PITTSBURGH — Day-to-day on the job, driving a truck is a mostly solitary occupation, which explains in part why the National Truck Driving Championships attract so many repeat contestants, coming back year after year to rub shoulders with other top drivers from around the country, as well as to carry on their quest for a trophy.

Existing homes sales jumped to a two-year high in July, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

Transportation and third-party logistics firm Pacer International said Thursday it has completed the sale of its specialized heavy-haul trucking operation to subsidiaries of Universal Truckload Services.

Menlo Worldwide Logistics said that it has opened an export logistics center in Joliet, Ill., to serve heavy duty equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc.

The Phoenix Group said that its logistics business is expanding with a multi-year contract with a Mexican grocery chain and the hiring of 15 new employees.

National Tank Truck Carriers Monday launched its new Web site, featuring updated information for its members and the public.

The new economic Siamese twins, namely the stock market and oil prices, are continuing to rise in lockstep, bringing relief and pain to consumers — and the national economy — simultaneously.

Despite a challenging economic climate, a record number of drivers will participate in the National Truck Driving Championships this week.

A proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule designed to expand biofuel use actually has brought the biodiesel market “to a grinding halt,” because it does not allow most blends of soy oil, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

President Obama last week assured Mexican President Felipe Calderon that the United States remains committed to reaching a cross-border trucking agreement with its southern neighbor.