Federal, News
Truck Leasing Task Force plans meetings in June, July
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Truck Leasing Task Force will resume with meetings scheduled in June and July.
Listen Now
Podcast: In our feelings – freight market sentiment
Lower freight volumes and lower spot rates have been the norm for several months now – but are better times right around the corner? Owner-operators seem to think so.
The Latest
Crime & Courts, News
Mississippi bill would set stiff punishment for cargo theft
One Mississippi state lawmaker is back with a bill intended to deter the theft of truck, rail or container cargo through stiff punishment. Rep. Steve Massengill, R-Hickory Flat, sponsored a bill one year ago to establish cargo theft as a specific offense and impose felony charges with escalating fines and punishment based on the value […]
News
DAT Solutions: Rates, load availability close 2017 at record highs
ELDs, crazy weather, holidays at home – truckers had plenty of reasons to take time off during the week ending Dec. 30, but there was money to made if you wanted to work instead. National average spot van and refrigerated truckload rates on DAT MembersEdge ended the year at their highest points as capacity tightened […]
Crime & Courts, News
Appellate court absolves trucking company of blame for $9M cargo theft
A U.S. Court of Appeals has sided with a trucking company and truck stop in a case where an insurance company blamed both for a cargo theft of approximately $9 million of pharmaceuticals. The shipping company’s insurer claimed the carrier was liable for the theft because of a federal shipping law referred to as the […]
News, OOIDA
OOIDA issues Call to Action requesting comments on its ELD exemption request
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is urging truckers to file comments in support of its request for a five-year exemption for small business truckers from the electronic logging device mandate. OOIDA’s exemption request asks the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow small trucking carriers that do not have an “unsatisfactory” safety rating and can […]
Analysis, Truck Parking
The cost of losing a truck stop
While some states are moving forward addressing the truck parking problem, other states are taking a step backward. The latest example of the latter involves the Virginia Department of Transportation, a TravelCenters of America truck stop and eminent domain. This is not exactly new information. TA closed its location off of I-81 in Troutville, Va., […]
News
Iowa DOT urges lawmakers to adopt FMCSA-compliant cellphone use laws
The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging state lawmakers to make changes to statutes that deal with cellphone use for commercial motor vehicle drivers. Current laws in the state are not compliant with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and could cost the state millions of dollars in federal funding. IDOT Director Mark Lowe recently drafted […]
Fuel prices, News
Fuel tax rate changes in six states in effect for 2018
As the calendar flips to the new year, fuel tax rates are changing in several states. During the past year, about a dozen states have instituted changes. Adjustments range from increases of at least 20 cents per gallon in California and New Jersey to fractional changes in other states. The most notable change for the […]
News
Time running out to comment on repeal of glider kit emissions requirements
There are only a few days remaining for truck drivers to submit comments regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule to repeal emissions requirements for glider kits. The public comment period on the EPA’s proposal will be open through Jan. 5. OOIDA delivered a Call to Action in December asking its more than 160,000 members […]
News
FHWA fines New York $14 million for I Love NY signs
In a state versus federal government showdown that goes back to 2011, the Federal Highway Administration has had enough of the New York State Department of Transportation’s refusal to take down tourism signs that violate federal regulations. FHWA has fined the state $14 million, which can be recovered if the state takes down the signs […]
News
UCR fees set for 2018, collection to begin ASAP
Sliding in under the proverbial end-of-the-year wire, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finalized the Unified Carrier Registration fees for 2018 and 2019 late Friday, Dec. 29. Members of the UCR board were notified late Friday, Dec. 29, that the agency had submitted a direct final rule to the Office of the Federal Register to […]
