CHICAGO — Shipper representatives speaking at the McLeod Software User’s Conference 2011 here last week said the most important things a carrier should do are to be on time, provide delivery status and maintain dependable relationships.

The producer price index rose 0.2% in May, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

Mississippi officials said a behind-the-scenes political dispute prevented the uploading of about 30,000 commercial motor vehicle roadside inspection reports into the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s database — probably affecting the safety scores of the large number of motor carriers who received state inspections.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation is testing a system that allows officials to weigh commercial vehicles while they're traveling at full speed, the (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger newspaper reported.

Truckers and other carriers are reporting a seasonal pickup in freight volumes this fall that is in sharp contrast to 2009, when the recession ravaged cargo volumes, experts said.

The owners of cargo originating overseas and damaged while traveling to a U.S. destination by rail or truck under a single bill of lading cannot seek full reimbursement of their losses, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled.