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Logistics firm Expeditors International of Washington said airfreight tonnage has risen 40% in the first three months of 2010 compared to last year, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. consumer confidence increased this month, according to the latest Reuters/University of Michigan monthly consumer sentiment index released Friday.

WASHINGTON — A week after President Obama announced that the federal government would be crafting the first-ever fuel economy standards for large trucks, observers said it was still unclear exactly what those standards would entail.

Lawyers for American Trucking Associations have filed a petition asking that all 13 federal appeals court judges with the District of Columbia Circuit reconsider a three-judge panel’s decision that let California’s “reefer retrofit” rule stand.

A new U.S. Department of Transportation study hints that the Obama administration’s recently announced plans to increase heavy truck fuel efficiency and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions likely will rely on a combination of existing aerodynamic design technologies and future diesel engine and drivetrain modifications that barely have left the laboratory or still are in development.

Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 is prompting a surge of action by fleets, including a sudden push to hire safety experts as the new federal program closely scrutinizes carrier performance, experts said.

The federal government’s evolving Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 program is creating headaches for freight brokers who are trying to protect themselves from potential legal liability by picking safe motor carriers, according to industry officials.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. Please check back on Tuesday, June 1, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.

Clearly, apprehension over the potential ramifications of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new truck safety ratings program is growing as we move closer to full implementation of the plan.

I agree with “Opinion” writer Paul Landry: There’s no question that safety is more important than money. As consumers, we need to do the same when it comes to setting priorities.