Transportation

Washington — The Department of Transportation on May 9 announced the participants in a pilot program intended to promote the safe commercial operation and integration of drones in agriculture, commerce, emergency management, human transportation and other sectors.

Grain Valley, MO — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and 12 other organizations have sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to oppose two House bills that would allow drivers younger than 21 to operate interstate commercial motor vehicles.

Washington — The House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 includes language that would grant another electronic logging device exemption for livestock and insect haulers.

Denver — In Colorado, marijuana use among workers in certain jobs “in which workers have responsibility for their own safety or the safety of others” exceeds that of the state’s general workforce, according to a recent study from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Washington — A recent attempt to hack the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners website was unsuccessful and no personal information was exposed, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration is pushing back another year the deadlines for rail industry employers, contractors and subcontractors to submit training programs for employees who perform “safety-related service,” according to a notice published in the April 27 Federal Register.

Washington — Workers in the trucking and railroad industries filed the most whistleblower complaints in 2017, according to OSHA, prompting the agency to schedule a public meeting on whistleblower issues for industry stakeholders.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration intends to issue a safety advisory regarding railroad operations during temporary signal suspensions and is seeking public comment on a draft.

Washington — OSHA and the trucking industry have partnered on a flier intended to raise awareness of the three most common hazards tractor-trailer drivers face after reaching their destinations.

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rule requiring the use of electronic logging devices to track driver hours of service is in effect, but critics remain vocal.