Fuel

Trucking bankruptcies rose 11.5% in October from the previous month as carriers struggled with weak freight demand and sharply rising costs for fuel and other operating expenses, according to data from investment bank Credit Suisse in New York.

The average price of retail diesel fell 1.5 cents last week to $3.41 a gallon, ending a string of five straight increases that had pushed the fuel to record levels, the Department of Energy reported.

U.S. diesel fuel prices rose another 12.2 cents last week to $3.425 a gallon, the second consecutive record high and the eighth increase in the past nine weeks, the Department of Energy said.

For almost 30 years, we have had parking areas in mile-zone 262 near Elk Mountain in Wyoming. In 2006, the westbound parking area was removed during road repair. In 2007, the east-bound parking area was removed during road repair. Apparently, Wyoming does not intend to replace these two parking areas.

A federal appeals court ruled that Department of Transportation failed to take into account the value of reducing carbon emissions in setting the rules for 2008-2011 model light trucks and sport utility vehicles, Bloomberg News reported Thursday.

Daimler Truck Group, the commercial vehicle arm of Germany’s Daimler AG, on Monday announced a new clean commercial vehicles initiative, under which the company will manufacture more hybrid electric trucks and test the effectiveness of biofuels.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning to biodiesel producers they could face fines of up to $32,500 a day if their product does not meet quality standards.

The average price of a gallon of diesel in the United States jumped 14.6 cents last week, setting a new record high of $3.303 a gallon, the Energy Department reported. Last week’s diesel price, $3.157 a gallon, matched the old record, set Oct. 24, 2005.