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A proposal to require electronic stability control systems in heavy vehicles has been sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review.

The federal government’s regulatory agenda held trucking’s attention throughout 2011, with proposals including a requirement for electronic onboard recorders on all trucks — and a plan to revise hours-of-service rules for truck drivers.

Federal regulators last week took initial steps to clarify procedures that have created uncertainty as to whether motor carriers, intermodal equipment providers, brokers and freight forwarders can pay a civil fine for violations without admitting guilt or liability.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has agreed to review a hazardous materials safety permit regulation that several trade organizations said is causing some safe carriers to unfairly lose their eligibility to haul hazmat.

Truck drivers will face fines of up to $2,750 for using handheld phones while driving and suspension or revocation of their commercial driver licenses for repeat offenses, under a regulation announced last month.

WASHINGTON — A federal move to cut truck drivers’ working hours would be very costly and exacerbate a shortage of drivers, while putting more trucks on the road, a panel of industry executives told Congress last week.

WASHINGTON — American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves applauded the trucking industry for its steps toward environmental sustainability, paying special attention to the SmartWay program and the fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions regulations published this year.

The California Air Resources Board said it has amended its port drayage regulation to include Class 7 trucks and make “dray-off” illegal.

The National Transportation Safety Board has refused to reconsider its investigation of a fatal 1997 accident in Yonkers, N.Y., one often cited in support of stricter wetlines regulations on tank trucks.

A university sleep study cited by federal regulators in a proposed hours-of-service rule is “insufficient” to justify changing the rule’s 34-hour restart provision, according to American Trucking Associations.