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PHOENIX — Motor carriers have long feared disasters such as fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes because of their ability to snarl freight transportation, but with fleets now more dependent on computer systems than ever before, there is also an information technology component to disaster recovery.

Technology firms Qualcomm Inc. and Trimble Navigation Ltd. each posted higher earnings for its most recent quarter, while Xata Corp. reported higher software sales.

Volvo Trucks North America said Monday it will receive $19 million in federal funding to develop technologies to improve the efficiency of heavy-duty trucks.

American Trucking Associations has asked the federal government to lower its 2012 and 2013 biodiesel blending requirement under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Truckers and freight brokers who use freight-matching Internet load boards would do well to remember that in cyberspace, things are not always as they appear.

Daimler Trucks North America has announced the availability of its TruckerNet commercial driver support application for BlackBerry devices.

Many trucking companies are turning to software products — packages that include everything from mapping technology to detailed cost analysis — to help them choose the routes that will most boost their bottom lines.

Odyne Systems said Johnson Controls Inc. has made an undisclosed investment in the Waukesha, Wis., maker of modular hybrid power systems for heavy- and medium-duty trucks.

Truckers in Texas now have two more electrified rest stops they can use.

Internet Truckstop said it has reached an agreement with Registry Monitoring Insurance Service to offer services such as tracking of carrier insurance data that can be used by the load-board operator’s customers.