition in August. To participate online or to request paper copies, visit the ATRI’s Web site, www.atri-online.org.

The American Transportation Research Institute on Tuesday released its annual survey to gauge the trucking industry’s top concerns.

The 2010 Top Industry Issues Survey asks industry stakeholders to rank its top issues and to offer appropriate strategies for addressing each issue.

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OTA’s livestock division makes recommendations for animal transport

Mryan — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:36:23 +0000

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 Ontario and Canada and enjoy over 50 years of experience in the transportation of live animals. To obtain a copy of the paper, contact deanna.pagnan@cantruck.ca.

TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Livestock Transporters’ Division (LTD) is calling on industry members, customers and government to work together to create a safe, responsible and accountable system of live animal transport in the Province of Ontario.

The LTD recently issued a policy paper entitled, Policy Recommendation to Create a Safe, Educated and Accountable Live Animal Transportation Supply Chain, which outlines the Division’s proposal for improving the integrity of livestock transport in Ontario. Along with making several recommendations, the policy paper also provides a brief history of animal transportation in Ontario and discusses the impact of several changes on supply chain members, the state of animals in the care of trucking companies and issues of government oversight.

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AASHTO: Freight growth leading to transportation crisis

Mryan — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:30:42 +0000

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 two trucks adding one more in 20, drivers should anticipate more frustration on the road–not to mention higher costs for food and other goods, according to the report. To attempt to head off these problems, the AASHTO identified key projects in 30 states that would help improve efficiency and productivity.

The transportation system that supports the movement of freight across America is facing a crisis, according to a new report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. In 10 years, an additional 1.8 million trucks will be on the road, and in 20 years, for every two trucks today, another one will be added, resulting in more bottlenecks and higher costs for food, goods and manufacturing equipment, the report says.

AASHTO’s “Unlocking Freight” report analyzes America’s freight system and finds its highways, railroads, ports, waterways and airports require investments well beyond current levels to maintain – much less improve – their performance. AASHTO says the report identifies key projects in 30 states that would improve freight delivery and dependability, and offers a three-point plan to address what is needed to relieve freight congestion, generate jobs and improve productivity.

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FHWA announces $9.4M for historic bridges

Mryan — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:19:00 +0000

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 oldest covered bridge in one Oregon county. Additionally, the FHWA will research ways to improve load testing and treatment for preserving and restoring historic bridges.

FHWA to Preserve Historic Bridges Through Funding, Research
The Federal Highway Administration announced more than $9.4 million in grants under the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program to rehabilitate and preserve 14 bridges in 10 states. The selection included the Blair Covered Bridge in Grafton County, N.H., which exemplifies one of the earliest examples of “pre-stressing” – a construction technique which allows a bridge to carry a greater load or span a greater distance – and the Layng Covered Bridge, one of the oldest covered bridges in Lane County, Ore.

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BP disaster spurs call for electrifying transportation

Mryan — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:08:47 +0000

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 everyday motorists and commercial vehicle operators a reality. Proposed legislation to that end has garnered bipartisan support, though many concede that it will be a long, arduous battle to loosen the country’s dependence on oil.

Proponents of wider electric vehicle use for both everyday motorists and commercial vehicle operators alike are renewing their call for more government investment dollars, pointing to BP’s massive oil-rig collapse in the Gulf of Mexico as but the latest reason why a shift to electrification is necessary.

“It is my belief that after terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, our increased dependence on petroleum represents the biggest single threat to our nation’s economy and national security,” said Frederick Smith, chairman, president & CEO of FedEx Corp. and co-chairman of the Energy Security Leadership Council in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources this week.

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Canadian transportation rates take step back in March

Mryan — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:35:48 +0000

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 fuel surcharges dropping 4.5% from the prior month.

TORONTO, Ont. — The latest results from the Canadian General Freight Index show the cost of ground transportation for Canadian shippers decreased slightly in March, erasing February’s gains.

Overall freight costs dropped 2.6% in March, according to the index. Base rates, excluding fuel surcharges, decreased 1.9% with average fuel surcharges dropping 4.5% from the prior month.

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UPS Adds 50 Hybrid Trucks in Philadelphia Area

Mryan — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:12:17 +0000

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 reduce fuel consumption by 176,000 gallons per year compared with conventional diesel trucks.

UPS Inc. said it has deployed 50 hybrid electric delivery trucks to its fleet in the Philadelphia area.

The hybrids join 50 hybrid trucks already operating for UPS in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Phoenix, UPS said Thursday.

UPS has about 20,000 low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles in its fleet. The new hybrids are part of a set of 200 hybrids being deployed in eight U.S. cities.

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LaHood encourages women to pursue transportation careers

Mryan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:44:10 +0000

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 the shortfall of women in transportation fields. In 2008, according to Department of Labor statistics, less than 6 percent of employed women worked in transportation, and only 10 percent of all civil engineers in the United States are women.

DOT Teams Up With Women's Transportation Seminar Foundation

To help counter an anticipated shortage of skilled transportation workers, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Thursday, May 20, signed an agreement with the Women’s Transportation Seminar International to encourage women to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math – while pursuing careers in transportation.

“There’s tremendous opportunity out there for women interested in transportation-related careers,” LaHood says. “We need to do more to prepare, train and educate young women about the possibilities that await them.”

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