Infrastructure funding

Rush-hour truck speeds slow to 36.3 mph at major bottlenecks

Truck drivers waited 6% longer on average in 2022 while driving through the nation’s most congested sections of highway at rush hour, according to the latest data compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).

Average peak-hour speeds were clocked at 36.3 mph at the top 100 freight bottlenecks, ATRI found, compared with 38.6 mph in 2021. The decrease follows an 11% drop in average speeds between 2020 and 2021.

The intersection of Interstate 95 and state Route 4 in Fort Lee,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/rush-hour-truck-speeds-slow-to-363-mph-at-major-bottlenecks

Watchdog finds DOT could be hindering infrastructure grants

As many as 21% of applicants for federal infrastructure grants — including states, cities and port authorities — could be overestimating how much they need to contribute to their projects due to poor communication from the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to a federal watchdog agency.

That lack of communication, as outlined in a report released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), could mean applicants are having to dig for more money amid tight budgets or is...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/watchdog-finds-dot-could-be-hindering-infrastructure-grants

ATA president takes victory lap for legislative, court victories

SAN DIEGO — In an address befitting of his last name, American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear struck an assertive tone Monday in recounting a year of legislative and legal victories for the industry.

It was a very good year for the ATA. After years of frustration awaiting legislation to pay for critically needed road and bridge repairs, an infrastructure bill finally become law with billions are dedicated to road and bridge repairs.

Victory over truck-only tolling

The industry...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ata-president-takes-victory-lap-for-legislative-court-victories

Nikola gets real on hydrogen with 60 stations planned by 2026

Nikola hydrogen pump

Hyperbole about hydrogen pricing helped convict Nikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton of fraud in federal court. On Thursday, the electric truck maker laid out plans for 60 hydrogen stations by 2026, enabled by a raft of federal and state incentives.

That’s a far cry from the 700 stations at $17 million a station that Nikola outlined in its pitch deck in 2020. It’s unclear how much Nikola will pay per kilogram of production. But it probably will be substantially more than Milton’s claim of sub-$4 a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nikola-gets-real-on-hydrogen-with-60-stations-planned-by-2026

$755 million truck parking bill advances in House

Trucks parked in parking lot at night.

Legislation aimed at expanding truck parking facilities throughout the U.S. was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday and will advance to the House floor.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act provides $755 million in competitive grants over four years (2023-2026) to expand truck parking capacity.

The legislation was introduced in March 2021 by U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and Angie Craig, D-Minn. Similar legislation had been offered as an amendment in...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/755-million-truck-parking-bill-advances-in-house

Pilot and GM plan coast-to-coast EV fast-charging network

White GMC Hummer in front of Pilot truck stop

Pilot Co. will install 2,000 electric fast chargers at 500 of its U.S. truck stops over the next few years, creating a coast-to-coast network in partnership with General Motors.

Startup EVgo (NASDAQ: EVGO) will install, operate and maintain the chargers. The chargers are branded as part of GM’s Ultium Charge 360 network. Chargers will begin appearing at U.S. Pilot and Flying J service plazas in early 2023. The majority of the 500 installations will be in place by 2025, Cathy Zoi, EVgo CEO, said...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/pilot-and-gm-plan-coast-to-coast-ev-fast-charging-network

Road and bridge builders warn against Biden’s climate proposal

Truck passing by bridge under construction.

A plan requiring states to set progressively lower targets for tailpipe emissions would potentially set dangerous precedents for future highway funding, according to road and bridge builders.

The 90-page proposed rule, announced by the Federal Highway Administration on Thursday, is aimed at helping achieve the Biden administration’s goal of a 50%-52% reduction from 2005 levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution in 2030, on a course toward reaching net-zero emissions by no later than 2050.

“States...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/road-and-bridge-builders-warn-against-bidens-climate-proposal

Inflation means Biden’s infrastructure package gets less bang for the buck

Highway bridge half-finished.

Road, rail and port projects may have to be curtailed or delayed because of the effect that rising inflation is having on the purchasing power of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted last year.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which President Joe Biden calls a “once-in-a-generation” funding bill, sets aside roughly $660 billion over five years for grants and program funding for freight, transit and other transportation projects overseen by the U.S. Department of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/inflation-means-bidens-infrastructure-package-gets-less-bang-for-the-buck

Biden slams ocean carriers ahead of Port of LA speech

Biden speaking at White House and flanked by photos of container ships

Ahead of President Joe Biden’s planned speech at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday, the White House released a video of the president on a phone call with retailers who were complaining about the high cost of ocean shipping.

“One of the big reasons why prices are going up is the cost of shipping things across the Pacific, in particular,” Biden says during the call. “There’s only nine major ocean line shipping companies who ship from Asia to the United States. These companies have raised their...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/biden-slams-ocean-carriers-ahead-of-port-of-la-speech

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