ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

President Bush on Tuesday warned against erecting global trade barriers during a visit to heavy-duty engine manufacturer Caterpillar’s East Peoria, Ill., headquarters, Bloomberg reported.

Crude oil futures posted their biggest one-day gain Tuesday since September 2005, rising on forecasts of continuing cold weather and expectations of a stronger U.S. economy, Bloomberg reported.

Truck manufacturer Freightliner LLC plans to lay off about 800 of its 1,700 workers in Portland, Ore., and stop making Freightliner trucks in that city, the Associated Press reported.

Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. Monday reported record sales and earnings for the fourth quarter and full-year 2006, with sales topping $3 billion in the quarter for the first time.

Tank truck carrier Quality Distribution lowered its earnings guidance for the fourth quarter and full-year 2006, due to lower seasonal demand.

The president of trucking software provider TMW Systems said he does not expect a slowdown in sales this year, even as some trucking companies face a downturn in demand for freight-hauling services.

Food-services provider Sysco Corp. said Monday its fiscal second-quarter net income rose 16% to $236.7 million or 38 cents a share, from $204.2 million or 33 cents a year earlier.

The maintenance managers of two vehicle leasing companies expect few problems in their shops as the truck-operating industry shifts to the next generation of lower-emission diesel engines.

Prophesy Says Software Sales Increased 40% • Altfuels Face Difficult Economics, Journal Says • Horizon to Use RFID for Alaska Shipments

Truckload carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services said Monday it earned $57.8 million or 39 cents a share in the fourth quarter, a decline from $65.3 million or 41 cents a year ago.