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Logistics executive Paul Lueck, a 27-year veteran of the transportation business, thought he’d seen it all before the silver-tongued con man from what turned out to be a fictitious Jonesboro, Ark., trucking company came calling last summer.

Logistics companies face significant new challenges as both shippers and carriers look for ways to cope with financial turmoil, volatile fuel costs and slumping demand for goods and services.

The U.S. average retail diesel price dropped 14.4 cents to $2.944 a gallon last week, falling below $3 for the first time in 14 months, and is expected to drop even further next year, the U.S. Department of Energy said.

Last year’s Interstate-35W highway bridge collapse in Minneapolis, the worst such accident in 25 years, was caused by an engineering flaw and the load on its deck, Bloomberg reported, citing U.S. safety investigators.

Retail sales fell 2.8% in October, the biggest drop on record, the Commerce Department said Friday.

So now we know who the next president will be. Thus, we can all go back to work, doing our part to help the industry deliver America’s economy, for good or for bad.

Logistics firm US1 Industries’ third-quarter profit rose to $972,000, or 7 cents a share, from $789,000, or 6 cents, a year ago.

Great Dane Trailers said it plans to close its refrigerated trailer manufacturing plant in Savannah, Ga., in January, due to the economic downturn’s effect on the transportation industry and the need for more efficient production.