January 14, 2015: West Coast port fee battle; More safety rules for LTL carriers sought; Public transit goes to the dogs in Seattle.
Jan. 14, 2015
Here is a look at what is happening in the world of transportation this morning:
- Truckers and steamship lines serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are aiming fees at each other in order to deal with the cost of mounting traffic congestion, reports the Long Beach Press Telegram.
- In a blog post for The Hill newspaper, the former general counsel of the federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) calls for more safety regulation of the LTL industry.
- Ram Truck is boosting the fuel economy of its Ram 1500 EcoDiesel pickup with a bevy of aerodynamic and technological improvements, notes Digital Trends.
- Duluth, MN, is pushing back against efforts to raise commercial truck weight limits, reports the Duluth News Tribune.
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) wants to beef up efforts to improve trucking safety in 2015, according to the Portland Press Herald.
- Some believe Chevrolet could beat out Tesla to become the first manufacturer to build a truly “mainstream” electric car, reports Wired magazine.
- Ford Motor Co. CEO Mark Fields tells CNBC that skepticism about the OEM’s aluminum body F-150 is “bleeding away.”
- Construction of big logistics center in Detroit at a former car manufacturing site is expected to start this year, reports The Detroit Free Press.
- Virginia’s Gov. Terry McAuliffe is readying major transportation reforms for the Old Dominion, according to the Augusta Free Press.
- Despite a strong showing by the U.S. economy, the World Bank is actually cutting its global growth forecast for this year, notes CNN Money.
- Demand for speedier picking and doorstep delivery of groceries is increasing, with online grocery delivery startup Instacart gaining $220 million more in venture funding, according to Bloomberg.
- CNN reports that public transportation is going to the dogs in Seattle in a very literal way.