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22
Sep
Where’s the ‘public outcry’ for better roads and bridges?
When it comes to understanding highway problems, trucking usually gets it before the general public. That was made clear at last month’s Infrastructure for the Future summit in Washington, D.C., put on by American Highway Users Alliance and The Volvo […]
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30
Jul
Economy Grows in Second Quarter as Consumer Spending Rises
Gains in consumer spending and business investment helped the U.S. economy rebound more than forecast in the second quarter following a slump in the prior three months that was smaller than previously estimated.Gross domestic product rose at a 4% annualized rate, the most since the third quarter of 2013, after shrinking 2.1% from January through March, Commerce Department figures showed.
The median forecast of 80 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 3% advance. Consumer spending, the biggest part of the economy, rose 2.5%, reflecting the biggest gain in purchases of durable goods such as autos in almost five years. (more…)
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12
Jun
Teamsters come out against hours changes, ATA still supportive
The Teamsters Union has voiced its opposition to recent Congressional action to roll back the 2013 changes to federal hours-of-service restart provisions, but American Trucking Associations head Bill Graves is holding strong on the group’s support for suspending the changes.A bill making its way through the Senate now includes an amendment to undo some provisions of the hours of service rule changes implemented in July 2013 for at least a year and require a study by the DOT.Bill in Senate would suspend hours rule’s restart provisions and require further study (more…)
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09
May
BTS says freight shipments rose 1.2% in February from January
The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry rose 1.2 percent in February from January, rising after two
consecutive monthly declines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) released Wednesday.The February 2014 index level (115.2) was 21.6 percent above the April 2009 low during the most recent recession.
The level of freight shipments in February measured by the Freight TSI (115.2) was two percent below the all-time high level of 117.6 in November 2013. BTS’ TSI records begin in 2000.
The January index was revised to 113.9 from 113.6 in last month’s release. The December index was also revised up. (more…)
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12
Feb
Where’s the ‘public outcry’ for better roads and bridges?
When it comes to understanding highway problems, trucking usually gets it before the general public. That was made clear at last month’s Infrastructure for the Future summit in Washington, D.C., put on by American Highway Users Alliance and The Volvo Group.The congressional members and association representatives who spoke were well-informed, but it was particularly refreshing to hear Joe Cowan, CEO of Baltimore-based Cowan Systems, lay it on the line from a driver/fleet perspective.
Read moreHaving to deal with congested roads on a daily basis is one of the factors that makes professional driving so difficult, said fleet executive Joe Cowan. Funding for highway improvements, already considered years behind, could get much worse. (more…)
