Business

About Business News...

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.

Government, Business, Safety

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, 2007
Government, Business, Safety, Fuel

Opinion: 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, 2007
Business

Fed 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, 2007
Government, Business, Safety, Fuel, Technology, Equipment

SDA 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, 2007
Government, Business, Safety, Technology, Equipment

ATA 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, 2007
Business

Spot 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, 2007
Government, Business, Safety, Logistics

Storm 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, 2007
Fuel, Business, Government

Diesel 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, 2007
Fuel, Government, Business

Senate 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, 2007
Government, Business, Safety

I-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