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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The first of four public hearings an Environmental Protection Agency panel will hold on potential problems complying with its diesel engine and ultra-low-sulfur fuel regulations produced familiar arguments that reduced emissions engines will be expensive and hard to design but that refiners will be able to make the required low-sulfur fuel.

WASHINGTON — Trucking industry leaders urged the government to embrace security measures that freight transportation companies are already employing, and pressed their case for tougher screening of employees through access to a federal database on criminal records.

WASHINGTON — A key Republican House member said that he will oppose any federal ergonomics legislation mandating that employers implement worker-protection programs to prevent on-the-job injuries.

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats attacked the Bush administration's voluntary guidelines for reducing musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace and endorsed legislation to require the Labor Department to issue ergonomics regulations instead.

WASHINGTON — The president of Celadon Group Inc. — the largest transporter of truckload freight between the U.S., Canada and Mexico — told Congress the U.S. government needs new freight-screening technology and coordinated law enforcement at the borders.

Many of trucking’s infrastructure needs have not been met despite the best intentions of groundbreaking federal legislation enacted more than 10 years ago, according to a number of freight transportation experts.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Caterpillar Inc. expects to pay an undetermined amount of fines to the government because the company will not be ready with a diesel engine in time to meet the Oct. 1 new standard for nitrogen oxide emissions, said the company’s engine products vice president.

Truck drivers in California will be asked to dig into their pockets to help pay for dedicated truck lanes on at least one of the state's freeways, said Warren Hoemann, vice president of the California Trucking Association.

WASHINGTON — Petroleum refiners suing to stop a rule requiring a sharply reduced level of sulfur in diesel fuel warned the U.S. Court of Appeals here Feb. 26 that fuel shortages would result if the Environmental Protection Agency goes ahead with its plan.

The Department of Transportation last week announced its recommendations for preventing hazardous cargo from being turned into weapons of mass destruction.