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After a three-month search, United Road Services named Gerald R. Riordan, the former head of Ryder System’s consumer truck rental business, to be its new chief executive officer.

It was a momentous week for trucking. The National Motor Carrier Administration is on the brink of being a reality, thanks to overwhelming support of the House of Representatives. The House passed the enabling bill by a 415-5 vote Oct. 14.

I’ll never forget the first time I met William S. Odlin Jr., longtime editor of Transport Topics, who died Oct. 5 of cancer. He cast a giant shadow during his 26 years on the paper, not only with his towering physical statue, but with his eminent character of spirit — which, when it touched your heart, indelibly stamped a legacy of imperishable memories to cherish for a lifetime.

After nearly two years of setting records, sales of big trucks have shown no signs of slowing. September Class 8 sales were up 22% from the year before with Freightliner leading the way.

More than 5,000 logistics professionals will gather in Toronto Oct. 17 to 20 for the 1999 meeting of the Council of Logistics Management to focus on strengthening the international logistics network.

Ken Johnson, chairman of The Maintenance Council, cited the work ethic of three council members — two engine company workers and an employee of a trucking firm — as he bestowed upon them the organization’s highest honor.

When the AFL-CIO voted Oct. 13 to endorse Vice President Al Gore for president, two major players in the labor federation refused to sign on: the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters.

Truckers caught in the middle of political controversy between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a nearby town are facing delays and heavy scrutiny at traffic stops outside the dock gates.

Major package delivery firms are shooting down efforts to ship handguns, largely because of the risk associated with lost or stolen firearms.

Freightliner Corp. is the “800-pound gorilla” of trucking in the United States — and its president, James Hebe, seems to relish the role.