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The Conference Board said Tuesday consumer confidence dropped in August to a nine-month low as the sluggish job market caused a scaling back of expectations.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.The following is a sample of the letters to the editor received by Transport Topics after recerntly asking Web readers about the direction of the U.S. economy.

In a positive sign for the U.S. economy, orders for durable goods rose 8.7% in July, more than at any time in the last nine months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Orders excluding transportation equipment rose 3.9%.

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor. Some time ago I wrote a column about under-appreciated professions. We need to add to that category truck drivers.

UPS Launches New Ocean Service • Government Nixes Additional Steel Duties • Crude Oil Prices Rise on Iraq Fears • Teamsters Say UPS Deal Probably Approved • And more...

The national average price of diesel fuel rose 3.7 cents a gallon last week to $1.37, the U.S. Department of Energy reported Monday.

The number of Americans purchasing newly constructed homes in July rose 6.7%, to a record 1.017 million annual rate, the Commerce Department said Monday. Sales of existing homes also surged 4.5% to a rate of 5.33 million, the National Association of Realtors reported.

WASHINGTON — A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration official said the agency may devote more resources to checking drivers and fewer toward inspecting trucks if an ongoing study concludes drivers are the main cause of truck crashes.

Largest U.S. Soydiesel Plant Opens in Iowa • New Device to Aid Alabama Officers Check Truck Brakes • Use of Older Cell Phones May Pose Brain Tumor Risk • U.S. Online Sales Rise in 2Q • And more...

The basic concerns of supply chain management may not have changed all that much since terrorists attacked the United States approximately one year ago.