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National average diesel fuel prices jumped to their highest level in 17 months during the week ending June 28, and the surge in diesel prices over the past three weeks has cost trucking companies an estimated $9 million, according to analysts.

The decision to close Interstate 95 in Virginia after a truckload of blackpowder overturned in June has spurred some in the transportation industry to question the preparedness and competency of the nation’s first line of defense when an accident involving hazardous materials occurs.

Carriers, drivers, regulators and truck stop operators grappled last week with the issue of where tired truck drivers can get some rest while on the job. The biggest issues raised during the Federal Highway Administration’s Rest Area Forum were providing information on parking, adding spaces and increasing safety.

The battle over proposed ergonomics rules intensified late last month as a House of Representatives committee voted to pass a bill that would delay implementation of the rules pending further study. The Clinton administration quickly threatened a veto if lands on the president's desk.

Trucking’s top financial executives heard some encouraging words at the National Accounting & Finance Council’s Management Conference and Exhibit Forum June 27 to 29, as one economist predicted that the best is yet to come for the U.S. economy.

The deal Teamsters officials cut with Anheuser-Busch June 24 is getting a less than bubbly response from local union leaders and their rank-and-file members.The five-year contract covers 8,000 Teamsters at 12 breweries nationwide, and comes after nearly two years of often bitter negotiations.

A work stoppage halted most activity at the Port of Oakland and caught management officials off-guard. The July 6 action apparently originated with Local 10 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in San Francisco, whose members had been working without a contract since July 1.

Federal officials are considering rescheduling the safety summit that was abruptly canceled in December, but no decisions have been made on whether the Truck and Bus Safety Summit will actually take place, said Julie Cirillo, program manager for the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety.

To get ready for a new generation light- and medium-duty diesel engine, GM Powertrain is handing over production of its current 6.5-liter diesel engine to one of its biggest non-GM customers, AM General of South Bend, Ind.

It’s almost an annual rite of appropriations: Trucking politics show up in surface transportation spending bills. And this year is no different, with a provision in a House bill to cut funding to the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety as long as it remains within the Federal Highway Administration.