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The new economic Siamese twins, namely the stock market and oil prices, are continuing to rise in lockstep, bringing relief and pain to consumers — and the national economy — simultaneously.

Our latest little honeymoon with fuel prices likely will end soon, as recent increases in the cost of crude oil work their way down to the retail pump.

Now that we’ve had a week to digest the Transport Topics 100 ranking of the largest for-hire carriers in the United States and Canada, it’s clear that our coverage focused as much on the coming silver lining as on the bleak economic reality of 2008 and the first half of 2009.

At a time when good news in the trucking industry is hard to come by, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration served up a generous helping of it last week when it said that truck-related highway fatalities plummeted 12% last year.

We need to be leery of the battle involving the Obama administration, the Senate and the House of Representatives over the direction of federal transportation policy out of concern that political bickering could delay necessary decisions and infrastructure projects.

The use of diesel fuel has fallen sharply as freight levels have nose-dived during the global recession. The home-heating oil season has ended, so there is no competition for the distillate both heating oil and diesel are made from.

An emphasis on driver behavior runs through an 18-point plan developed by American Trucking Associations to reduce crashes involving cars and trucks. Chilling statistics illuminate why this kind of focus is essential.

Retail diesel prices in the United States hit their highest mark since December, as increasing crude oil costs work deeper into the fuel supply.

Some 10,000 enforcement officers plan to mix a little fiscal accountability with their safety inspections during next week’s Roadcheck campaign, and we hope that is not a bad idea.