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Sep 20, 2016

ELECTRIC REEFERS TRUCKS * USA: On California roads

* California - Electric reefers running groceries in 
--- California’s continued push toward fewer and fewer emissions has affected all companies that use trucks in the state, and fleets that rely on trucks to deliver products are no exception...  D&D Wholesale Distributors in City of Industry, Calif., has been distributing produce, meats, poultry, grocery, non-foods, frozen foods and dairy in the Southern California area since 1979, and it’s responding to the demand by moving to all-electric refrigeration units for its delivery trucks... They found a Canadian company, Volta Air, that offers all-electric refrigeration units for vans and medium-duty delivery trucks. Last year they installed a unit it a smaller truck, an Isuzu. It worked “wonderful,” according to Ulloa, so this summer they added a larger-size unit incorporating solar panels on a larger Hino box truck... 
(Photo courtesy Second Generation Cooling and Volta Air - Two of D&D's trucks outfitted with Volta Air electric reefers. Photo courtesy Second Generation Cooling and Volta Air)  --  INDUSTRY, CAL, USA - Today's Trucking, by Deborah Lockridge - 14 Sept 2016

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Mar 22, 2016

NAFTA TRUCKING MARKET * North America

* DC - Cross-border freight posts 7.2% annual decline

-- All five major transportation modes, including trucking, carried less freight between the U.S. and its neighbors of Canada and Mexico last year than in 2014, but big-rigs continue to dominate such cargo movements, according to new U.S. Transportation Department figures... Trucks carried 64.3% of so-called U.S.-NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) freight last year, a 4.4 percentage point increase from 2014, and continued to be the most heavily used mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $359.8 billion of the $589.9 billion of imports, or 61%, and for $351.9 billion of the $516.4 billion of exports, or 68.2%... From 2014 to 2015, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows fell 12.6% to $575.2 billion... The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada in 2015 was vehicles and vehicle parts (other than railway vehicles and parts), valued at $103 billion with 60% moved by truck... Mexican freight down just slightly. The top commodity transported between the U.S. and Mexico in 2015 was electrical machinery at $103.8 billion, an increase of 7.5% from 2014, with $95.4 billion or 91.9% moved by trucks...
Washington, DC, USA - TruckingInfo, by Evan Lockridge - March 18, 2016

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Sep 30, 2015

TRUCKING COSTS * Canada: How much did 9/11 affect cost of northern cross-border trucking? - ** INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT: new bridge

* Ontario - Goods across the border U.S.A. / Canada increased from .3 to 0.6 percent of their value

(Photo: Trucks backed up for kilometres near the border in Windsor, Ontario) 
-- Statistics Canada released a report in July that shows that since Sept. 11, 2001, the cost of trucking goods across the border between the U.S. and Canada has increased from .3 percent of the value of goods shipped to .6 percent... The study pointed to the obvious, the implementation of new security measures designed to prevent illegal shipments at border crossing points... Statistics Canada said the study resulted from data collected by Statistic Canada’s Trucking Commodity origin and Destination Survey...

** Ontario - New bridge on the border USA/Canada

(Photo: New bridge to be named after Gordie Howe)
-- Canada’s plan to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge is aimed in part at adding faster, cheaper shipping alternatives for such exports... The billion-dollar project calls for a six-lane bridge between Windsor and Detroit complete with a $250 million U.S. Customs plaza that Canada has agreed to fund. The bridge is scheduled to open by 2020... According to the CBC, the U.S. and Canada have the largest bilateral trading relationship in the world – measuring at $870 billion in 2014. An estimated $2.4 billion in goods and services cross the U.S.-Canada border every day... 
 Ottawa, ONT, CAN - Land Line, by Charlie Morasch - 25 Sept 2015

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Aug 17, 2015

INTELLIGENT TELEMATICS for TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

* Washington - Applied driving techniques and intelligent telematics target driver safety. Big data delivers payback for small fleets
-- While the marketing push around telematics systems and big data solutions has been aimed at large fleets—with the payback multiplied by the number of trucks—owner-operators and small fleets stand to benefit as well... Following their presentation at a recent press event to outline the new partnership between Zonar Systems and Daimler Trucks North America, Zonar President and CEO Brett Brinton and Chief Strategy Officer Mike McQuade sat down with Fleet Owner to explain how the telematics tools they are developing make sense for even a single truck operator... The Zonar package has two components: the “black box,” which Brinton compares to a flight data recorder in aircraft and which transmits data to cloud storage and also has the capacity to talk to other devices; and a dedicated, versatile mobile tablet to access, process and display the data that’s collected in the cloud... And that data can pay in a number of ways. Improving fuel efficiency. While some advantage is gained by making sure the engine is maintained for optimal performance, getting the best performance out of drivers is where the real money is...
(Photo: Zonar 2020 7-inch tablet) -- Seattle, WASH, USA - Fleet Owner, by Kevin Jones - Aug 14, 2015

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Jul 18, 2015

TRUCK SALES * Canada: 140 Volvo trucks

* Ontario - Titanium Transportation gets new rigs, increasing fleet size

-- The trucking operation Titanium Transportation Group Inc. said this week it received the first shipments of its 2016 Volvo VNL 670 model trucks and expects to take delivery of a total of 140 Volvo trucks during 2015 and in early 2016... Titanium has also secured up to an additional 100 Volvo truck build slots for delivery in 2016... Titanium's current fleet consists of 350 power units, serving both Canada and the U.S.A., including 30 Volvo trucks that have already been delivered in 2015... Titanium provides truckload, dedicated, and cross-border trucking services, freight logistics, and warehousing and distribution to more than 800 customers, according to the company... 
Woodbridge, ONT, CAN – Today's Trucking - Jul 15, 2015

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Apr 3, 2015

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA: Speed limits on - "U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY" - * Canada: New Brunswick's highest diesel prices

* South Dakota / USA - Semi trucks won't likely speed up with new limit
  --   It's full speed ahead for a new speed limit in South Dakota. On Wednesday South Dakota joined the list of five states that now have a speed limit of 80 miles per hour or higher on the interstates. But for truck drivers making their way through the state, it’s going to be business as usual... K & J Trucking, Sioux Falls-based company, owns 100 trucks which drive across the country. Her fleet is restricted to drive at slower speeds for safety and to save on fuel costs... But slowing down isn't just a cost-cutting move for truckers. According to a recent investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, semi-truck tires aren't manufactured to withstand speeds much higher than 75 miles per hour... Myron Rau President of the South Dakota Trucking Association says, just because the speed limit increased, trucks likely won't follow suit... Which is why K & J Trucking President Shelley Koch said. is warning South Dakota drivers to watch out for trucks... And that's why the trucking industry hopes drivers now pay attention to the difference on South Dakota interstates... 
 (Photo: A semi-truck passes by a newly posted 80 mph speed limit sign on Interstate I-90, I-29 in South Dakota rise to 80 mph)   --  Sioux Falls, SD, USA - KELOLAND TV - 1 April 2015


* Connecticut / USA - Police cracking down on texting while driving

  --  Connecticut State police and more than 50 local police departments have begun a crackdown on people using their cell phones while driving... The Connecticut Department of Transportation says the "U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY" initiative focuses on texting, but police also will be looking for drivers talking on their phones... The state is using a $2.3 million grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to pay for the enforcement effort, which will run through the month of April. Violators face fines of $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second violation, and $500 for any additional charges...
(Photo: Texting while driving is bad)  --  Newington, CONN, USA - The Associated Press/The Trucker - 1 April 2015


* New Brunswick / Canada - Atlantic Truckers hit with higher diesel tax

-- New Brunswick's 2015-2016 budget will hit Atlantic truckers' pocketbooks with a 2.3-percent tax hike on diesel... The tax on unleaded gasoline will rise by 1.9 cents a litre and 2.3 cents a litre for diesel, adding $28.2 million for government annually. New Brunswick will now have the same gasoline tax rate as Nova Scotia, according to reports... The trucking industry employs over 20,000 in the province of New Brunswick, not including drivers and generates about $3-billion each year... According to APTA, New Brunswick now has the second highest diesel prices in the country, from 19.2 to 21.5 cents per litre... 
(Photo: Universal Truck and Trailer Sales, New Brunswick, Atlantic Canada)  --  Dieppe, NB, CAN - Today's Trucking - Apr 1, 2015

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Apr 1, 2015

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS USA: * Baltimore clean trucks - & Canada: The 407 Express Toll trucks billed for duplicate trips

* Maryland / USA - Baltimore Port extends clean-trucks program
-- The Port of Baltimore will combine a $200,000 U.S. Transportation Department grant with $300,000 in state funds to continue a program subsidizing replacement of old drayage trucks with newer, less-polluting vehicles... Owners and operators of short-haul drayage trucks will be provided with up to $20,000 to purchase new trucks that meet or exceed Environmental Protection Agency standards for 2007-model trucks... The funding is expected to support replacement of 22 older trucks. It will continue a program that has replaced about 100 older trucks in the port during the last several years. The money will be used to replace 1990 to 2003-model trucks that are in working condition and now operate in the port. The replaced trucks must be scrapped... 
Baltimore, MAR, USA - J. O. C., by Joseph Bonney - Mar 31, 2015


* Ontario / Canada - Trucking companies rack up thousands in tolls due to improper Hwy 407 billing

-- Commercial vehicles travelling on the 407 Express Toll Route have been hit with thousands of dollars in overbilling and duplicate billing... The all-electronic toll highway, which stretches from Burlington to Pickering, has been driving up an accounting nightmare for some trucking and trailer companies... According to documents obtained by CTV, commercial vehicles travelling on Highway 407 have been tolled twice for the same trip... Tractor-trailers travelling on the 407 Express Toll route have been improperly billed for duplicate trips, but highway representatives say it's rare... Toronto, ONT, CAN - CTV Toronto - March 30, 2015


* Ohio / USA - Lawmakers scrap highway speed limit increase
-- Ohio Lawmakers scrapped a proposal to raise highway speed limits to 75 mph that was opposed by the trucking industry... The proposed speed limit increase was originally part of the state’s transportation budget, but when a committee of Ohio House and Senate members convened to finalize the details of the budget, the changes had been removed... The Ohio Department of Transportation and trucking groups were concerned about the limit increase’s effect on highway safety. Speed limiters on trucks often keep them below 68 mph-- meaning that more passenger cars might attempt risky passing maneuvers resulting in more accidents... ODOT also noted that the highways were not designed for speeds greater than 70 mph, which could also pose safety risks... 
OH, USA - TruckingInfo - 30 March 2015


* Oregon / USA - Truck traffic at Hwy 97 border increased 25% in 2014
-- Southern Oregon has a sign of economic recovery: Lots more big rigs at the weigh scales on Highway 97 near the border with California... The number of trucks going through the scales just north of the California border took a sharp jump in 2014, rising to 238,000, the Klamath Falls Herald and News reported. That was a 25 percent increase from the year before... Phil Grant, of the Oregon Department of Transportation, and his seven employees staff the two Highway 97 scales just north of the Oregon Institute of Technology... (Photo by TrudyWilkerson, Getty Images/iStockphoto)  --  Klamath Falls, ORE, USA - Associated Press/Statement Journal - March 30, 2015

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Nov 12, 2014

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS: * USA & Canada

* Border USA / Canada - Delays costly for truckers

(Photo Couresty ezbordercrossing - Major delays for Ambassador Bridge truck traffic heading into the U.S. on November 11, 2014)
Windsor,ONT,CAN -Blackburn News, by Jason Viau -November 12, 2014: -- A major border delay at the Ambassador Bridge Tuesday was the cause of many headaches, as well as lost revenue for trucking companies. Frank Hansaruk is the general manager of JBJ Trucking in Windsor, overseeing 42 trucks. He says these unusually long delays become very costly...  U.S.A. Customs and Border Protection says a computer issue caused the delay that lasted most of Tuesday. Hansaruk says he was told the system that handled each truck’s manifest and driver information was down. Another local trucking company, Morrice Transportation, says some of its drivers report being delayed over four hours. Business Development Manager Steven Kozma says if this becomes a trend, the company will have to raise its rates. “When something like this takes place we basically lose all of our profits in one run” ... 

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Nov 3, 2014

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

* Washington - TW Transport to increase driver pay Nov. 1
(Photo courtesy:  TW Transport, a Trans-System subsidiary, has been in operation for over four decades) 
Spokane,WASH,USA -The Trucker News Services -31 Oct 2014: -- TW Transport has announced that it is increasing driver pay for solo and team drivers effective Saturday, Nov. 1... TWT solo drivers will now be paid 40 cents per mile and teams will receive 50 cents per mile. These changes come in addition to a $1,500 sign-on bonus for solo drivers and a $3,000 sign-on bonus for teams... TW Transport, a Trans-System subsidiary, has been in operation for over four decades. TWT currently operates in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and now offers runs east to Dallas, Atlanta, Greenville, South Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina...


* Canada - TransForce yet to close Contrans acquisition, but looking to shed truck business

(Image The Canadian Press: The TransForce Inc. headquarters is pictured in Montreal in a company handout photo The TransForce Inc. headquarters is pictured in Montreal in a company handout photo) Montreal,QBC,CAN -The Winnipeg Free Press, by Ross Marowits -31 Oct 2014: -- TransForce has yet to close the acquisition of Ontario-based Contrans, but Canada's largest trucking and logistics companies is already considering spinning off its truckload operations as early as next year, likely followed by its waste division... TransForce said it has received sufficient shareholder support for a $495-million cash takeover offer for the Contrans trucking group but continues to await a response from Canadian competition authorities... The Montreal-based company said it has been in discussions with the Competition Bureau and expects the 30-day waiting period will expire on Wednesday. As a result, TransForce has extended the offer deadline to Nov. 11...

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Sep 17, 2014

TRUCKING SAFETY * Canada: See what truckers don't see

* Ontario - Special awareness event: A local trucking company wants you to see what truckers don’t

Belleville,Hastings,ONT,CAN -The Intelligencer, by Emily Mountney-Lessard -September 16, 2014: -- Meyers Transportation Services, based in Belleville, is hosting an awareness event entitled Do You See What We Don’t? this weekend at Loyalist College... Safety supervisor Doug Walker said the company wants people to know just how little visibility truck drivers actually have, and how other drivers can help make roadways safer for everyone... The company has around 125 drivers, each with a truck... Walker said, according to one statistic, car drivers are responsible for collisions between cars and trucks about 85 per cent of the time... Walker said often, when a collision involved a transport truck, peoples’ first instinct is to blame the driver... He said drivers can often be intimidated or irritated by transport trucks but wants people to know that “truck drivers are people too” ... He said the most common insurance claim that trucking companies have to deal with are side-swipes...

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Oct 18, 2013

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA & Canada

* New York - OOIDA lawsuit seeks to head off “fee proliferation”

(Photo: A truck in NT City) 
NY,USA -Fleet Owner, by Sean Kilcarr -Oct. 15, 2013: -- A class action lawsuit launched by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) last week against the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance seeks to head-off what some in the industry are calling “fee proliferation” – efforts by state and local governments to craft extra fees and/or taxes often targeted at truckers to generate additional revenues... OOIDA said its lawsuit is in response to a $15 fee for a certificate of registration and a $4 decal charge on all trucks using New York State highways, with penalties for non-payment on a timely basis resulting in fines, interest, penalties, and seizure of property... Jim Johnston, OOIDA’s president and CEO, said in a statement that those fees are being imposed not only on New York-based trucks, but also on trucks based outside of New York. That’s why OOIDA’s lawsuit claims the fees are “unconstitutional and discriminatory” against out-of-state truckers...


* Canada - Truck firms looking for drivers, too - Bottom line: A 33,000 driver shortage by 2020. 

(Photo: Scania's Truck On Snow) 
Ottawa,ONT,Canada -Fleet Owner, by Larry Kahaner -Oct. 11, 2013: -- If misery loves company, then U.S. carriers grappling with driver shortages can take comfort that their Canada counterparts are plagued by the same malady. The issue is so acute that about a year ago the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) published a Blue Ribbon Task Force report on the subject and produced a separate website to keep carriers and others updated on the topic... The report highlighted core values that could help alleviate the driver shortage. These included: 
 -- Truck drivers should be paid for all the work that they do and earn enough to cover all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses as well as have an improved ability to predict what their weekly pay is going to be; compensation packages need to be competitive and more transparent 
 -- Drivers’ time at work should not be wasted — at shipper/consignee premises, waiting for their trucks in the shop, or waiting for a response to a question of their carrier 
 -- Driver wellness should be a top priority for employers 
 -- A minimum standard of entry level, apprenticeship or apprenticeship-like truck driver training should be mandatory 
 -- Truck driving should be considered a skilled trade and be recognized as such by the various levels and branches of government, standards councils


* DC / USA - Trucking rests easy as sleep apnea bill signed into law

(Photo: A Truck driver sleeping)
Washington,DC,USA -Fleet Owner, by Larry Kahaner -Oct. 17, 2013: -- Showing that government still can work smoothly and without rancor, President Barack Obama without fanfare on Tuesday signed legislation requiring that any federal standards concerning sleep disorders, especially sleep apnea, that apply to commercial vehicle operators would be handled through a rulemaking proceeding and not solely by regulatory guidance. The three-sentence legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 405 to 0 and the Senate by unanimous consent... Trucking industry stakeholders, including drivers, are pleased with the law because it will allow a full airing of the matter and offer opportunities for input in a prescribed, scientific and cost analysis-based manner. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had already made public its belief that the matter should be handled through rulemaking, but the law provides the industry added assurance that this will the case...

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Aug 24, 2013

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

* Virginia - Dealing with drivers 

(Photo)
Arlington,VA,USA -Fleet Owner -23 Aug 2913: -- A growing shortage of truck drivers will force the trucking industry and the shippers it serves to rethink the pay scales and working environment of commercial vehicle operators in the very near future, according to several industry experts... Data compiled by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) indicates that in less than a decade, annual freight demand will require the services of some 2 million truck drivers, yet if the current shortage persists, only 1.7 million will be working in trucking – a shortage of some 300,000 personnel... Right now, ATA thinks the bulk of the shortage is confined to long-haul, over-the-road TL carriers, but that private fleets and LTL carriers may begin to experience difficulty finding, hiring and keeping drivers, too, as regulatory changes to hours-of-service and Compliance Safety Accountably program; all in combination with the industry growth, retirements and drivers leaving the industry, will exacerbate the shortage... And focusing on driver health and wellness plans are also an industry-must – not in the least because poor health is reducing the lifespan of the average trucker to 61 years, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – 15 years below the national average...

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Jul 4, 2013

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * Canada & USA

* Canada - USA: Calling for review of empty trailer repositioning rules 

(Photo) 
Ottawa,ONT,CAN -Truck News -Jun 28, 2013: -- A progress report on facilitating cross-border business travel is signalling a willingness to change the way Canada and the US deal with the repositioning of foreign empty trailers, according to the Canadian Trucking Alliance. The report made on the commitments to facilitate the conduct of cross-border business under the Beyond the Border Action Plan, Canada and the US also committed to “review policies related to the movement and treatment of foreign drivers and related equipment to ensure maximum legally permissible alignment of policy with evolution in the cross-border trucking industry” ...For several years, the CTA and the American Trucking Associations have been seeking the ability for foreign drivers to reposition foreign empty trailers in both countries... The Government of Canada has said it is prepared to make the change to allow US drivers to reposition empty US trailers in Canada, so long as the US reciprocates... The US Department of Homeland Security appears to now be on board as well...


* Oregon / USA - New dispatch system could save money for trucking industry, make life easier for drivers

(Photo: Trucks on highway 163 near mexican hat in Utah, USA) Corvallis,ORE,USA -Oregon State University -26 June 2013: -- Engineers at Oregon State University are studying a new approach to organize and route truck transportation that could save millions of dollars, improve the quality of life for thousands of truck drivers and make freight transportation far more efficient... The findings, published recently in Transportation Research Part E, show the feasibility of the new system. More research is still needed before implementation, but there’s potential to revolutionize the way that truck transportation is handled in the United States and around the world, some experts say... The new approach under study combines the relay system and the point-to-point system for full-truckload transport. The researchers at OSU developed a new mathematical approach to optimize the design of the dispatching system for the movement of goods and to minimize the impact on drivers. It’s one of the first models of its type to create a mixed-fleet dispatching system at a large scale...


* Wisconsin / USA - Schneider installs tracking technology on trailers, containers

(Photo: A Schneider National truck) 
Green Bay,WIS,USA -Transport Topics -2 July 2013: -- Schneider National said it is installing tracking technology on its intermodal containers and van trailers... The Trailer Tracks 210 devices sold by Omnitracs, formerly known as Qualcomm Enterprise Services, will provide real-time location and load status and add supply chain efficiencies, Schneider said... The devices upgrade technology already in the company’s truckload and dedicated fleets but are the first to be installed in its intermodal containers, according to Schneider, which is installing the technology on more than 44,000 containers and trailers... All of Schneider’s intermodal containers will be equipped with tracking devices by the end of September, and the van trailer fleet upgrade will be complete by December 2015, the company said...
* DC / USA  - FMCSA awards $1 million in grants to train veterans for transportation jobs

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line -3 July 2013: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is offering grants totaling almost $1 million to increase enrollment and provide job placement for veterans and military families in the commercial motor vehicle industry... The announcement comes one day after Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, was confirmed as the 17th U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary... The grants were awarded to six colleges across the country as part of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant program...


* BC / Canada - Phase 1 of Canada-US truck cargo pre-inspection pilot now underway

(Photo: Border crossing Canada) 
Surrey,B.C.,CAN -Truck News -Jul 2, 2013: -- US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has begun Phase I of a truck cargo pre-inspection pilot. The project, which got underway at the Pacific Highway crossing adjacent to Surrey, B.C., June 17, is a collaborative effort by CBP, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and Public Safety Canada under the US/Canadian Beyond the Border initiative. Transport Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Transport are also participating in the pilot... Phase I of the pilot is designed as a “proof of concept” to determine the viability of assigning CBP officers to Canadian border crossings to pre-inspect southbound trucks, drivers and cargo prior to arrival into the US. It will also test the viability of developed technologies and joint US-Canada procedures to conduct CBP primary truck processing in Canada. Officials say CBP will monitor wait times and provide traffic mitigation as needed...

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Jun 14, 2013

* USA - Strong environment for trucking companies in April

* Indiana - Trucking Conditions Index stays ‘very positive’ for fleets 

Bloomington,IND,USA -CCJ -June 12, 2013: -- The Trucking Conditions Index — calculated monthly by FTR Associates — continued to point toward a very strong environment for trucking companies in April, as the reading signals “volumes, prices and margins are likely to be in a solidly favorable range for trucking companies,” says FTR... The reading rose seven-tenths of a point to 13.8. FTR says anything above 10 is in the “solidly favorable” range for trucking... Rates will continue to increase modestly, FTR says, as freight volumes continue to grow and increased regulations restrict productivity. FTR, like other analysts, forecast that hours-of-service changes and other regulations will “take at least 3 percent out of trucking capacity” ...  Rate increases may not be as strong as they could be because of what FTR calls a “soft fuel market,” but FTR does expect an increase in base prices due to hours-of-service effects and other rulings, it says...


* DC - Amount of freight carried drops for first time in five months

Washington,DC,USA -CCJ Digital -June 12, 2013: -- The amount of freight carried by the for-hire trucking industry fell in April from March, according to data released this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, which measures freight shipments each month with the Freight Transportation Services Index. The drop comes after five consecutive months of increases... According to the BTS numbers, shipments in April dropped 1.2 percent from the previous month, but up 1.2 percent from April 2012. The April 2013 Transportation Services Index read 112.4, representing an 18.5 percent increase from April 2009′s low in the Great Recession... That number is 2.4 percent lower than December 2011′s all-time high of 115.2... The index measures month-to-month changes in freight shipments measured in tons and ton-miles, which combine to form the index... Among all modes of transportation, trucking was the only stable one, as water, pipeline shipments and rail intermodel saw declines. BTS says that although April saw a drop, the index has consistently remained above the 2012 range for four months in a row...


* California - Accurate Mileage Calculations

Aliso Viejo,CAL,USA -Today´s Trucking -Jun 12, 2013: -- Telogis says it's setting a new transportation industry standard for mileage calculation accuracy with Telogis Miles, an extension of its comprehensive, cloud-based location intelligence platform. Telogis Miles works by generating real-time mileage that matches actual in-cab miles driven when used in conjunction with the Telogis platform. It gives fleets the ability to determine and manage against actual costs... Telogis Navigation has been an industry standard for several years. Telogis Miles allows customers to leverage what's claimed to be "the most accurate and current data" in the industry, supported by a network of nearly 110,000 drivers who provide feedback on the best truck-specific routes and other information in real time... Telogis Miles is specifically designed for back-office planners and resources associated with all types of routing calculation. It automatically takes into consideration the configuration defined by the fleet, including routing preferences and road modifiers, and exploits the full platform's flexibility in managing the entire routing process from the first mile to the last...


* Connecticut - Law covers ABCs of independent contractor status 

(Photo)
Hartford,CONN,USA -Land Line, by By Keith Goble -14 June 2013: -- A new law in Connecticut lawmakers changes a rule that covers the employment status of independent contractors, including owner-operators. It takes effect Oct. 1... State law now regards truck drivers who work for one motor carrier as employees. The state’s “ABC test” presumes that workers are employees unless they meet three requirements. The test for independent contractors states that workers “must be free from the employer’s control and direction; perform a service outside the employer’s usual course of business or outside of all the employer’s places of businesses; and be customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business or the same nature as the service being performed for the employer” ... Currently, a worker can fail the test if he or she provides services for only one employer...

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Jun 11, 2013

* CARGO THEFT: More than $5 billion worth of cargo is stolen

* Canada - Cargo theft is growing problem for trucking industry 


Dieppe,NB,CAN -News 91B, by Allan Dearing -Jun 6, 2013: -- Major problem near the cargo hubs in Ontario and Quebec, cargo theft is now growing in Atlantic Canada... The growing problem of cargo theft is leaving the trucking industry vulnerable... Each year, more than $5 billion worth of cargo is stolen from trucks in Canada... Jean-Marc Picard of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says it’s becoming more important to educate members and companies about the issue... The insurance industry and law enforcement agencies have teamed up to help combat cargo theft which was the focus of a seminar held in Dieppe yesterday...

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Jun 4, 2013

* USA - New Jersey Bill reclassifies independent truckers.

* Garden State is only the latest battleground in this war

(Photo by Daniel Acker/ Bloomberg News -Trucks drive through security checkpoints at the Port Newark Container Terminal in Newark) 
Trenton,NJ,USA -Fleet Owner, by David Cullen -Jun. 3, 2013: -- Following passage by New Jersey’s General Assembly and its State Senate, an “employee misclassification” bill that would reclassify both drayage-truck operators [port truckers] and parcel-delivery truckers as employees-- not independent contractors-- is headed to the Governor’s desk... Dubbed the “Truck Operator Independent Contractor Act”, the bill was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and other pro-labor groups and passed along party lines, with most Democrats supporting it and most Republicans opposing... It should be noted that the Garden State is only the latest battleground in the nationwide effort by the U.S. Dept. of Labor as well as more than two dozen States to combat the so-called practice of employers “misclassifying” employees as independent contractors to reduce amounts paid such workers in both wages and benefits...



* British Columbia - Progressive Waste Solutions expanding natural gas truck fleet 

(Picture: Progressive Waste Solutions vehicles are Mack trucks with natural gas engines powered by Cummins Westport of Vancouver, B.C.) 
Vancouver,BC,CAN -Truck News -May 31, 2013: -- Progressive Waste Solutions announced this morning it is expanding its fleet of natural gas waste and recycling trucks... The announcement was made at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual conference... The company says it already operates the largest natural gas-powered refuse fleet in Canada... The company currently runs more than 100 natural gas-powered vehicles in Canada. It plans to add another 40 natural gas trucks by the end of this year, some of which will be deployed in Montreal, Que.... The company says its CNG trucks cost about 15% more to purchase than conventional diesel-powered trucks, however they deliver a return on investment within an “attractive timeframe” ... 

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May 8, 2013

More than 83 percent of all transportation made by trucks * USA

* Miami - Car Infographics: The American Trucking Industry by the numbers 

Miami,FL,USA -Top Speed, by Simona -6 May 2013: -- In most of the countries, the trucking sector dominates the commercial transportation industry, and the U.S., of course, is no exception, as previous studies reveal that more that 83 percent of all transportation is made by trucks. They deliver everything from food to clothes and bicycles to motor vehicles... In the U.S. alone, there are a total of 3 million registered class-8 trucks (18 wheelers), meaning a total of 54 million individual truck tires are required by all of them. These trucks travel about 11,609 miles a second, meaning that each year the 3 million trucks go around the Earth about 14.7 million times. That’s a whole lot of hauling!.. On average, a class-8 truck needs 9.3 gallons of fuel per hour, while driving at speeds of 65 mph. By doing a little math you will see that the trucking industry requires 52,300 million gallons of fuel per year... While it requires lots of resources, the trucking industry is paying a total of $35 billion just in Federal, State and Highway use taxes alone. Needless to say, just these statistics show just how necessary the trucking industry is...


* Tennessee - Chances of a capacity shortfall increasing

Chattanooga,TN,USA -Fleet Owner -May 6, 2013: -- With tonnage growth subdued and rates flat, much of the TL segment seems to be in a “holding pattern” in terms of adding more capacity – a move that might create a trucking capacity crunch as early as this summer, noted Richard Mikes, managing partner of Transport Capital Partners (TCP), during a webinar hosted by Wall Street investment firm Stifel Nicolaus... However, such a crunch could be offset by conflicting trends in the private fleet segment, as half of the private fleets polled by CK Commercial Vehicle Research (CKCVR) in its quarterly “fleet sentiment” report indicate they are adding capacity via purchases over the next three months – with an average of more than 40% of their new power unit orders designated as “new capacity” ...


* Canada - OTA focuses on future leaders with NextGen Program

Toronto,ONT,CAN -Today's Trucking (USA) -May 7, 2013: -- The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is launching a new program to help foster talent and leadership qualities in younger members in the trucking industry... At the OTA Spring Board Retreat in Muskoka from May 30 to May 31, they’ve created a forum for industry up-and-comers with the Next Generation program to share ideas, opinions and experiences... Embracing new opportunities and ideas is key to any organization. Jeff Bryan, OTA chair and president of Jeff Bryan Transport, thinks the NextGen program will allow for greater collaboration between all members of the OTA... 
* Ohio - Private fleets adding capacity faster than for-hire fleets: survey 

Columbus,OH,USA -Truck News (CAN) -6 May 2013: -- Private fleets are currently adding capacity with additional units at a faster rate than for-hire fleets, according to results from CK Commercial Vehicle Research’s second-quarter Fleet Sentiment survey... Half of the private fleets participating in the quarterly survey indicated they were adding capacity with the power units they expected to purchase (in the next three months) with an average of more than 40% of those orders designated for that purpose...  For the same time period, a third of for-hire fleets said they were adding capacity, averaging just 6% of power units directed to growing their vehicle population... Private fleets are currently adding capacity with additional units at a faster rate than for-hire fleets, according to results from CK Commercial Vehicle Research’s second-quarter Fleet Sentiment survey. Half of the private fleets participating in the quarterly survey indicated they were adding capacity with the power units they expected to purchase (in the next three months) with an average of more than 40% of those orders designated for that purpose. For the same time period, a third of for-hire fleets said they were adding capacity, averaging just 6% of power units directed to growing their vehicle population...


 
* DC - FMCSA orders four ‘reincarnated’ carriers to cease operating 

Washington,DC,USA -Fleet Owner, by Deborah Whistler -May 6, 2013: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ordered four Olathe, KS-based trucking companies – Royal Transport, Inc.; Nationwide, Inc.; Freight, Inc.; and Midwest A, Inc. – to immediately cease all interstate transportation service based on evidence that they are reincarnated “chameleons” for an unsafe truck company previously shut down by the agency... Earlier this year, FMCSA investigators discovered that the four companies were functioning under common operation and control in order to avoid a negative compliance history... The agency also determined that Freight, Inc. and Midwest A. Inc, were created to avoid the out-of-service order issued against Nationwide, Inc., on July 16, 2008, for failure to pay civil penalties. During its investigation, FMCSA discovered the carriers were operating the same vehicles, using the same drivers and maintaining the same operational and management structure as Royal, Inc...

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