@Risk

The US and Mexico are moving towards a new deal designed to resolve a longstanding dispute over cross-border trucking.

The proposed agreement, unveiled last Thursday by President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón, would effectively end a ban on Mexican trucks crossing the US border. The ban was established nearly 20 years ago as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The deal upholds previous requirements for Mexican trucks operating on US highways, notably that Mexican fleets

• apply for and receive authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,

• demonstrate they meet the same safety standards as US fleets and

• are prohibited from hauling freight between destinations within the United States.

In a statement, the American Trucking Associations said it supports the agreement in principle. (more…)

Late last year, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a regulatory proposal that would revise hours-of-service (HOS) requirements for commercial truck drivers.

The new proposal retains the “34-hour restart” provision allowing drivers to restart the clock on their weekly 60 or 70 hours by taking at least 34 consecutive hours off-duty. However, it includes some significant changes, as well. For instance, under the proposed regulations: (more…)

Trucks are the most-used mode to move freight — especially for distances less than 500 miles –and even though there were declines in 2008 and 2009, new figures from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) indicate a return to growth in 2010.

The new data, released in the FHWA Freight Analysis Framework, shows that tonnage will continue increasing 1.6 percent per year, reaching 27.1 billion tons by 2040 –that’s a 61 percent increase in tons between 2010 and 2040.

In 2007, nearly 18.6 billion tons of goods worth about $16.5 trillion were moved on the transportation network, which equates to 51 million tons of goods valued at more than $45 billion a day moved throughout the country on all transportation modes. (more…)

The US Congress is considering new legislation that would allow states to increase the Interstate truck weight allowance from 80,000 to 97,000 pounds, provided that trucks operating above 80,000 pounds add a sixth axle.

Current law limits the weight of five-axle trucks traveling on the interstate system to 80,000 pounds, and interestingly, these US weight limits are the lowest in the developed world.

The legislation was introduced in the Senate earlier this month, and according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), it will allow states to authorize the operation of more efficient commercial trucks, resulting in safer highways, cleaner air and less costly freight transportation.

“ATA supports a number of reforms to federal truck size and weight regulations as part of our Sustainability Initiative,” says ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “More efficient trucks, like those allowed under this legislation, will significantly reduce the trucking industry’s carbon output.”

However, not everyone sees the proposed legislation as beneficial. (more…)

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) isn’t mincing words.

In its new report Unlocking Freight, AASHTO says the US freight transportation system is facing a crisis,  and that the nation’s highways, railroads, ports, waterways, and airports require investments well beyond current levels to maintain – much less improve – their performance. (more…)