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MINNEAPOLIS — ABF Freight System truck driver Ralph Garcia had to make a choice between being at the hospital for the birth of his first grandson or competing here in the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships.

The American Transportation Research Institute has released its annual survey to gauge the trucking industry’s top concerns.

Truck and engine manufacturer Navistar International Corp., pressed to find a way to offer engines that comply with federal emissions regulations, said last week that it has reached an agreement to use Cummins Inc. selective catalytic reduction technology for its 13-liter engines and offer Cummins 15-liter engines in some of its International brand trucks.

The California Air Resource Board will be conducting increased heavy duty diesel truck inspections throughout August at scales, truck stops and fleet facilities.

For carriers, the effort to find the best nonidling cooling option for the truck cab has not been without starts and stops.

Satisfaction with model-year 2011 trucks suffered as a result of technology added to comply with 2010 federal emissions regulations, which resulted in customers’ reporting more problems with the trucks, a recent J.D. Power and Associates’ survey found.

A year after U.S. officials agreed to allow Mexican trucks into the country, only four Mexican carriers are participating, far below the number the United States has said would be needed to judge the safety of Mexican trucks.

UPS said it has completed testing of its “plastic truck,” a composite-bodied vehicle that’s lighter and uses 40% less fuel than its current package cars, and will soon add 150 of the new vehicles to its delivery fleet.

The federal Compliance, Safety, Accountability program is in danger of turning its focus from its original intent — to reduce truck-related crashes, fatalities and injuries, American Trucking Associations said Thursday.