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FMCSA Names Safety Committees • Highway Watch Debuts Online Training • Insurance Co. Not Liable in Conn. Crash

WASHINGTON — Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), author of the rules Congress set for opening the U.S. border to Mexican trucks, told Transportation Secretary Mary Peters she suspected the agency may be stacking the deck in its recently announced pilot program.

A coalition of trucking safety groups issued a report this week giving poor grades to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for failing to do enough to reduce large truck-related fatalities.

Safety-watchdog group Public Citizen said Tuesday it sued the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on behalf of a highway safety organization to compel the agency to release information about recent decision to allow Mexican trucks onto U.S. highways.

The average national price of diesel fuel gained another 5.9 cents from last week in rising to $2.685 a gallon, a sixth straight increase, the Department of Energy said Monday.

U.S. business inventories rose 0.2% in January, but sales declined by the most in four months, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

U.S. retail sales rose 0.1% in February, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — After more than a decade in the minority — and the past six years relegated to near-obscurity behind a powerful Republican majority and a Republican White House — Democrats swept into power in November, capturing both houses of Congress.

A second analyst this month said that EGL Inc. Chief Executive Officer James Crane’s $36-a-share acquisition offer may be undervaluing company by 11% and probably will attract a higher bid from a buyout firm, Bloomberg reported.

Canada Cartage Diversified Income Fund said Monday that its revenue rose 18.2% to C$275.3 million in its first year of operation as a public company, but lost C$300,000 or 1 cent per unit in the fourth quarter.