Your Sept. 24 Pre-Trip: Regulations, rising costs hurt small operators

Here are five things worth knowing today: 1. Although there is a record economic demand for trucking, new regulations and rising costs are hurting smaller operators, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trucking industry revenue has grown an average of 6.5% a year since 2009, topping $700 billion last year, the report said. But many smaller operators say they’re missing out. According to WSJ, small and midsize trucking companies are having a tough time adapting to new regulations that are adding to their expenses and to the worsening driver shortage, which is forcing companies to raise pay or offer sign-on bonuses for drivers. WSJ has more.  2. Two major road construction projects in Wisconsin have been delayed two years due to cuts to the state transportation budget, according to News 3. That delay could mean more traffic and delays for interstate drivers, News 3 reports. City leaders said the delay could impact future economic growth, and say this is another “example of higher-level of government not always playing well together.”3. New York City’s traffic command center is bracing itself for the Papal visit on Thursday and Friday, according to the New York Times. To limit the gridlock during the Pope’s 36-hour visit, the Traffic Management Center says New Yorkers should avoid driving in Midtown Manhattan and use mass transit instead. Street closings on Thursday begin near St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown. More congestion is expected on Friday when the Pope travels between the UN General Assembly, the Sept. 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan and a school in East Harlem before a motorcade procession in Central Park.4. Lehigh Valley Live has compiled a photo slideshow of a new maintenance center for A. Duie Pyle’s trucks in Hanover Township, Lehigh Valley. The slideshow is part of the publication’s larger project, Cool Spaces, in which lehighvalleylive.com publishes stories of “cool spaces” submitted by readers. According to the report, the space includes a truck wash with recycled water to keep the rigs clean, several repair bays and equipment specifically designed for tractors. What makes this facility “cool,” according to the report, is how environmentally friendly it is.5. Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations announced the charitable donation of the former Speedco headquarters building in Cayuga, IN. The 19,000 square-foot facility was donated to the Valley Professionals Community Health Center. The organization plans to transform the building into a beacon that provides health and social services for residents of northern Vermillion County. “The people of Cayuga and Vermillion County were paramount to the success of Speedco during the early origins of the company,” said Scott Damon, president, Speedco. “This community has always supported Speedco and we are delighted to return the favor today by donating our former headquarters building to two very worthy causes. We remain dedicated to the well-being of Vermillion County.”