Trucks World News: April 2010

Apr 30, 2010

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Japan - Feels Economic Strain. Tempers Flare

The state of the traffic industry in Japan

Tokyo,Japan -Ground Report, by Ryo Kubota -April 25, 2010: ... First, it is robust. Logistics are vital in sustaining the economy. Particularly, trucks are more important than other shipping transports such as trains and ships. According to the Japan Truck Association (JTA), whole trucks carried over five billion tons in 2007, compared with 233 thousand millions by train. The next year it accounted for 90% of the whole industry. Eichiro Nakanishi, president of JTA, see trucks as ‘Japan’s lifeline’... The second reason is pressing. The truck transport industry is in decline. The recession hit it severely. JTA reckons the number of traffic firms went bankruptcy rose by 12% in 2009. Salaries of truck drivers fell by 3.8% from a year earlier. They feel an amount of goods traded in the country decreased. Worse, the price of gas oil went up... A shakeout appears to be happening in the industry: both small and medium-sized firms are much more likely to disappear than large counterparts... (Photo from wantai.net: Nissan's Atlas truck)

Labels: trucking industry news worldwide

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Canada - Truck Rates, Surcharges Rising

Freight index shows Canadian shippers paying more to move freight

Ottawa,ONT,CAN -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -May 3, 2010: -- Truck rates paid by Canadian shippers increased in February, rising from a 1.6 percent drop in January, according to the Canadian General Freight Index... The increase in the index supports claims that transportation costs in North America are starting to rise as economic recovery gains traction both in Canada and the United States... Overall, the cost of ground transportation rose about 1.6 percent, the CGFI said... Base truck rates in Canada rose 2.1 percent in February, excluding surcharges, the pricing index found, while fuel surcharges rose 1.6 percent from January. That put rates at essentially the same level as the last quarter of 2009, according to the index...

* Vitran says spot prices in truckload business improving

Toronto,ONT,Canada -Reuters, by Bhaswati Mukhopadhyay (Bangalore,India) & Ratul Ray Chaudhuri -28, April 2010: -- North American transportation company Vitran Corp said it has started to see some improvement in spot pricing in its truckload business, sending its shares to a 19-month high... Vitran, which offers less-than-truckload (LTL), supply chain, truckload and freight brokerage services, said it expects April to be "bit better" sequentially from a daily activity perspective... The North American trucking industry had been hit hard during the recession as excess capacity put pressure on pricing and dented margins... (Photo from hankstruckpictures/archer: Vitran Corp's truck)

* Challenger goes long on trailer orders

Cambridge,ONT,CAN -Today's Trucking --30 April 2010: -- Challenger Motor Freight recently received 300 LCV-equipped trailers and the converter dollies to connect them... It’s just half of the new trailers Challenger expects to receive from Stoughton and Wabash this year. The deliveries were made by Trailers of Canada, and the LCV capable trailers consist of two 53-ft trailers pulled by a single power unit... As an invited participant in Ontario’s LCV pilot test, Challenger is hoping to expand its LCV service through Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia... Challenger’s new trailers are also spec’d with wide-base single tires and wind skirts in an attempt to maximize fuel efficiency... (Photo from challenger: CMF's LCV)

Labels: trucking industry news USA and CAN

TRUCKING PROGNOSIS * Canada - Growing addiction to oil, increased urbanization and fully intelligent transportation systems seen

The Future of Trucking Symposium in Winnipeg

Winnipeg,MAN,CAN -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -Apr 12, 2010: -- Predicting the shape of the future is a considerably less than perfect science, littered with predictions so off the mark they are laughable... Nevertheless transportation companies do require a vision of the future and the various factors that could shape their business in order to strategize for future growth and protect against possible threats. And that is exactly what a panel of experts at the Future of Trucking Symposium in Winnipeg attempted to provide... Antonio Benecchi of Roland Berger Strategic Consultants, foresees environmental policy and regulation continuing to be a factor in shaping the transportation industry's future. "We expect to see more and stricter regulations. But the next focus will be on carbon reduction, through improved fuel efficiency. In the US we expect a standard by 2013 and enforcement by 2016. By 2030, most countries will have enforced strict CO2 standards"... If we carry on at our current pace, we can expect a 45% increase in global CO2 emissions until 2030, which would likely lead to a disastrous 5 degrees C global warming. Major reductions to CO2 emissions are required to keep global warming below the 2 degrees C rise most climate scientists believe is safe... Currently, transportation activity contributes approximately 37% to Canada's total energy-related GHG emissions inventory, according to government data cited by Rick Whittaker, vice-president investments with Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Roughly half of transportation emissions are attributed to freight transportation, and over half of those are attributed to trucking, so the industry carries a large bull's eye... The SDTC's 2030 vision for Canada's trucking industry includes the following goals: reduce energy intensity by 40% in Class 8 and 80% in Classes 6&7; reduce absolute energy consumption by 50% from projected levels by the year 2030; and reduce GHG emissions by a corresponding 50%... SDTC estimates that about $1.5 billion is needed to fully commercialize the new technologies in its portfolio of high assay projects... Benecchi foresees a distinct future for alternative power in commercial transportation. For example, the share of hybrid vehicles in sales of Class 4 and 5 vehicles is forecasted to grow from the current 1-2% to 15% by 2015 and 20-25% by 2020... Van Amburg from CALSTART said there is no simple, all-encompassing solution to the transportation industry's energy requirements... (Photo from japcarspics: Isuzu concepts trucks)

Labels: trucking markets prognosis

HOS * USA - Driver pay takes spotlight in Senate subcommittee hearing

How truck drivers make money hasn’t typically been a big topic of conversation in Congressional hearings on safety in the industry

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Jami Jones -April 28, 2010: ... The Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security hearing on Oversight of the Motor Carrier Safety Efforts centered on many of the standard topics – hours of service, electronic on-board recorders, etc. – and their impact on safety... The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Executive Vice President, Todd Spencer, explained how many drivers in the industry lose between 34 and 44 hours each week – uncompensated – while waiting at the docks. Then they are left with a limited number of on-duty miles to drive as many miles as possible to earn some money... Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-MO, dug in further looking at how with the industry paying by the mile only, there’s no real reflection of drivers actually being paid for the time they are actually working. And she recognized that within the current system, loading and unloading time on a logbook is going to be where a driver is going to fudge... McCaskill turned to Dave Osiecki, senior vice president of policy and regulatory affairs with the American Trucking Associations, and asked if the ATA was opposed to paying by the hours as opposed to miles driven... Osiecki did not endorse either method of payment...

Labels: HOS debates

STUDY * USA - Trucks Provide Best Option For Agricultural Shippers

Trucks can provide the efficiency, special handling and refrigerated services needed to get perishable products where they need to go

Washington,DC,USA -AMS/USDA -30 April 2010: -- The best way to transport time-sensitive agricultural products is by truck, according to a new study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation... The study said agriculture is the largest user of freight transportation in the U.S., claiming 31 percent of all ton-miles transported in the U.S. in 2007. Trucks provide a vital flexibility, the study said... USDA also found that regulatory actions play an important role in agricultural transportation... Infrastructure funding is also key to the safe and efficient movement of agricultural goods, the study indicated... The study also points out that trucking is more competitive in nature than ocean and rail, providing an attractive shipping option, even during times of rapidly increasing fuel costs...

Labels: studies

Inspection Blitz * USA - CVSA Roadcheck June 8-10

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line Magazine -April 28, 2010: -- This year’s CVSA Roadcheck inspection blitz will take place June 8-10... Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), Director of Enforcement Programs Collin Mooney, says that having Roadcheck too close to Memorial Day weekend could have put local enforcement officers around the country into an overtime situation... CVSA teams with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and other agencies, including Transport Canada as well as the Secretaria of Communications and Transportation in Mexico, in the annual blitz that aims to crack down on non-compliant trucks and drivers... (Photo from fleetowner: Trucking inspection)

Labels: trucking inspections

Apr 29, 2010

TRAFFIC JAM * Europe - Most congested cities

Brussels,Belgium -HGV UK -April 26, 2010: -- A new study has unveiled Europe’s 59 most congested cities for drivers – and Brussels is top of the list. Poland and the UK are also places where urban driving can be a nightmare, while Spain and the Nordic countries offer a smoother journey... According to the study, drivers in the home of the European Commission face delays on over 37.7 per cent of its main roads each day – narrowly beating Warsaw into top spot on the list. Another Polish city, Wroclaw, is in third place... Driving in much of Franceis a happier experience – once you can escape Paris and Marseilles, no other French city is listed... With six further cities in the lower levels of the table, Germany has a greater number of congested cities than anywhere else – though this may reflect the number of large cities the country has... Residents of Spain and the Nordic countries are most likely to escape the jams. Only three Scandinavian cities make the top 20 – Oslo is 16th with 26 per cent of roads congested, while its Swedish counterpart Stockholm has just 6 per cent... (Photo from gpsblog.pl: Warsaw Traffic jam)

Labels: traffic congestion

PROTEST * The Netherlands - Truck convoy leaves The Hague in Europe

The Hague,The Netherlands -Expatica -24 April 2010: -- Eleven heavy trucks pulled out of The Hague Monday in a slow convoy to Brussels to protest rules that allow self-employed drivers to work more hours than their salaried counterparts... The trucks, from different European Union countries, will first drive through Germany, Luxembourg and France before reaching Belgium, Jan de Jong, spokesman for Dutch labour federation FNV, told AFP... The vehicles were painted in the colours of their countries of origin: Austria, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg and The Netherlands... A European directive that entered into force in March 2005 limits the number of hours a salaried driver is allowed to work per week to 48, but exempts self-employed drivers... A European Parliament committee discussing whether to extend the application to independent workers is set to vote on a set of proposals on Wednesday... EU figures from 2008 showed that 31 percent of European truck drivers were independent operators... (Video from YouTube, by alpendampfer1 —16 May 2009 — Trucking in Europe - short impressions of the trip from Italy to Spain ! - This is my first video attempt ! Enjoy and thanks for watching and voting !)

Labels: truckers' protest worldwide

Truck Rates * USA - Primed to Rise

Rising demand increases pressure, carriers tell shippers at NASSTRAC

Orlando,FL,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Apr 28, 2010: -- Trucking rates have nowhere to go but up, and they’re ready now, several speakers told freight shippers Tuesday at NASSTRAC's annual conference... "Price increases will be coming, and they may be coming sooner rather than later," said Chad Thomas, director of intermodal at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, talking about truckload rates. But other speakers at the conference in Orlando, Fla., said the same holds true for less-than-truckload pricing... Truckload carriers have reduced capacity about 14 to 18 percent, and LTL carriers about 8 to 12 percent, according to estimates presented at the conference... Rate increases aren't necessarily a bad thing for shippers, Langenfeld pointed out... (Photo from rjruble: Wolf Electronics, Orem, Utah, near Provo)

Labels: freight rates

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA - AASHTO calls for big expansion of highway system

Washington,DC,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Apr 27, 2010: -- Via a series of reports detailing the nation’s transportation woes, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is pushing to not only rebuild existing infrastructure, but to significantly expand it to keep up with rapidly increasing demand... Horsley told FleetOwner that while there’s been much ado from the Obama administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) of late in terms of beefing up investments in national high speed rail and mass transit systems – efforts AASHTO embraces, he stressed – little is being said about highway expansion... The report notes that travel on the U.S. highway system increased five-fold over the past 60 years from 600 billion miles driven to almost three trillion in 2009. It says annual travel is expected to climb to nearly 4.5 trillion miles by 2050 – even with aggressive strategies to cut the rate of growth to only one percent per year... As a result of higher travel volumes coupled with limited roadway capacity, drivers with a 30-minute commute lose 22 hours annually – nearly three full work days – just sitting in traffic... (Photo from FredaTractor: I-10-W, MM 140, near Van Horn, Texas)

* WSDOT adds electronic signs to manage lanes on regional interstate highways

Mercer Island,Washington,USA -Mercer Island Reporter, by JASON LU -Apr 28 2010: -- Islanders of a certain age will remember the overhead lane signals on the old I-90 bridge and the approaches to it. The signals allowed traffic planners to allot an extra lane during peak commute times. The signals disappeared long ago, but with new technology and increasing traffic congestion, they are here again... This summer, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will begin installing overhead electronic signs on northbound Interstate 5, State Route 520 and Interstate 90 between Seattle and Bellevue. The signs are a key component of the WSDOT Smarter Highways program, which uses real-time traffic information to improve safety and reduce congestion... (Photo from media.pnwlocalnews: Interstate 90 had electronic signs set above each lane to allow for opening or closing the lanes according to traffic flows at peak periods. The signs were abandoned when the bridge was rebuilt and express lanes were added)

Labels: infrastructures discussions

TRUCKER'S STORY * UK - Clayton-le-Moors woman drives an HGV through male tradition

Lancashire,UK -The Lancashire Telegraph, by Jemma Humphreys -28 April 2010: -- Think ... a glamorous 27-year-old blonde with a 45 foot articulated lorry? ... The answer is trucker Rhian Hughes, of Clayton-le-Moors... She is one of just a handful of women — fewer than 10 per cent to be precise — to get behind the wheel in the male-dominated haulage business... Following in her dad’s footsteps, the petite mother-of-two has just about every type of vehicle listed on her driving licence. She can drive wagons of every size, tow hazardous goods and while on maternity leave Rhian ahe gained her HGV operating licence, which means she can also run her own haulage company... One day Rhian, who previously worked as a manager at Hollands Pies, will run the haulage company, based in Blackburn Road, Clayton-le-Moors, but she will never stop driving the trucks... Once a rare sight on British roads, women lorry drivers are gradually increasing in number. Better technology has made the driving easier and, along with female-friendly policies, is helping to erode what was once a male preserve...

Labels: truckers' stories

TRUCKS MARKET * Europe - Rises for first time in almost 2 yrs

Paris,France -Reuters, by Helen Massy-Beresford & James Regan -Apr 27, 2010: -- The European truck market posted its first rise in almost two years in March, industry association ACEA said, reflecting signs of economic recovery as well as an extra working day compared with March 2009. March sales were still down 27.3 percent compared with pre-crisis levels of March 2008, showing that the sector -- seen as an economic bellwether because of its links to international trade -- is still operating in difficult circumstances, ACEA said... A total of 186,469 commercial vehicles were registered in the European Union in March, an 8.8 percent year-on-year increase, ACEA said on Tuesday... Light commercial vehicle sales rose 12.4 percent in the EU member states compared with March 2009, when the crisis was in full swing... The heavy truck segment was still struggling however, with a 15.9 percent drop in registrations... For the first quarter heavy truck sales across the EU were down 30.9 percent... Commercial vehicle registrations over 3.5 tonnes showed a 10.1 percent drop in registrations in March. World number two truckmaker Volvo last week posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit, sending shares soaring... (Photo from nimg)

Labels: trucks markets worldwide

Apr 28, 2010

CLEAN TRUCKS PROGRAMS * USA - 78 Lawmakers Back Granting Ports More Power

Members ask Oberstar to include changes in transportation bill

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by R.G. Edmonson -Apr 28, 2010: -- House members advocating a change in federal law that would give ports the authority to regulate local trucking are turning up the heat in advance of a May 5 hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee... The committee leadership on Wednesday received a letter from Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and signed by 78 House members urging Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., to include changes in federal preemption law in a new comprehensive surface transportation authorization bill... A trial is under way in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles of a suit filed by the American Trucking Associations challenging the constitutionality of a portion of the port of Los Angeles clean truck program that would ban independent owner-operators from drayage services in favor of companies that sign concession agreements and hire drivers who are employees... According to the BlueGreen Alliance, Nadler intends to file legislation to change the law in the coming weeks... (Photo from JOC)

* Carriers Warn Against Anti-Truck Policies. LTL executives say shippers, carriers need to educate Washington on freight

Orlando,FL.,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Apr 27, 2010: -- Trucking executives say they’re watching for signs of additional modal shift from truck to rail or inland waterways, three leading carrier executives said yesterday... Michael J. Smid, president of YRC, was one of three carrier officials who spoke with shippers at the annual NASSTRAC conference in, April 25. The trucking executives pointed to delay in passing a multi-year surface transportation bill and the Obama administration’s focus high-speed rail and inland waterways “to get trucks off the road”... Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has stressed the importance of “getting more trucks off the roads” to reduce congestion and pollution. The trucking industry makes an easy target, “because there are so many trucks on the road,” said Bill Logue, president of FedEx Freight. “It’s a visible thing”... Truckers and shippers need to do a better job teaching federal officials and congressional staff about trucking’s important role in the economy, Logue and Smid said...

Labels: Clean Trucks Program

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA - Worker misclassification bill could affect owner-ops

Washington,DC,USA -Today's Trucking (CAN) -27 April 2010: -- The trucking industry will be closely watching two pieces of legislation that could make it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors... Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) Senate bill and Rep. Lynn Woolsey's (D-Calif.) companion legislation in the House of Representatives is supposed to prevent workers from being misclassified, which could affect the trucking industry's use of owner-operators and lease operators... The Teamsters-backed Employee Misclassification Prevention Act would, among other things, ensure that employers keep records that reflect the accurate status of each worker as an employee or non-employee; increasing penalties on employers who misclassify their employees and are found to have violated employees' overtime or minimum wage rights; and provide protections to workers who "are discriminated against because they have sought to be accurately classified"... In Canada, unions frequently challenge the status of independent owner-operators before Labor Relations Boards in the hopes of unionizing them...

* DC - DOT revamping haz-mat permit request process

Washington,DC,USA -Fleet Owner -Apr 27, 2010: -- The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is launching a new application process for its Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The new system takes effect May 1... The online system will allow for a more timely and efficient manner of reviewing hazardous materials special permit requests. Requests may be made 24 hours a day and the new system will provide a tracking number and allow the applicant to attach supporting documentation...

* Texas - Verizon to run Ford vans converted to CNG power

Dallas, Texas ,USA -Fleet Owner -Apr 27, 2010: -- BAF has received an order to convert 501 Ford E-250 vans to compressed natural gas (CNG) power for Verizon. The vans, all new and set for deployment later this year, will be powered by BAF’s CalComp System. BAF is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp... The vehicles are expected to produce 30% less greenhouse gas emissions than similarly equipped gasoline-powered light- and medium-duty vehicles... (Photo from ruddscars: Ford E250 van)

Labels: trucking industry news USA and CAN

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Australia - ETS backdown could sting operators

Canberra,Australia -ATN, by Samantha Freestone -April 28, 2010: -- The Rudd Government’s decision to back away from an emissions trading scheme may impose significant financial costs on trucking operators, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) says... Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, yesterday confirmed he would delay the introduction of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) until at least the end of 2012. It was due to take effect from 2010 before the Government delayed it by one year due to the global financial crisis... Although operators may benefit in the short-term, the ATA fears jurisdictions may follow restrictions imposed at the Port of Los Angeles forcing trucking companies to upgrade their vehicles before entering the port...

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - DTNA says it has received over 10,000 orders for trucks with SCR

Portland,OR,USA -Truck News -Apr 28, 2010: -- Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) says it has received orders for more than 10,000 trucks equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology... SCR is an exhaust aftertreatment system that brings the vehicles in compliance with stringent EPA2010 emissions standards... The system practically eliminates NOx emissions and the manufacturer says it also improves fuel economy by up to 5% compared to previous designs. Every new Freightliner Cascadia, Coronado and M2 Business Class vehicle is now available with either Detroit Diesel's or Cummins' SCR emissions system... (Photo from nationwide vehicle contracts: uk)

* USA - Dry van demand up over 200% last month

Columbus,IND,USA -Today's Trucking -26 April 2010: -- Commercial trailer net orders were up 165 percent in March compared to the same month last year, according to ACT Research... Commercial trailer net orders have posted year-over-year growth for six consecutive months, four of which have been in excess of 100 percent... Dry vans, the volume leader, are rebounding strongly with a year-to-date growth in net orders of 233 percent. Reefer vans, which generally performed best during the recession, continue to gain, with growth of 63 percent... The improving orders pushed total trailer backlogs to its highest level in 18 months, which will support a gradual increase in production rates, says ACT... (Photo from vandehogengroup: DryVan)

* GM bets big on small-block engines

Detroit,MI,USA -Fleet Owner -Apr 28, 2010: -- General Motors plans to invest nearly $1 billion to retool several factories to build what it calls a “new generation” of fuel efficient, small-block truck and car engines. The $890 million by GM is being sprinkled among five North American plants: Tonawanda, NY, will receive $400 million; St. Catharine, ON, $235 million; Defiance, OH, $115 million; Bedford, IN, $111 million; and Bay City, MI, $32 million... GM’s so-called “next generation” small block engine family obtains improved fuel efficiency through direct injection and an all-new advanced combustion system design, while relying exclusively on aluminum engine blocks, which are lighter and contribute to the improved fuel efficiency... GM said that in addition to being E85 ethanol-capable, the engines are being designed with the capability to meet increasingly stringent criteria emissions standards expected throughout this decade. The company added that specifics about engine capabilities as well as product applications will be shared at a later date...

Labels: truckmakers news USA

TRUCKING STATISTIC * USA & Canada

* USA - Truck Tonnage Jumps 7.5%

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -28 April 2010: -- U.S. truck tonnage jumped 7.5% in March from a year ago, the fourth straight year-over-year increase, American Trucking Associations said... The increase was the biggest since January 2005, and in the first quarter tonnage rose 4.9% from the same period last year, ATA said late Tuesday in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index... The index rose 0.4% in March from February, following a revised 0.3% downturn in February from that had originally been reported as a 0.5% decline... The not seasonally adjusted index — the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment — equaled 116.4 in March, a 19.1% jump from February...

* Canada - Ground transportation rates increase slightly in February

Toronto,ONT,CAN -Truck News -Apr 29, 2010: -- The latest Canadian General Freight Index data continues to suggest that ground transportation rates have stabilized... February's results show a 1.6% increase in ground transportation rates for Canadian shippers, offsetting a similar decline in January, according to Nulogx, the company that created and maintains the index... Base rates, excluding fuel surcharges, increased 2.1% in February, the index indicates... (Photo: trucks at Canada's border)

Labels: trucking statistics

Environmental Trucking * USA - Is this Possible?

Remington,IN,USA -Schilli Transportation News -April 26, 2010: -- Environmental Trucking is not a term that most people think is reality. The conception is that trucks tremendously pollute our air and are tremendously hurting our planet... While it is true that heavy duty trucks do use a lot more fuel than an automobile, let's look at some facts and then we can see what the trucking industry trends are with respect to protecting our planet... The chart below shows the Top Ten Sources of U.S. GHG Emissions in 2005:

Medium and Heavy trucks represent 5%... The American Trucking Association (ATA) has announced that their new sustainability program has the capability to reduce trucking's carbon footprint by 19% or 900 million tons over the next 10 years... The more fuel efficient and lower sulpher emitting engines, as well as better truck idling practices will make up the majority of

these improvements... In yet another move towards cleaning up the environment and the relationship of trucking, Navistar recently announced their new electric truck that can go 100 miles on a single charge. Once the charge has been spent, it takes 6 hours to recharge, and the batteries can be switched out in 15 minutes with it's "cassette" like construction... (Video from YouTube, by PRPOLA —15 May 2008 — In 2007, the Port of Los Angeles and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) partnered to fund the prototype of the world's most powerful short-range heavy-duty electric truck)

Labels: green trucks

TAX POLICY * Australia - VTA to have its say on port access charge

Canberra,Australia -ATN, by Samantha Freestone -April 27, 2010: -- The trucking industry will get a chance to argue its position on a proposed port access charge in Melbourne when it meets government officials next week... The Victorian Transport Association will hold a meeting with the Department of Transport on May 4 to get an understanding of the freight infrastructure charge to be introduced at the Port of Melbourne... If introduced, trucking operators will need to pay a fee to access the East or West Swanson dock container terminals from the beginning of the 2011-2012 financial year... The plan is to encourage operators to use the port in off-peak times to reduce traffic congestion. Revenue will be used for infrastructure upgrades, the Government says... A spokesman for Pallas says the government is intent on introducing the charge but will listen to what industry groups have to say... The Government last week began looking for companies to implement the charge... Workshops are due to be held in the coming weeks to update the industry on the structure and operation of the charge...

* Get stuffed, Victoria says, we're raising charges

Sydney,VIC,Australia -ATN, by Samantha Freestone -April 28, 2010: -- The Victorian Government will support a new wave of registration and fuel charges, ignoring claims trucking operators will be ripped off... A spokesman for Roads and Ports Minister, Tim Pallas, today confirmed the Government will agree to a 4.2 percent rise to registration charges and the fuel excise from July 1 proposed by the National Transport Commission (NTC)... The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) only yesterday wrote to Pallas asking him to reject the NTC’s proposal on the basis it will overcharge the industry by $776.3 million... VTA Chief Executive, Phil Lovell, yesterday urged Pallas not to support the charges, fearing what might happen if he did... Lovel also criticised the timing of the adjustment, which was announced last month. He says the industry needs to be given enough time to factor the costs into their operating budgets...

Labels: taxes policys, trucking industry news Australia

TRUCKER'S STORY * USA - Ex-Arrow Trucking driver ‘committed’ to fighting for truck

Portland,OR,USA -Land Line Magazine, by Clarissa Kell-Holland -April 27, 2010: -- OOIDA Member Mark Miller, of Portland, OR, has been tangled up longer than most in Arrow Trucking’s “Nightmare before Christmas”... Miller said his nightmare started several months prior to the company’s chaotic collapse in December 2009, when he paid off his truck back in August through the Tulsa-based trucking company’s lease-purchase program. Although Arrow Trucking accepted his wire transfer for $23,500 to pay off his 2006 Kenworth T600, he didn’t get a clear title... He told Land Line on Tuesday, April 27, that he is still fighting to get that title. However, Miller admits things have been rough since Arrow Trucking filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in January 2010... And while Miller said he’s moving on with his life – the former owner-operator recently signed on as a company driver with a large motor carrier – he said he won’t forget what happened to him and countless other drivers who had lease-purchase agreements with Arrow Trucking... Sensing something was amiss at the trucking company back in August 2009, Miller said he and family members sold some stocks so he could pay off his truck and leave Arrow Trucking, with the plan of leasing on with a different carrier... All he needed was a clear title, which should have taken six to eight weeks for the lien holder to release, according to the sticky note attached to his paperwork... That never happened...