Four professional truck drivers from Hawaii are among 420 drivers from all 50 states competing in the National Truck Driving Championships in Virginia. The isle truckers are in different categories and include Steven Haskill, a FedEx Express step van driver from Hawaii island; Harold Oliveros of Aloha Petroleum Ltd. in the five-axle division; Chadwick Olson, a FedEx driver in the straight truck division; and Roger Ranada, a driver for Pepsi, in the flatbed division. The last three drivers hail from Oahu.

“The Truck Driving Championships represent the culmination of the industry’s dedication to safety,” said Hawaii Transportation Association Managing Director Gareth Sakakida.

The competition at America’s Center Convention Complex & Edward Jones Dome Center is staged by the American Trucking Associations. Associations, plural, is correct. Odd-looking, but corect, per its website.

Competitors are tasked with completing a course that re-creates scenarios the drivers face daily, such as an alley dock, a rear-line stop, a side park, scale stop, right turn, front-line stop and straight-line driving through a diminishing clearance.

The competition began Tuesday and culminates Saturday with the naming of the grand champion.

Hawaii accounting chapter honored

The national Association of Government Accountants recently named its Hawaii chapter a “platinum chapter,” its highest reward, for a second straight year.

The honor takes into consideration leadership, education, certification, communications, membership, accountability and community.

The association has a membership of more than 15,000 financial management professionals who work in the federal, state and local governments, as well as the private, nonprofit and academic sectors.

Falling Chinese yuan has ripple effect

WASHINGTON » A free-falling Chinese currency could make China’s goods cheaper for foreigners, squeeze Western companies, discourage Chinese tourism, increase China’s exports and complicate the Federal Reserve’s decision on whether to raise American interest rates.

If the yuan keeps falling, that is.

The Chinese currency sank again Wednesday, a day after Beijing engineered the biggest one-day decline in the yuan in a decade.

U.S. hiring reaches six-month high

WASHINGTON » U.S. employers filled more of their available jobs in June, evidence that steady if modest economic growth is putting more Americans to work.

The Labor Department said Wednesday that total hiring rose 2.3 percent to 5.18 million in June, the most in six months and second-highest total since the recession ended in June 2009.

Employers posted fewer job openings, but that figure has risen strongly in the past year. And more people quit their jobs, which is a good sign because many people quit when they have new jobs lined up, typically at higher pay. More hiring, quitting and healthy levels of job openings could pressure companies to lift wages.

Calendar quirk lifts U.S. budget deficit

WASHINGTON » The U.S. government ran a much higher budget deficit in July than a year ago, but it’s still on track for the lowest full-year deficit in eight years.

The Treasury Department said Wednesday that the July deficit totaled $149.2 billion, up from a deficit of $94.6 billion a year earlier. The deterioration stemmed mainly from the fact that Aug. 1 fell on a Saturday. As a result, the government paid out $42 billion in August benefits in late July instead.

Drug developer’s stock doubles in debut

NEW YORK » Blood disorder drug developer Global Blood Therapeutics’ shares more than doubled Wednesday as the company became the latest biotechnology company to get a powerful response from investors in its stock market debut.

Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. says its treatment for sickle cell disease might stop red blood cells from becoming misshapen, treating the disease rather than its symptoms. The drug, GBT440, is in early clinical testing: As of July 31, it had been given to 30 healthy volunteers and six people with sickle cell disease. The company wants to begin at least one mid-stage trial of the drug in early 2016.

Global Blood’s stock rose $23.11, or 116 percent, to $43.11 from its initial public offering price of $20. The volume was nearly 7 million shares.

Rdio offers greater radio station access

LOS ANGELES » Rdio, the music subscription service backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, is partnering to bring simulcasts of 500 traditional radio stations to its app in the U.S. The move is the next step in its partnership with station owner Cumulus Media Inc., which took a 15 percent stake in Rdio in 2013.

By gaining access to data about what’s playing on the Cumulus-owned stations, like KFOG in San Francisco or KLOS in Los Angeles, the app now allows users to pick favorite tracks and save them for later playback. Playback requires a subscription of at least $4 a month, which caps offline listening at 25 songs. Rollout with other stations and in other countries is planned over the next year.

On The Move

» Keller Williams Honolulu has announced the following new top agents:

— Edward “E.J.” MacNaughton previously worked for Prudential Locations. He has more than 10 years of real estate experience, including serving as vice president of Hawaii HomeLoans, Fidelity National Title as well as principal for MacNaughton Financial.

— Michelle Valera previously worked for Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties as well as Keller Williams Honolulu.

» Sea Life Park has named Remington Taum as marketing manager. She has experience in communications, public relations and social media. Taum previously worked in social media management for Pacific Islanders in Communications and Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific.

» Central Pacific Bank has promoted Marife Yamamoto to branch manager from customer service manager of the Kaheka Don Quijote branch. She has more than 19 years’ experience in sales and customer service.

Ship Ahoy!

Today’s ship arrivals and departures: