Business

U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe has urged Congress to make postal reform a priority, as the U.S. Postal Service is currently losing $25 million a day and has defaulted on $11.1 billion in Treasury payments.

U.S. ethanol production fell last year — the first annual decline since 1996 — on record corn prices, Bloomberg reported.

Maersk Line, the world’s largest container-shipping company, has threatened to stop using cleaner fuel at the Port of Hong Kong if the government doesn’t mandate higher quality oil for carriers in the city, Bloomberg News reported.

Given today’s growing equipment demand and ongoing economic uncertainty, many businesses are finding noncash equipment financing to be a key acquisition strategy.

While the solution that Washington “crafted” to the looming “fiscal cliff” was far from perfect, it seems to have gotten the job done.

Lost amid the hoopla surrounding Congress’ last-minute agreement on avoiding the economic “fiscal cliff” as the new year dawned was a provision in the deal that could help the trucking industry as it moves to replace aging equipment during 2013.

Used-truck sales slumped in late 2012, but last week’s “fiscal cliff” agreement created hope that a catch-up effect could buoy sales, industry officials said.

Trimble Navigation Ltd. last week said it has purchased navigation software provider ALK Technologies Inc., continuing its aggressive expansion in the trucking technology field.

A federal appeals court in Washington will hear arguments in March urging it to overturn portions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s latest hours-of-service rule.

Despite challenges accompanying the use of wide-base tires on Class 8 trucks, experts, carriers and manufacturers said they expect to see substantial growth in their use in 2013.