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An index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3% in December, marking the first gain in six months, the New York-based Conference Board said Thursday.

Ultra-low-sulfur diesel, the standard fuel of heavy-duty trucking since late 2006, has more energy content than engineers originally had expected, a welcome surprise, according to a study from the American Transportation Research Institute.

Ray Kuntz, immediate past chairman of American Trucking Associations, has joined the board of directors at trailer tracking firm SkyBitz, the company said Monday.

Vehicle parts manufacturer Eaton Corp. said Monday its fourth-quarter profit fell to $163 million, or 98 cents per share, from $256 million, or $1.71, a year earlier.

Existing homes sales increased 6.5% in November, while the median price of a home fell 15% from the same month last year, the biggest drop on record, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.

In its final hours, the Bush administration emphatically denied a request to overturn its controversial driver hours-of-service rule, leaving the twice-rejected measure in place, at least for now.

WASHINGTON — Ray LaHood, President Obama’s choice to lead the Department of Transportation, said tolls and public-private partnerships should be among the ways Congress funds infrastructure construction, but existing interstate highway lanes should remain toll-free.

Most new heavy-duty trucks sold in the United States and Canada, beginning when 2010 models are introduced, will use selective catalytic reduction technology to cut emissions, which will require the addition of a new fluid to work properly. And truck stops throughout the nations are trying to prepare to meet the demand for this new product.