Business

For 72 continuous hours covering June 2-4, law enforcement officers throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico will conduct commercial vehicle inspections in the annual Roadcheck, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced.

The national diesel fuel average rose 1.5 cents a gallon last week, while gasoline posted a much larger 6.9-cent jump, widening the gap between the two fuels as gas stockpiles declined ahead of the traditional Memorial Day start of summer driving season.

Mack Trucks said it has reached a new tentative labor agreement with the United Auto Workers after more than 19 months of talks, which would cover about 1,700 employees at seven facilities in three states.

NEW YORK — YRC Worldwide Inc. has received relief from lenders who waived an earnings target for the second quarter, and company head William Zollars said the less-than-truckload carrier’s performance is improving because of several cost-cutting moves, including potential pension-payment relief from the Teamsters union.

The Obama administration last week announced stricter requirements for automobile fuel efficiency and a first-ever national greenhouse gas reduction standard for cars and light trucks. Though heavy trucks are not immediately affected, an industry official suggested similar changes could be coming within the next decade.

NEW YORK — A broad spectrum of truckers are reporting modest recent improvement in freight levels, but industry executives last week said it still was too early to declare a steady positive trend is emerging.

Trucking fleets and tire makers said increased use of tire-pressure monitoring systems and automatic inflation systems is saving lives and money.

With fuel prices dramatically lower than just a year ago, carriers that engage in hedging are questioning whether the market is close enough to a bottom to begin locking in prices, according to several fuel-purchasing analysts.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Transportation has yet to make a decision on whether to back increased federal truck weight limits, Secretary Ray LaHood said.

The House approved a bill before leaving for its Memorial Day recess that would make it easier for employees to join unions, Bloomberg reported.