DANGEROUS TRUCKS * Nigeria - At Least 35 People Died after a Truck Turned over in

Abuja,Nigeria -Focus News (Sofia,Bulgaria) /EFE-30 Jan 2007: -- At least 35 people were killed after a truck turned over in the Northern part of Nigeria... The truck was transporting cement and 72 people. In order not to pay for transportation local people usually use cargo trucks for transportation... The reason for the incident was a flat tire, the agency adds...

SALES

* Switzerland - Volvo Trucks to supply over 100 trucks to postal company
Swiss -Automotive World (UK) -29 Jan, 2007: -- Volvo Trucks says it will supply over 100 trucks to PostLogistics, the Swiss postal company... The order is said to include both Volvo FH and Volvo FM trucks for national transport and the Volvo FL for regional distribution. According to Volvo Trucks, a...

* Germany - Bundeswehr orders 500 trucks from MAN
Frankfurt, Germany -BusinessWeek (USA)/The Associated Press -Jan 29, 2007: -- German truckmaker MAN AG said Monday that the German armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, ordered 500 of its TGA trucks...

GREEN NEWS * USA - EPA proposes onboard diagnostic systems for heavy-duty trucks

Washington,D.C.,USA -Automotive Body Repair News -Jan 29, 2007 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new rules for the 2001 Clean Diesel Trucks & Buses program. The new proposal will require advanced emissions control systems. These control systems will include catalyzed diesel particulate filters (DPF) and catalysts to help reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions... The advanced emission control systems will be required to be monitored by onboard diagnostic systems. All passenger cars have been equipped with OBD systems since the mid-1990s. OBD systems monitor the functioning of emission control components and alert the driver of a vehicle to whether or not there is any need for emissions-related repairs. Manufacturers will be required to install the OBD systems and to also provide available repair and maintenance information to the service and repair industry...

PROGNOSIS * USA - Suppliers spin around global trucking predictions

Will a 'global' truck ever catch on in North America?

Las Vegas,NE,USA -Today's Trucking -01/29/2007: -- ...Globalization, in fact a lot of 'tions' -- everything from harmonization to vertical integration -- were the hot topics at last week's Heavy Duty Dialogue and Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas... Despite increased talk that heavy-duty truckmakers are looking more and more towards proprietary powertrains, several engine makers and other top-tier suppliers don't seem to be particularly worried... While some form of vertical integration among truck OEMs is inevitable as manufacturers look for ways to reduce costs and increase productivity, several suppliers agreed that many don't have the core competencies, enough unit volume, or the research and development capital for a completely integrated truck... (Photo: Truck and component makers try to squeeze as much standardized technology around the world they can)

Lack * Australia - Trucking firm questions roadside facilities

Australia -ABC Regional Online -29 Jan 2007: -- A trucking company operator has complained about a lack of roadside facilities for drivers... Hervey Bay's Peter Schuback says governments should provide rest areas with shower and toilet facilities so truck drivers can pull over and sleep... Mr Schuback says trucks cannot stop overnight in cities and towns...

PROFIT & REVENUES * USA - Cummins: Third Consecutive Year of Record Sales

Columbus,IN,USA -Inside INdiana Business (press release - Indianapolis,IN,USA ) -29 Jan 2007: -- Columbus-based Cummins, Inc. is reporting record fourth quarter and full-year 2006 sales and earnings, marking the company's third consecutive year of record financial results. The company says in the fourth quarter earnings were $189 million, or $3.75 per share and for the full-year, earnings rose 30 percent to $715 million, or $14.21 per share...

Monster Trucks * Germany - Come on to

Berlin,Germany -Spiegel Online, by Christian Wüst -Jan 29, 2007: -- Will 60-ton tractor-trailers soon be roaring down the German autobahn? These extra-long "gigaliners" could reduce truck congestion and save gas, but are controversial -- especially with advocates of rail transport... Three of these giant gigaliners, which at 25.25 meters (83 feet) are 6.5 meters (21 feet) longer than a conventional tractor-trailer, are currently involved in a one-year trial throughout Lower Saxony, the first German state to politically support the new generation of trucks. Three other German states, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg and Bremen, have followed suit and are now also conducting similar trial runs.... Europe's logistics sector could easily follow the example of the Australian system, where giant trucks with multiple trailers routinely roar through the outback. Tractor-trailers like giga-liners have already been used in Sweden and Finland for years... (Photo: DPA - German roads could soon see an invasion of gigaliners)

Alcohol * USA - Stricter open container provision advances in Wyoming

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -Jan 29, 2007: -- An effort to toughen the open container law in Wyoming is halfway through the statehouse... Senators voted 26-3 to advance a bill to ban the consumption and possession of open containers of alcohol in vehicles traveling public roadways in the state... Under Wyoming law, drivers are barred from having an open container of alcohol, but passengers 21 years of age or older are not. Supporters say the current rules are difficult to enforce because drivers can just hand the container to passengers if pulled over...

Discrimination * USA - Rhode Island bill attempts to curb racial profiling

Bill supporters say statistics show that minorities continue to face a disproportionate number of traffic stops

Grain Valley,MO,USA - Land Line Magazine /Associated Press -Jan 29, 2007: -- A legislative effort in the Rhode Island General Assembly is intended to prevent racial profiling by law enforcement officers during traffic stops. It is also designed to protect immigrants and juveniles... The legislation is in response to incidents during the past year that supporters contend were racially motivated... The legislation would prohibit police from asking passengers of vehicles for identification after traffic stops... Officers also would be barred from asking about immigration status, except in certain circumstances... Officers would be prohibited from using minor traffic violations as a pretext for stopping vehicles for other reasons... Police also would be prevented from inquiring about someone’s immigration status or demanding documentation when stopped for minor traffic violations...

Traffic Ticket Revenue * USA - Missouri bill would further limit locals’ ones

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -29 Jan 2007: -- A bill offered in the Missouri House is intended to curtail communities in the state that pad their budgets with speed trap revenue. This is the second straight year the effort has been offered in the state... Supporters who are hopeful there fortunes have changed say the effort isn’t intended to punish local governments. They want to rein in cities that use their police departments to “pester” nonresident drivers with unreasonable ticketing... In 1995, Missouri lawmakers approved legislation limiting the amount of traffic fine revenue municipalities can keep. Under that law, cities or towns that receive more than 45 percent of their total annual revenue from fines for traffic violations must turn over any amount in excess of that 45 percent to the Department of Revenue... Nance’s bill would reduce the amount to 35 percent...

TOLL ROADS

* USA - Macquarie bidding on several Texas ones
Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -29 Jan 2007: -- The Australian investment company Macquarie believes there’s money to be made in Texas these days. Not only did Macquarie’s media division buy 40 community newspapers last week, but its infrastructure division is bidding on several toll road projects in the Lone Star State... According to the Texas Department of Transportation Web site, Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Australia is the dominating name on a list of about two dozen companies bidding on toll road projects, five in all. The companies are packaged together in corporate conglomerations of four or five, and the groups carry a variety of names... Macquarie Infrastructure Group is the name of a consortium bidding to build a toll road in northern Dallas – a 23-mile extension of state Highway 121 to U.S. 75. Macquarie’s name also appears on three other toll road bids...

* USA - Mississippi bill would use tolls as new revenue source
Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -29 Jan 2007: -- A Mississippi state lawmaker has renewed his push for legislation that would create tolls along some roads and bridges in the state and give the state another tool to raise revenue... The newest effort, offered by Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, would authorize the Mississippi Transportation Commission, county boards of supervisors and city officials to contract with private industry to construct roads and bridges and collect tolls to pay off the work...

Canadian truck anti-pollution program audited

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine /Natural Resources Canada -29 Jan 2007: -- A federal program in Canada to reduce harmful emissions from large trucks – partly by reducing idling – is now embroiled in controversy... The group that administers the program, has ordered a new round of internal audits of the $32 million grant project... Meanwhile, the program director has been fired and at least one grant agreement has been cancelled... The agency says it has new procedures in place for issuing grants in the future...

Fog * India - Police blame, ignore trucks

New Delhi,India -The Times of India -28 Jan, 2007: -- Two collisions involving 12 vehicles on the Noida-Greater Noida expressway on Saturday left one dead and 10 injured... A police official said a dumper truck had stopped on the expressway, close to the Bakhtawar underbridge, about 6 km from the Noida end of the expressway... In the fog, a virtually blinded truck driver drove into the dumper, followed by yet another truck, two Santro cars and a Zen car in quick succession. The Santro driven by a 25-year-old student, Sonali, was hit the hardest, from both behind and front...

Haulers' Lament * USA - Federal rules could have a big impact on truck drivers...

... many of whom are illegal immigrants...

Long Beach,CAL,USA -The Chicago Tribune/Press-Enterprise (subscription - Riverside,CAL), by STEPHEN FRANKLIN & DARNELL LITTLE -Jan 27, 2007: -- ... Fanning out from the mammoth ports, the drivers, nearly all of them Latino, crisscross Southern California's congested highways in their worn trucks, carrying freight that will make its way to every part of the country... But a number of the drivers are illegal immigrants, and they may soon find themselves out of work. So freight may begin backing up... That's because the federal government, in its drive to boost port security, is on the verge of issuing guidelines for checking identities of the nation's 750,000 port workers, including 110,000 or so who work as haulers... (Photo: The Press-Enterprise -Truck driver Salvador Abrica hooks up his first load at a warehouse in Wilmington. Many drivers who haul cargo from Southern California ports struggle to get by)

Slower isn’t safer * USA - OOIDA claims in speed limiter fight

Grain Valley,Mo,USA -Truck News (CAN) -28 Jan 2007: -- The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has accused the US feds of pandering to big business by considering mandating speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks... The group was responding to a Jan. 26 announcement that the US Department of Transportation would consider requiring speed limiters on all large trucks, limiting them to 68 mph. The announcement, according to OOIDA, was "just one more example of how big business controls the national agenda to the detriment of many... Since very few highway accidents involving trucks take place at speeds greater than 68 mph, you don't have to be a highway safety expert to conclude a singular focus on truck speed could hardly produce a safety breakthrough," said OOIDA executive vice-president, Todd Spencer... OOIDA says the large carriers that are behind the movement towards speed limiters are using the issue as a smoke screen... He said carriers are free to govern their own trucks, but it should not be an industry-wide requirement... "They want a government mandate to do it, however, because they know their drivers, whom they pay only for miles driven, would move to another company with a less restrictive speed policy," Spencer said. "And they want to deny shippers the option of choosing trucking companies that place a higher priority on on-time service"...

Story * USA - Less Lee's 3 trucking companies deal with growth

Chattanooga,TN,USA -The Chattanooga Times Free Press, by Jason M. Reynolds -Jan 28, 2007: -- Chattanooga businessman Less Lee says his truck companies have grown so much, and offer the potential for more, that he has reached a crossroads... The three companies' 2006 gross revenue of just under $200 million is a record for the businesses, Mr. Lee said. His companies' uncollected accounts receivables are less than one-tenth of one percent, he said. International Truck has told Lee-Smith it's among the top 10 percent of dealers based on units sold and delivered, even though Chattanooga isn't one of the largest markets, he said... The goal is to accelerate the interns' learning curve, Mr. Lee said, and in 10 years have them at the level where Lee-Smith's managers were at age 40. Other Lee-Smith workers are being moved up the ranks as well, he said, and Lesco Logistics is using mentoring to create experienced managers...

LAYOFFS * USA - Freightliner do it

RALEIGH,NC,USA -The Vancouver Province (subscription -Vancouver,BC,Canada) -28 Jan 2007: -- Truck manufacturer Freightliner LLC said Friday it would lay off up to 1,180 workers at its assembly plant north of Charlotte because of falling orders...

New Tax Policy * USA - State's could send the trucking industry fleeing

San Antonio,TX,USA -The San Antonio Express-News, by David Hendricks -26 Jan 2007: -- The state's new margin tax will drive away headquarters of Texas-based trucking companies to other states unless the law is changed to allow more payroll deductions, a national association warns... Other industries reliant on independent contracting also may be staggered by huge state tax bills. In short, the new tax will penalize companies that hire workers as independent contractors instead of employees...

Parking's Shortage * USA - Big Rigs: Numbers Growing...

... & Parking sparse for truckers

Tulsa,OK,USA -The Tulsa World, by D.R. Stewart -27 Jan 2007: -- Commercial truck traffic is growing in the United States, and so is the shortage of legal parking spaces for the 80,000-pound tractor-trailer rigs, industry officials say... Executives at the American Trucking Associations in Alexandria, Va., the Oklahoma Trucking Association and the Arkansas Trucking Association said truck traffic has increased to the point that commercial truck plazas, truck stops and rest areas no longer have the capacity to handle it... As a result, officials said, when commercial drivers reach their legal limit of 14 consecutive hours of driving, they are parking their rigs along roadway shoulders, at weigh stations and inspection stations and along entrance and exit ramps to freeways and rest areas... Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations, said more commercial trucks are parking along roadways and ramps because the existing rest areas and truck plazas can't handle the increased traffic... the Arkansas highway department study found: "The total number of truck parking spaces available during the 2006 survey period changed very little from the 2003 survey. However, a significant change was recorded in the number of trucks that were parked during the 2006 survey period. The 31 percent increase in the number of trucks that were parked during the survey can be attributed to the overall increase in the numbers of trucks and to "time in service" rule changes that were implemented nationally since 2003."... Costello, the economist for the American Trucking Associations, said the situation is projected to worsen... "By 2011, we expect the number of trucks on the road to be 3.4 million," Costello said. "By 2017, the numbers will be close to 3.8 million."... If the projections are accurate, commercial truck traffic will grow 21.4 percent in the next four years and 35.7 percent in the next decade... (Photo by JAMES KUCINSKAS / Tulsa World - Jam-packed parking areas like this one in west Tulsa are causing more truckers to park on highway entrance and exit ramps)

Checking out heavy trucks * USA - Stafford Sheriff's Office on the look out for dangerous trucks

... trucks as "80,000- to 100,000-pound loaded missiles" waiting to strike moms in minivans carrying children...

Fredericksburg,VA,USA -The Free Lance-Star, by KELLY HANNON -27 Jan 2007: -- Deputy Lee Peters shuts down a dangerous truck in Stafford at least once a week... The reasons vary. In one case, 11 of a truck's 14 brakes are shot. In another, the driver isn't medically fit to operate a vehicle. And still others, the enormous load of gravel onboard isn't secure... Peters of the Stafford County Sheriff's Office described these trucks as "80,000- to 100,000-pound loaded missiles" waiting to strike moms in minivans carrying children... That thought motivates him, and the department, to regularly inspect the growing number of commercial trucks in Stafford... Peters did full inspections of several trucks... He wheeled under a truck's chassis on a dolly, gingerly wedged under the enormous vehicle. His only protection were a few chock blocks under the tires, and his trust in the driver... (Photo by MIKE MORONES/THE FREE LANCE-STAR - Stafford County sheriff's Deputy Lee Peters inspects the load in a dump truck at a checkpoint Thursday on Shelton Shop Road in North Stafford)

Anti-Big Rig * USA - Borough is on board with resolution

Princeton,NJ,USA -The Princeton Packet, by Courtney Gross -26 Jan 2007: -- Effort to take Route 206 and 27 off list of permitted roads follows action by Princeton Township... Following the township's lead, the Princeton Borough Council approved a joint resolution Tuesday evening urging the state Department of Transportation to exclude so-called treacherous truck traffic from the borough's "main streets."... (Photo by Mark Czajkowski - A tractor-trailer makes its way through the intersection at Nassau Street and Route 206 on Wednesday afternoon)

Road widening * USA - Keeps trucking

Officials with the county and cities along Race Track Road expect to be pleased with the results

Oldsmar,FL,USA -St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg,FL), by Tamara El-Khoury -26 Jan 2007: -- Race Track Road is getting wider. And officials from both sides of the well-traveled corridor couldn't be happier... Hillsborough County's more than $65-million project to widen Race Track Road to up to six lanes continues this week with the start of construction between Countryway Boulevard and Linebaugh Avenue... That section of the road will be expanded from two lanes to four... And the final product will make life much easier, Valdez promised. There won't be any more traffic jams to let people cross to and from the parking lot as races are starting and ending...

MARKET SHARES * USA - Analyst Sees Tough 2007 for Heavy Trucks

New York,NY,USA -MSN Money/AP) -26 Jan 2007: -- A JPMorgan analyst on Friday initiated coverage of several heavy truck manufacturers, saying that 2007 will be a challenging year for the sector... Stephen Volkmann said that the stock have held up very well considering Wall Street's overall negative view of the sector, but said that view is largely justified... Truck companies and other heavy equipment manufacturers stocked up on diesel engines toward the end of 2006, in anticipation of stricter emissions standards that became effective in 2007. The standards also made the engines more expensive... Although the first half of 2007 could be tough, Volkmann said that the truck-related stocks should be strong performers compared with the rest of the larger heavy machinery sector... Volkmann rated named Paccar Inc. as its top pick in the group and rated it "Overweight," along with Navistar International Corp...

MARKET * China - Heavy-duty truck output rebounds in China

Beijing,China -China Economic Net, by Liang Guangli -26 Jan 2007: -- In 2006, having shaken off the downturn of 2005, China heavy truck industry realized its stable and modest growth. From January to October of 2006, 247.1 thousand heavy trucks (with a weight of over 14 tons) had been sold out, and the annual sales volume was predicted to be 300 thousand. Compared with 235.8 thousand in 2005, the growth rate would be over25 percent year on year... In 2006, heavy truck platform products and quasi heavy truck platform products had the equal shares in the market... From the view of 2007, the production and sales volume of heavy trucks will increase steadily... What's more, as the overseas development of domestic large heavy truck producers are steadily pushed forward, and the technology of heavy trucks in China is increasingly improved, the expansion of domestic enterprises into foreign markets will be speeded up. ... in 2007 the total demand in domestic heavy truck market is about 310 thousand, a little growth over the prediction of 300 thousand in 2006. According to incomplete statistics, in 2007 the planned sales volume of domestic large heavy truck producers has totaled to about 380 thousand, up 23 percent over the prediction of 310 thousand... In 2007, the development of heavy trucks in China will still step towards large tonnage, and quasi heavy truck platform users will transfer the interest into heavy truck platform; as a result, the market demand for heavy trucks will continue to be enlarged... In 2007, the engine will become the focus of competition between heavy truck companies... From the view of products, in 2007 the development of dump truck will transfer towards heavy truck platform with large tonnage; the market shares of dump truck of quasi heavy truck platform will continue to be reduced; the market share structure of dump truck will be readjusted... In 2007, domestic heavy truck producers will increase the investment in special trucks market. The competition in domestic special trucks field will be tougher...

Trucks Top List * USA - Of Most Stolen Vehicles in Texas

Data Shows Texas Goes Against National Trend

Houston,TX,USA -MyFox Houston -25 Jan 2007: -- At the western wear and boot store where he works, Mike Macias offers a theory on why pickup trucks are the most stolen vehicles in the Lone Star State... When criminals in Texas buck the law by stealing cars, they're also bucking a national trend. Little bitty imports such as Honda Civics and Toyota Camrys typically top the national lists of most stolen vehicles... But in Texas, thieves prefer gas-guzzling pickups and SUVs. In 2006, six of the top 10 stolen vehicles were pickups or SUVs, with Ford, Chevy and Dodge pickups occupying the top three spots, according to Texas Department of Public Safety figures released Wednesday...

TRUCKS' PURCHASE * UK - Stobart orders 500 new 'green' trucks 25 January 2007

Norfolk,England,UK -Norfolk Eastern Daily Press -25 Jan 2007: -- Iconic haulage firm Eddie Stobart has placed an order with Swedish truckmaker Scania for 500 new trucks in a move set to help it cut exhaust emissions... The Carlisle-based group confirmed yesterday that the vehicles would be used to both replace existing trucks as well as expand the group. However, it said no further details were available at this stage... The trucks, due to be delivered from March, will take advantage of Scania's EGR - exhaust gas recirculation - technology... EGR recycles exhaust emissions into the engine to help reduce nitrogen oxides during the high temperature combustion process in engines...

"GREEN" NEWS * USA - EPA Certifies New Clean Diesel Trucks

USA -autoserviceworld -25 Jan 2007: -- The Diesel Technology Forum today announced that all major heavy-duty truck and engine manufacturers have met new Environmental Protection Agency standards for emissions cuts and have been certified by EPA for full production... Manufacturers now certified by the EPA include Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel Corp., International, Mack and Volvo, meaning each is compliant with the most stringent diesel emissions standards in the world...

REPORT * USA - Trucks less than 10% of vehicle crashes

Truckers buckle up, drink less
Washington,DC,USA -Today's Trucking -25 Jan 2007: -- Commercial truck drivers continue to be at fault at a much lesser rate than their passenger vehicle counterparts in truck-car accidents, according to the latest Large Truck Crash Overview published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... According to the 2005 report, in fatal crashes involving large trucks, driver related factors were cited for only 39 percent of the large truck drivers, compared to 66 percent of passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes... In all motor vehicle crashes, large trucks in general represented only 8 percent of vehicles involved in fatal crashes; 3 percent in injury crashes; and 5 percent of vehicles in property-damage only crashes...

Study * USA - New HDMA’s Truck Maintenance, Now Available

Akron,OH,USA -The Tire Review -Jan 25, 2007: -- The 2007 Heavy Duty Truck Maintenance in the USA, the recently concluded Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association’s annual research study, is now available... The study analyzes heavy-duty truck user repair factors, truck use, buying-pattern shifts and service work performance. HDMA said the new report includes more information than past efforts, and new sections include in-depth reports on international motor vehicle parts, exports of used trucks and supply chain relationships in the heavy-duty aftermarket...

PRODUCTION * China - North-Benz invests in Chongqing

Chongqing,China -chinadaily.com.cn, by Su Yue -25 Jan 2007: -- North-Benz Heavy-duty Truck Co Ltd has invested 480 million yuan (US$61.7 million) to build a new heavy-duty truck production base in Chongqing, Southwest China... The new company for this base, recently re-registered as Chongqing North-Benz Vehicle Co Ltd, was reshuffled based on the former Chongqing Tiema Heavy-duty Vehicle Co Ltd... The Tiema heavy-duty truck has achieved an annual output and sales volume of 1,700 units, more than double the previous figure. The company's annual sales revenue has topped 500 million yuan (US$64.3 million)...

ECOLOGICAL DEBATE

* USA - More trains but less pollution? - Experts debate BNSF planned rail hub’s environmental impact on High Desert air quality
Victorville,CA,USA -The Victorville Daily Press, by Hillary Borrud -Jan 25, 2007: -- ... Trains and heavy duty trucks both currently run on diesel fuel. While trains are more efficient and produce less net air pollution than trucks for the same amount of cargo, some characteristics of rail transport reduce its cleanliness. While the multimodal facility could take some heavy duty trucks off the roads, less obvious inefficiencies of trains could eat away at the reduction in truck pollution... More trains mean increased vehicle congestion at railroad crossings and trains usually spend a lot of time idling, said Annette Kondo, spokeswoman the Coalition for Clean Air...

* Canada - Could your local, trucked-in potatoes spew more C02?
Toronto,Ontario,Canada -Now Toronto, by ADRIA VASIL -25 Jan 2007: -- Q My prof says local food is not that eco-friendly greenhouse-gas-wise, arguing that ships are the least harmful way to transport products. He also says imports help developing nations. Your take?... And ships, well, they're not as earth-friendly as you'd think. While they may only suck up 2 or 3 per cent of the world's fossil fuels, they use the dirtiest, cheapest petrol around (literally bottom-of-the-barrel scrapings from the fuel refining process). One lone cargo ship belches out as much pollution as 2,000 diesel trucks, according to a report by Bluewater Network. Stuff like smog-inducing nitrogen oxides and sulphur. The U.S. shipping sector alone spews 600,000 tons of greenhouse gases a year. (We can, of course, re-evaluate all this if the whole shipping biz jumps on biodiesel options being pilot tested by Environment Canada.)...

TRUCKS * USA - Isuzu unveils new N-Series

Las Vegas, NV,USA -Fleet Owner, by Wendy Leavitt -Jan 25, 2007: -- Dealers, fleet customers and members of the media had the opportunity to see Isuzu’s new 2008 model year N-Series during Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week here. It was a high-energy moment by any measure, signaling not only the launch of an all-new product line but also what Todd Bloom, marketing vp for General Motors Isuzu Commercial Truck, LLC, called a “turning point” for the compan

* Sweden - Volvo: Mack Launches New Truck in Construction Segment
Stockholm,Sweden -The Auto Channel (USA) -25 Jan 2007: -- AB Volvo’s subsidiary Mack Trucks, is launching a new truck model in the construction segment, the TerraPro™ Cabover. Mack holds a leading position in the US as a supplier of trucks in this segment. The model is a further development of Mack’s popular MR series and is adapted specially for handling concrete pumping...

* USA - International Workstar and Paystar trucks to offer new options
USA - Automotive World (UK) -25 Jan 2007: -- International Truck and Engine has announced that it will offer two new options, Bendix ABS-6 advanced with RSP stability system and Hendrickson Primaax suspension, on its Workstar and Paystar series trucks... According to the company, the Bendix ABS-6...

* USA - Kenworth Adds Caterpillar C9 Engine For Vocational Trucks To Lower Operating Cost, Enhance Productivity
Las Vegas,NV,USA -Layover -Jan 25, 2007: -- Kenworth Truck Company will offer the Caterpillar C9 engine for its W900S and T800 vocational models to help customers lower operating cost and enhance productivity by reducing weight and increasing payload... Kenworth is exhibiting its latest products for the vocational market at the annual World of Concrete Show this week in Las Vegas...

* USA - National Biodiesel Board applauds US energy strategy

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (CAN), by James Menzies -25 Jan 2007: -- ... Bush said the US must increase the supply of alternative fuels by setting a mandatory fuel standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017... Proponents of biodiesel were quick to applaud the strategy... “We are glad to see that the President’s Twenty in Ten plan includes strong steps toward renewable energy, energy conservation and diversification, and carbon reduction,” responded Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. “We hope Congress will work with the Administration in a bipartisan way to enact this kind of bold new energy policy for the good of all Americans”...

* USA - Weights and Measures Council to vote on ‘hot fuel’ proposal

OOIDA made major progress Wednesday in the ongoing battle over “hot fuel”
Grain Valley,Miss,USA -Land Line Magazine -Jan 25, 2007: -- At a meeting of the National Council of Weights and Measures in Florida, members decided to vote this summer on an important recommendation that could affect fuel retailers... The proposal calls for providing retailers that want to install temperature-compensation devices with guidelines and procedures that would make the installation fair for consumers and sellers alike... Under the proposal, it would be all or nothing for each retailer – all pumps at any given retail location would have to be temperature-compensated or all would not... There is also a clause that says once turned on, temperature-compensating devices cannot be turned off for 12 months. And, in states that allow for voluntary temperature compensation, all stations would be required to have signage explaining that the pumps are or are not temperature compensated...

* USA - Arkansas bill to require minimum wait after wrecks advances

Grain Valley,Miss,USA -Land Line Magazine -Jan 25, 2007: -- The Arkansas House has unanimously approved a bill that would require drivers involved in wrecks to remain at the scene for at least 30 minutes... The effort is intended to keep people at the scene of any wreck that results in injury, death or damage to vehicles in case a law enforcement officer is en route...

* USA - North Dakota bill would ban cell phone use for young drivers

Grain Valley,Miss,USA -Land Line Magazine/AP -Jan 25, 2007: -- Young drivers in North Dakota would have to put away their cell phones if a state lawmaker gets his way... Rep. Lawrence Klemin, R-Bismarck, has introduced a bill that would prohibit drivers under age 18 from talking on cell phones – even “hands-free” devices – while behind the wheel. Emergency calls would be exempted... The bill is intended to ban talking, text messaging and using e-mail while driving, Klemin told...

TRUCKING PROFITS & REVENUES * USA

* Swift Reports Lower 4Q Earnings; Full-Year Profit Rises
Truckload carrier Swift Transportation Co. said late Wednesday its fourth-quarter profit fell from a year earlier due to a “soft freight environment"...

* Schneider Reports Higher Revenue for 2006
Truckload carrier Schneider National said Thursday it had $3.7 billion in revenue last year, up from $3.4 billion in 2005...

* Knight Reports Record Fourth-Quarter, ’06 Income, Revenue
Truckload carrier Knight Transportation said late Wednesday that its revenue and income for the fourth quarter and full-year 2006 reached records...

* USA Truck’s Fourth-Quarter Earnings Plunge on Lower Tonnage
Truckload carrier USA Truck on Thursday reported its fourth-quarter profit plunged to $1.2 million or 11 cents a share, from $4.3 million or 37 cents a year earlier, on lower tonnage and demand...

* Celadon’s Fiscal Second-Quarter Earnings Rise
Truckload carrier Celadon Group said late Wednesday it earned $6.1 million or 26 cents a share in its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, up from $4.8 million or 21 cents in the same quarter a year earlier...

* Union Pacific’s Income, Revenue Jump for 4Q, Full Year
Western freight railroad Union Pacific Corp. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit jumped to $485 million or $1.78 a share, from $296 million or $1.10 cents for the same quarter a year earlier...

From: TTNews Express (Alexandria,VA,USA) -25 Jan 2007

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
1. Home Hydrogen Fueling Station

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- What could be greener than a hydrogen car in your driveway? Try a solar-powered hydrogen fueling station in your garage. Australian scientists have developed a prototype of such a device. It's about the size of a filing cabinet and runs on electricity generated by rooftop solar panels. The first version is expected to produce enough hydrogen to give your runabout a range of some 100 miles without emitting a molecule of planet-warming greenhouse gas. Road trips are out of the question, but it's enough juice for running errands or powering fleets of delivery trucks. Tests of the home fueling system began early this year with commercial trials two years off...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
2. Environmental Sensor Networks

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- Call it the networked environment. Picture tiny - we're talking small as a dime - wireless sensors lining lake beds and ocean floors, buried in the ground, and floating in the sky. All the time they are sniffing the air, water, and soil for pollutants and detecting changes in temperature and pressure. The payoff: real-time data on a variety of phenomena that affect the economy and society - climate change, hurricanes, air and water pollution. Cooler yet are solar-powered sensors that hover in the air. Virginia tech company Ensco is developing a beach-ball-size gadget that gets its juice from thin-film solar panels and would measure weather patterns...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
3. Toxin-Eating Trees

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- Plant a forest, clean up a Superfund site. That's the idea behind phytoremediation, a technology that uses vegetation to absorb hazardous waste. The technique is old, but now there's a new twist that promises to make toxic dumping grounds green in more ways than one. British researchers have identified bacteria living in the roots of poplar trees that produce an enzyme that zaps residue from RDX, a chemical compound used by the military and industry. The scientists hope to genetically engineer the enzyme to boost the tree's ability to suck up toxic waste. So don't be surprised if you start seeing forests sprouting up on old military bases...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
4. Nuclear Waste Neutralizer

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- Forget Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Homer Simpson. Nuclear energy is now being touted as a greenhouse-gas free solution to global warming. But one big problem remains: What to do with untold tons of radioactive waste that will be red-hot for hundreds of thousands of years? The answer: Recycle it. But not with current technology, which leaves behind an unfortunate by-product - weapons-grade plutonium. Instead, U.S. government scientists are devising a chemical technology called Urex that allows four times as much waste to be packed into nuclear burial grounds. The technology encases the plutonium in other elements, rendering it all but useless to terrorists, North Korean dictators, and other evildoers...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
5. Autonomous Ocean Robots

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- The world's seas are in an ocean of trouble: climate change, vanishing fish, coral bleaching. Just keeping tabs on an airless environment that covers three-quarters of the earth's surface is a bit like exploring a distant planet. Which means it's best to send in the robots. Unfortunately, today most oceangoing bots are big, dumb, and expensive. But not the Starbug. Under development in Australia, the 4-foot-long robot operates autonomously and is highly maneuverable, thanks to its innovative thruster technology and robotic vision. Starbug will monitor water quality, map fish habitats, and survey threatened coral reefs. Initially costing about $24,000, Starbug should start rolling off the assembly line late this year...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
6. Sonic Water Purifier

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- Here's a sci-fi solution for an age-old problem that leaves 1.1 billion people without access to clean water: Beam ultrasound waves into polluted water, blowing up the cellular walls and carbon bonds of contaminants. What's left is a cool drink of fresh H2O. Ultrasound waves have already been used to break up sewage in sanitation systems. Now that the probes that produce the sound waves are getting more powerful, however, scientists are retooling the devices to decontaminate large tanks of water, a process called sonolysis. Portable sonolysis machines could be deployed to isolated villages in developing countries. In urban areas, sonolysis could treat water tainted with industrial pollution...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
7. Endangered-Species Tracker

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- Old: Save the whales! New: Web 2.0 those whales, and then clone 'em! There are more than 16,000 known threatened animal and plant species... Conservationists are looking to tag endangered animals with radio frequency ID tags and GPS sensors, and then use Web 2.0 mashup techniques to overlay their locations and map details of their habitats and habits with other landscape features to design better wildlife preserves. In 2003, scientists cloned an endangered banteng cow, and Colorado company XY Inc. has developed sperm-sorting technology that could one day be used for sex selection in endangered species to boost captive breeding programs...

Go Green, Get Rich * USA - 8 technologies that can save the world

These futuristic projects promise to make the world greener, while making entrepreneurs some green
8. The Interactive, Renewable Smart Power Grid

Atlanta,GA,USA -CNN/Business 2.0 Magazine, by Saheli Datta & Todd Woody -25 Jan 2007: -- California utility Pacific Gas & Electric is developing the electricity grid of the future, one that will look more like the Internet - distributed, interactive, open-source - than the dumb, one-way network of today that pushes dinosaur molecules from a carbon-spewing power plant to your home. Here's some of the technologies and energy sources that utilities will tap: solar power stations; solar buildings with solar cells integrated into rooftops, walls and windows; wind power; wave power; cow power (methane gas extracted from cow manure powers electricity-generating turbines); car power (plug-in hybrid cars that not only have rechargeable batteries but also feed power back to the grid); clean-coal plants; and smart grids that communicate with household appliances...

AUTOS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* USA - Ford May Post Record Annual Loss on Trucks, Costs
New York,NY,USA -Bloomberg, by Bill Koenig -Jan. 24, 2007: -- Ford Motor Co. probably will report a fourth-quarter loss tomorrow, capping its worst year ever... The quarterly loss at the second-largest U.S. automaker will be 95 cents a share excluding some costs, according to the average of 13 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That would translate to more than $1.5 billion. A loss of just $400 million would push Ford's deficit for the year past its record $7.39 billion in 1992...

* South Korea - Hyundai says profit falls for fourth straight quarter
Seoul,S.Korea -The Detroit News (Detroit,Mich,USA) -25 Jan 2007: -- Hyundai Motor Co., the world's sixth-largest automaker, said Thursday that its net profit fell for the fourth straight quarter amid strength in the South Korean won and production losses due to strikes...

* Italy - Fiat net profit soars as automaker promises the first dividend since 2002
Milan,Italy -The International Herald Tribune (France)/Associated Press -Jan 25, 2007: -- Fiat SpA reported Thursday that its net profit soared in the fourth quarter as the core auto division posted a nearly five-fold earnings gain, allowing the automaker to pay a dividend for the first time since 2002... The Turin-based maker of cars and trucks said net profit in the fourth quarter of 2006 ended Dec. 31 was €452 million (US$587 million), from €38 million a year earlier, lifted by one-time asset sales...

Joint Venture * USA - Monaco Coach to build chassis

New York,NY,USA -Reuters -Jan 25, 2007: -- Recreational vehicle maker Monaco Coach Corp., said on Thursday that it would form a joint venture with International Truck and Engine Corp. to manufacture rear engine diesel chassis... Monaco will own 49 percent and International 51 percent of the newly formed company called Custom Chassis Products LLC, according to a news release... Plans call for the joint venture to manufacture more than 5,000 diesel chassis in the first year...

TRUCKS SALES * Sweden - Scania Gets British Order for 500 Trucks

Stockholm,Sweden -Associated Press/Forbes -24 Jan 2007: -- Swedish truckmaker Scania said Wednesday it won an order for 500 trucks from British trucking company Eddie Stobart Ltd... Scania has been embroiled in a fight to stave off a hostile takeover attempt by German rival MAN AG, but MAN said Tuesday it was dropping its euro10.3 billion (US$13.3 billion) bid in favor of friendly talks about a possible linkup...

A little bit of everything * USA - ... from trucks to turkeys to toe jam

Concord,MA,USA -The Reading Advocate, by Melanie Sidman -Jan 24, 2007: -- ... There are several streets in Reading with “no truck” signs. The “no truck” signs mean no trucks on that road…duh. My street has one of those signs, and I have trouble understanding why, even with that sign there, trucks still barrel down our road at 900 miles per hour, taking out innocent pedestrians as they stroll down sidewalks. I don’t like waking up and cleaning various body parts off of my lawn. There are certainly other things I could be doing. There are also other ways trucks can get around without having to speed down the streets they aren’t allowed to be on. Why isn’t this enforced more ?...

* USA - A bleg re: trucks idling their engines
Seattle,WA,USA -Grist Magazine, by Roz Cummins -24 Jan 2007: -- Verizon trucks sometimes come and idle their engines all day long in front of my house (sometimes several trucks for several days), and I am told that because they use their engines to power their equipment, they are exempt from EPA guidelines for idling engines... Is there any energy source I could ask them to use instead of running their engines all day? Also, I have asked them to tell me when they are going to be coming so I can plan to work elsewhere that day, but they refuse to do so. Does anyone know if there are any precedents for requiring some kind of notice about work that is obviously scheduled maintenance and not emergency repair work?...

* Canada - AUD1.4 Million in Funding for LNG Truck Evaluation

Westport Awarded from Australian Government
Vancouver,BC,CAN -CCNMatthews (Toronto,ON,Canada) -Jan. 24, 2007: -- Westport Innovations Inc., a global leader in gaseous-fuelled power technologies, today announced the award of AUD1.36 million (C$1.27 million) from the Australian Government's Alternative Fuels Conversion Programme (AFCP) for a project to evaluate the use of LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty highway trucks in Australia... Mitchell Corp., Sands Fridge Lines and Murray Goulburn Cooperative, who each operate large fleets of long-distance trucks, will acquire four new Kenworth T404SAR trucks powered by 2008 model Cummins 15-litre engines incorporating Westport's LNG fuel technology. Emissions and performance tests will be performed to quantify greenhouse gas, noise, and regulated emissions benefits while demonstrating the performance and economic advantages of LNG in real world use in Australia...

Trade * China - Light-duty truck exports grow fast

Beijing,China -chinadaily.com.cn, by Su Yue -24 Jan 2007: -- China's total truck export in the January-October period of 2006 reached 128,110 units, with export value totalling US$788 million... About 90 percent of the export volume was contributed by light-duty trucks with a payload under five tons. Heavy-duty trucks with a payload above 20 tons enjoyed fast growth, increasing by 145.3 percent over the same period the year before... The top five importers of Chinese trucks are Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Iran and Russia. Truck exports to the European Union continued to rise, registering a sales volume of 762 units and export value of US$3.05 million, an increase of 107 percent and 115.6 percent from the previous year respectively...

OVERLOAD * USA - Our grain feeds the world...

but... Shipping it is destroying our roads

Joliet,IL,USA -The Joliet Herald News, by Cindy Wojdyla Cain -Jan 24, 2007: -- Requests for overweight truck permits are skyrocketing in Will County... This presents a huge dilemma for county officials who have to balance the intricacies of foreign trade with microlocal concerns over wear and tear on county highways... If county officials clamp down on overweight trucks, they could hurt area granaries that truck their product to BNSF Logistic Park in Elwood. If they don't, taxpayers could pay the price as county roads crumble under heavier loads... (Photo, by STEVE BUYANSKY: The number of overweight truck permit requests almost doubled from 825 in November to 1,566 in December)

* Denmark - Copenhagen and Frederiksberg are pushing for cleaner air

By reducing deadly diesel exhaust particles

Copenhagen,Denmark -The Copenhagen Post -24 Jan 2007: -- Copenhagen and Frederiksberg's city governments are preparing to go on the offensive against diesel engine exhaust particles, considered to be one of the deadliest forms of air pollution... A new proposal will set the goal of a 20 percent reduction in the release of particle pollution from diesel-fueled vehicles by 2010. The plan is aimed at lorries - the worst offenders - and will required the vehicles to have particle filters installed if they operate within designated 'environmental zones', which would include all of Frederiksberg and most of Copenhagen... The plan requires older lorries to be immediately fitted with the filters and then replaced by new trucks before 2010, at which time all lorries will be required to have the filters... The new law would also be expensive for the trucking industry... 'Besides investing in particle filters and new lorries, we expect huge expenditures on having trucks periodically out of service due to technical problems with the filters,' Ove Holm, chief economist for the Transport Operators Guild of Copenhagen, stated on the organisation's website... Holm believes total expenses for the branch under the new proposal would reach DKK 1 billion by 2010, while the governments of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg have estimated the cost to be less than half that figure...

Key proposals & Comments * USA - Bush's State of the Union address

Baltimore,MAR,USA -The Baltimore Sun -Jan 24, 2007: -- ENERGY: Cut U.S. gasoline consumption 20 percent by 2017 by boosting mandates for production of ethanol and other alternative fuels and raising fuel-efficiency standards for passenger cars, light trucks and SUVs... GLOBAL WARMING: Cut emissions from cars and light trucks by 10 percent over 10 years. Stop the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. vehicles by 2017... EDUCATION: Renew the No Child Left Behind Act...

* USA - Washington pushes Big Three to change - Bipartisan plans for fuel efficiency, energy independence mean Detroit must move fast
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Daniel Howes -24 Jan 2007: -- Every day of every week, Detroit's automakers theoretically push to become more competitive, to build the cars and trucks Americans want, to rescue themselves from financial oblivion -- in effect, to chart their own future... But this week is different, at least in the nation's capital. This week, coastal Democrats led by new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are vying with the Bush Administration for bragging rights on who's pushing Detroit Auto hardest on fuel efficiency and alternative technologies and who's serious about delivering national energy independence...

* USA - Bush Seeks Vast, Mandatory Increase in Alternative Fuels and Greater Vehicle Efficiency
Washington,DC,USA -The New York Times (NY,USA), by EDMUND L. ANDREWS & FELICITY BARRINGER -Jan 24, 2007: -- Vowing to reduce the nation’s thirst for foreign oil, President Bush called on Tuesday for a huge government-mandated increase in renewable fuels — mainly ethanol — and tougher mileage standards for cars and light trucks... It was the second year in a row that Mr. Bush made “energy security” a focal point of his State of the Union address, but his proposals on Tuesday were modest, and perhaps less achievable, than those he made a year ago when he said the nation was “addicted to oil.”... The centerpiece of Mr. Bush’s proposal, which he said would cut the projected use of gasoline by 20 percent over the next decade, was a nearly fivefold mandatory increase in the production of ethanol and other alternative fuels for cars and trucks. The most obvious beneficiaries would be makers of ethanol and other biofuels, but it could also promote the production of liquefied coal... Mr. Bush called for a mandatory requirement that makers of fuel produce 35 billion gallons of alternative fuels a year by 2017, replacing about 15 percent of the projected gasoline use in that year... A second major plank of Mr. Bush’s energy proposal calls for increasing fuel-efficiency standards of cars and trucks by 4 percent a year — about one mile per gallon — starting in 2010 for cars and 2012 for trucks...

"GREEN" NEWS

* USA - Federal and California Exhaust and Evaporative Emission Standards for Light-Duty Vehicles and Light-Duty Trucks

USA -EPA (Press Release) -24 Jan 2007: -- The following tables of exhaust emission standards attempt to consolidate federal and California standards and implementation rates to facilitate comparison and to provide a one-stop resource for these emission standards... However, these tables are not a substitute for the official federal or California regulatory text... Complete Document (includes all of the following tables, notes, and definitions) (EPA420-B-00-001, February 2000)[ 72K PDF] or [ 175K MS Excel 5 workbook]

HOS * Canada - Westerners, Ontarians put in more hours

Ottawa,ONT,CAN -Today's Trucking (CAN) -24 Jan 2007: -- Workers in the Prairie provinces and Ontario punched out later at work in 2004 than their counterparts in other regions of Canada, according to a new Stats Canada on regional differences in work hours... The study, based on data from the 2004 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, found substantial differences in the average patterns of working hours across Canada... According to the study, which examined a sample of about 19,500 workers in the prime working-age group of 25 to 54, workers in Alberta averaged 1,880 hours a year, the highest in the country... In contrast, workers in British Columbia averaged 1,790 hours. Those in the Atlantic region put in 1,780, while workers in Quebec reported the lowest, 1,750 hours, according to the study... While differences in working hours between Canada and other nations have generated a substantial body of research, this study shows that working hours can also vary quite widely within a country, StatsCan points out...