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Trucking faces a number of challenges today — most emanating from Washington — that threaten the foundation of our industry, from diesel fuel prices and emissions standards to proposed ergonomics regulations and state weight-distance taxes. But on no issue are the stakes higher than they are right now on the battle over reform of truck driver hours of service.

The relationship between drivers and dispatchers has always been a potentially stormy one.

D.M. Bowman has developed a unique benefit for its male drivers — a wife. If drivers already have a spouse at home, they get an extra caretaker at work.

Trucking companies can pinpoint the locations of the trucks in their fleets, find the most economical places to buy fuel, match loads, calculate taxes and perform a variety of other functions over an Internet-based system unveiled here June 27 by Peoplenet Communications.

The pressure is on manufacturers of diesel engines as regional air quality agencies in California ban new purchases of diesel engines for public bus fleets and government contractors, and studies link diesel emissions to cancer and premature deaths.

Vince Ursini thinks the various types of antifreeze should be identified by their color — the way consumers identify the butterfat content in milk by the container cap’s color.

A trucking group wants the Department of Transportation to take a second look at its estimates of the amount of lives its overhaul of hours-of-service regulations would save.

Members of the Truckload Carriers Association are urging shippers to join them in fighting proposed changes in the federal hours-of-service regulations governing truck drivers. They are also suggesting points to stress in filing comments with the Department of Transportation.

All of trucking is convulsing over the federal government’s proposed changes to the hours-of-service rules, but agricultural haulers say the produce, livestock and timber they haul would make it especially difficult — if not impossible — for them to abide by the Department of Transportation’s wishes.

George G. Mead, a former chief lobbyist for American Trucking Associations who was involved in the battle over deregulation, died at his home from a sudden heart attack June 28. He was 60.