Business

The economy continued to expand moderately from early April to late May in most of the country with cargo volume and shipments increasing after a difficult winter, the Federal Reserve said.

Class 8 truck sales climbed 14.2% in May from a year earlier, offering further evidence that the industry has begun to enter a growth cycle, ACT Research reported.

Members of the trucking industry urged key senators on June 3 to approve a one-year suspension of restart restrictions aimed at truck drivers when a Senate committee considers a fiscal 2015 transportation funding bill later this week.

Trucking component manufacturer Grede Holdings said it has been sold to private equity firm American Securities. Terms were not disclosed.

U.S. workers’ productivity declined in the first quarter at a higher rate than previously estimated to the weakest showing since start of the recession in 2008, the Labor Department reported.

The trade deficit ballooned in April to the widest in two years as Americans bought record amounts of consumer goods, business equipment and automobiles from abroad.

Medium-duty truck maker Hino Trucks has partnered with technology supplier Telogis to provide its next-generation telematics platform.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne Ferro told a Senate panel that the agency knew its new hours-of-service rules would affect trucking’s productivity but that data is expected to show the HOS rules are increasing safety.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Acting Deputy Transportation Secretary Victor Mendez on June 3 cautioned Congress against approving a short-term legislative fix to address looming shortfalls in highway funding this summer, urging it to approve a long-term “strategic” plan instead.