Business

Construction spending rose 2.7% in April, the most since 2000, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

Hybrid engine technology is not yet ready for Class 8 over-the-road trucks, but it is making inroads in other heavy- and medium-duty applications and appears to be performing well, both on the road and in the shop.

Clearly, apprehension over the potential ramifications of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new truck safety ratings program is growing as we move closer to full implementation of the plan.

I agree with “Opinion” writer Paul Landry: There’s no question that safety is more important than money. As consumers, we need to do the same when it comes to setting priorities.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Douglas Duncan has spent a lifetime as the first guy in the office, the only guy working on a Saturday and the last guy to go home at night.

New orders for heavy-duty trucks soared about 90% in April, compared with the same month a year ago, two independent research firms reported.

WASHINGTON — The chances of Congress approving a long-term highway bill this year are slim, key congressional staff members said, and several added that if a bill isn’t passed early in 2011, then it may be dead until after the next presidential election.

Teamsters union workers rejected a voluntary 15% pay reduction at ABF Freight System Inc. that the company had sought to bring its pay package closer to the one the union has with ABF’s chief LTL rival, YRC Worldwide.

WASHINGTON — A week after President Obama announced that the federal government would be crafting the first-ever fuel economy standards for large trucks, observers said it was still unclear exactly what those standards would entail.

The Senate passed its version of banking reform on May 20, including provisions that would impose tighter regulations on the trading of derivatives such as crude oil.