Trucks World News: October 2011

Oct 29, 2011

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS * WORLDWIDE

Briefing Weekly News

* Wincanton's core business performing "satisfactorily"
- Following on from its interim management statement released on July 21, 2011, Wincanton has released a statement regarding the disposal of its Mainland Europe operations as well as its performance since the previous interim statement. Read More...

* Norbert Dentressangle announces nine month revenue growth of 25%

- In the first nine months of 2011, Norbert Dentressangle's consolidated revenue totalled €2,640m, up 24.9% on a published basis versus the same period last year. Organic growth contributed to the increase, with revenue advancing 6.1% on a like-for-like basis, excluding the impact of TDG, consolidated as of April 1, 2011. Read More...

* Stobart Group announces robust performance despite tough market

- Stobart Group (Stobart), a leading provider of multi-modal transport logistics, Estates, Air and Biomass, has announced its interim results for the six months ended August 31, 2011. Read More...

* Deutsche Post DHL appoints Chief Commercial Officer for DHL

- Deutsche Post DHL has announced steps to further strengthen its customer-oriented business model. The company will focus cross-divisional DHL customer management for the company's top customers and innovation activities in one area of responsibility by introducing the position of a global Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for DHL. Bill Meahl, former Chief Operating Officer of the Supply Chain Division, will take on the new role with immediate effect. In this function, he will report to Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Post DHL. Read More...

* CEVA wins additional business with Chrysler Group

- CEVA Logistics has extended its relationship with Fiat Group with the signing of new contracts which will include the supply chain management for all Chrysler Group LLC brands (Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge). Read More...

* AAPA reports international air cargo markets continue to soften

- Traffic figures for the month of September released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) show international air freight markets continued to soften. Read More...

* Strong European road freight sector provides good news for economy

- The road freight industry is critical to the economic development of the European region. Research which Ti undertook for its latest report - European Road Transport and Logistics 2011 - shows graphically the strength of this link. Read More...

* C.H. Robinson reports 11% increase in total revenue for third quarter

- C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. has reported its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. Total revenue increased 11.3% from $2.4bn in 2010 to $2.7bn in 2011. Read More...

* LAN Airlines reports 11% decline in net income for third quarter 2011

- LAN Airlines reported net income of US$94.5m in third quarter 2011, a decrease of 11% compared to the US$106.2m reported in third quarter 2010. Strong revenue results were driven by solid traffic growth, reflected in strong yields and load factors in both the passenger and cargo businesses. However, this was partially offset by the continued impact of the startup of LAN's operations in Colombia as well as, at a non-operating level, exchange rate differences resulting from the depreciation of local currencies. Read More...

* Horizon Lines to discontinue Trans-Pacific FSX service

- Horizon Lines, Inc. announced it will discontinue its Five Star Express (FSX) trans-Pacific container shipping service between the US West Coast, Guam and China. Read More...

* Landstar System reports 10% revenue increase in third quarter

- Landstar System, Inc has reported its third quarter operating margin was 44.7% in 2011, compared to 35.6% in the third quarter of 2010. The 2011 figure was a third quarter record for the company. Revenue for the quarter was $684.0m compared to $622.8m in the corresponding quarter of 2010. Read More...

* Rand Logistics’ Canadian subsidiary acquires a US bulk carrier

- Rand Logistics, Inc. announced that Lower Lakes Towing Ltd., Rand's Canadian operating subsidiary, has completed its acquisition of a US flagged bulk carrier. Read More...

* ATA Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.6% in September

- The American Trucking Associations' seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.6% in September after falling a revised 0.5% in August 2011. August's decrease was more than the 0.2% drop ATA reported on September 27, 2011. The latest gain put the SA index at 115.8 (2000=100) in September, up from the August level of 114. Read More...

* Railroad companies report double-digit revenue growth but volumes slow

- Three of the Class 1 US railroad companies reported double-digit revenue increases for third quarter. CSX reported an 11% increase to $3bn; Union Pacific reported revenue of $5.1bn, a 16% increase and Norfolk Southern reported an 18% increase to $2.9bn. Revenue increases for all three companies were attributed to higher rates and fuel surcharges. Read More...

* DSV announces slight increase in revenue for first nine months of 2011

- DSV has announced its results for the first nine months of 2011 with a 4.2% increase in revenue from DKK 31,451m in 2010 to DKK 32,787m in 2011. Gross profit amounted to DKK 7,322m, a 5.4% increase compared to 2010. This resulted in a gross profit margin of 22.3%. Read More...

* DB Schenker announces first rail freight service on High Speed 1 to be launched in November

- Trading links between Poland and the UK are to be strengthened during November with the introduction of regular European sized rail freight services by DB Schenker Rail. One train per week will operate between Wroclaw, in Poland, and Barking, London, in the UK. Demand from customers has been high resulting in strong orders for the new service being received from the automotive, retail and food sectors. Read More...

* Blue Dart records 32% increase in third quarter revenue

- Blue Dart Express Ltd., the South Asian courier and integrated express package distribution company, has declared its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011. Read More...

* E-commerce shipments to drive record FedEx holiday volume

- FedEx expects to move more than 17m shipments – almost double its daily average volume – through its global networks on December 12, the projected busiest day in company history. The expected 10% year-over-year increase will be driven by FedEx SmartPost, a residential shipping service designed for online and catalogue retailers, as well as expected increased volume at FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery. Read More...

* Logwin expands operations in Guangzhou to meet growing demand

- Logwin has relocated its branch office in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China to larger premises to further strengthen its presence in the Pan Pearl River Delta. Read More...

* Danone extends contract with Kuehne + Nagel in Poland

- Danone, one of the world's largest health food companies, has extended its cooperation agreement with the global logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel for another three and a half years. Read More...

* UPS third quarter earnings impacted by slowing Asian exports

- An increase in rates and continued cost cutting measures resulted in UPS' third quarter earnings beating Wall Street expectations, as the company reported an 8% increase in total revenue from $12.19bn in 2010 to $13.17bn in 2011. Although revenue was promising, operating profit was disappointing, increasing only 0.2% due to 9.2% increase in operating expenses. Read More...

* Yodel announces plans for new network structure

- Yodel has announced plans to restructure its network and complete a move to a single operating platform that it hopes will enable the company to operate profitably. This strategy is designed to meet customer-driven demand for faster, more flexible delivery options and higher standards of convenience. Read More...

* Yusen Logistics renews with Kingfisher

- Yusen Logistics has renewed and extended its contract to manage Kingfisher plc's European import supply chain. Read More...

* Lufthansa Cargo underlines need for night flights

- Lufthansa Cargo has underlined its fears regarding the consequences ensuing for the international logistics industry from the provisional night-flight ban placed upon Frankfurt Airport from October 30, 2011 by a regional court. Read More...

* Stolt-Nielsen to acquire bulk-liquid storage terminal in the Netherlands

- Stolt-Nielsen Limited has announced that it has reached a provisional agreement to acquire a bulk-liquid storage terminal in the Port of Moerdijk, the Netherlands, from Den Hartogh Holdings B.V. The completion of the acquisition is subject to agreement on final contract, and the transaction is expected to close on December 31, 2011. Read More...

* TNT Express extends Saarland depot

- TNT Express has expanded its Saarland depot located at St. Ingbert, about 10 km from Saarbrücken, Germany. Read More...

* Air freight traffic falls, but low prices tempt hi-tech industry

- Traffic statistics from major freight airports point to a sharp downturn in freight volume last month. Hong Kong International Airport reported a 6.1% fall in cargo tonnage, as compared to September 2010, to 325,000 tonnes. This was despite a 5.4% rise in passenger traffic over the same period. The fall in cargo volumes was driven by a 10% fall in exports. The airport commented that "Europe, North America and Taiwan experienced double-digit declines in overall cargo traffic". Read More...

Labels: transport and logistics news

TIRE MAKERS NEWS

* USA - Kumho to raise prices Nov. 1

Akron,OH,USA -Modern Tires Dealer -October 27, 2011: -- Kumho Tire USA Inc. will be raising prices by up to 8% on passenger, light truck and commercial tires in the US. The amount of the increase will vary by product and size... The increase will take effect as of Nov. 1, 2011... Kumho is the latest tire maker to announce a price increase in the next two months, and to have implemented a price increase since Sept. 1...

* Germany - Continental tire offers control over the Internet

Hanover,Germany -Truck and Business (Belgium), by Michel Buckinx -21 Oct 2011: -- Continental launched in Europe and Asia with a new version of the equipment (pressure) portable digital. Now, in seconds, data can be downloaded and analyzed from one end to another of the world through the Internet. This allows to make comparisons of results from four corners of the world. The results can be directly operated by the R &D. Remember that 90% of failures come from a tire...

Labels: tires makers news worldwide

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Germany - Daimler Trucks sales surge as the group's, Portland-based North American division, hires workers

(Photo by RICHARD READ/THE OREGONIAN - Workers assemble a truck last week at the Daimler Trucks North America plant on Swan Island. The company plans to hire 350 workers at the factory, adding a second shift)

Stuttgart,Germany -The Oregonian (USA), by Richard Read -October 27, 2011: -- No wonder Daimler Trucks North America is hiring in Portland. Parent company Daimler group, of Germany, announced Thursday that revenues for its worldwide trucks division jumped 20 percent during the first nine months of the year, compared to the same period last year... Truck sales surged 19 percent. Earnings before interest and taxes jumped 57 percent, to 1.45 billion euros, or $2 billion... Daimler, of Stuttgart, released the numbers along with its third-quarter results, which showed the global truck division's unit sales growing 22 percent compared with the same quarter last year, reaching 115,600 vehicles... As a whole, Daimler group's third-quarter sales reached 525,500 cars and commercial vehicles worldwide, surpassing the prior-year period by 11 percent...

* Germany - Daimler’s Fuso Says Full-Year Vehicle Sales May Rise

(Photo: A Mitsubishi Fuso, Shogun model truck)

Ludwigsburg, Germany -Bloomberg, by Andreas Cremer, Tom Lavell, Robert Valpuesta -Oct. 28, 2011: -- Daimler AG, the world’s largest maker of heavy-duty vehicles, said full-year truck sales at the Fuso division of Japan may beat 2010 levels because of growth in Asia and Brazil... Fuso’s third-quarter sales gained 71 percent from the second quarter to 39,793 vehicles. Full-year deliveries may beat last year’s 141,000 units... The maker of the Canter light commercial vehicle accounted for 40 percent of Daimler’s 355,300 truck sales last year... Fuso’s nine-month global sales fell 4.5 percent from a year earlier to 96,247 units, the company said today in a statement. The brand has a goal of doubling deliveries outside Japan in coming years to more than 200,000 vehicles from the 2010 figure, according to Albert Kirchmann, president of the division...

* China a Failure at Exporting Cars? Not Exactly

(Photo from Beiqi Foton Motor: Foton’s Tunland L pickup truck)

Beijing,China -TWSJ (USA)/China Real Time Report, by Norihiko Shirouzu and Yajun Zhang -October 28, 2011: ... Makers of large dump trucks and small pickup trucks are making inroads around the world, especially in emerging markets of Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Russia... Consulting firm KPMG International said in a research report published last month that “a considerable proportion of trucks” sold in today’s global heavy commercial vehicle market are now from manufacturers from China and India, such as Foton, Dongfeng Motor, FAW and Tata Motors... While those companies sell a large portion of their heavy-duty trucks in their respective home markets, four of the top-10 manufacturers for the global market for 6-ton-or-larger trucks are from China, according to KPMG. Dongfeng, for instance, became the biggest makers of 6-ton-or-above trucks for the first time last year when it sold 300,100 trucks, displacing Daimler Trucks, for years the biggest seller in the heavy-duty vehicle market, which fell to the second spot...

* India - Ashok Leyland shifts into a higher gear

(Photo: An ALL truck on the road)
Chennai,India -Business Standard/Motoring, by T E Narasimhan -October 28, 2011: -- Ashok Leyland is a company in a hurry, forging innumerable joint ventures and rolling out new products in an effort to reinvent itself as ‘not just a bus and truck maker’. Has it woken up too late? ... ALL is embarking on a new branding exercise to convince the world that it is not the company of yesterday... Very recently, ALL has diversified into various areas starting from Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), to construction equipment and has managed to rope in some of the world's best manufacturers as partners for the ventures... In November, ALL launched the U Truck platform, which will gradually replace company’s existing truck models. Analysts feel that its U- truck platform will be the game changer for Ashok Leyland and put some distance between itself and its competition...

* Europe - The Euro 6 according to MAN

Kortrijk,West Flanders,Belgium -Truck and Business, by Hendrik Despiegelaere -20 Oct 2011: -- It was during Busworld 2011 MAN presented its first Euro 6 engines. They are primarily for buses and coaches of the brand, but the same techniques will be used on trucks. Three Euro 6 engines are exposed to Kortrijk: a D2066 LUH (235 kW/320 Nm ch/1.600), a D0836 LOH (213 kW/290 Nm ch/1.100) and D2676 LOH (353 kW/480 Nm ch/2.300) ... To meet the Euro 6 standard, these engines use a new electronic management (electronic véhiucle, the moetur and new sensors), a filter with a new compact SCRT AdBlue dosing. But the main technological change lies in a common rail injection of the third generation, a cooled gas recirculation (EGR), a two-stage turbo charging and an SCR system coupled to a particulate filter CRTec fully integrated in the exhaust... To reduce consumption, the progress of the combustion was adapted through a fully variable control of the injection time and quantity of fuel injected, with an injection pressure that rises to 1800 bar. In a city bus MAN, the system lost 150 kg of payload...

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

Oct 27, 2011

ELECTRIC TRUCKS * WORLDWIDE

* France: A WORLD FIRST: Largest electric-powered truck !!

Paris,France -STEF-TFE (PR) -13 Oct 2011: -- The world's largest electric-powered truck undergoing tests with Carrefour... Renault presented the keys of an all-electric 16 t. Renault Midlum to the logistics company STEF-TFE... This new vehicle it is to be tested over a one-year period and will be supplying fresh products to Carrefour Group store chains in the Lyon conurbation. It is the result of a technological partnership between Renault Trucks, PVI and IFP Energies nouvelles... This 16 ton all-electric Renault Midlum is an experimental vehicle. It is the largest all-electric truck ever put on the road for the distribution of fresh food products in an urban environment... Using this silent truck will mean that deliveries to town centre stores can be made early in the morning (between 5 AM and 7 AM) to respect the peace and quiet of local residents. The all-electric refrigerated truck will then travel to the Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu logistics platform so that it can make a delivery to the Carrefour Planet store at Vénissieux in the early afternoon. Altogether, it will cover a distance of 75 km...

* Japan - Mitsubishi Fuso tests heavy-duty hybrid-electric trucks

(Photo: Canter Eco Hybrid light-duty truck hits the Japan)
Saiwai-ku,Kawasaki-shi,Kanagawa,Japan -ABR (UK) -26 October 2011: -- Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), an Asia-based commercial vehicle manufacturer, said it is testing a hybrid-electric version of its Super Great heavy-duty highway truck... The heavy-duty hybrid-electric trucks, which the company plans to commercialize in the future, demonstrated significant fuel efficiency improvements over conventional diesel-only vehicles during the testing... The heavy-duty hybrid truck technology is based on the technology used in the Canter Eco Hybrid light-duty truck, which is in commercial operation since 2006... Daimler Trucks' Global Hybrid Center (GHC), which is located within MFTBC's operations in Japan, is developing the hybrid heavy-duty truck...

* The Netherlands - Amsterdam starts world’s first large scale electric car sharing

Amsterdam,Holland -Dutch Daily News -Oct 28, 2011: -- Amsterdam has launched one of the world’s first large-scale, all-electric vehicle car sharing fleets with Daimler’s Car2go program... Beginning November 24th, 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles will be available for on-demand mobility, without the necessity of returning them to a fixed rental station. Even recharging of the electric vehicles is not mandatory after each rental, because the range of the smart fortwo electric drive is eight to ten times higher than the average operating distance of a car2go rental. Amsterdam will be the fifth city with a car2go service globally, but the first in Europe with an all-electric fleet...

Labels: electric truckmakers worldwide

DRUGS on TRUCKS * USA - Police seizing more than 5 tons of marijuana and $4.3 million in cash

* Indiana - Drug seizure reveals Mexican cartels’ infiltration in states

Indianapolis,IND,USA -Land Line, by Charlie Morasch -October 25, 2011: ... A man told Efren Gonzalez-Perez drive his truck to Indianapolis and pick up $500,000 cash before returning to the southwest border. He delivered the money to a truck stop in McAllen, TX, off of Interstate 83, using a hidden compartment in his trailer... In March, Gonzalez-Perez became the first of at least four defendants charged in a large-scale drug-running operation last week originating from drug cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border... The police conducting a traffic stop at a west Indianapolis truck stop used a canine to determine drugs were present in Gonzalez-Perez’s Freightliner. Gonzalez-Perez had been pulled over in west Indianapolis... Police found $500,000 in a hidden compartment in the trailer’s ceiling. Later, nearly another $4 million in cash was found in related searches at an Indianapolis warehouse last week and in a truck pulled over in Arkansas in late September... The investigation resulted in police seizing more than 5 tons of marijuana and $4.3 million in cash and drug proceeds... U.S. Attorney Joseph Hogsett said the drug bust was the largest in Marion County history and possibly the largest in Indiana history...

Labels: drugs and truckers

TRUCK SALES * WORLDWIDE

* Europe - EU truck sales rise 4.5 in September

(Photo: Renault Hybrys Concept)

Brussels,Belgium -Reuters , by Helen Massy-Beresford -Oct 27, 2011: -- Truck sales in the European Union rose 4.5 percent in September, industry association ACEA said on Thursday, showing that the signs of cooling demand reported by truck makers which have led them to plan production cuts have not yet filtered through to their order books... Truck sales are seen as an economic bellwether, reflecting trends in international trade -- road transport accounts for 72.6 percent of all inland freight transported in the European Union, according to statistics published on ACEA's website... ACEA said overall commercial vehicle sales rose 11.1 percent in the first nine months of the year, with Spain the only country performing less well during the period... Heavy truck sales rose 16.6 percent year-on-year in September... Sales of light commercial vehicles or vans, often used by the small businesses most vulnerable to economic woes, posted a smaller rise of 3.3 percent in September... Sales of trucks over 3.5 tonnes rose 13.0 percent while bus and coach sales fell 10.2 percent last month...

* USA - Used truck volumes recover in September: ACT report

Columbus,IND,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Oct 26, 2011: -- Reported volumes of used Classes 3-8 truck sales recovered in September after an extended summer slump, according to a report published by ACT Research... Volumes were mixed on a channel-by-channel basis, falling in the retail market, but gaining ground in the auction and wholesale markets, according to the report...

* Japan - Auto Market: Production down, Exports up in Sept.

Tokyo,Japan -In Auto News -28 Oct 2011: -- Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association released Friday the Statistical Data for the first nine years of 2011. Accordingly, Japan’s export of cars, trucks and buses increased in Spetember for the 2nd consecutive month, to 8.8 percent more than a year ago for a total of 477,911 vehicles (up form 439,230 vehicles last year)... Automobile production in September 2011 registered a fall of 4.5% or 41,410 unites, from 925,003 units produced in 2010 to 883,593 unites in 2011. The fall was generated by the negative impact of passenger cars (-5.2%, down 41,860 units compared to 2010) and trucks (-1,5%, down 1,721 units ) production, while buses production was up 24.2% (22,171 units). During the first half of Japan’s fiscal year (April 2011 - September 2011) automobile production registered only 3,902,348 units, down with 18.5% or 884,593 units compared with the 4,786,941 units total recorded for 2010...

Labels: trucks sales

Oct 26, 2011

ENGINE MAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* USA - BorgWarner Sues Cummins Over Patents on Titanium TurboChargers

Auburn Hills,MICH,USA --Bloomberg, by Susan Decker -Oct 26, 2011: -- BorgWarner Inc., the world’s biggest maker of automatic-transmission parts for vehicles, filed a lawsuit accusing Cummins Inc. of infringing three patents for a titanium wheel used in engine turbochargers... BorgWarner said it has “made considerable investments in improving turbocharger technologies,” and Cummins is using the inventions “with reckless disregard” of BorgWarner’s rights, according to the complaint filed today in federal court in Asheville, North Carolina... Turbochargers are used to improve the power and efficiency of smaller engines, and governments are pushing automakers to increase fuel economy in vehicles...

* China - Cummins' 2nd largest technical center built in

Wuhan,Hubei,China -Xinhua -Oct. 19 2011: -- U.S. diesel giant Cummins Inc. said it has completed expansion of a technical center in central China, making it the firm's largest engine development and research facility outside Columbus, Indiana... The Cummins East Asia Technical Center, based in Wuhan, Hubei province, cost 61 million U.S. dollars, with the expansion project worth 33 million U.S. dollars, the company said... It will boost development of engines sized from 2.8 liters to 19 liters, or almost the full range of Cummins products built in China, it said...

* USA / Indiana - Cummins Posts Higher 3Q Profit, Trims 2011 Outlook

Columbus,IND,USA -Transport Topics -25 Oct 2011: -- Cummins Inc. said Tuesday its third-quarter profit rose 60% from a year ago, but the engine maker trimmed its full-year revenue outlook due to “uncertainty around the macro-economic environment” ... Third-quarter net income climbed to $452 million, or $2.35 a share, from $283 million, or $1.44, a year ago. Sales for the quarter ended Sept. 25 rose 36% to $4.6 billion... Cummins lowered its full-year sales forecast to $17.5 billion to $18 billion, down from a previously projected $18 billion...

* China - Ricardo to assist China’s JAC with advanced diesel engine

Hefei,Anhui,China -Metal Supply, by Charlotte Stubben -October 27, 2011: -- Ricardo and JAC have signed a contract that will see the two companies work together in the development of a new 2.0 litre turbo-diesel for JAC’s expanding product range... Under the terms of the deal, Ricardo engineers based both at Ricardo Shanghai as well as the company’s UK technical centres, will work with their counterparts at JAC to develop the new 2.0 litre turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine... The new product is aimed at meeting robustly the requirements of Euro 5 emissions regulations, reflecting the importance of emissions compliance in Chinese and international markets. The engineering team will also aim to ensure that the new engine delivers the highly competitive performance, packaging, refinement and durability targets established for application in JAC’s future vehicle range...

Labels: engine makers

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Washington - Paccar’s 3Q Profit More Than Doubles

Bellevue,WA,USA -Transport Topics -25 Oct 2011: -- Truck and engine maker Paccar Inc. said Tuesday its third-quarter profit more than doubled from a year ago, on higher truck sales... Net income rose to $281.6 million, or 77 cents per share, from $119.9 million, or 33 cents, a year ago. Revenue jumped to a record $4.26 billion, from $2.54 billion... Paccar held its industrywide 2011 North American Class 8 truck sales forecast to between 180,000 and 200,000 trucks, and its “customers are benefiting from higher freight tonnage and improved freight rates,” Paccar Executive Vice President Dan Sobic said in a statement... For the nine months of 2011, Paccar — the parent company of Kenworth Truck Co. and Peterbilt Motors Co., as well as Europe-based DAF — said it had a Class 8 market share of 27.7% in the U.S. and Canada, up a percentage point from the first half of the year...

* Washington - Pete rolls out Model 210, 220 design changes

(Photo: The 210 model was designed to complete Peterbilt's medium-duty vehicle range)

Bellevue,WASH,USA -Fleet Owner -Oct 21, 2011: -- Peterbilt Motors Co. has announced new design enhancements for its 2012 medium- duty cabover Models 210 and 220, which serve the Class 6-7 market in such applications as P&D, wrecker and sweeper... According to the OEM, the 2012 designs pair a lightweight chassis and frame rail with a strategically positioned electrical system to optimize body installation and increase payload capacity. The Models 210 and 220 use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust-aftertreatment technology and are EPA 2010 emissions-compliant... The Model 210 is available as a Class 6 straight truck with GVW rated at 26,000 lbs... The Class 7 Model 220 is recommended for bodies between 20- and 26-ft. in length... Both vehicles are powered by the Paccar PX-6 diesel with horsepower ratings up to 250 and torque ratings up to 660 lbs.-ft. Peterbilt said the engine is ideal for medium-duty truck owners...

Labels: truckmakers news USA

HOS DEBATE * USA & Europe

* USA / DC - LaHood asked Senator Ayotte left alone HOS changes

-Fleet Owner, by Deborah Whistler -Oct 25, 2011: -- Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has asked Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) to withdraw her amendment to the 2012 Transportation Appropriations Bill that would block the Obama Administration from implementing its proposed changes for hours-of-service rules for commercial truck drivers... FMCSA's proposed changes would reduce a driver's maximum daily driving time from 11 hours to 10 hours and reduce the on-duty "work day" from 14 hours to 13 hours... The proposed rule change also would impose new restrictions on the minimum 34-hour “restart,” which allows drivers to work more weekly hours if they take 34 consecutive hours off, “making use of the minimum period impossible,” the Senator said. “The changes also fail to account for delays in picking up cargo, known as detention time," according to Ayotte...

* Europe - Truckers deal with strict HOS regs

(Photo: A big trucks' deposit for a bigger trucking co.)
Gothenburg,Sweden -Fleet Owner -Oct 27, 2011: -- While potential changes, or non-changes, to U.S. driver hours-of-service regulations are likely to be met with frustration and possibly lawsuits, European truck drivers work under very strict European Union (EU) hours-of-service (HOS) rules that go several steps further than anything in the U.S... Under current European law, any driver operating a 12 ton or higher vehicle is subject to the laws, which limit driving to 9 hours per day, 56 in a week, and 90 over a two-week period. Twice a week, driving time can be extended to 10 hours... In addition, there are mandatory 45-minute break periods for each 4.5 hours of driving, and a new 4.5-hour period does not begin until a full 45 minutes of rest time has been accomplished... The law does allow, however, for that break period to be split up in increments, providing that the first break is 15 minutes and the second break period 30 minutes. Breaks of less than 15 minutes do not count... There is also a daily 11-hour rest period mandated, and that too is particularly strict... For truckers and fleet managers alike in Sweden, though, the hour restrictions are really just a fact of life...

Labels: HOS debate, Hours Of Service

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

* Rates keep rising on spot market

Albuquerque, New Mexico,USA -Fleet Owner -Oct 25, 2011: -- Based on data from TransCore Freight Solutions’ Truckload Rate Index, dry van rates on the spot market were up 0.9% this week over the previous week. Rates for refrigerated vans (reefers) gained 1.3% while flatbed rates rose a meager 0.3%... Lanes with the highest dry van rate increases included a 1.6% uptick for outbound freight from Los Angeles, Stockton, CA, and Columbus, OH, with Chicago’s outbound lanes not far behind with 1.5% week-over-week increase. The L.A. climb was in part due to a pickup in freight activity at the city’s international port, signaling the arrival of consumer goods for the holiday retail season... Denver, however, proved the biggest loser, as outbound lane rates for dry vans dropped 3.5%... The five major markets – Chicago, Dallas, Denver, L.A. and Philadelphia – each saw an increase in reefer rates, contributing to an upward national trend...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

TRAILER MAKERS NEWS * USA

* Trailer orders rebound in September

Iowa City,IO,USA -Fleet Owner -Oct 25, 2011: -- After a summer slump, trailer order activity posted solid improvement in September, according to data tracked by ACT Research Co... The research firm said net orders were up almost 31% month-over-month and 22% year-over-year, with total trailer factory shipments increasing some 65% in September vs. the same month in 2010... “Production is still outpacing new order intake, despite the improvement in orders in September,” said Frank Maly, ACT’s director-- CV transportation analysis and research... “On a seasonally adjusted basis, total trailer backlogs have been virtually unchanged since May,” added...

Labels: trailer makers

Oct 25, 2011

TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Germany - Daimler Q3 operating profit misses forecast. VW warns debt crisis will weigh on W. Europe demand

Frankfurt,Germany -Reuters, by Maria Sheahan -Oct 27, 2011: -- Daimler and Volkswagen reinforced the gloomy outlook for Europe's vehicle industry on Thursday, revealing weak sales of premium cars and downbeat demand outlooks that overshadowed some robust truck sales data... Daimler said its weaker-than-expected quarterly operating profit suffered as premium car sales were hit by the economic downturn., while better news in the truck sector for Daimler and its peers, showed predicted slowing demand had not yet arrived... VW predicted a big rise in revenues and operating profit this year but warned volatile interest rates and currency fluctuations as well as commodity prices would dent margins... Despite the gloom, data on Thursday from industry group ACEA showed the signs of cooling demand reported by truck makers had not yet filtered through to sales... Truck sales in the European Union rose 4.5 percent in September, ACEA said... But against this background truck manufacturers are bracing themselves for lower demand ahead, in an industry closely linked to international trade and the health of the wider economy...

* Brazil - Volkswagen Making Billion-dollar Investments in

Recife,Pernambuco,Brazil -BrazilMag -28 October 2011: -- German carmaker Volkswagen AG is negotiating with Brazilian authorities to build a 2 billion-dollar factory in Brazil - the latest foreign automaker looking to raise local output after a tax increase on imported cars... Earlier on Wednesday, newspaper Valor Econômico reported that Volkswagen and Brazil's northeastern state of Pernambuco are finalizing a deal to build a factory there, citing people with knowledge of the situation... The company wants a 2 billion reais (US$ 1.12 billion), 30-year loan from state development banks BNDES to seal the deal Valor added... An announcement on the investment is likely on November 8, Valor noted, adding the new facility could produce as many as 200,000 subcompact vehicles a year...

* Sweden - Truck maker Volvo’s Q3 net profit rises 36 percent, says demand remains favorable

Stockholm,Sweden -Associated Press/The Washington Post -October 25, 2011: -- Swedish truck maker AB Volvo said Tuesday its profits surged by 36 percent in the third quarter, boosted by market share gains and higher financial incomes... Net profit rose to 3.8 billion kronor ($579 million) from 2.8 billion in the third quarter of 2010. Sales for the period increased 15 percent to 73.3 billion kronor from 64 billion year... Volvo said it increased its truck market share in Europe to 27.1 percent, from 23.8 percent last year. It also gained market share in the U.S., to 19.1 percent from 16.1 percent, and in Brazil to 16.7 percent from 14.4 percent... Persson reiterated Volvo’s 2011 forecast of about 240,000 heavy-duty trucks for the total European truck market, but said the company has noted a slowdown in demand there... For North America, the company cut its total market forecast for this year to about 210,000 heavy-duty trucks, from 230,000-240,000 previously, but said it anticipates the market to expand by around 20 percent in 2012... It also said signals of higher demand are becoming increasingly more visible in Japan as reconstruction work begins following the earthquake and the tsunami earlier this year. It said it expects the total market there to increase by about 20 percent in 2012... Volvo also said it expects a total market of about 120,000 heavy-duty trucks in Brazil this year and a decline of about 10 percent in 2012...

* Sweden - Scania To Launch New Global Engine Platform

Stockholm,Sweden -Dow Jones, by Dominic Chopping -October 25, 2011: -- Swedish truck maker Scania AB said it is to present its new global engine platform Tuesday... "After several years of development, we are taking the final steps towards a common global engine platform that is designed to meet all emission standards worldwide," says Jonas Hofstedt, Head of Powertrain Development... "The engines are manufactured at Scania's factories in Europe and South America, using the same production methods and interchangeable parts and components... The engines and all other technologies have been developed for use in trucks and buses, as well as for industrial and marine engine applications" ...

* Japan - Mitsubishi releases dual-temp truck reefer unit

Saiwai-ku,Kawasaki-shi,Kanagawa,Japan -Fleet Owner -Oct 25, 2011: -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. has developed a truck refrigeration unit that enables simultaneous temperature control of two separate cargo compartments with different temperature settings entirely by heat pump. The unit marks the world's first application of a heat pump for a truck refrigeration unit, according to the manufacturer... The heat pump enables effective transfer of thermal energy from the compartment needing a lower temperature to a cargo room requiring higher temperature, providing more than double warming capacity compared with conventional systems that use heat from a compressor, according a company statement... The needs for a truck refrigeration unit that enables warming, chilling and freezing management in different temperature ranges within one truck has been increasing in the distribution industry in order to boost delivery efficiency in a quest to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions...

* Italy - Iveco Daily has the 8th generation

Turin,Italy -Van Business (Belgium), by Claude Yvens -Sept 2011: -- Two years after his generation, the Daily has again revamped. The best seller of 2012 Iveco attack with a famous and extra power consumption down... Commercially, the Daily did not need a raise. In Belgium, sales and penetration rates are increasing in both the segment from 3 to 3.5 tons (6.23% market share and 1023 registrations in the first 8 months of the year) that, over 3.5 tonnes (17.83% market share). But Iveco decided to leave no respite to the competition and introduced both new Euro 5 engines and a slight face-lift... Innovation allows Iveco double announce: declining consumption (- 10% on the 2.3 liter 146 hp) with a torque curve available from 1400 or 1500 revolutions / minute ... to check on the ground. It encourages especially the Italian brand to raise its sales target to 100,000 units per year from 2013. The objectives are also on the rise among Iveco Belgium, which already announced a three-year warranty and 250,000 km ... as launching promotional offer...

* Germany - Ford Transit 2012 version: more economical, more environmentally friendly

Cologne, Germany-Van Business (Belgium) , by Hendrik Despiegelaere -Sept 2011: -- The Transit is a sales success for 45 years in the segment of vans and minibuses with over 6.3 million units... For the 2012 version, Ford relies primarily on a diesel 2.2-liter Duratorq TDCi completely remodeled and complies with Euro 5. Several other measures also improve consumption and reduce environmental impact... The 2012 Ford Transit are available with ECO Pack which includes an Auto Start-Stop system and a speed limiter clutch on 110 km / h. What save even 8.5% over the consomamtion ECOnetic version compared to the previous generation... The new Transit is also more economical to use. Service intervals are extended to 50,000 km or once every two years, and the warranty against rust on the body is extended to 12 years... Another plus: a new management system called Smart Regenerative Charging batteries that avoids unnecessary energy losses. The generator reuses the kinetic energy released when slowing or braking. When the battery is charged more than 80%, the alternator is disconnected to reduce the load on the engine. Finally, the models have propelled a new power steering pump with variable flow...

* Belgium - Light trucks in construction

Brussels,Belgium -Van Business (Belgium), by Olivier Maloteaux -Sept 2011: -- Manufacturers of light trucks must also adjust to life site. Some brands provide facilities at the factory and most importers propose changes in their network, but independent experts still have their say in the accommodation... The architecture of the most sought after vehicle in the construction sector is the chassis-cab (single or double) with a bucket in which pile up in the open materials, but also the equipment of the workers. Most manufacturers offer mounting a bucket factory. For more specific equipment (dump, trucks, etc..), it will in most cases go through the specialized companies that offer custom transformations... The market is also adapting to the new European regulations concerning approval of vehicles with transformation. This new legislation will change the market rules... Mitsubishi Fuso: "It is expected that "the greatest development in the area will decrease the weight of facilities. The processing companies will find ways to hold this weight. "Nevertheless, we see that the market for light commercial vehicles adapted to the construction sector runs well and adapts to the times...