Transportation News

Visit the digital archive of the SMART-TD News (PDFs)

RRB to mail new Medicare cards

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) will send out new Medicare cards that do not feature beneficiaries’ Social Security numbers in the coming weeks. The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 required the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to [...]

Voting season has begun in 2018 — now is the time to act

Today marks the start of the 2018 election season in earnest with four states – Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia — holding primary elections, with many other primaries to follow from now until September. This is the chance for members of SMART Transportat [...]

OSHA schedules meeting to request comments on whistleblower issues

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled a meeting June 12, 2018, in Washington, D.C., to solicit comments and suggestions from stakeholders in the railroad and trucking industries on whistleblower issues within the jurisdictio [...]

Changes made to monthly SMART TD DIPP assessments

As a result of the continued increase in claims volume and associated costs, the SMART Transportation Division Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) is increasing its monthly assessments from 81 cents to 96 cents per $1 of daily benefits, effective July 1, 2018. Members [...]

Class I’s report first quarter 2018 earnings

Net Earnings: Up 37 percent, to $1.1 billion Revenue: $5.6 billion, an increase of 8 percent Operating Income: $1.74 billion, up from $1.58 billion a year ago Operating Ratio: Increased to 68.5 percent, but down from 69.2 percent a year ago Click here to read BNSF’s full earn [...]

Rail career jeopardized with one gummy bear

A man’s rail career was jeopardized after eating a gummy bear, and SMART Transportation Division cautions members of the risks of a positive drug test after consuming “hemp products,” which are unregulated by the federal government and considered illegal by federa [...]

Arizona conductors tell newspaper why automated trains are a bad idea

A pair of BNSF conductors out of Winslow, Ariz., were recently featured in an article by the Arizona Daily Sun talking about their concerns about automating trains. Legislative Representative Ellis Laird and Wade Carlisle, both of Local 113, talked to reporter Corina Vanek ab [...]