Business

A gradual thawing out from the recent blast of cold weather that engulfed much of the United States helped slow the retail diesel and gasoline price increases last week, the Department of Energy reported.

WASHINGTON — Less than a week before the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration acting chief’s tenure is scheduled to end, the chairman of the Senate panel that oversees the agency has called on the White House to nominate a permanent administrator.

Citations for failure to use seat belts have a seasonal component — peaking in the summer and falling in the winter, according to a report from data-analysis firm Vigillo.

TravelCenters of America, the only publicly traded truck stop operator, capitalized on a 65% improvement in fuel-sale profit margins to nearly triple net income to $34.3 million, or $0.91 per share.

Recently merged fleet-tracking providers Teletrac Inc. and Navman Wireless are working to develop a unified telematics platform while continuing to support their current product lines and customers.

J.J. Keller & Associates Inc. said it has partnered with Velociti Inc. to make its electronic logging system easier for carriers to implement.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated he is prepared to continue intervening in a railway system dominated by two companies in order to keep products such as grain moving for export.

Consumer confidence declined in March to a four-month low as optimism about the U.S. economy was tempered by weaker income expectations and a rebound in gasoline prices.

Wholesale prices in the U.S. unexpectedly declined in February for a fourth consecutive month, reflecting cheaper food and a slump in profit margins among wholesalers and retailers.

Americans drove nearly 3.02 trillion miles last year, the highest number since 2007 and second-highest since data collection began 79 years ago, the Federal Highway Administration announced.