FUEL COST CRISIS * UK - Truckers take fuel fight to London

Peterborough,UK -The Peterborough Evening Telegraph -30 April 2008: -- Lorry horns blared out as truckers lapped up public support during their protest against record-high fuel cost increases... About 70 vehicles converged on the centre of London as drivers voiced their anger at a 30 per cent rise in diesel pump prices in the last 12 months... The main focal point of the protest was the presentation of a symbolic coffin to Derek Wyatt, Labour MP for the Kent constituency of Sittingbourne and Sheppey... The protestors said the coffin represented the hundreds of hauliers who had gone bankrupt due to high prices at the pump... Joe Cook, of JS Cook and Sons Transport, based in Moulton Chapel, near Spalding, draped a Union Flag over the coffin before presenting it outside the Houses of Parliament, he said: "The price of fuel at the moment is ridiculous. We just don't know whether our jobs are going to be safe. If Gordon Brown doesn't do something about this soon, he'll be out of office"... The independent inquiry into the effect of fuel taxation found that the level of diesel duty in the UK was higher than the average EU rate. Typical articulated vehicles now cost up to £1,000 to refuel every week... Supporting the protest in London was Road Haulage Association chief executive Roger King, who urged the Government to abandon plans to raise fuel duty by 2p next October... Mr King said: "We support a peaceful and legal protest, and that is what this is. We think such an exercise helps underscore the real feelings hauliers have. We forecast that if prices continue to rise, hundreds of hauliers are going to go out of business."... (Pictures: 1. About 70 vehicles descended on the centre of London as part of the protests about the rising cost of fuel - 2. Many of the vehicles carried messages to the Chancellor and Prime Minister about the effect of rising fuel costs on the haulage industry)

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA - Study Calls for More Infrastructure Spending

The United States needs to spend $170 billion more each year on transportation infrastructure to avoid a crisis in the next decade, according to a new study

Washington,DC,USA -Bloomberg/Transport Topics -30 April 2008: -- ... That money could come from higher fuel taxes, private sector investment, tolls and congestion pricing, the Urban Land Institute said in a report... The group cited last year’s interstate highway bridge collapse in Minnesota and the 2005 infrastructure failures after Hurricane Katrina of examples of why the country needs to boost spending now... The comments reflect growing concern over the nation's aging road and rail network, even as a bill signed into law in 2005 allocated $286.5 billion for spending on highways and transit over six years... An aide to House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar said last month the U.S. should budget $500 billion in multiyear investment for infrastructure, Bloomberg reported...

MARKETS * USA - NAFTA Surface Trade Jumps 16.3%

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -30 April 2008: -- Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico jumped 16.3% in February from a year earlier, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday... Trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners reached $69.4 billion, DOT’s Bureau of Trade Statistics said in its monthly report... Truck imports to the United States gained 8.5% year-over-year to $24 billion, while exports rose 11%, to $22.5 billion... (Photo by Larry Smith/Trans Pixs)

TRUCKS ENGINE MAKER * USA -

* Cummins’ 1Q Profit Jumps

USA -Transport Topics -30 April 2008: -- Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc.’s first-quarter profit jumped 33% to $190 million, or 97 cents a share, from $143 million, or 71 cents, a year ago... Sales rose 23% to $3.47 billion, the company said Wednesday... Sales growth was led by the engine segment, its largest unit. Heavy-duty and medium-duty truck engine shipments increased 36% and 68%, respectively, primarily due to increased market share in North America, the company said in a statement... Through February, the latest month for which statistics are available, Cummins said it owned a market-leading share of 43% of the North American Class 8 truck engine market, compared to 28 percent at the same time last year...

FUEL COSTS & TROUBLES * USA

* Lawmakers want oil market to be free from manipulation

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 29, 2008: -- Looking past the current prices at the pump, lawmakers pressed the president and the U.S. attorney general to form a task force to make sure oil markets aren’t being illegally manipulated... Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, and Rep. Jay Inslee, D-WA, pointed out in letters to the president and attorney general that the price of oil and gas can no longer be explained or predicted by “normal market dynamics or their historic understanding of supply and demand fundamentals.”... The pair reminded the president and the attorney general that an official from Exxon Mobil testified under oath in a congressional hearing that the price of crude oil should be about $50 to $55 per barrel based on supply and demand fundamentals. Yet, oil is trading well above the $100 per barrel mark with little relief in sight... The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 gave the FTC authority similar to anti-manipulation authority utilized by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The provision also empowers the FTC to levy civil penalties of up to $1 million per day... “Utilized effectively, we believe this new authority will substantially augment consumer protections, help lower and stabilize prices, increase market transparency, and provide drivers the confidence that retail gasoline and diesel prices are free from the influence of anticompetitive practices and the exercise of market power, which might rightly be considered manipulation,” the senators wrote...


* Bush blames Congress for oil prices; OPEC says crude may hit $200

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 29, 2008: -- President George W. Bush blamed congressional Democrats Tuesday, April 29, for high oil prices and renewed his call for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska... Meanwhile, Big Oil continues to post record profits. For the first quarter of this year, BP Amoco LLC made $6.6 billion in profits. In the same 90-day period, Shell Oil Co. hauled in $7.8 billion in profits... On the other side of the globe, the president of OPEC warned this week that the price of oil could go to $200 per barrel. The Financial Times quoted Algeria’s oil minister as saying the recent run-up in price is largely due to the current weakness of the U.S. dollar... He said that every time the dollar drops in value by 1 percent, the price of a barrel of oil goes up by $4. On Tuesday, April 29, oil was trading around $117 per barrel in New York at midday...



* Truckers See $4 Gas In Rearview

Omaha,Neb,USA -KETV 7 Nebraska -April 30, 2008: -- As analysts warn that $4 gas isn't far off, diesel truck drivers already see that price in their rearview mirrors... Many of the companies or drivers that operate semi-trailer trucks are going bankrupt, and that could mean future shortages on store shelves... Driver Virginia Smallwood said $4.15 per gallon prices are taking a bite out of her income... "(It's) more than tough times," the independent driver said... President of the Nebraska Trucking Association Larry Johnson said 945 trucking companies nationwide have gone bankrupt since the beginning of the year, and all companies are looking for ways to save money...


* Gas price blues? Diesel's even worse

Topeka,KS,USA -The Topeka Capital Journal, by Phil Anderson -April 30, 2008: -- The price for diesel fuel, the lifeblood of the American highway system, is going through the roof... Already eclipsing the $4 a gallon mark at the pump, diesel fuel costs are projected to go even higher... In Topeka on Tuesday, diesel fuel was $4.19 a gallon and unleaded gasoline was $3.57 a gallon at the downtown BP station, 601 S.W. Quincy. Similar prices could be found at other service stations across town... Crude oil prices have risen from $65 per barrel a year ago to nearly $119 per barrel on Monday... The biggest hit is being felt by those who use diesel fuel for their day-to-day operations: truck drivers, farmers and school districts with buses, to name a few... (Photo by Ann Williamson / The Capital-Journal - Randy Obrecht, of Grand River, Iowa, fills up his truck with diesel fuel at the Kansas Turnpike rest stop near Topeka. Obrecht was hauling equipment from Fort Riley to Iowa. Like other truckers, he was paying well more than $4 a gallon for diesel fuel.)

TRUCKERS' RALLY * USA - COMMENTS

* Truck drivers honk for change

Albany,NY,USA -WALB New, by Len kIESEs-- April 28, 2008: -- ... It was a symphony of horns in Washington, D.C. as truckers let out their frustrations. Signs showed their frustrations also. Those sentiments are reflected all over the United States... Trucker Johnnie Gibson is an owner operator from Florida. He travels as far as Pennsylvania and New York. With these diesel prices, his operating costs have gone up at least $25,000 in less than a year... So they circled the National Mall in D.C. before parking their trucks and walking to protest... "They got some attention and that's a start," said trucker Tommy Pate. It's a start to stop high diesel prices that are well over the $4.00 mark already... The afternoon hours were spent rallying for something to change. "Just to show people that we are another world out here and we actually care about what happens to everybody, not just us, but everybody," said Pate... Protestors say they want Congress to stop subsidizing big oil companies. They're also requesting that oil be released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to increase supply and bring prices down... You may say that's bad for the truck drivers but what does it have to do with me? Well, when truckers pay more for gas, the prices you pay for many of the goods they deliver also go up...


* In SD to protest high fuel costs

New York,NY,USA -Associated Press/CNNMoney -April 29, 2008: -- Fewer truck drivers than expected showed up for a rally against high fuel prices on Monday, but an organizer said many decided not to attend because they couldn't afford the diesel... "That's the whole point," said organizer Brian Frahm of Fort Pierre... He said he was disappointed in the turnout, but he believed the group was succeeding in getting its message out... Frahm said the federal government must work with the trucking industry and others to find solutions. He said the U.S. should reduce its reliance on foreign oil, and tax breaks given to big oil companies should instead be used to help small businesses deal with economic problems...


* South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds spoke to a group of truckers on Monday

SD,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 29, 2008: -- The truckers convoyed to the state Capitol in Pierre to protest high fuel prices... Organizer Brian Frahm told The Associated Press that the goal of the protest was to let the politicians know that $4 diesel isn’t hurting just truckers, but also small businesses and families...

RECALLS * USA - Ford recalls some 2008 F-Series trucks for fix

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News -30 April 2008: -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling 65,000 F-Series Super Duty pickups, to strengthen the fuel tank mounting to prevent a gasoline leak in a head-on crash... The recall covers some 2008 F-250 and F-350 trucks, Ford said on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site. Ford dealers will add a bracket to help secure the fuel tank, at no charge. The tank can move forward in a front-impact crash of 30 miles per hour, spilling fuel that could ignite, the automaker wrote...

Fuel Efficiency Requirements * USA - EPA hands in Calif. emissions documents

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -April 30, 2008: -- The Environmental Protection Agency has turned over documents detailing contacts between the agency and the White House over its decision to deny California and 16 other states the right to set their own stringent emissions standards... Some of those documents detail contacts between White House and EPA press officials... Automakers say the waiver would cost billions and force them to stop selling most vehicles in those states. The California standards would set fuel efficiency requirements of 43.7 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 26.6 mpg for most light trucks...

TRUCKING STORY * Canada - First time's the charm for trucking company owner

If it's broken, fix it

Inuvik,Canada -The Northern News Services, by Guy Quenneville -April 28, 2008: -- ... That's the mantra that prompted Aklavik-born Adele Campbell to open her own trucking company in Inuvik, despite her complete lack of experience in the industry... Campbell was working as an accountant for Weitzel's Construction four years ago when the company was constantly hampered by late or missing deliveries of construction materials... Qilamik Industries Ltd. - Qilamik meaning "speedy" in Inuvialuktun - began as a pilot project in 2004, supplying only Weitzel's Construction... But Campbell needed to expand her business in order to keep her operation afloat and began seeking other Inuvik customers... When Qilamik got started, it began with one truck and one trailer, making one voyage a week. Today the company makes between five and seven treks a week employing a total of five people, including Campbell. It still owns one truck, but leases nine others... (Photo courtesy of Adele Campbell - A truck operated by Qilamik Industries gets loaded in Edmonton before its trip up North. The trucking company was started by a woman who never finished high school, and it is now Inuvik's premier freight carrier)

Responsible Care Partner * USA - Celadon Trucking Services approved as ACC' newest member

Washington,DC,USA -eTrucker -29 April 2008: -- Celadon Trucking Services Inc. has been approved by the American Chemistry Council’s Board of Directors as the newest member of the prestigious ACC Responsible Care Partnership Program... The ACC’s Responsible Care Program is a mandatory commitment by its members and their supply chain partners to continually improve their environmental, health, safety and security performance...

FUEL COST BILL * USA - New bill to help truckers deal with diesel fuel costs

Independent truckers praise new legislation

Grain Valley,Mo,USA -Truck Net, by Craig Zwiener -April 25, 2008: -- Small business truckers across America are praising legislation introduced today by U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) that will protect shippers, truckers and consumers from being exploited by unscrupulous supply chain middlemen in the trucking industry. The “Truthful Reliable Understanding of Consumer Costs” act or TRUCC Act will require that 100 percent of fuel surcharges levied on shipping customers be passed through to whoever actually pays for the fuel to haul the shipper’s goods – in most cases, that’s truckers... Independent, small business truckers seldom deal directly with shipping customers. Most of the freight loads they haul are acquired through third-party logistics companies or through larger trucking companies they are leased to as independent contractors. Mid-size trucking firms often have contracts with shippers for “front hauls,” but depend entirely on brokers for “back hauls.”... Small and mid-sized trucking firms that comprise the vast majority of the trucking industry have been particularly hard hit by record high diesel prices...


* Log trucker optimistic about TRUCC Act following DC protest

Grain Valley,MO,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 29, 2008: -- One of the organizers of a truck convoy to Washington, DC, said there is optimism that a fuel surcharge bill in Congress will be passed into law... After circling the Capitol building on Monday, April 28 in protest of high fuel prices, Maine logging trucker Larry Sidelinger and others met with Sen. Olympia Snowe, who sponsored the bill... Sidelinger said, “I think it was a pretty productive day. I think the constituents in the other parts of the country need to do what we did, which is get on board with their politicians and their legislators and get them on board with the program here.” ...

AWARDS * Canada & USA

* Canada - Trucking pioneers recognized in Alberta

Banff,ALB,CAN -Truck News, by Jan Westell -29 April 2008: -- The Alberta Motor Transport Association has recognized five individuals who are principals of Alberta fleet operations, and who have been in involved with the trucking industry for 50 years. Sandy de Waal, of East West Express, Bruno Muller of Wiebel Express and Transport, D'Arcy Foder of H&R Transport, and Roland and Leona Mullen, of Mullen Trucking, were awarded the American Truck Historical Society's Golden Achievement Award at the AMTA's annual convention... "Dad and Mom laid the foundation of this company that we are continuing to build on today"...


* USA - Great American Trucking Family entries due May 1

USA -eTrucker -29 April 2008: -- CCJ's sister publication Truckers News is looking for a family with deep roots in trucking. The 2008 Great American Trucking Family contest rewards one family each year whose family tree has produced a bumper crop of truckers, past and present. If your family history is full of men and women who drive, or drove, big rigs for a living, you could be the winning family... Members of the winning family will have their family portrait photograph on the cover of the August Truckers News. Family members will be flown to Dallas for the Aug. 21-23 Great American Trucking Show, where they’ll have a night to remember at one of the city’s most famous restaurants, be VIPs at show events and receive the award onstage at a country music concert...


* Canada - AMTA presents Service to the Industry Award to popular past-president

Banff,ALB,CAN -Truck News, by Jan Westell -29 April 2008: -- Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) presented its Service to the Industry Award to a popular and humble past-president at the AMTA convention this past weekend... Henry VanSteenbergen began in the industry as a youth with his father's company, Western Alberta Produce... In the mid-1980s, VanSteenbergen and his father discussed succession, but in 1987, Lilydale Inc. made a generous offer which the younger VanSteenbergen couldn't resist... After the sale went through, VanSteenbergen worked for Lilydale, but eventually bought Legal Transport, a one-truck operation that hauled eggs for Lilydale. He changed the name to Legal Freight Services and in just over 17 years, grew the company to 50 tractors and trailers...

FUELS COST COMMENTS * USA - The Real Politics of Fuel Economy

Here's the real deal!

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Post, by Warren Brown -April 27, 2008: -- Politics involves the art of turning necessity into virtue, of transforming the inevitable into noble action, all the while concealing darker and more troubling truths... Both the car companies and the politicians are worried about the rapid rise in U.S. fuel prices. The car companies are looking at decreased sales, especially of big trucks. The politicians, especially the Republicans who were in power when the national economy went south and gasoline prices went north, are worried about lost votes... The car companies and the politicians, especially the Republican politicians, have had many private chats lately. And from those conversations, both sides concluded that there was something to be gained from doing something seemingly bold and meaningful... For the car companies, it was a no-brainer. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to get the smallest increases in fuel-efficiency and to do so in vehicles that also meet federal safety standards. Any company spending that kind of money wants to spend it only once, as opposed to spending it several times to meet competing state fuel-economy and clean-air rules... According to industry sources, who naturally requested anonymity, the Bush administration assured the car companies that it would continue opposing the California-inspired, state-by-state approach to fuel-economy and clean-air regulation in return for industry support of a more aggressive implementation of the new federal fuel economy standards... The administration needed to look like it actually was doing something to combat higher fuel prices, a strategy thwarted by its recently failed attempts to get the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to increase oil production to help offset rapidly growing global demand... Getting the car companies to accelerate the development of fuel-saving technology, which they were doing anyway in response to changing market conditions, gave the administration something to brag about... Left publicly unsaid in all of that behind-the-scenes dealing is something the car companies, politicians and consumer advocates all know to be true: It will cost a heck of a lot more for vehicle owners in America to operate their cars and trucks in the future. Someone is going to have to pay for all of those improvements in fuel economy. And gasoline prices in the United States, now as high as $4 per gallon for regular unleaded in some parts of the country, are likely to rise even without the imposition of higher federal fuel taxes... The laws of supply and demand are pushing up prices. Politicians and others might believe that they can find a villain manipulating fuel pricing structures to corporate advantage. They might find one or two... But the real reason for the price hikes can be found in the rapid growth of automobile markets in places such as Russia, China, India and Kazakhstan. Most of those new Ford Focus models running around the streets of St. Petersburg operate on gasoline or diesel... Car companies doing business in the United States are willing to accelerate implementation of fuel-saving technology because they have no choice, just as they had no choice other than to put such technology in their European, Asian, African and South American markets. When it comes to cars and fuel price and availability, the United States, slowly but surely, is becoming like the rest of the world...

INFRASTRUCTURES * China - New roads quickly ruined by overloaded freight trucks

China has been throwing down pavement and asphalt at a breakneck speed, and few cities are as proud of all the new roads as Chongqing, China's largest metropolis with 32 million people

Chongqing,China -The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles,CAL,USA), by Don Lee -27 April 2008: -- ... More than 6,300 miles of streets, highways and tunnels have been built in this hilly western Chinese city in the last decade. The improvements are testament to the impressive infrastructure supporting the nation's booming economy... But as fast as construction workers build the roads, the concrete and asphalt is being destroyed - carved up by a chronic assault from overloaded trucks. The result is 24-hour construction zones and trouble for the environment, the economy and the people living near the highways and byways... Along a one-mile stretch of a Yangtze River estuary here, construction workers come for weeks at a time, over and over, repaving the same road that is damaged by 60- to 120-ton trucks brimming with coal, cement and other materials... Residents of Tianming village say they are subjected to constant dust, pounding noise and traffic jams... Analysts have estimated that overloaded trucks cause direct economic losses of almost $4 billion a year, but that doesn't measure damage to the environment, lost time on traffic-congested streets and the accidents caused by or made worse by overloaded trucks... Liu Long, owner of Yu Long Transportation in Anhui province west of Shanghai, says he knows overloading is fraught with danger... "In the beginning, I strictly obeyed the load limits," said Liu, who operates 10 trucks that typically transport construction materials and other commodities. "But I found myself losing money. . . . "Everything is more expensive: oil, salary for drivers," he said. "What can I do? I cannot lift my price. I have to follow everyone else."...

TRUCKERS' SAFETY * Sweden - Volvo studies ways to prevent truck driver distractions

“We know that the human factor is a contributory cause in at least 90 percent of all traffic accidents"

Sweden -Commercial Truck Trader (USA) -April 27, 2008: -- The inside of a truck cab offers more electronics and gadgets than ever before. A trucker can monitor how his truck and engine are performing and GPS mapping to stay on the right route... All those dials and readouts can be a distraction as well, taking the focus of a driver off the road... Volvo recently conducted a study of commercial vehicle drivers to improve traffic safety. Researchers wanted to know how drivers handle safety systems and information systems while driving... Almost 200 researchers from throughout Europe, experts in the motoring industry and representatives of the EU were on hand when the results of four years’ research were presented... “We know that the human factor is a contributory cause in at least 90 percent of all traffic accidents. If we can provide technology that adapts support systems to suit the individual driver and the current traffic situation, many accidents would be able to be avoided”... Taken individually, they offer many benefits as regards traffic safety and productivity, for instance, but the driver does risk being over-burdened by too much information. Especially bearing in mind that many drivers also have their mobile phones and perhaps also a GPS navigator in the vehicle... The challenge is to integrate all the support systems into the driver’s environment so that they help the driver in the best possible way at the right time, and do not risk disrupting him in situations where the traffic demands all his attention...

INFRASTRUCTURES' Study * Australia - Eddington off track

Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age, by Philip Hopkins -April 28, 2008: -- With the amount of freight in Melbourne expected to grow dramatically in the next decade, the Eddington report has urged building a dedicated freight rail line - even a freight tunnel - and the use of more productive and safer trucks to avoid congestion... Two key recommendations from Sir Rod Eddington's Investing in Transport report - the 17-kilometre rail tunnel between Caulfield and Footscray, and the 18-kilometre road tunnel linking the eastern and western suburbs - form part of its potential solutions for freight. Congestion slows freight traffic, creating increased costs for business and undermining economic efficiency... The tunnels, at a cost of $18 billion, would be built over 10 to 15 years. Eddington regards the east-west road tunnel as an alternative to the West Gate Bridge, where congestion is crippling efficient road freight. Freight may also be able to share the passenger rail tunnel between Caulfield and Footscray... (Photo: Traffic congestion has a major impact on freight cost and efficiency)

TRUCKS PURCHASE * Zambia - Government purchases 150 trucks for councils

Lusaka,Zambia -The Lusaka Times -April 29th, 2008: -- Government has purchased 150 light trucks worth over K5.5 billion to be distributed to all local authorities in the country... Local Government and Housing Minister, Sylvia Masebo said the vehicles are meant to help the councils effectively carry out the Keep Zambia Clean and Health programme... Ms Masebo said the trucks will enable local authorities collect garbage in their respective localities... She was speaking in Lusaka today when she handed over 60 Yuejin light trucks to 36 district councils...

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * Germany - Daimler profit drops 32% as trucks, Chrysler weigh

London,UK -MarketWatch (CAL,USA), by Steve Goldstein -April 29, 2008: -- Daimler's first-quarter profit dropped 32%, hurt by a poor performance from its truck-making unit, the residual pain from its remaining Chrysler stake and the year-earlier sale of part of its stake in the owner of Airbus, financial results showed Tuesday... Daimler said profit fell to 1.33 billion euros ($2.07 billion) from 1.97 billion euros during the year-earlier quarter... Revenue rose to 23.5 billion euros from 23.4 billion euros, or up 4% on a comparable basis... Earnings before interest and tax dropped 40% to 1.98 billion euros, when during the year-earlier quarter it made 1.56 billion euros as a result of disposing part of its stake in EADS, the parent of European aerospace giant Airbus... Daimler said it expected moderate growth in the European commercial vehicles market this year... Rival truckmakers Volvo, MAN and Scania have seen demand in Europe come off last year's high levels but have full order books...


* Germany - MAN first quarter profit rises 41%

Germany -Automotive World (London,UK), by Michael Murphy -28 April, 2008: -- MAN continues its growth in the first quarter of 2008, with strong gains in the Polish and Russian truck markets... MAN announced on 25 April that its first quarter profit rose 41%, according to a Bloomberg News report...


* Sweden - Volvo Group posts 12% rise in net income in Q1 of 2008

Stockholm,Sweden -Automotive World (London,UK), by David Isaiah -25 April, 2008: -- The Volvo Group has reported a 12% increase in its net income in the first quarter of CY2008, rising to SEK 4.21bn (US$703.66m), compared with SEK 3.75bn in the corresponding period of the previous year...

FUEL COST TROUBLES * UK - TRUCKERS' PROTEST

Truckers in fuel price protest

London,UK -This is Local London -29 April 2008: -- Truck convoys will be gathering in the city centre to protest about "the rocketing price of diesel"... Vehicles from across the south east region are believed to be taking part in the demonstration which started this morning at the Medway Services on the M2 in Kent... It will end with a rally in Park Lane, central London, and haulage company representatives will speak about problems in the industry from around 11.30am... Members of protest group TransAction 2007 will then give a letter about the industry's problems to the Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP, Derek Wyatt... Protestors are angry that the price of diesel at the pumps has surged by 30 per cent... Mike Presneill, one of the protest organisers said: "Our industry is the lifeblood of the UK economy. Fuel is rising on a daily basis. It is now at levels that are bankrupting hundreds of small and medium-sized haulage companies. These are the companies that have been built up through hard work often over generations... "To add insult to injury, foreign hauliers are arriving in the UK full to the brim with cheaper fuel and undercutting our rates. They are literally destroying our industry. hey contribute nothing to our economy, take our jobs, wear out our roads and put nothing into the Exchequer."...

TRUCKERS' COMMENTS * USA - Truckers Upset By Fuel Prices

Sioux Falls, South Dakota,USA -KSFY, by intheindustry -29 April 2008: -- I am in the trucking industry. I am not in favor of cutting fuel taxes to give South Dakotans a reprieve for a short time. The roads will need to be fixed, and the money will come from somewhere, most likely a raise in licensing for commercial vehicles, which means that more money out of the truckers already slim bank accounts. Perhaps the answer is to cut back all pork spending on the federal level, so at the end of the year, all citizens would have a little money left over to pay for fuel...

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * USA - RIPPLE EFFECTS

* Truckers loudly call for action to rein in debilitating fuel prices

Washington,DC,USA -The Day (CONN,USA), by Bob Dart -29 April 2008: ... After driving into the nation's capital, the convoy circled through the National Mall at the base of Capitol Hill before parking at RFK Stadium. Then the drenched drivers marched over to call on Congress... They urged a moratorium on fuel prices, a halt to subsidies for big oil companies, release of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and more domestic oil production, among other things... Mark Kirsch, an independent trucker from Myerstown, Pa., said members of Congress have done nothing so far to ease the crisis and needs to act now. Otherwise, they should feel the wrath of the electorate in November... ”It they're not going to get off their butts, then we need to get somebody else in there who will do something,” said Kirsch... ”We're looking at nearly $1,000 to fill a truck up,” said Jamie Barnhart, an owner-operator from Washington, D.C., who said the tank on his truck holds a little more than 200 gallons"... Participants said about 350 trucks took part in the protest, which was organized by a group called Truckers and Citizens Unite... ”We're running our trucks for zero profit,” said William Lockridge, another independent trucker from the District.“We need to go into the (strategic oil) reserve. The whole economy is in danger. When the trucks stop, the economy stops.”... - (SEE VIDEO) - (The Day - Supporters give the thumbs-up sign to truckers as they pass the Capitol in a protest of high fuel prices in Washington on Monday)


* White House: No short-term fix to high fuel prices

Washington,DC,USA -Reuters, by Tabassum Zakaria -April 29, 2008: -- The White House said on Monday there was no short-term fix to record-high gasoline prices and the United States should try to increase domestic production and seek alternative fuel sources... The average U.S. retail price for gasoline jumped 9.5 cents over the past week to a new high of $3.60 a gallon, the federal Energy Information Administration said on Monday... White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said gasoline prices were "entirely too high, but I think it would be disingenuous and unfortunate for American consumers for them to be led to believe that there is a short-term fix. There is not going to be one."... The United States must try to increase domestic production and exploration in environmentally friendly ways, she said... "We are very aware of the high price of gasoline and the impact it is having on people across the country, and on businesses in particular," Perino said...


* Dem hopefuls divided over fuel tax waiver - Clinton wants to suspend federal gas tax, while Obama says it would have little effect

San Francisco,CAL,USA -The San Francisco Chronicle/New York Times, by John M. Broder -April 29, 2008: -- As angry truckers encircled the Capitol in a horn-blaring caravan and consumers across the country agonized over $60 fill-ups, the issue of high fuel prices flared on the campaign trail on Monday, sharply dividing the two Democratic candidates... Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton lined up with Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, in endorsing a plan to suspend the federal excise tax on gasoline of 18.4 cents a gallon for the summer travel season. But Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton's Democratic rival, spoke out firmly against the proposal, saying it would save consumers little and do nothing to curtail oil consumption and imports... McCain has also called for a halt to purchases for the petroleum reserve and expressed support of climate change legislation, but opposes the imposition of windfall profits taxes on oil companies... All three candidates have endorsed tougher fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks and diplomatic measures to pressure oil-producing nations to lower prices...

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * USA - Rally Against High Costs for Fuel

Drivers, Feeling the Pinch as Diesel Tops $4 a Gallon, Demand Congressional Action - The White House said there was nothing the government could do to help lower gasoline prices this spring and summer

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Port, by Paul Schwartzman -April 29, 2008: -- A caravan of horn-honking truck drivers rolled their rigs through Washington yesterday, protesting rising gasoline costs and demanding that Congress impose caps on prices at the pump... The truckers, who formed a long column, circled the Mall about noon and blared their horns. Some spectators waved while others covered their ears... "The high price for oil is hurting our economy," said Mark Kirsch, a trucker from Myerstown, Pa., who helped organize the rally. "It's hurting middle-class people."... A spokesman for Truckers and Citizens United, which sponsored the demonstration, said 200 to 250 trucks showed up, about half of what the group had predicted...The District Department of Transportation, which said 100 to 125 trucks participated, reported no traffic problems... Bill Carroll, 33, a trucker who drove from Pennsylvania for the demonstration, said his savings have plummeted because he was spending $1,700 a week on fuel... John Bowers, 59, a trucker from Harrisburg, Pa., said his earnings have dropped 25 to 30 percent. "How can you feel good?" he said. "You're working the same number of hours for less money."...Fifteen truckers met with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine)... William Lockridge of the Washington Metropolitan Area Truckers Association compared the potential magnitude of rising fuel costs to the mortgage crisis... At the rally's end, Leroy Yohn, 50, a trucker from Hershey, Pa., stood outside, his hair and clothing soaked, holding an American flag. He said he would make the drive back to Washington as many times as it takes to get relief... He said. "We have to make these people understand."... The group plans to demonstrate in New York on Thursday... - SEE VIDEO -(Photo 1, by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post: A convoy of truckers make their way to the U.S. Capitol in Washington to protest rising fuel costs) -(Photo 2, by Greg Barber) - (Photo 3, by Jacquelyn Martin/AP: Truckers drive by the U.S. Capitol while blaring their horns in protest of high fuel costs in Washington D.C. Monday)


* Truckers Take Fuel Protest to DC

Washington,DC,USA -TruckingInfo -29 April 2008: -- ... A number of the truckers came from Pennsylvania, leaving about 6 a.m. Monday to make the trip. According to WGAL, organizers pointed out that each trucker would spend $500 to $550 in fuel alone to make the trip, not to mention about $1,200 to $3,000 in lost time and wages... Ironically, another protest scheduled for today, in Pierre, S.D., drew only about a dozen trucks instead of the hundreds that were expected - because high fuel costs kept them from making the trip. According to the Associated Press, many truck drivers decided not to attend because they could not afford to buy fuel for the trip. The truckers gathered at a city park and then drove in a convoy past the state Capitol...

LIGHT TO THE FUTURE * UK - A fridge fleet, a solar revamp

Reed Boardall gives its, and Biglorryblog says let the sunshine forever!

London,UK -Biglorryblog -23 April 2008: -- Now here's an interesting little story that shines a light on energy savings... Reed Boardall Group, one of the UK's largest temperature controlled fleets, delivering goods worth around £10m has just carried out a major fleet replacement programme that includes 62 new trailers and 40 new MAN tractors... Of the trailers, 50 are single deck with a 26-pallet capacity while the remaining 12 are 40-pallet double-deck trailers with lifting decks – a concept which Reed Boardall pioneered with Gray & Adams nearly ten years ago. All the trailers have the new fuel-efficient Carrier fridge units. But by far the most interesting bit is that on top of the sloping aerodynamic roof there's a clever little solar panel to charge the lifting deck battery.... “The solar panels are photovoltaic,” Denzil Cooke, Reed Boardall’s compliance manager tells me... Actually I seem to recall that Sainsbury developed a reefer trailer where the whole roof area was made up of solar panels...

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA -

* Schneider Logistics Integrates Acquisitions

USA -Transport Topics On Line -24 April 2008: -- Schneider Logistics said Thursday it has completed integration of the four logistics companies it has acquired since 2005... American Port Services, Powers Transportation, American Overseas Logistics and BaoYun Logistics are fully integrated entities within Schneider as of this month, the company said in a statement...

TRUCKS' LANE * USA - Louisiana bill would limit use

LOU,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble -April 23, 2008: -- An effort in the Louisiana Senate would ban large trucks from driving in the far left lane on certain roadways in the state. Another effort would amend the rules to expand the use of mobile weight enforcement... Sponsored by Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston, the bill would limit tractor-trailers with at least 18 wheels to the right lanes on highways with three or more lanes in each direction... Supporters say the lane ban would allow traffic to move more freely. Opponents say research doesn’t show that lane restrictions improve highway safety. Instead, it creates traffic problems, they say...

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA - Senate committee reiterates Trust Fund crisis

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by David Tanner -April 23, 2008: -- If federal transportation funding remains at its current level, the Highway Trust Fund will go broke sometime in 2009, federal officials say. Recommendations by an appointed federal commission include raising fuel taxes to boost revenue... Federal fuel taxes haven’t changed since 1993... Neither the members of the appointed commission nor the senators attending Tuesday’s hearing were keen on tolling or privatization as solutions to the crisis... The current viewpoint of the Bush administration and U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is to reduce the federal role and allow states to build toll roads and lease infrastructure to the private sector...


* CARB unveils $7.7 million plan to build, improve hydrogen-fuel stations

Sacramento,CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Charlie Morasch -April 23, 2008: -- More than 200 hydrogen-powered vehicles are running down California roads and highways, refilling at some of the state’s 24 working hydrogen stations... The Governator, however, wants more hydrogen power... The California Air Resources Board wants to hand out $7.7 million to support Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Hydrogen Highway initiative, which includes the creation of a hydrogen refueling network. The funds will be directed to build new hydrogen stations and improve existing stations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas...


* Truckers get free power – for now

Portland, OR,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 23, 2008: -- Truckers whose trucks are equipped for shore power are getting an extra bonus – at least for now – when they pull into the Jubitz Travel Center in Portland, OR... A company called Shorepower Technologies has installed 32 operational electrical ports, but won’t start charging for them until certain tests are complete. Jubitz fuel manager Lee Pederson said, in the meantime, the service is free. The company is expanding to other sites in Oregon and Washington as well... Eventually, 160 electricity-powered parking spaces will be provided at truck stops along Oregon’s Interstate 5 corridor...The truckers will be charged about a dollar an hour for electricity...