The price of diesel fuel dropped almost a cent and a half last week while oil cartel members traded conflicting statements about the “on-again, off-again” plan to boost oil production.

A group of institutional shareholders of Navistar International stock late Wednesday said they would call on the truck-making company’s board to consider drastic options including selling the entire company in order to boost a sagging stock price.

Freightliner Corp. intends to extend its manufacturing empire in Canada and pick up more shares of the Class 8 rig sales with the proposed acquisition of Western Star Trucks for more than $400 million.

An appeals court decision July 14 upholding the Surface Transportation Board’s 15-month moratorium on new rail merger filings — which forestalled an expected “end game” of ultimate rail mergers — met a mixed reaction from railroads and their customers.

Sales of Class 8 trucks in the United States continued to slump in June 2000, with the biggest sales drop —23.1% — posted by the biggest of the original equipment manufacturers, Freightliner in Portland, Ore.

Trucking companies have changed the way they handle waste products generated by their shops, not only giving new life to worn-out materials but also being good citizens, conscious of the environment and careful of its protection.

The price of diesel fuel crept downward 0.4 cents a gallon this week amid arguments over inventories, production quotas and reserve plans, as well as a startling speculation that the price of crude oil could reach $35 to $40 a barrel by year’s end.

A drop in shipments of van trailers caused truck trailer shipments during the first five months of 2000 to lag 1999 numbers by 3% after taking three months to draw even with the previous year’s figures.

Trucking companies have changed the way they handle waste products generated by their shops, not only giving new life to worn-out materials but also being good citizens, conscious of the environment and careful of its protection.

A drop in shipments of van trailers caused truck trailer shipments during the first five months of 2000 to lag 1999 numbers by 3% after taking three months to draw even with the previous year’s figures.