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Diesel engine maker Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday it reached a tentative six-year contract agreement with the United Auto Workers.

Arkansas Best Corp. said Thursday Robert Davidson would become president and chief operating officer on Jan. 1.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said Thursday its manufacturing index rose to 29.6 in December, a five-month high, from 20.7 the month before.

Led by a steady surge in demand for Class 8 trucks, registrations of new Class 4-8 vehicles increased about 26% in the first nine months of 2004.

Housing starts in the United States plummeted 13.1% in November, the biggest decline in almost 11 years, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. he data on transportation construction have been very strong almost all year. Through August, the value of construction work performed on transportation projects totaled more than $58.7 billion, up 8.5% over last year.

FedEx Earns $354 Million in Fiscal 2Q • Kansas City Southern Agrees to Buy Mexican Railroad • Jobless Claims Post Largest Drop in Three Years • Teamsters Approve New Contract With UPS Canada

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday its manufacturing index rose to 29.9 in December from 18.9 the month before.

National Tank Truck Carriers has urged the federal government to “indefinitely postpone” its plan to include fingerprint screening as part of its background-check process for drivers seeking authority to haul hazardous cargo.

Several states may not be fully ready to meet the Transportation Security Administration’s Jan. 31 deadline to begin fingerprinting new drivers of hazardous materials, according to comments filed with the agency by state and industry groups.