![[Valid Atom 1.0]](valid-atom.png "Validate my Atom 1.0 feed")
TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA - ABF Talks with Teamsters, Lobbies Congress
* Arkansas - LTL trucker carrying on two-front campaign to ease labor costs
Fort Smith, Arkansas,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney -Sep 10, 2010: -- ABF Freight System is waging a two-front campaign to cut its labor costs by negotiating with the Teamsters about contract concessions and lobbying Congress for legislation to ease the burden unionized companies face under multiemployer pension plans, the carrier’s CEO said... YRC has won two rounds of concessions from the Teamsters as the less-than-truckload carrier struggles to stay afloat. Union members at rival ABF voted in May against a 15 percent wage cut and gain-sharing proposal aimed at leveling the field with YRC... ABF, the country's fourth-largest LTL carrier, lost $99 million in 2009, compared with a $45 million profit in 2008. In the first half of this year the company had an operating loss of $39.4 million on revenue of $723.2 million... McReynolds said ABF is frustrated by the failure of Congress to pass legislation to help companies involved in multiemployer pension plans to deal with pension costs of defunct companies that no longer are paying into a plan... (Photo from hankstruckpictures: Picture of an Arkansas Best Freight System International "Conco". Ken Goudy's collection)
* DC - CVSA brake safety week Sept. 12-18
Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -September 8, 2010: -- Any drivers who haven’t checked their brakes in a while might want to do so this week. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week starts this Sunday, Sept. 12... The campaign runs through Saturday, Sept. 18, and is part of the alliance’s Operation Air Brake program. The program is designed to increase awareness of brakes and brake issues by educating drivers, mechanics and others on the importance of proper brake inspection and maintenance... That means drivers are likely to see an increased presence of CVSA-certified inspectors during that week talking about brakes...* Minnesota - DPS issues fatigue directive
Minneapolis,MINN,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Sandi Soendker -9 Setember 2010: -- On the eve of a trial scheduled to start next week over Minnesota State Patrol’s commercial driver fatigue enforcement program, patrol personnel have been told that no truck drivers will be placed out of service for fatigue, effective immediately... The directive barely precedes a trial scheduled to begin Monday, Sept. 13, that will see the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and member plaintiff Stephen K. House pursue their case against members of the Minnesota State Patrol, challenging the arbitrary practices of the MSP’s fatigue enforcement program... An internal memo from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety dated Sept. 2, 2010, advises state patrol enforcement personnel that commercial vehicle driver fatigue enforcement activities are temporarily suspended. According to the memo, there will be no fatigue enforcement until officers get new training – and that, even then, officers in the field will have to check with a supervisor before placing a driver out of service. Personnel will require additional training in the implementation of the State Patrol’s commercial vehicle driver fatigue impairment program as described in the Aug. 24, 2010, version of an MSP “general order” ...
* Kansas - Truckers May Seek Early General Rate Increases. LTL executives look to YRC Worldwide for signs of general price hike this fall
Overland Park,KS,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney & William B. Cassidy -Sep 9, 2010: -- Shippers can expect expedited general rate increases from less-than-truckload carriers, trucking officials at an investor conference in New York said... Reports that the largest LTL trucking operator, YRC Worldwide, already may be asking shippers for a general rate increase had trucking officials predicting others would follow suit -- even before those reports could be confirmed... LTL carriers have been struggling to raise rates that plummeted during 2009, spurred by a ferocious price war as carriers desperately fought for freight and to grab market share from YRC Worldwide, which narrowly avoided bankruptcy... Excess capacity has made that goal more difficult to achieve, though analysts expect LTL pricing to rise in the single digits in 2011 and 2012 as capacity tightens... Typically, trucking GRIs are announced around the New Year, but higher operating costs and strong demand may help accelerate trucking rate increases this fall...* California - CARB fined trucks $298,700 last year for idling violations
Sacramento,CAL,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Charlie Morasch -September 9, 2010: -- The California Air Resources Board cited nearly 1,000 commercial vehicle drivers for violating the state’s five-minute diesel idling limit in 2009, racking up almost $300,000 in fines... CARB recently released its enforcement statistics for 2009, including $7 million tied to its diesel programs, including the idling limit and requirements that reefers and other equipment be retrofitted or replaced... CARB collected more than $16 million in penalties in 2009, with nearly $15 million of that from administrative fines and $1.6 million from civil litigation. Besides diesel regulations, CARB also enforces a number of car, motorcycle and other gas engine rules... Cases involving diesel fleet and exhaust retrofits totaled about $5.9 million...
* North Carolina - Drug testing company owner jailed for 22 months over false reports
Winston Salem,NC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Charlie Morasch -September 10, 2010: -- The owner of a drug testing company has been sentenced to 22 months in prison after an investigation showed he faked having a medical review officer, or MRO, on staff and even downgraded positive drug testing results to negative as part of a moneymaking scheme... Michael R. Bennett was sentenced in U.S. District Court in North Carolina on Aug. 30 to 22 months in federal prison... In February, Bennett pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements after an investigation showed he fraudulently reviewed drug test results without having the authority to do so. Bennett operated Workplace Compliance Inc. of North Carolina, which court documents state was contracted by two Texas-based motor carriers to oversee federally required drug testing... Medical review officers are licensed physicians trained in substance abuse and are responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory tests and for evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results...
* Illinois - As of Sept. 15, Illinois speeders, others will pay steeper price
Illinois,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Keith Goble -September 10, 2010: -- Coping with a $13 billion budget deficit, Illinois will soon get a boost in revenue from some of the worst drivers in the state... Starting Wednesday, Sept. 15, tickets for most speeding violations and other minor violations will increase. The higher fines, which will benefit the Illinois State Police and local governments, apply only to offenses that don’t require a court appearance... Supporters say they are hopeful the fine amounts will deter drivers from speeding... Offenses that are on the way up include driving with a suspended or revoked license, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Both offenses will draw a fine of $1,500 – a jump of $500... Revenue that has been tabbed at $22 million annually will be routed to State Police operations, enabling troopers to keep jobs and headquarters to remain open... (Photo from The Pantagraph, by STEVE SMEDLEY/bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews: Illinois State Police State Trooper Chad Dumonceaux walks back to his cruiser after assisting a motorist along Interstate 55 on the north side of Normal on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010)
* DC - Truckers have resource for reporting suspicious activity
Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Charlie Morasch -Sept. 10, 2010: -- With tension surrounding religious protests this week and the upcoming Sept. 11 observance, the federal government has posted warnings to travelers abroad about potentially heightened security risks around the world... Though one American minister reportedly canceled plans to burn copies of the Qur’an this weekend, the Sept. 11 anniversary has prompted a warning from the U.S. State Department to U.S. citizens traveling abroad... The State Department’s travel warning didn’t warn of any specific threat within the U.S... Should truckers witness anything suspicious at home, truckers have a toll-free 24-hour resource they can reach to give information about activity or circumstances they notice that, while curious, don’t necessarily warrant a 9-1-1 call...
* Arizona- Trucker Knight to Build Fleet, Sees Few Acquisitions - Profitable truckload carrier seeks growth opportunities
Phoenix,AZ,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney -Sep 10, 2010: -- Truckload carrier Knight Transportation is generating enough profit to update its fleet but sees few current possibilities for growth through acquisition, the company’s chief financial officer said... Knight’s second quarter net profit jumped 26 percent to $415.8 million as revenue rose 14 percent to $185.4 million. Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue improved to 83.3 from an operating ratio of 86.8 in the first quarter... With no debt, the company has been buying back stock. The improved results, among the best in the industry, justify investment in growth and Knight is looking for opportunities, CFO David A. Jackson told Dahlman Rose & Co.’s annual global transportation conference... (Photo from knighttrucksales: LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Knight Transportation)
* DC - Transportation Activity Shows Improvement, Fed Says
Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -8 Sept 2010: -- Demand for shipping and transportation services generally expanded in August, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday, in its latest “beige book” report... Trucking companies in the Atlanta district reported improved revenues and a moderate pickup in freight volumes from a year ago, though railroads described slower growth in motor vehicles, chemicals, and housing-related shipments... The transportation industry remained a source of growth in the Chicago district, with auto and heavy truck production holding steady, but in Cleveland, the pace of growth slowed and contacts there expected little change from existing volumes in the near term... The Fed releases its beige book report eight times a year. Wednesday’s report, which covered the period of July 20 through Aug. 30, was prepared by the San Francisco Fed...Labels: trucking industry news USA
posted by Unknown @ 11:31 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home