trucks world news: August 2007

31.8.07

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

* Union Hypocrisy On Immigraton As Teamsters Try To Block Legal Mexican Truckers At The Border

Washington,DC,USA -kxmc.com, News/sayanythingblog.com -Aug 29 2007: -- A few things worth noting before you read the article: This isn’t the Bush administration’s plan. This is part of NAFTA, which was passed under the Clinton administration (though I don’t doubt that Bush supports it)... The Mexican trucks aren’t any more dangerous than American trucks given that they must pass American DOT standards in order to travel US roads... Keeping that in mind, bask in the glowing light of organized labor’s self-serving hypocrisy: There are a lot of things about NAFTA I don’t like, but this isn’t one of them... America's unions support amnesty for illegal immigrants and oppose any effort to stop more illegal immigrants from coming into this country... Unions also oppose America's NAFTA treaty with Mexico, which promised Mexican trucking companies access to our entire country, when they're hauling loads that originate in Mexico. This access was supposed to have been granted to Mexican truckers by 2000, but it¡s been delayed by protectionist union lackeys like North Dakota's Byron Dorgan who don't want those Mexicans competing with American truckers enrolled in the Teamsters Union... So my question for the union supporters is this: Why oppose allowing Mexican truckers into America legally, under the NAFTA treaty, in order to conduct legitimate commerce but support Mexican immigrants coming into this country illegally? Put another way, why do unions support foreigners who come here and thumb their noses at our law but oppose foreigners who come here at the express invitation of our laws?... I'd really like an answer to that one. Because it's clear, to me, that allowing Mexican truckers access to the American market is a good way to help enrich Mexico's economy and thin out the number of people fleeing poverty in that country by forcing their way into ours. In fact, I'd say it's immoral not to grant these Mexican truckers access to our economy. After all, competition among business and the unencumbered flow of commerce is good for all of us, Mexican and American alike...

Labels: mexican's trucks

BORDER NEWS * Latvia - Truck lines become permanent fixture in

It was exactly a year ago when the long lines of trucks started to appear on the Latvian-Russian border

Riga,Latvia -The Baltic Times -Aug 29, 2007: -- Remarkably, at the time most logistics experts and politicians said what everyone, particularly truckers and residents who live near the two border posts, didn’t want to hear: namely, that the lines weren’t going anywhere and would remain a way of life for some time to come. Latvian media now post daily updates on the number of trucks at the Terehova and Grebneva crossings, and in mid-August the total number surpassed 2,000, with 1,700 alone at Terehova. The line stretched all the way to Rezekne, and drivers were forced to wait five to six days before entering Russia... Given the heat and the lack of facilities to cope with the waste, eastern Latvia has turned into a foul-smelling trash dump... (Photo - HERE TO STAY: The thousand-long truck lines will be a fixture of the eastern Latvian landscape until Russia expedites the opening of a new border crossing and cargo operators find new routes to deliver the goods)

Labels: border news

Double-size trucks on way * USA - Bigger, but fewer, coal haulers deemed safer option

Steamboat Springs,CO,USA -The Craig Daily Press (Craig,CO), by Brandon Gee -August 29, 2007: -- The Routt County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved, with conditions, a petition by Xcel Energy to increase the size of trucks hauling coal on Routt County Road 27, also known as Twentymile Road... The decision was made at a hearing Tuesday at which Xcel sought to extend its special-use permit to haul coal on the road between the Hayden Station power plant and Peabody Energy’s Twentymile Coal Mine and amend it to allow for overweight and overlength trucks... (Photo by Brian Ray - A coal truck returns to the mine after dropping off a load of coal at the Hayden Station Power Plant along Routt County Road 27, also known as Twentymile Road, near Hayden on Tuesday afternoon)

Labels: double size trucks

Driver’s Licenses * USA - Arizona to offer they with citizenship identifiers

Arizona has joined a growing list of states that plan to offer driver’s licenses with special declarations of U.S. citizenship

AZ,USA -Land Line Magazine -August 30, 2007: -- ... Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff recently announced an agreement to allow Arizona state driver’s license holders to apply for a “technologically enhanced driver’s license” that would allow U.S. citizens in the state to re-enter the U.S. at Arizona’s international border crossings... (Photo by jake.manes - Chrome front strip Kenworth )

Labels: drivers' licences

HOS RULES & "BLACK BOXES" * USA

* HOS ruling may push back final EOBR rule

Hilton Head,SC,USA -Today's Trucking (Canada) -27 Aug 2007: -- A U.S. rule on electronic on-board recorders is not yet imminent, admitted a transportation official with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... Speaking to fleet execs and trucking suppliers Debbie Freund said FMCSA was still reviewing public comments submitted to the agency and said that a final decision on has not been made. The comment period closed in April... Urged on by a U.S. court, FMCSA announced in January a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for EOBRS -once commonly referred to as "black boxes" - for the purpose of monitoring HOS compliance... Carriers charged with two serious HOS review violations (with a rate of violation greater than 10%), in a two-year period, will have to fit their entire fleet with EOBRs... Only a tiny portion of fleets and owner-ops would be affected by the rule as it's currently proposed, Freund added... Dave Potts, director of safety and operations for American Trucking Associations, also said FMCSA needs to resolve issues pertaining to voluntary acceptance of EOBRs and work with legislators to provide meaningful incentives to encourage voluntary adoption... (Photoby Rohan Phillips : Light trails of trucks and cars driving down Port Wakefield Road at dusk. 30 second exposure)

Labels: HOS debate

TRUCKS SALES * SWEDEN - Major order for Volvo Trucks in Russia

Stockholm,Sweden -Europe Trucks News, by admin-28 Aug 2007: -- Volvo Trucks in Russia has signed a contract for 300 trucks with Russian logistics company Sunflower... The contract includes financing for all the trucks through Volvo Financial Services and exemplifies the rapid sales growth in Russia of the trucking business...

Labels: trucks sales

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Sweden - Wallenberg family blocking Scania-MAN trucking tie-up
Stockholm,Sweden -The Financial Times Deutschland/ The Local -28 August 2007: -- Swedish investor Peter Wallenberg, who holds a 30 percent stake in Swedish truck-maker Scania, has stalled talks to merge Scania with Germany's MAN and parts of Volkswagen, reported Tuesday... "A simple sale of Scania to a German company is not done that easily without damaging (Wallenberg's) reputation in Sweden," the report quoted an unidentified source familiar with the matter as saying.. The report said that the companies' stakes in each did not provide a simple solution for the merger, which would create Europe's biggest truck maker...

* Sweden - Volvo displays CO2-free trucks

The Volvo Group has produced seven demonstration trucks that can all be driven without emitting any environmentally harmful carbon dioxide

Stockholm,Sweden -Truck News (Canada), by Steven Macleod -30 Aug 2007: -- ... These trucks were exhibited for the first time in Stockholm on Aug. 29 and are equipped with diesel engines, which have been modified to operate on seven different types of renewable liquid and gaseous fuels... The seven Volvo FM trucks are equipped with Volvo’s own 9-litre engines that have been specially modified by the group’s engineers to illustrate the possibilities of carbon-dioxide-free transport. The seven trucks can be operated on the same number of different renewable fuels and/or combinations of fuels: biodiesel, biogas combined with biodiesel, ethanol/methanol, DME, synthetic diesel and hydrogen gas combined with biogas. Since all of these fuels are produced from renewable raw materials, they provide no carbon-dioxide contributions to the ecosystem when combusted... (Volvo has developed seven demonstration model trucks, which run solely on renewable fuels)

* Japan - Isuzu targets 40 pct rise in opg profit by year to March 2011
Tokyo,Japan -AFX/Thomson Financial/Forbes (NY,USA), by umiko nishitani -28 Aug 2007: -- Japan's largest truck maker, Isuzu Motors Ltd, said Tuesday it aims to rack up operating profit of 150 billion yen (USD 1296,3 M) in the year to March 2011, up 40 percent from the 106.98 billion yen earned in the year to March 2007, by focusing on its overseas markets and the production of pick-up trucks... In a bid to reduce costs for developing environment-friendly trucks, Isuzu and Hino Motors, ranked as Japan's second-largest truck maker... Toyota, the world's second-largest automaker, owns 5.9 percent of Isuzu and 50.1 percent of Hino...

* India - Nissan ties up with local company to make small trucks in India
New Delhi,India -The Associated Press/The International Herald Tribune -August 29, 2007: -- Japan's Nissan Motor Co. has tied up with Indian truck and bus maker Ashok Leyland Ltd. to jointly manufacture small trucks and other light commercial vehicles in India, both companies said Wednesday... Nissan and Ashok Leyland have signed three joint venture agreements to make and sell light commercial vehicles in India and also support the Japanese company's worldwide sales through exports from here, said a joint statement from the two companies...

* USA - GM and Isuzu Cozy Up Way Down South
NY,USA - Reuters/Forbes, by Evelyn M. Rusli -29 Aug 2007: -- General Motors may have sold its equity stake in Isuzu Motors last year, but the U.S. truck maker has yet to sever ties with its Japanese peer. On Wednesday, the automakers announced that they have strengthened their strategic alliance in South America to sell trucks in the economically hot region... In a joint statement, the companies said they have signed an agreement that reinforces their existing partnership to sell trucks in Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. The companies will work together to launch new truck models, including the Isuzu N-series and F-series...

Labels: truckmakers news

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

* Kenworth Tops

New JD Power Heavy-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study released: Kenworth best in over-the-road, pickup/delivery and vocational truck segments

CAL,USA -JD Power.com, Press Release -22 Aug 2007: -- JD Power study in 12th year surveying owner/operators and small fleets on product and dealer service... Quality of heavy duty trucks overall has increased markedly since 2006... Kenworth tops over-the-road and pickup/delivery segments for 3rd year running. Kenworth did especially well in performance, quality and ownership cost factors... Sterling outperforms others in customer satisfaction. Sterling owners indicate higher level of satisfaction than others w/ dealer facility. 8 of 10 customers report work done right during 1st trip to dealer service. However, cumulative amount of specific problems has risen since 2005. Engine-related problems tops list of issues w/ resulting downtime causing dissatisfaction...

* Kenworth Class 8 customers are being offered a new package combining maintenance and warranty, to safeguard customers
Kirkland,Wash,USA -Truck News (Canada), by Steven Macleod -30 Aug 2007: -- The new Kenworth PremierCare Freedom Package provides Kenworth Class 8 on-highway truck owners with a combined preventive maintenance and extended warranty program... It is the first time Kenworth has combined an extended basic vehicle warranty with a two-to five-year preventive maintenance program... The Freedom Package can be purchased with the Kenworth truck and wrapped into a finance package...

* Mack installs 50,000th remanufactured carrier
Houston,TX,USA -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -31 Aug 2007: -- For 20 years, Williams Brothers Construction Company in Houston, Texas, has been buying REMACK remanufactured parts for its fleet of 360-plus Mack trucks from Vanguard Truck Center of Houston. So it was little surprise to Eugene “Red” Moore, Williams Brothers’ transportation supervisor, when he learned the company had installed REMACK’s 50,000th remanufactured carrier on one of its trucks...

* Freightliner says independent testing validates Cascadia's aerodynamic superiority
Portland,OR,USA -Truck News (Canada) -30 Aug 2007: -- When Freightliner introduced its new Cascadia Class 8 tractor in May, it said it was confident the new truck boasted best-in-class aerodynamics. Now, it says it has the proof... Freightliner officials say independent testing by the Auto Research Center has proven the Cascadia is more aerodynamic than the International ProStar, Kenworth T660, Peterbilt 386 and Volvo 780. Testing was conducted at Freightliner's own wind tunnel in Portland, a wind tunnel built exclusively for the testing of Class 8 vehicles...

* Chinese trucks being built in Oklahoma
USA -Europe Trucks News (Germany) -30 Aug 2007: -- It was supposed to happen in Texas, but things didn't pan out for Tiger Trucks in the Lone Star State... Oklahoma quickly swooped in and wooed the builder of trucks designed by China's ChangAn... In an era when manufacturing is increasingly ...

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

30.8.07

Risking Their Lives * USA - The Plight of Chinese Truck Drivers

The body of Lin Hoi Yeung, 45, a truck driver of Chinese descent, was discovered last month in Chino Hills alongside another body, both killed in an apparent homicide.

Chino Hills,CAL,USA -World Journal, by Qi Ge, translated by Pete Schurmann -Aug 24, 2007: --Yeung’s death has brought more attention to the plight of Chinese truck drivers... In Los Angeles, nearly 10,000 Chinese immigrants are employed as truck drivers, often attracted by the allure of a high paying job. But most stay in the profession only briefly and would rather move on to other jobs like restaurant work because of the hardships of truck driving... The dangers of being a truck driver are very real. One driver says that his good friend had been on an out-of-state delivery when he was overcome by exhaustion... Among the dangers and challenges that drivers face, most agree that loneliness is the most difficult to cope with, particularly on long distance trips that involve more than 10 hours of continuous driving. Some fall to hallucinations that lead to dangerous or fatal collisions... Chinese drivers who go out of state often find themselves the target of local police. Some of these drivers say that no matter the reason – even if it was just a sideway glance at the police, they would be pulled over for searches or interrogations... Truck drivers also suffer from a host of health related illnesses from back pain and stomach illnesses to insomnia. Even some of the young drivers say that their bodies cannot handle the demands of the work, but still they put themselves at risk in order to get the high wages. Some swear the next delivery will be their last, but when next time comes around, they’re right back to work. For many, it’s the only work they know... Many of these drivers spend a week or more on the road for one shipment. Away for such long periods, many drivers say they are unhappy in their relationships. One driver says that his girlfriend often suspects he is carrying on a relationship with another woman. At one point, he says, she hired a private detective to follow him... Most people are unaware of the challenges that go along with this line of work, many truck drivers say. Especially for newly arrived immigrants, they say there are better ways to earn a living...

Labels: truckers' stories

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

Groups file last minute injunction to keep Mexican trucks off US soil

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News, (Canada) by James Menzies - 30 Aug 2007: -- With Mexican trucks ready to hit US roads under a controversial pilot project as early as Saturday, several organizations have launched a last ditch attempt to derail the project through an emergency injunction... The Teamsters have teamed up with other special interest groups such as the Sierra Club and Public Citizen to launch the injunction. The Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association also announced it would be launching an injunction against the project... The groups are hopeful their injunction will be successful, because they contend implementation of the pilot project, which would allow up to 100 Mexican carriers to send trucks into the US, is unlawful. They say laws require the Department of Transportation to: create a program that yields statistically valid findings; show that US trucks have the same right to travel in Mexico that Mexican-domiciled trucks have to operate in the US; and reveal the inspection results for motor carriers allowed to operate beyond the border zone... (Photo by CNN: Trucks entering the United States from Mexico will have to meet stricter safety standards if the bill becomes law)

* Mexican trucks to gain access to US starting this weekend

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -30 Aug 2007: -- Mexican trucks will make their first forays into the US heartland beginning this weekend, much to the chagrin of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA)... OOIDA has been trying to stall a pilot project allowing Mexican trucks to operate well into the US, but the project will proceed Sept. 1...

* Mexican trucks ready to roll
Medford,OR,USA -World Net Daily, by Jerome R. Corsi -August 27, 2007: -- Despite these obvious deficiencies, Mexican government statements published only in Spanish indicate 37 Mexican trucking companies have been certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation to participate in the Mexican demonstration project... Mexican Transportation Secretary Luis Tellez has claimed the 37 Mexican trucking companies will be allowed to run their long-haul rigs on any U.S. road without limitation as early as next week, Sept. 1, before Congress has returned to Washington from the August recess... Yet, the FMCSA plans to utilize SPP-developed FAST lanes relying on electronic checks that will allow Mexican trucks to enter into the United States in as little as 15 seconds, without any physical inspection of their truck trailers or shipment containers...

Labels: mexican's trucks

BE AWARE * USA - Fraudulent Double Brokering

Apex System Provides Early Warning of Possible Instances of

Forth Worth,TX,USA -Ahoy Cargo -28 August 2007: -- Apex Capital, a leading full service factor specialized in the trucking industry, is now providing early warning to its carrier clients of possible instances of fraudulent double brokering of freight, an all-too-frequent occurrence... Double brokering becomes a real problem, however, when fraud is the intent from the beginning... Fraudulent double brokering typically involves an imposter motor carrier who takes a load from a legitimate broker and then re-posts the load on an internet load board at an inflated rate to lure in an unsuspecting legitimate motor carrier to transport the freight. The imposter has no intention of ever paying the legitimate motor carrier. Once they receive an invoice and evidence of completed shipment from the true motor carrier, the imposter submits its own invoice to the first broker, collects payment and disappears...

Labels: frauds

ADVICE * USA - Do Your Homework Before Buying a Truck

To keep your vehicle maintenance and operation costs down, you need to do some homework before making another call to your truck dealer

Cleveland,OH,USA -Lawn & Landscape Magazine, by Robert Johnson (*) -27 Aug 2007: -- Start by establishing and following a logical design process, as outlined here in four steps. Taking a systematic approach to specifying a new work truck makes it easier to ensure that the truck meets your needs...
Step 1. Determine what you need the truck to do.
Step 2. Thoroughly explore technical details to achieve your vehicle goals.

Step 3. Factor in vehicle operating conditions and environment.

Step 4. Review the maintenance histories of existing vehicles in the fleet.

(*) Robert “Bob” Johnson is the director of fleet relations for the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) (Photo by W J Andy: Trips on Truck - Parley Pass, I-80 Utah)

Labels: trucking's advice

TOLLS * USA

* Pennsylvania Turnpike official says I-80 tolls better than privatization
PA,USA -Land Line Magazine -August 29, 2007: -- Joseph Brimmeier, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, has been touring the state in recent days speaking to media and community groups about a recent proposal to increase turnpike tolls and convert Interstate 80 into a toll road... During budget proceedings in July, the Pennsylvania State Legislature passed Act 44 as part of transportation funding legislation HB1590. The act enables the state to issue bonds to pay for roads, bridges and mass transit and repay the debt through tolls... The funding, Brimmeier said, will allow the state to avoid leasing infrastructure assets to private investors...

* Maine Private toll road proposed in
MN,USA -Land Line Magazine -August 29, 2007: -- A businessman in Maine is pitching the idea of a privately built toll road that would link the state with Quebec on the west and New Brunswick on the east... According to the Bangor Daily News, Peter Vigue, president of Cianbro Corp. – a large construction company – also says he has received assurances from a New York bank that private funding would be available... Vigue said the state couldn’t build such a highway because it can’t afford to purchase right-of-way or pay for construction...

* Kentucky bill would authorize tolls for roads, bridges
KY,USA -Land Line Magazine -August 27, 2007: -- A leading state lawmaker in Kentucky wants to give cities and counties authority to issue bonds and create tolls for roads and bridges... Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, has prefiled a bill for consideration during the next regular session that would allow local governments to create public infrastructure authorities that could issue bonds for road and bridge work, privatize projects and place tolls on the projects. The agencies also would have control of state and federal highway money for road maintenance and construction projects...

* Massachusetts Considering Tolls, Rush-Hour Fees
MAS,USA - The Boston Herald /Transport Topics -29 Aug 2007: -- Mass., may put tolls on Interstate 93 and toll other state highways during peak travel times... Citing a confidential draft report from a legislative commission, the Herald said that tolls and a short-term hike in state’s gasoline tax were being touted as solutions to the state’s transportation funding shortfall... Longer-term changes could include introduction of new tolls on I-93 and other highways, as well as methods of charging motorists based on the time of day and distance they travel...

* Georgia - Toll lane draft plan is illegal
Atlanta,GA,USA -The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, by ARIEL HART -30 Aug 2007: -- The massive toll lane project along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties is under attack from interest groups who notified the state Department of Transportation that they think the current plan to expand the road is illegal and otherwise ill-advised... DOT spokeswoman Karlene Barron called the groups' comments "significant" but not unexpected in the development of such a big and groundbreaking project... Lawyers representing the trucking industry and freight-related companies wrote DOT that they consider the project, as currently contemplated, to be "illegal under both federal and state law"... The quarrel may threaten the state's $4 billion, three-pronged project to combat congestion on interstates in Cobb and Cherokee counties with truck-only lanes, HOV lanes where solo drivers could drive for a fee, and bus rapid transit...

Labels: tolls roads debate

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Germany - MAN's Samuelsson demands progress on truck alliance
BEIJING,China -Reuters, by Claudia Kade -Aug 27, 2007: -- The chief executive of German industrial group MAN on Sunday called for speedy progress in long-running talks about a three-way truckmakers' alliance in Europe, adding he hoped that more clarity could be gained by year-end... Merging MAN with Swedish rival Scania and the commercial vehicles arm of Volkswagen would create Europe's market leader... (Photo: Two M.A.N. 26-410 6x6 wheel drive trucks)

* Germany - Daimler’s Second-Quarter Income Dips
Frankfurt,Germany -Bloomberg -29 Aug 2007: -- DaimlerChrysler’s second-quarter net income fell 14% after the company took losses from its unprofitable Chrysler division, sold earlier this month... Net income fell to about $2.5 billion from about $2.9 billion a year earlier, the company said... The truck division, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, aims to remain profitable even during a downturn, said truck unit chief Andreas Renschler... Daimler is the parent company of U.S. truck maker Freightliner LLC, which makes Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star trucks...

* Germany - DaimlerChrysler plans up to $10 billion share buyback
Frankfurt,Germany -Reuters -August 29, 2007: -- Flush with cash after selling Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler will spend up to 7.5 billion euros ($10.20 billion) to buy back nearly 10 percent of its shares over the next year, the carmaker said today... The move eclipsed second-quarter results that met market expectations and revealed how DaimlerChrysler will return excess funds to shareholders after selling a majority stake in its struggling U.S. arm to buyout group Cerberus Capital Management...

* USA - Volvo Group’s North American deliveries down 60%
Greensboro,NC,USA -Trucks News (Canada) -30 Aug 2007: -- Volvo Group continues to suffer a decline in North American truck deliveries as customers shy away from the more costly 2007 trucks and engines... Volvo Group’s overall North American deliveries are down 60% compared to last year. Mack Truck deliveries are down 62% in North America compared to last year while Volvo deliveries have seen a 64% decline.Volvo Group’s global sales have nearly offset the North American declines, with the company experiencing just a 4% drop in deliveries worldwide...

* India - Nissan In Vehicle Venture With Ashok Leyland
New Delhi,India -Forbes (USA), by Ruth David -30 Aug 2007: -- Ashok Leyland and Japanese auto giant Nissan have announced a tie-up to make pickup trucks and other light commercial vehicles in India and are looking at partnerships in sales and distribution... Tata Motors dominates the commercial vehicle arena overall. Ashok Leyland has a 30% market share of the medium and heavy vehicle segments. But it has only 2% of the light commercial vehicle market because of a lack of competitive products, analysts say... Nissan already has a joint venture with tractor maker Mahindra and Mahindra and Renault in the Indian market, where it produces its no-frills Logan sedan. The three companies are setting up a production plant in the southern Indian city of Madras, with the capacity to manufacture about 400,000 vehicles...

Labels: truckmakers news

EVENTS * USA

* Chassis on parade
USA -Fleet Owner -Aug 28, 2007: -- The newest commercial truck chassis from 10 manufacturers will be on display at the New Model Truck Product Conference being sponsored by the National Truck Equipment Assoc. (NTEA) on Sept. 17 to 19 at the Hyatt Regency Dearborn... The product preview is intended to give body builders and others a first-hand look at changes in upcoming truck models. This year, manufacturers are also expected to discuss exhaust configurations related to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2007 diesel emissions requirements... Participating truck makers will include Dodge, Ford Commercial Truck, GM Fleet and Commercial, Isuzu Commercial Truck America, Sterling Truck, Freightliner Trucks, International Trucks, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Toyota Motor Sales USA and Hino Trucks...

* ACE conferences coming to Atlanta, West Coast
USA -Fleet Owner -Aug 27, 2007: -- Fleets and others involved in cross-border freight movement can get the latest information on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system at two conferences being held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB)... Topics covered will include compliance with new regulations mandating the use of ACE, as well as demonstrations of new functionality for the system, according to CBP... The first will be held on Oct. 15 to 17 in Atlanta, and the second in November on the West Coast at a place and date yet to be determined. Registration (www.cbp.gov/modernization) is free but required for every attendee...

Labels: events

DRIVERS' SHORTAGE * USA - Making the connection with drivers

During the first quarter this year, driver turnover for large truckload carriers increased to 127% – the highest turnover rate since the end of 2005

USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Aug 27, 2007: -- The numbers are still getting worse when it comes to the truck driver shortage... That means truckload carriers ended the quarter with 1.8% fewer drivers than it had at the start, according to the American Trucking Assns. (ATA)... That’s why, more than ever, many fleets believe they must forge tighter personal bonds with drivers, going well beyond simply offering them bigger paychecks... Ultimately, said Jim Jeter, gm of trucking operations at Houston-based Empire Truck Lines, the driver is the one generating the money that pays for everyone’s salary at the trucking company – and that’s something Empire never lets its staff forget... “It’s all about relationships now,” he said. “If we take care of that driver, make sure they are getting the miles and home time they need, making sure they are well-respected, then we’ll be able to grow our business. In our view, it’s all about supporting the people that write our checks"... (Photo: Well this really it's a driver's logistic ideas manager...!!!)

Labels: drivers' shortage

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

* Canada - Kenworth tri-drives help loggers extend hauling season
Prince George,BC,Canada -Truck News -30 Aug 2007: -- A B.C. log hauling fleet has extended the hauling season by three weeks by spec’ing tri-drives... “If we didn’t have Kenworth trucks with the right spec’s, we just couldn’t do the job, our trucks would come back broken all the time,” said Steve Vohar, general manager with Pineview. “There are a lot of guys who try and spec’ lighter trucks so that they can haul more logs, but they end up broken down on the side of the road. Dunkley Lumber pays us to keep their mill supplied with logs, not to be sitting on the side of the road"... (Picture: Pineview's Kenworth tri-drives allow the company to extend the log hauling season in B.C.)

* USA - YRC to Begin Labor Talks - Negotiations With Teamsters Could Start in Early September
VA,USA -Transport Topics -29 Aug 2007: -- YRC Worldwide said its subsidiaries will begin contract discussions with the Teamsters union for a new national master freight agreement as soon as early next month. The current contract expires April 1, YRC said late Tuesday...

* Canada - Local trucking company unveils new generation smog-free truck

Oshawa,Durham,Canada -Newsdurhamregion.com, by Izabela Jaroszynski -Aug 27, 2007: -- After nearly 75 years in the business, a local trucking company is taking up the call for greater environmental responsibility... Mackie Moving Systems, an Oshawa-based company, is incorporating eight new smog-free trucks into its growing fleet. The trucks, which hit the market earlier this year, meet tough new government standards that will virtually eliminate smog-causing emissions from trucks between now and 2010... The new 2007 model trucks are equipped with a device known as a particulate trap, which filters out microscopic particulate matter known to be harmful to human health...

* USA - Evans opens Chesapeake terminal

Chesapeake,VA,USA -Fleet Owner - Aug 29, 2007: -- The Evans Network of Companies announced it has opened a trucking terminal inside the Cavalier Industrial Park... The Evans Network of Companies is a logistics partner with strategically located terminals across the country. The network, which provides transportation services in the intermodal, truckload and flatbed markets, encompasses six divisions: West Motor Freight, All Points Transport Corp., Hale Intermodal Trucking, Century Express, Evans Delivery Company and DM Transport Management Services...

* USA - Landstar to buy back another 2M shares

Jacksonville,FL,USA -The Jacksonville bizjournals.com -August 27, 2007: -- Landstar System Inc. is extending its plan to buy back company stock. The company's board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to two million shares of stock in the open market and through privately negotiated transactions... Landstar System Inc., is a non-asset-based transportation and logistics provider with a network of more than 1,000 sales agents, 8,000 business-capacity owners and 23,000 contract carriers and warehouse-capacity owners...

* Canada - Kriska acquires Muirs International

Prescott,Ont,CAN-Truck News -27 Aug 2007: -- Kriska Holdings has announced it has reached a deal to assume the international cross-border truckload activities of Muirs International... The deal will be effective Sept. 9, 2007...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

AWARDS * USA

* Roadway's Alphonso Lewis is 2007 National Truck Driving Champion
Minneapolis,MIN,USA -PRNewswire/Earthtimes.org -26 Aug 2007 -- Alphonso "Al" Lewis, a Roadway professional truck driver based in Montgomery, Ala. was named the 2007 National Truck Driving Grand Champion... Lewis' driving skills and knowledge of transportation and truck safety information topped those of 377 other drivers from all across the United States in the National Truck Driving Championships, held in Minneapolis, Minn. In route to his title, Lewis has logged 21 accident and injury free years as a driver. Lewis is the first African-American winner in the 70-year history of the Championships... The 70th annual "Super Bowl of Safety" is sponsored by the American Trucking Associations...

* ABF Drivers Hazlett and Harris Earn Honors at the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships
Forth Smith,AR,USA -PRNewswire-FirstCall -Aug 27, 2007: -- ABF Freight System, Inc. drivers John Hazlett and Kevin Scott Harris were named National Champions during the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships conducted August 21-25 in Minneapolis... Sponsored by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the national competition highlights the driving skills, industry knowledge and work ethic of professional truck drivers, along with their contribution to the safety of America's highways.

* SmartDrive lauds safety winners
USA -Fleet Owner -Aug 29, 2007: -- SmartDrive Systems and the radio show "Fleet Radio by SmartDrive" have announced the two winners (one for the U.S., one for Europe) of their Safety-Risk Manager of the Year for 2007. In the United States, the award goes to Sam Dunbar, director of safety for Con-way Freight, and in Europe, the honoree award is Jon York, fleet operations manager for British Gas (UK), a subsidiary of Centrica Corp....

Labels: awards

* USA - Labor Day Crackdown Underway

The word is out!! - If you drive drunk this Labor Day holiday you will be caught and arrested

USA -MADD E-newsletter -27 August 2007: -- As Labor Day approaches and millions of Americans hit the roads for one last summer vacation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) have launched a tough law enforcement crackdown on drunk driving. This nationwide enforcement campaign, Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest. launched on Aug. 17 and runs through Sept. 3...

Labels: driving campaigns

27.8.07

Truck Tonnage * USA - July Falls 3.7%

VA,USA -TTNews Express -27 Aug 2007: -- American Trucking Associations’ July for-hire truck tonnage index fell 3.7% from the same month a year ago but saw the first month-to-month increase since March... The downturn followed June’s 3.4% year-over-year decline. Year to date, the tonnage index is 2.6% below last year, ATA said... The index’s reading of 110.9 was the highest since April. The not seasonally adjusted index fell 2.7% from June, to 111... Photo: Well... sure this is not an american truck !!! ... (Image credit: Dasar)

Labels: trucking statistics

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Japan - Hino, Isuzu to Expand Partnership - Companies Will Build Cabs, Develop Technology
Tokyo,Japan -Bloomberg/Transport Topics -27 Aug 2007: -- Hino Motors and Isuzu Motors agreed have to develop cabs for heavy-duty trucks and research technology to trap emissions, expanding the two companies’ partnership... Tokyo-based Hino and Isuzu, both affiliates of Toyota Motor Corp., issued separate statements via the Tokyo Stock Exchange about the deal...

Labels: truckmakers news

DEBATES * USA - Trucking Industry, Truck Parking and Hours of Service Debates

Truckers drive for long hours and fall asleep or have preventable accidents

USA -blogging-jeyy84782.blogspot, by L. Winslow (*) -26 Aug 2007: -- Many folks are concerned that truck drivers spend too many hours straight driving across the country and that in doing so jeopardize the public safety on our Nation's highways. Indeed there have been some accidents however much of the concern is completely overblown... The United States Navy has done lots of tests on sleep deprivation, concentration levels and mistakes from fatigue and the studies show that there are issues and they are real. Still we note at the T-5 Group (The Trucking Think Tank Team) that much of this Hours of Service debate is mass media incited hysteria wagging the dog... One medical doctor, Dr. Nathalie Fiset understands the reality of the problem and there for asks the tough question from a reality perspective and purely medical. A major question is security: truckers drive for long hours and fall asleep or have preventable accidents... How can this be avoided in the future trucking? -Re: Falling Asleep at the wheel - There are devices available, which sense the driver's head nodding off that are now coming onto the market. And the T-5 Group believes if these units can be incorporated into the truck itself or the seat belt system and at a relatively inexpensive price point then the chances of their widespread use will be good... Other new rulings and regulations seem to address these real problems from a different tactic and that is that the regulators want to do away with paper log books and go all digital, using transponders and electronic updated computer systems to track the trucks. Therefore preventing Long-Haul Truckers using dual log book strategies to by-pass the rules... (* L. Winslow is a Transportation and Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur) (Photo Galley by Static Bob - "Roll on one")

Labels: HOS debate

Driver Shortage * Canada - Escalating CTHRC research concludes

New studies conducted on behalf of the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (CTHRC) have identified an escalating shortage of qualified commercial truck drivers across Canada

Ottawa,Ont,CAN -Transportation & Logistics Canada, by Adam Ledlow -26 Aug 2007: -- ... Canadian fleets lose 22.1% of their drivers per year, according to Canada's Driving Force Phase 2, the follow-up to research conducted in 2002. That compares to an average driver turnover rate of 36% recorded at the time of the initial study. Even after the employers recruit new personnel, however, about 12% of the industry's job openings remain vacant representing an immediate need for 12,000 additional Class 1/A drivers, CTHRC officials say... Almost half of the fleets admitted during surveys in 2006 that a lack of personnel forced them to idle equipment in the previous six months; 60% cited the driver shortage as one of the top two concerns facing their organizations... "There is no a magic bullet to solve every HR challenge, but this is the industry intelligence that fleets can use in their recruiting, training and retention strategies," says Linda Gauthier, CTHRC executive director.. (Photo Gallery: Static Bob - "Super 18")

Labels: driver shortage

No horsing around * Australia - Equine flu stops horse transport

A total ban on the movement of horses is in place across Queensland in the wake of the equine influenza outbreak in NSW

Queensland,NSW,Australia -Australasian Transport News -27 August 2007: -- ... This ban applies to all horses, including: those used for pony clubs, leisure riding, equestrian events, camp drafting, droving, racing and trotting horses and animals used in displays or zoos (including zebras)... Owners must not move their horse from their current paddock or stall, without a permit issued by a DPI&F inspector... Queensland Police Service, Queensland Transport and DPI&F biosecurity inspectors will enforce the movement ban with mobile patrols and interceptions... Queensland’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Ron Glanville says all vehicles that have been used recently for moving horses must be disinfected and that personal hygiene measures are also needed to prevent horse handlers from spreading the disease from one horse to another...

Labels: trucks ban

* Australia - Skills shortages are here to stay

New research launched today by McCrindle Research shows the skills shortages and the associated workplace expectations of Generation Y are here to stay

Melbourne,Australia -Australasian Transport News -21 August 2007: -- ... Many employers assume that the skills shortages come from 16 straight years of economic growth and the resulting increased demand for staff, says the report... However research shows chronic staff shortages are produced not just by the economic times but also by the demographic times, including an ageing population and the relative decline in the number of young people.... McCrindle says that Australia's working age population is in decline as a proportion of the total population, and for every person of retirement age (65 or over) there are currently 5 people in the working age population (aged 15-64)... However in 4 decades McCrindle says that for every person in retirement age there will be just 2.4 people of working age... See more about drivers' shortage in Australia on: www.infotruck.blogspot.com/2007/06/trucking-jobs-australia-looks-to-457.html

Labels: drivers shortage

Wall of Fame * Australia - Trucking elite honoured as drivers inducted onto

The Shell Rimula Wall of Fame saw 54 new members inducted on Saturday, in a celebration of a lifetime of service to the trucking industry

Alice Springs,Australia -Australasian Transport News -27 August 2007: -- From the chief executives of national transport carriers to truckies from across Australia, over 550 people descended on National Road Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs on the weekend for a three-day celebration of the nation’s road transport industry stalwarts... The annual Shell Rimula Gala Dinner was held on Saturday night at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame... Some inductee highlights included:
* Betty Morgan, who got her truck licence in 1968, was one of the first female truck drivers in the industry and still holds a semi-trailer licence.
* Jim Warden, aged 78, who has been involved in the industry since the early 1950s.
* Stuart McColl, who will turn 90 this year, started his business with just one truck and now owns over 300.

Labels: awards

PRODUCTS & SERVICES * Australia

* Australia- Logistics Bureau acquires market leader Dawson Consulting

Sydney,Australia-Australasian Transport News -27 August 2007: -- Specialist logistics and supply chain consultancy Logistics Bureau has acquired Dawson Consulting, Australia's largest full-service supply chain management consultancy... Established in 1997, the Logistics Bureau provides a full range of supply chain and logistics consulting services from offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Bangkok. Dawson Consulting, founded in 1990 by Mark Dawson, consults on both strategic and operational issues from offices throughout Australia and New Zealand... (Image Credit: Moobol, by Stephen Frost)

Labels: products and services

ELECTRONIC LOGS DEBATE * USA - Trucker logbooks doubted

Most truckers play by the rules

Milwaukee,Wis,USA -The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron,OH) -Aug 26, 2007: -- ... Mile for mile, they have fewer accidents than drivers of cars... But every day, a significant percentage of commercial truck drivers disregard the rules that are supposed to limit how long they work. Every month, surveys have indicated, one in eight long-haul truckers dozes at the wheel. Every year, hundreds of people die in crashes involving tired truck drivers... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should scrap the paper logbooks in which truckers record their hours of work and rest... ''It's kind of ludicrous that we're still using paper logs,'' said Kristen A. Monaco, an economist at California State University-Long Beach, who has studied the trucking industry. ''The paper logbooks are just way too easy to fudge"... Instead, the critics say, the safety administration should order the use of an electronic system that the agency itself estimates would cut violations of hours rules in half... The safety administration probably won't issue final regulations on electronic logs for months, if not longer. Those rules are unlikely to end the debate, which could intensify as the ranks of the 1.7 million truckers on the highways grow by 200,000 to 300,000 by 2014... (Photo by Holly Hillsurfer - "Stevens Transport at Night")

Labels: electronic logs

TRUCKING INDUSTRY COMMENTS * USA

* To our readers: So what does all theses comments mean? We beg your reply about...

* Learn More about Freight Brokers & the Trucking Industry

USA -Freight Brokering Blog, by John D. Thomas: It's the sole owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. -25 Aug 2007: -- If you are not familiar with the freight broker and trucking industries, you may be surprised. They are big businesses that offer many opportunities for people, just like you and me, to make big bucks. Is this for everyone? No, but if you are willing to dedicate the time to learning about these industries, making contacts, hunting down leads, and providing good customer service, then these industries may offer that perfect work-at-home job you’ve been looking for … as a freight broker... Just what is a Freight Broker? A freight broker is the middle man between a shipper who needs something shipped and a motor carrier who will transport the cargo... Freight Brokers are in High Demand: The freight industry is a large one that brings in billions of dollars per year... How to Break Into Freight Brokering: Almost anyone can easily break into the freight brokering industry; all it really takes is a willingness and dedication to learning everything that you can about the trucking industry, shippers, and brokers... (Photo from: Truck Show GATS (Dallas,TX,USA) - "Texas Pete" by photobyronnie)

* The Growth of the Trucking Industry

The trucking industry is expected to face a serious shortage in drivers.

USA -Career Advice, by Randy Nichols -August 24, 2007: -- If you are looking for a career change with competitive pay, consider a truck driving job with a trucking company such as Swift Transportation, Inc. With a Swift trucking job, you can generally pick and choose the areas you want to work in, whether from coast to coast or more of a regional job (e.g. New England). You also get to pick your hours and get to be your own boss, without the restrictions of a traditional desk job... The gap between the number of available truck drivers and the demand for their services is rapidly growing bigger. Trucking companies are offering competitive wages, benefits, and flexible schedules in order to attract a new generation of drivers. A number of companies are also offering incentives such as signing bonuses and free CDL training. Experienced drivers are being lured by lucrative paychecks and more flexible schedules, allowing them to be home more. Those interested in team driving (such as husband and wife drivers) are often paid double since they theoretically can deliver products quicker than just one driver... (Photo: Blue Semi, by Bob Voors)

* The Importantance of the Truck Driving Industry
USA -myblog56759.blogspot -August 25, 2007: -- Unbeknownst to many Americans, this nation relies heavily on the commercial trucking industry for our economy to function. With very few exceptions, nearly every product we have was transferred on a truck at some point. Many products that are made from multiple ingredients were hauled on a truck more than once before becoming an end product. Trucks are the visible proof of the U.S. economy at work... The trucking industry is rapidly growing as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics web site, the trucking industry is strong and expanding, expecting a 22% growth in jobs between 2000 and 2010. The government estimates that freight volume will increase by 50 percent in the next 20 years...

Labels: trucking industry USA

26.8.07

The Great American Truck Show * USA - Exhorbitant US diesel prices

Dallas,TX,USA -Biglorryblog (UK) -24 Aug 2007: -- ... a cartoon which - given that diesel in the US costs an eye-watering $1.50 a gallon !!! ... $1.50 a gallon..? Why that's almost £0.75p!!!!! Even given the fact that a US gallon is smaller than a Imperial gallon--four litres as opposed to 4.5 litres---how on earth can those poor US truckers keep going...? (Answers please on a postcard)..

Labels: fuel prices

The Great American Truck Show * USA - An oddball trailer

"Given you fondness for the bizarre, here's a special interest-type trailer for your perusal"

Dallas,TX,USA -Biglorryblog (UK) -24 Aug 2007: -- ... If the problem is axle overloading on the above tipping trailer... why not fit one extra big one, instead of two little ones? Search me... Meanwhile I have young man currently in Dallas at the Great American Truck Show (or GATs to you and me) and tells me: 'Hi Brian, plenty of customised stuff at GATS - more of which anon'... (Picture by Mr Ollie Dixon)

Labels: events

INFRASTRUCTURES * UK - Road repairs ... "the average pothole in 20 minutes" ...

A quick in-situ solution from Nu-Phalt

London, UK -Biglorryblog -24 Aug 2007: -- Truck drivers fed up with either falling down into enormous great holes in the road, or thumping over the ever-growing patchwork of temporary tarmac repairs that stand proud on Her Majesty's Highway will no doubt join Biglorryblog in offering a loud 'Huzzah!! at the news that a new company is set to smooth over the rough patches in their lives... Rosyth-based Nu-Phalt Scotland has developed what it says is an innovative infrared technology that offers a much faster, environmentally-friendly, safer, cheaper and longer lasting way to repair potholes than conventional methods. In fact, the firm says it '..has the technology to repair the average pothole in 20 minutes.' ... According to the PR blurb "The innovative process recycles the existing road surface material in-situ and produces a heat-sealed repair that re-establishes the original integrity of the treated surface to create a thermo-bond between the repair area and the existing road surface, creating a near seamless joint and extending its performance life to give a longer lasting repair"...

Labels: infrastructures

Saving Fuel Costs * USA - Truckers taking time

Diesel costs move big rigs to the right lane

Cedar Rapids,IO,USA -The Gazette On Line, by Dave DeWitte -August 25. 2007: -- If it seems like more big rigs are driving in the slow lane these days, it may not be your imagination... Rising fuel costs and tough competition have trucking companies employing sophisticated strategies to get their drivers to slow down in order to save fuel... Going slower reduces trucks' fuel consumption primarily by lessening aerodynamic drag, the friction between the air and a solid surface moving through it. Trucking companies can use the governor system on a truck's engine to limit its maximum speed. Many also have added computer software in their rigs that allows them to link the governed driving speed to the fuel economy record of the driver... Dale Lavin, fuel manager for West Side Transport, said the driving habits of the truckers are the ultimate influence on fuel economy, and West Side coaches its drivers on how to achieve the best fuel economy... West Side initially sets the governor on a truck at 65 mph. Drivers whose fuel economy doesn't meet the company's benchmarks lose their eligibility for bonuses. Drivers who consistently fail to meet fuel economy goals can have their governed speed adjusted below 65 mph... West Side drivers who meet the fuel economy standards, on the other hand, qualify for extra bonuses and can have their rigs' governors adjusted to go faster than 65... CRST Carrier Group in Cedar Rapids, spends $198 million per year on diesel fuel. At an average fuel economy of 5.8 miles per gallon, the 72 million gallons will let CRST's 4,500-plus trucks cover about 400 million miles per year... "If I can get my 5.8 miles per gallon up to 5.9 miles per gallon, I can save $300,000 per month," Dave Rusch, president of the CRST Carrier Group, says... So CRST uses special Michelin tires designed for better fuel economy. It also buys aerodynamic farings and skirtings at a cost of about $2,500 each. Both investments more than pay for themselves in fuel savings... Volume purchasing arrangements allow CRST to buy its fuel for 15 percent or more off the pump price, and the company has a fuel specialist who monitors prices at truck stops nationwide... If one truck stop charges significantly more than others, CRST broadcasts a message to its drivers to avoid it... Some truckload carriers report that the difference in fuel expenditures between their most and least efficient drivers can reach $10,000 per year... And speed isn't the only factor; another important factor, Operations Manager Chris Hummer for Don Hummer Trucking of Oxford explained, is how the drivers relax... To varying degrees, truck drivers idle their engines while sleeping or waiting to unload so they can run the rigs' air conditioning systems or power accessories such as portable televisions... (Photo illustration: by Cliff Jette/The Gazette - Trucking companies, and drivers, are paying much more attention to fuel-conserving strategies in the face of soaring diesel fuel prices)

Labels: ideas fuel saving

SERVICES * USA - ProMiles, National Biodiesel Board team up for mapping software

Truckers now can use their laptops or any computer to find truck-accessible biodiesel fueling sites along their planned routes

Dallas,TXUSA -eTrucker/CCJ -25 Aug 2007: -- ... ProMiles and the National Biodiesel Board have announced the availability of biodiesel locations in ProMiles XF, the commercial vehicle/truck routing and mileage software for professional drivers and fleets... The NBB, ProMiles, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Oil Price Information Service are working together to produce a continuously updated and accurate list of truck-accessible biodiesel locations to be included in mapping software...

Labels: products and services

BORDER NEWS * Kenya - Panic as Country Bans Overloaded Trucks

Transport officials from the five-member East African Community will this weekend rush to Nairobi to ask Kenya to suspend its ban against trucks with quadruple axles and more

Nairobi,Kenia -New Times (Kigali,Rwanda)/All Africa (Kampala,Uganda), by Charles Kazooba -24 August 2007: -- ... Kenya has complained that trucks with quadruple axles and more carry excess cargo eroding their roads. Subsequently, Nairobi has placed a ban on such heavy vehicles beginning December this year... But the Permanent Secretary in Uganda's Ministry of Works and Transport, Charles Muganzi, has said that officials responsible for road safety from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi will travel to Nairobi this weekend and meet on Monday to harmonise their positions... Should Kenya's decision be effected, the volume of imports and exports through the country's port would therefore be negatively affected... Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the DR Congo import and export through Kenya... (See Africa's map)

Labels: border news

25.8.07

Idling * Canada - An Exhaustingly Bad Habit

Idling for five minutes a day in a small car will burn 38 liters of gas a year and release 88 kilograms of carbon dioxide (twice as much in a large car.) For every thousand small and large cars that idle for five minutes a day, that’s 132 tonnes!

Toronto,ON,Canada -Natural Life -25 Aug 2007: -- A recent study suggests that in the peak of winter, Canadians voluntarily idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day – equivalent to one vehicle idling for 144 years... According to Natural Resources Canada, for every liter of gasoline used, the average car produces about 2.4 kilos of carbon dioxide. If every driver of a light duty vehicle avoided idling by five minutes a day, collectively over the year, we would save 680 million liters of fuel and over 1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions... Diesel vehicles, on the other hand, do require a few minutes to warm up before being driven. Fortunately, there are available a variety of anti-idling devices designed to reduce the need for idling to warm up the engine, cool the vehicle or run auxiliary equipment when stopped... Diesel trucks create a particular problem, especially the hundreds of thousands of heavy duty, long-haul trucks with sleeper cabs that crisscross the continent. The drivers of these trucks are required to take safety rest periods at truck stops or rest areas every day. Most truck drivers leave their engines running during these rest periods to provide power for heat, air conditioning, refrigeration and other systems. This engine idling burns nearly a billion gallons of diesel a year in the U.S. alone, emitting an estimated 20 tons of air pollution and greenhouse gases... In order to reduce this sort of truck idling, systems have been developed to provide alternative power. One such technology is called Truck Electrified Parking (TEP.) TEP provides grid-supplied electrical power through electrical outlets mounted on pedestals at truck stop and rest area parking spaces. Truckers need to install 120-volt appliances or converters, but the cost works out to less than the cost of burning diesel fuel. The system has been tested in New York State and became operational along transportation corridors in Washington and Oregon just this past summer... (Photo by eere.energy.gov: A truck stop electrification unit)

Labels: idling reduction

FEDERAL LAWSUIT * USA - ACLU sues DEA on behalf of truck whose money was seized

A trucker has sued the Drug Enforcement Administration, seeking to get back nearly $24,000 seized by DEA agents earlier this month at a weigh station on U.S. 54 in New Mexico north of El Paso, Texas

Alburquerque,NM,USA -AP/Houston Chronicle (Houston,TX) -Aug. 24, 2007: -- ... Anastasio Prieto of El Paso gave a state police officer at the weigh station permission to search the truck to see if it contained "needles or cash in excess of $10,000," according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the federal lawsuit Thursday... Prieto told the officer he didn't have any needles but did have $23,700... Officers took the money and turned it over to the DEA. DEA agents photographed and fingerprinted Prieto over his objections, then released him without charging him with anything -Prieto was pulled into the weigh station about 10:30 a.m. Aug. 8 and was let go about 4 p.m-... Border Patrol agents searched his truck with drug-sniffing dogs, but found no evidence of illegal substances, the ACLU said... The lawsuit alleges the defendants violated Prieto's right to be free of unlawful search and seizure by taking his money without probable cause and by fingerprinting and photographing him... "Mere possession of approximately $23,700 does not establish probable cause for a search or seizure," the lawsuit said... "The government took Mr. Prieto's money as surely as if he had been robbed on a street corner at night," Simonson said. "In fact, being robbed might have been better. At least then the police would have treated him as the victim of a crime instead of as a perpetrator"... The ACLU's New Mexico executive director, Peter Simonson, said Prieto needs his money now to pay bills and maintain his truck. The lawsuit said Prieto does not like banks and customarily carries his savings as cash... The lawsuit names DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy, DEA task force officer Gary T. Apodaca, DEA agent Joseph Montoya and three state police officers identified only as John or Jane Doe...

Labels: lawsuits

Announce * USA - Smartway Transport Partnership and New "Grow and Go" Shipping Program

Businesses that want to ship “green” can now find truckers who use biodiesel through the EPA SmartWay Grow and Go program

Dallas,TX,USA -Grainnet (Decatur,ILL) -Aug. 24 2007: -- ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) announced on Aug 24 they have teamed up to educate the trucking industry about the benefits of biodiesel, and match shippers with truckers using biodiesel... The SmartWay Transport Partnership is an innovative collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry... Its goal is to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution... EPA SmartWay Grow & Go will also help reduce U.S. dependence on petroleum... Members of EPA SmartWay Grow & Go include owner-operators, trucking fleets, suppliers, brokers and anyone who is interested in less fuel use, emissions reduction and sustainable trucking practices...

Labels: biofuels

Interlock * USA - Pennsylvania bill would get tougher with first-time DUI offenders

PEN,USA -Land Line Magazine -August 24, 2007: -- A bill in the Pennsylvania Senate would require first-time offenders of the state’s drunken driving law to install ignition interlock devices onto their vehicles if they want to continue to drive... State law already requires the devices for repeat drunken drivers who obtain restricted licenses... The interlock is hooked up to the ignition of vehicles. Once the device is installed, a driver must blow into a mouthpiece so the machine can measure the amount of alcohol on a person’s breath. If the driver blows clean, the car will then start; if not, it won’t budge...

Labels: alcohol offenders

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA - Arizona Senate wants cross-border program suspended

AR,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -August 24, 2007: -- Members of the Arizona Senate have a laundry list of reasons why they want the proposed cross-border program with Mexico suspended and this summer they passed a measure outlining them... Senate Memorial 1007 unanimously passed the Arizona Senate on June 19. The legislation requests U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters to suspend the cross-border program... Topping the concerns of the Arizona senators is that Mexico-based trucks entering the U.S. today are not held to the same strict federal standards in terms of safety and air quality as their U.S. counterparts...

Labels: mexican's trucks

HOS DEBATE * USA - All truckers can do is 'sit on edge of seat' and wait...

... for next move in HOS, consultant says

Dallas,TX,USA -The Trucker -24 Aug 2007: -- Speaking at a seminar on HOS at the Great American Trucking Show, Leon Feazell, a safety consultant with Tejas Safety Advantage, said something will have to happen by Sept. 14, but “you never know what will happen with the judges”... After addressing what might or might not be, Feazell presented examples how a trucker could be in compliance with the current rules, and also showed some sample logs with that included both 11-hour and 14-hour violations...

* Tired Truckers Pose Danger on Highways

Pinon Hills,CA,USA -Best Syndication - August 24, 2007: -- When truck drivers become fatigued from excessive daily and weekly work hours, they substantially increase the risk of crashes that result in injury or death. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that approximately 750 people die each year due to fatigued commercial truck drivers and 20,000 are injured. Because of these disturbing statistics, the FMCSA has proposed a rule change regarding the number of hours a trucker can drive without taking a break to rest/sleep... The current rule allows drivers to operate a truck or bus no more than 10 consecutive hours before resting for a minimum of 8 hours. This current rule allows drivers to spend 16 hours driving in a 24-hour period. The new rule proposes a rotating schedule of work and rest based on a 24-hour period instead of an 18 hour period, requiring longer rest periods for drivers. The new rule would require drivers to rest between 9-12 continuous hours each day...

Labels: HOS debate

“Collusive Fuel Surcharges” * USA - LTL trucking firms named in federal price fixing lawsuit

Nearly a dozen well-known trucking companies, including YRC Worldwide, Con-Way and UPS, have been named in a lawsuit claiming that they colluded to fix shipping rates through fuel surcharges since 2003

CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO) -August 24, 2007: -- ... The federal suit, which is seeking class-action status, was filed by Farm Water Technological Services in the U.S. District Court for Southern California... The suit names 11 less-than-truckload carriers, including other big names such as Arkansas Best and FedEx... According to court documents, the suit claims the carriers used fuel costs as a pretext to impose “collusive fuel surcharges”... The suit claims that the less-than-truckload industry is a heavily consolidated one, and that when fuel prices began to rise, the companies got together and began imposing fuel surcharges... The suit also claims that the companies themselves have acknowledged that higher fuel prices have led to increased profits on the basis of fuel surcharges...

Labels: fuel surcharges

BORDER NEWS * Pakistan-India - Porters pack up for last time on the frontier amidst

On either side of the India-Pakistan border in the Punjab, teams of porters are involved in an unnecessary, pointless toil that highlights the fraught relations that have existed between the two countries

Attari,Pakistan -The Belfast Telegraph (Belfast,UK), by Andrew Buncombe -August 23, 2007: -- It is one of the most remarkable and fascinating human spectacles you are likely to witness - so long as you are not taking part... With trucks banned from the immediate area, Pakistani porters wearing orange tunics unload goods lorries by hand, hurl the heavy sacks on to their heads or shoulders and stagger towards the border gate. There they hand their loads to the outstretched arms of Indian porters wearing blue tunics who bundle the sacks on to their shoulders and struggle back towards another truck and stack it with the cargo... But this daily circus is about to end. Officials from the two countries agreed on Monday that from 1 October, goods trucks will be allowed to cross the border. The porters will keep their jobs but will no longer have to walk across no-man's land... (Picture: horizonsunlimited: Pakistan's border porters)

Labels: border news

24.8.07

BRIDGE COLLAPSE * USA - How much does it cost when a bridge goes down?

If you've had to take a detour because of the I-35W bridge collapse, chances are you've been burning extra gas -- and time

St. Paul, Minn,USA - Minnesota Public Radio, by Annie Baxter -August 23, 2007: -- Minnesota transportation officials wanted to provide a quick analysis of the costs of navigating around the fallen bridge. They focused on two primary detours -- one is a route around the bridge on Interstates 694 and 94, and the other involves Highway 280... MnDOT's director of investment analysis, Ed Idzorek and his colleagues wanted to get a quick snapshot of how much extra time and extra miles drivers would rack up because of those two official detours. So they looked at the extra mileage and figured out its worth... They also computed the extra time -- typically an additional five to 10 minutes of driving on any given leg. MnDOT values that time at $13 per hour for the average driver. For truckers, it's $21 per hour... Part of the difference stems from how each party values an hour of travel. The Minnesota Trucking Association sets it at $75 an hour -- $54 per hour higher than MnDOT's estimate, which comes from federal computations... Both estimates put the cost of the bridge collapse at millions of dollars a week. But in the grand scheme of things, that's barely a drop in the state's $245 billion economy... (MPR Photo, by Tim Post - The exit to Highway 280 off Interstate 94. Traffic on those roads has increased since the 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis)

Labels: bridge collapses

Thank a trucker * USA - Events recognize drivers for their service

The country’s 3.4 million truck drivers will get the royal treatment from their employers, co-workers, and the public during National Truck Drivers Appreciation Week....

Winchester,VA,USA -The Winchester Star, by Lorraine Halsted -August 23, 2007: -- The event begins on Sunday and the American Trucking Associations Inc. is encouraging the industry and the public to recognize drivers for their hard work and the challenges they face on the road... The American Trucking Associations also suggests that trucking companies hold special events — such as pig roasts, picnics, special trips, and family fun weekends — to recognize their drivers... Meanwhile, Terry Stanton, who manages the Strasburg Atlantic Bulk Carrier Corp., a Richmond-based hauling company with a terminal in Strasburg, said the best recognition the public can give to truck drivers is a little courtesy on the road. "Give them a break," he said... Stanton suggested allowing trucks extra room when passing them on the highway, refraining from following them too closely, and showing patience when they drive at slower speeds... "Most trucks are governed so they can only go a certain speed," he said, adding that the vehicles are calibrated by the companies to stay within limits... (Picture by Tom Cunningham from Biglorryblog)

Labels: events

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * UK

* Pinguin p-p-p-picks up Salvesen’s frozen veg arm

UK -Road Transport, by Chris Tindall -24 August 2007: -- Christian Salvesen has taken another step towards concentrating solely on its logistics and transport divisions by selling its frozen vegetable business. The sale of Christian Salvesen Foods to King's-Lynn-based Pinguin Foods, for £17.2m, does not immediately affect the storage and distribution of the products this will continue to be carried out on behalf of the new owners from sites at Grimsby, Hull and Lowestoft for at least the next 16 months...

* Bullet Express boost profit with IT investment
Bothwell,South Lanarkshire,UK -Road Transport, by Roanna Avison -22 August 2007: -- Bullet Express boosts turnover after investing in an online booking system and handheld computers for its drivers. Bullet Express Logistics has put its strong financial performance down to investment in an online booking system coupled with the provision of handheld computers for drivers... Turnover for the first quarter was up £300,000 year-on-year, from £1.1m to £1.4m MD David McCutcheon says this is down to the software it bought from Sterling Solutions five years ago... This technology means Bullet drivers can return to the depot with full loads because they are briefed about collections while on the road. It has also made it easier to plan the requirements for the trunking routes once loads are brought into the depot. "This means we are far more efficient and this has helped cut costs," he concludes...

Labels: trucking industry

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * UK

* ALLMI and truck manufacturers set to meet

London,UK -Road Transport, by Dylan Gray -24 August 2007: -- Truck manufacturers and the Association of Lorry Loader Manufacturers and Importers (ALLMI) will meet next month to discuss issues regarding wiring into engine management systems. At the meeting, to be held in the Midlands on 28 September, ALLMI and the truck manufacturers will discuss and agree ways to improve the communication and information chain between all parties in relation to the wiring into, and subsequent programming of, engine management systems... Truck manufacturers to be represented include Daf, Iveco, MAN, Mercedes, Renault, Scania and Volvo. ALLMI attendees will include all the main UK-represented manufacturers, independent service providers and some of the UK's best-known bodybuilders...

Labels: truckmakers news

* UK - Conservatives plan to charge trucks per mile

London,UK -Road Transport, by Roanna Avison -22 August 2007: -- In what appears to be a replica of the failed Lorry Road User Charging (LRUC) scheme, the Conservative Party has outlined plans to charge foreign trucks to use UK roads... The party's economic competitive policy group, chaired by John Redwood, suggests that any future Conservative government should implement a system of charging all trucks for their mileage on British roads. To ensure British hauliers are not penalised, the group suggests that either the fuel duty on diesel or the rate of truck excise duty should be reduced... (Picture by Biglorryblog: The new Germany's: MAN TGX.680)

Labels: tax policys

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* Trucking Group Spent $982K Lobbying
Washington,DC,USA -Associated Press/Forbes (NY,USA) -22 Aug 2007: -- The American Trucking Associations spent more than $982,000 in the first half of 2007 to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure form... The Arlington, Va.-based group lobbied on pension matters, fuel efficiency and taxes, emissions, transportation of hazardous materials and other issues, according to the form posted online Thursday by the Senate's public records office... Besides Congress, the group lobbied the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration, Internal Revenue Service and the White House...

* Clear Rock Announces Sale of Trucking Company
Jersey City,NJ,USA -PRWEB -August 22, 2007: -- When Americo Costa looked to sell a company, they contacted Clear Rock. After months of work and negotiations, all parties are pleased with a closed deal... Today Clear Rock is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of Costa Transports and JVC Logistics by Everlast Logistics... Clear Rock was retained by Costa and JVC to pursue a sale of substantially all assets of both companies. Clear Rock initiated and advised on the transaction. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

* USA - Those Wonderful Women Truckers

Today, there are nearly 170,000 women truckers, making up 5% of all U.S. trucking jobs. By the end of 2007, that number is expected to attain 200,000

Puerto Rico,USA -blogging-luis55651.blogspot, by rose41768 (*) -August 22, 2007: -- Presently, there are about 8 million licensed CDL drivers in the United States. Approximately 4.5 million of these are active truck drivers. Professional truck driving, specifically over the road trucking, has always been noted as a field dominated by men. The rough and tough trucking life could only be handled by a real man . . . well, times are changing! ... Women in trucking actually goes back to 1929 when Lillie Elizabeth Drennan became the first women to receive the CDL license. Driving an old Chevrolet, she was a rugged lady who carried a loaded revolver with her on her trucking adventures. Born in 1897, she paved the way for women truckers up to her passing in 1974... Today, there are nearly 170,000 women truckers, making up 5% of all U.S. trucking jobs. By the end of 2007, that number is expected to attain 200,000. What motivates these women to leave the general work place? You will find that independence and the irrepressible challenge of truck driving jobs are the two most common motivations given. Another important reason is the wage-earning aspect. Truck driving averages 20-30% higher wages than jobs women usually enter into... (*) Aubrey Allen Smith is a veteran over the road driver with over 2 million safe miles and a former owner of several successful trucking companies...

Labels: womans in trucking

DRIVERS' HEALTH

* USA - Sleep Apnea Program fully available, pulmonary firm says
Precision Pulmonary Diagnostics, creators of a sleep apnea detection and treatment program targeted toward the commercial vehicle industry, today announced full availability of its comprehensive solution for enhancing truck driver safety and lowering health care costs for motor carriers

Houston,TX,USA -The Trucker -23 Aug 2007: -- ... The announcement follows completion of nearly three years of design and testing of Precision Pulmonary's patent-pending online screening tool and sleep apnea detection and treatment program... In conjunction with Schneider National, a provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services, Dr. Mark Berger, president of Precision Pulmonary, said that all necessary aspects of research and development were covered... According to Angela Fish, Schneider National director of benefits, post treatment for the 778 drivers that were found to have sleep apnea and treated for it, Schneider National is realizing:
• A savings of $500-$708 in health care costs per treated driver per month
• A 30 percent reduction in accident frequency due to eliminating driver fatigue
• A 1.9 times improvement in driver retention

* USA - Drivers at risk of skin cancer
USA -Road Transport (UK), by Chris Tindall -22 August 2007: -- LGV drivers may be exposing themselves to an increased risk of skin cancer during the summer months, according to research which found harmful rays penetrate windows... An American study claims there is a correlation between more time spent driving and a higher incidence of skin cancers on the side of the body most exposed to sunlight. In the US this is the left-hand side, as opposed to the right-hand side in the UK... Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr Scott Fosko says: "Our initial data shows that those individuals under age 70 who consistently spent the most time per week driving a car were more likely to develop left-sided skin cancers. We're also finding that all drivers who occasionally drive with the windows open had a higher incidence of left-sided skin cancers"...

Labels: drivers' health

PROGNOSIS * USA - To prepare the company for its global future

How does a major truck equipment manufacturer bloom amid a tough year when truck sales are wilting?: Hendrickson determined to bloom

Dallas,TX,USA -The Trucker -23 Aug 2007: -- ... Not the least of the pitfalls is intellectual property protection or the lack thereof, Hendrickson President and Chief Operating Officer Gary Gerstenslager at the Great American Trucking Show (GATS) told... He said Hendrickson representatives have met with companies in China which make similar products and also with truck manufacturers there and in the U.S. to determine the best direction to take... The number of truck builds has grown “phenomenally” in China over a short period of time, said Gerstenslager, from an estimated 50,000 trucks manufactured in 1995 to an estimated 350,000 in 2005... Also, said Gertstenslager, Mexico is going through an engine pre-buy, another focus of the company... And, while truck sales continue to decline in the U.S., Europe is experiencing significant build rate increases, Gerstenslager said. “In Canada, we’ll be making products and marketing them for Europe”... And, although flatbed builds have been, well, “flat,” he added, the market isn’t too bad because that business was so good in 2006...

Labels: prognosis

Mexican Truckers * Mexico - Promised financial help from their government

Mexican motor carriers selected to participate in the proposed cross-border program could receive financial assistance from the Mexican government to make them more competitive

Mexico City,DF,MEX -T21/Land Line Magazine (Grain Valley,MO,USA), by Jami Jones -August 22, 2007: -- ... Apparently, government financial assistance has been promised to truckers and trucking companies that participate in the cross-border program to help them carve out a competitive edge... According to a translated article from the Mexican publication T21. Tirso Martinez, president of CANACAR – a Mexican trucking association – said in the article that the funding was approved by the Mexican Secretary of Economy, but had not yet been put in place... One of the potential stumbling blocks for the Mexican government in determining the funding for the assistance program is that the number of Mexican trucks participating in the cross-border program is still undetermined, according to the article...

Labels: mexican's trucks

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

* USA - Kenworth sweeps product satisfaction categories at J.D. Power awards show

Kirkland,Wash,USA -Truck News (Canada), by Adam Ledlow -23 Aug 2007: -- Kenworth achieved the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among Class 8 truck owners in the Over The Road, Pickup and Delivery, and Vocational Segments, according to the new J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Heavy Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study released today... (Photo, Kenworth Class 8 truck, model)

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

"GREEN" NEWS - UK - Biofuels not yet the answer

Reforestation Better Option Than Biofuels to Combat Global Warming

London,UK -Automotive Digest/Automotive News Europe, by Mark Stevens -August 17, 2007: -- A new study in journal "Science" on biofuels production surprising: Clearing land for producing biofuels will be counterproductive, would release more CO2 over next 30 years than fossil fuel replaced... Restoring and protecting forests would do far more to reduce atmospheric carbon... Article "Carbon Mitigation by Biofuels or by Saving and Restoring Forests?", authored by University of Leeds researchers Renton Righelato and Dominick Spracklen, said burning fossil fuels releases carbon gases that contribute to global warming... Long-term goal should be to create cars that don't require carbon-heavy fuels... (Photo by sanlucasmission - Reforestiong)

Labels: green news

Road Safety * Developing Countries - Expert Warning Over Situation

Motor vehicle crashes kill more healthy Americans abroad than crime, disease, terrorism...

McLean,VA,USA -USA TODAY -August 13, 2007: -- World Health Organization & World Bank, predict double today's traffic fatalities by 2020... They predict 80% fatality increase in developing countries vs 30% decline in developed countries. Reasons include growing number of vehicles, unsafe roads used by pedestrians, cyclists. Weak vehicle law enforcement; little investment in road infrastructure, safety. Poor emergency response at accident scenes... Global Road Safety Initiative is 5-year program funded by 7 automotive, oil companies. With $10M committed to improve road safety in China, Brazil, and ten SE Asia countries... Chevron campaigning to upgrade traffic safety in many countries. To counter safety threat to employees, contractors... Arrive Alive program brings together governments, businesses, local communities, international donors... (Photo by Gurinder Osan/AP file: Heavy traffic is one of the reasons some of these roads are unsafe)

Labels: road safety campaigns

Tire safety * UK - Extreme heat leads to under-inflation, major factor in aging of tires

Traffic safety office warns drivers about dangerous mix of heat and under inflation

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -14 Aug 2007: -- NHTSA's exploding frog commercial intended to get people's attention. "Under-inflation is factor in tread separation"... Many tire failures likely occurring because of sustained high temperature... Tire industry survey found 85% of drivers fail to properly check tire pressure... NHTSA sent Congress 26-page report on research into tire aging. They estimates crashes associated w/ tire problems kill 660 people yearly, injure 33K... NHTSA it's considering regulation measuring tire performance during tire-aging durability tests. Tire makers oppose tire expiration dates... BMW, Ford, Daimler, Chrysler, Toyota, VW back 6-year service tire guidelines...

* USA - Michelin unveils drive tire that regenerates itself, promises 30% more use

Dallas,TX,USA -The Trucker -23 Aug 2007: -- Michelin North American today unveiled at the Great American Trucking Show here the new XDA5, a tire with a tread that company officials say regenerates itself as it wears... Michelin said it is the latest innovation from its Michelin Durable Technologies research for drive tires for Class 8 tractors...

Labels: study tires

Saving Gas * USA - Reduce Speed Limit

Tougher fuel economy regulations won't achieve energy savings for years

USA -Business Week -August 14, 2007: -- Dropping speed limit to 60 mph would instantly increase fuel economy 4 to 6 mpg. That could translate into savings of more than nearly 4M bbl of oil per year - almost 5% of US current consumption... Another quick gas saver: telecommuting via universal high-speed Internet access Significant Points (see investigation/article below)... These 2 programs could begin saving energy immediately... Furthermore: Lower speed limits reduce accidents and accident severity...

Labels: ideas fuel saving

TELEMATICS for TRUCKMAKERS

* Europe - More than just vehicle monitoring

Historically, truckmakers took a somewhat vehicle-centric approach to telematics, but these days some have much more to offer operators

London,UK -M. Logistics, by Sharon Clancy (Originally published May/June) -23 Aug 2007: -- ... Four truck makers continue to be enthusiastic promoters of on-board telematics: DaimlerChrysler, MAN, Scania and Volvo. DAF, Iveco and Renault all have offerings too, but they report only a lukewarm response from UK operators... On the Continent they have been more successful, possibly because operations are different over there. Distances travelled are longer, for instance, so there is more urgent need to find a backload. On the other hand, high UK fuel prices means the return on investment for UK operators should be quicker... The good news is that the truck makers have realised that important though vehicle and driver data is, in modern transport and logistics operations vehicle users need simple and cost-effective ways of accessing it, preferably in real time. They also recognise that the ability to re-route vehicles in real time has a role in reducing fuel consumption by cutting out unnecessary mileage... Establishing themselves as the communication portal between vehicle and base could help spread the telematics message to more small and medium-sized operators, encouraging more of them to experiment with applications that may benefit their bottom line, including re-routing and navigation... (Photo by circdata)

* USA - Tired Truckers Kill People But Some Still Resist Electronic Logs
Milwaukee,WIS,USA -The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel/AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety -(originally published) August 12, 2007: -- Mile for mile, trucks have fewer accidents than cars. Car driver usually at fault when car, truck collide in serious accidents... But: Significant percentages of commercial truck drivers disregard work limit rules: About 12% of long-haul truckers doze at wheel, and hundreds of people die each year in collisions involving tired truck drivers. FMCSA only requires electronic logs for few particularly egregious violators. Safety advocates, insurance companies, some of largest trucking firms, NTSB, enforcement officers favor electronic logs. FMCSA estimates change would cut violations 50%... Critics argue FMCSA should replace paper logbooks w/ electronic system. And independent drivers object to technology as invasion of privacy... Europe already requires electronic log equipment on new trucks. ...

* UK - FTA wants LGV friendly sat-nav
London,UK -Road Transport, by David Harris -24 August 2007: -- Manufacturers of satellite navigation systems are being asked to give more help to truck drivers because so many LGVs are becoming stuck after being sent down unsuitable roads. The Freight Transport Association (FTA) wants manufacturers to start producing equipment to warn truck drivers if roads are likely to be too narrow or take them to somewhere where they might get stuck, unable to go forward or turn around... The FTA wants the makers of sat-nav systems to incorporate more specific information in future, including: vehicle width, height and length restrictions any relevant LGV bans kerbside loading and unloading restrictions plus recommended truck routes. The association says that information on truck parks, driver facilities and public weighbridges would also help avoid problems...

* UK - Car-based satellite tracking systems should be banned from trucks
London,UK -Road Transport -24 August 2007: -- The FTA was right today to call on the telematics industry to develop “truck friendly satellite navigation systems". The problem is that systems developed for cars are not only useless but actually dangerous when used in heavy commercial vehicles... Until recently there have been no electronic maps with weight, height and width restrictions. Using a car system in a truck is dangerous because it is likely that the vehicle will be taken on a route where it will either be stuck or the driver will ignore a restriction... The problem is that truck drivers are buying their own car satellite tracking system and using them on trucks. Some companies, such as Christian Salvesen, have sacked drivers after hitting bridges while using these car systems systems. Mapping suitable for trucks is just being introduced... Meanwhile operators should ban car style satellite navigation systems from heavy truck cabs...

Labels: telematics

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* UK - Truckmakers lift European equities
London,England,UK -The Financial Times -23 Aug 2007: -- Truckmakers were buoyed by a report from Standard & Poor’s. The ratings agency forecast demand for heavy-duty trucks in central and eastern Europe to double over the next four years as the region’s economy expands, prompting higher investment in infrastructure... Shares in Germany’s MAN, which already has a plant in Poland, rose 0.9 per cent to €99.15... Sweden’s Volvo, which has a new plant in Russia, rose 0.2 per cent to SKr119... Scania, also of Sweden, climbed 3.2 per cent to SKr160... And DaimlerChrysler, which manufactures trucks under its Mercedes brand, added 0.4 per cent to €63.08...

* South Africa - Alternative engine available to transport contractor
Garden View,Eastern Cape,South Africa -Engineering News (press release) -24 Aug 2007: -- Fleet managers and owner operators can order their International 7600 series with a Caterpillar-powered engine, following a decision by International Trucks South Africa to round out its engine offering... Until now, the International 7600 series 6 10005 4 truck tractor was available in the local market with a Cummins power source only... “Making the 7600 series available with Caterpillar’s C12 engine gives us a great option with CAT plant operators and pro- vides fleet managers and owner operators with a choice when they specify their trucks. Most importantly, we can now offer customers the option of a gross combination mass of 55 t with a triaxle semitrailer compared to only 50 t previously"...

Labels: truckmakers news

23.8.07

TRUCKERS' NEWS * Australia - Aussie perspective

Melbourne,Australia -truckingblog.net, by Chris Floyd -22 Aug 2007: -- ... For many years Union membership was compulsory in many large work places & unions had the right to enter any work place without employer permission. Comfortable with their influence, the union movement had become arrogant & in more recent times conservative politicians & employer groups have been on the war-path eroding union activity... Within the transport industry there are higher rates for petrol tanker drivers & those working in waste & recycling, those Awards were probably the result of past union influence than inherrant hazards in each sector... In the east (Austalia), drivers of heavy vehicles are allowed 12 hours of driving & 2 hours non driving work & a 30 minute break for every 5 hours driving. Log Books are maintained for country & interstate driving, but as with any driver entry record these can be diddled to a degree. Truck drivers hold a National Licence, previously drivers were known to hold a State licence under friends addresses in each state they drove, lose one licence, another appears from their wallet!... What we refer to as Dangerous Goods, e.g. flammable liquid, gas, toxic, corrosive, oxidizing agents, etc. if carried in bulk, i.e 1000 litres/kilograms or more a specific permit is required... In fact, you name it, we’ve got a permit for it. Carry a lift truck to unload bricks, Forklift Licence, a timber truck with a hoist, Crane Licence, a tipper with a bobcat…., licences !!! ... Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a loss of licence for 3 months. No sobriety test in Australia, accurate electronic devices are carried by all police so you can seem sober as a judge, but if you’re over the limit… Road Trains are not permitted on Victorian roads, but we do have B-Doules, and Ford Australia also runs a B-Tripple between its Engine Plant & Assembly Plant about 37 miles... and ... These trucks have strict restrictions on which roads they can drive on & must have air-bag suspension... (Photo: Road Trains in Australia, by framecraft.com.au)

Labels: truckers news

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA - New rule allows states flexibility to build roads, bridges faster

USA -eTrucker -21 Aug 2007: -- States will have more flexibility to build roads and bridges faster under a new rule allowing design work and environmental reviews to occur concurrently, U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said last week... The final rule amends Federal Highway Administration regulations to allow states to use various innovative contracting methods ranging from basic design-build contracts to long-term public-private concession agreements while simultaneously pursuing federal environmental approvals... The rule also increases the opportunity for smaller projects to use design-build contracts by eliminating a required dollar amount for projects.

Labels: infrastructures

Judge * USA - Denies restraining order to lift truck ban on N.Y. bridges

New York State Supreme Court Justice Paul Feinman denied a temporary restraining order sought by a group of trucking and construction companies who argued that weight restrictions were an economic hardship, several media outlets reported last week

USA -eTrucker -22 Aug 2007: -- Feinman ruled that state authorities acted legally when imposing weight restrictions on heavy trucks that use the city’s Bronx-Long Island bridges, news agencies said... Feinman ruled the restrictions imposed by the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) were neither unreasonable nor arbitrary steps to ensure that the bridge does not face additional structural damage due to the weight of trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds, according to news reports.,,

Labels: judgements

TRUCKING INDUSTRY JOBS * USA

* 5 jobs in trucking. With freight hauling so crucial to U.S. commerce, these positions are highly sought-after in the industry

Indianapolis,IND,USA -The Indy Star, by Jill Phillips -August 22, 2007: -- In the early 1980s, country music group Alabama recorded "Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler)" as a tribute to truck drivers. Today, trucking companies need more drivers just to keep the industry rolling smoothly... "There's not enough trucks to handle the demand to move freight, and the pool of drivers to choose from isn't as big as it has been," said Andy Card of Perkins Specialized Transportation and chairman- elect of the Indiana Motor Truck Association... It takes more than just drivers and trucks to keep the cargo moving, though. The dispatcher, mechanic, load planner and recruiter are vital to a driver's success...

Labels: trucking industry jobs

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

New Features: The Great American Truck Show (GATS) in Dallas,Texas

* Volvo to display new aerodynamic and safety features

Dallas,TX,USA -The Trucker -22 Aug 2007: -- Volvo Trucks North America reports the company recently added several new options and features to its trucks to further enhance their productivity, increase uptime and increase fuel economy. The new components will be on display at the Volvo booth at the GATS in Dallas... Also at GATS, Volvo will display two Volvo VNs equipped to meet the requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program for tractors. A Volvo VN 780 with a full-height sleeper and a VN 730 mid-roof sleeper will be used to show attendees the enhanced aerodynamics and other fuel-saving strategies used to achieve EPA’s Certified SmartWay designation for highway sleeper tractors... (Image: Volvo VN 780)

* Western Star to celebrate its 40th anniversary at GATS

Redford,MI,USA -The Trucker -22 Aug 2007: -- Western Star is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2007, and will mark the occasion at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas, August 23-25.... Western Star began with engineering and operations located in Cleveland, Ohio, and production in Canada. In the following years, the company was headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. After it was acquired by Freightliner LLC in 2001, the headquarters relocated first to Cleveland — its original point of origin — and later to Redford, Mich. The brand's Portland, Ore. manufacturing plant is dedicated to continuing the brand's heritage of building premium, custom-built trucks... (Photo: Western Star truck, LowMax Long Haul)

* Kenworth, Peterbilt display first PACCAR 12.9-liter engine at GATS

Dallas,TX,USA -The Trucker -22 Aug 2007: -- Kenworth Truck Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co. are both displaying a PACCAR heavy-duty engine in a Kenworth and Peterbilt Class 8 models for the first time in the U.S. at this week’s Great American Trucking Show here... A Kenworth T800 test truck and a with 12.9-liter PACCAR engines produced for the North American market are being shown during the show... (Images: Peterbilt Model 388 )

* PACCAR, Eaton join to develop heavy-duty hybrid technology

Bellevue,Wash,USA -The Trucker -22 Aug 2007: -- PACCAR and Eaton Corp. announced today that they have entered into an agreement to jointly develop proprietary hybrid technology for heavy-duty commercial vehicles in North America... The innovative new products will be introduced exclusively in Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks in the North American market, targeted for initial production by the end of 2009...

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

Sued * USA - Nearly two dozen California gas station owners allege price fixing

San Francisco,CAL,USA -The Trucker -21 Aug 2007: -- Nearly two dozen gas station owners in California sued Shell Oil Co., Chevron Corp. and Saudi Refining Inc., on Tuesday, claiming the companies conspired to fix prices for 23,000 franchise owners nationwide... The case filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco seeks class-action status for the plaintiffs. It is similar to another lawsuit filed in 2004 by other California gas station owners that was thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court last year. The new group of plaintiffs hopes the court will consider a slightly different argument... In a new twist, the plaintiffs now say the venture violates a "rule of reason" governing antitrust matters...

Labels: sueds

Racketeering * USA - Ex-Gov. Ryan’s conviction upheld; sales of truck driver licenses involved

A federal appeals court upheld former Gov. George Ryan's conviction Tuesday and rejected his request for a new trial

Chicago,Ill,USA -The Trucker/AP -21 Aug 2007: -- ... Prosecutors said Ryan steered big-money state contracts and leases to insiders while in office, used tax dollars in his political campaign and covered up campaign fundraising through the sale of truck drivers’ licenses... Ryan's attorneys had argued that the jury deliberations were flawed. Two jurors were dismissed and replaced with alternates after deliberations had already started, and the defense said unauthorized documents brought into the jury room poisoned the deliberations... The three-judge appellate panel disagreed in a 2-1 decision... The verdict and 6.5-year sentence capped Illinois' biggest political corruption trial in decades...

Labels: political corruption trial

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* ATA Seeks Industry Input on HOS Provisions
VA,USA -Transport Topics -23 Aug 2007: -- American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves has asked the trucking industry for basic data regarding hours-of-service rule provisions... ATA is seeking data that would illustrate the safety impact that could result from the recent court decision to vacate the 11-hour driving and 34-hour restart provisions of the rule... The trucking industry still has an opportunity to file for a stay of the court’s action and prepare for any eventual reconsideration of the HOS provisions, ATA said... The association developed a one-page survey to collect key information regarding the rule’s safety impacts, and the data will only be analyzed and reported in aggregate form, ATA said...

* S&P: Con-way Inc. ratings affirmed, taken off Watch Negative
New York,NY,USA -The Trucker -21 Aug 2007: -- Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services today affirmed its ‘BBB’ corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings on Con-way Inc. and removed them from CreditWatch, where they were placed with negative implications on July 16... The CreditWatch placement followed Con-way’s announcement of its intention to acquire Contract Freighters Inc. (CFI), a privately held North American truckload carrier, for $750 million. The outlook is stable, S&P said...

* Con-way Adopts Nationwide Business Model
Ann Arbor, Mich,USA -Transport Topics -22 Aug 2007: -- Con-way Freight, the nation’s third-largest less-than-truckload carrier, said Wednesday it is abandoning the business model it has used since its founding in 1983 and reorganizing itself as a single, nationwide operating company... Its traditional regional Con-way Central, Southern and Western operating companies will be folded into one carrier with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich. Con-way Freight is the largest part of Con-way Inc....

* Averitt opens supply chain facility on Mexican border
Cookeville,Tenn,USA -The Trucker -21 Aug 2007: -- Averitt Express is strengthening its international service offering with the opening of a new Supply Chain Solutions facility in Pharr/McAllen, Texas... With its proximity to the U.S. / Mexico border and the Pharr Reynosa International Bridge, Averitt can now offer customers the advantage of even greater speed-to-market. Because the new facility is so close to the border, Averitt can begin processing their customers’ freight and transloading goods for nationwide distribution faster than ever before...

* Electronic HVUT filing becomes mandatory
USA -eTrucker -22 Aug 2007: -- Federal law requires carriers and others with more than 25 vehicles subject to the federal heavy vehicle use tax to file HVUT tax reports on Form 2290 electronically when the Internal Revenue Service makes it possible for them to do so... IRS reports that it is able to receive 2290s filed electronically for the 2008 tax year, but is not yet requiring taxpayers to file electronically -- they still can file on paper as before, for at least one more year...

* Driver training proposal awaits White House review
USA -eTrucker, by Avery Vise -22 Aug 2007: -- The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing proposed regulations to mandate behind-the-wheel training as part of the commercial driver’s license requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers. Details of the proposal will not be released until OMB completes its review and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publishes the rulemaking in the Federal Register...

* FedEx Expands Cross-Border Trade Options
USA -Transport Topics -22 Aug 2007: -- FedEx Corp. said Wednesday it has expanded its transborder distribution service unit for cross-border trade between the United States and Mexico... This expansion includes the recent opening of two border facilities, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, the company said...

Labels: trucking industry USA

Administrative Complaint * USA - Labor Department seeks $1.4 Million in back wages from Calif. mail hauler

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint against Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Alan Berman Trucking to recover $1,369,870 in back wages for 80 current and former employees

San Francisco,CAL,USA -The Trucker -21 Aug 2007: -- The complaint also seeks debarment of the company and its principals, which would prohibit them from receiving government contracts for a period of three years, the government reported today... “Federal contractors have a responsibility to pay workers in accordance with federal law,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao in a Labor Department news release... Investigators with the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division found violations on eight contracts where the company treated the drivers as independent contractors, requiring that they use their own trucks and assume all costs. The company paid employees either by the mile or by the trip, failed to record hours worked and failed to pay any fringe benefits as required by law. In addition, the company made illegal deductions for fuel from the drivers’ pay and failed to reimburse the cost of the driver-owned trucks’ maintenance and wear and tear. As a result, the drivers’ wages fell below the prevailing wage rate required by the SCA, according to the government statement...

Labels: administrative complaint USA

MEXICANS' TRUCKS * USA - DOT's IG cites areas for improvement in Mexico truck security plan

Washington,DC,USA -The Trucker -22 Aug 2007: -- The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation said in a audit released this week that data from current reviews “point to continued improvement in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s border safety program since reporting began in 1998,” but said that despite the improvements, some additional work is needed in four areas... Section 350 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) requires annual review of the safety program by the IG’s office... The areas that fall outside Section 350 include:
• Fully implementing FMCSA’s policy on ensuring Mexican carrier compliance with federal motor vehicles manufacturing safety standards.
• Continuing to focus on Mexican carrier drug and alcohol testing issues.
The IG noted a concern about drug and alcohol testing, especially in the area of valid specimens... “Mexico has no certified testing laboratories and any samples collected in Mexico must be sent to certified laboratories in the United States,” the IG said. “Although FMCSA has taken the actions noted in our prior report, it is not clear whether the controls in place ensure that valid specimens are being collected in Mexico before being sent to a certified laboratory”...

Labels: mexican's trucks

22.8.07

CTHRC study II * Canada - Confidence in truck driver pool receding

More than a third of individuals who've obtained their class 1/A licence don't ever migrate to the trucking industry as drivers

Ottawa,BC,Canada -Today's Trucking -21 Aug 2007: -- That's one of the more startling discoveries in the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council's (CTHRC) follow-up study on Canada's worsening driver shortage... Information obtained from the test participant survey suggests that at the time of completing their Class 1/A test, the majority (80.5%) of participants wanted to work in the trucking industry as either a driver (68.7%) or in another occupation in the sector (11.8%). However, only 64 percent of respondents, less than two thirds, find their way into truck cabs as commercial drivers; and another 10 percent might leave the industry after a year...

Labels: studies

Award * USA - Navistar wins, for contributions to diesel-hybrid technology

Warrenville,Ill,USA -Truck News (Canada), by Adam Ledlow -2 Aug 2007: -- Navistar International Corporation, parent company of International Truck and Engine, has won the 2007 Blue Sky Award from WestStart-CALSTART for its contributions to the commercial development of diesel-hybrid technology... The award is presented each year by WestStart-CALSTART, an advanced transportation technology industry organization, which works to support and accelerate the growth of companies developing clean and energy-efficient transportation technologies...

Labels: awards

* Canada - Single wide-based tires becoming a more attractive option for N.B.

Dieppe, N.B.,CAN -TruckNews, by Adam Ledlow -21 Aug 2007: -- New rules are providing truckers in New Brunswick with a more fuel-efficient tire option... The province has increased the weight limit for axles equipped with the new-generation wide-based single tires to 7,700 kilograms per axle from 6,000 kilograms per axle. The tires are considerably wider than the older-style single tires and have been specifically designed to replace dual tires... Truckers gain the 7,700 kilogram per axle benefit of the wide-based tires on provincial maximum-weight roads only...

Labels: tires

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * India - Shriram Transport buys 40% stake in Ashok Leyland arm

Askok Leyland have done a great service to the industry- truckers and producers- by starting the Transport Exchange

New Delhi,India -Streamline Supply Chain -August 21, 2007: -- Transport Exchange- long overdue in India... A truck exchange was a need felt for a long time but remained unfulfilled... Like any commodity exchange the truck exchange brings the buyer - farmer, producer, manufacturer - and seller, who in most cases would be truck owner or a fleet owner, together... The truck exchange reduces the cost of transaction, which in turn reduces the cost in the supply chain... How does the truck exchange work? The seller i.e. truck owner or fleet owner registers with the truck exchange. The seller will have to give details of his trucks- number, insurance, type, weight etc... At the time of registration, the documents pertaining to the truck- insurance, ownership- would be thoroughly scrutinized...

Labels: transport exchange

Safety Campaign * USA - Alabama state patrol issues nearly 23,000 tickets

The state of Alabama is sending out a loud message that they are "taking back the highways" to combat increasing traffic fatalities

AL,USA -GSU Signal (Atlanta,GA), by Dominique Huff -21 Aug 2007: -- The initiative places all available troopers from all divisions and all ranks on patrol duty from Aug. 13-17 in an intensive highway effort... Col. J. Christopher Murphy of the Alabama Department of Public Safety (DPS) reports that Alabama traffic deaths are at their all time highest since 1973... "At a time when traffic fatalities nationwide are on the decline, we cannot say the same is true for Alabama," he said. Traffic deaths rose five percent, bringing the 2006 total to 1,208; whereas nationwide deaths fell two percent...

Labels: road safety campaigns

* Holland - First electric delivery vehicles in mainland Europe

TNT pilots two zero emission trucks in Rotterdam

Rotterdam,Holland -TNT Press Release -21 August 2007: -- Today Ivo Opstelten (Mayor of Rotterdam and Chairman of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative) and Peter Bakker (CEO of TNT) presented the two Smith electrical trucks which will be piloted in the Rotterdam area as part of the Rotterdam Climate Initiative... The vehicles, a 3.5-tonne Smith Edison EV and a 9-tonne Smith Newton EV, will operate emission free in congested areas... The pilot is a significant step to contribute to the objective to reduce CO2 emissions by half in Rotterdam by 2025 compared to 1990...

Labels: electric trucks

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA -

* The search is on for road dollars in Iowa
IO,USA - The Des Moines Register/ Land Line Magazine -August 20, 2007: -- With the increased urgency many states have to address concerns about bridge conditions after the deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse earlier this month, key legislative leaders in Iowa are re-examining a shortfall in construction funds... The Iowa Department of Transportation revealed that state, city and county roads are staring at a $28 billion shortfall for road and bridge work during the next two decades... Officials with the Iowa DOT say the state needs $200 million more per year to keep up with transportation needs... The added revenue would amount to an extra 9 cents per gallon collected on the state’s fuel taxes. Other options include boosting vehicle registration and driver’s license fees and stiffer fines for overweight trucks... To make matters worse, funding aid from the federal government is cloudy. The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced it may cut funding to states...

* Big Dig costs could outgrow scheduled toll increases
Boston,MA,-August 20, 2007: -- Toll increases within the Massachusetts Turnpike system could outgrow what officials outlined in plans for the costly Big Dig project. The Big Dig, also known as the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, has cost $14.6 billion so far and the need to repair water leaks could push the cost up even further... A Massachusetts Turnpike Commission spokesman said tolls are scheduled to increase in January 2008, but officials are still trying to determine the amount... Specific toll increases for specific interchanges have not been determined, Turnpike spokesman Mac Daniel told Land Line...

* TxDOT spends millions to promote Trans-Texas Corridor
TX,USA -The Houston Chronicle/Land Line Magazine, by Reed Black -August 21, 2007: -- Some state lawmakers in Texas are not too happy about the money the state DOT is spending to promote the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor... Officials with the Texas Department of Transportation plan to spend between $7 million and $9 million on a TV, radio and billboard campaign with the slogan, “Keep Texas Moving"... The proposed multi-billion-dollar Trans-Texas Corridor would be a series of toll roads built and operated by private investors... Texas Gov. Rick Perry and the state DOT are pushing hard to get the massive project going. But lawmakers placed a moratorium on a number of toll road construction projects until they have more time to study it...

Labels: infrastructures

“Brake Safety Week” * USA - CVSA schedules nationwide brake blitz for Aug. 26-Sept. 1

USA -Land Line Magazine -August 20, 2007: -- The same people who organize the annual Road Check inspection blitz say there’s another round of road-side inspections coming up next week – and that this time, the focus will be on brakes... A press release from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is calling it “Brake Safety Week” and states there will be a combination of enforcement and educational activities. CVSA initiated Brake Safety Week in 2005 as part of its Operation Air Brake campaign... “More than 3 million roadside commercial vehicle inspections are conducted annually throughout North America, and by far brakes make up the largest percentage of out-of-service violations cited during these inspections,” said CVSA Executive Director Stephen F. Campbell in the press release...

Labels: road safety campaign

21.8.07

An eye-catching ... * UK ... Toilet humour?

Or one-tonne pick-up paint scheme!!! ... Biglorryblog leaves it up to you

London,UK -Biglorryblog -20 Aug 2007: -- Obviously this bloke has got himself the bet seat in the house...or the pick-up. Biglorryblog can't quite work out whether this is clever or crass...or somewhere in between. Obviously this isn't a right-hand-drive, 'Oh no we don't do things like that here' UK-registered pick-up. Though after posting this picture I'm sure that it's only a matter of time before an British plumber, flushed with success, copies the idea...

Labels: truckers humour

TRUCKMAKERS' * CHINA: "Connections" ?

* If it looks like a Volvo, and quacks like a Volvo the chances are it's...

China -Biglorryblog (UK) -21 Aug 2007: -- ... "Check out these pictures scoured from a Chinese trading website: Clearly a 'cloned' Volvo FM, albeit with a modified high-roof 'Superspace' form cab"... Makes you wonder "whether we are about to be embraced by a raft of mega-cheap truck clones from the Far East?"... However, can ease everyone's fears for this "clone" is in fact the perfectly legitimate Howo Series 7 truck built by the China National Heavy Duty truck Group with whom Volvo has (or had as I'm not quite sure of the current situation) a joint venture going. The Howo 7 is based on Volvo's technology supplied by the Swedes and if you look closely and you can see what I reckon is the old FL10 cab, albeit highly modified with a high roof and 'FH' styled front end. But to me the cabin is still the old Wendy House!...

* ... and here's another Chinese truck for you, to enjoy....

The rather nice Foton Auman TK Chinese heavy tractor which I seem to recall was unveiled late last year amidst all sorts of promises... I also seem to recall it had a Cummims ISMe engine under the hood and had design input from a UK operator... (Pictures by Russell Hurley)

Labels: chinese trucks

MARKETS * Brazil & Argentina - Buoy Detroit's automakers

GM, Ford offset U.S. losses with gains south of equator

Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce Hoffman -21 Aug 2007: -- Whoever says Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. can't make money in the car business has never been to South America... While the two automakers struggle to pull their North American businesses back into the black, both are making record profits south of the equator. In the United States, declining demand for their cars and trucks has forced Ford and GM to shutter plants and lay off workers. In countries like Brazil and Argentina, they are investing millions just to keep up... Asia is grabbing the headlines, but South America also is booming because of surging global demand for the agricultural and industrial commodities produced here. In many countries on the continent -- though not all -- this has helped usher in an unprecedented era of political and economic stability, giving more people the money they need to buy a new car... As a result, South America has passed Asia to become the fastest growing regional vehicle market in the world... Although GM does not break out financial results for South America, its pretax profit for Latin America, Africa and the Middle East combined was $527 million last year, compared to a loss of $6.9 billion in North America. In South America alone, Ford made $661 million in 2006 -- up more than 65 percent over the previous year and far better than the nearly $16 billion loss the company reported for North America... (Photo by John T. Greilick / The Detroit News -Argentina gets back on track Workers build Ford Ranger pickups at the automaker's Pacheco plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. More of a middle-class country, Argentina lacks the extremes of poverty and wealth of its neighbor Brazil, and it is bouncing back from one of the worst financial crises in its history)

Labels: markets

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * UK - Stobart reverse is forward step

A Guernsey property firm has bought out Eddie Stobart

Vale,Guernsey,UK -The Guernsey Press and Star, by Simon Tostevin -21 Aug 2007: -- ... Westbury Property Fund Ltd is paying £138m. for the UK haulage company in a complex reverse takeover... The merger will create an enlarged company, known as Stobart Group Ltd, specialising in road, rail and port transport logistics, with assets of more than £250m... (Picture by PA, 0473337 - Eddie Stobart’s iconic fleet of trucks has been bought by Westbury Property Fund Ltd.)

Labels: trucking industry

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* Menlo tapped for $1.6 billion contract to manage military shipments
San Mateo,CAL,USA -The Trucker -19 Aug 2007: -- Con-way Inc.’s logistics arm, Menlo Worldwide, confirmed Aug. 17 that subsidiary Menlo Worldwide Government Services LLC was selected as prime contractor for the Defense Transportation Coordination Initiative (DTCI)... DTCI is a strategic logistics program directed by the Department of Defense U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) to streamline and improve domestic transportation and distribution operations supporting war efforts of all four branches of the U.S. military...

Labels: trucking industry USA

ROADS SAFETY CAMPAIGNS * USA

* Ohio patrol targets big-rig/auto spacing

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is waging a statewide campaign aimed at cutting down on fatal and serious-injury accidents between big rigs and smaller vehicles
Columbus, OH,USA -The Trucker -20 Aug 2007: -- ... Lt. Robert D. Warner, a spokesman for the OSHP’s Licensing and Commercial Standards at Columbus, Ohio, said on Aug. 15 that statistics show some 70 percent of all such accidents “are caused by a non-commercial motor vehicle driver"... Warner noted that “based on provisional statistics through May of this year, there were 58 commercial vehicle-related crashes resulting in 62 deaths in Ohio. Of those, 81 percent were the fault of the non-CMV driver. Violations including excessive speeding, improper lane changing, and not leaving sufficient space around a CMV will be strictly enforced,” stressed... Warner said: "Troopers are placed in the troublesome corridors to aggressively enforce crash-causing violations of non-CMVs driving near CMVs”... Those corridors in Hamilton and Franklin counties are be supplemented by troopers from the OSHP’s motorcycle units. Aviation resources are also used in conjunction with officers on the ground...

* Anti-drunk driving campaign preceded by advertising blitz
Arlington,VA,USA -The Trucker -20 Aug 2007: -- The message is clear: if you drive drunk, you’ll be arrested and prosecuted... State highway safety and law enforcement agencies nationwide are waging war against drunk driving and their efforts are being highlighted with a massive advertising blitz... To underscore the importance, representatives of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), gathered outside the Arlington County Courthouse in Virginia on Aug. 20... The enforcement crackdown, known as “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest,” includes sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols as well as an $11 million national television and radio campaign. The timing of the crackdown, which will span the last weeks of summer vacation and include the Labor Day holiday weekend, is a heavy travel time and period of increased drunk driving fatalities and injuries...

Labels: road safety campaigns

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS

* India - Volvo may get Nissan trucks to India
New Delhi,India -DNA, by Sindhu Bhattacharya -August 20, 2007: -- It seems Swedish truck and bus maker Volvo AB has finally trained its sights on India... Not only has the company made clear its intention to rope in a strategic partner for entering the high-volume light commercial vehicle (LCV) business in this country, it is also considering the launch of Nissan Diesel products here...

* China - Company begins producting engines under Navistar license
Chaoyang,China -PR Newswire/The Trucker (USA) -20 Aug 2007: -- Dongfeng Chaoyang Diesel Engine Co. Ltd. (DCD), one of China's largest diesel engine makers, has begun full-scale production of an advanced 3.0-liter automotive diesel engine licensed from an affiliate of MWM INTERNATIONAL Industria de Motores da America do Sul Ltda., a Brazilian affiliate of Navistar International Corp... The engine, manufactured at DCD's Chaoyang plant, will power SUVs, pickups and light commercial vehicles. Initial estimated annual volumes are projected to be 40,000 to 50,000 engines per year...

Labels: truckmakers news

MEXICAN' TRUCKS COMMENTS * USA

* Do We Want A North American Free Trade Agreement With Mexico? I don't!

TX,USA -myrepublicanblog.blogspot.com/Dragon Lady's Den, by Gayle -21 Aug 2007: -- What is so hard to understand? A North American Union would be insane, especially when it would allow long distance Mexican truckers through our southern border... I predict the Teamster's Union is going to present a problem for Mexican truckers. They are not going to take this sitting down! This could indeed get really ugly!... On second thought, I don't know what I'm so ticked off about... from what I see in Texas, they (Mexican truckers) come in here all the time anyway. If this does become a reality it will result in violence, and it doesn't take a prophet to foretell that... UPDATE: An alarming and totally unacceptable statistic: In the United States 25 Americans per day are killed by illegal aliens, 12 in violent crimes and 13 in drunken-driving accidents. That's 750 Americans dead because of illegal aliens in a 30 day period! More Americans are killed right here on our soil than are killed in Iraq! ... I wonder if MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) has picked up on this. If not, they should! Let's let them know...

Labels: mexican's trucks

“Trucks On Patrol for Safety” * USA - Troopers join truckers in making roads safer

Officers ride shotgun to patrol for violations

Lawrence,KS,USA -The Lawrence Journal World, by Erin Castaneda -20 Aug 2007: -- ... Accidents like this prompted the highway patrol and the trucking industry to join forces to create the “Trucks On Patrol for Safety” program, which began in April. The program allows troopers to ride with semitrailer drivers so they can see the violations that occur... According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, there were 68 fatal collisions involving large trucks in 2005, which is the latest data available. That same year, large trucks were involved in 5.7 percent of traffic crashes and 17.7 percent of fatal crashes... Lt. Chris Turner of the Kansas Highway Patrol said, “Most of the time, the truck is not at fault”. But often they get blamed for accidents... As part of the TOPS program, Turner and Lt. Richard Jimerson are riding along with semitrailer drivers in the northeast Kansas region. During a ride-along, each truck is equipped with a $10,000 five-camera system. The cameras record the violations of both passenger vehicles and other large trucks... If a violations occurs, Turner or Jimerson radio other officers along the highway to pull the violator over. Regardless, the individual is informed about the TOPS program, which helps educate people about road safety... The number of citations was unavailable. On average, about 50 people are pulled over for violations in an eight-hour day, Turner said... Since April, 407 citations and 316 warnings have been given in Kansas as part of the TOPS program... (Photo by Richard Gwin - Chris Jones, of Ottawa, drives his semitrailer while Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Lt. Chris Turner works radar and cameras, which record violations of both passenger vehicles and other large trucks)

Labels: road safety campaign

20.8.07

"GREEN" NEWS * USA - Ford paints 'eco-friendly' at its Avon Lake plant

AVON LAKE,OH,USA -The Morning Journal (Lorain,OH), by KATE GIAMMARISE -19 Auig 2007: -- Ford's Avon Lake plant is using a new painting technology that produces fewer greenhouse gases... The technology has been used to paint 200 Ford-built E-series commercial U-Haul trucks. The Avon Lake plant is the primary location for the new process, which combines a solvent-borne paint with an innovative application process, according to Ford...

Labels: green news

* Bahrain - Open trucks alert

Manama,Bahrain -Gulf Daily News, by Geoffrey Bew -20 Aug 2007: -- Delays in the implementation of a government law banning companies from transporting workers in open trucks are proving to be fatal, say rights activists... While discussions continue between businessmen and policy makers, many more expatriates are being seriously injured or killed in road accidents, say Migrant Workers Protection Society officials...

Labels: workers on open trucks

* China - To install sensors along NAFTA highway

Documents reveal NASCO plan to militarize I-35

USA -No World System, by infolution -August 18, 2007: -- Radio sensing stations to track traffic and cargo up and down the I-35 NAFTA Superhighway corridor are being installed by Communist China, operating through a port operator subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa, in conjunction with Lockheed Martin and the North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc.... The idea is that RFID chips placed in containers where manufactured goods are shipped from China will be able to be tracked to the Mexican ports on the Pacific where the containers are unloaded onto Mexican trucks and trains for transportation on the I-35 NAFTA Superhighway to destinations within the United States...

Labels: infrastructures

HOS DEBATE * USA - Ruling a setback for trucking industry

COMMENTARY, by * BILL GRAVES

Kansas MO,USA -The Kansas City Star -20 Aug 2007: -- ... Unfortunately, reactions to the court decision have been uninformed and narrowly focused on a single aspect of the regulations... The U.S. Transportation Department recently issued its truck-involved fatality figures for 2006. The number of fatalities declined by 4.7 percent from 2005 to 2006, the largest drop in 14 years. The fatality rate is now at its lowest point ever. These facts speak volumes... Furthermore, a study by the American Transportation Research Institute found that most drivers experienced less fatigue and preferred the 11 hours driving, 10 hours off and 34-hour restart provisions... The motor carrier industry understands its responsibility to the motoring public and the competitive advantage of operating safely and securely. The No. 1 commodity delivered by truck is safety... * Bill Graves, a former governor of Kansas, is president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.

Labels: HOS debate

TRUCKS' MAINTENANCE * Canada - Spec'ing the wrong suspension can make for a "shocking" surprise

A primer on the basic market choices

ONT,Canada -Truck News -20 Aug 2007: -- Combine a deteriorating North American road network with a general trend towards increased weights and you have a situation that is pushing suspension design to new levels... Not only do heavy duty suspensions play a considerable role in driver and client retention by cushioning both the load and the driver from road shock, they must "locate" the axles, keeping them in line and negating the effects of road shocks and vibration as well as the twisting effect of engine torque, while at the same time allowing them to move independently so that each of the wheels remains on the ground...

Labels: trucks' maintenance

Attn. all drivers and owner/operators! * Canada/USA - Professional Driver Satisfaction Survey

This survey is conducted in partnership with the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council, which has conducted considerable research on driver issues and the driver shortage

ONT,CAN -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -20 Aug 2007: -- ... Does your carrier respect the hard work you do? Do you see a future in trucking? How satisfied are you with your driving career these days? We want to know and we’re hoping you’ll help us find out... This is the last week to respond to our annual survey that helps determine exactly how driving professionals feel about their working conditions... The results of the survey will be published in future issues of our publications and we hope will foster better communication and understanding among professional drivers and the people who employ them about which parts of the relationship require improvement...

Labels: survey

19.8.07

MEXICANS' TRUCKS * USA - Agency backs opening border to

A federal transportation agency yesterday defended President Bush's plan to open the border to long-haul Mexican truck traffic in a response to overwhelmingly negative public views of the proposal

Washington,DC,USA -Copley News Services/The San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego,CAL), by Paul M. Krawzak -August 18, 2007: -- ... Bush has sought to conduct the program as part of his effort to comply with a provision of the North American Free Trade Agreement requiring the United States and Mexico to open their borders to each other's commercial trucks... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which would conduct the program, acknowledged that the vast majority of the more than 2,300 public comments it received were opposed to the proposed one-year experiment... But the agency argued that it is committed to making sure Mexican truck drivers obey all U.S. rules and regulations during the trial. The program would allow up to 100 Mexican carriers to send trucks into the United States...

* US moves a step closer to allowing Mexican trucks full access to US highways
Fresno,CA,USA -International Herald Tribune, by DogBarkTree -17 Aug 2007: -- ... A one-year demonstration project allowing 100 Mexican motor carriers full access to U.S. roads will begin as soon as the department's inspector general certifies that safety and inspection plans and facilities are sufficient to ensure the Mexican trucks are at least as safe as U.S. trucks. That requirement was imposed by Congress... Mexican trucks are now confined to commercial zones within about 25 miles (40.2 kilometers) of the border...

Labels: mexican's trucks

Safer Trucking * USA - CDOT Strives For In Mountains

When it comes to accidents involving semi-trucks, they are predominately caused by the fact that truckers don't put on chains when they should

Silverthorne,CO,USA -CBS4, by Andrea Lopez -Aug 18, 2007: -- ... According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, during the 2006-2007 ski season between the months of September and April, truck accidents closed I-70 for a total of 15 hours and nine minutes. The total time during that same period in which trucks blocked a single lane of the interstate accounted for 114 hours and 39 minutes... Living in the high country and frequently using the interstate, State Representative Dan Gibbs, a Democrat based out of Silverthorne, decided to do something about the problem. He sponsored a bill that increases the fines for truckers who don't obey the chain up law. The fine used to be $100 for a truck driver who got caught without chains when the law was in effect, and $500 if that driver's truck blocked a lane. Under this new bill, which was signed into law this year, those fines will go up to $500 and $1000 respectively... (Photo by geocities.com)

Labels: snow trucks

18.8.07

MEXICANS' TRUCKS * USA - FMCSA plans to proceed with truck program

Washington,DC,USA -The Trucker -17 Aug 2007: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration today announced its intention of proceeding with a project to demonstrate the ability of Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate safety in the United States beyond commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border... In a notice published today in the Federal Register, the FMCSA said is had reviewed, assessed and evaluated the required safety measures as noted in a notice in the Federal Register May 1 and had considered all the comments received as of July 31, 2007 in response to the May 1 and June 8 notices... The announcement drew sharp criticism from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which expressed disappointment in learning the Mexican cross-border trucking pilot program was set to begin...

Labels: mexican's trucks

Determination * USA - California court rules in favor of FedEx Ground drivers

FedEx Ground drivers to be employees and not independent contractors

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Trucker -17 Aug 2007: -- On August 13, the California Court of Appeals upheld the trial court's decision finding FedEx Ground drivers to be employees and not independent contractors, thus denying the appeal of FedEx in the Estrada vs. FedEx Ground Package System Inc... The appeals court also determined that the FedEx Ground drivers were entitled to reimbursement for approximately $6 million in additional expenses, bringing the total damages to about $11 million for 200 drivers...

Labels: Court rules

Bridges' Ban * USA - Heavy truckers limited on New York

The New York Supreme Court has ruled against local heavy haulers challenging the city's newly-imposed ban of trucks on two Bronx-Long Island bridges

New York,NY,USA -Today's Trucking (Canada) -17 Aug 2007: -- ... Lawyers representing the Construction Trucking Association and the Road Transport Association spent hours yesterday grilling a Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority (TBTA) engineer about the rationale behind the ban... But this morning, the court ruled that TBTA acted legally when it imposed weight restrictions on trucks that use the Throgs Neck Bridge and the Triborough Bridge, which have reportedly cracked and rusted steel support beams... (Photo by bridgepros.com - Triborough Bridge)

Labels: infra...structures?..

Bandits * Canada - An 'epidemic' for truckers

Violence escalating on Southern Ontario highways - Highway bandits, inside jobs and organized crime -- transport truck drivers have seen it all

Windsor, Ontario -The Windsor Star, by Trevor Wilhelm -August 17, 2007: -- ... But the violence has escalated recently as bandits target drivers in Southern Ontario; and the stakes are high, with some trucks hauling $10 million in cargo... "It's getting to be an epidemic," said David Carey, owner of Carey Leasing Ltd., a local trucking company that hauls through Ontario, Quebec and 48 states... Mark McDougall of Stolen Cargo and Equipment Tracking, a company that specializes in retrieving stolen cargo, said truckjacking and cargo theft cost the industry an estimated $2 billion a year... (Photograph by Tyler Brownbridge, Windsor Star - RISKY BUSINESS: Truck driver Bob Myers talks Thursday about the risks he has faced during his career)

Labels: stolen trucks

* Peru Quake - Desperate survivors loot supply trucks

Rattled by aftershocks and cut off from most of the world, desperate survivors of the massive earthquake that claimed some 500 lives in Peru looted trucks carrying food and water on Friday

Pisco,Peru -AFP -17 Aug 2007: -- ... As rescue teams raced against time to find any suvivors still buried in the rubble two days after the quake, tempers frayed anger at the slowness of the arrival of emergency aid... Lacking official figures, news media estimate the number of people affected by the quake at anywhere from 60,000 and 200,000 with many tens of thousand believed to have lost their homes... (Photo left by AP - Aug. 17: An aerial view of destroyed houses in Pisco following a deadly earthquake that hit southern Peru - Photo right by Rodrigo Arangua/AFP - Crack in the wall in the wake of the giant quake in Peru - )

Labels: quakes

BORDERS NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Truck jams at Latvian-Russian border reach record
Riga,Latvia -EUbusiness (press release - Richmond,Surrey,UK) -16 August 2007: -- A record 2,000 trucks were Thursday blocked in traffic jams on Latvia's frontier with Russia and the snarls were expected to worsen, the Baltic country's border guard service said... Jammed drivers have to wait several days to cross the border, because of a combination of overloaded Latvian customs facilities and lengthy entry checks on the Russian side... Authorities said the jam stretched back more than 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border and was likely to get worse...

* Nepal-China checkpoint reopens after 5-day close
Beijing,China -People's Daily Online - August 16, 2007: -- Tatopani checkpoint, the main trade point between Nepal and China reopened on Thursday after negotiations among the local administrations of three districts, protesting traders and transport workers... After a agreement was reached among the local administration, labors, traders and container entrepreneurs Wednesday, the closed border checkpoint resumed...

Labels: border news

Overweight Truckers * USA - New Hampshire also fines less than other New England states

New Hampshire officials say the state’s low fines for overweight trucks do little to curtail heavy loads, which cause long-term damage to bridges and highways

Concord,NH,USA -The Trucker -17 Aug 2007: -- ... New Hampshire also fines overweight truckers less than other New England states, they say. The state’s fine for exceeding the weight limit — no matter by how much — is $100 plus a $20 court fee... A truck with five or more axles operating on a state interstate highway can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, or 99,000 pounds if the state certifies it for extra weight... Raymond Cook, a civil engineering professor at the University of New Hampshire, said overloaded trucks cause fatigue cracking on bridges. Fatigue cracking is one suspected factor in the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Cook said it is a fancy name for repeated cycles of high stress — much like paper clips can snap if bent repeatedly... (Photo by Jim Mone/AP - Unidentified people gather on the 10th Avenue bridge which is closed to the public as they overlook the Interstate 35W bridge collapse into the Mississippi River Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007 in Minneapolis)

Labels: overweight trucks

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31.8.07

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

BORDER NEWS * Latvia - Truck lines become permanent fixture in

Double-size trucks on way * USA - Bigger, but fewer, coal haulers deemed safer option

Driver’s Licenses * USA - Arizona to offer they with citizenship identifiers

HOS RULES & "BLACK BOXES" * USA

TRUCKS SALES * SWEDEN - Major order for Volvo Trucks in Russia

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

30.8.07

Risking Their Lives * USA - The Plight of Chinese Truck Drivers

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA

BE AWARE * USA - Fraudulent Double Brokering

ADVICE * USA - Do Your Homework Before Buying a Truck

TOLLS * USA

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

EVENTS * USA

DRIVERS' SHORTAGE * USA - Making the connection with drivers

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

AWARDS * USA

* USA - Labor Day Crackdown Underway

27.8.07

Truck Tonnage * USA - July Falls 3.7%

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

DEBATES * USA - Trucking Industry, Truck Parking and Hours of Service Debates

Driver Shortage * Canada - Escalating CTHRC research concludes

No horsing around * Australia - Equine flu stops horse transport

* Australia - Skills shortages are here to stay

Wall of Fame * Australia - Trucking elite honoured as drivers inducted onto

PRODUCTS & SERVICES * Australia

ELECTRONIC LOGS DEBATE * USA - Trucker logbooks doubted

TRUCKING INDUSTRY COMMENTS * USA

26.8.07

The Great American Truck Show * USA - Exhorbitant US diesel prices

The Great American Truck Show * USA - An oddball trailer

INFRASTRUCTURES * UK - Road repairs ... "the average pothole in 20 minutes" ...

Saving Fuel Costs * USA - Truckers taking time

SERVICES * USA - ProMiles, National Biodiesel Board team up for mapping software

BORDER NEWS * Kenya - Panic as Country Bans Overloaded Trucks

25.8.07

Idling * Canada - An Exhaustingly Bad Habit

FEDERAL LAWSUIT * USA - ACLU sues DEA on behalf of truck whose money was seized

Announce * USA - Smartway Transport Partnership and New "Grow and Go" Shipping Program

Interlock * USA - Pennsylvania bill would get tougher with first-time DUI offenders

MEXICANS' TRUCKS DEBATE * USA - Arizona Senate wants cross-border program suspended

HOS DEBATE * USA - All truckers can do is 'sit on edge of seat' and wait...

“Collusive Fuel Surcharges” * USA - LTL trucking firms named in federal price fixing lawsuit

BORDER NEWS * Pakistan-India - Porters pack up for last time on the frontier amidst

24.8.07

BRIDGE COLLAPSE * USA - How much does it cost when a bridge goes down?

Thank a trucker * USA - Events recognize drivers for their service

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * UK

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * UK

* UK - Conservatives plan to charge trucks per mile

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* USA - Those Wonderful Women Truckers

DRIVERS' HEALTH

PROGNOSIS * USA - To prepare the company for its global future

Mexican Truckers * Mexico - Promised financial help from their government

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

"GREEN" NEWS - UK - Biofuels not yet the answer

Road Safety * Developing Countries - Expert Warning Over Situation

Tire safety * UK - Extreme heat leads to under-inflation, major factor in aging of tires

Saving Gas * USA - Reduce Speed Limit

TELEMATICS for TRUCKMAKERS

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

23.8.07

TRUCKERS' NEWS * Australia - Aussie perspective

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA - New rule allows states flexibility to build roads, bridges faster

Judge * USA - Denies restraining order to lift truck ban on N.Y. bridges

TRUCKING INDUSTRY JOBS * USA

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA

Sued * USA - Nearly two dozen California gas station owners allege price fixing

Racketeering * USA - Ex-Gov. Ryan’s conviction upheld; sales of truck driver licenses involved

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA