TRUCKING.

Trucking rates continue to increase, partly as a result of a reduction in capacity. A record 3,670 trucking operators shut down in 2000, according to analysts at A.G. Edwards & Sons. Now, demand for trucking services is picking up and truckload carriers have less competition. As for less-than-truckload operators, rising costs will keep the pricing pressure on. Still, without a large increase in freight volumes, we forecast trucking prices on average will increase at a 2.8% pace