Author: Mid-America Freight Coalition

National Freight Strategic Plan: Request for Information

News Research

This article was originally posted on December 30th, 2019. Comments due February 10, 2020 on the NFSP. The request for comment includes specific questions about how the plan should address several industry and agency policy issues. Access the federal register request link here.

MAASTO partners with Wisconsin DOT to host CAV Summit

News

This article was orginally posted on November 22, 2019. Collaboration in development of freight operations, policy, and infrastructure across the MAASTO states has proven beneficial for agencies and freight stakeholders. High levels of the multi-state collaboration exhibited by the MAASTO states is also imperative to support successful adoption of CAV across the region. The executive […]

Innovative Delivery: How far can we go with autonomous goods delivery?

News

This article was originally posted on November 19th, 2019 Two recent articles demonstrate how autonomous vehicle technologies are beginning to penetrate goods delivery. Developments in the technologies and the potential for autonomous freight movement, introduce a host of possibilities and questions – What does adoption of new technologies mean to safety, jobs, customer satisfaction, equity […]

CBO Report Examines Vehicle Mileage Tax For Trucks

Highway News Uncategorized

A 43-page report issued by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on October 17 examines whether a federal vehicle miles traveled or VMT tax on commercial trucks can help sustain the Highway Trust Fund, which the CBO projects will be “exhausted” of funding by 2022. Read the AASHTO article at this link. Access the 43-page report on the Congressional […]

Materials from 2019 Annual Meeting Available

Annual Meeting Events MAFC

MAFC technical representatives from 10 member states met in Indianapolis, Indiana for the MAFC 2019 Annual Meeting. The meeting was held August 12-14 in conjunction with the MAASTO 2019 conference. Freight topics included vehicle platooning, truck parking and TPIMS, marine freight planning and impacts, blockchain and new technology for freight payments, and connected and automated vehicles. […]

Research shows negative attitudes toward automated vehicles based in misconceptions

News Research

A Mountain-Plains Consortium (MPC) publication reported on a study titled Cognitive Underpinnings of Beliefs and Confidence in Beliefs about Fully Automated Vehicles which investigated the cognitive underpinnings of consumers’ beliefs and confidence in their beliefs about fully automated vehicles. Following previous research, opinions about self-driving cars tended to be mixed. The most negative views were held […]

Dorian to shut U.S. Southeast ports, intermodal for much of week

News

Article on FreightWaves 2019-09-04 Hurricane Dorian’s approach upward along the U.S. Southeast coast will shutter maritime and rail assets throughout the region during the week. Dorian was located just 100 miles off the Florida coast as of Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center, and was stationary just off Freeport, Bahamas. It was downgraded […]

USDA Quantifies Impact of Aging Inland Waterways Infrastructure

Maritime

Article by THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE 2019-08-28 19:27:06 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a study that quantifies the cost-savings and competitive advantages that would accrue from investing in long-delayed improvements to inland waterways locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River system. The study, Importance of Inland Waterways to U.S. Agriculture, addresses the […]

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Nine New Marine Highway Project Designations

Maritime News

WASHINGTON, DC –  The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) today announced the designation of nine Marine Highway Projects and a Marine Highway Route that will benefit Connecticut, Florida, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and American Samoa. Marine highways are navigable waterways that can be used as alternate options to traditional […]