Equipment

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region slipped but still showed expansion for a fourth straight month, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

Auctions are getting another look from truck buyers as good used equipment becomes scarce and prices are rising, according to dealers and industry watchers.

Orders for new Class 8 trucks in North America more than doubled in December from the same month in 2009 and totaled more than 25,000 units, two research organizations reported.

Appointment scheduling is common in today’s transportation industry. It allows for the orderly receipt of shipments, reduces waiting time and increases routing and operations productivity. When all goes according to plan, the supply chain flows with optimal efficiency.

A federal appeals court granted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration an extension on its proposal for hours-of-service documents until Jan. 31.

Commercial vehicle parts maker Accuride Corp. was relisted on the New York Stock Exchange in December.

Ryder System said it will acquire The Scully Companies, a California-based provider of contract carriage and related services.

Manufacturing activity in the Philadelphia region rose this month at the fastest level in more than five years, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday.

When the economy deteriorates, the use of preventive maintenance at trucking companies — including programs involving tires — sometimes follows suit, regardless of climate conditions such as the coming of winter.

The U.S. economy’s service sector expanded at a faster pace in November, the Institute for Supply Management said Friday.