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The year’s hot debate over which government agency should regulate trucking safety was resolved in a way that left the question moot and the motor carrier industry delighted.

In the news this morning: Overnite bloodied but unbowed by strike; British Columbia truckers say ferry change will raise prices on island; and Tenn. lawmakers to introduce ane restriction bills.

The price of diesel fuel left 1999 the way it spent most of the year – heading upward. In the process, it pushed three more carriers to implement fuel surcharges.

Federal transportation safety officials decided to let Landstar Ligon retain its satisfactory safety rating after a review found the flatbed carrier to be in compliance with safety regulations.

Trimac Corp. said negotiations between Rentway Ltd., its Canadian-based truck leasing unit, and shareholders of Transervice Lease Corp. have been terminated.

This afternoon's headlines: Chicago suburb targeting overweight trucks; BAX Global names two new executives; and Section of Interstate 10 in New Orleans to close over the weekend.

Six truck driver training schools across the country have received course certification from the Professional Truck Driver Institute, bringing the number of schools offering certified courses to 60.

In the news this morning: UPS to deliver e-commerce advice via television; Calif. Trucking Association chief named to state fuel price panel; and Airborne to impose 3% fuel surcharge.

The Internet is rewriting the rule book on how consumers purchase goods, creating a new wave in commerce that is catching more and more trucking and affiliated operations in its swell.

Carriers that do not adapt to electronic commerce could find themselves battling for a shrinking low-tech trucking market as the impact of new delivery demands ripples through the industry.