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Rail and intermodal traffic continued their weeks-long decline last week, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

SALTILLO, Mexico — Daimler Trucks North America dedicated its $300 million Freightliner plant here Feb. 27, as Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon, joined company officials to formally launch the new 1.3 million-square-foot facility.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said the country should move quickly to a vehicle-miles tax but meanwhile should raise fuel taxes significantly, al-though the higher taxes shouldn’t take effect for at least two years.

While much of the debate on the upcoming highway bill will focus on funding issues, a senator charged with overseeing the safety portion of the legislation said recently that “the status quo is simply unacceptable.”

The Environmental Protection Agency will require onboard diagnostics systems on at least one engine family per manufacturer starting in 2010.

Fourth-quarter U.S. worker productivity fell at a 0.4% annual rate, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Gary Weilheimer and Tom Tranovich, who have more than 40 years combined transportation experience, said they are opening linked non-asset-based businesses to serve the logistics industry.

The U.S. economy’s service sector contracted in February, at a faster pace than the previous month, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.

February U.S. automobile sales fell to the lowest rate in more than 27 years, led by a 53% plunge for General Motors Corp., Bloomberg reported.