The American Truck Dealers division of the National Automobile Dealers Association named Robert Hunter as its 2006 Dealer of the Year at the ATD annual convention and exhibition in Atlanta, Saturday through Monday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — International, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo unveiled new aerodynamically designed trucks at the Mid-America Trucking Show here, and Freightliner said its 2007 heavy-duty trucks would cost $7,000 to $10,000 more than comparable 2006 models.

U.S. Class 8 trucks sales increased 5.3% in January from year-ago levels, to 19,229 vehicles, the smallest monthly gain since November 2003 and the first time in the past 11 months the total did not break 20,000, according to data from Ward’s Communications.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. img src="http://www.ttnews.com/images/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>The Department of Homeland Security is expected to propose in the spring that all international freight containers entering the United States be equipped with “smart seals” to provide protection against possible terrorist attacks.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. he National Mediation Board Wednesday rejected a request from the Independent Pilots Association to be released from mediated contract talks with UPS Inc.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. he continued divestiture by railroads of trailers and containers means more trucking and logistics companies will be responsible for controlling the availability of equipment needed to provide intermodal service to their customers, transportation executives said.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. AN DIEGO — Federal hours-of-service rules are making it difficult to retain truck drivers, said Patrick Quinn, president of truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. img src="http://www.ttnews.com/images/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>SAN DIEGO — Several leading trucking executives last week called for the creation of a national transportation policy to help build new highways and replace aging bridges to lessen congestion.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. img src="http://www.ttnews.com/images/printeditiontag_new.gif" width=120 align=right>The Port of Los Angeles is working out a plan to give the owners of older drayage trucks new Class 8 vehicles that run on liquefied or compressed natural gas, port officials said.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. ALTIMORE — Trucking and logistics executives said the freight transportation industry should launch a campaign to win governmental approval for increased truck weights and triple trailers nationwide.