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The U.S. diesel average fell a combined 9.5 cents over the final two weeks of 2008 to $2.327 a gallon, ending the year at its lowest level since June 2005, the Department of Energy reported.

As if skyrocketing fuel prices in 2008 were not enough, American trucking companies are now in the midst of the worst recession since the early 1980s.

Transport Topics Online will be closed Thursday and Friday for the New Year’s Day holiday. Please check back on Monday, Jan. 4, for the latest trucking and freight transportation news.

Consumer confidence fell to a record low in December, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

Rand McNally has introduced additions and updates to its IntelliRoute and MileMaker software.

Southern California port officials and state environmental regulators continued pressing their campaign to reduce heavy-truck diesel emissions, approving several controversial measures during 2008 that some truckers said will lead to severe economic hardships.

The Intermodal Association of North America’s board of directors has elected Greg Stefflre, CEO of Rail Delivery Services, Fontana, Calif., as its chairman for 2009.

With fuel prices going down, including diesel, truckers are still shutting down and still saying they aren’t making money — proving my own view that the problem is other than fuel prices.

Cargo traffic at ports in China declined for the first time in at least seven years last month, Bloomberg reported.