ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

Automakers are cautiously coalescing around plans to reopen North American assembly plants early next month following what will be a roughly six-week shutdown for virtually the entire industry.

Although trucking activity spiked across six states during the coronavirus pandemic’s early days, a recent analysis from the American Transportation Research Institute indicates that such freight activity has declined.

The trucking industry will play a critical role in the development and implementation of plans to restart the country’s struggling economy, American Trucking Associations President Chris Spear said.

Fleet operations have had to be nimble to navigate amid disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus, particularly in hard-hit cities such as New York, San Francisco, New Orleans and Detroit.

Schedules vary, but efforts to restart truck plants are stirring again as the second half of April begins.

Amazon.com was handed a French ban on sales of nonessential items after losing the first round of a court fight with labor unions that said the company wasn’t doing enough to protect staff from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indiana Department of Transportation launched a temporary permit program to allow licensed food trucks to operate at highway rest areas in order to serve commercial motor vehicle drivers who are hauling supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Transportation agencies and planners should rely on communication and partnerships as they respond to immediate needs and assess long-term effects associated with the coronavirus, according to an expert.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended and expanded its emergency declaration providing regulatory relief to truck drivers who are transporting emergency supplies during the coronavirus outbreak.

Motor carriers are developing incentive plans to provide drivers with bonuses and financial support as they serve on the front lines of the country’s battle against COVID-19.