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LAS VEGAS — Terry Dotson never set out to be a truck salesman, but he was so good on the lot selling big rigs that he rose eventually to be chairman and CEO of Worldwide Equipment Enterprises Inc.

Officials of brake manufacturer Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems said they are wrestling with the challenge of manufacturing and distributing replacement parts for a defective valve that could cause braking problems, which prompted federal and heavy-duty truck manufacturer recalls.

Truckload carrier P.A.M. Transportation Services reported a fourth-quarter profit after posting a loss in the same quarter last year.

Provisions that would have allowed states to permit larger, heavier trucks on interstate highways were voted down last week, just days after the highway reauthorization bill containing the measures was introduced in the House of Representatives.

The federal government’s chief truck overseer defended her agency’s controversial changes to the 34-hour restart provisions of the hours-of-service rule and vowed to continue efforts to cut the hours drivers may be behind the wheel.

Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies snack cakes and Wonder bread, filed for bankruptcy Wednesday, less than three years after completing an earlier restructuring.

Several key air and ground transportation issues are pressing before Congress, but lawmakers have only a few working days this month in which to address them.

Maryland’s Department of Transportation, working with the Maryland Motor Truck Association, said it has created a pilot program for truckers to use commuter park-and-ride lots to park when snowfalls exceed 6 inches.