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Trucking fleets focused on survival in 2009 as freight haulers battled a widespread economic downturn and confronted the prospect of significant new safety and environmental regulations from the Obama administration.

As this horrendous year finally winds to a close, the most recent economic news is notably better than what we’ve had to endure for nearly all of 2009. And because almost every economic forecast predicts at least a gradual recovery, 2010 can’t get here too soon.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has yet to announce the final fees for its Unified Carrier Registration Agreement, leaving states in financial limbo and some wondering if the program should be scrapped.

Biodiesel producers are threatening to shut down their operations if the Senate does not approve a bill that would extend the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax credit due to expire on Dec. 31.

In a flurry of activity before its holiday recess, Congress approved more than $40 billion in new highway spending for 2010, moved toward adding another $27 billion, approved a truck-weight exemption and quietly dropped a prohibition on a federal pilot program allowing trucking across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Beginning Jan. 1, officials at the Southern California sister ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will face yet another challenge as they begin the second phase of their clean trucks plans: fewer trucks.

The steep, yearlong decline in heavy-duty U.S. truck sales slowed to 16.4% below the 2008 level in November, or nearly half as much as the 11-month fall of 31%, according to the latest survey by WardsAuto.com.

The Senate Commerce Committee, in a bid to foster more rail competition, unanimously approved the first comprehensive rail policy legislation changes in nearly three decades on Dec. 17.

WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said work on a regulation that would ban texting by commercial drivers will be finished in the near future.

U.S. retail diesel prices dipped for the sixth straight week as the national average declined 2.4 cents to $2.748 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported.