Government

The use of safety belts by commercial drivers will be a major focus of the International Roadcheck 2008 event, safety officials said.

NEW YORK — Executives with four of the largest U.S. trucking fleets all said they are not planning to pre-buy trucks next year.

The House of Representatives passed a bill last week that included a tax break for companies purchasing trucks with auxiliary power units or advanced insulation by exempting the cost of those items from the federal excise tax on trucks.

California work crews will close parts of Interstate 5 in Sacramento starting Friday, the California Department of Transportation said on its Web site.

Jevic Transportation, the heavyweight less-than-truckload carrier and vendor to the chemical industry whose rapid growth at an early age once impressed investors, closed its doors and filed for bankruptcy last week after 27 years in business.

As fuel prices have skyrocketed, trucking companies have been forced to look closer at other parts of their businesses to trim costs.

The average retail diesel price continued its meteoric rise last week, surging another 16.6 cents to a record $4.497 a gallon, according to the Department of Energy.

The New Jersey Motor Truck Association has put a large banner link on its Web site to help the approximately 1,000 truck drivers who were let go from Jevic Transportation this week find work.

A group that represents truckers at the Port of New York/New Jersey is backing a proposal to raise tolls and the gasoline tax in the state, the Associated Press reported.

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