Business
Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.
March Class 8 Truck Orders Rise 24.4%
New Class 8 truck orders continued to grow in March, climbing 24.4% from the same month last year, ACT Research Co. reported.
Miller Acquires Tank Cleaning, Leasing Businesses in Va.
Miller Transportation Services Inc., an affiliate of tank truck carrier Miller Transporters Inc., said it has acquired three businesses in Richmond, Va., offering truck and tank cleaning and trailer leasing.
April 4, 2014Congress Won’t Pass Transportation Bill, LaHood Says
Congress will not pass a new transportation bill, nor will it address the long-term funding crisis undermining the nation’s infrastructure, former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said.
Trucking Adds 3,300 Jobs; Unemployment Rate Holds at 6.7%
Trucking accounted for 3,300 of the 192,000 jobs added in March, and the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.7%, the Labor Department reported April 4.
April 4, 2014Intermodal Rail Traffic Rises 9.9% in March
Intermodal rail volume for March rose 9.9% compared with the same time last year, the Association of American Railroads reported.
April 4, 2014Diesel Direct Adds Northeast Capacity
Diesel Direct said it has acquired clients receiving diesel mobile refueling services from HOP Energy, based in White Plains, N.Y. The acquisition includes more than 200 customers in the Northeast.
April 4, 2014Key House Lawmakers Question HOS Rule
WASHINGTON — The top transportation appropriator in the House on April 3 called into question the benefits of a rule that limits work hours for truckers, in a hearing examining the Obama administration’s fiscal 2015 budget request for transportation agencies.
House Panel Advances Ryan Budget Proposal
WASHINGTON — A House plan put forth by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would mandate that transfers made to the Highway Trust Fund — a main source of federal aid to states for road and transit programs that is months away from running out of money — would have to come from savings in accounts elsewhere in the budget.
Report Recommends Use of Natural Gas, Trailer Modifications to Meet Fuel Standards
Environmental regulators should develop a separate standard for natural gas vehicles when they implement the second phase of fuel-efficiency standards for heavy-duty trucks, according to a study released April 3 by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.
Lytx Sponsors ATA Show Trucks
Lytx Inc. is the newest sponsor of the American Trucking Associations show trucks that travel the country promoting safety and the trucking industry.
April 3, 2014