Business

First-time U.S. jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week to 299,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Trucking component maker ArvinMeritor and Wal-Mart Transportation have agreed to develop a dual-mode, diesel-electric drivetrain for a Class 8 tractor, the two said.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) plans to ask state regulators to require the state’s petroleum refiners and gasoline sellers to cut greenhouse-gas emissions by 10%, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

Trucking, couriers and messengers, and warehousing and storage revenue reached $292 billion in 2005, up from $266 billion the year before, the U.S. Census Bureau reported.

Paccar Inc., the parent company of Kenworth Truck Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co., said late Tuesday it plans to build a new $400 million powertrain manufacturing plant in the southeastern United States.

Wholesale inventories jumped 1.3% in November as sales rebounded from two consecutive declines, rising 1%, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in November to its smallest level since July 2005 and, as exports reached a record and oil imports declined, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday it will grant $445 million for fiscal year 2007 to protect critical infrastructure, including ports and transit systems.

Highway Watch Report Leads to Arrest • McMurray Named FMCSA’s Chief Safety Officer • Mass. Trucking Company Files Complaint Against FMCSA • Survey Cites Drivers’ HOS Compliance Concerns • And more...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said late Tuesday that it will announce a proposed rule regarding electronic on-board recorders for commercial trucks and buses on Thursday morning.