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U.S. factory shipments of commercial trailers plunged 44% in 2009 from the previous year to 80,415 units, the lowest total since 1975, as dry van shipments fell to the lowest level since 1961, ACT Research Co. reported.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — Bose Corp., the acoustics company best known for its high-end audio equipment and noise-canceling headphones, last week unveiled a sophisticated heavy-duty truck seat designed to ease the wear and tear on drivers.

In his first State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to pass legislation to create jobs through infrastructure spending and tax cuts, but his proposed freeze in nondefense spending starting in 2011 could complicate the passage of a new highway bill, observers said last week.

Although the overall credit market appears to be returning to some semblance of normalcy, trucking executives said they still face higher borrowing costs as many commercial banks remain cautious about lending and uncertainty persists about the U.S. economic recovery.

The U.S. retail diesel average price fell 3.7 cents a gallon to $2.833 last week, the largest one-week decline since July, the Department of Energy reported.

WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week issued an order immediately forbidding commercial drivers from texting on handheld mobile devices and instituting steep fines for violators.

Truck tonnage rose in December for the first time in 15 months, year-over-year, as the U.S. economy picked up steam, American Trucking Associations reported.

U.S. intermodal rail traffic rose 2.9% last week compared with the same week last year, the Association of American Railroads said.

Truck maker Paccar Inc.’s fourth-quarter profit fell to $46.1 million, or 13 cents a share, from $113.1 million, or 31 cents, a year ago.

A winter storm heading eastward across Tennessee into the Carolinas Friday is causing havoc on roads due to ice and snow, news services reported.