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Stronger freight demand in the waning days of 2009 is fueling expectations that publicly traded carriers will report better performance when they begin disclosing fourth-quarter results this week, industry analysts said.

The national diesel average declined 0.9 cent to $2.87 last week as pump prices moderated after a sharp spike the prior three weeks, the Department of Energy reported.

Trucking industry officials have filed comments opposing the California Air Resources Board’s plan to initiate a statewide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Detroit Diesel Corp. said that its diesel engines have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency for meeting the agency's 2010 emissions regulations.

In a legal maneuver designed to bolster its defense in a federal lawsuit filed by truck manufacturer Navistar Inc., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revised its 2010 engine selective catalytic reduction guidance to remove a specific requirement limiting the hours and miles a truck can operate after its urea tank runs dry.

A new economist’s report challenges claims that trains are more fuel efficient than trucks and questions whether hauling more freight by rail actually improves air quality.

The Energy Department last week announced grants totaling more than $187 million for projects to improve the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and passenger cars, including one aimed at producing a “SuperTruck” that boosts fuel economy by 50% by 2015.

The average price of a gallon of retail diesel fuel in the United States rose 8.2 cents a gallon last week to $2.879, the highest level in 14 months, according to the Department of Energy.