Trucking Business News

About Business News...

Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.

Business

Makers of Electronic Stability Controls Pleased by NHTSA’s Proposed Mandate

Manufacturers of electronic stability control systems were pleased the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed mandating ESC for all heavy vehicles, rather than more limited roll-stability equipment, representatives of the companies said.

May 21, 2012
BusinessFuel

Oil Rises From Seven-Month Low

Oil prices rose from a seven-month low in early trading Monday but held under $92 a barrel, after declining for six straight trading days, Bloomberg reported.

May 21, 2012
BusinessFuel

Gasoline Falls 6¢ to $3.78, Lundberg Survey Reports

Gasoline’s national average pump price fell 6 cents in the past two weeks to $3.78 a gallon, according to the latest Lundberg Survey of filling stations released Sunday.

May 21, 2012
PerspectiveGovernmentBusinessTechnologyEquipmentSafety

Opinion: Safety Compliance Enters the 21st Century

We live in an age of electronic information. Computers, the Internet, iPhones, iPads, GPS . . . all these technological wonders work to make our lives easier, reduce paperwork and give us all more time to do other things.

May 21, 2012
EditorialGovernmentBusinessTechnologyEquipment

Editorial: Trucking Needs Electronic Logging

After carefully weighing the pros and cons in the sometimes overheated debate over whether the federal government should mandate electronic logging devices in heavy-duty trucks, we unequivocally support a requirement for electronic logging to monitor hours-of-service compliance.

May 21, 2012
BusinessSafety

NHTSA Eyes Stability-Control Mandate

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week proposed requiring all new heavy-duty vehicles to have electronic stability systems that reduce rollovers and loss of control, which the government said could prevent up to 56% of vehicle rollovers and 14% of loss-of-control crashes.

May 21, 2012
Business

April Class 8 Sales Jump 38.9% in 28th Straight Monthly Gain

U.S. fleets bought 16,905 new heavy-duty trucks in April, a 38.9% jump over the corresponding period of 2011, WardsAuto.com reported.

May 21, 2012
Business

Construction Comeback Boosts Flatbeds, Heavy Haulers

The reinvigorated U.S. construction sector, including home and commercial building, is driving stronger business volumes for flatbed and heavy haul carriers, according to several fleet officials.

May 21, 2012
BusinessLogistics

LTL Carriers Hope Conference Committee Will Revive Pup-Trailer Expansion Plan

A House-Senate conference committee working to draft a compromise long-term highway bill may resurrect a proposal to allow longer tandem pup trailers that had been considered dead after the House bill that included it was dropped.

May 21, 2012
Business

ATRI State Survey of Rollovers May Spark Safety Measures

American Transportation Research Institute has completed the first phase of a truck rollover study that it said could result in highway improvements and electronic notification systems to warn drivers as they approach areas where roll-overs are prevalent.

May 21, 2012