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Equipment financing activity within the trucking industry rose to $4.17 billion in 2011, a 3.5% gain from $4.03 billion in 2010, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association reported.

Navistar International Corp. said Monday that Chairman and CEO Daniel Ustian is retiring effective immediately, and that it has named an interim replacement.

Trimble Navigation said Monday it has signed an agreement to acquire TMW Systems for $335 million, bringing the transportation software provider together with PeopleNet Communications Corp., which Trimble purchased last year.

UPS Inc. said it reached an agreement with the Teamsters union to restructure a pension plan covering 10,200 union workers in the New England region.

Many carriers, beset by both the weak economy and pricing competition from brokers and third-party logistics providers, are seeking new ways to win, keep and better serve customers. Business lines such as home delivery, warehousing and alternative mail are adding to — or replacing — revenues cut by the economy and the competition.

As I’m sitting here waiting 14 hours to start out on my 150-mile journey, I’m pondering your thoughts on driver turnover.

So here we are again, trapped in still another fuel-price spiral, as we helplessly watch outside events and parties set the cost and supply of the precious liquids that make our industry possible.

Cummins Inc. widened its lead in the race to sell Class 8 truck engines during the first half of 2012, providing 63,802 units to customers for a 42.2% market share, up from 34.5% a year earlier, WardsAuto.com reported.

Biodiesel producers said they do not agree with calls for the federal government to waive ethanol and other renewable fuel production mandates because of the drought reducing the corn crop in the Midwest.