Recently added articles from Transport Topics:
Truck Highway Safety Improves To Best Level, DOT Data Show
Feb 16, 2009; ... Two key safety indicators improved to their best-ever levels during 2007, according to data just released by the Department of Transportation and analyzed by TRANSPORT TOPICS. Both the truck-related fatality rate and the truck-related fatal crash rate were the best since DOT began ...
Trucking Sheds 24,900 Jobs
Feb 16, 2009; ... January Decline Is Largest Since April 1994 The trucking industry lost nearly 25,000 jobs in January, the highest monthly total ever except during a national strike in 1994, according to data from the Department of Labor. Dismal freight volumes caused carriers to cut back, and ...
Congress Trims Road Funding In Stimulus Bill Compromise
Feb 16, 2009; ... Congress late last week was poised to pass a $789 billion economic stimulus package, which included less guaranteed funding for roads and bridges than industry officials had hoped for, but it also contained money for diesel engine retrofits and a tax break for buying new equipment. "It's ...
Diesel Dips 2.7¢, 28th Decline in 30 Weeks; Oil Also Slides While Gasoline Keeps Rising
Feb 16, 2009; ... Driven by a freight-scarce economy, abundant fuel inventories and predictions of continuing economic distress, the average price of U.S. retail diesel drifted down another 2.7 cents a gallon to $2.219 last week, its fourth straight decline and the 28th in the past 30 weeks. The diesel ...
Postal Service, UPS Team Up To Make Online Returns Easier
Feb 16, 2009; ... UPS Inc. and the U.S. Postal Service have agreed to work together to make it easier for consumers to return goods purchased online, a move that more closely aligns the nation's mail delivery system with the largest commercial package carrier. Under a pilot program starting this month, ...
Knight Praises Trucking's 'Green' Measures'; Says Industry Should Improve Public Image
Feb 16, 2009; ... ORLANDO, Fla. - Kevin Knight, chief executive officer of Knight Transportation, touted truckings efforts in recent years to become more environmentally friendly, and said the industry should work to improve its green message to the public. "I'm not an environmentalist, but it's important ...
Pa. Governor Proposes to Spend $227 Million For Bridge Repairs, Increased Rail Capacity
Feb 16, 2009; ... Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D) has proposed spending $200 million for nighway bridge repairs, plus $27 million to increase freight capacity for railroads, one of which plans to build an intermodal terminal in Pittsburgh. The state's rail investment would be for a partnership in ...
FMC Lets Calif. Ports Collect Fees On Containers to Fund Truck Retrofits
Feb 16, 2009; ... The Federal Maritime Commission said it will allow the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., starting Feb. 18, to collect container fees that will help carriers fund the replacement of older trucks with less-polluting newer models. In a Feb. 10 fetter, American Trucking ...
Gregg Withdraws as Commerce Nominee
Feb 16, 2009; ... Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N. H.) withdrew his name from consideration to serve as President Obama's commerce secretary, citing his opposition to the economic stimulus legislation (see story, p. 1). In a Feb. 12 ...
December DOT Freight Index Falls 3%
Feb 16, 2009; ... The Department of Transportation said its freight transportation services index fell 3% in December from a year earlier. The 105.1 reading left the freight index at its ...
Hearing to Come on Calif. Emissions Waiver
Feb 16, 2009; ... The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public hearing March 5 on a 2007 decision to deny California a waiver allowing the state to implement its own greenhouse gas emission standards for automobiles and light trucks. President Obama, who vowed to rescind the waiver decision ...
Pacer Takes 4Q Loss; Express-1's Profit Climbs
Feb 16, 2009; ... Pacer International reported a fourth-quarter loss of $65.1 million, or $1.87 a share, compared with a profit of $20.6 million, or 59 cents, a year earlier. The loss included the effects of an impairment charge. Excluding that charge, Pacer said it earned 24 cents a share. For the full ...
New Mexico Steps Up Tax Enforcement
Feb 16, 2009; ... The New Mexico State Taxation and Revenue Department said it wants to make sure carriers are paying their share of taxes. State officials said that starting Feb. 16, they will begin an enhanced compliance and collection effort that will include additional personnel at ...
Fleet Execs Confront Dealers On Padded Bills, Estimates
Feb 16, 2009; ... ORLANDO, Fla. - Fleet executives complained bluntly about what they said were padded bills for repair services, unreliable estimates and failures by service operators to offer realistic completion times. "What we want to hear is a realistic time frame from when dealers will finish ...
YRC, Banks Close to Deal On Debt Covenant Waiver
Feb 16, 2009; ... CORAL GABLES, Fla. - YRC Worldwide Inc.'s chief financial officer said here Feb. 11 that the company expects to announce agreements "in the next several days" with lenders that will produce a waiver from debt covenant restrictions. YRC has a Feb. 17 target date for completion of talks ...
Navistar Urges Trucking to Back Gradual Phase-in of 2010 Regs
Feb 16, 2009; ... ARLINGTON, Va. - A top Navistar Inc. official said the company is pursuing its own solution to meet the 2010 U.S. emission standards, because it doesn't believe the fuel savings claimed by competitors will justify the higher costs and more complicated systems associated with the new ...
Less-Than-Truckload Pricing Fades in 4Q; Operating Ratios Deteriorate to Break Even
Feb 16, 2009; ... Less-than-truckload pricing dwindled during the fourth quarter, contributing to an increase in operating ratios toward the break-even point, according to a survey of results from publicly traded companies. All of the carriers said revenue per hundredweight, including fuel surcharges, ...
UPS Freight Cuts Transit Times; Averitt Opens Texas Terminals
Feb 16, 2009; ... Two major less-than-truckload carriers announced service improvements for Texas and Oklahoma on Feb. 9. The week after UPS Inc. quoted market observers characterizing the current LTL environment as "one of the worst ever," the company's LTL division, UPS Freight, said it would improve ...
Con-way Participates in Mich. Safety Tests Of Eaton's IVBSS Crash-Warning System
Feb 16, 2009; ... Less-than-truckload carrier Con-way Freight said Feb. 3 that it is participating in field tests of an integrated, vehicle-based safety system run by the University of Michigan. The IVBSS crash-warning technology from Eaton Corp. is built into International trucks made by Navistar Inc ....
Supplier Groups Explore Aid To Sustain Vehicle Production
Feb 16, 2009; ... Transport Topics The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association and Original Equipment Suppliers Associations are discussing the plight of the automobile industry with President Obama's administration, the Treasury Department and members of Congress as the federal government ...