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A patent-holding company has filed suit against more than 200 motor carriers, alleging those fleets infringed upon a patent it holds by using certain tracking and communications systems in their trucks, according to court documents.

The total number of people killed in traffic accidents in the United States in 2010 declined 3% from a year earlier, despite the fact that Americans drove about 20.5 billion more miles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 40th Mid-America Trucking Show here grew by more than 7% from 2010 in terms of visitors and exhibitors, but fell short of establishing new records in either category.

Fueled by stronger manufacturing and demand for freight, the U.S. economy will grow at least at a 3.2% annual pace in 2011, and truck tonnage will rise 5%, according to several recent reports.

The head of the National Private Truck Council said shippers are beginning to expand and upgrade their in-house fleets in response to improved business conditions and in anticipation of possible shortages of freight-hauling capacity and higher fuel costs in the year ahead.

American Trucking Associations, joined by suppliers and other transportation groups, advised the Department of Transportation to revise or get rid of a wide range of regulations that they said are unclear, outdated or onerous.

The number of people employed in trucking rose 3% in March, compared with a year ago, to a seasonally adjusted 1.27 million, the Department of Labor reported April 1.

Most trucking companies are expected to post a fifth consecutive quarter of better earnings because freight volumes and rates are rising, but sharply higher fuel prices likely will put a dent in the increases, analysts said.

The diesel-price spike continued last week, as the U.S. retail average rose another 4.4 cents to $3.976 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported.

American Trucking Associations last week endorsed a federal proposal that trucking companies use electronic logging devices to monitor driver compliance with the hours-of-service rule.