WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — The leadership of American Trucking Associations last week urged the federal government not to attempt to regulate the speed with which trucks are loaded and unloaded.

Although the U.S. economy continues to improve, there remains a spottiness within the freight-hauling sector, a logistics executive said.

There’s no doubt that the failure of some shippers and consignees to promptly load or unload trailers is a serious issue for the trucking industry. Because of this, most fleets have added detention rules into their contracts with their customers, detailing just how long it should take for a trailer to be loaded or unloaded.

Menlo Worldwide Logistics said it is expanding manufacturing for Bobcat Co. and will be hiring about 35 workers in the next few weeks.

Canadian transporter TransForce Inc. said its first-quarter net earnings fell to C$14.9 million, or 15 Canadian cents a share, from C$26.1 million, or 27 cents, in a year earlier.

Trailer Bridge Inc.’s first-quarter loss widened to $10.4 million, or 86 cents per share, compared with a loss of $300,00, or 3 cents, a year ago.

Billy Cyr, a 19-year veteran executive with Procter & Gamble Co., had 90 days to begin the transformation of a struggling, spun-off subsidiary into the beginnings of a prosperous stand-alone beverage company, so he sought inspiration from a muse.

Intermodal traffic volume rose 9% in the first quarter, the fifth straight year-over-year increase, the Intermodal Association of North America said Friday.