ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

Class 8 tractors have long been the standard for U.S. for-hire carriers, yet for certain service lines, even the most venerable of heavy-duty fleets are now buying Class 6 and 7 trucks and sometimes even smaller cargo vans.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Less-than-truckload carriers need to improve their pricing discipline and sophistication to boost profits in a market where rate-driven, third-party logistics operators are playing a growing role, LTL executives said.

An index of leading economic indicators rose in December for a third straight month, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

Prices paid to U.S. producers rose 0.1% in January, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Manufacturing activity in the New York region expanded in February at the fastest rate since June 2010, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday.

UPS Inc. on Wednesday said it has acquired Kiala, a European company that provides delivery options to consumers purchasing goods over the Internet. Terms were not disclosed.

President Obama has included $330 million for programs to combat distracted driving in his six-year transportation spending plan, as part of the administration’s proposed 2013 budget.

Consumer confidence declined this month, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Friday.

The U.S. trade deficit expanded by 3.7% in December as imports climbed to the highest level in more than three years, the Commerce Department said Friday.