°®¶¹´«Ã½

WASHINGTON — Congress needs to ensure autonomous vehicle technology operates under a national directive instead of a patchwork of guidelines from the states, a key House authorizer said Sept. 13.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, creator of the controversial RhodeWorks program, will remain on the ballot for this year’s general election to take on two-time rival Allan Fung.

Equipping the country’s freight and commercial trains with technology designed to automatically slow down or stop trains traveling at dangerous speeds would improve safety, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board told Congress Sept. 13.

Diesel fuel still has a large role to play in achieving greater emissions reductions in heavy-duty trucks, experts said during a recent conference in San Francisco. Separately, they urged more in-use testing of engines to verify the gains, and increased use of renewable diesel, which is chemically similar to petroleum diesel, but cleaner.

A gauge of underlying U.S. inflation unexpectedly cooled in August as apparel prices fell by the most in about seven decades and medical-care costs declined, offering Americans a respite from accelerating price gains.

In written comments reacting to potential changes to federal driver hours-of-service rules, truckers clearly favor a potential plan by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to give them more flexibility with their driving and workday hours.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve reported Sept. 12 that its latest survey of business conditions nationwide found rising concerns over the impact Trump administration trade policies could have on the economy.

More than one of every five trucks that received comprehensive Level I inspections during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s International Roadcheck this summer were taken out of service, CVSA reported on Sept. 12. CVSA said that the out-of-service rate for the 45,400 Level I inspections was 21.6%, a decrease from last year’s 23% rate.

The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approved plans Sept. 10 outlining updates for the state’s network of highways and county roads.This iteration directs $6.5 billion to support 1,386 bridge and highway projects over the next eight years.

Some of the nation’s largest ports keep setting new records for cargo volumes, as trade tensions between the United States and some of its trading partners propel a rise in container traffic.