Trucking

November 09, 2009 -- DES MOINES – Today, Iowa Governor Chet Culver issued a proclamation suspending the hours of service requirement for truck drivers delivering propane. The suspension of the rule will help bring propane into the state quicker, helping to ensure an adequate supply of fuel for farmers drying their crops after this year’s harvest.

“Iowa’s farmers are the best in the world,” said Governor Culver. “This proclamation will assist corn and soybean growers get these important commodities to market as quickly as possible.”    » read more »

September 17, 2009 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci today said he was pleased that the full Senate has voted in support of a one-year pilot program authored by Senator Susan Collins. The provision will exempt Maine’s Interstate highway system from the current federal truck weight limit. The Collins’ proposal was part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations legislation.    » read more »

Clean Car Standards Would Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Cut Oil Dependence and Save Americans Money at the Pump

SAN FRANCISCO/WASHINGTON (September 15, 2009) – The U.S. EPA and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced a joint proposal for national standards for greenhouse gas pollution from cars and trucks, along with strengthened fuel economy standards.

According to EPA and NHTSA, the new proposed standards will cut global warming pollution from vehicles by 30 percent, improve fuel economy to an average of about 35.5 miles per gallon, and save drivers thousand of dollars over the life of the vehicles – all while adopting a “size-based” standard favored by domestic automakers.    » read more »

Truck drivers can find idle reduction facilities using cell phones and PDAs

September 15, 2009 --
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) expanded its suite of Web-based, fuel-efficiency tools by launching the Mobile Truck Stop Electrification Locator. This comprehensive mobile application helps truck drivers find public truck stops with idle reduction facilities using a cell phone, BlackBerry, or other mobile device.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- Tata Motors today unveiled its new range of world standard trucks. In their power, speed, carrying capacity, operating economy and trims, they will introduce new benchmarks in India and match the best in the world in performance at a lower life cycle cost.

The range comprises multi-axle trucks, tractor-trailers, tippers, mixers, and special application vehicles. Besides India, they will also gradually be introduced in South Korea, South Africa, the SAARC countries and the Middle East.    » read more »

Teamsters, Safety Advocates Petition Court to Review Hours-of-Service Rule

March 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Teamsters, Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and the Truck Safety Coalition asked an appeals court today to review a dangerous Bush-era regulation that increased the amount of time truck drivers can spend behind the wheel.

The groups also sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asking him to begin work on a new regulation that would reduce truck crashes caused by fatigue.

“We have taken this action with the conviction, based on research and scientific data, that longer driving and working hours are unsafe and promote driver fatigue,” the letter said.    » read more »

Statement of Lena Pons, Policy Analyst, Public Citizen

In announcing that it would extend its cross-border trucking pilot project for two more years, the Bush administration continues to flout Congress at the expense of highway safety. This is the latest of many moves by the administration to give Mexico-domiciled carriers operating authority in the United States beyond a limited border zone despite lawmakers’ clear instructions to the contrary.    » read more »

Risks, Costs Far Outweigh Claimed Productivity Gains; Statement of Joan Claybrook, President of Public Citizen

May 14, 2008 -- This statement was given at a news conference.

Thank you for joining us this morning. Today, we are here to make the case against allowing bigger, heavier and longer trucks onto our highways.

Truck crash: Photo by Daniel Gasienica (CC)

I’m joined by several people who have lost loved ones in crashes involving large trucks and a state trooper who was injured in a serious truck crash while protecting the public. They will share their stories with you.    » read more »

Majority Opposes Changing Laws to Allow Bigger Rigs; Safety Advocates Warn of More Deaths, Damage to Roads and Bridges

May 14, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new national survey shows that Americans overwhelming oppose efforts by the trucking and shipping industries to relax safety standards and allow longer and heavier trucks on the nation’s highways, a coalition of safety groups announced Wednesday.    » read more »

Hoffa Says Congress Shouldn’t Consider ‘Crazy’ Plan

May 14, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa on Wednesday urged Congress to ignore trucking industry lobbyists who want to let dangerous large trucks on our highways.

Container trucks on a US highway: Photo by futureatlas.com (CC)

A trucking industry group called “Americans for Safe and Efficient Transportation” is lobbying Congress this week for a pilot program to let bigger trucks on the road in five, possibly six states.

The states are Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Georgia and possibly Texas.    » read more »

State Department of Transportation to Develop New Regulations and Enforcement Policy; Plan Would Improve Quality of Life in Affected Areas

May 12, 2008 -- In response to the dangers posed by scores of trucks hauling non-local solid waste across local rural roads in the Finger Lakes and Central New York, Governor David A. Paterson and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) will institute a new policy intended to keep large trucks, with the exception of local pick-up and delivery vehicles, on the National Interstate Highway System.    » read more »

April 09, 2008 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley today thanked members of the House Government Appropriations Committee for giving a favorable report to HB 697, sponsored by Representative Mac Gipson, which would grant exemptions from federal motor carrier safety regulations for the operation of vehicles under 26,001 pounds which operate in solely intrastate commerce.

An old Ford F-700 truck by a rural highway in Alabama: Photo by sunsurfr (CC)    » read more »

Inspector General Questions DOT Inspections of Mexican Trucks, Drivers

March 11, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said today that the latest inspector general report on the Bush administration’s reckless pilot program allowing unsafe Mexican trucks to travel freely in the United States provides even more ammunition to keep the border closed because of safety concerns.    » read more »

Five-Year Contract Protects Workers' Benefits, Will Help Union Companies Compete

February 10, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) - Teamster freight members overwhelmingly ratified the 2008-2013 National Master Freight Agreement NMFA) that protects existing Teamster jobs, maintains a strong wage and benefit package and provides new language to allow the largest unionized carriers a chance to better compete, which will give Teamsters more job security.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Transportation Secretary Mary Peters today was told point blank by three members of Congress to close the border to trucks from Mexico.

Peters kept the border open after a law was enacted to close it. The U.S. Senate voted 75 to 23 and the House voted 411 to 3 to forbid funding for the unsafe pilot project allowing Mexican trucks to use U.S. highways.

The legislation became law on December 26, 2007 as part of the Omnibus budget bill.    » read more »