Amidst extreme weather all over the country, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced more emergency relief funds. The second round of emergency funding this year eclipsed $513 million in total funds. 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico received federal funds this time around. States must use the relief funds for specific projects to repair damaged roadways and transportation infrastructure. Most of this damage was caused by natural…

The supply chain issues plaguing the trucking industry are well known by now. This week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a round of FMCSA funding that could help alleviate the problem. $3.1 million in federal funds will go to community colleges across the country. The funding is for programs that train veterans to drive trucks. The FMCSA will issue funds through the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant…

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized its new rear underride rule this week. The new rule will require that rear underride guards have enough strength to prevent the worst of this type of accident. Intended to reduce fatalities on the road, critics say the new rule doesn't go far enough. Rear underride crashes occur when a smaller vehicle like a four-door sedan crashes into the back of a semi-trailer.…

Last month, the FMCSA announced an extension of its pandemic-era restrictions exemption for motor carriers. The latest extension only affects the amount of time a driver can drive in one shift. Under the extension, drivers can skip breaks and drive for more than eight hours in one go. The original emergency declaration was announced in March 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FMCSA recognized a need to…

The US transportation sector continues to show encouraging signs of recovery. Last month, transportation sector unemployment dropped to 3.6%. This rate represents a return to pre-pandemic levels. In April 2019, the unemployment rate in this sector was 3.7%. Transportation unemployment peaked when it reached a shocking 15.7% during May and June of 2020. Since then, the unemployment rate has seen a steady decrease. Last year at this time, the unemployment…

A controversial policy enacted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott has created massive gridlock at various Texas-Mexico border crossings. The policy calls for inspections of commercial trucks from Mexico to check for migrants. Experts have raised concerns that the policy will slow the import of produce to the point that American consumers will start to feel the effects soon. On Wednesday, Abbott announced that a deal had been made with the…

Locomation’s autonomous vehicle technology is about to expand. Christenson Transportation just finalized their agreement with the tech company. Christenson plans to implement the technology in their trucks as soon as possible. The roll out will begin on their Nashville routes that line 500 miles along the 40, 24, and 65 highways. Christenson can expect a slew of benefits, but truckers everywhere are taking note, afraid their jobs may become obsolete.…

AT&T, the mega telecommunications company, began the sunset of its 3G network on February 22. It was at this point modules and the devices that request 3G voice. Also data-only services from the AT&T network no longer worked. It was a wind-down that affected more than 350,000 Class 8 vehicles. AT&T and Verizon - Rollout of 5G Wireless Services On January 19th, AT&T and Verizon have begun the rollout of…

Lawmakers have chosen to advance with legislation drafting a hefty response to a weather incident. This left hundreds of drivers stuck on the I-95 for a whole day last month. Because of the snowstorms. The Virginia Senate Transportation Committee advanced a Senate Bill of 706 by a popular vote of 10 to 5. As a result, the bill would totally restrict CMVs to the right of any road with two…

EV start-ups and charging companies are helping fleet owners navigate the challenges of ordering electric vehicles. This is part of the strategies to decarbonize over the ensuing years. Though, converting to EVs is not as simple as swapping out gas pumps for chargers. EV Start-Ups and Transition to Electric There has been a transition that requires financing heavy upfront costs. Plus optimizing vehicle routes and schedules, installing and also maintaining…