Business

Just as the U.S. economy seems to be growing some serious muscle, international events are threatening to intervene in what has become a period of steady business improvement.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — More truck drivers will be receiving pay increases in the second quarter as fleets’ prospects improve and driver supply tightens, a compensation expert told an industry conference.

The number of new commercial trailers registered in the United States in 2010 reached 105,471, a 42% increase from the previous dismal year, R.L. Polk & Co. reported.

The increase in Class 8 truck demand that began late last year has some component makers scrambling to meet the sudden surge, and one analyst warned the supply problem could get worse if orders grow as expected.

Truck tonnage surged 8% in January from a year earlier, helped by continued growth in the manufacturing sector, pushing American Trucking Associations’ tonnage index to its highest level since January 2008.

The U.S. Class 8 truck fleet appears to have halted a lengthy decline, according to new registration data for the last quarter of 2010, and fleet executives, truck dealers and analysts all said vehicle sales should continue to rise.

The retread business is booming at Snider Tire Inc. — so much so that the Greensboro, N.C., company is building a sixth plant to fulfill its half-million yearly orders for Michelin retreads.

The U.S. Supreme Court last week directed a lower court to reconsider a claim by freight railroad CSX Transportation Inc. that the Alabama fuel tax it pays is discriminatory because truckers are exempt from the same tax.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Truck stop operators can expect to benefit from a stronger freight market, new parts-and-service opportunities and diversification of their business, industry officials said.

U.S. retail diesel prices continued to climb last week, rising 3.9 cents a gallon to $3.573, the Department of Energy reported, as crude oil topped $100 a barrel for the first time since October 2008.