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Truckload carrier Landstar System on Thursday reported its third-quarter net income declined to $30.6 million or 53 cents a share, down from $34.6 million or 58 cents a year earlier.

Toronto-based transportation and logistics firm Vitran Corp. reported its third-quarter profit fell to $4.9 million or 38 cents a share, from $5.4 million or 42 cents a year earlier.

Truckload carrier Knight Transportation reported Thursday its third-quarter net income increased 22% to $18.9 million or 22 cents a share, from $15.5 million or 18 cents in 2005.

Manufacturing growth in the Philadelphia area contracted in October, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

Refrigerated truckload carrier Marten Transport’s third-quarter income rose 5.7% to $6.7 million or 31 cents a share, from $6.4 million or 29 cents a year earlier, the company said Thursday.

Truckload carrier USA Truck said Thursday its third-quarter net income fell 19.1% to $3.4 million, down from $4.2 million a year earlier. Earnings per share fell to 30 cents from 40 cents in the previous third quarter.

The Conference Board said Thursday its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.1% in September after falling 0.2% a month earlier.

Western freight railroad Union Pacific Corp. said Thursday its third-quarter profit rose to $420 million or $1.54 a share, from $369 million or $1.38 cents in 2005.

First-time U.S. jobless claims fell 10,000 to 299,000 last week, the Labor Department said Thursday.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has authorized the removal of all tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike west of Route 128, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.