ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

About 6:30 every morning, Urbano Petrizza arrives at the RPS Inc. terminal here dressed in an RPS uniform and picks up his RPS van. But he's not an employee: He's an independent contractor.

Teamsters truck drivers and warehouse workers went on strike against the Wawa convenience stores today, picketing stores over pension rights and extra pay for Sunday work.

Amid shipper protests, the Surface Transportation Board voted to suspend truck freight rate increases proposed by four motor carrier rate bureaus while the board investigates the hikes.

On Sept. 29, a select group of Florida truckers set out to become the extra eyes and ears watching and guarding the highways.

This afternoon's headlines: Smithway predicts lower third quarter earnings; Truck traffic fueling Eurotunnel growth; and Standard hours plans for European truckers face roadblock.

Covenant Transport, Chattanooga, Tenn., purchased the assets of ATW Inc., a long-haul truckload carrier based in Greensboro, N.C.

In the news this morning: Canadian auto workers threaten to strike; Tractor trailer training school agrees to settle FTC charges; and Canadian truckers protest gas prices, demand a union.

The retail price of diesel fuel failed to rise this week – for the first time in 16 weeks – but analysts saw little significance in the pause and most continue to predict further increases.

Despite stiff opposition, the Senate Commerce Committee voted Sept. 30 to confirm Linda J. Morgan to a second five-year term as chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.