User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: July 2006
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Jul 28, 2006

TRUCKINGS' PROFITS USA

* P.A.M. Reports Higher 2Q Earnings, Revenue
USA -TTNews -26 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier P.A.M. Transportation Services Wednesday reported its second-quarter net earnings jumped to $5.2 million or 51 cents a share, from $3.7 million or 33 cents a year ago...

* C.H. Robinson Net Income Improves in Second Quarter
USA -TTNews -26 July 2006: -- Transportation and logistics firm C.H. Robinson Worldwide late Tuesday reported second-quarter net income of $66.6 million or 38 cents a share, up from $49.3 million or 28 cents a year earlier...

posted by Unknown @ 5:42 PM  0 comments

Product - Canada - Fuel saving device gets favourable result from Mullen trial

GATINEAU, Que.,CAN -Trucks News -(Ont.,Can), by Steven Macleod -27 July 2006: -- Mullen Trucking, one of twenty five companies making up the Mullen Group, has adopted the Tadger for their fleet and has signed a distribution agreement for the distribution of the Tadger to their independent contractors and sister companies...

posted by Unknown @ 5:39 PM  0 comments

Announcement - USA - Isuzu Launches New Web Site

For Diesel Engines, and Updates Commercial Vehicle Site
CERRITOS ,Cal.,USA –WebWire-press release (Atlanta,GA) -27 July2006: -- To keep consumers’ up to date with changes resulting from the 2007 emissions standards, Isuzu Commercial Truck of America Inc. has launched a new Web site, isuzudieselengine.com, and enhanced its current commercial vehicle site, isuzucv.com...

posted by Unknown @ 5:33 PM  0 comments

Products - Canada - Imperial Oil continues preparations for new engines

CALGARY, Alta.,Canada -Truck News (Toronto,ON,Can), by Steven Macleod -27 July 2006: -- Imperial Oil has added a new product to the family of Esso XD-3 Extra heavy-duty engine oils in further preparation for upcoming emission regulation changes... In October, Imperial Oil will introduce Esso XD-3 Extra CJ-4 15W-40 heavy-duty engine oil to meet the American Petroleum Institute's API CJ-4 diesel engine oil specification, which encompasses the new requirements for Proposed Category 10 (PC-10)...

posted by Unknown @ 5:28 PM  0 comments

Heat wave - Poland - Forces heavy trucks off Polish roads

Temporary ban has been introduced because of soaring temperatures
Varsaw,Poland -Radio Polonia -27 July 2006: -- The General Road and Highway Directorate has introduced a temporary ban on heavy vehicle transport from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m... Heavy trucks over 12 tons will not be allowed in this period on roads of 11 provinces, mostly in the central and southern parts of Poland... The temporary ban has been introduced because of soaring temperatures for the past three weeks, which have melted the asphalt in many places ruining roads and creating hazardous conditions for drivers.

posted by Unknown @ 5:23 PM  0 comments

Trucker Shortage - USA - Tries to solve trucker shortage

USA -People's Daily Online (Beijing,China) -27 July 2006: -- US trucking companies have been enjoying a boom period, but executives say it's never been harder to find people to do the driving... In fact, the driver shortage has become so serious that some experts are proposing moves like raising pay by 30 per cent or inviting workers from Mexico to do the job... But even those solutions might not be enough to meet demand in the industry, which moves more than 80 per cent of domestic freight cargo... The problem for the trucking business is that young Americans are more focused on quality of life, executives say. Many people would rather work for less money than sit behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer on journeys that can keep them away from home for days on end... According to May 2005 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, truck drivers earned average annual wages of US$35,460, but the top-paid in the industry made more than US$50,000... Others in the industry say money is not the only problem... Logistics expert John Vande Vate of Georgia Tech suggested allowing Mexican truck drivers access to the US market as a way to alleviate the personnel shortage... He added, however, that US drivers would probably oppose such a measure as it could push pay levels down. With immigration a contentious issue in US politics this year, Vande Vate said any moves to allow in Mexican drivers would be a long time coming...

posted by Unknown @ 5:12 PM  0 comments

Experience - UK - The Times turns its attention to trucking

A shortage of approximately 15,000 truck drivers in the UK

Chester,UK -Easier (UK) -27 July 2006: -- A female journalist from The Times newspaper spent two hours behind the wheel of an Iveco Stralis this week (26 July, 2006) at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, experiencing a taste of life as a truck driver... "The introduction of power steering and automated gearboxes have made modern day trucks a lot easier to drive, and in this day and age, there is really no reason why more women shouldn’t consider truck driving a worthwhile career path to follow," she adds... The event was set-up to encourage women to consider a career in the road transport industry, where the latest analysis by Skills for Logistics has highlighted a shortage of approximately 15,000 drivers, with female drivers accounting for just one per cent of the total number of truck drivers in the UK...

posted by Unknown @ 4:57 PM  0 comments

Changes - USA - Oregon proposes intrastate HOS

USA - eTrucker -27 July 2006: -- The Oregon Department of Transportation has published a proposed rule that would bring two of its intrastate hours-of-service exceptions into alignment with the federal interstate requirements... Oregon currently allows a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after taking eight consecutive hours off duty. The proposed rule would require the driver to take 10 consecutive hours off duty before operating a CMV... Oregon currently allows a driver to operate on a time card rather than a record-of-duty status (log) if he stays with a 100 air-mile radius of the starting point and returns to the starting point within 16 hours. The proposed rule would require the driver to stay within the 100 air-mile radius and to return to the starting point within 12 consecutive hours...

posted by Unknown @ 4:53 PM  0 comments

Study - USA - At any amount, per-mile pay makes drivers unhappy

USA -eTrucker , by Jill Dunn -27 July 2006: -- A study of 326 large U.S. trucking companies found truckers dissatisfied with per-mile pay, which does not allow them control over their performance, researchers said... Alternative pay systems, such as hourly or yearly salaries, could improve driver turnover rates, the researchers said... Nina Gupta, University of Arkansas management professor, and colleagues, found that in addition to working conditions and lack of home time, many truckers are unhappy with their per-mile payment method... Drivers at 75 percent of the companies listed "not enough driving hours/runs scheduled" as a problem...

posted by Unknown @ 4:47 PM  0 comments

Against - USA - Expanding range of Mexican trucks a mistake, OOIDA says

USA - eTrucker/Traffic World magazine -27 July 2006: -- The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has come out strongly against a pilot program described by Acting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino that would allow Mexican truckers beyond the 20-mile border zone to which they now are restricted... Cino’s comments appeared in an interview published in the July 24 issue of Traffic World magazine. The magazine quoted Cino as saying the proposed one-year pilot program would involve about 100 Mexican motor carriers and could be unveiled by the end of 2006...

posted by Unknown @ 4:43 PM  0 comments

Purchases - Philippines - Board approves governor's deal to get 10 more trucks

Manila,Philippines -Sun.Star - July 27, 2006: -- The deal to get 10 more new dump trucks for the Provincial Government was approved... The majority of the Provincial Board (PB) Members gave leeway to the Provincial Government in acquiring 10 more dump trucks aside from the 10 new ones they got...

posted by Unknown @ 4:35 PM  0 comments

Hazmat Clearance - USA - Canadian drivers can now use FAST card for

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (Toronto,ON,Canada), by Adam Ledlow -26 July 2006: -- The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that beginning Aug. 10 drivers licensed in Canada or Mexico to commercially transport hazardous materials will be required to undergo a background check via the FAST program before transporting in the US. The requirement is restricted to quantities requiring a hazardous materials placard, and includes explosives...

posted by Unknown @ 4:29 PM  0 comments

Prognosis - Sweden - Volvo Motors Along for Now

It's a tough time to invest in trucks, but here's one Fool who's doing it anyway

Sweden - MSNBC (USA) -26 July 2006: -- If you've followed the trucking industry for a while, you probably already know that upcoming changes to European and American emissions standards should put the brakes on sales of new trucks before too long. But the geopolitical concerns that are affecting other sectors are having an effect on truck builders, too. Just listen to what Volvo management says about market risks today... "I worry about what is happening in the Middle East. Partly because of the direct effect it is having on our sales, partly because it can drive oil prices up. It can create worldwide unrest that depresses world trade. War doesn't benefit anybody," said CEO Leif Johansson in last Friday's earnings call...

posted by Unknown @ 4:21 PM  0 comments

Trucker Shortage - USA - Higher pay may help solve

CHICAGO, Mich.,USA -Reuters Canada (Toronto,Ont.,Can.), by Nick Carey -Jul 25, 2006: -- U.S. trucking companies have been enjoying a boom period, but executives say it's never been harder to find people to do the driving... In fact, the driver shortage has become so serious that some experts are proposing moves like raising pay by 30 percent or inviting workers from Mexico to do the job... But even those solutions might not be enough to meet demand in the industry, which moves more than 80 percent of domestic freight cargo. Some analysts see shippers turning to the railroads, which need fewer staff and charge lower prices....

posted by Unknown @ 4:15 PM  0 comments

Problem - Philippines - Truck overloading as top road maintenance trouble

Laoag City,Philippines -Philippine Information Agency, by Aleli Aggasid Batara -26 July 2006: -- Engr. Milagrina Palma, of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admits that overloading of cargo trucks is still their number one problem with regards to road maintenance... Overloading, she said, is the major cause of deterioration of roads and bridges in the province...

posted by Unknown @ 4:13 PM  0 comments

Jul 26, 2006

TRANSPORTS' WORLDWIDE

* Swiss - K+N growth/profits out-perform the market
Swiss -Transport Intelligence(UK) -24 July 2006: -- Swiss logistics group Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) has announced half-year results for 2006 with turnover up an impressive 35% on the similar period last-year. The performance of its ACR Logistics acquisition is included for the first time...

*USA - Con-Way sells expedited transportation unit to Panther
USA -Transport Intelligence(UK) -24 July 2006: -- US based logistics company Con-way has announed that it is selling the expedited freight transportation business of Con-way Expedite & Brokerage to Panther Expedited...

* Taiwan - APL Logistics gains Taiwan FTZ licence
Taiwan -Transport Intelligence(UK) -24 July 2006: -- Global supply chain solutions provider, APL Logistics, has announced that it is the first international logistics provider to obtain a licence to operate in Taiwan’s Kaohsiung Free Trade Zone (FTZ)...

posted by Unknown @ 4:06 PM  0 comments

Fuel - USA - Crude supply flat; gasoline supply down

San Fco.,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Myra P. Saefong -Jul 26, 2006: -- The Energy Department said crude supplies were unchanged for the week ended July 21, totaling 335.5 million... Motor gasoline inventories fell a bigger than expected 3.2 million barrels to total 211 million barrels. Distillate supplies climbed 800,000 barrels to 131.9 million... Following the news, September crude rose 40 cents to $74.15 a barrel after trading as low as $73.60 earlier. August unleaded gas shed 0.24 cent to $2.2825 a gallon and August heating oil was at $1.952 a gallon, up 0.81 cent...

posted by Unknown @ 3:02 PM  0 comments

AUTOS' WORLDWIDE

* USA - Foreign cars pass Big 3 - For the 1st time, U.S. drivers buy more import brands
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Josee Valcourt -July 25, 2006: -- For the first time, U.S. consumers are buying more cars and trucks built by foreign automakers than vehicles made by Detroit's traditional Big Three... New statistics compiled by R.L. Polk and Co., which counts new car registrations and excludes sales to rental car agencies and other fleet customers, show foreign brands commanded 52.9 percent of the retail auto market in the first five months of 2006, while domestic automakers fell to 47.1 percent... Domestic brands led foreign makes 51 percent to 49 percent over the same period last year...

* USA - GM surges after posting adjusted profit
San Francisco,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Shawn Langlois & Padraic Cassidy -Jul 26, 2006: -- General Motors Corp. shares jumped as much as 8% early Wednesday after the company's adjusted profit wowed Wall Street even as heavy charges from its massive restructuring led to a $3.2 billion loss in the second quarter... GM also reported a profit, excluding charges, in its global automotive operations for the first time since 2004... And as expected, GM didn't go into detail about the potential three-way alliance with Nissan and Renault, per an agreed upon 90-day period during which all three automakers will study the benefits of such an agreement...

* USA - GM posts $3.2 billion loss for second quarter
DETROIT,Mich,USA -Reuters -26 July 2006: -- General Motors on Wednesday posted a larger-than-expected operating profit, but a wider quarterly net loss after writing down costs associated with buyouts for almost a third of its factory work force... The world's largest automaker posted a second-quarter net loss of $3.2 billion, or $5.62 per share, compared with a loss of $987 million, or $1.75 per share, for the year-ago quarter...


* Japan - Nissan first quarter operating profit sinks on global sales slump
TOKYO,Japan -Reuters -25 July 2006: -- Nissan Motor Co. posted a worse-than-expected 26 percent slump in quarterly operating profit on Tuesday as an empty product pipeline caused a global sales slump, but maintained its full-year forecast for a marginal profit rise...

* Italy - Fiat second quarter profit up 83.1 percent
MILAN,Italy -Reuters -24 July 2006: -- Italy's Fiat S.p.A. beat analyst expectations on Monday with an 83.1 percent rise in trading profit, as its key automotive business enjoyed its third quarterly profit in a row...

* Russia - AvtoVAz may buy GM stake in venture
MOSCOW,Russia -Reuters/RBC magazine -24 July 2006: -- AvtoVAZ, Russia's No.1 carmaker, will buy out the stake of General Motors in their joint venture if GM offers the right conditions, AvtoVAZ's head said... "If GM offers favorable terms, we will accept them and will buy out their stake," AvtoVAZ Board Chairman Vladimir Artyakov told...

* China - Toyota targets 52 percent rise in China sales
SHANGHAI,China -Reuters -24 July 2006: -- Toyota Motor Corp. said on Monday it expected a 52 percent jump in its China car sales this year, helped by new models... Toyota aims to move 278,000 vehicles in China in 2006, up from 183,000 last year, including imported and locally made models, a company executive told...

* USA - Ford teams to attack costs - As carmaker considers cutting jobs and benefits, two groups will reduce product, operation costs.
DEARBORN,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -July 26, 2006: -- Ford Motor Co. has formed two internal teams to reduce costs in product development and manufacturing operations and review capital investments as part of an acceleration of its North American turnaround plan launched in January... The automaker is also contemplating additional cost-cutting moves -- including more white-collar job and benefit cuts...

posted by Unknown @ 2:57 PM  0 comments

TRUCKINGS' WORLDWIDE

* Canada - TransForce Income Fund Acquires Byers Transportation System
Montreal, Can -Transport Topics -24 July 2006: -- TransForce Income Fund, Montreal, Canada, announced Monday in a release that it has acquired Canadian less-than-truckload carrier Byers Transportation System Inc. and its subsidiaries from Landtran Systems Inc., an Edmonton, Alberta, Canada transportation and logistics firm...

* USA - Arkansas Best Corp. Earnings, Revenue Rise
Arkansas,USA -Transport Topics -24 July 2006: -- Best Corp., the parent of less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight System, said Monday its second-quarter profit rose to $32.3 million or $1.26 cents a share, up from $23.4 million or 91 cents a year earlier...

* USA - UPS profit rises, but company dims earnings growth
NEW YORK,NY,USA -MarketWatch, by Padraic Cassidy -Jul 25, 2006: -- UPS said Tuesday its second-quarter net income rose to $1.06 billion, or 97 cents a share, from $986 million, or 88 cents a share, in the year-earlier period. The Atlanta-based package delivery giant said sales in the three months ended June 30 rose more than 15% to $11.74 billion from $10.19 billion...

posted by Unknown @ 2:41 PM  0 comments

Truck Reduction Program - USA - PierPASS reaches a successful peak

Ports: Officials say 2.5 million truck trips diverted from daytime traffic

Long Beach,CA,USA -Long Beach Press-Telegram, by Felix Sanchez -25 July 2006: -- After a year of double digit success, operators of an "offpeak" truck program at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are now focusing on increased security and easing the red tape on processing exports at the marine complex... Officials with PierPASS Inc.'s offpeak truck reduction program celebrated its first year of operation on Monday, saying it has been able to divert about 2.5 million truck trips from daytime traffic...

posted by Unknown @ 12:53 PM  0 comments

Inauguration - Turkmenistan - International terminal at Gaudan-Bajgiran checkpoint on Turkmen-Iranian border

Turkmenistan -Turkmenistan.ru -25 July 2006: -- On July 25, president Saparmurat Niyazov and visiting Turkmenistan president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mahmud Ahmadinezhad attended an inauguration ceremony of an international terminal at Gaudan-Bajgiran checkpoint on the border between two countries... The total area of Gaudan check point is 36,230 square meters... Special equipment from the leading foreign companies ensures fast and quality service of passenger traffic. In particular, examination of luggage and hand luggage is carried out by the powerful X-ray device Linescan 231-V with the capacity to detect explosives and drugs, weapons, precious metals and foreign currency...

posted by Unknown @ 12:48 PM  0 comments

Generation X - USA - Has let truck driving pass by

Busy fleets seek ways to stem driver shortage

Houston,TX,USA -The Houston Chronicle/Reuters, by NICK CAREY -July 24, 2006: -- U.S. trucking companies have been enjoying a boom period, but executives say it's never been harder to find people to do the driving... In fact, the driver shortage has become so serious that some experts are proposing moves like raising pay 30 percent or inviting workers from Mexico to do the job... The problem for the trucking business is that young Americans are more focused on quality of life, executives say. Many people would rather work for less money than sit behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer on journeys that can keep them out for days on end...

posted by Unknown @ 12:40 PM  0 comments

Excellence Award - USA - Transport America Receives Top Safety Recognition

Eagan, Minn,USA -Layover -25 July 2006: -- Great West Risk Management awarded Transport Corporation of America with the 2005 Platinum Safety & Operational Excellence Award... This award was based on various criteria, which included loss results, prompt and fair claim settlement practices, timely reporting of serious claims to Great West, innovated loss prevention programs and demonstrated operational excellence...

posted by Unknown @ 12:34 PM  0 comments

Study - USA - Medium & Heavy Truck Aftermarket to Exceed $12 Billion in 2010

CLEVELAND, OH,USA -MARKET WIRE -July 25, 2006: -- The U.S. aftermarket for medium- and heavy-duty (MD/HD) truck components and parts is projected to increase at an annual rate of 3.9 percent, exceeding $12 billion in 2010... Some segments of the market such as electronics and emissions controls are expected to experience faster growth... Aftermarket revenue growth will result from both the expected increases in the overall truck park and strong U.S. economic performance over the next five years... As new trucks replace old, demand for maintenance- and overhaul-related parts and components will decelerate... However, new exhaust emissions control systems -- especially those mandated for diesel engines -- will provide new opportunities for MD/HD suppliers, as new technologies are added to the mix and resulting higher underhood temperatures place greater stress on engines and related components. These and other trends are presented in "Medium- & Heavy-Duty Truck Aftermarket," a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm...

posted by Unknown @ 12:30 PM  0 comments

Products - USA - Kohler Power Systems Enters Heavy-Duty Truck Market

KOHLER, Wis.,USA -Layover -25 July 2006: -- Taking its 85-plus year history in the power generation market, Kohler Power Systems announced it will expand its generator product line to include an auxiliary power unit (APU) for the heavy-duty trucking industry... Understanding that compactness is crucial, Kohler designed its first APU product to be one of the smallest and lightest air-cooled generators on the market (27" W x 26" H x 23"D and weighing less than 350 pounds)...

posted by Unknown @ 12:24 PM  0 comments

Speculation - Sweden - Volvo trucks climbing amid investor

STOCKHOLM,Swewden -DOW JONES NEWSWIRES/MarketWatch, by Louise Nordstrom -Jul 25, 2006: -- Shares in Swedish truck maker Volvo AB have climbed 9% in the last month amid persistent rumors that the business is being targeted by private equity firms, with U.S. investor Carl Icahn rumored to be among some of the co-investors... Stock trackers say share performance is the more remarkable because other big Swedish industrials are down by as much as 10% over the same period on fears of slumping export demand... "There's been speculation that someone is buying into it (Volvo trucks) since it has a strong cash position, but that the company is very undervalued," said Michael Andersson, senior analyst at Evli Bank. "Despite the messy bourse climate we've had, Volvo is still up there," he said...

posted by Unknown @ 12:15 PM  0 comments

EcoNews - USA - MoDOT Selected to Test Hybrid Bucket Trucks

New High-Tech Trucks Expected to Reduce Fuel, Maintenance Costs

Jefferson City, Mo.,USA -Kansas City infoZine (Kansas City,MO) -July 25, 2006: -- The Missouri Department of Transportation is the first government agency in the nation to test a new energy saving, environmentally friendly, diesel-electric bucket truck... MoDOT expects the Utility Hybrid Truck Pilot Program to demonstrate the vehicle's ability to cut fuel costs and smog-producing emissions in half, while also reducing maintenance costs, reducing noise and providing an alternative power source in emergencies... The hybrid truck is manufactured by Warrenville, Ill.-based International and Cleveland, Ohio-based Eaton Corporation, a manufacturer of electrical systems and components. The truck's aerial device is manufactured by Altec Industries. Its complex electric motor operates from advanced lithium ion batteries and a diesel engine...

posted by Unknown @ 12:08 PM  0 comments

Production - India - Fully-built trucks by Leyland soon

Chennai,India -Business Standard, by S Bridget Leena -July 26, 2006: -- In a move which may bring about major changes in the way truck companies operate, the second largest vehicle maker in the country, Ashok Leyland is planning to sell fully built trucks (HCV- high density commercial vehicles and MDV- medium density commercial vehicles) in the market... So far, truck owners used to buy chassis from commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Eicher, Mahindra & Mahindra and get the body built from small enterprises so as to minimise the costs...

posted by Unknown @ 12:02 PM  0 comments

Jul 25, 2006

NAFTA - USA - Trade falls in April after recent March all-time high

WASHINGTON,DC,USA -The Trucker, by KEVIN JONES -24 July 2006: -- A year before, it would been have a record month, but coming on the heels of an all-time high in March, the April report of trade with Canada and Mexico is noteworthy for its downward turn... Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners reached $61.7 billion, down 9.5 percent from the month before. The result was, however, 5.9 percent higher in April 2006 than in April 2005, and one of the best months on record, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation...

posted by Unknown @ 3:49 PM  0 comments

Prognosis - USA - June truck sales hold on to record levels

USA -The Trucker -24 July 2006: -- Class 8 new truck sales totals were flat in June, but no bad news could be considered very good news for heavy-duty truck original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) caught between an expected period of record production (2005-2006) and an approaching cycle of uncertainty... Sales in June totaled 25,240 trucks compared with 25,149 in May, an increase of 0.4 percent, according to figures by Ward’s Automotive. The June total falls just short of the record monthly high of 25,895 set in March... Some industry insiders, however, had expected woeful tidings by this point in the calendar, and attribute the ongoing strength in new equipment orders to some “stockpiling” of pre-2007 EPA compliant engines that could feed a production line through the first few months of next year...

posted by Unknown @ 3:41 PM  0 comments

Reports - USA - Expect class 8 slump for next 18 months: Bear Stearns

NEW YORK,NY,USA -Today's Trucking News -24 July 2006: -- The month of June showed the first clear sign of weakness in the class 8 truck building market since the pre-buy boom erupted a year ago... The truck equipment group of New York market analysts Bear Stearns reports that heavy-duty truck builds weakened 11.5 percent from the same period last year -- versus a year-to-year boost of 15.6 percent in May 2006...

posted by Unknown @ 3:33 PM  0 comments

Business - Italy - Fiat signs deal with Russians

Turin,Italy -International Herald Tribune (France)/Bloomberg -July 24, 2006: -- Fiat said Monday that it had signed an agreement expanding a pact with Severstal-Avto to add the assembly of Ducato vans in Russia. Fiat also finalized an agreement to build trucks in China... Severstal, Russia's third-largest automaker, will build 75,000 of the vans a year starting in late 2007, for sale in Russia and for export... Fiat also said, that it had completed a joint venture of its Iveco trucks unit with SAIC Motor and Chongqing Heavy Vehicle Group to build trucks in China... Fiat and SAIC will create a 50-50 joint venture called SAIC Iveco Commercial Vehicle Investment, which in turn will buy 67 percent of Chongqing Hongyan Motor, a unit of Chongqing Heavy, Fiat said...

posted by Unknown @ 3:27 PM  0 comments

Recognition - Australia - Hartwig’s men know how to sell top trucks

Albury,New South Wales,Australia -Border Mail, by BREANNA TUCKER -24 July 2006: -- Whether they have been in the business for 10 years or two, the salesmen at Hartwig’s Trucks have proven they know their stuff... At the start of last month, two of the Lavington company’s salesmen were bestowed top recognition at the National DaimlerChrysler Salesman of the Year Awards... Branch manager Alan Kibble won the Sales Manager for Freightliner, Sterling and Mercedes Benz award and salesman Cameron Marshall won the Star Guild Award, which places him among the top five salesmen for Mercedes Benz... As a truck owner-operator of 23 years, he said his key to success was his background knowledge of the truck industry... (Picture: PETER MERKESTEYN Cameron Marshall and Alan Kibble have been recognised for their hard work at the DaimlerChrysler awards)

posted by Unknown @ 3:27 PM  0 comments

Infraestructures - China - Overloaded trucks force tunnel repairs

Shanghai,China -The Shanghai Daily, by Zhang Jun -25 July 2006: -- The city's Outer Ring Road Tunnel will undergo a complete renovation only three years after it opens as many of its roads have been ruined by overloaded trucks, officials said yesterday... Tunnel managers complained the city lacks any system to control the number of vehicles that use the tunnel every day, or keep overloaded trucks out of it. "The tunnel is free and we don't have a regular team to check its users," said Dong Hui, an official with the Shanghai Engineering Administrative Bureau... She said the city does have a law covering overloaded trucks - which forces drivers to unload cargo immediately and could see vehicle owners fined up to 30,000 yuan (US$3,750)... There is no permanent system in place to check on trucks before they enter the tunnel, however. Currently, more than 80,000 vehicles use the tunnel every day, about four times more than three years ago when it was put into use...

posted by Unknown @ 3:17 PM  0 comments

Drivers' Health - Australia - WorkCover to monitor fatigue plan implementation

Australia - ATN -25 July 2006: -- WorkCover will be contacting transport operators around New South Wales to make sure they are adopting appropriate fatigue management plans... The move is to ensure operators are making moves to comply, according to WorkCover CEO Jon Blackwell... "Driver fatigue has been attributed to a number of accidents involving long distance truck drivers and it is important that operators are able to demonstrate that they are improving safety for their drivers and other road users," he says...

posted by Unknown @ 3:16 PM  0 comments

Drivers' Health - USA - Petro installs blood pressure monitors

USA -eTrucker, by Brittani Tingle -25 July 2006: -- To help drivers become aware of potential blood pressure problems, Petro Stopping Centers has installed free blood pressure monitors at most of its locations nationwide... According to the truck stop chain, the decision to install the monitors was made in response to stricter federal government regulations that now require professional drivers to have blood pressure of 140/90 or below in order to maintain a CDL. The old standard was 160/90...

posted by Unknown @ 3:11 PM  0 comments

Award - USA - Dart driver receives NSC

USA -eTrucker, by Brittani Tingle -25 July 2006: -- Roosevelt Howard, a professional truck driver from Columbus, Ga., is the recipient of the National Safety Council’s Million Mile Safety Award, which is given to drivers attaining at least one million miles of accident-free driving... Howard has been an owner-operator with Dart Transit Co. in Saint Paul, Minn., since 1994. He participates in the company's professional driver development program, which involves a yearly driver improvement course, safety advisors, driver performance analysis and professional recognition...

posted by Unknown @ 3:07 PM  0 comments

Earnings - USA - Caterpillar records highest profits ever

PEORIA, Ill,USA -Today's Trucking -25 July 2006: -- Heavy-duty enginemaker Caterpillar Inc. has reported a 41 percent increase in profit per share on a 13 percent increase in sales and revenues compared with the second quarter 2005... Sales and revenues in the quarter were $10.605 billion, and profit was $1.046 billion, or $1.52 per share -- all were the highest for any quarter in Caterpillar's history.

posted by Unknown @ 3:02 PM  0 comments

Breaker, Breaker - USA - Sirius Signs Up Peterbilt

NEW YORK,NY,USA -Edmunds.com/Inside Line -25 July 2006: -- Peterbilt Motors is the latest vehicle manufacturer to install Sirius satellite radio as standard equipment on its vehicles. The twist, of course, is that Peterbilt builds heavy-duty commercial trucks... Peterbilt, a division of PACCAR, said that it will package Sirius radios in a variety of its premium models equipped with Platinum-level sleepers, including traditional Model 389 and Model 388 trucks as well as the aerodynamic Model 386...

posted by Unknown @ 2:48 PM  0 comments

Earnings - Italy - Iveco doubles quarterly profit

Italy -Australasian Transport News (Australia) -25 July 2006: -- Truck manufacturer Iveco has doubled its quarterly profit as part of a resurgence by the FIAT car, truck and tractor Group... FIAT directors said that Iveco had doubled profit to 163 million Euros for the second quarter of 2006 on the back of increased volumes and cost efficiencies... The Fiat car division is now in profit, following a resolution with General Motors which led to a significant reduction in debt while sales volumes were up 20.8 percent in major markets of western and eastern Europe and Brazil. Aside from Iveco Trucks, the other star in the Fiat Group was Ferrari which doubled profits to 64 million euros on deliveries of just 2,749 units...

posted by Unknown @ 2:47 PM  0 comments

Story - USA - Founder's son, 86, drives truck for 86-year-old firm

Salt Lake,UH,USA -The Salt Lake Tribune, by Paul Beebe -23 July 2006: -- The truck: A 5-year-old Freightliner rigged with a special 600-horsepower motor, an 18-speed automatic transmission and showing 225,000 miles on the odometer... The driver: Gene England, age 86, blessed with a younger face, eyeglasses that correct his vision to 20-20, and body as trim as his truck, even after seven decades and 4 million miles behind the wheel... Actually, the mileage is just a guess. England is not sure how far he's traveled since obtaining a driver license when he was 14. What is certain is he's by far the oldest long-haul driver at C.R. England Inc., a Salt Lake City trucking giant that runs refrigerated trucks coast to coast and into Mexico... (Photo: Melinda Hom-Williams/ The Salt Lake Tribune -- Gene England's father founded C.R. England, a Salt Lake City-based trucking firm. Gene's still an over-the-road driver and makes cross-country trips with his wife who keeps him company)

posted by Unknown @ 2:39 PM  0 comments

Earnings - USA - Paccar 2nd-qtr profit up 53 percent

CHICAGO,Ill,USA -Reuters -July 25, 2006: -- Paccar Inc., the No. 2 U.S. maker of heavy trucks, on Tuesday said quarterly profit rose 53 percent thanks to strong North American truck sales and revenue growth in its financial services arm... But the company forecast the North American market for heavy trucks would contract more than previously expected next year as new environmental rules take effect, sending its shares lower...

posted by Unknown @ 2:39 PM  0 comments

Laws - USA - Changes made to flag laws for loaded log trucks

Nacogdoches,TX,USA -The Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, by Michael Rodden -July 23, 2006: -- Changes in the laws for displaying red warning flags on loaded log trucks and other trucks carrying extended loads are being enforced, and Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Judge David Perkins wants to warn haulers before they find out the hard way... According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 393.87, any commercial motor vehicle transporting a load that extends beyond the sides more than four inches or beyond the rear more than four feet must have the extremities marked with red or orange fluorescent warning flags...

posted by Unknown @ 2:38 PM  0 comments

Controls - Canada - Almost half trucks in blitz unsafe

City of London,Ont,Can -London Free Press -July 22, 2006: -- Nearly half the "heavy trucks" stopped in a London safety blitz were unfit for service -- but other drivers shouldn't be too concerned, police said yesterday... The crackdown, organized by city police, the OPP and government officials, stopped 17 "commercial" vehicles -- such as rigs and cube vans -- eight of which were forced off the road over various problems, including defective brakes...

posted by Unknown @ 2:27 PM  0 comments

Earnings - Sweden - Mack sales strong in June

Customers buying before emissions standards are raised

Stockholm,Sweden -The Allentown Morning Call (Allentown,PA,USA)/Associated Press, by Sam Kennedy -22 July 2006: -- Mack Trucks enjoyed another month of strong sales as customers rushed to buy vehicles before new emissions standards drive up costs... Mack's parent company, Volvo AB, said Friday the Allentown truckmaker delivered 3,429 trucks in June, nearly matching its performance during the same month last year... Volvo earnings grew 19 percent in the second quarter, to 4.68 billion kronor ($640 million), on strong sales in Europe and North America, the Swedish company said...

posted by Unknown @ 2:19 PM  0 comments

Fuel Costs - Canada - Trucking firms forced 'to pass on' , groups says

AMHERST,Nova Scotia,Canada -ChronicleHerald.ca (Halifax), by TOM McCOAG -22 July 2006: -- Rising fuel costs will inevitably affect the price of consumer goods because truckers no longer have the ability to absorb the increases, the board chairman of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association said... If trucking companies can't stay in business, he said, fewer trucks will be on the roads hauling goods to market, which means less product will be getting to the stores... The trucking industry is trying to get around this problem by establishing an automatic surcharge, but not all companies have contracts with that clause in them...

posted by Unknown @ 2:09 PM  0 comments

Jul 22, 2006

Trucking Wives - USA - Hold Reunion in St. Louis

USA - Layover -21 July 2006: -- Sixteen women who met via the Internet converged on St. Louis June 8-11, 2006, to meet each other in person. They are part of a 375 member online community of mostly truckers' wives who support each other with friendship and advice while their husbands are on the road... The online group, dubbed the Family Center E-List, is part of the trucking website www.layover.com. The email community connects women managing the home front who face unique challenges due to the trucking lifestyle...

posted by Unknown @ 2:29 PM  0 comments

Business - India - Ashok Leyland Acquiring Czech Truck Maker Avia AS

Mumbai, India -(AHN)All Headline News, by Som Patidar -July 22, 2006: -- India's second largest truck and bus maker Ashok Leyland is acquiring Avia AS, the loss making Czech truck maker... Avia AS chairman, Michael Saran said that it is a very compelling fit. Ashok Leyland will gain a modern truck, design, capabilities and access to the European market and the Avia truck business unit will gain a strategic resulting in significant saving in purchasing and access to Ashok Leyland's existing markets...

posted by Unknown @ 2:23 PM  0 comments

Protests - USA - Truck drivers from India to take U.S. jobs?

Union protests plan as attempt to undercut 'hard-working Americans'

Grants Pass,OR,USA -WorldNetDaily, by Jerome R. Corsi -July 21, 2006: -- An American company is recruiting long-haul truck drivers from India with the goal of placing them with U.S. trucking firms... The Teamsters Union strongly opposes the plan by Gagan Global LLC of Garnerville, N.Y... Teamsters Union spokesman Galen Munroe told the plan "is yet another example of corporations exploiting a visa program to replace highly trained, hard-working Americans with cheap labor from overseas"... Gagan Global has contracted with the Indian state government of Andra Pradesh and its Overseas Manpower Consultancy to run a training school in the Asian country... The Teamsters' Munroe objected to Gagan Global's program, concluding, "It is time for American companies to invest in the American workforce. Outsourcing will only quicken the demise of the middle class"...

posted by Unknown @ 2:16 PM  0 comments

Production - Iran - MAN trucks on Iranian roads

Tehran,Iran -ISNA -21 July 2006: -- Iranian truck manufacturer, Avrin Diesel announced that it will start the production of German "MAN" trucks from next year... This manufacturer has announced its readiness to produce annually 25 thousand trucks which this process will first be carried out as CKD and then gradually be changed to domestic made trucks... The imported and produced MAN TGA18480 trucks have a 480hp engine and meet Euro 3 standards...

posted by Unknown @ 2:10 PM  0 comments

Jul 21, 2006

Production - Mexico - Detroit, Far South

MEXICO CITY,DF,MEX -The New York Times (NY,USA), by ELISABETH MALKIN -July 21, 2006: -- For Mexico, the recent groundbreaking of a new $650 million auto factory was worth celebrating. ... General Motors, the investor, flew in to the central state of San Luis Potosí, where the assembly plant now under construction is expected to eventually employ up to 1,800 people and churn out as many as 160,000 compact cars a year... Automotive production in Mexico is expected to hit record levels this year, surpassing two million cars, as automakers pour billions of dollars of new investment into their Mexican factories... The expansion, being fueled by Mexico’s top five automakers — General Motors, Ford Motor, DaimlerChrysler, Nissan and Volkswagen — stands in contrast to the plans by G.M. and Ford to cut 60,000 jobs in the United States and close two dozen North American plants through 2012... The reason for Mexico’s new wave of growth is twofold: First, it is next to the world’s largest auto market, allowing greater production integration because auto companies can easily ship cars and parts by truck and rail... And second, it is still cheap to operate here compared with the United States, where unionized workers earn at least $27 an hour and benefits can double or even triple the total cost. By comparison, Mexico’s typical auto industry wage of about $3.50 an hour for an experienced worker — which doubles with benefits — looks like a bargain... (Photo: A DaimlerChrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico, turns out Chrysler PT Cruisers, made to order, for 60 countries)

posted by Unknown @ 5:57 PM  0 comments

AUTOS' WORLDWIDE

* USA - Ford to cut more - After $123M loss, Bill Ford says he'll speed up cutbacks
DEARBORN,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -21 July 2006: -- Ford Motor Co. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. said Thursday that the "way forward" restructuring plan unveiled in January does not go far enough and that quick action and deeper cuts will be needed to save the company's struggling North American car and truck business... He said the downsizing moves already outlined will be accelerated following a $123 million second quarter loss that surprised an already skeptical Wall Street...


* Japan - Reprimands Toyota over recall, says no laws broken
Tokyo,Japan -The Detroit Free Press/Associated Press, byYuri Kageyama -July 20, 2006: -- The government will reprimand Toyota for failing to act more quickly in a recall case that is now under criminal investigation, but authorities determined no laws were broken and no fines will be imposed... Japan's biggest automaker will be issued administrative "guidance" -- or a public scolding -- and demand that Toyota make improvements on its recall procedures, according to a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport official who spoke on customary condition of anonymity...


* USA - J.D. Power exec says Chinese are 5 years away from quality autos
BEIJING,China -Automotive News (USA), by ALYSHA WEBB -17 July 2006: -- Chinese automakers are about five years away from matching the quality ratings of cars sold in the United States, says Jamey Power, executive vice president of international operations for J.D. Power and Associates... "They realize there is a quality gap (compared to cars in the U.S. market now)," says Power. "But they don't know how to close it."...


* Russia - Foreign brands are hot in a growing market -- Customers wait while dealers scramble
Moscow,Russia - Automotive News, by JASON STEIN -18 July 2006: -- ... This is life in the new Russia, where one dealer can sell as many Hummers a month as GM's monthly average in all of western Europe last year... The supreme irony: For decades, Russians waited in lines for essentials. Now they are waiting again -- this time for cars... Capitalism is the culprit, and inomarka (Russian for foreign brand) is the hot commodity... Foreign automakers are rushing to set up manufacturing. GM, Nissan and Volkswagen have announced production plans in the past month, as Russia's new-car market is expected to hit 2 million units by 2008, an increase of 22 percent over last year. Foreign cars could capture 70 percent of the market by 2010 by some estimates...


* China - Geely goes back to the drawing board to design US-spec car
Beijing,China -Autoblog. (USA) by John Neff -July 21, 2006: -- Li Shufu, the chairman of Geely Automobile, has decided to put on hold his plans to export a Chinese produced vehicle to the United States by 2008 that would start at $10,000. The reason? According to AutoWeek, it sounds like Shufu doesn't think his Chinese domestic cars can hack it in the U.S. on low cost alone. The move apparently prompted the removal of John Harmer, the former COO of Geely USA Inc., from his position, though Shufu has retained him as a consultant...

posted by Unknown @ 5:24 PM  0 comments

Petroleum - USA - Record Oil? Not Yet.

USA -Forbes, by Paul Maidment -17 July 2006: -- A summary of the headlines: The potential for a Middle East war drives up the cost of oil and the markets tank... -- What you're not hearing: Even at today's prices, crude oil is still not as expensive once inflation is taken into account as it was in the early 1980s, at least not yet... The price would have to top $87.70 for it to be a high in real as well as nominal terms for modern times. To set a record, crude would have to reach $104 a barrel, which is the value in 2006 dollars of the $8.06 a barrel oil hit in the mid-1860s shortly after it was first discovered in Pennsylvania...

posted by Unknown @ 5:15 PM  0 comments

Comments - USA - Logistics Costs Soar

USA -Forbes, by Robert Malone -18 July 2006: -- The costs of logistics in the U.S.--moving goods into and through the nation--soared more than 15% last year, the largest rise in 30 years, meaning shipping and forwarding sopped up 9.5% of the gross domestic product... "Domestic freight transportation, in terms of tons of freight transported, has grown over 20% in the last decade and is expected to increase another 65% to 70% by 2020," says Rosalyn Wilson, a consultant with Reality Based IT Services. In a recent paper produced for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, she adds that costs are rising in virtually every stage and mode of U.S. transportation and movement of freight and commerce... Most of the $1.18 trillion in logistics costs last year were eventually passed on down to consumers...

posted by Unknown @ 5:05 PM  0 comments

TechnoNews - USA - PrePass looking to upgrading the Interstate

USA -Fleet Owner, by Terrence Nguyen -July 20, 2006: -- Advances in vehicle-to-roadside wireless communications technology will in turn become a significant component of making the existing Interstate highway system run more efficiently... Dick Landis, president & CEO of Help Inc., detailed how the PrePass highway weigh station pre-clearance system will evolve by expanding services and upgrading its technology...

posted by Unknown @ 4:28 PM  0 comments

Warning - USA - Capitol Hill sees truck safety in action

WASHINGTON, D.C.,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -July 19, 2006: -- Don Ellmore guns the throttle, shifting his International tractor up for speed in searing heat here along a wide swath of empty parking lot alongside Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) memorial stadium... He turns on his blinker to merge right and suddenly an alarm sounds, with a yellow warning light mounted on the cab’s right roof pillar blinking rapidly to tell him there’s a vehicle in his blind spot...

posted by Unknown @ 4:21 PM  0 comments

TRUCKINGS' PROFITS WORLDWIDE

* USA - Navistar Again Reaffirms ’06 Guidance
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Navistar International Corp. late Wednesday again reaffirmed that it expects to earn at least $5.38 per share this year... Navistar is the International Truck and Engine Corp., which makes trucks and engines... The company said in April it would restate earnings from 2002 through 2005 and that it had replaced its outside auditor...

* USA - Drews Trucking sells unit to KK
OCONTO FALLS,Wis,USA -Oshkosh Northwestern (Oshkosh,Wisconsin) -July 20, 2006: -- Drews Trucking of Oconto Falls is selling its dry van truckload division to KK Integrated Logistics of Menominee, Mich... The combined companies will operate 85 tractors and 400 trailers across the Midwest. KK also has operations in Marinette, Oconto, Green Bay and Manitowoc...

* USA - Caterpillar Reports 38% Q2 Increase
USA -Associated Press -21 July 2006: -- Engine and heavy-equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc.’s second-quarter profit jumped 38% to $1.05 billion, or $1.52 a share, up from $760 million, or $1.08 a share in the previous year... Sales rose 13% to $10.61 billion from 9.36 billion last year, AP said...

* USA - Hub Group Income Jumps in Second Quarter
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Third-party logistics provider Hub Group Inc. reported late Thursday that its net income increased to $12.5 million, or 30 cents a share, up from $7.9 million or 19 cents a share last year...

* USA - SCS Transportation Reports Q2 Earnings, Revenue
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- SCS Transportation reported Thursday a loss of $35.9 million, or $2.47 for the second quarter, compared with a loss of $33.6 million or $2.31 a share a year ago...

* Sweden - Volvo Second-Quarter Profit Up 19%
Stockholm,Sweden -Bloomberg -July 21, 2006: -- Volvo AB said its second quarter profit rose 19% on a 7% sales increase, reported Friday... Profits for Volvo’s truck division increased 18% to about $553 million on a 5.8% sales increase...

* USA - U.S. Xpress Reports Higher Second-Quarter Earnings
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Truckload carrier U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. said late Thursday its second-quarter income rose to $5.7 million or 37 cents a share, compared with $482,000 or 3 cents a share in the previous year...

* USA - Smithway Reports 15% Increase in Second Quarter
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., Fort Dodge, Iowa, said net earnings for the second quarter rose to $1.6 million, up 15% from $1.4 million in 2005...

* USA - BNSF to Increase Quarterly Dividend
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Western freight rail line Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. said Thursday it will increase its quarterly dividend by 5 cents per share to 25 cents...

* USA - Qualcomm’s Income Rises for Third Fiscal Quarter
USA -Transport Topics -July 21, 2006: -- Wireless-services provider Qualcomm Inc. reported net income for its third fiscal quarter ended June 25 rose 15% to $643 million or 37 cents a share from the previous third quarter...

posted by Unknown @ 4:15 PM  0 comments

Job Index - USA - Trucking, shipping lower recruitment here

Denver,CO,USA -The Denver Business Journal -20 July 2006: -- Concerns over higher gasoline prices apparently has caused the trucking and shipping industries to scale back their recruitment efforts in Denver, a survey released... The survey by Monster Worldwide Inc., found a marked dip in the online recruitment of employees for those areas. The Monster Local Employment Index is based on employers posting jobs on more than 1,500 Web sites, including Monster.com... Monster's transportation and material moving category -- which includes moving, trucking and shipping companies -- shows a steady drop this year, falling eight points in June from the month earlier. The index for the category reached a high of 110 points in March before starting its fall...

posted by Unknown @ 4:09 PM  0 comments

Trucking in the black - USA - 2Q a good business

USA -Fleet Owner, by Terrence Nguyen -Jul 20, 2006: -- A diverse spread of trucking companies—from truckload to LTL and seemingly of all sizes and lengths of haul—reported seeing profits and rates expand in the quarter ended June 30... However, some saw utilization drop due to the driver shortage and hours-of-service constraints...

posted by Unknown @ 4:03 PM  0 comments

Ethanol - USA - A distribution facility planned in Manly

MANLY,IO,USA -AP/Charles City Press -July 21, 2006: -- An ethanol distribution facility will be built in this northern Iowa city to accommodate the dozens of ethanol plants sprouting across the Midwest... Manly Terminal estimates about 75 ethanol plants will operate within 275 miles of Manly by 2009, producing nearly half the country’s ethanol... The facility will be built on 100 acres and have a 20-million-gallon storage capacity. The Iowa Northern Railway Co. and the trucking arm of LB Transport/MinnIowa Distributing Inc. will transport ethanol from the facility...

posted by Unknown @ 4:01 PM  0 comments

Jul 20, 2006

TRANSPORTS' WORLDWIDE

* UAE - Gulf Air launches new Middle East road feeder services
United Arab Emirates -Transport Intelligence (UK) -20 July 2006: -- Gulf Air Cargo - a dedicated division of Gulf Air - has started new road feeder services (RFS) from Muscat to Dubai/Abu Dhabi and, from Bahrain to Dammam... The service from Muscat is daily, whilst that from Bahrain operates six days a week, excluding Fridays and public holidays...

* Sweden - BALtrans acquires in Sweden
Gothenburg,Sweden -Transport Intelligence (UK) -20 July 2006: -- BALtrans Holdings Limited, a leading freight forwarding and logistics company in Asia Pacific, has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of Gothenburg Shipping Logistics AB (GSL) at a consideration of not more than SEK153,440,000 (approximately €17m)...

posted by Unknown @ 12:53 PM  0 comments

Report - UK - Middle East express/logistics growth at risk

UK -Transport Intelligence -19 July 2006: -- The Middle East represents some of the best opportunities for express and logistics companies anywhere in the world, according to the latest report by industry leading market research company Transport Intelligence... However the report, Middle East Logistics 2006, also strikes a note of caution that stellar growth could be compromised by the latest conflict in Lebanon... According to John Manners-Bell, Chief Executive of Transport Intelligence, although there is no immediate region-wide threat to the prospects for the express and logistics sectors due to the size and socio-economic diversity of the geography, this could change if neighbouring countries are drawn in...

posted by Unknown @ 12:49 PM  0 comments

Production - South Korea - Tata Daewoo develops first LNG-powered tractor-trailer

Seoul,S.Korea -domainB (Mumbai,India) -20 July 2006: -- Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Ltd., the second largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in South Korea and a 100-per cent subsidiary of Tata Motors, has developed South Korea's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered heavy tractor-trailer... TDCV pioneered the design, development and manufacture of the new LNG tractor, under an arrangement sponsored by the Korea Gas Corporation. The development work on the vehicle began in September 2004...

posted by Unknown @ 12:03 PM  0 comments

Market Overview - China - Heavy-duty truck sector in 2005-2006

Beijing,China -Auto China/chinadaily.com.cn, by Rong Xiandong -19 July 2006: -- The Chinese heavy-duty truck market plummeted by 36.2 percent in 2005 after experiencing a growth spurt of 44.96 percent in 2004, said an industry source... Factors that hindered the development of the heavy truck sector included central government policies intended to rein in overheating industries like real estate and coal and the policy to curb truck overload, according to Li Qingsheng of Beijing Runew, an auto marketing and consultation company... Banks' tightening of credit controls also worked against truck sales in 2005. Vehicle loans accounted for a maximum of 60 percent of heavy-duty truck purchases, especially extra-heavy trucks...

posted by Unknown @ 11:58 AM  0 comments

Opinion - USA - Shift freight from trucks to trains

Seattle,Wash,USA -The Seattle Post Intelligencer, by WENDELL COXGUEST -July 20, 2006: -- In Seattle and in cities across the U.S., soaring fuel costs and worsening gridlock are like a one-two punch hitting drivers this summer, pinching our wallets and costing us valuable time lost in traffic... The gridlock situation today is already alarming. The average commuter in the U.S. spends an extra 43 hours each year -- more than a full work week -- caught in traffic... According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, freight traffic is expected to increase by two-thirds by 2020... Members of Congress concerned about gridlock plan to introduce the Freight Rail Infrastructure Capacity Expansion Act, to stimulate much-needed investment in the freight rail infrastructure. The legislation would provide any organization, including railroads, trucking companies and shipping lines a 25 percent tax credit for their investments... (Wendell Cox is president and CEO of Demographia, a market research and urban policy consultancy)

posted by Unknown @ 11:42 AM  0 comments

On the Road Again - USA - Fresh Start 2002

USA -Fast Company, Issue 54, by Chuck Salter -20 July 2006: -- After suffering through the worst years in its history, Yellow Freight System hired Bill Zollars to drive an old-economy company in a new direction. Now, almost six years later, Yellow is faster and more reliable and caters to customers like never before, and has become a different company since 1996. It is driven by CEO Bill Zollars and a frontline revolution that emphasizes the customer... Long known for its bright orange trucks, the company is now considered to be a technology leader in its industry. Yellow's systems monitor 13,000 trucks nationwide and around 70,000 national and international shipping orders each day. The once-rigid delivery schedule is flexible. Customers decide when their freight will be delivered: in a week, three days, or several hours. They specify morning or afternoon delivery or, if they prefer, the exact hour. Yellow offers a money-back guarantee on expedited deliveries... The following principles are its road map for reinvention:
- Share the new vision every day.
- Avoid behavior that undermines the mission.
- Get out of the office.
- Don't be afraid to tell the truth.

posted by Unknown @ 11:22 AM  0 comments

Fuel Alternatives - Australia - Largest biodiesel facility completes first production

Brisbane,Australia -Supply Chain Review -19 July 2006: -- The Australian Biodiesel Group’s (ABG) new Narangba biodiesel production facility, located on the outskirts of Brisbane, has successfully completed its first production run, manufacturing biodiesel from Canola oil... The Narangba facility is the largest biodiesel plant in Australia, with a design production capacity of 160 million litres of fuel per annum... With the introduction of the Queensland plant, ABG’s total production capacity in Australia will be 200 million litres per annum...

posted by Unknown @ 11:10 AM  0 comments

Production - China - Nissan to manufacture and sell small trucks in

Tolyo,Japan -Supply Chain Review (Australia)/ Dow Jones report -20 July 2006: -- Nissan Motor Company will manufacture and sell small trucks under its own brand in China starting as early as 2008... The report says Nissan is drawing up plans to assemble trucks in the two to four-tonne class at plants in Hubei and Henan provinces owned by a subsidiary of Dongfeng Motor Company, or DFL, the joint venture between Nissan and China's Dongfeng Motor Corp. Nissan will produce a completely remodeled version of the Atlas 10 truck, known as the Cabstar in Europe, for the Chinese market...

posted by Unknown @ 11:09 AM  0 comments

Solutions - Australia - Trucking regulation needs to get smart

Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age, by Philip Hopkins -July 20, 2006: -- Cutting red tape to allow more efficient trucks on the road will boost productivity and help solve the growing freight task, according to the National Transport Commission... NTC acting chief executive Phil Giltinan said truck productivity reform was crucial to dealing with the expected doubling of freight by 2020... Despite expected improvements in rail, only trucks could transport freight to and from warehouses, retail outlets, construction sites and homes, he said. Road transport would raise its market share by 6 per cent to 42 per cent by the same date... New SMART trucks (Safer Management of Road Transport) were already more productive. These included B-triples, quad-axle groups, high productivity rigid trucks and the Trackaxle steerable axle, Mr Giltinan said... that, under performance-based standards, the vehicle's overall performance — such as rollover risk, the ability to turn safely and road wear qualities — determined whether it was allowed on the road... (Photo: Paul Rovere - SMART trucks struggle to get a run.)

posted by Unknown @ 10:51 AM  0 comments

Guilty - Australia - COR fine for QLD trucking company

Queensland,Australia -Supply Chain Review -19 July 2006: -- A long-haul trucking company based in south-western Queensland has been convicted and fined a total of $26,000 after its drivers were found to have exceeded permissible driving hours... The company, Paul Hansen Transport Pty Ltd, pleaded guilty in the Charleville Magistrates Court to 33 charges of allowing eight drivers to drive for longer periods than permitted by law... Company principal Paul Jeffrey Hansen also pleaded guilty to 33 charges of failing to ensure the company complied with the law. Magistrate John Costello convicted and fined him $14,000...

posted by Unknown @ 10:43 AM  0 comments

TRUCKINGS' WORLDWIDE

* USA - OrderPro Logistics Subsidiary TransMex Logistics Obtains Renewed Trucking Commitments
TUCSON, AZ,USA -MARKET WIRE -July 19, 2006: -- OrderPro Logistics, Inc., announced today its subsidiary TransMex Logistics has renewed its commitment to both N.S.C.S.A. and FESCO for trucking services throughout the greater Chicago, IL., area...

* USA - Landstar net profit up, beats expectations
CHICAGO,Ill.USA -Reuters -July 20, 2006: -- Truck brokerage company Landstar System Inc., said on Thursday its quarterly net profit rose, citing improving margins and strong growth in both its truck brokerage and intermodal operations, beating expectations... The Jacksonville, Florida-based company reported second-quarter net income of $29.5 million, or 50 cents a share, compared with $22.4 million or 37 cents a share a year earlier...


* USA - Drews Trucking sells unit to KK
Oconto County,Wis.,USA -Oshkosh Northwestern -July 20, 2006: -- Drews Trucking of Oconto Falls is selling its dry van truckload division to KK Integrated Logistics of Menominee, Mich... The sale will allow Drews to focus on more specialized markets, including expansion of its flatbed and refrigerated van business and its service business in Abrams, said company president Troy Drews...

* USA - Werner Enterprises Reports Improved Second Quarter 2006
OMAHA, Neb.,USA -BUSINESS WIRE -July 19, 2006: -- Werner Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation's largest truckload transportation and logistics companies, reported improved operating revenues and earnings for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006... Operating revenues increased 9% to $528.9 million compared to $485.8 million in second quarter 2005. Net income increased 11% to $28.0 million compared to $25.3 million in second quarter 2005. Earnings per share for second quarter 2006 were $.35 per share, or 12% higher than the $.31 per share earned in second quarter 2005...

* USA - Rush Enterprises, Inc. Reports EPS Increases 31% to $0.59 on a Revenue Increase of 23%
SAN ANTONIO,TX.USA -BUSINESS WIRE -July 19, 2006: -- Rush Enterprises, Inc., which operates the largest network of heavy-duty and medium-duty truck dealerships in North America and a John Deere construction equipment dealership in Houston, Texas, today announced results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006... In the second quarter, the Company's gross revenues totaled $569.2 million, a 23.3% increase from gross revenues of $461.8 million reported for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005. Net income for the quarter was $14.9 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, compared with net income of $11.2 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, in the quarter ended June 30, 2005...


* USA - R.I. Sets Tougher Idling Law With State Trucking Group’s Blessing
USA -Transport Topics 17 July 2006: -- Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri, signed a bill July 10 prohibiting truck drivers from idling their engines for more than five consecutive minutes during any 60-minute period... John Atwood, president of the Rhode Island Trucking Association, told the association supported the legislation...

* USA - Eaton Reports Record 2Q Sales, Income
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Vehicle parts maker Eaton Corp. Monday reported record sales and income for the second quarter... Eaton earned $253 million or $1.64 a share, compared with $209 million or $1.37 a year earlier... Second-quarter sales jumped 12% to $3.2 billion, Eaton said in a statement...

* USA - Marten’s 2Q Earnings, Revenue Increase
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Refrigerated truckload carrier Marten Transport’s second-quarter income rose to $7.5 million or 34 cents a share, from $6.8 million or 31 cents a year earlier, the company said late Wednesday...

* Canada - Vitran Reports Record Second-Quarter Income, Revenue
Canada -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Toronto-based transportation and logistics firm Vitran Corp.’s second-quarter profit and revenue rose to records, as it posted net income of $5.8 million or 45 cents a share, up from $4.8 million or 38 cents last year...

* USA Truck’s 2Q Income, Revenue Reach Records
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier USA Truck said Thursday its second-quarter net income rose to a record $4.4 million, from $4.3 million a year earlier. Earnings per share fell to 38 cents from 45 cents in the previous second quarter...

* USA - Knight Transportation Reports Record 2Q Income, Revenue
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier Knight Transportation reported record second-quarter net income and revenue late Wednesday, posting a profit of $18.1 million or 21 cents a share, up from $15 million or 17 cents a year earlier...

* USA - Swift’s Second-Quarter Income Rises on Higher Fuel Surcharges
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier Swift Transportation Co. Wednesday reported its second-quarter net income rose to $45.5 million or 60 cents a share, up from $29.8 million or 40 cents a year earlier... The company said said that it has adopted a stockholder protection rights agreement in order to discourage "potentially abusive" takeover tactics and also reported that its profit rose 53% in the second quarter... Despite achieving excellent results in the quarter, it experienced challenges including limited driver availability. On its protection plan agreement, it said it will declare a dividend of one right for each share of outstanding common stock...

* USA - Con-way Reports Higher Second-Quarter Income, Revenue
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Transportation firm Con-way Inc. reported second-quarter net income of $74.1 million or $1.40 a share, up from $66.8 million or $1.20 a year earlier...

* USA - Universal Express to Buy Oil and Gas Distributor
USA -Transport Topics -17 July 2006: -- Transportation and logistics firm Universal Express said Wednesday it signed an agreement to purchase Jacksonville Oil Co., an oil and gas retailer, for $15.8 million...

* USA - Heartland Express’ Second-Quarter Profit Increases
USA -Transport Topics -18 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier Heartland Express’ second-quarter profit rose to $24.8 million or 25 cents a share, up from $17.6 million or 18 cents a year ago... Heartland’s operating revenue rose 11% to $143.1 million, the company said Tuesday...

* USA - J.B. Hunt Reports Record Revenue, Earnings for 2Q
USA -Transport Topics -18 July 2006: -- Truckload carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services reported Tuesday that it earned a record $55.3 million or 36 cents a share, up from $54.6 million or 33 cents a year ago... Revenue rose 10% to a record $838 million, the company said. Operating income rose to $95 million from $93 million a year earlier...

posted by Unknown @ 10:38 AM  0 comments