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January orders for new Class 8 trucks skyrocketed 320% to 27,000 from the year-ago level, a clear sign that the industry will enjoy a stronger 2011, two research organizations said last week.

TAMPA, Fla. — Less than a month after the federal government proposed replacing nearly all driver logbooks with electronic onboard recorders, technology companies here said that smooth enforcement will be impossible until law enforcement agencies adopt more technology.

American Trucking Associations last week named Sean McNally as its new vice president of communications and press secretary.

Seven of the eight publicly traded less-than-truckload carriers reported improved financial performance in the fourth quarter, as pricing and tonnage gained across the industry, giving hope for better 2011 results.

In a move to broaden its service offerings, Roadrunner Transportation Systems has made what’s believed to be the first purchase of an intermodal drayage fleet by a primarily less-than-truckload carrier.

The 700-member Truckload Carriers Association plans to oppose a proposed federal mandate requiring the use of electronic onboard recorders because there is no evidence that the technology will improve highway safety, the association’s president said.

Cummins Inc. maintained its market-share lead in Class 8 engines during 2010, although Detroit Diesel Corp. grabbed a bigger portion of the market, according to WardsAuto.com.

Intermodal traffic grew at the fastest pace in nearly three decades during 2010, and the combination of a strengthening economy and tightening truck capacity will spark further growth this year, the Intermodal Association of North America reported.

Members of the trucking industry will have their first opportunity to make an in-person case for preserving the current hours-of-service rules on Feb. 17 when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducts a listening session in Arlington, Va.