Government

U.S. economic activity, including trucking and freight transportation, was sluggish in July and August, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday.

Motor carriers and drivers providing emergency in areas affected by Hurricane Gustav will be relieved federal hours-of-service regulations, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration said.

U.S. factory orders rose 1.3% in July, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has sent a final rule linking the driver certification to the commercial license, and a proposed rule creating a national registry of doctors qualified to certify drivers to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

The Environmental Protection Agency said it waived some clean fuel requirements for 16 parishes in the Louisiana until next Monday, Sept. 8, due to Hurricane Gustav, which hit the state Monday.

Forward Air Corp. said Monday its wholly owned subsidiary, Forward Air Solutions Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire certain assets of Service Express, a privately held provider of pool distribution and related services headquartered in Spartanburg, S.C.

U.S. manufacturing fell slightly into contraction levels in August, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday.

Construction spending fell 0.6% in July, the Commerce Department said Tuesday.

The July truck tonnage report offered mixed signals about the industry and the U.S. economy, as American Trucking Associations’ index rose 4.4% from weak results a year earlier but declined 0.3% from the June totals.