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WASHINGTON — Michael P. Jackson, nominated to be Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta’s deputy, is a well-qualified shoo-in for the job, according to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott.

With employers facing labor shortages and unprecedented worker mobility, a stable, productive workforce of drivers, owner-operators and support employees is relatively unusual in the rapidly changing trucking industry.

The bad news continues to pile up across the trucking sector and related businesses from the effects of a weak U.S. economy and resurgent energy costs.

New reports Monday from purchasing agents in two of the top U.S. markets spelled worse news about business conditions in the New York area, while Chicago-area factories saw mild improvement in what are still recessionary conditions.

Roadway Offers New Online Service; North Dakota Says No to 75 MPH Speed Limit; Tibbett & Britten Announce New Contract, CEO; Volvo to Restructure U.S. Truck Operations; and more...

Kennesaw, Ga.-based Trism Inc., a flatbed trucking company that hauls specialized heavy loads and hazardous materials, said Friday it “is currently in preliminary discussions with third parties who have expressed an interest in acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of Trism.”

The U.S. economy was not as weak in the first quarter as many had feared, but grew at an annual rate of 2.0%, the Commerce Department said Friday.

American Trucking Associations fired another shot in the ongoing battle against the Oregon weight-distance tax, asking a state court for a summary judgment to immediately resolve the question whether the tax, the oldest of its kind, violates the U.S. Constitution.

American Trucking Associations added its support to a Pennsylvania trucking company’s attempt to protect an agreement with its interstate drivers regarding the choice of jurisdiction for filing worker compensation claims.

Strike Forces Layoffs at Comair; Budget Group Reports 1Q Loss; CF Opens Largest Border Terminal; Asian Growth Offsets U.S. Downturn, FedEx Says; and more...