Business

UPS Inc. on Jan. 4 said it is expanding distribution facilities this year in the United States and three other countries to handle growing global demand for outsourced shipments of health-care products such as medicines and supplies.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has finally responded to our request for a federal mandate to limit heavy-duty truck speeds to 68 mph in order to improve safety on the nation’s highways.

Less-than-truckload carrier Southeastern Freight Lines, Lexington, S.C., opened a new logistics division Jan. 4 to provide shippers with services in dry van, refrigerated and flatbed truckload, expedited delivery, intermodal drayage, brokerage, air freight and distribution.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new proposed hours-of-service rule, which would impose complex restrictions on commercial drivers’ work schedules, was panned by officials on all sides of the issue.

Auctions are getting another look from truck buyers as good used equipment becomes scarce and prices are rising, according to dealers and industry watchers.

Orders for new Class 8 trucks in North America more than doubled in December from the same month in 2009 and totaled more than 25,000 units, two research organizations reported.

A federal court granted an extension to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for its overdue regulation on documents truckers use to verify hours-of-service records. The regulation also will expand the mandate for the use of electronic onboard recorders.

More equipment options are unfolding for truckers as they take on additional responsibility for chassis formerly supplied by ocean carriers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will abide by trucking industry requests and formally consider a proposed rule to require manufacturers to install devices to limit heavy trucks to 68 miles per hour, possibly as soon as 2012.