User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: September 2006
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Sep 30, 2006

AUTOS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* UK - GM reportedly demands billions for tie-up
London,UK -MarketWatch/The Wall Street Journal -Sep 27, 2006: -- General Motors is reportedly demanding a "multibillion" dollar payment from Renault and Nissan as the price to join the French and Japanese companies' alliance, according to a published report on Wednesday... GM executives say they deserve a payment -- which would come on top of any share purchases made by Renault and Nissan -- because they enjoy a stronger global reach... Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of both Renault and Nissan, reportedly has expressed disappointment so far in GM's approach... GM shares moved up 1% in early trading Wednesday in New York, building on a 2.6% gain in the previous session. Nissan's U.S.-listed shares rose 2.1%... Renault shares edged up 0.4% in Paris...

* USA - Wagoner says we don’t need a partner
USA -Automotive Blog/VaroomVroom -Sept 29, 2006: -- Rick said it; General Motors does not need a partner to complete its recovery. According to an interview with Wagoner by Automotive News, the CEO of GM thinks ‘It’s not logical or responsible to say we must have a partner to recover.’... Wagoner’s interest in any venture, simply put, is about selling more vehicles. As for any new deal with Ford, Wagoner says “who knows?... Let’s face it, Nissan and Renault are small potatoes compared to GM. Wagoner is pretty confident that they can turn around their fortunes in North America...

* USA -Ford, GM Can Run With New Mechanics
USA -RealMoney.com/TheStreet.com, by Jim Cramer 29 Sept 2006: -- Is anyone at Ford actually making cars? How overstaffed is this place? I thought they had done repeated restructurings, and yet they still have thousands of redundancies?.. It is amazing to me that no matter how many people Ford or General Motors seem to layoff, it doesn't seem to impact the companies... These stocks don't have just further to run, they can run much further. Since GM was at $18, I have said it is going to $40. I believe that's totally true today. Ford feels like it can go up 50% before it is fully valued... Don't forget, we have not yet seen GM's earnings without these people. I think they will be terrific...

* USA - GM to Employ Global Design in US
USA -dexigner.com -30 Sept 2006: -- General Motors will build at least one car from its new global family of rear- and all-wheel-drive cars in the United States, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz revealed in an interview at the Paris auto show Thursday...

* USA - Ford Motor Credit to cut 2,000 jobs
DETROIT,Mich,USA -Reuters -Sep 28, 2006: -- Ford Motor Credit, the financial arm of Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said it would cut 2,000 jobs -- almost a quarter of its staff in North America -- and close branch offices in order to cut costs... Ford said the planned job cuts, which follow a similar program of cost-cutting by Ford's loss-making auto operations, would be made through a combination of attrition, early retirements, voluntary separations and, if necessary, involuntary separations...

* China - Chinese Automaker Likely To Pair With Chrysler
Shanghai, China -All Headline News, by Nicole King -Sept 30, 2006: -- Automaker DaimlerChrysler AG is in talks with China's Chery Automobile to offer their cars for sale in the U.S. The deal could be finalized soon... A source close to the investigation says the two are in talks to make subcompact cars together. One option is for Chery to provide models and have the cars made at their plants, but funded by DaimlerChrysler and sold in the U.S. under the Chrysler brand...

posted by Unknown @ 12:48 PM  0 comments

Sep 27, 2006

AUTOS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* USA - Ghosn to GM: Deal could save $10B yearly
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bill Vlasic & Christine Tierney -27 Sept 2006: -- Carlos Ghosn was expected today to tell General Motors Corp. Chairman Rick Wagoner that GM could save at least $10 billion a year by entering into an alliance with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., according to people close to the situation... Ghosn, the chief executive of Renault and Nissan, was prepared to lay out the blockbuster savings target in a critical meeting with Wagoner this morning at Renault's headquarters near Paris... Nissan-Renault's estimate that GM could save $10 billion annually within five years underscores Ghosn's belief that an alliance would reshape the global auto industry and boost the fortunes of all three automakers...

* USA - Lawsuit on Auto Emissions Advances
USA -Bloomberg News -Sept 27, 2006: -- General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co. and other automakers have won a court bid to challenge California rules limiting tailpipe emissions linked to global warming... A federal judge in Fresno, in a ruling filed Monday, turned down California's request to dismiss the case, saying the issues raised by the auto companies in the 2004 lawsuit should be decided in a trial... U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii did not rule on the merits of the case. A trial is scheduled for Jan. 16... The auto industry sued California in 2004 to block a law that mandates a nearly 30% reduction in heat-trapping gases emitted by passenger cars and trucks...

* USA - Ford's problems could affect Volvo's product plans
USA -AutoWeek, by JAMES R. CRATE -25 Sept 2006: -- Volvo has launched an ambitious product-based plan for turning around its fortunes in the United States... The carmaker's U.S. sales fell 11.1 percent last year and were off 9.3 percent to 79,997 units in the first eight months of 2006... Even with the lower volume and a weak dollar, which has hammered profits on U.S. sales, America remains critical for Volvo because it usually accounts for about 30 percent of the automaker's total global volume...

* USA - Small cars stage a big turnaround
USA -USA TODAY, by Chris Woodyard -26 Sept 2006: -- Small-car sales could set a record this year, a comeback from decades of being disparaged as unsafe, cramped and poorly built... This year will see the highest percentage of small cars, compacts and subcompacts sold since at least 1987, predicts consultants AutoPacific. Small cars will account for 31.5% of the total passenger car market, up a percentage point from last year. Market share will keep climbing through 2010, AutoPacific says...

* France - French impress at Paris Motor Show
Paris,France -BBC News, by Jorn Madslien -27 Sept 2006: -- French carmakers are pulling out all the stops at this year's motor show in Paris... Faced with tough competition, the firms are unveiling butch new models they hope will help them survive amid the turmoil that has shaken the car industry in recent months... Peugeot is taking a bold step into muscle car territory with its aggressive looking 908 RC, powered by a 700bhp diesel engine that aims to showcase its diesel technology... Sister marque Citroen is pushing the technology one step further, in a somewhat different direction, with its C-Metisse hybrid that combines a diesel engine with electric motors... Rival Renault is showcasing a convertible luxury concept designed to rival Bentley's Continental GTC and help push the brand into more upmarket niches in order to boost flagging demand...

* VietNam - Low priced Malaysian cars to start engine
Hanoi,VietNam -The VietNam Economy -27 Sept 2006: -- A Malaysian-invested car manufacturer began operating in the central province of Phu Yen on Sept. 26, targeting the low-priced market... The JRD-Vietnam Joint Venture Company, which was built on 100 ha in An My commune, Tuy An district, has been invested with US$100 million from the JRD group of Malaysia. Its existing annual capacity of 15,000 vehicles will be increased to 30,000 units in the near future. By 2008, the company will produce 50,000 vehicles a year...

* India: Small Cars Are on a Roll
NY,USA -Bussiness Week (USA), by Nandini Lakshman -Sept 26, 2006: -- Fueled by huge investment—and cuts in excise tax—the subcontinent's small-vehicle market is expected to double in the next four years... Small is beautiful when it comes to India's car market. Though India's auto industry is nowhere near as developed as China's, investment is starting to pour into the small-car segment. Global auto companies such as Hyundai and Honda and local ones such as Tata Motors and Maruti Udyog, a subsidiary of Japan's Suzuki Motor, are rushing forward with plans to launch small car models they hope will click with India's emerging middle class...

posted by Unknown @ 11:48 AM  0 comments

Dark News - USA - Schwarzenegger Vetoes Bill That Could Raise Revenue, Cut Smog

Additional Shipping Fee Vetoed

Long Beach,CAL,USA -10News.com (San Diego,CAL) -Sept 23, 2006: -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have raised $500 million a year to fight smog and improve security at the nation's busiest port complex... The governor Friday rejected a measure adding a fee of $30 to each cargo container going through the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles... He said it would hurt overseas trade and might harm local job growth if shippers decided to use other ports... Local communities around the ports fought for the measure because they have long complained of serious air pollution from trucks, trains and ships...

posted by Unknown @ 11:16 AM  0 comments

BORDER TRUCKS TROUBLES WORLDWIDE

* Russia - Demands compensation for expenses on “customs clearance” of food for its military bases
Moscow Russia -Regnum (RUSS) -23 Sept 2006: -- The Russian side has decided to pay the 200,000 lari ($115,000) the Georgian side charges as customs tax for importing food for its Georgia-based military bases by the two trucks detained by the customs authorities in Borzhomi (Kvemo Kartli) and Batumi (Ajaria) on Sept 19... As they in the Customs Department of the Georgian Finance Ministry told, the “customs clearance” of the truck standing in Borzhomi with a 16-ton cargo is over, and it has already gone to the Akhalkalaki military base. The Department says that the Russian side paid not only the customs tax but also fine for standing on the border. The second truck waiting in Batumi also with a 16-ton cargo will be “cleared” soon to proceed to the Batumi military base. It will also have to pay fine... The Russian trucks with food for the Russian bases in Akhalkalaki and Batumi were detained because of the Russians’ refusal to pay taxes for the cargo. Their argument was that, according to the agreement on the withdrawal of the Russian bases from the territory of Georgia, the cargo was “a material support” and should be exempted from any taxes. The Georgian side objected: they said that only cargoes used immediately for the stoppage of the bases’ activities, such as fuel, spare parts, etc., are exempt from taxes, while food is not such a cargo...

posted by Unknown @ 11:01 AM  0 comments

Sep 23, 2006

Stand-Up Right-Hand Drive - USA - Freightliner offering stand-up service for business class trucks

Portland,Ore.,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Steven Macleod -22 Sept 2006: -- Freightliner Trucks has introduced the availability of Stand-Up Right-Hand Drive (SURHD) as a factory-warranted option for Business Class M2 106 and 106V truck models... SURHD is an option designed for refuse, recycling and other specialized medium-duty applications requiring curbside entry and exit. The option comes with a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty...

posted by Unknown @ 3:23 PM  0 comments

Link Sentry - USA - Volvo Trucks adds service, tracking features to '07 models

Greensboro,NC,USA -Triad Business Journal -22 Sept 2006: -- Volvo Trucks North America announced that all of its 2007 heavy-duty trucks will come with instant access to around-the-clock support services and technical expertise... All new trucks will come with Volvo Link Sentry, a two-way satellite communication system that allows for remote monitoring of driver and truck efficiency by transmitting data from the truck to technical personnel while the truck is in operation... That data will warn truck drivers, trucking companies and Volvo of potential technical problems with the truck. Fleet managers will also get regular notification on how the truck has operated based on fuel efficiency, distance traveled and the time the truck has spent traveling at preferred speeds...

posted by Unknown @ 3:20 PM  0 comments

Problems - Japan - Nissan Recalls 2,166 Buses, 96 Trucks

Tokyo,Japan -The Associated Press -Sept. 21, 2006: -- Nissan Motor Co. said it is recalling 2,166 buses because of a door defect and 96 trucks for a loose bolt problem... The recall affects Civilian small-sized buses, and Atlas trucks... Also recalled are 112 Journey small buses sold by Isuzu, a model that is made by Nissan and identical to the Civilian but marketed and branded by Isuzu, according to the transportation ministry...

posted by Unknown @ 3:16 PM  0 comments

GreenNews - Canada - CTA urges feds to consider environment when developing budget

OTTAWA, Ont.,CAN -Truck News, by James Menzies -22 Sept 2006: -- The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is urging the federal government to get serious about improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gases when it introduces its 2007 budget... The association suggests accelerating the capital cost allowance rates for new trucks with low-emissions engines to fast-track their penetration into the marketplace. The CTA also wants the Natural Resources Canada rebate program for auxiliary power units to be reinstated...

posted by Unknown @ 3:09 PM  0 comments

Customs Value - Russia - To introduce unified rate for importing trucks on Jan 1

Moscow,Russia -Interfax -Sep 21 2006: -- The Russian government has approved a resolution that will balance out the import duty for both individuals and legal entities in importing trucks and special equipment to Russia... This affects trucks, special equipment, except that used for transporting passengers or cargo, transport vehicles that are not equipped with freight devices or used at factories, warehouses, at ports or airports to transport cargo over short distances... Individuals currently pay a customs duty of 30% of the customs value. After January 1, both individuals and legal entities will pay a duty and tax based on the age, value and tonnage of the vehicle...

posted by Unknown @ 2:56 PM  0 comments

Production Plans

* S. Korea - Hyundai Motor to launch new heavy-duty truck range
Seoul,S.Korea - Deutsche Presse Agentur -Sept 20, 2006: -- Automotive group Hyundai Motor announced plans Wednesday to launch a new range of heavy-duty trucks in order to win back its share of the domestic market... The company noted that over the past 15 years, it had seen its share of the home market shrink to 35 per cent due to inroads by foreign competitors... The new family of trucks under the brand-name Trago "includes cargo, tractor and 8x4 tipper/dump trucks which ... have been engineered to match or exceed the durability and reliability benchmarks set by Hyundai's European rivals in the local marketplace notably Volvo, Scania and Mercedes-Benz," the company said...

* USA - Toyota To Consider Diesels Made by Supplier
ANN ARBOR, Mich.,USA -Automotive News, by Richard Truett -Sept 20, 2006: -- Could Toyota break with 50 years of business practices and go outside the company for an engine? It's not out of the question for the diesel engine being planned for the new generation of Toyota's Tundra pickup... Gary Convis, Toyota's executive vice president of engineering and manufacturing for North America said that more than likely, Toyota will develop its own diesel or lean on its heavy-duty commercial-truck division, Hino, for diesel technology...

posted by Unknown @ 2:42 PM  0 comments

Market Shares - USA - Paccar initiated with "underweight"

New York,NY,USA -Newratings.com -Sept 20, 2006: -- Analyst Igor Maryasis of Prudential Financial initiates coverage of Paccar Inc with an "underweight" rating... The target price is set to $45... In a research note published this morning, the analyst mentions that the impact of the decline in heavy-duty truck demand in North America is likely to be offset by the company's global presence and the performance of its financial services and parts business. Although Paccar's operating and financial execution has improved, the analyst believes that the company's stock is overvalued at present...

posted by Unknown @ 2:39 PM  0 comments

Markets - Germany - Volvo sees '07 global truck market "a bit" softer

Hanover, Germany -Reuters, by Michael Shields -Sep 20, 2006: -- Volvo, the world's second-largest truck maker, expects global demand for trucks to ease next year but to remain lively in Europe, it said on Wednesday... Volvo earlier this year raised its 2006 forecasts for its main heavy-duty truck markets to 280,000 to 290,000 trucks in Europe and 350,000 to 360,000 in North America, including exports to other markets... Market demand has swelled in recent quarters as customers rushed to buy older, cheaper trucks ahead of new tougher emissions legislation set to be introduced in Europe in October and at the turn of the year in the U.S....

posted by Unknown @ 2:31 PM  0 comments

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS WORLDWIDE

* USA - FedEx profits continue to rise; pressure to expand portfolio grows
USA -FedEx (PR) -22 Sept 2006: -- FedEx has continued its run of strong growth and improving profitability, with 1st Quarter revenue up significantly... There is also speculation about the future corporate development of the company and which sectors it will focus on...

* Japan - AsPac shipping conference to reduce Europe service
Tokyo,Japan -Hanjin (PR) -22 Sep 2006: -- The CKYH Alliance (COSCON, "K" Line, Yang Ming, and Hanjin Shipping) plans to reform its Asia/Europe service strings starting from November, 2006... Currently CKYH operates 7 strings in Asia/Europe service. After reviewing calling ports in each of the existing services and reforming many duplicated port-pairs, CKYH will operate 6 strings in Asia/Europe service in the year 2007...

* Holland - DHL initiates new generation of global shipment management
Holland DHL (PR) -22 Sept 2006: -- DHL has initiated a new generation of global shipment management system known as Quality Shipment Monitoring System (QSMS) across 10 countries in its Asia Pacific network...

* Japan - Schenker/Seino reconfirm global cooperation
Ogaki City,Gifu Prefecture,Japan -Schenker (PR) -22 Sep 2006: -- Seino Holdings Co., Ltd., Deutsche Bahn AG and Schenker have recently reconfirmed their global cooperation by signing an Alliance Agreement at Seino's head office... Since 1999, Schenker and Seino have a strategic alliance for integrated logistics and freight forwarding. With a workforce of approximately 22,000 employees at about 420 locations and a sales volume of over three billion euros, Seino is one of Japan's leading carriers... Schenker-Seino Co., Ltd. was established as a joint venture with Seino in 2002...

* USA - Con-Way warns of falling trucking volumes
Portland, Oregon -Con-Way(PR) -22 Sep 2006: -- Con-way Inc. has announced that third-quarter earnings from continuing operations are expected to be between $1.10 and $1.15 per diluted share... The revised earnings guidance reflects business volumes below expectations at Con-way Freight, the company's less-than-truckload operating unit. Third quarter tonnage levels at Con-way Freight are expected to show a mid-single digit decline compared to the 2005 third quarter, which posted a record tonnage gain... The new guidance is also as a result of changes to the recognition of earnings for Vector SCM, the logistics joint venture with General Motors Corp. Con-way is removing Vector's expected profit contribution of five cents per diluted share from its 2006 third quarter guidance. Following the terms of the Vector agreements, under which GM exercised...

* USA - UPS assembles defence logistics team
USA -UPS (PR) -22 Sep 2006: -- UPS has assembled a team of 18 transportation, logistics and IT companies with extensive expertise to bid on the Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative (DTCI), a major programme by the Department of Defense (DoD) to improve visibility, predictability, reliability and efficiency by streamlining the movement of material within the United States...

* USA - UPS starts negotiations with Union
USA -USPS (PR) -21 Sep 2006: -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS have opened negotiations on a new contract to replace a six-year pact that expires July 31, 2008...

* USA -USPS signs exclusive deal with fashion etailer
USA -USPS (PR) -21 Sep 2006: -- One of the fastest growing Internet-based companies in the US has signed an arrangement with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver all international online sales... eFashionSolutions will use the Postal Service's Global Shipping Solution (GSS) exclusively for all orders placed through its 26 websites destined overseas. eFashionSolutions designs and manages the fulfillment for the leading designer, luxury and celebrity-licensed brand fashion apparel...

* UK - Norbert Dentressangle revenues strong in first half
London,UK -Norbert Dentressangle (PR) -21 Sept 2006: -- Norbert Dentressangle Group has delivered a strong performance in the first half of 2006, with revenue up by close to 16%...

* China - Cosco profits fall by two thirds
Hong Kong,China -Cosco (PR) -21 Sept 2006: -- COSCO Holdings Company Limited, the largest container shipping company in China, has announced its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2006. Profits have slumped as growth in capacity outstrips demand...

* China - Sinotrans has entered into a joint venture with Korean Air
HK,China -Sinotrans (PR) -21 Sept 2006: -- Sinoair, a non-wholly owned subsidiary of Sinotrans, has announced the creation of a new joint venture with Korean Air to be called the International Air Cargo Transportation Company...

* Holland -TNT expands network to North Africa
Holland -TNT(PR) -21 Sept 2006: -- TNT Express has announced it has extended its Express Road Network (ERN) into Africa by starting an international road line haul connection to Casablanca, Morocco...

* Singapore - Container rates continue to slide for NOL
Singapore -NOL (PR) -20 Sept 2006: -- Shipping group NOL, owner of APL and APL Logistics, has released details of its operating performance. Its Liner division saw year to date container volumes grow by 7% year on year while August volumes increased 11%... Year to date average revenues per FEU declined 6% while August average revenues per FEU declined 9% over the corresponding period last year...


MARKET
* UK - India's economy at risk from poor port investment, high costs
London,UK -Transport Intelligence -21 Sep 2006: -- A lack of world-class infrastructure and high port and inland costs continue to limit India's economic progress, a senior executive of global shipping company, APL, has asserted... At a recent conference, APL President for South Asia, Kenneth Glenn, said that as global sourcing and manufacturing continued to shift to Asian locations, foreign investors will choose to invest near ports with world-class efficiency in port infrastructure... India's export-driven progress is also hampered by some of the world's highest port and rail costs, according to Mr Glenn. He cited the fact that the cost of transporting one TEU one kilometre in India is 53% higher than in the United States... Mr Glenn also told the conference that rather than reducing costs, the proposed enactment of the Shipping Trade Practices Bill could cause a cascade of cost increases across the supply chain... "The experience in other countries shows that a bureaucratic approach to the regulation of pricing will not have the intended effect of limiting costs, but will disadvantage India's global competitiveness," concluded Mr Glenn...

posted by Unknown @ 1:26 PM  0 comments

Scania's size - Germany - Big enough to go it alone, executive says

Hanover,Germany -Reuters - Sept 20, 2006: -- An executive at Scania, object of an unsolicited bid from Germany's MAN, has rejected market speculation that Scania may be too small to remain independent and successful over the long term... "I'm convinced Scania can continue to grow organically, as we have done over the years," Hasse Johansson, head of research and development and group vice president, told... "We have the knowledge and we have the resources to meet the technical challenges ... I'm convinced we will continue to develop in a positive way, I mean profitable growth."... In a meeting on Sunday, Sept. 17, Scania's board unanimously rejected an unsolicited $12.2 billion (9.6 billion euros) takeover offer from its German rival that would create the European truck market leader...

posted by Unknown @ 1:17 PM  0 comments

AUTOS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* USA - California AG sues automakers over vehicle emissions - It's part of a strategy to address global warming
CAL,USA -The Associated Press, by SAMANTHA YOUNG -Sept 20, 2006: -- California's attorney general on Wednesday sued the six largest U.S. and Japanese automakers, including GM, Ford and Toyota, for damages related to greenhouse gas emissions... The federal lawsuit alleges that emissions from their vehicles have harmed Californians' health, damaged the environment and cost the state millions of dollars to combat their effects... 'It's part of a strategy to address global warming,' Attorney General Bill Lockyer told in a telephone interview. 'The goal of this one is to hold these automobile manufacturers accountable for the monies taxpayers are spending to address these harms.'... The lawsuit is the latest effort from California to combat the effects of global warming...

* USA - Plan would offer Detroit automakers credit help
Washington,DC,USA -Reuters -Sept 21, 2006: -- A proposal to offer up to $20 billion in U.S. loan guarantees to automakers to develop alternative fuels, hybrids and other energy saving technologies is expected to be introduced in Congress next week... The plan by Rep. Mike Rogers, is specifically aimed at the struggling Detroit 3 -- General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the Chrysler group... It is the first large-scale government proposal designed to help Detroit's auto sector since its financial troubles became more acute this year...

* USA - Chrysler Will Cut Shipments by 90,000
USA -The Associated Press, by SARAH KARUSH -Sept 19, 2006: -- "After the disappointing sales performance in July and August, we had to finally bite the bullet" ... DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group will cut deliveries to dealers by 90,000 vehicles, or nearly 24 percent, in the third quarter, as falling sales of trucks and SUVs have left it with bloated inventories, DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said Tuesday... For the entire second half of the year, Chrysler plans to bring retail shipments down by 135,000 units from its previous target. It has also scaled back production for the rest of the year...

* USA - Mulally already shaking up Ford: "That doesn't work for me" - In ways big and small, new CEO sets tone for change at ailing automaker
Flint,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -Sept 22, 2006: -- Alan Mulally took one look at the jam-packed executive meeting schedule at Ford Motor Co. last week and shook his head... "That doesn't work for me" he said... That's a favorite phrase of Ford's new president and CEO -- his way of saying things are going to change in Dearborn -- quickly... Mulally told executives there are too many meetings and he asked when they found time to focus on the customer... So he implemented a standing Thursday meeting of his senior leadership team where he expects them to show up prepared and ready to take action...

* USA - State hopes to limit Ford job cuts -- Granholm said $151 million in tax incentives still on the table if automaker invests in Mich. factories
Flint,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -Sept 23, 2006: -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Friday that a $151 million tax incentives offer to Ford Motor Co. is still on the table, and she continues to work with the struggling automaker to save as many Michigan jobs as possible... Last week, Ford announced an accelerated North American restructuring plan that aims to eliminate as many as 44,000 jobs by the end of next year and idle 16 plants by the end of 2012...

* USA - Ford expects plants at full capacity by '08 - Automaker predicts its U.S. operations will run at peak potential after plant idlings, shift cuts
Detroit,Mich,USA -Associated Press -Sept 21, 2006: -- Ford Motor Co. predicted on Wednesday that its North American manufacturing plants will be running at 100 percent capacity by 2008 following its restructuring plan that expects to shutter 16 plants within the next six years... Ford said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it planned to build 3 million vehicles without paying overtime while its "maximum installed" capacity would be 3.6 million vehicles, which would include overtime...

* Japan - Mitsubishi to Recall 27,367 Minivans
Tokyo,Japan -The Associated Press -Sept 22, 2006: -- Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will recall more than 25,000 minivans over an airbag defect, the transportation ministry announced Friday... Mitsubishi Motors, Japan's fourth-largest automaker, will be recalling 27,367 'i' minivans due to a defect in how passenger-side airbags were packed that could prevent them from inflating fully, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement...

* Japan - Toyota Prius Production Increased By 50%
Tokyo,Japan -Reuters/The Auto Channel/dailyNihon Keizai business-Sept 22, 2006: -- Toyota Motor Corp. plans to increase production of its popular Prius hybrid cars in Japan to 300,000 units in 2007, a rise of 50 percent, reported on Friday... Japan's top auto maker dominates the market for hybrid cars, which twin a conventional engine with an electric motor to improve mileage, and is keen to spread the system as the main alternative to today's internal combustion engines... It forecast its group global vehicle sales will grow 11 percent to 9.8 million units in 2008 from an expected 8.85 million units this year, supported by the planned addition of 1.13 million units in output capacity worldwide by then... That goal means Toyota is more likely than ever to overtake General Motors Corp. as the world's top seller of automobiles -- a position GM has held for 75 years...

* Japan - Nissan to sell own hybrid car in 2010 - paper
Tokyo,Japan -Reuters/daily Yomiuri Shimbun -Sep 23, 2006: -- Nissan Motor Co. plans to sell a hybrid vehicle developed in-house in 2010, limiting its licensing ties with Toyota Motor Corp. to the Altima sedan due in the United States next year, reported on Saturday... Japan's two biggest car makers signed a deal in 2002 under which Toyota would sell its hybrid system to Nissan... Nissan, held 44 percent by France's Renault SA, has lagged in the development of the powertrain, which twins a gasoline engine with an electric motor to save fuel...

* USA - Yahoo says ad slowdown in auto, to crimp sales
San Francisco,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Ben Charny -Sep 19, 2006: -- Yahoo Inc. shares fell more than 11% Tuesday and took other Internet stocks with them after the company's chief financial officer warned that a slowdown in auto and financial advertising spending will crimp third-quarter sales... Speaking to investors in New York at a conference sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Chief Financial Officer Sue Decker said weak sales of online automotive and financial ads during the last three to four weeks will cause the Internet giant's revenue to "come in at the bottom half" of the $1.11 billion to $1.22 billion range that Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo had forecast in July...

* Germany - Union extends Volkswagen ultimatum to Wednesday
Hanover,Germany -Reuters -22 Sept 2006: -- German engineering union IG Metall has extended until Wednesday, Sept. 27, its ultimatum to Volkswagen to provide binding and concrete investments that will secure jobs for its German workforce... The union, which represents the 100,000 staff at VW's six western German plants, said that the second round of key talks on cutting labor costs ended today without a result...

posted by Unknown @ 11:22 AM  0 comments

AUTOS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS WORLDWIDE

* Can China Gear Up to Sell Its Cars to U.S. Consumers? Quality Is Key
USA - By Knowledge@Wharton -Sept 20, 2006: -- First it was textiles and consumer electronics. Next may be cars. China is once again looking to target a key consumer market in the U.S. Yet while low wages and government support could ultimately make China a powerhouse in the global automotive industry, Wharton faculty and industry analysts say it will take some time to reach that goal... China needs at least another decade, according to these analysts, to overcome a long list of obstacles, including poor quality, high costs, weak design and a lack of distribution networks, before Chinese companies can compete with Japanese and Korean carmakers... So far, Chinese exports are only trickling out to a few spots in Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, but the chairman of DaimlerChrysler has confirmed that the company is in negotiations with companies in China and elsewhere to manufacture DaimlerChrysler models abroad for export to North America... China's first problem in becoming a major exporter is quality. Last year, the European New Car Assessment Program, which monitors auto safety for governments on the continent, gave its lowest score ever -- zero -- to a Chinese SUV... Still, Susan Helper, an economics professor at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management and an IMVP researcher, says expects demand to continue in China, despite Western concerns about the environment. "China quite rightly has said, 'You shouldn't ask us to not develop because you have messed up all the air,'" she says. "There are going to have to be drastic changes made in terms of how we use energy, and the transportation sector is a big piece of that. It's going to affect total auto demand and will, to some extent, affect where the cars are made."...


* USA - Experts: GM-Ford Talks Sign of the Times
USA -The Associated Press, by DAVID N. GOODMAN -Sept 18, 2006: -- I don't see it from a business standpoint... General Motors' talks with Renault and Nissan on a possible alliance and reports Ford may be pursuing a big deal with one or more of the three are examples of how today's automakers constantly look for ways to collaborate even amid fierce industry competition... GM and Ford declined comment Monday on an Automotive News story that their high-level executives discussed a merger or alliance. Ford Motor Co. also declined comment on last month's Wall Street Journal report that Ford proposed its own deal with Renault and Nissan... In July, General Motors Corp., Renault SA of France and Nissan Motor Co. of Japan announced a 90-day review of a possible alliance among them... Auto executives talk frequently about 'what-if scenarios' and possible deals large and small, said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor... 'These kind of discussions go on all the time,' Cole said. 'Collaborating ... is part of how they're doing things.'...

* USA - Alliance talks bog down
USA -autospies.com -21/2006: -- The teams from Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. arrived in Detroit on Aug. 28, ready for the first face-to-face alliance talks with their counterparts from General Motors Corp... But instead of generating momentum, the meeting demonstrated just how far apart GM and the Renault-Nissan partnership are from forming the world's largest auto alliance... These talks have yielded a growing number of joint efforts on everything from hybrid vehicles to better automatic transmissions, he said... two of the eight areas being studied, Renault, Nissan and GM are assessing fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles, developing markets such as China, India and Russia, and engines and powertrains -- an area where GM already has several successful joint ventures... GM and Renault-Nissan are also examining whether underutilized GM plants in North America could be used to build Nissan models. Ghosn has said Nissan may need more production capacity in North America, and could subcontract some vehicle production to underutilized GM factories, lowering costs for both automakers...

* USA - Is Chrysler next? - First GM restructures, then Ford, now everyone wonders
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Josee Valcourt -20 Sept 2006: -- Three years since its last turnaround, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group will make deep production cuts and consider more restructuring moves as it braces for big losses... DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said Tuesday that the automaker will cut output by 90,000 vehicles in the third quarter -- up from previous estimates of about 75,000 -- and another 45,000 in the fourth quarter to bring dealer inventories more in line with consumer demand and make room in showrooms for new models that will roll out later this year... Zetsche also said the Auburn Hills-based automaker may have to take more drastic cost-cutting measures in the wake of last week's announcement that Chrysler will lose $1.5 billion in the third quarter, more than double its July estimate of $600 million in red ink, and report a loss of $1.2 billion for the year...

* USA - Japanese makers give ethanol a gander
McLean,VA,USA -USA TODAY, by Chris Woodyard -21 Sept 2006: -- While Detroit ballyhoos ethanol, Japanese automakers are quietly positioning themselves in case the gasoline alternative becomes more popular... Nissan just introduced its second flex-fuel vehicle capable of burning either E85 ethanol or gas. Toyota says it is studying "very seriously" whether to ready its first flex-fuel entry. Honda has announced it has found a breakthrough in making ethanol out of plant waste... For now the three biggest Japanese makers' efforts are puny compared with the major ethanol campaigns being mounted by General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler. Detroit has built nearly all of the 6 million flex-fuel vehicles capable of consuming E85, a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gas. But more flex-fuel vehicle choices from the Japanese likely would encourage the building of more E85 filling stations... There are now 971 E85-equipped fueling stations nationwide, says the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. The greatest concentration is in the Midwest, close to most of the facilities that distill ethanol from corn...

posted by Unknown @ 11:10 AM  0 comments

Sep 20, 2006

Production - South Korea - Hyundai Motor to Use Home made Engines for Big Trucks in 2008

Seoul,South Korea -The Korea Times, by Kim Yon-se -19 Sept 2006: -- Hyundai Motor said it will not use imported engines in its production of commercial vehicles any more from 2008... Korea’s largest automaker yesterday unveiled its Trago series, a large truck developed completely with its own engine technology for the first time. Hyundai also plans to complete development of engines for its small and medium sized trucks by November 2007... (Photo: Models pose with Hyundai Motor’s new truck, a series of the Trago fitted with madein- Korea engines)

posted by Unknown @ 12:20 PM  0 comments

Dangerous Drivers - USA - Two semi trucks collide; one killed

Semi slams into second semi

PAULDING COUNTY,OH,USA -The Times Bulletin (Van Wert,OH) -129 Sept 2006: -- The Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating a two-vehicle semi crash that occurred early Monday morning... According to reports, the accident happened at 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18 on U.S. 24 west of milepost 14 in Paulding County near the Paulding-Defiance county line... Both vehicles were traveling westbound on U.S. 24. The first westbound semi, a 1999 Sterling hauling molten aluminum, was driven by Terry Manning, 31, of Edon. Reportedly, Manning had stopped to turn left into a private business and was waiting on oncoming traffic to clear... The second semi was a 1997 International carrying automobile parts and was driven by Danny Pavao, 30, of Leamington, Ontario, Canada. Pavao was also westbound on U.S. 24 and failed to slow for the stopped truck in the roadway... Pavao's vehicle then struck the rear of the stopped tractor-trailer and immediately caught fire...

posted by Unknown @ 12:19 PM  0 comments

Safety ? - USA - Current Federal Regulations Create Danger on Maine's Secondary Thoroughfares.

The Heaviest Trucks Belong on the State's Biggest Roads

Portland,OR,USA -The Portland Press Herald -19 Sept 2006: -- In the interest of highway safety, federal regulators have banned heavy trucks from the roads best able to handle them safely. This backward policy causes more hazards than it prevents... Trucks that weigh more than 80,000 pounds are banned from travel on federally regulated Interstate highways north of Augusta. That means 100,000 behemoths travel secondary highways, sometimes with disastrous results... A more dangerous alternative would be truck companies' putting a greater number of slightly lighter trucks on the Interstates to be able to use the faster highways, adding to traffic and pollution...

posted by Unknown @ 12:02 PM  0 comments

Petitioning - USA - Carriers join special interest group

For made-in-America speed limiter rule

GREEN BAY,Wis.,USA -Today's Trucking -19 Sept 2006: -- Some of the largest for-hire carriers in the U.S. are urging government to legislate mandatory use of speed limiters on all trucks in the nation... Schneider National -- along with eight other carriers, including J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., CR England Inc., Covenant Transport Inc. and Dart Transit Company -- have joined public safety interest group Road Safe America in petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to mandate electronic speed governors set at no more than 68 mph... American carriers are now on the speed limiter bandwagon... the OTA -- which has argued speed limit set at 105 km/h would reduce accidents, save fuel, and cut emissions -- has been successful in getting the endorsements of other provincial trucking associations and continues to market the idea nation wide under the banner of the Canadian Trucking Alliance. .. As for the environmental claims, OBAC Executive Director Joanne Ritchie finds some of them dubious. She says, by the carrier community's own admission, the large of majority of truckers currently don't go over 105 km/h, and would therefore not cut down on the hundreds of kilotonnes of greenhouse gases the associations insists would be saved...

posted by Unknown @ 11:52 AM  0 comments

Keep on Trucking... - UK - ... Along Nicely ?

High costs aside, interesting developments take place in UK truck market

Essex,UK -Tyres & Accessories -19 Sept 2006: -- Although demand for road freight transport in Europe is predicted to increase substantially by 2020, the road ahead looks difficult for many established transport companies. Spiralling fuel prices, increased competition following enlargement of the EU and stricter environmental and safety legislation are squeezing margins... As a result price and overall economy are as important as ever for truck tyre consumers. Tyres & Accessories collated all the recent UK market data and asked what effect this ‘cost culture’ is having on the UK market... (Photo: The UK truck tyre market has remained stable at around 1.3 million units, but there have been movements in all three of the market's levels - premium, mid-range and economy)

posted by Unknown @ 11:32 AM  0 comments

Co's News - Germany -

* VW commercial vehicles ops aim for 9 pct return on investment by 2010
Hannover,Germany -Forbes/AFX (USA) -19 Sept 2006: -- Volkswagen AG's commercial vehicles division head Bernd Wiedemann said the division is aiming to achieve a 9 pct return on investment by 2010... A spokesman said the company has not disclosed the ROI for last year. Commenting on earnings for the full year for the division, Wiedemann said he expects the 'positive trend' to continue, noting that in the first half of 2006 the commercial vehicles division achieved an operating profit of 85 mln eur, 75 mln more than in the same period in 2005... He said there has been a 'strong positive trend' in the order intake from all markets and for all model ranges, without providing specifics...

* DaimlerChrysler to boost 2006 trucks profitability
HANOVER, Germany -Reuters -Sept 19, 2006: -- DaimlerChrysler's trucks business will improve its profitability in 2006 and be able to withstand weaker market conditions next year, division head Andreas Renschler said on Tuesday... The market-leading trucks business has been seeking efficiency gains to allow it to keep making money when the cyclical market swings lower, and this will bear fruit in 2007, he said...

posted by Unknown @ 11:23 AM  0 comments

Products - Germany - DaimlerChrysler at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show 2006 in Hanover

Hannover,Germany -Autochannel (press release- USA) -19 Set 2006: -- 50 vehicles occupying 11,000 m2 in Hall 14/15 from Mercedes-Benz alone; divided into trucks, vans, special-purpose vehicles and buses and coaches; three thematic islands presenting competence in technology and innovation... (Photo: World debut at the IAA International Commercial Vehicle Show: new, compact Unimog)

posted by Unknown @ 11:19 AM  0 comments

Transportation Fatalities - USA - Safety Board Reports shows: Up in 2005

San Diego,CA,USA -Insurance Journal -Sept 18, 2006: -- Transportation fatalities in the United States increased last year, according to preliminary figures released today by the National Transportation Safety Board... Deaths from transportation accidents in the United States in 2005 totaled 45,636, up from 45,092 in 2004...
Highway transportation, which by far accounts for the largest portion of fatalities, rose to 43,443 in 2005 from 42,836 in 2004. Motorcycle fatalities jumped substantially to 4,553 in 2005 from 4,028 the previous year. Buses, light trucks and vans, medium and heavy trucks, and pedestrian deaths also showed increases. However, passenger car fatalities fell from 19,192 in 2004 to 18,440 in 2005...

posted by Unknown @ 11:12 AM  0 comments

Co's Story - USA - Akron's Motor Cargo Inc. was a pioneer in U.S. trucking industry

Akron,OH,USA -The Akron Beacon Journal, by Mark J. Price -Sep. 18, 2006: -- Bertha, Belinda and Dinah were grande dames of the U.S. trucking industry. The iron ladies hauled enough freight in 1931 to turn a side business into a commercial giant... Akron businessman Owen O. Orr convinced his father, James H. Orr, president of the Orr Coal Co., that they could make extra money in the summer if they converted their dump trucks into freight haulers... They removed the bodies, hooked up trailers and went into the trucking business. In 1931, they formed the Akron Motor Cargo Co.... (Photo: Akron Beacon Journal file - Paul M. Bair, manager of the Orr Service & Supply Co. station at 700 Carroll St. in Akron, pumps 120 gallons of fuel into the tank of Motor Cargo driver Dana Bond's truck in 1948. The service station was in front of Motor Cargo Inc.)

posted by Unknown @ 11:05 AM  0 comments

Dangerous Roads - USA - Shifting load, wind overturn truck

Coldwater,KS,USA -The Coldwater Daily Reporter, by Don Reid -Sept 19, 2006: -- A shifting load and heavy winds combined to overturn a trailer load of scrap aluminum at the Aleris plant on Butters Avenue, south of Garfield, just before noon on Tuesday... Officers from the Coldwater Police Department closed Butters Ave. for a couple of hours while firefighters from the Coldwater Fire Department stood by. Crews cleaned out the bed of the long dump truck so wreckers could right the vehicle... (Photo by Don Reid / The Reporter: CFD firefighters and CPD officers were on-hand at the incident on Tuesday)

posted by Unknown @ 10:58 AM  0 comments

GreenNews

* USA - Giants of the road in drive to be green
USA -Financial Times Deutschland, by von Jonathan Birchall (Germany) -18 Sept 2006: -- Fleet operators in the U.S. start looking at commercial applications for hybrid systems. In 2003, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, heavy duty trucks accounted for around 15 per cent of of total US greenhouse gas emissions.. The eighteen-wheeler truck, with a 500hp tractor pulling a 53ft long trailer, is the workhorse of the US economy - and the bane of environmentalists. Every day thousands barrel across the US interstate highway system, consuming diesel fuel at the rate of around six miles per gallon - compared to around 55 mpg of petrol for an, admittedly, far smaller Toyota Prius, the best selling electric hybrid car... But now Wal-Mart, the largest US retailer, is working on making its fleet of over 7,000 trucks just a little more like a four door Prius, supporting the development of the first-ever hybrid system for America's largest trucks... Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, sees Wal-Mart's interest as part of a "second wave" of the development of the hybrid power systems that capture and store energy generated by braking, using it to augment engine power...

* USA - Bill expands tax credit for gas-saving cars, trucks - Sen. Ron Wyden says cutting a tax break for large oil companies would pay for the legislation
Washington,DC,USA -OregonLive.com (Portland,OR), by JEFF KOSSEFF -Sept 19, 2006: -- A bill introduced Monday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, would give tax credits of as much as $1,860 to consumers who buy fuel-efficient vehicles... It would fund the program by eliminating a tax break for large oil companies... Wyden said the bill could subsidize the purchase of 1.8 million fuel-efficient vehicles a year for five years...

posted by Unknown @ 10:45 AM  0 comments

Jobs - USA - Schneider National plans on hiring 375 new drivers in Ohio

Oshkosh,WIS,USA -The Oshkosh Northwestern, by Richard Ryman -Sept 20, 2006: -- The Ashwaubenon-based company is holding job fairs in that state today and Thursday to support its growth fueled by new and expanding business... Inexperienced drivers will earn an average of $35,500 to $43,500 a year the first year. Experienced drivers can earn an average of $49,500 to $58,500, and may also qualify for a $5,000 signing bonus. Owner-operators can average $105,000 to $115,000 a year... Schneider operates in more than 28 countries and has revenue of $3.5 billion annually...

posted by Unknown @ 10:36 AM  0 comments

Celebration - Canada - National Trucking Week

Toronto,ON,Canada -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -18 Sept 2006: -- The Ontario Trucking Association is currently celebrating its proud industry with National Trucking Week Sept. 17-23... The annual event highlights the important contributions made by the 400,000 men and women who work in the industry and to raise awareness of the importance of the industry...

posted by Unknown @ 10:33 AM  0 comments

Keep on Trucking - USA - Businesses fear freight will be stuck in traffic

The U.S. economy won't be able to keep on trucking unless America's highway system is expanded to accommodate the boom in freight traffic...

Washington,DC,USA -Dayton Business Journal (Dayton,OH), by Kent Hoover -Sept 18, 2006: -- That's the message business groups are sending Congress a year after it passed a $286 billion bill funding transportation improvements through 2009... That legislation "barely maintains" America's existing road network, says Douglas G. Duncan, president and CEO of FedEx Freight Corp. "It certainly won't expand it."... Expansion is necessary because the U.S. Department of Transportation projects freight tonnage will increase by 70 percent by 2020. Most of this freight now travels over roads because shipping by truck is faster and more reliable than rail, Duncan says... By 2025, there will be twice as many cars and trucks on the road as there are now, he says... Through its highway bill, Congress created a commission to look at the nation's surface transportation needs and how to fund them... The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working to quantify the bottom-line impact of freight congestion on businesses and will use that information to "motivate real change" when Congress takes up its next highway bill, Janet Kavinoky, transportation lobbyist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says...

posted by Unknown @ 10:26 AM  0 comments

Jobs - USA/Canada - DRIVERS's SHORTAGE

* USA - Trucking Companies Need More Drivers - Turn to Northeast Technical Institute to Hire the Region’s Top CDL Graduates

Scarborough,ME,USA -PR Web (press release- Ferndale,WA) -Sept 18, 2006: -- Many of the nation’s best truck load carriers look to Northeast Technical Institute, with locations throughout Maine and Massachusetts, for help in filling driving jobs... Government and industry figures show a need for at least 80,000 new truck drivers each year. These are new positions that reflect industry expansion, not simply replacements for drivers who leave the field or retire. A career as a professional truck driver offers many advantages like great pay, benefits, and the comfort in knowing that you have a job that is nearly immune to lay-offs and downsizing... To learn more about the many employment opportunities available in the trucking industry and training information, contact Northeast Technical Institute at (800) 447-1151 or visit them online at www.NortheastTech.com...

* USA - Most drivers would rather be home with family than on road
Rockford,IL,USA -The Rockford Register StarBy Craig W. Larson -September 18, 2006: -- Dan Bryant teaches people how to be truck drivers. You’d figure the call of the open road would be music to the ears of members of the class... But mostly, the guys Bryant teaches want a good job that doesn’t keep them away from home at night. Long weeks behind the wheel aren’t what they want from a job... They’re not alone... Through not critical, it’s an issue freight handlers are facing right now... Saying goodbye to the family and climbing into an 18-wheeler for weeks is appealing to fewer people... But, reflecting the findings of the ATA report, local students attending the course in Rockford are also looking at local and regional positions as opposed to OTR... “Anything regional would be fine,” said Tom Blanco of Poplar Grove. “I would choose a local carrier first, regional second. I would like to be home with my family as much as possible.”... Ahmad Mubarak, a driver student from Rockford, sees truck driving as having more options. “There seems to be an abundant amount of trucking jobs available right now. After I finish, I want to secure a job, something local. Eventually I want to buy my own truck.”...

* Canada - 'Tug of war' emerging among truckers: OTA boss -- Is the qualified driver shortage good or bad for the industry?
Toronto,Ont,CAN -Today's Trucking -19 Sept 2006: -- It's a question carriers have begun asking themselves and each other with no clear consensus, says Ontario Trucking Association President David Bradley... In fact, he says there's a "tug of war" within the truck carrier community in terms of competition, pricing strategies, and growth plans based on those who see the driver shortage as a good thing and those who see it as a major problem and want to improve the quality of truck drivers... Is the driver shortage a good thing for business? Bradley says those who say so refuse to adapt to change... Some carriers privately express that the driver shortage is keeping capacity tight and therefore freight rates strong. Others insist that's short-term thinking, and successful carriers are going to need to secure and retain quality drivers if they want to continue doing business in the future.....

posted by Unknown @ 10:19 AM  0 comments

Sep 19, 2006

Watch Market - USA

* U.S. stock futures flatten out
Los Angeles,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Simon Kennedy -Sep 18, 2006: -- In auto-related news, General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. have discussed a merger or alliance, Crain's Automotive News reported on its Web site, citing sources familiar with the talks. According to the report, one source said there's a slim chance the talks will lead to anything... GM's stock, a component of the Dow industrials, and Ford shares were up fractionally in pre-open trading...

* Ford, in focus
Los Angeles,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Abby Deveney -Sep 18, 2006: -- Global markets: ... while DaimlerChrysler added to Friday's losses after lowering its profit outlook. Sweden's Scania rejected a $12.2 billion takeover offer from Germany's Man AG... - Broker action: Analysts at Thomas Weisel cut Ford Motor Co. to underperform from peer perform, saying the automaker's recovery is expected to be delayed, and also to be more gradual than is widely expected...

* MOVERS & SHAKERS
Los Angeles,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Michael Baron -Sep 19, 2006: -- Con-way Inc. lowered its view for third-quarter earnings per share from continuing operations to a range of $1.10 to $1.15 from its prior outlook of $1.21 to $1.29. The freight transportation company cited issues such as business volumes that are lower than expectation at the company's less-than-truckload operating unit...

posted by Unknown @ 10:04 AM  0 comments

Sep 18, 2006

Responsability? - USA - TXI trucks involved in 31 accidents over the last two years

Los Angeles,CA,USA -The Dallas Morning News, by Gregg Jones/Trading Markets -Sep 17, 2006: -- Texas Industries Inc. is a major player in North Texas' building boom, producing and hauling sand, gravel, crushed rock and concrete to area construction sites... Its TXI Transportation Co. unit has a fleet of more than 150 leased trucks and more than 330 drivers, which traveled nearly 32 million miles in Texas and surrounding states last year, according to federal data... Federal data show that TXI trucks sometimes get stopped for speeding, running stop lights, following too closely and getting involved in crashes -- 31 that left people injured over the past two years and two that resulted in fatalities...

posted by Unknown @ 12:07 PM  0 comments

Women Drivers - USA - More hit the road as truckers

Cherry Hill,NJ,USA -The Cherry Hill Courier Post, by RAJU CHEBIUM and MATT KATZ -Sept 17, 2006: -- Women are increasingly getting behind the wheel of trucks small and large, from tractor-trailers that haul merchandise across North America to smaller delivery trucks on local roads... There were 129,000 women drivers in 1995 and 154,000 last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Trucking Associations. Their numbers peaked at 183,000 during the post-Sept. 11, 2001, economic doldrums before falling back... The number of women is expected to climb as the trucking industry targets female retirees and empty-nesters as part of a strategy to fill thousands of driver vacancies. Millions of more trucks are expected on the nation's roads in the coming years because retailers rely on them to keep their shelves stocked as Americans buy more... Women no longer endure as many stares, or hear as many propositions or sexist comments, female truckers say. But they still feel the need to prove themselves to male drivers, especially since truck driving remains a male-dominated profession -- about 5 percent of the more than 3 million U.S. truck drivers are women... (Photo by AVI STEINHARDT/Courier-Post -- Lillian Santiago of Camden navigates an 18-wheeler at Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training in Cherry Hill)

posted by Unknown @ 12:02 PM  0 comments

Kids on Trucks - USA - Big wheels = big fun for

Rochester,NY,USA -The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, by Diana Louise Carter -Sept 17, 2006: -- Truck horns tooted and parents snapped pictures of pint-size "drivers" as kids climbed all over a variety of trucks Saturday at Strong — National Museum of Play... Five-year-old Joshua Neuser had a hard time deciding which one he liked best — the firetruck or the Wegmans tractor-trailer... The truck event has been an annual feature, except during construction last year, for about four years, said Bethany Adams, coordinator of the museum's public programs... (Photo by KARIN von VOIGTLANDER - Sean Murphy, 2, of Chili tests his driving in a firetruck at Strong — National Museum of Play on Saturday)

posted by Unknown @ 11:45 AM  0 comments

Covenant - USA - Retracts outlook; to buy trucking firm

Chattanooga, Tennessee,USA -Reuters -Sep 14, 2006: -- Covenant Transport Inc. on Thursday said it is retracting its prior 2006 forecasts and announced the acquisition of truckload carrier Star Transportation Inc. for about $40 million in cash... Covenant expects to record goodwill and other intangible assets of about $23 million in connection with the transaction. The deal is expected to immediately add to Covenant's earnings...

posted by Unknown @ 11:36 AM  0 comments

Not To Support - Sweden - Scania rejects MAN offer

Stockholm,Sweden -Scania P.R. -18 Sep 2006: -- On 13 September, 2006 the Board of Directors of Scania AB received a letter from the Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN AG, describing a possible offer on Scania... At a Board meeting held on 17 September, 2006 the Board of Directors studied the contents of the letter and have, after having engaged professional advisors to assist in its review and assessment of the proposal, unanimously decided not to support the proposals outlined therein. On Sunday 17 September, the Board of Scania informed MAN AG of its decision...

posted by Unknown @ 10:55 AM  0 comments

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Germany - Deutsche Post World Net and UNICEF bid to reduce child mortality
Berlin,Germany -Transport Intelligence (UK) -18 Sept 206: -- Deutsche Post World Net and UNICEF have launched a global partnership under the motto "We deliver help"... The goal of the initiative is to reduce child mortality around the world...Together with UNICEF, Deutsche Post World Net will focus on improving medical care in regions where child mortality is high. To this end, the Group will provide its core competencies as an in-kind donation to UNICEF and also contribute additional financial support for example for projects against malaria. UNICEF's existing logistics processes will be analyzed and, if necessary, improved - for example, the storage and distribution of temperature-sensitive vaccines...

* UK - Airlines settle in Air Cargo price fixing investigation
Wiltshire,UK -Transport Intelligence -18 Sept 206: -- Four airlines at the centre of a price fixing enquiry held by both the US Government and the EU have settled their cases... United and American have closed their cases without having to pay any penalties to the US Justice Department. Lufthansa paid $85m/€67m in penalties on Monday. It is believed that Virgin Atlantic has also been fined, however the sum involved is unknown... SAS British Airways, Air France and Cargolux are amongst the airlines also to have been questioned by the authorities over the price rigging allegations...

* Germany - Global operations critical to new Schenker auto parts contract
Cologne,Germany -Transport Intelligence -18 Sept 206: -- A major new contract awarded by Visteon, one of the world's leading global automotive suppliers, to a subsidiary of Schenker, indicates the growing importance of global logistics operations in the auto spare parts sector, despite the predominance of regionally based vehicle manufacturing...

* Swiss - K+N open Ukrainian facility
Swiss -Transport Intelligence (UK) -18 Sept 206: -- Logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel has announced that it is investing in Ukraine... Kuehne + Nagel has invested more than 10 million euros in its new logistics facility built on a 60,000 sqm plot in Gostomel, Kiev Region, to accommodate the dynamic business performance...

* UK - Union votes to strike over DHL Exel mega-contract
UK-Transport Intelligence (UK) -17 Sep 2006 : -- DHL Exel's giant new contract with the National Health Service in the UK is facing sustained opposition from unions which could disrupt the out-sourcing of the £1.6 billion business... The union at the heart of attempts to prevent the out-sourcing of UK's NHS Logistics to DHL Exel has named the dates of the strikes...

* Bangladesh -WTO reports infrastructure hinders growth
Bangladesh -Transport Intelligence (UK) -18 Sept 206: -- The WTO has released its latest Trade Policy Review on Bangladesh. It states that the country has pursued prudent structural reforms in priority areas and trade liberalization however infrastructure bottlenecks persist... The report also says that the economic performance in the last few years, together with the authorities commitment to reform, the strengthening of the legal system and the promotion of exports and market diversification should lead the country towards sustained growth and poverty alleviation...

* Sweden - Schenker awards contract for parcel sorting system
Stockholm, Sweden --Transport Intelligence (UK) -18 Sept 206: -- FKI Logistex, the material handling solutions provider, has announced that it has been awarded a contract from Schenker for a parcel sorting system at its distribution centre in Stockholm, Sweden...

* UK - Logistics company invests in new facilities
UK -Transport Intelligence (UK) -18 Sept 206: -- Ramage Group, a leading logistics company in the UK, has invested more than £7m with the opening of two new logistics centres...

posted by Unknown @ 10:37 AM  0 comments