Trucks World News: April 2016

FORD's news USA: * Record results - ** RECALL: 200,000 vehicles

* Michigan - Ford posts record results

--- Ford Motor Co. reaped the benefits of its costly F-150 truck revamp, doubling income in its first quarter and posting a North American operating margin rivaling those returned by luxury brands... The company is among auto makers benefiting from record U.S. light-vehicle demand and low gasoline prices, a trend fueling sales of the most profitable models on dealer lots. As sales of trucks and sport-utility vehicles soar, Ford is receiving a strong profit and sales boost from product redesigns... Net income more than doubles amid continued sales growth in the U.S. light-vehicle market... The No. 2 U.S. auto maker by sales also is gaining steam in China, earning more than $400 million last quarter, combined with an abrupt reversal of fortunes and return to profit in Europe, is more than offsetting weakness in South America, Russia and other emerging markets... Ford reported profit of $2.5 billion, in the first quarter of 2015...
(Photo: 2015 Ford F 150 Pickup Truck) -- Dearborn, MICH, USA - The WSJ, by CHRISTINA ROGERS - April 28, 2016

* Michigan - Ford recalls more than 200,000 trucks, SUVs, cars

-- Ford is recalling nearly 202,000 pickup trucks, SUVs and cars in North America because the automatic transmissions can suddenly downshift to first gear... The recall covers the 2011 and 2012 F-150 and the 2012 Expedition, Mustang and Lincoln Navigator. Ford says a speed sensor can force vehicles into a downshift... The company says the problem has caused three crashes but no injuries... The company also is recalling over 81,000 Explorer SUVs to fix a rear suspension problem that can cause loss of steering control. That recall covers SUVs from 2014 and 2015. Suspension links could fracture due to poor welds...
(STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images - The body of a Ford F-150 "Raptor" truck is lifted off its chassis during the second press preview day at the 2012 North American International Auto Show) -- Dearborn, MICH, USA - AP/San Francisco CBS - April 27, 2016

Labels: truckmakers news USA, trucks' recalls

CERTIFIED CONTAINERS WEIGHT * USA: New ones

* DC - US OKs two alternative container weighing verification methods

--- The U.S. Coast Guard Thursday gave its stamp of approval to two alternative methods for obtaining certified container weights to comply with new international regulations: one proposed by agricultural shippers and another proposed by the South Carolina Ports Authority... The first method is one that was originally floated by the SCPA. The authority announced in February that it would be willing to weigh containers on site in order to help shippers comply with the new IMO rule — making the Southeast port the first and only U.S. port to do so to date... More controversial, however, is the second method that the USGC outlined in its statement Thursday... Under the so-called “rational” method proposed by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, U.S. exporters would certify the weight of their cargo and packing materials, while container lines would certify the weight of the containers that they own, control and manage. The liners would then combine the two weights to create a VGM that is submitted to the terminal operator before loading... The council, which represents 90 percent of global container ship capacity and was a key player in the drafting of the SOLAS amendment, did not say how it felt the industry would respond...
Washington, DC, USA - JOC, by Reynolds Hutchins - Apr 29, 2016

Labels: transport and logistics news

STEEP BORDER FEES * Europe - For non-Russian trucks in Russia

* Moscow - Non-Russian trucking companies face steep border fees

--- The cost of transshipping containers by truck in Russia using international motor carriers has doubled due to a decision of the government to levy extra charges on foreign motor carriers, increasing costs for shippers... The charges for foreign motor carriers previously existed but will increase from 385 rubles to 850 rubles ($5.88 to $12.99) per day, and from 60,000 rubles to 120,000 rubles per year. They will apply to trucks with capacities ranging from 3.5 tonnes to 12 tonnes (3.8 tons to 13.2 tons)... The proceeds from the rule, which was passed to help reverse the effects of the devaluation of the ruble, will go into Russia’s Road Fund, which provides funding for the majority of the country’s infrastructure projects... Foreign motor carriers had anticipated the charges, so shipments through the country should not decline too much... The rule should increase the competitiveness of Russian motor carriers, according to the government, which has not ruled out the possibility that the implementation of this measure may result in price increases for some imported goods... Motor carriers from the following countries are likely to be impacted by the new regulation: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Turkmenistan, Czech Republic, Switzerland and Sweden...
Moscow Russia - JOC, by Eugene Gerden - Apr 28, 2016

Labels: trucking industry news Europe, trucks fees

ARMORED TRUCKS * Mexico: DRUG CARTEL´s VEHICLES

* Coahuila - Trucks found near border

--- Special police units in this border state seized two trucks modified with makeshift armor. The armored trucks are commonly used by cartel members operating near the Texas border... The most recent seizure took place early in the morning on Tuesday when members of the Fuerza Coahuila police force were carrying out foot patrols near the area known as Sierra de Acuña. The mountainous region is immediately south of the rural area between Del Rio and Big Bend National Park. In an effort to slow down Mexican drug cartels, Fuerza Coahuila has been actively patrolling the mountainous area just south of the Texas border resulting in numerous seizures. Despite being a busy drug corridor, the Department of Homeland Security assigns minimal resources and agents to patrol the area...

... During the search operation, authorities spotted a black Chevrolet Silverado that had been hidden within the brush near a a creek between Colorado Canyon and Cibolito Canyon in the area known as Los Panchos Ranch. Authorities checked the vehicles and noticed that it had plates of steel and bullet proof glass as armor covering the passenger area, the motor and the rear part... Earlier this year authorities discovered another armored truck in the same general area. Armored trucks are commonly used by cartel gunmen during clashes with military and police forces in various border cities...
(Photo, by Breitbart Texas / Cartel Chronicles) -- Piedras Negras, Coahuila, MEX - Breitbar - 28 April 2016

Labels: armored trucks

ARMORED TRUCKS, DONATED * United Arab Emirates - To Libya

* Dubai - UAE donates armored personnel carriers, trucks to Libya

--- The Libyan National Army (LNA) has taken delivery of several Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) and military pick-up trucks that were donated to the Tobruk-based government by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)... According to the Libyan Herald, the military vehicle consignment was delivered to the LNA headquarters in Tobrul on April 23. Although there was no official comment from army commander-inchief and defense minister Gen. Khalifa Haftar, the LNA posted a single image of dozens of what appears to be new Panthera T-6 light APCs and Toyota Landcruiser pick-up trucks... The caption did not state the number of APCs donated by the UAE. The Libya Herald quoted an army spokesman saying some of the new APCs will be deployed in support of an ongoing army and militia offensive to flush the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters out of its de-facto regional capital of Sirte...
(Photo: LNA Facebook page - Some of the LNA's new APCs seen lined up at army HQ in Tobruk on Saturday) -- Gaborone, Botswana - Defense News, by Oscar Nkala - April 28, 2016

Labels: military trucks, trucks' donated

TRUCKING Co. BANKRUPTCY * USA: Pacific 9 Transportation’s

* California - Drivers are employees

--- A trucking company that works at California’s teeming ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has filed for bankruptcy protection, facing a demand to pay nearly $7 million to its truck drivers over a labor dispute... Pacific 9 Transportation’s bankruptcy filing on Tuesday halts collection attempts from drivers who have fought for back pay, arguing the Carson, Calif., company improperly classified them as independent contractors instead of employees... Pacific 9 Transportation has become the latest trucking company to turn to bankruptcy proceedings after a wage-claim battle before the California Labor Commissioner... The disputes have stretched into other transportation industry areas... Earlier this month, Uber Technologies Inc. reached a settlement that would enable it to continue classifying drivers as contractors rather than employees. Under the deal, Uber agreed to pay up to $100 million to roughly 385,000 drivers in California and Massachusetts, in addition to strengthening driver protections...
(Photo Bloomberg News: Trucks that serve the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach) -- Carson, CAL, USA - The WSJ, by KATY STECH - April 27, 2016

Labels: bankruptcy, trucking industry news USA

TRUCKING ANALYSIS * USA: About autonomous trucks & driverless commercial vehicles

* California - Driverless trucking will save millions, cost millions of jobs

--- An interesting article was published by Tech Crunch yesterday which talked about how a convoy of autonomous freight trucks recently drove across Europe and arrived at the Port of Rotterdam. Driverless trucking isn’t coming soon, it’s already here... Here some of the extremely powerful facts presented such as the ones below:

# Labor represents 75% of the cost of trucking
# Driverless trucks could operate nearly 24 hours a day while human drivers are limited to 11 hours per day by law
# There are 1.6 million long-haul truck drivers in the USA
# Driverless trucks can operate at optimal speed to create fuel efficiencies while truck drivers can’t
# Driverless trucks can move in convoys and save even more fuel costs
# Nearly 70% of all the freight tonnage moved in the USA goes on trucks. Without the industry and our truck drivers, the economy would come to a standstill. To move 9.2 billion tons of freight annually requires nearly 3 million heavy-duty Class 8 trucks and over 3 million truck drivers. Simply – without trucks, America stops.

... The only thing preventing driverless trucks from becoming a reality are regulatory hurdles and opposition from truck drivers. Trucking is a $700 billion industry to be disrupted and the jobs lost from driverless trucking are estimated to be around 1% of the U.S. workforce. In fact, truck driving is the most common job in 29 states... While there will be strong opposition against driverless trucking at first, it seems inevitable that a technology which is more efficient, costs less, and is safer, will eventually be adopted. The recent successful demonstration of the self-driving truck shows that we can’t afford to put off the conversation on how we’re going to adapt to this new reality... Today’s truckers, though, don’t seem too concerned. Teamsters spokesperson Galen Munroe says that for now, concerns around self-driving trucks and labor “are just too far in the future to speculate” ... He’s likely right, but even so, brushing up on some coding skills to go with that commercial driver’s license is probably a good idea...
(Photo: A trucker on the road with an "Inspiration truck", not driving the vehicle) -- San Mateo, CAL, USA - Nanalyze - April 27, 2016

Labels: autonomous trucks, driverless trucks, trucking industry analysis USA

DEBATE ABOUT 'RSRT' * Australia: How brutal the trucking industry could be

* NSW - Turnbull sends australians down a dangerous road

--- The Turnbull Government’s decision to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal is a travesty that will have far-reaching consequences for truck drivers and everyone who shares the roads with them... About the systemic problems in the industry. The low rates, pay per kilometre incentive systems that encourage drug use, driving while fatigued, and other unsafe practices. All adding up to a sick industry that was killing people, not from accidents, but from preventable crashes. In 2016, the same problems remain... Working behind the wheel of a truck means you are 12 times more likely to die on the job than the average working Australian. Statistics from the Victorian Coroners Court show that truck drivers are the most likely to suicide... And if you happen to own a small business trucking company, ASIC statistics on insolvencies show that you are one of the most likely to go bankrupt... As an example of how brutal the trucking industry could be. The national logistics manager of Coles has detailed how his KPIs demand a 5 per cent cut in transport costs while increasing the freight moved by 15 per cent, regardless of the consequences... The reality is that the Tribunal was established to bring truck drivers, trucking operators, and transport clients together to develop safe standards and conditions for all transport workers – owner driver and employee, regional and city based – that would then make the roads safer for all Australians... Truck Drivers are responsible for their individual actions, but if you want to tackle the systemic problems in the industry, you need to look at the economic pressures... Think about this the next time you pass a truck. Do you want the B-Double hurtling towards you driven by a tired, stressed and pressured truck driver? Or do you want a refreshed and alert driver in a properly maintained rig? ... That’s why safe and fair pay and conditions for truck drivers’ matters to everyone...
(Photo: A recent TWU protest) -- Sydney, NSW, Australia - The New Matilda, by Michael Aird: NSW Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union Michael Aird - April 29, 2016

Labels: debates, minimum freight rates, rules and regulations, trucking industry news Australia

FIAT-CHRYSLER's news * USA: DEAL with GOOGLE ? -- ** Italy / USA: Adding trucks

* Michigan - Experts: Fiat Chrysler, Google deal makes sense

-- A partnership between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and Google could give both parties needed resources to accelerate the development and production of next-generation car technologies and autonomous vehicles, according to industry experts... Fiat Chrysler has been slower than most automakers, including its crosstown rivals General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., in investing in and supporting the development of autonomous vehicles... Google, reported to be in talks with Fiat Chrysler, doesn’t have the experience or infrastructure to mass-produce vehicles, as it continues to refine and test its fleet of self-driving cars that have driven about 1.5 million miles in autonomous mode... Google executives also have stated that they do not want to build their own cars. Fiat Chrysler could potentially be a contract manufacturer for Google’s autonomous cars, a move the company has made with other products... “Silicon Valley needs Detroit; Detroit needs Silicon Valley,” said Autotrader.com senior analyst Michelle Krebs. “It’s very interesting” ...
(Photo from REUTERS, by ALEXANDRIA SAGEA - Lexus version of a Google Self Driving car is shown in Moutain View, California, U.S., April 8, 2016) Detroit, MICH, USA - The Detroit News, by Michael Wayland - April 28, 2016

** Lombardy / Michigan - Fiat Chrysler drops cars, adds trucks, shifts jobs

--- With lower gas prices shifting North American driving preferences toward bigger vehicles, Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) has accelerated its transition away from passenger cars with an impact on its manufacturing footprint across the globe... Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO, Sergio Marchionne, said previously that the market shift in the U.S. to trucks and SUVs is permanent, aided by low gasoline prices, and that Fiat Chrysler would adjust to it... The production changes will bring an increase in North American jobs, but some of the production will be moved to Mexico, Marchionne said... Here's what we know about the production plans so far:

* FCA will retool a factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, north of Detroit, so it can make a new Ram pickup truck that will come out early in 2018...
* A factory in Warren, Michigan, that now makes the Ram pickup will be retooled to make the Jeep Wagoneer or Grand Wagoneer, an SUV that's larger than the Jeep Grand Cherokee...
* Production of the aging Jeep Compass and Patriot compact SUVs would move to Toluca, Mexico, when a new version comes out. Those are now made at a 4,000-worker factory in Belvidere, Illinois... Last year's contract with the United Auto Workers union promised new vehicles for Sterling Heights and Belvidere...
* FCA is talking with other manufacturers to make small and midsize cars, but Chief Financial Officer, Richard Palmer, said he couldn't discuss the talks.
* FCA will continue to make larger rear-wheel-drive muscle and luxury cars, and it should be able to grow in that area, Marchionne said. But it's possible, he said, when the plans are finished that "the true passenger car side will represent the lesser portion of our portfolio than it does today."
* ... That doesn't include Alfa Romeo, which is being built in Italy for export under plans to shift Italian production to higher-margin premium models...

Fiat Chrysler said its North America adjusted earnings before interest and taxes doubled to 1.2 billion euros on higher revenues, lower advertising spending and lower recall campaign costs. Sales of Jeep, Ram trucks and minivans led an 8 percent boost in regional sales to 634,000 vehicles...
Milano, Lombardy, Italy / Auburn Hills, MICH, USA - CBS News - April 26, 2016

Labels: truckmakers news USA

SCANIA's TRUCKS BLACK BOX * Sweden - Anti-theft tool

* Stockholm - Scania black box designed to stop truck theft

--- Swedish truck OEM Scania said connected truck technology can not only help make heavy vehicles more efficient, but also prevent theft... With more than 170,000 Scania trucks connected across the world – including more than 1000 in Australia – Scania said modern technology may be able to prevent theft in the first place, or help track down a missing truck in good time... If a Scania is reported stolen, the owner, in conjunction with Scania, can assist the police in tracking down the vehicle, the company added... In Sweden, Scania recently helped track and recover a stolen truck from Ulf Melin Entreprenad... According to Rickard Seijbold, Scania’s Area Manager for Fleet and Driver Services in Sweden, the company was also able to provide police with details of the truck’s route and where it stopped after it was stolen...
(Photo: A blackbox truck from PCM) -- Soderdtajle, Sweden - Prime Mover (Australia) - 26th, April 2016

Labels: black recorders, truckmakers news Sweden

NEIGHBOROUGH COMPLAINS * South Africa - AGAINST PORT TRUCKING

* KwaZulu-Natal - Trucking woes aired ahead of march

--- Residents of Glenwood and Umbilo came together to discuss how they could fight the growth of trucking to the port, which was bringing crime and grime to their communities... Earthlife said trucking had brought with it an increase in pollution and crime... Environmental activist, Desmond D’Sa, said trucks in the area posed a danger to residents because they were sometimes poorly maintained and crashed into homes, killing people. He said the trucks also increased noise pollution including at night... A resident who has lived in the Glenwood area for more than 30 years said inefficiencies at the container terminal were adding to the congestion on the roads... Residents and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) were planning a march today in Langeberg Road, near Durban’s container terminal... Transnet National Ports Authority said it was aware of the protest...
(Photo: More than 1 100 trucks have been hijacked so far this year, and that was before the pre-festive season rush) -- Durban, KZN, SA - IOL, by Mphathi Nxumalo - 27 April 2016

Labels: neighboring protests, trucking industry news worldwide

TAX INCREASE * Canada: TO AFFECT TRUCKING Cos.

* New Brunswick - Nfld budget hits trucks with spikes for diesel, HST, permits

--- The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says Newfoundland & Labrador’s new provincial budget will hit hard with its five-cents per litre diesel tax jump combined with a 2% harmonized sales tax increase that will now affect vehicle insurance premiums on top of new fee spikes for licences and permits... Jean-Marc Picard, executive director of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, said, “The trucking industry is going to feel the effects of these costs increase for a long time and likely puts some companies at risk of shutting down” ... The HST increase kicks in July 1 when it will move from 13 to 15%...
(Photo: Skyline of the port of Saint John s in Newfoundland and Labrador) -- Dieppe, NB, Canada - Today's Trucking - Apr 27, 2016

Labels: fees and taxes, trucking industry news China

PORT TRUCKERS * USA: Misscassified as independent contractors

* California - Port trucking company ordered to Court over unfair labor practices

-- In what's being called a historic case, the Los Angeles office of the National Labor Relations Board is looking into whether port trucking company Intermodal Bridge Transport engaged in unfair labor practices toward its drivers by misclassifying employees as independent contractors... The NLRB filed the complaint based on charges by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union. The Teamsters also charged IBT with threatening and coercing drivers who participated in union-organized strikes... According to court documents, on two separate occasions drivers were interrogated by a supervisor at IBT about their support for the Teamsters union. The supervisor promised drivers more work to get them to stop union activities and later resorted to threatening them with unspecified consequences if they continued to support the union. The supervisor also threatened to close the facility if the Teamsters succeeded, according to the union... The driver misclassification issue is an ongoing one at Southern California ports, with several driver strikes occurring in the past few years affecting multiple trucking companies. Last year, the Los Angeles City Council called on port trucking companies to provide drivers with proper wages and benefits and comply with labor laws...
(Photo via Teamsters Union) -- Los Angeles, CAL, USA - TruckingInfo, by Steven Martinez - April 26, 2016

Labels: truckers classification, trucking industry news USA

PACCAR's news * USA: Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, the third-highest in the past 10 years

* Washington - Paccar sales slow, but demand for big trucks remains strong

--- The Bellevue-based truck maker Paccar posted strong but slower sales in the first quarter — with U.S. demand dipping and European demand picking up for its DAF trucks. Paccar reported first quarter revenue of $4.3 billion compared to $4.83 billion a year ago... It has manufacturing and distribution facilities in Renton, USA ... The company also reported a loss of $594.6 million during the quarter, in large part due to a non-recurring charge of $942.6 million due to the European Commission’s investigation of all European truck manufacturers... In Europe, Paccar saw a bump of sales of its DAF trucks, which are in the above 16-ton market... Its DAF trucks are the market share leader in that category in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Hungary and Poland... Paccar’s European sales offset a dip in trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada, where the majority of Paccar’s sales occur. Paccar delivered 18,500 new trucks compared to 24,400 last year. Sales dropped to $2.59 billion from nearly $2.3 billion during the same quarter a year ago. Going forward, Paccar Executive Vice President, Gary Moore, said he expects demand for sales of new Class 8 trucks — the category that its Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks fall into — to be the third-highest in the past 10 years, thanks to the continued strong economy and steady freight demand...
(Photo: Paccar manufacturing and distribution facilities in Renton) -- Bellevue, WASH, USA -- Puget Sound Business Journal - Apr 26, 2016

Labels: truckmakers news USA

VOLVO TRUCKS news * USA: Recall remains 800 vehicles

* DC - More than 800 Volvo trucks still need to be checked

--- More than 800 of the Volvo trucks recalled by the company March 23 remained unaccounted for April 26, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced... The trucks are Volvo 2016-2017 VNL, VNX and VNM models produced between May 11, 2015, and March 2016... The original recall covered 15,835 trucks which Volvo said have upper and lower steering shafts which can separate, raising the possibility of a crash. The OEM said there had been four reported incidents but no injuries... Vehicles that have been built will receive a one-piece shaft or an interim fix, which is inspecting the roll pin and securing the upper shaft, Volvo said. About 40% of production during the period covered by the recall was not affected since the vehicles had a one-piece steering shaft. The defect was tied to a part supplied by a German company...
(Photo: Volvo trucks model VNL 430 e VNL 630) -- Washington, DC, USA - Transport Topics, by David Elfin - 26 April 2016

Labels: truckmakers news USA

CATERPILLAR's news * UK - Cuting 12,000 full-time jobs globally

* England - Peterlee truck maker Caterpillar warns of challenging year

--- An articulated truck maker has warned it faces a challenging future as weaker demand hits sales... Caterpillar, which runs a factory at Peterlee, east Durham, says troubles in the construction, oil and gas, mining and rail sectors have damaged its progress... Bosses say the slowdown mean sales and revenues fell to $9.5bn (£6.4bn) in its first quarter of 2016, from $12.7bn (£8.7bn) a year ago, adding they have been forced to cut nearly 12,000 full-time jobs across the business’ global operations...
(Picture: DAVID WOOD - Workers fit parts to Caterpillar trucks at its Peterlee factory) -- Peterlee, Durham, EN, UK - The Northern Echo, by Steven Hugill - 26 April 2016

Labels: truckmakers news UK

AMW Motors * India: To export more trucks

* Mumbai - AMW Motors eyes exports

--- Embattled truck-maker AMW Motors hopes to export to a number of geographies once a deal is reached to sell a strategic stake to a potential buyer... Bhuj-based AMW Motors had fallen into bad times following the auto industry recession of 2012-13... The company, which makes trucks ranging from 16 to 49 tonne, has a capacity of 50,000 vehicles at its Bhuj plant... Once the deal is inked, the truck manufacturer would look at exporting trucks to countries in West Asia, Africa, South America, Commonwealth of Independent States and South-East Asia... AMW Motors, which already has sold 40,000 trucks, will also foray into development of new trucks that meet emerging emission norms...
Mumbai, Tamil Nadu - The Hindu, by RAJESH KURUP & K RAM KUMAR - April 26, 2016

Labels: truckmakers news India

FORD's TRUCKS * Africa

* Ghana - Ford introduces new range of smart trucks

--- The Construction, Tractor and Road series of the Ford trucks which include trailers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, sewage collectors, among others according to the company have been expertly engineered to not only effectively execute heavy-duty tasks, but at optimum fuel-efficiency... To further boost the security of the trucks, immobilizers have bene fixed in the trucks making it almost impossible for anybody to start the vehicle without the permission of the driver... And the introduction of a ‘retarder system’ which automatically slows down the vehicle in treacherous conditions like going down a slope with a heavy load... This he noted would go a long way to reducing the maintenance cost on the vehicles...
Accra, Ghana - Joy Business, by Kuuku Abban - 25 April 2016

Labels: truckmakers news Africa

DRAYAGE TRUCKS' FREE APP * USA

* California - Freight truck driver releases free app to speed container street turns at port

--- The latest news from the West Coast Port of Oakland where the latest aid to drivers is an app a harbour driver responsible for some of the container traffic actually passing through the port... Filex Fok, a licensed motor carrier at the Port, introduced the new app last week. Called Jupigo, his technology helps harbour truckers exchange empty cargo containers without ever entering the Port... The objective: keep truckers on the road, not waiting at busy terminal gates... Jupigo functions like a dating app for truck drivers who have equipment needs. Drivers with empty containers to return post their equipment availability on Jupigo. Truckers searching for empties post their requirements as well. The app automatically alerts both drivers, who can then initiate a container exchange...
Oakland, CAL, USA - Handy Shipping Guide - 26 April 2016

Labels: trucking industry news USA

DB Schenker logistics * Germany - In a public offering

* Berlin - Deutsche Bahn starts Schenker IPO move

-- Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s state-owned railway, is pressing ahead with plans to list its DB Schenker logistics unit on the stock market... Europe’s largest rail freight operator will in June select the lead banks to organize the initial public offering of one of the world’s leading freight forwarders and logistics providers, according to German media reports... Deutsche Bahn is expected to sell up to 40 percent of Schenker, currently valued at around 5 billion euros ($5.65 billion), on the Frankfurt stock exchange, most likely in 2018, with the estimated proceeds used to finance its restructuring and pay down debt... The Berlin-based company also plans to float Arriva, its international passenger operation, on the London stock exchange in 2017... The German government initially opposed the twin privatizations, fearing Deutsche Bahn was selling the “family silver” simply to reduce short-term debt...
Berlin, Germany - JOC, by Bruce Barnard - Apr 27, 2016

Labels: trucking industry news Germany

TRUCKERS UNLIMITED * Canada: by 'Women Unlimited'

* Nova Scotia - 'There's no stopping us': Women breaking down barriers in trucking industry

--- A group of Nova Scotia women are breaking down barriers in an industry traditionally dominated by men... The women are training to enter the trucking industry as part of 'Women Unlimited', a Nova Scotia Community College program that introduces women to opportunities in trades... Tammy Tortola says it's the "freedom" of driving on the open road that has attracted her to the industry... She said the idea that only men could drive long haul trucks is simply a stereotype that needs to be put to rest... Trucking school recruiter Emily Stokes said only three per cent of truck drivers currently on the road are female... Some of the women admit that they were worried their gender might be a barrier to entering the industry...
Halifax, NS, CAN - CTVNews - April 26, 2016

Labels: trucking industry news Canada, womens in trucking

FEMALE TRUCKERS * USA: Could solve trucking industry driver shortage

* Wiscosin - Only 6% of truckers are female drivers

(Graphic: Shaye Anderson/Trucks.com - Women in Trucking Statistics Infographic)

-- Women sit behind the wheel of just 6 percent of the commercial trucks crisscrossing American highways on any given day... To the American Trucking Associations, that stark number represents an opportunity at a time when the industry needs tens of thousands of new drivers to keep up with demand... Women are an obvious source of new drivers, the ATA said in a report on the shortage late last year — estimated to be 48,000 drivers and projected to keep growing. Women make up 47 percent of all U.S. workers. Yet the share of female drivers has remained stagnant between 4.5 percent and 6 percent since 2000, the ATA said... The barriers to raising that number are social, physical and institutional... “There’s still a perception that it’s a man’s job,” Klang said. “But trucking is 95 percent confidence, and 5 percent skills. It’s not physically strenuous” ...

(Photo: Women in Trucking Association. Ellen Voie, CEO of the WTA)

... Still, there are physical differences between men and women that present a challenge to getting more females into the cab, Ellen Voie, president of the Women In Trucking Association in Plover, Wis., told Trucks.com ... With an average height of 5 feet, 4 inches, female truck drivers are 6 inches shorter than the typical male driver. Female truck drivers have an average weight of 160 pounds, Voie said, while their male counterparts are 213 pounds. Their smaller and shorter stature makes it harder for women to reach the controls... She met with Peterbilt engineers at the manufacturer’s factory in Denton, Texas, earlier this year. And Voie also addressed the Future Truck Committee at the ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council Conference in Nashville in late February...

* Michigan - “There’s still a perception that it’s a man’s job”

--- The shortage of truck drivers isn’t the only reason that recruiting women makes good business sense. It could potentially improve safety... Male drivers, on average, have twice the number of crashes as women. They are more likely to be involved in crashes that occur on curves, in the dark or while passing other vehicles, according to a report by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, England... Stephanie Klang acknowledges that recruiting women to the industry is a challenge because trucking can take its toll on family life. In her case, that means an average of 280 nights away from home each year... She rides shotgun in her Conway's Kenworth T680... The daily grind varies, but Klang prefers hitting the road by 4 or 5 in the morning and driving for nearly 10 hours before finding a spot for the evening. “Legally we can drive 11 if everything works out — you know, construction, traffic,” she said. “Our biggest worry every day now is where are we going to park tonight” ... She listens to NPR by day and watches her flat-screen television by night.. The bed, where Klang sleeps three-quarters of the year, is a twin extra long... In 2006, Klang married again — this time to a fellow Con-way trucker with a cat of his own...
(Photo: Stephanie Klang and her truck) -- - Ann Arbor Charter Township, , USA Trucks, by JACLYN TROP- April 26, 2016

Labels: trucking industry news USA, women truckers

TRUCKING BEWARE * USA: An example of a dangerous truck accident

* Illinois - A specific example

--- A graduate student was driving in moderate stop-and-go traffic on the interstate. While he was stopped in a line of cars, a tanker truck driver that was traveling at about 25 mph rear ended a vehicle that was 2 cars behind the student’s vehicle. As a result, a chain-reaction impact occurred. The car behind the graduate student’s car rear ended his car, causing his seat to break. His car was then forced into the car in front of him... The graduate student sued the trucking company, alleging that the driver was negligent in failing to keep a proper lookout and for its driver’s failure to brake timely to avoid causing the collision. The defendant admitted liability but disputed the extent of the plaintiff’s injuries. The defendant argued that the injuries would not affect the plaintiff’s future career plans... The plaintiff demanded $7.31 million, while the defendant offered $5 million. The jury awarded $17.4 million, including $7 million for past pain and suffering, $5.5 million for future pain and suffering, about $2.75 million for future medical expenses, $2 million for future loss of earnings capacity, approximately $142,000 for past medical expenses, and about $5,100 for past lost earnings. Since then, the case has been settled... This case illustrates the dangers that trucks can pose to other vehicles on the roadway. What may have been caused by a simple failure to pay attention to the traffic conditions ahead resulted in catastrophic injuries to an innocent driver. Although the vast majority of truckers are good, safe drivers, a simple mistake while on the road can have drastic, far-reaching consequences...
Western Springs, ILL, USA - The National Law Review - 25 April 2016

Labels: dangerous drivers, trucking industry news USA

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER RATE * USA: 2015 up to 102 percent

* Ohio - Turnover rates at trucking companies set milestone not seen in five years

--- It seems one of the hardest industries to keep workers continues to be the trucking industry... The annualized turnover rate for large truckload fleets rose two percentage points in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 102 percent, the second straight quarter it was at least 100 percent - the first such streak since 2012, according to the American Trucking Associations... “This elevated turnover rate shows that the driver market remains a challenge for truckload fleets,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “Obviously, attracting and retaining drivers remains a top concern for the industry” ... The turnover rate at small truckload carriers – fleets with less than $30 million in annual revenue – surged 21 points to 89 percent in the final quarter of 2015. Despite this surge, churn at smaller fleets is still six points lower than during the fourth quarter of 2014 and averaged just 79 percent... The turnover rate at less-than-truckload carriers rose one point to 11 percent in the final quarter, and averaged 11 percent for all of 2015... The lack of truckers is being felt in the Dayton region, which is a hub for trucking firms because of the intersection of Interstates 75 and 70...
Dayton, OH, USA - The Dayton Business Journal, by SARAH BENNETT - Apr 26, 2016

Labels: truckers' turnover, trucking industry news USA

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS * Australia

* Victoria - Has transport infrastructure focus in Budget

-- Public transport spending the main game as roads also get a boost... The Victorian Budget has big ticket transport infrastructure spending to tackle congestion with the exception being anything for a northern connection between the Western Ring Road and the Eastlink freeway... While the other road-related spending will be welcome, that connection is dear to the industry, other road-user groups and local residents... The Budget provides $7 billion in total for road projects including duplicating Yan Yean Rd and Thompsons Rd, building the Western Distributor, upgrading the Monash Freeway, streamlining Hoddle Street, and for other projects to improve road safety and reduce congestion...
(Map: Project to link, the Western Ring Road and the Eastlink freeway, Victoria, Australia) -- Melbourne, VIC, Australia - Fully Loaded/ATN - 27 April 2016

Labels: infrastructures funds, trucking industry news Australia

NEW NATIONAL TRUCK INSPECTION MANUAL * Australia: Coming on July 1st.

* ACT - New national wheels and tyres rules anticipated

-- The NHVR's new national truck inspection manual comes into effect soon, and there is no more important section than the one on wheels and tyres... A breakthrough for better truck maintenance comes into force in most parts of Australia... That’s the start date for the first nationally consistent inspection manual for heavy vehicles... The manual is produced by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, which holds sway everywhere except in Western Australia and the Northern Territory... The previous manual had not been updated since 2004, and each state had its own version with variations, so driving across a border could see drivers being nabbed for something which was OK somewhere else... The sections of the new manual most relevant to the trucking industry are on vehicle identification and dimensions; brakes; couplings; steering and suspension; wheels, tyres and hubs; structure and body condition; seats and seatbelts; lights and reflectors; mirrors; windscreens and windows; and trailers... Manual example: Meanwhile point c) is fairly obvious when it comes to tyre rejection: "A tyre (including sidewalls) has deep cuts, chunking, bumps, bulges, exposed cords or other signs of carcass failure" ...
(Photo: NHVR's new manual will cover tyres and wheels when it comes into effect in July) -- Canberra, ACT, Australia - Fully Loaded/ATN, by Steve Skinner - 27 April 2016

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

TAX REDUCTION * Australia: Road user charge reduction

* ACT - Trucking gains fuel tax rate reduction

--- The Coalition has loosened another pre-election shot across the Opposition’s trucking bows with a road user charge reduction ahead of the federal Budget... Following its abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Darren Chester, has pared the truck fuel tax rate from 26.14 to 25.9 cents per litre from July 1... In welcoming a move it had called for, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) calculates it will save a typical owner-driver about $200 in 2016-17, and a typical small fleet operator about $1,100... The road user charge is imposed as a reduction in the fuel tax credits that trucking businesses can claim through the BAS process, the ATA notes... As a result of the decision, the fuel tax credit rate for eligible heavy vehicles will increase from 13.36 cents per litre to 13.6 cents per litre from July 1...
(Photo: PowerTrans multi-trailer minings trucks) -- Canberra, Australia Capitol Territory, Australia - Fully Loaded/ATN - 26 April 2016

Labels: fuel tax rebates, trucking industry news Australia

TRUCKING SATISFACTION * Australia: For abolition of the RSRT

* NSW - Truck industry tribunal hits the road

-- The abolition of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal was "the only sensible decision there was", according to Blanchard Haulage's, Michael Blanchard... The legislation to remove the tribunal, created by the Labor Government in 2012, came into effect on April 21... Mr Blanchard said if the tribunal stayed, it would create in effect a two-tiered transport system and an uneven playing field between owner-operator truck drivers and larger trucking companies... Mr Blanchard believes the Heavy Vehicle National Regulator will help create one set of nation-wide rules to improve the safety of the heavy vehicle transport industry...
(Photo: JoJo Newby/The Daily Examiner - Blanchard's Operations Manager Michael Blanchard with one of the many trucks at the depot in Grafton) -- Grafton, NSW, Australia - - The Daily Examiner, by Jarrard Potter - 27th Apr 2016

Labels: trucking industry news Australia

Trucks World News

About Me

Links

Previous Posts

Archives

Favorite Links

Apr 30, 2016

FORD's news USA: * Record results - ** RECALL: 200,000 vehicles

CERTIFIED CONTAINERS WEIGHT * USA: New ones

STEEP BORDER FEES * Europe - For non-Russian trucks in Russia

ARMORED TRUCKS * Mexico: DRUG CARTEL´s VEHICLES

ARMORED TRUCKS, DONATED * United Arab Emirates - To Libya

TRUCKING Co. BANKRUPTCY * USA: Pacific 9 Transportation’s

TRUCKING ANALYSIS * USA: About autonomous trucks & driverless commercial vehicles

DEBATE ABOUT 'RSRT' * Australia: How brutal the trucking industry could be

Apr 29, 2016

FIAT-CHRYSLER's news * USA: DEAL with GOOGLE ? -- ** Italy / USA: Adding trucks

Apr 28, 2016

SCANIA's TRUCKS BLACK BOX * Sweden - Anti-theft tool

NEIGHBOROUGH COMPLAINS * South Africa - AGAINST PORT TRUCKING

TAX INCREASE * Canada: TO AFFECT TRUCKING Cos.

PORT TRUCKERS * USA: Misscassified as independent contractors

Apr 27, 2016

PACCAR's news * USA: Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, the third-highest in the past 10 years

VOLVO TRUCKS news * USA: Recall remains 800 vehicles

CATERPILLAR's news * UK - Cuting 12,000 full-time jobs globally

AMW Motors * India: To export more trucks

FORD's TRUCKS * Africa

DRAYAGE TRUCKS' FREE APP * USA

DB Schenker logistics * Germany - In a public offering

TRUCKERS UNLIMITED * Canada: by 'Women Unlimited'

FEMALE TRUCKERS * USA: Could solve trucking industry driver shortage

TRUCKING BEWARE * USA: An example of a dangerous truck accident

TRUCKERS' TURNOVER RATE * USA: 2015 up to 102 percent

TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDS * Australia

NEW NATIONAL TRUCK INSPECTION MANUAL * Australia: Coming on July 1st.

TAX REDUCTION * Australia: Road user charge reduction

TRUCKING SATISFACTION * Australia: For abolition of the RSRT