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The U.S. trade deficit grew 4.5% in January to the second-highest monthly level ever, the Commerce Department said Friday.

The House of Representatives Thursday passed a six-year, $284 billion highway bill. The measure, approved by a 417-9 vote, would fund safety, transit and other transportation projects.

The Association of American Railroads reported that rail intermodal volume grew 7.6% for the week ended March 5 over the same week last year.

A day after falling more than a dollar a barrel, crude oil prices rose 89 cents Friday to close at $54.43 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Bloomberg reported.

Crude oil prices fell Thursday a day after an intraday high price missed a record by two cents, Bloomberg reported.

Oshkosh Truck Corp. said Thursday it had acquired London Machinery Inc., a maker of concrete mixers based in London, Ontario.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. said it reduced its 2004 profit statement by 19% because it had set aside funds for possible settlement of a tax dispute.

U.S. wholesale inventories rose 1.1% in January to $331.9 billion, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

The Bush administration has recently identified transportation as one of 12 high-growth industry sectors and the focus of the Department of Labor’s High Growth Job Training Initiative.