Business
Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.
Hours-of-Service Hearing Postponed
A Senate panel postponed a hearing on truck driver hours-of-service rules that was scheduled for Wednesday.
December 10, 2007Opinion: Dealing With California’s Reefer Rules
The California Air Resources Board is recommending that truckers with transport refrigeration units, also known as reefers, pay attention to upcoming deadlines to avoid penalties.
December 10, 2007Fed Eyes Interest Rate Cut
Federal Reserve policymakers are expected to lower a key interest rate for a third time this year to forestall housing and credit market turbulence from further hurting the economy, the Associated Press reported.
December 10, 2007SDA Unveils EyStar Pocket-Size GPS Unit
Secured Digital Applications, a provider of asset-tracking services, has unveiled its new pocket-size Bluetooth Global Positioning System receiver, saying it offers a cheaper alternative to comparable vehicle-mounted systems.
December 10, 2007ATA to Defend Owner-Operator System
American Trucking Associations has launched a campaign to protect the trucking industry’s use of independent contractors, a move officials said is needed to counter recent court decisions and an increasingly “hostile” legislative environment.
December 10, 2007Spot Freight Market Gains
The spot market for truckload services showed some signs of increased activity last week as executives with a major carrier and a brokers’ load-matching service said the market tightened in October and November, compared with earlier months.
December 10, 2007Storm Strikes Pacific Northwest
A storm with hurricane-force winds and torrential rainfall swept across the Pacific Northwest early last week, snarling transportation in Washington and Oregon and flooding a crucial freight-carrying highway.
December 10, 2007Diesel Dips 2.8¢ to $3.416 a Gallon
The average price of retail diesel slipped below its record high last week, dipping 2.8 cents to $3.416 a gallon, the U.S. Department of Energy reported, citing a decline in demand for distillate fuels.
December 10, 2007Senate Blocks Energy Bill
Senate Republicans Friday blocked an energy bill that would have boosted taxes on oil and gas companies and raised fuel economy standards for most vehicles, Bloomberg reported.
December 7, 2007I-5 Reopens to Trucks in Washington State
Interstate 5 near Chehalis, Wash., reopened to truck traffic Thursday night after road crews drained the highway that had been closed since Monday due to flooding from storms, the Seattle Times reported.
December 7, 2007