Trump

The annual State of the Industry address at the American Trucking Associations’ MCE conference is a time for the president to highlight all that is good about trucking. Delivering his second address as president, Chris Spear noted some of the legislative accomplishments of the association, took aim at some of the industry’s critics, and called for unity.

Delivering a speech that was warmly welcomed by attendees, Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta said the Trump Administration was removing barriers to getting work done and improving healthcare for Americans in general, but for the trucking industry specifically.

In the past 24 hours, President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that could allow small businesses and individuals to purchase insurance through association health plans, which would be sold across state lines and not have to conform to Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations.

While legislative wheels are starting to turn, there is little reason to expect major movement on any infrastructure bill in 2017. The most optimistic timelines being floated on Capitol Hill call for the law to be signed in 2018, with funds released in 2020.

The U.S. Senate is set to pass a self-driving vehicle bill, and like similar legislation in the U.S. House passed early in September, it excludes commercial vehicles. The Senate bill will not include vehicles larger than 10,000 pounds, Reuters reported.

Federal officials iterate their belief that a transparent and efficient government is achievable through blockchain technology 

President Donald Trump and Republican leaders introduced their long-awaited tax reform plan on Wednesday. As expected, the plan calls for a significant cut to the corporate tax rate, from 35% to 20%, and the elimination of four of the seven individual tax brackets, creating brackets of just 12%, 25% and 35%.

As the Congress works on developing legislation aimed at regulating self-driving vehicles, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is looking to guide that legislation with less of a regulatory hand, according to Bloomberg.

An unlikely alliance has formed between FedEx and UPS over a common problem. Their respective chief executive officers co-wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal in an attempt to get the attention of Trump administration and policy makers regarding needed industry reforms.

President Donald Trump once again took to Twitter this morning to lash out at Amazon, targeting the company’s alleged non-collection of taxes.

The Trump administration is considering tariffs on foreign steel as a way to boost the purchase of American steel. But will this Buy American approach lead to an in increase in vehicle and other manufacturing costs?

The Trump administration has proposed less federal spending as part of his $1 trillion infrastructure investment outline. In a recent Tax and Budget Bulletin, the Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards lays out the argument for why Trump’s approach to less federal spending is the proper approach to building world-class infrastructure.

A Buzzfeed writer has turned President Donald Trump’s visit with trucking leaders into a kids book. Also, manufacturing output declines and the uneven economy is causing some questions to be asked by trucking executives.

President Donald Trump’s apprenticeship program may provide an avenue to solving the truck driver shortage issue. But to make it work, it will require a little give on the government’s part.

A group of more than 250 House lawmakers are pushing for any tax reform package to include a permanent fix to the Highway Trust Fund. Also, Trump pushes apprenticeships, Britain’s Brexit problem and manufacturing hitting record levels.

After months of talking about his $1 trillion infrastructure improvement plan, President Donald Trump is finally set to unveil more details on the proposal today. Also, transportation’s best CEOs and there were fewer trucking jobs in May.

President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord could have a profound effect on global efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, but will probably have little impact on the U.S. trucking industry.

President Donald Trump’s budget proposal released Wednesday calls for a loosening of restrictions on tolls, more private investment in infrastructure, cuts a critical loan program used by manufacturers to build fuel-efficient vehicles, and reduces workforce training grants that are used to train truck drivers and other transportation workers.

While FMCSA’s electronic logging device (ELD) rule seems like a done deal, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has not thrown in the towel quite yet. Also, Republicans continue pushing for border adjustment tax, tonnage falls, and a new approach to truck safety.

The Republican health care bill has received both criticism and applause from a divided nation. But what does it do for trucking? Well, like the rest of the nation, that may depend on what side of the industry you are on. 

President Donald Trump’s decision to place softwood lumber tariffs on Canada this week might be an indication that the administration is set for a reset on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is a gamble that potentially puts billions of dollars in NAFTA trade shipments at risk – much of it hauled by trucks.

Is the trucking industry over-regulated? Good luck finding anyone in the industry that would say no. But ask which regulations should be repealed and chances are each one will be mentioned at least once. But will repealing regulations actually make the industry safer?

This Week in Trucking, President Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan is hitting some bumps in the road; economic indicators continue to favor improving conditions for the nation’s trucking fleets and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is making a last-ditch effort to stop the upcoming ELD mandate.

This week in the Week in Trucking, we look at improving truck orders and optimism among carriers, why consumer GPS devices don’t work in trucking, GE’s approaching to training workers and how one carrier is finding success by offering its drivers video.

Each week, the industry sees the introduction of new technologies and regulations along with information that affects how each carrier, shipper, and 3PL operates. Each Friday, FreightWaves will provide a look back at some of the industry’s top stories you may have missed. 

As President Donald Trump ramps up the pressure on Mexico and U.S. companies doing business there, at risk is billions of dollars of freight that moves between the countries. 

The U.S. has pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. But is that a wise decision? Experts differ on the manufacturing impact in the U.S.