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There’s an adage in government that if you issue a rule and no one’s happy, you’ve done a good job. The Department of Transportation’s proposal that long-haul trucks be equipped with recorders that track driver hours will test that theory.

A federal appeals court granted Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. and Canadian National Railway Co. an expedited review of their appeal of a Surface Transportation Board decision that blocked the two railroads’ merger.

TruckersCo-op.com, an online venture by Celadon Group that offers volume discounts to small- and mid-sized carriers, is going public and changing its name to TruckersB2B.com.

The price for a gallon of diesel fuel jumped 3 cents last week after five straight weeks of decline — putting the spotlight again on the survival struggles of small trucking companies and owner operators.

In the news this morning: Underwriters say theft prevention programs can trim insurance costs; Nissan Diesel to seek 60 billion yen cost cuts in three years; and Teamsters endorsement of Rep. Hoekstra draws rank-and-file criticism.

This afternoon's headlines: Mexico lawmakers approve a bill making online transactions binding; Nissan Diesel to supply Renault Group with diesel engines starting in 2003; and Analysts rate Oshkosh Truck stock a strong buy.

Business owners and residents in downtown Laredo, Texas, wanted to know what millions of trucks running through their city and waiting at their bridges were doing to their air.

Truck manufacturers and carriers with a large inventory of used trucks with falling prices are casting their eyes wishfully south of the border to Mexico, but Nafta is complicating their dreams of exporting the glut.

This afternoon's headlines: Renault's Schweitzer says auto industry consolidation has reached its end; Missouri officials contemplate solutions to Interstate 70 congenstion; and DuPont holds dominant position in chemicals transport, storage.

A business group whose members include some of the biggest names in shipping is giving the federal government what it considers a well-deserved push to modernize the import process.