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WASHINGTON — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in a long-awaited response to a ruling striking down key portions of its driver hours-of-service regulation, said it would continue allowing drivers 11 hours behind the wheel daily and letting them reset the weekly limit after a 34-hour break.

Truck trailer sales and production continued to lag through the third quarter, with U.S. registrations of new units down 24.7%, year-over-year, and the decline of industrywide production levels accelerating.

The number of people killed in large-truck crashes for every mile driven and the rate of fatal crashes involving large trucks fell to all-time lows in 2006, according to a Transport Topics analysis of data from the Department of Transportation.

Retail diesel posted its largest weekly decline of 2007, falling 9.1 cents to $3.325 a gallon following recent inventory gains and lower crude oil prices, the Department of Energy reported.

Restricting older trucks in the ports seems to be restricting trade. If these trucks are legal to use in the state of California, they should be allowed in the ports.

Rail carload traffic rose but intermodal levels fell for the week ended Saturday compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation asking the agency to deny the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s request to toll Interstate 80.

Prices paid to U.S. producers jumped 3.2% in November — the fastest pace in 34 years, the Labor Department said Thursday.

American Trucking Associations and Con-way Freight have teamed up to launch a national public service announcement safe-driving campaign for the holiday season.