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ORLANDO, Fla. — An empty booth at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s 2009 Transportation Technology Exhibition marked the spot where auxiliary power manufacturer Rigmaster Power Corp. was to display its wares.

U.S. trucking customers bought just 7,374 new Class 8 tractors in January, the lowest one-month total in 17 years and a drop of more than 5,000 units from December, WardsAuto.com reported.

With so much attention being placed on the economic stimulus legislation, trucking has not been able to uncover much about the Obama administration’s transportation policy, said Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations.

Some truckload fleets said they are selectively cutting driver pay for the first time in years to counter cost pressures as the recession dries up freight demand.

State truck registration fees would more than double under a proposal being prepared for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under a two-year-old system Congress set up to reduce fees for for-hire carriers.

Technological glitches related to the launch of a container fee program are being blamed for congestion that jammed the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., on Feb. 18.

ORLANDO, Fla. — With the United States in a recession, the federal government is commanding a larger presence, two business lobbyists said, and while that does bring with it the potential for trouble, many executives at a manufacturers’ conference here welcomed the potential for help.

President Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus package into law last week that included about $27.5 billion in highway funding, some of which already is being put to use.

California environmental regulators are drawing up plans to issue vouchers as early as this spring to small fleets to help them pay for replacing old trucks with units carrying a 2007 or newer diesel engine.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Some truckload fleets that plan to purchase new tractors in 2009 say they may scale back their purchases as the U.S. economy weakens further, but others said they intend to keep buying.