Sen. Frank Lautenberg Dead at 89
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., a longtime advocate of tough truck safety legislation, has died at age 89. Most recently, he reintroduced a bill that would restrict truck size and weight limits, continuing his long opposition to any easing of those standards.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., a longtime advocate of tough truck safety legislation, has died at age 89.
Lautenberg died early this morning due to complications from viral pneumonia at a New York hospital, his office reported.
As chairman of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee, Lautenberg has for years championed legislation to promote truck safety.
Most recently, he reintroduced a bill that would restrict truck size and weight limits, continuing his long opposition to any easing of those standards.
As chairman of the panel that drafts the safety title of the Senate’s highway bills, he also pushed for mandatory electronic logs to track driver hours of service.
He was the author of tough drunk driving laws, including the nationwide .08 blood alcohol standard and the age 21 drinking law.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will name a temporary replacement for Lautenberg pending a special election later this year and an election for a full term next year, the Post reported.
It is too soon to say who would replace him as chair of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee.
More Safety & Compliance
Kodiak Lines Up Fleets for Driverless Trucking
An agreement for 75 trucks, a new Texas freight lane, and progress on safety validation move Kodiak closer to its planned driverless highway launch.
Read More →
More Trailer Data Through the Same Seven-Way [Video]
Can trucking’s standard seven-way connector handle more cameras and trailer data? Grote’s Adam Slade shows HDT how the company is using new technology with its 4See trailer system, not only to add a new backup camera but also to expand other capabilities — without adding another connection.
Read More →
PrePass Intelligence Mines Fleet Bypass, Toll and Safety Data
PrePass Intelligence helps fleets measure bypass savings, flag potential toll overcharges, and spot suspicious transactions by combining data from separate systems.
Read More →
Fatal Crash Exposes Toll Plaza Risks
An NTSB investigation found that last-minute lane changes and large speed differences at an Ohio toll plaza created a hazard the truck driver couldn't avoid in time.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
A Camera Isn't a Safety Program. Here's What Brokers Are Screening for Now
Footage alone may not be enough to pass broker vetting processes. Here's what counts as a defensible safety program now.
Read More →
Marijuana and Trucking’s Drug-Testing Dilemma
Marijuana is getting stronger, laws are changing, and drug tests still can’t reliably establish impairment. What does that mean for truck drivers and the fleets that employ them?
Read More →
PrePass, Kodiak Connect Driverless Trucks to Roadside Enforcement
The system will allow enforcement agencies to verify Enhanced Inspection information and decide whether Kodiak’s autonomous trucks can bypass roadside screening sites.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition
Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.
Read More →