Government

According to the most recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration census, there are now 16,930 registered transportation brokers. These numbers have been growing at a rate of 30% over the course of the past three years.

Schneider National Inc., which recently received a license to operate as a domestic carrier in China, is at the leading edge of a growing Asian investment wave by U.S. fleets, joining both truckload and less-than-truckload companies that have partnerships or logistics operations there.

Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico dipped 0.1% in December from the same month a year earlier, though both truck and rail numbers rose, the Department of Transportation said.

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index for February rose to positive territory from January’s contraction, ISM said Thursday.

U.S. construction spending fell 0.8% January, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Consumer personal spending rose 0.5% in January, and incomes rose 1%, boosted by bonus payments, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

Transportation and logistics firm EGL Inc. said its fourth-quarter income fell to $10.9 million or 27 cents a share, from $19.1 million or 47 cents in the previous fourth quarter.

A gauge of Chicago manufacturing activity fell in February, the National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday.

The new chairman of the pivotal House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. James Oberstar, said he would support a pilot program to test the effects that raising truck size and weight limits would have on the nation’s highways.

New home sales fell in January by 16.6%, the biggest drop since 1994, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.