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October 6, 2000 3:25 PM, EDT

Transportal Network, an online service aiming to help trucking companies run more effectively, is suspending operations because of a lack of funding.

The company was expected to announce the decision Oct. 6, after more than five months in business.

Transportal was started to help bring together small carriers in a community that would give them the buying power of a large firm. It also was to offer tools to help operate more efficiently. The idea was to improve carriers rates per mile driven by reducing empty miles by up to 15%.

The Web-based business claimed a network of 34 carriers with nearly $2.5 billion in revenue and 20,000 tractors, but it never got to the point where it was fully operational.

For the full story, see the Oct. 9 print edition of Transport Topics. .