- The effort by a Wal-Mart-led coalition to extend the workday for truckers to 16 hours, as opposed to the 14-hour days they now are allowed to work - with only 11 hours of consecutive driving permitted – has failed.
Published reports say that Rep. John Boozman (R-Arkansas) decided to withdraw the amendment he had offered to the transportation reauthorization bill that would have allowed truck drivers to work longer hours – a move that was opposed by labor unions and safety advocates that feared it would make roadways more dangerous.
In a prepared statement, Boozman said, “It has become clear that there is a lot of misinformation about why I am seeking to change the rules governing truck drivers’ hours. These rules are rigid and lead to unsafe roads. For this reason, I have been working to add flexibility to the rules for over two years now. I withdrew my amendment today, but pledge to keep working on this issue. I will attempt to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, as well as officials in the administration, to soothe their concerns and provide the nation’s truckers with a little relief.”
- The Associated Press reports that Wal-Mart may be preparing to apply for an industrial loan company charter in the state of Utah, which would allow it to actually process credit card and debit card transactions, though the move would not permit the company to offer retail financial services such as checking accounts.
Wal-Mart did not confirm the report.
