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ANAHEIM, Calif. — While the economy's strength may sustain trucking over the next few years, the industry faces major challenges in high fuel prices, hiring new drivers and coping with new, more expensive engine technologies, a panel of carrier and manufacturing executives said Sept. 22.

Congress recessed Thursday afternoon without formally agreeing to a transportation funding bill, and that puts off until next week further action on a deal that prevents any changes in federal rules on truck drivers’ hours through Sept. 30, 2001.

The Department of the Treasury appropriations bill, that included funding for the Automated Commercial Environment and the Automated Commercial System, was rejected by the Senate despite its passage by the House of Representatives.

A treaty provision to allow Mexican trucks to operate in the United States would endanger American motorists because it would open the gates for 2 million unsafe trucks and untrained drivers, Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) claimed in a Sept. 28 press conference.

In the news this morning: Fritz Companies revenues up slightly from 1Q 1999; Airborne Freight warns of 3Q loss; Covenant Transport issues warning on 3Q earnings; and more to come.

This afternoon's headlines: EU will not tap reserves; Navistar announces move to Chicago suburbs; N.J. toll increase, E-ZPass go into effect Saturday; and more to come.

Today's technology headlines: FCC will determine ISP access to cable; two firms work to make online procurement easy; races is on to get Bluetooth mobile phones to market; and more.

With reports now widespread that a deal has been struck to delay any change in truck drivers’ allowable hours for at least a year, as earlier reported by Transport Topics, questions remain about when the deal will be formalized.

The rise of online logistics services, driven by business-to-consumer electronic commerce, is headed for an inevitable plateau and probable shake-out, according to the chief information officer of Roadway Express.