Transportation Research Board Archives

Freight rail panel: Sustainability needn’t break the bank

13 January 2022

While battery-electric and hydrogen-powered locomotives have received the lion’s share of coverage when it comes to North American freight railroads and sustainability initiatives, a railroad seeking to adopt sustainability or climate resiliency measures need not spend vast amounts of money.

Indeed, implementing sustainability initiatives may consist of determining where to adjust existing procedures to align with the goal of reducing carbon emissions, according to panelists who spoke at the Tran...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freight-rail-panel-sustainability-neednt-break-the-bank

Watchdog pushing feds to move on truck user fee pilots

12 January 2022

Shoring up the struggling Highway Trust Fund (HTF) using a mileage-based user fee regime for cars and trucks may take longer than anticipated based on a new federal oversight report.

That’s because the Federal Highway Administration has so far not determined how to scale up various state and regional pilot projects around the country, according to the report, issued this week by the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO stated that since 2016, federally funded mileage-fee pilot projects were...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/watchdog-pushing-feds-to-move-on-truck-user-fee-pilots

Public-sector efforts to boost truck parking face path filled with hurdles

12 January 2022

WASHINGTON — After a now-familiar recap of the problem of truck parking, a panel at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board faced the sobering fact that from the perspective of the public sector, it isn’t easy to fix.

The thrust of the panel was to discuss what could be done about the inadequacy of truck parking from a public perspective; private developers of parking, like truck stops, will be expected to add spaces, as they usually do.

Doing it again: @LovesTravelStop to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/public-sector-efforts-to-boost-truck-parking-face-path-filled-with-hurdles

Infrastructure money: ‘Informed risks’ to help guide rollout

11 January 2022

With an unprecedented $567 billion it will be receiving from the new bipartisan infrastructure law — much of it to help unclog supply chain bottlenecks — the U.S. Department of Transportation is girding itself for the increased scrutiny it expects to receive to ensure against waste, fraud and abuse.

Katie Thomson, who was named director of bipartisan infrastructure law implementation in December, will focus on working with the White House and other federal and state agencies to “get things done...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/infrastructure-money-science-informed-risks-to-guide-rollout

Panelist: KCS-CP merger will still get a long look by STB

10 January 2022

WASHINGTON — A panel on rail consolidation at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board here weighed in on the proposed merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern, with one member suggesting the deal faces significant scrutiny despite success in the initial stages.

With the merger now awaiting federal approval, where the KCS-CP (NYSE: CP) combination fits on the spectrum of rail mergers was a key topic for the panel. Rail consolidation, it was pointed out, is a sector...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/panelist-kcs-cp-merger-will-still-get-a-long-look-by-stb

Home Depot offers freight rail a shipper wish list

3 February 2021

Rail competition, connectivity, network speed and reliability are some of the big freight rail issues on the minds of shippers like Home Depot Inc. (NYSE: HD), according to the company’s director for logistics.

Because Home Depot sells products from all across North America, from forest products in western Canada to more localized building materials like drywall and concrete, good rail network connectivity “is really important,” said Robin Baggs, director of logistics for Home Depot. Baggs was a...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/home-depot-offers-shipper-wish-list-for-rail-infrastructure

FMCSA to request safety data on last-mile delivery

14 July 2020

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will be taking a long look at last-mile delivery trucks’ involvement in crashes, given trends revealing a jump in the use of such vehicles in interstate commerce.

Commenting on those plans following a presentation on small-truck crashes during the FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC) meeting on Monday, FMCSA Associate Administrator for Policy Larry Minor said MCSAC will be calling on nine companies that have large fleets...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fmcsa-to-request-safety-data-on-last-mile-delivery