Government

Heavy-duty U.S. truck sales continued their severe slide into a fifth month, as retail volume fell 39% in May, while the year-to-date total now lags the pace of last year by 33.9%, according to WardsAuto.com.

Several truck and engine manufacturers who plan to use selective catalytic reduction technology to meet 2010 emission standards have denied allegations by Navistar Inc. and have asked a federal appeals court to give them standing to argue against Navistar’s lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Diesel emission standards change again in January 2010, but unlike the previous modifications when all manufacturers used essentially the same emission-controlling technology, medium-duty truck buyers next year will have a choice of competing systems.

A requirement that tank trucks carrying gasoline and other flammable materials be retrofitted with equipment to purge wetlines would kill and injure far more repair shop workers than it would save motorists lives, the head of a tank truck carriers industry group told Congress.

The average price paid for retail diesel jumped another 7.4 cents last week to $2.572 a gallon, marking the sixth straight week of increases in the price of trucking’s main fuel for a total rise of 38.7 cents, the Department of Energy reported.

WASHINGTON — The cost of moving and storing goods nationwide fell 3.5% last year, the first decline in logistics-related ex-penses in six years, despite 2% higher transportation expenses. Manufacturers and retailers slashed inventories and excess capacity limited the ability of freight carriers to raise prices, according to a new report.

YRC Worldwide last week said it has reached an agreement with the largest pension fund that pays benefits to YRC’s unionized employees. The agreement allows the company to defer $83 million in second-quarter pension payments while it provides real estate as collateral.

WASHINGTON — Setting up what could be a major confrontation between Congress and the White House over transportation policy, a key House committee unveiled a $500 billion blueprint to remake the U.S. transport system, while on the same day the administration instead proposed extending the current plan for 18 months.

The Massachusetts Senate has approved a transportation reform bill that would avoid a planned toll increase in tolls and would abolish the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority by the end of the year, the Associated Press reported.

A carrier’s primary mission is to operate profitably while keeping customers loyal. However, less-than-truckload carrier sales teams often fall short of the mark because they work separately from the operations division and often are at cross-purposes unintentionally.