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Daimler Truck Financial said Monday it will begin providing financial products and services for more than 175 U.S. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America dealers and their customers.

Truckload carrier Schneider National said Monday it is hiring 300 truck drivers in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico for its growing dedicated and bulk tanker divisions.

Truck manufacturers received more than 20,000 orders for new Class 8 vehicles in June in North America, the eighth consecutive month above that level and 33% higher than June 2010, two market research firms reported.

Congratulations to the U.S. Department of Transportation for finalizing the cross-border trucking program with Mexico.

Many carriers are finding it necessary to provide shippers with real-time tracking for their loads if they want to retain valued customers,  several trucking and software company executives have said.

Owners of 2009 Class 8 trucks reported a drop in mechanical and technical problems from the previous year, including problems with engines, usually the largest source of complaints, J.D. Power and Associates said in a report.

UPS Freight and ABF Freight System, two of the nation’s largest less-than-truckload carriers, recently announced general rate increases of 6.9% each, a move analysts said heralds an industry push to higher rates.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it wants to extend its regulatory reach over the next five years to include not only trucks and buses but also shippers, brokers and receivers.

Hair tests, which could keep more drug-abusing drivers off the road, are starting to gain favor among larger carriers though the number using them still are few and far between, experts said.