Trucks World News: May 2012

May 31, 2012

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - Ford can't keep up with auto demand. Mulally says automaker will add shifts, but not plants, to increase production

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -May 31, 2012: -- Ford Motor Co. President and Chief Executive, Alan Mulally, says his company can't build enough vehicles to meet demand... Mulally said Wednesday, Ford will continue boosting production this year, acknowledging that crimps in the parts supply chain are among the challenges that will prevent it from making as many cars and trucks as it wants — at least in the short run... Ford and other automakers are adding shifts, tweaking work schedules and boosting production to meet North American demand... Some of its hottest vehicles, including the Focus, Fusion and Explorer, are in relatively short supply...

* Michigan - VW to boost U.S. presence. Passat production to rise, be tailored to American preferences

(Image: Bugatti McLaren Veyron Super Sport 3)

Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Jaclyn Trop -May 31, 2012: -- Volkswagen Group of America Inc. is focusing on selling cars in the U.S. as markets slow in Europe and Asia... The German automaker's challenge is to become top of mind for U.S. consumers who know the brand but not its lineup, Jonathan Browning, CEO and president of Volkswagen Group of America, said at an Automotive Press Association luncheon Wednesday at the Detroit Athletic Club... The company also owns the Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti marques... Purchase intent for the Volkswagen is at a 13-month high. The measure correlates to sales and web traffic...

* DC - Ford puts free trade on agenda. CEO to discuss Japan's Trans-Pacific bid with lawmakers

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -May 30, 2012: -- Ford Motor Co. President and Chief executive, Alan Mulally, will meet with members of Congress and the Obama administration today to convey its position on free trade talks... The Dearborn automaker has raised concerns about allowing Japan into the Trans-Pacific Partnership... Talks are under way with nine nations, but Canada, Mexico and Japan are interested in joining...

JOBS

* Alabama - Auto Industry Puts A (Small) Dent In Unemployment

Montgomery,ALA,USA -The Car Connection, by Kurt Ernst -May 30, 2012: -- Automaker Hyundai recently announced it was hiring 877 new workers. To fill those positions, over 20,000 prospective workers applied... Last summer, 18,000 people put in for jobs at Ford’s Louisville, Kentucky, plant, where the automaker will begin producing its Escape crossover next month. The total number of available positions? Just 1,800... Neither of these are worst-case scenarios, either. Last year, according to CNBC, over 41,000 people applied for 1,300 positions with Toyota in Tupelo, Mississippi, and in 2009, some 65,000 put in for 2,700 jobs with Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee... While the automakers are proof that there is some job growth in the manufacturing sector, it’s not nearly enough to offset the number of jobs lost in the past five years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. unemployment rate has risen from a low of 4.4-percent in April of 2007 to a high of 10-percent in October of 2009...

* ELECTRIC CARS

* California - Fisker Automotive Issues Inaugural Business Update

Anaheim, California USA –FA (Press Release) -May 29, 2012: -- Fisker Automotive, the leading manufacturer of luxury Electric Vehicles with extended range (EVer™), today published its first business update by announcing that revenues had exceeded $100 million in the first four months of 2012... Amid other considerations the company explain:

· Over $100 million revenue generated in four months to April 30

· 1000 vehicles delivered to customers since launch

· Private equity funding exceeds $170 million in 2012

· Total funding passes $1 billion milestone

· New Atlantic model unveiled in New York

· Record sales in Netherlands signal European progress

· Distribution deal agreed in Middle East

Labels: automakers news USA

May 30, 2012

DANGEROUS JOBS * Australia

* Victoria - Coles truckies 'under pressure to speed'

Glen Iris,VIC,Australia -The Australian -May 30, 2012: -- More than half of Coles truck drivers believe they're under pressure to drive too fast... National secretary of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Tony Sheldon, today released the findings of a national survey of 715 drivers. It found 55 per cent of drivers surveyed in the retailer's supply chain admitted to feeling pressure to drive too fast... The trucking industry average is 26 per cent... The report also found that 82 per cent of drivers surveyed in the Coles supply chain had considered leaving as a result of client pressures... TWU NSW secretary, Wayne Forno, said an average Coles driver spent almost 400 hours each year in unpaid waiting times... A protest of truck drivers will coincide with the TWU National Council in Sydney today...

Labels: dangerous job

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* China - Unsold vehicles crowd lots in

(Photo)

Beijing,China - Bloomberg News/The Detroit News -May 31, 2012: -- Chinese dealers are struggling with the rising number of unsold cars that's threatening to deepen price cuts, according to the nation's biggest automobile dealers' association. Dealerships for Honda Motor Co., Chery Automobile Co., BYD Co. and Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. carried more than 45 days of inventory as of the end of April, exceeding the threshold that foreshadows debilitating price cuts, said Su Hui, vice president of the auto market division at the state-backed China Automobile Dealers Association... The warning signals that vehicle deliveries reported by companies, which have risen more than analysts' estimates for the past two months, aren't fully translating to consumer sales, resulting in a pileup at showrooms... Honda's joint-venture factory in China had shut for 15 days for the Labor Day public holiday and line maintenance, according to the Tokyo-based automaker...

* Canada - Chrysler keeps Dodge Caravan; production of Town and Country to end

(Photo by Webb Bland - The Dodge Caravan will continue to be produced in Windsor)
Windsor,ONT,CAN -The Detroit News, By Bryce G. Hoffman -May 30, 2012: -- Chrysler Group LLC plans to kill the Chrysler Town and Country minivan, but will continue production of the Dodge Caravan, according to sources familiar with the situation... The company already announced that it would produce only one of the vehicles, which share a common architecture, going forward. The decision was confirmed Tuesday by a company source...

* China - Nissan to recall over 250 cars in China
Beijing,China -Xinhua -29 May 2012: -- Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Company will recall some of its Urban E25 passenger vehicles in China due to problems with the front-wheel hub bearings, China's consumer quality watchdog said Monday... The recall involves a total of 253 vehicles produced between May 2001 and February 2010, according to a statement by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine...

* China - Shanghai VW opens Xinjiang plant

Urumqi,Xinjiang Uyghur,China -Car News China, by Joey Wang - May 29, 2012: -- China’s far west Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is expected to become another engine for the country’s automobile industry as Shanghai Volkswagen, German carmaker Volkswagen AG’s joint venture in China, laid the foundation for its new factory... The plant, located in the regional capital Urumqi, is expected to become operational in 2014 with an annual production of 50,000 units. The factory’s first phase of construction will cost 2 billion yuan ($316 million), said Hu Maoyuan, chairman of SAIC Motor Corp and Shanghai Volkswagen at the ceremony...

* Italy - Fiat Industrial to Move Listing to U.S. in Blow to

Turin,Italy -Bloomberg/San Francisco Chronicle, by Tommaso Ebhardt -May 30, 2012: -- Fiat Industrial SpA, the truck and tractor manufacturer that carmaker Fiat SpA spun off in 2011, plans to move its primary listing to New York from Milan after merging with its CNH Global NV unit in a blow to Italy... Fiat Industrial, which controls the tractor maker
through an 88 percent stake, proposed to CNH's board the creation of a new company in a share exchange that wouldn't include a premium for either companies' investors, the Turin, Italy-based company said in a statement today...

* Russia - UAZ to start Japan's Isuzu truck production in June

Moscow,Russia -RIA Novosti/The Voice of Russia -May 31, 2012: -- In June, Russia’s Volga region auto maker UAZ will start the production ofJapanese Isuzu trucks, a spokesman with UAZ said Thursday... The plant will produce trucks with the load-carrying capacity of 1.5, 3, and 5 tons including new models with a super long wheelbase and upgraded versions of trucks with extended kitting... Sollers formerly known as OAO Severstal-Auto is a Russian company holding controlling blocks of shares of the Ulyanovsk Automobile Works (UAZ)...

* Japan - Toyota Boshoku Establishes New Plant in Czech Republic

Kariya,Japan -Toyota's (PR) -18 May 2012: -- Boshoku Automotive Europe GmbH, a subsidiary of Toyota Boshoku Corporation, will establish its first new manufacturing company “BOSHOKU AUTOMOTIVE CZECH s. r. o.” in the Czech Republic for automobile interior components... BAE started its operation in July 2011 after Toyota Boshoku acquired the automobile interior business of European parts manufacturers. BAE develops and produces interior components such as door trims and headliners for major German automobile manufacturers including BMW, Daimler AG, Volkswagen Group and Opel...

Labels: automakers news USA and Canada, automakers news worldwide

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

* Tennessee - FedEx to Buy Brazilian Transportation Company

(Photo: A Boeing 727–200 in Portland, Maine)

Memphis,TENN,USA -The Journal of Commerce, by Mark Szakonyi -May 29, 2012: ... FedEx plans to acquire a major Brazilian transportation and logistics company, as the parcel giant works to counters the increased UPS presence in the top South American economic engine... FedEx didn’t disclose the terms of the acquisition of Rapidao Cometa Logistica e Transportes, a roughly 9,000-employee company with 45 operation branches, and about 770 vehicles and trailers. UPS is expanding its presence in Brazil through its $6.8 billion acquisition of TNT Express, Europe’s second-largest package delivery company...

Labels: trucking industry news USA

ENGINE MAKERS * WORLDWIDE

* Euro 6 of the best. Latest offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Cummins and DAF

London,EN,UK -Transport Engineer, by Brian Tinham and John Challen -8 May 2012: -- The upcoming introduction of Euro 6 engine emissions legislation is prompting a growing number of truck and bus engine manufacturers to unveil their solutions... The European engine emissions standards for medium and heavy commercial and passenger carrying vehicles are on the brink of their sixth incarnation. January 2013 is the deadline for newly type approved trucks and buses – and just 12 months later all new registrations will have to conform. So, with a matter of mere months to go, formerly coy engine manufactures are now revealing their prized solutions to the challenges of ultra-low NOx and particulates demanded by Euro 6...

Labels: engine makers

TRAILER MAKERS * USA

* USA - Wabash to build carbon steel vacuum tanker

Lafayette,IN,USA -Fleet Owner -May 29, 2012: -- Wabash National Corp. has announced production of its first carbon steel vacuum tanker for hauling bulk non-hazardous liquids, primarily for the oil and gas industry. The new product is expected to result in 60 new jobs at Wabash National’s Lafayette, IN, manufacturing plant.

* Indiana - 65 ton modular trailer available

Rensselaer,IND,USA -Fleet Owner -May 31, 2012: -- Talbert Manufacturing has created the 2+3+2 65-ton HRG East Coast trailer, a modular-designed trailer with a flip extension to accommodate a tandem-axle jeep dolly... Talbert, a specialty-built trailer and transport system provider, said the trailer is designed for flexibility and versatility. The HRG hydraulic gooseneck trailer is ideal for a variety of markets including general construction, heavy-haul trucking and oilfields, the company said... Offering a 28-ft. deck length, the trailer includes the ability to have a tag- or pin-on axle that can be added to the jeep to allow a 3+3+2 axle configuration. This is especially crucial for those without a 4-axle tractor, allowing operators the ability to add an optional pin-on axle for the jeep to maintain axles that are legal to scale the payload...

Labels: trailer makers news worldwide

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA

* New Jersey - ACT: April sees Class 8 used-truck volumes down, pricing up

Ringwood,NJ,USA -Fleet Owner -May 29, 2012: -- Per the latest release of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Classes 3-8 Used Trucks, April figures showing that “volumes sank and pricing rose” indicate a turn-around in the used Class 8 truck market, compared to the prior two months... The ACT report provides data on the average used price for the top-selling Class 8 model for each of the major truck OEMs – Freightliner (Daimler); Kenworth and Peterbilt (Paccar); International (Navistar); and Volvo and Mack (Volvo)...

* Maryland - Daimler: '14 truck engine 7% more fuel efficient

(Photo: Daimler Launches 2014 Cascadia, Pushes Fuel Ecomony Limits)
Oxon Hill,MD,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -May 31, 2012: -- Daimler Trucks North America on Wednesday introduced its 2014 Freightliner Cascadia Evolution, powered by a new Detroit-built engine that will be up to 7 percent more fuel efficient than its predecessor. Over the last seven years, the cost of heavy trucks has increased 25 percent as manufacturers have worked to boost fuel efficiency and meet new regulations... A 2014 Cascadia Evolution with additional aerodynamic enhancements achieved 10.67 mpg in controlled testing at an independent test track... The manufacturer is partnering with others to raise fuel efficiency and reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions of Class 8 trucks... That effort is part of a five-year, $40 million "Super Truck" research program that has been sponsored by the U.S. Energy Department...

* Illinois - Navistar forges engine-supply link with Daewoo

Warrenville,ILL,USA -Fleet Owner -Jun. 1, 2012: -- Truck and engine maker Navistar recently established a diesel-engine supply agreement with Korean commercial vehicle manufacturer Daewoo Bus... The deal is focused initially on small-displacement motors... As part of the agreement, Navistar’s MaxxForce 3.2 liter in-line four-cylinder engines – which comply with Euro III through Euro V emissions standards – will power 6.0-ton GVW and 5.5-ton GVW Daewoo models, in particular the LESTAR light-duty transit bus that carries up to 30 passengers...

* Iowa - Jacobson orders 259 Mack Pinnacle tractors

Des Moines,IA,USA -Fleet Owner -May 29, 2012: -- Jacobson Companies has purchased 259 Mack Pinnacle tractors for use throughout the U.S. The order includes 139 day cabs and 120 sleepers... Jacobson is a third-party logistics provider... The Pinnacle includes an aerodynamic sloped hood, ergonomic wraparound dash, and maximum visibility and comfort for the driver. The Jacobson units are equipped with Mack ClearTech MP8 445 hp. engines...

Labels: truckmakers news USA

TRUCKING STATISTICS * USA

* DC - NAFTA Trade Hits Record Over $85 Billion

Washington,DC,USA -Transport Topics -29 May 2012: -- Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico jumped to a record in March, topping $85 billion for the first time, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday. Trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners rose 6.2% from the same month last year, to $85.8 billion, DOT’s Bureau of Trade Statistics said in its monthly report... Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade among NAFTA partners moves by land....

* DC - Cross-Border Rail Growth Outpaces Truck Transport. Trucks continue to haul far more than rail

(Photo: KCS’ cross border network between the U.S. and Mexico )

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Mark Szakonyi -May 31, 2012: -- Shippers appear to be increasingly turning to rail instead of truck when it comes to bringing high-value loads across the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico... The value of goods transported over the U.S.-Mexico border via rail in March rose 16 percent year-over-year, outpacing the 11.2 percent rise in goods hauled by trucks. Rail shipments by value over the U.S.-Canada border increased 8.6 percent year-over-year, while the value of goods hauled by trucks inched up 1 percent in the same period... Despite the rail growth, trucks haul more than three times the amount of goods by value over the U.S.-Canada border as the railroads. Trucks haul more than five times as many goods as railroads over the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. surface transportation with Canada and Mexico in March hit a monthly record, topping $85 billion...

Labels: trucking statistics

May 29, 2012

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Germany - European heavy truck market drops 6.7 pct in April

Frankfurt,Germany -Reuters -May 30, 2012: -- The market for new heavy trucks in Europe declined 6.7 percent in April as demand in both core and periphery euro zone countries plunged sharply versus the year earlier, data published on Wednesday showed... The decline to 19,458 vehicles, reported by Brussels-based industry body ACEA, represented the third straight monthly decline and the second-worst so far this year... Data shows contagion spreading from periphery to core... New truck registrations plunge in Netherlands, Spain and Italy, two of the biggest markets, saw demand drop by 13.6 percent and 41.1 percent, respectively... Demand for transporters and vans also drops sharply...

* Russia - Leading truck-maker ZIL to produce international brands

Moscow,Russia -RIA Novosti/RT, by Aleksey Filippov -28 May, 2012: -- Russia’s banking giant Sberbank will help re-energize the country’s leading truck-maker ZIL, that is set to start producing such international brands as Renault, Fiat and Hyundai as early as 2013... Moscow government will partner up with Sberbank in a joint venture, MosavtoZIL, worth $378 million, with half of that being the bank’s loan. Sberbank will hold a 51% stake, with Moscow government getting the remaining 49%. Anyway, by 2017 Sberbank plans to sell its stake to a strategic investor, according to the bank’s chief German Gref... New vehicles will start coming off the production line already in the 1Q 2013, creating about 3,100 new jobs, Gref specified ... The JV is set to start operating at its full capacity in 2019, when about 100,000 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) are planned to be produced annually. Circassian Derways, as well as Latvian AMO Plant are set to join the venture, increasing production numbers to 150,000 cars a year. Derways is also mulling production of the Malaysian Proton brand...

* Ireland - New Mercedes-Benz Antos on the horizon

Dublin,Ireland -HGVIreland -May 28, 2012: -- The new Mercedes-Benz Antos – a new range of trucks designed specifically for heavy-duty short-radius distribution use – will be available to Irish customers on order after it is presented to the market at the forthcoming Hanover commercial vehicle show in September, according to the company’s commercial vehicles sales manager, Fergus Conheady... With the Antos, Mercedes-Benz claims to be the first heavy truck maker to produce a vehicle specially developed to meet the varied requirements of the short-radius distribution industry...

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

May 28, 2012

AUTO-TECH * Spain

* Spain - Autonomous road train project completes first public road test

(Photo: The autonomously controlled Volvo convoy takes part in the first demonstration of SARTRE technology on public Spain roads)

Barcelona,CAT,Spain -Gizmag, by Noel McKeegan -May 28, 2012: -- The automobile has been with us for well over a century and while road laws, traffic management and automotive technology in general have constantly evolved during that time, the act of driving remains essentially the same - it's all up to the person behind the wheel. That's what makes the SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project so significant - it represents the beginning of a new era where the organized chaos of individual drivers can be blunted by an autonomous "follow-the-leader" approach that has clear benefits for road safety, congestion and vehicle fuel consumption ... not to mention being a bonus for those of us who would rather read the paper than concentrate in the road ahead. As demonstrated by a platoon of Volvos driving automatically along a public motorway outside Barcelona recently, this reality may be closer than you think... SARTRE it works by using a high-tech suite of cameras, radar and laser sensors to enable a wirelessly linked "platoon" of cars to travel autonomously in a road train behind a lead vehicle operated by a professional driver...

Labels: technonews

INFRASTRUCTURES * USA & China

* Massachusetts - Study: Stiffer pavements could reduce vehicle fuel consumption by 3%

(Photo: Stiffer pavement saves oil)

Cambridge,MASS,USA -Truck News (CAN) -May 24, 2012: -- A recently released MIT study shows that using stiffer pavements on US roads could reduce vehicle fuel consumption by as much as 3%. Officials say the resulting savings could add up to 273 million barrels of crude oil per year ($15.6 billion worth based on today’s oil prices) and an annual decrease in CO2 emissions of 46.5 million metric tonnes... The study is the first to use mathematical modelling rather than roadway experiments to look at the effect of pavement deflection on vehicle fuel consumption across the entire US road network, officials said in a release... The study found that deflection under the tires is similar to that of beach sand underfoot: With each step, the foot tamps down the sand from heel to toe, requiring the pedestrian to expend more energy than when walking on a hard surface. Stiffer pavements would decrease deflection and reduce that a car’s “footprint” ...

* China - Hong Kong to increase EV charging stations to 1,000 by June

Hong Kong,China -Ecns, by Xu Rui -25 May 2012: -- The Hong Kong SAR government is continuing to promote electric vehicles (EVs) in the region with better facilities and more advanced technology, said Financial Secretary, Tsang Chun-wah, at the launch ceremony of a charging station project held Thursday at the Star Ferry Pier in Central. The installation of 500 EV charging machines will be finished by the end of June, at which time about 1,000 charging spots will be scattered across the 18 districts of the region. All neighboring stations will be no further than 20 km from each other. The number of local EVs has rapidly grown from only 16 at the end of 2009 to more than 310 in late April...

Labels: infrastructures

TRUCKING STATISTICS * Canada

* Ontario trucking companies optimistic about next quarter

Toronto,ONT,CAN -Truck News -May 25, 2012: -- The majority of trucking companies in Ontario remain optimistic about their prospects for the next three months despite negative freight volume prospects, according to the second quarter business expectations survey conducted by the Ontario Trucking Association. According to survey, 67% of carriers reported they were optimistic about trucking’s overall prospects for the quarter – the same number as in the first quarter survey. This is off the peak of 75% recorded in the 1Q11 survey, but significantly higher than the bare majority (55%) who said they were optimistic about the industry’s overall prospects from the 4Q11 survey. Only a quarter of respondents reported improvement in intra-Ontario freight volumes compared to the last quarter –the same as reported in the first quarter survey. Pessimism for the immediate future grew with only 30% of carriers expecting increases in the latter half of 2012 versus 39% who were upbeat in the last survey..

* TransCore's Canadian Freight Index dips slightly in April

(Photo: A canadian truck on the ice road)
Toronto,ONT,CAN -Truck News, by Lou Smyrlis -May 24, 2012: -- TransCore’s spot market Canadian freight index saw a three percent decline in April, down from a high mark set in March 2012, but remains well above recessionary levels. Year-over-year volumes were down 11% from the record highs in 2011... Cross-border postings continued to dominate in April accounting for 73% of activity by Loadlink’s Canadian customers. Intra-Canada postings made up 23% of the total load volumes... Total equipment postings in March decreased 3% from the previous month, while year-over-year capacity was up 19% from March 2011. Capacity has tightened compared to earlier in the year; however equipment availability remains more abundant than the tight capacity crunch and record low from April 2011...

Labels: trucking statistics worldwide

May 27, 2012

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * UK

* UK - ITM Power and HARDSTAFF Group to develop hydrogen-CNG fuel system

(Photo: A bus fuels up with a blend of hydrogen and CNG at the Port Coquitlam Transit Centre)
Sheffield,UK -Busworld -25 May 2012: -- UK clean fuel and energy storage company ITM Power and The Hardstaff Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop and market a Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG) fuel system... Natural Gas or Bio Methane may be combined at various ratios with hydrogen to produce HCNG, which, when burned, offers benefits in the emissions performance and efficiency of engines. These improvements in combustion not only reduce the tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide, NOx, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons but also allow for increased engine speed operation, enabling the downsizing of engines. Engine downsizing results in improved operational efficiency and reduced weight...

Labels: clean alternative fuels

May 26, 2012

TRANSPORT & LOGISTIC NEWS * WORLDWIDE

Briefing weekly news

* Raben Ukraine opens a New Customs Cargo Complex in Kiev

- Yesterday Raben Ukraine officially opened a new Customs Cargo Complex in its own logistics terminal in Kiev. Established to meet the increased demands of importers in customs clearance services, the new Customs Cargo Complex (CCC) is able to simultaneously process 120 trucks and is equipped in accordance with the latest requirements of customs legislation... Read more

* Steady market growth for Damco in Q1

- Damco continues its growth trajectory in the first quarter of 2012, reporting an 8% increase in both net revenue and gross profit... Damco, the global logistics business unit of the A.P. Moller–Maersk Group, increased its net revenue by USD 53m to USD 738m compared to Q1 of 2011. Gross profit also rose 8% against the same period last year...Read more

* New Asia Healthcare Customer Demographics Map

- eyefortransport is pleased to present you with the Asia Pacific Life Science Consumer Demographic Map, one of three to be released in association with the Life Science Supply Chain Summit in Singapore, September 20th and 21st... The recently developed Asia Healthcare Customer Demographics map reveals the revenue, hospital beds and doctor numbers of public and private heal... Read more

* YRC Worldwide Names Scott D. Ware as President of Holland

- YRC Worldwide Inc. has named Scott D. Ware as president of its Holland subsidiary, a leading provider of next-day regional less-than-truckload services... Read more

* Shop Direct Group Signs Further Ten Year Deal With Norbert Dentressangle

- Shop Direct Group (SDG) has awarded Norbert Dentressangle a further ten year contract for the warehousing of ‘two-man’ products... Read more

* Hamburg sees box volumes grow 5.2% in Q1

- As the last of the European 'big three', the port of Hamburg today published its throughput volumes for the first quarter of 2012... Read more

Labels: transport and logistics news

TRAILER MAKERS * WORLDWIDE

* Lithuania - UAB Finėjas orders 100 new Kögel

Vievis,Vilnius,Lithuania -Truck and Business, by Michael Buckinx -22 May 2012: -- Lithuanian society Finėjas commissioned a hundred trailers Kögel Cargo. This trailer has attracted Lithuanian society due to its numerous standard amenities including sliding roof that can also slide backwards, low tare weight, a significant volume available and a high vertical load capacity. Cargo the displays a length of 13 950 mm and a width of 2.550 mm and a height of 3995 mm...

Labels: trailer makers news worldwide

May 25, 2012

DANGEROUS ROADS * Russia

* Dash-cam truck crash video goes viral

(Video from YouTube, by ABCNews -24 May 2012: This video shows a truck flipping over headed toward a car on a Russian road)
(Some where in Russia) -Fleet Owner -May 25, 2012: -- A terrifying semi-truck accident in Russia was captured by an SUV fitted with a dash camera... The video shows that the top-heavy truck suddenly took a sharp turn, which put it on its side and sent it into the path of the SUV... The SUV driver said he and the trucker were both okay after the crash...

Labels: dangerous roads

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Europe - The IRU considers the return to the TIR as a growth driver for Europe

Geneva,Swiss -Truck and Business, by Claude Yvens -23 May 2012: -- On the sidelines of the European somemt 28 and 29 May, the IRU urges member states to restore the TIR system for the transport of goods under customs supervision within the EU. According to the International Federation of road transport, "the restoration of the TIR would provide 600,000 motor carriers - mainly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the service of other SMEs, which account for 85% of employment - an attractive alternative to the current mandatory system T, controlled by a small number of forwarders mainly devoted to the multinationals". Also according to the IRU, the main drawback of the system T is that it only covers individual packets, not an entire truckload. The reduction of customs formalities constitute therefore a lever for growth and job creation...

* Belgium - 17% of drivers have been trained 'code 095'

Brussels,Belgium -Truck and Business, by Claude Yvens -24 May 2012: -- In response to a series of parliamentary questions on the professional competence of professional drivers, the secretary of state, Melchior Wathelet, provided some interesting numbers in the House. At the end of February, 12,437 Belgian drivers had already undergone at least one module training, which corresponds to 17% of all drivers who need to renew their certificate of professional competence. He estimated figure of 'encouraging' because it reflects an acceleration of the phenomenon, which is confirmed by accredited training institutions.There are now 83 accredited training centers and 867 recognized trainers...

* Belgium - CLECAT opposes any temporary suspension of the rules on cabotage in Scandinavia

Brussels,Belgiium -Truck and Business, by Claude Yvens -24 May 2012: -- The European association of shippers CLECAT reiterated its opposition to any form of suspension, even temporarily, of the rules on cabotage between Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. This position comes after the federations of carriers of Denmark, Norway and Sweden have asked their transport ministers to support them to allow a six-month suspension. This is also an opportunity for CLECAT to recall its desire to achieve a complete removal of limitations on freight transport in Europe, and thus the concept of cabotage. According to Nicolette van der Jagt, CEO of CLECAT, "Cabotage is a very small percentage of the market. If domestic interest groups feel threatened by operators at low cost market entering freely, they had better set before the advantage that they represent in terms of level of service from an operator from another member state" ...

* Canberra / Australia - Increased heavy vehicle charges to go ahead from 1st. July

Canberra,ACT,Australia -ATA Friday Facts -25 May 2012: -- The effective fuel tax paid by trucking operators will increase 2.4 cents per litre from 1 July, after Australia’s transport ministers did not act on an industry campaign to reconsider the increase... Under the ministers’ decision, the effective fuel tax on the industry will increase by 10.4 per cent, or 2.4 cents per litre, with the fuel tax credits that can be claimed by trucking operators falling from 15.043 to 12.643 cents per litre... Some registration charges will increase by more than 30 per cent, although the registration charge on A-trailers will fall by almost half. The NT and WA governments will not proceed with the national increase in registration charges; the NSW Government has announced it will develop an assistance package for small to medium operators, and particularly road train operators...

* ACT / Australia - Modular B-triple specification agreed

Canberra,ACT,Australia -ATA Friday Facts -25 May 2012: -- Also at the SCOTI meeting, Australia’s transport ministers agreed to adopt a single national modular B-triple specification, which will enable modular B-triples to have access to the current road train network on the same basis as double road trains. ATA National Policy Manager, David Coonan, said, “This is a very pleasing result, and follows six years of hard work by the ATA and other stakeholders, including the NTC... When implemented, the decision will increase the use of B-triples, which will improve safety and productivity,” he said...

* Holland - Geodis Wilson expands trucking operations into China

Amsterdam,The Netherlands,Holland -HGV UK -May 22, 2012: -- Geodis Wilson, one of the world’s leading freight management companies is expanding trucking operations to include China, an extension of its existing routes through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Indochina region. The full cross-border route between Singapore and China covers a total distance of 5,950 kilometres and has an efficient lead-time of six or seven days... Customers can choose between full container load (FCL) services, or less than container load (LCL) services. FCL containers are sealed from door-to-door and opened only if required by border customs, while LCL containers are consolidated at Geodis Wilson facilities along the route, and fed into the main road...

Labels: trucking industry news worldwide

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