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LAS VEGAS — Terry Dotson never set out to be a truck salesman, but he was so good on the lot selling big rigs that he rose eventually to be chairman and CEO of Worldwide Equipment Enterprises Inc.

Provisions that would have allowed states to permit larger, heavier trucks on interstate highways were voted down last week, just days after the highway reauthorization bill containing the measures was introduced in the House of Representatives.

U.S. truckers closed out the year with a surge of heavy-duty truck buying that led to the highest-volume month and highest-volume year since 2006, according to data from WardsAuto.com. Sales boomed 78.3% in December and 59.9% for the year, compared with 2010.

The federal government’s chief truck overseer defended her agency’s controversial changes to the 34-hour restart provisions of the hours-of-service rule and vowed to continue efforts to cut the hours drivers may be behind the wheel.

Canadian carrier Contrans Group said Thursday it has acquired Wilburn Archer Trucking, a dry-bulk trucking business based in Norwood, Ontario.

Maryland’s Department of Transportation, working with the Maryland Motor Truck Association, said it has created a pilot program for truckers to use commuter park-and-ride lots to park when snowfalls exceed 6 inches.

Trucking executives said the industry could see some benefits of the recently announced U.S.-Canadian trade agreement as early as this year.

I have attended several meetings of American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council where participants have stated they simply want to know how many years a component will last.

DOT released its long-awaited final hours-of-service rule Thursday, leaving in place an 11-hour daily driving limit while cutting drivers' weekly hours. The rule was not well-received by trucking and shippers' groups.