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Two of the best-known names in the chemical hauling business are about to disappear.

TT PhotoFedEx is absolutely, positively in the freight business. Any doubt about the express carrier’s intent to compete head-on with less-than-truckload and air freight carriers was quickly dispelled during a recent interview with Kenneth A. May, its senior vice president of Air, Ground and Freight Services.

Representatives of car haulers and the Teamsters union exchanged contract proposals Feb. 5, kicking off negotiations on terms of a new National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement.

Qualcomm Inc. announced it is cutting 700 jobs, or about 6% of its workforce, in response to slow sales and increased competition.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Japan’s Sumitomo Rubber Industries announced a global alliance.

Chancellor Corp., an equipment leasing and fleet management firm based in Boston, acquired Tomahawk Truck & Trailer Sales of Atlanta.

RPS Inc. announced plans to spend $500 million to expand its package delivery network by 50% over the next three years.

Wabash National Corp. is the target of two class action lawsuits following the company’s disclosure that profits for 1998 would be negatively affected by three special charges.

Associates Commercial Corp., one of the nation’s largest truck equipment finance companies, has purchased Transport Clearings, a leading provider of freight bill factoring services.

Enterprise Transportation Co. expanded its petrochemical hauling business by acquiring the trucking assets of Howell Transportation Services in Houston.