Your June 9 Pre-Trip: House to vote on THUD

June 9, 2015

Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. Today, the House is scheduled to vote on a $55 billion bill for the departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, also known as THUD, The Hill said. According to the report, the bill provides $9.7 billion less than President Obama’s request for transportation and housing. And, according to the report, “it has drawn a veto threat from the White House.” “Truck safety groups in particular have accused GOP lawmakers of using the appropriations process to undo a series of trucking regulations they say makes U.S. roads safer, including limits on the length and weight of trucks,” The Hill reports. 2. Breathalyzers in steering wheels may soon be a reality when it comes to curbing drunk driving. The U.S. Department of Transport is working with car manufacturers to develop technology that they believe could save thousands of lives a year, The Verge reports. According to the report, two types of in-car alcohol sensors are being considered – a breathalyzer in the steering wheel and an infrared sensor that scans the skin. The technology is being researched under the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program, according to the report. 3. A Bay County, MI, trucker, who spent more than 50 years driving semi-tractor trailers, passed away last Friday. And, according to Michigan Live, “he went out the way he would have wanted – cruising on the back of his big green truck named Petey.” Jim Jameson, who died of cancer and ran a trucking company, was carried to his funeral in a casket strapped to the back of his Peterbilt, while 17 other semis followed him “in one of the louder funeral processions in recent history,” according to the report.4. Sales of alternative fuels are up in Texas. According to Heavy Duty Trucking, sales of compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas in the state have increased 78% over fiscal year 2014. Texas has more than 7,900 natural gas vehicles and 137 natural gas fueling stations, the report stated, adding that the state intends to add 44 stations in the next year or so.5. The New Jersey DOT was recently recognized for two of its transportation projects, which were recipients of the 2015 America’s Transportation Awards. According to TI News Daily, “The NJDOT project for Route 46 over the Musconetcong River was awarded for Best Use of Innovation for replacing a 90-year-old bridge using a new method involving pre-fabricated pieces.” And “the NJDOT 322 Bridge/Mullica Hill Pond Dam project was honored in the Quality of Life/Community Development category” for replacing a bridge and dam damaged by Hurricane Irene, according to the report.

About the Author

Cristina Commendatore

Cristina Commendatore was previously the Editor-in-chief of FleetOwner magazine. She reported on the transportation industry since 2015, covering topics such as business operational challenges, driver and technician shortages, truck safety, and new vehicle technologies. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.