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The Department of Transportation’s freight transportation services index declined 7.8% in January from a year earlier, DOT said Wednesday.

The California Air Resources Board urged federal regulators to reverse a Bush administration decision that blocks the state’s efforts to set its own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, the Associated Press reported.

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved California’s new limits on refrigerated trailers entering and operating inside the “Golden State,” giving truck owners and drivers about five months to prepare before enforcement hits July 17.

What the federal stimulus package does for road transportation and job creation may be more piecemeal than grand, but whether it’s filling potholes or replacing a crumbling bridge, it’s heartening to contemplate the flurry of construction activity that is about to sweep across the land.

As cash flow becomes tighter for many fleets, more are turning to financial services that pay invoices almost instantly. Trucking and financial executives said that while the service known as “factoring” can be beneficial, once a fleet gets started, it can be hard to stop. As a result, they recommend carriers understand the full scope of services offered and costs involved.

January truck tonnage fell 10.8% below year-ago levels, the fourth consecutive year-over-year decline and another signal the freight recession shows no signs of bottoming out yet, American Trucking Associations said.

Rail and intermodal traffic continued their weeks-long decline last week, the Association of American Railroads said Thursday.

SALTILLO, Mexico — Daimler Trucks North America dedicated its $300 million Freightliner plant here Feb. 27, as Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon, joined company officials to formally launch the new 1.3 million-square-foot facility.