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A House appropriations subcommittee granted the Department of Transportation another $605 million for 2001, boosting DOT’s overall spending plan to $55.2 billion, or about $5.2 billion over 2000.

This afternoon's headlines: FedEx says reorganization, new unit costs to be felt as early as June; Wisconsin sheriff wants rogue truckers off the road; and Study says diesel emission estimates may be too low.

Operation Lifesaver, a movement dedicated to ending truck and car collisions with trains, will premier its safety video aimed at truck drivers May 17. “Your License or Your Life” emphasizes the dangers of stranding a truck at a rail crossing, and offers steps on how to extricate the vehicle.

Hours-of-service rules by the Department of Transportation, controversial in most quarters, could slam dunk doughnut sales, a bakery trade group claims.

In the news this morning: Diesel trucks, buses to face new federal emission curbs; Oregon voters reject changes to state's fuel-tax system; and Creditors approve NationsWay liquidation plan.

Federal Maritime Administrator Clyde J. Hart Jr. has emerged as the leading, if not the sole candidate, to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but probably only for a short term.

Estimates by the Department of Transportation show the proposed hours-of-service rules would prevent 2,600 accidents, 2,996 injuries and 115 fatalities annually, but fewer accidents do not necessarily translate into lower insurance costs for trucking.

This afternoon's headlines: >UPS seeks more air routes into China to counter FedEx's big lead; West Virginia may seek audit of trucking company following I-79 accident; and Trader.com to launch local heavy machinery sites.

A federal appeals court in Illinois ruled Landstar Inway is liable for freight damage that occurred in Mexico during a 1997 haul, even though the carrier’s contract contained tariff language stating it was not responsible for losses over the border.