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The average price of retail diesel fuel in the country dropped for the third straight week, this time by 4.1 cents a gallon to $2.98, the Department of Energy reported, bringing the price of trucking’s main fuel below $3 for the first time since late March.

While we’re thankful fuel prices have moderated a bit of late, this year’s oil cost spiral apparently has taken a notable toll on the overall economy, raising concerns that the national recovery is being sapped.

American Trucking Associations, truck manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have urged the Senate to address a research and development bill on increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

Hybrid engine technology is not yet ready for Class 8 over-the-road trucks, but it is making inroads in other heavy- and medium-duty applications and appears to be performing well, both on the road and in the shop.

A new U.S. Department of Transportation study hints that the Obama administration’s recently announced plans to increase heavy truck fuel efficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions likely will rely on a combination of existing aerodynamic design technologies and future diesel engine and drivetrain modifications that barely have left the laboratory or still are in development.

WASHINGTON — A week after President Obama announced that the federal government would be crafting the first-ever fuel economy standards for large trucks, observers said it was still unclear exactly what those standards would entail.

The average retail price paid for a gallon of diesel dropped 7.3 cents to $3.021 last week, the Energy Department said, as the biggest one-week decline in nearly 18 months followed a recent slide in crude oil prices.

Logistics firm Expeditors International of Washington said airfreight tonnage has risen 40% in the first three months of 2010 compared to last year, the Associated Press reported.