User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: June 2010
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Jun 30, 2010

Safer Road Transport Industry * Australia - A step closer

The issue of concern is that current pay and conditions methods can result in drivers working excessive hours to meet schedules, overloading their trucks and cutting back on vehicle maintenance

Canberra,Australia -The Australia Business & World News -21 June 2010: -- Today the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, met with truck drivers, members of the Transport Workers Union, employers and safety experts, marking another step in safer work conditions for our truck drivers... The Minister met with members of the Safe Rates Advisory Group this morning at Parliament House to discuss the options for a national approach to truck drivers’ pay and conditions to improve their safety... The Safe Rates Advisory Group will release its draft options paper in early July for a six week consultation period... Around 330 people are killed each year on Australian roads in crashes involving heavy vehicles, and about 16 per cent of the fatalities are truck drivers. Speed and fatigue are widely acknowledged as significant factors and can be a symptom of the pressure to work long hours to meet schedules... The draft paper will set out practical options for covering trucking employees and independent contractors in the transport industry to address the impact of payment rates and safety methods...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:07 PM  0 comments

SLEEP APNEA * USA & Canada - Case in Study

Oakville,ONT,CAN -Truck News /Hooked Up, by James Menzies -29 June 2010: ... Federal regulators in the US and Canada are taking notice of the sleep disorder and its potential impact on highway safety. Mandatory testing and treatment is almost certainly coming... Dave Johnson of Praxair shared results from his company's own sleep apnea driver treatment program. The company's HR and legal departments wouldn't allow them to make testing and treatment mandatory, so it had to implement a voluntary program. Unfortunately, only five drivers took part. Dave said, many still fear they'll lose their commercial licence if diagnosed with apnea... Of the five volunteers, all were diagnosed with sleep apnea and are now using CPAP treatment (the 'hose over the nose' machine you've undoubtedly seen). The five drivers are reportedly happier, healthier drivers. In the 12 months preceding the program, those drivers were involved in two accidents. In the 12 months following treatment, they're accident-free... Now, that's a small sample size. But consider this: Schneider National conducted a sleep apnea treatment program on its US drivers. It realized: a 57% reduction in medical expenses; a 91% reduction in hospital admissions; a 30% reduction in preventable accidents; and a $539 savings per driver each month in health care costs... (Photo: Sleep Apnea treatment)

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posted by Unknown @ 5:22 PM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA - Slowdown Won’t Brake Truck Rate Hikes, Analysts Say

Economy may slow, but freight volume still seen outpacing truck capacity

Milwaukee,WI,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jul 1, 2010: -- Truckload capacity is so tight that even a slowing economy is unlikely to dampen rate hikes this summer, according to investment research firm R.W. Baird... In a July 1 research note, Baird's transportation analysts suggest enough freight is heading to the U.S. from overseas to keep a diminished truck fleet rolling and truck prices headed upward, even if economic growth begins to slow... The American Trucking Associations' Truck Tonnage Index and Morgan Stanley's Truckload Freight Index also show freight demand softening month-to-month... But inventory levels are still low, analyst Jon A. Langenfeld said. And there are fewer trucks available... "Despite a cautionary sign of potential freight moderation, supply-related capacity constraints should continue to support improved truck pricing," he said... Ocean shipping executive Frank Baragona had more good news for domestic truckers Tuesday. The CMA CGM (Americas) president told The Journal of Commerce he believes imports from Asia will remain strong at least into the peak-shipping season, with volumes increasing in September and October...


* Michigan - Con-way Spends $100 Million on High-Tech Trucks. LTL carrier buys 1,300 Class 8 trucks with advanced safety systems

Ann Arbor,MI,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jul 1, 2010: -- Anticipating new federal truck safety rules, Con-way Freight purchased 1,300 2010- model-year heavy trucks equipped with anti-crash safety technologies... The company spent more than $100 million to purchase tractors equipped with technology to warn drivers of danger and even take control of the vehicle... Its part of the less-than-truckload carrier's plan to prepare for the Department of Transportation's Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 regulations... The tractors purchased by Con-way are all 2010-model Freightliner Cascadias. An integrated set of technologies was installed in each vehicle, including systems warning against front-end collisions, lane departures and potential rollovers... The forward collision warning system from Meritor WABCO uses adaptive cruise control technology to help drivers keep a safe following distance. The system uses forward-looking radar to detect a potential collision and warn the driver. If the driver doesn't react, the system automatically applies the brakes... The lane departure system from Iteris uses image recognition software to detect when a truck drifts out of a lane and emits an audible warning signal... The roll stability control system, also from Meritor WABCO, senses rollover conditions during hard cornering or a change in direction and automatically alerts the driver while decreasing power to the engine... Con-way also specified factory-installed in-dash satellite AM/FM radios to replace portable radios drivers might bring into the cab... (Photo from farm3.static.flickr: Con-Way Freight Freightliner Cascadia)


* DC - Difficulty Recruiting Drivers Will Drive Up Freight Costs

Washington,DC,USA -Automotive Digest/TruckingInfo -1 July 2010: -- Trucking freight volumes increasing demand for transport. Continuing economy improvements will increase demand further... Carriers scrambling to find drivers for trucks that have been parked for months. Hiring and training departments severely during downturn cutting capacity by 1/3. Finding drivers will be harder this time around limiting growth. Carriers unlikely to hire high-risk drivers... Truckload carriers have aggressively reduced driver pay during down economy... CSA 2010 requires safety violations to stay with driver even with job changes. New safety program will list 11 "red flag" driver violations that could trigger regulatory actions... "We believe that many carriers will refuse to employ drivers with poor safety rankings; not only will poorly ranked drivers be more likely to cause accidents, but having the poorly ranked driver on staff would cause a carrier's overall safety rating to deteriorate." said Stifel Nicolaus, FMCSA... Inability to expand will support higher freight prices...


* DC - Teamsters to Brief YRC Workers on Pensions. Union to discuss YRC's role in pension funds as carrier strives to preserve liquidity

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jun 29, 2010: -- The Teamsters union will hold a national conference call Tuesday for its members at YRC Worldwide on the company's "re-entry" into its multiemployer pension plans... How and when the nation's largest trucker re-enters those plans is a critical issue for YRC as it struggles with rising operating costs and falling liquidity... YRC Worldwide won an 18-month suspension of pension contributions from its Teamsters in August 2009. Contributions are scheduled to start again in January... Analysts say the company needs to have its pension deadline extended to 2012 as it struggles to return to profitability after three years of losses... Last year the Teamsters agreed to the pension suspension and a 15 percent wage cut to help YRC avoid bankruptcy...


* New York - To Expand Off-Peak Truck Program

NY,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jul 2, 2010: -- Night deliveries reduced congestion, improved productivity for truckers, retailers... New York City will expand a program that encourages off-peak deliveries in Manhattan to help clear traffic jams that cost the city more than $13 billion a year... The project paired more than 30 truckers and receivers who agreed to shift deliveries to between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. from last September through January... All participants realized savings from the program, especially the truckers, said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan... Manhattan sees more than 110,000 curbside deliveries a day, and shifting even a portion of them to off-peak hours has an impact on daytime congestion... Specifically, trucks reached their first stop 75 percent more quickly in off-peak hours, and following stops 50 percent more quickly, according to the study... The amount of time spent unloading and loading trucks was reduced from about 90 to 30 minutes. "That's real time, and time is money in New York," said Sadik-Khan...

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TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE - European manufacturers agree to plug-in grid specifications

Brussels,Belgium -The Green Car Website, by Paul Lucas -June 27, 2010: -- The move towards charging vehicles safely from the electric grid has advanced after Europe’s automobile manufacturers agreed to a first phase of joint specifications... The agreement only covers one- and three-phrase AC charging in the short- and medium-term and reflects the needs of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. It is expected that further agreements will follow relating to quick charging and heavy duty vehicles... The phase one agreements include:

- Vehicle inlet: There will be no restrictions on the type of vehicle inlet as vehicles with different types are already on the market or in a late development stage. So manufacturers will supply at least one cable with a type two plug or standard domestic plug to connect to infrastructure.

- Public charging: Type two industrial sockets will be allowed during this transitional period – if the vehicle inlet is of a different type than the connector on the fixed cable then the customer must be able to use its own cable that is delivered with the vehicle.

- Home charging: Standard home sockets are widely available but a third party certification of the household electricity grid should be conducted before the vehicle is first charged.

As part of phase two, a uniform EU solution that reduces the solutions on the market has been suggested while still maintaining maximum flexibility for consumers and predictability for producers. Current phase two agreements include a harmonised solution for vehicle inlets using mode three charging will apply for new types from 2017; a mode three uniform EU solution for public charging; and a mode three uniform EU solution for home charging, although standard domestic sockets or industrial sockets will still be allowed on the condition of third party certification... Elsewhere, countries such as Japan and the USA have decided to use a pure single-phase connector. China has similar distribution grids to Europe and includes a type two connector for the vehicle and infrastructure in its new standard... The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association includes BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler, FIAT Group, Ford of Europe, General Motors Europe, Jaguar Land Rover, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen and Volvo...


* Singapore - GM Plans to Build New Truck in Thailand for Export to Europe

Singapore -Bloomberg/Businessweek, by By Liza Lin & Chana Schoenberger & Terje Langeland -June 30, 2010: -- General Motors Co. plans to build a new midsize Chevrolet truck in Thailand for export to Europe and parts of Southeast Asia as the brand makes its first push into the two regional pickup markets... GM expects to sell at least 100,000 units of the new truck in the first year, with global production of the vehicle concentrated in Thailand and Brazil, Martin Apfel, executive director for GM’s Southeast Asian operations, said in a phone interview today... Truck production is part of the Detroit-based carmaker’s plans to invest $467 million in Thailand... GM’s plans to build a new diesel-engine plant in eastern Rayong province are still on track, and the facility, which will produce engines for the new truck, is in its “last stages” of completion, he said... GM is also working to reopen a factory in Indonesia within the next two years to produce a 7-seat vehicle tailored for the domestic market, Apfel said. The plant in Bekasi, near Jakarta, has been idle for about five years. It may produce as many as 50,000 vehicles and require about $100 million in new investment, he said... (Photo from thesupercars.org: The Chevrolet's Colorado)


* China - Beiqi Foton to introduce commercial-vehicle plant in Moscow

Changping District,Beijing,China -The China Knowledge -Jun. 30, 2010: -- Beiqi Foton Motor Co Ltd, announced that it will set up a new production plant in Moscow, Russia, and make as European headquarters, source reported... The new plant will be able to produce 100,000 vehicles per year, including light commercial vehicles, pickups, vans, heavy-duty trucks and sport-utility vehicles for the European markets, said a spokesman with Beiqi Foton... The latest expansion in Russia is part of Beiqi Foton's five-year plans. The carmaker is determined to leave its footprint in Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India and Thailand by 2015... (Photo from wikipedia.org: Foton's truck at Speyer Technology Museum)

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posted by Unknown @ 11:05 AM  0 comments

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * UK - Hauliers need to be innovative to protect their bottom line

With the UK having the second-highest diesel prices in Europe transport companies are facing enormous pressure on their bottom lines

London,UK -MHW -29 June 2010: -- Hauliers are being forced to work "harder and smarter" because soaring fuel prices are eroding their profits, an industry expert has warned... The relentless drive for efficiency is fuelling a surge in popularity of exchanges such as Haulage Exchange and Courier Exchange, both run by TEG... Members of Haulage Exchange, TEG's sophisticated online platform for vehicles of 7.5 tonnes and above, are alerted by text or email whenever a suitable load or journey that matches their requirements is posted on the Exchange... Equally, using an exchange helps members keep customers happy by providing a trustworthy solution if a customer comes along with an extra job when all their own fleet is committed elsewhere... Members of both Haulage Exchange and Courier Exchange, the world's largest trading exchange for the sameday delivery and express freight industry, are carefully vetted to reassure other members they will receive a job well done... Checks are carried out on both their creditworthiness and statutory documentation and both exchanges encourage members to post e-Bay style feedback about the service they received after organising an exchange... (Photo from i50.tinypic )


* UK - Operator loses repute after 'B******s to EU rules' rant

London,UK -Road Transport, by Roger Brown -30 June 2010: -- A Traffic Commissioner has stripped an operator of his repute, saying the sort of language he used in an interview with a VOSA official "summed up his approach" to compliance... In a written decision following a public inquiry in May, Western area TC Sarah Bell, ruled that Christopher Muir, director of Hungerford, Berks-based, BRT Horse Transport International, could not be nominated as transport manager in any traffic area from 30 July... On 6 December 2009, a prohibition had been issued against BRT, for failure to use a tachograph on a vehicle... However, according to Bell, a "perfectly reasonable question" at interview under caution by a VOSA traffic examiner, had resulted in Muir responding "B*****ks to EU rules"... (Photo from directoryoftheturf: Horse Transport)

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DRIVERS' FATIGUE * USA - OOIDA vs. MN State Patrol: Hearing this week

State's Patrol arbitrary determinations of driver fatigue

Saint Paul, MINN,USA - Land Line Magazine -June 28, 2010: -- A hearing is scheduled Wednesday, June 30, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and several member plaintiffs pursue their case against members of the Minnesota State Patrol over unauthorized and unlawful out-of-service orders for driver fatigue... Captain Urquhart is Commander of the Commercial Vehicle Section and, according to OOIDA’s attorney Paul Cullen Sr., has been “an outspoken promoter of this misguided campaign against imagined fatigue”... Members of the Minnesota State Patrol were instructed to consider the presence of a TV, reading material, a cell phone – to name a few – as signs of fatigue... OOIDA’s investigations revealed that the enforcement program not only lacked medical or scientific justification, but also infringed on truckers’ constitutional rights... The lawsuit charges that drivers were denied their rights to a hearing on the out-of-service orders and that the regulation under which the orders were issued fails both to define fatigue and to establish a standard under which a driver would know when to stop driving... The state’s enforcement procedures – which lead to arbitrary determinations of driver fatigue – are challenged in the lawsuit on constitutional grounds; the lack of due process; and warrantless search and seizure... (Photo blogs.citypages: Minnesota's State Patrol vehicle)

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posted by Unknown @ 10:32 AM  0 comments

REGULATION * USA - Pennsylvania moves forward with indemnity protection

Harrisburg,PENN,USA -Land Line Magazine -June 28, 2010: -- The Pennsylvania House voted unanimously Tuesday, June 22, to do away with indemnification clauses in motor carrier transportation contracts... The bill is intended to level the playing field for trucking companies and professional drivers. Shippers that improperly load product would be prevented from shifting liability. Contractual language to the contrary would be void... Specifically, it would void indemnity provisions in all future contracts for the transportation, loading, unloading or incidental services of property by motor carriers for transportation...

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posted by Unknown @ 10:22 AM  0 comments

TRUCKS RECALL * USA - Volvo recalling 77,000 VN tractors

Volvo Trucks is recalling VN Series trucks sold in North America between 2001 and 2006 for a potential problem with corrosion in the steering gear

Greensboro,NC,USA -Fleet Owner -Jun 29, 2010: -- The recall of approximately 64,000 VNs sold in the U.S. was ordered last week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, citing a problem with TRW sealed drag links “which if left untreated may result in a ball socket separation” that can “result in complete loss of steering”... VTNA has voluntarily added 10,000 trucks sold in Canada and 3,000 sold in Mexico to the recall, according to a spokesperson for the company... The problem involves a rubber sealing boot on the drag link that, if damaged, can allow water and road debris to enter the ball socket, leading to corrosion and accelerated wear, according to the VTNA spokesperson. If left untreated, the wear could lead to ball socket separation, but “it takes a prolonged period – in some cases years – for corrosion to reach the point where steering is affected,” he said... (Photo from roadtransport/big-lorry-blog: Volvo truck model VEC1)

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posted by Unknown @ 8:29 AM  0 comments

HOS REGULATIONS * USA - Groups Seek Cut in Drive Times

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -27 June 2010: -- A coalition of interest groups that has repeatedly succeeded in challenging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s hours-of-service rule pushed for dramatically cutting the current daily and weekly work-time limits... FMCSA should slash the number of hours a professional driver could be behind the wheel to eight from the current limit of 11 and increase the daily mandated off-duty period to 12 hours from 10, the groups said... FMCSA, which has had its HOS rule rejected by federal courts twice after lawsuits by the coalition, has a July 26 deadline for publishing a revised hours rule... The coalition, which is led by Public Citizen and includes the Teamsters union, made its comments in a filing to the agency’s rulemaking docket... FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said the agency was on schedule to have the rule to the White House by July 26...

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posted by Unknown @ 8:19 AM  0 comments

Jun 29, 2010

Electronic Stability Control * Canada - Significant vehicle safety feature will be mandatory next year

Electronic stability control made simple

Toronto,Ontario,CAN -The Globe and Mail, by Richard Russell -Jun. 24, 2010: -- Electronic stability control – one of the most significant automotive safety features of the modern era – will become mandatory on all new passenger vehicles built and sold in Canada after Sept. 1, 2011... Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 126 will apply to passenger cars, multi-purpose vehicles, trucks and buses weighing 4,536 kilograms or less. This regulation and its timing coincide with its adoption in the United States. ESC will become mandatory in all new vehicle types sold in Europe as of Nov. 1, 2011... ESC is especially useful in situations where the driver makes sudden or violent steering inputs in an attempt to avoid a collisions or obstacle. This action commonly leads to the front or rear tires losing grip and a spin, which ESC detects in the early stage, bringing the vehicle back under control... (iStock Photo)

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY WORLDWIDE * Thailand / Vietnam / Cambodia - New Asian Truck Route Faster Than Sea Freight

Damco Introduce Thai - Vietnam - Cambodia Service

Bangkok,Thailand -The Handy Shipping Guide -15 June 2010: -- Damco, the logistics arm of bulk and container shipping giant AP Moller Maersk, have introduced a new cross border trucking service that links the three Asian countries. Damco management expects to see a growing volume of cargo on these corridors, particularly between Vietnam and Cambodia. Vietnam is Cambodia’s second largest trading partner and fast becoming a transhipment hub connecting Cambodia to international markets via the Cai Mep terminals... (Photo: Thai River Route Suphan Buri province courtesy JS)

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posted by Unknown @ 6:51 AM  0 comments

TRANSPORT STATISTICS * USA - Truck Tonnage Rises 7.2% in May from a Year Ago

Monthly Drop Is First Since February

Arlington,VA,USA -Transport Topics -25 June 2010: -- Truck tonnage rose 7.2% in May from a year ago, the sixth straight year-over-year increase, American Trucking Associations said Friday... But tonnage dipped 0.6% in May from April, marking the first month-to-month decline since February, ATA said in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index... The year-to-year gain followed a 9.5% rise in April that was the biggest increase in more than five years... The not seasonally adjusted index — the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment — was 108.3 in May, down 2.8% from April... ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said while tonnage will have its ups and downs, the trend continues in the right direction...


* Truckload Index Shows Freight Demand Cooling: Morgan Stanley freight index down 10 percent since May

New York,NY,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jun 25, 2010: -- Truckload freight demand is slowing, according to the Morgan Stanley Truckload Freight Index... The index, which measures incremental truckload demand against incremental supply, was down 4.4 percent June 25 from its most recent peak on June 16 and 10.1 percent from its high this year on May 14... U.S. Truck shipping costs monthly year-over-year percent change numbers... The index is still up more than 400 percent from a year ago, but lower than it was in 2008, 2006, 2005 and 2004, according to Morgan Stanley... That indicates the pace of the recovery may be slowing, and underscores that even in recovery truckload demand is not as strong as it was before the recession... Morgan Stanley’s TFI Index tracks the American Trucking Associations’ Truck Tonnage Index, which slipped 2.8 percent from April to May, without seasonal adjustment...


* USA - NAFTA Trade Jumped 32 Percent in April

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney -Jun 29, 2010: -- Third consecutive month of growth above 24 percent, but trade still below 2008... Truck, train and pipeline shipments between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico totaled $65.8 billion in April, a 32.4 percent increase from a year earlier, the Transportation Department reported... It was the third consecutive month with a year-over-year increase of at least 24 percent, but freight value in April still was 11.4 percent below its level in April 2008... U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $39.9 billion in April, up 32.1 percent compared to April 2009. U.S.-Mexico surface trade totaled $25.9 billion, a 32.8 percent year-over-year increase...

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posted by Unknown @ 6:09 AM  0 comments

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS * WORLDWIDE

Briefing Weekly News


(Photo from JOC: A China's port)

from Freight Forwarding

* DHL launches new LCL services from Europe to USA
- DHL has launched a new range of Less than Container Load (LCL) Expedited services connecting 19 European origins to the United States. Read Full News Here

* BDP sets up new operation in Vietnam
- US forwarder, BDP International (BDP) has announced the establishment of a new subsidiary company headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City. Read Full News Here

from Contract Logistics

* Panalpina wins new Ericsson contract
- Panalpina has been awarded a contract to handle Ericsson’s local distribution warehouse and site deliveries across the United Arab Emirates. Read Full News Here

* DB Schenker exec identifies 'four new realities'
- The logistics industry faces 'four new realities' that will have a long-term impact on supply chain management according to Dr. Detlef Trefzger. Read Full News Here

* DHL awarded multi million five-year ‘smart meter’ deal
- DHL Supply Chain has been awarded a contract worth £17 million over five years to implement a national supply chain solution for British Gas. Read Full News Here

* Dentressangle provides solutions to Argos
- Norbert Dentressangle has provided solutions to meet two very different seasonal storage challenges for leading multi-channel retailer Argos. Read Full News Here

* GEFCO partners Belgacom and expands in Turkey
- GEFCO has announced that it has partnered with telecoms provider Belgacom in Belgium and opened a new warehouse in Turkey. Read Full News Here

* Menlo wins deal with leading lingerie manufacturer
- Triumph International, the global lingerie business, has signed an agreement to outsource distribution to Menlo Worldwide Logistics in the UK. Read Full News Here

from Road Freight

* Special report: The reality of "the harshest logistics environment on earth"
- A report published by the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs has laid bare the corruption and racketeering which accompanies the physical distribution of goods to US troops in Afghanistan. Read Full Brief Here

* TNT invests in Asian Road Network
- TNT has announced that it will put 12 new Scania R-series trucks on Southeast Asian roads in 2010. Read Full News Here

from Air Cargo

* Humanitarian assistance flight arrives in Uzbekistan
- A planeload of humanitarian aid dispatched by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has landed in the city of Andijan, in eastern Uzbekistan. Read Full News Here

from Warehousing

* Online retailer to develop second big fulfilment centre with IPO capital
- Ocado, the UK based internet grocery business, is planning to sell part of its equity to pay for a large new distribution centre outside London. Read Full Brief Here

* AMB leases warehouses in China and Europe
- AMB Property Corporation has announced that it has leased facilities in China and Germany. Read Full News Here

* Tesco builds new UK distribution centre
- The London Development Agency (LDA) has exchanged contracts to sell a freehold in Rainham, Essex, to leading international retailer Tesco. Read Full News Here

from Shipping/Ports

* Container shortage increases costs and slows trade
- The shortage of capacity on the major global trade routes has taken another turn, with a scarcity of shipping containers being reported by shipping lines, shippers and freight forwarders. Read Full Brief Here

* Key port in Nigeria enjoys strong growth
- The Port of Onne's West Africa Container terminal (WACT) has recorded container volume growth of 18% through May 2010. Read Full News Here

* CMA CGM launches direct service between Asia and the US West Coast
- Rebounding trade levels have prompted CMA CGM to reinstate the Yang Tse service linking South, Central and North China to the West Coast of the United States. Read Full News Here

from Intermodal

* NFI acquires IPD Global, Inc
- NFI has announced the acquisition of IPD, a global transportation and logistics company based in Mississauga, Canada. Read Full News Here

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Jun 28, 2010

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA - Stevens Transport Buys 500 Heavy Trucks

Refrigerated carrier adds 2010 models as orders, freight volume increase

Dallas,TX,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Thomas Gallagher -Jun 25, 2010: -- Refrigerated trucking company Stevens Transport ordered 500 heavy trucks from Kenworth Truck, a Paccar subsidiary... The carrier, one of the largest privately owned refrigerated truckers, is ordering Kenworth T700 Class 8 trucks designed to boost fuel efficiency... Stevens Transport did not say if it is replacing older vehicles or expanding capacity... The carrier's fuel expenses increased 20 percent from a year ago in the first quarter, even though it reduced fuel purchases by 8.1 percent, or 1 million gallons... (Photo from stevenstransport)


* Navistar shows natural gas DuraStar, other green trucks

Williamsburg,VA,USA -Fleet Owner -Jun 21, 2010: -- At the 57th annual Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC) being held this week in Williamsburg, VA, Navistar Inc. showcased several of its green trucks to electric utility fleet managers. The OEM displayed its new International TerraStar Class 4/5 medium-duty truck and its new all-electric eStar Class 2-3 truck and demonstrated an International DuraStar medium-duty truck equipped with a natural gas conversion powertrain... A kit developed by McKinney, TX-based Emissions Solutions Inc. (ESI) allows DurasStar conversions ranging from 175-300 hp with 460-860 lb.-ft. torque and are capable of supporting both liquefied and compressed natural gas. Navistar stated that the natural gas-powered DuraStar will be fully certified to meet EPA 2010 emissions... Navistar noted it will soon be making available for customer-ordering through its Garland, TX, Truck Specialty Center facility an International WorkStar model with a DT 466 engine, ESI natural gas conversion kit, and either frame- or back-of-cab mounted natural gas tanks... (Photo from blogcdn: UPS truck)


* Daimler Boosting Production at N.C. Truck Plants

Mt. Holly & Cleveland,NC,USA -Transport Topics -30 June 2010: -- Daimler Trucks North America said Wednesday it will ramp up production next month at two North Carolina truck factories and a third logistics plant, recalling about 540 workers to the facilities... The workers are expected to be on the job by mid-July at the truck plants in Mt. Holly and Cleveland, N.C., and a components and logistics plant in Gastonia, N.C... Daily build rates at the Mt. Holly and Cleveland plants are rising sharply in response to strong 2010 order activity, Daimler said in a statement... In April, DTNA and the United Auto Workers union reached agreement on new labor contracts for the plants that include baseline production commitments it said will provide job stability and security for plant employees...


* Freightliner showcases hybrids at renewable energy event

Portland,ORE,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Jun 30, 2010: -- Freightliner Trucks showcased a pair of hybrids at the first Renewable Energy Rodeo and Symposium, held in early June in Fort Bliss, Texas... Freightliner Trucks showcased two Business Class M2 106 hybrids - one featuring an EPA 2010 hybrid engine with a 24-inch box van body and 5kw auxiliary power generation capability and the other an EPA 2010 hybrid utility truck with a 55-inch Terex Hi-Ranger TCX-55 aerial device and steel utility line body... (Photo from freightlinertrucks: The Freightliner Business Class M2e Hybrid)

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posted by Unknown @ 7:09 AM  0 comments