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Inventories held by wholesalers rose for the fifth consecutive month in May but sales fell for the first time in over a year.

According to statistics released by the United States Department of Commerce, wholesale inventories increased 0.5 percent in May while sales dropped 0.3 percent, the first sales decline since March of 2009. The drop in sales is a reflection of the current state of the economic recovery and could discourage businesses from boosting their orders, translating into a slowdown in factory production.

Economists had hoped that a steady rise in demand would cause businesses to increase orders and restock, lifting struggling factories and creating jobs.

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The American Trucking Associations announced support of the Diesel Idle Reduction Campaign headed by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

The official launch of the campaign is set for 11:00 a.m. on July 13 at the Council of Governments headquarters near Union Station. The ATA said the aims of the campaign, such as reducing discretionary idling, improving public health, and protecting the environment, align with the goals of its Sustainability Initiative.

The ATA launched its six-prong initiative in 2008 with the singular goal of reducing discretionary and non-discreationary idling. Discretionary idling occurs when drivers leave engines running during their rest periods to provide heat or air conditioning for the sleeper compartment. 

ATA Vice President and Environmental Affairs Counsel Glen Kedzie said the initiative is as much a public health issue as a monetary one. "When truck and bus drivers turn off their engines when they're not needed, they do more than avoid fines and cut fuel costs," Kedzie said. "They take an important and easy step toward improving air quality."

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Tennessee has landed a federal grant aimed at making sure truck drivers have safe places to sleep along Interstate 40.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the Tennessee Department of Transportation part of a $6 million grant for projects to address a shortage of long-term parking for commercial vehicles along interstates. According to Tennessee DOT spokeswoman Nichole Lawrence, the department will receive $800,000 for its SmartPark initiative, which has been in development for five years.

"Our proposal was to incorporate Intelligent Transportation System components to reduce unsafe and illegal overnight truck parking on interstate exit ramps and highway shoulders," Lawrence said. 

The American Trucking Association applauded the grant, which also gave to projects in Utah, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

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The United States House of Representatives has passed a bill that includes major reforms to the derivatives markets, according to statement by the American Trucking Associations.

The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act includes a provision to increase transparency by requiring previously unregulated over-the-counter trades to be exchanged publicly. The bill also requires the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to set aggregate speculative position limits, which the American Trucking Associations supports.

According to the ATA, the trucking industry has been negatively affected by volatile diesel prices, caused by excessive speculation in the oil derivatives markets. "Diesel fuel is the lifeblood of the trucking industry," said ATA vice president Rich Moskowitz. "Sudden fluctuations in operating expenses, especially fuel, can devastate trucking companies."

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Durable goods orders increased three percent in January 2010, according to the Department of Commerce.

The increase followed a revised 1.9 percent jump in December, excluding transportation equipment orders, which tend to be volatile, orders fell 0.6 percent. The transportation boost was led by a 126 percent increase in demand for commercial aircraft. Economists had forecast to increase 1.5 percent.

Durable goods include large items such as refrigerators or air conditioners. Trucking is a major beneficiary of durable goods manufacturing, hauling parts, components, and finished goods.

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A federal court ruling on the Port of Los Angeles' clean trucks plan will not significantly affect a lower court ruling that halts the port from implementing of the port's concession requirements, according to American Trucking Associations.

A panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Wednesday to allow the port to continue to enforce certain motor vehicle safety-related provisions contained in its concession plans. The ruling did not change a previous court decision to allow owner-operators to continue operating at the port. 

The court agreed with the ATA that the port should not require drayage trucks to display information on placards other than Department of Transportation requirements. ATA spokesman Clayton Boyce said the ruling was "not significant. It doesn't change the status quo at all."

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Arizona businesses and truck stop owners have petitioned the state to stop its current rest stop reform efforts, asking lawmakers to consider different options.

The state of Arizona has seen a rise in problems related to their highways, trying to find ways to balance budget shortfalls with necessary road work. As a result, about 70% of the state's rest stops have already closed under financial pressures. The state's most recent solution has been to commercialize the closed stops, allowing truckers and other motorists to take advantage of them with some private sector influence.

Fearing a development of a state-backed monopoly, roadside businesses and truck stops have signed off on a petition to persuade the government to rethink their strategies. The Department of Transportation has noted that rest stop reform has been a high priority in addressing budget limitations, and they believe this latest proposal provides a great alternative to simply shutting down rest stops.

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Diesel prices fell once again, marking the lowest price in the last three months. The price has been declining for five consecutive weeks.

The current price, $2.928 per gallon, illustrates the 1.8 cent decrease, which is still 35.6 cents higher than the fuel was at the same time last year. Diesel has not dropped lower than the current rate since March 15, which saw prices of $2.924 per gallon. This contrasts to the 37.1 cent increase that happened between the middle of February through the middle of May.

Gasoline has also decreased over the past four weeks, priced at $2.701 per gallon.

The agency responsible for measuring the average price of diesel fuels is the Department of Energy. It creates the national average by gathering information from roughly 350 different gas and filling stations around the country.

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A three-day event has come to a close, seeing 9,000 police officers in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. work together in a combined effort to ensure truck safety.

Roadcheck 2010, the 23rd Roadcheck operation taken up by law enforcement officials, ended this Thursday. The event sets up over 2,000 roadside checkpoints and checks over possible violations in vehicles or from drivers. The event is run by the Commercial Safety Vehicle Alliance, a joint organization made up of Canadian, American, and Mexican transportation officials, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Each checkpoint makes sure vehicles are up to standards as well as drivers. If a violation is issued, the driver is not allowed to continue carrying freight until the violation is amended. Vehicles are similarly put out of commission until brought back up to safety specifications. Seat belts, driver fatigue, and speeding are all major trucking safety concerns, according to event officials.

The event began Tuesday in Landover, Maryland.

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Heartland Express, a major player in commercial trucking, has resigned with Navistar to exclusively provide trucks for the company.

The deal provides exclusivity for Navistar, while giving Heartland Express the opportunity to use trucks with Navistar's latest technological innovations. According to Navistar, their 2010 Maxxforce engines meet the Environmental Protection Agency's standards for emissions by the use of an exhaust gas recirculation system. The engines are meant to meet emissions standards specifically targeted at reducing nitrogen oxide from diesel engines.

Navistar was also able to partner with J. B. Hunt Transport Services in a contact that runs through 2014. It is estimated that the company will purchase 5,000 trucks from Navistar over those years.

No numbers have been released as to Heartland's total expected purchases from Navistar.

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