Congress Working on Highway Funding for Next Year
Congress is wrestling with two highway funding bills for the 2014 fiscal year that starts Oct. 1, but only one has gotten an endorsement from President Obama.

Congress is wrestling with two highway funding bills, but only one has gotten an endorsement from President Obama.

The Senate will vote later this week on the $54 billion Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that would fund federal highway projects for the 2014 fiscal year that starts on Oct. 1.
Although it exceeds the Obama administration’s funding request, the White House supports the measure. The bill also has the support of several prominent Republicans in the Democratically controlled Senate.
The White House says the bill (S. 1243) "makes important investments in transportation infrastructure that will help to fix America's crumbling roads and bridges and upgrade and modernize the infrastructure that is so vital to the nation's economic security and long-term growth."
Some conservative groups have slammed the proposal, saying it costs too much.
The White House support is in sharp contrast to a House version of the bill (H.R. 2610), which the President has promised to veto if it reaches his desk. That bill includes only $44 billion.
Some believe each bill will pass their respective chambers, forcing compromise legislation to be ironed out in a conference committee, where funding would likely be somewhere between the House and Senate proposals.
More Fleet Management

For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.
Read More →
Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.
Read More →
Deen Albert: Let Automation Do the Math, People Make the Decisions
HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Deen Albert makes sure people are still at the heart of operations at Grand Island Express, even while adopting artificial intelligence tools. AI-assisted dispatch helped boost revenue 25% with the same number of trucks.
Read More →Trimble’s New AI Agent Takes Aim at Fleet Back-Office Busywork
Arc Agent works across Trimble TMS products to automate repetitive tasks such as freight orders, maintenance, invoices, fuel costs and more.
Read More →
How HDT’s 2026 Truck Fleet Innovators Are Rethinking Fleet Operations
Meet five trucking leaders who are challenging assumptions, solving operational problems, and putting innovative ideas to work.
Read More →
Tight Trucking Capacity Pushes Rates Higher Even as Freight Volumes Fall
“Spot rates moving ahead of contract rates have historically signaled a tightening market, but we haven’t seen a capacity-driven market quite like this one,” said DAT's Dean Croke.
Read More →
Import Cargo’s Early Peak Season is Winding Down
There was an early start to peak season this year at the nation's gateway ports, as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of tariff changes in late July and responded to other supply chain uncertainties,
Read More →
Fewer Cargo Thefts, Bigger Losses: Criminals Target Higher-Value Loads
CargoNet says organized theft rings are stealing fewer shipments but choosing more valuable freight, including metals and technology, resulting in record losses.
Read More →
How Innovative Trucking Leaders Turn Change Into an Advantage
As the pace of change accelerates in trucking, the fleets that adapt best have more than the latest technology. They have cultures that embrace improvement.
Read More →
Freight Broker Bonds Just Got Harder to Get. Here's What That Means for Your Fleet.
When it gets harder for a freight broker to prove they are financially sound, the ones who cannot clear that bar get pushed out of the market. And those are exactly the brokers who used to leave motor carriers holding the bag.
Read More →
