Tag Archive for ‘Congress’

Increasing Truck Productivity — The Time to Act is Now

The long-awaited federal Highway Reauthorization legislation is set to move forward this fall giving Congress the opportunity to modernize American truck weight limits and facilitate economic growth just when we need it most. Lawmakers are expected to begin drafting the Reauthorization proposal, which will fund our transportation network for the next few years. In this [...]

Time to Thaw Federal Freeze on State Truck Regulations

This blog post by Diane Katz, originally appeared in “The Foundry” on June 3rd. It’s been two decades since Congress seized from states the authority to regulate the size of the biggest trucks traveling the highways. But what started as a temporary “freeze” on state rule-making predictably turned into a permanent federal usurpation of state [...]

Accelerating Truck Safety through Technology — A Congressman’s View

Throughout 2010, while Congress and the transportation industry debated how to improve our transportation infrastructure, data from an important research study was being analyzed to help accelerate progress in another promising area for truck safety — the adoption of advanced “detect, alert and respond” safety technologies for commercial trucks. Con-way Freight joined with the University [...]

Kraft Foods Shows Congress Truck Weight Reform is a Smart Delivery

New federal legislation presents a unique opportunity to safely improve the efficiency and sustainability of truck shipments. The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act (SETA), now pending in both the House and Senate, would give states the option to set interstate weight limits of up to 97,000 pounds for trucks equipped with a sixth axle. Without [...]

While the Highway Trust Fund Collapses, the Federal Government Spends Billions for “High-Speed” Passenger Rail

If you are looking for news from Washington that will brighten your day, please stop reading now! Since the 1950s when legislation was enacted to build the Interstate Highway System, Congress has passed, and the President has signed into law, a renewal of the federal commitment to surface transportation infrastructure every few years. While initially [...]

The US DOT’s Disappointing Strategic Plan

At a time when it is increasingly acknowledged that the federal government is on an unsustainable fiscal course, you would think the first thing a cabinet agency’s new strategic plan would do is attempt to figure out which of its historical functions are truly federal and should be continued. But that sort of prioritization is [...]

The Tragic Cost of Wasteful Tax Policy on Michigan’s Highways

According to a national transportation research group, poor road conditions cost Michigan motorists over $2 billion annually. These costs harm Michigan families and damage the competitiveness of Michigan businesses. Instead of directing funds to this important need, federal policies are diverting taxpayer dollars to wasteful purposes and Michigan citizens and businesses are paying more in [...]

Note to Congress: Rein in Destructive Commodity Derivatives Trading

Last Wednesday, I spoke on behalf of American Trucking Associations (ATA) at a press conference sponsored by the Derivatives Reform Alliance. This organization is advocating for tougher regulation of commodity derivatives trading, which includes crude oil and refined products like diesel fuel. If that sounds like some arcane financial manipulation practice, you’re right. But it [...]

The Knee Bone’s Connected to the Thigh Bone

A day does not go by in Washington without legislation intended to fix one problem ultimately affecting a host of other issues. It’s the principle of unintended consequences, and a fact of life in our complex world where everything has become so interconnected. Nowhere is this more evident than the transportation industry, which touches our [...]

A Rational Plan for Port Security? Stop Asking the Wrong Question

Eight years later after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, our approach to port security still seems to be guided by a strategy of Ready! Shoot! Aim! Too many people still believe we can secure our nation’s borders – in particular, prevent an attack with a weapon of mass destruction – if we inspect 100% of all [...]