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A few stories in this edition of Transport Topics illustrate quite well the current state of the national economy.

When the next freight transportation capacity shortage makes itself known, whether it’s in the second half of next year or at the start of 2012, no one should say they weren’t warned well in advance.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration followed through on its promise last month and made several important changes in its CSA safety rating program last week.

The voters have spoken, and analysts and pundits are busily trying to explain the shifts in the political landscape that will result from the overwhelming Republican victory.

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But one immediate potential gain that emerged from the cacophony of chatter in the wake of the election is a chance to move transportation and infrastructure improvement programs along quickly.

The top “take-aways” from the 2010 Management Conference & Exhibition last week seemed to be: Things are better than they were; things are not as good as they could be; and things are going to get even better.

Anyone who relies too much on the stock market for advice on where the economy is headed these days is bound to get seasick.

About the only silver lining that seems to be coming from the obvious slowdown of the U.S. economy is that it’s taking pressure off domestic fuel prices, in part by encouraging commodities speculators to find other places to ply their trade.

While Wall Street continues to express its doubts about the strength of the U.S. economic recovery that is under way, most trucking companies say that business is continuing to improve.

The proposal for revamping the federal government’s hours-of-service rule for truck drivers that a coalition of interest groups released recently illustrates just how little these political theorists understand about highway safety and the business of moving America’s freight.