trucks world news: November 2006

30.11.06

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...

24.11.06

* 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...

23.11.06

"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...

22.11.06

"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...

21.11.06

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...

20.11.06

"GREEN" NEWS WORLDWIDE

* USA - Sustained period of warming in the Arctic region
USA -WorldChanging (USA) , by Mike Millikin -Nov 19, 2006: -- Data presented in the peer-reviewed new State of the Arctic analysis released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest a sustained period of warming in the Arctic region. Evidence includes the continued reduction in sea ice extent, observed at both the winter maximum and summer minimum, and widespread changes in Arctic vegetation, with the tundra experiencing an increase in greenness and the boreal forest regions showing a decrease in greenness... The global growth in the rate of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels was 4 times greater in the period between 2000 to 2005 than in the preceding 10 years, according to an analysis by the Global Carbon Project, a component of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP)...

* Kenya - The COP 12 meeting in
Nairobi,Kenya -WorldChanging (USA), by Mike Millikin -Nov 19, 2006: -- Ended Friday the COP 12 meeting, without having established a solid timetable for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions after the Kyoto Protocol expires...

* UK - Policy of reducing London’s CO2 emissions
Nairobi -USA -WorldChanging, by Mike Millikin -Nov 19, 2006: -- The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, announced that he will take forward the policy of reducing London’s CO2 emissions by introducing emissions-based charging to the existing congestion charge scheme...

Trucks –> Soot –> Asthma * USA

New York,NY,USA -Gotham Gazette -Nov 19th, 2006: -- An editorial in the New York Times calls for “a war on poisonous diesel fumes” in New York City, where scientific studies have made clear the connection between the use of trucks and the high incidents of asthma... “The solution lies in reducing the city’s dependence on trucks” — such as using boats in place of the 12,000 daily trucks at the Hunts Point wholesale markets, and “reconnecting the city to the national rail freight system.”

Rally for better deal * USA - Drivers want higher wages, cleaner trucks included in pollution-control plan

San Pedro,CA,USA -The Long Beach Press-Telegram (Long Beach,CAL), by Kristopher Hanson -18 Nov 2006: -- Truck drivers, labor leaders and area residents rallied outside a truck-clogged shipping terminal Friday to push for better working conditions for harbor-area truckers... Saying port truck drivers are underpaid, overworked and suffering from smog-related illnesses, the group is seeking action by port authorities to ensure drayage trucks are clean and safe and drivers properly trained...

* USA - Clean-air plan tries to aid port truckers - Coalition says its proposal will help freelance drivers move into the middle-class income level
Torrance,CA,USA -The Daily Breeze, by Lee Peterson -Nov 19, 2006: -- Salvador Abrica and Luis Ceja work 16-hour days driving trucks that move the loads that come into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach... Under the current system, truckers like Abrica and Ceja are freelancers, netting $30,000 or less a year after they spend the bulk of the money they collect to pay for their rigs' fuel and repairs... The newly formed Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports said it has submitted a proposal to port commissioners that would "lift truckers into the middle class."...

TechnoNews * USA - Tunnel Test: Freightliner shows off mirror aerodynamics in wind tunnel

Study: Even small improvements in a truck's aerodynamic design can save millions of gallons of fuel for fleets researchers find

Washington,DC,USA -Today's Trucking (CAN) -20 Nov 2006: -- If you've never driven through the eye of a hurricane, Freightliner can show you how it feels -- and how much fuel it'll cost you too... North America's largest truckmaker, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), recently completed a comprehensive two-year study on the impact of aerodynamics on fuel efficiency. Utilizing a new custom-built wind tunnel facility, Freightliner engineers conducted a study that has produced specific design guidelines to benefit all existing and future heavy-duty trucks operating on North America's highways, the company says... Even small improvements in a truck's aerodynamic design can save millions of gallons of fuel for fleets researchers findLast week, Freightliner LLC -- along with other OEM participants -- provided details of their study to stakeholders and DOE officials...

Identification * Canada - FAST cards will likely meet WHTI requirements

Toronto,Ont,CAN -Truck News, by James Menzies -18 Nov 2006: -- FAST cards will probably be an acceptable form of identification under the Western Hemisphere Trade Initiative (WHTI), David Wilkins, US Ambassador to Canada, told delegates at the Ontario Trucking Association convention last week... "We certainly anticipate that the FAST cards and NEXUS cards will be acceptable documents under WHTI," he announced during an address. However, he still encouraged Canadians to get a passport if they plan on crossing into the US...

Prognosis

It may be slowing down, but sustainable growth is better than boom and bust swings anyway, says Bradley

* Canada - Bradley not as bullish but predicts steadiness for '07
Toronto,Ont,CAN -Today's Trucking (CAN) -17/2006: -- Canadian truckers, in some sectors anyway, aren't exactly partying like its 2004. But that doesn't mean that the industry isn't relatively strong, says Ontario Trucking Association, David Bradley... It may be slowing down, but sustainable growth is better than boom and bust swings anyway, says Bradley... In his view, the economy is churning out precisely the right amount of freight given current levels of aggregate demand, but the problem is, "and this has been a chronic industry issue, there are perhaps too many trucks chasing that freight."...

* Germany - DaimlerChrysler Truck Group announces future profitability and return targets
Mannheim,Germany -PaddockTalk (USA) -Nov 17, 2006: -- The DaimlerChrysler Truck Group announced its future profitability and return targets to analysts today. The truck division is looking to achieve an average Return on Sales of at least 7%. Plans also call for the average Return on Net Assets (RONA) to reach approximately 30%. The Global Excellence Program launched by the Truck Group in 2005 will enable the division to better meet the demands of cyclical markets and achieve sustained profitable growth... Speaking today in Mannheim at DaimlerChrysler's largest commercial vehicle engine plant, Andreas Renschler, the DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member responsible for Truck Group & Buses, said...

New rules * USA - For truckers in N.J.

Large trucks may only leave major highways to go directly to a pickup or delivery, or if drivers need fuel, repairs, food or rest

TRENTON,PA,USA -The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia,PA), by Jennifer Moroz -18 Nov 2006: -- Drivers of large trucks in New Jersey could only stray from major highways if they needed repairs, were making a pickup or delivery, or seeking food, fuel or a place to rest, under proposed rules released yesterday by the state Department of Transportation... The regulations are an attempt to satisfy court rulings that declared unconstitutional the state's original effort to keep double tractor trailers and trucks more than 102 inches wide off secondary roads...

TOXIC CARGO * USA - Companies unlikely to face fines, but will likely have to pay for cleanup

Evidence in toxic leak burned up

Munster,IN,USA -nwitimes.com, by JOE CARLSON -Nov 18, 2006: -- An inspector with the Indiana State Police says officials may never find out why a truckload of combustible chemicals burst into a toxic cloud and shut an interstate highway for five hours during the cleanup Thursday... Scott Fleming, a state police commercial vehicle inspector, said the investigation into how the chemicals came to react with rainwater and cause the incident has essentially concluded after one day because the reaction created a fire that consumed evidence... A South Carolina trucking company carrying a load of dry sodium hydrosulfite on Interstate 65 pulled off the highway on the Indiana 2 exit about 1:30 a.m. Thursday after the driver discovered the chemicals had become compromised, police said... The chemical, which creates white smoke and even fire when wet, had gotten soaked with rainwater in the back of the truck, Lake County hazardous materials officials said... Neither the hauler nor manufacturer, Chemtrade Logistics, of Ontario, will likely face state fines, but county officials and local businesses are likely to seek reimbursement for the costs of cleanup and lost business, authorities said...

AWARDS

* Canada - Don Anderson hauls in highest honour for Ontario trucking executive

Toronto,Ont.,CAN -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -18 Nov 206: -- Don Anderson, founder and president of Don Anderson Haulage in Stouffville, Ont., has been awarded with the 2006 OTA-Trailmobile Service to the Industry Award – the highest honour bestowed on an executive in the Ontario trucking industry... The award was presented during a special ceremony held at the Ontario Trucking Association’s 80th annual convention at the Toronto Congress Centre. The OTA-Trailmobile Service to Industry Award honours an individual who, by their commitment, vision, leadership and unstinting service, has made an outstanding contribution to the development and success of the truck transportation industry in Ontario...

* Canada - Bridgestone Firestone rewards heroic trucker
Toronto,Ont.,CAN -Truck News, by James Menzies -18 Nov 206: -- Shawn Berube of St. Paul, Alta. has been named the 2006 Bridgestone Firestone Canadian Truck Hero for saving the life of a man trapped in his rig as it was engulfed in flames... Berube is the 50th trucker to be recognized as part of the program, which rewards a Canadian trucker who demonstrates an act of heroism while on the job. Courage, quick thinking and integrity in the face of an emergency are attributes shared by all Bridgestone Firestone Truck Heroes...

* Canada - Think you're a highway star? Prove it
Toronto,ONT,CAN - Tpday's Trucking (CAN) -20 Nov 2006: -- Who's the best owner-op you know? Is it you or one of your contractors? Tell us and there could be $15,000 in cash and prizes for one hard-working trucker... Our sister publication for drivers and owner-ops, highwaySTAR, is looking for nominations for the 2007 highwaySTAR of the Year... To be considered for highwaySTAR of the Year, your nominee's community contribution is as important to us as his or her driving record...

17.11.06

Interstate Prostitutes * USA - Stories

Hundreds of thousands of women across the country are forced to work as truck stop prostitutes

Augusta,GA,USA -wrdw News12, by Stephanie Baker -Nov 16, 2006: -- Their pimps move them across I-20... Local FBI agents recently arrested Vincent Taitaque at a truck stop about an hour south of Augusta for transporting a minor across state lines... The pimps keep the girls on the move…and the interstate brings the industry right through our area... We take you now to the source of the problem, just a hundred miles down the interstate, to a place many call the worst truck stop in the country... It's a place called Party Row, where young women disappear between hundreds of trucks parked for the night. This scene comes minutes after a call over the CB radio: - Girl: "Anybody looking for a cutie pie, I'll be out walking." - Trucker: "Walk around a little bit, I want to see how cute you are." - Girl: "Which area do I need to walk in to show you how cute I am?" ... Trucker Ron Blair says it happens in lots where normal vehicles and pedestrians aren't allowed...

People Forget Winter Driving Skills - USA - Study Shows

Researchers Say November Is Most Dangerous

DES MOINES,Iowa,USA -KCCI 8 Des Moines -Nov 16, 2006: -- Researchers said that driving during snowstorms can be even more dangerous than drunken driving... NewsChannel 8 talked with the Iowa State University professors who poured through driving data... Researchers said they have proof that Iowans forget their winter driving skills every summer... "They just don't understand the risks of driving during the winter," said ISU researcher Tom Maze, who reviewed a decade's worth of snowstorms and crashes. Truckers went through having to reacclimate themselves to winter driving last Friday when it snowed... Using a formula, researchers found November snows are the most dangerous. Research shows that as winter wears on, people tend to driversafer... Overall, they said drivers are 13 times more likely to be in a crash during a snowstorm than they are any other day...

Backover Study * USA - Cameras Work Better Than Sonar, But None of the Current Parking Aids Work Well

USA -edmunds.com -17 Nov 2006: -- NHTSA released a study on vehicle backover avoidance technology this week... It's more than a study really, as the report makes recommendations to Congress for dealing with the problem of larger trucks and SUVs (as well as cars with poor rear visibility) hitting small children while backing up -- the cause of at least 183 fatalities annually and approximately 7,000 injuries. Some of the more interesting points:
1 . Sonar sensors (the "dots" mounted on rear bumpers) don't work as well as the camera systems. NHTSA tested factory sonar sensor setups on a BMW 3 Series, Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator and Nissan Quest, along with an Audiovox aftermarket setup, and all were inconsistent at detecting children of various sizes standing, walking and running behind the vehicles.
2 . The fact that many sonar sensors deliver "false alarms" can make them less effective as drivers are more likely to tune out their warnings.
3 . Although more effective than sonar, camera systems often don't work as well in rain, snow or bright sunlight. More study is needed to improve their operation, according to NHTSA.
And finally this snippet: "Based on the research and analysis conducted to date, the agency anticipates very low effectiveness, in terms of death and injury prevention, from current parking aids. In addition, since these systems themselves can be damaged in rear-end impacts, they do not appear to be particularly cost-effective in reducing total property damage."...

AUTOS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS

* USA - GM Puts a Tiger in Their Tank
USA -The Truth About Cars, by Frank Williams -Nov 16, 2006: -- Imagine an alternate reality where General Motors operates state-of-the-art factories with flexible manufacturing systems allowing production of vehicles with different platforms on the same production line. Where they operate with a lean manufacturing philosophy that encompasses purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, sales and quality management. Where they use non-union labor to keep costs down and profits up, avoiding the legacy costs unions bring to the table. Where sales are up more than thirty percent. Huān yíng guāng lín to China... In 1997, GM entered a 50-50 joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) to form Shanghai General Motors (SGM) Co. Ltd. At the time, it was the largest single foreign investment in China in decades; many analysts considered it a high-risk undertaking. They’ve since been proven wrong, as the partnership continues to prosper... Currently, SGM produces 29 products under five main brands: Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, Saab and Opel...

AUTOS' BATTLES * USA - Toyota launching attempt at dethroning the pickup kings

Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit Free Press, by JOE GUY COLLIER -Nov 14, 2006: -- Toyota Motor Corp. has powered its way into almost every segment of the U.S. auto market, but the Japanese automaker could face its most difficult test as it tries to invade the full-size truck market... Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and the Chrysler Group's Dodge brand have built strong loyalties among truck buyers, accounting for more than 90% of all U.S. full-size truck sales... This is not the car market of the 1970s and '80s, where the domestic automakers failed to match Toyota in terms of quality, said Bob Lutz, head of GM's global product development and a former executive at Chrysler and Ford... The Detroit brands have the upper hand in full-size trucks, he said...

"GREEN" NEWS

* USA - Grant Helps King County and NW Partners Purchase Newest, Cleanest Hybrid Diesel-Electric Utility Trucks
Seattle, Wash. –Auto Spectator -Nov. 15, 2006: -- Today EPA’s Administrator Stephen L. Johnson awarded $250,000 to King County and a consortium of 13 other Washington cities and counties to help launch an innovative program to purchase ultra-clean hybrid diesel-electric utility trucks and greatly reduce harmful diesel emissions in the Northwest... “These heavy-duty hybrid utility trucks will produce heavy-duty results for our environment and our economy,” said...

MARKETS * China - Heavy-duty vehicle market sees steady increase

China -chinadaily.com.cn, by Dai Yan -17 Nov 2006: -- The domestic heavy-duty vehicle market reported an accumulated sales of 222,791 units in the first nine months of 2006, an increase of 21.18 percent year on year. The large increase resulted from investments in fixed assets, export expansion and vehicle upgrade... Among the heavy-duty segment, heavy truck sales were 39,990 units, down 23.5 percent compared with the same period in 2005. Chassis sales were 119,056 units, up 32.02 percent year on year. Semi-tractor sales jumped by 54.22 percent year on year to 63,745 units... The top five heavy truck manufacturers in September were Dongfeng Motor, FAW Jiefang, Sinotruk, Shaanxi Heavy Truck and Beiqi Foton Motor... Sinotruk's Steyr series posted strong growth in the first nine months. Shaanxi Heavy Truck's increase had been at the top nationwide during nine consecutive months this year...

* Prognosis: Hot heavy-duty trucks in 2007
China -chinadaily.com.cn, by Li Huayu/AutoChina -10 Oct 2006: -- In 2006, a formula became famous in the heavy-duty truck market: fuel economy + high on-duty frequency + service convenience = profitable heavy-duty trucks. The formula summarizes the three key factors of a profitable heavy-duty truck and they are fuel efficiency, frequent transportation and convenient services... Energy-efficient heavy-duty trucks are popular in 2006. It is estimated that in 2007 Chinese heavy-duty truck market demand will maintain a growth rate of about nine percent, and mainstream heavy-duty truck makers will keep rolling out new products... However, what models will become the mainstream in China's heavy-duty truck market in 2007?... What models should heavy-duty truck makers launch to better suit market needs?...

* Weichai Power to merge with Torch Automobile
China - China Knowledge (subscription) -Nov. 15, 2006: -- Weichai Power will merge with Torch Automobile Group, a manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks, through a share swap the 71.88% of the truck-maker’s shares it does not already own... Weichai, one of the largest diesel engine makers in China, intends to make use of the merger to seek a dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai while also positioning itself to emerge as...

* 2006 Beijing Auto Show - GM expects to grow faster than Chinese market - Automaker, which will show 30 autos at Beijing show, has grown share by percentage point a year
Shanghai,CHI -The Detroit News (Detroit,Mich,USA), by Christine Tierney -Nov 17, 2006: -- Chinese auto sales are expected to increase by a whopping 40 percent by the end of the decade, and General Motors Corp. is counting on growing even faster here than the market as a whole... Along with its venture partner Shanghai-based SAIC Motor, GM already has 12.1 percent of the Chinese market, which is set to overtake Japan this year to become the world's second-largest vehicle market after the United States... In China's fast-growing passenger car market, GM's 10.5 percent share is second only to Volkswagen AG's 16 percent. VW established its Chinese operations more than a decade before GM's arrival, but the U.S. automaker offered demanding Chinese consumers a fresher lineup of vehicles and it forged successful partnerships with local automakers...

* USA - BorgWarner lands China deal
Auburn Hills, Mich.,USA -Automotive News (Detroit,Mich,USA) -Nov 16, 2006: -- BorgWarner Inc. will supply its DualTronic transmission technology to Shanghai Automobile Gear Works Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Shanghai Automotive Industry Co. Ltd... DualTronic enables a manual transmission to work as an automatic... This is BorgWarner's first project for Shanghai Automotive; the technology will be used in China in the new SAIC Roewe 750...

* Chinese Luxury Cars Debut at Beijing Show, China will introduce high-end vehicles it hopes will compete in both the international and the domestic markets
USA -Business Week, by Brian Bremner -Nov 15, 2006: -- The ninth Beijing International Automotive Industry Exhibition kicks off on Nov. 18 amid a period of unsurpassed and rapid growth for the Chinese auto industry... Passenger vehicle sales could grow 30% in 2006, according to estimates by Citigroup Research, and global and domestic automakers have plans in place to double passenger-vehicle manufacturing capacity to 10 million units by 2010. All this explains why China is now the world’s third biggest market in terms of total passenger car, truck, and commercial vehicle sales behind the U.S. and Japan and likely will be No. 2 before the decade is out...

* Beijing Preview: Chery Rolls Out Potential U.S. Bound Concepts
Beijing,CHI -edmunds.com -16 Nov 2006: -- Chery Automobile, which hopes to begin selling cars in North America as soon as 2008, will unveil a slate of new concepts this weekend at the Beijing auto show, including at least two that could eventually come to the U.S... The most intriguing design is the Fengyun II Coupe, a two-door concept slated for production in 2008-'09; there could eventually be a convertible version. It is different from the Pininfarina-designed M14 retractable hardtop that Chery displayed at last year's Shanghai show... (Photo courtesy of Chery: Chery Fengyun II Coupe goes into production in late 2008 and could spawn a convertible version)

TRUCKS SELLS * Armenia - Over 16 trucks of "Belaz" to arrive in

Armenia -A1plus -16 Nov 2006: -- Over 16 lorries are to be transported to Armenia by the end of 2007 under the agreement signed between “AGRC”, Ararat gold extracting plant, and Belarusian “BelAZ”, one of the leading world’s manufacturer of haul trucks and specialized equipment...

MARKET SHARES

* USA - C.H. Robinson Worldwide raises quarterly dividend 39%
Eden Prairie, Minn,USA -MarketWatch (San Francisco,CAL,USA), by Katherine Hunt -Nov 16, 2006: -- C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., after Thursday's closing bell increased its quarterly cash dividend 39% to 18 cents from 13 cents a share. The dividend is payable on Jan. 2 to shareholders of record on Dec. 8, the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based shipping and storage company said...

* USA - Rush Enterprises buys Atlanta-area truck dealership
San Antonio,TX,USA -The San Antonio Business Journal -17 Nov 2006: -- Rush Enterprises Inc. bought Fouts Bros. UD-GMC Inc. in Smyrna, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, for $9.3 million in cash... The New Braunfels-based medium- and heavy-duty truck dealership company will operate the former Fouts Bros. location as a Rush Medium Duty Truck Center. It will continue to sell GMC, UD, Hino and Isuzu trucks and parts and provide service...

COMMENTS * USA - Auto supply chain crisis raises questions of viability

John Wormold of Autopolis: "the automotive business model is broken"

UK -Transport Intelligence (UK) -17 Nov 2006: -- The automotive sector retains a magnetic attraction for so many in logistics, yet the crisis in its supply chain is beginning to raise questions about the viability of the whole industry... This month saw yet more major suppliers either withdrawing or reduce their exposure to the automotive sector... In truth whole swathes of the components' sector has quietly – or not so quietly - exited from the business of making cars. This spells long term problems for the sector as it is the suppliers who provide the R&D to improve product... The underlying problem is certainly one of over-capacity. However some suggest that there is also a fundamental problem that any logistician would recognise - product lines are too broad... Constant product up-dates, constant re-design of production lines and the vicious competition in the new car market means that margins are too thin and break-even points are too high. If sales under-shoot projections by even 5% it plunges the product into loss... It is these sorts of economics that results in the vehicle manufacturers becoming fixated by short-term cost. They simply cannot afford to look to even the medium term as they desperately try to keep their heads above water from one year to the next... As John Wormold of the consultancy Autopolis and author of 'Time For A Model Change' comments, "it starts with the vehicle manufacturers not understanding their own economics. They don't understand what the proliferation of product type is doing to their costs"... Of course there are exceptions... It is also worth noting that Toyota has the most coherent logistics conception with its emphasis on simplicity and stability. Unsurprisingly it is the most profitable of the vehicle manufacturers... Fundamentally the present structure of the car industry is non-viable and this is making the logistics service providers in the sector also non-viable...

16.11.06

Differences * USA - Michigan gets $1.5 million in trucking dispute with Oklahoma

LANSING,Mich.,USA -WoodTV8 -15 Nov 2006: -- Michigan has received $1.5 million as part of a national settlement with Oklahoma over a dispute involving trucking registrations, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land said Wednesday... Michigan and 13 others states filed a complaint against Oklahoma because it allowed trucking companies to register there even though they weren't based there -meaning it got money to which it wasn't entitled- Land said... The money will be added to the Michigan Transportation Fund, which pays for road and bridge projects... Oklahoma has changed its registration rules to comply with regulations, Land said...

International Study - UK - Reveals Major Trucking Industry Pressures

Survey across UK, Canada, France and the US highlights differing challenges

London,England,UK -Business Wire -Nov 15, 2006: -- Over 85% of the UK’s trucking industry leaders believe that current fuel prices are placing their business at risk, according to an international survey of 1,200 trucking industry leaders in the UK, France, US and Canada... The survey, commissioned by GE Capital Solutions - a leading global provider of financing for the commercial trucking industry - also revealed a serious driver shortage in the UK. Half of all UK trucking business leaders state a low availability of drivers, which could impact usual delivery times of goods by over 20%... The impact of fuel prices appears to be affecting the UK more severely than other markets such as USA, France and Canada, according to the survey: * 85% of UK leaders believe that fuel price is putting their business at risk, only 70% of international trucking business leaders feel the same way... * 92% of the UK respondents thought that fuel price is likely to increase over the next year...

DANGEROUS TRIPS * USA - Storms Boom Across Arkansas, Winds Blow Trucks Off I-40

Forrest City,AR,USA -The Times-Herald/KATV Interact by Keren Saltz -Nov 15, 2006: -- Thunderstorms worked their way across Arkansas overnight, with hazardous weather continuing into this morning. Authorities near Forrest City say at least five tractor-trailer trucks have been blown over on Interstate 40 in an area where a possible tornado was spotted this morning. Officials say at least four people were hospitalized for injuries from the crashes... A number of places in central Arkansas experienced flash flooding overnight, including the Little Rock area, as storms dropped rain and hail and brought high winds. The National Weather Service says strong and gusty winds from the north today will bring much cooler air. Afternoon temperatures will be dropping into the 40s over the northwest and into the 50s elsewhere in the state. Lows tonight will be in the lower 30s in the northwest to near 40 in southeast Arkansas...

Driving around big rigs - USA - Truckers urge more cautious

Chicago,Ill,USA -ABC7 Chicago, by Sarah Schulte -Nov 15, 2006: -- Driving next to those big trucks on Chicago-area expressways can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially in winter weather. Now, some truck drivers are offering their suggestions on how cars and trucks can share the road safely. ABC7's Sarah Schulte went out for a ride with one truck driver Wednesday... With the holiday travel season coming up, the American Trucking Association is out to give some lifesaving tips on how to safely share the road with trucks. The Illinois State Police say so many accidents could be prevented if cars knew the limitations of a truck... "A fully loaded truck at highway speeds, it can take a football field to come to a complete stop," Phil Gould, 30 years driving a truck, said... Of course, this was all from the perspective of truckers. Drivers of cars have plenty of complaints about the way truck drivers share the road. The American Trucking Association says part of its education campaign is to make sure truckers drive safely as well...

CONTROLS

* USA - Oregon police checking for chains
USA -eTrucker, by Jill Dunn -15 Nov 2006: -- This winter, Oregon State Police will inspect trucks on selected mountain passes to make sure they have the proper number of chains... Mountain passes identified for increased enforcement include: -Interstate 5 at Sexton Mountain, between Roseburg and Grants Pass. -Interstate 84 at Weatherby Exchange and Threemile Hill, between Baker City and Ontario. -Highway 140 at Doak Mountain and Seldom Hill, near Lake of the Woods. -Highway 97 at Spring Creek Hill, north of Chiloquin...

PRODUCTS

* Australia - Back-seat driver in the back office
Australia -The Age, by Philip Hopkins -Nov 17, 2006: -- ... "A truck driver just wants to sit and drive, stop, deliver his goods, and then drive. He doesn't want to do paper work," he says... That's where Fleet Management Systems comes in. Mr Ajzensztat is managing director of Fleet Management, which is part of the Oxford Logistics Group owned by the Fleiszig family... Based at Laverton North and in its second year of existence, Fleet Management has developed technology that uses the global position satellite system (GPS) to help transport operators track and physically control their vehicles remotely... The US implementation tells the fleet manager when a vehicle's ignition is started or when doors are opened, and automatically generates alerts when any of K&L Harring's trailers are operating outside allowable business rules. If a vehicle is stolen or deviates from a programmed route, a signal is sent back to the office and, through a related technology, shuts down the vehicle...

* Singapore - Benefits of Japanese Commercial Vehicle Telematics to Drive Growth in the Long Term
Singapore -PRNewswire/Frost & Sullivan -Nov 15, 2006: -- Specific advantages of CV Telematics as compared to fleet management services (FMS) is likely to drive growth for telematics in the Japanese Commercial Vehicle (CV) market in the long term... CV Telematics faced considerable initial competition from FMS, which was popular among trucking companies... The Japan Commercial Vehicle Telematics Market is part of the Automotive & Transportation Growth Partnership Service, and it provides a detailed analysis of the CV Telematics market in Japan and the future trend and opportunities in the market during 2005 to 2012...

* USA - Interstate, Swiss Re Expand Trucking Program into Virginia, Indiana
San Diego,CA,USA -Insurance Journal -Nov 15, 2006: -- Interstate Insurance Management (IIM) and Swiss Re's Commercial Insurance are expannding their insurance program for the trucking industry into Virginia and Indiana. The program, which has been in operation since 1970, targets all size fleets with distances that range from local to long haul... Coverages include auto liability and physical damage, motor truck cargo, general liability and property. Auto liability has a combined single limit of $1 million while auto physical damage is $250,000 per tractor-trailer combination. General liability limits are $1 million with a $2 million aggregate...

Drivers' Work - Canada - Alberta's HoS announcement sends shockwaves through industry

EDMONTON, Alta.,CAN -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -15 Nov 2006: -- On Nov. 8, the Office of the Provincial Minister of Infrastructure & Transportation shocked the Alberta's trucking industry with the announcement that the province would not be adopting the new Federal Hours-of-Service which come into effect across the country in 2007... Even though there have been ongoing consultations provincially, nationally and internationally over a 15-year period, the announcement said that, “…more consultation (is) required before any changes to provincial Hours-of-Service rules for truckers.”... “It also forces the enforcement community to have to interpret and apply all of the complexities of two sets of legislation,” Mayne Root, executive director of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, continued. “This places the drivers, carriers and enforcement officers in a very difficult and confusing position in their attempts to insure compliance.”...

TRUCKING'S WORLD WIDE

* USA - Trucking to Increase Its Share of Nation's Freight to 69.2%, Says ATA Forecast
USA -Transport Topics- 15 Nov 2006: -- The trucking industry will increase to 69.2% its share of all freight tonnage moved throughout the U.S. by 2008, according to American Trucking Associations’ U.S. Freight Transportation Forecast to 2017... The soon-to-be-released forecast also projects that total rail tonnage will rise to 14.7% in 2017, ATA said in a statement. Air and rail intermodal will be the fastest-growing segments during the forecast period, though neither mode will have more than 1.5% of the total tonnage market by 2017... Water passage which accounted for 6.6% of the domestic transport market in 2005, is expected to expand by 2.6% a year over the next six years and 1.9% a year thereafter to 2017... In addition, the forecast says pipeline will transport 9.1% of freight volume, down from 9.9% in 2005...

* Canada - Harper Group acquires Freightliner Mid-Ontario
TORONTO, Ont.,CAN -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -15 Nov 2006: -- The Harper Group, parent company of Harper Detroit Diesel and other companies, have announced the successful acquisition of the Freightliner Mid-Ontario dealership...

AUTOS' COMMENTS & OPINIONS

* USA - Bush Meets Detroit
NY,USA -Forbes, by Joann Muller -13 Nov 2006: -- Detroit is finally getting the White House's attention. Six months after they first began knocking on the door, and a week after the Democrats took over Congress, the Big Three automakers will be sitting down, face to face, with the president... President Bush touched a nerve earlier this year when he said that General Motors and Ford Motor should develop "a product that's relevant" rather than look to Washington for help with their heavy pension obligations... When it comes to energy, Detroit's Big Three will tout their development of millions of flexible-fuel vehicles that can run on gasoline or ethanol. But they’ll point out that until ethanol pumps are widely available, Americans will continue to be dependent on gasoline... At least one thing is now in Detroit's favor: Since the Democratic sweep of Congress, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., a champion of U.S. automakers, is likely to become the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he will influence policy that affects the industry...

TRUCKS' WORLDWIDE

* USA - Oshkosh Truck to unveil hybrid drive
OSHKOSH,Wis,USA -The Detroit News -15 Nov 2006: -- Oshkosh Truck Corporation plans to unveil its proprietary ProPulse hybrid drive technology for refuse vehicles at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum in San Diego this week. The system helps the engine provide increased fuel economy, reduced emissions, lower life cycle costs and lower interior and exterior noise profiles...

* 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...

* Japan - Volvo, Nissan Diesel expect savings from tie-up
TOKYO,Japan -Reuters -15 Nov 2006: -- Swedish truck maker Volvo and Japanese partner Nissan Diesel Motor Co. said today they expected their alliance to generate annual savings of $256 million (200 million euros) within five years... Volvo announced in September that it would lift its stake in Nissan Diesel by 33.5 percent to 46.5 percent as part of an alliance aimed at helping Volvo, the world's number two truck maker, bolster its position in Asia...

* USA - Mack, Volvo studies show aerodynamic modifications can improve fuel economy
Washington,D.C.,USA -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -15 Nov 2006: -- Simple modifications to heavy truck aerodynamics could provide a decrease in fuel costs, according to studies by Mack and Volvo... The OEMs findings were displayed during an event outside the US Department of Energy’s headquarters in Washington, D.C... According to a two-year study by Mack, truck operators could improve their fuel economy by as much as 8% by facilitating smooth air flow around their tractor-trailer units during highway travel...

* USA - ArvinMeritor quarterly loss widens on charges
Chicago,Ill,USA -Reuters -Nov 14, 2006: -- Car and truck parts maker ArvinMeritor Inc. said on Tuesday its quarterly net loss widened sharply as it took impairment charges for its light vehicle emissions technology business... The net loss widened to $274 million, or $3.95 per share, in its fourth-quarter ended Sept. 30, from a loss of $19 million, or 27 cents per share, a year earlier...

AUTOS' WORLD NEWS

* USA - Bush meeting just beginning of Big 3 push
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -16 Nov 2006: -- A long-awaited White House meeting between President Bush and the CEOs of Detroit's Big Three automakers Tuesday produced a show of support from the leader of the free world and a candid airing of issues by the chiefs of General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group... (Photo: by Eric Powell/The Detroit News: GM's Rick Wagoner, flanked by Chrysler's Tom LaSorda, left, and Ford's Alan Mulally, says Bush didn't agree to everything they sought. "I can't say he saw it our way 100 percent" on the exchange rate policy and "our strong conviction that the Japanese yen is systematically undervalued.")

* Germany - VW brand boss quits in shakeup of top executives
Berlin,GER -AP/Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/The Detroit News -Nov 16, 2006: -- Wolfgang Bernhard, the head of VW's flagship Volkswagen brand, plans to resign amid plans by designated chief Martin Winterkorn to streamline the company's leadership, a German daily reported Wednesday... Bernhard, who is responsible for making changes aimed at turning the company around, is to submit his resignation to the board today, the said in an advance report from today's edition...

* USA - Ford: Ax to cut deeper - UAW givebacks, plus lower design and purchasing costs will be required
Dearborn,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -16 Nov 2006: -- Ford Motor Co. will have to cut more costs and wrest concessions from the United Auto Workers to meet its goal of restoring a slim profit to its North American automotive operations by 2009, Chief Financial Officer Don Leclair said Tuesday... The comments, which come seven weeks into new CEO Alan Mulally's tenure, mark the first time Ford has acknowledged it needs cutbacks that go beyond its massive Way Forward restructuring plan announced in September to meet the 2009 profit goal. "Reducing costs is our life's work," Leclair said in an interview...

* USA - GM seeks exemption for finance unit sale
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News -16 Nov 2006: -- General Motors Corp., seeking $10 billion this year from the sale of a stake in its finance unit, asked federal regulators for an exemption to a temporary moratorium that threatens the timing of the deal, according to a company letter. GM asked the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to exempt the company's Utah-based bank from a six-month freeze on approving industrial-bank applications so it can sell control of its General Motors Acceptance Corp. unit this year, according to an Aug. 25 letter obtained by Bloomberg News...

* European car sales climb 3.6 percent in October
Brussels,Belgium -Associated Press, by Aoife White -Nov 15, 2006: -- Fiat SpA, Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. saw the biggest gains as sales of new cars in Europe rose in October after four months of decline, the manufacturers' association ACEA said Wednesday... However, France's Renault SA and German automakers DaimlerChrysler AG and BMW AG saw lower sales from a year ago...

* Germany - Porsche to raise stake in VW to 29.9 percent
Frankfurt, Germany -The Detroit News, by Matt Moore -Nov 15, 2006: -- Luxury automaker Porsche AG said Wednesday that its supervisory board approved a move to increase its stake in Volkswagen AG to a level just shy of the 30 percent level that would require it to make a takeover offer...

* China - Chery to make cars in Uruguay starting in 2007
Buenos Aires,Argentina -Reuters -15 Nov 2006: -- China's Chery Automobile and Argentina's Socma SA will start making two car models in Uruguay next year with an initial investment of $100 million, the Argentine group said today... Chery Mercosur, which aims to meet growing demand in South American countries belonging to the Mercosur trade bloc, will import parts from Brazil, Argentina and China...

* India - Ford to build diesel engine plant in India
MUMBAI,India -Reuters -15 Nov 2006: -- Ford Motor Co. plans to set up a plant in India to make diesel engines, an industry source told today, as consumers in the fast-growing market shift to the more fuel-efficient option. The plant would have a capacity to make about 100,000 units of the 1.4-liter Duratorq engine each year, the source said...

* Iran - To build cars in Senegal
Dakar,Senegal -Reuters -15 Nov 2006: -- The Middle East's biggest carmaker, Iran Khodro, will start building cars in Senegal within 16 months, Senegal's official news agency said today... SenIran Auto, 60 percent owned by Iran Khodro, 20 percent by the Senegalese state and 20 percent by Senegalese private investors, would build up to 10,000 units of the Samand car at a new plant 70 kilometers (44 miles) from the capital Dakar, it said...

15.11.06

Integrated solution - USA -For managing produce transport fleets

Bad Homburg,Germany -innovations report -14 Nov 2006: -- Transport firms that supply Europe’s supermarkets and grocery stores with refrigerated and frozen produce could soon save millions of euros a year, once a new, integrated fleet-management solution hits the market... An innovative software system that allows transport managers to track the status of their haulage fleet at all times has recently been implemented by three European companies, thanks to the Cold-Trace project co-funded under the eTEN programme. The technology was originally developed under the two-year IST project ColdRoad... In addition to tracking the movements of vehicles, the Cold-Trace system also monitors temperatures inside the trailers, to ensure that produce reaches its destination in the optimum condition...

Reducing costs - Thailand - Multi-modal logistics opportunities

Bangkok,Thailand -The Bangkok Post, by CHRIS CATTO-SMITH -14 Nov 2006: -- As oil prices spiral upwards, economies that depend on a disproportionate use of road transport to support their manufacturing and export markets will continue to suffer, if not eventually become moribund... One organisation that is actively lobbying to reverse this trend is TIFFA (Thai International Freight Forwarders Association). A recent report by its Transport and Traffic Information Centre states that the Thai transport sector is consuming some 300 billion baht worth of oil each year. Thailand faces a significant problem in remaining competitive in the global marketplace should the price of oil increase from its current $59 a barrel to the predicted 12-month forecast of $77 a barrel... The Logistics Digest report highlighted that Thailand can reduce costs and remain competitive through greater use of multi-modal transport. This involves two or more forms of transport (road, rail, air, sea), which often require shared handling facilities...

Sales * Sweden - Volvo trucks deliver Russia's Coca-Cola

Stockholm,SWE -The Associated Press/ BusinessWeek (NY,USA) -14 Nov 2006: -- Swedish industrial conglomerate AB Volvo on Tuesday said Coca-Cola in Russia ordered about 300 distribution trucks... The order calls for the company's newly launched Volvo FL and Volvo FE trucks, in the 10-ton to 12-ton segment. Volvo said the new trucks are cleaner, quieter and safer than their predecessors. They also meet European environmental standards...

To ban - USA - City asked to consider truck laws

TRINIDAD,COL;USA -The Trinidad Times Independent (STPNS), by Paula Murphy/SmallTownPapers News Service (Seattle,WA) -Nov 14, 2006: -- A resident living on the edge of the city limits has asked the Trinidad City Council to “seriously consider” putting in place a law that bans the use of “jake-brakes” and bans commercial trucks on residential streets... Rusty Graves has not been happy about the special-use permit granted by the Las Animas County commissioners to his neighbor Lee Torres to allow him to park semi-trucks, bulldozers and other large equipment...

Products * Germany - Mercedes-Benz Blue/Tec taking the lead

In fuel economy and environmental compatibility

Germany -AutoCorse.it (Italy) -14 Nov 2006: -- With innovative Blue-Tec diesel technology now in use across all its truck ranges, DaimlerChrysler is in full compliance with the Euro 4 emissions directive for commercial vehicles which has been in force since October 2006... All sectors of the short-radius distribution, long-distance transport and construction industries, together with operators of special-purpose vehicles such as local authorities, are able to find exactly the right vehicle with Blue/Tec diesel technology for their requirements. This means that all Mercedes-Benz trucks, now feature a single, standard-fit system. In fact, the vast majority of Axor and Actros customers are already choosing the optional future-proof Blue-Tec 5 version. ..

14.11.06

"GREEN" NEWS * USA - City to consider reducing emissions from its trucks

STAMFORD,CT,USA -Stamford Advocate, by Vesna Jaksic -Nov 13 2006: -- City officials are recommending an investment of nearly $500,000 over the next three years to upgrade more than 150 heavy trucks and other vehicles to reduce diesel emissions... In June, the Board of Representatives passed a resolution saying it wants cleaner vehicles to help improve air quality in the city and the state. As early as next year, city officials hope to get $160,000 to begin the program by installing filters on 45 heavy trucks and 10 lighter vehicles... Air pollution is a well-documented problem in Connecticut...

GLOBALIZATION * UK - "The Unions they must also plan globally"

Unions push for more representation

UK -ITF Press Release/Transport Intelligence -9 Nov 2006: -- Unions are to push to extend union rights and membership at the world's big four integrator companies – DHL, Fedex, UPS and TNT – as part of a special day on 9 November... According to transport union ITF, who along with UNI (Union Network International) is organising the day, over one million workers in integrator firms are represented by trade unions. On November 9th they will seek to build on existing relationships with the companies, to extend membership or, if necessary, confront those proving hostile to workers joining a union... ITF General Secretary David Cockroft commented: "Integrator companies move goods globally using everything from vans to ships to aircraft, and employ people across national boundaries and across transport sectors. If those workers are to enjoy decent jobs, wages and conditions then the unions they make up must also plan globally. That awareness is at the core of this event and the ITF and UNI's integrators' campaign."...

INDUSTRY'S COMMENTS * USA - Democrat takeover spells new day for transport lobbyists

Longer and heavier trucks may be out

Washington,DC,USA -Logistics Management, by John D. Schulz -Nov 13, 2006: -- Environmental issues may be in, and more physical inspection of air cargo could be in as well. Labor may get a friendly ear in Washington again. And, some might be working for more freight security measures... Business, transportation, logistics, and lobbying interests are spending their hours until then dusting off the “D” section of their Rolodexes—renewing old ties with Democrats, who are back in power in Washington... The new biggest power broker is a 66-year-old new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., whose much-publicized “first 100 hours” of action will be a flurry of activity. Those first 100 hours are said to include a proposed $1 an hour increase in the minimum wage, which could have a slight effect on low-level wages in the non-union trucking sector... Lobbyists point to the bipartisan nature of transportation in hopes that wrangling will be kept to a minimum in the new Congress—at least as far as transport measures go... Demand for freight transportation is forecasted to triple by 2020: This means more freight traffic on already crowded highways, ports, and railroads... Department of Homeland Security already has announced further layers to its “known shipper program” to allow tougher inspections. If Rep. Markey gets his way, all cargo would be screened physically. That would cause longer lead times for shippers that would change the expedited nature of the industry... “The industry is swimming upstream on this,” one air cargo veteran said...

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC WORLDWIDE

* Swiss - Air Cargo market starts to slow
Geneve,Switzerland -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has recently reported that international freight traffic rose 4.9%,well below the historic long-term average growth of 6.0%. Middle East carriers continued to lead the way but growth has slowed...

* Hong Kong - Air volumes hit peak
HK,CHI -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has announced that it achieved peak handling records in the month of October...

* UK - Wincanton hit by sub-contractor shortage
UK -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- European logistics provider Wincanton has become the latest company to release its interim results. Whilst its UK operations performed strongly, Mainland Europe saw profits fall on rising revenue due to a shortage of sub-contractor capacity...

* Germany - DHL reduces loss in US Express
Bonn,Germany -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Deutsche Post announced yesterday, 3rd Quarter results up by a third on 2005. But the performance of its US Express division is a continuing cause for concern, dragging the rest of the Express business and the whole group down, even though losses have been reduced...

* Germany - DHL extends Time Definite express deliveries
Bonn,Germany -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- DHL has expanded coverage of its pre-12 noon express service in Europe. TimeDefinite Deliveries are now available to 27 European countries...

* Germany - DHL deal averts strike in UK
Bonn,Germany -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Union GMB and DHL Express UK Ltd have been in talks to finalise negotiations over a pay deal and the company's future business model which have resulted in an agreement...

* Germany - DHL invests in South Korea
Bonn,Germany -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- DHL has announced that it is committing $50 million in South Korea for capacity expansion and service capability enhancement. This latest investment brings DHL's total investments in South Korea to $68 million...

* USA - FedEx dumps Airbus freighter in favour of Boeing
Memphis,Tenn,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- FedEx Express, the worlds largest air freighter business, has cancelled its order for 10 A380 freighters and put in an order for 15 Boeing 777Fs. According to FedEx this is due to both the delays in production of the A380 and the better economics of the Boeing Aircraft...

* USA - UPS volumes to surge in Holiday Season
Sandy Springs,GE,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- UPS has released details of the volumes it is likely to deal with in the 'Holiday Season', the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Daily volumes at the peak are likely to swell by more than a third...

* USA - UPS adds third time definite service
Sandy Springs,GE,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- In the largest expansion of its international shipping portfolio in more than a decade, UPS has announced it will begin offering customers three, rather than two, daily time-definite delivery options...

* The Netherlands - TNT completes sale of logistics division to private equity firm
Dutch -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- TNT N.V. has announced that it has completed the sale of the logistics division to affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P., a leading private equity firm with offices in New York, London and Los Angeles...

* UK - New Conference: eyefortransport Middle East Summit
UK -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Transport Intelligence and eyefortransport would like to invite you to attend the Middle East Summit next week (Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 November) taking place at the Radisson Hotel Diera Creek in Dubai, UAE. Click to find out more information and how to qualify for a 20% discount!...

* UK - Food manufacturer awards contract to Innovate
UK -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- UK food manufacturer Bernard Matthews has awarded Innovate Logistics a £2M contract for its frozen transportation and distribution business...

* UK - Bibby awarded automotive contract by Suzuki
UK -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Bibby Distribution, one of the UK's leading independent logistics specialists, has been awarded a 3 year contract for nationwide distribution of motorcycles, ATV and marine finished goods by Suzuki...

* Japan - NYK Logistics awarded confectionery logistics contract
Japan -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- NYK Logistics (UK) Ltd has been appointed to provide a storage, national distribution and export service for HARIBO, the manufacturer of fruit gums and jellies. HARIBO currently sells to over 150 countries worldwide...

* Luxembourg - Thiel improves earnings but misses margin targets
Luxembourg -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Thiel Logistik has improved its operating earnings (EBIT) slightly in the first nine months. The group continued its organic growth, but was only partially successful in achieving its intended margin improvements...

* Kuwait - GAC manages UAE Desert Challenge logistics
Kuwait,UAE-Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- For the sixth consecutive year, GAC Logistics will be the main logistics service provider for the Middle East's biggest motorsport event, the UAE Desert Challenge race...

* UAE - DP World increases commitment to London Gateway port project
Dubai -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- It has been announced that the London Gateway port project, to be undertaken by DP World, will include a world-class port capable of handling the largest deep-sea container ships, as well as the UK's largest business park...

* Japan - MOL upgrades intra-Asian and African services
Osaka,Japan -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has announced that it has increased frequencies on Europe - South Africa and also between Korea-Jakarta Service (KJX) to enhance its container service. The latter is part of an initiative to upgrade service in response to rising intra-Asia container trade...

* USA - New sea freight logistics player created in US
USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Aerobic Creations, Inc. has announced that it has completed a merger with Maritime Holdings US Logistics Inc. Following this it intends to change its name to Summit Global Logistics, Inc and has already completed two significant acquisitions...

* USA - APL sees strong growth in Baltic
Oakland,CAL,USA --Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Global shipping line APL has completed its own organisation structure in the Baltic region with the formation of APL Agencies Estonia OÃœ, based in Tallinn. The company forecasts strong growth in the region...

* Dubai - GAC to collaborate with Norwegian ship agency
Jebel Ali Free Zone,Dubai,UAE -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- The GAC Group has announced its alliance with Norwegian shipping agency, Ole R Olsen AS (ORO), as part of the ongoing expansion of its global agency network...

* USA - ABX Air successfully grows non-DHL business
Wilmington,OH,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- ABX Air, Inc., has reported revenues for the latest financial quarter. ABX Air's expanding non-DHL air charter operations generated a 62% increase in revenues as it diversified its business...

* Sweden - Scandinavian express company sells logistics
Bromma,Sweden -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Pan Nordic Logistics AB (PNL), owned by Norway Post and Post Denmark, is selling the Solutions division and its products to Box Delivery AB. All employees at PNL Solutions will be transferring...

* UK - New Bulgarian partner for NetExpress
UK -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- UK based parcels company Target Express has enhanced its European connections with a new partner for Bulgaria through the NetExpress Europe alliance...

* Germany - Dachser establishes joint venture in Brazil
Kempten ,Germany -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- German logistics provider Dachser has established a new company as a joint venture with one of the leading Brazilian logistics companies, Logimasters...

* USA - Bax Global inaugurates new Philippines facility
Irvine,CAL,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- BAX Global, Inc. has inaugurated its new Cebu Logistics Center (CLC), located in Southern Philippines. In addition, the activities of the two Philippines companies, BAX Global and CPI, will be merged into one company and operate under the brand Schenker...

* Luxembourg - Cargolux introduces new South Africa service
Luxembourg -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Cargolux Airlines International S.A. has announced the introduction of a fourth weekly frequency to Johannesburg, starting on November 28, 2006 as a response to increased demand for freight to Johannesburg...

* USA - Polar to start new scheduled service to China
Purchase,NY,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Polar Air Cargo, Inc., has announced that it will begin scheduled service operations into Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) starting November 11, 2006 with two weekly frequencies...

* USA - Atlas Air earnings on pace
Purchase,NY,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., a leading provider of global air cargo services, has announced that it is on pace in the fourth quarter of 2006 to outperform fourth-quarter 2005 earnings...

* USA - ProLogis buys portfolio in UK
Denver,COL,USA -Press Report -13 Nov 2006: -- ProLogis, the world's largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities, has announced that it has acquired a large portfolio of real estate assets in the United Kingdom...

* France - Alstom profit jumps 67%, expects margin to beat 2008 target
London,UK -MarketWatch (CAL,USA), by Simon Kennedy -Nov 13, 2006: -- French power and transportation infrastructure group Alstom said Monday that its first-half net profit rose 67% to 227 million euros ($292 million), while sales fell 3% to 6.61 billion euros... Alstom said order growth was driven by increased demand from the power industry, where many companies in the U.S. and Europe are replacing infrastructure to comply with environmental regulations...

* USA - Acquisitions boost Genesee & Wyoming's October traffic
Greenwich,CT,USA -MarketWatch (Washington,DC), by Mike Maynard -Nov 13, 2006: -- Short-line and regional railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said overall traffic last month was 75,109 carloads, up 8.6% from its October 2005 traffic. Excluding acquisitions, the Greenwich, Conn.-based company's traffic monthly slipped 4.3%, principally reflecting lower U.S. and Canadian carloads for transporting pulp and paper, lumber and forest products, and minerals and stone. The overall results encompass Genesee & Wyoming's operations in Australia as well as North America...

* USA - FedEx Could Deliver the Goods - Citigroup sets FedEx price target at $132
CAL,USA -MarketWatch, by Barrons -Nov 14, 2006: -- The stock is currently trading at about 17 times our fiscal 2007 earnings-per-share estimate. Applying a similar multiple to our fiscal 2008 forecast, we get a price of $132... Overall, we expect FedEx to meet its stated targets of 10% revenue growth and 10%-plus operating margins during our forecasted period, which should translate to double-digit earnings growth. We believe the earnings multiple on our EPS forecasts should at least match the current trading range, with the risk mainly on the upside...

* Dubai - DIC it was considering selling some of its shares in DaimlerChrysler AG
Dubai -Reuters -14 Nov 2006: -- State-owned investment agency Dubai International Capital (DIC) said it was considering selling some of its shares in DaimlerChrysler AG, now that they were trading above 45 euros ($57.92) each...

13.11.06

PRODUCTION -Saudi Arab - MAN Trucks to Be Assembled in Jeddah

RIYADH,S.Arab -Middle East North Africa Financial Network (Amman,Jordan) -12 Nov 2006: -- A major Saudi automotive dealer will assemble MAN trucks of Germany at its facility in Jeddah, making the Kingdom the production base for three different types of trucks after Mercedes-Benz and GMC trucks...

PRODUCTS * France - Fiat and PSA unveil new compact vans

Paris,FRA -Autoblog (Santa Monica,CA,USA) -11 Nov 2006: -- Fiat and PSA Peugeot-Citroen have taken the wraps off their new jointly-produced compact utility vans this week. The new Peugeot Expert, Citroen Dispatch and Fiat Scudo will be officially launched in January to replace the three vans of the same names currently on the market... As you can see from the picture, the vans are essentially identical, with only a slightly different nose to make them identifiable as belonging to their respective brands, making this joint venture an obvious exercise in badge engineering... The vans are being built at the Sevel Nord plant in the north of France. Sevel is an acronym for Société Européenne de Véhicules Légers SpA (European Society of Lightweight Vehicles)...

Security

* Canada - Garbage trucks now police eyes and ears

Duncan,British Columbia,Canada -The Cowichan Valley News Leader, by Danielle Bell -Nov 11, 2006: -- Waste Management of Canada Corporation has launched a new crime-watch initiative that has Duncan garbage truck drivers acting as eyes and ears for police on Vancouver Island streets... Garbage truck drivers cover routes on a regular basis that police may not, such as near construction sites, alleys and parking lots, said Cam Hantuik, director of public affairs of Waste Management of Canada's western Canada division, noting their familiarity of routes will help drivers recognize anything out of the ordinary... In Calgary, a garbage truck driver reported a man to police who was smashing car windows. Based on the driver's description of the man and his location, he was arrested shortly after... In Brandon, a garbage truck driver used his training to help stabilize a bleeding man until emergency services arrived... (Photo by Andrew Leong - Waste Management of Canada drivers will be keeping an eye out for suspicious circumstances around Duncan)

* USA - State police take trucks off road
Indianapolis,IND,USA -The Indianapolis Star -Nov 12, 2006: -- Indiana State Police have taken dozens of big trucks off the road as part of a major effort to check compliance with highway rules... They joined law enforcement agencies from Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia on Wednesday and Thursday in a move to target unsafe commercial vehicles... Indiana State Police said 77 vehicles and 38 drivers were taken off the road as officers found 247 violations.

11.11.06

Prognosis - USA - Number of Trucks on Roads Increasing

Trucks, trucks and more trucks.

Salt Lake City,UT,USA -KSL/TV, by Richard Piatt -Nov 10, 2006: -- There's more competition for road space these days. It's not your imagination, the roads are more crowded with trucks and it's just going to get worse. It's all part of Utah's growing economy... "It's going to double over the next 20 years, the number of trucks is going to double."... When rush hour traffic slows you down, you notice who else is on the road with you, and when it comes to trucks, you may curse them on the roads, but you're probably grateful once you get home... Think of something you treasure: your iPod, your new car. Think of the things you need: Food, water, gasoline. Think of the unthinkable: When you need medical supplies like surgical gear, bandages, or oxygen. Chances are high all those things and more reached you by truck... And... The trucking industry is growing, but there is a shortage of truck drivers right now...

PRODUCTS * Finland - Sisu Trucks Has Guts!

Karjaaa,FIN -Biglorryblog (UK) -11 Nov 2006: -- ... has long had a soft spot in his heart for the Finnish truck maker Sisu... Why? because despite the presence of its two most powerful next-door-neighbours (i.e. Volvo and Scania) it continues to exist and build trucks that owe more to the North American principal of using top quality proprietry components than the long-established 'vertically integrated' assembly principle where you make everything yourself... Sisu, for example, takes cabs from Renault, modifies them and puts them on their own chassis but with a Caterpillar or Volvo/Renault engine and an Eaton/Fuller gearbox. It does make its own super-strong axles and double-tough frames but that's about it...

TRUCKING BUSINESS AFFAIRS

* France - Eurotunnel, Nedexco sign deal for 300,000 trucks through tunnel by 2011
Paris,FR -AFX/Life Style Extra - 10 Nov 2006: -- Eurotunnel SA/Eurotunnel PLC said it signed an agreement with Dutch transport group Nedexco for 300,000 truck journeys through the Channel tunnel between 2007 and 2011... This is the first agreement to link Eurotunnel and a road haulage customer for such a long period and for such a high volume of traffic, the company said... Nedexco specialises in refrigerated transport and logistics management...