Business

Thousands of U.S. truckers unable to make money because of rising fuel prices are selling their trucks, in what may be the biggest cut in the U.S. trucking fleet since trucking deregulation in 1980, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

Hundreds of trucks blocked traffic in central London Tuesday to protest soaring diesel prices there, the Associated Press reported.

Consumer confidence fell to a 16-year low this month, the New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday.

The use of safety belts by commercial drivers will be a major focus of the International Roadcheck 2008 event, safety officials said.

NEW YORK — Executives with four of the largest U.S. trucking fleets all said they are not planning to pre-buy trucks next year.

Digital map provider Navteq said it has released version 3.0 of its Traffic Patterns North America database.

The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that included a tax break for companies purchasing trucks with auxiliary power units or advanced insulation by exempting the cost of those items from the federal excise tax on trucks.

Thieves stole six tractor trailers in Long Beach, Calif., that were carrying 40,000-pound steel coils valued at $150,000, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported Tuesday.

California work crews will close parts of Interstate 5 in Sacramento starting Friday, the California Department of Transportation said on its Web site.

NEW YORK — Shippers can expect hefty rate increases from truckload carriers, possibly as early as next quarter, because shrinking capacity is bringing supply more in line with demand, said carrier executives and industry experts.