As the next deadlines near, truck buyers must make decisions.

Spokesmen for two national truck stop operators said they would not commit to selling urea at their locations until the trucking industry demands that it be carried at the retail level.

Groups representing state vehicle licensing agencies and the trucking industry said federal officials have told them they would delay looming deadlines for security background checks of hazardous materials drivers.

American Trucking Associations submitted a proposal last week showing how it would administer $19.7 million in federal funds to boost security of trucking operations amid the threat of terrorism.

Advocates of using a chemical additive to help control heavy-duty truck engine emissions met in Chicago Sept. 10 and said afterward that they intended to meet with the Environmental Protection Administration by the end of this month.

The Department of Transportation will not stop requiring placards for hazardous material shipments, although the Department of Homeland Security wants to change or discontinue the familiar diamond-shaped labels because they could be a magnet for terrorists, DOT officials and others familiar with the issue said.

Several key U.S. trucking industry suppliers intend to seek Environmental Protection Agency approval later this month for a urea-based pollution control system they believe will most efficiently meet tightened federal emissions regulations.

The Department of Transportation said it was seeking comments on a petition from the Truckload Carriers Association, which has asked that motor carriers no longer be required to publicly report financial information, including balance sheets and income statements.

American Trucking Associations said it and the U.S. Transportation Safety Institute had agreed to hold a series of joint training seminars in January, teaching motor carriers how to prevent losses from cargo theft, hijackings and possible terrorist activity.

With only days left before the Transportation Security Administration’s Sept. 2 deadline to conduct criminal background checks of the nation’s 3.5 million hazardous materials drivers, TSA still released no new information last week.