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The Environmental Protection Agency spared no fanfare when it held a press conference last month to announce $1 billion worth of penalties, retrofits and accelerated emissions compliance dates for the world’s largest diesel engine manufacturers. The news came a day after the agency leaked its intentions to reporters for several large newspapers, effectively giving EPA the opportunity to tell its side of the story unhindered by the engine makers.

Politics makes strange bedfellows, as the state trucking associations in California and Minnesota know all too well. While the California Trucking Assn. supported Democrat Gray Davis in his win over Republican Attorney General Dan Lungren in the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, Mr. Gray’s close ties to organized labor means trucking will have some difficulties in the months ahead.

The year-long heavy-duty truck sales upswing continued into November, promising to make 1998 another huge year for truck manufacturers.

With concerns that slumping car and truck sales may not be confined to Asia and South America, AB Volvo is considering job cuts and other cost-saving measures to improve profitability.

The Federal Highway Administration’s comprehensive truck size and weight study has not been released yet, but it is already raising the hackles of one member of Congress.

Meritor Automotive will acquire Lucas-Varity Heavy Vehicle Braking Systems for $390 million in cash.

Congress began its post-election reshuffling last week, with House members choosing leadership teams to guide policy and politics for the next two years.

When truck operators want to see new equipment on the retail market, they attend one of the major truck shows, such as the Mid-America or the International Trucking shows.

The design for a proposed 12 lane I-95 bridge to replace the decaying Woodrow Wilson across the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia was unveiled last week at an Alexandria, Va., press conference.

Former Ampace Corp. executives Bruce W. Jones and Jay N. Taylor established a merchant banking firm to exclusively serve the trucking industry.