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WASHINGTON — The top Democrat on a Senate trucking subcommittee said he is hopeful Republican leaders will be forced to remove a provision in a short-term funding bill that would clarify an hours-of-service rule for truckers.

WASHINGTONÌý— A fatal collision of two Union Pacific freight trains in Arkansas resulted from a fatigued engineer and conductor who were both likely asleep aboard one of the trains, federal investigators ruled Dec. 6.

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WASHINGTONÌý— The rapid developments in autonomous trucks that several companies are embracing will continue to require drivers inside the vehicles, the trucking industry’s chief representative told lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Dec. 6.

Determining the most efficient way for boosting funds for new and existing infrastructure projects will be a top priority for the Republican-led U.S. House next year, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Dec. 5.

Self-driving vehicles present the biggest challenge for road planners since horse and buggies gave way to automobiles in the early 20th Century, Tennessee's transportation chief says.

Congress has to come up with a short-term bill by Dec. 9 to keep the government funded, but a longer view of infrastructure needs was taking shape elsewhere in Washington. Keith Laing of The Detroit News joins TT's Eugene Mulero for a video preview ofÌýthe week ahead for trucking on Capitol Hill.

Funding for government agencies is expected to go beyond March in a bid to give Trump administration officials a voice in the congressional appropriations process next year, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Dec. 1.

For-hire trucking gained 1,100 jobs in November, while overall payrolls increased by 178,000, the Labor Department reported Dec. 2.

If President-elect Donald Trump is successful with his proposed $1 trillion, 10-year program to fix America’s disintegrating and inadequate infrastructure, the states have a list of critical projects ready for him. And while $1 trillion could be a decent down payment, it’s not nearly enough.