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CENTREVILLE, Va. — Lawmakers gave and listened to earnest speeches on vehicle automation last week, and the nation’s transportation secretary held forth on the subject at a university, but 28 miles west of Capitol Hill the engineers took over and showed what platooning technology for trucks can do today.

Freight factoring is on the upswing this year as traditional banks apply stringent lending standards and truckers who are most likely to sell invoices benefit from a robust spot market, industry executives say.

WASHINGTON — As autonomous technology evolves, drivers will remain integral to the movement of goods and services for the foreseeable future, top trucking executives told senators concerned about potential disruptions in the labor force.

A U.S. Senate committee is considering whether legislation dealing with the future of self-driving cars should also pave the way to self-driving trucks, considering the impact such technology could have on millions of workers.

The Power and Communication Contractors Association has requested an exemption from the impending electronic logging device mandate, according to an announcement from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

North Carolina’s Department of Transportation is exploring construction of additional truck stops and installation of sensor technology to resolve its shortage of truck parking spaces.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Sept. 12 unveiled updated federal guidance for automated driving systems for industry and states that want to deploy self-driving vehicles.

The Trump administration will alter the course set by the Obama administration on autonomous vehicle policy after industry raised concerns about elements of that initial proposal.

Super smart robot trucks capable of communicating with other robot trucks while they haul freight along highways, without a driver, is no longer science fiction.

Senate negotiators released draft legislation meant to spur the introduction of self-driving vehicles, while indicating they were undecided if their measure would encompass trucks and buses.