Ascent Global Logistics News

Domestic Alabama Passes Bill Lowering Age for Intrastate Truck Drivers to 18 On May 15, Alabama lawmakers passed a bill lowering the CDL age requirement to 18 years old to drive on intrastate highways. These truckers will be restricted from hauling hazmat and/or oversized loads that require permits from the Alabama DOT. Once the bill…

Domestic FMCSA Proposes Interstate Haul Program for Commercial Drivers Under 21 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced its efforts to create a pilot program allowing commercial drivers aged 18-20 to drive big rigs on the interstate. This program is similar to one that exists for commercial drivers under 21 who have served…

Domestic New Bill Could Repeal Federal Excise Tax (FET)  The Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act of 2019 would rescind the 12 percent FET, which was originally constituted to fund WWI. While the FET finances the Highway Trust Fund, it also reportedly adds between $12,000 and $22,000 to the price of each new truck. Learn…

Domestic Two Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Investment Planned Following Tuesday’s meeting at the White House, the American Trucking Association (ATA) believes a fuel tax may be necessary for infrastructure repair funding. Truckers currently account for nearly half of the contributions to the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which funds improvements to highways, bridges and transit. Read more…

Domestic USMCA Expected to Boost Cross Border Trade It is expected that the new trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada will have a positive impact on the North American economy. U.S. exports to Canada and Mexico are expected to increase by $19.1 billion (5.9 percent) and $14.2 billion (6.7 percent), respectively. Read…

Domestic Possible Delays After Winter Weather Impacts Midwestern United States A snowstorm arrived in the Midwest on April 12, burying several states in snow and creating dangerous travel conditions. Winter weather road conditions could create delays along critical Interstates throughout the Midwest. See more here. Six Facts To Help You With Your Next Seasonal Shipment Now…

Domestic NMFC Updates Effective April 27, 2019 Supplement 1 from the Commodity Classification Standards Board has been posted. This notice lists various changes to NMFCs and packaging rules that will go into effect on April 27, 2019. See more here. Diesel Average Rises To $3.093 Per Gallon According to EIA, the national average price per gallon…

Domestic Six Seasonal Shiping Facts You Should Know Now that winter is almost over, demand for seasonal products such as flowers, plants and produce continues to grow. Shippers who transport goods from the Southern United States to the Midwestern and Northeastern United States will want to make sure their seasonal shipping knowledge continues to blossom.…

Domestic Cass Freight Index Increased In February 2019 In February 2019, the Cass Freight Index increased four percent month-over-month to 1.173. February expenditures increased 5.5 percent year-over-year to 2.874. See more here. Truckers Bring Disaster Relief To Areas Impacted By Midwest Flooding Truckers and relief groups continue to haul items such as clean water, food and personal hygiene products to…

Domestic FMCSA Will Use ELD Data To Adjust Hours Of Service Rules According to Supply Chain Dive, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is using raw data from ELDs to propose changes to hours of service rules. Those changes include: 100 air-mile “short haul” exemption. On-duty exemptions during adverse driving conditions. Mandatory 30-minute rest…