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8/5/21 News, what we find interesting.
Source Contractors work on a portion of Highway 101 in Petaluma, Calif. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News)
And there are several interesting things in the news this week. The infrastructure deal; what was included and what they left out. Cocaine in your watermelon? Seriously? And, Las Vegas, gasoline shortage? Or, something else?
We will start with the Infrastructure Bill.
“California and Texas are in line for more than $25 billion each to rebuild their highways should Congress pass a bipartisan infrastructure deal, the White House said in a statement aimed at nudging lawmakers toward support for the measure.
The $550 billion legislation is under debate in the Senate this week, with possible passage in that chamber as soon as this weekend. It would touch Americans across the country, with subsidies to improve the roads they drive, the water they drink and the electrical grids powering their homes and businesses.
Numerous industries and regions of the country would score benefits from the bill. But some Republicans have complained that it would add far too much to the federal debt, arguing that its cost is not truly offset by other federal spending cuts or revenue increases.
Infrastructure Stories
The White House’s statement on Aug. 4 highlights funding states could expect to receive if the measure becomes law. California, the most populous state, would get a minimum of $39 billion, including $25.3 billion for highways and $4.2 billion for bridge replacements and repairs over five years.
Texas would get even more for highway projects, at $26.9 billion, the White House said. It would also get $537 million for bridge projects. California can also expect to receive $9.45 billion to improve public transportation, $384 million to expand its electrical vehicle charging network and $100 million to help enlarge access to broadband internet.
More than 10 million people in California, a quarter of the state’s population, would be eligible for a program to help low-income families pay for broadband.
In all, the legislation includes about $110 billion in new spending for roads and bridges, $73 billion for power grid upgrades, $66 billion for rail including Amtrak, and $65 billion for broadband expansion. It also provides $55 billion for clean drinking water and $39 billion for transit.” Source: https://www.ttnews.com/articles/infrastructure-bill-gives-states-road-windfalls
So what does this actually mean for trucking?
Well here is what Trucker’s News has to say about it.
The U.S. Senate’s $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill announced last week contains numerous trucking-related provisions, such as requiring automatic emergency braking systems, improving underride guards, and establishing a CDL apprenticeship pilot program.
Notably missing from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, however, is a provision to increase carriers’ liability insurance minimum from $750K to $2 million, a provision included in the House’s infrastructure bill passed earlier this summer.
Some notable trucking-related provisions contained in the Senate bill includes a measure to require a study of truck and bus crash causation, and:
Establish a Women of Trucking Advisory Board to encourage women to enter the trucking industry
Establish a Truck Leasing Task Force to study truck leasing agreements, including lease-purchase agreements
Require new commercial vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking systems
Require improved rear underride guards on trailers and additional studies into side underride guards
Require a proposed rulemaking to amend certain regulations for household goods haulers
Require new emphasis on the inclusion of “small business motor carriers” in representation on the influential Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee
Require a report from DOT analyzing the cost and effectiveness of electronic logging devices and detailing the processes used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to review ELDs and protect personally identifiable information obtained from ELDs, as well as detailing the process through which a carrier can dispute or appeal an ELD violation
Require clarification of the distinction between brokers and bona fide carrier agents, and to take a close look at dispatch services and the penalties for illegal brokering
Establish a CDL apprenticeship pilot program for under-21 CDL holder
Source and full article: https://www.truckersnews.com/home/article/15066807/senates-1-trillion-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-includes-trucking-provisions
Our friends in Las Vegas are reporting no fuel at the pumps. We know there were issues when the pipeline burst. But what is up now?
This is what the Las Vegas Review Journal has to say about it.
Source: Las Vegas Review Journal
“A shortage of truck drivers is causing fuel delivery disturbances at many Las Vegas Valley gas stations.
While it may seem like there’s a fuel shortage in Las Vegas, there is “plenty of gasoline across the country,” AAA spokesman Sergio Avila said Monday.
“At the heart of this issue isn’t a gasoline shortage,” Avila said. “There’s an issue with delivery truck drivers, where there are not enough drivers to get the gasoline to the gas stations.”
The trucking industry is short more than 50,000 drivers across the country, according to National Tank Truck Carriers, an advocacy group.
Avila said empty gas pumps are usually “isolated to one or two brands” and shortages will last about 24 to 48 hours at each station.
The driver shortage is part of a larger issue that goes back several months, Avila said. A lack of workers led to low gas levels at some Las Vegas stations a couple of months ago as well, he added.”
He offered advice to local drivers, including trying to visit different gas station brands if one particular station appears to have” … to read more go to Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/delivery-problems-leave-some-las-vegas-valley-stations-without-gas-2402802/
Ok, now let’s see what’s up with the cocaine in your watermelon story? Well, hopefully, not in yours. Here is what was reported by CDL Life:
Source CDL Life
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Montana say that they recently discovered nearly seventy pounds of drugs hidden in a Canadian truck driver’s shipment of produce.
The drug seizure occurred on Thursday, July 29, at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry in Sweetgrass, Montana.
CBP says that officers stopped a “female Canadian citizen” who was driving a truck loaded with watermelons and peppers on the way into Canada.
The truck was referred for a closer inspection.
During the inspection, CBP discovered bags of a substance that tested positive for cocaine hidden within the watermelon and pepper shipment.” Source and to read more: https://cdllife.com/2021/canadian-trucker-accused-of-smuggling-69-pounds-of-cocaine-in-her-load-of-watermelons-and-peppers/
