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Choosing the right freight forwarder to support your transportation efforts never has been more critical than during the current crippling recession — which may or may not be abating.

FedEx Corp. said that its FedEx Express subsidiary will purchase 51 new gasoline-electric hybrid step vans.

Old Dominion Freight Line said it is improving its Northwest gateway into Canada effective Monday, which will connect more than 65 of its service centers to Edmonton and Calgary, Canada.

Refrigerated carrier Frozen Food Express Industries lost $2.6 million, or 15 cents a share, in the third quarter, compared with net income of $1.4 million, or 8 cents, a year ago.

Logistics service providers are adjusting as the global economic downturn has caused many companies to curtail production and reduce inventories, stalling the longtime trend of expanding international trade, thereby reducing demand for transportation services in North America.

Navistar Inc. last week opposed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s request to stop action on the truck maker’s lawsuit against the agency, which said it needed time to review its guidance on 2010 emissions regulation.

Truck stop chain TravelCenters of America said Monday it lost $12.2 million, or 73 cents per share, compared with a profit of $16.7 million, or $1.08, a year ago.

Air freight carriers appear to be pulling out of a steep dive caused by the global economic downturn over the past year, but company executives and industry observers said they expect the recovery to be slow and uneven.