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Truck makers and parts suppliers, along with freight carriers and logistics firms, face a shortage of professional and technical talent, transportation industry recruiting specialists said.

WASHINGTON — U.S. interstate highways are in need of rebuilding and repair, but the use of tolls as a funding source is less efficient than raising the federal fuel tax, said Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations.

Most carriers once again im-proved earnings during the fourth quarter, riding a wave of rate increases and modest but steady freight growth, two trends that are expected to continue in 2012.

Orders for new Class 8 trucks jumped 68.6% last year from 2010, as the year closed with an 11.8% increase in December from a year earlier, according to ACT Research Co.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — With its Class 8 truck order book overflowing and all signs pointing to a continuing market recovery, Daimler Trucks North America said it will add a second shift to its primary U.S. production facility, creating 1,200 new jobs.

Two new chassis pool options are emerging for drayage carriers that have been struggling with equipment issues since ocean lines began in 2009 to back away from providing chassis free-of-charge for moving international containers.

Tire manufacturers say that an ongoing shortage of component materials — which is expected to continue through 2012 and beyond — combined with soaring global demand and logistics costs, has driven up costs and led the makers to boost prices for commercial tires.

As Congress returns to work this week after its extended holiday vacation, members face two deadlines that, if not met, could bring transportation safety programs and construction projects to a halt.

Trucking company failures reached the second-lowest level ever during 2011’s fourth quarter, reflecting the industry’s improving financial fortunes, according to a new report.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Please check back on Tuesday, Jan. 17, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.