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ATLANTA — YRC Worldwide CEO James Welch and an executive at Union Pacific predicted that tax reform will drive further economic growth and higher freight demand, but voiced concerns about the future of NAFTA and the continued challenge of attracting younger workers during a logistics conference here.

Truck tonnage rose 3.7% in 2017, the largest annual increase since a 6.1% gain in 2013, according to American Trucking Associations’ Truck Tonnage Index. The annual increase came despite a 5.7% year-end drop in tonnage from November to December.

The Port of Savannah has shattered its record for container traffic in a year, processing more than 4 million industry-standard 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in 2017, the Georgia Ports Authority announced Jan. 22. The previous record was 3.7 million TEUs in 2015.

More than 1.3 billion pounds of cargo made its way through Chicago Rockford International Airport last year, a nearly 50% increase over 2016.

People rolled through Rock Auto in El Cajon, Calif., in droves this month to sign a petition to overturn Gov. Jerry Brown’s so-called gas tax.

President Donald Trump has pledged to rework trade deals so they benefit domestic workers, but current efforts have sparked concern among industry groups, including trucking.

NAFTA talks are entering a pivotal moment as the U.S. turns up the pressure on Canada and Mexico to radically alter the trade pact in favor of American interests.