A shipper group has expressed “profound disappointment” over a so-called fact-finding investigation by the Federal Maritime Commission into numerous U.S. importer and exporter complaints about “perceived malpractices” by ocean carriers that resulted in supply-chain service disruptions and rate and surcharge increases in late 2009 and 2010.

Intermodal traffic rose 13.8% last week from a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week finalized its 2011 national renewable fuel standard, calling for the production of 800 million gallons of biodiesel, up from 650 million gallons in 2010.

Booming dry-van sales led to a surge in U.S. trailer registrations in the third quarter, as buyers registered 35% more new trailers than in the corresponding period of last year, R.L. Polk & Co. reported.

Swift Holdings Corp., the new corporate name for carrier Swift Transportation, said it plans to raise as much as $1.01 billion this month in an initial public offering of shares that could be the largest ever for a truckload fleet.

Consumer confidence rose in November, the New York-based Conference Board said Tuesday.

Consumer confidence increased this month, according to the monthly Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Wednesday.