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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Diesel prices have dropped for the seventh consecutive week, now sitting at $4.537 per gallon, on average, throughout the nation. That’s down from $4.596 on Dec. 19 and $4.754 on Dec. 12, according to the U.S.Energy Information Administration. Prices are still about a dollar higher than they were this time last year, however. The lowest prices in the U.S. can be found at $4.164 along the Gulf Coast, while the highest are in California at $5.415 per gallon on average. Meanwhile, benchmark U.S. crude oil for February delivery fell 3 cents to $79.53 a barrel on Dec. 27. Brent crude for February delivery rose $2.94 to $83.92 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery fell 2 cents to $2.36 a gallon. January heating oil rose 9 cents to $3.35 a gallon. January natural gas rose 20 cents to $5.28 per 1,000 cubic feet.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $273.9 million to 12 projects through its new Rural Surface Transportation Grant program. The program aims to assist communities around the U.S. complete transportation projects that increase connectivity, improve safety and reliability, support regional economic growth and improve the quality of life for people living in rural areas. USDOT added that the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $44 billion to this program over the next five years. Approximately $2 billion is available via the program through 2026 for projects that improve highways, bridge and tunnels, address highway safety, as well as increase access to agricultural, commercial, energy or freight facilities that support the economy. “Infrastructure investments haven’t always reached rural America, leaving far too many roads, bridges and other parts of the transportation system across our country in disrepair,” USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “[This] is one of many ways this administration is delivering the investments that rural communities have gone without for far too long, modernizing transportation, creating economic opportunity and making life better for millions of people.” The projects selected for funding in the first round of program grants include: The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development —$25 million in support of an estimated $52 million project to design and construct two ferry boats. One ferry boat will provide continued access across the Mississippi River between Highway 23 and Highway 39 at Pointe a la Hache, as well as between Belle Chasse and Scarsdale in Plaquemines Parish. The other ferry boat will provide continued access across the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Cameron Parish. The North Carolina Department of Transportation — $10.4 million in support of a nearly $16 million project to expand on-demand transit services for up to 11 rural communities statewide. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation — $69 million as part of a more than $416 million project to construct approximately 6.1 miles of new four-lane limited access highway connecting U.S. Routes 11/15 near Selinsgrove to U.S. Route 15 near Winfield and will include an interchange and connector within Shamokin Dam to PA Route 61 into Sunbury. That new road will boost safety by separating trucks and other through traffic from local traffic, making travel in the area more efficient and safer for not only vehicular traffic but pedestrians and cyclists as well. The Virginia Department of Transportation — $25 million toward a $300 million effort to add a third lane along a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 64 in each direction, while widening shoulders, adding rumble strips, and add wider and flatter clear zones to improve roadway safety. The additional lane capacity aims to improve spacing of heavy vehicles while boosting safety, efficiency, and reliability along what is known as the I-64 Innovation Corridor, supporting access to more than 1 million jobs in the region. The West Virginia Department of Transportation — $25 million towards a $587 million project to construct a 15-mile segment of the Coalfields Expressway, from West Virginia Route 16 to the City of Mullens. The project seeks address the many blind curves and poor sight distances on the existing roadway while reducing conflict points and improving safe access to driveways for residents and businesses along the route. The project includes shoulders, median strips, increased radius of roadway curvature and longer and flatter vertical curves to improve safety. The project is also expected to save over 8,000 travel hours annually.

TOPEKA, Kan. — The operator of a pipeline that spilled about 14,000 bathtubs’ worth of heavy crude oil into a northeastern Kansas creek said Friday that it has permission from U.S. government regulators to reopen the repaired segment where the rupture occurred, easing concerns that the outage would affect fuel prices just as they are beginning to fall. Canada-based TC Energy did not say exactly when it would reopen the section of its Keystone pipeline system from Steele City near the Nebraska-Kansas border to Cushing in northern Oklahoma. The company said it will have crews working through the Christmas holiday and also conducting “rigorous testing and inspections.” “This will take several days,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment.” The Dec. 7 spill forced the company to shut down the Keystone system and dumped about 14,000 barrels of crude into a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Kansas City. Each barrel is 42 gallons, the size of a household bathtub. The company and government officials have said drinking water supplies were not affected, and no one was evacuated. However, Kansas City’s KCUR-FM reported this week that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment found chemicals from the spill downstream past two earthen dams constructed to contain the oil, potentially endangering animals that ingest it. TC Energy reopened most of the 2,700-mile Keystone system last week. The system carries crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast, with a spur also moving crude to south-central Illinois. The Kansas spill was the largest onshore in nine years and larger than 22 previous spills on the Keystone system combined, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The company received permission to reopen the pipeline across Kansas and into northern Oklahoma from the Department of Transportation’s pipeline safety arm. Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year. The company has not identified the Kansas spill’s cause. Zack Pistora, who lobbies at the Kansas Statehouse for the Sierra Club, said the pipeline segment shouldn’t reopen until the cause is known. “Isn’t the next spill just an accident waiting to happen?” he said in an interview Friday. The company said it has removed the ruptured pipeline section and sent it to an independent lab for analysis. It also said it had recovered almost 7,600 barrels of oil, a little more than half of what was leaked. Meanwhile, some Democrats in the Republican-controlled Legislature want to reconsider the state’s policy of exempting companies from local property taxes for 10 years if they build pipelines through Kansas to spur energy development. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told The Topeka Capital-Journal in an interview this week that the policy was “a big mistake” and should have been reconsidered “a long time ago.”

WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has denied the Trucking Alliance’s (TA) request for hair testing results to be included in the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The notice of rejection published Friday, Dec. 23, on the Federal Register. The TA applied for the request in August, along with motor carriers Cargo Transporters, Dupré Logistics LLC, Frozen Food Express, J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., KLLM Transport Services, Knight Transportation, Maverick Transportation LLC, Schneider, Swift Transportation, US Xpress and May Trucking Co. Hair testing is in use by employers and court systems across the continent, but it hasn’t yet been approved for controlled substance testing by the FMCSA. TA members currently utilize hair testing in addition to urine testing. However, regulations don’t recognize hair testing for FMCSA purposes, including compliance with testing, reporting and record keeping policies. Because of this, carriers that test hair samples must also test urine samples, adding considerable cost to the testing process. Hair testing can detect the use of cocaine within the past 90 days, and even longer in some cases. The same goes for amphetamines and other controlled substances. In its denial, the FMCSA said that the TA’s argument ignores the requirement that the FMCSA follow the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) mandatory guidelines for hair testing, which have not yet been finalized. “This approach disregards an accepted standard of statutory construction, which provides that statutory text must be construed as a whole,” the FMCSA wrote. The agency said it can’t OK the use of hair testing as an alternative to urine tests until HHS establishes federal standards for hair testing. The HHS issued proposed Hair Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs in 2020 for public comment but has not issued a final version. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) heralded the FMCSA’s decision. “The Clearinghouse should not accept the results of any hair follicle testing considering the inconsistencies and inaccuracies involved,” OOIDA wrote in comments signed by President Todd Spencer. “Even under current Clearinghouse regulations, drivers are not always assured of due process. Not surprisingly, drivers have shared legitimate concerns about their employment status following false positives and other contentious results.” Jay Grimes, OOIDA’s director of federal affairs, said that the FMCSA’s swift denial of another TA exemption request “highlights the unanswered questions and validity concerns with hair testing. Just because a small percentage of trucking companies opt to screen their drivers using hair testing does not mean the process should be used for the entire industry. OOIDA maintains our opposition to any hair testing mandate.”

MISSION, Kan. — Temperatures plunged far and fast Thursday as a winter storm began forming ahead of Christmas weekend, promising heavy snow, ice, flooding and powerful winds across a broad swath of the country and complicating holiday travel. The National Weather Service reported that temperatures across the central High Plains plummeted 50 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few hours. In much of the country, the Christmas weekend could be the coldest in decades. “This is not like a snow day when you were a kid,” President Joe Biden warned Thursday in the Oval Office after a briefing from federal officials. “This is serious stuff.” Experienced drivers know winter presents its own set of driving rules. Unfortunately, even experienced drivers can be surprised by that first snowstorm. Even worse, winter isn’t always heralded by falling snow; sometimes, it’s sleet or freezing rain. It’s a good idea to review winter driving practices before encountering that first cold-weather hazard. At the first hint that your truck’s road traction might be compromised, slow down. When you see vehicles that have run off the road or spun out, it’s a good indication there are patches of ice or snow on the road. The appearance of brake lights or emergency flashers on the road ahead could indicate a problem area, so be prepared to slow down or stop. The pavement can appear dry and clear — until you round the next curve. In fall and early winter, the ground underneath the road surface still may still hold some heat from the summer sun, keeping the road surface warm enough to melt a light snow. On the other hand, bridges and overpasses, without that warm ground underneath and with the wind blowing, are usually the first to freeze. Be prepared when approaching bridges and overpasses. If you’re suspicious about the road surface, hold the wheel steady, without braking or accelerating, as you cross. Altitude changes mean temperature changes. More than a few drivers have discovered that raindrops at the bottom of a hill can turn into snowflakes near the top. If you’re driving in the mountains, be prepared for conditions to change quickly. Changes can also occur as the sun sets. A day that’s been warm enough to keep the snow melted can quickly turn into a night cold enough to freeze that snowmelt into a treacherous sheet of ice. Frigid forecast The frigid air will move through the central United States to the east, with windchill advisories affecting about 135 million people over the coming days, weather service meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook said Thursday. Forecasters are expecting a bomb cyclone — when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm — to develop near the Great Lakes, which will increase winds and create blizzard conditions, Cook said. “This event could be life-threatening if you are stranded with wind chills in the 30 below to 45 below zero range,” according to an online post by the National Weather Service in Minnesota, where transportation and patrol officials reported dozens of crashes and vehicles off the road. In famously snowy Buffalo, New York, forecasters predicted a “once-in-a-generation storm” because of heavy lake-effect snow, wind gusts as high as 65 mph, whiteouts and the potential for extensive power outages. The NHL postponed the Buffalo Sabres’ home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and rescheduled it for March 4. In Charleston, South Carolina, a coastal flood warning went into effect early Thursday. The area, a popular tourist destination for its mild winters, is bracing for strong winds and freezing temperatures. Watch your distance when driving in winter weather Adding more distance between your front bumper and the vehicle ahead is always a good idea. During inclement weather, leaving a bit of extra following distance can give you more time to react to hazards ahead. When roads are wet, and especially when the temperature is near freezing, test your brakes periodically. A gentle application while on a straight stretch of road will give you an idea of how your truck is reacting. If you do have to stop on a slippery surface, remember that modern vehicles are equipped with anti-lock brakes. You shouldn’t need to pump the brakes, as the braking system does this for you at a rate much faster than you could ever achieve. If, however, your vehicle begins to skid, you may have to release the brakes and reapply pressure. Some of the features of your vehicle that are designed to make life easier can become deadly when roads are slippery. Cruise control can’t sense that there is ice ahead and will do what it’s designed to do — maintain the speed it is set for. Unfortunately, that speed may be totally wrong for the road ahead. Likewise, engine brakes can cause drive tires to break traction and skid, possibly causing a jackknife. Depending on the conditions, you may be able to set progressive engine brakes at a lower level if you’re descending a grade and need the braking power. If they aren’t needed, turn the engine brakes off. It can be hard to tell when rain starts freezing. One of the easiest ways to tell is by looking for road spray from the tires of other vehicles. Wet roads create road spray. If there isn’t any spray, that “wet” road could be iced over. Sometimes ice buildup on mirrors and brackets is visible. Obviously, if you see ice forming, you should assume it is also forming on the road surface. Keep an eye on the radio or CB antennas of other vehicles, too. Normally they will move with the wind stream, being pushed straight back. If they start moving wildly or in a circular motion, they may be coated with ice. Visibility can also be an issue in winter. Blowing snow, road spray and windshields covered in dried ice-melting compounds that were applied to the road surface can make it more difficult to see. Keep windows and mirrors as clean as possible, and don’t forget to stock up on washer fluid. On winter days when the sun is shining, the glare coming off snow-covered fields can be blinding. Because of the angle of the earth to the sun, the sun appears lower on the horizon, and sun visors are limited in how they can be positioned. A pair of quality sunglasses can improve your vision, increasing your safety while providing comfort for your eyes. It’s a good idea to stay up to date on weather reports for the areas you’ll be driving into. There are a number of phone apps that provide this information, and some provide alerts when bad weather is expected. Online and phone resources can provide time-lapse video that projects the trajectory of storms, providing a better understanding of what’s ahead. Some AM-FM radios or CB radios have weather “bands” that pick up weather reporting from the closest airport. When possible, a review of expected weather should be part of your consideration before accepting a load. Weather will certainly impact travel time and may determine if you get there at all. Finally, park your truck when conditions are unsafe. Driving on icy roads is always dangerous. Snow-covered roads aren’t quite as slippery and may be traveled safely at reduced speeds, but consider your trip plan. You may find it beneficial to take a break while you wait out the storm; it may be possible to travel at normal road speeds once you get back on the road. Regardless of any time crunch you’re under, when it isn’t safe, park it. No load, no customer and no job are worth your life. Careful trip planning, followed by following safe driving practices, will help you survive winter weather. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its new national clean air standards to cut smog-and soot-forming emissions from heavy-duty trucks beginning with model year 2027 as part of the Clean Trucks Plan. The new standards, which represent the first update to clean air standards for heavy duty trucks in more than 20 years, are more than 80% stronger than current standards, according to the EPA. Reaction to the new standards came swiftly from the trucking industry this week after the EPA’s announcement on Tuesday, Dec. 20. “TCA, alongside numerous trucking groups, have cautioned the EPA against enacting this rule because it outpaces available technology and would worsen an already-tight equipment market,” Truckload Carriers Association President Jim Ward said. Ward said that TCA is concerned the new emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks will limit equipment options for carriers, as well as worsen environmental outcomes in the long run by raising prices and, in effect, disincentivizing fleet turnover — which is the key to reducing emissions in trucking. “TCA maintains that a more comprehensive strategy is needed to guide fleet advancements, that realistically accounts for ongoing equipment shortages and price increases, and encourages solution-maximizing technology, without restricting equipment options prematurely,” Ward said. American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear said the ATA is currently reviewing details of the new standards and assessing their impact on members. “While truck engine emission standards are directed at manufacturers, it is the purchasing decisions of fleets that ultimately determine their success or failure,” Spear said. “ATA remains extremely concerned over the potential growth of state patchworks of NOx emission standards that will create havoc for an industry that operates across local, state, and international boundaries. We hope EPA and the California Air Resources Board will ultimately agree to a uniform, single standard that best achieves our nation’s environmental goals.” Spear added that the trucking industry has cut NOx emissions by more than 98% since 1998. He said continued progress will depend on standards that are technologically feasible with equipment that is cost-permitting and reliable for fleets. Aside from fleets, there’s concern that owner-operators will be hit hard while they’re already facing potential changes in labor laws that would affect their work status. “If small business truckers can’t afford the new, compliant trucks, they’re going to stay with older, less efficient trucks, or leave the industry entirely,” according to a statement from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). OOIDA President Todd Spencer said that “once again, EPA has largely ignored the warnings and concerns raised by truckers in this latest rule.” This final rulemaking is the latest step toward implementing the Clean Truck Plan, which the EPA describes as “moving America’s highly polluting heavy-duty trucking fleet towards low-carbon and electric technologies.” Investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are expected to accelerate innovation in zero-emissions truck technology, expanding access to clean school and transit buses, and training workers to install and maintain charging infrastructure. “EPA is taking significant action to protect public health, especially the health of 72 million people living near truck freight routes in America, including our most vulnerable populations in historically overburdened communities,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said. “But we’re not stopping there. This is just the first action under EPA’s Clean Trucks Plan to pave the way toward a zero-emission future. These rigorous standards, coupled with historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will accelerate President Biden’s ambitious agenda to overhaul the nation’s trucking fleet, deliver cleaner air, and protect people and the planet.” The final standards will attempt to reduce deadly smog and soot from new heavy-duty trucks starting with model year 2027. The EPA estimates that by 2045, the rule will result in the following annual public health benefits: Up to 2,900 fewer premature deaths. 6,700 fewer hospital admissions and emergency department visits. 18,000 fewer cases of childhood asthma. 3.1 million fewer cases of asthma symptoms and allergic rhinitis symptoms. 78,000 fewer lost days of work. 1.1 million fewer lost school days for children. $29 billion in annual net benefits. The new standards require heavy-duty commercial vehicles to limit nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions to 0.035 grams per horsepower-hour during normal operation, 0.050 grams at low load and 10.0 grams at idle. According to the latest regulations, warranties are extended to 450,000 miles from 100,000 and useful life to 650,000 miles from 435,000 miles, according to a statement from Eaton, a power management company. “We applaud the EPA’s work in establishing new standards for harmful truck emissions,” Eaton Vehicle Group President João Faria said. “The final rule announced today provides the regulatory certainty needed to deploy the next generation of fuel-efficient and emission-reduction technologies. Eaton stands ready to provide cost-effective advanced powertrain technologies that make vehicles more efficient while simultaneously reducing emissions and achieving significant operational savings for our customers’ commercial vehicle fleets.” Relative to current rules, the new standards are more than 80% stronger, and expected to increase the useful life of governed vehicles by 1.5–2.5 times, as well as yield emissions warranties that are 2.8–4.5 times longer. This final rule includes provisions for longer useful life and warranty periods. These provisions guarantee that as target vehicles age, they will continue to meet EPA’s more stringent emissions standards for a longer period. The rule also requires manufacturers to better ensure that vehicle engines and emission control systems work properly on the road. For example, manufacturers must demonstrate that engines are designed to prevent vehicle drivers from tampering with emission controls by limiting tamper-prone access to electronic pollution controls. “Today’s final rule establishes the next chapter for advanced diesel engines; one that is even nearer to zero emissions and more durable than ever before,” Diesel Technology Forum Executive Director Allen Schaeffer said. “DTF members are the leaders in design and manufacture of engines, emissions controls, and key components that will deliver the benefits to communities and truckers this rule envisions. The rule establishes many new challenges for manufacturers and suppliers but also ensures diesel’s place in the future for trucking. “ Schaeffer said the current generation new diesel trucks are more fuel-efficient and emit less than 1/60th the emissions of 2000 models. “The further improvements in diesel engines anticipated in the outcome of this final rule and the ability of truckers to invest in new trucks will be fundamental to ensuring progress toward meeting both local clean air and national climate goals,” Schaeffer said. “Without continued turnover in the fleet, older generations of technology with relatively higher emissions will stay in service longer, thereby delaying benefits to disadvantaged communities and contributing to worse air quality all around the country.” That turnover is a spot of concern, particularly when it comes to the cost of implementing the EPA’s goals. “While we are still in the process of reviewing the details of the newly published NOX emissions rule, it is clear the rule is very stringent and will be challenging to implement,” The Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association President Jed R. Mandel said. “Our members are fully committed to working with the EPA and other stakeholders for its successful implementation. Ultimately, the success or failure of this rule hinges on the willingness and ability of trucking fleets to invest in purchasing the new technology to replace their older, higher-emitting vehicles.” TCA’s Ward said that the trucking industry is proud of the progress it’s made over the years to protect the environment, noting that trucks today emit 60 times less than in 1988 and that engines have cut NOx and particulate matter by more than 98%. “We are committed to continuing to innovate in this space and our association is working with fellow stakeholders to advance climate-positive outcomes, in a forward-thinking, but practical manner, that thoroughly considers present challenges,” he concluded.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. is down for the sixth consecutive week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). At $4.596, the price is the lowest since February. The price of crude oil is one of the main drivers of gas prices and it has fallen sharply since the summer. Between March and June the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil traded above $120, but it has fallen to $71 in December. According to economists, since the global economy has slowed oil demand has dipped as economic output has fallen. The expectation of lower demand has pushed oil prices down, which affects the cost of fuel for consumers. However, the price of oil is based on many global factors. An official with the AAA cautioned that the nation could see higher prices if there is a sudden increase in the demand for oil. “We just have to continue watching oil prices because they remain volatile and as we saw in the spring, if oil prices spike to $100 per barrel, gas prices will follow suit,” said Devin Gladden, spokesperson for AAA. “A lot will depend on how the geopolitical tension continues to unfold throughout the winter.”  

WASHINGTON — The White House has announced that $1.5 billion in grant funding will be made available to communities around the country to help shore up infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 2023. The program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the state and local levels, including municipalities, tribal governments, counties and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs. Recent examples of funded projects include a critical bridge replacement in Tucson, Arizona, a new berth construction at Port Tampa Bay, Florida, a new pontoon bridge in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, and a new snowmelt system in Berlin, New Hampshire. “The historic investments the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing today will help communities across the country modernize their transportation,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “After decades of underinvestment in America’s infrastructure, we are supporting projects that help people and goods get where they need to go more safely, efficiently, and affordably.” In 2022, RAISE funded 166 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “RAISE projects are rigorously reviewed and evaluated on statutory criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration and innovation, according to a DOT news release. This year’s NOFO builds on the success of the RAISE program as authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by refining the rating rubric and continuing to give priority to safety, environmental sustainability, mobility and community connectivity, and quality of life. Additionally, projects designated “Reconnecting Extra” during the new FY 2022 Reconnecting Communities Program (RCP) competition and submitted for consideration under the FY 2023 RAISE NOFO will have a greater opportunity to be advanced during the FY 2023 RAISE evaluation process, as described in the NOFO. Half of the funding will go to projects in rural areas, and half of the funding will go to projects in urban areas. At least $15 million in funding is guaranteed to go towards projects located in Areas of Persistent Poverty or Historically Disadvantaged Communities, and projects located in these areas will be eligible for up to 100 percent federal cost share, as directed by Congress in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “As was the case last year, the DOT is encouraging applicants to consider how their projects can address climate change, ensure racial equity and remove barriers to opportunity,” according to the news release. “The (DOT) also intends to use the RAISE program to support wealth creation and the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union, the incorporation of strong labor standards, and training and placement programs, especially registered apprenticeships. ” More information is available by clicking here.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — An Arkansas detective has died after his motorcycle struck an 18-wheeler Saturday, Dec. 17, during a Wreaths Across America event. Benton County Sheriff’s Detective Paul Newell, 51, of Gravette, Arkansas, was on duty during the Wreath Across America procession when he was killed at about 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Southeast Walton Boulevard and Southeast Metro Parkway, just west of the Interstate 49 interchange in Bentonville, according to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newell was riding a motorcycle eastbound in the center turn lane of Walton Boulevard. A 2022 Freightliner truck was also eastbound, the report states. At some point, Newell hit the curb, lost control and struck the rig, according to reports. Staff for local tv station KNWA/Fox 24 were on the scene of the accident and reported a Walmart truck pulled over on the side of the road after the accident. The Wreaths Across America event moved forward and took place at 10 a.m. at the Fayetteville National Cemetery in Fayetteville, Arkansas. KNWA reported that there were a total of three trucks scheduled to deliver wreaths, with one each from Northwest Arkansas-based companies: Walmart, Tyson and J.B. Hunt. The Walmart truck reportedly did not deliver its wreaths. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office would identify Newell as the officer killed later that morning. KATV said that Newell had been with the Sheriff’s Office since 1998 and most recently served as a detective with the Criminal Investigation Division. “It is with profound sadness that Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway announces the on-duty tragic death of Detective Paul Daniel Newell, 51 of Gravette Arkansas. Detective Newell was involved in a traffic accident early Saturday morning while escorting the Wreath Across America procession through Bentonville Arkansas, an organization that provides wreaths to Veterans Cemeteries across America,” the Facebook post from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office stated. In a Twitter post, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson wrote: “I’m deeply saddened to learn Arkansas lost a member of the law enforcement family today in a tragic accident. My prayers are with Benton County Deputy Paul Newell’s family, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, and the law enforcement community.”

WASHINGTON — A series of cutbacks tied to Russia’s war in Ukraine, accidents and the slowing global economy have strained the world’s oil supply. While oil and fuel prices have dropped despite a recent supply crunch, those threats could end up pushing costs higher this winter. What’s the world facing? — An EU ban on imports of most Russian oil took effect last week. — At the same time, the Group of Seven leading democracies and 27-nation EU capped the price of Russian crude for other countries at $60 per barrel. — There was a major leak along the Keystone pipeline in the U.S., which halted oil shipments along a major corridor. — Dozens of oil tankers were stuck in Turkey for days. — The OPEC+ coalition of oil producers has cut back production. “The global system can withstand probably a few more days of these outages, but if they persist, they’re going to play a major role in price hikes,” said Claudio Galimberti, senior vice president of analysis at Rystad Energy. Diesel prices continue to fall — for now Though in small increments, the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel in the U.S. has been in steady decline for more than a month. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average price as of Dec. 12 rings up to $4.754 per gallon, down from $4.967 on Dec. 5 and $5.141 on Nov. 28. Prices have been slowing falling since Nov. 7. Year to date, however, the average is still well above a dollar more per gallon than current averages, according to EIA statistics. What does the future hold for big oil? A key reason restrictions on oil supply have not sent prices higher: Traders think there will be less demand for oil in the future, due to fears that the global economy is headed into recession, which would mean less driving and manufacturing. And some investors worry China’s looser COVID-19 restrictions could backfire for the nation’s economy. “It can quickly turn into a major COVID wave which engulfs the hospitals and then is going to have a worse effect on demand than COVID policy,” Galimberti said. The restrictions on Russian exports are likely to have a bigger impact on oil prices next month. Although Western nations have banned Russian oil, customers in India and China are buying it, so there’s enough oil on the market for those who need it. More than 97% of Russia’s seaborne crude exports went to China and India last month, according to Refinitiv, a financial market data provider. “We do not ask our companies to buy Russian oil. We ask them to buy oil,” Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in Parliament last week. “But it is a sensible policy to go where we get the best deal in the interest of Indian people, and that’s exactly what we are trying to do.” In February, global oil supply could get more limited, because European nations won’t be able to buy Russian refined products such as gasoline and diesel, so Russia could cut back on producing oil. “So far, there hasn’t been a major decline in Russian production. But once Russia cannot export products to Europe, they will need to decrease production, and that will result in a supply shortage, which will be reflected in the prices most likely,” Galimberti said. Russia also could decide not to produce oil due to the G-7 price cap. Its oil is selling for less than that now. But if the price goes up and approaches the cap, Russia could decide to take oil off the market, analysts said. “There’s another shoe to drop on that front,” said Kevin Book, managing director at Clearview Energy Partners. The price cap will lock in a discount on Russian oil, especially in light of the $100 per barrel Russia earned just a few months ago, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “We are focused on limiting Putin’s ability to profit from rising prices to fund his illegal war, while promoting stable global energy markets,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is not about Russian oil off the market. This is about the cap — the cap at this level maintains clear incentives for Russia to continue exporting, and we believe that it should.” International standard Brent crude oil was selling for about $80 a barrel Friday. That’s likely to grow to $92 per barrel on average next year, according to projections by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That is still below $125 seen this summer. The Trucker Staff contributed to this report.

FORDYCE, Ark. — At a small truck stop in rural southern Arkansas, driver Sara Hanson is filling up her Peterbilt before heading on to St. Louis. On this day, she’s got a reefer full of lettuce to deliver by the end of the day. Life on the road is never easy for a truck driver. Hanson said she misses her husband and grandkids, but the money she takes in from hauling helps keep her small family afloat. One of the worst things Hanson said she has to deal along her many journeys is harassment. Hanson said she has dealt with her share of bullies in the 20 years she has been behind the wheel of a big rig. “Bitch, whore, slut — I’ve been called them all, said Hanson, who stands little more than 5 feet tall and has dark gray hair. “I’m 60, and I have seen and heard everything out here on these roads.” Harassment against truck drivers is prevalent, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new Crime Prevention for Truckers study. Being called undesirable names (59% of women, 52% of minority males and 51% of non-minority males) and receiving threatening words (38% of women, 40% of minority males and 44% of non-minority males) are the most common forms of harassment, the study noted. Relative to men (8% of minority and 14% non-minority), women truck drivers (33%) are exposed to more sexual harassment. Where, when do incidents occur? Harassment is more likely to happen at truck stops (23 to 30% depending on gender and minority status), places where truck drivers pick up or deliver cargo (15 to 17%) and fueling stations (9 to 11%), according to the study. In addition, the respondents mentioned that crimes are more likely to happen in urban areas (42 to 56%) compared to rural areas (26 to 35%). Harassment against women truck drivers is particularly more likely to happen at night (from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.). Hanson said that she had a “run-in” with a man she called a “bully driver” last year at a major chain truck stop near Dallas. “He wanted me to service him, and I said no — hell no, in fact,” Hanson recalled. “But he kept insisting, so I had to tell him I was going to call the police before he stopped. I didn’t feel safe the rest of that night, but I had to stay at the truck stop because my hours were up for the day.” Characteristics of aggressors The individuals committing the harassment are more likely to be other truck drivers whom the victims did not already know (e.g., 31% of women, 27% of minority male and 34% of non-minority male truckers who were victims mentioned that the perpetrator was another truck driver whom they did not know before). Relative to males, women truck drivers are more likely to experience harassment from another truck driver at their company (15%) or their trainers (11%), the study noted. How many incidents go unreported? About half of the harassment incidents go unreported (i.e., 42% of women, 57% of minority men and 51% of non-minority men choose not to report the harassment). The reason given was that they did not think that it would make a difference (29 to 38%), or they have to deal with it anyway (17 to 38%). Statistical analysis comparing crimes among trucker groups Statistical analysis of the survey data did not find a statistically significant difference in the experience of harassment overall between women and minority men compared to non-minority men. This combined measure refers to at least one incident of occurrence in any of the six specific harassment categories over the preceding two years. However, statistically significant differences did arise in two harassment categories. Women truck drivers were found to be two to four times more likely to report being touched without permission compared to non-minority men. Minority women were up to nine times more likely to report being physically harmed compared to non-minority men. Similarly, non-minority women are two to six times as likely than non-minority men to be touched without permission. SURVEY PARTICIPANTS’ SUGGESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS Enhance safety at existing trucking facilities Providing adequate lighting and security features to existing truck parking lots, fueling stations, truck stops and docking areas of shippers and receivers should be the priority. Restrooms should be located closer to parking entrances. Presence of safety patrol and law enforcement is beneficial for safety. Provide additional parking facilities The majority of survey participants suggested that many of the crimes that happen against truckers are the direct result of limited parking availability, especially in urban areas. In some cases, truck drivers resorted to parking their trucks on freeway ramps and abandoned lots, putting them at increased risk of accidents and crimes. Allow firearm carrying in trucking industry Many respondents mentioned that they would feel safer if they were allowed to carry a firearm. However, policies of many trucking companies, shippers and receivers do not allow truckers to carry firearms in their trucks. Also, state laws on carrying firearms significantly vary. Many truckers suggested a regulation prohibiting carriers, receivers and shippers from barring truckers to carry legally owned firearms. Hanson said she has often wanted to skirt the laws and carry a gun in her rig. “They don’t want us to have protection out here,” Hanson said. “It’s ridiculous. We need something in these cabs to help keep us safe.” Improve communication within trucking industry Truck drivers, dispatchers, carriers and customers need to communicate to choose a travel plan that is efficient and safe, e.g., delays and scheduling conflicts at shipper and receiver facilities force truckers to park in unsafe locations. Provide personal safety training to truck drivers Many respondents indicated that they never received any type of training on personal safety and protection. Therefore, truck drivers could benefit from personal safety, security and protection training, as well as self-defense programs. Develop educational material to increase awareness Educational material that promotes the safety of truck drivers is needed. The material should address topics such as how to recognize, prevent, interject and report crimes. The educational material can also be directed to trucking companies, encouraging them to have a clear and zero-tolerance policy against harassment. METHODOLOGY Data collection was planned to be capped at a maximum of 440 each of women, minority men and non-minority men (total of 1,320 responses). However, there was reluctance from truck drivers to respond to the online survey. By the time the survey closed, there were a total of 653 qualified respondents to the online survey (201 women, 167 minority male and 285 non-minority male truck drivers). The actual number of respondents was lower than what was initially anticipated, affecting the sample size and statistical confidence of the results, according to the FMCSA. The survey was entirely anonymous. None of the questions that were asked could personally identify the respondent or any other individuals involved. Survey instructions reminded the respondent not to include names or other identifying information. The project team partnered with trucking organizations, trucking consultants and carriers to recruit truck drivers to respond to the online survey. The team prepared an invitation message and materials (posters and flyers) for distribution to the truck drivers who are members of the trucking organizations, trucking consultants and carriers. Promotion of the survey was done primarily through an email invitation sent to the survey partners. Recruiting materials, i.e., posters and flyers, were also placed at truck stops. The survey was advertised on social media platforms (e.g., postings on Facebook groups of truck drivers, LinkedIn posts and newsletters) of the partnering trucking organizations, trucking consultants and carriers. The recruiting materials and messages clearly identified the target population and mentioned that the survey was about harassment and assaults against truck drivers. In total, there are more than 20,000 truck drivers who are members of the partnering trucking organizations, trucking consultants and carriers. These truck drivers live and work in geographically diverse locations around the United States. Data collection started on January 12, 2022. It continued through February 22, 2022. After the initial invitations were sent to potential respondents via email, follow-up emails were sent twice a week to remind drivers about the survey and encourage them to participate. Participation was voluntary and respondents were not offered monetary gifts, or any other gifts, for participating. Click here to access the full study.  

TOPEKA, Kan. — The company operating a pipeline that spilled about 14,000 bathtubs’ worth of oil into a Kansas creek during a test for potential problems is recovering at least a small portion of the crude. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that Canada-based TC Energy has recovered 2,598 barrels of oil mixed with water from the 14,000-barrel spill on a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City. Each barrel is enough to fill a household bathtub. Last week’s rupture in Kansas forced the company to shut down the Keystone system, and it hasn’t said when it will come back online. The company said it is working around-the-clock to suck up spilled oil using big rigs equipped with what essentially are large wet vacuums. No one was evacuated, and officials said no drinking water was affected. The company has promised to fully comply with demands from regulators and to work until it has “fully remediated the site.” Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile (1,900-kilometer) Keystone XL, across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year. Last week’s spill was the largest on the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010 and the largest onshore spill since a Tesoro Corp. pipeline rupture in North Dakota leaked 20,600 barrels in September 2013, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The agency’s pipeline safety arm last week ordered TC Energy to take corrective action. The order said TC Energy was running an in-line inspection using a device inside the pipeline that was some 80 miles (129 kilometers) past where the pipeline ruptured. Such devices are designed to fit tightly inside and are known as “pigs” because early wooden ones squeaked as they went through. Three university petroleum engineering instructors who reviewed the regulators’ order ahead of Associated Press interviews pointed out the testing, which federal guidelines call for doing at least once every five years. “That timing is definitely suspicious,” said Jennifer Miskimins, head of the Colorado School of Mines’ petroleum energy department. “It is like blowing a pea through a pod.” She along with instructors from the University of Tulsa and Pennsylvania State University said moving a pig through the pipe would have required additional pressure. But Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, saw the timing of the two events as “a weird coincidence.” Local farmer Bill Pannbacker said the rupture occurred on his land at a point after the pipe goes under a creek and starts to ascend an 80-foot (24-meter) hill. Mike Stafford, the University of Tulsa instructor, said such a location is typical of where pipes tend to fail. That’s because oil contains a little water that tends to separate, and when oil is carried up hills that water flows back down, causing corrosion. While Sanjay Srinivasan, the Penn State professor, was skeptical that corrosion was to blame because it is a slow process, he took note of the failure occurring in a section with a lot of bends. “It’s not unusual for those kinds of locations to go through some severe stress that can cause these things,” he said. “If there is any weak spot, that’s when it’ll show up.” TC Energy used booms, or barriers, to contain the oil in the creek and built two earthen dams to prevent it from moving into larger waterways. The regulators’ order said TC Energy cannot restart operations for the 96-mile (155-kilometer) Keystone segment from Steele City, Nebraska, south to Hope, Kansas, without their permission. It also said the company must reduce the operating pressure by 20% inside that segment of the pipeline. The company also must identify the cause of the spill and submit a plan for finding similar problems elsewhere and conducting additional tests by early March. “They need to excavate the pipe in such a way that it’s preserved just for the investigation, for that root-cause analysis, and that takes probably the most time,” Caram said. “But the actual repair can be pretty quick.”

TOPEKA, Kan.  — A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil into a northeastern Kansas creek on Thursday, Dec. 8, to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to federal data. Energy experts say that if the pipeline is shut down for more than a week, prices at the pump will start to increase after finally falling for the first time in more than a month. The spill caused a brief surge in crude prices Thursday. Benchmark U.S. oil was up more modestly — about 1% — on Friday morning as fears of a supply disruption were overshadowed by bigger concerns about an economic downturn in the U.S. and other major countries that would reduce demand for oil. The Keystone pipeline spill in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City, also was the biggest in the system’s history, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons. The spill raised questions for environmentalists and safety advocates about whether TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has allowed the pressure inside parts of its Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels. With Congress facing a potential debate on reauthorizing regulatory programs, the chair of a House subcommittee on pipeline safety took note of the spill Friday. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report last year said there had been 22 previous spills along the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010, most of them on TC Energy property and fewer than 20 barrels. The total from those 22 events was a little less than 12,000 barrels, the report said. “I’m watching this situation closely to learn more about this latest oil leak and inform ways to prevent future releases and protect public safety and the environment,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., of New Jersey, tweeted. TC Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill has been contained. The EPA said the company built an earthen dam across the creek about 4 miles downstream from the pipeline rupture to prevent the oil from moving into larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the county’s emergency management director, said the oil traveled only about a quarter mile and there didn’t appear to be any wildlife deaths. The company said it is doing around-the-clock air-quality checks and other environmental monitoring. It also was using multiple trucks that amount to giant wet vacuums to suck up the oil. Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, and the company said it still is evaluating when it can reopen the system. The EPA said no drinking water wells were affected and oil-removal efforts will continue into next week. No one was evacuated, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment warned people not to go into the creek or allow animals to wade in. “At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements,” the company said in a statement. The nearly 2,700-mile Keystone pipeline carries thick, Canadian tar-sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas, with about 600,000 barrels moving per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma. Concerns about spills fouling water helped spur opposition to a new, 1,200 mile (1,900 kilometers) Keystone XL pipeline, and the company pulled the plug last year after President Joe Biden canceled a permit for it. Environmentalists said the heavier tar sands oil is not only more toxic than lighter crude but can sink in water instead of floating on top. Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, said cleanup even sometimes can include scrubbing individual rocks in a creek bed. “This is going to be months, maybe even years before we get the full handle on this disaster and know the extent of the damage and get it all cleaned up,” said Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club at the Kansas Statehouse. Pipelines often are considered safer than shipping oil by railcar or truck, but large spills can create significant environmental damage. The American Petroleum Institute said Friday that companies have robust monitoring to detect leaks, cracks, corrosion and other problems, not only through control centers but with employees who walk alongside pipelines. Still, in September 2013, a Tesoro Corp. pipeline in North Dakota ruptured and spilled 20,600 barrels, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. A more expensive spill happened in July 2010, when an Enbridge Inc. pipeline in Michigan ruptured and spilled more than 20,000 barrels into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Hundreds of homes and businesses were evacuated. The Keystone pipeline’s previous largest spill came in 2017, when more than 6,500 barrels spilled near Amherst, South Dakota, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released last year. The second largest, 4,515 barrels, was in 2019 near Edinburg, North Dakota. The Petroleum Institute said pipelines go through tests before opening using pressures that exceed the company’s planned levels and are designed to account for what they’ll carry and changes in the ground they cover. An arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation oversees pipeline safety and permitted TC Energy to have greater pressures on the Keystone system because the company used pipe made from better steel. But Caram said: “When we see multiple failures like this of such large size and a relatively short amount of time after that pressure has increased, I think it’s time to question that.” In its report last year to Congress, the GAO said Keystone’s accident history was similar to other oil pipelines, but spills have gotten larger in recent years. Investigations ordered by regulators found that the four worst spills were caused by flaws in design or pipe manufacturing during construction. TC Energy’s permit included more than 50 special conditions, mostly for its design, construction and operation, the GAO report said. The company said in response to the 2021 report that it took “decisive action” in recent years to improve safety, including developing new technology for detecting cracks and an independent review of its pipeline integrity program. The company said Friday that it would conduct a full investigation into the causes of the spill. The pipeline runs through Chris and Bill Pannbacker’s family farm. Bill Pannbacker, a farmer and stockman, said the company told him that the issues with the pipeline there probably will not be resolved until after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The hill where the breach happened was a landmark to locals and used to be a popular destination for hayrides, Pannbacker said.

TOPEKA, Kan. — A ruptured pipe dumped enough oil into a northeastern Kansas creek on Thursday, Dec. 8, to nearly fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool, becoming the largest onshore crude pipeline spill in nine years and surpassing all the previous ones on the same pipeline system combined, according to federal data. The Keystone pipeline spill in a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City, also was the biggest in the system’s history, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The operator, Canada-based TC Energy, said the pipeline that runs from Canada to Oklahoma lost about 14,000 barrels, or 588,000 gallons. The spill caused a brief surge in crude prices Thursday. Benchmark U.S. oil was up more modestly — about 1% — on Friday morning as fears of a supply disruption were overshadowed by bigger concerns about an economic downturn in the U.S. and other major countries that would reduce demand for oil. Some oil industry analysts said that a shutdown of more than a few days could cause gasoline and diesel fuel prices to climb once again — but by how much is still unknown. This news comes just as the average price of diesel per gallon has dropped below $5 in the U.S. for the first time since early October. As for the spill, it raised questions for environmentalists and safety advocates about whether TC Energy should keep a federal government permit that has allowed the pressure inside parts of its Keystone system — including the stretch through Kansas — to exceed the typical maximum permitted levels. With Congress facing a potential debate on reauthorizing regulatory programs, the chair of a House subcommittee on pipeline safety took note of the spill Friday. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report last year said there had been 22 previous spills along the Keystone system since it began operating in 2010, most of them on TC Energy property and fewer than 20 barrels. The total from those 22 events was a little less than 12,000 barrels, the report said. “I’m watching this situation closely to learn more about this latest oil leak and inform ways to prevent future releases and protect public safety and the environment,” Democratic U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., of New Jersey, tweeted. TC Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the spill has been contained. The EPA said the company built an earthen dam across the creek about 4 miles downstream from the pipeline rupture to prevent the oil from moving into larger waterways. Randy Hubbard, the county’s emergency management director, said the oil traveled only about a quarter mile and there didn’t appear to be any wildlife deaths. The company said it is doing around-the-clock air-quality checks and other environmental monitoring. It also was using multiple trucks that amount to giant wet vacuums to suck up the oil. Past Keystone spills have led to outages that lasted about two weeks, and the company said it still is evaluating when it can reopen the system. The EPA said no drinking water wells were affected and oil-removal efforts will continue into next week. No one was evacuated, but the Kansas Department of Health and Environment warned people not to go into the creek or allow animals to wade in. “At the time of the incident, the pipeline was operating within its design and regulatory approval requirements,” the company said in a statement. The nearly 2,700-mile (4345-kilometer) Keystone pipeline carries thick, Canadian tar-sands oil to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas, with about 600,000 barrels moving per day from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma. Concerns about spills fouling water helped spur opposition to a new, 1,200 mile (1,900 kilometers) Keystone XL pipeline, and the company pulled the plug last year after President Joe Biden canceled a permit for it. Environmentalists said the heavier tar sands oil is not only more toxic than lighter crude but can sink in water instead of floating on top. Bill Caram, executive director of the advocacy Pipeline Safety Trust, said cleanup even sometimes can include scrubbing individual rocks in a creek bed. “This is going to be months, maybe even years before we get the full handle on this disaster and know the extent of the damage and get it all cleaned up,” said Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club at the Kansas Statehouse. Pipelines often are considered safer than shipping oil by railcar or truck, but large spills can create significant environmental damage. The American Petroleum Institute said Friday that companies have robust monitoring to detect leaks, cracks, corrosion and other problems, not only through control centers but with employees who walk alongside pipelines. Still, in September 2013, a Tesoro Corp. pipeline in North Dakota ruptured and spilled 20,600 barrels, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. A more expensive spill happened in July 2010, when an Enbridge Inc. pipeline in Michigan ruptured and spilled more than 20,000 barrels into Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River. Hundreds of homes and businesses were evacuated. The Keystone pipeline’s previous largest spill came in 2017, when more than 6,500 barrels spilled near Amherst, South Dakota, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report released last year. The second largest, 4,515 barrels, was in 2019 near Edinburg, North Dakota. The Petroleum Institute said pipelines go through tests before opening using pressures that exceed the company’s planned levels and are designed to account for what they’ll carry and changes in the ground they cover. An arm of the U.S. Department of Transportation oversees pipeline safety and permitted TC Energy to have greater pressures on the Keystone system because the company used pipe made from better steel. But Caram said: “When we see multiple failures like this of such large size and a relatively short amount of time after that pressure has increased, I think it’s time to question that.” In its report last year to Congress, the GAO said Keystone’s accident history was similar to other oil pipelines, but spills have gotten larger in recent years. Investigations ordered by regulators found that the four worst spills were caused by flaws in design or pipe manufacturing during construction. TC Energy’s permit included more than 50 special conditions, mostly for its design, construction and operation, the GAO report said. The company said in response to the 2021 report that it took “decisive action” in recent years to improve safety, including developing new technology for detecting cracks and an independent review of its pipeline integrity program. The company said Friday that it would conduct a full investigation into the causes of the spill. The pipeline runs through Chris and Bill Pannbacker’s family farm. Bill Pannbacker, a farmer and stockman, said the company told him that the issues with the pipeline there probably will not be resolved until after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The hill where the breach happened was a landmark to locals and used to be a popular destination for hayrides, Pannbacker said. The Trucker News Staff contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES — Back in January, 109 container ships waited off the California coast to unload cargo in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s two largest ports. Consumers, stuck at home amid the pandemic, had unleashed an avalanche of orders for goods that overwhelmed factories and ports. Importers were paying $20,000 to send a single container from China to the United States — sometimes more than the goods inside were worth. Businesses had to backorder everything from bedroom furniture to kitchen fryers, if they could get them at all. These days? No freighters are lingering off the Southern California coast. Containers from China go for just $2,000. Restaurants can order fryers and have them delivered in a couple of weeks. The supply backlogs of the past two years — and the delays, shortages and outrageous prices that came with them — have improved dramatically since summer. The web of factories, railroads, ports, warehouses and freight yards that link goods to customers have nearly regained their pre-pandemic levels. “We are in a very different place than we were,” said Phil Levy, chief economist at the supply chain consultancy Flexport. “If you ask, how long does it take to move stuff, there has been notable improvement. If you measure it by how long would it take to get a cargo from Asia to a destination port, dramatically better.” The easing of supply bottlenecks has begun to provide some relief from the inflation that this year reached a four-decade peak, pummeling consumers and businesses. The progress has been modest and so far short-lived. Yet it’s still provided a glimmer of good news in the holiday shopping season: Gift items are much likelier to be in stock, perhaps at lower prices. The government’s latest inflation report showed that prices of toys, jewelry and girls’ apparel all fell in October. “Overall, the shelves are full,” said Zvi Schreiber, CEO of Freightos Group, a digital platform that books international shipping. “We’re not seeing significant shortages of items.” “Supply chains are really not the problem anymore,” agreed Timothy Fiore, who leads the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing survey and is chief procurement officer at the transportation firm Ryder System. “We’ve had four or five months of supplies looking better. Prices have dropped, too.” The main factor behind the improvement has been diminished demand for manufactured goods. Spending on goods has fallen for three straight quarters, according to the Commerce Department. Higher borrowing rates, engineered by the Federal Reserve to try to tame inflation, have reduced Americans’ willingness to buy more physical things. Inflation itself has sapped their spending power. And having splurged on everything from lawn furniture and sporting goods to appliances and electronic gear during the COVID shutdowns, consumers have increasingly shown a desire to venture out and spend on experiences rather than goods. Demand has shifted toward services — restaurant dinners and plane tickets, hotel rooms and entertainment. As orders for manufactured goods have slowed, so have the price pressures surrounding them. At the sprawling Southern California ports, the shipping backup has eased, in part because companies have sent cargo to Gulf Coast and Atlantic ports to avoid delays. Port Houston says its cargo volume is up 18% from this time last year. An index that measures demand for freight shipments had hit a high of 115 earlier this year; now, it’s below the five-year average of 53. “We’re returning to the mean and the trend lines that existed pre-COVID,” said Chris Adderton, senior vice president for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. In addition to the reduced demand that has lightened the strain on supply chains, ports have become more efficient. Additional ships have increased the transportation options. And in some industries, new producers stepped in once established manufacturers became too overwhelmed to deliver. The enhanced competition reduced shortages and helped moderate prices. In the market for kitchen equipment, for instance, “new manufacturers were able to break into the business — unheard-of manufacturers,” said Kirby Mallon, president of Philadelphia-based Elmer Schultz Services, which maintains kitchen equipment for restaurants and cafeterias. When inflation first began surging last year, economists had mostly blamed the snarled supply chains. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, echoing the views of many analysts, predicted that soaring prices would prove “transitory” and would ease once it became easier and cheaper to ship products. Things didn’t prove so simple — especially after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, disrupting trade in energy and grains and sending oil, gas and food prices soaring around the world. Other problems remain, too. A chronic shortage of computer chips, for example, will likely hamper auto production into 2024, Kristin Dziczek, an auto policy adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, wrote in a recent paper. Though the shortage has eased slightly, factories remain slowed by a lack of chips. The average price of a new vehicle is still near a record high, nearly $46,000, and isn’t expected to fall much, if at all, anytime soon. Used-vehicle prices, by contrast, have dropped since late summer. Analysts expect them to fall further, though not to pre-pandemic lows Automakers are still struggling to acquire enough chips, largely because the number of semiconductors required per vehicle has multiplied. That is a consequence of more sophisticated auto equipment, from automated safety systems and internet connections to infotainment, Dziczek wrote. What’s more, computer chips used for vehicle production are harder to manufacture than chips for consumer electronics because they must be built to withstand heat, cold and vibration. The coronavirus lockdowns in China, along with the scattered public protests against them, may still disrupt global production and shipping. The consultancy Resilinc has identified 13,800 Chinese sites — from factories to warehouses to testing facilities — that are at risk from protests, rising COVID cases and lockdowns. Potential problem spots exist in such key cities as Beijing, Chengdu, Nanjing and Shanghai. “Parts from these regions make their way into just about every product our lives rely on day to day,” said Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc. On Wednesday, in a move that offered potential relief from its draconian zero-COVID policies, China rolled back restrictions on isolating people with the virus. The move will boost hopes that Beijing is scrapping its “zero COVID” strategy, which could give a lift to manufacturing and global trade. Julian di Giovanni, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has estimated that supply problems accounted for about 40% of U.S. inflation from 2019 through 2021. “In the absence of any new energy or other shock,” he said in August, “it is therefore possible that the ongoing easing of supply chain bottlenecks will cause a substantial drop in inflation in the near term.” Inflation has eased from the dizzy heights it reached earlier this year. As measured by the Labor Department, consumer prices rose 7.7% in October from 12 months earlier. Though painfully high, that was the lowest year-over-year inflation since January and well below the recent peak of 9.1% in June. A separate government inflation gauge that is favored by the Federal Reserve rose 6% in October from a year earlier. That was the mildest increase since November 2021. The Fed wants to see annual inflation at 2%. There’s still a long way to go. And Flexport’s Levy cautions that inflation has spread from goods, which the Fed can partly control through its influence over loan rates, to services, which are more resistant to borrowing rates. There’s also the risk that Americans expect future high inflation and will behave in ways that can make their worries self-fulfilling: They could spend more now to avoid what they expect will be higher prices later and demand bigger wage gains to compensate for a higher cost of living. All of that tends to fuel inflation pressures. “Once you get this stuff built in, once it sticks around for a while and everybody starts thinking about inflation as a 5 to 6% kind of thing, getting that back to 2 is tough,” Levy said. For now, though, businesses find themselves facing a new problem, a consequence of reduced demand for goods: Rather than lacking enough products in stock to give customers what they want, they now often have too many. “The inventory has arrived, warehouses are full and we’re scrambling to move the merchandise,” said Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. Some retailers, like Target, ordered too much, too fast and had to cut prices to draw consumers who were tightening their budgets in response to inflation. Target’s third-quarter profit fell 52%. CEO Brian Cornell told analysts that consumers were “shopping very carefully on a budget. I think they are looking at discretionary categories and saying ‘All right, if I’m going to buy, I’m looking for a great deal.’ ” “We’re not in a position where suppliers have a ton of power and the buyers just have to accept whatever they get,” said Fiore of ISM. “That’s definitely been shifting since September. Is this a good time for buyers? Absolutely. Is it a good time for companies overall? Not so clear.”