Highway funding solution proposed as more trucks hit the road

As more trucks hit the road, lawmakers continue to look for a way to respond with much-needed highway repairs.   鈥淗ouse Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) [last month] proposed a transfer of almost $20 billion from the general tax fund to help sustain transportation funding until next April,鈥� reported the Washington Post. 鈥淭he funding would provide a bridge that would allow more than 117,000 transportation projects that employ 700,000 workers nationwide to continue through the year.鈥�   The Washington Post also reports that 鈥淲ithout the transfer, federal officials have warned that money for the nation’s major transportation…

Trucking headlines for the month

Here are some headlines from the commercial trucking industry that show continued growth and higher demand for CDL trained drivers.   Website promotes women in trucking   A website from the Women in Trucking Associations hopes to promote the truck driving profession to prospective candidates.   Called 鈥淚 heart Trucking鈥� the website allows current drivers to upload their own videos explaining why they love driving a commercial truck for a living. One video showcased amazing sunsets over the horizon while on the road, while another featured a female driver talking about all the states she had visited and the natural…

Growth leads to truck driver shortage

During a press conference this summer, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) released its 25th Annual 鈥淪tate of Logistics Report, which showed that total U.S. business logistics costs in 2013 rose to $1.39 trillion, a 2.3 percent increase from the previous year.   Furthermore, 鈥渓ogistics as a percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) declined for the second year in a row, indicating that the logistics sector is not keeping pace with the growth in the overall economy,鈥� reported Manufacturing.net.   The Maufacturing.net article on the report also stated that consultant Rosalyn Wilson of Parsons, who authored the…

Ports experience traffic issues

More trucks on the road means more traffic, and that is causing problems at some of the nation鈥檚 biggest shipping ports.   鈥淥regon Gov. John Kitzhaber has asked the Port of Portland to 鈥榮eek immediate independent review鈥� of equipment dockworkers say has caused excessive wait times for truckers at one port terminal,鈥� reported OverdriveOnline.com. 鈥淜itzhaber鈥檚 request marks the second time in six weeks the Democrat governor has intervened in problems at the port鈥檚 Terminal 6, Oregon鈥檚 only deep-draft container terminal.鈥�   The article stated that delays have resulted in trucking companies reportedly charging a per-trip surcharge to serve T6 and…

Trucking report shows growth

Economic news has been mixed as of late, but economists saw two trucking reports show the economy is headed in the right direction.   鈥淭he American Trucking Associations鈥� Truck Tonnage Index was up 1 percent in May after a revised 0.9 percent gain in April,鈥� reports The City Wire. 鈥淔or the first five months of 2014, tonnage is up 2.9 percent compared to the same period in 2013, according to the ATA index. The index is off just 1 percent from the all-time high in November 2013 (131.0).鈥�   Trucking shipments were also up by 1 percent.   鈥淣orth American…