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A coalition of highway users including American Trucking Associations applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision last week to reject tolls on Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania, though a truckers group in that state warned that officials may seek to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

PeopleNet, which provides onboard communications and fleet management systems, said Monday it is integrating its eDriver Logs automated driver log application with LoadMaster dispatch and enterprise software from McLeod Software.

In a sweeping decision with possible national implications, the Environmental Protection Agency has granted California a waiver that will allow state environmental regulators to implement stringent new heavy-duty vehicle and engine onboard diagnostics requirements for 2010 engines and beyond.

A federal judge last week denied American Trucking Associations’ request for a preliminary injunction against controversial portions of emission-reduction programs at the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

Astronomic fuel prices are only part of the economic drag on trucking these days. Add the growing length of time on accounts receivables, more customer bankruptcies and the tightening of credit by suppliers and lenders, and it’s easy to see how carriers’ cash flow has ebbed.

If the Chinese are going to make all the goods, the Arabs supply all the oil and the Mexicans do all the transportation, what are we going to do? This sounds very much like the fall of the Roman Empire in past history.

Trucking-related highway fatalities fell again last year, to their lowest level in 15 years, according to data from the Department of Transportation.