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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The digital license plate on display outside Sacramento City Hall on June 4 does a lot of things other technology can already do.

BRANDON, Iowa — Officer Chris Wicklund with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Agency peered into the red Kenworth’s engine, slid under the semitrailer on a mechanic’s creeper and checked the driver’s log book.

In an attempt to close a truck driver shortage cited by industry insiders, Ninth District Rep. Trey Hollingsworth is co-sponsoring a bill that would lower the age when commercial motor vehicle drivers are able to travel across state lines from 21 to 18.

When Kevin Nelson hauls corn from his farm south of Osseo, Minn., to grain bins in Winona, Minn., lately he has added extra travel time and is paying more at the pump.

California’s electric utility companies will spend nearly $768 million on charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks and buses, under a series of proposals approved May 31 by state regulators.

Mack Defense of Upper Macungie Township, Pa., has landed one of its largest contracts, a deal that has the potential to keep the Mack Trucks’ subsidiary busy for the next seven years.

Connecticut is obtaining $7.5 million from the national Volkswagen settlement over emissions cheating and will use the funds to help replace aging diesel trucks and other equipment.

Tim Sylvester, CEO of Kansas City, Mo.-based Integrated Roadways, thinks his startup company’s “smart pavement” — bristling with sensors and the latest fiber-optic and wireless technology — could be a lifesaver in mishaps.

Missouri voters will choose whether to raise the nation’s fourth-lowest gasoline tax when they go to the polls in November.