Business

Once the economy recovers and freight traffic begins to grow again, the nation needs to look at broad transportation issues that address everything from funding to livability, newly appointed Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez said.

Online social networking site Twitter hit it big when Oprah signed up this spring, along with millions of her fans. Let the record reflect that the trucking industry beat her to the punch.

Vehicle parts manufacturer Eaton Corp. said Monday its third-quarter profit fell 39% but exceeded the company’s forecast.

The Department of Transportation said Monday it was handing out $20.9 million to states to help train first responders dealing with hazardous materials incidents.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said last week its clean diesel efforts have produced $500 million to $1.4 billion in public health benefits.

You can’t watch television these days without hearing some railroad company advertising the “green” benefits of moving freight from the road to rail. The most often heard is the claim by one major railroad that “one ton of freight can be moved 436 miles on one gallon of fuel.”

I applaud Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations, for trying to get the Obama administration to make highway infrastructure rebuilding the No. 1 priority.

There was further evidence last week of the growing link between fuel prices and Wall Street, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose above 10,000 for the first time in a year, and the price of crude oil exceeded $75 a barrel for the first time since September 2008.

Towne Air Freight said it has extended into 2012 its agreement with Lufthansa Cargo in which Towne Air Freight will manage all road feeder services for Lufthansa within the United States and Canada.