Safety

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings will expand a factory in Michigan to build more parts for large commercial trucks, reducing its reliance on General Motors Corp. for business, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The U.S. economy’s service sector expanded in August following two straight months of contraction, the Institute for Supply Management said Thursday.

Second-quarter U.S. worker productivity rose at a 4.3% annual rate, more than previously estimated, the Labor Department said Thursday.

U.S. economic activity, including trucking and freight transportation, was sluggish in July and August, according to a Federal Reserve report released Wednesday.

Motor carriers and drivers providing emergency in areas affected by Hurricane Gustav will be relieved federal hours-of-service regulations, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration said.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has sent a final rule linking the driver certification to the commercial license, and a proposed rule creating a national registry of doctors qualified to certify drivers to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Ryder System said Wednesday it completed its previously announced acquisition of Gordon Truck Leasing, based in Philadelphia.

American Trucking Associations Wednesday launched ATA Business Solutions, a line of information products, business tools, services, training programs and conferences designed to address critical issues affecting trucking-related companies.

Wright Express Corp. said it completed its acquisition of Financial Automation Limited, a New Zealand-based international provider of fuel card processing software systems.