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uilders of heavy-duty trucks and engines said last week they are boosting production to meet rising demand, as sales and orders for 2004 have reached the fastest pace in years.

Click here to post questions for the chat. ennis Beal, FedEx Freight’s vice president for physical assets, will address motor carrier concerns about the 2007 and 2010 emissions changes in an online chat session hosted by TTNews.com on March 17.

The Institute for Supply Management said Monday its factory index for February was 61.4, down from a reading of 63.6 the month before, which was highest level since December 1983.

President Bush signed legislation extending authorization of the federal highway program for two months on Sunday, a move that prevents nearly 5,000 Transportation Department workers from being furloughed, news services reported.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ith our second national industry town meeting on diesel-engine-emissions rules just two weeks away, anticipation is building that the March 16 event will yield a mother lode of important news.

The General Accounting Office, Congress’ investigative arm, pushed back by two days the expected release date for its report on the Environmental Protection Agency’s handling of new diesel engine emissions rules, the official in charge of the report said.

Transport Continental Installs Tracking Units on Flatbeds • Internet Sales Rise to Record $17.2 Billion in 4Q • Iteris Reports Strong Demand for Lane Departure System • Aether Hires Investment Bank

The U.S. economy expanded at a 4.1% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2003, just above the 4% gain initially reported a month ago, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The Virginia advisory panel reviewing proposals to expand Interstate 81 in the state recommended a plan that would separate trucks from automobile traffic and charge all vehicles — passenger cars as well as trucks — to use the highway, the state transportation department said.