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Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) last week continued his efforts to move federal oversight of truck safety out of the Federal Highway Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that a fuel truck driver’s failure to follow proper safety procedures was the primary cause of a gasoline fire that killed five people and injured one in August 1998 at a convenience store on U.S. Route 90 in Biloxi, Miss.

The Teamsters union said it remains on "high alert" for an imminent strike against Overnite Transportation. But so far, the promised picketing of the carrier has not materialized.

Anticipating a plummeting market rate for electronic data interchange, Tom McLeod Software is slashing by 50% the transaction fee for customers who use Kleinschmidt Inc.’s value-added network.

Perception can be a powerful selector. In today’s business, where express service and guaranteed overnight delivery mean premium prices and big profits, some less-than-truckload carriers might be losing freight and business simply because of their name.

Two shipper groups have asked the Surface Transportation Board to “suspend and investigate” rate increases proposed by four motor carrier rate bureaus.

For many smaller trucking companies, getting on the information highway is a slow process, but experts say these firms will need to develop a Web presence soon if they hope to survive.

Freightliner Corp.Freightliner Corp. believes on-board recorders will become required safety equipment in the near future, and is placing “black boxes” as standard equipment on its newest products.

This afternoon's headlines: Volvo sees weaker U.S. heavy truck market in 2000; Consolidated Freightways upgrades fleet with new trucks; and Ameritruck plans exit from Chapter 11.

Many small trucking companies are in a bind when it comes to information technology: They like it, and they think it can help them do their jobs, but it’s often out of their price range.