Safety

Covenant Transportation Group said late Monday it lost $3.4 million, or 24 cents a share, in the third quarter, compared with a loss of $3.6 million, or 25 cents, a year ago.

The California Air Resources Board has made available for public comment the latest draft version of two regulations that are aimed at cleaning up emissions from the estimated 1 million heavy-duty diesel trucks that operate in California.

Although 2009 approaches, and technology seems to surround us everywhere we turn, many companies still don’t consider fleet maintenance a first-tier, mission-critical function, putting it instead in the “necessary evil” category.

Publicly traded less-than-truckload carriers generally posted lower earnings in the third quarter, with several fleets warning that freight volumes would get worse as the fourth quarter unfolds.

The U.S. Department of Justice last week backed American Trucking Associations’ attempt to block concession requirements included in the clean-trucks plans adopted by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif.

The Department of Transportation is making $679 million available to states to cover costs incurred to repair roads and bridges damaged by “a variety of natural emergencies and catastrophic events.”

Rail and intermodal traffic declined last week compared with the same week a year ago, the Association of American Railroads said.

Truckload carrier Knight Transportation’s third-quarter profit rose to $16.1 million, or 19 cents a share, from $14.5 million, or 17 cents, a year ago.

Truck dealership Rush Enterprises’ third-quarter net income fell to $8 million, or 21 cents a share, down from $13.1 million, or 34 cents, a year ago.

NEW ORLEANS — Fleet executives said that despite the benefits of using safety technology, attitudes within the industry need to change in order to have wider acceptance.