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U.S. freight railroads have reached a tentative contract with about 81,000 workers represented by the United Transportation Union, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

So, we were able to keep two important features of the hours-of-service rules in place — which should have been no surprise to any one.

Truckload carrier Knight Transportation’s fourth-quarter profit fell to $13.8 million, or 16 cents a share, from $18.9 million, or 23 cents, a year ago.

Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) signed a bill to temporarily allow trucks hauling forest products to exceed state weight limits by 5% in hopes of helping them offset high fuel prices, the Associated Press reported.

Oklahoma officials are set to begin a $61 million project to build nine state-of-the-art inspection stations will improve highway safety and better enforce truck weight laws, the Associated Press reported.

WASHINGTON — In a controversial report calling for huge new spending on the national transportation system, a congressional commission last week made several recommendations that would affect trucking, including new flexibility in the federal driver hours-of-service rule in congestion-prone areas.

U.S. retail fuel prices dipped last week, as crude oil costs fell. The Department of Energy said the average price for diesel around the nation was 5 cents a gallon lower at $3.326, while gas slipped 4.1 cents to $3.068.