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Demand for freight transportation remained firm in the first few weeks of January, easing fears of an economic slump in the aftermath of a robust fourth quarter and the buildup of inventory over Y2K concerns.

A surprise blizzard forced the postponement of the Jan. 25 christening of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but the agency continued to take shape as federal officials outlined plans for its operations.

The growth of electronic commerce coupled with historically low inventory levels and an expected rise in short-haul business should enable less-than-truckload carriers to grow faster than other freight transportation segments through 2002, according to an economic analyst.

A research venture in New Mexico that brings together trucking and government is tackling some of the complex issues that confound regulators trying to crack down on air pollution.

The National Transportation Safety Board will put truck and bus safety under the microscope in a series of reports to be released over the next few months in an effort to change the “safety culture” on U.S. roadways, according to its chairman.

Installation of electronic recording devices on trucks should be high on the federal agenda, but the National Transportation Safety Board chairman says not enough is being done by governmental forces to push the issue farther along.

The Truckload Carriers Association would see its annual meeting and safety council merged with those of American Trucking Associations under a draft integration plan released last week.

North America’s largest makers of diesel engines dodged a legal bullet as a federal judge in California threw out a lawsuit filed by truckers unhappy with the emissions settlement negotiated with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Enforcement of New York’s truck emissions testing was set to begin Feb. 1, but because so few repair facilities have applied to become testing centers, state officials decided to push back the deadline to June.