About NASSTRAC | FAQs | Events | News | Awards | Job Finder | Contact Us	Search:

Industry News

Released: October 1, 2007 FMCSA Initiates Real-Time Tracking The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working toward implementation of a plan to track all Mexican and U.S. vehicles participating in the cross-border trucking demonstration project. In a recent announcement in FedBizOpps, FMCSA said it intends to issue a contract to provide satellite terminals for the near real-time tracking of commercial trucks traveling throughout the continental United States and Mexico. Using GPS and wireless technology, the system is expected to determine a vehicle's position in order to monitor hours of service, cabotage violations and date and time of international and state crossings. Vehicles will be tracked by vehicle number and company - no driver information will be collected or tracked, FMCSA said. In May, FMCSA and the government of Mexico's Secretaria de Communicaciones y Transportes agreed to explore satellite technology as an enforcement tool for the cross-border trucking demonstration project. The system will be installed at no cost to the participating trucking companies and is not required of U.S. trucking companies operating solely within the United States. "This will give us the ability to monitor every vehicle from Mexico and ensure all companies are following our strict safety requirements, including those governing hours of service and cabotage," said John Hill, FMCSA Administrator. Committee Approves Rail Safety Bill Senate legislation eyeing railroad safety passed a key committee Thursday and will move to the Senate floor. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation voted to approve an amended version of the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act of 2007, sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore. The legislation takes aim at railroad crossing safety, hours of service, and other safety issues. A version of the bill passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in July. NAFTA Surface Trade Rises 10.5% Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico jumped 10.5% higher in July from a year earlier, though truck trade declined, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported last Thursday. Trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners reached $61.8 billion, DOT's Bureau of Trade Statistics said in its monthly report. U.S. imports by truck rose 6.3% year-over-year to $24.5 billion, while exports rose 8.3% to $23 billion. Rail imports rose 13.5% to $6.1 billion, while exports jumped 1.9% to $2.8 billion. Pipeline imports rose 15.8% $4.1 billion, while exports jumped 49.8% to $192 million, DOT said. Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade among NAFTA partners moves by land. Consumer Spending Rises 0.6% Consumer personal spending rose 0.6% in August, the biggest in four months, the U.S. Commerce Department reported last Friday. The gain followed a 0.4% increase in July. Personal incomes rose 0.3% following a 0.5% rise, the U.S. Commerce Department said. The spending gain was greater than economists' forecasts of a 0.4% increase, Bloomberg reported. An increase in consumer spending could increase demand for new factory goods and the trucking shipments that get them to stores.