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North American trucking fleets ordered 22,500 new Class 8 vehicles in February, a 7.3% decrease from last February and the second straight monthly decline, ACT Research reported. However, truck dealers told Transport Topics they were not concerned a downward trend had begun.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The increasing need to conserve driver hours, coupled with the spread of electronic onboard recorders and analytical tools, are driving more fleets to adopt a new yardstick, revenue per hour, to measure productivity, industry officials said.

Retail diesel prices advanced an additional 4.3 cents a gallon to a national average of $4.094 last week, a level not seen in 10 months, the U.S. Department of Energy reported.

The rate at which fatalities occurred in truck-involved crashes increased 9.4% in 2010 from the previous year’s all-time low, according to an analysis of Department of Transportation mileage data made public last week.

MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — President Obama proposed a federal tax credit designed to encourage the trucking industry to move toward natural-gas and electric vehicles by helping underwrite their higher acquisition costs.

In order to grow their revenue, many carriers say they want to be as flexible as possible in adapting to the specific needs of shippers and freight brokers.

Democratic and Republicans leaders reached agreement Wednesday clearing the way for a Senate vote on passage of a $109 billion federal highway bill, the Associated Press reported.

A coalition representing sellers of food and fuel products is urging the Senate to reject an amendment that would allow commercialization of interstate rest areas.

Initial jobless claims rose by 8,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Navistar International Corp. Thursday reported a loss for its fiscal first quarter, citing warranty costs and a brake manufacturer’s recall of a part that affected nearly 20,000 of its trucks.