Owner Operators

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a number of proposed rules scheduled for this summer, including establishing a drug and alcohol database, mandatory speed limiters and prohibiting driver coercion. However, proposals on electronic logs, entry-level driver training and safety fitness probably won't be unveiled as scheduled, according to a panel discussion May 15 during Zonar's inaugural user's conference.

Tags: FMCSA, Regulations, Safety, ATA, Zonar, CVSA, Enforcement

Embattled Pilot Flying J CEO and Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam on Thursday morning took questions from trucking for the first time since allegations of fraud surfaced a month ago, and asked fleets to work with the truckstop chain to resolve any problems rather than filing suit.

Tags: Pilot Flying J, Truckstops, Fuel and Oil

The law firm representing one of the trucking companies suing truckstop operator Pilot Flying J has brought on a big gun to help with the investigation – former FBI Director Louis Freeh.

Tags: Pilot Flying J, Truckstops, Fuel and Oil

Spot market freight volumes reported by the DAT North American Freight Index declined 16% compared to the record April high in 2012. The year-over-year freight declines were seen across all equipment types: van load volume declined, refrigerated loads slipped 10% and flatbed freight dropped 15%.

Tags: Spot Freight, DAT Transcore

The North American retail diesel exhaust fluid network reached a landmark figure last month with over 1,000 locations offering diesel exhaust fluid at the fuel island. Currently, there are 1,025 such locations, an increase of 553 since April 2012.

Tags: DEF, Diesel Exhaust Fluid, SCR, Truckstops

Traffic in both directions near Harrisburg, Pa., has reopened following a tanker crash and fire that closed the route last Thursday.

Tags: Pennsylvania, I-81, Interstate 81, Highways

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell signed legislation Monday raising billions of dollars for transportation that includes new taxes on fuel. They may go even higher depending on what happens to legislation on Capitol Hill.

Tags: Fuel tax, Virginia, Diesel Tax, Gasoline Tax, Highways, Infrastructure Funding, I-95, Tolls

UPDATED -- Because a tanker fire has closed I-81 in the Harrisburg, Pa., area, the Pennsylvania Turnpike between Harrisburg East (#247) and Carlisle (#226), is being used as an alternate route. Tolls are being waived for all vehicles that enter and exit at those two interchanges only.

Tags: Pennsylvania, I-81, Highways

A new Government Accountability Office report to Congress has some far from kind words about the Transportation Security Administration and biometric readers used in the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and coordinated along with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Tags: Department of Homeland Security, GAO, Transportation Security Administration, TWIC, Security, Ports, Intermodal

After decades of prohibiting trucks from legally transporting hazardous materials over the Ambassador Bridge that carries traffic between the U.S. and Canada, Michigan has proposed lifting the ban.

Tags: Canada, Michigan, Ambassador Bridge, Cross-border trucking, NAFTA, Hazmat

Lawmakers in Maine have given final passage to a bill allowing speed limits to increase along Maine’s interstates, but are moving to pull the plug on a study to determine the feasibility of an east-west highway.

Tags: Speed Limits, Maine, Highways

The annual three-day roadside commercial vehicle safety crackdown known as Roadcheck will focus this year on cargo securement and educating drivers about the upcoming changes in hours of service regulations.

Tags: Inspections, CVSA, Roadcheck

The new Short-Term Energy Outlook from the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration says diesel fuel prices, which averaged $3.95 per gallon last summer, are projected to fall to an average of $3.88 per gallon this summer and move generally lower into 2014.

Tags: Oil Prices, Diesel Prices, Gasoline Prices

The average U.S. cost of diesel has dropped for the 10th week in a row, down 0.6 cents from last week, coming in at $3.845 per gallon, according to new figures form the U.S. Energy Department.

Tags: Oil Prices, Diesel Prices, Gasoline Prices, Fuel and Oil

As lawsuits continue to mount against the truckstop chain Pilot Flying J, its board of directors has appointed a head of a special committee overseeing an internal investigation along with what it calls a “special independent council,” but questions are quickly being raised about one of the choices.

Tags: Pilot Flying J, Truckstops