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We came. We watched and listened. And we learned. The amount of information that was flowing from the stage during the first day of American Trucking Associations’ Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking last week was prodigious.

So here we are again, trapped in still another fuel-price spiral, as we helplessly watch outside events and parties set the cost and supply of the precious liquids that make our industry possible.

As noted on other pages of this week’s edition of Transport Topics, American Trucking Associations will be conducting the first comprehensive summit on the use of natural gas in trucking.

The latest quarterly study of trucking fleet failures paints a more positive picture than we would have expected in years past, considering the high level of fuel prices.

Fuel prices are again big news, as the national average for a gallon of retail diesel climbed to almost $4.10, well above that strong $4-a-gallon psychological threshold.

The news from the oil patch just keeps getting worse and worse. As if $4-a-gallon diesel isn’t bad enough for the trucking industry, now comes a warning from the federal government that ultra-low-sulfur diesel may soon become scarcer and even more expensive in the Northeast because of a string of refinery closings.

Once again, fuel prices are in the worrisome range, just as most of us are beginning to accept that the recession is really over and better times are ahead.

While we’re thankful fuel prices have moderated a bit of late, this year’s oil cost spiral apparently has taken a notable toll on the overall economy, raising concerns that the national recovery is being sapped.

While we’re thankful fuel prices have moderated a bit of late, this year’s oil cost spiral apparently has taken a notable toll on the overall economy, raising concerns that the national recovery is being sapped.