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SALT LAKE CITY — Maybe it was simply a case of a father’s love of trucking rubbing off on his young son as he grew up in a tiny town about an hour’s drive north of the sprawling C.R. England headquarters here.

I own a small motor carrier and drive as well. In the past 38 years, I have driven trucks all across the United States, both regional and cross country, and I am reaching the end of my career with more than 3 million safe miles covered.

It is a distinct honor to be able to represent America’s motor carriers and the employees and independent contractors working on behalf of those companies.

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I have appreciated the leadership that has been provided by Barbara Windsor, Tommy Hodges and all the fine chairmen who have preceded them.

The U.S. average price for retail diesel surged 8 cents to $3.801 a gallon last week, the largest increase in more than six months, the Department of Energy reported.

U.S. customers bought 15,937 Class 8 trucks in September, a 69.5% jump compared with the same month last year, WardsAuto.com reported.

The United States opened its border to Mexican trucks this month for the first time in more than two years, granting Mexico-based Transportes Olympic permission to operate throughout the country as part of a cross-border pilot program.

While it’s certainly hard to single out just one “most important” accomplishment at the recent ATA Management Conference & Exhibition, the new alliance with the Truckload Carriers Association on truck weights is certainly a contender.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has announced that a $13.9 million contract has been awarded for repairs to the closed Ohio River bridge that carries Interstate 64 traffic between southern Indiana and Louisville, Ky.

Twenty deaf or hard-of-hearing people are being considered for exemptions from a federal regulation setting minimum hearing requirements for commercial drivers, the first exemption applications to be considered in more than two decades, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said.

All states now receive more funding for highway programs than they contribute to the Highway Trust Fund via federal fuel taxes and truck excise taxes, said a new study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.