FMCSA's Martinez makes public debut, Spear scolds media for driverless hype

Stocks dive after Trump promises tariffs on steel

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks dove in another dizzying day of trading after President Donald Trump promised on Thursday to deliver stiff tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which raised the threat of escalating retaliation by other countries and higher inflation. The Standard & Poor's 500 index erased nearly all of its gains for the year.

Martinez Sworn In as FMCSA Administrator

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao (far right) swears in Raymond Martinez as Administrator of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration. Photo: U.S. DOT

Raymond Martinez has been officially sworn in by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao as the sixth administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Martinez was President Trump's pick to head the agency and was confirmed by a Senate vote on Feb. 13. Unlike more controversial Trump administration picks, Martinez' nomination was accepted without opposition. He supported upholding the electronic logging device mandate that went into effect in December.

“Ray's years of experience promoting traffic safety at the state level, as well as his knowledge of the commercial motor vehicle industry, will help FMCSA fulfill its critical mission of improving truck and bus safety,” said Chao.

Martinez most recently served eight years as the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's chairman and chief administrator. In the role he advised Gov. Chris Christie and the state legislature on all areas of transportation and traffic safety and developed the agency's regulatory and legislative agenda.

He also served as the commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and served at the U.S. Department of State.

“It's an honor and privilege to serve my fellow Americans in this capacity and, under Secretary Chao's leadership, I look forward to working with all commercial vehicle stakeholders to effectively reduce the number of truck and bus crashes on our nation's roads,” said Martinez.

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Infrastructure Plan: Here’s Hoping Action Will Speak Louder than Words

Secretary Chao addressing attendees of AASHTO meeting in Washington on Feb. 28. Photo: via Twitter @USDOT 

When it comes to the glacially swift rollout of President Trump's infrastructure plan (now under way for well over a year), it can be perhaps be said, to paraphrase Winston Churchill broadly, that never before has so little been said to so many about so much.

Case in point is the latest policy speech given by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who is charged with selling the $1.5 trillion invest-and-incentivize plan on Capitol Hill.

Chao, who has teased parts of the plan and hinted at other aspects of it in various speeches she has made over the course of the past year, threw a fresh tidbit out on Feb. 28.

Addressing attendees of an American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials meeting in Washington, DC as the keynote speaker, she advised that a new White House publication was due out soon that promises to dish out “background on the plan.” And yes, that wording screamed “vague” to me as well.

Chao described the administration overall plan as a “comprehensive infrastructure proposal… it is broad, ambitious, and has ignited a necessary debate throughout the nation and in the Congress on infrastructure priorities and processes.”

We've all heard that before. But the DOT Secretary did make a point that those who don't live and breathe policy might need to hear. Pointing out that the Trump plan is “a 10-year investment to modernize our country's infrastructure assets,” Chao pointed out that it is “comprehensive and separate from a reauthorization package” that typically covers a shorter timeframe.

Chao also reiterated that Trump's overarching goal is to “stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in infrastructure investment, which includes a minimum of $200 billion in direct ...Read the rest of this story

Daimler Pumping R&D into Electric Trucks, Connectivity, Autonomous Trucks

Daimler Trucks has a 'Baby 8' eActros electric truck in fleet testing in Europe; is an e-Cascadia next? Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Daimler Trucks is not taking disruption sitting down. Last week the Germany-based company announced that it's investing 2.6 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in research and development at its trucks division by 2019, as it gets ready to produce electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles starting in 2021, along with continuing work on connectivity and autonomous driving technologies.

Daimler is placing Mercedes-Benz eActros emissions-free electric trucks with some customers so they can test them in real-world conditions, with real drivers and real freight. If all goes well, the electric truck could go into full production starting in 2021.

And last year Daimler subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso brought its electric eCanter medium-duty cabover to the U.S., where UPS is among the fleets evaluating it in real-world operations.

The eActros may technically be heavy-duty, it's more of what we call a Baby 8 in this country, noted Roger Nielsen, Daimler Trucks North America President and CEO, in a conference call with trucking reporters this week. At the same time, however, he hinted that we will see an announcement in the coming months regarding electric heavy-duty trucks in North America. It's not the first time he's hinted at this, telling reporters last fall during the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition that he's love to see an e-Cascadia.

During the recent conference call, Nielsen noted “Driving future technology” as one of his six goals for 2018, along with leveraging the global resources and “cutting-edge technology” of DTNA's global parent.

“Our customers are all interested in future technology,” he said. “ We want to put future technology out there that makes sense for our customers. They don't want new technology for the sake of technology – they want new ...Read the rest of this story

2 massage therapists accuse Steve Wynn of sexual misconduct

Two massage therapists have claimed in new lawsuits that casino mogul Steve Wynn used his power to coerce them into sexual acts, making them the latest women to accuse the billionaire of sexual misconduct. ...

Vionic 5X7 LED Headlight Made for Durability

Maxxima has introduced the Vionic 5X7 Integrated Dual-Beam LED headlight, a rugged light designed for exceptional low- and high-beam illumination in commercial vehicles and industrial applications.

The Vionic 5X7 Integrated Dual-Beam light can be used as a direct replacement for OEM halogen lamps. Its five LEDs produce bright, white light with good road coverage, and the lightweight, low-profile design and polycarbonate lens with Maxx-Shield coating provide increased durability and easy fitment.

Other features include:

• FMVSS-108 and CMVSS-108 compliant
• 12/24 VDC
• Standard OEM 3-blade connector
• Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.6 x 3.7 inches
• Weight: 2.1 lbs.
• 5-year warranty

Maxxima's Vionic 5X7 Integrated Combo DRL/Dual-Beam LED headlights are available now through Maxxima's network of aftermarket distributors in the United States and Canada.

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