Here’s a look at news stories from the supply chain, logistics and transportation industries from November 2015:
- Bigger Trucks Shot Down. After a long battle, the call for increased truck size was shot down by the House. However, the motion only denies language about bigger trucks in the highway bill, they could still become a reality someday.
- $340 Billion, Not Enough? The House passed a long-term highway funding bill. This is the first long-term bill since 2005 and authorizes nearly $340 billion for highway and transit programs over 6 years. Many in the industry fear this is not nearly enough to fund proper repairs and even more money will be needed in the near future.
- Are CSA Scores Accurate? A new ATRI study shows the Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) scores are affected by non-preventable crashes, once again opening a discussion to the scores value. FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System does not factor in crash accountability, and the agency has not been able to factor non-preventable crashes into the percentile score.
- More Regulations on Hold. There are a few highly anticipated rule changes on hold: the HOS restart suspension may be on pause until February, and the ELD Mandate is on hold indefinitely. These regulations will affect the industry and everyone is anticipating their application. The HOS restart rule has yet to show any significant safety improvements, and the ELD Mandate, while in the works for some time, is still being finalized.
- Opportunity for Rail Industry. The elimination of the Keystone Pipeline will be beneficial for the rail industry, if they can handle it. Rail companies could benefit from the denial of the Keystone XL, but first, they must provide better rates compared to over-the-road trucking and find more rail car capacity.
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