Business

UQM Technologies said it will build motors for a fleet of 100 electric delivery trucks that it will deploy in California later this year.

A group of executives representing vehicle manufacturers, fleet operators and utility companies said they plan to organize the first large-scale electric vehicle demonstration project and help to create a national model for the deployment of electric vehicles.

The nation’s roads and bridges are still ailing, as Congress and the White House continue to fiddle while we await some concrete action on infrastructure funding.

Slowly but surely, trucking is emerging from recession, and trucking company leaders all over the country are anxiously watching the bottom line, determined not to falter now that the sun is finally coming out.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — With its Class 8 truck order book overflowing and all signs pointing to a continuing market recovery, Daimler Trucks North America said it will add a second shift to its primary U.S. production facility, creating 1,200 new jobs.

Orders for new Class 8 trucks jumped 68.6% last year from 2010, as the year closed with an 11.8% increase in December from a year earlier, according to ACT Research Co.

Most carriers once again im-proved earnings during the fourth quarter, riding a wave of rate increases and modest but steady freight growth, two trends that are expected to continue in 2012.

Trucking company failures reached the second-lowest level ever during 2011’s fourth quarter, reflecting the industry’s improving financial fortunes, according to a new report.

As Congress returns to work this week after its extended holiday vacation, members face two deadlines that, if not met, could bring transportation safety programs and construction projects to a halt.

Tire manufacturers say that an ongoing shortage of component materials — which is expected to continue through 2012 and beyond — combined with soaring global demand and logistics costs, has driven up costs and led the makers to boost prices for commercial tires.