���ϳԹ���

Demand for freight transportation remained firm in the first few weeks of January, easing fears of an economic slump in the aftermath of a robust fourth quarter.

Nationwide Express, a dry van regional truckload carrier and warehousing firm based in Shelbyville, Tenn., added to its fleet with the purchase of Helena Truck Lines of Memphis, Tenn..

An economic analyst predicts that low inventories and a rise in short-haul business should help less-than-truckload carriers to grow faster than other segments of the industry through 2002.

This afternoon's headlines: UPS's gains fail to satisfy investors; Union says Volvo to lay off 900 workers at Virginia plant; and Truck drivers pressure Jacksonville, Fla., Port Authority.

In the news this morning: Allied Holdings ready to haul with new management; Canadian truckers say shippers need to pay for fuel increases; and Canadian police mount Hwy. 401 safety blitz.

Freightliner Corp.Installation of electronic recording devices on trucks should be high on the federal agenda, but the National Transportation Safety Board chairman says the government shoudl do more to press the issue.

The National Transportation Safety Board will put truck and bus safety under the microscope in a series of reports to be released over the next few months in an effort to change the “safety culture” on U.S. roadways, according to its chairman.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will begin repair work on parts of Interstate 10 Monday night, which will result in lane and ramp closures for the next two weeks.

North America’s largest makers of diesel engines dodged a legal bullet as a federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by truckers over the settlement negotiated with the Environmental Protection Agency.