������ý

WASHINGTON — Legislation proposed last week could allow federal weight limits for trucks to rise to 97,000 pounds and for the first time set fuel-efficiency standards for trucks.

Cascade Sierra Solutions, a nonprofit group that promotes the sale of products to help truck drivers save fuel and reduce emissions, said it has opened the first of what could be as many as eight “green truck technology” showrooms along the Interstate 5 corridor in Oregon, Washington and California.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for the first time sharp cuts in exhaust emissions from railroad locomotive and marine engines in a plan a spokesman said would “follow exactly the same pattern” as environmental regulations for truck engines.

As the trucking industry shifts to the next generation of low-emission diesel engines, some fleet maintenance managers said they have experienced few problems with the transition, which presents maintenance adjustments for heavy-duty and medium-duty trucks alike.

The Ontario Trucking Association said Tuesday that an apparent diesel fuel shortage in the province was causing concern to truckers.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — The president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission said a licensing system would be “up and running within five years” at his port and the neighboring Port of Los Angeles to ensure all trucks entering the facilities meet strict emission standards.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The new chairman of the Senate Finance Committee told directors of American Trucking Associations last week that he supported creation of federal financial incentives to help fleets purchase new, cleaner-burning diesel engines and auxiliary power units.

ARLINGTON, Va. — American Trucking Associations said last week it would become more vocal in its support for increased fuel efficiency in heavy trucks and ratified an agreement with the biodiesel industry to promote that fuel at the federal level.

Most major truck engine manufacturers said they are now testing prototypes of engines developed to meet the federal government’s 2010 diesel engine emission standards. Two of them said they will have engines available for testing next year.

For anyone who operates a commercial truck, there is little doubt about the importance of the vehicle’s fuel efficiency — especially in this era of historically high diesel and gasoline prices.