AASHTO's new report, America's Freight Challenge forecasts heaps of freight coming into the United States, and discusses the investment that must be made to avoid economy stifling congestion. The report is one of a series of reports by AASHTO to better assist the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, created by Congress to make recommendations on the future of the nation's transportation system.

Baltimore will get $1.9 million in homeland security funding, a cut of 60 percent from the current year receipt of $4.8 million. In this year's grant review process, Baltimore was designated a second-tier port and ranked 33rd by the Department of Homeland Security. Eight Tier 1 ports will share a pot of $120.7 million and 17 Tier 2 ports will share a pot of $40.2 million.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said a tiered approach puts the most money where the most risk of an attack is. Robert P Liscouski, a former assistant secretary commented that grant applications from several ports were weak or incomplete. Governor Martin O'Malley, House Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Port Administration officials and several others have all expressed major disappointment.

The United States has about 1.3 million drivers of long-haul, heavy trucks, roughly 20,000 fewer than needed according to the American Trucking Association. A 2005 study that the association commissioned projects a shortage of 111,000 drivers by 2014 largely due to retirements and increased demand for trucking.

This predicament has led associations and trucking companies to seek more couples free of concerns about missed family time and perhaps looking to replace old jobs with new ones before retirement. Putting two at the wheel helps business. The hours a truck legally can operate double and freight arrives sooner. Some customers even pay extra from team driving.

The Port of Baltimore will open a new Dundalk Marine Terminal truck cargo gate on Monday, June 4, 2007. All trucking companies and drivers must be registered with eModal and Trucker Check to be Security Compliant. Failure to be properly registered will result in drivers being denied access based on the security restrictions per the United States Coast Gaurd approved facility security plan.

Is Your Trucking Company Security Compliant?

1. Registered with eModal (FREE)?

2. Registered with Trucker Check? Register with Trucker Check on eModal.

Click on "Trucker Check"

Click on "Add Trucker"

Complete information so that the truck driver can be verified at the terminal gate.

BMC staff monitors gas price data obtained from the American Automobile Association. In Maryland and across the nation gas prices continued to rise in June 2007. The Maryland average regular gas price rose by 0.172 cents in June from the previous month. This information will appear in subsequent Maryland Moves newsletters.