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TAMPA. Fla. — Corrosion prevention, higher under-hood temperatures and truck-tire technologies were among industry trends covered in technical sessions at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting here Feb. 15-18.

Several petroleum companies are exploring technology that would turn natural gas and coal into a liquid fuel that would have the efficiency of diesel fuel but would run cleaner, industry experts said.

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The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its factory index slowed to 55.3 in February, from 56.4 in January, though the sector continued to expand.

Ten years after the federal government first explored the commercial applicability of performance-based brake testers, state safety in-spection agencies are evaluating technology that would replace time-consuming visual inspections currently in use to identify faulty brakes.

The national average retail price of diesel fuel rose a whopping 9.8 cents to $2.118 a gallon, the Department of Energy reported Monday.

WASHINGTON — Tim Lynch, president of the Motor Freight Carriers Association, said any changes to the current hours-of-service regulations for truck drivers could hurt both the trucking industry and the overall U.S. economy.

Yellow Roadway Corp. said Sunday it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire USF Corp. for $1.37 billion.

The Justice Department filed a brief Friday opposing the District of Columbia’s recently passed law on banning hazardous materials transport near the U.S. Capitol.