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Second-quarter U.S. worker productivity rose at a 4.3% annual rate, more than previously estimated, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has sent a final rule linking the driver certification to the commercial license, and a proposed rule creating a national registry of doctors qualified to certify drivers to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

U.S. economic activity, including trucking and freight transportation, was sluggish in July and August, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday.

U.S. manufacturing fell slightly into contraction levels in August, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday.

Motor carriers and drivers providing emergency in areas affected by Hurricane Gustav will be relieved federal hours-of-service regulations, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration said.

Transportation Secretary Mary Peters told Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D) she does not believe the plan by DHL Express to use UPS Inc. for its U.S. air cargo operations constitutes unfair competition.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Please check back on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.

The July truck tonnage report offered mixed signals about the industry and the U.S. economy, as American Trucking Associations’ index rose 4.4% from weak results a year earlier but declined 0.3% from the June totals.

HOUSTON — Dennis Shirar, a 51-year-old driver for Heritage Transport, Indianapolis, earned the title of Grand Champion at the 2008 National Truck Driving Championships.