The potential for drivers between the ages of 18 and 21 to be able to haul goods across state lines became a little more feasible Sept. 4 when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it would take comments on a pilot program. The agency is proposing to allow CDL holders in that age bracket to operate in interstate commerce while taking part in a 120-hour probationary period and subsequent 280-hour probationary period under an apprenticeship. Under the proposal, study group participants would drive vehicles equipped with active braking collision-mitigation systems, forward-facing video event capture and speed limiters set to 65 miles per hour. Currently, 49 states and the District of Columbia allow CDL holders who are 18 but not yet 21 to operate CMVs inside state boundaries only. Comments will be taken for 60 days at regulations.gov.

U.S. Department of Transportation officials unveiled the comprehensive National Freight Strategic Plan Sept. 3 during a virtual event. The plan identifies improving the safety of the freight system, modernizing infrastructure and supporting the development of data and technologies as primary goals. The initiative also notes that increased e-commerce shopping habits are creating a demand for deliveries in areas that already are heavily congested. U.S. Census Bureau data indicates e-commerce sales increased 16.7% between the fourth quarters of 2018 and 2019. Those buying trends have continued as more people shop from home during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said Sept. 2 law enforcement officers and inspectors nabbed more than 66,000 drivers engaging in unsafe behavior on U.S. and Canadian roadways during Operation Safe Driver Week. CVSA’s stepped-up enforcement event took place July 12-18, with officers issuing more than 71,000 citations and warnings to passenger vehicle drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers. Speeding, which was the focus of the enforcement effort, was the top traffic violation for both types of drivers, with a combined total of more than 31,000 citations and warnings.

A surge in new orders in August powered the fastest pace of U.S. manufacturing growth since late 2018. Institute for Supply Management data released Sept. 1 showed factory activity increased to 56 during the month from 54.2 in July. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. A survey of economists by Bloomberg News showed a median projection of 54.8. Fifteen of the 18 manufacturing industries tracked by ISM reported growth last month, led by wood products, plastics and rubber, food and textiles.

A team of female truck drivers began a westward journey Aug. 31 to honor the legacy of the first woman who voted. The drivers gathered beside the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., to commence their trip from the nation’s capital to Wyoming to commemorate Louisa Swain, who became the first woman to vote when she cast a ballot in Laramie in 1870. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Four captains from America’s Road Team will operate a specially wrapped tractor-trailer, emblazoned with an image of Swain. The truckers will stop in Baltimore, Columbus, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis; St. Louis; Denver and Cheyenne, Wyo. They will complete the trip Sept. 6 in Laramie to mark the anniversary. You can follow the journey at firstwomanvoter.org.

This year’s historic public health crisis has disrupted supply chains and upended freight projections, forcing fleets to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. But through all of the financial and logistical challenges, the companies on this year’s Transport Topics Top 100 Private Carriers list have been finding ways to navigate this turbulent time while ensuring that shipments continue to reach their destinations. Check out the new rankings and read up on ways that the pandemic has forced carriers to shift gears.

Hurricane Laura killed at least four people as it came ashore early on the morning of Aug. 27 near Lake Charles, La., as a Category 4 storm, one of the most powerful to ever strike the U.S. As of late in the afternoon, falling trees had killed four people in Louisiana, but no fatalities were reported in Texas, which avoided the brunt of the storm. More than 875,000 people lost power as Laura hit with sustained winds of 150 mph. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said it was the most powerful storm in the state’s history, surpassing Katrina. Damage caused by the storm included a leak from a chemical plant run by Biolab, which was visible at daybreak as a massive plume of smoke. After thrashing Arkansas, Laura is forecast to drench areas of Kentucky and Tennessee before aiming for the Mid-Atlantic.

Hurricane Laura was forecast to come ashore by this morning near the Texas-Louisiana border as a Category 4 storm, bringing with it a storm surge of about 20 feet and wind gusts near 140 mph. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a regional emergency declaration for Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, providing regulatory relief for commercial drivers who are providing direct assistance toward relief efforts. The hurricane threatens a center of the U.S. energy industry. The government said 84% of Gulf oil production and an estimated 61% of natural gas production were shut down. Nearly 300 platforms were evacuated before the storm hit.

A grand jury has returned a second round of indictments in an ongoing investigation of individuals staging automobile accidents with tractor-trailers in Louisiana. In this round, 11 people were charged with seven fraud counts in connection with two incidents from 2017. Prosecutors believe the group of participants actually staged as many as 100 accidents from 2015 to 2017. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years for one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and up to 20 years total for six counts of mail fraud. Upon release from prison, each defendant can be placed on supervised release for up to five years and fined up to $250,000 per count.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told lawmakers Aug. 24 that he has warned allies of President Donald Trump that the president’s repeated attacks on mail-in ballots are not helpful. But DeJoy denied that recent changes at the Postal Service are linked to the November election. At an occasionally contentious House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, DeJoy said he is not trying to sabotage the election, and that he, like Trump, personally plans to vote by mail. But DeJoy refused requests by Democrats to restore mail-sorting machines or mailboxes removed from service.