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ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite a shortage of components and production bottlenecks, the chairman of the American Truck Dealers said he expected as much as 25% growth in heavy-duty truck sales in 2005 as fleet executives continue to replenish older equipment and buy trucks in advance of new diesel engine emission regulations in 2007.

A federal judge Monday upheld the District of Columbia’s law banning rail hazardous materials shipments near the U.S. Capitol, clearing the way for hazmat shipments to be rerouted starting Wednesday.

Crude oil prices hit a two month low, falling under $50 a barrel in overnight trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange before rebounding slightly, Bloomberg reported Monday.

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Volvo Trucks North America said Monday the company had shipped its first U.S.-built Volvo D12 engine for installation in a Volvo truck.

Mack Trucks Inc. is raising employment at its manufacturing plants due to strong demand for its heavy-duty trucks, the Associated Press reported Friday.

The University of Michigan's preliminary consumer sentiment index for April dropped to 88.7 from 92.6 last month, the lowest level since September 2003, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Prices of imported goods rose 1.8% in March, following a 0.8% jump in February, the Labor Department said Friday.

The United States can maintain tariffs on steel imports from Japan, Russia and Brazil, after an independent trade panel found that removing the duties would harm the U.S. steel industry, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Production at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3% in March, though overall manufacturing dropped for the first time in seven months, the Federal Reserve said Friday.