Trucks World News: June 2007

Jun 30, 2007

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS

* Schneider Logistics allies with Canadian firm
Greenbay,WI,USA -Fleet Owner -Jun 29, 2007: -- Schneider Logistics and Dan Goodwill & Associates, a Toronto-based freight transportation company, have joined forces to provide consulting services to shippers throughout North America... The new alliance will offer services such as benchmark and market intelligence, transportation audits, mode and carrier selection, freight rate bidding solutions, route/rate management and implementation of best practices... Greenbay, WI-based Schneider Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Schneider National...

Labels: trucking industry USA

TECHNONEWS * USA - Cell phones make truck tracking easy

GPS technology to help reduce smog

Oakland,CA,USA -The Inside Bay Area, by Erik N. Nelson -29 June 2007: -- Port officials announced Thursday that a new program with wireless phone company Sprint/Nextel allows shipping companies to keep much closer track of containers trucked out of the port... The new system, called Port Truck Tracker, installs specialized software in cell phones carried by truckers that can track them to within 30 feet using a Global Positioning System. It also will allow truckers to report events such as the delivery of a container by pressing a single button on the phone... The new system can be environmentally helpful in that it allows trucking companies, shipping companies and the port to identify bottlenecks where idling trucks generate emissions and direct traffic to alternate routes...

Labels: technonews

TRUCKS' MARKET NEWS * China

* Chinese Truck Market Heats Up
Beijing,China -By RNCOS, Automobile Industry Research (Delhi, India) -June 29, 2007: -- ... Over the past four months, there has been a strong rise in the demand for vehicles in China, primarily due to the increasing demand for trucks and economic growth. As a result, the sales of these vehicles have touched new heights. As per the findings of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the production for all vehicles increased by 22% that means sale of 710,200 units. However, commercial vehicles' sales increased 30% to reach 225,100 units... The positive effect on the sales was observed in the whole range of trucks comprising of trucks of various sizes (medium, mini, light), vans, semi-trailer tractors, and unfinished vehicles. The 22% rise was for all of the sorts of trucks however for light trucks the rise remained somewhat less. The highest profit was marked by heavy truck sales, representing a year on year growth of around 59.67%...

Labels: trucks markets

Poll * USA - Wealthier drivers take more chances

The rich get … there quicker?

Seattle,Wash,USA -The Trucker -June 27, 2007: -- According to data from the latest PEMCO Insurance Northwest Poll, Washington drivers who earn a household income of more than $75,000 are more likely than their counterparts to speed and talk on a cell phone... The poll results revealed that drivers with higher incomes say not only do they speed, but they also think talking on a cell phone while driving should be legal regardless of whether or not a hands-free device is used...

Labels: drivers safety

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

FMCSA extends comment period on cross-border trucking demonstration program
Washington,DC,USA -The Trucker -June 29, 2007: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration today announced it is extending the comment period for its June 8 Federal Register notice concerning the cross-border trucking demonstration program until the close of business on July 9... “In the spirit of transparency, we have extended the comment period to give the public more time to review supplemental information added to the docket and because of technical problems due to relocation of the docket computer servers, which interfered with viewing access,” John Hill, FMCSA administrator, said...

* FMCSA Tries to Fast-Track NAFTA Trucks
Washington,DC,USA -Public Citizen/Auto Safety & Consumer Protection -29 June 2007: -- In the rush to open the border to Mexican-domiciled trucks, FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has not only continued to ignore statutory requirements and the public’s safety, but also is short-changing the public by allowing only 20 days to comment on this program... The initial notice of proposed rulemaking was only 4 pages in length with a proper 30 days provided for the public to weigh in on this important topic. The current supplemental notice is 18 pages, complete with complicated tables that are ambiguous and cannot be independently verified...

Labels: mexican's trucks

LAWS & BILLS * USA

* Pennsylvania House OKs transportation funding plan; tolls touted for I-80
PEN,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO), by Keith Goble -June 28, 2007: -- Truckers and other travelers would pay to roll down Interstate 80 in Pennsylvania, under a $700 million transportation funding package approved in the state’s House... The bill also would authorize a study of putting tolls on Interstate 95 and bonding the Pennsylvania Turnpike, among other things...

* New Mississippi law requires drivers to ‘move over’
MISS,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -June 28, 2007: -- Dubbed the “Move Over” law, it is designed to protect police and other emergency personnel during roadside stops. The new law also covers tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles... The law requires motorists to maintain a safe distance and reduce speed when approaching stationary emergency vehicles that are alongside the road with their lights flashing... On highways with two or more lanes in one direction, drivers would be required to merge into a lane further away from the roadside vehicles...

* Idaho law expanding heavy truck travel takes effect July 1
IDH,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -June 28, 2007: -- More roads in Idaho will be available for heavier trucks to travel starting Sunday, July 1... Idaho’s current weight limit is 105,500 pounds. Multiple trailer trucks with overweight permits can weigh up to 129,000 pounds, under a 2003 pilot program to test the new weight limit on specified highways in the state... Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter signed a bill into law this spring expanding the program from 850 miles of roads to 1,200 miles of road...

Labels: laws and bills USA

Jun 29, 2007

LIQUORS as FUEL * Sweden - Smuggled alcohol used used as fuel in Sweden

Smugglers trying to sneak alcohol into Sweden are unwittingly helping fuel the country's public transport system and reducing its greenhouse emissions

Stockholm,Sweden -The Denver Post/Associated Press, by LOUISE NORDSTROM -29 June 2007: -- ... Almost all of the 185,000 gallons of smuggled alcohol seized by the customs service last year was turned into alternative fuel and used to power buses, trucks and a biogas train, officials said Friday... "We used to just pour it down the drain, but because of the increased volumes we had to look around for new solutions," customs spokeswoman Ingrid Jerlebrink said... The beer, wine and liquor is taken to a plant in Linkoping, 125 miles southwest of Stockholm, where it is heated and converted into biogas...

Labels: ideas fuel saving

International Hauliers * UK - Can become EU accredited

UK -Road Transport, by Roanna Avison/Commercial Motor -28 June 2007: -- Hauliers delivering to customers outside the European Union will be able to apply to become Authorised Economic Operators (AEO) from Sunday (1 July)... The AEO system has been put in place by the EU to add security to supply chains, and mirrors the system in place in the US. Applications can be made from 1 July and the system becomes operational on 1 January... There are three levels of AEO - Customs security and safety and full, which covers both. Starns adds the authorities want to create a more secure international supply chain the best situation would be to have everyone within a supply chain AEO-accredited...

Labels: trucks markets

* UK - Management the key to fuel cost savings

Philippa Jones joins delegates at the IEA conference and discover that simple management techniques can save hauliers significant fuel costs

Paris,France -Road Transport (UK)/Commercial Motor, by Philippa Jones -29 June 2007: -- Simple cost-effective actions can help road hauliers run more efficient businesses, reduce their fuel bills and improve their environmental credentials, experts have told an international conference on fuel efficiency in Paris... Fuel accounts for at least 30% of operating costs in most road transport operations, but few, if any, haulage companies are really maximising the potential to be more fuel efficient, according to Jonathan James, a consultant with Faber Maunsell...
* Drivers staying in top gear for 87% of a journey and using cruise control for 89% of it would use 21% less fuel than a driver who was in top gear for 71% and in cruise control for 25% of the same route and in the same vehicle - UK government's Freight Best Practice programme.
* Properly aligning a truck's chassis with its trailer wheels saves 4-18% in fuel - Lancaster-based Kidds Transport.
* Monitoring journeys in real-time and changing journey plans to suit new circumstances saves money - United Biscuits saved £107,000 a year by using a real time tracker...

Labels: ideas fuel saving

Across the pond * UK - On-line safety audits

UK - Fleet Owner (USA), by Wendy Leavitt -Jun 28, 2007: -- A website for fleet managers in Great Britain has revealed that more than one-third (35%) of fleet operators there do not fully comply with all relevant corporate and regulatory requirements relating to fleet safety, according to a report issued by the Fleet Safety Forum in partnership with risk management specialists Interactive Driving Systems... Funded by the UK Department for Transport, the website allows companies to anonymously compare their fleet safety procedures and crash data with that of other companies to help them identify potentially life-saving improvements... The report’s findings also indicate:
* Only 44% of companies optimized work schedules and travel requirements to minimize road risks and to encourage compliance with speed limits, working time regulations, road safety laws and to avoid the times of day when falling asleep at the wheel is most likely.
* Just 54% of companies gave all new employees a formal induction, which covered policy, equipment familiarization, collision and fuel reporting, emergency procedures, vehicle checking/maintenance and the importance of safety for brand reputation.
* Only 58% of companies had a system in place to maintain driver records, including medical/health information, reference and license checks, training records and qualifications, collision history and fuel efficiency.

Labels: dangerous companys

Commercial License Fraud * USA - "License" To Kill

Thousands of truckers are on the road illegally - And your safety is at stake

USA -Readers Digest -July 2007: -- In recent years, 32 states have reported cases of commercial license fraud, with busts ranging everywhere from Florida to Ohio to Colorado. A 2006 report from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) identified about 15,000 “suspect” license holders in 27 states, over a third of whom ultimately had their CDLs taken away or voluntarily gave them up... In Macon, Georgia, according to an investigative report by the Chicago Tribune, one truck-driving school paid private “third party” testers to falsify the exams of 623 students. When Georgia officials uncovered the racket and had all those students retake the test, only 142 qualified... According to safety advocates, there are probably tens of thousands of truckers on the road with sham licenses. It’s bad enough that we’re sharing the highways with these risky drivers. But there are huge homeland security concerns too. After all, some truckers who get phony licenses may wind up hauling deadly chemicals or other hazardous materials that could be used as terror weapons...

Labels: CDL frauds

Trucking Accidents' Study * USA - Negligence by truckers a major cause of large truck crashes

Norfolk,VA,USA -Injury Board, by John Cooper -June 28, 2007: -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a report to Congress in 2006 about the reasons for tractor trailer wrecks... In those cases where the action or inaction of the driver commercial truck is the cause of the collision, driving too fast for conditions and fatigue were often important factors. Big rigs accidents commonly happen when the truck drivers are feeling under pressure by their motor carrier employers or they are unfamiliar with the roads. Bad brakes was the main reason for collisions where a defect or maintenance problem with the truck's equipment was involved... Over 60% of the studied trucks involved in these crashes were tractors pulling a semi trailer. Most of these are the commonly seen 18 wheelers that carry most of the freight on U.S. Highways. There are over 141,000 truck crashes that occurred in the U.S. over a two year and nine month period of study. This is over 40,000 wrecks involving tractor trailers a year. Some of the types of accidents in decreasing order of frequency were leaving the lane/running off the road, side swipes, roll over's, and head on collisions, among other types...

Labels: accidents

Traffic Safety Coalition * USA - Looks to reduce truck-car crashes

Walker,MI,USA -The Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids,MI), by John Tunison -June 28, 2007: -- In his 20 years on the road, semitrailer driver Tim VanHouten has seen just about everything from fellow travelers... Cars cutting him off, riding in his blind spots, crowding into the space he needs to make a wide turn... VanHouten joined police, trucking company leaders and others Wednesday at the DeltaPlex Entertainment and Expo Center parking lot in an effort to improve road safety, partly by making other drivers aware of driving challenges that truckers face every day... The West Michigan Traffic Safety Committee -- a coalition of police, road engineers, school officials and trucking companies -- released statistics it hopes truckers can use to possibly prevent crashes... The committee identified stretches of road in Kent, Ottawa and Allegan counties that have higher crash rates than other roads, listed daily time frames when most crashes occur and issued statistics on distracted and fatigued drivers... Cars usually at fault: In Kent County, cars were responsible 56 percent of the time compared to 41 percent for trucks, with 3 percent undetermined... In Ottawa County, the figures showed a fault rate of 56 percent for cars and 44 percent trucks. In Allegan, it was 52 percent cars, 37 percent trucks and 11 percent undetermined... Drivers who were distracted or fatigued accounted for 16 percent of truck crashes in Kent and Ottawa counties, but jumped to 36 percent in Allegan...

Labels: drivers safety

* USA - New truck driver ordinance to be decided

Trucks rolling through Houston bring almost everything to our city, but sometimes they bring us trouble

Houston,TX,USA -KHOU (subscription)/11 News, by Doug Miller -June 28, 2007: -- ... On Wednesday, concrete flew off some trucks and jammed the traffic on two Houston freeways... The maddening traffic trouble had Houston political leaders talking about tougher restrictions on truckers... Within a matter of weeks, Houston City council members are expected to vote on a proposed ordinance that would require truck drivers to obtain city permits before driving oversized or overweight loads on city streets... But soon, some the biggest rigs on the road may pay a price for hitting the road in Houston...

Labels: tax policys

Roadcheck 2007 * Canada - First to report stats

Canada -Land Line Magazine (USA) -June 28, 2007: -- Officials in Canada say public safety officers conducted 7,275 commercial-vehicle inspections during CVSA Roadcheck 2007, placing 1,324 trucks and 291 drivers out-of-service for violations... The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administration reported that inspectors in all 10 provinces and two territories sidelined 18.6 percent of trucks and 3.9 percent of drivers for violations during the annual blitz June 5-7... The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance conducts the annual Roadcheck in the U.S., Canada and Mexico...

Labels: roadchecks

Fatal Accidents * USA - Occur at intersections with flashing lights

Distracted drivers and big rigs make for a deadly pair at unregulated intersection

Jacksonville,FL,USA -The Florida Times-Union, by DANA TREEN & MATT COLEMAN -28 June 2007: -- When tons of concrete and a load of automobiles crushed into other vehicles in separate fatal accidents just hours apart Wednesday, the collisions occurred beneath flashing lights designed to warn and protect drivers on busy intersections... In their tragic aftermath, the deadly accidents instead raise questions about the safety of flashers and highlight the dangers and distractions of road increasingly shared by huge trucks and smaller vehicles... About 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, a pregnant Leila J. Davis, 37, of St. Augustine Beach pulled beneath a flashing red light into the path of a fully loaded concrete truck on Florida 16 west of the Shands Bridge in Clay County... The truck driver, also warned of the intersection by a flashing yellow light, could not avoid Davis' Kia minivan, smashing into its side and driving it 150 feet into the median, killing Davis and her unborn child, said Lt. Bill Leeper of the Florida Highway Patrol... (Photo: At least eight vehicles were damaged at Nimnicht Chevrolet around 1:30 a.m. when a car ran a flashing red light at the intersection of Cassat Avenue and Park Street and struck a fully loaded car carrier Wednesday)

Labels: dangerous motorists

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS

* USA - Happy birthday, UPS; you wear 100 well
Seattle,WASH,USA -UPI News (PR)/Daily India -June 27, 2007: -- United Parcel Service, which began in a Seattle basement and grew to an international billion-package shipper, celebrates its 100th anniversary this summer...

* USA - C.H. Robinson Plans European Growth
Nantucket,Mass,USA -Associated Press/Forbes -28 June 2007: -- Trucking and logistics company C.H. Robinson Worldwide will focus on global expansion over the next few years as it sees tremendous growth opportunities outside North America, the company's top executive said at a conference Thursday... During a presentation at the Wachovia Securities 2007 Nantucket Equity Conference in Nantucket, Mass., Chairman and Chief Executive John P. Wiehoff said the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based company will attempt to replicate the strength of its North American business in Europe in the future...

* USA - Schneider Logistics hooks up with Canuck consultant
Green Bay,Wis,USA -Truckstop News -28 June 2007: -- Dan Goodwill and Associates Inc., a Canadian transportation consulting firm, and Schneider Logistics, one of the U.S.'s largest truckload carriers, have formed a strategic alliance to provide transportation advisory services to shippers throughout North America...

* Canada - Does purchase signal change in growth strategy for Bison Transport?
Winnipeg,Man,CAN -Fleet Owner (USA), by Lou Smyrlis -28 June 2007: -- The purchases of Glenncoe Transport and Winfield Motor Freight mark a change from past growth strategy for Bison Transport, which has chosen to fuel its considerable expansion over the past decade through organic growth... The acquisition follows on the heels of several recent expansions and new service launches, including the opening of a new terminal and maintenance facility in Calgary, a new Intermodal Division connecting Ontario with Western Canada, a Refrigerated Division serving US and Canada, and a rapid expansion of Bison’s turnpike double operations (twin 53’ trailers) in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta...

Labels: trucking industry

* Australia - Trucks face higher charges

B-Double trucks, which are increasingly travelling in metropolitan areas, face higher government registration and fuel taxes under a politically sensitive review of heavy vehicle user charges

Sydney,New South Wales,Australia -The Sydney Morning Herald, by Mark Davis -June 29, 2007: -- ... The National Transport Commission is expected to publish proposed charges within the next few weeks as part of a scheme that seeks to recover the costs of building and maintaining roads from the trucking sector... The commission's failed determination sought to raise registration fees by up to 37 per cent for large trucks such as B-doubles and road trains, and raise by 2.1 cents a litre the net diesel excise paid by truck operators...

Labels: tax policys

Something Was Wrong * USA - Taking a message to the streets

A planned caravan of 100 big rigs with a clean-air message falls short, and few commuters notice

Los Angeles,CA,USA -Los Angeles Times by Tiffany Hsu & Rong-Gong Lin II -June 28, 2007: -- Los Angeles has seen demonstrations, but civil disobedience on an L.A. freeway is tough, as truckers learned Wednesday... Their effort to have an intimidating convoy roll down the 110 Freeway from downtown Los Angeles to the Port of Long Beach didn't seem to faze motorists used to bad traffic. Officials and traffic reporters had warned that the protest by truckers could cause a traffic headache, with organizers promising a caravan of 100 big rigs. The truckers, part of the Coalition for Clean and Safe Ports, were supporting a draft plan by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to slash diesel pollution from trucks by 80% in five years. The plan would require replacement or renovation of the oldest and dirtiest trucks with trucking companies, not the drivers, facing higher costs... But at the Exposition Park staging area for the protest, it quickly became clear something was wrong: Only 27 big rigs showed up...

* Ports delay decision on port overhaul plan until September
CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO), By Charlie Morasch -June 28, 2007: -- Officials from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach emerged from a closed-door meeting Wednesday and announced they were delaying consideration of its emissions-busting Clean Trucks Program, which offered sweeping changes to port operations including banning owner-operators from entering the port... The proposed plan has been criticized for its broad changes that many have said go beyond the plan’s stated goal of lowering emissions. The California Trucking Association and an attorney of the American Trucking Association and the Waterfront Coalition of retail and agricultural shippers have vehemently opposed the plan, which has several similarities to a formal proposal made by the Teamsters-backed Coalition for Clean Air... Officials for the ports issued a joint news release Wednesday, June 27, saying they will undertake an economic impact study and assemble an industry task force to study and recommend specifics for the operations changes... Outside Wednesday’s closed-door meeting, Los Angeles news cameras hovered above southbound lanes of the 110 Freeway and filmed an estimated 20 trucks convoyed in support of the new plan...

Labels: supports

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

*Sweden - Volvo says U.S./Sweden to help fund new hybrids
Stockholm,Sweden -Reuters -28 June 2007: -- World number two truckmaker Volvo said today that it was joining a cooperation program to cut fossil fuel consumption partly funded by the U.S. and Swedish governments... The projects, involving among others Volvo's U.S. subsidiary Mack Trucks, included development of hybrid technology for heavy vehicles and analyses of biofuels in diesel engines... "For Volvo, it would involve producing powertrains based on alternative fuels suitable for heavy vehicles," the company said in a statement. "This means that we can implement a number of projects within the environmental area that would otherwise have not been possible."... It did not disclose the details of the financing agreement...

* Sweden - New Volvo FH set for 2009 launch
Stockholm,Sweden -Road Transport (UK) -28 June 2007: -- Volvo Trucks will take the wraps off a new version of the FH truck range in 2009 to ensure the truck remains toward the top of the European tractor market league table... Senior Volvo sources indicate the vehicle will be a further evolution of the successful product line-up, first launched in 1993, and will focus on improvements to the ride and handling of the truck as well as attention to the fit and finish of the cab...

* USA - A merger for Volvo, AB Volvo? ...
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Christine Tierney -June 27, 2007: -- Of all the mergers and acquisitions rumors that have risen since the breakup of Daimler and Chrysler, one of the most intriguing is a report that AB Volvo of Sweden might be interested in reuniting with Volvo Cars... AB Volvo is the heavy-truck manufacturer that sold its passenger car business to Ford Motor Co. in 1999 at the height of a global mergers and acquisitions spree in the auto industry... Ford, now struggling and deeply in debt, is reluctantly considering the sale of the Volvo car unit...

* USA - Navistar vehicle shipments fall 31% in Q2
Chicago,Ill,USA -Reuters -June 26, 2007: -- Navistar International Corp., a U.S. truck and engine maker, said today that global shipments of its vehicles tumbled 31 percent during the second quarter... The Warrenville, Ill.,-based company said it shipped 26,200 heavy and medium trucks, school buses and other vehicles during the quarter ended April 30, 2007, down from 38,100 during the same period a year earlier... Like other companies exposed to the North American trucking market, Navistar is experiencing a sharp decline in demand for big trucks and engines because of tough new clean-air rules that went into effect Jan. 1... Many fleet operators, worried about the cost and reliability of the new engines designed to comply with the rules, stocked up on new vehicles last year and are not buying this year...

* Italy - Iveco, Samotlor-NN in JV to build trucks in Russia
Milan,Italy -Reuters -28 June 2007: -- Fiat's Iveco truck making unit said today it plans to form a joint venture with Russian industrial group Samotlor-NN to make its Daily-brand vehicles in its first major foray into Russia... Iveco said its venture would spend about 50 million euros ($67.17 million) to build a plant in Nizhniy Novgorod with a production capacity of 25,000 units a year... Iveco, which will own 51 percent of the venture, said the vehicles would be sold in Russia and neighbouring countries... Iveco and other truck makers are expanding in Russia and other developing markets to offset stagnant demand in mature markets such as Western Europe...

* India - Ashok Leyland and Moldova
India -Road Transport (UK) -19 June 2007: -- Rumour has it that Ashok Leyland is about to break ground on a truck bus plant in Moldova... It'll be interesting to see quite where the output will end up...

* USA - GM sells Allison Transmission for $5.6 billion
New York,N.Y.,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Adam Ledlow -28 June 2007: -- General Motors has agreed to sell its Allison Transmission commercial and military business to The Carlyle Group and Onex Corporation for approximately $5.6 billion. The sale agreement covers substantially all of Allison Transmission, including seven manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis, Ind. and its worldwide distribution network and sales offices...

Labels: truckmakers news

Jun 28, 2007

Air Pollution * USA - Some Truckers Underscore the Problem

A convoy of 100 diesel trucks is scheduled to trundle down the southbound Harbor (110) Freeway from South L.A. to Port of Long Beach

Los Angeles,CA,USA -KNX1070 -28 June 2007: -- ... a demonstration for cleaner air and better working conditions likely to slow morning traffic. Spearheaded by a hearse, meant to symbolize the premature deaths caused by pollution emitted at the port, the convoy will use one freeway lane and should take two hours to reach its destination... The convoy is being organized by the Coalition for Clean & Safe Ports, a group that includes truck drivers and environmental, health, labor and community groups in southern Los Angeles County. It supports a draft plan by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to reduce diesel pollution from trucks by 80 percent in five years...

Labels: clean trucks

Passports * USA - New York and other States prefer computerized driver’s licenses to

New York is poised to follow the state of Washington into a new era of border security and personal identification

NY,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO), by David Tanner -June 27, 2007: -- ... It’s called an enhanced driver’s license, and it contains a computer chip containing proof of citizenship and identification that travelers can present to border authorities... Like Washington state and now New York, two dozen states are looking to implement enhanced driver’s licenses to substitute for the passport requirement, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said during a press conference last week... There are current substitutes for a passport, including a Merchant Mariner Document, Alien Registration Card Form I-551, a NEXUS air card, a FAST card or U.S. Military traveling orders... In addition to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the Department of Homeland Security has also provided a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” in the Federal Register for the Real ID program, which could one day be required at entry points to vulnerable facilities such as borders and power plants...

Labels: passports

BILLS & LAWS * USA

* New Jersey bill mandates snow-free vehicles
NJ,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -June 27, 2007: -- A New Jersey Senate panel has approved a bill that would have the state get tough with drivers who fail to clear snow and ice off their vehicles... The rule would apply to commercial and non-commercial vehicles... The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously approved the bill that would permit police to pull over drivers whose vehicles are not cleared of snow and ice...

* Missouri bills die – focus was on trucks, road safety
Miss,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO), by Keith Goble -June 27, 2007: -- The recently completed legislative session in Missouri closed the book on several bills of interest to truck drivers. Among those bills were efforts that included incentives to reduce idling, rules for household movers and increase safety on the state’s roadways... Senate lawmakers didn’t bring the bill up for a final vote before the session ended. The House previously approved the bill that included a provision to take advantage of an income tax credit made available by Congress in 2005... The bill – HB488 – would have created a tax credit for installing idle reduction technology for the next two years. The credit would have been equal to 50 percent of the amount of purchase and installation on class 8 trucks – up to $3,500 per truck...

* New Virginia laws to improve road safety take effect July 1
VA,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -June 27, 2007: -- The first one targets alcohol-related reckless drivers. The new rule requires those who had their driver’s license suspended for reckless driving for alcohol-related or drug-related reasons to complete an alcohol safety action program before they could have their licenses reinstated... The second one is intended to keep novice drivers off the phone and other devices while at the wheel. It prohibits drivers under age 18 from using any cell phone, hand-held or “hands free,” or other wireless device...

* California bill banning cell phone use for young drivers nears passage
CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO), by Keith Goble -June 27, 2007: -- A bill to prohibit cell phone use by young drivers in California is one step closer to passage in the statehouse... The Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously approved a bill that would make it illegal for drivers under 18 to use any type of cell phone, pager or text messaging device... This action in California follows a National Transportation Safety Board report that recommended novice drivers be prohibited from using cell phones while on the road... The safety board says that young drivers account for only 7 percent of the driving population but are involved in 15 percent of fatal accidents. Distracted drivers take 1.5 seconds longer to respond to hazards, the agency says... Currently, about 14 states forbid young drivers to use phones while behind the wheel. In addition to California, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey are the only other states that have bans on all drivers from using hand-held phones. Washington is slated to begin enforcement of its own law in 2008...

Labels: laws and bills USA

To Tourist Eyes * New Zealand - Trucks not good look

Napier City Council is in a bind with its ambitions to remove trucks from Marine Parade.

Hawke's Bay,New Zealand -The Hawke's Bay Today, by Louis Pierard - 28 June 2007: -- ... the real problem, the nearly quarter million-dollar cost is a concession to the need to mitigate the noise of heavy transport using the Parade... Despite the arguments from defenders of keeping the trucks on the Parade - and there are many of them, who argue the port is pivotal to the Bay's economy and that any diversion will cost in time and money to be passed on to consumers - there are bigger reasons for making the parade truck-free, and as soon as is possible... The matter is in the lap of Transit New Zealand and its own spending priorities. Short-term remedies bring diminishing returns for the council. At some point, and soon, it will have to bite the bullet to decide whether Marine Parade is far too important an asset to be compromised by the continued use by heavy trucks... It will be a tough decision that will alienate residents having to endure the diverted traffic. But it might also expedite the development of the proposed alternative... (Picture: Napier Port from the air)

Labels: trucks vs tourism

Your morning coffee * USA - May double in price if trucks hide

Town wants to rid village streets of delivery trucks; business owners say plan's too costly

Vail,CO,USA -The Vail Daily, by Edward Stoner -June 26, 2007: -- Your morning coffee may double in price if the town moves forward with a plan to get rid of delivery trucks on pedestrian streets, said Becky Magoon, co-owner of the Covered Bridge... The coffee shop often gets hundreds of pounds of deliveries in a day — and it is a relatively small eatery in Vail, she said... “We’re creating more problems than we’re solving,” said Kim Mause, the other co-owner... At the direction of the town, developers are building dozens of public loading docks around Vail Village. The docks will be ready soon, and the town is trying to figure out how businesses should use them... Business owners say using the docks would make their deliveries more costly, more complicated, less safe and less timely...

Labels: trucking policys

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS

* USA - Toyota Owned Hino Trucks To Build First Vehicle Plant In West Virginia

WILLIAMSTOWN,W.Va,USA -The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati,OH) -June 26, 2007: -- West Virginia is set to get its first vehicle assembly plant, thanks to Hino Motors Manufacturing, a Toyota-owned commercial truck manufacturer... On Monday, Hino said that it will invest $8.6 million into an existing 194,000-square-foot facility (formerly owned by Walker Systems) in order to turn it into a truck plant capable of churning out 2500 units per year... Last year, Hino shifted 6595 last fiscal year, but it hopes to sell 7550 trucks over the same period this year...

* Belgium - Production up at Volvo Trucks
Ghent,Flanders,Belgium -Flanders News -26 June 2007: -- After all the recent redundancies in the Flemish automotive industry, there is at last some good news to report. Volvo Trucks in the East Flemish city of Ghent has produced its 600,000th vehicle. The 16-tonner was handed over to its Swiss owner on Tuesday morning... Volvo Trucks in Ghent is something of a success story... Staffing levels are continuing to rise and the plant is to take on a number of new tasks later this year...

* India - Daimler plans to assemble trucks in

Mumbai,India -The Business Standard -June 27, 2007: -- Auto major DaimlerChrysler plans to assemble Mercedes-Benz trucks in the country soon, in order to tap the growing demand for freight transportation... According to a statement issued by the company today, "DaimlerChrysler India not only plans to import complete vehicles, but also to assemble semi-knocked down Mercedes-Benz trucks in the near future," said... Daimler India sells its Actros range of heavy trucks that are imported and is setting up a plant in Maharashtra with a capacity to make 5,000 cars a year... According to agency reports, a company spokesman said, the plant would also be used to make trucks...the range and capacity have not been finalised...

Labels: truckmakers news

Jun 27, 2007

Truck Tonnage Index * USA - ATA's one, fell 1.3 percent in May

Alexandria,Va,USA -The Trucker -June 27, 2007: -- The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 1.3 percent in May, marking the second consecutive month-to-month drop. In April, tonnage fell 2.2 percent...

Labels: transportation indexs

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

* ITEC looks to Brazil for MaxxForce engine iron

Warrenville,Ill,USA -The Trucker -June 27, 2007: -- International Truck and Engine Corp. will rely on its Brazilian subsidiary MWM International Motores, and Brazil-based supplier Tupy, to provide compacted-graphite iron (CG Iron) cylinder blocks for the new MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 big bore diesel engines, the company said today... Tupy will cast the advanced CG Iron cylinder blocks at its plant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and MWM International will machine the blocks at its Santo Amaro plant, also in Sao Paulo. The machined blocks will be shipped from South America to International’s new engine plant in Huntsville, Ala., where the MaxxForce big bore engines will be assembled, according to the ITEC news release...

Labels: truckmakers news

New Trucks Fleet * UK - BB go RO-RO with their first new Volvo trucks

Lincolnshire,Chester,UK -Easier -25 June 2007: -- BB Haulage has taken delivery of two Globetrotter XL-cabbed, Euro 5 Volvo FH-480 6x2 tractor units, which will be based at the company’s Caistor depot in Lincolnshire... These are the company’s first new Volvo’s and will be used on RO-RO operations out of UK ports, including Immingham... The new Volvo’s feature ‘Prestige’ trim and are equipped with I-Shift transmission, climate control, in-cab fridge, GPS satellite tracking and long-range fuel tanks...

Labels: new fleets

Aerodynamics * The Netherlands - Could Make Trucks 10% More Efficient

"But surprisingly the big problem of the big trucks isn’t at the front, it’s at the rear...

Phoenix,AZ ,USA -Freshly Green/FarPont Media, by Jarsto -25 Jun 2007: -- Researchers at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have found that even modern trucks are shockingly unaerodynamic. But surprisingly the big problem of the big trucks isn’t at the front, it’s at the rear... The sharp angles at the rear, where the truck abruptly ends, cause a vacuum that in turn creates eddies of wind behind the vehicle. All of which has a negative effect on its performance. By getting rid of the vacuum researchers believe the amount of wind resistance a truck experiences could be reduced by up to 25%... A variety of methods to improve the airflow at the back of trucks are currently being theorized, developed, and tested. It is believed that some of these could increase fuel efficiency by at least 10% if properly implemented... More on this subject is available from the Delft University of Technology...

Labels: technonews

U-Haul's Trucks * USA - Are Unsafe and Not Maintained !!!

USA -Los Angeles Times/The Consumerist, by Marco -26 June 2007: -- The investigation has uncovered that U-Haul fails to properly maintain their aging fleet of vehicles while mechanics "hang paper" (forge safety inspections and repairs) to keep the trucks and the money rolling... During a yearlong investigation, Times journalists surveyed more than 200 U-Haul trucks and trailers in California and other states and found that more than half were overdue for a company-mandated "safety certification," a check of brakes, tires and other parts typically required every 30 days... Some safety checks were more than a year overdue... In response, U-Haul said its fleet of more than 200,000 vehicles is safe and well-maintained. It said it is investing heavily to modernize the fleet and spends about $350 million a year -- about 20% of its rental revenue -- on maintenance and repairs... The consumer stories mentioned in the report are horrifying—trucks sent out on the road with the wrong tires and no lug nuts, trucks with emergency brakes that fail and roll over their drivers, breakdowns that end with big rig trucks smashing into families stranded by the side of the road... Darryl Stasher, formerly a top U-Haul executive in Mississippi, said he was accused of "hanging paper" when the company fired him in 2001. Stasher, who worked for U-Haul more than 17 years, said that the charge was a pretext in his case, but that the practice was rampant. "They set standards and guidelines that, in reality, they knew were not happening," he said. "All these trucks were breaking down the day after they were rented, and after they said maintenance had been performed"...

Labels: dangerous trucks

Chinese tires * USA - Questioned over potentially dangerous defect

New York,NY,USA -The Wall Street Journal/Land Line Magazine -June 26, 2007: -- There hasn’t been an official recall, but reported that nearly 1 million car tires that were made in China and sold in the U.S. could be dangerously defective... Two people were killed in summer 2006 when tread on a steel-belted radial allegedly separated, causing a van to crash... Federal officials told the Journal the problem is that at least some of the tires lack a key feature designed to make tires more durable... The tires in question are sold under the brand names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS...

Labels: tires

PRIVATIZATIONS * USA

* Legislative mix-up gives New Jersey governor privatization power
NJ,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA) , by Reed Black -June 25, 2007: -- Although they didn’t plan to, New Jersey lawmakers have given Gov. Jon Corzine a free pass to get ready to lease or sell state assets, such as the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway... According to media reports, a 291-page budget bill the lawmakers were racing the clock to pass contained a few paragraphs authorizing the governor to do “what may be necessary” to privatize state highways...

Labels: privatization toll roads

BILL & LAWS * USA

* Louisiana bill clarifies tax exemption for certain trucks and other bills
Lou,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA) , by Keith Goble -June 25, 2007: -- The Louisiana Senate has approved a bill intended to clarify the sales and use tax exemption for certain trucks and trailers... State law now exempts from sales and use tax trailers and trucks with gross weights of at least 26,000 pounds, as long as they are used at least 80 percent of the time in interstate commerce and are subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Transportation... The Senate voted unanimously to approve a bill that would establish a set of criteria for determining eligibility for tax exemption for a subset of the trucks and trailers covered by the current tax exemption. The bill would apply the new criteria to trucks weighing at least 80,000 pounds... Other bills also making their way through the statehouse include a bill to repeal a tax on household movers and add more state troopers...

* Pennsylvania may limit idling statewide
Pen,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA) , by Keith Goble -June 25, 2007: -- A bill in the Pennsylvania House is intended to reduce unnecessary idling of large trucks throughout in the state. In most instances, drivers idling their trucks while sleeping or resting would be exempt from the rule... Exemptions would include situations when vehicles are stuck in traffic, required by law enforcement to stop or when idling is necessary “to operate defrosters, heaters or refrigeration to prevent a safety or health emergency” that is not part of a rest period...

* A bill in Massachusetts would alter the state’s rules on the idling of all vehicles
Mass,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA) , by Keith Goble -June 25, 2007: -- ... The bill would hold owners and operators of vehicles liable for idling violations. It'ld add exceptions to state law for situations when vehicles are stuck in traffic, required by law enforcement to stop or when idling is necessary to operate defrosters, heaters, air conditioners, or installing other equipment “solely to prevent a safety or health emergency”... Drivers idling their trucks while sleeping or resting also would be exempt from the rule...

* New Missouri law provides tax breaks for certain trucks
Miss,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA) , by Keith Goble -June 26, 2007: -- Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has signed a bill into law that includes a provision that offers tax breaks for certain trucks. It also modifies rules for household movers... The new law, clarifies the common carrier sales tax exemption for the purchase of motor vehicles, with gross weights of 24,000 pounds or more, or trailers... Missouri law previously applied the exemption only if the common carrier operated solely in interstate commerce. The bill makes the exemption applicable to vehicles and trailers used in both intrastate and interstate commerce...

Labels: laws and bills USA

DRIVERS' STORIES * USA - "I really like the freedom from having someone stare over my shoulder all the time.”

Malvern,ARK,USA -The Trucker, by JERRY BREEDEN -25 June 2007: -- Local resident Stan Ramey doesn’t dance around the issue when asked what he likes most about driving big rigs for a living... “I’m in it for the money,” he said. “I’ve got a mortgage and some other bills I’ve got to pay and trucking makes it possible.” Ramey admits, however, that driving “is just something I’ve always liked to do, ever since I was a kid"... Something else Ramey doesn’t care much for is the Hours of Service regulations. “They bother me because they’re so messed up nowadays. It’s hard for drivers to be right, or in compliance, all the time. You just have to do the best you can"... ”It would help a lot,” he added, “if the infrastructure in this country was in better shape. We desperately need better roads. They need a lot of attention”... What Ramey does like about the business is that it allows him to “run both ends of the country. I like going north and I like the South, too. I especially like the British Columbia run. It’s quiet compared to most of the others because there’s a lot less traffic up that way. I really like the freedom from having someone stare over my shoulder all the time”...

* Ya gotta like trucker Ted Meredith’s approach to life.
Springfield,Mo,USA -The Trucker -25 June 2007: -- Meredith has been driving big rigs since his stint in the U.S. Army, which dates back to 1979... "Why did I stop driving for myself?... If you can manage your money, you can make it. That’s all I can say about that. Why do I like trucking? It’s what I know best. It’s what I do best. I choose to do it. It’s what I want to do. I don’t do it just for the money"... Asked if he is married, Meredith replied, “Not at the moment. That doesn’t mean I won’t be sometime in the future. I’m still looking for the right lady, but I ain’t holding my breath"... Meredith continued. “In the beginning, most women marry truckers because of the security, the money. Then as time goes by and the love keeps growing, they start wanting you to stay home more, and pretty soon, when you ain’t home every night, the relationship takes a nose dive... To be honest,” he said, “I love women. I really do. It’s just that it’s so hard to find one who really understands this business and is willing to allow me to make a living the best way I know how."...

Labels: drivers' stories

TRUCKS PURCHASING * USA

* County wants new trucks
Jacksonville,TX,USA -The Jacksonville Daily Progress, by Kelly Youngnews -June 25, 2007: -- ... Consideration will be given by the Cherokee County commissioners regarding whether to authorize County Judge Chris Davis to sign all documents concerning the financing of three new Mack dump trucks... The new trucks, which cost $97,315 each, will be used by precincts No. 1, 2 and 3...

Labels: trucks purchases

Arson suspected * Australia - In trucks blaze

Pakenham,Victoria,Australia -Werribee, Hoppers Crossing Star -26 June 2007: -- A SUSPECTED arson attack destroyed a prime mover truck and damaged three others in Hoppers Crossing last Sunday evening... Police say the incident occurred in a transport company’s locked compound in Elm Park Drive about 6pm... The windscreens of three prime movers and one water tank truck were broken and the vehicles were painted with grafitti... Police said the cabin of one of the prime movers was set alight and the fire totally destroyed the vehicle, valued at between $90,000 and $120,000...

Labels: attacks

DRIVERS' HEALTH * USA - You may have high blood pressure and not even know it.

Recent estimates show that nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don’t know they have it

USA - The Trucker, by BARB KAMPBELL -25 June 2007: -- According to the American Heart Association, uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure, and is the reason it’s often called the “silent killer”... The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked... The American Heart Association’s 10 ways to control high blood pressure: ... The bottom line is that everyone needs to know if high blood pressure is a factor in their health. Since having it checked is the only way to find out...

Labels: drivers' health risks

PRODUCTS & ACCESORIES

* USA - Order for more than 2,000 TriPac Hybrid Auxiliary Idle Reduction and Temperature Management Systems (APUs)

Minneapolis,MIN,USA -eTrucker -June 25, 2007: -- Thermo King Corp. says that Marten Transport of Mondovi, Wis., has placed an order for more than 2,000 TriPac Hybrid Auxiliary Idle Reduction and Temperature Management Systems (APUs). The systems will be installed over the next 18 months on company-owned tractors... The TriPac system provides drivers with heat, engine pre-heat, air conditioning, accessory power and battery charging while reducing idling, conserving fuel and extending tractor engine service intervals...

Labels: products

TRUCKING INSURANCE * USA - Leading Insurer Co. Improves Coverage for the Industry

Mayfield Village,OH,USA -Business Wire -June 25, 2007: -- The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, one of the nation’s largest commercial auto groups, has announced coverage enhancement options for the commercial trucking market. New coverages are designed to provide more protection to new and growing transportation businesses, offering flexible solutions that meet their constantly changing needs... They include:
* Comprehensive Coverage for All Vehicles
* Seasonal Coverage for All Vehicles
* Single Physical Damage Deductible for all Covered Vehicles

Labels: trucking insurances

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Jun 30, 2007

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS

TECHNONEWS * USA - Cell phones make truck tracking easy

TRUCKS' MARKET NEWS * China

Poll * USA - Wealthier drivers take more chances

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

LAWS & BILLS * USA

Jun 29, 2007

LIQUORS as FUEL * Sweden - Smuggled alcohol used used as fuel in Sweden

International Hauliers * UK - Can become EU accredited

* UK - Management the key to fuel cost savings

Across the pond * UK - On-line safety audits

Commercial License Fraud * USA - "License" To Kill

Trucking Accidents' Study * USA - Negligence by truckers a major cause of large truck crashes

Traffic Safety Coalition * USA - Looks to reduce truck-car crashes

* USA - New truck driver ordinance to be decided

Roadcheck 2007 * Canada - First to report stats

Fatal Accidents * USA - Occur at intersections with flashing lights

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS

* Australia - Trucks face higher charges

Something Was Wrong * USA - Taking a message to the streets

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

Jun 28, 2007

Air Pollution * USA - Some Truckers Underscore the Problem

Passports * USA - New York and other States prefer computerized driver’s licenses to

BILLS & LAWS * USA

To Tourist Eyes * New Zealand - Trucks not good look

Your morning coffee * USA - May double in price if trucks hide

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS

Jun 27, 2007

Truck Tonnage Index * USA - ATA's one, fell 1.3 percent in May

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

New Trucks Fleet * UK - BB go RO-RO with their first new Volvo trucks

Aerodynamics * The Netherlands - Could Make Trucks 10% More Efficient

U-Haul's Trucks * USA - Are Unsafe and Not Maintained !!!

Chinese tires * USA - Questioned over potentially dangerous defect

PRIVATIZATIONS * USA

BILL & LAWS * USA

DRIVERS' STORIES * USA - "I really like the freedom from having someone stare over my shoulder all the time.”

TRUCKS PURCHASING * USA

Arson suspected * Australia - In trucks blaze

DRIVERS' HEALTH * USA - You may have high blood pressure and not even know it.

PRODUCTS & ACCESORIES

TRUCKING INSURANCE * USA - Leading Insurer Co. Improves Coverage for the Industry