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Governors in 10 states hard hit by Hurricane Irene and Missouri River flooding have temporarily waived hours-of-service rules — and in some cases fuel taxes and special size and weight permits — for trucks hauling relief supplies.

Heartland Express said Friday that CEO Russell Gerdin has retired due to health reasons and has been succeeded by Michael Gerdin, the company’s president.

In the 10 years since terrorists crashed airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the nation has rebuilt and moved on, but with a greater emphasis on security of all kinds, including for ground-based freight transportation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is engaged in “aggressive research” on technological advances to prevent accidents and fatalities by boosting the safety of truck cabs.

A continued shortage of available low-mileage used Class 8 trucks is being blamed for lower sales and higher prices in July, industry executives and dealers said.

Truck fleets ordered 13,200 new commercial trailers during July, a 20% increase over July 2010, but the fourth straight month of declining figures, ACT Research Co. reported.

The lackluster economy, combined with widespread weather troubles that delayed and reduced produce shipments, have sharply reduced refrigerated freight so far this year,  industry experts have said.

Trucking is attacking a federal regulation issued last month that will require employers to hang posters informing workers about their rights to form and join unions.

Truckers in the Northeast, particularly Vermont, were dealing last week with washed-out roads and collapsed bridges in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. Flooding in New Jersey took out an interstate highway bridge on a key truck route.