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Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), chairman of the powerful Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in 2014 after serving five terms in the U.S. Senate.

The U.S. trade deficit increased by 15.8% in November, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Both ATA and TCA support mandating devices that simply record hours-of-service status, but they do not support requiring fleets to purchase multifunction fleet management systems, which typically cost far more.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) announced a proposal Tuesday to remove the state’s gasoline tax, which would make Virginia the first state in the country to eliminate that tax.

Electric vehicles, which have soundless engines, would need to make noises to let pedestrians know they are near, under a rule proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Bloomberg News reported.

Commercial drivers in Illinois are banned from using hand held cellphones while driving, as of this month, the Illinois Department of Transportation said.

A group of shippers, brokers and small motor carriers told a federal court that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new carrier safety ratings are “confusing, ever-changing, mercurial and capricious in their effects on carriers.”

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has approved a law that prevents trucking companies from being held responsible for accidents, negligence or other damage that is a shipper’s fault.

Lost amid the hoopla surrounding Congress’ last-minute agreement on avoiding the economic “fiscal cliff” as the new year dawned was a provision in the deal that could help the trucking industry as it moves to replace aging equipment during 2013.

Used-truck sales slumped in late 2012, but last week’s “fiscal cliff” agreement created hope that a catch-up effect could buoy sales, industry officials said.