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The streets of Laredo, Texas, are being ruined by the North American Free Trade Agreement trade, local officials say, and they contend the city cannot fix the problem because it is not getting its fair share of state funds.

In the news this morning: Though truck hours reform delayed, Rep. Wolf says it's coming; M.S. Carriers, U.S. Express issue earnings warnings; Xtra Lease, Terion to put cellular tracking on 25,000 trailers; and more to come.

This afternoon's headlines: Freightliner will cancel Western Star-Grupo Dina agreement; tanker shortage may crimp oil flow; Mitsubishi reported firing quality assurance head; and more.

Today's technology headlines: Deutsche Telekom's purchase of VoiceStream may see a hurdle removed; France Telecom to build Internet backbone in U.S.; analysts say e-commerce will change shipping patterns and packaging size; and more.

The price of diesel fuel jumped 2.4 cents to the fourth consecutive record high while the price of oil seesawed against a backdrop of rising pressure on the White House to pump oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve into the volatile market.

As the worldwide crisis in oil prices continued last week, Europe was again plagued by protest blockades of fuel supplies and ports, the region’s leaders squabbled with each other over price-relief measures and France called for talks between oil-consuming nations and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to ease prices.

Trucking industry officials have been vocal in calling for a release of oil from the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve in hopes of driving pump prices down with an additional supply of diesel fuel.

The proliferation of online exchanges over the past two years among trucking-related companies — from freight haulers to parts dealers — have many casting a watchful eye toward the federal government to see how it may react to such business practices.

Working hard and being smart is good, but not always enough. A company needs to have the luck of being in the right place at the right time.

Many of the nation’s largest shippers will oppose any government effort to mandate a fuel surcharge, according to the top lawyer of one of the most important shipper organizations in the country.