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U.S. economic activity continued to “expand moderately” between mid-November and early January, but demand for transportation services was mixed, the Federal Reserve said.

President Obama signed the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act into law Jan. 4.

UPS Inc. on Jan. 4 said it is expanding distribution facilities this year in the United States and three other countries to handle growing global demand for outsourced shipments of health-care products such as medicines and supplies.

Less-than-truckload carrier Southeastern Freight Lines, Lexington, S.C., opened a new logistics division Jan. 4 to provide shippers with services in dry van, refrigerated and flatbed truckload, expedited delivery, intermodal drayage, brokerage, air freight and distribution.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new proposed hours-of-service rule, which would impose complex restrictions on commercial drivers’ work schedules, was panned by officials on all sides of the issue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will abide by trucking industry requests and formally consider a proposed rule to require manufacturers to install devices to limit heavy trucks to 68 miles per hour, possibly as soon as 2012.

The global economy and transportation funding challenges will be among the main focus areas during the Transportation Research Board’s 90th annual meeting, scheduled for Jan. 23-27 in Washington, D.C.

Surface transportation trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 14.9% in October from a year earlier, the Department of Transportation said.

The U.S. economy’s service sector expanded in December at the fastest pace in four and half years, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.