The Climate Group launched a new initiative last week called Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Challenge that unites the global purchasing power of businesses, cities, states, regions, and NGOs for electric and other non-fossil-fuel vehicles.

Truck owners stepped up orders for big rigs at a time when buying typically slows, pushing backlogs at factories to the highest levels in nearly two decades.

Bob Blocksom, an 87-year-old former insurance salesman in Lake Milton, Ohio, needs a job. He hasn’t saved enough money for his retirement. And trucking companies, desperate for workers, are willing to give him one.

Amazon.com is asking small-business owners to help deliver its goods, seeking to reduce its reliance on the U.S. Postal Service and other major delivery services as the number of packages it ships continues to climb.

U.S. businesses are spending more on transportation and warehousing as demand and prices for logistics services increase.

Package delivery company UPS on Tuesday said it will invest $130m to buy 730 compressed natural gas vehicles and build five more domestic CNG fueling stations as the industry moves to shift from petroleum-burning vehicles to those that use less-polluting alternative fuels.

Retailers and manufacturers are taking stock of their transportation costs and exploring alternatives as a capacity crunch in freight is driving up prices and causing shipping delays.