TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA - USPS Says Cash Shortfall Would Hit Operations

Postal Service wants relief from pension payment due this fall

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online -May 17, 2011: --  The U.S. Postal Service is putting new urgency on its bid for financial relief from Congress, saying its operations will be hit if the USPS runs out of cash this fall as predicted...  Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, was asking Congress to change the requirement that the USPS prefund retiree health benefits, a mandate that would mean a payment of $5.5 billion to $5.8 billion dollars to fund the Retiree Health Benefit Trust fund through 2016...  The postmaster told the Federal Financial Management Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs that the relief would help the Postal Service become profitable once again...   The USPS has struggled financially after losing huge volume to the greater use of e-mail and e-commerce. The Postal Service has a $15 billion line of credit with the U.S. Treasury. However, only $2.5 billion of that money remains...  According to the USPS, it has overpaid billions of dollars to the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employee System... 

* Texas: Nears passage of uniform speeds all day

Austin,TX,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble -16 May 2011: -- A Texas' bill would allow truckers and other drivers to travel at the same speed, night and day. Texas law now authorizes drivers to travel 70 mph during the day along most rural highways. The speed limit drops to 65 mph at night. Trucks are slowed to 60 mph on farm-to-market roads...  Sections of Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 in west Texas are posted at 80 mph during the day for motorists while trucks are limited to 70 mph. Speeds for all vehicles are lowered to 65 mph at night...  The Senate Transportation Committee voted, to advance a bill to the Senate floor that would increase the speed limit on most rural highways to 75 mph day and night – as long as state studies deem it safe. In addition, any speed differential between cars and trucks would be eliminated...  The 80 mph speed limit in West Texas would also apply to all vehicles 24 hours a day...  (Photo from t0.gstatic: Interstate 10 in Texas)

* Oregon - Bills on the move cover emissions, indemnification

Salem,ORE,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble -May 16, 2011: -- Two bills winding their way through the Oregon Legislature cover trucking issues that address emissions rules and indemnification... Intended to crack down on unnecessary idling of trucks, the bill would prohibit commercial vehicles from idling for more than five minutes each hour on property open to the public... Examples of circumstances that would warrant additional idling are to operate defrosting, heating or air conditioners – or installing equipment necessary to comply with manufacturers’ operating requirements, specifications and warranties, or with federal, state or local safety regulations... An exception would also be made for air conditioning or heating during a rest or sleep period when the outside temperature is below 50 degrees or above 75 degrees... (Image from fhwa.dot.gov: Portland, Oregon overview. Trucks in Congested Traffic)