Terror alert program changed
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is replacing its five-color terrorist threat alert system with a two-level system.

Agency to consider speed rule in 2012 - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will mandate speed limiters on new heavy-duty trucks.

FMCSA posts hours proposals - Comments on the proposal are due Feb. 28. The agency announced the proposal on Dec. 23.

Agency gets more time on logs’ regs

ATA challenges port concession plan - Various aspects of the concession agreement imposed on carriers operating at the Port of Los Angeles are preempted by federal law, the association claimed.

Illinois to close U.S. 60/62 bridge

Diesel price sets 2-year high
The current price is the highest since $3.482 in Oct. 20, 2008, and 56.2 cents above a year ago.

Whitehead named Highway Angel
- Bill Whitehead, a driver with FirstFleet, was named by the Truckload Carriers Association for helping motorists whose car had been struck by a deer.

U.S. 93 near Hoover Dam to reopen - The Arizona Department of Transportation is scheduled to complete construction on the final 15 miles of U.S. 93 south of the Hoover Dam before Thanksgiving.

Back on the Road seeks nominations - Back On The Road is designed to help a deserving trucker in need of a truck and a job.

New hours proposal timeline set - The White House Office of Management and Budget is expected to release proposed rulemaking on hours of service by Nov. 26.

CARB amends reefer unit rule - The agency has amended its Transport Refrigeration Unit Airborne Toxic Control Measure to allow 2003 engines to meet a less stringent standard.

Spot freight index gains in October
- TransCore said its North American Freight Index reported a 69 percent increase year-over-year in spot market freight availability in October.

Class 8 orders jump in October - Net orders of heavy-duty Class 8 commercial vehicles for North American markets in October rose 24 percent over September

Court rules against ATA in port case - A federal court has denied the American Trucking Associations’ request to expedite its appeal in its lawsuit against the Port of Los Angeles.

DOT launches distracted driving video - Online video series explores the consequences of texting and cell phone use while driving.

Truckers discuss health problems
- Truck drivers on two panels gave attendees at an international driver health conference real-world perspectives on health-related issue

Freight index rises in September
- The Freight Transportation Services Index for September rose 1.0 percent from August and 2.1 percent from September 2009.

Heartland driver wins photo contest - Brian Romig's black-and-white photo perfectly suited the subject matter.

Port boards to review clean air plan
- The Los Angeles and Long Beach boards of Harbor Commissioners will reconvene on Nov. 22 to consider even more aggressive goals and strategies for reducing air pollution.

Plaintiff attorneys have announced their driver pay lawsuit against Swift Transportation has been given class action status

National diesel price surges 4.9 cents - The national average price of $3.111 is the highest price in six months. The week of May 10, the price was $3.127, based on DOE figures

Truck thief sought for killing officer
- Riverside, Calif., police are seeking information on the Nov. 7 shooting and the suspect

Agency requires recorders for fleet
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it had ordered JBS Carriers to put EOBRs on its more than 700 trucks by March.

IdleAire changes name - IdleAIR provides electrification at 16 truck stops and plans to have the service at six additional locations.

Ferro expects HOS release in November - Anne Ferro, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, expects the White House to release the new rule by the end of this month.

Official outlines driver health concerns - Anne Ferro said commercial truck drivers’ life expectancy is 16 years less than the general population.

Veteran's Day remembrances - Veteran's Day is Nov. 11.

Back on the Road seeks nominations - Back On The Road is designed to help a deserving trucker in need of a truck and a job.

Virginia begins rest stop program
- The program will use undeveloped properties owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation as truck-only rest areas.

Highway Hero nominations sought - Nominations must be received by Nov. 30 for incidents that happened between Nov. 16, 2009, and Nov. 15.

I-64 to be closed in St. Louis

Pa. truckers must display DOT number - Pennsylvania carriers in intrastate commerce now must have a U.S. Department of Transportation number.

FTR: October truck orders rise
- October's 22 percent gain is the third consecutive month showing month over month increases.

California votes to keep emissions regs - Voters rejected Proposition 23, a ballot measure that would have suspended enforcement of the state’s program of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

CARB taking rule change comments - The California Air Resources Board is accepting comment on proposed alterations to three truck emissions rules.

NAFTA surface trade up in August - The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico rose 10.9 percent in August from July.

Shakeup in House committees
- Florida Republican Rep. John Mica is set to take over as chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

National texting ban now in place - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposes sanctions for drivers of fines up to $2,750 and for carriers an $11,000 maximum penalty.

White House extends hours review - A federal agency had scheduled the proposed rule for a Nov. 4 publication date and planned to allow public comment until Jan. 4.

Idaho to increase traffic patrols - Idaho law enforcement agencies are mounting high-visibility driving enforcement patrols through Nov. 14.

Oakland port starts truck program - California port announced implementation of the Secure Truck Enrollment Program.

Port driver employee rule on hold - A federal judge has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Port of Los Angeles from implementing its driver employee requirement.

Trailer orders surge in September - Commercial trailer net orders in September were more than double from a very weak September 2009 volume, ACT Research said.

Whistle blower ordered reinstated - The U.S. Department of Labor ordered a Florida trucking company to reinstate a driver fired for refusing to drive two unsafe trucks.

ATA tonnage index gains in Sept. - For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.7 percent in September after falling a revised 2.8 percent in August.

Cat to launch vocational trucks - The trucks are being developed with Navistar International.

Some Virginia Interstates go to 70 mph - The state will post 70 mph speed limits on 61 percent of the state’s rural Interstates by Dec. 31.

Spot freight up in September -
September’s spot freight reached the highest levels for the month since 2005, which was a peak year for spot market volume.

ACT: Used truck prices rise - The number of units sold declined by 5 percent during September as dealers reported a tighter supply of late-model equipment.

Diesel Prices Soar Again - The national average price is 46.6 cents higher than the same week last year and the highest since $3.094 the week of May 17.

Navistar lays off 250 workers
- Approximately 250 workers at a Navistar truck assembly plant in Springfield, Ohio, received temporary lay-off notices Oct. 8.

I-405 to be closed in Los Angeles - A 5.5-mile section of the freeway through Los Angeles will be closed for five consecutive nights.

Fatal crash causes reported -
Analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System database shows single-vehicle crash fatalities are the most prevalent.

Agency studies reefer unit rule - California Air Resources Board will enforce the January compliance deadline, but soon will consider an option for meeting this standard.

Highway Hero nominations open - Nominations must be received by Nov. 30 for incidents that happened between Nov. 16, 2009, and Nov. 15.


Trucking employment holds steady - Year over year, payroll employment was down 0.6 percent in September from September 2009.

Seattle program scraps 200 trucks - ScRAPS started last November with the goal of taking at least 250 container-hauling, or "drayage," trucks with pre-1994 engines off the road.

Boston hazmat route recommended - The Massachusetts Motor Transportation Association is strongly encouraging use of a Boston hazmat route city officials recommended.


Safety award deadline July 22
- The award recognizes individuals, states and agencies with creative programs that improved truck safety.


Calif. truck registry updated -
The Drayage Truck Registry should reflect a 12/31/13 compliance date to avoid being turned away.


Overdrive July Trucker of Month - Dan Heister describes a lifelong love of driving in a video and in the July issue of Overdrive magazine.


Survey: Truck satisfaction peaks early - Class 8 truck owner satisfaction peaks in the first nine months the truck is in service, then decreases notably, according to J.D. Power and Associates

Daimler increasing truck production - Daimler Trucks North America announced it will recall approximately 540 workers to three of its manufacturing facilities in North Carolina.

Pilot, Flying J wrap up merger
- The new company, to be called Pilot Flying J, operates more than 550 facilities in 43 states and six Canadian provinces.

High-risk insurance pool coming - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is developing a national high-risk pool for people considered uninsurable by insurance providers.

CARB to review diesel policies
- CARB has asked staff to draft changes to the regulations that will mitigate the potential effects of an unfavorable economy on affected businesses.

Peterbilt 384 wins ATD truck award - The other heavy-duty truck nominees were: Kenworth T660 Extended Day Cab and Freightliner Coronado.

Weavil named Highway Angel
- Joseph Weavil notified authorities and led them to an accident scene that was not visible from the road.

Navistar drops suit against CARB - The truck and engine maker had asked a state court to rule that CARB was improperly certifying 2010 diesel engines equipped with selective catalytic reduction.

Study: EPA rules driving truck demand - Fleets appear to be taking advantage of build slots for power units with pre-2010 EPA engines while they are still available, FTR says.

Kentucky bans texting behind the wheel - Warnings will be issued this year to drivers over 18 years to inform them of the law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2011.

ATA: Modify sleeper berth rules - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should modify the sleeper berth provision to allow for additional flexibility to further improve driver alertness, ATA suggests.

Idaho rest area to be closed
- The rest area, located at the junction of U.S. 20 and Idaho Highway 75, will get an estimated $2 million makeover.

Daimler signs contracts at 3 plants - The truck maker announced new three-year collective bargaining agreements for three of its U.S. manufacturing plants in North Carolina.

I-90 work in Idaho to restrict traffic - Beginning April 26, I-90 will be reduced to one lane in each direction until about mid-June.

Nebraska to ban texting while driving - Beginning July 1, texting while driving will be a secondary offense.

Idaho rest area to be closed
- The rest area, located at the junction of U.S. 20 and Idaho Highway 75, will get an estimated $2 million makeover.

Virginia reopens 19 rest areas
- Eighteen facilities closed last July and the final facility closed in September.

Letter: Rework NAFTA on trucking
78 members of Congress sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk complaining about "unsafe" Mexican trucks.

Landstar 1st-quarter revenue up
Revenue hauled by third-party truck capacity providers was 17 percent higher to $505.9 million.

Diesel price jumps again - Diesel prices have climbed 13 cents the past two weeks. The national diesel price is now 84 cents higher than a year ago.

Werner driver saves girl’s life
- Dave Nelson pulled the girl from the car and began CPR

Mexico, U.S. meet on transportation issues - Transportation officials discussed a broad range of issues, including the next steps of the cross-border trucking program.

Truck Stop coupons available
- The application for iPhones can be downloaded for free in the iTunes App Store.

DOT funds to go to Rhode Island roads - The $3 million will help Rhode Island repair and reconstruct six key bridges that are closed

Groups urge biodiesel tax credit renewal - NATSO urged lawmakers to quickly convene a conference on the American Worker, State and Business Relief Act of 2010 and to reinstate the tax credit that expired Dec. 31

Drivers using cell phones to get tickets - Pilot programs in Hartford, Conn., and Syracuse, N.Y., will test whether increased law enforcement can get distracted drivers to reduce cell phone use

Forecast: Driver shortage looming - The driver shortage could be close to 200,000 this year and could grow to about 400,000 in 2011 and 2012

Pearce named Highway Angel
Truck driver for Flying J Inc. has been honored for pulling an accident victim from her overturned car.

Freight broker business
stable - The annual TransCore Broker Benchmark Survey shows freight broker numbers are showing signs of stabilization after rough 2009

DOT program to boost cargo on water - A consultant for FTR Associates said a great deal of freight could not be moved quickly to water transportation

Pa. I-80 tolling rejected - The Federal Highway Administration turned down the state’s application because it would have used funds for projects other than I-80.

Port to buy Class 8 hybrid truck - The Port of Los Angeles has awarded Vision Industries Corp. a purchase order for a zero-emissions Class 8 hybrid-electric truck.

DOE: Diesel to stay above $3
Diesel will average $2.95 this year and $3.12 in 2011, the agency said.

Diesel price surges past $3 -
For the first time in 17 months, the national average retail price of a gallon of diesel topped $3.

Truck orders rise 35% in March - March Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American manufacturers rose to 10,505 units.

Court: Calif. reefer regs OK -
The court rejected a challenge by the American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Association.

Iowa bans texting while driving - For adult drivers, using a handheld cell phone or texting is a secondary offense.

Drivers named Highway Angels - Marten Transport driver James McDowell and Danny Carmichael, a driver for Trucks Inc., have been selected as Highway Angels.

Study links strict cell phone use to safety - Motor carriers with the highest safety performance records also are likely to have stringent cell phone use policies.

Diesel price highest in 2 years -
The national average price of $3.184 is the highest price since $3.288 the week of Oct. 27, 2008

Ohio closes 2 rest areas on I-90

Trucker's firm gets $450,000 grant
- Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle has awarded $450,000 to a company that provides idle-elimination systems and was founded by the 2006 Overdrive Trucker of the Year.

Hearing set for fuel economy standard

Smart signs to begin on Seattle road

Stiffer truck fuel economy rules urged

Group recommends fuel tax rise -
The commission proposes to raise the fuel tax gradually by 15 cents beginning in 2013.

Arrow Trucking plan revealed - Bankruptcy trustee will distribute $2 million to former employees for back wages and benefits