User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: November 2008
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Nov 29, 2008

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Port workers will need new ID cards Monday

Raleigh,NC,USA -The Detroit News. Briefs -29 Nov 2008: -- Workers at ports on the Great Lakes and from North Carolina to northern Florida and Long Island Sound will need new identification cards by Monday to meet security requirements that will affect all U.S. ports by the spring. The card is called a TWIC, or Transportation Worker Identification Credential, which already is being used at ports along the New England coast, including Boston. The Coast Guard is in charge of enforcing the regulation by April 15. Port employees, truckers, longshoremen and others who regularly enter a port by land must have the cards, said Jonathan Allen, a spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration in Atlanta...

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TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Navistar, the sole independent manufacturer of trucks and buses in the United States

New York,NY,USA -The New York Times, by JOE NOCERA -November 28, 2008: -- ... I had gone to Chicago to learn about the effects of the credit crisis on a large, industrial, somewhat under-the-radar company called Navistar, the sole independent manufacturer of trucks and buses in the United States... Founded at the turn of the last century as a maker of agricultural equipment, it was known as International Harvester until the mid-1980s (truckers still call it “International”). The company has survived two World Wars, the Great Depression, a near-death experience in the early 1990s, and, most recently, an accounting problem severe enough to cause it to be delisted for almost a year and a half from the New York Stock Exchange... Because it is conservatively managed — no fancy financial engineering, no excessive debt, no risky loans to customers — Navistar is going to survive this crisis as well. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t feeling any pain, or that it doesn’t see the effects of the crisis all around it. On the contrary, companies like Navistar see the effects of the financial crisis far more clearly than most policy makers do. Because trucks haul 70 to 80 percent of everything we buy, truck drivers and trucking companies feel even the slightest economic downturn. They’re on the front lines of the crisis... Something else happened to Navistar in September. Its stock price went into free fall. After working through its accounting issues, the company was relisted on the New York Stock Exchange in July, with its stock in the 60s. (It had traded over the counter during the delisting.) But in a two-month span between mid-September and mid-November, it dropped from $62 a share to $15... Though no one at Navistar can prove it, they strongly suspect that the stock has been hammered because hedge funds, badly hurt during this phase of the financial crisis, have been forced to sell some of their more liquid positions to return money to exiting shareholders. I suspect this theory is correct, and it would be yet another way that fallout from the financial crisis has spread from New York to the rest of the country... (Photo by Sally Ryan for The New York Times - Dan C. Ustian, chief of the truck and bus maker Navistar)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:21 AM  0 comments

Out of the Spotlight * USA - An Industry Copes With Crisis

New York,NY,USA -The New York Times, by JOE NOCERA -November 28, 2008: -- ... The credit crisis is rippling up and down the economy in ways that may not create obvious headlines but that affect the way people do their business and live their lives. People, for instance, who sell and drive trucks... Like most companies in America right now, a crucial issue for G. David Gerrard, who runs a Chicago-area business that is the largest truck dealership in the United States, is credit — in his case, credit for his customers... Navistar has a captive finance company, Navistar Financial, which is the trucking equivalent of GMAC. But its cost of capital has risen sharply, thanks to the crisis. That means Mr. Gerrard’s costs have risen as well, since Navistar Financial supplies much of his financing needs... Perhaps more important, it means that it costs his customers more when they need loans to buy a truck. What’s more, other lenders, like GE Capital, have ceased making truck loans in the Chicago area. When I suggested to Mr. Gerrard that this must be good for Navistar’s business, he shook his head vigorously. It is impossible for Navistar Financial to make 100 percent of the truck loans, so the withdrawal of other lenders means that trucking companies will not be able to get loans to buy vehicles... (Photo by Sally Ryan for The New York Times - At David Gerrard’s truck dealership in Chicago, would-be buyers “can’t get financing,” he said)

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - CARTER EXPRESS: Safety breeds success

Anderson,IN,USA -The Herald Bulletin, by Justin Schneider -November 29, 2008: -- Truck drivers make 160 decisions every mile... And while he can’t have his hands on every wheel or his foot on every clutch, Jim Stetnish puts drivers in the best position to make the safest decision... As vice president of fleet operations, Stetnish oversees safety programs for Carter Express... It’s a point of pride that the Anderson company has received the National Fleet Safety Award for Excellence in Service two years running... In Carter Express can be found a rare ray of sunshine in oppressively cloudy economic times. Between its three divisions — Carter Express, Carter Logistics and Duke’s Truck Center — the company employs more than 800 people and operates 550 trucks, and both numbers are growing...


* Trucking company YRC makes deal with Teamsters

New York,NY,USA -CNN Money/Associated Press -November 28, 2008: -- YRC Worldwide Inc. and the Teamsters on Friday announced a deal that the union said would provide "economic relief" to YRC, one of the world's largest trucking companies, which has been struggling with a dropoff in demand as the economy slows... The tentative agreement would cover some 40,000 employees, including dock workers, drivers, and clerical workers... Neither YRC nor the Teamsters disclosed terms of the tentative agreement. But the company had said previously that it was seeking pay cuts, and Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell said the deal focused on pay, pensions and benefits...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:41 AM  0 comments

AUTOMAKERS' CRISIS * Canada - Magna to close plants, cut 850 jobs

Toronto,Ontario,CAN -The Kingston Whig Standard, by JOHN VALORZI -28 Nov 2008: -- Canada's largest auto parts company is shutting down two Toronto-area plants, with the loss of 850 jobs, in the latest blow to the beleaguered Ontario manufacturing economy... Magna Inter national Inc. said yesterday it will close two plants from its Decoma body parts division... About 850 workers in Aurora and Newmarket, two bedroom communities north of Toronto, will be affected by the shutdown of Decoma's Exterion unit by next June... Magna is one of many parts makers and auto assemblers to shut down plants and pare jobs as the so-called Detroit Three carmakers - GM, Ford and Chrysler - restructure their North American operations...

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TRUCKERS' PROTESTS * USA - Hundreds of trucks protest in central NY village

Skaneateles,NY,USA -WSTM-TV -November 28, 2008: -- All's quiet again in Skaneateles following a noisy demonstration by a large group of truckers upset about plans to restrict truck travel on some Finger Lakes region roads... About 300 trucks cruised through the main street of the lakeside village about 20 miles southwest of Syracuse early Friday afternoon. The convoy was greeted by hundreds of supporters who lined Route 20 through the village... Many cheered as the truckers blared their horns and waved at the crowd. State Police, Onondaga County Sheriff's deputies and Skaneateles Police monitored the protest and directed traffic. State transportation officials are considering new rules that would ban most trucks from Skaneateles and other area roads, mostly along U.S. Route 20... SEE VIDEO -(Photo: The auburnspub: Trucks roll through Skaneateles to loud cheers)

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Nov 28, 2008

AUTOMAKERS' CRISIS * USA - Points of View: Auto industry is much more than ' Big Three'

Note to Congress: While you debate whether to save the auto industry, remember there is far more than just the "big three" to consider

Tucson, AZ,USA -Letters from the Tucson Citizen , by Rodger Malcolm Mitchell (Wilmette, Ill) -26 Nov 2008: --

* From the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association: "The automotive aftermarket, employs approximately 3.7 million Americans. Sales in this industry exceed $250 billion."

* From the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association: "The trucking industry hauls 70 percent of total U.S. freight. About 70 percent of U.S. communities depend solely on trucking for the delivery of goods. The trucking industry employs more than 9 million Americans nationwide."

* From the Original Equipment Suppliers Association: "The new vehicle parts market is worth approximately $300 billion a year."

Now tell me again why you and your party are willing to accept blame for allowing the American auto industry and our entire economy to fail... Congress, you have unlimited money available to you. Spend it and stop dithering us into a depression...


* Big 3 bailout is really a union bailout

Tucson, AZ,USA -Letter from the Tucson Citizen , by Mark Kalinowski (New York,NY) -26 Nov 2008: -- Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and several other leading Democratic politicians continue to agitate for "spreading the wealth" by giving tens of billions of dollars to GM, Ford, and Chrysler... Why? Case Western Reserve University professor Susan Helper gives the game away: "Even if GM is not providing a return on investment, it is still providing a lot of good jobs"... In other words, any bailout of these poorly managed auto companies is at core a bailout for economically unproductive union jobs. Principled politicians will be against such corporate and union welfare... GM, Ford, and Chrysler should not be prevented from declaring bankruptcy. Bankruptcy would allow their burdensome union contracts to be renegotiated and also permit better-managed companies to bid on their assets so that they can be put to use much more efficiently... This would lead to better returns on investment and the creation of economically productive jobs...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:03 AM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - California reefers get an environmental extension

Sacramento,Cal,USA -Today's Trucking (CAN) -27 Nov 2008: -- The California Air Resources Board has indicated it will delay enforcement of its Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) regulation... Citing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's delay in granting authorization for the regulation, CARB now believes a six-month delay from either the original compliance date of Dec. 31, or the date EPA grants authorization, if later, is appropriate... (Photo: Reefer container truck USA)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:19 AM  0 comments

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS * Canada - What’s good for the port is good for everyone


Ver mapa más grandeVancouver,BC,Canada -Today's Trucking -25 Nov 2008: -- Trade through Port Metro Vancouver generates 132,700 total jobs across Canada, according to a recent study prepared for the port by InterVISTAS Consulting... It’s the first study to assess the economic impact of the amalgamated port and concludes that port-related activities generate $10.5 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), $22 billion in economic output and $6.1 billion in wages... The amalgamated Port Metro Vancouver jurisdiction borders on 16 municipalities and covers 600 km of shoreline. The port hosts the operation of 28 major marine terminals and several domestic intermodal terminals...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:08 AM  0 comments

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Cat jumps ship earlier than expected

Caterpillar is getting out of the heavy-duty diesel engine business earlier than planned

Peoria,ILL,USA -Today's Trucking (CAN) -26 Nov 2008: -- ... According to a letter from Cat to its dealers, the North American economy and “significant reductions in OEM order rates” have forced the company to “drastically” change the 2009 outlook... OEMs will be given the responsibility for pushing engines in their trucks, but Cat will continue to deliver field support to dealers and customers.
This change affects all heavy-duty and medium-duty on-highway engines for domestic and export use... In a press conference earlier this year, Cat group president Douglas R. Oberhelman promised that even though the company won’t be building engines after 2009, they will continue to service the existing engines... The deadlines for ordering 2009 cat engines will fall in December 2008 and January 2009, depending on which Cat powerplant you want...


* Meritor WABCO demonstrates collision avoidance systems

Atlanta,GA,USA -Truck News (CAN) -24 Nov 2008: -- Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems has provided fleet managers and government officials with a demonstration of the “latest collision-safety technology” for commercial trucks and trailers at a recent ride-and-drive event... Meritor WABCO develops a range of commercial vehicle controls, including stability controls systems for trucks and trailers, and OnGuard - which is designed to detect objects in the vehicle’s path and manage the distance between them. The company states that both systems can automatically intervene to slow the vehicle to reduce the likelihood of a rear-end collision or loss of stability, which allows the driver time to maintain control and apply additional braking force as needed...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:55 AM  0 comments

BORDER TROUBLES * Findland / Russia - Finns Fume as Exhaust-Spewing Trucks Jam Border Roads to Russia

Lappeenranta,Finland -Bloomberg, by Kati Pohjanpalo -Nov. 27, 2008: -- Marjatta Oksanen recalls how fresh the leaves used to smell when she strolled through her forest in southeastern Finland, along the Russian border... Now, the aroma around Oksanen’s cottage and surrounding woodland is more like that of a loading dock as thousands of Russia-bound trucks line up on a nearby road with their motors idling... In the forests her father loved, Oksanen’s wild blueberry patches are now covered with stacks of tires left by Russian truckers. Food wrappers and cigarette butts litter the roadsides. As truck traffic on the icy and narrow highways increases, so does the chance of accidents... “The roads of southern Finland are a giant storage area,” said Tommi Kivilaakso, who heads the customs office in the city of Lappeenranta, near the second-busiest crossing. “Few countries plan their road networks to be used as parking lots for neighboring countries”... The Finnish government is considering building a parking lot at the Vaalimaa-Torfyanovka crossing that would hold 1,000 trucks. Currently, the lots there hold only 160 trucks. The project, spanning 65 hectares and estimated to cost 24 million euros, is on hold pending planning approvals...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:28 AM  0 comments

TRUCKS' CONTROLS * USA - More DOT law enforcement in area, inspecting semi trucks

High Springs,FL,USA -The High Springs Herald, by Lia Ganosellis -28 Nov 2008: -- While High Springs and Alachua residents may have seen more Florida Department of Transportation officers pulling over commercial vehicles recently, the department says it has nothing to do with a sudden need for them... Captain David Fachko of the Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Office said Motor Carrier Compliance officers generally pull over commercial vehicles to inspect their weight or ensure their safety... Officers don’t have to see a commercial vehicle make a traffic violation, either... (Photo By Ronald Dupont Jr. - A Florida Department of Transportation law enforcement officer pulls over a semi truck in Alachua on U.S.441. The DOT can pull over trucks for inspections, not just for traffic infractions)

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posted by Unknown @ 5:15 AM  0 comments

Nov 27, 2008

Onboard Diagnostics * USA - California Gets Okay to Require they

CAL,USA -Bus & Motorcoach NEWS (subscription) -1 Oct 2008: -- A decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give the state of California a waiver allows state environmental regulators to impose new onboard diagnostic rules for diesel engines in 2010 and beyond... Other states are likely to follow California's lead and mandate that engine manufacturers install more sophisticated onboard diagnostic devices with more rigorous failure thresholds. The primary components of onboard diagnostic systems include software designed into a vehicle's computer to spot emission control system malfunctions as they take place. Such systems must monitor for engine misfires and emissions associated with various systems, including fuel, catalyst, turbo-charger, particulate matter filter, exhaust gas recirculation, variable timing and control, and cooling, according to California Air Resources Board regulations. In early 2007, EPA announced that it would propose its own onboard diagnostic system requirements for heavy diesel, but the agency has yet to finalize the rule...

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posted by Unknown @ 12:59 PM  0 comments

STATISTICS * NAFTA - Cargo Broke Record in 2007

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce/Traffic World, by Courtney Tower -24 Nov 2008: -- Despite the economic slowdown affecting trade in North America, U.S. freight shipments with Canada and Mexico increased 4.9 percent from $866 million to a record $909 billion in 2007 and, as the problems deepened, have risen further this year, according to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics... Two-way trade volumes between the U.S. and Canada and the U.S. and Mexico reached nearly 606 million tons in 2007... Total trade with Canada totaled $562 billion in 2007, up from $534 billion in 2006. Trade with Mexico, at $347 billion, increased from $332 billion...

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posted by Unknown @ 12:19 PM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA -

* Saia Makes Warning System Standard on New Trucks

Johns Creek,GA,USA -Transport Topics -21 Nov 2008: -- Less-than-truckload carrier Saia Inc. said it will make lane departure warning systems standard for all new tractors... The system, manufactured by Iteris Inc., uses a camera mounted on the windshield to track lane markings on roadways... The system generates audio and visual alarms when a driver makes an unintentional lane change.To date, Saia has taken delivery of about 140 Iteris systems. The carrier runs about 3,400 tractors...


* ABF to Buy SCR Trucks for 2010, Exec Says

Fort Lauderdale,FL,USA -Transport Topics -21 Nov 2008: -- ABF Freight System will use diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction technology starting in 2010, but the less-than-truckload carrier has not decided upon the truck maker it will use... Chief Operating Officer Wes Kemp said in a Nov. 16 press conference here that the carrier has been a Sterling Trucks buyer. However, Sterling parent Daimler Trucks said it will discontinue the brand in 2009... Kemp said he does not feel bound to move to Freightliner, Daimler’s flagship brand in North America... Given those two guidelines, ABF could then shop among four other original equipment manufacturers: Mack and Volvo Trucks within Volvo AB or Kenworth and Peterbilt within Paccar Inc...


* Pacer To Deploy 300 Clean Trucks

USA -Transport Topics -24 Nov 2008: -- Pacer International announced last week that its subsidiaries will deploy 230 new clean trucks this month to comply with Southern California port regulations... Pacer will lease the trucks to its network of owner-operators, it said... The trucks will help the carrier's customers to avoid fees imposed by the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach under the Clean Truck Program, the company said. Pacer trucks are already compliant with all other regulations from those ports, including the RFID rule...


* Penske Truck Leasing Offers New Warranty and Financing Packages for Used Commercial Truck Purchases

Reading,PA,USA -MarketWatch -25 Nov 2008: -- Penske Truck Leasing today announced it now offers new warranty and financing options for used light-, medium-, and heavy-duty commercial vehicles in collaboration with National Truck Protection (NTP) and netLoan Funding... Penske now offers extensive one year, 100,000 mile and two year, 200,000 mile warranty protection options on used equipment through its relationship with NTP, the industry's leading independent provider of extended warranties. Both plans include NTP's platinum coverage, which is considered the most comprehensive in the industry...

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posted by Unknown @ 11:22 AM  0 comments

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* China - Sinotruk Jumps on Possible Partnership, Stake Sale
Hong Kong,China -Bloomberg, by Irene Shen & Mark Lee -Nov. 21, 2008: -- Sinotruk (Hong Kong) Ltd., China's largest heavy-truck maker, jumped the most in four days after saying it may sell a stake to a strategic partner... The company gained as much as 14 percent and was up 11 percent to HK$4.34 at the 12:30 p.m. trading break, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 4.5 percent. Sinotruk has plunged 64 percent this year, compared with the benchmark's 54 percent decline... The unidentified potential investor may buy new and existing shares in Sinotruk and also allow the company to use its technology, the Hong Kong-based truckmaker said in a stock exchange statement last night. Sinotruk is seeking investment and planning to boost sales overseas as Chinese truck demand wanes alongside the country's cooling economy... Paccar Inc., Navistar International Corp. or Scania AB could be among the possible investors, as these truckmakers haven't got local joint ventures in China yet, she added...


* Sweden - Volvo truckmaker's profit rises 24 per cent in fourth quarter

Goterborg,Sweden -AutoNews24h -24 Nov 2008: -- Volvo AB posted a 24 per cent increase in fourth-quarter profit Friday as sales growth stalled for the world's second-biggest truckmaker, missing analysts' forecasts... Goteborg-based Volvo said it earned 3.7 billion kronor (US$533 million) in the last quarter of 2006, up from three billion kronor a year earlier. Sales dipped to 65.1 billion kronor ($9.37 billion) from 65.3 billion kronor in 2005... But Volvo said order bookings grew eight per cent...


* USA - Navistar Set to Use Credits to Meet 2010 EPA Standards

USA -Transport Topics, by Frederick Kiel -Nov. 24, 2008: -- Navistar International Corp. will use federal emission credits to enable its new Class 8 engine to meet 2010 federal emission standards, although the engine could be set up to comply with the regulation without the credits, a Navistar executive said... Navistar’s proprietary big-bore engine will use exhaust gas recirculation to meet the drastically reduced nitrogen oxides emissions level mandated by 2010, rather than the selective catalytic reduction system employed by all other engine makers... Timothy Shick, director of marketing for Navistar’s Engine Group, told Transport Topics that using emission credits will enable it to run higher NOx levels for about two years and use the time to “fine-tune” its EGR system...


* Japan - Isuzu, Mazda Cut 2,700 Jobs as Vehicle Demand Falls

Tokyo,Japan -Bloomberg, by Makiko Kitamura & Tetsuya Komatsu -Nov. 20, 2008: -- Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Mazda Motor Corp. will slash at least 2,700 temporary jobs in Japan as the companies reduce vehicle output because of falling demand... Isuzu will terminate 1,400 temporary and part-time workers' contracts by the end of the year and cut one shift at a truck plant in Fujisawa, Japan from next month, said spokesman Naoki Ariizumi. Mazda will cut 500 workers at its factory in Yamaguchi prefecture, and 800 workers at its plant in Hiroshima prefecture, said spokesman Toyota Tanaka...


* Japan - Honda to closes factory for two months

Tokyo,Japan -Investment Markets (Scotland,UK), by Kay Murchie -November 23, 2008: -- Honda, the Japanese carmaker, has announced it is to temporarily close its plant in Swindon for 50 days next year... During the closure, which will take place in February and March 2009, the factory’s 4,800 employees will receive basic pay, confirmed the company... Honda, which is Japan’s second-largest carmaker, recently announced a 41% fall in three-month profits, due to falling sales and the strengthening yen. The closure is as a result of slowing global demand and falling sales...


* USA - Eaton Corp. is building for the long haul

Kalamazoo,MICH,USA -Business Review Western Michigan, by Lynn Stevens -November 26, 2008: -- Eaton Corp. is adding a third floor to its 201,000-square-foot truck business division headquarters in Galesburg, near Kalamazoo... The uptick that the commercial-truck industry was expecting in the second half of 2008 in North America did not materialize, Eaton Truck Group spokesman Don Alles said... One idea driving growth is hybrid power for commercial trucks. Eaton's hybrid systems enable running specialized truck components -- such as booms or extensions -- off hydraulic or battery power with the truck engine off, saving money and reducing pollution...


* India - Tata Motors to lay off 3,000 temps at Pune unit

New Delhi,Pune,India -The Economic Times, by Mohit Bhalla & Gouri Agtey Athale -27 Nov 2008: -- Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle maker, is shedding up to 3,000 temporary jobs at its Pune factory, weeks after its decision to cut production and dismiss a similar number of temporary workers at its Jamshedpur plant. The latest cuts could take the overall layoffs to around 6,000 workers... Officials at Tata Motors’ Pune factory, who did not wish to be named, said the number of temporary staff set to lose jobs range from 1,000 to 3,000 workers. Another senior company executive said the layoff of temporary staff was routine for all automobile companies...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:28 AM  0 comments

AUTOMAKERS' CRISIS * USA - Caravan to Capitol to back Big 3 goes online

Organizers said driving hundreds of cars to D.C. was not feasible, will turn effort into Web site

Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Scott Burgess -November 27, 2008: -- The caravan bound from Detroit to Washington, D.C., to support federal bridge loans for Detroit's Big Three automakers will take the information superhighway instead of the interstate, organizers said Wednesday... Grand plans of an automotive cavalcade to the nation's Capitol grew to the point of impossible once the idea was floated last week by a number of influential people in Detroit... The ad hoc organizers quickly realized the logistical nightmare involved with hundreds of cars driving to Washington to support proposed federal assistance -- $25 billion in low-interest loans -- to U.S. automakers... The coalition of organizers, which includes suppliers, dealers and union workers, said they will send 51 people to Washington on Dec. 5. Each person will come from a different state and the District of Columbus. They will wear a shirt announcing their state and how many jobs GM, Ford and Chrysler has helped create there. All told, there are 6 million jobs around the country that could be impacted if the Big Three go bankrupt, the group says... "This is not just a Detroit story," Leuliette said. "This is about building jobs; it's about America"...

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posted by Unknown @ 9:45 AM  1 comments

Truckers Vulnerability * USA - To State Governments Seeking Owner/Operator Revenue

Change May Force Truckers to Seek Federal Protection

Sun City,AZ,USA -News Release Wire -November 26 2008: -- California has won its court claim that FedEx owner/operators are indeed employees -- and not independent contractors... Other state governments are reviewing their employing status of trucking companies which hire owner/operators. States that also determine their owner/operators to be employees can subject the 1.2 million estimated owner/operator settlements and their estimated $240 billions in revenue to be subject to employment security and workers’ compensation premiums, industry experts argue... That new status could yield an estimated tax windfall in the billions of dollars for the governments...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:23 AM  0 comments

TRUCKERS CLAIM * USA - Brown's frivolous lawsuit designed to curry political favor

Since February, California Attorney General Jerry Brown has been taking dead aim at trucking companies working out of California ports for their abusive treatment of employees

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -Legal Newsline, by SCOTT SABATINI -26 Nov 2008: -- The investigation has resulted in five lawsuits over abusive practices filed so far, and Brown has made no secret of his intent to push the investigation further... But now, those under siege have started fighting back. On Monday, an international trucker based out of Long Beach, Calif., claimed the lawsuit Brown filed against it is nothing more than an attempt by a politician seeking higher office to curry favor with the Teamsters... Pac Anchor, one of five companies sued by Brown, said its workers are independent contractors, "free to determine whether they work or not work, to accept a job or reject it for any reason," according to a statement released by the company... When asked about the accusations, Brown told Legal Newsline in September, "They can say that about anything I do"... Brown, 70, served as California's governor from 1975 to 1983. He ran for president three times, including in 1992 when he came in second to Democratic Nominee Bill Clinton. In the late 1990s he jumpstarted his political career anew by being elected the mayor of Oakland, a crime-ridden city across the bay from San Francisco. As mayor he started many energy efficiency and downtown revitalization programs before being elected as attorney general in 2006... Since June Brown has been aggressively raising money and securing endorsements for a likely run to return the governor's mansion... (Photo: Jerry Brown)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:09 AM  0 comments

TRUCKING FUTURE * USA - Obama team hears truckers’ perspective from OOIDA

OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer accepted an invitation from Obama’s transportation transition team to meet with the group on Monday, Nov. 24...

Chicago,ILL,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Jami Jones -November 26, 2008: -- ... The team heard from a variety of groups representing different aspects of the trucking industry. Groups that met with the team include the American Trucking Association, the Truckload Carriers Association, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, National Private Truck Council and the truck manufacturers... In the meeting, Spencer was also able to address issues such as electronic on-board recorders, parking shortages, idling regulations, highway financing and driver training... He encouraged the Obama administration to look at the issues facing truck drivers from a national perspective and not leave issues such as parking and idling restrictions in sole control of the states... Spencer said the Association will now be working toward one-on-one face time with members of the incoming Obama administration to further educate the key players on these issues facing truckers...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:55 AM  0 comments

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * USA - ... Will be a rally through Skaneateles Friday by truckers protesting regulations proposed by the state

Skaneateles truck rally details depend on whom you ask

Auburn,NY,USA -The Auburn Citizen, by Christopher Caskey -November 26, 2008: -- ... Charlie Claburn is the Northeast regional director of Truckers and Citizens United, the national organization staging the protest. He said residents of Skaneateles and other rural communities have legitimate concerns about the large trucks that drive through their towns from downstate to shorten trips and decrease tolls. The proposed regulations do not affect trucks making deliveries to locations along the restricted roads... But Claburn said the truckers have become the “middle man” in the argument, and stricter regulations will only hurt them... This is “a direct assault against my way of life and against our industry,” he said... The truckers will come from the Thruway on Route 414, to Route 318, and then onto Route 20 through Skaneateles “nice and easy” before heading back to Waterloo... He said he hopes politicians can recognize that without a healthy trucking industry, upstate citizens will not be able to receive food, oil, or most other materials... “Politicians bring words and talk and chaos,” Claburn said. “Human beings deliver hope”...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:42 AM  0 comments

AUTO-MAKERS' CRISIS: OPINION * USA - Jeremy Siegel's Advice to Big Three: "I think bankruptcy's the best option"

PENN,USA -Knowledge Finance and Investment Research Article -November 26, 2008: -- Before the stock market and the broader economy can return to something that looks like normal, banks must start to lend the billions they are getting from the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Recovery Program... Siegel also discusses the government's rescue of Citigroup and the proposed bailout of the U.S. auto industry...

- Knowledge@Wharton: There's much more disagreement about whether or not the government should act to bail out the automobile industry. That's of great interest to the financial sector, including Citigroup, because they have a lot of exposure there. What's your thinking on the bailout proposal? Is bankruptcy an option?

* Jeremy Siegel (Wharton's Finance Professor): Yeah. I think bankruptcy's the best option. I think there is such mammoth misunderstanding of what bankruptcy at GM and Ford and Chrysler would be. You know, the way the companies talk, the way the unions talk is, they're going to just cease operations, and millions of people are going to be laid off. And then that just trickles through the whole economy. Well, again -- and I have mentioned this before -- look at the airlines. They kept on operating. They renegotiated their labor contracts. They -- you know, re-set all sorts of things. They're flying again. And in fact, some of the analysts say that if gasoline prices and oil prices stay down, they could be quite profitable, moving beyond the recession going forward. Some have even called it promising.... And of course, people say, "Well, you can't do that with GM. Because who would buy the car if they didn't have a warrantee?" Well, GM still has $15 billion, $20 billion dollars. They could put away two or $3 billion in trust with the federal government. This is for all our warrantees. And in fact, if you want some government involvement in it, let the government insure the warrantees. The lemons, if need be. The parts, if need be. That still would be a small fraction of a bailout, without the flexibility that you have with bankruptcy. Because without bankruptcy, they have very limited ability to renegotiate with their unions. And now you have a Democratic Congress, a Democratic President. But the union's sitting there and said, "Hey, they promised us all these health benefits." And that's what's really killing Ford and GM. You know? And which side do you think is going to win on that struggle, over there?...

- Knowledge@Wharton: The auto industry uncertainty is just one of many uncertainties that seem to be tormenting the market these days. Is that the thing that's really missing here, some stability?

* Siegel: The big down-movement the last couple of weeks has been this commercial bank panic. Now it's been shored up a little bit, because basically the government says, "Hey, we're going to stand behind Citigroup, and that probably means we're going to stand behind most of these commercial bank mortgages." The big problem -- really, the big problem is to get the banks to lend. And I don't mean new borrowers. I mean, they must continue the lines of credit to their credit-worthy customers. I've been saying this all along. If I were in the government right today, I would say anybody that took TARP money -- and most of those banks did -- must keep their lines of credit open to their credit-worthy customers. They can't yank them prematurely. They must keep them going for a period of six months. And if they don't like that, then pay the money back to us and you can do whatever you want. But the whole purpose of this was to do lending. And the lending is not taking place...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:58 AM  0 comments

Nov 26, 2008

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * USA - Federal government's fleet sees mixed results

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Post/API SmartBrief -24 Nov 2008: -- Federal agencies have spent billions for vehicles that burn alternative fuel, but more than 92% of the fuel the government uses is standard gasoline because the fleet has been dispatched to areas where those alternative fuels are not available, according to a Washington Post analysis...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:34 PM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY'S ANALYSIS * USA - Analyst says trucking demand wilting

JPMorgan analyst Thomas R. Wadewitz lowered estimates for less-than-truckload carriers by an average of 7.3 percent for next year, and cut his truckload forecasts by an about 12.9 percent

New York,NY,USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker -26 Nov 2008: -- A JPMorgan analyst lowered his 2009 estimates across the trucking sector Wednesday, noting growing weakness among companies already battered by a sour economy... “Both transport and macroeconomic data have weakened significantly in the fourth quarter, indicating a fall in demand which is even sharper than we had previously anticipated,” Thomas R. Wadewitz wrote in a note to clients... The industry’s main trade group, the American Trucking Associations, last week said goods shipped by trucks in the U.S. in October fell at a faster-than-expected rate. Other key economic indicators, including the Institute for Supply Management’s closely watched service sector index and industrial production trends, “also clearly point to a sharp falloff in economic activity,” the analyst said...

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posted by Unknown @ 8:26 PM  0 comments

POLLUTION * USA - NY moves to reduce diesel truck emissions with retrofits

New York is taking steps to reduce diesel emissions in its construction truck fleet...

Albany,N.Y.,USA -AP/The Trucker, by Dorothy Cox -26 Nov 2008: -- The Department of Environmental Conservation is floating proposed regulations requiring trucks made before 2007 to be fitted with emissions-reducing equipment and to use ultra-low-sulfur fuel by 2011... The new regulations would apply only to state-owned trucks or trucks used for state contract work. The DEC estimates it will cost $195 million to retrofit about 30,000 state trucks... The New York State Motor Truck Association said Tuesday the additional costs are prohibitive and poorly timed during an economic slowdown... Meanwhile, Gov. David Paterson was in the Bronx, which has the state’s highest asthma rate, announcing a crackdown on all trucks whose emissions violate state air regulations... (The Department of Environmental Conservation proposed regulations would apply only to state-owned trucks or trucks used for state contract work. The DEC estimates it will cost $195 million to retrofit about 30,000 state trucks. The New York State Motor Truck Association said Tuesday the additional costs are prohibitive and poorly timed during an economic slowdown)

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posted by Unknown @ 7:58 PM  0 comments

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* USA - Navistar delivers first International LoneStar

Warrenville,ILL,USA -The Trucker -21 Nov 2008: -- Navistar representatives presented the keys to Danny Boudreau, driver and owner of Jeramand Enterprises, during ceremonies at East Coast International Trucks in Moncton, New Brunswick... The LoneStar made its debut to the public to much fanfare earlier this year in February at the Chicago Auto Show. In March, truck enthusiasts got their first look at the bold, stylish truck at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Now, just two years after the truck’s earliest designs, the LoneStar is a reality... The truck progressed directly from math and clay models to hard tooling for production — without any development prototypes... (The LoneStar is designed to create a new category of Class 8 trucks called “advanced classic,” in which technology and innovative styling converge with next-generation aerodynamic design to deliver superior fuel efficiency)


* Germany - Daimler trucks won't cut German production hours

Stuttgart,Germany -AP, by OLIVER SCHMALE -24 Nov 2008: -- The head of Daimler AG's truck business said it does not plan to cut working hours at its German plants in the immediate future, despite the economic downturn, but would not rule out further savings in the United States... The company is planning to cut back most of its part-time help by the end of this year, but has given no figures... Renschler acknowledged that the company — whose truck brands include Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star and Fuso — faces weak demand in the coming months...


* European Truck Slump Accelerates, Spreads to Germany

Brussels,Belgium -Bloomberg, by Laurence Frost -Nov. 25, 2008: -- European heavy-truck sales plunged 14 percent last month as the fallout from the economic slowdown and tighter credit spread to Germany and the U.K... Manufacturers sold 26,479 trucks weighing 16 metric tons or more in October, compared with 30,925 a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers Association said in a statement today. Deliveries for the first 10 months rose 1.5 percent to 277,202 vehicles... Daimler AG, Volvo AB and MAN AG, Europe’s top three truckmakers, are cutting thousands of jobs and trimming production as the economic slowdown gathers pace. Spain and Italy led the heavy truck-sales slide among the larger western European markets, with respective declines of 53 percent and 21 percent last month. Germany, the largest market, turned negative with an 8.5 percent drop, after a sales gain of 21 percent in September...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:42 PM  0 comments