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PHOENIX — Motor carriers have long feared disasters such as fires, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes because of their ability to snarl freight transportation, but with fleets now more dependent on computer systems than ever before, there is also an information technology component to disaster recovery.

Vernaculars can expedite commerce, provided all parties understand the lingo, but using it outside an industry may frustrate communications when being clearly understood is vitally important — particularly if money is involved.

How can the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration so closely regulate a driver and then ignore the environment in which that driver operates?

The Obama administration last week issued fuel-economy and carbon-dioxide standards for heavy-duty trucks, marking the federal government’s first foray into regulating our industry’s energy efficiency, and we must say, it was an enlightened step.

I’ve read many articles on the proposed increase in bonds. It is clear there is a need to “shake out” the bad guys, but who is going to do that? The bad guys will remain or learn a new scam, and the honest guys will continue to pay more in bond fees and freight rates.

Consumer confidence plummeted in August to its lowest level since May 1980, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Friday.

Business inventories increased 0.3% in June, the smallest gain since May 2010, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Intermodal traffic rose 1.9% last week, the Association of American Railroads reported.

MIQ Logistics said it has acquired The Logistics Corp., a retail logistics company based in the United Kingdom. Terms were not disclosed.