With less than two months remaining until the New Jersey Legislature adjourns, one bill that could still draw consideration would change how the state compensates hazmat haulers. Sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, the bill would require New Jersey-based truckers who haul hazardous materials intrastate to be compensated "with an hourly wage, exclusive of overtime pay or other benefits paid to the driver."

A report released this week by the auditor for the West Virginia state legislature is confirming what truckers have known for many years - that, yes, ticket quotas are alive and well in the "Mountain State." The 55-page report was titled "Legislative Performance Review of the West Virginia State Police." In it the state auditor took the state police to task for policies requiring officers to meet a specified number of traffic ticket citations each month or face disciplinary action.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is calling on the federal government to rethink the looming deadline for the rollout of the 2010 emission standard for heavy-duty engines. The Association would like the administration and Congress to push for a restructured timeline, phasing in the new standard to allow ample breathing room and to build confidence within the trucking industry. This would provide time to prove the worthiness of new engines, give the economy an opportunity to recover, and explore new fuel alternatives. To read the NERA study, click here.

The U.S. DOT has awarded a $6.4-million grant to further data collection and make real-time traffic updates available to highway users in the I-95 corridor. The I-95 Corridor Coalition, consisting of transportation departments and tolling authorities from Maine to Florida along Interstate 95, will incorporate an existing data-collection system with other technologies to make traffic updates available via the Web, at information centers, and eventually to motorists by mobile phone.

Electronic on-board recording devices continue to be a hot topic of conversation throughout North America. In an effort to address issues revolving around EOBRs, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has scheduled its first ever symposium on the subject for Dec. 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis. For more information, or to register online, click here. Early registration rates apply through Friday, Nov. 21.

Truckers who have E-ZPass toll accounts will see a slight decrease in tolls when E-ZPass goes live on the Ohio Turnpike in late 2009, officials said. The Ohio Turnpike approved a plan Monday, Nov. 17, to incorporate E-ZPass discounts for heavy trucks into a plan to increase tolls for passenger vehicles and all cash-paying customers in 2009 and again in 2012.