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The Transportation Department announced last week it will drop some materials, including paint and diesel fuel, from the list of substances the agency considers dangerous enough to require hazmat motor carriers to file detailed security plans.

Shippers of shoes are protesting price increases of up to 50% for less-than-truckload shipments after an industry standards body changed the classification of 2 billion pairs of shoes, allowing carriers to raise rates.

Despite a challenging freight environment over the past year, the 2010 Mid-America Trucking Show organizers said industry optimism may be rising. They cited an anticipated increase in the number of exhibitors and attendees for the March 25-27 show.

GE Capital is taking over the role of lead lender to support the purchase of International trucks, as Navistar International Corp.’s in-house finance captive withdraws from the retail market to concentrate on wholesale activities to support dealers, the two companies said.

As the use of mapping and routing software becomes more prevalent across the trucking industry, service providers and state transportation officials said fleets must be wary of the risks posed from using applications not specifically designed for trucks.

Truck availability has tightened sharply in recent weeks as steadily growing freight demand draws even with total truck capacity, which shriveled during the recession, industry experts said.

The Mexican government is preparing to change the list of U.S. products that will be subjected to higher tariffs in retaliation for the continued lockout of that nation’s truck fleets, sources told Transport Topics last week.

The Department of Transportation said Thursday that the number of overall traffic fatalities reported at the end of 2009 reached the lowest level since 1954, declining for the 15th consecutive quarter.

The U.S. trade deficit declined in January as demand for oil and foreign automobiles declined, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Initial jobless claims fell 6,000 last week, the second straight decline, the Labor Department said Thursday.