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A booming economy generated strong demand for freight hauling, but rising costs for fuel, equipment, insurance and driver wages took a toll on many fleets in 1999.

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The mid-year shut down of two of the biggest less-than-truckload freight carriers – NationsWay Transport Service and Preston Trucking Co. – gave a boost to the remaining LTL carriers, especially in the long-haul segment of the industry, while regional and interregional carriers, such as American Freightways, continued to grow briskly.

USFreightways Corp., the parent of a group of regional LTL carriers, continued its diversification program by acquiring reverse logistics provider Processors Unlimited and two freight forwarders in Puerto Rico.

Truckload carriers were stymied by a shortage of truck drivers, and rapidly rising costs forced leading carriers, such as Swift Transportation and U.S. Xpress Enterprises, to ask shippers for higher rates.

For the full story, see the Jan. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. .