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California legislators have approved a pair of bills that would provide funding to help fleets purchase low-emission trucks and encourage the development and use of alternative-fuel trucks.

Less-than-truckload carrier Central Freight Lines Inc. has added 100 Freightliner compressed natural gas-powered tractors to its fleet of more than 1,600 trucks, the companies announced.

The adoption of natural gas as a transportation fuel continues to pick up speed. It is no surprise to me: I spent more than 30 years in the waste business and was the CEO of Republic Services, which is now the nation’s second-largest waste services provider, when the industry began to consider transitioning from diesel, a fuel we had used for decades. I understand the challenges in making the decision to switch to natural gas.

Clark County, home to Las Vegas, will begin indexing state fuel taxes Jan. 1. For Clark County purchases, that could add 3 cents to 5 cents a gallon to the state’s 27.81-cent-a-gallon diesel tax in 2014 and as much as 9 cents to 15 cents by 2016.

The U.S. trade deficit increased 13.3% in July from an almost four-year low, the Commerce Department reported.

Federal regulators withdrew some portions of a rule they tried to finalize in June that would have made minor technical amendments to the upcoming greenhouse-gas emissions and fuel-efficiency standards for heavy trucks.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the 2013 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the Renewable Fuel Standard program established by Congress to reduce carbon climate change.

Massachusetts became the latest state to increase its fuel taxes, with lawmakers approving a transportation-funding plan Wednesday that will add 3 cents to the state’s 21-cent-per-gallon diesel and gasoline taxes.

The diesel fuel tax will increase in a number of states across the nation  July 1, while Virginia and Maryland will begin charging new sales taxes that also will increase the cost of fuel.