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WASHINGTON — The Southern Motor Carriers Rate Conference asked the Surface Transportation Board to allow the rate bureau nationwide ratemaking authority for less-than-truckload routes, saying it would allow its members the ability to set rates in the territories where they provide service.

Texas Court Extends TRO in Idling Case • Iteris Posts Net Loss but Sales Increase • Report: German Toll System May Be Ready Jan. 1

Jobless Claims Fall 19,000 in Latest Week • Frozen Food's Earnings Double in 3Q • Profits Surge at EGL • Louisiana Lowers Dealer Licensing Fees

The Labor Department said Thursday that the productivity of U.S. workers grew at a 1.9% annual pace in the third quarter, the smallest gain since the fourth quarter of 2002.

CHICAGO — Michael Burns, chairman and chief executive officer of vehicle component supplier Dana Corp., said a strategic increase this year in his company’s inventory of heavy-duty axles and drive shafts had allowed Dana to take away business from other suppliers that were unable to fill truck makers’ orders during a surge in demand for Class 8 trucks. br clear=all.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ith the economy in a sustained recovery mode, strong freight volumes and a relatively tight supply of trucks, the majority of motor carriers are scrambling to keep up with the growing demand for their services.

New orders at U.S. factories dropped 0.4% in September, while orders excluding transportation equipment rose 0.3%, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday..

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — FedEx Freight Chief Executive Officer Douglas Duncan predicted that electronic onboard recorders will be required when the next version of truck-driver hours-of-service rules emerges from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

American Trucking Associations urged the federal government to “proceed cautiously” with proposing changes to security rules for hauling materials that are toxic when inhaled, particularly in regard to placarding and tracking those shipments.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. s a practitioner and an insurance agent who works mainly with small mom-and-pop businesses, I am opposed to the recent decision to get rid of the quarterly payment option for the heavy-vehicle use tax.