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Trucking and transportation stocks generally appreciated at a lower rate in 2012 than did the large, broad market indexes.

Ryder System Inc. last week promoted President and Chief Operating Officer Robert Sanchez to the additional post of chairman, effective Jan. 1.

Heavy-duty U.S. truck and engine makers appear headed for a third straight year of sales growth, although the trend may have peaked in August as volumes stumbled after that and new order rates dipped.

Truck tonnage probably will grow at a slower pace in 2013, but a stronger economic recovery could boost the industry in 2014 and 2015, according to the latest projections from American Trucking Associations.

FedEx Corp.’s Ground and Freight units increased fiscal second-quarter profit, cushioning the blow of lower profits at the Express business, the company reported last week.

After a series of temporary extensions kept highway construction projects and federal transportation programs afloat for three years, Congress in June finally passed a new highway reauthorization bill.

Major acquisitions, the upcoming electronic onboard recorder mandate and a move toward mobility platforms were among the year’s biggest developments in trucking’s technology arena.

Navistar International Corp. announced last week its fiscal fourth-quarter loss ballooned to $2.76 billion, mostly due to a tax-related charge, but executives said long-term product improvements will restore profits.

Like many of the nation’s businesses, American Trucking Associations operated cautiously in 2012, said Bill Graves, the federation’s president.

The trucking industry and its allies pushed back against modified hours-of-service rules for drivers, while federal regulators pushed ahead with safety initiatives that ranged from requiring electronic onboard recorders to ensuring that unsafe trucking companies cannot keep operating after being shut down.