Good day,
The Portland, Oregon, City Council has renewed a tax on drivers of heavy-duty trucks who travel on city streets, according to OPB. The original levy was passed in 2016 in concert with a 10 cents-per-gallon gas tax passed by Portland voters. The truck drivers, who don’t pay the gas tax, are assessed a separate road user fee. The City Council decision was opposed by the Oregon Trucking Association and comes as many trucking businesses in the state are fighting a cap-and-trade emissions bill under consideration by the Oregon Legislature.
Did you know?
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents working at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas, seized 1,543 pounds of liquid methamphetamine this week. CBP officials estimated the street value at $30 million. The liquid methamphetamine reportedly was hidden in a shipment of cleaning supplies being imported from Mexico, according to CBP officials.
Via FreightWaves
Quotable
“The eagerness by our drivers who want to check out the trucks is incredible. These trucks do all the things that diesel did, just better.”
— Troy Musgrave, Dependable Highway Express director of process improvement, on Volvo’s battery-powered Class 7-8 trucks (FreightWaves)
In other news
Rent the Runway taps former Amazon executive as chief supply chain officer
Brian Donato will become the chief supply chain officer at clothing rental company Rent the Runway. (Supply Chain Dive)
Walmart to discontinue high-end Jetblack service this month
The membership-based service catered to high-end customers and was priced at $50 a month when it rolled out. (CNBC)
How regulation may drive the transportation revolution in 2020 and beyond
New mobility technologies will mold the future, but the critical piece is how regulators will interact with developing software and hardware. (Forbes)
Hearing upholds Los Angeles’ suspension of Uber scooters
The city withdrew Uber’s permit for not sharing data. (The Wall Street Journal)
Final thoughts,
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has opened three new locations, bringing additional parking spaces to Greenville, Virginia; Watonga, Oklahoma; and Flowers, Mississippi, according to the The Trucker. The Greenville store features 85 truck parking spaces. The Watonga store adds 50 spaces to Blaine County. The Flowers store brings 94 new truck parking spaces to Warren County.
Hammer down, everyone!