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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.

One of the last toll-free bridges across the Delaware River would charge truck tolls of $4 an axle under a plan to seek private investors to rebuild and operate the Interstate 95 Bridge that connects Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The Obama administration must produce a plan to solve the ongoing border trucking dispute with Mexico by October, under a provision inserted in the Transportation Department’s 2011 budget.

Tank truck carrier Quality Distribution reported second-quarter net income of $2.1 million, or 9 cents per share, compared with a loss of $186.2 million, or $9.58, a year ago.

Truck maker Paccar Inc.’s second-quarter profit rose to $99.6 million, or 27 cents a share, from $26.5 million, or 7 cents, a year ago, the company said.

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.

USA Truck Thursday reported a $900,000 profit in the second quarter, compared with a $1.2 million loss a year ago.

The recession appears to be waning, but trucking still is feeling the downturn’s effects and is keeping a watchful eye on expenses, including insurance.

While Wall Street continues to express its doubts about the strength of the U.S. economic recovery that is under way, most trucking companies say that business is continuing to improve.

The proposal for revamping the federal government’s hours-of-service rule for truck drivers that a coalition of interest groups released recently illustrates just how little these political theorists understand about highway safety and the business of moving America’s freight.