Filed in Regulations

Thursday, June 02, 2011

The topic of Positive Train Control (PTC), which has been commonly referred to as the “unfunded mandate” in railroad circles, has a chance to be less onerous and costly as the White House moves forward with its review of federal regulations that have a negative impact on the United States economy and future growth as part of its January 2011 Executive Order on Improving Regulations and Regulatory Review.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced that it will not meet its initial goal of publishing a new hours-of-service (HOS) rule—based on changes to the rule it proposed late last year—by its initial deadline of July 26. The primary reason for the delay of the final HOS rule, which has now been pushed back to October 28, is because of four studies issued by FMCSA introduced during the HOS rule comment period that focus on the relationship between fatigue and driver safety.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Various transportation interests met on Capitol Hill this week for a two-day hearing hosted by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, which focused on pending surface transportation reauthorization.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says it currently is in a period of “phased implementation,” it advises motor carriers and shippers that the CSA program is fully in effect. Enforcement procedures can range from simple warning letters to full-blown compliance reviews for the most egregious violators.

Wednesday, March 09, 2011

While heavy capital expenditures are nothing new for the freight railroad industry, a report released today by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) stated that United States-based freight railroads are planning to spend $12 billion in capital expenditures in 2011, following a $10.7 billion investment in 2010.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

As you probably already know, not too long ago the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) floated the idea of reducing available daily driving time for truck drivers by one hour from 11 to ten hours per day. Needless to say, this was not well received, and not surprisingly, it seems to have become even less popular than it was when first introduced.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Legislation focused on increasing truck size and weights was reintroduced to Congress last week by Representatives Mike Michaud (D-Maine) and Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio).

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Legislation recently introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) vows to reform the Positive Train Control (PTC) regulatory mandate to reduce compliance costs and maintain a safe rail system.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Port authorities contend that without a method of enforcement, supply chain security has little chance of truly enhancing safety. Here’s a closer look at the different paths U.S. ports are taking in route to establishing standards and adhering to new regulation mandates.