Government

Arkansas Best Corp.’s first-quarter profit jumped 78% to $8.5 million, or 34 cents a share, from $4.8 million, or 19 cents, a year earlier.

The New Hampshire Senate passed a bill that would require law enforcement to provide a 5% overweight “tolerance” for most trucks on non-interstate roads.

Eastern freight railroad Norfolk Southern Corp. said its first-quarter profit rose 2%, as higher revenue per shipment offset an overall drop in traffic and record fuel prices.

Transportation and logistics firm C.H. Robinson Worldwide’s first-quarter profit rose to $86.3 million, or 50 cents a share, from $73 million, or 42 cents, a year ago.

The Department of Transportation proposed Tuesday to boost fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks by almost 25% by the year 2015.

The state of Texas said it received about 1,450 requests for grants as part of its $110 million emission-reduction plan to help carriers retrofit and replace older trucks to help clean the state’s air.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has introduced legislation to lower the federal tax on diesel fuel, to make it on par with the gasoline tax.

Covenant Transportation Group said late Monday it lost $7.8 million, or 56 cents a share, in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $2.1 million, or 15 cents, a year ago.

Forward Air Corp.’s first-quarter profit was $10 million, or 35 cents a share, compared with $10.3 million, or 34 cents, a year earlier.