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U.S. retail diesel prices inched down 0.7 cent a gallon last week, but at $4.027 the average price of trucking’s main fuel has now topped $4 for a record 26th week this year, the Department of Energy reported.

The new Texas toll road that has the nation’s fastest speed limit — 85 mph — is rarely used by trucks because it is expensive and has little to offer, carriers said.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said last week it activated previously announced changes to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, including the adoption of a controversial proposal to step up hazardous materials compliance, and the elimination of a perceived enforcement bias against flatbed carriers.

New Class 8 truck orders slipped to 20,200 in November from a nine-month high the previous month, as truck buyers increasingly turned their focus to next year, ACT Research reported.

ARLINGTON, VA. — Trucking should expect “piecemeal” measures that promote natural gas use because the federal government probably is too divided to tackle comprehensive legislation that could include incentives for buying natural gas trucks, two congressmen said.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The low price of natural gas is a main reason why it is so appealing to trucking, but concerns ranging from infrastructure to maintenance are forcing the industry to go slow, executives said.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Fleet managers intent on choosing natural gas as a truck fuel will have to go through a complicated and expensive process to convert, including the development of training and maintenance procedures, said participants in the American Trucking Associations’ Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The use of natural gas in Class 8 freight-hauling trucks should begin in earnest next year with the introduction of an engine suitable for heavy-duty loads, according to a panel of original equipment manufacturers.

When trouble strikes and a truck is disabled, establishing clear lines of communication between the driver, the driver’s dispatcher and the technician handling the problem are paramount to ensuring that the vehicle gets back on the road quickly and at minimal cost, according to the managers of several roadside-repair networks.