User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: February 2015
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Feb 27, 2015

TRUCKING INDUSTRY GROWING * USA: ATA's: Up 1,2 % Jan. - BTS Dec. grow 6,3%

* Virginia - ATA’s Truck Tonnage Index for January up 1.2%; gains 6.6% Y/Y

-- The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index increased 1.2 percent in January, following a revised gain of 0.1 percent during the previous month... In January, the index equaled 135.7 (2000=100), an all-time high. Compared with January 2014, the seasonally adjusted index increased 6.6 percent, which was the largest year-over-year gain in more than a year... Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S.A. economy, representing 69.1 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013. Motor carriers collected $681.7 billion, or 81.2 percent of total revenue earned by all transport modes... ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 10th day of the month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons and key financial indicators... (Photo: Trucks backed up in Canada, 17 miles north of USA border) - Arlington, VA, USA - Trucking News - February 25, 2015


* DC- BTS Freight numbers for December show trucking Growth at 6.3%
-- U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $95.8 billion in December 2014 as four out of the five transportation modes — truck, rail, air and pipeline — carrying more U.S.-NAFTA freight than in December 2013... Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes increased by 5.4 percent, with December marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)... In December 2014 compared to December 2013, the value of commodities moving by truck grew by 9.3 percent — the largest percentage of any mode... (Photo: Seen from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter, a line of cargo trucks crosses) - Washington, DC, USA - Trucking News -February 27, 2015

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TRAILER MAKERS * USA: Trailer orders dip 32% in January

* Indiana -  Still up 18% year over year


-- The number of new trailers ordered totaled 19,853 in January — down nearly 32 percent from December’s strong order volume, but rose 18 percent year over year, according to ACT Research Co.’s most recent State of the Industry: U.S. Trailers report... Frank Maly, director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research at ACT, noted that with ratification of the West Coast port contract proposal likely, the economy has side-stepped significant headwinds. He said ensuing freight onslaught will be a net positive for the commercial vehicle industry. “Trailer demand continues to receive support from a wide array of factors, including solid freight volumes, pent-up demand for replacement equipment, and increased consumer and business spending. The foundation is in place for 2015 to be the best trailer market since the late 1990s” ... (Photo: Trailers) - Columbus, INS, USA - Trucking News -February 27, 2015

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ELECTRIC VANS SALES * UK: Nissan's

* England - TfL contractor launches its first two Nissan electric vans


  -- Cambridge engineering firm Z-Tech Control Systems Ltd has launched its first two electric vehicles to join its London office in order to serve its pumping systems maintenance contract with Transport for London (TfL)... The two new zero emission Nissan eNV200s are some of the first all-electric commercial vehicles to be used by a TfL contractor as part of the its commitment to lower air pollution in the UK capital... And, in order to help promote further uptake of zero emission vehicles, Z-Tech is also offering free charging points at both its London and Cambridge offices, which provide fast charging points for up to two vehicles at a time... (Photo: Z-Tech’s new Nissan electric vans will help serve its pumping systems maintenance contract with Transport for London) - Cambridge,EN,UK -Air Quality News -19 Feb 2015

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Feb 26, 2015

FUTURE TRUCKS * Europe: Daimler's & Volvo's ones

* Germany - Daimler AG unveiled a prototype driverless truck
-- Introduced at last year’s International Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, Germany, this futurist commercial vehicle come with a sleek, extended tractor front and an array of LED lights that replace traditional headlights. Daimler claims it's Future Truck 2025 and could be the next generation in trucking – reducing fuel consumption and related emissions while improving safety... The big rig bristles with Highway Pilot system, enabled by a collection of cameras and radar sensors, while continuously transmitting its position to other drivers and traffic control centers. For times when it has a driver behind the wheel, the truck also has a Blind Spot Assist feature to help with lane changing and to alert drivers about other vehicles and stationary objects on the road... From a technology standpoint, anyway, driverless trucks may not be far off: Collision-Avoidance systems to help stabilize trucks when they are at risk of rolling over – and to warn drivers when they are drifting out of their lanes... For trucks already on the road, manufacturers are working to reduce idling time, which can eat up half a truck’s operational time and 8% of its fuel... These advances – particularly increased automation – could result in a major improvement in road safety. Sleepy truck drivers, bad brakes and the sheer size of tractor trailers contribute to thousands of deaths per year – 3,602 in 2013 – from truck crashes on US roadways, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety... That’s down from 3,992 deaths in truck-related crashes in 1997 and more than 4,000 in 1979. According to Eric Teoh, a senior statistician at the IIHS, some of that reduction may be due to the growing use of speed limiting devices, which, he said, may become federally mandated in the near future...


* Sweden / UK  - Volvo Trucks ‘Truck of the Future 2050 Design Competition’ Winners

-- All three category winners, plus runners-up and a good number of entrants, to the Volvo Trucks’ ‘Truck of the Future 2050 Design Competition’ recently enjoyed a visit to Volvo Group UK headquarters at Warwick... As announced in December, the winners are Luo Tong Sim (Under 11 years), Barry Llewellyn (11 to 18 years), who is from Dublin, and Rhys Guy Llewellyn (Over 18 years). The three category winners, together with the two runners-up, George Goodfellow and Robert Hunt, have been invited to Gothenburg to meet the Volvo Trucks Design Team... Most of the entrants produced their designs during the 2014 summer holidays. Many reported that they had spent several weeks producing preliminary sketches and notes about their favoured design concepts... A number of designs featured ‘autonomous’, ‘driver-less’ trucks. Alternative fuels and kinetic energy recycling also found favour. Most opted to design long-haul trucks, but Robert Hunt (runner-up, over 18 years category), produced designs for a distribution truck he dubbed FE-2050, after the Volvo FE range of rigid vehicles... (Photo: Rhys Guy Llewellyn - over 18 category winner 1 day ago Trucks) - Warwick,EN,UK -UKHAULIER -25th February 2015

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STUCK TRUCKS * Australia: Is human error to blame?

Are Melbourne truckies height challenged? 

-- With Thursday morning rush hour made all the heavier by another heavy vehicle wedged under another Melbourne bridge, we're wondering where the fault lies. Is poor signage or design to blame? Or, when it comes the crunch, is human error to blame? ... Here are some of the more traffic-stopping examples of big rigs getting stuck under bridges in and around Melbourne, and beyond...
A truck lodged under the Montague Street, South Melbourne rail bridge, in 2011.


A container truck loses its load under a railway bridge at Napier Street, Footscray, November, 2014.


A truck rolls in Spencer Street after colliding with a railway bridge.


A truck crushed under the Montague Street, South Melbourne rail bridge, 2011.


Another big rig stuck on the corner of Flinders and Spencer streets, 2011
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A garbage truck wedged under the Simpson Bridge, Warrnambool.


A truck comes a cropper at City Road Bridge in South Melbourne, November, 2013
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Police clear the scene of an accident in City Road, South Melbourne, where a truck hit the underside of a light rail bridge.


The clean-up begins after a semi-trailer loaded with rubbish hit the Flinders and Spencer streets rail bridge, February, 2010.

 (Photos by Eddie Jim; Sebastian Costanzo; Penny Stephens; Jason South; Angela Wylie; Craig Abraham; Heath Missen; Nicole Bourman; Enzo Tomasiello; Angela Milne; Mark Wilson; Joel Saget; Getty Imges)
Melbourne,VIC,Australia -The Age,  -19 Feb 2015

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New York City transportation * USA: How truckers figure into a bold plan to upgrade it

* New York - Move NY is all about the tradeoffs


-- Access to New York City comes at a heavy price for the 30,000 commercial vehicles that pick up and deliver there each day. Many truckers pay bridge tolls up to $90 only to end up stuck in traffic like everyone else. Is there a solution to city’s unique transportation challenges and, more importantly for truckers, what will it cost them? ... A group called Move NY believes it has the solution, and it’s not the one that relies on increasing truck tolls to pay for everything else... The man spearheading the effort, Sam Schwartz, says the plan actually reduces truck tolls on some bridges by 40 percent... Toll rates would be higher during peak times and lower during off-peak times under the plan. That could end up costing truckers on just-in-time schedules more money than the ones who have flexibility to wait for off-peak times to make a move... (Photo: Trucks lined Memorial Drive waiting to dump snow on the grounds) - NY,USA -Land Line, by David Tanner -19 Feb 2015

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STRIKE * India: Indian dockworkers threaten nationwide strike for early March

* Major ports to go on indefinite strike from March 9


-- A nationwide indefinite dockworker strike is planned to start March 9 in India, threatening to disrupt the country’s transport systems when port volumes see a turnaround. Labor federations, representing dockers and port workers at 12 major cargo hubs... The strike has been called against the unilateral decision of the Shipping Ministry to corporatise the country's major ports, a release by Transport and Dock Workers' Union, Mumbai said... The national coordination committee of Port Workers Federation today announced its decision to go on strike...  (Photo: A big port of India, a view of vessels at the Visakhapatnam Port) - Mumbai,India -PTI -26 Feb 2015

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STRIKE * Brazil: Trucker Protest Widens to More States

* Curitiba - Truckers press the government to cut the diesel tax
 -- Protests by truckers denouncing higher taxes on diesel fuel and low incomes spread to at least six states in Brazil over the weekend and on Monday, causing concern over potential disruptions to the flow of soybeans to ports as the country’s soy harvest is nearing its peak... Truckers blocked some highways in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Goias, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Parana on Monday, according to Brazil’s Federal Highway Police. Most of the states are big producers of soybeans... Truckers demanded that the government cut the tax on diesel fuel, which the federal government increased by 0.15 real a liter on Feb. 1. They said costs have risen too quickly, and their incomes haven’t kept up... Transport groups met with representatives of the Mato Grosso state government Friday to discuss possible solutions, and the local truckers appeared satisfied with the result... Police said the blockades have backed up traffic for miles, even with passenger vehicles allowed to go through...  (PHOTO: REUTERS - Federal police talk with protesting truck drivers on a highway in Curitiba, Brazil, on Monday) - Sao Paulo,SP,Brazil -Reuters, by JEFFREY T. LEWIS & Jacob Bunge -Feb. 23, 2015


* Sao Paulo - Brazil's main port of Santos reopened on truck strike's 8th day

 -- Brazilian police on Wednesday dispersed striking truckers to reopen access to the country's main port of Santos but the protesters' stoppage still gripped a broad swathe of the nation where most farming and industry are concentrated... Highway operator Ecovias said via Twitter that the protest on the main Anchieta highway leading to Santos, had ended and all lanes were clear... Santos police forced truckers to clear the highway but said they were maintaining a strong presence on the road for fear that protesters planned to return Wednesday afternoon... Brazilian truck drivers have been blocking roads for eight days, in protest over high fuel and toll prices, poor road quality and changes to rules governing drivers. The protests have interrupted supplies of diesel and raw materials across the country and threatened to hold up grains exports at ports during a record harvest... Rota do Oeste, the company that runs the main highway in Brazil's leading soybean state of Mato Grosso where the trucker protest started on Feb. 18, said trucks continue parked along the shoulders in several cities of the state on Wednesday... The threat has had little effect however, as the protest spread into more than 10 of Brazil's 26 states, though some roads that were totally blocked by more aggressive strikers have been opened to the flow of traffic... Trucks breaking the strike and driving through protest points are still potential targets of vandals in the grain belt... (Photo: Truckers block access to Brazil's port of Santos) Santos,SP,Brazil -Reuters (UK), by Asher Levine, Reese Ewing, Marcelo Teixeira & Alison Williams, W. Simon -Feb 25, 2015

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Canada: Surrey truckers to have their day in court

* B.C. - Federal court judge will hear arguments from lawyers representing 26 transport companies

 -- Truckers barred from Metro Vancouver ports are celebrating a small victory with news a federal court judge will hear their legal challenge... In what is believed to be unprecedented for the trucking industry, 26 companies representing over 500 experienced container truckers will receive a judicial review of Port Metro Vancouver's decision to overhaul the Transport License System (TLS)... Up to 80 companies, most of them operating in Surrey, were barred from the TLS system on Feb. 1 due to an ongoing overhaul of the trucking industry. An estimated $60 million of trucking equipment is now sitting idle and the drivers left scrambling to make ends meet... Michelle Mann, a dispatcher for Surrey's Safe Way Trucking, said the new TLS was developed without transparency, accountability or consistency, nor were the companies provided with reasons for their suspension... The suspension impacts more than just drivers, leaving mechanics, dispatchers and admin staff out of work and companies forced to shut their doors and tell their clients to find somebody else... (Photo: ADRIAN MACNAIR - Surrey truckers protest along Deltaport Way during last March's container truck strike) - Surrey,BC,Canada - SURREY NOW, by ADRIAN MACNAIR -FEBRUARY 19, 2015

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RADIO TAXI-TRUCKING INDUSTRY * India: Radio taxi company Fast Track has begun enlisting commercial vehicles for cargo transport

* Chennai based Fast Track plans a Uber like app based service for trucks


-- Stung by the high-gear drive of app-based cab aggregators, 13-year old radio taxi company Fast Track has begun enlisting commercial vehicles for cargo transport in Chennai, a market where Ola, TaxiForSure and Uber have made inroads... Fast Track belongs in the legacy crop of radio taxis that number over 10,000 in Chennai... Born in an era of the call-centre boom, its cabs are hailed mainly by call and aggregated on upfront payment by the driver each month, a model the new-age players gave a wide berth to enable quicker aggregation. To catch up with competition, Fast Track has cut charges and discounts orders that stream in through its app... The cargo transport venture being tested over the last one month has done away with the subscription method Fast Track follows in the taxi space. Commercial vehicle owners need not pay a charge each month to receive orders from Fast Track or part with a portion of earnings from transport. Its model is similar to how Ola has expanded to categories such as the auto rickshaws and the black-and-yellow cabs in Mumbai... (Photo: The cargo transport venture being tested over the last one month has done away with the subscription method Fast Track follows in the taxi space) -Chennai,India -The Economic Times, India /The New York Times (USA) -24 Feb, 2015

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DANGEROUS TRUCKERS * USA: Rogue truckers pushing the limits on highways

* Oregon -Reckless driving for better travel times, taking stimulants
-- Rogue truckers are pushing their limits and putting your safety at risk, from reckless driving for better travel times to taking stimulants to stay awake... Sergeant Yvette Shephard has been on the job with Oregon State Police for 21 years. She spends much of her day behind the wheel of her police cruiser... Her dad was a trucker; her brother is a trucker... The truckers are better on the road than average drivers: "No, I do not," she says with the hint of a smile. Most drivers are professional... But when a driver is behind the wheel of a 35-ton truck, cops say the driver's safety and the public's safety is on the line... (Photo: Sergeant Yvette Shephard approaches a rig during a KATU ride-along) - Portland,ORE,USA -KATU Problem Solver, by Shellie Bailey-Shah -Feb 23, 2015


* California - Trucker sues Police over force

-- On a September day, California truck driver Olegs Kozacenko had an encounter with the California Highway Patrol. When it was over, he had a broken arm, multiple facial fractures, Taser burns, fractured ribs and a traumatic brain injury. Now, all he wants is his day in court... Kozacenko filed suit against the two officers who stopped him Sept. 2, 2011, more than two years ago. This week his trial date...  The incident in question occurred when two California Highway Patrol officers, Andrew P. Murrill and J. Sherman, pulled Kozacenko over on Interstate 80 in Placer County, Calif. They asked to examine his license, logbook and medical card, then cited him for driving out of hours. According to Kozacenko’s complaint, Murrill incorrectly stated that truckers could only drive 10 hours in a 14-hour period, rather than 11. The complaint also alleges that Murrill searched his sleeper cab without consent... Kozacenko claims that when he asked to review the summons to appear in court before signing it, Murrill grabbed him and twisted his left arm behind his back. Then, both officers began to beat him... The lawsuit asserts that the troopers used excessive force and performed a warrantless and unreasonable search leading to “unreasonable interference with his personal liberty, physical injury, pain and suffering, humiliation, emotional distress and other injuries” ... According to the documents, Kozacenko believes the troopers acted out of malice due to his Russian and Latvian ethnicity. He claims that the officers subsequently filed false documents regarding the roadside encounter. The complaint also names several of the troopers’ superior officers, alleging that they failed to investigate the incident or discipline Murrill and Sherman... Kozacenko is seeking compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages... (Photo: A Police Officer with Baton) -Placer County,CAL,USA -Go By Truck News -February 23, 2015

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WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Winter precipitation could hamper commute across South

* Texas - More cold, snow, ice, wintry mix ...


-- Winter weather has been a problem for the trucking industry recently as storm after storm crossed the U.S.A. ... A wide swath of the country was shivering in freezing, record-breaking temperatures while other areas were expecting more winter precipitation Tuesday... A mix of snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain was expected in parts of the southern Plains and the South, where school districts in more than a half-dozen states from Texas eastward canceled or delayed classes. Even parts of the coastal Carolinas were bracing for some precipitation... Meanwhile, the East Coast was enduring colder-than-usual weather. Temperatures were well below average in many spots, and even far below zero... (Photo from The Abilene Reporter-News, by Nellie Doneva: An ambulance drives on the snow as seen through a window, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, in Abilene, Texas. Freezing rain affected travel in nearly half of Texas on Monday, and winter storm warnings were issued in the northern part of the state) -Indianápolis,IND,USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker -24 Feb 2015


* Georgia -  Officials concerned about commercial trucks ahead of winter weather

-- Emergency officials are particularly worried about big commercial trucks out on the interstates during the potential snow and ice... Much of metro Atlanta and north Georgia are under a winter storm warning from 10 a.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday... With the expected winter weather, the state is being proactive already in contact with trucking companies letting them know they could be ordered off the interstates... Truck drivers we spoke with on Tuesday night said they will take caution... If the state decides to divert truck drivers, police will likely have the drivers wait it out in area parking lots... (Photo: Why Atlanta was so ill-prepared for a snow storm that gridlocked highway traffic) - Atlanta,GA,USA -WSB TV, by Rachel Stockman -Feb. 25, 2015

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TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA: ... ELDs, speed limiters, hair testing, keep CSA public / INDUSTRY COSTS

* DC - Trucking Alliance agenda...
-- Congress and the Obama Administration can do more to help the nation’s trucking industry serve the U.S.A. economy safely and efficiently... That should be the trucking industry’s message in 2015 of the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security (Trucking Alliance) board of directors... According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were 3,602 people killed in large truck accidents in 2013, of which about 600 were truck drivers and another 100,000 people were injured, including 24,000 truck drivers... Priorities for the Alliance in 2015 include:
 • Accelerate the 2012 Congressional mandate that requires electronic logging devices (ELDs) in commercial trucks to verify on-duty truck driving hours.
 • Raise the minimum liability insurance level for trucking companies;
 • Recognize hair testing to meet federal truck driver drug testing regulations
 • Keep in public view the federal government’s safety ratings for trucking companies.
 • Support truck speed limiters and new standards for commercial vehicle safety technologies.
 • Pass long-term transportation funding that includes more money for commercial vehicle law enforcement...
(Photo: Interior of a modern truck cab) - Washington,DC,USA -The Trucker -23 Feb 2015


* Indiana - Lower fuel costs lead to Trucking Conditions Index improvement

-- The Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) improved in December, largely due to a drop in fuel costs in the month, said FTR. The December reading improved 30% month-over-month to 11.80... FTR said freight growth remained strong and contract rates continued to rise... "The market is still running pretty tight and economic growth is anticipated to stay at a solid pace. Look for truckers to be hit by both headwinds and tailwinds during 2015 but be able to stay the course” ... Bloomington,IN,USA -Fleet Owner -Feb 19, 2015

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AFTER STRIKE * USA: It will take several months for ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach

* California - Ports increasingly bustling again after tentative labor deal

-- It will take several months for ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach — the nation's largest — to clear the backlog, which swelled as the two sides quarreled over a new deal... The seaports of the West Coast went from lagging to bustling over the weekend, a process that is expected to accelerate Monday in the wake of a tentative agreement between employers and dockworkers... More than 1,000 dockworker assignments were filled Sunday at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, more than double the number of recent Sundays. More than 2,000 were expected to be filled on Monday, port officials said... At more than two dozen other West Coast ports from Washington to California work was mostly back to normal, with additional orders for labor especially at the larger ports to make up for a backlog caused by a monthlong contract dispute... (Photo) -Oakland,CAL,USA -AP/The Trucker -23 Feb 2015

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STRIKE END * USA: Tentative Contract Agreement Between the PMA and ILWU

* California - Teamsters Port Division responds to

 -- The Teamsters Port Division issued the following statement Friday evening about the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) coming to a tentative agreement after a nine month stalemate... “The truck drivers who haul containers on and off the docks at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are breathing a collective sigh of relief with the news that the ILWU and the PMA have reached a tentative contract. Because the vast majority of port truck drivers are misclassified as independent contractors, every day that the ports are shut down, the drivers have gone further into the financial hole because they are paid by the load, and – even when the port is shut down – the boss has continued to deduct the cost of the truck, insurance, and even parking of the company truck at their own yard from their paychecks. This is wage theft and it is illegal"... According to the Teamsters, a shutdown would have stalled more than 10,000 port truck drivers misclassified as “independent contractors” without pay or “apparent access to unemployment benefits” ... (Photo: Teamsters shut down truckers strike at southern California ports) - Long Beach,CAL,USA -The Long Beach Posts, by ASIA MORRIS -FEBRUARY 23 2015

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Feb 25, 2015

TRUCKERS' RULES * USA: Working on an effective driver-training rule

* DC - For more than 20 years, the Department of Transportation has attempted to produce minimum training requirements for entry-level drivers. Prior attempts have failed to pass judicial scrutiny

-- On Feb. 10, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the list of industry participants for the Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee. The first meeting stakeholders will discuss various ideas to establish minimum training requirements for future drivers and then attempt to write the regulation for these requirements. This process is called a negotiated rulemaking... In this negotiated rulemaking, FMCSA selected 26 individuals representing various industries that are connected to trucking, including the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, to “negotiate” a proposed regulation... It will focus on the following topics: 
 • Development of minimum training requirements for individuals applying for a commercial driver license for the first time or upgrading from one class of CDL to another. 
 • Determining the amount of behind-the-wheel training and classroom instruction. 
 • Gathering and providing data to quantify the costs and safety benefits of training. 
 • Accreditation versus certification of entry-level driver training programs and schools.
 • Contents of driver-training curricula, including separate course modules for motorcoach and passenger carriers, as well as hazardous materials carriers. 
 • Instructor qualifications and requirements. 
 • A performance-based approach versus a minimum hours-of-training approach, as well as simulation training and special considerations... (Photo: Not enough truckers) - Washington,DC,USA - Transport Topics, by Don Lefeve -Feb. 23 , 2015

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WORK TRUCK SOLUTION * USA: Company reduces service truck engine idle time with

* North Dakota - Butler Machinery's EnPak® power systems, adding 17 machines so far

-- For nearly six decades, Butler Machinery Company has offered equipment sales, service and product support for customers in a variety of industries, including construction, agriculture, demolition and scrap handling, mining, landscaping, power generation and on-highway trucking... To meet the wide variety of its customer needs, while also lowering fuel and operation costs, the third-generation family-owned company decided to convert its truck fleet to EnPak® power systems, adding 17 of the machines so far. The fully integrated power system for the work truck provides Butler field service technicians with an air compressor, a hydraulic pump and a generator powered by a fuel-efficient diesel engine integrated with the truck’s fuel supply and battery — all in one convenient, efficient and dependable machine. This solution provides all these jobsite capabilities with the work truck’s engine turned off... Fargo,North Dakota,USA -Millerwelds --Jan 26, 2015

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STRIKE END * USA: West Coast Ports agreement helps local trucking industry

* California - The local trucking industry can get back to work and clear a backlog of shipping containers

-- Now that negotiators in a west coast ports dispute have reached a tentative labor deal, the local trucking industry can get back to work and clear a backlog of shipping containers... An agreement between dockworkers and their employers is bringing a sigh of relief for trucking companies here at home... NevCal Trucking says their company will need to do a lot more business in a shorter period of time to clear the log jam of shipping containers. They also say they are thrilled that there will now be a whole lot more work for drivers to get imports in and exports out... The recent news of a tentative contract taking care of the cargo backup in California, has NevCal Trucking excited to get drivers back on track... A back log of hundreds of containers could keep drivers busy till late summer... A five-year deal must still be approved however, by the 13,000 members in the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. The agreement allows the ports to resume full operations... Los Angeles,CAL,USA -KTVN, by Ryan Canaday -Feb 24, 2015

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Feb 24, 2015

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Europe: Antitrust fine

* Germany -  Truckmakers face 4 bln euro E.U. antitrust fine

-- Top European truckmakers face a fine of up to 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) for operating a cartel, German daily Handelsblatt reported, citing industry sources... In November, the European Union Commission said it had sent formal charge sheets to several truck manufacturers it suspected of price fixing... Handelsblatt said the companies could be fined this year... Swedish truck maker Scania, Netherlands-based DAF and Italy's Iveco face steep fines while German truckmakers Daimler and Sweden's Volvo Trucks can hope for more lenient treatment because they cooperated with investigators, Handelsblatt said... .Volkswagen-controlled MAN may even escape prosecution because it had whistleblower status in the cartel investigation... The other companies were not immediately available to comment on the Handelsblatt report... Companies can be fined up to 10 percent of their annual revenue if the Commission concludes there is sufficient evidence of an infringement of EU rules barring cartels and the abuse of market dominance... (Photo: Trucks wear the Austrian roads out much more heavily than cars) - Frankfurt,Germany -Reuters, by Edward Taylor & Foo Yun Chee & David Clarke -Feb 23, 2015

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TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Germany / India: Daimler Trucks' - M.A.N.'s

* Germany - Daimler says it will sell more than 500,000 trucks this year, 700,000 by 2020 

-- Daimler expects truck sales to rise at least 5 percent to more than 500,000 this year and to 700,000 by 2020 due to rising demand in the U.S., helping to offset a slump in markets such as Brazil, trucks chief Wolfgang Bernhard said today...  Daimler said this year, the fourth quarter had started well, with sales jumping 45 percent... Daimler Trucks will invest 2.4 billion euros ($2.72 billion) in research and development and another 2.2 billion euros in plants and properties by 2016 to expand its dealership network in Asia and in developing a product range for emerging markets... (Photo 2014 New Daimler Trucks ) - Stuttgart,Germany -Autonews -February 23, 2015


* India - Daimler Trucks plans to have 100 dealers this year

-- In India, the further expansion of the BharatBenz sales network from 80 to 100 dealers is expected to lead to a 'significant increase' in sales... Daimler Trucks, the world's largest truck maker, as of 2014, expects to see 'strongly heterogeneous developments' in the individual markets in 2015... In the NAFTA region, an increase in the range of 10 percent is expected for the overall truck market in the medium-duty and heavy-duty segments (Class 6 to 8), whereas sales in Europe is expected to be flat. According to the company, a slight market drop is indicated for Japan and the weak period in Brazil will persist. A decrease in the range of 10 percent is expected compared with the previous year...  - Sriperumbudur Taluk,Kancheepuram District,Tamil Nadu,India -Autocar Professional -Feb 23, 2015


* Germany - MAN in talks on capacity cuts at German truck plants

-- Germany's MAN SE is in talks on cutting production capacity at its core truck and bus division as demand for heavy-duty commercial vehicles falls further, company sources said... Volkswagen-owned MAN is talking to labour representatives about realigning capacity at German plants in Munich and Salzgitter and a plant in Steyr, Austria... The restructuring could lead to job losses at the three factories which together employ about 13,000 workers, they said. But there are no plans for outright dismissals, they added... VW, Europe's largest automotive group, is pushing plans to integrate its truck divisions MAN and Sweden-based Scania under new trucks ... MAN said last May it would shut its sole bus factory in Germany and shift production to lower-wage Turkey, aiming to move assembly of coaches and public-service buses from a plant in Plauen, Saxony to Ankara by March... Berlin,Germany -Reuters, by Andreas Cremer & Irene Preisinger & Kirsti Knolle -Feb 16, 2015

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Feb 23, 2015

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Sweden: Good News for Volvo Owners /

* The manufacturer announced newly extended maintenance intervals

-- Volvo owners got some good news when the manufacturer announced newly extended maintenance intervals for many of its trucks. With less maintenance to keep up with, owners can save thousands of dollars over the life of the truck... The longer intervals apply to diesel engine oil and diesel particulate filters on all model year 2011 and newer Volvo trucks with a Volvo D11, D13 or D16 engine... Under the new intervals, long haul, regional haul and heavy haul operations can all run an additional 10,000 miles on engine oil and filters. That puts the intervals at 45,000 for long haul, 35,000 for regional and 25,000 miles for heavy haul. The intervals only apply as long as owners use engine oils that meet Volvo’s VDS-4 standard. The manufacturer also stipulated that when idle time is greater than 30 percent, operators should comply with the next shorter interval... Stockholm,Sweden -Go By Truck News -February 20, 2015


* Volvo posts surprise fall in Jan truck shipments as Brazil weighs

-- Volvo's deliveries plunged 66 percent in South America in January compared to the 21 percent fall seen by analysts... Total trucks shipments fell 4 percent year-on-year, while the mean forecast in a Reuters poll of analysts was for deliveries at the maker of Volvo, Mack, UD Trucks and Renault trucks to rise 10 percent year-on-year... Volvo said deliveries rose 1 percent in its biggest market, Europe, while they were up 14 percent in North America and 3 percent in Asia... Analysts had expected an increase of 4 percent in Europe, 20 percent in North America and 13 percent in Asia... Volvo said deliveries in North America were boosted by continuously high demand due to fleet renewal and a healthy economy... (Photo: A heavy duty loaded VOLVO truck) -Stockholm,Sweden -Reuters -Feb 19, 2015

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