Business

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In a number of small buildings scattered around the outskirts of this burgeoning city, a young public company is working away at helping lead the trucking industry to natural gas.

Geofencing, the ability to use tracking or communications systems to alert carriers if a truck goes off its specified route, originally was touted for its anti-terrorism potential.

WASHINGTON — From a dollars and cents viewpoint, natural gas is an effective alternative to diesel, early adopters of the fuel insist.

Obtaining financing for truck purchases is becoming easier, with more banks returning to a market that had been dominated by manufacturers’ finance arms, according to several lenders and fleet executives.

Teamsters employees at ABF Freight System approved a new master contract, but additional talks will be required later this month because some side agreements were rejected.

American Trucking Associations said it will host a summit later this year to focus on how fleets can improve their performance using technology and data analysis.

Mike Campbell, who has led the California Trucking Association for eight years, will retire from the organization as soon as it picks his successor, the group announced late last month.

A federal judge ruled that Old Dominion Freight Line’s policy of never allowing a truck driver back behind the wheel after treatment for alcoholism is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

U.S. retail diesel prices hit their lowest level in more than 11 months last week as the national average dipped 2.1 cents to $3.817 a gallon, according to data from the Department of Energy.