Manufacturing activity in the Chicago region improved in August, the National Association of Purchasing Management said Friday.

The annual National Truck Driver Association Week began Sunday and will run through Saturday, American Trucking Associations said.

Dennis Shirar, a driver with Indianapolis-based Heritage Transport who has driven 3 million accident-free miles, was named the 2008 National Truck Driving Grand Champion, American Trucking Associations said.

Existing homes sales rose 3.1% in July, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.

Two national truckload carriers have signed letters of intent to participate in the port of Los Angeles’ Clean Trucks Plan, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Truckers running hazardous materials will have to bypass the Denver area during the Democratic National Convention later this month, according to police officials.

We’ve now had four reasonably sharp weekly declines in the national average price of diesel fuel. While retail prices have dropped more than 41 cents a gallon over that span, the average is still astronomically high — $1.506 more than the average one year ago.