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In comments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about the agency’s proposed sharp Unified Carrier Registration fee increase, industry groups and state enforcement agencies continued to debate the need for and size of the increase.

Damaged or ruptured tank-truck wetlines resulted in 13 fatalities and seven injuries over the past 10 years, according to a new analysis by federal regulators.

Both the Senate and the Obama administration last week unveiled major initiatives to crack down on the largest U.S. emitters of greenhouse gases.

Detroit Diesel Corp. completed its filing with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval of its 2010 truck engines, the third U.S. engine maker to do so, the company said Sept. 29, adding that it also filed with the California Air Resources Board.

Three major truck makers altered their manufacturing activities last week. Daimler Trucks reversed its decision to shutter its Portland, Ore., plant; Peterbilt Motors closed its dormant Madison, Tenn., factory; and Navistar International announced it has found a Chinese manufacturer with which it will work as part of its partnership with Caterpillar Inc.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will move to ban cell-phone texting by truck drivers and to restrict the use of other in-cab communications units, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

U.S. retail diesel prices dipped again last week as the national average reached $2.601, 2.1 cents lower than the week before, according to the Department of Energy.

WASHINGTON — While government officials, researchers and industry executives debated the merits of limiting driver distractions, state and federal lawmakers used last week’s distracted driving summit to pitch their various solutions to what Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood called “an epidemic.”

Factory orders fell 0.8%% in August, the first decline after four months of increases, the Commerce Department said Friday.