trucks world news: June 2008

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * Australia - Truckies to stage F3 'go slow'

Hundreds of truck drivers will stage a 'go slow' day tomorrow on the F3, north of Sydney, to protest over wages, working conditions and rising fuel costs

Sydney,NSW,Australia -ABC Online -Jun 30, 2008: -- ... From 6:30am (AEDT), a convoy of truck drivers will travel at 60 kilometres an hour southbound on the highway from Wyong to Wahroonga... The NSW Transport Workers Union says freight drivers are being forced into unsafe work practices to keep their businesses afloat... It says some long-haul drivers are spending around $500 extra on fuel a day... They are calling on the Government to set up a national system to ensure drivers are compensated for maintenance and fuel expenses by their clients.
Union spokesman Mark Crosdale says the action may cause delays, but it is in the interest of all road users... The Roads and Traffic Authority says it will issue travel advice for people who use the road later today...

Labels: truckers' protests

TRUCKING INDUSTRY's STORY * USA - Heavy haulage in the 1880s - twenty mule teams in Death Valley

For a six-year period in the 1880s...

some 9,000 tonnes of borax ore were dragged out of Death Valley's mines by 20-mule freight teams like this... ... A 20-mule team consisted of 18 mules and a pair of horses - one of which was ridden by the Teamster (or Muleskinner). According to the Twenty Mule Team Museum in California, each train was 100-foot long, and carried ten tonnes of the ore... That's ten tonnes from 190 feet below sea level to an elevation of 2,000 feet in temperatures in excess of 130 degrees. That's exhausting work, and it would be a good few years until trucks were able to do this...

... And in complete contrast, this is how it's done today. I photographed this heavy haulage operation in the Nevada desert earlier this year. It was part of a three-truck convoy on its way to a nearby gold mine. I would be very surprised if this police-led convoy was travelling at anything less than 70mph... Story and Picture from Road Transport/Big Lorry Blog, by Will Shiers (London,UK) - -June 30, 2008

Labels: trucking industry stories

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Fuel or Sex ... !!! ???

* A choice that no one should have to make

Reno,Nev,USA -AOL NEWS/Pafoa.org -June 29, 2008: -- Rising fuel prices are putting a pinch on the world's oldest profession... Nevada brothels that cater to long-haul truckers are offering gas cards and other promotions after seeing business decline as much as 25 percent from a year ago, industry officials said... Geoffrey Arnold, president of the Nevada Brothel Owners' Association, said truckers account for up to 75 percent of business at the state's rural brothels along Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 95...

* Diesel costs driving many independent truckers out of business

Salt Lake City -Deseret News, by Laura Hancock -29 June 2008: -- Julia and Lari Tadehara of Murray sank their life savings into their car-hauling business. They were losing $5,000 a month in recent months and finally parked the truck just weeks ago. Their 10-vehicle car-hauler is in a repair shop for maintenance before the Tadeharas sell it to recover some money... Business became difficult for them beginning this past December, when the price of diesel fuel began to spike... (Photo 1· By Keith Johnson, Deseret News - Mike Osthoff, with Dealers Auto Transport, gets ready Tuesday for a trip delivering cars. High fuel prices have made an impact on his income, Osthoff says) ... A year ago, the national average price for a gallon of diesel fuel was $3 per gallon. Diesel is now about $4.78 a gallon, and in some states, it's past $5 a gallon. The result is that at least 935 truckers nationwide have gone out of business in the first part of this year, according to a recent study, and the numbers could rise... Independent drivers and small companies cannot easily absorb the rising cost of fuel, because they can't buy fuel in bulk at wholesale rates or afford trucks with better technology to control speed and other functions, like the large companies do... The small companies also tend to log more "empty miles" — miles driven without paid freight. The truckers that remain in the industry are having to make adjustments to survive...

* Passing along costs

Salt Lake City -Deseret News, by Laura Hancock -29 June 2008: --

(Photo 2· By Jason Olson/Deseret News - Tara Dobson hooks up for another run. The Dobsons have changed their driving habits to save on fuel — removing the bug shield to improve aerodynamics and cutting back on breaks to save fuel wasted on slowing down and speeding up) ... Chris and Tara Dobson of North Salt Lake always drive as a team, with one driving while the other sleeps. Trucking is a second career for Chris Dobson, who has a psychology degree from the University of Texas at Austin and worked for almost a decade in sales and marketing. He and his wife chose trucking because she was looking for a new job, but the couple only had one car between the two of them... The couple researched the industry and got their commercial drivers' licenses in 2003. They drove for a trucking company before starting Dobson Transport in August 2006...

(Photo by Jason Olson, Deseret News - Truck-refrigeration units, like this one owned by Chris and Tara Dobson, take diesel fuel only. The price of diesel is now hovering near $5 a gallon) ... They have documented their costs for diesel fuel: They paid $32,310 from January through May of 2007 and $54,175 in that same period this year... But the couple has made more money from invoices this year: $139,337, up from last year's invoices of $111,873. They're not driving any more freight than last year. They've simply increased their shipping rates... They pocket the profits on their weekly trip to Raleigh, N.C., delivering Idaho potatoes to a grocery wholesale company because they negotiated the contract directly with the shipper. When fuel goes up 20-50 cents, they ask for more money, and the wholesaler complies, Chris Dobson said... On the way back West, the Dobsons transport mattress ticking fabric from Statesville, N.C. That contract is negotiated through a booking company, but the Dobsons get most of the profit and all of the fuel surcharge... The Dobsons, meanwhile, have changed their driving habits to save on fuel — removing the bug shield to improve aerodynamics, and reducing the number of breaks at trucking and rest stops to save fuel that's wasted on slowing down and speeding up... That adds about five hours to their weekly driving time. Last year, they'd arrive in North Salt Lake on Saturday morning. Now it's Saturday afternoon. The net result is a half day cut from their weekends. Their work week starts on Tuesday mornings ... But the couple hopes to eventually expand their business by buying two to three more trucks and hiring drivers..."The more and more companies that go out of business, when things turn around, I'll buy their trucks and their routes," he said... (Photo 4 · By Jason Olson/Deseret News - Chris Dobson heads down a Salt Lake road on June 22. Dobson and his wife, Tara, started Dobson Transport in August 2006. The couple always drive as a team, with one driving while the other sleeps)

Labels: fuel cost troubles

TRANSPORTATION NEWS * NAFTA - Trade Reaches Record

Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico reached a record high level in April

USA -Transport Topics -30 June 2008: -- The Department of Transportation said that trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners jumped 14.3% from a year ago to a record $74.3 billion, DOT’s Bureau of Trade Statistics said in its monthly report... Truck imports to the United States rose 5.8% year-over-year to $24.9 billion, while exports rose 12.4% to $24.5 billion... About 90% of U.S. trade among NAFTA partners moves by land... (Photo by Larry Smith/Trans Pixs)

Labels: transportation news

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

* USA - Alvan Motor Freight Closes Doors

Kalamazoo,Mich,USA -The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press/Transport Topics -30 June 2008: -- Alvan Motor Freight has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and gone out of business, reported Monday... The carrier, which began operations in 1941, employs 525 people in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, the paper said... Alvan has about 400 trucks and 800 trailers, according to American Trucking Associations’ fleet data... The company was hurt by a three-month strike at auto parts supplier American Axle, which was one of Alvan’s biggest customers, Alvan Chief Executive Officer James Van Zoeren said...

* Canada - Top carrier costs continue to eat away at operating margins

Ottawa,ONT,CAN -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -26 June 2008: -- The nation's largest for-hire motor carriers continued a worrisome trend in the fourth quarter of 2007 as the growth in their expenses exceeded that of revenue, according to a report released today by Statistics Canada... Canada's top motor carriers -- 97 Canadian-based trucking companies earning $25 million or more annually -- generated operating revenues of $2.6 billion and operating expenses of $2.4 billion in the fourth quarter...

Labels: trucking industry Canada

STUDY * USA - Drivers at highest risk on first day back after break

Driving after a break appears to be one of the greatest traffic risks for commercial vehicle drivers, according to a recent study

Washington,DC,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Jan Westell -27 June 2008: -- ... The study, conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VITT) and funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), indicates that there is a potential for a "safety critical event," not only on the first day, but also within the first hour – according to previous research funded by the same agency – which shows a "trend" between the two studies, according to one of the researchers... The most recent VTTI "naturalist truck driving study" suggests that driving after a two-day break is a potentially risky period for a "safety critical event" (SCE) which could be a "crash, a near-crash or a crash relevant conflict," according to the study terms. Researchers don't know why that first day after a break is so potentially risky for a SCE, but they now have a great deal of data that will allow them to further analyze that type of activity and how it might be contributing to the truck drivers crash or conflict... (Video from YouTube, by rcaston19 - October 19, 2006: "KENTUCKY UPS TRUCK CRASH")

Labels: drivers' risks

Pollution * China - Beijing bans trucks from entering

Starting next month, trucks passing through Beijing will be not allowed to enter the city

Beijing,China -CCTV, by Yang Jie -30 June 2008: -- ... The Ministry of Transport said starting July 1st, trucks will have to detour around Beijing's neighboring provinces and cities. The move aims to further protect Beijing's environment during the Olympic Games. The transport ministry said it has repaired the surrounding roads and bridges... Signs have also been set up three kilometers ahead of the detours. The ministry said only trucks carrying fresh farm produce and those holding special certificates can enter Beijing. To prevent possible traffic jams, local transport authorities in neighboring Hebei Province will guide passenger cars and trucks into separate lanes during rush hour. The truck ban will expire on September 20th... (Video from YouTube, by adam85isalive - March 24, 2007: "BBC News - China's Grime Belt Air Pollution Extreme")

Labels: trucks ban

CARBON TAXES * Canada - Truckers need help

The typical long-haul owner-operator will pay $1,000 this year, $3,000 in 2010 and $6,000 in 2012 in carbon taxes

Vancouver,BC,Canada -The Province -June 29, 2008: -- You may not like the way they hold you up on the road, but trucks are the lifeblood of our economy. They transport the daily necessities that keep everything moving along -- from food to lumber... So if you think you're going to be hit hard by Premier Gordon Campbell's new gas tax, which takes effect this week, spare a thought for those who work in B.C.'s trucking industry. They'll be paying a whole lot more... B.C. Trucking Association CEO Paul Landry says the typical long-haul owner-operator will pay $1,000 this year, $3,000 in 2010 and $6,000 in 2012 in carbon taxes -- offset by just $20 to $50 in income-tax cuts and the $100 carbon-tax cheque per family member... Plus, the trucker will have to pay extra for the fuel for the personal vehicle (or vehicles) he and his family may drive. Does this sound as if it is "revenue neutral"?... It doesn't to us. And the industry will clearly need some government assistance -- especially in using new fuel-saving technologies... (Picture by Jason Payne/The Province - Maureen Bader of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation shows governments' huge chunk of the tax pie)

* High gas prices fuel gov't windfall - Feds reap $100-million bonanza for every 10-cent hike at the pump

Vancouver,BC,Canada -The Province, by Kent Spencer -June 30, 2008: -- Soaring prices at the pump add up to a tax bonanza worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the federal government, says the Canadian Taxpayers Federation... Ottawa takes in $100 million in additional GST for every 10-cent rise in the price of a litre of gas, says Maureen Bader, the federation's B.C. director... The GST is only one of the taxes that consumers are fuming about as the summer touring season begins... Tomorrow, B.C. introduces its controversial 2.4-cent carbon tax on gas, the first in North America... Prices have changed dramatically since the Liberals announced it on Feb. 19... The new tax means governments will receive 40 cents from every litre sold at the benchmark $1.47 price...

Labels: carbon taxes

TRUCKERS STRIKE * India - Drivers vow to go on strike from July 2

New Delhi,India -Press Trust Of India/The Hindustan Times -June 28, 2008: -- Truckers on Saturday said they would go ahead with their indefinite strike from July 2 till the government agrees to scrap toll tax on operators and exempts booking agents from service tax payment, among other demands... "We submitted our memorandum to the government a month earlier but there is no response from them regarding our demands, so we have decided to go ahead with our nation-wide strike from July 2," All India Motor Transport Congress President Charan Singh Lohara told reporters... However, the Finance Ministry had on June 26 exempted truck operators from payment of 12.5 per cent service tax on the supply of goods carriage to goods transport agencies... Lohara said the government should abolish toll tax on truck operators, rationalise the duty structure on diesel and exclude truckers' booking agents from the preview of service tax...

Labels: truckers' strikes

Honorary Truck Driver * USA - 12-year-old becomes truck driver for a day

The company’s truck drivers established the program to provide rides, gifts and assistance to children and adults with chronic medical conditions

Auburn,ALA,USA -OANow, by Beverly Harvey -June 27, 2008: -- On Friday afternoon, 12-year-old Paul Liu landed his first job — as an honorary truck driver for Wal-Mart... The rising fifth-grader rode in the cab of the big rig with his parents and full-time Wal-Mart truck driver, John Simpson, on a drive around the parking lot at Sam’s Club in Auburn... It was the first time Paul — who was all smiles throughout his brief journey — had ridden in a tractor-trailer... It was also the first time the volunteer program Wal-Mart Heart came to the local Sam’s Club since it opened in January. The company’s truck drivers established the program to provide rides, gifts and assistance to children and adults with chronic medical conditions... During the ride, Paul, who has cerebral palsy, helped Simpson change one of the truck’s 10 gears and helped to hold the steering wheel... (Photo by Beverly Harvey/Opelika-Auburn News: Mei-lei Wang, left, climbs up into the cab of the Wal-Mart tractor-trailer with her 12-year-old son, Paul Liu, center, and Wal-Mart truck driver John Simpson on Friday)

Labels: honorary truck drivers

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* UK - Leyland Trucks scoops accolades for excellence

Preston,Lancashire,UK -The Preston Citizen, by Andrew Greaves -28 June 2008: -- Staff and bosses at Leyland Trucks are celebrating after scooping two awards at the prestigious Manufacturing Excellence awards... The firm, based in Farington Moss, won the IMechE Award for Best Financial Management and the Warwick Manufacturing Group Award for Logistics and Resource Efficiency at the ceremony held at London’s Dorchester Hotel... Leyland Trucks, a designer and producer of light and medium weight trucks under the DAF brand, attributes the outstanding growth to a change of workplace culture that focuses on a team approach, as well as a financial boost, their parent company PACCAR invested £75 million in Leyland Trucks in the past five years... (Picture from BigLorryBlog: (UK) Benton's immaculate anniversary Daf XF105...)

* USA - Mack's big, bold performance road show now in full swing

Lehigh Valley,Pa,USA -Truck News (CAN), by Jan Westell -27 June 2008: -- The 2008 Mack performance tour is featuring the "biggest and boldest trucks ever," and the "very fuel efficient, yet extremely powerful" Mack MP family of engines, according to the truck manufacturer... On the 2008 tour, Mack is promoting its products, its customer support and its dealer network, as well as its "fuel efficient" engine technology that has been designed for future requirements...

* USA - Navistar Resumes NYSE Trading

New York,NY,USA -Transport Topics -30 June 2008: -- Navistar International Corp. said Monday its common stock has resumed trading on the New York Stock Exchange... The company was delisted in February 2007 after it fell behind in its financial reporting, which it brought up to date Friday... The parent company of International brand trucks will trade under its original ticker symbol, NAV...

* Thailand - A shift to greener pastures

Bangkok,Thailand -The Bangkok Post, by ALFRED THA HLA -30 June 2008: -- Contrary to popular belief, the emergence of the ecocar programme as the country's second product champion will not cannibalise the one-ton pickup truck market... The future of this soon-to-peak segment will depend on more efficient technology with greater product lineup variety... On the other end are its larger commercial siblings _ two- and three-ton, 3.5-ton and more, and buses _ which play a low-key but vital logistic role in sales that accounted for about 3.6% of total vehicle sales last year, according to information compiled by Hino Motor Sales Thailand...

Labels: truckmakers news UK

Shortage of Truck Stops * Canada - Bottles of urine litter roadways

Watch out for truckers' leftovers

Sarnia,Ontario, Canada -The Sarnia Observer/The Canadian Press -28 June 2008: -- Keep an eye out on Canada's highways this weekend for plastic and glass bottles -- they might well contain trucker pee... The stinky bottles are a new low for litter and proof of the intense pressure on the trucking industry, say critics... These days long-distance hauling means many nights away from home and long, long hours on the road. For the most part, it's only when the odometer is clicking away that a trucker's and a trucking company's bank account grows... Drivers need to make good time, and they only have so many hours a day to get the job done. In Canada, that's a maximum of 13 hours a day behind the wheel, on duty no more than 14 hours. But delays at loading docks and border crossings soften squeeze the journeys into shorter time frames... Some truckers choose making a living over taking bathroom breaks and breaks for much-needed sleep... Bob Dolyniuk, general manager of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said if drivers aren't stopping, they are either doing something wrong or are in an unacceptable situation... "Trips should be planned and dispatched based on the available hours a driver has to drive and to work and to rest."... Compounding the problem is the practical matter of a shortage of places to sleep. Drivers say Canada is not as trucker-friendly as the U. S., and one proof of that is the shortage of truck stops and rest areas in Canada...

Labels: shortage truck stops

"GREEN" NEWS * Canada - Trucking company gets eco-friendly tractor-trailers

New trucks are designed to burn diesel more efficiently and cut emissions

Nanaimo BC, Canada -The Nanaimo Daily News, by Darrell Bellaart -June 28, 2008: -- Vancouver Island dairy producers Paradise Island Foods has traded in its four-vehicle tractor trailer fleet for environmentally friendly vehicles... The company took advantage of the new provincial incentive program that pays owners up to $10,000 per vehicle and $50,000 per fleet to switch over to so-called enviro-trucks... The new trucks are designed to burn diesel more efficiently, drastically cutting particulate emissions, and Paradise Island also had its tractor trailers fitted with hybrid diesel-electric refrigeration systems that can be plugged in wherever electric power is available, reducing noise and pollution and further cutting emissions... The dairy producer is not the only Island company jumping on the green bandwagon... Victoria-based R&B Trucking is awaiting delivery on North America's first fully hybrid diesel-electric refrigerator truck by late summer... The company, which operates 27 vehicles on the Island, 11 out of Lantzville, is waiting for the first truck ever built that uses electric batteries...

Labels: green news

FUEL COST CRISIS * USA - Gas prices force many to park their rigs for good

Omaha,NE,USA -The Omaha World-Herald (subscription), by VIRGIL LARSON -June 29, 2008: -- Faced with a gasoline bill of more than $1,000 to fill each truck, Frank McEvoy parked eight of his 22 semitrailer rigs and let seven employees go two months ago, just before the price of diesel fuel spiked... Frank McEvoy has parked eight of his company's 22 semitrailer rigs, downsizing because of high fuel costs. He also let seven employees go... He put the vans out to pasture. Vans and reefers — refrigerated trailers — are the most plentiful among the semis on the country's highways and the least profitable because of tough competition... "We had eight," McEvoy said. "Mr. Blue up on the hill has hundreds. I don't think we scare him too much."... "Mr. Blue" is Werner Enterprises Inc. One of the biggest U.S. carriers, its more than 7,000 trucks are instantly recognizable by their blue paint jobs... Parking the vans is McEvoy's way of surviving soaring prices for diesel fuel combined with a slackening volume of loads in a softening economy... (Photo by JEFF BEIERMANN/THE WORLD-HERALD)

Labels: trucking industry crisis

DOUBTS & COMPLAINS * USA - Clean Trucks Workshop Tries To Clear The Confusion

Maybe ?... The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach both plan to launch their Clean Trucks Programs on Oct. 1, when all pre-1988 trucks will be banned from the ports

Long Beach,CA,USA -The Cunningham Report -28 June 2008: -- Trucking executives went to a six-hour workshop on Tuesday to both vent their frustration and try to understand that which is very difficult to understand... Under the Los Angeles plan, trucking companies will be forced to change their business models and hire employee-drivers if they want to do business at the port. Under the Long Beach plan, trucking companies can keep their business models and use owner-operators if they so desire... Both ports will require all companies servicing the ports to apply for a concession. But since the concessions are different, if trucking companies want to pick up cargo at both ports - which they all do - they will have to get two concessions. Truckers who get an L.A. concession should also be able to get a Long Beach concession, since Long Beach doesn't care if the company has employee-drivers or owner-operators. But companies with owner-operators will not be able to obtain a concession in Los Angeles... Adding to that, neither of the concession applications has been made available yet. With only three months to go before the program is expected to be in operation, time is drawing short.
On top of all that the American Trucking Associations expects to file its lawsuit challenging the legality of both plans in the second week of July, so there is a real possibility that neither plan will be implemented. Even if the ports prevail in court, it seems unlikely that they will be able to launch their programs by Oct. 1... Other drivers complained about the price differences for getting a five-year concession. In Long Beach the application fee for a five-year concession is $250; in Los Angeles its $2,500. The other thing that trucking executives in the audience were unhappy about is the bias written into the Clean Trucks Programs of both ports toward LNG-fueled trucks and other alternative fuels. LNG trucks cost more than clean diesel models and an adequate fueling station infrastructure for LNG-fueled trucks does not currently exist...

Labels: Clean Truck Program discussion

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* China - Sinotruk Targets Middle East, Africa, Russia Ventures

Hong Kong,China -Bloomberg (UK), by Tian Ying -June 27 -- Sinotruk (Hong Kong) Ltd., China's biggest heavy-truck maker, is in talks to establish joint ventures in the Middle East, Africa and Russia within six months, moving to boost overseas sales as domestic margins shrink... The company plans to sell 33 percent of its vehicles overseas by 2010 as it is being squeezed domestically by competition from Dongfeng Automobile Co. and surging material costs, President Cai Dong said... Sinotruk already sells trucks in kit form to independent assemblers in Indonesia, Vietnam and Morocco. The truckmaker has no plans to seek acquisitions overseas at present because it isn't yet ready to run international units, Cai said... The company is targeting emerging markets because its vehicles are more competitive in those areas, he added. The truckmaker doesn't plan to develop vehicles for Europe and North America in the near future, he said... Sinotruk's overseas sales more than doubled last year to 15,715. That helped overall sales of Howo trucks and other models climb 64 percent to 84,481. The company had a 21 percent share of China's heavy-duty truck market in the period... A new engine, which meets Euro III emission standards, may help boost Sinotruk's sales after China introduces tougher emission rules next month, Cai said. The engine will raise the sales prices of Sinotruk vehicles by about 10,000 yuan, compared with a 24,000 yuan increase for rivals, he said... The truckmaker has sold more than 1,000 vehicles fitted with the engine, according to its Web site. It will take competitors months, if not years, to develop rival models, Cai said... (Photographer: Kevin Lee/Bloomberg News - A Sinotruk Ltd. truck drives on a road in Shanghai, Nov. 21, 2007)

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

SPEED LIMITS * Canada - Burlington fire trucks to obey speed limits

Toronto,ONT,CAN -The Canadian Press -Jun. 27 2008: -- Their sirens will still be blaring, but Burlington firefighters heading to a raging fire won't be accused of speeding... Fire trucks must now obey city speed limits after the department noted a growing number of collisions over the past five years... The new rules took effect June 1 and will continue on a trial basis until the end of September... (Picture: Burlington Fire Department truck - Courtesy City of Burlington website)

Labels: speed limits

TRUCK SALES * Hungary - Major Order for Volvo Trucks in

Stockholm,Sweden -BUSINESS WIRE -Jun 27, 2008: -- Volvo Trucks' Hungarian subsidiary, Volvo Hungary Trading and Services Kft, has signed a frame agreement for 1,500 trucks with transport and logistics company Waberer's Optimum Solution... This is a long term commitment of Waberer's Optimum Solution and Volvo Truck Corporation where the previous frame agreement signed in 2006 concerning 1,000 trucks will be concluded in 2008... Waberer's Optimum Solution is a privately owned supplier of transport services and operates in Hungary, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. It is the leading transports and logistics company in the Central Eastern Europe region and one of the top 20 freight forwarding and road transportation companies in Europe. The company's fleet currently consists of 2,300 vehicles and will encompass 1,600 Volvo trucks by the end of 2008...

Labels: truck sales

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

* USA - Roadlink acquires CP ships trucking

Montreal,QBC,CAN -The Gazette -June 27, 2008: -- RoadLink, a major Atlanta-based independent intermodal logistics company, said yesterday it is buying Montreal's CP Ships Trucking Ltd., known as C-Truck, from the Canadian unit of European shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd. C-Truck, which operates 240 trucks, has six terminals in Canada and the U.S... On closing, RoadLink will create an alliance with Fastfrate, a Canadian logistics firm, to provide container transportation services across North America...

Labels: trucking industry news USA and CAN

FUEL SAVING * USA - Mud flaps drawing attention

USA -Fleet Owner -Jun 26, 2008: -- If you think you’ve done everything possible to improve fuel efficiency, there may still be one more opportunity left — fuel-efficient mud flaps. Andersen Flaps, Inc. has been providing its patented Eco-flaps to fleets since 2000 to reduce splash and spray, but it turns out the see-through mud flaps may help fleets see an improvement in fuel economy, too... Transportation Research Center, Inc. (TRC) performed SAE Test J1321 Type II on the Andersen flaps in July of 2006, and the results are posted on the Eco-flaps website. The baseline fuel economy for the two test trucks was 6.37 mpg and 6.54 mpg. With the flaps installed, the mpg increased to 6.71 mpg and 6.77 mpg respectively, according to the report...

Labels: fuel savings

Layoffs * USA - Kronenwetter Transportation Company Announces

A Kronenwetter company is laying off more than 300 workers come July

Wasau,WIS,USA -Americans Truckers at War -27 June 2008: -- WH Transportation is shutting down their van-trailer division. They haul housing parts for Wausau Homes... Tom Schuette, co-owner of WH Transportation, tells WFXS the failing economy has a lot to do with why cutbacks were made... Schuette says the entire US trucking industry, along with WH Transportation, is facing a very challenging time because of the high fuel costs... WH Transportation in Kronenwetter plans to keep their flat bed division up and running... Another trucking casualty of the insane fuel prices and Washington’s refusal to come up with realistic, common sense solutions...

Labels: layoffs

TRUCKERS' STRIKES * WORLDWIDE

* India - Truckers not to withdraw strike call from July 2

Chandigarh,Punjab,India -Press Trust Of India/The Hindustan Times -June 27, 2008: -- Truck operators body All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) on Friday said that it will not withdraw its indefinite nationwide strike call from July 2 unless the government agrees to its all demands... The Finance Ministry on Thursday exempted truck operators from the payment of 12.5 per cent service tax on the supply of goods carriage to goods transport agencies (GTA)... Giving details about truckers' other demands, Lohara, who was in Ludhiana on Friday, said that the government should abolish toll tax on truck operators, rationalise the duty structure on diesel and exclude truckers' booking agents from the preview of service tax...

* South Korea - Auto workers vote in favor of strike

Seoul,S.Korea -The Joong Ang Daily -June 28, 2008: -- Workers from Kia Motors Corp., GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co. and Ssangyong Motor Co. approved plans to strike to seek pay increases and to oppose various government policies... About 70.2 percent of Kia’s workers, 65.2 percent of GM Daewoo’s and 66 percent of Ssangyong Motor’s voted in favor of the strike plans, the unions said on their Web sites... The union at Hyundai Motor Co., the only automaker in the country that is bigger than Kia, may release the results of a vote early tomorrow... The walkouts will be another blow to President Lee Myung Bak, whose public support rate plunged following protests over the resumption of U.S. beef imports. A strike by truckers earlier this month cost South Korea $7.26 billion in lost trade...

* North Ireland - Truckers postpone planned strike over diesel prices

Belfast,N.Ireland,UK -The Belfast Telegraph -June 26, 2008: -- Truckers have postponed a planned nationwide strike to highlight the threat posed to their livelihoods by the spiralling cost of diesel... Members of the Irish Road Haulage Association had threatened to go on strike from tomorrow unless the Government came up with measures to ease the pressure they are under... However, they decided last night to delay a decision on whether to press ahead with the strike for a fortnight...

Labels: truckers' strikes

LONGER TRUCKS * USA - House panel OKs 53 foots trailers

Raleigh,NC,USA -News & Observer, by Bruce Siceloff -26 June 2008: -- A House committee today changed a bill to preserve the state Department of Transportation's power to make some highways off-limits to long tractor-trailer rigs... Safety advocates had warned that the bill passed by the Senate last week would allow trucks with 53-foot-long trailers to travel on narrow, winding roads where DOT has banned them as too dangerous. The Senate bill would have allowed a committee of legislators to veto DOT proposals to add more roads to the banned list... The House Transportation Committee changed the bill to require only that DOT notify the legislative committee when it restricts 53-foot trailers from other roads in the future... (Picture from BigLorryBlog -UK)

Labels: longer trucks

Older Trucks * USA - L.A. creates incentive to replace they

Torrance,CA,USA -The Daily Breeze -26 June 2008: -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today will sign into law an ordinance that creates an incentive program to replace older trucks and requires trucking firms to employ drivers, rather than use independent contractors... The Clean Trucks Program requires companies to hire drivers, who are currently independent contractors, as employees by 2012... The law also features the Scrap Truck Buyback Program, under which the city will pay $5,000 for pre-1989 18-wheelers in an effort to have older trucks replaced by cleaner-burning diesel models... The innovations envisioned by the ordinance being signed into law today fall under the Clean Air Action Plan, a joint effort between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach... Last year, the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor commissions approved a $35 fee on cargo containers, which goes into effect on Oct. 1... The fee is expected to generate $1.6 billion to replace 16,800 trucks in the short-haul fleet. Port officials believe the clean-fuel fleet will decrease emissions by 80 percent over the next five years...

Labels: older trucks

ELECTRIC TRUCK * USA - Testing at Los Angeles port sparks enthusiasm

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Los Angeles Times, by Louis Sahagun -June 26, 2008: -- Michael Fluegal is a self-described "diesel big-rig driver at heart," but he never realized how irritating the noisy, smoke-belching monsters were until he climbed into the cab of the world's most powerful electric heavy-duty truck and turned on the ignition... "The only thing you hear is a hum and rolling tires -- and there's zero emissions," said Fluegal, the designated driver of the 30-ton prototype vehicle that Port of Los Angeles authorities view as a forerunner of a fleet of electric trucks to serve terminals and rail yards... Stepping on the accelerator and making a hard left turn into harbor traffic on a recent weekday, the husky 6-foot-4 port maintenance worker said, "I don't come home from work smelling like diesel gasoline after breathing the fumes all day."Added Fluegal:"It performs as well as any other truck its size in the port," said Fluegal, 42. "They say it can go 40 mph, but I got it up to 42 mph."... (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times - Michael Fluegal, an L.A. Harbor Department employee, drives the Nautilus E30, one of the world's most powerful electric heavy duty trucks. The driver, at heart a diesel fan, says the quiet, nonpolluting vehicle 'performs as well as any other truck its size in the port.') - See Video

Labels: electric trucks

FUEL TAXES REBATES * USA

* West Virginia Legislature OKs fuel tax freeze

WVA,USA -Land Line Magazine -June 25, 2008 : -- Truckers and other drivers who fuel up in West Virginia will be spared from a scheduled fuel tax increase. Lawmakers in other states have authorized, or are seeking, similar fuel cost saving rules... At the encouragement of Gov. Joe Manchin, House and Senate lawmakers voted during a special session Wednesday, June 25, to stop an increase in the state’s 32.2-cent-per-gallon fuel tax rate scheduled for Jan. 1, 2009... The temporary freeze is expected to save consumers 6 cents per gallon come the first of the year...

* North Carolina bill would trim fuel tax

WVA,USA -Land Line Magazine -June 25, 2008: -- If a North Carolina state lawmaker gets his way, motorists and truck drivers would get some relief at the fuel pump... Rep. Cary Allred, R-Burlington, has introduced a bill that would eliminate a portion of North Carolina’s 29.9-cent-per-gallon tax on fuel purchases. The tax is composed of a 17.5-cent flat rate and a 12.4-cent wholesale component... Allred said he is pushing to eliminate the wholesale portion because North Carolina’s fuel tax is higher than neighboring states... Governors in Georgia and Connecticut recently adopted their own fuel relief efforts...

Labels: fuel tax rebates

TRUCKING STATISTICS * USA - May Truck Tonnage Jumps 3.3% From a Year Ago

VA,USA -Transport Topics -27 June 2008: -- Truck tonnage in May jumped 3.3% from a year earlier, marking the seventh straight year-over-year increase, American Trucking Associations said... Tonnage rose 0.5% from April, the first month-to-month gain since January, ATA said in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index... April’s month-to-month level fell 0.6% from the previous month, less than the previously reported 1.1% decline... ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said May’s improved reading was a positive step forward, but said freight volumes remain mixed across the industry amid soaring prices and a weak economy... (Larry Smith/Trans Pixs)

Labels: trucking statistics

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * Australia - Truck Drivers Protest Fuel Prices

Mathaba,Australia -Mathaba.Net -25 June 2008: -- Australia's National Secretary of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Tony Sheldon, addressing the media outside New Parliament House in Canberra, said that tens of thousands of truckers and small businesses face collapse due to the rising fuel prices... This affects safety on the road and the lack of government help means workers will have to work longer and harder. 228 lives, 4 times the national average, should not have been lost due to deaths in the past year due to the pressures of rising fuel costs, he pointed out, and criticised the lack of "cost recovery" action by the Australian regime... The TWU National Secretary told that "in the trucking industry if you don't get cost recovery it means drivers work longer, harder in what is already an extremely dangerous industry, or leave the industry in droves"... Now more than ever we need cost recovery, safe rates for employees, and owner drivers to make sure those businesses continue, and be able to operate in what is a highly competitive industry.. The truckers staged a blockade of the road outside Australia's federal parliament as a photo shoot opportunity for the media... (Photo: Tony Sheldon, National Secretary of Australia's Transport Workers Union with truck drivers and their families outside Parliament House in Canberra yesterday)

* ATA won't support trucking shut down

Australia -Farm On Line - 27 June 2008: -- The Australian Trucking Association does not support the trucking industry shutdowns that some people are proposing for the two weeks from 28 July 2008.
ATA chairman, Trevor Martyn, said he understood the hardships that many in the industry were going through, but warned that shutdowns were not the answer... "But going on strike and standing around truck stops for two weeks isn’t the answer... Instead of going on strike, I urge every owner-driver and trucking operator to think through how their business can deal with the rising price of fuel."... Mr Martyn said truckies need to: ... "Some companies will need to increase their freight rates by more than 20 per cent; and most importantly, refuse to accept jobs that do not pay enough to cover their costs."...

Labels: truckers' protest worldwide

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * EUROPE - Big Rigs bring Big Smiles for

Europe's truckmakers cannot remember better times than the present...

Hannover,Germany -bnet -26 June 2008: -- At the biennial International Motor Show for Commercial Vehicles, smug, smiling managers and salespeople stood in front of their gigantic trucks and buses. The truck show drew 1,223 exhibitors from 39 countries, showing off more horsepower, less fuel consumption and less pollutants... After a string of bad years, trucks are at last good business in Europe and North America, where European manufacturers have carved out a large slice of the booming market for themselves...

* Scania wins Ukraine order for 300 trucks

Stockholm,Sweden -Reuters -Jun 26, 2008: -- Swedish truck maker Scania said on Thursday it had won an order for 300 trucks from a Ukrainian transport company... Scania did not give the financial details of the order from Europa-Trans, but said it was the firm's biggest ever in the country... The Swedish firm said it had sold 360 trucks in the whole of 2007 in Ukraine...

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Kenworth's brochure of its new T270 and T370 diesel-electric hybrid trucks.

Kirkland,Wash,USA -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -26 June 2008: -- Kenworth brochure features new medium-duty hybrids for pickup and delivery, utility applications... Kenworth's goal is to enhance fuel economy by up to 30% in pickup and delivery applications and up to 50% in utility operations. Purchasers of Kenworth hybrids equipped with a PACCAR PX-6 engine and the Eaton hybrid system, may qualify for a maximum federal tax credit of $6,000 (Class 6) and $12,000 (Class 7)... (Photo: Kenworth's new brochure)

* Navistar Reports First-Half Profit; Will Resume NYSE Trading Monday

USA -Bloomberg/ Transport Topics -27 June 2008: -- Truck and engine maker Navistar International Corp. Friday reported a first-half profit and said its shares will resume trading on the New York Stock Exchange Monday... The first-half profit of $162 million, or $2.22 per share, compared with a loss of $13 million, or 19 cents, a year earlier, Navistar said in a regulatory filing, Bloomberg reported... Revenue rose 13% to $6.9 billion for the six months ended April 30... (Photo - Biggest SUV: Navistar International 7300 CXT Dwarfs All SUVs)

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

SHIPPERS * Canada - CTA's Bradley offers advice to

Ottawa,Ont,CAN -Truck News -24 June 2008: -- David Bradley, CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), warned shippers at the Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Logistics Association that they will have to continue paying sufficient surcharges in light of rising fuel costs... Bradley pointed out that 40-50% of carrier revenues currently result from fuel surcharges... Finally, Bradley urged shippers to take a long-term view and to secure capacity now...

Labels: freight analysis

Fuel-efficiency Solution * USA - Impresses BCTA

Langley,BC,CAN -Truck News, by Jan Westell -24 June 2008: -- Cascade Sierra Solutions (CSS) is promoting fuel saving technology in the US that can make vehicles more aerodynamic, reduce their weight and idling time, or decrease the rolling resistance of their tires... The BCTA estimates that a long-haul truck retrofitted with a complete kit of recommended technology can save more than 25% of the fuel it consumes. For a truck travelling 190,000 km per year, this will result in a savings of about 19,000 litres – or equal to the fuel savings of 15 Toyota (hybrid) Prius cars... The CSS outreach centres operate in Washington, Oregon and California, with a primary focus on the Interstate highway corridor. CSS is in the process of establishing outreach centres strategically located with major truck strops. While the primary target of CSS outreach is the longhaul operator, the centres provide education and incentives for local fleets as well. Outreach staff also help clients determine which grant and loan programs apply to each specific need, and assist with paperwork...

* Truckers Save Thousands Using the Patented Diesel Fuel Saver, Despite Rising Fuel Costs

Castleton,NY,USA -PRWEB -June 26, 2008 -- American Alternative Fuel (AAF) is setting the new standard in hybrid propane conversion systems with their Diesel Fuel Saver (DFS). Not only is the system patented but it has been proven, worldwide, to benefit diesel vehicle owners. The DFS is a hybrid propane injection system that increases fuel mileage and engine performance and decreases harmful emissions in the environment. The system is backed by a warranty and has endless applications. The DFS fits virtually any vehicle with a diesel engine...

Labels: fuel efficiency

AWARD * Canada - Bison credits simulator training with stellar safety record

Winnipeg,Man,CAN -Truck News, by Jan Westell -24 June 2008: -- The aircraft industry has long used simulators to develop pilot's aircraft handling ability and safety skills. It's now a technology adopted by some fleets in the trucking industry, including Bison Transport, which credits simulator-based training for its third consecutive Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) national fleet safety award... Simulator scenarios enable drivers to test their skills in a dynamic environment with immediate instructor feedback. The simulation also provides the benefit of practicing safety, regardless of outcome... Bison's training program and safety results are impressive. The transport company had a 17% improvement in backing-related preventable accidents (from 2006 to 2007); an 8.5% improvement in maneuvering-related preventable accidents (from 2006 to 2007); and a 7% improvement in rear-end ahead related preventable accidents (from 2006 to 2007). In addition to the 50% reduction in preventable accidents in 2006, Bison's cost of preventable accidents has decreased a further 9% through 2007...

* Bison Transport named Top Canadian Truckload Carrier of the Year by Ryder System Inc.

Winnipeg,Man,CAN -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -26 June 2008: -- Bison Transport has been presented with the Ryder System's Inc. 2007 Top Carrier Quality Award in the Canadian Truckload category... This award is based on excellence in a number of categories, including on-time performance, claims handling, customer service, technology applications, economic value and innovation...

Labels: awards

BIODIESEL * Canada - ASTM approves new blend spec's

Vancouver,BC,Canada -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -25 June 2008: -- The biodiesel industry is celebrating following the recent vote by the ASTM International D02 Main Committee to approve a trio of long-awaited specifications for biodiesel blends. After more than five years of extensive research and subsequent balloting by the ASTM fuel experts in the blended fuel balloting process, ASTM has finally voted to approve three key sets of biodiesel specifications that industry insiders say should significantly bolster manufacturer support and consumer demand for biodiesel: ... The approval of ASTM specifications for inclusion of up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the regular diesel fuel pool also means that biodiesel could soon become more readily available at retail fuelling stations nationwide...

Labels: biodiesel

REPORT * USA - Logistics industry suffers despite continuing demand

'State of Logistics' report: 'Surviving the Slump'

USA -Transport Intelligence (UK) -27 Jun 2008: -- The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), a worldwide organisation headquartered in the US, paints a grim picture of the state of that country's logistics sector in its latest 'State of Logistics' report, sub-titled 'Surviving the Slump', released at the beginning of this week... The council views the problems in the US economy as having a serious effect on the country's logistics market. Overall logistics costs have continued to rise, it says, pushing past the 10% of GDP barrier... However, states the report, one of the major causes of that is higher inventory costs. Levels of stock, particularly in retail locations, have risen as consumer demand has fallen, it says. Interestingly, the CSCP suggests that as supply chains have become longer, the more difficult it has been to react quickly to falling demand... The author of the report, Rosalyn Wilson, observes: "Pricing power is firmly in the hands of shippers now, not the carriers. As in 2006, fuel surcharges made up most of the revenue gains in the industry. However, there are far more reports of companies unable to fully recover increased fuel costs, either because their market will not allow them to pass them through or because of the lag as fuel prices climb daily." ... Another aspect of what is occasionally slightly alarming reading is the CSCMP assertions about the state of US transport infrastructure. Not only does the road system cause concern for the council, but it also cites senior executives in the rail sector as saying that there is insufficient capacity to support projected demand... Overall, the report suggests the state of transport infrastructure will combine with the loss of capacity to affect US logistics industry short-term growth prospects. Wilson observes: "Capacity is permanently leaving the industry as firms exit the market and sell their equipment in foreign markets. Investment in new capacity has dropped off and we can expect some very tight capacity restraints when the economy turns around."...

Labels: reports

TRANSPORTATION NEWS WORLDWIDE * Mergers & Acquisitions

* USA - Strategic Buyers - Domestic Deals

· 17 June - Vail Resorts, Inc. announced the acquisition of Colorado Mountain Express for $40.5 million. Based in Edwards, CO, Colorado Mountain Express provides professional ground transportation services.

· 23 June - Republic Services, Inc. announced the acquisition of Allied Waste Industries, Inc. in an all stock transaction valued at $6.1 billion, combining the 2nd and 3rd largest waste management companies in the U.S. Allied had TTM Revenue of $6.1 billion and TTM EBITDA of $1.7 billion.

* Worldwide Deals

* Finland · 16 June - PT Logistiikka Oy has acquired Cargo Therm Finland Oy, a provider of logistics services based in Vantaa, Finland. Terms were not disclosed.

* USA · 18 June - United Parcel Service, Inc. announced the acquisition of the 40.0% of UPS-Korea Express Co. Ltd. it does not own. Korea Express is an international parcel delivery service company based in Seoul, South Korea. Terms were not disclosed.

* Germany · 19 June - Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft ("HHLA") announced the acquisition of joint venture partner Rhenus AG & Co. KG's 50.0% interest in HHLA Rhenus Logistics GmbH, HHLA Rhenus Logistics Altenwerder GmbH & Co. KG and Logistikzentrum Altenwerder. The HHLA-Rhenus companies provide storage, transport and contract logistics services in Hamburg, Germany. Terms were not disclosed.

* Norway · 20 June - Teekay Corporation has acquired the remaining 30.1% of Teekay Petrojarl ASA in a transaction valued at $259.4 million. Based in Trondheim, Norway, Teekay Petrojarl operates the largest FPSO vessel fleet in the North Sea. Teekay Petrojarl had TTM Revenue of $292.8 million and TTM EBITDA of $72.2 million.

* Financial Buyers

* USA · 18 June - Fenway Partners Inc. has acquired Preferred Freezer Services, LLC, a Newark, NJ based provider of refrigerated warehouse storage services throughout the U.S. Preferred had TTM Revenue of $42.7 million.

* Corrections
· In the 6/10/08 edition of Deal Update, we misreported the 6/02 acquisition of a 28% interest in DSV Air & Sea Pvt. Ltd. by Augean plc. In fact, DSV Air & Sea Holding A/S acquired the remaining 28% of DSV Air & Sea Pvt. Ltd... We apologize for the confusion.

Labels: TI Mergers and Acquisitions worldwide

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Oil Tops $140 for First Time

OPEC President Chakib Khelil: "Oil could reach as high as $170 a barrel later this year"

New York,NY,USA -Bloomberg/Associated Press/Transport Topics -26 June 2008: -- Oil hit a new record Thursday, topping $140 a barrel for the first time as the U.S. dollar declined and OPEC officials warned of higher prices... The previous New York Mercantile Exchange closing price record was $138.54, set on June 16... OPEC President Chakib Khelil, who is also Algeria’s Energy Minister, said oil could reach as high as $170 a barrel later this year... Meanwhile, the head of Libya’s national oil company said the country may cut crude production because the oil market is well supplied... (Photo by Edouard Gluck/Blooomberg News)

Labels: fuel costs troubles

FUEL COST SOLUTION * Hungary - Government promises to help truckers with high diesel prices

Budapest,Hungary -The Associated Press/The Trucker (USA) -25 June 2008: -- Hungary’s leader said Wednesday the government will help truck drivers and transportation companies with the high price of diesel fuel... Recently, Hungary asked the European Union for permission to lower the excise tax on diesel fuel for commercial use from 85 forints ($0.56) a liter to 75.8 forints ($0.50) a liter... But if the EU fails to make a decision on Hungary’s request by the end of the year, or rejects the plea, the government has said it will introduce tax cuts or other measures to help cut truckers’ costs. It also has pledged to lift bans on commercial trucks using highways over the weekend... The Clean Air Action Group, an environmental organization, criticized the government’s promises, saying truck pollution causes global warming and that truckers already are receiving too many government subsidies...

Labels: fuel cost solutions

AWARD * USA - Trucking Company Ruan Driver Receives Million Mile Safety Award

Des Moines,Iowa,USA -Truck Net, by Craig Zwiener -June 25, 2008: -- Ruan Transport Corporation recently honored driver John Gorman, who received the Ruan Million Mile Safety Award. This remarkable achievement recognizes his one million miles of accident-free driving for Ruan... A former Ruan Red R award recipient, Gorman has also received numerous annual safety awards with Ruan and two safe driving awards with Knight Transportation...

Labels: drivers' awards

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Troha trucking firm restructures under Chapter 11

Milwaukee,WIS,USA -The Business Journal of Milwaukee -June 25, 2008: -- JHT Holdings Inc., a trucking holding company once owned by convicted Kenosha businessman Dennis Troha, said Wednesday that it reached agreement with its lenders to restructure its balance sheet through a voluntary, pre-negotiated Chapter 11 reorganization... Under the proposed plan, outstanding bank debt will be reduced by more than 40 percent and annual cash interest expense will decrease by more than 50 percent. To supplement its liquidity position, the company has arranged for debtor-in-possession financing of up to $25 million, from members of its current lender group... The reorganization plan anticipates another $35 million in additional financing upon emergence from Chapter 11 to provide for the long-term success of the company...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

FUEL CARD THEFT * USA - Ring hitting trucking companies

A handful of trucking companies believe someone is behind a major fuel heist in South King County using stolen fuel cards

Kent,Wash,USA –KING 5 News, by CHRIS DANIELS -June 25, 2008: -- ... The spree has racked up nearly $100,000 in charges... Jolyn Hamilton knew there was trouble back in April... Her gas card was among the valuables stolen and used almost immediately on a fueling spree... Her gas account was guzzled again just a few days ago and she's now lost more than $5,000 on illegal purchases... Rick Ransom says someone used his trucking company's card to pump $6,000 of fuel this month... Both companies say the purchases were done at a Petro-owned station in Kent. Another business also says their fuel card has been hit for roughly $70,000 in illegal purchases, even though the card only has a 120 gallon limit... Hamilton has her theory. "I think someone is stealing fuel to sell off."... He says he blames some of these thefts in part on the fact people had their PIN's written on their gas cards...

Labels: fuel cards

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Australia & New Zealand

* Australia - Suffering under high costs

Sydney,VIC,AUST -Supply Chain Review -June 26, 2008: -- Trucking operators and owner-drivers are in danger of being forced out of business as running costs rise and customers refuse to pay levies, the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) warns... VTA Chief Executive Phil Lovel says many in the industry are struggling to maintain costs between the period of purchasing fuel and waiting for the levies to be paid... He says delays are impacting heavily on the financial viability of small to medium companies to the point where prime contractors are being forced to provide funds just to keep drivers afloat... This, he adds, is exacerbated by companies refusing to compensate operators and owner-drivers for rate increases. Although the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) argues trucking companies can stay viable by simply adjusting their fuel levies, Lovel says it is not as easy as it sounds as not all clients accept greater charges...

* New Zealand - Express carrier Hills bought by state-owned NZ Post

Auckland,NZ -Supply Chain Review -June 18, 2008: -- The government-owned New Zealand Post is expanding its Australian express business with the acquisition of Sydney-based carrier Hills Transport... SupplyChain Review understands a deal to absorb Hills as a wholly-owned subsidiary will be announced within days. The deal is expected to go through on July 7...

Labels: trucking industry news Australia and N Zealand

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE - Volvo announces plans to lay off 2,000 workers

Ford's Swedish subsidiary is trying to cut costs by $700 million as sales erode in tough U.S. market.

Gothenburg,Sweden -The Detroit News (Detroit,MICH,USA), by Bryce G. Hoffman -27 June 2008: -- Volvo Cars, Ford Motor Co.'s Swedish subsidiary, announced Wednesday that it is axing 2,000 workers, citing weakening sales in the United States... These cuts amount to an 8 percent reduction of the brand's worldwide work force. They come as its parent company is slashing approximately 15 percent of its salaried payroll in North America. They also come on the heels of a two-year downsizing that has seen Volvo's headcount reduced by about 3,000 workers through voluntary buyouts and attrition... Volvo said it will eliminate 1,400 salaried positions, mostly at its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, but including some 300 positions in other countries. It is also eliminating the third shift -- amounting to 600 factory jobs -- at its plant in Torslanda, Sweden...

* USA - International LoneStar Earns EPA SmartWay Certification For Fuel Efficiency, Emissions Reduction

Warrenville,ILL,USA -Truck Net, by Craig Zwiener -June 25, 2008 – One of the first awards for the category-defining new International® LoneStar® may make other truck manufacturers “green” with envy. LoneStar, introduced in February as the first fuel-efficient “Advanced Classic” big-rig truck, has been certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a SmartWay truck... The SmartWay program is a voluntary partnership between freight industry sectors and the EPA which establishes recognition and incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and reductions to greenhouse gas emissions. Eligibility for the SmartWay truck certification is based on a comprehensive set of fuel-saving, low-emission equipment specifications for new Class 8 long-haul tractors...

* Japan - Truckmakers to hike prices due to surging raw materials cost

Tokyo,Japan - Nikkei newspaper/Hemscott, by Yasuhiko Seki/Thomson Financial -25 June 2008: -- Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. and Hino Motors Ltd. will raise the prices of most of their truck models by 3 percent to 5 percent to cope with surging raw materials costs... Mitsubishi Fuso, a unit of Daimler AG, plans to lift suggested retail prices in August, with Hino, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp., to do so around autumn... Isuzu Motors Ltd. is also considering similarly sized increases, the report said... Prices of large trucks capable of carrying 5 tons or more will jump by as much as around 1 million yen ($92,764) from current levels if a 5 percent hike is implemented, it said...

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

Save Gas, Save Money * USA - 66 Ways To Spend Less On Gasoline

USA - The Huffington Post News/Treehugger, by Mark Ontkush -June 24, 2008: -- While the rising cost of oil has the price of gasoline skyrocketing faster than global warming is melting glaciers, people everywhere are preparing for cross-country road trips to Grand Canyon National Park and summer camps in Maine. We can't really argue with that innate desire to get closer to nature and out on the open road, and whether you're a die-hard cyclist or a still driving an SUV, chances are you plan to get in a car to go somewhere this summer. So whether you're packing up the Prius for some close-to-home camping, towing the boat to far-away shores, or merely fighting the crosstown traffic, these money- and gas-saving tips are designed to help you squeeze every last bit of power out of that precious petrol--and cause fewer CO2 emissions, too. It's a comprehensive list--several tasks should be done before even starting your car; others require minor adjustments to your driving style. All of them aim to help you drive a little greener... Gas-Saving Tips: Questions to Ask Before You Turn on the Engine...

* Coca-Cola cuts its footprint and costs with hybrid trucks

Minneapolis,MN,USA -The Minneapolis Star Tribune -June 25, 2008: -- The Midwest Coca-Cola Bottling Co. announced Tuesday in Eagan the addition of 10 hybrid trucks to deliver its bottled products... According to Kevin Morris, a spokesman for the bottler, the hybrids are expected to begin delivering within two weeks and the company plans to eventually add more of the 12-bay, 24-foot-long trucks capable of holding 15,000 bottles and cans to its fleet of 104 trucks... Morris said Coca-Cola Enterprises plans to have more than 140 hybrid delivery vehicles throughout North America by August. It has a fleet of about 200,000 diesel vehicles...

Labels: saving gas

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * Australia - Wal-Mart talks get Brambles trucking again

Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age, by Danny John & Philip Hopkins -June 25, 2008: -- Logistics giant Brambles has reversed two months of damage to its share price after indicating it is close to sealing a crucial deal with its biggest US customer, Wal-Mart... Wal-Mart accounts for 25% of Brambles' Chep pallet business in the US. The retailer has, at any one time, 8 million of Chep's pallets on site at its 60 distribution centres... Brambles had insisted the Wal-Mart move would have no impact on Chep's volumes or sales revenue, but the review unsettled investors worried about Brambles' exposure to the global economy and a recession in the US... Brambles' sales for the 11 months to the end of May were 13% higher than the previous corresponding period. In the US and Europe, Brambles won 2400 new contracts worth $US180 million ($A189 million) in annual sales...

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

FUEL THEFTS * USA - Arizona trucking companies say big rig fuel thefts rising

Gas thieves target big rigs

Phoenix,AZ,USA -Associated Press/ABC15 (KNXV-TV) -24 June 2008: -- As fuel prices soar, thieves are targeting tractor-trailer trucks and their massive gas tanks. Trucking companies in Arizona say thieves sometimes use high-pressure pumps to drain the large tanks quickly while truckers sleep. In some cases, other truckers are stealing fuel. Dave Williams, vice president of equipment and maintenance for Phoenix-based Knight Transportation, says fuel thefts have become a frustrating problem for the industry. Knight and Phoenix-based Swift Transportation say they are not taking theft lightly. The companies wouldn't talk about security precautions except to say they're cracking down... (Photo: Gas thieves target big rigs )

Labels: fuel thefts

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Owner of Arkansas Trucking Company Speaks in D.C.

Fayetteville,AK,USA -KNWA- Jun 24, 2008: -- One out of every 13 jobs in Arkansas is in the trucking industry... So you can just imagine how gas prices are impacting the state... That's why the CEO of Maverick Trucking based in Little Rock testified before a house subcommittee Monday... Steve Williams told the panel their fuel bill has gone from $66 million to $115 million in a year... The company closed facilities in Virginia, Alabama, and Oklahoma... He told congress the industry can't wait for a solution ten years from now...

* Trucking company picks Valdese - World Wide Logistics creates 25 new jobs

Morganton,NC,USA -The Morganton News Herald, by SHARON McBRAYER -June 23, 2008: -- World Wide Logistics has made it official. The trucking company is putting its headquarters in Valdese... Four Truckers in Morganton merged in May with Furniture Transportation Systems of Pomona, Calif., Milwaukee Delivery Service of Jefferson, Wis., Palmer Transport of Ontario, Calif, Rudisill Transportation of Hickory and Warren Trucking of Martinsville, Va. to form World Wide Logistics...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

ADVERTISING * UK - Trucking on to help beat crime

A new anti-crime scheme will be advertised on the side of the borough's rubbish trucks

Hyndburn,England,UK -The Lancashire Telegraph (Blackburn,England) -24 June 2008: -- ... Hyndburn's Community Safety Partnership are using the trucks to advertise the SafeNav campaign which reminds people not to leave valuables in their cars... The partnership says there has been a steady increase in thefts from all types of vehicles because offenders are targeting high value items within, such as Sat Navs... The campaign is urging drivers to remove any possessions from view before leaving their car...

Labels: trucks ads

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* USA - Kenworth Environmental Programs Site Debuts

Kirkland,Wash,USA -Kenworth (Press Release) -June 24, 2008: -- The Kenworth Clean Power System provides a fully integrated, factory installed solution for engine-off climate control and powering of 120 volt sleeper loads... The system has been optimized to perform at peak efficiency for a full 10 hours - an entire off-duty period... Clean Power is also fully compliant with CARB regulations for 2008... (See Video)

* Diesel/electric trucks drawing attention - Government and businesses take a look at hybrids

Knoxville,TN,USA -Knoxville News Sentinel, by Ed Marcum -June 25, 2008: -- The heart of the Kenworth T270 hybrid truck consists of the hybrid drive unit at left, which combines a motor inverter/controller and manages power between the truck's 340 volt lithium-ion battery, right, and its 300 horsepower diesel engine. At speeds of 30 mph or lower and when idling, the truck runs on electricity... Hybrid cars have been attracting drivers in search of greener and more economical transportation, and now it appears the hybrid vehicle is sparking some interest in Knoxville's market for large commercial trucks... MHC Kenworth-Knoxville on Ault Road held an open house Tuesday to show off a type of diesel/electric medium-duty truck it plans to stock, drawing a crowd of about 20-30 people representing several businesses and some local governments... (Photo: Bud Lobetti, in charge of medium-duty truck sales at MHC Kenworth-Knoxville, tells those gathered for an open house event about the benefits of the hybrid diesel/electric truck behind him)

* Sweden - Volvo Trucks’ deliveries May 2008

Stockholm,Sweden -Easier Motoring -24 June 2008: -- Volvo Trucks’ deliveries during May amounted to 9,133 vehicles, up 9% compared with the year-earlier period. The volume growth compared to last year is an effect of increased production in Europe and South America. The deliveries of new trucks were at high levels for the main part of Europe. The demand on the North American market remains at a low level...

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

AWARDS * USA - On the podium again

State champion skills

Bland County ,VA,USA -Southwest Virginia Today (Richlands,VA)/, by NATE HUBBARD/Bland County Messenger, by Jeffrey Simmons -Jun 24, 2008: -- You won’t find Robert French behind the wheel of a tanker out on the road... And you’ve witnessed a rare sight if you catch Pete Nuckols driving a straight truck down the highway... Nevertheless, the pair of Wytheville-based Con-way Freight drivers can claim some skills in operating their respective vehicles... During the 57th annual Virginia Truck Driving Championships held June 13 and 14 in Lexington, both French and Nuckols won first place in their vehicle categories for their driving talents and overall trucking expertise... (Photo by Jean Farley - Robert French, seated in truck, and Pete Nuckols are heading to Houston in August for the National Truck Driving Championships – as long as they remain accident-free)

* Trucking Association Driver of the Year for 2008 - John Dillon Is Honored for Outstanding Contributions to Highway Safety

Lake Lanier Islands,GA,USA -CNNMoney.com -June 24, 2008: -- Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) freight carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc., today announced that one of its Atlanta-based drivers has been named 2008 Driver of the Year by the Georgia Motor Trucking Association ... John Dillon was chosen for the honor due to his long record of safe and courteous driving in the state... He received the award at the recent GMTA Safety Council Awards Banquet in Lake Lanier Islands, Ga...

Labels: drivers' awards

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Higher diesel shrinks pay

Independent long-haul truckers fear for their livelihoods as their rigs' fuel tanks burn up most of what they earn

Portland,OR,USA -The Associated Press/The Oregonian/OregonLive.com, by Amy Hsuan -June 24, 2008: -- ... Four years ago, Guy Belland could make a decent living as an independent truck driver shuttling motor oil across the country for ConocoPhillips. Back then, diesel was $2.50 a gallon and Belland signed a five-year contract with a trucking firm that would earn him $50,000 to $75,000 a year... But with diesel prices climbing to now almost $5 a gallon, truckers like Belland are increasingly being squeezed out of a livelihood. Belland, based in California, has frequent routes through Oregon, which he calls home when his cab is parked here... Almost every dollar Belland earns goes toward filling his 1998 Freightliner, which used to represent freedom to the 50-year old rather than financial strain... "I'm barely living," says Belland, who started driving trucks 30 years ago and earned $25,000 last year. "It's bad. It's scary."... Belland, who used to drive 3,000 miles a week, is now lucky if he logs 1,500 miles... Like hundreds of thousands of independent truck drivers across the country, Belland's options are running out. "People don't realize that everything you eat, drink or touch at one point was on a truck," Belland says. "There's no other thing for me."...

Labels: fuel cost troubles

Hybrid Haulage * USA - Could save fuel and the environment

US members of congress are pressing for government to support the development of medium and large trucks with hybrid electric-combustion engines

Washingtron,DC,USA -NewScientistTech (Haywards Heath,UK ), by Jeff Hecht -24 June 2008: -- ...The call for the Department of Energy to help out came after hearings by the House of Repesentatives science and technology committee on the future for hybrid trucks, and US pump prices exceeding a once unthinkable $4 a gallon... Hybrid technology for trucks is about a decade behind, says Richard Parish of the Hybrid Truck Users Forum, an organisation partly supported by the US Army to develop the industry... Hybrid trucks have developed slowly because the complexity of hybrid vehicles is a bad fit with the way trucks are built, says Parish. Hybrids attain high efficiency by integrating combustion and electric engines, transmission, drive train, and other components into a seamless whole, carefully managed by a computer. Achieving that is difficult for truck vendors who typically add components from various suppliers onto an in-house chassis... And electric vehicles are becoming more common on delivery routes. At current prices that saves $2500 a year per truck... Counterintuitively, large long-haul trucks benefit from cutting idling too. A hybrid long-haul truck could save 3270 gallons of fuel a year – 7 to 10% of usual fuel use... Technological hurdles remain, however. Batteries must become lighter, cheaper and able to power equipment that now runs off idling engines, says Terry Penney, manager of advanced vehicle technology at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado... The science and technology committee is now drafting a bill that would see the DOE support hybrid trucks, adding to a recently announced $30-million programme of aid for plug-in hybrid cars...

Labels: hybrids trucks

Lowers Forecast * USA - UPS slashes view on soaring fuel costs

United Parcel Service Inc. warned on Monday that second-quarter earnings would be below expectations, blaming high fuel prices and a sluggish U.S. economy

Chicago,ILL,USA -Reuters, by James Kelleher; Nichola Groom; & Steve Orlofsky -June 23 2008: -- ... UPS estimated earnings of 83 cents to 88 cents a share for the quarter, down from a prior view of 97 cents to $1.04 per share... In a statement, UPS said U.S. package volume had been lower than expected, while demand for higher-priced air delivery services had seen a particular drop... It isn't just the package delivery companies that warned that results will be hurt by rising energy and other commodity prices... But given the out-sized role that fuel plays in haulers' expenses, freight and package haulers are especially feeling the pinch... Adding pressure is the slowdown in the U.S. economy, which has depressed business activity and left too many truckers chasing too little freight... That's forced many independent truckers -- and some bigger outfits -- to file for bankruptcy protection...

Labels: fuel cost troubles

TRUCKERS' STRIKE * Australia - Truck drivers' text strikes out

Melbourne,Australia -The Melbourne Herald Sun -June 24, 2008: -- The Transport Workers Union has told Victorian truck drivers not to join a one-day stop work on July 27 being promoted in an anonymous text message... A TWU spokesman said he sympathised with truck drivers hit by sky-rocketing fuel prices, but said the union would not vouch for a strike... As diesel hit a record 181c a litre, a text message was sent this week to Victorian truckies, saying: "The Government is bringing the trucking industry to its knees. We need to band together and show them we will not roll over and go broke."... But the TWU spokesman said a strike was not the answer and drivers should come to the union, which could negotiate new contracts for drivers that factor in fuel increases...

Labels: truckers' strikes

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * Sweden - Volvo truck shipments rise 15 pct in May

Stockholm,Sweden -Reuters, by Niklas Pollard; Veronica Ek; & Rory Channing) -Jun 24, 2008: -- World number two truck maker Volvo said on Tuesday truck shipments rose 15 percent year-on-year in May, boosted by higher deliveries in the U.S. and Asia while shipments in Europe were stable... In North America, Volvo's truck shipments were up 49 percent year-on-year, but in the year-ago month deliveries were hit by a sharp market contraction following a buying spree ahead of new emission rules for truck engines in the USA... Since then, sales have generally remained slow in the face of the U.S. economic slowdown, coming on the heels of the subprime mortgage crisis and credit crunch, and soaring fuel prices... In Europe, deliveries inched up 1 percent year-on-year with trucks shipments accounting for roughly half of the group's total... Fortified by its purchase last year of Japanese truck maker Nissan Diesel, deliveries in Asia rose 50 percent year-on-year in the latest month...

Labels: truckmakers' news worldwide

Transport Improvements * Ghana - World Bank supports transport improvements in West Africa

Accra,Ghana -Joy Online -23 June 2008: -- The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$190 million regional operation to finance transport and transit improvements in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali... The Corridor Transport and Transit Facilitation Measures will strengthen the capacity of customs and transport authorities to better manage the movement of transit traffic along the corridor. This will help construct a satellite transit truck village adjacent to the Port of Tema and rehabilitate and equip Faladie multi-functional platform in Bamako. It will also support the upgrading of customs-relation information and communication technology and extension of cargo tracking system to better monitor and secure transit traffic and build capacity and technical assistance support to improve the effectiveness of customs and transport authorities to monitor and control transit traffic...

Labels: transportation news

Fuel Shortage * Mexico - Diesel widely available in Tijuana now

Diesel is again being sold to everyone, without limits, in all stations in this city

Rosarito Beach,Tijuana,Mexico -The San Diego Union Tribune (Sand Diego,CAL,USA), by Omar Millán González -June 23, 2008: -- ... After an unprecedented shortage in the region, the situation appeared to be returning to normal: public buses were running their daily schedules and stranded cargo trucks returned to the roads... Overnight Sunday and early Monday, the Pemex plant in Rosarito Beach resupplied the city's stations, according to the associaton of station owners. Unleaded and premium gasoline continued to be readily available everywhere...

Labels: fuel shortage

FINAL TRIP * Australia - Trucks make it

It all started with Jim Bell’s Dodge and a few cream cans in 1938, and has since grown into a 44-vehicle operation spanning four generations

Cooroy,Queensland,Australia -The Sunshine Coast Daily, by Grant Reynolds -24 June 2008: -- ... But come June 30, the trucks from Cooroy institution Bell’s Transport unload for the last time... Alan Bell said after 70 years, with three of four brothers in semi-retirement, and with the fourth generation nearly entirely female, there was no one coming through the family ranks to carry on the haulage tradition... A sad day and proud day, Mr Bell said, reflecting on a career where he’d carted everything from cows to human cargo for day trips in Noosa National Park in the ‘60s... The brothers have seen it all in both the transport and the community, from the closure of the timber mills to rising petrol prices and a shortage of good drivers... The Bells, all born and bred Cooroy lads, said good old-fashioned customer service had seen the business turn into an inter-generational success story with depots at Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Brisbane, and a workforce of about 100 and 58 trucks...

Labels: trucking industry stories

TRUCKER4S' PROTEST * Taiwan - Highway freight rates poised to go up soon

The government will let highway freight companies increase transport service charges but turned down trucking firms' requests for subsidies in fuel costs and the exemption of license plate and fuel taxes

Taipei, Taiwan -The China National Post/CNA -24 June 2008: -- ... After more than 100 truck drivers staged a protest at Loudong Park in northeastern Yilan County on Sunday, a group of drivers took dozens of trucks and trailers to the Legislative Yuan yesterday to press their case... They complained that fuel used to account for 15 percent of their total operating cost but the percentage has soared to between 50 and 60 percent following the skyrocketing oil prices... It is unfair for them to receive no subsidies for fuel costs from the government, unlike other mass transport firms, they said... In addition to seeking subsidies for fuel costs, they demanded license plate tax and fuel tax exemptions to alleviate their financial burden... In order to stay in business, three highway freight associations had submitted a plan to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to raise freight charges by an average of 8.8 percent... (Photo: A group of truck and trailer drivers hold a protest outside the Legislative Yuan with banners calling for “fair treatment” from the government. They demanded a hike in freight rates yesterday. They also asked the government to give subsidies for their fuel costs as given to other public transport companies)

Labels: truckers' protest worldwide

CONTROLS & INSPECTIONS * Australia - Workplace Ombudsman to audit trucking companies

Federal Workplace Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson will randomly audit road transport companies amid claims they are not complying with the Workplace Relations Act...

Queensland,Australia -The Queensland Business Review -23 June 2008: -- ... Wilson will take the blowtorch to short distance trucking companies in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Queensland and metropolitan NSW. Wilson will focus on South Australia, Tasmania and regional NSW as part of an audit into long-distance haulage... Wilson says his office, upon identifying the industry to be at high risk of non-compliance, has sent letters to more than 9500 businesses nationwide warning them of their obligations... The auditing process is to begin in August and run to October. In that time, the Workplace Ombudsman expect up to 700 will be randomly audited... Inspectors will check minimum rates, minimum shifts, split shift provisions and allowances, payslips and time sheets. Wilson may also conduct follow-up audits 12 months after the initial campaign to ensure companies are still complying... Transport and storage ranks sixth on the list of industries with the highest levels of compliance problems, with 2535 claims over the past two years, according to the Ombudsman...

* Victoria catches first 'truck hoons'

Melbourne,Victoria,Australia -The Age -June 24, 2008: -- Two truck drivers have had the dubious honour of becoming the first in Victoria to have their prime movers impounded under hoon legislation... Shortly before 11pm (AEST) on Monday a truck was clocked travelling at 90km/h, more than double the speed limit... Less than an hour later, police detected a second truck travelling at 88km/h... Police were conducting an operation targeting motorists along the Monash (South-Eastern) Freeway inbound, between Toorak Road and the entrance to the Burnley Tunnel, where road works are currently underway... What is usually an 80km/h zone has been reduced to 40km/h while the works are carried out... The trucks will be impounded for two days... Region 1 Inspector Greg Parr said enforcing reduced speed limits during road work was intended to protect the safety of the construction workers...

Labels: trucking inspections

Trucking Opportunities * USA - MDOT Seeks Increased DBE Participation

Goal-setting pilot project targets federally funded state road projects up to $1 million

Mich,USA -Associated Construction Publications, by Aram Kalousdian -23 June 2008: -- A new program to increase Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation on Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) road construction projects was announced at the 28th Annual MDOT DBE Small Business Development Conference in Pontiac recently... The DBE goal-setting pilot project targets federally funded state road projects up to $1 million and calls for a 25-percent to 30-percent participation level by DBE firms. This program is designed to increase the number of DBEs performing major work with MDOT. Nine projects have been identified, and three companies are working with DBE firms as a result of the program... It was announced that MDOT has enhanced trucking opportunities by implementing a new trucking initiative. The goal of the initiative is to provide greater opportunity for DBE truckers to expand into a larger and wider range of MDOT projects. As of October 1, 2007, trucking firms can lease specialized trucking equipment for projects on which they are using their own trucks...

Labels: trucking industry opportunities

Trial * Australia - Boss in truck just kept coming, protester tells court

Mr Elliot, 34, of Wonga Park, in Melbourne's outer east, faces 15 charges, including three of reckless conduct putting a person in danger of death. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges

Melbourne,Australia -AAP/The Melbourne Herald Sun, by Kellee Nolan -June 23, 2008: -- A Melbourne businessman drove a truck through protesters who were forced to jump on to the bullbar and hang on for their lives as he drove down the road, a court heard... Anthony Gordon Elliot is accused of driving his truck through a group of about 15 picketers blockading the driveway of his engineering factory in Kilsyth, in Melbourne's east, on May 4 last year... Three of them were forced to jump on to the bullbar and hang on as the truck turned on to a road at about 20km/h, Ringwood Magistrates Court heard today... Mr Elliot, 34, of Wonga Park, in Melbourne's outer east, faces 15 charges, including three of reckless conduct putting a person in danger of death... He has pleaded not guilty to all charges... Mr Elliot's lawyer, Sean Grant, accused Laurie Burley, an Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) branch organiser, of "colluding" with other witnesses against his client... The case, before Magistrate Brian Clifford, continues...

Labels: trials

Theft of License Plates * USA - Happening more frequently

Pay special attention to vehicles without front license plates, criminals often remove the plate to avoid detection when they steal gas...

St Cloud,MIN,USA -The St Cloud Times, by Kari Petrie -June 22, 2008: -- While gas siphoning from large trucks is a growing problem, area police say they haven't seen much siphoning from personal vehicles... St. Cloud officers have even reported people stealing license plates and putting them on their own vehicles. Then when they are reported for stealing gas, officers look up the license plate number and are led to the wrong person... An exact number of how many such cases have occurred isn't available, but St. Cloud Lt. James Mortenson said it's become more common... Gas stations have added camera systems and trained attendants to keep a closer watch on those filling up, Mortenson said... Solving such crimes is dependent on the information the attendants get. It can often be solved in an hour or two if workers have a license plate number, he said... He makes sure his attendants pay close attention to what's going on near the fuel pumps... They pay special attention to vehicles without front license plates, because they've noticed criminals often remove the plate to avoid detection when they steal gas... While people do make mistakes and sometimes simply forget to pay, others are blatant, tearing out of the parking lot after they are done pumping gas, Anderson said...

Labels: thefs

FUEL COST TROUBLES * Canada & USA - TRUCKERS' STORIES

* Canada - Trucking companies struggle with fuel costs

Prince Albert,Canada -The Principe Albert Daily Herald, by MOHSIN ABBAS -22 June 2008: -- ... Dozens of trucking companies risk closing if the federal government doesn't create a rebate program to mitigate the soaring price of fuel, the Canadian Teamsters union warned last week... It called on the government to use budget surpluses to assist the transport industry... The practice already exists provincially, the Teamsters said. For example, Quebec gives independent drivers protection against rising gas and fuel costs, it said... According to transportation experts across the country, the price of fuel imposes a perilous cost on trucking companies, brokers and owner-operators... Said Diane Lavoie, the owner of Knight Courier in Prince Albert, "So it would not be long to see the trucking companies closing down over growing fuel prices."... (Photo by Mohsin Abbas - Prince Albert truck driver Mike Podborochynski can remember buying fuel for 25 cents a gallon)

* USA - Diesel prices driving independent truckers broke

Seattle,WASH,USA -AP/Seattle Post Intelligencer, by DAN CATCHPOLE -June 23, 2008: -- Independent trucker Fletcher Mack owns a white Freightliner with his name stenciled in green on the door. These days he's reaching deeper into his pocket for fuel. With the price of diesel rising fast and more drivers chasing less freight, he sees a bleak financial future for himself and thousands like him across the country... His income is slightly below the national average income of $41,000 for an owner-operator, according to the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association... Around nine percent of the nation's 3.4 million truck drivers are independent owner-operators, according to the Department of Labor... Adding to the problem is a surplus of drivers and trucks. Since Mack got into trucking in 2001, the number of people with commercial drivers licenses in Washington has increased from about 170,000 to more than 203,000... Like many independent drivers, Mack has been cutting costs. The truck's oil gets changed every 15,000 miles instead of every 10,000, and he and his girlfriend have trimmed their household expenses... Larger companies can park older - and less safe - trucks, but smaller companies and independent drivers have to drive regardless, Erik Backman, owner of Freight Expeditors, Inc., said... Mack said, "How long is it going to be until I'm broke? I know that it's basically inevitable." ... But for now, he's unwilling to give up the life... (Photo by JOHN TULLY/The Washington Times - Truckers line the umps at the Flying J off US-81 north of Winchester, Va., late one evening)

* USA - Independent truckers fume as costs rise: Diesel prices. Toll roads. Maintenance fees. Insurance payments. Dispatcher charges.

Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Times, by W.J. Hennigan -June 23, 2008: -- Sitting behind the wheel of his big rig, Sean Russell looks calm, cool and collected. But inside, he's tied in knots. He knows that in the past year, hundreds of small- to mid-sized trucking outfits have folded under the pressure of these costs. He doesn't want to be next... "If you don't make the stop, you fall behind," Mr. Russell said. "And if you fall behind, you don't get paid on time. And without money, there's no gas to keep this thing going."... As owner and operator of God Works trucking, Mr. Russell has crisscrossed the country in his 18-wheeler with his girlfriend, Mary Carter, and her two children, Justin, 8, and Heather, 14, who just got out of school for summer break. He not only enjoys their company, Ms. Carter also holds a commercial driver's license, meaning fewer stops and more loads... Mr. Russell knows their pain. He and other haulers aren't paid back for the fuel they use until weeks after they've completed their runs. So, Mr. Russell could be driving for weeks before the broker who tells him where to go pays him. Even when he does get paid, he doesn't know what kind of surcharges will be taken out of his check. The instability puts him on edge. It adds up after a while, he says... According to Sean Russell, owner and operator of God Works trucking, he has not been to his Past Christian, Miss., home in seven months... All his waking hours are spent driving and his breaks are spent sleeping while his girlfriend drives, until the next shift... In Braintree, Mass., Russell talks with his dispatcher on the phone, finding out he will be heading to New Hampshire to Pennsylvania and later onto Chicago... The problem for Mr. Russell - other than the monumental dieselprices - is the unforeseeables, he says. Like when he took his rig to a mechanic for a regular oil change a few weeks ago. Other than the $300 price tag, the oil change seemed innocent enough. But the mechanic failed to put the dipstick back properly... Oblivious to the mechanic's mistake, Mr. Russell drove from southern to northern Pennsylvania and burned through four gallons of oil. When Mr. Russell found out what was wrong, he pulled over and filled the oil tank up, but it cost him...

The delay pushed him back a few hours. And the lost hours caused Mr. Russell to be late to unload aluminum coils at Basic Metals Inc. in Germantown, Wis... The metal company had already closed up for the weekend. So, Mr. Russell and the family decided to make the most of it and visited nearby Chicago until the business opened on Monday morning... A simple mistake knocked the truck off schedule three days, he says. Now he's scampering to make up lost time and get back on track... Lately, another unforeseen delay - bad weather - has been hampering business. Mass flooding, heavy rains and winds that "could blow you straight off the road" are dangerous, Mr. Russell says... But so is waiting it out... If the storm is bad enough, it could mean losing a day or two. Going around it would cost too much in fuel. So pressing on is often the best option. "You never now how bad it's going to be until you're in it," Mr. Russell says. "Then you make a decision."... However, he's lucky enough, he says, because he travels with his family and takes turns driving with Ms. Carter. Yet they rarely stop - except to unload... "It gets tiring because we're driving straight through," Mr. Russell says, "but, financially, it's the only way we're going to make it - if we make it at all."..(Photos by John Tully/ The Washington Times - 1 · · Mr. Russell knows their pain - 2 · Mary Carter, center, walks with her children Heather, 14, and son Justin, 8, back to board the truck after a break before heading back on the road to Pennsylvania from New Hampshire. Carter and Russell will be traveling with Carter's children for a month this summer. "It's affecting money we could send home to help the kids. To put food in their stomachs and clothes on them. To give them a life," Russell said about the rising cost of diesel and having to juggle their daily expenses - 3 · Mary Carter helps Sean Russell eat lunch while on the road in Massachusetts. "I don't see how solos are making it. Solo drivers. I don't see how they're doing it. We're barely making it and we're teaming," said Mary Carter)

Labels: fuel cost troubles

DIESEL TROUBLES * Mexico & USA - Hits other cities in the USA

Despite the arrival of a gasoline cargo tanker yesterday, the diesel crisis in the Tijuana area has extended to Baja California's other major cities...

Rosarito Beach, Baja California, Mexico –San Diego Union Tribune (San Diego,CAL,USA), by Omar Millán González -June 22, 2008: -- ... Dozens of drivers of long-haul trucks and public transit buses canceled or reduced the number of trips they made in Ensenada and Mexicali yesterday, two days after diesel started running short there... Gasoline in Mexico is heavily subsidized by the federal government. Regular, 87-octane unleaded sells for $2.54 a gallon, 91-octane premium is $3.20 and diesel is $2.20... Those prices were a magnet for California drivers who have flocked to Tijuana to fill their tanks. Starting June 13, Pemex was unable to meet the demand for diesel at stations nearest the border. That led to a cascade of shortages that have slowed and in some instances paralyzed the movement of people and goods in urban centers... Jesús Reyes Heroles, director general of Pemex, said in Mexico City that gas stations along the border should limit sales to U.S. citizens... Rationing gasoline to U.S. visitors would be another blow to the tourism sector, already battered by reports of violence and organized crime...

* Diesel fuel: The hot new heist

St. Cloud,MN,USA -St Cloud Times, by Kari Petrie -June 22, 2008: -- It's a crime that happens during the quiet time of night when no one is around, especially in the most rural areas... A truck with a large tank in back pulls up next to a long line of semitrailers. Methodically, someone goes down the line, hooking up siphoning equipment and stealing gallons of diesel fuel from each one... They work quickly, sometimes leaving the gas caps on the ground next to the tanks. The theft goes unnoticed until the next morning when drivers check their vehicles... As diesel and gasoline prices continue to climb, so do gas thefts. But it's the thefts of diesel fuel that hit business owners the hardest. Stearns County has had 10 such thefts this year, totaling almost 3,800 gallons of stolen diesel. At today's price, that's almost $18,000 in stolen goods... A year ago all that diesel would have been worth just less than $11,000... (Photo by Kimm Anderson/St Cloud Times - Tony Scepaniak's father's company, Scepaniak Inc., lost 900 gallons of diesel May 5 to thieves. The fuel was worth about $3,600)

Labels: diesel troubles

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Over the long haul, a penny saved adds up

Big local trucking company squeezes out $250,000 with heater, speed changes

Williamsport,Pen,USA -The Herald Mail by ARNOLD S. PLATOU -June 22, 2008: -- Pinching pennies is paying off for D. M. Bowman Inc. as the big trucking company rolls on amid rising diesel fuel prices... Just by switching in new heaters and easing back a tad on the accelerator, Bowman has saved about $250,000, said Jim Ward, president and CEO... Bowman, which hauls for such companies as Volvo, Lowe's and Home Depot and travels mainly east of the Mississippi River, has joined other major carriers as a SmartWay partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency... One step Bowman has taken is, rather than letting its truck engines idle to provide heat for drivers, special heaters have been installed that use only "a very minimal amount of diesel," Ward said... In addition, last fall across its fleet, Bowman ordered the maximum speed reduced from 65 mph to 63 mph to save fuel and improve safety, he said... It buys diesel in bulk so its drivers can fill up at Bowman facilities in Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina... That fuel accounts for 70 percent of what its fleet uses. The other 30 percent comes from truck stops with whom Bowman negotiates a lower rate...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

OIL NEWS * Saudi Arabia - Saudis, U.S. split on oil

Vague pledge to increase output if needed falls short of American demands, means quick price relief is unlikely

Jiddah,Saudi Arabia -The Detroit News, by Sebastian Abbot -June 23, 2008: -- ... A hastily convened global energy summit meeting led by Saudi Arabia ended largely in disagreement on Sunday, with only a modest pledge of increased production and no resolution on what other practical steps should be taken to ease the crisis over soaring oil prices... The Saudis announced they would raise production by 200,000 barrels a day. But news of that increase had already been absorbed by the voracious world market for oil, and it was not expected to affect prices... Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said at the meeting, attended by officials from more than 30 countries and 25 oil companies... Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil exporter, is the only country that can significantly boost production quickly...

Labels: oil news worldwide

Truckers Strike 2008 * USA - Albany, NY Protest & More

June 19, 2008: Truckers protest in downtown Albany draws hundreds

New York,NY,USA -Mike Cane 2008 /Photo Album from AP -22 June 2008: -- I had to use Google News to find local coverage — and it was in Newsday! Not the New York Times nor NY Daily News nor New York Post! Those bastards! The Times at least partially redeems itself with another story (see referred link-post)... Hundreds of truck drivers converged on the state Capitol Thursday and staged a noisy demonstration against soaring fuel prices... About 110 tractor-trailer cabs, dump trucks and flatbeds lined streets outside the Capitol, their thundering air horns blasting the 109-year-old building. Even more were diverted to a nearby parking area...

(Video from YouTube, by FlyingDad -June 20, 2008: "Truck Rally - Albany NY" Truckers Convoy to Albany to Protest Fuel Prices... The drivers gathered at truck stops in Washington and Montgomery counties before convoying to Albany Thursday morning... MUSIC BY/TITLE: "Jerry Reeds - East Bound and Down" - Smokey and the Bandit soundtrack)...

Organizers said they came to call out the governor and legislative leaders to explain what they’re going to do about what is becoming a crisis in their industry...“With increased Department of Transportation audits, high fuel prices and obnoxious taxes … they’re putting trucking companies out of business and driving trucking companies out of New York,” said Bill Sutton, a truck owner-operator from Batavia...

Labels: truckers' strikes

Truckers Protests * Thailand - Govt agrees to provide diesel subsidy and loans

Truck operators called off their planned protest to bring convoys of trucks to Bangkok after the Transport Ministry gave in to their demand for subsidised diesel prices and low-interest loans

Bangkopk,Thailand -The Bangkok Post/Thailand Crisis -22 June 2008: -- ... to convert their engines to compressed natural gas... Deputy Transport permanent secretary Piyaphan Champasut, who chaired the meeting, said the ministry would seek cabinet approval to allocate cheap diesel and provide low-interest loans to hauliers as well as reduce taxes on new trucks powered by compressed natural gas (NGV)... The Energy Ministry could allocate only 122 million litres of subsidised priced diesel per month for a period of six months... The government has so far knocked three baht a litre off the price of diesel for fishery, farm and bus operators. This leaves only 40-50 million litres of cheap diesel per month for truckers...Well, it wasn’t too long… The government, in a very weak political position, had no other choice. After giving up to fishermen and bus companies (very quickly)… it was impossible to say no to the very powerfull truckers sector... They are just too vital for the country’s economy... And their power of coercition is too strong. Can you imagine a rallye… of trucks ? All the thai cities could be blocked... However, the “deal” could end badly. When the truckers will understand that 40 to 50 millions litres per month… is not enough. Not all of them would be able to enjoy the subsidy… Tricky situation... So to summarize : the government might have won a few months… and the truckers some relief. But after ?...

Labels: truckers' protest worldwide

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * Estonia - Trucking industry pays price of defying Russia

Tallinn,Estonia -Hello Estonia -21 June 2008: -- ... Russia restricted trade through Estonia after the government there moved a Red Army World War II memorial from the centre of Tallinn to a cemetery in the suburbs, triggering a diplomatic clash, a wave of "cyber" attacks, and riots in Tallinn and outside the Estonian embassy in Moscow... Transit trade from Russia through Estonia – once one of the Soviet Union's main export channels - has collapsed since the "Bronze Soldier" dispute just over a year ago... Initially, trucks were blocked from crossing the main bridge at Narva into Estonia and the rail line to the border suddenly required repairs. These restrictions were temporary, but the decline in trade has proved to be permanent... For trucks, delays at Russian customs have created huge queues trying to cross the frontier, though these are also common on the Finnish and Latvian borders. In Narva, city officials say there are often 400 trucks waiting for around three days on each side... Yet the Estonian transit industry now has to find other business or go out of business. The big hopes are car transport and the container business, this time going west to east rather than vice versa to satisfy Russia's booming demand for consumer items. In the past, only one-quarter of the total cargo traffic went from west to east... Tallinn Port has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ningbo port in China to make Muuga, near Tallinn, the main container port for Chinese exports in the eastern Baltic. In the first phase, Tallinn will invest €55m in developing a 27-hectare site at the port in order to handle up to 500,000 TEU containers per year with a long-term ambition for up to 4m... Sillamae port near Narva, is also building a container terminal with a capacity of 800,000 TEU, though aimed at traffic going east-west... "If you have permanently bad relations with Russia it's hard to be successful," says Erik Terk, a consultant who has advised Tallinn Port and Estonia Railways.

Labels: trucking industry news worldwide

TRAFFIC REDUCTION * Canada - Toronto Slashes Landing Fees

Reduction may remove as many as 40,000 trucks per year off Ontario roads

Toronto,ONT,CAN -HOC News Online -June 20, 2008: -- The Greater Toronto Airports Authority announced that cargo landing fees at Toronto Pearson, will be reduced by 25% effective 1 January, 2009... By reducing cargo landing fees, the GTAA aims to enhance the economic competitiveness of the Greater Toronto area... Additional cargo business from carriers taking advantage of this reduction may remove as many as 40,000 trucks per year off Ontario roads – trucks that now travel from the GTA to airports in New York and Chicago, slowing up the border, causing congestion and ground-level air pollution...

Labels: trucks traffic

EVENT * USA - They're big, shiny -- and downtown

The West Michigan Truck Show's

"Big Rigs! Big Party!"

Muskegon,Mich,USA -The Muskegon Chronicle, by Susan K. Treutler -June 20, 2008 The vehicles are big. The parking lot is big. Even the attitude is big. Shiny trucks, some fanciful and some just plain awesome, are on display today

¡ Come on and see ...

The place: The West Michigan Truck Show in downtown Muskegon. The event runs through Saturday night ***

The Stars: Micheal Woods, 31, pulls his sons Brennon Woods, 1, middle, and Christopher Woods, 2, left, in a wagon as they look at trucks Friday at the West Michigan Truck Show in downtown Muskegon...

One Owner ...Jerry Kissinger, 50, of Cottage Grove, Wisconsin cleans up the 998 cubic-inch, 800 hp, engine to his 1991 Mack Truck Superliner Thursday afternoon...

... and another Owner... taking care of his baby...Donna Jacques, 45, of Howell cleans the exhaust stacks to a 2007 Peterbilt 379 model truck Friday at the West Michigan Truck Show in downtown Muskegon. She is the majority owner of Accurate Auto Carriers Inc. of Howell and her husband, Edward Jacques, 46, is a driver for her...

The Mirror ...
A truck is reflected in a wheel to Jerry Kissinger's 1991 Mack Truck Superliner Thursday afternoon. He and his truck are part of the West Michigan Truck Show in downtown Muskegon through Saturday night...

And endingly .... below the roof... Chad Smith, 23, of Hemlock and co-owner of C&J Bark Haulers of Hemlock, works on cleaning one of the 32 tires on his trailer and his father's truck at the West Michigan Truck Show in downtown Muskegon Friday. He was preparing for the truck show competition... (Photos by Ken Stevens/The Muskegon Chronicle -Muskegon,Mich,USA -20 June 2008)

Labels: events

FUEL COSTS TROUBLES * Canada & USA - No more drivers' shortage ???

* Canada - Truckers see their profits dwindle

London,ONT,CAN -The London Free Press, by PAIGE AARHUS -June 21, 2008: -- Bill Williams used to love his job. He started trucking in 1981 and bought his own big rig in 2002. But these days, with the price of diesel hovering around $1.40 a litre, he's looking for a new career... Williams operates out of Woodstock, driving 14 hours a day, six days a week between Ontario and the USA. Like many other independent truckers, he's facing sky-rocketing fuel prices, dwindling profits and little hope for the future. Some truckers have already given up. Their rigs are showing up in auction yards... A trucker with a new rig can face monthly payments of up to $3,000, said Williams, who was lucky enough to pay off his $70,000 used rig a few years ago. It costs up to $1,100 to fill the tanks -- a few months ago a rig could be filled up for $500 to $700 -- and each fill takes a driver about 1,900 kilometres -- meaning a long haul to Kentucky would drain a full truck. Add insurance, maintenance, tolls and the cost of living on the road, and it's nearly impossible to make a living, Williams said... Teamsters Canada representative Bud McCauley said many independent truckers are parking their rigs because the cost of doing business is just too much... McCauley said, the problem lies with fuel caps imposed by companies on independents. For example, owner- operators might pay 47 cents a litre of their own fuel costs, and the company they drive for covers the rest... But companies feeling the effects of high fuel costs are pushing to increase the cap to 60 cents a litre, McCauley said... "That extra 13 cents a litre could cost an owner-operator $11,000 a year out of their own pocket," he said. For Williams, even a 60-cent fuel cap would be a relief. He pays the full cost of filling up, and receives 18 cents a litre in rebates from his company... "They've tightened the line so tight I'm not making any money. I cannot justify staying in this business anymore," he said... One local auto auction is feeling the effects. At London's Gardner Auctions, vice-president Kingsley Gardner said he's noticed more big rigs popping up on the auction block...

* USA - Driver Shortage? Not So Much Any More

USA -Life on the Road, by Wayne Weisser -Jun 20, 2008: -- It amazes and disgusts me at the same time to see how disconnected and stupid the government really is... Trucking in general is in tough times, everyone agrees on that. Companies and owners are going under on a daily basis. The drivers that were employed by those companies and small fleets are now unemployed and are looking to drive for someone else... (Pls search on above "Trucking bankruptcies ease shortage of drivers")... Sad, but no surprise to most of us. It goes on saying the same thing and some numbers thrown in. Like the 935 companies that filed for bankruptcy this year and 2% of the nations long haul fleet was idle during the first quarter... And from the blockheads in the government: (Pls. search) "FMCSA awards $1 million in grants to 9 driver training programs"... Driver shortage isn’t mentioned in the article, but why are schools training drivers when there are plenty of experienced drivers looking for work. Rookies get paid less than experienced drivers? I’m sure that has nothing to do with it... How about sending that $1 million to drivers that are already working and trying to survive? I’d put grant money to good use. How about tax breaks? I’m not looking for a handout, but I don’t think my tax money should be spent on new drivers that may take jobs from experienced drivers that need the jobs...

Labels: fuel cost troubles

TRUCKERS' STRIKE * South korea - End of truckers’ strike in sight

Union workers make progress on key transportation rate issue

Seoul,S.Korea -The Hankyoreh -20 June 2008: -- A nationwide strike by the Korea Cargo Workers Union virtually ended on June 19, as the industrial action entered into its seventh straight day... On the afternoon of the same day at the fifth round of negotiations held at a maritime office in Busan, the KCWU and the Container Transport Companies Association reached an agreement to accept a government’s compromise to raise transport fees by 19 percent. The KCWU accepted the government’s proposal to make a standardized transportation rate law by 2009, “after conducting a trial operation of it.”... Under the system of standardized transportation rates, a committee represented by the government, cargo owners, shippers and truck drivers, would regularly set minimum freight rates for drivers, reflecting oil prices and living costs... (Photo: Members of the Korea Cargo Workers Union in Busan who are still on strike look at the running trucks after making an agreement between the KCWU and the Container Transport Companies Association on June 19)

* Cargo to move as truck strike ends in South Korea

Yongsan Garrison,South Korea —Stars and Stripes, by Jimmy Norris and Hwang Hae-rym -June 22, 2008: -- U.S. military officials in South Korea predict smooth shopping for customers at on-post stores, despite a truckers’ strike that left much of the cargo shipped from overseas stranded at the port in Busan for seven days... The strike at the country’s largest port ended Thursday when drivers agreed to return to work after some of their demands were met... (Photo by Jimmy Norris / S&S - Soldiers from the 551st Inland Cargo Transfer Company guide a cargo container to the ground after a crane removes it from a train Friday at Yongsan Garrison)

Labels: truckers' strikes

Double-decker * Australia - Rail Cargo Transport

Sydney,NSW,Australia -Materials Handling -20 June 2008: -- The AUSTRALIAN Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has completed upgrades on a rail corridor between Parkes in NSW and Crystal Brook in SA... The $5.7m line runs from Parkes to Perth and Adelaide, and is said to have enhanced clearance at six structures between the regions... The upgrades will allow double-stacking of containers, with storage at 6.5m above rail level. This will allow more goods to be transported on the line, while keeping the same number of trains.100 trucks’ worth of goods can be transported by every 1500m train... By moving more of the transport burden to rail, trucks will be taken off the road, reducing congestion, costs and environmental impact...

Labels: double-decker cargo transport

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* OPINION - Is there any relief in sight? What is the industry doing to deal with 6 bucks a gallon diesel fuel?

Mechanicsville,VA,USA -Mass Logic Trucking News, by MReed -20 June 2008: -- ... Ben Evans is the president of Mass Logics, a company that provides software to the trucking industry. Specifically, they make logistics software. In a recent interview, he offered a bleak but hopeful outlook on the current state of the industry... He said, “The transportation industry will always have a bright future, even at $6 or $7 per gallon for diesel fuel. This is one of the few industries that cannot be exported overseas or replaced by technology. As long as products are manufactured and sold in this country, they must be moved from place to place. However there will be a period where work is low, and pricing is unstable, which will cause the industry to shrink some. Once the fuel price stabilizes and consumer confidence returns, the industry will bounce back and grow again.”

* Barr-Nunn to add APU units to its new International ProStars

Granger,IA,USA -Truck Net, by Craig Zwiener - June 20, 2008: -- Barr-Nunn Transportation is a proactive leader in the industry when it comes to maintaining and adding new equipment. Barr-Nunn has recently announced that it will proceed with a plan to equip select 2009 International ProStars with Carrier Comfort-Pro APU units... With fuel costs soaring, the units keep the truck running and the drivers comfortable, while eliminating idle time and fuel waste. The APU units provide air conditioning, heating, power household accessories, charge batteries and at the same time, cut down on operating costs...

* Truckers slow down to speed up savings - Record diesel prices are starting to mean slower big rigs

Columbus,OH,USA -Business First of Columbus, by Adrian Burns -20 June 2008: -- Facing fuel prices far above $4 a gallon, freight companies are lowering the top speeds of their heavy trucks. Coupled with other fuel-saving measures, it is an effort that's yielding hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of dollars in savings annually for some companies and helping them hold onto customers balking at absorbing pass-along costs... The changes are needed because trucking companies are dealing with diesel prices that have risen nearly 40 percent this year... Arctic Express CEO Richard Durst, has been working with mechanics such as Chris Reed at the Hilliard trucking company to reprogram trucks’ onboard computers to limit their maximum speed in a bid for better mileage... While trucking companies continue to look for strategies or gadgets to cut fuel costs, pressure is also increasing on truck manufacturers to churn out vehicles with better fuel efficiency, said Adrian Simms, director of interior systems engineering for Commercial Vehicle Group Inc....

* Aliquippa trucking company shuts down

Aliquippa,Beaver County,PEN,USA -The Beaver County Times, by Michael Pound -June 19, 2008: -- A regional trucking company that had maintained a terminal in Aliquippa since 2000 has apparently gone out of business, just months after it emerged from bankruptcy... Path Truck Lines, a company with a 30-year history in western New York, went out of business earlier this month, shutting down its headquarters in Dunkirk and its terminals, including the Aliquippa location, which hauled building products made at the U.S. Gypsum plant in Aliquippa...

* Schneider National adds three new orientation sites for experienced drivers

Green Bay,WIS,USA -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -20 June 2008: -- Schneider National has added three new sites to its award-winning orientation program for experienced drivers. The latest Schneider National Operating Centers, in Indianapolis, West Memphis, Ark., and Atlanta, were added this month, bumping the total number of sites from nine to 12. Included that group is one Canadian orientation site in Guelph, Ont...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

Executive Privilege * USA - Exhaust papers blocked

President Bush asserted executive privilege Friday to withhold documents from a congressional investigation into whether he pressured EPA

Washi9ngton,DC,USA -The Detroit News -June 21, 2008: -- President Bush asserted executive privilege Friday to withhold documents from a congressional investigation into whether he pressured EPA to weaken decisions on smog and greenhouse gases... White House officials notified a House committee of the rare assertion about 15 minutes before the committee was to vote on holding the head of the EPA and a White House budget official in contempt of Congress for not providing the documents... The committee's chairman, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., canceled the vote while expressing skepticism over the privilege claim...

Labels: governmental affairs

SAVING FUEL COSTS * USA - American bargain hunters cause diesel shortage in Tijuana

Fuel stations in Tijuana (Mexico) are in the midst of a severe diesel shortage as drivers from the U.S. have begun crossing the border looking for cheaper fuel

San Diego,CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine/The San Diego Union-Tribune -June 20, 2008: -- ... The problem began last weekend when U.S. drivers flooded across the border, causing some stations to begin restricting sales to their regular customers... That led to long lines and shortages as station owners tried to provide enough fuel for public transportation and for trucks shipping goods to and from the town. Many stations in the border town have run out of diesel altogether... Because of Mexican government subsidies, diesel in Tijuana is selling for about $2.20 a gallon, compared with more than $5 per gallon in the San Diego area...

Labels: border troubles

FUEL REBATES * USA - Connecticut governor signs bill for cash discounts on fuel, delayed tax hike

The new law, stops a scheduled fuel tax hike. It also allows more fuel stations to offer cash discounts

CT,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble/The Hartford Courant -June 20, 2008: -- Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell put her signature on a bill Tuesday, June 17, to offer consumers a break from high fuel prices... More fuel stations throughout the state now are allowed to offer cash discounts. The discount overrides franchise agreements between oil companies and fuel stations, thus allowing retailers to offer discounts to customers who pay cash to fill up... About 85 percent of the state’s approximately 1,000 fuel stations are affected by such agreements, Advocates for the change say the discounts could save consumers between 10 cents and 20 cents per gallon in a state where a gallon of diesel is averaging $4.90...

Labels: fuel costs solutions

TRUCKERS' STRIKES & PROTESTS * USA

Protest rally in Chehalis, WA Set for Saturday

Napavine,WASH,USA - The Chronicle (Chehalis, WA) -June 20, 2008: -- Truckers throughout Southwest Washington are again set to strike against high fuel prices... A fuel boycott will be held on the west side of Interstate 5’s exit 72, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, featuring a performance by Singin’ Sam Little playing “Trucker Shutdown.”... Diesel in the region has hit nearly $5.10 per gallon, and truck drivers are paying over $1,200 to fill their fuel tanks, a press release on the strike stated. This is the second fuel strike held at exit 72 in three months. In mid-April, when the last strike was held, the average price of diesel in the state was $4.15 a gallon; organizers stated, at that time, that diesel had been just $3.03 in April of 2007... For more information call Sherrie Bond at 880-4818 or visit www.myspace.com/truckershutdown.

* A toll protest certain to draw attention - The instructions are simple: Everybody conga!!!

Clarion County,PA,USA -Land Line Magazine, by David Tanner -June 20, 2008: -- Residents along Interstate 80 in Clarion County, PA, plan on forming a large conga line later this month to protest a state law calling for the route to be tolled... The chosen form of protest may seem silly, organizers admit, but the cause is serious... The Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry is the other chief sponsor of the event... The line will begin forming at 9 a.m., Saturday, June 28, at Trinity Point at Monroe Park at I-80 and Route 68. Participants and drummers are wanted, Ehrhart said... Organizers are asking participants to register in advance by sending e-mail to info@callclarionpa.com or by calling (814) 226-9045. Click here to view the group’s Web site...

Labels: strikes and protests

CLEAN AIR CAMPAIGN * China - Targets buses, trucks

About 1,900 public buses are to be refitted and thousands of trucks will be rerouted around Beijing this summer

Beijing,China -The China Daily, by Xin Dingding -20 June 2008: -- ... From next month, all commercial passenger buses entering Beijing will be required to meet national emissions standards, it said... After a two-month investigation that began in March, the Ministry found that 2,610 long-distance buses entering the city failed emissions tests... The government will pay a subsidy of 50,000 yuan ($7,261.64) for the upgrading of each bus - about half the total cost - and their owners will pay the rest, he said... According to earlier reports, Beijing officials have promised zero emissions within core Olympic areas. In an effort to achieve that, in March, the government introduced the China IV emission standards, which is equivalent to the Euro IV standard... Also in March, Wan Gang, minister of science and technology, said more than 500 vehicles used within the core Olympic area - from cars to cranes - will be electric-powered... Beijing already uses more than 4,000 buses that run on natural gas, which emit just 20 percent of the pollutants spewed out by petrol buses...

Labels: clean air plans

TRUCK PRODUCTS * USA - New Doran 360HD™ Tire Pressure Monitoring System

To Be Featured At Trucking Show

Cincinnati,OH,USA -Truck Net, by Craig Zwiener -19 June 2008: -- The new Doran 360HD™ Tire Pressure Monitoring System which provides the driver 'at- a-glance' status updates with a new patent pending Green Means GOOD™ indicator, will be featured at the Great American Trucking Show... This next generation system monitors up to 36 tires for truck, tractor and trailer applications with wireless tire pressure sensors that are screwed on to the valve stems and transmit a signal to a monitor in the cab. The driver is alerted through multiple alarms types (audible, location, pressure and warning symbol) and a new "Fast Leak" alarm so that low tire-pressure problems can be addressed and costly breakdowns and repairs are eliminated...

Labels: tiremakers news

PROJECT * USA - Will Help Drivers Go More With Traffic Flow

The 16-state I-95 Corridor Coalition is set to launch a technology-based approach to alleviating congestion that if successful could serve as a model for the rest of the country

McLean,VA,USA -USA Today, by Larry Copeland -13 June 2008: -- Beginning in July, drivers along one of the busiest arteries in the United States, the stretch of Interstate 95 between New Jersey and North Carolina, will have access to real-time traffic information. Data will be provided through a network that consist of more than 800,000 GPS devices attached to service vehicles like delivery vans, trucks, and taxicabs as well as sensors embedded in roadways, toll tag data like the EZ Pass, and cellphones... Data will be sent to state transportation departments, which will pass on the information to drivers through road signs, 511 phone systems, mobile alerts, and the Internet... The network will cover 1,500 miles of freeway and 1,000 miles of other major roadway. It will eventually be expanded to cover the entire East Coast.. Washington state-based Inrix, which provides real time and predictive traffic information to MapQuest and other navigation services, will collect data provided through the network under a $1 million contract with the Corridor Coalition... (USA TODAY file photo - Congestion— seen here on I-95 near Springfield, Va. — costs $78 billion in delays and wasted fuel each year, according to a September report from the Texas Transportation Institute, a research arm of Texas A&M University)

* Traffic Congestion in the U.S.A.

Seattle,Wash,USA -INRIX -17 June 2008: -- Seattle-based provider of traffic data INRIX has released its National Traffic Scorecard, providing in-depth analysis of urban traffic congestion across the United States... Though higher fuel prices and the general state of the economy are affecting driving habits, traffic congestion continues to grow; between 2006 and 2007, traffic congestion increased by almost 2 percent nationwide. The most congested cities, as listed in the scorecard, are Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., in that order. Seattle is also on the list, coming it at No. 9... Data for the scorecard was collected from INRIX’s Smart Dust Network, composed of nearly 1 million GPS-equipped commercial vehicles that report their speed and location continually. INRIX also makes use of other tools, such as road sensors, toll tags, and traffic incident data...

* Travelers Get Web View of Kansas Highways

KS,USA -Bus & Motorcoach News/ITS America, by Sabrina Quirarte - June 19, 2008 : -- Four television cameras have been installed along Interstate 70 by the Kansas Department of Transportation, with an additional 25 installations planned so that the entire roadway will be covered throughout the state... Cameras have also been set up on U.S. 75 in Topeka, U.S. 50 at Garden City, K-39 at Chanute, and K-96 and Webb Road in Wichita... The highways can be viewed at www.511.ksdot.org by clicking on the camera icon, while Metro Kansas City conditions are accessible at www.ksscout.net... The cameras are designed to help motorists plan their routes, especially when weather is bad...

Labels: traffic flow

Union New Contract * USA - West Coast Ports, Longshore Reportedly Close on

West Coast port operators are optimistic they can get a labor deal in place by the end of this month and avoid any strike or shutdown at the facilities

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Wall Street Journal/Transport Topics -20 June 2008: -- The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents cargo carriers and terminal operators in three states, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union hope to get a deal done soon... ILWU represents about 26,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports, from San Diego up to Bellingham, Wash... The two sides issued a joint release this week saying they had released a tentative agreement on health benefits... In 2002, ports locked out workers for 10 days amid strained contract talks, which produced a snarl in the nation’s supply chain, as much of the imported goods from Asia come to the United States through West Coast ports... (Photo by Larry Smith/Trans Pixs)

Labels: teamsters union news

TRANSPORTATION NEWS WORLDWIDE - Mergers & Acquisitions

* USA - Strategic Buyers - Domestic Deals

· 10 June - Patriot Rail Corp. has acquired The Louisiana & North West Railroad Co., a short-line railroad operating 62.6 miles of track between McNeil, AR and Gibsland, LA. Terms were not disclosed.

· 9 June - Wrap-N-Pack Inc. has acquired The Freight Container Company, Inc., a supplier of corrugated packaging materials based in Maspeth, NY. Terms were not disclosed.

· 2 June - Fehr & Peers Associates, Inc. has acquired Mirai Associates, Inc., a provider of multi-modal transportation planning, design and traffic engineering services in the Pacific Northwest. Terms were not disclosed.

WORLDWIDE

* Singapore · 11 June - Manhattan Resources Limited announced the acquisition of 50% of ASL Energy Pte Ltd. for $10.3 million. Based in Singapore, ASL Energy charters a fleet of 32 coal transportation vessels.

* Russia · 10 June - Novaport announced the acquisition of 74% of Bryansk International Airport, a cargo and charter flight airport in Bryansk, Russia. Terms were not disclosed.

* Norway · 10 June - Posten Norge AS announced the acquisition of 50% of CombiTrans AB, a truckload and LTL transportation provider. Terms were not disclosed.

* Denmark · 10 June - A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S announced the acquisition of 50% of Swift Tankers Management A/S. Swift Tankers operates a fleet of intermediate vessels and product and chemical tankers in Denmark and Norway. Terms were not disclosed.

* South Korea · 9 June - Korea Express Co. Ltd. has acquired K.E.C. International Co., Ltd. for $4.3 million. Based in Seoul, K.E.C. International provides freight forwarding, trucking and logistical services in South Korea, Japan, China, and Vietnam.

* Dubai · 7 June - Dubai World Corporation announced the acquisition of Asia Gazeley Limited based in Milton Keynes, UK. Asia Gazeley Limited develops and builds warehouses and distribution parks for businesses in Europe, and offers bespoke logistics property solutions. Terms were not disclosed.

* Kuwait · 4 June - Agility announced the acquisition of COSA Freight Inc., an ocean freight forwarder based in Shenzhen, China. Terms were not disclosed.

* Chile · 3 June - Global Via Infraestructuras SA has acquired Autopista de Aconcagua and Sociedad Concesionaria Autopista del Itata SA ("Autopista") for $553.0 million. Based in Santiago, Chile Autopista owns and operates toll roads and highways. Terms were not disclosed.

* India · 3 June - DP World - UAE has acquired Chennai Container Terminal Private Limited, a provider of container terminal services, based in Chennai, India. Terms were not disclosed.

* UK · 3 June - May Gurney Integrated Services plc has acquired ECT Recycling CIC for $30.1 million. Based in London, UK, ECT Recycling CIC engages in the collection and recycling of municipal household waste in the UK.

* Poland · 3 June - C.S. CARGO a.s. has acquired ECT TSL Unitrans, a provider of logistics services based in Skoczow, Poland. Terms were not disclosed.

* UK · 2 June - DSV A/S has acquired Astec Chemical Waste Services Ltd. for $2.6 million. Based in Bury, Astec Chemical engages in the collection, transport and disposal of chemical wastes.

* India · 2 June - Augean plc has acquired 28% of DSV Air & Sea Pvt. Ltd., a provider of air and sea freight services based in Mumbai, India. Terms were not disclosed.

WORLDWIDE - Financial Buyers

* UK · 13 June -Arcapita Bank BSC announced the acquisition of Freightliner Group Limited, a provider of rail freight services and logistics solutions in the UK. Terms were not disclosed.

* Belgium · 11 June - Parcom Ventures BV has acquired 17% of Transics International BV, a provider of on board fleet management solutions hardware and software. Based in Belgium, Transics had TTM Revenue of $63.5 million.

* Russia · 7 June - Far Eastern Bank Limited has acquired 11.2% of OJSC Vladivostok Sea Fishing Port, an operator of a trans-shipping complex for handling cargo operations based in Vladivostok, Russian. Terms were not disclosed.

From: Transport Intelligence (London,UK) -196 June 2008

Labels: Mergers and Acquisitions worldwide

CLEAN TRUCKS * USA - CARB Considers Tightening Truck Emissions Requirements

CA Air Resources Board implementing series of regulations to reduce health risks - Draft under review and will be voted on Oct 2008

Sacramento,CAL,USA -Automotive Digest -19 June 2008: -- Cover cargo handling equipment, transport refrigeration units, truck idling, construction equipment... About 420K privately-owned diesel trucks and buses in CA... CARB unveiled revised draft regulation that would require retrofit of these beginning 2012. Proposed regulation ensures all trucks must be 2010 models or newer beginning in 2012... Calls for truckers to retrofit pre-2007 model year trucks w/ soot filters... Gov Schwarzenegger's budget allocates $48M to CARB to help low-income truckers comply... will help pay for engine retrofits and replacements required in 2010...

Labels: "Clean Trucks" Program

OIL, OPINIONS & NEWS * Luxembourg - What does it take to bring down oil prices?

The widely-reported forecast from Alexei Miller, head of Russian energy giant Gazprom, at the European Business Congress meeting with energy companies in France’s Deauville that oil will hit USD 250 per barrel in the foreseeable future sent shock waves through the world markets

Luxembourg -The New Europe, by Kostis Geropoulos -16 June 2008: -- ... Actually that’s not what the Gazprom CEO said exactly, but 250-oil was all everybody was talking about. Anisa Redman, an EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) oil and gas research analyst with HSBC Bank in London, who was present at the event, told there was widespread confusion. “It sounds to me like his personal opinion. This particular comment doesn’t mean that it’s Gazprom’s official line of thinking ... but 250 is the highest number I have heard.” ... The confusion is indicative of the uncertainty and speculation that have fuelled high oil prices, hovering around USD 135 per barrel, boosting inflationary fears. Trying to look concerned for geopolitical reasons, Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, has called for a head-ofstate- level meeting of oil producers and consumers... The meeting due June 22 in Jeddah to discuss record-high crude prices will also be attended by US Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, representing the world’s top energy user...

* USA - Oil's Brave New World - If you want to see the future of oil, look at Europe

New York,NY,USA -Forbes, by William Pentland -13 June 2008: -- Since 1999, Europe has increased oil imports more than 20% to compensate for declining domestic production. In other words, Europe is running out of oil and scrambling to secure new supplies to fill the losses... And those losses are coming more quickly than predicted, primarily in the once-prodigious oil fields of the North Sea... Disruptions in supply are more critical to Europe than to the United States. Having already eliminated the most obvious inefficiencies that cost the least to change, Europeans will find it harder to reduce oil dependence though curbing consumption. They already drive small, fuel efficient cars and use public transportation. There's not a Suburban in sight. European governments might reduce taxes on fuel, but that would actually increase demand for crude rather than decrease it... Europe, of course, is far from alone. In 2006 and 2007, for the first time in decades, global oil production sunk for two consecutive years. The combined impact of declining supplies and raging energy demand has redefined the economics of crude oil. Outside of OPEC, oil supplies cannot expand to increases in demand as quickly or cheaply as many believed it would if oil prices climbed high enough... The United States will effectively lose a key supplier when Mexico becomes a net oil importer, which is happening much sooner than predicted... Like Europe and the North Sea, the United States will need to find replacements for Mexican oil, which has historically been a key U.S. supply source. Some will come from Canada's oil sands, but at a much higher price... Since 2000, oil prices have risen relentlessly under the strain of an equally relentless rise in demand that is projected to last for decades. Oil companies sunk considerable sums into oil exploration, igniting a global scramble for new supplies. Despite these efforts, nearly a decade has passed since substantial new sources have entered production. It could be another decade or more before any do... Right now, Europe faces the most risk... And now that it's slowing Europe has no significant new reserves to tap. In 2001, Europe's oil production rose to 7.2 barrels per day and has fallen every year since. In 2006, Britain became a net importer of oil for the first time in decades. Yet Europe's energy needs are projected to rise by 2030. In the absence of new discoveries or breakthroughs in alternative energy, the continent will need to import more and more oil to meet the demand, an expensive and politically treacherous path. Welcome to the new world...

* China - Oil Prices Rebound Following Slide on China’s Price Hike

New York,NY,USA -AP/Bloomberg/Transport Topics -20 June 2008: -- Oil prices rose in early trading Friday, a day after sliding almost $5 on reports that China would raise fuel prices... Light sweet crude futures jumped $4 to more than $136 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, following Thursday’s $4.75 slide to a closing price of $131.93, reported... China said Thursday that beginning Friday it would boost diesel prices by 16% and gasoline prices by 18%, the Associated Press reported... Also, Iraq said it would open up to more Western oil companies, in an effort to boost its crude output...

Labels: oil opinions

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* Police's fuel surcharge - In Georgia added to traffic tickets

GA,USA -Land Line Magazine/USA Today -June 19, 2008: -- Drivers who get a speeding ticket in Georgia could soon be paying for more than just the fine... The Police Department in Holly Springs – a suburb of Atlanta – is going to add a fuel surcharge to all speeding tickets issued by city police... Beginning July 1, anyone caught speeding in Holly Springs will have to pay an additional $12 to cover the fuel costs for the police who stop them... And it’s not stopping there. The City Council in Atlanta cited Holly Springs as an example and enacted a similar measure. Speeders there will be charged anywhere from $10 to $15 dollars per ticket as a fuel surcharge...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * USA - Lawmakers express support in New York capital

Convoy's Happy end ... ???

Albany,NY,USA -Land Line Magazine, By Clarissa Kell- Holland, -June 19, 2008: -- Truckers in New York – fed up with high fuel prices, increasing toll costs and other taxes – proved on Thursday, June 19, that grassroots actions to wake up lawmakers and the media can work... On Thursday, more than 150 truckers converged on Albany, NY, where they rallied in front of the statehouse. Many New York lawmakers, including New York Gov. David Paterson, addressed the protestors. Paterson recently announced a plan – widely unpopular among truckers – to keep heavy trucks off certain roads in upstate New York... On the topic of fuel costs, Paterson said he would support a summer fuel tax holiday only if fuel companies promise to pass the savings on to consumers. But he said more needs to be done as well...For Bill Sutton, a flatbedder from Batavia, NY, said the convoy and rally in Albany was an “experience of a lifetime... Sutton said he happened to be in the right place at the right time after the rally. New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, who spoke at the rally, talked to truckers afterward about some of the issues that led them to convoy to Albany... Sutton said Bruno is no stranger to the trucking world. Bruno told him his first job was delivering ice in a straight truck...

Labels: truckers' protest

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

* Holland - Duracar Delivers with Eco-Trucking

A Dutch startup has found a promising niche: fleets of battery-powered light commercial vehicles for short-range city deliveries

Amsterdam,Holland -Business Week (USA), by Mark Scott -16 June 2008: -- Soaring gas prices have focused attention as never before on electric cars... A Dutch startup called Duracar is pursuing an ingenious plan to sell an eco-friendly light commercial vehicle roughly the size of a Mini that could be used for deliveries and other short-range travel in Europe's bustling city centers... Analysts figure that 330,000 new light commercial vehicles (defined as those weighing less than 3,850 pounds) are sold each year in Europe—a market worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Replacing even some of the gas-powered vehicles with electric models would cut noise, pollution, and carbon emissions in cities. And with oil topping $140 per barrel, it also would save money for fleet operators—whether government agencies, field service operations, or delivery firms such as FedEx... Duracar will officially unveil its electric car, dubbed the Quicc, at the Paris Motor Show this fall, but the Dutch company already has big plans for the pint-sized vehicle... Hopes to sell more than 13,000 units over the next three years... The startup has recruited an impressive lineup of managers, investors, and partners to help hit its targets ... Chief Technology Officer it's John Lodge, an auto industry veteran of 25 years who worked previously for Mitsubishi and Volvo, and Johann Tomforde, the developer behind Mercedes Benz's miniature Smart car, who consults eight days a month for Duracar...

* USA - Truckmakers embrace hybrid revolution

USA -Financial Times (UK), by By Bernard Simon (Toronto,ONT,CAN) -Originally Published, March 31 2008: -- ... A growing number of diesel-electric trucks are set to appear on North American roads in coming months... International Truck and Engine, owned by Illinois-based Navistar, expects to sell about 1,000 medium-sized hybrid trucks this year... Peterbilt and Kenworth, two brands owned by Paccar, based near Seattle, are set to launch their first hybrid models in coming months... A prototype heavy-duty hybrid truck, developed by Navistar in partnership with Cummins, an engine maker, and ArvinMeritor, a maker of axles and brake systems, is targeted to be on the road by the end of the year... Still, Bob Weber, Navistar’s chief heavy-trucks engineer, says that, for an industry with thin profit margins at the best of times, “the payback has to be pretty quick. We’re not there at five years or under yet”... Mr Weber also admits that truckmakers are struggling to nail down reliable supplies of lithium-ion batteries in the face of growing demand from, among others, cars, cell phones and laptop computers...

* Canada - Sterling hits the quarter million mark

St. Thomas,ONT,CAN -Truck News -19 June 2008: -- Sterling's 250,000th truck has rolled off the assembly line at the company's plant here... The milestone truck was built for Con-Way Freight. It's a Set-Back 113-inch BBC A-Line. Executives from Con-Way were invited to a special ceremony at the St. Thomas plant on June 10, where they received the keys to the new truck as well as a special plaque... Con-Way is a significant customer of Sterling's, operating more than 7,200 Sterling trucks today...

* Daimler posts podcast to explain benefits of SCR

Portland,OR,USA -Truck News (CAN) -17 June 2008: -- With the next series of EPA regulations quickly approaching, Daimler Trucks North America has begun explaining why it will use SCR on its Detroit Diesel engines... According to DTNA research, both testing and real-world operations in Europe are show a 3-5% improvement in fuel economy... DTNA senior vice-president of marketing Mike Delaney has already hailed BlueTec to be "The ultimate solution" in an economy where fuel economy is increasingly critical...

* USA - Wal-Mart places large order of Freightliner Cascadias with DD15

Portland,OR,USA -Truck News (CAN) -19 June 2008: -- Wal-Mart's fuel-conscious private fleet in the US has placed an order for 300 Freightliner Cascadias with the Detroit Diesel DD15 engine... Daimlers Trucks North America announced Wal-Mart placed the order after testing two Cascadias within its fleet...

Labels: truckmakers' news worldwide

Trucks Ads * Brazil - Creative advertisement campaign

For Volkswagen by BBDO Brazil ad agency

Sao Paulo,Brazil -Toxel.com -19 June 2008: --

"Volkswagen Trucks: For every kind of load”

Labels: trucks ads

TRUCKERS' PROTEST WORLDWIDE

* USA - Convoy to Albany to protest fuel prices

More than 100 truck drivers are taking part in a noisy downtown Albany rally to demonstrate against skyrocketing fuel prices that are staggering their industry

New York,NY,USA -CBS6 Albany/Associated Press -June 19, 2008: -- ... About 110 tractor-trailer cabs, dump trucks and flatbeds jammed streets around the state Capitol building before a rally in an adjacent park... Truckers were blaring their horns before parking near another park blocks away from the rally site... Gov. David Paterson told the crowd he'd support a summer gasoline tax "holiday" if fuel companies promise to pass the savings on to consumers and he urged the truckers to take their protest to the headquarters of big oil companies...The drivers gathered at truck stops in Washington and Montgomery counties before convoying to Albany Thursday morning...

* Israel - Truck drivers protest fuel prices, clog main T.A. artery

Tel Aviv,Israel -Haaretz, by Avi Bar-Eli -19 June 2008: -- The protest against the climbing fuel prices came to a head Thursday as hundreds of truck drivers, taxi drivers and bus drivers came together to demonstrate their criticism of the state's apparent indifference to the pressing problem... At 2 P.M. convoys of vehicles left from Ashdod, Jerusalem and Haifa, making their way toward Tel Aviv in efforts to converge in Tel Aviv and clog the city's main artery, Ayalon highway, between 3:30 and 5:00 P.M... The police was holding the convoys off, but severe congestion was recorded in sections of the highway... A board spokesman said that when the diesel tax was set in 1999 it comprised nine percent of the transportation input, but has since soared to 40 percent. Diesel prices have risen since 2002 by 460 percent, he said... About two weeks ago Finance Minister Roni Bar-On said that the treasury would not reduce fuel taxes, infuriating the transporters and haulers. A member of the transporters' action committee said: "Treasury officials are obtuse and impervious. Apparently they'll take action only after the entire country is boiling and seething, as has happened in certain European states."...

Labels: truckers' protest

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30.6.08

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * Australia - Truckies to stage F3 'go slow'

TRUCKING INDUSTRY's STORY * USA - Heavy haulage in the 1880s - twenty mule teams in Death Valley

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Fuel or Sex ... !!! ???

TRANSPORTATION NEWS * NAFTA - Trade Reaches Record

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

STUDY * USA - Drivers at highest risk on first day back after break

Pollution * China - Beijing bans trucks from entering

CARBON TAXES * Canada - Truckers need help

TRUCKERS STRIKE * India - Drivers vow to go on strike from July 2

Honorary Truck Driver * USA - 12-year-old becomes truck driver for a day

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE

29.6.08

Shortage of Truck Stops * Canada - Bottles of urine litter roadways

"GREEN" NEWS * Canada - Trucking company gets eco-friendly tractor-trailers

FUEL COST CRISIS * USA - Gas prices force many to park their rigs for good

DOUBTS & COMPLAINS * USA - Clean Trucks Workshop Tries To Clear The Confusion

28.6.08

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

SPEED LIMITS * Canada - Burlington fire trucks to obey speed limits

TRUCK SALES * Hungary - Major Order for Volvo Trucks in

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

FUEL SAVING * USA - Mud flaps drawing attention

27.6.08

Layoffs * USA - Kronenwetter Transportation Company Announces

TRUCKERS' STRIKES * WORLDWIDE

LONGER TRUCKS * USA - House panel OKs 53 foots trailers

Older Trucks * USA - L.A. creates incentive to replace they

ELECTRIC TRUCK * USA - Testing at Los Angeles port sparks enthusiasm

FUEL TAXES REBATES * USA

TRUCKING STATISTICS * USA - May Truck Tonnage Jumps 3.3% From a Year Ago

TRUCKERS' PROTEST * Australia - Truck Drivers Protest Fuel Prices

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * EUROPE - Big Rigs bring Big Smiles for

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Kenworth's brochure of its new T270 and T370 diesel-electric hybrid trucks.

SHIPPERS * Canada - CTA's Bradley offers advice to

Fuel-efficiency Solution * USA - Impresses BCTA

AWARD * Canada - Bison credits simulator training with stellar safety record

BIODIESEL * Canada - ASTM approves new blend spec's

REPORT * USA - Logistics industry suffers despite continuing demand

TRANSPORTATION NEWS WORLDWIDE * Mergers & Acquisitions

26.6.08

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Oil Tops $140 for First Time

FUEL COST SOLUTION * Hungary - Government promises to help truckers with high diesel prices

AWARD * USA - Trucking Company Ruan Driver Receives Million Mile Safety Award

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Troha trucking firm restructures under Chapter 11

FUEL CARD THEFT * USA - Ring hitting trucking companies

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Australia & New Zealand

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE - Volvo announces plans to lay off 2,000 workers

25.6.08

Save Gas, Save Money * USA - 66 Ways To Spend Less On Gasoline

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * Australia - Wal-Mart talks get Brambles trucking again

FUEL THEFTS * USA - Arizona trucking companies say big rig fuel thefts rising

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Owner of Arkansas Trucking Company Speaks in D.C.

ADVERTISING * UK - Trucking on to help beat crime

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

AWARDS * USA - On the podium again

FUEL COST TROUBLES * USA - Higher diesel shrinks pay

Hybrid Haulage * USA - Could save fuel and the environment

24.6.08

Lowers Forecast * USA - UPS slashes view on soaring fuel costs

TRUCKERS' STRIKE * Australia - Truck drivers' text strikes out

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * Sweden - Volvo truck shipments rise 15 pct in May

Transport Improvements * Ghana - World Bank supports transport improvements in West Africa

Fuel Shortage * Mexico - Diesel widely available in Tijuana now

FINAL TRIP * Australia - Trucks make it

TRUCKER4S' PROTEST * Taiwan - Highway freight rates poised to go up soon

CONTROLS & INSPECTIONS * Australia - Workplace Ombudsman to audit trucking companies

Trucking Opportunities * USA - MDOT Seeks Increased DBE Participation

Trial * Australia - Boss in truck just kept coming, protester tells court

Theft of License Plates * USA - Happening more frequently

FUEL COST TROUBLES * Canada & USA - TRUCKERS' STORIES

23.6.08

DIESEL TROUBLES * Mexico & USA - Hits other cities in the USA

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - Over the long haul, a penny saved adds up

OIL NEWS * Saudi Arabia - Saudis, U.S. split on oil