Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has reopened until May 21 the comment period on its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) concerning inspection, repair and maintenance responsibilities for intermodal equipment providers and motor carriers operating container chassis. For more information, go to http://dms.dot.gov/search and search Docket No. 23315.
Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is proposing several changes to the regulations applicable to cargo tank motor vehicles in response to petitions for rulemaking submitted by the regulated community. PHMSA said the proposed changes are intended to enhance safety, clarify regulations and reduce operating burdens on manufacturers, carriers and others. For more information, go to http://dms.dot.gov/search and search Docket No. 25910.
Freight Transportation Services Index fell 0.2 percent in February to 107.7 from the January level of 107.9, falling for the second consecutive month, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported. The February freight index was down 1.8 percent from its February 2006 level.
Washington Trucking Association and the American Trucking Associations are supporting a request by Arcadia, Calif.-based Food Express that the Washington State Supreme Court reconsider its decision that the state’s overtime provisions apply to all hours worked by a Washington-based truck driver engaged in interstate transportation, regardless of where the driving took place. The parties ask that the court defer to the longstanding interpretation of the Washington Department of Labor and Industries that does not include out-of-state hours in overtime computations.
American Transportation Research Institute concluded that the Automated Commercial Environment Truck e-Manifest had made international border crossings into the United States smoother, but there are considerable start-up labor and equipment costs. ATRI found that the program has the potential to provide net operational benefits for medium and large carriers. To view the research summary and order a copy of the full report, go to this site.
Carrier News
A Colorado bill that would have mandated up to a 5 percent biodiesel blend for diesel fuel and a 10 percent ethanol blend for gasoline died in the Senate Appropriations Committee,
which voted 8-5 to kill SB 238.
Western Express Inc. in late March announced plans to acquire Smithway Motor Xpress Corp. for $90 million. The transaction – under which Smithway would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Western Express – is expected to close this summer. On a combined basis, the companies would operate about 1,600 tractors in dry van operations and 1,400 tractors in flatbed operations.
