User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: January 2016
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Jan 30, 2016

* USA - FORD's: Record 2015 Profit

* Michigan - Trucks and SUVs power the record for Ford Motor Company

-- Ford Motor Company said on Thursday that its net income increased fivefold in 2015 to $7.4 billion, including a $1.9 billion net profit for the fourth quarter... Excluding special items, Ford earned $0.58 per share in the fourth quarter, soundly trouncing the $0.46 per-share Wall Street estimate. Revenue for the fourth quarter jumped to $40.3 billion, beating Wall Street's estimate by nearly $4 billion... It was an outstanding quarter for Ford nearly across the board. In North America, Ford earned $2.03 billion before taxes. As CEO Mark Fields emphasized during the company's conference call, Ford has been reaping the benefits of the big new-product push that dented results in 2014. The new Ford-2015 F-150 has been a big success, and Ford's Edge and Explorer SUVs have been posting big sales numbers for months now... Those new products have helped margins. Ford's average transaction prices in North America were up $2,200 in 2015 versus 2014, Fields noted. Ford's operating margin in North America was 8.2% in the fourth quarter, 10.2% for the full year... 
(IMAGE SOURCE: FORD MOTOR COMPANY. - THE NEW-FOR-2015 FORD F-150 MADE A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMPANY'S BOTTOM LINE FOR THE YEAR) -- Dearborn, MICH, USA -- TMFMarlowe/Motley fool, by John Rosevear - Jan 28, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 7:13 AM  0 comments

SCANIA AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS * Sweden - Mine environment is suited to autonomous vehicles

* Stockholm - Scania tests self-driving truck for mining operations

-- Sweden’s Scania is testing self-driving trucks for use in mining operations... The company is actively researching the deployment of self-driving trucks in mines, “with tests under real-life conditions not far off,” Scania said...  Developers at Scania and researches from technical colleges are studying the role driverless trucks could play in the future... Development on the concept has progressed far enough that the self-driving test vehicle, Astator, is now able to carry out tasks such as picking up and unloading a load of gravel. It also capable of safely handling obstacles on the road, Scania says... 
(Photo Credit: Scania - Scania trucks at work in an Indian mine) -- Södertälje, Stockholm, Sweden - ME Constrution News, by Jerusha Sequeira - 29 Jan 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:57 AM  0 comments

CLEAN AIR NEW ORLEANS PORT * USA: Federal grant for small trucking cos.

* Louisiana - Clean air grant to help port cargo haulers replace older-model trucks

-- The Port of New Orleans has been awarded a $727,000 federal grant to help local short-haul truck drivers replace older-model trucks... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant will be used for the port’s voluntary Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program, or Clean TRIP. The cost-share program aims to help local short-haul truck owners that transport port cargo by offering an incentive to replace older-model trucks — between 1993 and 2006 — with newer trucks built since 2011... The port plans to develop and manage the $1.54 million program, with $700,000 coming from a mandatory cost-share with eligible truck owners and $110,636 coming from the port to handle administrative costs...
(Photo: Sea link trucks)  --  New Orleans, LOU, USA - The Advocate - Jan. 28, 2016

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TRUCKS CARRYING 66.2% of NAFTA TRADE * USA

* DC - All freight modes down; trucks still most popular carrier

-- The value of U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $88.2 billion in November 2015 as all modes of transportation carried a lower total value of freight than a year earlier, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)... Trucks carried 66.2 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continue to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico. Trucks accounted for $30.0 billion of the $46.8 billion of imports (64.1 percent) and $28.3 billion of the $41.3 billion of exports (68.5 percent)... 
(Photo: Trucks continue to lead trade parade with NAFTA partners) Washington, DC, USA - The Trucker News Services - 28 Jan 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:26 AM  0 comments

TRUCKERS AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION * Brazil

* R. J. - Brazilian truckers are part of the problem

-- Truck drivers are part of the problem in the widespread sexual exploitation of children in Brazil along the nation's highways but they now are becoming part of the solution, experts say... Once truckers are trained in children's rights, attitudes toward exploitation change and they are less likely to have sex with children once they learn it is a crime, according to research by the charity Childhood Brazil... Brazilian truck drivers frequently pay for sex with children and teenage boys and girls at truck stops and loading areas, the charity said... One in five said they had sex with a child, and nearly three quarters said their colleagues had done so, according to interviews with 342 truck drivers in 2010, it said... Nearly 85 percent said it was common to see the sexual exploitation of children and teenagers along highways and at truck stops...
(Photo: Child prostitution)  --  Rio Janeiro, RJ, Brazil - Thomson Reuters Foundation(Colombia, by ANASTASIA MOLONEY - Jan 28, 2016

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Jan 29, 2016

GREEN FUTURE OF FREIGHT * Canada - The 2016 G7 Summit in Japan

* British Columbia - Freightera selected to provide thought leadership on green future of freight at G7 Summit


-- Freightera has been selected by Climate Change - The New Economy (CCTNE), the leading publication on Climate Change at the G7 and COP Summits, to write the lead statement on the green future of freight for the 2016 G7 Summit in Japan... Freightera's vision for a green future of freight involves immediately shifting all possible long-haul freight to rail (reducing CO2 emissions up to 66% for each load moved), filling empty trucks (30% of the freight trucks on the road are empty), and accelerating the transition to low and zero emission vehicles for "last mile" (local and regional) freight pickup and delivery... 
 (Photo:) -- Vancouver, BC, CAN - PRWEB/Virtual Strategy Magazine - January 28, 2016

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TRUCKERS HOS DEBATES * USA: More dangerous roads?

* Alabama - Trucking regulation could cause more danger for motorists

-- A regulation enacted by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that reduces the hours truck drivers can spend on the roads could actually be dangerous to everyone on the roads... The rule states that truckers can only spend 14 hours a day "on duty" from the moment they start. This eliminates their flexibility, particularly the ability to take a nap during the day... Also, the distance truckers have to drive hasn't changed, but the time they have to get there has shrunk. This means that drivers may have to speed in order to get where they're going, making the roads unsafe... WAAY-31 spoke with Brenda Hopson, whose husband is a truck driver, and she says that the regulation has "cut their income almost in half" by reducing the amount of hours he can work... The Department of Transportation declined to comment on the piece, saying only that the regulation was intended for "safety"... 
(Photo: A Generic Semi Truck)   --  Huntsville, ALA, USA - WAAY TV, by Jeff Martin and Breken Terry

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Jan 28, 2016

$ 1 BILLION BOOSTING PICKUP TRUCKS and SUV * USA: Fiat / Chrysler

* Michigan - Fiat Chrysler to focus on truck and SUV market


-- After striking out last year in his search for a merger partner, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV Chief Executive, Sergio Marchionne, has decided to spend nearly $1 billion to boost the company's focus on what it does best: pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles... Mr. Marchionne started combining the Italian and U.S. auto makers after Chrysler's 2009 bankruptcy, and the company has racked up dozens of consecutive months of sales gains on the popularity of Jeep SUVs and Ram pickups. More than three-quarters of the 2.2 million vehicles sold by the company in the U.S. last year were light trucks, far higher than the 56% for the broader industry... This has been good for the company's profits but bad for its fuel-economy ratings, which rank last among major auto makers, according to a recent Environmental Protection Agency report... On Wednesday, Mr. Marchionne said the company will make cars and trucks more efficient by introducing more electric-driving solutions. Expect a hybrid-electric four-door Wrangler SUV by the time stringent fuel-economy standards are active in 2025... 
(Photo: Dodge RAM Mopar Runner Stage-II truck offroad 4x4) -- Auburn Hills, MICH, USA - MarketWatch, by JEFF BENNETT - Jan 27, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 7:38 AM  0 comments

LONGER TRUCKS in *Argentine & * Spain

ALLOWEDS: * Argentine, B-doubles trucks - ** Spain, 25.25-metre and 60-tonne truck and trailer combinations


-- Argentina in October 2015 amended regulations to permit the use of B-doubles of up to 30.25-metre tractor and trailer combinations with 75 tonnes of gross weight. Argentina thereby joins countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Uruguay and the United States in permitting these longer combinations.  A bi-train is defined as “a vehicle formed by a tractor unit and two semitrailers bi-articulated by a B-couple (or fifth wheel)”. These “bi-trains” can drive on authorised corridors and to qualify drivers must attend a 16-hour training course to obtain a B-double Training Certificate in addition to having held an articulated truck driver’s license for more than five years... The B-double trucks will not be permitted to drive in convoys, especially on bridges, and must be equipped with a GPS navigator that registers speed and compliance with the route. Both trucks and trailers must have an Anti-Locking Braking System (ABS), Electronic Braking System (EBS), Stability Control System (ESC) and have a minimum power-to-weight ratio of 5 kW/tonne. The trucks are also required to have a weighting device system with digital readings of the weight per tandem of axles... This bi-trains will be electronic limited for a maximum speed of 80 km/h...

-- Meanwhile, Spain is the latest country to adopt new regulations that will open roads for 25.25-metre and 60-tonne truck and trailer combinations... The legislation, which was approved by the Government in December, opens for longer trucks travelling at a maximum speed of 80 km/h on highways and motorways, in other words the same limitations as for all heavy vehicles... The European Modular System advantages are obvious when three trucks on the road can be replaced by two... The European Modular System, which increases transport efficiency through longer and heavier tractor and trailer combinations, is gaining ground...
(Photo: 1. Scania R 500 6x4 B-double tanker combination) -- Södertälje, Stockholm, Sweden - Scania (PR) - 26 JANUARY 2016

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VOLKSWAGEN TRUCK & BUS * Germany: Defends its Brazilian market leadership

• Brazil - MAN Latin America maintains leadership for the 13th consecutive year

-- In fiscal 2015, Volkswagen Truck & Bus maintained its Brazilian market leadership in spite of the difficult market environment. The MAN Latin America subsidiary has maintained its leadership in new commercial vehicle registration statistics for the 13th consecutive year. According to the automotive industry association Anfavea, new registrations of Volkswagen and MAN brands amounted to 19,543 trucks. In the bus business, MAN Latin America ranked second with 3,659 bus chassis. In the past fiscal year, Scania accounted for 5,224 trucks and 391 buses in Brazil; however, the Swedish commercial vehicle brand is only represented in the market with models weighing over 16 tons... As a result, almost one in three heavy-duty commercial vehicles registered in Brazil in 2015 were from the Volkswagen Group; in total they amounted to 24,767 trucks and 4,050 buses... 
(Photo: MAN TGX) -- Braunschweig, Germany - VW (PR) - 26 Jan 2016

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VOLVO to REORGANIZE TRUCK BUSINESS * Sweden / USA: Mack's Trucks

* Stockholm - Mack's parent company to reorganize truck businesses

-- Mack Trucks' parent company is letting the iconic heavy-duty truck manufacturer stand on its own wheels... The Volvo Group is planning to reorganize its truck operations into four separate units — Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks, UD Trucks and Renault Trucks — giving each profit-and-loss responsibility for their respective businesses, the Sweden-based company said Wednesday... The new organization, with a total of 10 business areas, will be effective March 1...  In addition to the four truck units, Volvo Group will comprise Value Truck & JVs; Volvo Construction Equipment; Volvo Buses; Volvo Penta; Governmental Sales; and Volvo Financial Services... 
(Photo: Mack USA. trucks)  --  Stockholm, Sweden - The Morning Call, by Jon Harris - 27 Jan 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:46 AM  0 comments

CARGO and TRUCKS THEFTS 2015 * USA & Canada:

* New Jersey - CargoNet Reports 1,500 commercial cargo and vehicle thefts in 2015

-- CargoNet received reports of more than 1,500 incidents of stolen commercial-vehicle cargo or equipment in the United States and Canada during 2015, the theft prevention and recovery network said... Cargo theft accounted for 58% of the reports, or 881 incidents, said CargoNet, a division of Verisk Analytics. That was up from 844 reports of cargo theft in 2014, the network said... The remaining 619 reports involved stolen heavy commercial vehicles — a truck, trailer, chassis, container, box truck that does not contain cargo or identity theft of trucking companies, the company said... “We can estimate the value of stolen cargo in all 881 incidents to be $175.3 million,” a statement form Jersey City, New Jersey-based CargoNet said... Theft of food or beverages accounted for 28% of the cargo theft incidents... Also, the group received reports of 10 cargo thefts worth more than $1 million each. California was the cargo crime capital, reporting 158 thefts and $18.7 million in losses... Thieves were most active over weekends and on Monday evenings, CargoNet said... The least amount of theft, 9%, occurred on Wednesdays...
(Photo: Cargo theft)  --  Jersey City, NJ, USA - Transport Topics - 26 Jan 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:09 AM  0 comments

MORE HOME TIME FOR TRUCKERS * USA: Productivity and performance improved for those drivers

* Indiana - New research shows trucker time off pays off

-- That drivers want and increasingly expect home time is not news, but new data indicates there’s a bottom-line payoff both for the carriers that provide a little extra time off and for the truckers who take advantage of it... Simply, the study by Stay Metrics suggests trucking companies can improve the productivity and performance of drivers by meeting their requests to take time off... The results from the Stay Metrics analysis are summarized here: 

 ° Bonus rate. The mean bonus rate for drivers in the study is 3.5 cents per mile. Drivers earned a monthly bonus that was calculated from their scores in four categories — compliance, vehicle care, fuel, and production. The model suggests that for each time off request met, their bonus rate increased nearly three percent the following month. 

  ° Miles driven. On average, drivers had approximately 8,577 miles per month. For each time off request that was met, the model showed they traveled 218 more miles the following month than drivers who did not take time off. Using a rate of $2.00 per mile for revenue, each time off request met generated $536 more in revenue the following month than drivers who did not. 

  ° Total bonus pay. This is the product of bonus rate and miles driven. The mean is $344.66 per month and the analysis indicates drivers who took time off earned $17.85 more in bonus pay, per month, than drivers who did not take time off. This is an increase in bonus pay of more than five percent... 
 South Bend, IND, USA - Fleet Owner, by Kevin Jones - Jan 26, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 5:51 AM  0 comments

AMAZON's OWN TRUCKS FLEET * USA: Trucking confront it

* New York - Trucking Companies confront Amazon threat

-- Amazon’s purchase of branded trailers marks its foray into trucking, but carriers say they can still count on the company’s business... Trucking executives say they still expect growing business from Amazon.com Inc., even as the company takes steps to move some of its own freight... The Seattle retailer said in December it would roll out thousands of branded semi-trucks, one of several recent moves by the company to take more control of its shipping routes. The announcement sent shudders through the trucking industry, which ships millions of packages a day between Amazon distribution centers and the warehouses belonging to home-delivery carriers such as FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc... On Tuesday, two of the largest U.S. trucking companies brushed off the potential threat from the e-commerce giant saying there was plenty of freight to go around... Amazon and others want to reserve trucks on the fly, as the location of their customers in relation to the goods they purchase can be unpredictable... 

 Comment by Desiree Wood, President REAL Women in Trucking, Inc.: Covenant Transport operates student team fleets that are very unsafe and exploit lower socio-economic individuals. This business model can be compared to an Indentured Servitude operation. Swift is also a student fleet of lower than minimum wage workers with very minimal experience. Team driving students are huge risk to the motoring public and since these mega fleets are self-insured their crash statistics are not available. As a former employee of Covenant Transport who saw the volume of student crashes that go unreported to mainstream media I think Amazon has made an irresponsible choice to partner with this kind of meat-grinder carrier... 
(Photo from ASSOCIATED PRESS: Amazon recently launched its own branded truck fleet)  --   NY,USA - The WSJ, by Loretta Chao - 26 Jan 2016

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Australia & New Zealand * ROAD RAGE it's part of truckers daily life ** Honoured two trucking members *** Trucker & Writer

* Victoria - Truckies' daily life on the road

-- This comes after a suspected road rage attack on Melbourne's Western Ring Road this morning were it's alleged a motorist tried to run over a truck driver after the truck had "sideswiped" the car... Commenting on the Big Rigs Facebook page truckies have said they have to deal with road rage on a daily basis... Tyronne Tunza Bony said nearly every time he gets in his truck for a run up the Bruce he'll "get flipped off and abused". The reason: "coz I've somehow hindered/inconvenienced somebody out there"... Glenn Womersley said the biggest problem in Melbourne was the numbers of speed cameras. "So many speed cameras unmarked like any other state, cars hit the brakes at every overpass and sit five kms under the limit in the trucks blind spot. Car drivers are sheep down there they just follow the cars in front very often I'm doing 70 in a 100 zone with just two cars in front it's dangerous and frustrating then they start tapping the brakes ppl simply don't care if 60 tonnes hits them and it's always the truck at fault," he said... But they're fighting back, one truckie suggested a dash cam was the best defence...
(Photo: Road rage is just a fact of life for truckies) -- Melbourne, VIC, Australia - Big Rigs - 28th Jan 2016


 ** ACT - Two trucking industry legends awarded Australia Day honours

-- The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has today congratulated Ian Cootes on his appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day Honours list... Ian Cootes founded Cootes Haulage in 1965 as a single tanker operation, which grew to employ around 800 people by the time he sold the business in 2001... He served as a member of a number of industry bodies during this time, and worked to improve safety and efficiency standards for dangerous goods transport as the Director of the Australian Road Research Board... The ATA also congratulates Mr Thomas Fawcett, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to the livestock transport industry... Mr Fawcett has been the Managing Director of the Fawcett Cattle Company in the Northern Territory since 1963, and has been an active member of the Northern Territory Road Transport Association for many years... He has also served as a member of the Coomalie Community Government Council... 
Canberra, ACT, Australia - Big Rigs - 28 Jan 2016


*** Horowhenua / New Zealand - Truck driver Mike Aldridge has published a book of short stories that are steeped with Kiwi humour

-- After a lifetime on the roads Levin truck driver Mike Aldridge had a few tales to tell, so a book seemed a natural step... A "Blimmin' Disaster", it's a collection of 16 humorous short stories, was published late last year... Aldridge has worked long-haul in some "really flash trucks", worked with city firms and country firms, and spent ten years training and upskilling drivers. About half of the stories were written from his experiences on the job and the rest from general life experience... The collection includes tales of a hapless criminal, a 'dear John' story from the point of view of a serviceman in Vietnam (Mike's favourite), and a story about how to deal with school bullies... Aldridge said he joined a Levin writing club and began writing to help him deal creatively with some of the stresses of training truck drivers... Aldridge currently works for agricultural specialists Davis Contracting, based in Koputaroa, and said he enjoys the variety of different vehicles he gets to drive... 
Levin, Horowhenua, NZ - The Dominion POst, by Karoline Tuckey - 27 Jan 2016

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FORD RECALLS * USA & Canada: Takata air bags again

* Michigan - Ford Ranger: Recall pickup trucks in Canada, U.S. recalled after air bag death

(Video by NBC Nightly News - Jan 22, 2016: There’s word of yet another death linked to Japanese-made Takata airbags found in vehicles of more than a dozen automakers)

 -- Ford is recalling nearly 391,000 Ranger pickups because the driver's air bag inflators can explode with too much force and cause injuries... The recall covers trucks from the 2004 through 2006 model years in the U.S. and Canada... It comes just days after the government announced that a South Carolina man was killed when an inflator exploded in December. Joel Knight, 52, of Kershaw died when he was struck in the neck by metal shrapnel after his 2006 Ranger hit a cow in the road and struck a fence... The government says automakers will recall another 5 million vehicles equipped with faulty inflators made by Takata Corp. of Japan. Some of the recalls are because of the crash that killed Knight, with the rest due to air bags failing in lab tests... Other automakers are expected to announce more recalls soon as the Takata inflator mess continues to grow. It now covers 14 auto and truck makers and totals about 24 million vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the number of recalls is likely to expand further... Takata uses the chemical ammonium nitrate to cause a small explosion that creates gas and inflates air bags in a crash. But the chemical can deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity and burn too fast, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion... Knight is the 10th known death worldwide due to the inflators, and more than 100 people have been hurt...
Dearborn, MICH, USA -Associated Press/Huff Post Canada - 26 Jan 2016

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Jan 27, 2016

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS USA: * GM's ** Paccar'

* Michigan - GMC unveiling new Sierra All Terrain X pickup

-- General Motors Co. on Wednesday will unveil a new special edition of its 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 All Terrain pickup at the Houston Auto Show... The 2016 Sierra All Terrain X, the company says, is a new trim package for the pickup that features exclusive premium content that enhances off-road capability, and an aggressive, monochromatic appearance... The Sierra All Terrain offers: Z71 off-road suspension suite of technologies, four-wheel-drive with locking rear differential and All-Terrain badging, as well as other aesthetic and performance features... The “X” package also includes special off-road tires on 18-by-8.5-inch black aluminum wheels; performance exhaust that bumps output of its 5.3-liter V-8 engine to 365 horsepower; bed-mounted sport bar designed to support the accessory off-road LED lighting package; and other exterior features... GM sold 224,139 Sierra pickups in the United States in 2015, up 5.8 percent from the previous year... 
(Photo: GMC - 2016 GMC All Terrain X) -- Detroit, MICH, USA - The Detroit News, by Michael Wayland - January 27, 2016 


** Washington - Peterbilt, Kenworth truck maker PACCAR approves B20 use
-- More than 100,000 trucks join renewable fuel ranks as PACCAR embraces biodiesel blends in its engines, old and new. Considering average mileage, these trucks alone have the potential to run 12 billion miles annually, and they are just the tip of the biodiesel vehicle population... Many users are realizing that B20 biodiesel blends offer them a cost-effective and seamless option to help meet aggressive new greenhouse gas and carbon reduction goals, and thus are increasing their use of biodiesel blends. Customer preferences play a strong role in influencing vehicle manufacturers, as a growing number of fleets and individual customers expect—or demand—that the vehicles and equipment they purchase be compatible with B20... 
(Photo by Ron Kotrba/Biodiesel Magazine: NBB & PACCAR executives) -- Kirkland, WASH, USA - The National Biodiesel Board - January 26, 2016

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TRUCKERS´ HEALTH * USA: Vibration harms truck drivers

* DC - The pain can limit driver’s career

-- Any trucker who’s steered a rig down a rough road knows you can feel the same bump twice — once when you hit it and again the next morning when you get out of bed... Evidence is growing that the vibration truckers experience behind the wheel can cause drivers pain and might even affect their performance... “Whole body vibration” is the term researchers use for the motion caused by a truck traveling over a rough surface, vibration transmitted up from the road through the seat to the driver. It can cause sore lower backs, as well as pain in the neck, arms and legs. If the pain is bad enough, it can limit or cut short a driver’s career... Looking for a way to reduce WBV-related pain, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries commissioned a study to investigate whether active suspension seats could reduce WBV and back pain... The double-blind, randomized field study compared the Bose Ride system and the industry standard air-ride seat. Measurements showed that truck drivers who used Bose Ride experienced less WBV than those with air-ride seats... After three months, the Bose Ride group reported a 30 percent reduction in lower back pain, compared to a 10 percent reduction with those who received new air-ride seats and a 2 percent increase with those who kept their existing air-ride seats... 
(Photo: Blurry Truck) -- Washington, DC, USA - Go By Truck News - January 26, 2016

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TRUCKERS' SHORTAGE * New Zealand: Hundreds of trucks sitting unused

* More longhaul truckies needed on the road


-- There is a desperate shortage of long-haul truck drivers and the situation is only going to get worse, transport groups say. no caption. National Road Carriers - the association which represents the industry - said the average age was about 55, and drivers were not getting any younger... Statistics New Zealand figures showed the number of drivers increased only from 24,490 to 26,380 in the past decade... National Road Carriers chief executive David Aitken said hundreds of trucks were sitting unused in freight yards because of the shortage... He said the problem was not pay - the average wage for people with class five truck licences was about $30/hour - but rather a lack of people progressing through the licensing system... Robert Reid, the general secretary of First Union, which represents drivers, said younger people on lower licences often could not afford the appropriate training. He said one solution would be for the government to subsidise that training... Mr Aitken said, the problem is about to get worse with the amount of freight predicted to grow up to 75 per cent in the next 20 to 30 years. And that the number of people getting their class 5 licences is not keeping up with increase in freight... National Road Carriers was working with the industry to devise a plan to make truck driving a more attractive job... 
(Photo: 123rf.com) -- Auckland, NZ - Radio NZ - 26 January 2016

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TRUCKER COMPLAINTS * USA: A whistleblower with OSHA

* New York - Trucking company ordered to pay up after illegally terminating driver

-- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has ordered a New York trucking company to pay a fired employee more than $45,000 in lost wages, damages and fees after finding he was illegally terminated for notifying regulators of a workplace safety violation... Shortly after starting work with Mr. Brindi in 2011, the driver — who was not identified per Department of Labor policy for employee whistleblowers — notified the company of defective equipment on his truck, including ineffective brakes, steering issues, non-functioning turn signals, leaks and a cracked windshield. He requested these conditions be repaired, which the company refused to do, according to the release... In February 2012, the driver contacted the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which inspected the truck and found 16 violations. The truck was pulled from service until repairs were made, and the driver was summarily discharged after notifying Mr. Brindi... The worker filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA, which ordered Mr. Brindi to pay the driver $32,642 in lost wages, $10,000 in punitive damages and $3,060.02 in attorney’s fees and to expunge the driver’s employment records... A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment... 
(Photo) -- NY, USA - Business Insurance, by Gloria Gonzalez - 25 Jan 2016

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Jan 26, 2016

FORD's USA: * More Super Duty chassis in Ohio Plant ** Ford to close operations in Japan and Indonesia

* Michigan - Ford adds Super Duty capacity to Ohio Assembly Plant


-- Ford Motor Co. said Monday that it will add Super Duty chassis cab capacity to its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake. Until now, Super Duty has been built at the automaker’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville... Ohio Assembly employs about 1,400 and makes F-650 and F-750 medium-duty trucks, Ford E-Series cutaway vans and stripped chassis. The new production will include F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty chassis cab configurations... It’s unclear how many Super Duty cabs will be produced in Ohio; a Ford spokesman said the company will match capacity with customer demand... 
(Photo: Ford Motor Co. - Ford’s all-new Super Duty will go on sale late in 2016 as a 2017 model) -- Dearborn, MICH, USA -- The Detroit News, by Michael Martinez - January 25, 2016


** Michigan - Market conditions in each country difficult to grow sales or make sustained profits
-- Ford Motor Co. is pulling out of Japan and Indonesia, saying that market conditions in each country have made it difficult to grow sales or make sustained profits... The 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement in its current form will not improve Ford’s ability to compete there, he said. Congress could vote on the pact this year... Neither market is large for the Dearborn automaker. Last year Ford sold only 6,100 cars and trucks in Indonesia and only 5,000 in Japan, where it has accused the government of protecting domestic brands... Ford will exit the countries before the end of the year and plans to explain to customers its commitment to servicing cars, providing parts and making warranty repairs... 
(Photo: Ford logo shines on the front grille of a 2014 Ford F-150) -- Dearborn, MICH, USA - AP/The Detroit News, by Tom Krisher - January 25, 2016

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Isuzu Trucks * Australia: New trucks' information system in the cab

* Victoria - Isuzu Trucks launches updated information system


-- Isuzu has released the newly updated Isuzu Sales Information System 8.1, which enables dealers to utilise customer information to provide a fit-for-application trucking solution... According to the company, the updated ISIS 8.1 now boasts enriched vehicle graphics, and content updates including the new 2015 N Series models. ISIS 8.1 has full touch screen functionality on tablets and laptops and will also work on older desktop PCs and laptops without touch screens... To ensure customers are in-line with current statutory regulations and limitations, ISIS 8.1 has been updated with the new National Code of Practice for Heavy Vehicle Modifications checklist which can be completed within an ISIS ‘workout’... 
 Melbourne, VIC, Australia - PRIME MOVER - 25th, January 2016

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BORDER TROUBLES * Croatia / Serbia: New regulations for trucks

* Croatian trucking industry worried due to new border rules

-- What effect will the tightening of borders have on the Croatian trucking industry?... Temporary suspensions of the Schengen rules, as well as stricter controls on other borders, are the reason for new tensions among Croatian trucking industry, which fears that such measures will affect its business and cause financial losses. The Croatian Chamber of Economy does not expect any dramatic delays, but its Office of Transportation expects a slowdown, particularly on the border with Serbia. However, new conditions will possibly lead to urgent negotiations about new prices of transport services, reports Vecernji List on January 24, 2016... 
Zagreb, Croatia - Total Croatia News, by Vedran Pavlic - 25 Jan 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 6:11 AM  0 comments

SLEEPING REGULATIONS * USA: TRUCKERS´ SAFETY

* California - New Research Study to determine whether truckers can have relaxed sleeping regulations


... Federal trucking regulations have been a focus of the national attention over the last 20 years, and a new research study to be completed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute will determine whether more freedom and flexibility could be infused into those regulations without impacting safety... The new research study is part of a partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and it will explore the experiences of 200 long-haul truck drivers who will not be required to commit to the consecutive 8 hour sleeping requirement in their truck cab... One of the most important regulations being explored in this study is that involving sleeper berths. Compartments in the truck cabs where drivers sleep are currently an important part of their rest procedure. In 2008, changes were made to the law to require that truckers spend a minimum of 8 of their 10 hours of in-cab requirement in the berth during just one period. The research study will explore whether or not it makes a difference to have 8 hours in one particular period or not... 
San Diego, CAL, USA - Del Mar Times, by Michael Pines - Jan. 24, 2016

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TRUCKERS' MISCLASSIFICATION * USA - Sued: Three subsidiary companies of XPO Logistics Inc.

* Connecticut - Truck drivers suing XPO Subsidiaries for misclassification. Claim that they should be treated as employees, not contractors

-- Three subsidiary companies of XPO Logistics Inc. are being sued for misclassification of workers as independent contractors, the Wall Street Journal has reported... The three trucking businesses in question are Pacer Cartage Inc., PDS Transportation Inc. and Harbor Rental Transport. These companies are drayage operators, which involves transporting cargo to and from ports and nearby warehouses... According to the WSJ, the allegations brought against the subsidiaries include refusing to properly compensate the employees, failing to give them breaks, and neglecting reimbursement for business-related costs... XPO has denied the legal merits of the claims... 
(Photo) -- Park Greenwich, CT, USA - Global Logistics, by Peter Buxbaum - January 25th, 2016

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Jan 25, 2016

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: BLIZZARD in South/Eastern STATES

-- A blizzard menacing the Eastern United States started dumping snow in Virginia, Tennessee and other parts of the South on Friday as millions of people in the storm's path prepared for icy roads, possible power outages and other treacherous conditions... Snowfall as heavy as 1 to 3 inches an hour could last for 24 hours or more in some areas, said meteorologist Paul Kocin with the National Weather Service. That puts estimates at more than 2 feet for Washington, a foot to 18 inches for Philadelphia and 8 inches to a foot in New York... While some people and businesses worried about the snow, at least one industry could see a potential boom: ski resorts. Many got a late start on the season because of record high temperatures in December... 
 (Alex Wong/Getty Images - A front-end loader piles snow on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol)  --   Washington, DC, USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker, by BEN NUCKOLS and SETH BORENSTEIN - 22 Jan 2016


 * Pennsylvania - Stranded motorists dug out of snow on P.Turnpike 

(WTAE-TV Pittsburgh - Jan 23, 2016: Duquesne University's men's basketball team was stuck overnight on the snow-closed Pennsylvania Turnpike as traffic stoppages stretched back miles in a massive snowstorm climbing up the East Coast)
-- Snowbound college athletes and teenage parishioners spent a night stranded in a miles-long backup on the Pennsylvania Turnpike with hundreds of other motorists, munching on snacks and watching movies to pass the time, before National Guard members and heavy construction equipment began digging vehicles out Saturday... More than 500 cars, trucks and buses, some carrying the Duquesne University men's basketball team and the Temple University women's gymnastics squad, got stuck Friday night as snow started to fall. The Duquesne and Temple buses were freed Saturday night, and Duquesne posted online video of 15 basketball players, coaches and support staff members helping to push their bus... 
(Photo: Athletes, trucks, cars halted on snowed-in Pa. Turnpike)   --  Philadelphia, PENN, USA - AP/abc news, by BEN FINLEY and RON TODT - Jan 23, 2016


* Wisconsin - Trucking company hit by eastern storm
-- The big storm in the eastern U.S. is also having an impact here in Wisconsin... Truck drivers won't be able to make their deliveries to the east coast... Schneider National in Brown County has 11 operating centers in the path the storm... And about 8,000 drivers are out on the roads. Many of them will be delayed... "Our drivers control if they run or not, so it's safety first. The motoring public's safety is absolutely number one concern for us, so they'll stop and they will park," said network director Dick Ritchie to WBAY-TV... Ritchie says the company is sending out warnings and weather updates to the entire fleet, asking drivers to stay in contact and use caution... 
Green Bay, WIS, USA - WKOW - Jan 23, 2016 


* Tennesese - Trucks stuck for days following snowstorm



 -- Multiple trucks were stuck for days following Friday's snowstorm in Nashville after slipping on ice in Joelton... Many trucks were on the road during the storm despite warnings from officials to stay off of the roadways... Devil's curve is the nickname for one of the stretches of road along Whites Creek Pike. “I was climbing the hill, got stuck in the ice, lost my traction, and that was the end of me,” Brittin Lang, one of the truck drivers, recalled... A tow truck came out Saturday morning to try to help the trucks out, but even the tow truck got stuck and had to be helped, so on Sunday night, two days later, the trucks were still sitting on the road, waiting for help... According to Lang, the county won’t treat the road to make it drive-able until the trucks are removed, and the tow company said it won’t remove the trucks until the road is treated... We reached out to Metro Police about the situation, but had not heard back as of Sunday afternoon... 
 Nashville, TNN, USA --  News Channel 5, by Jesse Knutson - Jan 24, 2016

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