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UPS Inc. said late last week it was continuing talks to buy European package carrier TNT Express, after the Dutch company rebuffed a $6.5 billion bid, sparking speculation that a higher price and other bidders, such as FedEx Corp., could emerge.

By Neil Abt, News Editor

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will hear public comments at the Mid-America Trucking Show next month about the potential that drivers using electronic onboard recorders could be harassed by the carriers they drive for.

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has sent the legislature his proposal for imposing the state’s 6% sales tax on all motor fuel purchases — a plan that based on today’s prices could add nearly $40 in taxes every time a trucker fills up.

Class 8 tractors have long been the standard for U.S. for-hire carriers, yet for certain service lines, even the most venerable of heavy-duty fleets are now buying Class 6 and 7 trucks and sometimes even smaller cargo vans.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Less-than-truckload carriers need to improve their pricing discipline and sophistication to boost profits in a market where rate-driven, third-party logistics operators are playing a growing role, LTL executives said.

An index of leading economic indicators rose in December for a third straight month, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

Manufacturing activity in the New York region expanded in February at the fastest rate since June 2010, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday.

UPS Inc. on Wednesday said it has acquired Kiala, a European company that provides delivery options to consumers purchasing goods over the Internet. Terms were not disclosed.