Trucks World News: November 2006

Nov 30, 2006

Art Transport * USA - In question

Goya, other thefts spur scrutiny of shipping safety

Toledo,OH,USA -The Toledo Blade, by TAHREE LANE -Nov 24, 2006: -- When a Budget rental truck full of artworks worth millions of dollars — including seven paintings by abstract expressionist Milton Avery — disappeared in April en route to New York from Florida, police had an ace in the hole... The vehicle shuttling the pieces from art collectors and dealers in Florida to galleries and homes in the north was equipped with Global Positioning Satellite technology, enabling police to locate the parked, 24-foot truck, its cargo intact, in Gainesville, Fla... They apprehended the driver at a nearby trailer park. He worked for a professional fine-art transporter, and unbeknownst to the people who had arranged for safe passage of their goods, he had a criminal background... (Picture: This 1778 Goya painting owned by the Toledo Museum of Art was stolen, then recovered)

MARKET SHARES * USA - The Best International Stock for 2007: Volvo

What's not to love about Volvo?

USA -Motley Fool, by Anders Bylund -Nov 24, 2006: -- The company may have faded into market obscurity when it sold off its consumer car division to Ford a few years ago, but Volvo keeps on trucking -- literally -- in more ways than you know... It has become a dominating force in heavy-duty trucks, not just in Scandinavia or the greater European market, or even just North America, but worldwide. It has the Volvo and Mack brands in the U.S. and Canada and Volvo and Renault in Europe, and Asia is starting to rumble under Volvo and Nissan diesel trucks. It's one of the first companies to produce diesel-electric hybrid engines for heavy trucks with a mind to an eco-friendly future...

BORDER TROUBLES

* Mex/USA - Fear rules in the deadly border towns of Mexico

"Please, please don't use my name or take a photograph," the interim chief said...

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico -Fort Worth Star Telegram (Fort Worth,TX,USA), by SAM ENRIQUEZ and RICHARD MAROSI -Nov. 24, 2006: -- The top cop in this unhinged city across the border from Texas has 300 openings on a 600-member police force, and his fearful greeting gave a big clue why... "Please, please don't use my name or take a photograph," the interim chief said... One police chief was killed last year, a second quit in the spring and no one else appears brave or foolhardy enough to work this side of the law in Nuevo Laredo... Mexican President Vicente Fox quietly withdrew the federal police that he had dispatched with great fanfare last year to bring peace, leaving the city virtually unprotected in a smuggling war that's claimed 170 lives since January... This isn't the only border city where law and order are on the ropes... In Tijuana, the rate of kidnappings ranks among the world's worst, and some state police officers have refused postings after the killings of more than a dozen officers in paramilitary-style ambushes... Organized crime is out of control, Tijuana Mayor Jorge Hank Rhon said this month... With government all but ceding control of the border, civil society has fallen into disarray or been cowed into silence. Newspapers in Nuevo Laredo have stopped reporting drug killings under pressure from advertisers, the government and drug dealers... Residents take pains to dodge the menace of drug trafficking. Some deny it exists... "If you behave on the streets, you won't get into trouble," Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez Flores told potential investors during a recent business forum in Nuevo Laredo...

* India/Pakistan - 200 trucks stranded at the border
Wagah,India -PTI/Outlook (New Delhi,India) -Nov 24, 2006: -- Nearly 200 trucks carrying export goods to Pakistan are stranded at the Indo-Pak border in Wagah waiting for necessary clearances... The trucks, loaded with perishable goods such as tomato, onion, frozen meat and ginger, were stuck in the international border and the companies were bearing the parking cost of Rs 500 per day, sources said... The goods were also getting spoiled due to lack of basic mandatory infrastructure such as airconditioned warehouse, they said... Exporters blame the Indian Customs Authority for their negligent attitude that was leading to the wastage...

Nov 24, 2006

* China - Volvo Trucks takes gold in logistics competition 23

China -Easier (Chester,UK) -Nov 2006: -- Two of the latest models from Volvo Trucks – the Volvo FH and Volvo FM – took the top prize recently, in a competition organised by The China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, owing to their excellent technical ability and outstanding environmental and safety characteristics... The aim of “The China Recommended Logistics Vehicle Award” is to promote swift development within the Chinese logistics industry and to boost purpose-built, top-quality products that benefit advances in logistics. The jury consisted of vehicle users and experts from both the vehicle and logistics industries...

MARKETS

* Malaysia - Hino aims to sell 2,150 units of 300 Series trucks in 2007
Malaysia -The Edge Daily, by Kevin Tan -23 Nov 2006: -- Hino Motors (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd targets to sell 2,150 units of its 300 Series light duty trucks next year compared with 1,200 units expected this year due to a new model and the upgrading of existing models... It now only offers six-wheelers in the five-tonne and seven-tonne classes under the 300 Series... Part of Toyota group of companies, Hino Malaysia has sold about 35,000 units of light and heavy commercial vehicles in the country since 1977. ..

* Mongolia - Ulaanbaatar's Garbage Problem: 20 Trucks to be Presented by Japan
Ulaanbaatar,Mongolia -MonInfo,Mongolia reports, by G. Odgarav -22 Nov 2006: -- Municipal administrations of Sapporo and Kawasaki, Japan are going to present 20 garbage trucks to the city of Ulaanbaatar, an official at the Office of City Equipment informed... The trucks have capacities of 2.5- 9 tonnes and are equipped with loading and crushing equipments. “Nissan”, “Isuzu”, and, ”Hino” trucks will be a big support for the city’s development and a solution for the garbage problem which occurs every year, according to his statement...

Nov 23, 2006

"GREEN" NEWS * Canada - US studies validate our Clean Air Act

Toronto,Ont,CAN -Truck News, by James Menzies -22 Nov 2006: -- The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) says Ottawa should pay attention to two US studies that support CTA proposals... The first was a study on aerodynamics conducted by the Truck Manufacturers Association and US Department of Energy. The study found that if all US trucks were fitted with aerodynamic tools such as side skirts, boat tails and new side mirror designs, fuel efficiency would improve by 10%, saving a billion gallons of diesel fuel per year... Meanwhile, the US National Biodiesel Board released a study that showed one-third of biodiesel sampled in the US was out of spec' due to incomplete processing. This demonstrates enforcement agencies must take action against those who aren't producing biodiesel at a high standard, the CTA warns...
(Photo: International participated in a study that found aerodynamic improvements can greatly improve fuel mileage.)

MAN / SCANIA BUSINESS AFFAIRS

Following, full brief to MAN's offer for SCANIA shares

* Germany - Pischetsrieder to lead push for MAN-Scania deal
Hamburg,GER -Reuters -10 Nov 2006: -- Volkswagen AG's supervisory board will decide on Friday, Nov. 17, whether to put outgoing CEO Bernd Pischetrieder in charge of the group's push for a European truck merger, a board source said today...

* Sweden - Authorities probe Investor on Scania
Stockholm,SWE -Reuters/Financial Times -10 Nov 2006: -- Sweden's financial markets watchdog will probe whether holding company Investor and funds controlled by the Wallenberg family must bid for truck maker Scania...

* Sweden - Scania shares slide as MAN bid doubts grow
Stockholm,SWE -Reuters /Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung -15 Nov 2006: -- Shares in Swedish truck maker Scania today slipped below the price being offered by rival MAN as doubts grew the German company's bid would succeed. Doubts were fueled by a report in German daily news, that said attempts to reach a friendly merger had broken down and MAN had no choice but to go hostile...

* Sweden - Investor AB, Wallenberg funds join forces on Scania
Stockholm,SWE -Reuters -Nov 17, 2006: -- Wallenberg holding company Investor and family-run foundations said today they would pool their shareholding in Scania in order to influence talks on Scania, being bid for by MAN... Investor made the announcement just after Sweden's markets authority exempted it and the foundations from a compulsory bid for Scania after their shareholding topped 30 percent...

* Sweden - MAN CEO not planning raised Scania bid
Stockholm,SWE -Reuters -Nov 17, 2006: -- German truck maker MAN, which has launched an unsolicited $13.2 billion (10.3 billion euros) bid for rival Scania, does not plan to raise its offer, a Swedish newspaper quoted its top executive as saying today... MAN unveiled its formal offer on Thursday, Nov. 16, on unchanged terms from its initial proposal which both Scania's board and its second biggest owner Investor AB have rejected...

TRUCKMAKERS' WORLDWIDE

* Germany - DaimlerChrysler truck unit eyes 7 percent operating margin
Frankfurt,GER -Reuters -Nov 17, 2006: -- DaimlerChrysler's Truck Group aims to achieve an average operating profit margin of at least 7 percent in the future by boosting efficiency and exploiting economies of scale, the company said today...

* Sweden - Truckmaker Volvo shipments hold firm in October
Stockholm,SWE - Reuters -Nov 21, 2006: -- Vehicle deliveries by Volvo, the world's second biggest truck maker, rose 3 percent in January to October on strong demand before new emission rules came in, the firm said today... Sweden's Volvo delivered 180,968 trucks in the period, up from 174,882 a year earlier. This amounts to a 4 percent year-on-year rise in deliveries in October alone, according to Reuters' calculations...

* Germany - MAN commercial vehicle 2006 revenue to rise 15%
Frankfurt,GER -Reuters -Nov 20, 2006: -- German industrial conglomerate MAN expects revenue at its core commercial vehicles division to rise by around 15 percent to about 8.5 billion euros ($10.9 billion) in 2006, the company said today.The division's operating margin will amount to 7.5 percent this year...

* Sweden - Scania: Dutch army deal worth 100 million euros
Stockholm,SWE - Reuters -Nov 2o, 2006: -- Scania, Europe's number four heavy truck maker, has signed a service contract with the Dutch army for 555 trucks it delivered during the past year.The firm, facing a hostile bid from German peer MAN, said in a statement today that the 13-year contract was worth 100 million euros...

AUTOS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS

* Swiss - Lutz: GM is open to Ford alliance
Zurich,SWI -Reuters /SonntagsZeitung. -November 20, 2006: -- General Motors is open to an alliance with its No. 2 rival Ford, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said in a newspaper interview on Sunday... Both Ford and GM are restructuring North American operations to adjust to a loss of market share in their home markets. GM is attempting to recover from a $10.6 billion loss in 2005... After nearly three months of talks, GM, Nissan and Renault said in October that they would end their discussions on a possible partnership... Lutz told the newspaper that GM would have benefited from the proposed alliance far less than Nissan and Renault...

* USA - Ghosn Still Looking for a Partner
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Car Connection -17 Nov 2006: -- Alliance talks with General Motors may have broken down, but Carlos Ghosn, the CEO of both Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA, was back in Detroit Thursday suggesting he might still be seeking a partner in the U.S. - as long as it would "enhance the performance and total profitability of every partner."...

* China - Price war leads to more car defects in
Shanghai,CHI -Reuters / China Daily -Nov 20, 2006: -- China's booming auto industry is producing more vehicles with defects as manufacturers slash prices to push sales in the world's second-largest auto market, state media said on Monday... Price wars have taken a toll on the quality of locally-made vehicles, with an average of 338 defects found for every 100 new cars this year, much higher than 246 in 2005, said citing results of an industry survey... Price cuts -- which averaged about 10,000 yuan ($1,271) annually in the past few years -- have forced producers to purchase lower-grade parts in an effort to lower costs, the paper said... Defects involved faulty tires, air conditioning, braking systems and locks, the paper said... Meanwhile, the China Consumers' Association had received 1,038 complaints in the first three quarters, up 21 percent from last year. The number of complaints filed in the third quarter was 44 percent higher than the previous quarter, it said... Nearly all the foreign giants operating in the country -- from PSA Peugeot Citroen's to Toyota Motor Corp. -- have recalled a large number of vehicles in China this year... Recalls also involved luxury brands such as DaimlerChrysler A.G.'s Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen's premium brand Audi...

AUTOS' RECALLS

* USA - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration "People saving people" - Office of Defects Investigation
Washington,DC,USA -Reports NHTSA.dot.gov -23 Nov 2006: -- Extract from the governmental informs.

1 - Manufacturer : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
Make / Models : CHRYSLER / SEBRING 2007 - Potential Number Of Units Affected : 2258
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD - Summary: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE HOOD LATCH STRIKER MAY BREAK AND ALLOW THE HOOD TO OPEN WHILE DRIVING. - Consequence: IF THE HOOD OPENS WHILE DRIVING, A CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

2 - Manufacturer : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
Make / Models : CHRYSLER / PACIFICA 2005-2006 - Potential Number Of Units Affected : 127928
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) - Summary: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) SOFTWARE MAY ALLOW THE ENGINE TO STALL UNDER CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS. - Consequence: THIS COULD CAUSE A CRASH TO OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

3 - Manufacturer : DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
Make / Models : JEEP / COMPASS 2007 - Potential Number Of Units Affected : 18245
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL - Summary: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE OWNER'S MANUAL DOES NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED HIGHER ROLLOVER RISK WARNING INFORMATION. - Consequence: WITHOUT THE ROLLOVER WARNING INFORMATION IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL, DRIVERS MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ROLLOVER RATE ON THIS TYPE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

4 - Manufacturer : FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Make / Models : FORD / CROWN VICTORIA 2007 & MERCURY / GRAND MARQUIS 2007 - Potential Number Of Units Affected : 422
Component: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD - Summary: CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 212, 'WINDSHIELD MOUNTING.' THE WINDSHIELD MAY NOT BE PROPERLY SECURED TO THE VEHICLE BODY. - Consequence: IF THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT PROPERLY RETAINED TO THE VEHICLE, WIND NOISE, SQUEAK/RATTLES AND/OR WATER LEAKS MAY OCCUR. ALSO, LOSS OF WINDSHIELD RETENTION MAY REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

5 - Manufacturer : AIRTEX PRODUCTS, USE IN CERTAIN DAIMLERCHRYSLER VEHICLES LISTED BELOW
CHRYSLER / CIRRUS 1995-1997
CHRYSLER / SEBRING 1996-1999
CHRYSLER / VOYAGER 1998-2000
DODGE / CARAVAN 1998-2000
DODGE / GRAND CARAVAN 1998-2000
DODGE / STRATUS 1995-1996
PLYMOUTH / BREEZE 1996-1997
PLYMOUTH / GRAND VOYAGER 1998-2000
PLYMOUTH / VOYAGER 1998-2000
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 30288
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP - Consequence: FUEL RESTRICTION COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF POWER AND/OR ENGINE STALL, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

6 - Manufacturer : VOLVO CARS OF N.A. LLC.
VOLVO / C70 1999-2002
VOLVO / C70 CONVERTIBLE 1999-2002
VOLVO / S60 2001-2002
VOLVO / S70 1999-2000
VOLVO / S80 1999-2001
VOLVO / V70 1999-2002
VOLVO / V70XC 1999-2000
VOLVO / XC70 2001
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 170099
Component: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - Summary: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR IRREGULARITIES, A DIRTY THROTTLE HOUSING, AND/OR INEFFICIENT SOFTWARE CALIBRATION MAY CAUSE A WARNING LAMP TO LIGHT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONSET OF LIMP HOME MODES. - Consequence: THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOING INTO THE LIMP HOME MODE WITHOUT NEED.

* China - Volkswagen venture recalls 2,101 cars in China
Shanghai,CHI -Reuters -Nov 17, 2006: -- FAW Volkswagen, a joint venture between Volkswagen AG and China's First Automotive Works, is recalling 2,101 imported Audi A8 sedans because of a defect with the airbags, the government said today... The cars were made between December 2002 and March 2004, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said.

AUTOS' WORLDWIDE

* USA - Kerkorian to Reduce G.M. Stake
NY,USA -The New York Times, by JEREMY W. PETERS -Nov 23, 2006: -- Kirk Kerkorian, the billionaire investor who agitated for change at General Motors after amassing nearly 10 percent of the company’s stock, said yesterday that he was selling one-quarter of his stake in the automaker... The move is the latest retreat by Mr. Kerkorian after his effort to spur an alliance among G.M., Renault and Nissan fell apart last month. Since then, Mr. Kerkorian has said that he is no longer interested in increasing the share that his investment firm, the Tracinda Corporation, has purchased in G.M... A top aide to Mr. Kerkorian, Jerome B. York, resigned from G.M.’s board in protest over management’s refusal to pursue the alliance, citing “grave reservations” about the company’s competitiveness and its management... (Photo by Jeff Haynes/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images: A sculpture of the fist of Joe Louis, the boxing champion, sits across from G.M. headquarters in Detroit)

* India - GM: Engine, powertrain plant in India possible
Talegaon,IND -Reuters -22 Nov 2006: -- General Motors is considering setting up an engine and powertrain plant in India, where it aims to expand rapidly, the president of GM Asia-Pacific said today. "We will make a decision in the next six months," Nick Reilly told reporters at a ground-breaking ceremony for the firm's second car making factory in India...

* Germany - DaimlerChrysler: Talks with China's Foton are ongoing
Frankfurt,GER -Reuters -22 Nov 2006: -- DaimlerChrysler remains in talks with China's Beiqi Foton Motor Co. about forming a truck joint venture but has not struck a deal yet. DaimlerChrysler's truck division head, Andreas Renschler, told reporters in September that he did not rule out taking an equity stake in Beiqi Foton but gave no other details...

* Germany - Deal near on bank buy of DaimlerChrysler's EADS stake
Frankfurt,GER -Reuters -22 Nov 2006: -- The German government and DaimlerChrysler AG may strike a deal soon under which a group of banks would buy part of the carmaker's stake in European aerospace group EADS, a German government source said on Tuesday...

* USA - Hella will supply cruise control to Chrysler 300
USA -Reuters -22 Nov 2006: -- Hella North America Inc. said it will supply adaptive cruise control technology to the Chrysler group. The Chrysler 300 Limited and Chrysler 300C will offer the adaptive cruise control as optional equipment for some 2007 models...

* Italy - 2006 car registrations seen higher
Milan,ITA -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Italian new car registrations will likely reach some 2.33 million units in 2006, more than 4 percent higher than the number last year, according to Centro Studi Promotor (CSP), a center that monitors the sector. It predicted Fiat, the country's sole automaker, would have a share of about 31 percent of the market, compared with 27.98 percent in 2005...

* Italy - Banca Intesa's stake in Fiat lowers to 3.78%
Milan,ITA -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Italian bank Banca Intesa said on Tuesday its stake in industrial group Fiat had dropped to 3.78 percent from 4.82 percent, the result of the delivery of ordinary shares following the expiry of options...

* Belgium - VW Brussels workers strike as over 3,000 jobs cut
Brussels,BELG -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Thousands of workers rallied for a third day outside Volkswagen's Brussels plant today, pledging to carry on with strikes after the German carmaker's decision to cut thousands of jobs there. "The strike will continue until the situation is clearer and the workers decide to put it to an end," said Manuel De Castro, an official from the socialist FGTB union...

* Brazil - Volkswagen Brazil buys out more than 1,000 workers
Sao Paulo,BRA -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- More than 1,000 factory workers have accepted voluntary buyout packages from Volkswagen, the union representing laborers at the automaker's main Brazilian plant said on Tuesday...

* Belgium - Volkswagen to end Golf production in Brussels - 4,900 staff to be cut to 1,500
Brussels,BELG -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Volkswagen will stop building the best-selling Golf at its Brussels plant as soon as possible and cut thousands of workers. Volkswagen Brussels has started talks with employee representatives on a plan "under which the Golf will no longer be manufactured at three plants in western Europe, but at two -- Mosel and Wolfsburg in Germany," it said in a statement today...

* Germany - Former VW works council head Volkert arrested
Hanover,GER -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- German authorities arrested former Volkswagen works council head Klaus Volkert today amid a corruption probe at Europe's biggest carmaker, Brunswick prosecutors said. Police detained Volkert in the northern town of Wolfsburg and a judge placed him under arrest on suspicion of inciting breach of trust and to address the danger of collusion...

* Portugal - VW plant confident of getting new models
Lisboa,PORT -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Workers at Volkswagen's Autoeuropa plant in Portugal are confident the German automaker will soon decide to build new multi-purpose vehicle models (MPV) there, a labor representative said today...

* Germany - Lawsuit seeks information on Porsche entry to VW
Stuttgart,GER -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- An activist lawyer said today that he had filed a suit against Germany's financial watchdog in a bid to get details about potential insider trading during Porsche's move to build a stake in Volkswagen last year...

* Malaysia - VW, Peugeot show interest in Proton
PUTRAJAYA,MAL -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Malaysia is talking to France's PSA Peugeot Citroen and Germany's Volkswagen on a possible collaboration with state automaker Proton Holdings, a government minister said today...

* China - To be Audi's second largest market in 2 years
Beijing,CHI -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Audi expects China to become its second largest market after Germany in two years, up from fourth, as a growing number of wealthy mainlanders pick the established brand. Volkswagen's premium brand has a commanding 60 percent share in the luxury segment...

* Malaysia - Car sales slump, outlook darkens

Kuala Lampur,MAL -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Malaysia reported a plunge in car sales today, confirming that Southeast Asia's biggest market for passenger cars was in its worst slump in a decade...

* S. Korea - Hyundai to spend $198 million to add car line in Ulsan plant
Seoul,S.KOR -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- Hyundai Motor Co. will invest $198 million to expand one of its domestic plants and produce a future passenger car model there, the carmaker said today...

* China - Aims for $120 billion auto exports in 10 years
Beijing,CHI -Reuters/Xinhua News Agency -21 Nov 2006: -- China aims to lift vehicle and auto parts exports to $120 billion, or 10 percent of the world's total vehicle trading volume, in the next 10 years, quoted a Ministry of Commerce official today as saying...

* China - Chery, Johnson plan China auto interiors venture
Shanghai,CHI -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- China's Chery Automobile will set up a joint venture with Johnson Controls Inc. of the United States to make auto interiors, state media said on today. The 50-50 tie-up with Johnson Controls, a major producer of auto interiors and building temperature control systems, will be located in Chery's home city of Wuhu...

* USA - UAW chief sets firm stance for 2007 contract talks
Detroit,Mich,USA -Reuters -21 Nov 2006: -- The head of the United Auto Workers said on Tuesday the union has no intention of backing down in negotiations with automakers in 2007 and said talks with bankrupt parts maker Delphi Corp. were stalled...

Nov 22, 2006

"GREEN" NEWS

* USA - Port panels OK plan to cut pollution
An unusual joint vote by the traditionally competing L.A. and Long Beach complexes comes after hours of often harsh testimony
Los Angeles,CA,USA -Los Angeles Times, by Janet Wilson -Nov 21, 2006: -- Commissions for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach unanimously approved a $2-billion plan Monday aimed at reducing air pollution even as the amount of goods passing through the complexes skyrockets... The unusual joint vote by the traditionally competing ports came after 4 1/2 hours of often rancorous testimony at Long Beach City Hall from the mayors of both cities, area residents, environmental and business groups, vendors hawking environmentally friendly products, and truckers who are the focus of much of the plan...

JOBS * USA - Air cargo hub adds 200 jobs at airport

Kitty Hawk to oversee holiday postal shipments
Fort Wayne,IN,USA -The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, by Kimberly Peterson -22 Nov 2006: -- Kitty Hawk Inc. announced Monday it has added 200 seasonal jobs at its Fort Wayne sorting facility, thanks to a $29.3 million contract with the U.S. Postal Service... From Nov. 28 to Dec. 24, Kitty Hawk Cargo will manage a daytime air and ground cargo network for the Postal Service. The work for the Postal Service will be in addition to Kitty Hawk Cargo’s normal overnight freight shipments...

DRIVERS' SHORTAGE WORLDWIDE

* Australia - Company offers incentives to encourage truckies to stay
Australia -ABC Online -21 Nov 2006: -- A major trucking company is planning to pay incentives to its drivers to encourage them to stay in the industry... Road Trains of Australia says it is hard to find staff with many drivers being lured into the mining sector... While a national campaign is under way to attract more young people towards a career in transport, Mike Bailey from Road Trains' Mount Isa branch, says the company needs to make an effort to ease the skills shortage... "We're trying to start a scheme where - just within ourselves - that they get rewarded if they stay in the industry, in our employment, for a number of years," he said...

Determined to succeed * USA - 21–year–old an example for reliability at trucking firm

Hillsdale,MI,USA -The Hillsdale Daily News, by Jan Bellamy -21 Nov 2006: -- Road—warrior truckers melt when Kelli Vasko tells them how to handle a challenging situation. This statuesque young blonde speaks with a steely determination that belies her 21 years... “These are my truckers,” said Vasko, supervising dispatcher for TranStewart Trucking, a national trucking firm based in Jefferson Township. “When they have a problem on the road, I have a challenge in the office.”... Vasko’s determined and confident attitude reflects just one reason she got her job and has some good advice to share with anyone of any age... (Photo by Pete Mowry/DAILY NEWS: Kelli Basko stays busy organizing trucking schedules as a dispatch manager)

The world's fastest racing trucks, racing planes, racing the clock

UK -Biglorryblog -21 Nov 2006: -- It's no secret I find it hard to excited over truck racing---but trucks racing planes? I'd pay good money for that. This is Shockwave a triple jet-engined Peterbilt and you can read all about it on Les Shockley's Jet Shows truly awesome web site... Your man runs two jet trucks--the Shockwave triple engine and the Super Shockwave with two jet engines. Of the two the former is the fastest. It currently holds the quarter mile world record having stopped the clocks at 256mph/6.36 seconds PLUS, according to the Guiness Book of Records, the world record for 'full-size' trucks at 376mph. For lovers of trivia when ShockWave accelerates away from a standing start the driver is subjected to a 3G force---as much as a Space Shuttle taking off... (Picture courtesy of Les Shockley's Jet Shows site). Meanwhile, it seems as if racing planes with racing trucks is catching on as here's a shot of the Bandag Bullet Kenworth racer about to 'rotate'... The 8.0-tonne modified T400 tractor currently holds the world record for covering a kilometre from a standing start in 18.6 seconds with a top of over 300km/h. You can find more pictures and facts on the go-faster Kenworth by visiting the official Bandag Bullet website where there are some terrific night-time drag race warmup shots...

PRODUCTS

* UK EcoStream aero double deckers…..

UK -Biglorryblog -21 Nov 2006: -- Let’s face it, considering the countless claims there have been in recent years over the efficiency of various fuel-saving devices, including various aerodynamic bits of kit, it’s hardly surprising your average UK haulier is a pretty cynical little bunny... Custom trailer maker Don-Bur is offering two of its latest 13.7m “EcoStream” step-frame, tri-axle, curtainsided double deck trailers with aerodynamic sloping roofs, for free trials... Apparently STD’s standard double deck curtainsiders normally average around 7.5mpg on trunk runs (validated using the Fueltec Data System). But the EcoStream achieved 9mpg; a difference of 1.5mpg. The ‘math’ works out to an impressive 16.7% fuel saving. And other double deck operators that have trialled the EcoStream have reported similar savings... Your average double decker with a vertical front bulkhead is about as aerodynamic as a brick. However, the “EcoStream” has a sloping roof that starts at a 4m height at the front bulkhead (or engineered to suit operators tractor/airkit combination) which then curves gently upwards by 880mm to full roof height of 4.88m at a point 4m further back. And that smooth curve maintains the aerodynamic laminar flow over and significantly reduces drag, as independent tests prove...

* China - Cummins Takes the Lead in China with Tier 3 Availability at BAUMA Show
SHANGHAI, China -BUSINESS WIRE -Nov 21, 2006: -- Cummins Inc. displayed a full lineup of EPA Tier 3 emissions-capable engines at the BAUMA China Show, Shanghai, ready for installation by construction equipment manufacturers in China. Spanning a wide 23-522 kW (31-700 hp) power band, the Tier 3 range will bring the latest low-emissions, high-performance industrial engines to the Chinese market. The arrival of the Tier 3 engines will build on a strong Cummins presence in China, with a total engine population of over one million units...

Monsters' Story - France & S. Africa - The world's biggest truck

UK - Biglorryblog -21 Nov 2006: -- ... The new 750hp Tractomas 8x8... Dennis Child, tells me they're due to enter service with ROTRAN (South Africans's) next January. You'd think he'd be happy with that wouldn't you? Well he isn't as he says: "We're busy with negotiations for another five Tractomas 912hp 9x9 tractors -Tractomas heavy haulage artic built by Nicolas Industries in France - for delivery in August 2008. Then the fleet will have over 12,000hp of Tractomas units in operation with an additional 10,000hp of other units in the fleet including MAN, Mercedes and Pacific tractors."... Why all those monster movers? Dennis goes on to say: "In South Africa the economy is growing at approx 5% per year and we are planning major capital expansion in the power industry. The existing fleet of tractors have had their day and the demand is out stripping the arrival time of new equipment. So the old equipment has to keep on going! The new order is worth approx 8 million euros including 5 new tractors and a 'monoblock' high girder beam trailer of 410-ton capacity."... For the complete story of Dennis and ROTRAN check out the feature on him and his monster movers in the July edition of Truck & Driver... Meanwhile, here's a picture of one his 10x10s with a mini to give you some idea of the size of it. That's some truck......but then you need one like that to shift a 400 tonne transformer--and that's without the trailer!...

TRUCKS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS

* UK - Volvo Truck sales are going like gangbusters in Eastern Europe
UK -Biglorryblog, by Brian Weatherley -21 Nov 2006: -- ... During October, the Swedish truck maker Volvo, saw its European deliveries increase by 14% finishing the month at 39,072 vehicles (34,253)... In Continental Europe, "demand was strong" say the men from Gothenburg who add: "The great economic growth in Eastern Europe and growing trade between East and West means an increase in the need for truck transport." In the 'Europe 27' group of countries (that's all the EU plus Norway and Switzerland), Volvo deliveries increased by 9% to 31,297 vehicles (28,772). But the real hike came in Eastern Europe (i.e. countries outside the EU), where it saw deliveries shoot up by a massive 42% (7,775)...

* UK - US Trucking's Aerodynamic Ignorance
UK - Road Transport -21 Nov 2006: -- US trucking firms are bitterly complaining about the price of diesel, but their apparent reluctance to actually help themselves means they aren't going to get any sympathy from me... According to the Energy Information Administration the average price of diesel in the US is $2.55 (£1.40) a gallon . While this might seem like a bargain to us in rip-off Britain, it has come as a major shock to a country which up until a few years ago was paying a little over a dollar (60p) for a gallon. With this in mind you would think that American operators would do their best to become as fuel efficient as possible, but I certainly didn't see any evidence of this on a recent trip to the US...

What did you do? * USA - Owner Fed Up After House Repeatedly Hit By Trucks

Baltimore,MD,USA -WBAL TV 11 News -Nov 20, 2006: -- A west Baltimore woman said she's been fighting the city for 12 years because of years of damage done to her house by trash trucks, but the city refused to change the truck's route until WBAL TV 11 News looked into the matter Monday... "This is my home. This is where I live," said Dorothy Scott... Trash collection is dirty work, but Scott said her patience has run out... The porch has been declared unsafe by city inspectors. Scott now has to leave out of the back of her house and walk all the way down the alley to go anywhere... The city finally said they would change the route just three hours after WBAL TV 11 News' first call... The Department of Public Works declined an on-camera interview...

Who needs trucks?

Offering 'alternatives' to trucks...

UK -Biglorryblogby Brian Weatherley -21 Nov 2006: -- Some more unusual methods of shifting freight without a lorry... It's a while since I had a somewhat 'idiosyncratic' blog for all my readers who are fans of the more offbeat so thanks to Simon Wood at Mercedes-Benz (who should clearly get out more)...

(Picture 1: right) Frankly this defies logic (not to say the law of physics) as the weight of this fridge freezer should have toppled the brave rider over to the right long ago...unless he's carrying a couple of pounds of lead in his left hand pocket.....

(Picture 2: left) Now here's an innovation--bicycle drawbars for those 'high-volume' jobs....

(Picture 3 right) And for those Vehicle Off Road emergency body parts deliveries via 24-hour trike...

RECALLS * Japan - Isuzu Motors Recalls 750 Trucks

Tokyo,Japan -AP -Nov 21, 2006: -- Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors Ltd. is recalling about 750 trucks because of engine problems, while Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. is recalling some 390 buses for defective shock absorbers, the Transport Ministry said Tuesday... Isuzu Motors Ltd.'s recall concerns 758 trucks -- a Giga truck model, produced between July 2000 and July in 2005, Transport Ministry official Yasuyoshi Nakamura said. There have been 22 complaints from users in Japan, but none of them was involved any accident, he said...

Nov 21, 2006

SUBMARINE CARGO * Colombia - Six feet under the ocean, a sub with snorkels - and cocaine worth £47m

* Four men arrested in risky attempt to smuggle drugs * 'Homemade tube' had baler to keep out water

Bogota,COL -The Guardian, by Rory Carroll & Sibylla Brodzinsky -Nov 21, 2006: -- The three snorkels broke the surface of the ocean, tiny specks far off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and at a steady clip skimmed towards the United States... Six feet beneath the waves throbbed a vessel like no other, a 15-metre (49ft) long wood and fibreglass submarine carrying a fortune in cocaine and a crew with a mission improbable... Taking turns to breathe through the PVC pipes jutting over the waves, the four smugglers were risking a vast expanse of sea, US and central American coastguard patrols, and the possibility their home-made U-boat would disintegrate...

DANGEROUS TRIPS * USA - Patrol cracks down on unsafe commercial vehicles

Mount Vernon,OH,USA -The Mount Vernon News, by Nick Worner -Nov 20, 2006: -- The Ohio State Highway Patrol recently conducted a concentrated enforcement operation on commercial vehicles, stopping nearly 1,500 vehicles and taking 197 trucks or drivers out of service... The patrol looked for violations which included speeding, careless driving, equipment violations, improper driver qualifications, improper hazardous material transportation, oversized/overweight vehicles and hours of service violations...

* Australia - Trucking industry trying to turn around image

Newcastle,NSW,AUST -ABC Local News -20 Nov 2006: -- The Australian Trucking Association is today launching a campaign aimed at reversing negative perceptions the public may have about the industry... Craig Johnson from the association says the five-month campaign involves a national competition to find the safest and most skilled young truck driver... "The trucking industry over the past five years has had about [a] 22 per cent decrease in fatal crashes for articulated trucks at least, so obviously ... one death is one too many, but there is ... a long-term rate of improvement that we've seen in conjunction with high productivity in the industry," he said...

Complaints * USA - WL may ban trucks from some roads

Windsor Locks,CT,USA -Journal Inquirer (Manchester,CT), by Megan Collins -20 Nov 2006: -- After several complaints from residents about the noise and safety hazards caused by trucks using residential streets, town officials decided last week to draft an ordinance to prohibit such traffic... First Selectman Steven Wawruck said Thursday that there will be a "three-pronged approach" to addressing the concerns of residents...

Motorists Incensed * Canada - As Delivery Trucks Block Rush Hour Lanes

Toronto,ONT,CAN -CityNews -Nov 20, 2006: -- It never fails. You're in a hurry to get where you're going during rush hour when you suddenly turn into that narrow street downtown and bingo! There's a truck making a delivery blocking traffic and sitting right in your way... Talk about the old cliché of east is east and west is west - but in this case, neither the driver and trucker shall meet in agreement over who should be allowed to sit there when Toronto's fierce traffic is at its worst... Many motorists complain truck drivers appear to be given leeway by police, who are accused of not enforcing traffic laws equally. But the drivers say it just isn't so... But motorists would like to see the same rules that cities like New York and London have brought in - banning delivery trucks during rush hours. It's been tried here before, but without success...

Protest * Ecuador - Dock workers seize banana vessels

Guayaquil,Ecuador -FreshPlaza (Tholen,Netherlands), by André van der Wiel -Nov 20 2006: -- A group of dock workers, who claim to be in the service of a shipping company which is owned by candidate for presidency, Alvaro Noboa, have seized two banana vessels, which were destined for the European market, and kept them in port by occupying them violently... The workers of Transmabo (Transportes Marítimos Bolivarianos) took the measure, because one does not pay them the labour conditions as dictated by law. They demand that Noboa keeps himself to labour laws... The action arrives exactly at a crucial moment in the election contest, which favours the opposition of course...

"GREEN" NEWS * Europe

New worldwide test procedures for measuring emissions from trucks and buses

Brussels,Belgium -EU Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Truck and bus manufacturers will be able to develop just one family of engines for all major world markets, due to a new Global Technical Regulation (GTR), which was agreed at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) in Geneva... The regulation will enter into force within eight months and set harmonised standards for the exhaust emissions of lorries and buses. It creates a level playing field for manufacturers of heavy duty vehicles on a worldwide scale, given that all major industrialised countries (such as the China, Japan and the USA) have acceded to this GTR... Up to now, test cycles and methods of emissions measurement have varied significantly around the world. Last week the UN/ECE also adopted a second GTR on electronic On-Board Diagnostic systems for heavy duty vehicles (see IP/06/1568)...

PRODUCTS * Europe - IDS distributes Air1 in its European AdBlue® network

Oslo,Norway -Press Release Yara Int'l/WebWire -20 Nov 2006: -- Yara International and International Diesel Service (IDS), an operating division of Kuwait Petroleum (Q8), have signed an agreement for the distribution of AdBlue in Europe. Yara’s branded AdBlue product, Air1®, will be offered 24/7 on a range of strategically located IDS filling stations across Europe... AdBlue is a urea solution used to reduce NOx emissions from heavy-duty vehicles in order to meet the new European Union standards that came into effect in October 2006... European truck drivers will find Air1® on IDS’ filling stations next to international haulage routes, frontier posts and at important transport and trading centres in 18 countries...

Campaign to eliminate Drunk Driving * USA

What Do Polio and Drunk Driving Have in Common?

USA -"MADD Online" -20 Nov 2006: -- Do you worry about you or your loved ones contracting polio? Of course you don’t. That public health threat was wiped out in the United States decades ago... With its new Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, MADD intends to make drunk driving the public health equivalent of polio in 10 years. Announced Nov. 20, MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving has one simple, focused and achievable goal: a nation without drunk driving... The comprehensive Campaign builds upon a proven-effective law enforcement model by calling for unprecedented, high-visibility law enforcement efforts. It also focuses on the full implementation of existing technology such as ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers and the development of emerging, cutting-edge technology designed to separate drunk drivers from their weapon—a vehicle... Learn how MADD will eliminate the public health threat of drunk driving that has plagued the United States for nearly a century...

L & T: STUDIES & REPORTS

* USA - Trucking industry's role in freight movement will continue to grow
Akron,OH,USA -Modern Tire Dealer -Nov 20, 2006: -- Trucks will move 69.2% of the United States' freight by the year 2011 and 69.5% by 2017, according to the American Trucking Associations' recently published U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast to 2017... The report also projects "robust growth in rail intermodal and air freight," according to ATA officials...

* USA - High tech logistics to boom ahead of holidays
USA -Transport Intelligence -20 Nov 2006: -- Companies involved in high tech logistics, including air cargo operators, freight forwarders and express operators are likely to enjoy strong increases in volumes in advance of the holiday season. Sales of semiconductors, which go in to all consumer electronics goods, are growing strongly... According to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) global chip sales rose to $21.4 billion, an increase of 9.3 percent from September 2005, and a 4.2 increase from the $20.5 billion reported in August 2006...

* UK - Diversification key to Japanese shipping lines success
UK -Transport Intelligence -20 Nov 2006: -- The big three Japanese shipping and logistics companies are bucking the trend of a depressed container shipping market by expanding aggressively into other areas of shipping and logistics, with all three announcing higher profit forecasts for the end of 2006-7... Effectively what the Japanese have done – led by NYK- is pursued a portfolio strategy of niche markets, which now include considerable non-shipping businesses. However this leaves their comparatively small container businesses looking vulnerable in a consolidating sector...

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC WORLDWIDE

* Germany - Interlog 2006 - The 10th Annual Aftersales Product Support And Service Parts Logistics Conference
Düsseldorf,GER -Interlog 2006 -21 Nov 2006: -- The only conference to focus in its entirety on aftersales product support and service parts logistics, is to be held 27-30 November 2006 Hilton Hotel, Düsseldorf... Transport Intelligence will be amongst the speakers also including Cisco, Pitney Bowes, Sharp Electronics at the high level event...

* The Netherlands - TNT sells forwarding unit
Dutch -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- TNT N.V. has today announced that it has signed a deal to sell its freight management business unit. This completes TNT divestment of its logistics operations and allows it to focus on express networks...

* The Netherlands - TNT starts buying back shares
Dutch -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Following the sale of its Logistics division to Apollo, TNT has announced that it is undertaking a share re-purchase programme...

*Denmark - DSV integration of Frans Maas going well
Brøndby,Denmark -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- DSV (DFDS), the acquistive Danish based logistics company, has released its interim results which it describes as highly satisfactory. The company seems to be making good progress in integrating its recent Frans Maas acquisition...

* UK - Salvesen warns that margins under pressure
Edinburgh,UK -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- European logistics provider Christian Salvesen has issued a trading statement, warning that margin improvement had not been as good as hoped for...

* China - Sinotrans wins retail logistics deal with METRO
Beijing,China -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Chinese logistics company Sinotrans has won a strategic cooperation deal with METRO Jinjiang Cash & Carry Co. Ltd., subsidiary of world's third largest retail giant METRO Group...

* Japan - Bridgestone opens new European Logistics Centre
Japan -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- With the completion of expansion work at the Zeebrugge warehouse, tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has opened its new European Logistics Centre (ELC North)...

* USA - UTi acquires value added logistics player
Baytown,TX,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- UTi Worldwide Inc. has announced the acquisition of Span America Holding Company, Inc. and Span Manufacturing Limited, a value-added provider of integrated and customized supply chain management solutions, primarily in North America...

* Germany - DHL Exel launches Australian 'direct to pharmacy' operation
Bonn,Germany -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- DHL Exel Supply Chain has recently launched in Australia DHL Pharmacy Supply, the 'direct to pharmacy' pharmaceutical distribution business. Supported by a five-year contract, DHL Pharmacy Supply will offer a 24 hour pharmaceutical distribution service...

* Germany - DHL Exel extend contract with British Gypsum
Bonn,Germany -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- A new deal between British Gypsum and DHL Exel Supply Chain is resulting in a major investment at British Gypsum's major manufacturing facility, in Leicestershire, UK...

* Germany - DHL establishes new hub in Thailand
Bonn,Germany -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- DHL has inaugurated its new DHL Express Bangkok Hub at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand. The US$22 million (THB 825 million) facility is part of DHL's long-term growth strategy in Asia Pacific...

* Germany - DHL's MidEast hub ready ahead of schedule
Bonn,Germany -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- DHL has announced the initial stage of its $3.5 million expansion in Jebel Ali has been completed two years ahead of schedule. The hub now handles over 60% of all Middle East imports...

* Germany - DHL launches new IT tool in US
Bonn,Germany -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- DHL has announced the launch of ProView, a suite of web-based shipment visibility and event notification tools to enhance access to transit status information...

* USA - Targus awards Schenker European distribution contract
Anaheim,CA,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Targus Europe Ltd. has decided to renew and extend the cooperation with Schenker in the Netherlands in a three year contract for distribution of product throughout the Europe, Middle East and African region...

* Sweden - Vos Logistics chooses Scania to replace fleet
Stockholm,Sweden -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Dutch transport company Vos Logistics has selected Scania as its sole supplier when the company's fleet of 1,000 tractors is due for replacement...

* USA - Con-Way re-focuses and expands in Truckload
Memphis,TN,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Con-way Inc. has announced the renaming and refocusing of its Con-way Transportation LLC operating company to Con-way Truckload Services Inc...

* UK - Bibby chooses Paragon routing and scheduling
UK -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Paragon Software Systems' (Paragon's) routing and scheduling solution has been selected by Bibby Distribution, one of the UK's leading independent logistics companies, for strategic planning use...

* USA - Schneider introduces US-Mexico intermodal service
Green Bay,WI,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- US logistics provider, Schneider National, has announced that it introduced a new Intermodal solution, Mexico Express, in June to deliver greater capacity and faster service between the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and Mexico...

* France - CAT expands into Ukraine
Boulogne Billancourt,France -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- CAT Cargo Logistics has launched a new subsidiary in the Ukraine. The logistics company will now be offering its Eastern European customers international transport, customs clearance and distribution services...

* UK - Eurotunnel signs first major long term deal
Kent,UK -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Eurotunnel and the Dutch transport and logistic company, Nedexco, have committed to a partnership to transport 300,000 trucks across the Channel between 2007 and 2011...

* USA - UPS announces rate hike
Sandy Springs,GE,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- UPS has announced a new rise in its rates, although its fuel surcharge is coming down...

* UK - Business Post revenues fall in first half
UK -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Express operator Business Post has released its interim results. Revenues in its parcels division fell although parcel volumes were up. International revenues showed good levels of growth...

* USA - FedEx drivers choose Teamaters representation
Memphis,Tenn,USA -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- According to US labour organisation Teamsters, FedEx Home Delivery drivers at two locations in Wilmington, Massachusetts, have become the first units in the FedEx Home Delivery system to win Teamster representation...

* Singapore - New World Alliance suspends capacity
Singapore -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- The member lines of The New World Alliance (TNWA) - APL, Hyundai Merchant Marine Co., Ltd (HMM), and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd (MOL) - have announced that they are suspending capacity over the winter...

* Malaysia - MISC Halal Express extends successful launch
Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia-Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Malaysian International Shipping Corp (MISC) has announced that its HALAL EXPRESS Service will be making its first call at Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) after its successful launch about a month ago...

* Japan - MOL initiates new Vietnam service
Osaka,Japan -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. has announced the opening of a new route to provide direct links between Ho Chi Minh City and major ports in Japan...

* Hong Kong/China - Dragonair cargo volumes rise in October
HK,CHI -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Airline Dragonair has annouced that passenger numbers and cargo volumes continued to record year-on-year rises in October...

* Hong Kong/China - Cathay expands freighter service to Shanghai
HK,CHI -Press Release -20 Nov 2006: -- Cathay Pacific Airways has announced a further expansion of its freighter service to and from Shanghai. From 2 December 2006 the airline will add five more flights a week...

* USA - Airlines fade in afternoon trade
New York,NY,USA -MarketWatch, by Padraic Cassidy -Nov 20, 2006: -- Airline stocks turned south Monday with Continental Airlines and AMR Corp. bucking the trend during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year... The Amex Airline Index finished down 0.9% at 59.47 points. The Dow Jones Wilshire Airline Index slipped 0.3% at 1,442 points...

* USA - DryShips swings to a quarterly loss on charges
San Francisco,CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Ruth Mantell -Nov 20, 2006: -- DryShips Inc. after Monday's closing bell said it swung to a third-quarter net loss of $9.35 million, or 28 cents a share, as the company recorded charges of 79 cents per share on items such as a forward freight agreement loss. Excluding the items, per-share income for the quarter was 50 cents. During the same period in the prior year, net income was $25.9 million, or 85 cents a share...

* USA - Saia Buys Partner for $17.5 Million
DULUTH,Ga,USA -The Houston Chronicle (Houston,TX)/Associated Press -Nov. 20, 2006: -- Trucking company Saia Inc. said Monday it paid $17.5 million for Connection Co., a less-than-truckload transportation company that expands Saia's reach into major Midwestern markets...

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