Trucking Business News

About Business News...

Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.

BusinessGovernment

Congress Refills Highway Fund

Congress, after an abrupt about-face by the Bush administration, moved quickly last week to transfer more than $8 billion into the Highway Trust Fund to keep the road-building finance program solvent.

September 15, 2008
BusinessGovernmentSafetyFuelAutonomous

Trucking Companies Face Growing Cash Crunch as Shippers Struggle to Survive Downturn

Astronomic fuel prices are only part of the economic drag on trucking these days. Add the growing length of time on accounts receivables, more customer bankruptcies and the tightening of credit by suppliers and lenders, and it’s easy to see how carriers’ cash flow has ebbed.

September 15, 2008
BusinessGovernment

House Follows Senate in Approving $8 Billion for Highway Fund

A day after the Senate passed a bill to fund an $8 billion shortfall in the federal Highway Trust Fund, the House followed suit, voting 376-29 to approve a similar measure.

September 12, 2008
BusinessGovernment

Retail Sales Fall 0.5% in August

Retail sales fell 0.5% in August, the Commerce Department said Friday.

September 12, 2008
Business

FHWA Denies Pennsylvania’s Plan to Toll I-80

The Federal Highway Administration said Thursday it has denied an application by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to toll Interstate 80.

September 12, 2008
BusinessGovernment

Business Inventories Rise More Than Forecast

Business inventories rose 1.1% in July, the Commerce Department said Friday.

September 12, 2008
BusinessGovernment

Import Prices Fall 3.7% in August

The price of goods imported to the United States fell 3.7% in August, led by declining oil prices, the Labor Department said Thursday.

September 11, 2008
GovernmentBusinessSafety

Gulf Refineries Brace for Hurricane Ike’s Landfall Near Houston

Oil refineries on the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana shut down operations Friday as Hurricane Ike prepared to come ashore overnight near Houston in what could be the biggest hurricane to hit Texas in 50 years, news services reported.

September 11, 2008
BusinessSafetyGovernment

Letters to the Editor: Mexico Border Pilot, Driver Appreciation, Outsourcing Overseas, Slow-Pay Blues

If the Chinese are going to make all the goods, the Arabs supply all the oil and the Mexicans do all the transportation, what are we going to do? This sounds very much like the fall of the Roman Empire in past history.

September 11, 2008
Business

Initial Jobless Claims Fall for Week

Initial jobless claims fell by 6,000 last week to 445,000, but total unemployment benefits rolls rose to the highest level in five years, the Labor Department said Thursday.

September 11, 2008