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Thank you to our readers for the many favorable comments we’ve received in response to the special report on CSA 2010 that Transport Topics produced as part of the April 26 issue.

CINCINNATI — Concern about driver safety compliance is pushing the purchase of new technology to help fleet managers to see and respond to data on driver performance, manufacturers of the equipment said.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said it will implement a new online application process that will allow hazmat materials special permits to be reviewed in a timely manner, beginning May 1.

Trucking company failures leaped to 730 during the first quarter, the largest number since the third quarter of 2008, as the recession continued to take a toll on freight carriers, said Donald Broughton of Avondale Partners.

The huge ash cloud hanging over Europe from last week’s volcano eruption in Iceland is hampering global air freight and causing a shift in European cargo from planes to trucks, news services reported.

The chairman of American Truck Dealers said the trade group will add more attention to medium-duty lines at its annual convention and exposition, scheduled for April 23-26 in Kissimmee, Fla.

The Department of Transportation’s freight transportation services index for February fell 2% from a year earlier but rose from January, DOT said.

The New York State Department of Transportation told a transportation task force that it will no longer pursue efforts to restrict trucks from using certain rural routes in the Finger Lakes area, American Trucking Associations said.

Retail sales rose 1.6% in March, the biggest increase in four months, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.