Business

A proposed 5% biodiesel mandate has died in the Iowa state legislature, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported.

While U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson indicated last week that her agency was moving forward with plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, opposition to a Senate cap-and-trade bill seemed to be gaining enough momentum to block its passage.

Wal-Mart Stores is pushing its suppliers to be more energy efficient and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 million metric tons by 2015, the Associated Press reported.

Ryder System said Monday it has signed a joint venture partnership with Cargo Services Far East Limited, an Asia-based logistics provider specializing in export consolidation services.

Truck component maker Accuride Corp. said it has successfully completed a reorganization plan and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after five months.

Consumer personal spending rose 0.5 in January, marking the fourth straight increase, the Commerce Department said Monday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new enforcement plan, Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, seems destined to be a major step forward in how the federal government oversees truck fleets and drivers.

Iowa’s trucking industry lost a dear friend and valued leader this past week. John Ruan was one of the three founders of the Iowa Motor Truck Association.

Orders for new trailers rose 10% in January, compared with 2009, ACT Research Co. LLC reported last week, but the increase may not signal the start of a prolonged recovery, an ACT analyst said.

Intermodal freight volumes showed their first year-over-year gain in 15 months during December as the U.S. economy improved, raising hopes for a resurgence, said the latest Intermodal Association of North America market report.