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With both the manufacturing and retail sectors signaling a crunch in December, and with more trucking and other transportation companies warning in January about rising losses as their customers retrench, the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates another half-point at the end of this month.

In the news this morning: Truck rams Calif. Capitol, killing driver; Delphi 4Q earnings beat forecasts; OPEC to cut oil production by 1.5 million barrels; and more.

The U.S. average pump price for diesel fuel fell 1.1 cents this week to $1.509 per gallon as of Jan. 15, compared with $1.520 Jan. 8, the Energy Department reported Tuesday afternoon.

This afternoon's headlines: OPEC moves closer to production cut; Contrans reports increased Q1 earnings; UPS buys bank for $78 million; and more.

Today's technology headlines: Research in Motion, Vaultus in wireless services alliance; Canadian wireless spectrum auction begins; Mail Boxes Etc. begins package-return service; and more.

Penske Truck Leasing has agreed to acquire another leader in the field, Rollins Truck Leasing, for $754 million.

The leadership shuffle in Congress puts Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky - a lawmaker with a short record on transportation issues - as chairman of a key House Appropriations subcommittee in place of Rep. Frank Wolf - a lawmaker with extensive transportation experience.

With a new, almost evenly divided Congress about to begin work, members of the Distribution and LTL Carriers Association are taking a fresh look at several key legislative issues at its 2001 annual meeting at the Sheraton Maui in Hawaii this week.

In the news this morning: Marten Transport to report better-than-expected 4Q earnings; USF announces new president for Glen Moore subsidiary; Yellow to fold two regional subsidiaries into Saia; and more.

Ford Motor Co. said it has a system of releasing hydraulic energy stored during the braking process that may make commercial vehicles more fuel efficient, especially in stop-and-go traffic. .