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St. Lawrence Seaway opens early for shipping

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

The St. Lawrence Seaway has opened two weeks early because of the lack of ice this past winter. The seaway gives the Port of Cleveland — the closest major U.S. port of call — international access for freighters exporting steel and machinery and for imports coming to the region. The season's first ship is scheduled to arrive at the Port of Cleveland on March 30. Last year's first freighter was scheduled to arrive April 7 but was delayed because of too much ice (wksu). 

Tags:  Port of Cleveland 

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STB to hold hearing on plan to reduce rail congestion around Chicago

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016
A proposed 278-mile rail line billed as relief for freight and traffic congestion in the Chicago area is getting a hearing next month from the Surface Transportation Board (STB), even as one potential customer said it's not interested. The proposed $8 billion rail line would be privately financed and enable freight traffic not destined for, or originating in, Chicago to bypass a Chicago terminal area characterized as congested. Union Pacific opposes the plan and instead favors several public-private partnerships to improve rail line efficiency (Chicago Tribune). 

Tags:  Surface Transportation Board 

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Study shows higher crash rate for truckers with untreated sleep apnea

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

New research indicates the rate of preventable crashes for truckers with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was five times higher than those without the condition. The study comes on the heels of FMCSA issuing a pre-rule for regulating drivers with sleep apnea.

 

The new study examined data provided by Schneider National. In 2006, the carrier instituted an OSA program. Researchers compared a control group of 2,016 drivers unlikely to have the ailment with 1,613 drivers with OSA. They then compared rates of preventable serious truck crashes per 100,000 miles driven across the study groups.

 

Truckers with OSA who had not adhered to treatment had a preventable crash rate five times greater than those unlikely to have OSA with similar driving experience. Truckers who fully complied with OSA treatment had a crash rate no different from those who did not have the condition (Overdrive).

Tags:  FMCSA 

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FRA proposes requiring at least two-member train crews

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has proposed that trains have a minimum of two crew members. The move is in part a response to a deadly 2013 crash in which an unattended oil train caught fire and destroyed much of a town in Canada. FRA is also considering allowing railroads that operate with only one engineer to apply for an exception to the proposed two-person crew rule.

 

The proposal is opposed by the Association of American Railroads, which represents major freight railroads. Many railroads currently use two-person crews, but some industry officials have indicated they may switch to one engineer per train once technology designed to prevent many types of accidents caused by human error becomes operational (Daily News). 

Tags:  Association of American Railroads  Federal Railroad Administration  FRA 

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FMCSA to accept Mexican commercial vehicle inspections

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced it is accepting the official Mexican standard for annual commercial vehicle inspections of Mexico-domiciled motor carriers by authorities in that country. Beginning May 19, Mexico-domiciled motor carriers must take their vehicles to an approved inspection center for a mandatory vehicle inspection. The inspections must be performed once every year and on the months set on the inspection calendar (Transport Topics). 

Tags:  FMCSA 

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US East Coast ports not ready for Panama Canal expansion, says container ship CEO

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

U.S. East Coast ports looking to use the Panama Canal expansion to lure traffic from congested West Coast ports have failed to invest in infrastructure and are years away from being ready for extra business, according to Seaspan CEO Gerry Wang, the head of the world's largest lessor of container ships. Last month, volume through those West Coast ports jumped 42 percent over the 2015 period to a record high, and Wang says congestion there should allow ports on the East Coast to benefit, but necessary infrastructure projects have moved slowly (Reuters).

Tags:  Infrastructure  West Coast Port Congestion  West Coast Ports 

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Appropriators urged to delay safety fitness determination rulemaking

Posted By Administration, Monday, April 04, 2016

Thirty-three House lawmakers have asked leaders of the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, which helps determine annual funding levels for transportation programs, to delay a rulemaking on a safety fitness determination proposal. They are asking appropriators to deny the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) the money needed to proceed with the proposed rulemaking until the agency concludes a reform of the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program. FMCSA is required by a 2015 highway law to reform CSA's scoring methodology. Appropriators have yet to schedule consideration of a fiscal year 2017 transportation funding bill (Transport Topics). 

Tags:  CSA  FMCSA  House Appropriations Committee 

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FMCSA proposes sleep apnea rule

Posted By Administration, Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has begun efforts to address obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in commercial truck drivers. As part of the proposal, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) are seeking public comment on the impacts of screening, evaluating and treating commercial drivers and rail workers for OSA. FMCSA and FRA will host three public listening sessions to gather input on OSA in Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles as both agencies consider whether to propose requirements specifically on OSA (Fleet Owner).

Tags:  DOT  FMCSA  FRA 

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For-hire freight nears record high

Posted By Administration, Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The amount of freight moved by U.S. for-hire transportation companies increased for the second straight month in January. The DOT's Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) rose 0.5 percent in January to a reading of 122.2, while the December 2015 index was revised upward to 121.6 from 121 in last month's release. This latest figure is just 1.3 percent below the all-time high level of 123.8 in November 2014, with TSI records going back to 2000. This is also the first time the index increased for two months in a row since November 2014. The January Freight TSI hike was due to substantial growth in rail intermodal and pipeline and a smaller increase in trucking (Truckinginfo).

Tags:  DOT  Freight TSI  TSI 

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FMCSA extends safety-fitness rulemaking comment period

Posted By Administration, Tuesday, March 15, 2016

FMCSA has extended the public comment period for its proposed rule on safety fitness determinations for motor carriers. The comment extension is a result of stakeholder requests to FMCSA. The deadline for the submission of initial comments is now May 23, 2016. Reply comments will be due on or before June 23, 2016. Under the proposal, it would replace the current three-tier federal rating system of "satisfactory-conditional-unsatisfactory," which has been in place since 1982, with a single determination of "unfit." A carrier that is determined to be unfit would be required to either improve its operations or cease operations (Truckinginfo). 

Tags:  FMCSA 

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