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Volvo AB and Daimler AG are producing global heavy-duty engine platforms for use in North America, Europe and Asia, and other manufacturers plan to introduce their own versions, pushed by converging emission regulations, the need to reduce research and development costs and to take advantage of economies of scale, according to industry analysts and executives.

Commissioners at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on Dec. 1 voted to delay collection of an infrastructure cargo-container fee for at least six months.

Tank and bulk carrier Patriot Transportation Holding earned $3.2 million, or $1.02 a share, in its fiscal fourth quarter, up from $2.3 million, or 74 cents, in the 2007 quarter.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week issued a final rule requiring all interstate truck drivers to prove they have passed medical examinations and proposed a separate rule setting up a national registry of qualified examiners.

The Teamsters tentatively agreed to a 10% wage cut to help YRC Worldwide Inc. cope with the recession as part of a package that, among other things, requires YRC to give the union a 15% stake in the less-than-truckload carrier.

The U.S. economy’s service sector declined in November at the fastest pace on record, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.

Third-quarter U.S. worker productivity rose 1.3% in the third quarter, the Labor Department said Wednesday, more than a previous estimate.

The U.S. economy has been in a recession for the past year, the Associated Press reported Monday, citing a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research.