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WASHINGTON — The first-ever proposed federal commercial truck fuel-efficiency and carbon emissions standard could cause an industry pre-buy before it becomes effective in 2014, or drive motor carriers to delay retirement of their fleets, a transportation consultant said.

A new Environmental Protection Agency showed an improvement in fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions for new cars and light-duty trucks in 2009.

The average cost of U.S. retail diesel climbed 4.9 cents last week to $3 a gallon, the first time trucking’s main fuel has reached that level in more than four months, the Department of Energy reported.

New legislation aimed at giving ports more authority to set environmental regulations is expanding the battle over the Port of Los Angeles’ controversial employees-only clean trucks plan from the courts to Congress.

Fleet managers should consider total “fluid efficiency” when comparing trucks using exhaust gas recirculation engines with those using selective catalytic reduction, truck and engine maker Navistar Inc. said last week.

About the two May 17 “rate setting” letters: It’s important for trucking companies to understand that we are the ones who set the rates.

Air pollution at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., declined in 2009 for the third consecutive year, and diesel particulate matter has fallen more than 50% since 2005, in part because of the port’s clean truck program, port officials said

Truck stop chain Flying J Inc. said it has started accepting Comdata payment cards at its 270 U.S. and Canadian travel centers.

President Obama’s recent announcement that he was kicking off a major effort to improve the fuel efficiency of commercial vehicles was welcome news to the trucking industry.

American Trucking Associations, truck manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have urged the Senate to address a research and development bill on increasing fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in medium- and heavy-duty trucks.