Business

Mary Phillips, the chief lobbyist for American Trucking Associations for more than three years, announced her departure from the federation last week.

Sysco Corp.’s planned acquisition of its largest competitor, U.S. Foods, is likely to be approved by federal regulators and could spur competition among food-service distributors, a prominent food industry consultant said.

XPO Logistics Inc. has agreed to purchase Pacer International Inc., the nation’s third-largest truck-rail intermodal freight operator, for $335 million in a deal that underscores the growing importance of that market segment.

Tom Hassel Transport Inc. has no maintenance facility, and company President Tom Hassel said he is not interested in setting up a shop. Instead, the Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., company leases many of its trucks and plans to phase out the ones it owns.

Wal-Mart Canada said it wants to expand its “Supercube” fleet after initial testing found the vehicle’s additional freight capacity reduced transportation costs by 24%.

Transportation funding and truck safety will be thrust into the spotlight this week as the U.S. House of Representatives convenes its first hearing on a new highway bill and Department of Transportation leaders make several public addresses.

The Class 8 industry ended 2013 on a high note, as December truck orders surged 51% from year-ago levels, reinforcing manufacturers’ views that more growth could be coming in 2014.

The tentative agreement between UPS Freight and employees represented by the Teamsters went to a vote last week, seven months after the company’s original proposal was rejected by a wide margin.

The Teamsters union said employees at YRC Worldwide Inc. have turned down a contract extension proposal that the company said was critical to refi-nancing its debt and assuring long-term stability.