Business

About Business News...

Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.

Business, Safety

Share the Road Drivers Visit N.Y. Motorcycle Rally

American Trucking Associations’ Share the Road safety program tractor-trailer rode into Lake George, N.Y., last week for a three-day safety demonstration to motorcycle riders.

June 12, 2008
Business, Fuel

Oil Jumps $5 to Top $136 a Barrel

Oil jumped $5 to more than $136 a barrel Wednesday following a Department of Energy report that showed crude inventories fell more than expected last week, Bloomberg reported.

June 11, 2008
Government, Business, Safety

TWIC Contractor Under Fire for Leaving Callers on Hold

The call center run by the contractor responsible for overseeing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program has delayed additional enrollments by leaving workers on hold for more than 20 minutes on average, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security said.

June 11, 2008
Fuel, Business, Government

Fed Cites Economic Weakness, Trucking’s Concerns Over Fuel Prices

U.S. economic activity remained generally weak in late April and May, and some trucking companies reported having difficulty passing on high fuel costs to their customers, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

June 11, 2008
Government, Business

Midwest Floods Damage Roads, Bridges

Heavy rains led to severe flooding in several Midwest states this week, taking out some major roads and rail bridges and causing millions of dollars in damages, news services reported.

June 11, 2008
Business, Safety, Government

DOT’s Freight Transport Index Rises Slightly

The Department of Transportation’s freight transportation services index for April rose slightly from a year ago, but was unchanged from March, DOT said Wednesday.

June 11, 2008
Business, Safety, Government, Fuel

Letters to the Editor: Fuel-Cost Crisis, Drug & Alcohol Testing, Trucker Pride

I joined the company where I work about three months ago, and one of my top-priority jobs has been fuel usage. We had to look at our idling time because all our trucks are sleepers and the drivers run in 48 states.

June 11, 2008
Business, Safety, Government

TWIC Machines Faulty, Lawmaker Says

Most of the machines that process the Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards are broken, according to a House lawmaker, the Associated Press reported.

June 11, 2008
Government, Business, Safety

FMCSA Extends CDL-Permit Comment Period to July 9

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended a comment period for states to establish commercial learner’s permits by a month, to July 9.

June 11, 2008
Fuel, Business, Government

Two Truck Drivers Killed in European Fuel-Price Protests

Police cleared striking truckers who were protesting high fuel prices from the Spanish-French border, and two striking drivers were killed in separate incidents in Spain and Portugal, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

June 11, 2008