Trucks World News: November 2015

DRONES & DRIVERLESS TRUCKS * UK: Royal Mail wants to use they

* England - Chief executive Moya Greene said the modern technology requires less manpower and could improve the service

-- Letters and parcels could soon be moved around the country by driverless vans or delivered to your door by drone, according to Royal Mail’s chief executive Moya Greene... US tech giants Amazon and Google have been experimenting with drone deliveries, while Swiss Post has actually started delivering parcels with pilotless aircraft... Now, Royal Mail is looking at following suit. Those in the countryside are likely to be the first to experience the service, Ms Greene told the CBI's annual conference, if the plans do materialise... She added that Royal Mail is still able to innovate despite its enormous size, the burden of regulation and its very long history...
(Photo Handout: Driverless trucks and drone deliveries could mean fewer actual posties like Postman Pat will be needed in future) -- London, EN, UK -The Telegraph, by Tim Wallace - 9 Nov 2015

Labels: techno trucking, trucking industry news UK

A GLAMOROUS DRIVER * UK: "Trucker o the Year"

* Derbyshire - Nail technician mum turns trucker of the year

-- A glamorous mum who switched her career as a nail technician to become a lorry driver after a DARE says she is ‘delighted’ – after being crowned Trucker of the Year... Mum-of-three Kara Rouse, of South Normanton, received the accolade this week after scooping nominations from people across the country... Kara, 41, said she began her heavy-duty career just over four years ago... Kara’s career – and sense of humour – has earned her a loyal following. She has more than 15,000 people liking her Facebook page and has even appeared on television... Despite Kara’s success, few women dare follow in her tyre tracks... Kara has won a Virgin Experience Gift Card, a feature in Trucking Magazine and the title of first-ever Trucker of the Year...
(Photo: Mum-of-three Kara Rouse has been crowned Trucker of the Year) -- South Normanton, Derbyshire, UK - Boston Advertiser, by Dan Hobson - 9 Nov 2015

Labels: women truckers

DANCING WITH THE DEATH * Russia: Driving a 15 ton truck on the highway

* Watch this truck driver narrowly avoiding an accident

(Video "Awesome!/супер!", by Видео - Nov 2, 2015)

-- You don’t need to drive a racing car to showcase your fast reaction times, and this almost terrifying video proves it... At first you might think that this truck driver is fed up with the slow traffic in front of him and goes for a gap between the cars on the other lane, but it seems that he was just narrowly avoiding a clumsy driver who decided to stop at a standstill on the highway... Driving a lorry isn’t an easy job, and truck-drivers need a fair amount of skill and focus to control – even at low speeds – a 15+ ton behemoth, specially when other uncoordinated or ignorant motorists make their life harder with every silly maneuver they pull – like in this video... The van driver decided to merge out of his lane way to late, at the most inappropriate time, to take a right turn; needless to say, the guy got hampered by a bus to the point he almost stopped completely. That’s not a very pleasant scenario for a truck-driver that’s traveling closely, at 90 km/h, unaware of the van driver’s foolish intentions... Lucky for both of them, the trucker figured out – quite fast – what’s about to happen and pulled the mother-load of all evasive maneuvers, narrowly missing other innocent motorists...
Carscoop (USA), by Bogdan Zoltan - November 6, 2015

Labels: dangerous truckers

DANGEROUS TRUCKERS * USA: Texting while driving a truck

* Massachussets - I-Team: Police have trouble cracking down on texting truckers

-- The dangers of texting and driving are well documented and well understood. Those risks are even greater for truckers and that is why they face tougher laws, but the I-Team found many truckers are not getting the message. Even more troubling, police say it’s difficult to stop them... The reason is that 80,000 pounds make it difficult to stop a truck and that is why drivers behind the wheel of large commercial trucks are required to be completely hands free. No calling. No texting, nothing. But the I-Team found truckers routinely driving with their phones in hand, eyes clearly on their screens and not on the road. We spent several hours standing on overpasses over 128 and 93 and we saw truck after truck violating the law... Despite those challenges, the I-Team saw first-hand the extent of the problem. While on patrol with Trooper Tucker, we watched as he ticketed three drivers in a short period of time. The last driver had just been ticketed in New York for texting a few hours earlier. After running his information, Trooper Tucker discovered a long list of violations that put the driver in jeopardy of losing his right to operate. Such drivers pose another challenge for law enforcement. According to Tucker, drivers can apply for a new DOT number under a different company name and be back on the road...
Boston, MASS, USA - CBS Boston/WBZ-TV's, by Lauren Leamanczyk - Nov 9, 2015

Labels: dangerous truckers

TRUCK SALES* Australia: October heavy truck sales remain steady

* ACT - The van category was 18.9 per cent above the record 2014 result

-- New truck sales data by the Truck Industry Council (TIC) showed that cab chassis and prime mover sales during October were slightly down on September, but up on a year-to-date basis... According to TIC, cab chassis and prime mover sales during October came in at 2,320 units – slightly down from the 2,430 figure in September and the 2,457 result achieved during the same month a year ago... However, the year-to-date total of 21,535 units was 164 up on the same period last year, leading TIC to expect a growth of just 0.8 per cent for 2015... The van category maintained its remarkable growth pace despite a slight decline over September, with the boom in parcel deliveries and demands from trades pushing the YTD to 4,545 vans – which was 18.9 per cent above the record 2014 result...
Canberra, ACT, Australia - Prime Mover Magazine - 6th, November 2015

Labels: truck sales

TRUCKING MARKETS * Australia - New study compares road freight movements in all the country

* ACT - Two billion tonnes of freight over a distance of 17 billion kilometres in the 12 months

-- The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the results of a new study on road freight movements in Australia... The report showed that articulated and rigid trucks in Australia moved over two billion tonnes of freight over a distance of 17 billion kilometres in the 12 months to October 2014... In the same timeframe, the road transport network in Australia accounted for an estimated total of 195,619 million tonne-kilometres... Of the total tonne-kilometres travelled on roads by articulated and rigid trucks in Australia, 25.9 per cent originated in New South Wales, followed by Queensland (22.8 per cent), Victoria (20.2 per cent) and Western Australia (18.2 per cent)... Over 95 per cent of the total tonnes carried by road were carried within the same state of origin and destination, according to Amanda Clark from the ABS. For all states and territories of origin, less than 11.5 per cent of the total tonnes carried were for interstate freight movements... General freight was the major commodity moved by road in Australia, accounting for 22.4 per cent of all tonne-kilometres travelled. Food (animal or human consumption) was the next highest contributor with 15.6 per cent, followed by sand, stone and gravel with 9.5 per cent... According to the ABS, the study – which was funded by government transport agencies – is providing industry with the first large-scale snapshot of road freight movements since its last freight movement survey in 2002. It provides estimates of freight moved by road for the period 1 November 2013 to 31 October 2014...
Canberra, ACT, Australia - Prime Move Magazine - 5th, November 2015

Labels: trucking markets worldwide

BUROCRACY DELAYS * Australia: Long wait for trucking to get permits approved

* ACT - Most delays due to the regulator waiting on local and state governments

-- Many trucking operators are still having to wait weeks for heavy vehicle access applications to be approved, due in large part to state and local governments... Figures contained in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) 2014-15 annual report show permit processing timeframes are still sluggish under the Heavy Vehicle National Law... The report says it took an average of 23.48 days last financial year to process permit applications, but only 4.34 days of this was due to the NHVR... Most of the time taken to approve permits stemmed from the regulator having to wait for local and state authorities to provide consent for a truck to access their roads... Under the HVNL, local and state governments must give their consent for access before the NHVR can begin processing the relevant permit... The HVNL sets a 28-day limit for local and state authorities to provide their consent... The regulator's annual report says local governments took an average of seven days to provide consent when doing so within 28 days, but it is a different story for state governments... State road agencies granted 704 consents after the 28-day limit and averaged 65 days in doing so, while the average for local governments after 28 days was 59.9 days (813 consents)...
Canberra, ACT, Australia - Owner Driver, by Brad Gardner - 9 Nov 2015

Labels: bureaucratic affairs

TRUCKMAKER NEWS * Malaysia: Entrepreneur making cement mixer trucks

* Selangor - And without an engineering background, neither capital nor equipment

-- It’s been one long uphill climb for Chai Yoon Choong, who went into the business of making cement mixer trucks in 1997 with no engineering qualification and hardly any capital. But he’s still standing today and still delivering... You would need self-belief by the truckload and maybe a litre of Kool-Aid to do what Datuk Chai Yoon Choong, 48, did — get into the engineering business without an engineering background. And with neither capital nor equipment... The managing director of Budikon Power Sdn Bhd left school after Form Three, taking up various odd jobs from being a hawker to a production supervisor at a plastic plant. You could say he found his calling when he worked alongside his brother at a company that fabricated construction equipment and traded in concrete mixer trucks... It was during this time in the 1990s that Chai got involved in a project by the company to manufacture mixer trucks. The idea was to take one such vehicle apart and try to figure it out. Chai was happy to tinker away at it... Ambitious as it was, the project was successful, and the company began making mixer trucks... For Chai, there are still challenges to overcome. The biggest today would be the increasing cost of doing business with the GST and the depreciating ringgit. With the economy slowing down now, he has had to reduce prices to remain competitive... Only time will tell if he will pull through again...
(Photo by YAP CHEE HONG/The Star - Chai and a mixer truck his company makes) -- Rawang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia - The Star, by LIM WING HOOI - 9 Nov 2015

Labels: truckmakers news worldwide

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * USA: Natural gas for trucks

* Ohio - AFV taking long view during trying times

-- Just two years ago, Twinsburg-based AFV Natural Gas Fuel Systems was a brand new company in a burgeoning industry... It posted a profit in its first year, as it and the nation rushed to convert trucks and other vehicles from gasoline and diesel fuel to cheaper natural gas... Today, with gasoline and diesel fuel prices down sharply from their previous highs, the luster is gone from that industry, at least temporarily... But AFV remains — and says that like many of the fleet operators that rely on its fuel systems to make their trucks go, it’s in business for the long haul...
(Photo by CONTRIBUTED PHOTO - AFV associate Will Calhoun works at a pressure-testing station that analyzes natural gas fuel assemblies before they are shipped to customers) -- Twinsburg, OH, USA - Crains Cleveland, by DAN SHINGLER - November 08, 2015

Labels: natural gas trucks

GARBAGE TRUCKS' VIDEO - USA. "Garbage Trucks: On Route, In Action!"

* New York - Garbage trucks compilation video by Bryn Erdman

Video by Thrash 'N' Trash Productions - Mar 27, 2015: ... Bryn Erdman said ... "So by popular demand, here is another garbage truck compilation video! This video features a wide variety of all different kinds of garbage trucks, all doing what they do best: picking up trash! You'll see rear loaders, side loaders, front loaders, automated trucks, and even a couple of curb-sort recycle trucks! This video will be sure to keep everyone entertained, from the youngest garbage trucks fans, to fellow adult garbage truck enthusiasts like myself, there's plenty of action! For those who regularly follow my videos, you'll even see a few new trucks that haven't had their "feature video" uploaded yet! ... Still, Erdman isn’t resting on his archives. By now he has filmed garbage trucks on route in Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho, but he told me about his big dreams: “My ultimate goal is to film garbage trucks in all 50 states!” ...
NY, USA - The NY Mag, By Allison Gibson - 5 Nov 2015

Labels: trucking garbage

STRIKE * Brazil: Government working to stop trucker strike

Sao Paulo - Government scrambling to block planned strike for Monday

-- The government of Brazil is scrambling to block a strike planned by independent truck drivers for Monday... Drivers want a reduction in the taxation of diesel fuel and the scrapping of fines imposed on them for the previous strike and “spontaneous roadblocks” carried out during a two-week period back in February. They also want the government to provide “soft loans” with subsidized interest rates... Brazil’s prime minister, Dilma Rousseff, has sent Ricardo Berzoini, of the government secretariat, and Justice Minister Eduardo Cardozo to enter talks with truckers’ representatives and also to monitor their movements in the run-up to Monday. A strike would hurt the economy and deal another blow to Rousseff who has been reeling from backlash over the ailing economy and corruption allegations... The Comando Nacional do Transporte, or National Transport Command, claims to speak for some of the independent truck drivers and is among those voices calling for the strike. The group has links to Movimento Brasil Livre (MBL, or Free Brazil Movement) and Revoltados On Line (the On Line Disgusted), which are social media movements trying to bring down the Rousseff government...
Santos, S.P., Brazil - J.O.C., by Rob Ward - Nov 05, 2015

Labels: truckers' strikes, trucking industry news Brazil

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Australia - To be overcharged $500M in registration and fuel fees

* ACT - CASH GRAB: Transport ministers ignore calls to stop overtaxing trucking operators

-- Governments will collect $515 million more than they should from the trucking industry over the next two years... The nation’s transport ministers have delivered a slap in the face to the trucking industry by agreeing to overcharge operators by more than $500 million in registration and fuel fees... Transport ministers met today as part of the Transport and Infrastructure Council to discuss heavy vehicle charges and decided to stick with the existing system despite knowing it has led to trucking operators paying too much... A communique from the meeting says registration and fuel fees "will be adjusted appropriately during this period"...
Australian Capitol Territory, Australia - Owner Driver, by Brad Gardner - 6 Nov 2015

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * Russia: New federal highway tolls

* Moscow - Highway tolls to raise Russia trucking costs

-- Trucking companies hauling more than 12 tonnes (13.2 tons) in Russia will have to pay new federal highway tolls starting Nov. 15 that could increase transport costs up to 15 percent... Much of 3.73 ruble ($0.05) per kilometer charge will likely be passed onto shippers, but it could bankrupt some trucking companies that aren’t able to pass the added cost onto customers... Several Russian shipping companies specializing in trucking are considering submitting a petition to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev asking to him block the controversial decision... The average profit trucking since the third quarter of 2014 is estimated at only 3-4 percent and the introduction of charges will make it unprofitable, said Anton Noskov, deputy general director of Milarin, one of Russia’s leading container haulers... The situation is aggravated by the decline in freight rates that has averaged 30 percent this year, compared to 2014. For example, the rate for transporting one container by truck from Moscow to St. Petersburg has fallen from 60,000 rubles to 40,000 rubles... If the government pushes ahead with the plan and refuses to reduce the charge, shippers plan to start protesting when the tax takes effect. The government expects the tax will bring in an additional 40 billion rubles for the federal budget in 2016...
Moscow, Russia - J.O.C., by Eugene Gerden - Nov 05, 2015

Labels: trucking industry news Russia

* USA CONGRESS: APROVED: Tennage truck drivers - DISCOURAGED: To increase limits on truck weight

* DC - US trucking industry wins one battle in Congress, loses another

-- The U.S. trucking industry won one battle, but lost another in Congress this week. Lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed legislation that cleared the way for teenage truck drivers after killing an effort to increase current limits on truck weight... The lower chamber rejected an amendment to a $325 billion highway bill that would have eliminated language lowering the minimum age for truck drivers from 21 to 18. That bill passed Thursday with the language lowering the minium driver age intact... Opponents of lowering the driving age, however, argued that the proposal to lower the minimum age needs more evidence that teenage drivers are just as safe as their older counterparts. They called for further review from the U.S. Department of Transportation... Industry enthusiasm for the language lowering the minimum age for drivers came after an upset earlier in the week when lawmakers rejected an amendment to the $325 billion, six-year highway bill that would have ostensibly increased weight restrictions for trucks on the road. The proposal was rejected in a House floor vote Tuesday... The amendment would have allowed states to decide whether they want to increase the current limit of 80,000 pounds for cargo trucks to 91,000 pounds so long as trucks have an additional sixth axle...
Washington, DC, USA - J.O.C., by Reynolds Hutchins - Nov 05, 2015

Labels: rules and regulations, trucking industry news US

TECHNO TRUCKING * USA: A new solution for trucking Cos.

* Georgia - TIEMAC Is a SaaS platform for the trucking industry

-- For an industry generating $650 billion a year in revenue, its surprising how little innovation there is in the trucking business. Launched at last year’s TC Atlanta Meetup, TIEMAC is trying to buck this trend with its end-to-end cloud-based solution for trucking companies... The platform offers real-time tracking technology that allows a trucking company to track and monitor every aspect of its fleet... This is accomplished by connecting a GPS and LTE-enabled diagnostic device to the truck’s CAN-Bus port. Data is then collected and sent to the cloud, allowing trucking companies to remotely monitor and manages vehicle loads and drivers, as well as automatically performs invoicing and cost control... The company’s software solution comprises of different modules that monitor things like load and dispatch, invoice management, driver management, and more. When combined, these modules allow trucking companies to essentially monitor every aspect of the business...
Monroe, GA, USA - Tech Crunh, by Fitz Tepper - Nov 3, 2015

Labels: techno trucking

TRUCK SALES * USA: New orders for tractor-trailers fell 45% in October

* NY - Trucking companies scale back fleet purchases on tepid demand

-- Orders for new tractor-trailers plummeted in October, typically a bellwether month for commercial transportation equipment, as trucking companies contended with depressed freight rates, flagging demand and excess capacity... Trucking companies placed orders for 25,000 new Class 8 trucks, the heavy-duty trucks that are the backbone of domestic freight shipping, according to the FTR transportation research group... That was down 45% from October 2014, although 30% higher than September. ACT Research, another transportation data firm, reported almost identical numbers for Class 8 vehicles... Stifel analysts attributed the soft orders result to softer freight volumes, falling prices for used tractors, lower average equipment ages, lower diesel prices, which reduce truckers’ incentive to upgrade to the newest, most fuel-efficient vehicles and high inventories of trucks that have been built, but not yet sold. Stifel predicts annual production of Class 8 trucks will fall to 280,000 in 2016 from 330,000 in 2015...
(PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS - Analysts said the weak orders in October, a critical month for purchases, signal trucking companies will restrain capacity growth in 2016) -- New York, NY, USA - The WSJ, by ROBBIE WHELAN - Nov. 4, 2015

Labels: truck sales

TIRE MAKER NEWS * Europe: Michelin to close European plants

* France - Michelin to close several European tire facilities

-- Michelin is set to close a number of tire production facilities in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, cutting more than 1,600 jobs and postponing a project to add earthmover tire capacity in India... The French tire maker said the decision to consolidate the businesses was in response to slowdown in the European new and retread truck tires market... The tire maker will reorganize activities in the United Kingdom and in Italy, which in addition to site closures, will include an investment of $290 million to modernize production and the logistics network in these countries...
(Photo: International Tire Manufacturing Michelin's plant in Ballymena, Northern Ireland) -- CLERMONT-FERRAND, France - The European Rubber Journal, by Shahrzad Pourriahi - 3 Nov 2015

Labels: tiremakers news

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Australia:

* NSW - Startling one-off concept truck crawls into the Tokyo Truck Show

-- Fuso has unveiled a concept truck inspired by a spider at the Tokyo Motor Show, fitted with boom cranes and earthmoving attachments... The Fuso Spider has eight limbs, the truck maker says, with four outriggers providing stability and four articulated cranes capable of fitting a number of attachments, and moving side to side and up and down... The concept on show in Japan has a post-hole auger, a bale grapple, a log grapple, and a bucket attached; a bulbar; four driving lights; and a red and black paint scheme... Fuso also showed off a highway cargo hauling version of the Super Great truck and a Canter Eco Hybrid Power Supply Vehicle concept truck capable of supplying power in emergency situations...
(Photo: The FUSO Spider truck) -- Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia - ATN - 6 Nov 2015

Labels: truckmakers news Australia

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS USA: * Paccar's - Mack Trucks' layoffs - * Reading Truck Body

* Mississippi - PACCAR may add equipment, jobs

-- The world’s fifth largest truck maker could be expanding capacity at its Lowndes County plant, creating about 20 jobs... Scott Blue, the manager of PACCAR’s truck engine manufacturing and assembly plant, says the 420,000-square-foot plant already has positions for new machining equipment. It’s just discussing how much capacity it needs to add... The 5-year-old plant employs 520 people and turns out 140 engines a day. Low fuel prices continue to help the trucking and freight business from top to bottom, despite the fact that new EPA emissions regulations in the last seven years have added $20,000 to the price of each truck... PACCAR has posted profits for 76 straight years and since 2004, has gained market share in the U.S. every year. It now has 29 percent of the domestic truck market... Its engines are built to last a million miles on the road... The Lowndes County plant's safety record tops national averages for the industry and its the safest plant among more than 30 PACCAR operates. It's also environmentally riendly, recycling or reusing every product and scrap, sending nothing to landfills...
Columbus, MISS, USA - WTVA, by Steve Rogers - Nov. 3, 2015

* Pennsylvania - Layoffs likely to hit Mack Trucks

-- Mack Trucks' assembly plant in the Lehigh Valley likely will be hit with layoffs, though the extent of the planned reduction is not yet known... Mack expects the heavy-duty truck market to decline about 10 percent in 2016 and needs to adapt production at its Lehigh Valley operations to meet market demands, Mack spokeswoman Kim Pupillo said in an email. "It's too soon to say how many employees will be affected, but as soon as we do quantify the impact, we'll be communicating it to our employees first," she said... Several industry analysts expect heavy-duty truck production to peak this year. In a recent report, Stifel Financial Corp. estimates North American heavy-duty truck production will decline about 15 percent next year...
(Photo by CHRIS SHIPLEY / THE MORNING CALL: A July 1 file photo of Mack's plant in Lower Macungie, where 1,870 work. Layoffs are likely there in the coming months, as Mack plans to adapt its employment needs to better fit market demands) -- Lower Macungie Township, PENN, USA - The Morning Call, by Jon Harris and Anthony Salamone

* Pennsylvania - Poindexter buys Reading Truck Body

-- J. B. Poindexter & Co. Inc. acquired work-truck body maker Reading Truck Body, in a transaction that closed October 30... Reading Truck Body includes Reading Truck Body, LLC, which has a manufacturing plant in Reading, PA, and five company-owned installation facilities operating as Reading Equipment &Distribution, LLC. Reading will operate as an independent business unit within JBPCO... J. B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. is a privately-held, diversified manufacturing company, with operating subsidiaries engaged in producing commercial truck and van bodies, step-vans, funeral coaches, limousines, pickup-truck bed enclosures and tonneau covers, precision machined components and expandable foam plastics...
Reading, PENN, USA - For Constructions Pros - NOV 3, 2015

Labels: truckmakers' news USA

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * Germany: MAN's

* Bavaria - MAN to extend its product range by light commercial vehicle MAN TGE

-- MAN Truck & Bus is to extend its already comprehensive product range of vehicles with the introduction of a new light commercial van and thus becomes a full range supplier offering commercial vehicles between 3 and 44 tons... Designated as MAN TGE, the new range of MAN light commercial vehicles was developed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and will be built together with its twin Volkswagen Crafter in the newly-built plant in Wrzesnia, Poland. This cooperation is expected by both brands to create strategic benefits in acquiring new groups of customers...
Munich, Bavaria, Germany- Irish Trucker - 3 November 2015

Labels: truckmakers news Germany

OSHA A CAPTURED AGENCY?... * USA: ... by Trucking Cos. & Airlines... ?

* California - Has Occupational Safety and Health Administration become a captured agency by the companies it is supposed to regulate?

(You Tube Video, by laborvideo - Nov 1, 2015)

-- The fired Federal OSHA investigator and lawyer Darrell Whitman looks at how the agency has failed to stand up to the biggest companies in the airline and trucking industry. He also talks about how the industry controls the agency so it will not hold them accountable to OSHA and health and safety regulations. This has been combined with the affects of privatization, deregulation and outsourcing of Federal jobs by privateers... He looks at FedEx, Lockheed and other companies that are flagrantly violating the health and safety rights of workers and also threatening the health and safety of the public. Too, violated health and safety rules along with retaliation against whistleblowers and gotten away with it by the failure of OSHA to enforce the rules protecting health and safety whistleblowers. This threatens these whistleblowers and the public who is being put in deadly danger... This interview was done in February 2015. On May 5, 2015 Whitman was fired by the Agency management and he and the whistleblowers he was trying to defend after receiving merit recommendations are still fighting for justice... Darrell Whitman accuses the FedEx corporation of systemic corruption and flagrant violations of health and safety regulations along with retaliation against OSHA whistleblowers. According to Whitman they operate above the law and the OSHA management allow them to violate the health and safety retaliation protection laws...
San Francisco, CAL, USA - indybay.org - 2 Nov 2015

Labels: complaints

TRUCKER WIN GOVERNOR NOMINATION * USA: Robert Gray from Mississippi

* Mississippi - Trucker on longshot quest to unseat as GOP governor

-- Robert Gray, the long-haul truck driver who surprised even himself by winning the Democratic nomination for Mississippi governor, was allotted 10 minutes to try to persuade state Chamber of Commerce members they should support him rather than Republican Gov. Phil Bryant in Tuesday’s election... Unlike politicians who spend years hearing their own voices echo in legislative chambers and banquet halls, Gray stops talking when he runs out of things to say - perhaps appropriate for a man whose CB handle is “Silent Knight” ... If he becomes governor, 46-year-old Gray will complete one of the most remarkable and unexpected treks of Mississippi political history... He won the Democratic primary in August without spending a dime and without even voting for himself because he said he was busy running errands that day... Gray has spent about $3,000 on his campaign in the past three months, and said he has parked his rig to focus on campaigning... Present Gov. Bryant has spent $2.7 million this year and still has $1.4 million in the bank... “Truck driver Robert Gray is a novelty candidate and seems to be a nice fellow, but he’s totally unequipped to serve as the state’s chief executive officer,” one newspaper, The Greenwood Commonwealth, wrote in a decidedly lukewarm endorsement of Bryant for a second term... Still, during his low-key campaign appearances around the state, Gray has been talking about substantive issues like expanding Medicaid and putting more state money into education. Those issues resonate with voters such as Jackie Andrews of Byram, who said she wants Mississippi to overcome its perpetual struggles with poverty and health problems... Andrews said she disagrees with Bryant’s steadfast opposition to expanding Medicaid under the federal health overhaul that President Barack Obama signed into law...
(AP Photo, by Rogelio V. Solis - 7, Oct 2015 - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Robert Gray speaks about his campaign during a visit to the state Capitol in Jackson, Miss. Gray, the long-haul truck driver who surprised even himself by winning the Democratic nomination for Mississippi governor, continues his unlikely quest to unseat Republican Gov. Phil Bryant that will culminate with the election Tuesday) -- Jackson, MISS, USA - Associated Press/The Washington Times, by EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS - November 1, 2015

Labels: truckers' story

MOTOR TRANSPORT AGREEMENTS: * The Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal - ** India with Myanmar, Thailand. Motor Vehicles Agreement

* West Bengal - Kolkata, Dhaka, Agartala cargo transport trial run flagged off

-- A trial run of cargo transport between Kolkata and Agartala through Dhaka, reducing the distance by nearly two-thirds, was flagged off today as part of the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional initiative for uninterrupted cargo movement... The BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement would mean that there would not be any requirement of transshipment of cargo at international borders between the countries and vehicles of each country would run uninterrupted through these countries through designated corridors...
(Photo by Ashoke Chakrabarty - The trial-cum-pilot run of the cargo vehicle on the Kolkata-Dhaka- Agartala route being flagged off in Kolkata on Sunday. Vijay Chhibber, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Principal Secretary, Transport Department, West Bengal, and other dignitaries were present) -- Kolkata, WB, India - PTI/The Economic Times - 1 Nov, 2015

** India to sign Motor Transport Agreement with Myanmar, Thailand

-- India is set to sign a motor transport agreement with Myanmar and Thailand for seamless movement of cargo among these countries next year... Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary, Vijay Chhibber, talk after flagging off the trial-run of a cargo vehicle under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) this it's a sub-regional initiative for uninterrupted cargo movement... The signing of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) agreement on the lines of the BBIN initiative, which will throw open seamless movement of cargo, passenger and private vehicles would give a huge boost to economic activities among these countries in the region...
New Delhi, NB, India - The Northeast Today - November 02, 2015

Labels: cargo transport, union agreements

POLLUTION TAX * India: Paid by trucks entering Delhi

* Delhi - Trucks entering Delhi to pay pollution tax from Sunday

-- Trucks entering Delhi from neighbouring states will have to pay Rs700-Rs1,300 each as pollution tax from November 1 as the Supreme Court today rejected a plea for postponing its introduction by a month... The contractor, SMYRLLP, said it had no infrastructure to collect the new tax, which would be known as “Environment Compensation Charge", at the 173 toll booths it was running for charging the already existing levies... The Centre and the Delhi government objected to the company’s plea as they had issued the notification on October 20 and any delay in charging the new tax would defeat the purpose of minimising vehicular pollution in the national capital... The Bench, however, issued notice to the two governments seeking their detailed response to the company’s contentions, but refused to defer implementation of its order for the collection of the tax — Rs700 each per entry for categories 2 (light vehicles) and 3 (2 axle trucks) and Rs 1,300 for categories 4 (3 axle trucks) and 5 (4 axle trucks and above)... -(1 dollar = 65 Rupies)-
New Delhi,India - The Tribune India - October 30, 2015

Labels: pollution tax

TRUCKS RECALL USA: Macks' & Volvo's

* North Carolina - Macks recalled for engine problems
-- More than 3,000 Mack trucks with Cummins Westport ISL G natural gas-powered engines have been recalled due to an issue with the oil supply line. The turbocharger oil supply line may come into contact with the other components of the engine, causing an oil leak and raising the risk of a fire. The recall is specific to Mack trucks...
Greensboro, NC, USA - Go by Truck - 31 Oct 2015

* North Carolina - Volvo recalls VNs for ECM Issues
-- Volvo Trucks North America has recalled certain 2016 Volvo VN trucks manufactured Aug. 13, 2015. The affected trucks have Cummins engines with an engine control module that may short circuit, blowing a fuse and causing the engine to stall...
Greensboro, NC, USA - Go by Truck - 31 Oct 2015

Labels: trucks recalls

TRAILER MAKERS * USA: Wabash National Corp.

* Indiana - Wabash National to introduce advanced design truck body line

-- Wabash National Corporation today announced it will introduce its first line of high-performance dry and refrigerated truck bodies at the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Distribution Solutions Conference in Phoenix. The truck bodies are designed to reduce fleets’ maintenance costs, enhance productivity and maximize the life of equipment... Leveraging decades of innovation leadership in the semi-trailer market, with more than 200 patents worldwide, Wabash National’s engineers have combined fleet-proven equipment designs with advanced materials to create a line of high-performance refrigerated and dry freight truck bodies for Class 6, 7 and 8 chassis... Wabash National’s refrigerated truck bodies are constructed using state-of-the-art bonding assembly technology combined with a revolutionary patent-pending composite panel, providing up to 25% improvement in thermal efficiency when compared to conventional designs. This advanced design also reduces weight by as much as 15 percent, all without sacrificing strength and durability... The company’s dry truck bodies are constructed, and fleet-proven for heavy-duty freight applications for nearly 20 years. The truck bodies also incorporate semi-trailer grade components and designs for added performance and longevity...
Lafayette, IND, USA - Go by Truck - Oct. 26, 2015

Labels: trailer makers news

TRUCKS SAFETY REGULATIONS * USA: Longer and heavy trucks plus young drivers: Alloweds?

* DC - Trucking fights rev up as House preps highway bill

-- Fights over a host of proposed changes to truck safety regulations are heating up as the House is preparing to move a long-term highway funding bill next week... Truck companies are pushing saetyCongress to increase a current limit of 28-foot trailers on trucks that carry two loads to rigs that are 33 feet long apiece in an upcoming highway funding bill. They are also asking lawmakers to increase the cap on the weight of trucks from 80,000 to 91,000 pounds... Other proposals include a move to lower the minimum age of trucks drivers from 21 years of age to 18 and tweaks to trucker work scheduling rules... Safety groups are opposing all the moves, arguing that longer and heavier trucks and young drivers who are allowed to work more hours will make U.S. roads less safe... The House is expected to vote on the highway bill as early as Tuesday once it clears the Rules Committee on Monday...
Washington, DC, USA - The Hill, by Keith Laing - 30 Oct 2015

Labels: safety trucks

TRUCK INDUSTRY * Australia - Heavy charges concerns raised

* A. Capitol Territory - Trucking urges transport ministers to be fair when they discuss heavy vehicle charges

-- Transport ministers should agree to lower heavy vehicle fees next financial year to make up for years of overcharging, according to the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA)... The lobby group has put forward its proposal for registration and fuel charges ahead of a crucial meeting this week that will decide fees for the 2016-2017 financial year... Australia’s transport ministers will gather on November 6 to discuss charges, which ALRTA president Kevin Keenan says are currently far above what industry should be paying... The NTC proposed changes to the existing charging system in 2014 to prevent the trucking industry being charged too much, but transport ministers decided to delay implementation until July 1 next year...
(Photo: The trucking industry is being overcharged more than $200 million, according to the ALRTA) -- Canberra, ACT, Australia - Fully Loaded - 2 Nov 2015

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

ELECTRIC TRUCKMAKERS * Europe: Canters pass the 100km range

* Portugal - Fuso trial reports 64 per cent cost reductions and zero vehicle CO2 emissions

("The Canter E-CELL – completion of a Portuguese customer trial", from FUSO Trucks Europe - Jul 31, 2015: One year after the hand-over of eight FUSO Canter E-CELL to selected customers, the trials for the battery-electric-powered “Zero CO²” vehicle were officially completed in Portugal on June 30, 2015. The capabilities of these electrically-powered light-duty trucks were put to the test under a wide range of conditions proving that the Canter E-CELL is adequate for everyday use in short range delivery and inner city transportation -Music "Make Merry" by Amphibious Zoo Music/iTunes)
-- Daimler’s European Fuso arm has completed a 12-month field trial of Canter E-Cell electric trucks in Portugal, reporting a 64 per cent reduction in operating costs and no CO2 emissions on site... The trail monitored the daily performance of eight vehicles, each with platforms and box bodies, operated by couriers, freight forwarding agents, and municipalities and public works departments... Travelling on average 50km per day, and with the ability to extend the distance to 109km, Fuso says the results demonstrate that electric-powered vehicles can be used in urban delivery capacities... This distance can be achieved without producing CO2 emissions during operation, the truck maker says, and by reducing emissions by 37 per cent compared to diesel after taking into account the process of producing the electricity in Portugal...
(Photo: Fuso's Canter E-Cell) -- Tramagal Portugal - Fully Loaded (Portugal) - 2 Nov 2015

Labels: electric truckmakers worldwide

INTER-TERMINAL TRUCK TRANSFER * India

* Mumbai - Jawaharlal Nehru Port shippers gain from inter-terminal trucking

-- India’s biggest container handler, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, said the introduction of inter-terminal truck transfer procedures aimed at easing gate congestion have produced significant productivity gains for terminals, drayage companies and the trade in general... The inter-terminal process allows truckers to drop off laden export containers at one terminal and pick up import units from the other neighboring facility, requiring only a single gate transaction. It was initially introduced between state-owned Jawaharlal Nehru Container Terminal and APM Terminals-operated Gateway Terminals India in early February, and a similar operation between JNCT and DP World’s Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal was introduced at the end of March... JNPT said the inter-terminal trucking system has benefited drayage service providers and other stakeholders, especially shippers, in more ways than one, such as reduced turn times, logistics cost savings and faster clearance of import shipments... The inter-terminal trucking transfer is one in a series of proactive measures JNPT has put in place in the past few months to improve its service levels. These steps included allowing truckers to file documentation electronically for the gate-in of export containers at all terminal gates and a software solution for processing vessel berthing plans. In addition, the port is working with container lines and shipping agents to set up an automated system for issuing import delivery orders to cargo interests...
(Photo: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust is showing no signs of getting ahead of the congestion problems that have plagued India's largest container port) -- J.N. Port, Mumbai, India - JOC - Oct 28, 2015

Labels: transport and logistics news

VIRTUAL TRUCKING USA: * Echo Global Logistics - ** KeepTruckin

* Illinois - Growth is real at virtual trucking firm

-- Calling Chicago “a transportation hub for America and an emerging tech center,” Echo Global Logistics CEO, Doug Waggoner, announced Thursday his company will double the number of employees it has in the city within two years... Waggoner said 550 workers would move from Skokie; that, with other new hires, would bring the firm’s total presence in the Chicago to 1,600 employees... Echo handles the transportation of products – but owns no trucks, trains, planes or ships. Waggoner said, “We’re kind of like a virtual trucking company” ... Echo started with 10 employees and a borrowed conference room in 2005. Today, Echo has 30 offices around the country and 2,500 employees. In May, Echo acquired Command Transportation, one of the largest privately held truckload brokers and non-asset-based transportation providers in the United States in a $420 million deal...
(Photo by Lee Bosch/The Sun-Times: Echo Global Logistics EO Doug Waggoner, with Nicholas Vacco, a national account manager at Echo offices in Chicago) -- Chicago, ILL, USA - The Chicago Sun-Times, by LEE BOSCH - 29 Oct 2015

** California - Keeptruckin raises $8M led by Index Ventures

-- For years, truckers have had to keep unwieldy paper log books in order to track their hours, which complicates fleet management for trucking companies because they have to sort through faxes and mailed documents... KeepTruckin is a San Francisco-based company that is trying to automate this with a pair of hardware and software solutions that will log hours in the background. They’ve just raised an $8 million round led by Index Ventures, which brings their total funding to $10.3 million after an earlier round led by Google Ventures... They have 150,000 drivers using their product so far, and are trying to grab the rest of the 4.5 million person market... Tomorrow, the federal Department of Transportation is supposed to finalized regulation for hardware that directly syncs with a vehicle’s engine to log driving times. KeepTruckin has a device ready to go with the new law...
San Francisco, CAL, USA - Tech Crunk, by Kim-Mai Cutler - 28 Oct 2015

Labels: techno trucks, virtual trucking

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Nov 10, 2015