Business

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said Monday that that starting later this month, trucks crossing the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a new demonstration program will use satellite-based technology developed by Qualcomm Inc. to track trucks.

ORLANDO, Fla. — With idling restrictions increasing in states and localities around the country, carriers are increasingly interested in buying systems that will allow drivers to keep their truck cabs cool or heated and to operate electrical “hotel” appliances such as televisions or computers.

The economy’s service sector growth increased in October, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday.

It’s clear that buyers will face a choice when they consider the 2010 model year for heavy-duty trucks. What remains to be seen is whether this choice benefits truck operators as well as suppliers.

Connecticut trucking companies are asking Gov. M. Jodi Rell (R) and state lawmakers to intervene in a dispute with the state’s Labor Department over how workers are defined for tax purposes, the Associated Press reported.

The decision by two major engine manufacturers, Cummins Inc. and Navistar International, to build 2010 heavy-duty diesel engines without selective catalytic reduction technology has upset truck sales forecasts for the 2009 and 2010 truck markets.

Truck tonnage declined 2.3% in September and analysts said fleets face a protracted period of softness in freight demand as new economic data provided few signs of an upturn in business activity.

For Ontario — Canada’s manufacturing hub and a heavy participant in North American trade — trucking executives say today’s key issue in transportation is to keep the fleets moving steadily back and forth across the border.

Retail diesel prices continued to climb last week, with the national average jumping 6.3 cents to $3.157 a gallon, matching the record set two years ago, according to the Department of Energy.