Business

Intermodal traffic jumped 25.1% last week compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

Intermodal freight volume climbed back late in 2010 to pre-recession levels, driven by cost considerations of both shippers who moved more international import goods and truckers who shifted more freight onto the rails.

Initial jobless claims fell last week to the lowest level in almost two and half years, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Fallout from the recession continued to dominate states’ transportation decisions during 2010, as some federal money flowed in, but tax revenues for many remained depressed.

Commercial vehicle parts maker Accuride Corp. was relisted on the New York Stock Exchange in December.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published its proposed hours-of-service rule in Wednesday’s Federal Register, outlining the details of the proposal it first released last week.

As the most stringent emission rules yet took effect in 2010, manufacturers brought their latest emissions technology to U.S. buyers against a backdrop of recovering truck sales and continuing contention about which type of pollution control best serves the industry.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has issued an executive order temporarily lifting hours-of-service rules for truck drivers to deal with severe weather in the state, television station KIMT reported.

Safety and compliance issues were in the spotlight for the trucking industry in 2010, and technology providers subsequently sharpened their focus on products and services aimed at helping fleets cope with increased government scrutiny.