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Towne Air Freight said it acquired Synergy Cargo Logistics, which will give Towne a greater presence in the southwestern United States. Terms were not disclosed.

President Bush’s proposed Transportation Department budget for next year would increase DOT’s spending slightly but cut highway spending more than $2 billion from last year, and it proposes to borrow funds from mass transit to cover a shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund.

If there is a silver lining in the current freight recession, it might be that the challenging economic environment is forcing carriers to focus more closely on business fundamentals to keep the bottom line healthy.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Uncertainty about the life cycle of key emission control components and higher maintenance costs have emerged as the top concerns fleets have with 2007 heavy-duty diesel engines, maintenance and equipment heads at several major carriers said here.

Wholesale inventories rose 1.1% in December, though sales fell 0.7%, the Commerce Department said Friday.

Truckload carrier P.A.M. Transportation Services said it lost $840,000, or 8 cents a share, in the fourth quarter, compared with net income of $4.3 million, or 41 cents, a year earlier.

Navteq Corp., a maker of maps used in transportation navigation, said its fourth-quarter profit rose to $61.9 million, or 61 cents per share, from $42.9 million, or 45 cents, a year earlier.

Third-party logistics company and freight broker Hub Group’s fourth-quarter profit rose 33% to a record $18 million, or 47 cents per share, up from $13.5 million, or 34 cents, a year earlier.