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WASHINGTON — Sen. John Thune, chairman of the influential Commerce Committee, told Transport Topics last week he will introduce legislation to overhaul the government’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program.

Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) have introduced the latest legislative effort to make changes in the powers and structure of the Surface Transportation Board.

WASHINGTON — Members of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration committee took several limited steps toward creating a rule on training standards for entry-level truck drivers.

WASHINGTON — Two of the country’s top transportation leaders reaffirmed their opposition to raising fuel taxes to keep highway programs funded for several years, a setback for proponents of increasing the user fees, including trucking industry leaders.

Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) have introduced the Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network (TRAIN) Act, which they said would streamline the environmental permitting process for rail projects.

Long-sought legislation among many in the trucking and safety communities to allow carriers to use hair testing in place of urinalysis to detect drug use in drivers was introduced in the U.S. House and Senate March 19.

Trucks carried the largest amount of trade among North American Free Trade Partners last year, with trucking trade rising 4.5% from 2013 to $715 billion, the Department of Transportation reported.