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Trucking industry officials and employment experts said fleets can maximize the contributions from an aging workforce through specialized training and altering certain job tasks and hours.

The 2010 technology power plants and the new emissions systems represented such a dramatic break from the past that only technicians certified by original equipment manufacturers have been able to work on them while they are still under warranty, truck dealers said.

LAS VEGAS — Domestic trucking should continue to benefit from a decent economy this year and into 2013, and truck makers are looking at steady global economies — with the crucial exception of Europe, economists and analysts said here at a heavy-duty industry meeting.

Truck freight rose 10.5% in December, the fastest pace in 13 years, as surges in manufacturing and inventory restocking propelled American Trucking Associations’ tonnage index to a record high.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it would impose a penalty of about $1,900 per engine against Navistar Inc., beginning as soon as late February, if it produces heavy-duty truck engines that don’t comply with the agency’s 2010 emissions regulations.

A five-year transportation reauthorization bill that would provide around $250 billion for projects and safety programs is expected to be unveiled this week by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

President Obama last week directed the departments of State and ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøland Security to develop a plan to protect against interruptions in the international supply chain.

Manufacturers and sellers of heavy-duty trucks will take stock of industry and the economy at the annual American Truck Dealers Association meeting in Las Vegas, Feb. 3-6.

Heavy equipment maker Caterpillar Inc. reported its fourth-quarter profit fell 55% to $697 million, or $1.04 a share, from $1.55 billion, or $2.32, a year ago, on lower production.