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Executives with companies that manufacture driver-fatigue and other safety technologies said they are seeing growing interest from carriers as prices fall and the economic consequences of accidents become clearer.

Calculating the cost of insurance for motor carriers is not as simple as it once was. Insurance underwriters that traditionally have relied on claims data to assess risk are now also looking at financial strength, driver training procedures, motor vehicle records and a company’s “safety culture” to determine the amount of premium to be paid.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance said late Tuesday that federal, state and local law enforcement officers will cooperate to conduct vehicle inspections across North America as part of Roadcheck 2006, starting June 6.

As the former administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, I have watched with great interest the interplay between the railroads and commercial trucking. The dynamic between the two was evident early on when I realized my confirmation as administrator was being held over the truck size/weight issue.

Crude oil prices rose to more than $70 a barrel Tuesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after a fire at the biggest U.S. refiner raised concern over gasoline supplies, Bloomberg reported.

Less-than-truckload carrier Con-way Inc. announced on Monday the buyback of 3.75 million shares of common stock.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said a nine-month probe of the oil industry after last year's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita showed fuel providers didn't manipulate the market.

Texas Considers Change in Speed Limit to 80 mph • Study Says Miami Has Highest ‘Road Rage’ Rate • U.S. Ports Vulnerable to Earthquake Damage

Bill Webb, current president of the Texas Motor Transportation Association, announced Tuesday he was leaving his post as president to serve as senior vice president for marketing operations and stakeholder value for Frozen Food Express Industries.

FedEx Corp. is planning to buy Watkins Motor Lines, the largest U.S. privately run less-than-truckload carrier, in what could be a $1 billion deal, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Sunday.