Business

New building techniques and innovative materials are helping to make trailers, especially dry vans and reefers, lighter, more fuel efficient and better at fighting corrosion, manufacturers said.

Dean Newell, vice president of safety and training for Maverick Transportation, was recently honored as National Safety Director of the Year by American Trucking Associations’ Safety Management Council.

After months of anticipation and concern, the trucking industry finally got a look last week at the federal government’s first proposal to regulate the fuel-efficiency and carbon-dioxide output of commercial trucks.

Unfortunately, large LTL companies don’t believe drivers need to know what’s coming down the pike, so no information is shared. The contempt and disrespect toward drivers is very disturbing and is going to be a huge problem within six months.

Orders for new heavy-duty trucks jumped about 40% in September compared with the same month last year, an unexpectedly strong showing that analysts said resulted from a sharp boost in trucker confidence that sets the stage for a strong sales year in 2011.

When transport industry leaders gather Nov. 14-16 for the annual TransComp/Intermodal Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., they will be probing for solutions to wide-ranging regulatory, commercial and policy issues, including the Compliance, Safety and Accountability program of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and infrastructure funding.

Three truck manufacturers and engine maker Cummins Inc. all reported improved revenue in the third quarter as the market for new trucks in North America continued to improve.

A federal judge last week temporarily blocked a ban on owner-operators at the Port of Los Angeles, granting an injunction sought by American Trucking Associations.

The average retail price of both diesel and gasoline dipped last week for the first time in a month, the Department of Energy reported.

President Obama said Friday that federal authorities had uncovered a “credible terrorist threat” against the United States following the overseas discovery of U.S.-bound packages containing explosives aboard cargo jets, the Associated Press reported.