WASHINGTON, (Sept. 17, 2004) — The U.S. Senate this week tabled an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would have required trucks transporting hazardous materials to be equipped with global positioning satellite tracking devices.

The bill also would have required route plans to be prepared and filed with DHS prior to transporting hazardous materials, and would have expanded DHS background checks to include all commercial licence holders.

The amendment, introduced last Thursday by Sen. Charles Schumer D-N.Y., was tabled by a vote of 55 to 34. The bill will now go to conference with the House of Representatives.

In response to initial lobbying by the trucking industry, Sen. Schumer modified his amendment by removing language requiring the establishment of an identification and tracking system for hazmat trucks and mandating background checks for all commercial drivers.

ATA continued to oppose modified language in the revised amendment, which provided funds for the Transportation Security Administration to “support efforts to identify and track shipments of hazardous materials and continue and expand upon the background check system for commercial driver licenses with a hazmat endorsement.”

— from Truckinginfo.com