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Ryder System said Friday its second-quarter profit increased to $29.8 million, or 56 cents a share, from $22.9 million, or 41 cents, a year ago.

Ocean shipper Horizon Lines earned a profit of $3.7 million, or 12 cents a share, in the second quarter, compared with a loss of $31.1 million, or $1.02, a year earlier.

The July 12 issue of Transport Topics reported on the recently passed resolution of the Western Governors’ Association that calls on Congress to allow for longer combination vehicle pilot programs: “Western Governors Back New Pilot Programs to Study Effects of Longer Trailer Combinations.”

The 2010 edition of the Transport Topics Top 100 For-Hire Carriers shows us just how bad 2009 was for the motor carrier industry, but it also illustrates the recovery that took hold in the first half of this year.

Shippers said potential cuts in driving time and total work hours sought by the opponents of the current hours-of-service rule could force costly changes in the supply chain and further tighten capacity.

President Obama signed into law a financial reform bill that includes provisions aimed at reducing speculative trading in commodities such as crude oil and diesel fuel and limiting the fees that credit-card companies can charge merchants for their services.

Seven of the eight publicly traded motor carriers that reported second-quarter earnings last week reinforced the trend of improved financial results driven by tight capacity, along with modest rate, volume and utilization improvements.

UPS Inc. “fired on all cylinders” in the second quarter, boosting profits and firming rates, despite spottiness in the global economic recovery, Chief Executive Officer Scott Davis said July 22.

Truckers in New Jersey using two-way radios are now exempted from the state’s ban on driving while using handheld communication devices.