House Reintroduces Safe & Efficient Transportation Act

From TruckingInfo.com
2/21/11Image via Wikipedia

At the urging of The Coalition for Transportation Productivity, the Safe & Efficient Transportation Act has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) and Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)as H.R. 763.

SETA would, if passed, increase the federal weight limits on Interstate Highways. The bill's reintroduction comes as Congress considers the first Highway Reauthorization package in more than six years.

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The U.S. federal weight limit has been set at 80,000 pounds since 1982 - forcing shippers that meet this limit with space left in their trailers to use more trucks and fuel than necessary. The goal of SETA is to make truck transportation safer and more sustainable by giving states the ability to adjust federal weight limits on interstates within their borders.

Under SETA, each state would have the option to set interstate weight limits of up to 97,000 pounds -- giving shippers the ability to utilize more truck space. The higher weight limit would only apply to trucks equipped with six axles instead of the typical five. Without making the truck any larger, the additional axle maintains safety specifications, including stopping capability and current weight per tire.

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"SETA provides a critical opportunity for Congress to enact a Highway Reauthorization proposal that modernizes American truck shipping standards in order to protect motorists and the environment, and give U.S. manufacturers and producers a competitive edge," said CTP Executive Director John Runyan. "Many shippers hit the 30-year-old federal weight limit with significant space left in their rigs and must use more truckloads, fuel and vehicle miles than necessary to get products to market. … Six-axle trucks can safely handle more weight, so American companies can utilize more rig space, minimize the trucks they need to meet demand and reduce their dependency on foreign oil."

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According to CTP, the current 80,000-lb weight limit places U.S. industry at a competitive disadvantage when compared to producers in Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

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These hauls get bigger and bigger

I saw this on an industry publication. The term "specialized hauling" definitely applies here. Even though this is a waterborne tow, someones going to have to haul this once it hits shore.
video link

UK's Sheringham Shoal goes offshore

Written by Richard High

The first foundation of the UK's Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm has now been installed, off the Norfolk coast by the heavy lift vessel Svanen.

Over the next nine months, Svanen will install the remaining 89 foundations ready for the mounting of two substations and 88 wind turbines.

The Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm is scheduled to start operations in 2011 and will provide enough electricity to power 220000 homes.

To read the full story click HERE

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Hauling and towing strap: 2"Chevron wheel lift strap

Hauling Rigging Towing lubricant: Graphite Lube

Hauling and Towing Hook: Purple roundsling hook

Specialized Hauling & Heavy Haul strap: Tie Down w Flat Hooks

 Hauling & towing sling:8' purple roundsings

towing item: Winch Cable

Towing item: Tire skate

Towing and Rigging item: 2 Ton snatch block

Towing and Rigging item: Rachet with flat snap hook

Forecast: Capacity Shortfall into 2013

From Overdrive online
February 10, 2011

A combination of the trucking industry trying to catch up with the economic recovery and adapting to government regulations that are still being developed will extend a capacity shortage through 2013, a trucking economist said at an online seminar Feb. 10.Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The shortfall will peak above 250,000 units in 2012 but continue at about 150,000 units in 2013, predicted Noel Perry, a senior consultant with FTR Associates and principal of Transportation Fundamentals. He said the industry is pursuing productivity increases through greater utilization of existing equipment, and miles per tractor were up more than 10 percent in 2010. Without that productivity improvement, “this crisis could be twice as bad, peaking at around 400,000 units,” he said.

Perry added that capacity utilization has recovered to above 90 percent, but rate increases haven’t kept pace. He said carriers are more productive and profitable, without increasing rates much. “From now on if a [carrier] wants to handle more freight, he is going to have to hire drivers and buy equipment,” he said.
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Small Businesses’ Confidence Hits Three-Year High

From Transport Topics
February 8, 2011

A survey released Tuesday showed that confidence among small businesses hit a three-year high, Bloomberg reported.

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The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index rose to 94.1 in January, the highest since the recession began in December 2007 as the outlook for sales and profits improved, the group said Tuesday.

The reading was lower than the average 100.7 during the last expansion that started in November 2001, Bloomberg reported.

Small businesses are defined as independent enterprises that employ up to 500 people.
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U.S. to inject $53 billion into passenger rail

Reuters

By David WarnerImage via Wikipedia

Wed Feb 9, 2011 
 

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced an ambitious $53 billion program to build new high-speed rail networks and make existing ones faster over the next six years.

Biden, who estimated he has ridden Amtrak between Washington and his home in Wilmington, Delaware, some 7,900 times, made a strong pitch for rail transportation to enable the United States to compete and lead internationally.

"This is about seizing the future," he said, making the announcement at Philadelphia's busy 30th Street station with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Japan and China are already building high-speed rail, and "there's no reason, none," that the United States cannot do the same, Biden said.

"If we do not, you tell me how America is going to be able to lead the world in the 21st century."
Under the initiative, the Department of Transportation will choose corridors for new projects and increase U.S. use of the passenger rails.

President Barack Obama's budget for fiscal year 2012, to be unveiled next week, includes $8 billion for the plan. The rest of the money would be allocated over the six-year time period.

Obama has said he wants to target investments in areas such as infrastructure while reducing spending to tackle the budget deficit.

The announcement comes when some Republicans in Congress are seeking to cut $2.5 trillion from federal spending over the next decade, including steep cuts in transportation.

Biden noted Obama's goal to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail within 25 years, announced during his State of the Union address last month.

To read the full article click HERE

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