User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: October 2009
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Oct 31, 2009

"GREEN" PRODUCTS * USA - Self Cleaning Diesel Exhaust Filters

RYPOS' Active Filter Technology

Holliston,MA,USA -RYPOS' News -30 Oct 2009: -- The RYPOS DPF is a highly effective diesel particulate filter system for exhaust emission control. The system consists of filter housing, flow control, electrical control circuit, and filter cartridges. The soot DPF itself is composed of sintered metal fibers that are shaped into filter elements and then incorporated into filter cartridges. These sintered metal fiber cartridges are capable of capturing the very fine carbon particles present in the exhaust stream, with high efficiency and high holding capacity. The filter is regenerated through the presence of an electric current sufficient to heat the element to cause the collected soot to burn. The filter and heating element are one and the same. The electrical control circuitry automatically monitors and controls the regeneration of the filter cartridges... The RYPOS DPF can be used alone or in conjunction with a diesel oxidation catalyst to reduce the soluble organic fraction, gaseous hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. As an active regeneration system, the RYPOS DPF is regenerated independently of the exhaust temperature. Each element, which represents a small fraction of the total filter area, is heated individually to reduce the maximum amount of electrical energy required. The average power consumption is less than one percent of the rated power of the engine...

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FUEL * Venezuela and Brazil: Seal oil refinery deal

Caracas,Venezuela -DPA/Earth Times -31 Oct 2009: -- Venezuela and Brazil have agreed to build and operate a joint oil refinery in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco following years of negotiations... The state-owned Brazilian oil company Petrobras will own 60 per cent and its Venezuelan counterpart Petroleos de Venezuela 40 per cent, according to the deal signed on Friday... The total cost of the project is about 12 billion dollars, media reports said... Building work on the Abreu e Lima refinery has already begun... The installation is designed to have a daily capacity of up to 230,000 barrels and is scheduled to start production in 2011...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:11 AM  0 comments

Truck Alcohol Ignition Locks * Europe - May Become Compulsory

London,UK -Handy Shipping Guide -27 Oct 2009: ... From next year Sweden will require Alcohol Ignition Locks or Alcolocks, as they are known, to be fitted to all lorries and buses and from 2012 to all new vehicles. Already 50,000 vehicles in the country are so equipped... Many European countries are moving toward compulsory legislation but it appears ludicrous to observers that this type of legislation is not a European Union requirement... France, amongst others, are slowly taking the hint... The Caisse Régionale d’Assurance Maladie (CRAM) social security authority in Northern France has now signed an agreement with Volvo Trucks and is paying a grant of 700 euros per unit installed, and there are potential grants available from other bodies both on a national and European level... In the UK facts on the locking devices can be obtained from the website of Alcolock UK who have sites near Cambridge and Bath...

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TRUCK SALES * USA - Idealease orders Kidron reefer bodies for Schwan

Kidron,OH,USA -Kidron News -Oct 30, 2009: -- Idealease has ordered 248 Kidron Ultra Temp hybrid refrigeration truck bodies for customer Schwan Food Co. The total number of units represents the largest single order to date for the manufacturer, VT SVC Inc... The Ultra Temp uses an environmentally friendly approach that combinesthe benefits of cold-plate and mechanical refrigeration, VT said. The units provide fast temperature recovery, unlimited route capability, automatic defrost and lower weight advantages usually associated with mechanical refrigeration systems., according to the company... In addition, the reefer unit, which was jointly developed by Kidron and Azure Dynamics, draws energy from the chassis engine during normal driving, delivering it to the cold plates. According to the company, the elimination of the diesel engine that is part of conventional refrigeration saves up to a gallon of fuel per hour. The system requires no belts or microprocessors and no extra diesel engine which reduces maintenance time... (Photo from kidronnews: ultratemp)

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA - Some YRC Units Profitable Says Zollars

Cleveland,OH,USA -Logistics Today -Oct 30, 2009: -- YRC Worldwide reported that its logistics unit showed a $6 million profit in the quarter and the regional less-than-truckload (LTL) group had a small profit... YRC's national LTL saw improvements of $50 million from the first quarter to the second and another $100 million from the second to the third quarter, according to Bill Zollars, chairman and CEO of YRC Worldwide, pricing remained very competitive but the national LTL group saw volumes stabilize, yield firming, and profitable customers, he noted...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:24 AM  0 comments

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* USA - Navistar eyes China diesel engine joint venture

Warrenville,ILL,USA -AP -30 Oct 2009: -- Truck maker Navistar International Inc. says it is exploring a joint venture with a Chinese vehicle manufacturer to build diesel engines for commercial vehicles in China... Navistar said Friday the proposed 50-50 joint venture with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. would establish a research and design center in China's Anhui province... Diesel engines produced under the joint venture would be used primarily in China as well as certain export markets... Navistar says the joint venture would be governed by an eight-person board consisting of four members from each company... The venture still requires approval by each company's board of directors, as well as other approvals before it moves forward... (Photo from scb: Navistar - International Headquarters, in Warrenville, Illinois)


* Germany - Daimler moves to increase stake in Russian truck maker

Stuttgart,Germany -Earth Times -30 Oct 2009: -- Daimler has moved to raise its stake in Russian truck maker Kamaz, a spokeswoman said Daimler was applying to the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service to increase the 10 per cent share in Kamaz it purchased for 190 million euros (280 million euros) in December 2008... Daimler had originally planned to take a 42 per cent stake in the Russian truck maker, but scaled back its plans because of the global economic crisis which hit the company's German operations... Goal of the new venture is to assemble Mercedes-Benz trucks in Russia and establish a distribution network for for the sale of Mercedes-Benz and Setra buses... (Image.motortrend: Daimler headquarters, Stuttgart)


* USA - Freightliner Custom Chassis hits zero-waste goal

Gaffney,SC,USA -Fleet Owner -Oct 30, 2009: -- At its plant in Gaffney, SC, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp.(FCCC) had a real green letter day yesterday as it celebrated becoming the first vehicle chassis manufacturer and the first company within the trucking industry to achieve “Zero Waste to Landfill” status in the U.S... Joining an elite group of solid waste-free manufacturing facilities in the United States, FCCC went from disposing 250,000 lbs of solid waste per month in January 2007 to disposing zero lbs today as a result of numerous environmental efforts implemented at its plant... Recognized by numerous governmental agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the FCCC facility recycles materials such as plastic, paper, aluminum, cardboard, metals, wood and nylon. FCCC said it is committed to not only reducing its environmental footprint with clean manufacturing efforts, but also to developing products that are green... (Image from daimler: Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation Manufacturing Plant)


* USA - Cummins’ Third-Quarter Profit Drops

Columbus,IN,USA -Transport Topics -30 Oct 2009: -- Diesel engine maker Cummins Inc. said Friday its third-quarter profit fell 59% due to sharply lower demand for its engines and other products... The company’s net income fell to $95 million, or 48 cents a share, from $229 million, or $1.17, a year ago, while sales fell 31% to $2.53 billion... The engine segment saw the worst declines in sales, along with the power generation segment. Engine sales fell 37% to $1.44 billion... Cummins’ engine joint venture in China saw declining sales due to lower demand... (Photo from southernroofinginc: Cummins Plant One. Columbus, IN)


* USA - ArvinMeritor, Daimler Set Brake Deal

Troy,Mich,USA -Transport Topics -26 Oct 2009: -- Alliance Parts, Daimler Trucks North America’s private-label parts unit, said it has partnered with ArvinMeritor, to provide remanufactured brake shoes for commercial vehicles in North America... The remanufactured brake shoes, to be produced by ArvinMeritor, are designed for 20,000-pound and 23,000-pound axle applications... The parts will be sold at Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Bus dealerships in the United States and Canada, the companies said in a statement... (Photo from Arvinmeritor: Corporate Facilities)

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Oct 30, 2009

Climate Change Legislation * USA - Will Increase Diesel Prices, Hurt Consumers

Washington,DC,USA -PR Newswire/SOA World Magazine -Oct. 29, 2009: -- The American Trucking Associations (ATA) First Vice Chair, Barbara Windsor, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today that the current cap-and-trade proposal will increase the price and volatility of diesel fuel for the trucking industry without significantly reducing carbon emissions... Proponents of an economy-wide cap-and-trade system say increasing the price of fuel will reduce consumption, Windsor said, but that does not hold true in the trucking industry... Cap-and-trade requires oil refineries to purchase emission allowances that cover their direct refining operations and the amount of carbon produced by downstream combustion of the produced fuels. "The costs associated with obtaining these allowances will be passed on the fuel consumers in the form of higher prices," said Windsor. "A major petroleum supplier to the trucking industry has advised that diesel fuel costs could rise by up to 88 cents"... Cap-and-trade also will increase price volatility as carbon prices will fluctuate. Volatile fuel prices make it very difficult for trucking companies to accurately predict expenses and pass them on to customers...


* The ATA’s plan

USA -Clean Mpg -29 Oct 2009: ... Alternatives as set forth in ATA's environmental sustainability plan include:
  • A national 65 mph speed limit

  • Governing new truck speeds to 65 mph or below

  • Decreasing idling

  • Reducing highway congestion through highway infrastructure improvements

  • Increasing fuel efficiency through EPA's SmartWay Program

  • Promoting the use of more productive truck combinations.

  • Supporting national fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
"Our plan can achieve real results with far less cost and disruption to our industry sector than under a cap-and-trade scenario," said Windsor...


* Capitol Comment: Cap and Trade is a $3.6 trillion gas tax on all Americans

Washington,DC,USA -The South East Texas Record, by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison -Oct. 30, 2009: -- There's something the Democratic lawmakers who are pushing cap and trade legislation don't want the public to know. The controversial climate change legislation winding its way through Congress will impose a massive new national gas tax, raising the cost of gasoline and diesel and jet fuels... An analysis of the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill revealed this gas tax hike will reach $3.6 trillion and it will impact every American and important segments of our economy... Americans travel over 200 million vehicle miles each month, and annually we spend nearly $1.2 trillion on gasoline and oil. The average household spends five percent of its annual budget on fuel... For many, gasoline is a mandatory expense. And this legislation disproportionately hits middle and lower income households that tend to have longer daily commutes and must drive in order to work. These families will be hit especially hard by the projected $1 per gallon increase for the additional gas tax the cap and trade legislation will bring... Further, Americans will be double-hit by the gas tax when it results in higher prices for goods and services, such as groceries or utilities, that they must continue to purchase. Energy costs are among businesses' top operational expenses already... That is why I will fight the Waxman-Markey and Kerry-Boxer bills. We can improve the environment and economy through American ingenuity and technology advancement, not with taxes and mandates that increase costs and burden American families and businesses...

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posted by Unknown @ 7:03 AM  0 comments

CLEAN PORT PROGRAM * USA - Cleaner-Trucks Mandate Will Create Hardships at Port of Oakland

The real problem is that the trucking system is broken. When Congress deregulated the trucking industry in 1980, it dismantled an industry dominated by large companies with union drivers. Independent truckers took their place

New York,NY,USA -The NY Times, by FRANCES DINKELSPIEL -October 30, 2009: -- Ablelom Zerfiel sat in the cab of his 1992 Freightliner, waiting in a long line to drop off his empty cargo container at the Port of Oakland. After driving for 12 years, Mr. Zerfiel is used to delays, low pay, grueling hours and the fickleness of the dispatch company that arranges his jobs... Life for Mr. Zerfiel and many of the other 1,300 independent truckers serving the Port of Oakland is about to get even harder. In an effort to reduce local air pollution, the port has mandated the use of cleaner trucks by Jan. 1. This makes it likely that Mr. Zerfiel, as well as hundreds of other drivers who cannot afford to buy new vehicles, will be out of work... The new regulations have created a clash between two ideals long held sacred in the Bay Area: the right to decent working conditions and a push for greener technologies... (Photo by Jim Wilson/The New York Times - Truckers at the Port of Oakland wait hours to load and unload cargo, releasing emissions into the air and nearby neighborhoods)

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"GREEN" NEWS * Europe - Commission unveils van CO2 proposals

Brussels,Belgium -HGV (Ireland) -October 29, 2009: -- The European Commission has proposed what is considered to be a watered-down bill that aims to reduce CO2 emissions from light commercial vehicles... The new legislation will require that emissions for each new model of van from a manufacturer emits no more than 175 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre... The limit will be phased in slowly, with three quarters of vans required to meet the target by 2014, 80 per cent by 2015 and all LCVs by 2016. A tighter target of 135g/km will be scheduled for 2020... Earlier drafts of the legislation had suggested the 175g/km target should be met by 2012, with a second target of 160g/km to be met by 2015... LCV makers who exceed the limit will be fined five euros per gramme per kilometre if they miss the threshold by one gramme, a fine that climbs to €125 per gramme per kilometre if they exceed the carbon ceiling by four grammes... (Photo from zf.com: Mitsubishi Fuso Canter)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:30 AM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

* Indiana - Trucking industry is one economic gauge. Industry says it hasn't seen much of an uptick

Indianapolis,IND,USA -WISH TV8, by David Barras & Andrew Bonner -29 Oct 2009: -- Positive numbers for the economy were released Thursday. The gross domestic product rose at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of the year. That's better than economists predicted and it's the strongest growth in two years... Talk to those in the trucking business and they will tell you they are a reliable barometer of the nation's economy... Andy Card runs Noblesville-based Perkins Specialized Transportation, a nearly 100-year-old trucking firm that has 500 trucks, 1,500 trailers and shipping retail goods making 6,000 stops a week... Card said the trucking industry is the first to get hit in a downturn and the first to feel improvement in a recovery. In the past 6 to 8 weeks, he said, signs point to recovery because volume from his customers is up...


* Missouri - Some YRC Worldwide union workers again reject concessions proposal

Kansas,MO,USA -The Kansas City Business Journal -October 19, 2009: -- A small segment of YRC Worldwide Inc. union workers has rejected a concessions proposal for a second time, and by a larger margin, a dissident union group said Thursday... Roughly 1,000 International Brotherhood of Teamsters dockworkers in Chicago’s Local 710 voted 486-242 against the concessions, Teamsters for a Democratic Union said on its Web site. Janitors rejected the proposal 9-2, but office workers passed the contract 59-46... The results came even though YRC management had threatened to reroute freight to other locations, TDU said, adding that management this week laid off about a third of the 64 mechanics in Cleveland’s Local 964 after they rejected the concessions a second time... In August, most Teamsters approved the additional 5 percent wage concession and 18-month pension payment termination, which came on top of a 10 percent wage cut they had approved in January. The second round of concessions was to save YRC an estimated $45 million a month, growing to $50 million a month in 2010...(Photo from media.buffalonews: Teamsters at YRC W)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:12 AM  0 comments

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS * WORLDWIDE

Briefing Weekly News



from Freight Forwarding

* K+N revenues fall by almost a quarter
- Kuehne + Nagel has released its financial figures for the first nine months of 2009. The company said that it had achieved very satisfactory operational results despite tumbling revenues. Read Full Brief Here

* CEVA issues guidance on Q3 performance
- Ahead of its Quarter Three 2009 results, CEVA has issued a statement saying that its business has seen the market continue along a similar trend to the previous period. Read Full News Here

* CH Robinson beats market expectations
- CH Robinson, the North American based logistics company, has reported its financial results for the third quarter. Read Full News Here

from Contract Logistics

* UPS continues to suffer depressed markets
- Scott Davis, CEO of UPS might be “encouraged by the signs of economic recovery” but his company continues to suffer heavily depressed volumes and profits. Read Full Brief Here

* Wincanton establishes direct imports capability for tyre company
- Wincanton has been appointed by Micheldever Tyres to set up a direct import and trunking solution for the UK. Read Full News Here

* Hilti and Kuehne + Nagel agree partnership
- Hilti has entered into strategic partnership with Kuehne + Nagel for the planning, implementation and management of its future logistics locations in Europe. Read Full News Here

* Dentressangle wins frozen food logistics contract
- Norbert Dentressangle has been awarded a two year temperature controlled storage and distribution contract with major UK baked goods manufacturer, Speedibake. Read Full News Here

* Schenker wins European healthcare contract
- DB Schenker has won a three year contract to establish and execute the European distribution network for healthcare product supplier Systagenix. Read Full News Here

from Express & Mail

* FedEx sees signs of life as it expands European hub
- As FedEx extends its European hub at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, a senior executive has commented that he sees positive signs in the market. Read Full Brief Here

* Swiss Post Solutions ties up with GAC in Middle East
- Swiss Post Solutions has signed a strategic agreement with logistics company GAC, enabling its document services to be available to businesses throughout the Middle East. Read Full News Here

from Road Freight

* CEVA Ground launched in Brazil
- CEVA Logistics has launched its new ground transportation arm, CEVA Ground, in Brazil. Read Full News Here

from Air Cargo

* Lufthansa Cargo and Hermes increase cooperation
- Lufthansa Cargo and Hermes Transport Logistics have announced that they are increasing their level of cooperation. Read Full News Here

from Warehousing

* ProLogis leases to two customers near Tokyo
- ProLogis has announced it has leased 188,000 square feet (17,500 square metres) during the third quarter to two customers in Japan. Read Full News Here

* ProLogis leases to Panalpina in Germany
- ProLogis has leased a total of 227,000 square feet (21,100 square metres) to two customers in southwestern Germany at ProLogis Park Neuenstadt, including Panalpina. Read Full News Here

* CEVA opens new warehouse in Dubai
- CEVA Logistics has opened a 12,000 sqm warehouse in Dubai to reinforce its presence in the region. Read Full News Here

from Shipping/Ports

* CMA CGM increases Vietnam service
- CMA CGM has announced a new call at Saigon Premier Container Terminal on its FAS Vietnam service. Read Full News Here

* ZIM restructuring plan nears approval
- ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (ZIM) has confirmed that its proposed financial restructuring plan is nearing final approval. Read Full News Here

* Port of Antwerp’s volumes down 19%
- During the first nine months of 2009 the port of Antwerp handled nearly 117 million tonnes of freight representing a drop of 19.1%. Read Full News Here

(Photo from JOC: Threaded Thoughts)

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posted by Unknown @ 5:17 AM  0 comments

Oct 29, 2009

CLEAN PORTS DEBATE * USA - ATA Warns NY/NJ on Clean-Truck Plan

New York,NY,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney -Oct 26, 2009: -- An American Trucking Associations executive said New York and New Jersey politicians will regret endorsing Los Angeles-style clean-truck regulations that he said represent a thinly disguised effort to encourage driver unionization... New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and Newark Mayor, Cory Booker, said this month that they support a clean-truck program modeled after the controversial one in Los Angeles, where the port wants to ban owner-operators and require the use of employee drivers. The mayors also said they support an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act to grant port authorities regulatory authority over harbor trucking... The ATA has challenged the Los Angeles plans in court, and Whalen noted that they are widely unpopular among nearly all segments of the transportation industry except the Teamsters Union, which hopes to organize employee drivers. Whalen said endorsing similar requirements for New York-New Jersey doesn’t strike him as “a particularly good marketing strategy”... (Picture from roadtransport/big-lorry-blog: Opening shotlo)

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posted by Unknown @ 7:31 PM  0 comments

Transport Statistics * USA - BTS says surface trade with Mexico and Canada down 24.9 percent in August

Washington,DC,USA -Logistics Management -29 Oct 2009: -- Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was down 24.9 percent in August 2009 compared to August 2008, falling to $54.3 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)... The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico sank 16.2 percent year over year in August at $21.3 billion... And the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada was down 29.6 percent year-over-year in August at $32.9 billion... (Photo from roadtransport/big-lorry-blog: Over the Texas roads, USA)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:59 PM  0 comments

Legislation * USA - Post-health care debate, various legislative issues affecting transport in 2010 and beyond

Washington,DC,USA -Logistics Management, by John D. Schulz -27 Oct 2009: -- As the ongoing debate over health care reform has proven, Congress has extreme difficulty doing more than one thing at a time. Multitasking has never been Washington's strong suit... With health care sucking all the oxygen out of the room, transportation interests are bracing for 2010 when many key transport legislative initiatives likely will be fought... Among them:

* Renewal of the highway bill;
* Cap-and-trade provisions of climate change legislation;
* Employee Free Choice Act (i.e. "Card Check"); and
* The opening the Mexican-U.S. border to all trucking...

(Photo from roadtransport/big-lorry-blog: Dallas trucks)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:47 PM  0 comments

LONGER TRUCKS * Canada - 10 axle trucks OKed for Alberta forestry sector

Grande Preirie,ALB,Can -Today's Trucking -29 Oct 2009: -- An Alberta log hauler is reportedly the first carrier in Canada to be allowed to run nine and 10-axle trucks in the province... According to Sun Media, Minhas Bros. Trucking of Grande Prairie was certified by Alberta Transportation as part of a pilot project to reduce costs and boost efficiency in the forestry sector... Under the new permit, the same weight limit per axle remains, but the extra axles could add payload of roughly 10 percent, up to about 78,000 kg, up from the eight axles and 63,500 kg previously... (Photo from roadtransport/big-lorry-blog (uk), by Pete Townsend: A Canada/USA truck)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:34 PM  0 comments

STUDY * USA



Armonk,NY,USA -The Auto Channel -October 27, 2009: -- IBM is announcing a major new study on the future of the trucking industry. Truck 2020 says that some of the traditional reasons for fleet purchases – such as the brand name of the truck – have gone out the window, and now there is incredible pressure for hybridization of trucks, which can cut costs and pollution. For example: 10,000 hybrid trucks on the road would reduce diesel fuel use by 7.2 million gallons per year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 83,000 tons... (Video from YouTube, by TheAutoChannel -27 Octubre 2009)

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posted by Unknown @ 5:41 PM  0 comments

SPECIAL INFO: H. O. S. * USA - Obama Administration Agrees to Start Over on Rule to Keep Tired Truckers Off the Roads

* Court Repeatedly Tossed Out Bad Rule, But Bush Administration Kept Reissuing It

Washington,DC,USA -Public Citizen/Commons Dreams -October 27, 2009: -- The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have agreed to abandon their defense of unsafe, longer working hour standards for truckers the Bush administration issued in 2003... In a settlement of a lawsuit brought by Public Citizen, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Truck Safety Coalition and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the agencies agreed to start a new round of rulemaking that could result in reduced hours of service for truckers... The rule dramatically expanded driving and working hours by allowing truck drivers to drive up to 11 consecutive hours (instead of 10) each shift and by cutting the off-duty rest and recovery time at the end of the week from a full weekend of 50 or more hours to as little as 34 hours... As a result, the rule allowed truckers to spend up to 17 more hours driving each week than previously allowed, a more than 25 percent increase over the prior rule, despite strong evidence that the increased hours would lead to more traffic fatalities and serious consequences for driver health. Today’s settlement requires the government to draft a new proposed rule governing hours of service within nine months and to publish a final rule within 21 months...


* Hoffa: Federal Regulators Must Protect Workers' Health and Safety

Washington,DC,USA -Reuters -27 Oct 2009: -- Teamsters General President, Jim Hoffa, today said he is pleased that federal regulators agreed to reform the hours of service rule for truck drivers... The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) signed an agreement with safety advocates and the Teamsters Union to revise the hours of service rule issued last November. The rule, a "midnight regulation" made final in the waning days of the Bush administration, extended the hours truckers can drive from 10 hours to 11 hours... "We will continue to push for a rule that protects truck drivers, instead ofthe greed of the trucking industry," Hoffa said, "Longer hours behind the wheel are dangerous for our members and the driving public"...


* ATA says current HOS rules should stay

Arlington,VA,USA LINGTON, Va. -Today's Trucking (CAN) -28 Oct 2009: -- Pointing to record-low rates for truck-related crashes and fatalities, the American Trucking Associations says the existing hours of service rules are working... The ATA defended the rules after it was announced yesterday that the Department of Transportation has struck a eal with Public Citizen and the Teamsters to reconsider the rules. (The groups hallenged the rules in court for the third time this past March)... There's no telling what means for the rules as they're written, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under the Obama regime is reportedly open to rewriting aspects of the rule, perhaps from scratch... But, citing recent highway safety statistics, the ATA says they're fine the way they are...

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posted by Unknown @ 4:57 PM  0 comments

DANGEROUS DRIVERS * UK Focus on disqualified ones

The UK and Ireland have struck a deal that will ensure that disqualified drivers in one jurisdiction will also be banded in the other

London,UK -HGV UK -October 29, 2009: ... Drivers from Britain or Northern Ireland who are disqualified for a motoring offence in the Republic will no longer escape that punishment when they return home. Equally Irish drivers disqualified in the UK will have their disqualification recognised and enforced when they go back to the Republic... It is the first step of its kind ever to be introduced in Europe... The agreement is to come into force next February... Edwin Poots said the new measures will keep dangerous drivers off the roads by ensuring disqualified motorists will not be able to escape their punishment... (Picture from i.dailymail)

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posted by Unknown @ 9:52 AM  0 comments