Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/893962
October 2017 | Overdrive | 17 Logbook 1-800 GET HOWES (438-4693) www.howeslube.com A Cool Engine is a Happy Engine. And a happy engine has its benefits: peak performance, more power and less maintenance. Howes Oil Enhancer lowers operating temperature keeping your engine cool. It not only extends the life of your oil – it also reduces metal-on-metal wear and protects internal engine components. Use it at every oil change as part of the ultimate Howes preventive maintenance program. From the trusted makers of Howes Diesel Treat and Meaner Power Kleaner. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K HowesOverdrive_HalfPageIsland_S17_OE.pdf 1 1/26/17 11:51 AM Untitled-3 1 2/3/17 9:38 AM As lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C., last month from their annual August recess, they had several truck- ing-related bills and provisions to consider: Speed limiters: An amend- ment to the House's appro- priations bill, brought by Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), would block the U.S. Department of Transportation from pursuing a speed limiter mandate rule for heavy-duty trucks through fiscal 2018. The rule issued last year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration drew widespread opposition. FMCSA has moved its rule to a long-term agenda item. More CSA reforms: The House's appropriations bill bars FMCSA from finalizing its Safety Fitness Determina- tion rulemaking until it enacts Compliance, Safety, Account- ability reforms prescribed this year by the National Acade- mies of Science. Trucker breaks, pay: The House's appropriations bill would prohibit states from re- quiring carriers to give drivers paid meal and rest breaks and pay them for nondriving tasks. The provisions follow costly court rulings in recent years. Autonomous tech: The House last month approved a package that would provide a framework for manufacturers to test self-driving cars. It's highlighted by provisions to prevent states from enacting bans on autonomous vehicles while also addressing privacy and safety concerns. However, Senate lawmak- ers say the bill doesn't go far enough because it fails to address self-driving truck technology. Human trafficking crackdown: The Senate approved the No Human Traf- ficking on Our Roads Act, sponsored by Sen. John Thune (D-S.D.), which would permanently disqualify truck drivers from holding a CDL if they've been convicted of a human trafficking crime. Another Senate bill would es- tablish the DOT position of a human trafficking prevention coordinator. – James Jaillet Speed limiters, CSA among issues facing Congress