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Mexico-based Transportes Olympic sent the first Mexican truck into the United States in more than two years this month as part of the cross-border trucking agreement between the countries, kicking off the three-year test of Mexican carriers.

As federal regulators worked behind closed doors late last week to meet a court deadline for posting a final hours-of-service rule, trucking industry stakeholders and members of Congress stepped up the level of public debate.

As winter approaches — and with some parts of the country already being subjected to an early taste of seasonal traffic problems — carrier executives and drivers have said experienced people behind the wheels of the tractor-trailers are the best defense against the hazards caused by the weather.

September orders for new trailers jumped 31% from a year earlier, following a summer slowdown, and trailer manufacturers said their production backlog combined with ongoing intake strength would keep factories busy well into next year.

Truck tonnage climbed 5.9% in September, according to American Trucking Associations’ well-watched index, a result that should allay fears of another recession.

Consumer confidence rose this month, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index released Friday.

Several major oil companies cited higher crude prices in reporting higher third-quarter profits.

Universal Truckload Services said its third-quarter profit increased on higher truckload revenue.

Arkansas Best Corp. swung to a third-quarter profit from loss a year ago on improved pricing, the company said Friday.

Consumer personal spending climbed 0.6% in September, the Commerce Department said Friday.