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Trump signs executive order to speed infrastructure permitting process

President Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 15 aimed at speeding the federal permitting process for transportation and other infrastructure projects.

Speaking at the Trump Tower in New York alongside Transportation secretary Elaine Chao, he said builders have to navigate up to 16 approvals, 9 agencies and 29 statutes. That can result in delays of years or even decades, costing millions of dollars, he said.

The result is a “self-inflicted wound on our country,” Trump said.

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Drivewyze Bypass Service Debuts in North Dakota

Photo: Drivewyze

The Drivewyze weigh station bypass service is now being offered in North Dakota at 21 permanent and mobile sites, the company announced.

The Drivewyze PreClear program, which allows participants to bypass weigh stations and inspections sites using a smartphone or other mobile device, is compatible with 13 different approaches to seven fixed weigh stations, as well as eight mobile sites. The program is being run in collaboration with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol. Truck fleets and drivers who operate safely and within legal weight limits and meet the state's criteria can obtain bypasses through Drivewyze.

The addition of North Dakota closes a nearly 400-mile gap in Drivewyze bypass service between Moorehead, Minnesota, and Wibaux, Montana, according to the company.

The Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass application comes pre-loaded on in-cab telematics and ELD devices like Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Rand McNally, and Zonar. The application is also available for Android and iOS-based tablets or smartphones.

Related: Weigh Station Bypass Saves Time for Car Hauler

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Trucking Industry Revenue Hit $676.2 Billion Last Year

American Trucking Associations' American Trucking Trends 2017 annual compendium of data on the trucking industry reveals that the trucking industry generated $676.2 billion in revenue last year, making up nearly 80% of the nation's freight bill. Trucks moved 70.6% of all domestic freight tonnage for a total of 10.42 billion tons of freight.

“The information in Trends highlights exactly what I tell elected officials, regulators and key decision-makers every day: Trucking is literally the driving force behind our great economy,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO. “Safe, reliable and efficient motor carriers enable businesses throughout the supply chain to maintain lean inventories, thereby saving the economy billions of dollars each year.”

Trucking isn't cheap either, with the ATA finding that the nation's commercial trucks paid $41.3 billion in state and federal highway user fees and taxes, with the average five-axle tractor trailer paying more than $5,600 in taxes annually.

There were 33.8 million trucks registered for business purposes, of which 3.68 million were Class 8 vehicles. Those trucks burned 38.8 billion gallons of diesel fuel and 15.5 billion gallons of gasoline and traveled 450.4 billion miles.

Somebody has to drive all of those vehicles, of course, and the trucking industry employed 7.4 million Americans last year, nearly half of which were drivers. Of those drivers, 6% are women and 38.7% are minorities.

As a whole, the trucking industry is primarily made up of small businesses; 91% percent of motor carriers operate six or fewer trucks and 97% operate fewer than 20.

More data is available and complied in the American Trucking Trends 2017 compendium, available for purchase here.

Related: ATA to California: Don't Mess With Trucking

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Gibson Energy should shed trucks: Investor