Safety

Goldman Sachs, which recently announced that it will convert into a federally regulated bank holding company, has purchased a minority stake in closely held American Traffic Solutions, a Scottsdale, Ariz., provider of electronic toll payment and video-based traffic enforcement systems.

Ryder System said it will acquire Transpacific Container Terminal Ltd. and CRSA Logistics Ltd., as well as CRSA’s operations in Hong Kong and Shanghai, China.

Trucking industry leaders gathering in New Orleans this week at American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference & Exhibition will hear from experts on topics including the current financial turmoil, the upcoming elections, and preparations for next year’s highway bill and the 2010 engine emissions rules.

The California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach formally launched their clean-trucks programs last week without any apparent major glitches, although activity at some terminals was initially reported to be lighter than usual, with fewer trucks showing up at the gates.

The U.S. economy’s service sector declined but showed expanded in September, the Institute for Supply Management said Friday.

In this country and this economy, I, too, believe there’s a lot of unused space moving up and down our highways, creating inefficiencies.

Nearly a year into the application process, more than half of the estimated 1.2 million U.S. transportation workers have not applied for their Transportation Worker Identification Credential that, beginning April 15, 2009, will be required to gain entrance to all the nation’s ports and other transportation facilities.

The Bush administration has nominated David Kelly to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. manufacturing contracted in September at the fastest pace since the last recession, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.