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Orders for new Class 8 trucks jumped 68.6% last year from 2010, as the year closed with an 11.8% increase in December from a year earlier, according to ACT Research Co.

Most carriers once again im-proved earnings during the fourth quarter, riding a wave of rate increases and modest but steady freight growth, two trends that are expected to continue in 2012.

Trucking company failures reached the second-lowest level ever during 2011’s fourth quarter, reflecting the industry’s improving financial fortunes, according to a new report.

As Congress returns to work this week after its extended holiday vacation, members face two deadlines that, if not met, could bring transportation safety programs and construction projects to a halt.

Tire manufacturers say that an ongoing shortage of component materials — which is expected to continue through 2012 and beyond — combined with soaring global demand and logistics costs, has driven up costs and led the makers to boost prices for commercial tires.

Two new chassis pool options are emerging for drayage carriers that have been struggling with equipment issues since ocean lines began in 2009 to back away from providing chassis free-of-charge for moving international containers.

WASHINGTON — U.S. interstate highways are in need of rebuilding and repair, but the use of tolls as a funding source is less efficient than raising the federal fuel tax, said Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations.

Truck makers and parts suppliers, along with freight carriers and logistics firms, face a shortage of professional and technical talent, transportation industry recruiting specialists said.

For-hire carriers added 5,100 new jobs last month, making December the fourth consecutive month in which trucking industry job growth has been positive after slumping late in the summer.

Retail diesel prices ended six weeks of declines by rising last week for the first time since late November, the Department of Energy reported, as fleet managers said they were bracing for the possible return of $4-a-gallon fuel.