Here are five things worth knowing today:
1. Chao’s confirmation hearing set for next week
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, is scheduled to have her confirmation hearing next Wednesday, The Hill reports. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will consider the nomination of Chao, who previously ran the Dept. of Labor under George W. Bush and served as transportation secretary in the George H.W. Bush administration. She is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Chao’s hearing is one of several scheduled to take place on Jan. 11.
2. October 2016 North American Freight numbers
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation released its October 2016 North American Freight Numbers report, which states that air, vessel, and truck carried less U.S. freight by volume with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in October 2016 compared to October 2015. Total freight on all modes decreased 3.6 percent to $93.2 billion, according to the DOT’s TransBorder Freight Data. According to the report, trucks carried 60.8% of the value of the freight to and from Canada and 69.9% of the value of the freight to and from Mexico.
3. Two major trucking companies go public
Schneider National and Daseke Inc. announced plans to move to public ownership, and, according to a JOC report, they “are plotting routes to Wall Street to gain investor financing.” According to the report, the trucking companies’ moves to public ownership illustrate their increased confidence in the economy and freight demand as well as the strength of U.S. trucking stocks since the Nov. 8 election. JOC has more.
4. Trucking a ‘hot’ job in Nebraska
NBC Nebraska reports that truck driving is one of the “hottest” jobs in the state, which even comes at a surprise to truck drivers. The report notes that there is some competition when it comes to finding the right company to work for, particularly for those new to the industry. According to the report, other sought-after jobs in the area are machinists and registered nurses.
5. EU study: Diesel cars produce more toxins than trucks
According to a Verge report, modern diesel cars produce more toxic emissions than trucks and buses, European researchers have found. That’s because heavy-duty vehicles are more heavily regulated than cars, according to the report. In Europe, NOx emissions from trucks and buses are measured through mobile devices while the vehicles are on the road, while EU tests for cars are limited to emission measurements in the lab for prototype vehicles.
