California tanker truck company loses license The California trucking company that operated a gasoline tanker truck that exploded in flames and caused a freeway ramp to collapse in Oakland has lost its license to haul gas.
Tolling bill with moratorium advances to Texas governor The Texas House forwarded a compromise transportation bill to Gov. Rick Perry that would impose a moratorium on most new private toll roads in the state for two years.
Oklahoma lawmakers seek redo to ‘speed trap’ law Just when former “speed trap” towns in Oklahoma thought they could get their ticket books back out, legislators in the statehouse opted to undo an effort granting police that authority.
Short-sell specialist compares Macquarie to Enron A well-known Wall Street investor who warned of the collapse of Enron Corp. before it happened says toll-road investor Macquarie is showing some of the same trouble signs.
Does Flying J dispute with Visa begin with credit card interchange fees? In 2005, American consumers sent more than $30 billion to Visa, Mastercard, and the banks that back their credit and debit cards through interchange fees – a process one advocacy group says is purposefully kept secret.
Oklahoma ‘speed trap’ towns can write tickets, again Law enforcers in small towns in Oklahoma once tagged with the label of “speed traps” now can get their ticket books back out. With revised language, a restriction has been stripped from the books that kept those traps in check.
Pennsylvania governor takes hits in privatization debate State lawmakers in Pennsylvania are questioning whether the governor’s hiring of financial consultants to advise the state on public-private partnerships was legal, especially since the Legislature has not yet enacted legislation to enable such partnerships.
Canada restricts importing of California leafy greens Produce truckers who haul into Canada should pay close attention to a new requirement the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced earlier this month regarding the importing of leafy green produce originating from California.
Revised bill could block toll road proposal in California A proposed toll road through a California state park will not get preferential treatment from environmental restrictions and other laws like the developers were hoping, a state assemblyman vowed this week.
Accident claims life of top show truck competitor A trucker well known for consistently winning show trophies with his dark red and black extended-hood Peterbilt, “Rollin’ Thunder,” died in a non-highway accident in Maryland on Friday, May 18. (Our deepest condolences to the Testerman family)
Two truckers arrested in Indiana truck hijackings Indiana state police say two men who were arrested Saturday for allegedly hijacking three tractor-trailers loaded with metal are truck drivers themselves.
Active hurricane season predicted With this year’s hurricane season officially set to start June 1, two leading forecasters are predicting a more-active-than-normal season.
Illinois senators bid to end state’s fuel sales tax In an effort to fend off record-breaking fuel costs, a bill in the Illinois Senate includes a provision that would end the collection of a sales tax on motor fuels sold in the state.
Toll road bills advance in Tennessee With the state struggling to pay for transportation work, legislation on the move in the Tennessee statehouse would authorize tolling as a method to pay for new road and bridge work in the state.
Bill would allow suing OPEC The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, May 17, approved a bill that would allow the U.S. to sue OPEC nations under anti-trust laws for colluding to set oil prices.
Bill would close energy tax loophole A bill introduced in the U.S. House on Thursday, May 18, would pull the plug on a tax loophole for the big oil companies.
Tolling bill gains approval in Texas House The Texas House overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday, May 17, that includes a two-year moratorium on most new private toll roads. It now heads to the Senate for approval of changes.
Visa no longer everywhere Flying J wants to be Beginning in late May, it seems customers will no longer be able to use Visa credit cards at Flying J outlets, a Utah-based truck stop chain which Forbes Magazine recently dubbed “the largest retail distributor of diesel fuel in North America.”
Canada's truckers not sold on tolling as a congestion fix Joanne Ritchie, executive director of the Owner-Operators' Business Association of Canada, said truckers in Canada generally oppose toll roads and that there aren't many toll roads to speak of.
New Washington law targets unsafe intrastate trucks Unsafe trucking companies are the subject of a bill signed into law by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire. It will make it easier to shut down trucking operations in the state that have faulty trucks and people who drive them recklessly.
Mexican official vows to continue fight to open U.S. border Top officials in the Mexican government plan to lobby the U.S. Senate to kill a bill already approved by the House that would delay the Bush administration's cross-border pilot program.
Tolls proposed for I-540 section in North Carolina A Raleigh-area planning authority approved a plan for tolls to pay for a new section of Interstate 540 in Wake County, NC. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has the final say on the funding method for the proposed $800 million section.
Lawmakers push for fuel tax holiday in Connecticut With the potential for fuel prices to reach $4 per gallon this summer, House and Senate Republicans in Connecticut are calling for a temporary suspension of the state's per-gallon tax on motor fuels.
Tennessee resolution urges widening of I-75 Several lawmakers in the Tennessee statehouse would like to see a busy stretch of Interstate 75 between Chattanooga and Knoxville widened to improve safety and reduce congestion.
Feds allege Alaska legislators accepted bribes from oil producer An Alaska state representative and two former legislators have been arrested and indicted for bribery and conspiracy charges after the men allegedly traded votes for money and jobs from a major energy-producing company.
Comdata chief axed for allegedly sharing insider info The head of Comdata Corp. has been dismissed for allegedly leaking confidential information to a group of stockholders who are battling for control of the payment-processing company.
Truck-related bills OK'd in Indiana A couple of bills that have wound their way through the Indiana General Assembly are of particular interest to truckers – one would eliminate a trailer registration fee and the other would open more roads to trucks.
Officials fear second Canadian rail strike Canada could be headed for its second railroad strike of the year, now that talks between Canadian Pacific Railway and its maintenance workers have broken off.
Michelin files ‘look-alike' tire lawsuit Michelin Tires has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese manufacturing group that it says is exporting look-alike tires to the U.S.
Florida fires continue to close roadways Truckers using Interstates 75 or 10 in northern Florida faced the possibility of intermittent highway closures Monday because of smoke from wildfires.
Diesel prices continue to ease Bucking the trend set by rising gasoline prices, national prices for on-highway diesel have seen four consecutive weeks of slight decreases following a spike to an average of $2.88 per gallon in mid-April.
Speed trap bill advances in Tennessee A bill that is intended to thwart speed traps in Tennessee's smallest towns is moving forward in the state's House.
Georgia DOT considers truck-only toll lanes If you run in Georgia, take note – the Georgia Department of Transportation wants to know your opinions about a proposal for truck-only toll lanes.
Effort to curb ‘hot fuel' likely doomed in Texas An effort in the Texas House that would make sure consumers in the state get what they pay for at the fuel pump is likely dead. A similar effort is sidelined in Missouri.
New Oregon laws are of interest to trucking; other efforts remain active Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed two bills into law intended to be used as an incentive to reduce idling and boost fines for violating out-of-service orders. Numerous other bills related to trucking continue to draw consideration.
REAL ID Act faces mounting opposition Privacy advocates continue to build a coalition of groups challenging a proposed plan for a national identification system, dubbed the REAL ID Act.
Biofuel producers want more tax subsidies Biodiesel producers strongly believe an existing $1-per-gallon federal tax subsidy is necessary seed money to grow the industry.
Missouri lawmakers advance bill focusing on truck rules A bill moving through the Missouri statehouse includes several provisions of interest to truck drivers. It also would bring state law in line with some federal rules that were part of the 2005 federal highway funding legislation.
Effort to cap fuel sales tax dies in Indiana A bill has died in the Indiana Senate that called for changing how the state collects taxes on fuel. If it had been approved, state government would have lost as much as $45 million annually in revenue.
Missouri waives HOS for truckers providing relief efforts To expedite relief efforts needed because of flooding and damaging storms in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa, an emergency declaration issued by the state of Missouri suspends enforcement of some regs in that state.
Virginia toll fines mount for the guilty – and the innocent The $7.6 million camera system on a Virginia toll road is supposed to snap photos of vehicles violating the electronic tolling system and send them a citation through the mail.
Michigan bills would boost fuel tax rates Bipartisan legislation in the Michigan House looks to increase the state’s per-gallon fuel tax rates to generate more than $1 billion in new funding each year for road work.
California Senate approves bill to ban high-tech driver’s licenses A bill in California that would prohibit the use of radio frequency identification devices in driver’ s licenses passed the state’s Senate. The devices aren’t used by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, but they are legal.
Texas bills with eye on trucking rules advance Texas Gov. Rick Perry has signed a bill into law intended to curb unsafe trucking operations in the state. Several other bills of interest continue to draw consideration in the statehouse.
Connecticut bills to address road safety issues die A bill in the Connecticut statehouse has died that was intended to improve safety for drivers on Avon Mountain. Two other bills relevant to trucks also have died.
Miami to build port tunnel The Florida Department of Transportation named a consortium headed by an Australian investment firm as the preferred bidder to build and operate a tolled tunnel for Port of Miami traffic.
Former trucker now a sister People leave the trucking industry to pursue a lot of different careers, but not many can say they drove a Freightliner and then a Mack up and down the east coast for a year before becoming a Catholic nun.
Time to schedule that three-day fishing trip? It’s time to mark your calendars – the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has announced June 5-7 as the dates for this year’s International Roadcheck inspection blitz.
PierPass diverts 5 million truck trips The PierPass off-peak program at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has diverted more than 5 million truck trips from peak daytime hours to nights and weekends in the past two years.
OOIDA to give small business truckers’ perspective on idling OOIDA Regulatory Affairs Specialist Joe Rajkovacz has been asked to give the trucking industry’s perspective on idling at this year’s Tri-State Idle Reduction Conference in Illinois.
Florida commission votes no on toll road study Landowners pushing for the construction of the Heartland Parkway, a new 150-mile tolled highway linking Orlando to Immokalee, received a setback this week, when a county commission voted against authorizing a feasibility study.
Food fight: Congress, others weigh in on self-regulation Despite the increasing number of food-borne outbreaks tied to leafy greens and other produce, the produce industry stands behind its position that self-regulation is indeed the best answer.
Freightliner ready to roll out Cascadia Freightliner is rolling out a new Class 8 model called the Cascadia that not only promises 3-percent better fuel economy, but was built with bigger truckers in mind.
Michelin hikes tire prices Michelin Tire has joined the growing list of tire manufacturers who are raising prices.
Alabama House advances truck weight bill A bill halfway through the Alabama Legislature would loosen weight requirements for certain commercial vehicles in the state.
Temporary toll ban moves to Texas governor The Texas House voted 139-1 Wednesday, May 2, to give final approval to a bill that is intended to buy the state more time to review the effects of handing over roadways to private groups. The vote cleared the way for the bill to move to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk.
Two California toll roads could merge A shotgun wedding isn’t likely to happen this time as two county-run toll roads in California prepare to merge.
Food fight: Truckers still left holding the bag While the produce industry has rolled out the proposed Leafy Greens Good Agricultural Practices for leafy green handlers to follow, these “practices” do not address recall or disposal procedures for a key element in the food supply chain –the truckers – who are responsible for hauling the majority of the nation’s produce across the country and into the marketplace.
Stiffer fines for chain law violations moves to Colorado governor The Colorado Senate has approved a bill that would boost fines for truck drivers who fail to chain up during bad weather. The state also will allot nearly $2.5 million to build and expand new Interstate 70 chain-up spots.
Corzine seeks citation, pays fine How often do you hear of someone asking to be fined? According to Bloomberg, that’s what New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine did on Wednesday.
Petro raises funds for USO If you’re a fan of the chicken-fried steak at the Petro’s Iron Skillet restaurants, there’s a good excuse for you to order it again.
Fourth Annual Tennessee Truck Show is on for May 11-12 It’s too soon for an accurate forecast, but Vicky and Joey Holiday are hoping for sunny skies for their Fourth Annual Tennessee Truck Show, planned for May 11-12 at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in Nashville.
ATA reports tonnage is up The total number of tons of freight moved by truck in March was up slightly compared to a year ago, according to the American Trucking Association.
DHS finally using stolen passport database Nearly two years after the information was made available to it, the Department of Homeland Security has decided to start using a massive database that can flag stolen passports.
GAO to DHS: coordinate TWIC and related background checks Two years ago, Michael Zanella received a letter in the mail saying he needed to pay $97 and be fingerprinted to keep his hazmat hauling endorsement. The OOIDA member from Columbus, OH, complied and spent three half days submitting biometric data before receiving a letter certifying his hazmat status until 2010.
Food Fight: Weaknesses within the food supply chain exposed For several months now, OOIDA and members of Congress have been questioning whether the produce industry should be allowed to regulate itself, and while a growers’ representative told Land Line that he understands why truckers are frustrated, he said growers still believe the best approach is a voluntary one.
Alabama bills tackle issue of steel coil ‘fall-offs’ Several bills of interest to the trucking industry have been offered in the Alabama Legislature. Those efforts include legislation that address steel coil “fall-offs.”
Long Beach sees protest impact; LA reports business as usual Truck traffic at the Port of Long Beach was noticeably lighter Tuesday as many Hispanic drivers took part in immigration rights demonstrations and protested working conditions at the ports.
Toll talk falters in Nevada Despite being told that public-private partnerships could help the state cope with funding shortfalls to get needed road work done, Nevada state lawmakers haven’t warmed up to the scheme.
Audit shows TxDOT exaggerated the numbers – again The Texas state auditor has concluded that transportation officials used inflated numbers when they reported an $86 billion funding gap for highways and transportation projects.
Temporary toll ban nears passage in Texas; governor poised to veto The Texas Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday, April 30, that is intended to buy the state more time to review the effects of handing over roadways to private groups. It now heads back to the House for approval of changes.
Mexican toll road crumbles, privatization still the talk Proponents of highway privatization use efficiency as one of their supporting arguments. But try selling that to motorists and truck drivers in Mexico, who pay up to $70 U.S. for a round trip on one formerly private toll road that is filled with potholes.
Tanker fire collapses highway Investigators say it appears tanker truck driver James Mosqueda of Woodland, CA, was exceeding the 50 mph speed limit when his rig crashed and exploded into flames on an approach to the Bay Bridge in Oakland, CA, early Sunday.
Feds charge 22 for Mexico-run fake ID ring in Chicago The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency has reported that a crime organization brazenly sent multiple vendors to various Chicago street corners during set shifts to sell kits of false identification records including Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, green cards and other documents.
Corzine release from hospital Monday New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine was released from the hospital Monday, two-and-a-half weeks after being critically injured in a wreck.
