ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and Original Equipment Suppliers Associations are discussing the plight of the automobile industry with President Obama’s administration, the Treasury Department and members of Congress as the federal government advances plans to disburse funds from emergency financial relief legislation approved last year.

BorgWarner Turbo Systems said it is laying off 140 workers at its plant in Arden, N.C., that manufactures turbochargers for diesel trucks and construction equipment.

JDF Distribution Solutions has agreed to use supply chain execution software provided by HighJump Software, the companies said.

Truck parts manufacturer Eaton Corp. said it has signed an agreement with India’s Tata Motors, that country’s largest automotive manufacturer, to provide heavy-duty truck transmissions through 2014.

The trucking industry lost nearly 25,000 jobs in January, the highest monthly total ever except during a national strike in 1994, according to data from the Department of Labor.

Two key safety indicators improved to their best-ever levels during 2007, according to data just released by the Department of Transportation and analyzed by Transport Topics.

Congress late last week was poised to pass a $789 billion economic stimulus package, which included less guaranteed funding for roads and bridges than industry officials had hoped for, but it also contained money for diesel engine retrofits and a tax break for buying new equipment.

President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package into law last week that included about $27.5 billion in highway funding, some of which already is being put to use.

Driven by a freight-scarce economy, abundant fuel inventories and predictions of continuing economic distress, the average price of U.S. retail diesel drifted down another 2.7 cents a gallon to $2.219 last week, its fourth straight decline and the 28th in the past 30 weeks.

ARLINGTON, Va. — A top Navistar Inc. official said the company is pursuing its own solution to meet the 2010 U.S. emission standards, because it doesn’t believe the fuel savings claimed by competitors will justify the higher costs and more complicated systems associated with the new engines.