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FedEx Corp. said an Internal Revenue Service audit team has proposed that no assessment of federal employment taxes be made against the company’s ground parcel unit for 2002, an important step in FedEx’s continuing legal battle over whether some of its workers are independent contractors or employees.

The sudden run-up of U.S. retail diesel fuel prices moderated last week, as the average price rose just 0.7 cent to $2.808 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported. Fleet executives, however, said the respite isn’t easing their cost pressures.

Investor Warren Buffett made a dramatic bid to buy the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., the largest U.S. railroad, in a move valued at $44 billion and intended to capitalize on future economic growth and intermodal’s potential.

The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 10.2% in October, a 26-year high, from 9.8% in September, the Labor Department said Friday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, in response to a legal challenge to the current hours-of-service regulations, will completely rewrite the 2008 HOS regulations, issue a proposed rulemaking within nine months and a new final rule in less than two years.

Consistent with the notion that every cloud has a silver lining, achievers in the logistics business are finding opportunities in difficult times.

Choosing the right freight forwarder to support your transportation efforts never has been more critical than during the current crippling recession — which may or may not be abating.

Freight broker BirdDog Logistics Services said that it has acquired Churchill Transport Group, a third-party logistics firm.

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Lubricant maker Valvoline and technology firm tiwi have unveiled a program for over-the-road fleets that they guarantee will boost fuel efficiency by at least 4%.