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Cargo theft continues to be a problem for the freight transportation industry and could cause insurance premiums to increase, two experts said.

OXON HILL, Md. — The entire North American trucking industry is in the midst of a fundamental reshaping, which will lead to flat tonnage levels for fleets and fewer truck manufacturers producing much more expensive vehicles and mostly in Mexico, said a senior executive of Navistar Inc.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation said it will begin issuing permits this summer allowing double, 53-foot trailers on selected highways in the province.

FedEx Corp.’s package delivery unit won a victory in its ongoing battle over the classification of its drivers when a federal appeals court ruled April 21 that a handful of Massachusetts drivers were wrongly classified as employees with the ability to unionize, instead of as independent contractors.

Union Pacific Corp.’s petition seeking Surface Transportation Board permission to limit the railroad’s common carrier freight-hauling responsibilities has elicited a common response from nearly all other interested parties: Absolutely not.

The long downward trend in insurance rates for fleets may be coming to an end as more insurers push for higher premiums to make up for investment losses and as fewer underwriters compete for the business.

I agree with the letter writer’s arguments concerning the liability aspects of drivers on top of trailers unless proper fall safety equipment is used.

Freight brokers and logistics providers, who met earlier this month in San Antonio, provided more evidence of the bleak condition of the freight transportation business and also moved to gather data on the size of their segment of the industry.