Arkansas Trucking Association

On Sept. 16, dozens of safety-minded organizations launched a national coalition aimed at reducing the deadly threat of distracted driving on the nation’s highways. The National Distracted Driving Coalition, governed by a 100-member steering committee, plans to act as a central clearinghouse for local and state safety groups to promote national, innovative and collaborative approaches to shed light on and pursue legislation on talking and texting on cellphones, among other distractions.

The Federal Reserve indicated it may start raising its benchmark interest rate sometime next year, earlier than it envisioned in June. In a statement, the Fed also said it will likely begin slowing the pace of its monthly bond purchases "soon" if the economy keeps improving. These changes potentially signal that high inflation pressures will persist and that the economy has recovered from the recession.

FedEx, in partnership with Aurora Innovation Inc. and Paccar Inc., launched a commercial pilot of autonomous trucking between Dallas and Houston, a 500-mile round trip, along the I-45 corridor.

“This is an exciting, industry-first collaboration that will work toward enhancing the logistics industry through safer, more efficient transportation of goods and we are pleased to collaborate with other industry leaders – Aurora and Paccar – on this endeavor,” said Rebecca Yeung, vice president of advanced technology and innovation at FedEx Corp.