The Latest

News

Caltrans considers ‘road charge’ tax as alternative to fuel tax

In 2017, California addressed its short-term transportation funding woes by increasing its gasoline excise taxes by 12 cents and diesel excise taxes by 20 cents. Seeking a more long-term solution, Caltrans recently released a study that looks into the possibility of replacing the fuel tax with a more user-based tax. According to the report, the […]

Opinion

ELD mandate off to rocky start

Did anyone (outside of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) doubt how rough the past couple of weeks have been since the ELD mandate kicked in? The boom you may have heard emanating from Grain Valley, Mo., starting on Dec. 18 were the phones blowing up here at OOIDA HQ. The Compliance Department continues to […]

News

Four more ELD exemption requests, including OOIDA’s, open for comments next week

Four more exemption requests from the electronic logging device mandate will be available for public comments at the start of the new year. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is expected to publish the exemption requests in the Jan. 2 issue of the Federal Register. The agency will seek public comment on the requests for […]

Business, News

Chinese social networking company acquires Trucker Path

Trucker Path Inc. has recently been acquired by Chinese company Renren, according to a news release. Renren operates social networking services and an internet finance business in China. Renren will acquire 100 percent of Trucker Path, a social platform for the trucking industry in the United States. The Chinese company will take over the Trucker […]

News

Alabama truck lane restriction proposed at statehouse

An Alabama state lawmaker is again pursuing left-lane restrictions to be imposed on certain highways for professional drivers. State law already requires vehicles traveling below the posted speed limit on interstates and U.S. highways to stay to the right. Rep. Tommy Hanes, R-Scottsboro, has filed a bill for consideration during the upcoming regular session that […]

News

Arizona DOT installs three more weigh-in-motion sensors near Yuma and Gila Bend

The Arizona Department of Transportation is trying to keep trucks moving through the state. ADOT’s weigh-in-motion technology has been expanded, allowing trucks to be checked for weight, registration and permits without stopping near Yuma and Gila Bend. According to an ADOT news release, weigh-in-motion sensors have been added in three locations: Interstate 8 at milepost […]

Opinion

Truckers not paying their share?

Professional drivers have long heard people not familiar with the trucking industry claim that truckers are not paying enough for the damage they do to roads. The misconception that truck drivers are “getting off easy” when it comes to taxes and fees has once again reared its head, this time in Missouri. A 23-member task […]

News, Tolls

Truck tolls in Rhode Island cross another hurdle; collection expected in February

Not deterred by strong opposition by industry stakeholders, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation has scored another victory in its efforts to implement truck-only tolls. The Federal Highway Administration has recently signed off on a “finding of no significant impact” for the environmental assessment. The environmental assessment only applies to the first two gantries for […]

News

Agricultural Retailers Association asks for ELD exemption

Add another group of truckers to the growing list of those seeking an exemption from the electronic logging mandate. Citing a litany of concerns including the potential for cyberattacks and the lack of reliable broadband internet access in rural America, the Agricultural Retailers Association is seeking an exemption from the mandate for its members. The […]

Fuel prices, News

Diesel prices lower in West Coast and Rocky Mountain regions, up everywhere else

The average price of a gallon of on-highway diesel went up two-tenths of a cent to $2.903 per gallon for the week ending Monday, Dec. 25. This marks the first increase after three weeks of decreases. Diesel prices went up in six of 10 regions in the United States, according to the Energy Information Administration. […]