Trucking News - April 2004
Our news is provided as a courtesy Of OOIDA / Land Line Magazine
Used with permission. Unauthorized Use or Duplication Is Prohibited
Used with permission. Unauthorized Use or Duplication Is Prohibited
Maryland House passes ban on traffic-signal changers
04/01/2004 - 3:23:53 pm - The Maryland House overwhelmingly approved a measure that would outlaw the use of a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light ...
Bill to bump Arizona speeds is killed
04/01/2004 - 3:25:42 pm - A bill that would allow state transportation officials to raise speed limits 5 mph on certain rural roadways has hit a dead end. The state Senate previously ...
Trucks could haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain
04/01/2004 - 3:26:44 pm - Nuclear wastes being shipped by the Yucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada may travel the last leg of their journey on trucks, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported March 31 ...
TWIC card to debut in Florida
04/01/2004 - 3:28:26 pm - Florida and the Transportation Security Administration unveiled a joint project to develop a single statewide security identification card for truck drivers, dockworkers and ...
95 reopened in both directions in Connecticut
04/01/2004 - 3:29:42 pm - The southbound lanes of Interstate 95, damaged by a crash and fire, have reopened, the Connecticut Department of Transportation said March 31. However, state ...
Supreme Court to hear Mexican truck issue April 21
04/01/2004 - 3:30:50 pm - The U.S. Supreme Court April 21 will wrestle with a challenge by the Teamsters, its Oakland-based Local 70, the California Labor Federation and environmental groups – all of ...
OPEC to cut oil output – not good news
04/01/2004 - 3:32:51 pm - OPEC members agreed March 31 to cut oil output by 4 percent, which represents a reduction in output of 1 million barrels per day starting April 1. By following ...
White House threatens highway bill veto
04/01/2004 - 3:35:24 pm - The White House said March 30 that the president would veto the House highway spending bill, rejecting efforts by House GOP leaders to negotiate between the administration`s ...
Bill to let illegal immigrants get licenses fails in Illinois
04/02/2004 - 4:44:37 pm - A bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in Illinois has died in the state’s House of Representatives. HB4003, introduced by ...
Trauma bill targets Florida’s bad drivers
04/02/2004 - 4:46:06 pm - Bad drivers in Florida may be used to help rescue the state’s 20 trauma centers under a bill that passed a key state legislative committee this week. Finding ...
Kansas lawmakers approve 9-1-1 system upgrade
04/02/2004 - 4:47:20 pm - The Kansas House and Senate agreed March 31 on the final version of a bill that would charge wireless telephone users in the state fees to fund improvements in county 9-1-1 ...
Illinois Senate considers resolution on truck weight, size limits
04/02/2004 - 4:48:36 pm - The Illinois General Assembly is considering a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to keep the current limitations on the size and weight of trucks. SR168 was ...
Retired trucker wins the ultimate pension
04/02/2004 - 4:49:59 pm - A retired truck driver has won a $239 million prize from the Mega Millions lottery, the game’s administrators announced recently. The driver, J.R. Triplett of ...
Mississippi Senate passes bill to use tolls as revenue source
04/02/2004 - 4:51:27 pm - Senate lawmakers have given their approval to legislation that would create tolls along some roads and bridges in Mississippi. The proposal is intended to give the state ...
California legislators consider increasing fuel tax
04/02/2004 - 4:52:29 pm - Two bills making their way through the California General Assembly would raise the state’s fuel taxes. The first bill, SB1614, would increase the tax by 10 cents a gallon. The ...
Motorcade gets a presidential pardon from paying tolls
04/02/2004 - 4:53:28 pm - The U.S. Congress may be looking at adding tolls to interstates across the country, but if they do, don`t expect the president to pay any of them. According to an ...
Missouri Senate advances mandatory seat-belt bill
04/02/2004 - 4:54:53 pm - The Missouri Senate gave initial approval March 31 to a measure that would permit police to pull over drivers for not buckling up. The bill received first-round ...
Open container law diverts Tennessee highway funds
04/02/2004 - 4:55:58 pm - Tennessee is required to spend a chunk of its federal highway dollars on traffic safety because the state doesn`t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles. ...
House passes transportation bill
04/02/2004 - 4:56:55 pm - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $275 billion transportation bill April 2 despite White House threats of a presidential veto. The six-year bill boosts ...
SPECIAL REPORT: FMCSA grants OOIDA request on carrier safety reviews
04/05/2004 - 2:52:49 pm - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration March 30 announced a final rule requiring employers to review candidates’ professional safety records and former employers to ...
SPECIAL REPORT: OOIDA mobilizes members to help pass Kennedy amendment
04/05/2004 - 2:56:06 pm - OOIDA members across the country called their elected representatives and trucking radio shows, whose hosts helped spread the word, in a successful campaign to defeat a ...
Missouri Senate backs call to send cell phone tax to voters
04/06/2004 - 2:23:06 pm - Missouri counties could ask voters to approve new taxes on cell phones to provide or improve 9-1-1 service under a measure approved by the state Senate. Voters in ...
Minnesota House approves lower drunken-driving limit
04/06/2004 - 2:24:17 pm - The Minnesota House voted overwhelmingly March 31 to lower the state’s drunken driving threshold. House lawmakers voted 113-15 in favor of legislation to lower the ...
HOT lanes OK’d in Georgia House
04/06/2004 - 2:26:21 pm - The Georgia House voted to allow state transportation officials to create high-occupancy toll lanes, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported. Bill supporters say HOT lanes ...
TSA issues hazmat update
04/06/2004 - 2:27:57 pm - The Department of Homeland Security`s Transportation Security Administration recently announced plans for conducting background checks on commercial truck drivers who ...
Diesel inches upward – hits $2 mark in California
04/06/2004 - 2:29:14 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel rose to $1.648 from the previous average of $1.642, the Department of Energy reported April 5. The highest prices were ...
Petros will open locations to IdleAire
04/07/2004 - 11:25:06 am - El Paso, Texas-based Petro Stopping Centers has agreed to open its system of travel centers for immediate installation of IdleAire Technologies’ Advanced Travel Center ...
Alaska targeting traffic-control devices
04/07/2004 - 11:26:13 am - A bill before the Alaska Senate Finance Committee would outlaw controllers that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light changer is ...
Transportation funding plan moves forward in Maryland
04/07/2004 - 11:27:19 am - A Maryland Senate panel approved a transportation fee package April 5 that would leave Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. well short of his funding goal. Deciding not to ...
Natso news: Fay away; Mullings named acting chief
04/07/2004 - 11:28:57 am - William Fay stepped down April 1 as president and CEO of Natso, the trade organization representing the truck stop and travel plaza industry. Lisa Mullings, who ...
FMCSA sets LCV training requirements for drivers and instructors
04/07/2004 - 11:30:25 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced minimum training requirements for operators of double and triple trucks, also known as longer combination ...
The highway bill: the next step
04/07/2004 - 11:31:44 am - Congressmen and senators have left Washington, DC, for a recess, but staff members of the two transportation committees may soon start to identify items of agreement in the ...
Michigan governor signs altered driver responsibility law
04/08/2004 - 6:28:30 pm - Drivers in Michigan who are insured but fail to provide proof during a traffic stop would get some relief under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm April 1 ...
Many Wal-Mart shoppers double or triple billed
04/08/2004 - 6:29:18 pm - Truckers who shopped at Wal-Mart March 31 need to look at their credit card bills and make sure they were correctly charged. The company that handles credit card ...
Tougher seat-belt law under review in Tennessee
04/08/2004 - 6:30:36 pm - Drivers caught not wearing their seat belts could be pulled over under legislation in the Tennessee Senate. A bill sponsored by Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, ...
Minnesota speeds could rise under bill
04/08/2004 - 6:32:23 pm - A Minnesota Senate panel is reviewing a measure that would raise the speed limit by 5 mph for all vehicles on some rural highways in the state. The bill previously ...
Leadfoot governor ‘fesses up
04/08/2004 - 6:33:32 pm - Ever hear someone complain about truckers driving too fast on the Pennsylvania Turnpike? One person we suspect you’ll never hear make that complaint is the state’s governor ...
MATS 2004: The numbers are in
04/08/2004 - 6:34:46 pm - Exhibit Management Associates Inc. said this week that the 2004 Mid-America Trucking Show, recently held at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in Louisville, featured 1,050 ...
Toll road bill stalls in Tennessee Legislature
04/09/2004 - 9:25:35 am - A Tennessee state lawmaker’s idea of building a $1.5 billion, 300-mile toll road that would wind through the northeastern part of the state has all but ran out of gas, the ...
Tossed butt could burn cash in California
04/09/2004 - 9:26:45 am - You might want to think twice before tossing that butt out the window as you pass through California. The state’s Assembly is considering a bill that could fine ...
Louisiana Senate panel advances vehicular manslaughter bill
04/09/2004 - 9:28:14 am - Drivers who accidentally kill someone while behind the wheel could face charges of vehicular manslaughter under a bill approved by a Senate panel April 6. The ...
Illinois officials ask feds to investigate high cost of fuel
04/09/2004 - 9:28:57 am - Illinois senators are considering a resolution that asks the U.S. Congress to “investigate and determine why the cost of motor fuel is so high and climbing.” The ...
Vermont bills target identity theft
04/11/2004 - 2:47:31 pm - With identify theft cases on the rise in Vermont and across the nation, state lawmakers are taking a closer look at new measures to protect residents. Vermont is ...
Trucker notes force of New Mexico refinery blast
04/11/2004 - 2:49:07 pm - Federal regulators and the FBI are investigating two explosions that rocked a New Mexico gasoline refinery April 8, The Associated Press reported. The blast, seen ...
Georgia lawmakers approve HOT lanes
04/11/2004 - 2:50:19 pm - The Georgia Senate gave final approval to a bill that would allow state transportation officials to create high-occupancy toll lanes. Senators passed the proposal ...
Illinois gets serious about speeding in work zones
04/11/2004 - 2:51:33 pm - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to add radar-activated cameras to work zones along the Illinois Tollway to catch speeders, his office announced recently. Under ...
Rockslide damages two semis in Colorado
04/11/2004 - 2:55:05 pm - Interstate 70 near Georgetown, CO, was closed in both directions April 8 after a series of massive boulders crashed onto the highway shortly after midnight that morning, The ...
Mississippi House OKs toll road measure
04/11/2004 - 2:56:40 pm - The Mississippi House adopted legislation April 8 that would allow referendums on toll road projects in the state. House lawmakers voted 106-13 to advance the toll ...
Senators seek authority to sue OPEC over price gouging
04/11/2004 - 2:57:54 pm - Eight senators have endorsed a bill that would give federal antitrust agencies authority to file suit in U.S. courts against members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting ...
ATHS hosts Truckin’ for Kids Show & Shine
04/13/2004 - 1:48:12 pm - The American Truck Historical Society’s 25th National Show May 27-29 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, will host a special Truckin’ for Kids Show & Shine. The ...
Alabama closes three rest areas, claiming ‘underuse’
04/13/2004 - 1:51:23 pm - Alabama is closing three rest areas because of underuse, an official with the state’s Department of Transportation said April 12. John Lorentson, a state maintenance ...
Sleepy-driver bill introduced in Michigan
04/13/2004 - 1:52:53 pm - A wake-up call to Michigan drivers has begun in the state House, as a bill introduced by Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Kalamazoo, would punish sleepy drivers who cause fatal accidents ...
Tennessee Senate panel passes seat-belt bill
04/13/2004 - 1:54:24 pm - The Tennessee Senate Transportation Committee passed a bill April 7 that would permit police to pull over drivers who are not buckled up. Currently, police can ...
Mineta to bridge road-building technology gap
04/13/2004 - 1:58:15 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta is scheduled to visit the Woodrow Wilson Bridge construction project in Alexandria, VA, April 13 to show off new technologies ...
Diesel prices rocket
04/13/2004 - 1:59:56 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel rose to $1.679 from the previous average of $1.648, the Department of Energy reported April 12. The highest prices were ...
Ephedra ban takes effect
04/13/2004 - 2:00:24 pm - A nationwide ban on the sale of ephedra was scheduled to take effect Monday, April 12, according to documents from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The ...
Annual SuperRigs scheduled June 24-26 in Nebraska
04/14/2004 - 11:49:38 am - The 22nd annual Rotella SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest will be held June 24-26 at the Bosselman Travel Plaza in Grand Island, NE. Last year, about 100 contestants from the U.S ...
Errors on Alabama IRP fees; watch for another bill
04/14/2004 - 11:50:19 am - The state of Alabama recently determined that the International Registration Plan fees collected on behalf of the Idaho were calculated incorrectly. Consequently, says ...
Canada, U.S. provide immigration update for truckers at MATS
04/14/2004 - 11:51:27 am - Canada Immigration, Canada Customs and U.S. Customs teamed up for panel sessions at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY, in March to provide truckers information ...
Roadcheck 2004: Mark your calendar for June 8-10
04/14/2004 - 11:52:35 am - Ready to go fishing? June 8-10 might be the best time of year for truckers to plan a vacation. The 17th annual International 72-hour Roadcheck will be held on those dates ...
Member wins RigMaster APU at truck show
04/16/2004 - 9:21:00 am - OOIDA member James “Jack” Norton of Denver, NC, won a new RigMaster Power auxiliary power unit in Rigmaster’s drawing held at the Mid-America Trucking Show last month ...
Maryland Senate approves vehicle fee hikes
04/16/2004 - 9:22:15 am - Maryland drivers likely will see a hike in their vehicle registration fees July 1, after senators gave final approval to Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s transportation fee package April ...
UMTRI division changes name to reflect its broad focus
04/16/2004 - 9:24:15 am - Truckers are accustomed to hearing stats and facts from the research of “um-tree” or UMTRI – the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. One of ...
Unspent money should pay for new projects, Inspector General says
04/16/2004 - 9:28:24 am - Some call it mattress money. It’s loot that is, well, just kind of hanging around – but bureaucrats have another term for nearly $400 million in unspent ...
Cargo thieves take a bite into crime
04/16/2004 - 9:30:36 am - Crooks stole an Indiana man’s truck and trailer April 15, apparently not realizing that it contained at least 25,000 sets of Billy Bob Teeth, TheJournalnet.com, which serves ...
FHWA/FMCSA remembers Oklahoma City victims
04/16/2004 - 9:36:06 am - In the autumn of 1995, the Federal Highway Administration planted 11 redbud trees at the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Building to commemorate the lives of 11 workers who along ...
Changes to Hawaii fuel-cap bill still pending
04/16/2004 - 9:37:14 am - The Hawaii House of Representatives has given final approval to a proposal that would delay the start of the state’s unique fuel price cap law for another year to further ...
Hazmat, oversized trucks must now have escort on Sault Ste. Marie bridge
04/16/2004 - 9:38:49 am - The Joint International Bridge Authority has introduced an escort policy for all vehicles carrying hazardous materials that display placards and any vehicles wider than 12 ...
Kansas lawmakers approve transportation funds
04/16/2004 - 9:39:51 am - A compromise bill intended to prevent cancellation of promised transportation projects cleared the Kansas Legislature April 2. It has been forwarded to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, ...
Bill targeting truck speeds in Georgia put to rest
04/16/2004 - 12:54:33 pm - An effort to slow large trucks down on most highways in Georgia has died. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. David Adelman, D-Atlanta, sought to restrict big rigs to ...
Freightliner opens world’s first full-scale wind tunnel exclusively for trucks
04/16/2004 - 12:55:16 pm - Portland, OR – Oregon Gov. Theodore Kulongoski clicked the mouse on the master computer April 14 to start Freightliner’s new full-scale truck wind tunnel. The former ...
Canada’s truck show happens this week
04/19/2004 - 9:16:57 am - Canada’s national truck show, Truck World 2004, opens its doors April 22-24 at the International Centre at 6900 Airport Road in Toronto. Endorsed by the Ontario ...
Anti-joyriding bill passes Illinois House
04/19/2004 - 9:18:06 am - A bill in Illinois that would stiffen penalties for joyriders whose reckless driving habits lead to a traffic death has passed the state’s House of Representatives ...
Price-gouging bill headed to Kentucky governor
04/19/2004 - 9:19:08 am - The Kentucky Senate approved a consumer protection bill that would prohibit prices for basic needs such as food, fuel and housing from being raised more than 10 percent during ...
Bill to fine ports for idling moves ahead
04/19/2004 - 9:20:25 am - A law in California that fines port terminals for making truckers sit and idle is a step closer to being expanded to include fines for port operators. The Assembly ...
Maryland governor signs transportation funding package
04/19/2004 - 9:21:33 am - Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a transportation revenue package April 13 that will hike vehicle registration fees for Maryland drivers. The new law is expected to raise ...
FAST lane for trucks makes Laredo debut
04/19/2004 - 9:22:53 am - A FAST lane aimed at cutting border wait times for some trucks from hours to minutes opened April 15 at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, TX, The Associated Press reported ...
IRP tells Oklahoma to pay Illinois $6.3 million in base-plating case
04/19/2004 - 9:24:35 am - The International Registration Plan has awarded Illinois $6.3 million in a dispute with Oklahoma over registration fees. The dispute grew out of Oklahoma’s ...
Report predicts oil at $51 a barrel in 2025
04/19/2004 - 9:25:29 am - Crude oil prices will eventually reach $51 a barrel by 2025 because of inflation and rising energy needs in developing nations, according to an Energy Department projection ...
Werner discusses HOS, fuel costs, driver availability and new engine testing
04/19/2004 - 9:28:36 am - As part of its most recent earnings report, Werner Enterprises Inc. discussed several issues affecting the trucking industry, including new hours-of-service regulations that ...
HOS update: Various challenges on the front burner
04/19/2004 - 9:30:48 am - In about three months, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is to rule on the merits of a suit by Public Citizen, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways and ...
Minnesota bill requires drivers to buckle up
04/20/2004 - 12:59:19 pm - A proposal in the Minnesota Senate would permit police to pull over drivers who are not buckled up. It would also hike the fine from $25 to $300. The measure, ...
Speed-boost proposal killed in Kentucky
04/20/2004 - 1:00:23 pm - A bill that would increase the speed limit for all vehicles on interstates and four-lane highways throughout Kentucky failed to gain final passage before state lawmakers ...
Bill would delay Ohio’s fuel tax boost
04/20/2004 - 1:01:29 pm - With fuel prices in Ohio exceeding $1.70 a gallon, a state lawmaker has introduced legislation to postpone for a year a 2-cent-per-gallon increase in the state motor vehicle ...
NTSB: Driver showed no signs of alcohol or drugs
04/20/2004 - 1:02:43 pm - The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that the driver of a tanker truck who was killed in a recent collision in Maryland had no signs of alcohol, drugs or ...
Quick turnaround hoped for on highway bill extension
04/20/2004 - 1:03:58 pm - After two weeks of hearing from hometown voters, Congress returns to work April 20 with only 10 days remaining before the expiration of current federal highway and transit ...
Fuel prices soar: ‘Americans getting mugged,’ one senator says
04/20/2004 - 1:05:33 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel shot up to $1.724 from the previous average of $1.679, the Department of Energy reported April 12. The highest prices ...
Land Line takes honors in AAPE contest
04/20/2004 - 1:06:14 pm - Land Line Magazine won two top awards in the Association of Automotive Publication Editors first awards competition. "Trucker Faces His Worst Nightmare" by ...
SPECIAL REPORT: The Bozo retires; hands down popular late-night radio show to son
04/20/2004 - 2:13:00 pm - North America`s legendary radio truck show host, Dale Sommers, "The Truckin` Bozo," said this week that his April 15 radio broadcast was his last. Although the radio ...
Florida lawmaker targets lane cutters
04/22/2004 - 2:47:54 pm - Those motorists who speed up beside you then cut you off when their lane ends are the targets of legislation in Florida. Under legislation sponsored by state Sen. ...
Plan to lower DUI threshold moves to Colorado Senate
04/22/2004 - 2:48:49 pm - The Colorado House approved legislation April 7 to lower the state’s blood-alcohol limit from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration ...
Kansas governor approves transportation funds
04/22/2004 - 2:50:35 pm - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius April 15 signed a bill to prevent cancellation of promised state transportation projects. The new law, which takes effect July 1, ...
Georgia truck school owner convicted of conspiracy
04/22/2004 - 2:53:02 pm - Federal officials announced that Thomas R. Duke, owner of TTT Truck Drivers School Inc. Macon, GA, has been convicted of 40 counts of conspiracy for falsifying student tests ...
FBI searching for missing tanker truck
04/22/2004 - 2:55:31 pm - Local and federal officials are searching for a gasoline tanker truck that has been missing from a Pennsauken, NJ, parking lot for more than a week, according to news accounts ...
Open container law redirects Louisiana highway funds
04/23/2004 - 10:16:20 pm - Louisiana is being forced to spend a chunk of its federal highway dollars on traffic safety because the state doesn’t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles ...
Colorado lawmakers squelch ID theft bill
04/23/2004 - 10:22:07 pm - A Colorado House panel scuttled a proposal that would have toughened criminal penalties for identity theft. Three related measures remain under consideration. The ...
Georgia governor reveals road plan
04/23/2004 - 10:23:57 pm - Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue unveiled a plan April 14 to spend more than $15 billion over the next six years to improve roads and ease traffic congestion throughout the state ...
Justices appear sympathetic to Bush’s Mexican truck stance
04/23/2004 - 10:25:55 pm - At least three justices appeared to agree with the Bush administration’s desire to allow Mexican trucks to travel U.S. highways, even though an appeals court earlier ruled the ...
Blind spot sticker to warn Canadian motorists
04/23/2004 - 10:26:51 pm - The Ontario Trucking Association and the Ministry of Transportation recently kicked off a road safety campaign that warns motorists to avoid driving in a large truck’s blind ...
Bill would let legal immigrants get Illinois licenses
04/23/2004 - 10:27:46 pm - The Illinois Senate is considering a bill that would let legal immigrants obtain driver’s licenses. The bill, HB5320, introduced by House Speaker Michael Madigan, ...
Oklahoma bill on rules for licenses sent to governor
04/23/2004 - 10:29:05 pm - An Oklahoma resident seeking a hazardous materials endorsement on their driver’s license would be required to submit to a criminal background check under a bill sent to Gov. ...
Bill targets cargo theft in California
04/23/2004 - 10:29:54 pm - A person who steals cargo off a truck would be guilty of grand theft under a bill being considered in California. AB1814 would apply the charge of grand theft to ...
Virginia governor authorizes keeping trucks to the right on I-81
04/23/2004 - 10:31:12 pm - Gov. Mark Warner signed legislation into law April 14 that requires truck drivers to stay to the right when driving on Interstate 81 in Virginia. The new law, which ...
New Hampshire court: Highway money has to be used on highways
04/23/2004 - 10:32:25 pm - The New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that fuel tax money collected in the state cannot be used for commuter rail projects, according to court documents. The ...
Legislation would provide tax credits for anti-idling devices
04/23/2004 - 10:33:22 pm - U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-TX, has introduced legislation to provide a federal tax credit of up to $3,500 per truck for purchasing idling-reduction devices. The ...
Good news, bad news on truck repossessions
04/23/2004 - 10:34:31 pm - Nassau Asset Management’s NasTrac Quarterly Index shows a 27 percent decrease in repossessions of construction equipment and a 61 percent drop in truck and trailer ...
Hearing set on bill to end split speeds in Illinois
04/23/2004 - 10:35:28 pm - Illinois’ House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill to eliminate the split speed limit in the state. The hearing will take ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Owner-operator online Cost of Operations Survey
04/26/2004 - 9:10:25 pm - For years, small-business truckers have faced the dilemma of whether to build “big company” accounting forms when they couldn’t compare their figures with any other company’s ...
Military phone card, gift donation program goes public
04/27/2004 - 3:19:13 pm - Any American can now help troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom call home, the Department of Defense announced recently. The department ...
Louisiana House passes bill banning traffic light changers
04/27/2004 - 3:20:28 pm - The Louisiana House unanimously approved legislation to outlaw a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light changer is designed ...
TV-watching in vehicles mounting concern
04/27/2004 - 3:21:59 pm - Thirty-eight states want to ban TV watching by drivers by barring viewable screens in locations where the driver can see them, Stateline.org reports. The National ...
Fog-warning devices set for site of massive accident
04/27/2004 - 3:22:43 pm - Maryland will install fog-warning signals along a stretch of I-68 that runs through the western part of the state, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported recently ...
Sinkholes to be filled on I-70
04/27/2004 - 3:23:35 pm - Kansas officials will temporarily close sections of Interstate 70 through the western section of the state near the town of Russell to fix massive dips in the road caused by ...
Colorado town steps up freeway-noise enforcement
04/27/2004 - 3:26:25 pm - Officials in Vail, CO, recently announced they would step up enforcement along the portion of I-70 that runs through the city. The effort was billed as a campaign to reduce ...
Fuel prices down a bit
04/27/2004 - 3:31:35 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel dipped a bit to $1.718 from the previous average of $1.724, the Department of Energy reported April 26. The highest ...
Red-dye diesel sweep scheduled in Tennessee
04/27/2004 - 3:32:34 pm - Tennessee officials plan to conduct a series of roadside checks on diesel vehicles April 28 to make sure that no untaxed dyed diesel fuel is being used in vehicles operated on ...
Ban on traffic-signal changers heads to Maryland governor
04/29/2004 - 5:36:25 pm - The Maryland Senate unanimously approved a measure that would outlaw the use of a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light ...
Louisiana House committee OKs video-poker bill
04/29/2004 - 5:37:28 pm - A Louisiana House panel gave unanimous approval last week to a proposal that would restrict construction of new truck stops with video-poker gambling to within 1,000 feet from ...
County fuel tax vote passed by Oklahoma House
04/29/2004 - 5:39:51 pm - Oklahoma House lawmakers narrowly approved a bill April 20 that would permit local voters to impose a countywide, one-cent sales tax on diesel fuel and gasoline ...
Nation’s Capitol looking to ban trucks on many streets
04/29/2004 - 5:41:11 pm - Washington, D.C. may ban semi trucks starting in June to protect buildings other than the White House and to reduce congestion, according to a Department of Transportation ...
California truckers protest over carriers’ share fuel surcharge
04/29/2004 - 5:42:48 pm - A group of truckers pulled their rigs to the side of the road in California earlier this week as part of a protest over the failure of carriers to pass on the full fuel ...
Concern growing over California’s diesel prices
04/29/2004 - 5:45:28 pm - A Teamsters official told the Long Beach Harbor Commission April 26 that rising diesel fuel costs could price port drivers out of their jobs -- this and other action came this ...
Bill to end Illinois split speed limit now headed to House floor
04/29/2004 - 5:47:07 pm - An Illinois House committee has given its approval to a bill that would end the split speed limit in the state. The bill, SB2374, is now only one vote away from ...
House agrees to two-month highway bill extension
04/29/2004 - 5:47:59 pm - According to Congressional Quarterly, the U.S. House of Representatives April 28 unanimously passed a 60-day extension of transportation programs despite earlier reports from ...
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04/01/2004 - 3:23:53 pm - The Maryland House overwhelmingly approved a measure that would outlaw the use of a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light ...
Bill to bump Arizona speeds is killed
04/01/2004 - 3:25:42 pm - A bill that would allow state transportation officials to raise speed limits 5 mph on certain rural roadways has hit a dead end. The state Senate previously ...
Trucks could haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain
04/01/2004 - 3:26:44 pm - Nuclear wastes being shipped by the Yucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada may travel the last leg of their journey on trucks, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported March 31 ...
TWIC card to debut in Florida
04/01/2004 - 3:28:26 pm - Florida and the Transportation Security Administration unveiled a joint project to develop a single statewide security identification card for truck drivers, dockworkers and ...
95 reopened in both directions in Connecticut
04/01/2004 - 3:29:42 pm - The southbound lanes of Interstate 95, damaged by a crash and fire, have reopened, the Connecticut Department of Transportation said March 31. However, state ...
Supreme Court to hear Mexican truck issue April 21
04/01/2004 - 3:30:50 pm - The U.S. Supreme Court April 21 will wrestle with a challenge by the Teamsters, its Oakland-based Local 70, the California Labor Federation and environmental groups – all of ...
OPEC to cut oil output – not good news
04/01/2004 - 3:32:51 pm - OPEC members agreed March 31 to cut oil output by 4 percent, which represents a reduction in output of 1 million barrels per day starting April 1. By following ...
White House threatens highway bill veto
04/01/2004 - 3:35:24 pm - The White House said March 30 that the president would veto the House highway spending bill, rejecting efforts by House GOP leaders to negotiate between the administration`s ...
Bill to let illegal immigrants get licenses fails in Illinois
04/02/2004 - 4:44:37 pm - A bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses in Illinois has died in the state’s House of Representatives. HB4003, introduced by ...
Trauma bill targets Florida’s bad drivers
04/02/2004 - 4:46:06 pm - Bad drivers in Florida may be used to help rescue the state’s 20 trauma centers under a bill that passed a key state legislative committee this week. Finding ...
Kansas lawmakers approve 9-1-1 system upgrade
04/02/2004 - 4:47:20 pm - The Kansas House and Senate agreed March 31 on the final version of a bill that would charge wireless telephone users in the state fees to fund improvements in county 9-1-1 ...
Illinois Senate considers resolution on truck weight, size limits
04/02/2004 - 4:48:36 pm - The Illinois General Assembly is considering a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to keep the current limitations on the size and weight of trucks. SR168 was ...
Retired trucker wins the ultimate pension
04/02/2004 - 4:49:59 pm - A retired truck driver has won a $239 million prize from the Mega Millions lottery, the game’s administrators announced recently. The driver, J.R. Triplett of ...
Mississippi Senate passes bill to use tolls as revenue source
04/02/2004 - 4:51:27 pm - Senate lawmakers have given their approval to legislation that would create tolls along some roads and bridges in Mississippi. The proposal is intended to give the state ...
California legislators consider increasing fuel tax
04/02/2004 - 4:52:29 pm - Two bills making their way through the California General Assembly would raise the state’s fuel taxes. The first bill, SB1614, would increase the tax by 10 cents a gallon. The ...
Motorcade gets a presidential pardon from paying tolls
04/02/2004 - 4:53:28 pm - The U.S. Congress may be looking at adding tolls to interstates across the country, but if they do, don`t expect the president to pay any of them. According to an ...
Missouri Senate advances mandatory seat-belt bill
04/02/2004 - 4:54:53 pm - The Missouri Senate gave initial approval March 31 to a measure that would permit police to pull over drivers for not buckling up. The bill received first-round ...
Open container law diverts Tennessee highway funds
04/02/2004 - 4:55:58 pm - Tennessee is required to spend a chunk of its federal highway dollars on traffic safety because the state doesn`t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles. ...
House passes transportation bill
04/02/2004 - 4:56:55 pm - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $275 billion transportation bill April 2 despite White House threats of a presidential veto. The six-year bill boosts ...
SPECIAL REPORT: FMCSA grants OOIDA request on carrier safety reviews
04/05/2004 - 2:52:49 pm - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration March 30 announced a final rule requiring employers to review candidates’ professional safety records and former employers to ...
SPECIAL REPORT: OOIDA mobilizes members to help pass Kennedy amendment
04/05/2004 - 2:56:06 pm - OOIDA members across the country called their elected representatives and trucking radio shows, whose hosts helped spread the word, in a successful campaign to defeat a ...
Missouri Senate backs call to send cell phone tax to voters
04/06/2004 - 2:23:06 pm - Missouri counties could ask voters to approve new taxes on cell phones to provide or improve 9-1-1 service under a measure approved by the state Senate. Voters in ...
Minnesota House approves lower drunken-driving limit
04/06/2004 - 2:24:17 pm - The Minnesota House voted overwhelmingly March 31 to lower the state’s drunken driving threshold. House lawmakers voted 113-15 in favor of legislation to lower the ...
HOT lanes OK’d in Georgia House
04/06/2004 - 2:26:21 pm - The Georgia House voted to allow state transportation officials to create high-occupancy toll lanes, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported. Bill supporters say HOT lanes ...
TSA issues hazmat update
04/06/2004 - 2:27:57 pm - The Department of Homeland Security`s Transportation Security Administration recently announced plans for conducting background checks on commercial truck drivers who ...
Diesel inches upward – hits $2 mark in California
04/06/2004 - 2:29:14 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel rose to $1.648 from the previous average of $1.642, the Department of Energy reported April 5. The highest prices were ...
Petros will open locations to IdleAire
04/07/2004 - 11:25:06 am - El Paso, Texas-based Petro Stopping Centers has agreed to open its system of travel centers for immediate installation of IdleAire Technologies’ Advanced Travel Center ...
Alaska targeting traffic-control devices
04/07/2004 - 11:26:13 am - A bill before the Alaska Senate Finance Committee would outlaw controllers that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light changer is ...
Transportation funding plan moves forward in Maryland
04/07/2004 - 11:27:19 am - A Maryland Senate panel approved a transportation fee package April 5 that would leave Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. well short of his funding goal. Deciding not to ...
Natso news: Fay away; Mullings named acting chief
04/07/2004 - 11:28:57 am - William Fay stepped down April 1 as president and CEO of Natso, the trade organization representing the truck stop and travel plaza industry. Lisa Mullings, who ...
FMCSA sets LCV training requirements for drivers and instructors
04/07/2004 - 11:30:25 am - The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced minimum training requirements for operators of double and triple trucks, also known as longer combination ...
The highway bill: the next step
04/07/2004 - 11:31:44 am - Congressmen and senators have left Washington, DC, for a recess, but staff members of the two transportation committees may soon start to identify items of agreement in the ...
Michigan governor signs altered driver responsibility law
04/08/2004 - 6:28:30 pm - Drivers in Michigan who are insured but fail to provide proof during a traffic stop would get some relief under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jennifer Granholm April 1 ...
Many Wal-Mart shoppers double or triple billed
04/08/2004 - 6:29:18 pm - Truckers who shopped at Wal-Mart March 31 need to look at their credit card bills and make sure they were correctly charged. The company that handles credit card ...
Tougher seat-belt law under review in Tennessee
04/08/2004 - 6:30:36 pm - Drivers caught not wearing their seat belts could be pulled over under legislation in the Tennessee Senate. A bill sponsored by Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, ...
Minnesota speeds could rise under bill
04/08/2004 - 6:32:23 pm - A Minnesota Senate panel is reviewing a measure that would raise the speed limit by 5 mph for all vehicles on some rural highways in the state. The bill previously ...
Leadfoot governor ‘fesses up
04/08/2004 - 6:33:32 pm - Ever hear someone complain about truckers driving too fast on the Pennsylvania Turnpike? One person we suspect you’ll never hear make that complaint is the state’s governor ...
MATS 2004: The numbers are in
04/08/2004 - 6:34:46 pm - Exhibit Management Associates Inc. said this week that the 2004 Mid-America Trucking Show, recently held at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in Louisville, featured 1,050 ...
Toll road bill stalls in Tennessee Legislature
04/09/2004 - 9:25:35 am - A Tennessee state lawmaker’s idea of building a $1.5 billion, 300-mile toll road that would wind through the northeastern part of the state has all but ran out of gas, the ...
Tossed butt could burn cash in California
04/09/2004 - 9:26:45 am - You might want to think twice before tossing that butt out the window as you pass through California. The state’s Assembly is considering a bill that could fine ...
Louisiana Senate panel advances vehicular manslaughter bill
04/09/2004 - 9:28:14 am - Drivers who accidentally kill someone while behind the wheel could face charges of vehicular manslaughter under a bill approved by a Senate panel April 6. The ...
Illinois officials ask feds to investigate high cost of fuel
04/09/2004 - 9:28:57 am - Illinois senators are considering a resolution that asks the U.S. Congress to “investigate and determine why the cost of motor fuel is so high and climbing.” The ...
Vermont bills target identity theft
04/11/2004 - 2:47:31 pm - With identify theft cases on the rise in Vermont and across the nation, state lawmakers are taking a closer look at new measures to protect residents. Vermont is ...
Trucker notes force of New Mexico refinery blast
04/11/2004 - 2:49:07 pm - Federal regulators and the FBI are investigating two explosions that rocked a New Mexico gasoline refinery April 8, The Associated Press reported. The blast, seen ...
Georgia lawmakers approve HOT lanes
04/11/2004 - 2:50:19 pm - The Georgia Senate gave final approval to a bill that would allow state transportation officials to create high-occupancy toll lanes. Senators passed the proposal ...
Illinois gets serious about speeding in work zones
04/11/2004 - 2:51:33 pm - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to add radar-activated cameras to work zones along the Illinois Tollway to catch speeders, his office announced recently. Under ...
Rockslide damages two semis in Colorado
04/11/2004 - 2:55:05 pm - Interstate 70 near Georgetown, CO, was closed in both directions April 8 after a series of massive boulders crashed onto the highway shortly after midnight that morning, The ...
Mississippi House OKs toll road measure
04/11/2004 - 2:56:40 pm - The Mississippi House adopted legislation April 8 that would allow referendums on toll road projects in the state. House lawmakers voted 106-13 to advance the toll ...
Senators seek authority to sue OPEC over price gouging
04/11/2004 - 2:57:54 pm - Eight senators have endorsed a bill that would give federal antitrust agencies authority to file suit in U.S. courts against members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting ...
ATHS hosts Truckin’ for Kids Show & Shine
04/13/2004 - 1:48:12 pm - The American Truck Historical Society’s 25th National Show May 27-29 at California Speedway in Fontana, CA, will host a special Truckin’ for Kids Show & Shine. The ...
Alabama closes three rest areas, claiming ‘underuse’
04/13/2004 - 1:51:23 pm - Alabama is closing three rest areas because of underuse, an official with the state’s Department of Transportation said April 12. John Lorentson, a state maintenance ...
Sleepy-driver bill introduced in Michigan
04/13/2004 - 1:52:53 pm - A wake-up call to Michigan drivers has begun in the state House, as a bill introduced by Rep. Lorence Wenke, R-Kalamazoo, would punish sleepy drivers who cause fatal accidents ...
Tennessee Senate panel passes seat-belt bill
04/13/2004 - 1:54:24 pm - The Tennessee Senate Transportation Committee passed a bill April 7 that would permit police to pull over drivers who are not buckled up. Currently, police can ...
Mineta to bridge road-building technology gap
04/13/2004 - 1:58:15 pm - U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta is scheduled to visit the Woodrow Wilson Bridge construction project in Alexandria, VA, April 13 to show off new technologies ...
Diesel prices rocket
04/13/2004 - 1:59:56 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel rose to $1.679 from the previous average of $1.648, the Department of Energy reported April 12. The highest prices were ...
Ephedra ban takes effect
04/13/2004 - 2:00:24 pm - A nationwide ban on the sale of ephedra was scheduled to take effect Monday, April 12, according to documents from the federal Food and Drug Administration. The ...
Annual SuperRigs scheduled June 24-26 in Nebraska
04/14/2004 - 11:49:38 am - The 22nd annual Rotella SuperRigs Truck Beauty Contest will be held June 24-26 at the Bosselman Travel Plaza in Grand Island, NE. Last year, about 100 contestants from the U.S ...
Errors on Alabama IRP fees; watch for another bill
04/14/2004 - 11:50:19 am - The state of Alabama recently determined that the International Registration Plan fees collected on behalf of the Idaho were calculated incorrectly. Consequently, says ...
Canada, U.S. provide immigration update for truckers at MATS
04/14/2004 - 11:51:27 am - Canada Immigration, Canada Customs and U.S. Customs teamed up for panel sessions at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY, in March to provide truckers information ...
Roadcheck 2004: Mark your calendar for June 8-10
04/14/2004 - 11:52:35 am - Ready to go fishing? June 8-10 might be the best time of year for truckers to plan a vacation. The 17th annual International 72-hour Roadcheck will be held on those dates ...
Member wins RigMaster APU at truck show
04/16/2004 - 9:21:00 am - OOIDA member James “Jack” Norton of Denver, NC, won a new RigMaster Power auxiliary power unit in Rigmaster’s drawing held at the Mid-America Trucking Show last month ...
Maryland Senate approves vehicle fee hikes
04/16/2004 - 9:22:15 am - Maryland drivers likely will see a hike in their vehicle registration fees July 1, after senators gave final approval to Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s transportation fee package April ...
UMTRI division changes name to reflect its broad focus
04/16/2004 - 9:24:15 am - Truckers are accustomed to hearing stats and facts from the research of “um-tree” or UMTRI – the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. One of ...
Unspent money should pay for new projects, Inspector General says
04/16/2004 - 9:28:24 am - Some call it mattress money. It’s loot that is, well, just kind of hanging around – but bureaucrats have another term for nearly $400 million in unspent ...
Cargo thieves take a bite into crime
04/16/2004 - 9:30:36 am - Crooks stole an Indiana man’s truck and trailer April 15, apparently not realizing that it contained at least 25,000 sets of Billy Bob Teeth, TheJournalnet.com, which serves ...
FHWA/FMCSA remembers Oklahoma City victims
04/16/2004 - 9:36:06 am - In the autumn of 1995, the Federal Highway Administration planted 11 redbud trees at the site of the Alfred P. Murrah Building to commemorate the lives of 11 workers who along ...
Changes to Hawaii fuel-cap bill still pending
04/16/2004 - 9:37:14 am - The Hawaii House of Representatives has given final approval to a proposal that would delay the start of the state’s unique fuel price cap law for another year to further ...
Hazmat, oversized trucks must now have escort on Sault Ste. Marie bridge
04/16/2004 - 9:38:49 am - The Joint International Bridge Authority has introduced an escort policy for all vehicles carrying hazardous materials that display placards and any vehicles wider than 12 ...
Kansas lawmakers approve transportation funds
04/16/2004 - 9:39:51 am - A compromise bill intended to prevent cancellation of promised transportation projects cleared the Kansas Legislature April 2. It has been forwarded to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, ...
Bill targeting truck speeds in Georgia put to rest
04/16/2004 - 12:54:33 pm - An effort to slow large trucks down on most highways in Georgia has died. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. David Adelman, D-Atlanta, sought to restrict big rigs to ...
Freightliner opens world’s first full-scale wind tunnel exclusively for trucks
04/16/2004 - 12:55:16 pm - Portland, OR – Oregon Gov. Theodore Kulongoski clicked the mouse on the master computer April 14 to start Freightliner’s new full-scale truck wind tunnel. The former ...
Canada’s truck show happens this week
04/19/2004 - 9:16:57 am - Canada’s national truck show, Truck World 2004, opens its doors April 22-24 at the International Centre at 6900 Airport Road in Toronto. Endorsed by the Ontario ...
Anti-joyriding bill passes Illinois House
04/19/2004 - 9:18:06 am - A bill in Illinois that would stiffen penalties for joyriders whose reckless driving habits lead to a traffic death has passed the state’s House of Representatives ...
Price-gouging bill headed to Kentucky governor
04/19/2004 - 9:19:08 am - The Kentucky Senate approved a consumer protection bill that would prohibit prices for basic needs such as food, fuel and housing from being raised more than 10 percent during ...
Bill to fine ports for idling moves ahead
04/19/2004 - 9:20:25 am - A law in California that fines port terminals for making truckers sit and idle is a step closer to being expanded to include fines for port operators. The Assembly ...
Maryland governor signs transportation funding package
04/19/2004 - 9:21:33 am - Gov. Robert Ehrlich signed a transportation revenue package April 13 that will hike vehicle registration fees for Maryland drivers. The new law is expected to raise ...
FAST lane for trucks makes Laredo debut
04/19/2004 - 9:22:53 am - A FAST lane aimed at cutting border wait times for some trucks from hours to minutes opened April 15 at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, TX, The Associated Press reported ...
IRP tells Oklahoma to pay Illinois $6.3 million in base-plating case
04/19/2004 - 9:24:35 am - The International Registration Plan has awarded Illinois $6.3 million in a dispute with Oklahoma over registration fees. The dispute grew out of Oklahoma’s ...
Report predicts oil at $51 a barrel in 2025
04/19/2004 - 9:25:29 am - Crude oil prices will eventually reach $51 a barrel by 2025 because of inflation and rising energy needs in developing nations, according to an Energy Department projection ...
Werner discusses HOS, fuel costs, driver availability and new engine testing
04/19/2004 - 9:28:36 am - As part of its most recent earnings report, Werner Enterprises Inc. discussed several issues affecting the trucking industry, including new hours-of-service regulations that ...
HOS update: Various challenges on the front burner
04/19/2004 - 9:30:48 am - In about three months, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is to rule on the merits of a suit by Public Citizen, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways and ...
Minnesota bill requires drivers to buckle up
04/20/2004 - 12:59:19 pm - A proposal in the Minnesota Senate would permit police to pull over drivers who are not buckled up. It would also hike the fine from $25 to $300. The measure, ...
Speed-boost proposal killed in Kentucky
04/20/2004 - 1:00:23 pm - A bill that would increase the speed limit for all vehicles on interstates and four-lane highways throughout Kentucky failed to gain final passage before state lawmakers ...
Bill would delay Ohio’s fuel tax boost
04/20/2004 - 1:01:29 pm - With fuel prices in Ohio exceeding $1.70 a gallon, a state lawmaker has introduced legislation to postpone for a year a 2-cent-per-gallon increase in the state motor vehicle ...
NTSB: Driver showed no signs of alcohol or drugs
04/20/2004 - 1:02:43 pm - The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that the driver of a tanker truck who was killed in a recent collision in Maryland had no signs of alcohol, drugs or ...
Quick turnaround hoped for on highway bill extension
04/20/2004 - 1:03:58 pm - After two weeks of hearing from hometown voters, Congress returns to work April 20 with only 10 days remaining before the expiration of current federal highway and transit ...
Fuel prices soar: ‘Americans getting mugged,’ one senator says
04/20/2004 - 1:05:33 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel shot up to $1.724 from the previous average of $1.679, the Department of Energy reported April 12. The highest prices ...
Land Line takes honors in AAPE contest
04/20/2004 - 1:06:14 pm - Land Line Magazine won two top awards in the Association of Automotive Publication Editors first awards competition. "Trucker Faces His Worst Nightmare" by ...
SPECIAL REPORT: The Bozo retires; hands down popular late-night radio show to son
04/20/2004 - 2:13:00 pm - North America`s legendary radio truck show host, Dale Sommers, "The Truckin` Bozo," said this week that his April 15 radio broadcast was his last. Although the radio ...
Florida lawmaker targets lane cutters
04/22/2004 - 2:47:54 pm - Those motorists who speed up beside you then cut you off when their lane ends are the targets of legislation in Florida. Under legislation sponsored by state Sen. ...
Plan to lower DUI threshold moves to Colorado Senate
04/22/2004 - 2:48:49 pm - The Colorado House approved legislation April 7 to lower the state’s blood-alcohol limit from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration ...
Kansas governor approves transportation funds
04/22/2004 - 2:50:35 pm - Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius April 15 signed a bill to prevent cancellation of promised state transportation projects. The new law, which takes effect July 1, ...
Georgia truck school owner convicted of conspiracy
04/22/2004 - 2:53:02 pm - Federal officials announced that Thomas R. Duke, owner of TTT Truck Drivers School Inc. Macon, GA, has been convicted of 40 counts of conspiracy for falsifying student tests ...
FBI searching for missing tanker truck
04/22/2004 - 2:55:31 pm - Local and federal officials are searching for a gasoline tanker truck that has been missing from a Pennsauken, NJ, parking lot for more than a week, according to news accounts ...
Open container law redirects Louisiana highway funds
04/23/2004 - 10:16:20 pm - Louisiana is being forced to spend a chunk of its federal highway dollars on traffic safety because the state doesn’t have a ban on open containers of alcohol in vehicles ...
Colorado lawmakers squelch ID theft bill
04/23/2004 - 10:22:07 pm - A Colorado House panel scuttled a proposal that would have toughened criminal penalties for identity theft. Three related measures remain under consideration. The ...
Georgia governor reveals road plan
04/23/2004 - 10:23:57 pm - Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue unveiled a plan April 14 to spend more than $15 billion over the next six years to improve roads and ease traffic congestion throughout the state ...
Justices appear sympathetic to Bush’s Mexican truck stance
04/23/2004 - 10:25:55 pm - At least three justices appeared to agree with the Bush administration’s desire to allow Mexican trucks to travel U.S. highways, even though an appeals court earlier ruled the ...
Blind spot sticker to warn Canadian motorists
04/23/2004 - 10:26:51 pm - The Ontario Trucking Association and the Ministry of Transportation recently kicked off a road safety campaign that warns motorists to avoid driving in a large truck’s blind ...
Bill would let legal immigrants get Illinois licenses
04/23/2004 - 10:27:46 pm - The Illinois Senate is considering a bill that would let legal immigrants obtain driver’s licenses. The bill, HB5320, introduced by House Speaker Michael Madigan, ...
Oklahoma bill on rules for licenses sent to governor
04/23/2004 - 10:29:05 pm - An Oklahoma resident seeking a hazardous materials endorsement on their driver’s license would be required to submit to a criminal background check under a bill sent to Gov. ...
Bill targets cargo theft in California
04/23/2004 - 10:29:54 pm - A person who steals cargo off a truck would be guilty of grand theft under a bill being considered in California. AB1814 would apply the charge of grand theft to ...
Virginia governor authorizes keeping trucks to the right on I-81
04/23/2004 - 10:31:12 pm - Gov. Mark Warner signed legislation into law April 14 that requires truck drivers to stay to the right when driving on Interstate 81 in Virginia. The new law, which ...
New Hampshire court: Highway money has to be used on highways
04/23/2004 - 10:32:25 pm - The New Hampshire Supreme Court has ruled that fuel tax money collected in the state cannot be used for commuter rail projects, according to court documents. The ...
Legislation would provide tax credits for anti-idling devices
04/23/2004 - 10:33:22 pm - U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-TX, has introduced legislation to provide a federal tax credit of up to $3,500 per truck for purchasing idling-reduction devices. The ...
Good news, bad news on truck repossessions
04/23/2004 - 10:34:31 pm - Nassau Asset Management’s NasTrac Quarterly Index shows a 27 percent decrease in repossessions of construction equipment and a 61 percent drop in truck and trailer ...
Hearing set on bill to end split speeds in Illinois
04/23/2004 - 10:35:28 pm - Illinois’ House Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee has scheduled a hearing on a bill to eliminate the split speed limit in the state. The hearing will take ...
SPECIAL REPORT:Owner-operator online Cost of Operations Survey
04/26/2004 - 9:10:25 pm - For years, small-business truckers have faced the dilemma of whether to build “big company” accounting forms when they couldn’t compare their figures with any other company’s ...
Military phone card, gift donation program goes public
04/27/2004 - 3:19:13 pm - Any American can now help troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom call home, the Department of Defense announced recently. The department ...
Louisiana House passes bill banning traffic light changers
04/27/2004 - 3:20:28 pm - The Louisiana House unanimously approved legislation to outlaw a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light changer is designed ...
TV-watching in vehicles mounting concern
04/27/2004 - 3:21:59 pm - Thirty-eight states want to ban TV watching by drivers by barring viewable screens in locations where the driver can see them, Stateline.org reports. The National ...
Fog-warning devices set for site of massive accident
04/27/2004 - 3:22:43 pm - Maryland will install fog-warning signals along a stretch of I-68 that runs through the western part of the state, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported recently ...
Sinkholes to be filled on I-70
04/27/2004 - 3:23:35 pm - Kansas officials will temporarily close sections of Interstate 70 through the western section of the state near the town of Russell to fix massive dips in the road caused by ...
Colorado town steps up freeway-noise enforcement
04/27/2004 - 3:26:25 pm - Officials in Vail, CO, recently announced they would step up enforcement along the portion of I-70 that runs through the city. The effort was billed as a campaign to reduce ...
Fuel prices down a bit
04/27/2004 - 3:31:35 pm - The average U.S. retail price of diesel fuel dipped a bit to $1.718 from the previous average of $1.724, the Department of Energy reported April 26. The highest ...
Red-dye diesel sweep scheduled in Tennessee
04/27/2004 - 3:32:34 pm - Tennessee officials plan to conduct a series of roadside checks on diesel vehicles April 28 to make sure that no untaxed dyed diesel fuel is being used in vehicles operated on ...
Ban on traffic-signal changers heads to Maryland governor
04/29/2004 - 5:36:25 pm - The Maryland Senate unanimously approved a measure that would outlaw the use of a device that can change some traffic signals from red to green. A traffic-light ...
Louisiana House committee OKs video-poker bill
04/29/2004 - 5:37:28 pm - A Louisiana House panel gave unanimous approval last week to a proposal that would restrict construction of new truck stops with video-poker gambling to within 1,000 feet from ...
County fuel tax vote passed by Oklahoma House
04/29/2004 - 5:39:51 pm - Oklahoma House lawmakers narrowly approved a bill April 20 that would permit local voters to impose a countywide, one-cent sales tax on diesel fuel and gasoline ...
Nation’s Capitol looking to ban trucks on many streets
04/29/2004 - 5:41:11 pm - Washington, D.C. may ban semi trucks starting in June to protect buildings other than the White House and to reduce congestion, according to a Department of Transportation ...
California truckers protest over carriers’ share fuel surcharge
04/29/2004 - 5:42:48 pm - A group of truckers pulled their rigs to the side of the road in California earlier this week as part of a protest over the failure of carriers to pass on the full fuel ...
Concern growing over California’s diesel prices
04/29/2004 - 5:45:28 pm - A Teamsters official told the Long Beach Harbor Commission April 26 that rising diesel fuel costs could price port drivers out of their jobs -- this and other action came this ...
Bill to end Illinois split speed limit now headed to House floor
04/29/2004 - 5:47:07 pm - An Illinois House committee has given its approval to a bill that would end the split speed limit in the state. The bill, SB2374, is now only one vote away from ...
House agrees to two-month highway bill extension
04/29/2004 - 5:47:59 pm - According to Congressional Quarterly, the U.S. House of Representatives April 28 unanimously passed a 60-day extension of transportation programs despite earlier reports from ...
