Posts by MTAC Staff

From Transport Topics. Motor carriers and independent contractors in written comments expressed objection to a U.S. Department of Labor proposal to withdraw a rule designed to clarify the federal standard for determining if a truck driver is a contractor or employee. The agency in January said the rule — issued that month — was designed…

MTAC invites all interested parties to join us via Zoom on Friday, May 14 at 10 a.m. to hear from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) as they present the results of their new report detailing the costs of deploying and operating a national vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax system. What kind of hardware and/or…

MTAC President Joe Sculley submitted testimony in response to a bill that would eliminate the property tax on most (but not all) motor vehicles, in exchange for potentially significantly higher taxes on real property. The bill was pitched as a way to consolidate administrative burden by eliminating the “nuisance tax” that is the motor vehicle…

From Transport Topics. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency expects to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking later this year aimed at establishing new emissions standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and other pollutants for highway heavy-duty engines, an EPA official told the S.11 study group of the Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations…

Legal Alert from MG+M The Law Firm. When trucking or commercial vehicle accidents occur, there is a substantial likelihood of property damage, personal injury, and potentially catastrophic harm to drivers, passengers, or pedestrians. When there is a question of fault involved, competing interests between the injured parties, the insurance carriers, and law enforcement will undoubtedly…

From Transport Topics. President Joe Biden has previewed a $1.5 trillion fiscal 2022 budget plan that would increase discretionary spending for transportation systems and severe weather resilience programs. Under the president’s budget blueprint, unveiled April 9, the U.S. Department of Transportation would receive a 14% increase in discretionary funding, as well as an updated strategy…

In the last several months, MG+M’s Transportation Practice Group has been retained to protect the interests of trucking companies whose drivers were involved in significant New England highway accidents. The recent actions of MG+M’s Emergency Response teams that were deployed to accident scenes have solidified the immense utility to trucking carriers of placing litigators at…

From Transport Topics. President Joe Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure proposal would address environmental concerns and enhance the business landscape nationwide, said the top transportation policymaker in the U.S. House of Representatives. Further, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters April 6, the president expects Congress to advance an infrastructure measure. “He won’t tolerate inaction…

From Freight Waves. Commercial truck driver jobs are forecast to make some of the biggest gains if the Biden administration’s infrastructure package can get through Congress without major revisions, according to a report analyzing the plan. The report, by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), was published just as President Joe Biden…

From ATRI. Arlington, Virginia – The American Transportation Research Institute today launched a new data collection initiative to better understand the rising costs of trucking insurance and how those costs are ultimately impacting the industry’s overall operational costs. This research was identified by ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee as a top research priority in 2020. Motor…