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While the attention of the nation was focused for much of the year on the costly and protracted presidential election campaign, trucking probably will look back on 2012 as a turning point for the adoption of natural gas as a viable alternative fuel for heavy-duty fleets.

CINCINNATI — Truck and engine makers said that meeting the federal government’s greenhouse-gas standards that take effect in 2017 while still complying with the 2010 emissions rule is a difficult challenge and could result in more “hard programming” of engine settings and fewer choices for fleets in their tractors.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday temporarily waive federal clean diesel fuel requirements in New Jersey to allow the use of home heating oil in most generators and pumps in emergency service in New Jersey.

The consumer price index rose 0.6% in September for a second month, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

An hours-of-service waiting time exemption for drivers of “specially constructed” oil-field operations trucks should be extended to include such other oil and gas operations trucks such as those that deliver sand and water, several motor carriers and trade association officials told federal regulators.

The U.S. trade deficit grew by 4.1% in August, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has pushed back the deadline for public comment about changes to the hours-of-service rules for oilfield haulers.

Managers of the nation’s largest shipper-owned truck fleets are taking steps to counter the rising cost of fuel and equipment by more closely monitoring drivers and using new data collection techniques to make better routing decisions and improve compliance with safety and environmental regulations.