A reader has written in requesting additional information on BRIC and we are happy to respond...  

 

These four countries and their economies will continue to have a major impact on the U.S. economy and our industry.  We will do our best to keep you informed from time to time.  If you missed last months initial BRIC article click here to find our November issue. 

 

Two weeks ago Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva jointly called for the first BRIC summit to be held in Russia June 2009.   The BRIC nations have hastened moves to take a greater say in world affairs and the global economy in response to the world financial crisis emanating from the U.S.  "The financial crisis, which we haven't started and we are not to blame for, affected the global economic situation and we are forced to react," Medvedev told reporters after signing a joint declaration with Lula in Rio de Janeiro.  

 

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The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) issued a rule last week requiring all interstate truck drivers to prove they have passed medical examinations, and proposed a separate rule setting up a national registry of qualified examiners.  The rule would require proof of an exam to obtain and keep a commercial driver license.  The new rule will also require states to merge commercial driver license records and truck drivers medical examination certificates into a single electronic record that law enforcement officials could check at any time.  The new medical exam rule technically will become effective in 60 days, but it won't require full compliance by the states until January 30, 2012.   Current federal regulations require that commercial drivers pass medical exams every two years, but in most states, drivers are required only to provide evidence of their medical certifications to their employers or when asked by roadside inspectors or law enforcement officers.  Under the new rule, drivers will be required to keep their state licensing agencies informed each time they pass their mandated medical exams, which is every two years for drivers who don't have special medical conditions.  The new rule covers only interstate drivers, but drivers operating within a state still would be required to certify by checking a box on a CDL application that they are not subject to the federal medical standards and medical certification requirement. 

 

The Department of Energy (DOE) is forecasting diesel will average $2.47 a gallon in 2009.  In its monthly short-term energy outlook, DOE cut its price outlook for oil, diesel and gasoline prices, citing lower world demand in a sluggish global economy.    

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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