NEWS IN BRIEF

Driver clearinghouse for carriers gets OK

A national drug and alcohol clearinghouse for commercial motor-vehicle drivers is a step closer to implementation.

On Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget approved plans for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to create a database of drivers who test positive for drugs or alcohol or who refuse to take a test. Carriers are currently not allowed to report failed drug tests or test refusals to others in the industry.

Under the new rule, motor carriers are required to search the database before hiring an applicant. Drivers who test positive or refuse a test must pass a mandatory return-to-duty process before operating a commercial motor vehicle.

Members of the Trucking Alliance, a coalition of national carriers with a focus on safety issues, were instrumental in getting the database included in legislation that was signed into law in 2012. Maverick Transportation Inc., a privately held carrier in North Little Rock, J.B. Hunt of Lowell, and privately-held Fikes Truck Line of Hope are alliance members.

Creation of the database could begin as early as this summer.

  • Chris Bahn

Vermeer MidSouth moving office to LR

Vermeer MidSouth Inc., a construction equipment company, plans to relocate its Russellville office to Little Rock, the firm said Thursday.

A new office at Colonel Glenn and Shackleford roads should be completed late this summer or early fall, said Denny Vander Molen, president of Vermeer. He expects the office to have eight to 10 employees.

The firm decided to move from Russellville when it realized that more of its customers are in the Little Rock area than near Russellville, Vander Molen said.

Vermeer MidSouth provides service as well as new and used construction equipment for environmental, trenchless and utility businesses.

Cordova, Tenn.-based Vermeer also has offices in Springdale, Shreveport and Jackson, Miss.

  • David Smith

Index vaults 6.47

as 16 stocks gain

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, jumped by 6.47 to 322.81 Thursday.

“U.S. stocks bounced back on Thursday after a solid [gross domestic product] report and a round of mostly positive earnings sent stocks soaring higher,” said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. “The Arkansas Index moved up as 16 stocks advanced.”

Acxiom shares rose 13.5 percent after a positive earnings report on Wednesday.

USA Truck climbed 9.2 percent on average volume.

Volume for the index was 25.8 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business, Pages 27 on 01/31/2014

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