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Ford Motor Co. and Navistar International Corp. announced Monday they are forming a joint venture that initially will build trucks and later will explore “opportunities” in diesel engines.

With new cargo securement regulations emerging from the Department of Transportation, carriers are worried that enforcement of the new rules will be spotty.

Capping a two-nation research effort that began eight years ago, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is putting the finishing touches on its proposed North American Cargo Securement Standard, intended to bring uniformity to regulations governing the way cargo is secured to truck trailers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The U.S. average pump price for diesel fuel fell two-tenths of one cent to $1.518 per gallon as of Feb. 12, the Energy Department reported Monday afternoon. The price has moved in a fairly narrow range in recent weeks.

As expected, Cummins Engine Co. announced Monday a nine-year agree-ment with truck maker Paccar Inc. to supply engines for its heavy trucks.

FCC Auction Hit With Unfair Bid Claims; Nasdaq Conditionally Extends @Track’s Listing; UN to Adopt Electronic Signatures Model Law; The Quest For Mobility; Supply Chain Chiefs Eye Wireless.

Xata Reports Loss, Backlog; P.A.M. Earnings Match Year-Ago; Airlines Face Strike Risks; FedEx Freight Formed as LTL Unit; Various Carriers Join in Logistics Network; EEOC Wants BNSF to Stop Genetic Testing; Gasoline Holding Steady; and more.

The financial dispute over a federally mandated antilock brake system warning light is apparently being resolved, less than a month before it threatened to stop production of new tractors and trailers.

President Bush last week sent his $1.6 trillion tax-cut plan to Capitol Hill, where trucking is expected to voice its strong support for repeal of the estate tax and acceleration of increased meals tax deductions for truck drivers.