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News Digest

Thursday, August 1, 2019

Daylight Saving Time to End Sunday, Nov. 6, for Most Americans. 

Most of the nation will return to standard time at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, when clocks will be turned back one hour, providing an additional hour of daylight in the morning.  Under law, daylight saving time is observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, with the nation returning to daylight saving time starting Sunday, March 11, 2012.  Prior to legislation that took effect in 2007, daylight saving time was observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October.  Federal law does not require any area to observe daylight time, but those that do must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law.  No resetting of clocks is required for those parts of the country not observing daylight time:  Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.  The U.S. Department of Transportation has overseen the time laws since 1966, when Congress transferred this responsibility from the Interstate Commerce Commission. 

Maritime Administration (MARAD) Releases U.S. Flag Fleet Competitiveness Report. 

The Maritime Administration has released a report examining the factors that significantly impact the competitiveness of U.S.-flag vessels in international transportation markets.  Developed from two studies, the report compares U.S. and foreign-flag operating costs, examines impediments to the U.S.-flag registry, and provides industry recommendations for addressing these impediments.  

MARAD Conducts Renewable Fuel Technology Tests. 

MARAD recently completed tests of cutting-edge, renewable fuel technology onboard the training ship State of Michigan. The project is part of a joint effort by the Departments of Defense and Transportation to reduce the nation’s dependence on petroleum both at home and in the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.  The fuel, which was provided by the Navy, was tested in one of the vessel’s engines for 170 hours.  Researchers measured the fuel’s emissions, efficiency and affect on engine performance.  The data are currently being analyzed and the results will be available in February 2012. 

DOT Marks 20th Anniversary of Transportation Drug Testing Law. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation today marked the 20th anniversary of the statutory authority to conduct drug and alcohol testing for workers entrusted with the safe operation of our nation’s transportation system.  The Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act, signed into law on Oct. 28, 1991, was enacted to reduce the abuse of alcohol and illegal use of drugs by employees such as pilots, airline mechanics, railroad engineers, truck drivers, bus drivers and subway operators.  Since the law was implemented, illegal drug use among transportation workers has dropped 50 percent, while the risk of fatal accidents caused by alcohol use by truck and bus drivers has dropped 23 percent.