91ÊÓƵ

This afternoon's headlines: Rail intermodal traffic rises again; DaimlerChrysler reports lower sales, profits from its commercial vehicle division; Alcoa to lay off workers at Pa. truck-part plant; and more.

A hardening insurance market for trucking that has seen premiums rising sharply throughout the year now has developed a new option for providing coverage — group captive companies.

Mark your calendars for Dec. 31 and prepare to party at the Big Dig in Boston. Officials will offer public tours as part of the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration to show residents how the mammoth project has progressed.

Two things make the trip from Anchorage to the oil and natural gas production site on Alaska’s North Slope memorable. One is the size and weight of the single-unit payloads — prefabricated buildings that weigh as much as 100 tons. The other is successfully completing the trip.

In the news this morning: PNV cutting 15% of its workforce; Oshkosh reports higher 4Q sales and earnings; Goodyear acknowledges tread separations on one of its tire models; and more.

This afternoon's headlines: Sysco strike settled, workers back on duty; Daewoo cuts executives, misses payroll; Norfolk Southern reports record quarterly intermodal revenues; and more.

Today's technology headlines: On broadband's future, Gore and Bush offer crucial differences; Siemens to become pure e-commerce player; and wireless devices bring security risks, insurance concerns.

Diesel fuel prices jumped to the highest level on record last week as buyers continue to react to low inventories and political turmoil threatens to disrupt supplies of imported oil from the Middle East.

Under pressure from the National Transportation Safety Board, the Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration will draft a proposal likely to alter tanker trailer design.

President Clinton has warned Congress that he intends to veto its new Labor Department appropriations bill because it contains a prohibition on developing new ergonomics rules for the nation’s industries.