Transport Topics back issues from March 2006:
Fuel Climbs 1.6¢ to $2.471
Mar 06, 2006; ... Diesel Price Increase Is First in Three Weeks The average price of retail diesel fuel rose 1.6 cents last week, the first increase in three weeks, as political instahilitv in Africa and the Middle East took its toll on crude oil prices, according to the Department of Energy. The ...
Groups Sue to Force Change In FMCSA Driver-Hours Rule
Mar 06, 2006; ... Opponents of the federal government's latest version of the new truck-driver hours-of-service rule have asked a U.S. appeals court to overturn or niodify the regulation. The opposition falls into two distinct camps, with one - led by trucking-related groups - asking the court to modirv ...
'UPS Freight' to Debut As 'Overnite' Departs
Mar 06, 2006; ... RICHMOND, Va. - Parcel delivery giant UPS Inc. said it will rename its Overnite Transportation subsidiary UPS Freight as part of a strategy to integrate Overnite into UPS after having purchased it in August. UPS executives said they want to increase the company's presence in the ...
Truck Tonnage Up 0.6% In 2nd-Best January Ever
Mar 06, 2006; ... Seasonally adjusted truck tonnage grew by 0.6% in January from December, according to a key barometer of tbe industry's bealtli compiled by American Trucking Associations. However, ATA also said the index underwent one of its substantial periodic revisions and said the 3% decline from ...
EPA Says Upcoming Model Idling Law Intended to Promote Consistency
Mar 06, 2006; ... The Environmental Protection Agency said it expects a draft of a model truck idling law aimed at helping state and local governments create more consistent idling laws to be released later this year. EPA spokeswoman Tanya Meekins said the model law would be voluntary. "The model law ...
DOT Says Hoemann to Run FMCSA Until a Replacement Is Confirmed
Mar 06, 2006; ... Warren Hoemann, deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, will be the acting administrator of the agency until a permanent replacement is confirmed, a Department of Transportation spokesman said last week. "Warren Hoemann will be acting administrator until ...
Rusty Rush Named CEO of Rush Enterprises
Mar 06, 2006; ... Rush Enterprises, the nations largest dealer of Peterbilt trucks, Feb. 28 named W.M. "Rusty" Rush its new chief executive officer. Rush succeeds his father, W. Marvin Rush, who will remain company's chairman. Rusty Rush, 47, began working at Rush Enterprises in 1974, and has been ...
Dynamex Posts Higher Fiscal 2Q Profits
Mar 06, 2006; ... Logistics and delivery firm Dynamex Inc. said it earned $2.7 million or 24 cents a share for its second quarter ended Jan. 31, compared with $2.6 million or 22 cents a year ago. The company reported $86 million in sales for the quarter, a 9.8% increase from a year ago. For the first six ...
Order Logistics Acquires Firms; 3PL Investors to Offer Funding
Mar 06, 2006; ... Consolidation and restructuring among third-party logistics firms continued late last month as three Illinois companies announced a merger and two investment firms with an interest in that sector opened their doors for business. * Three companies in the Champaign-Urbana, Ill., area ...
Dana Corp. Negotiating New Terms for Loans
Mar 06, 2006; ... Bloomberg News Heavy-duty parts maker Dana Corp. said Feb. 27 it is talking with lenders about changing the terms of its loans and expects to reach an agreement within two weeks. Creditors also temporarily agreed to drop requirements that the company maintain a certain credit ...
A Scorecard Would Be Handy
Mar 06, 2006; ... Surrounded by a swirl of legal petitions and lawsuits, the driver hours-of-service regulation would seem to be turning into a full employment act for lawyers. One might wish for a scorecard to keep track of all the interest groups, their specific demands and their alliances in the clamor ...
Letters & Comments
Mar 06, 2006; ... Speed Limiters In testimony on the hours of service issue last fall, James Walker, an automotive consultant, spoke of the importance of setting speed limits based on the 85th percentile rule - i.e., the speed at or below which 85% of drivers operate their vehicles. "Recent ...
Reviving the Code of the Road
Mar 06, 2006; ... There are many businesses out there aimed at helping trucking companies. Some provide appropriate permits, some track your fleet, and, in recent years, more and more companies promise to improve driver recruitment and retention. Recruiting and retaining qualified drivers is a colossal ...
Fleets Use Screening Services To Check Driver Backgrounds
Mar 06, 2006; ... A number of fleets are using technology and services from thirdparty providers to help manage driver screening and hiring processes. USIS Commercial Services, formerly DAC Services, recently rolled out a Web-based program that allows fleets to store information on job applicants and to ...
GEORGIA: Breaking Ground
Mar 06, 2006; ... BRIEFS ATLANTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue broke ground Feb. 20 on what he said was the largest road project in state history, a $147 million plan to allow more vehicles to flow into Gwinnett County. The project will reconstruct the interchange at Interstate 85 and state Route 316 and ...
Ohio Turnpike Extends Toll Reduction for Commercial Vehicles
Mar 06, 2006; ... BEREA, Ohio - The Ohio Turnpike Commission voted Feb. 23 to extend through Dec. 31 a toll reduction for commercial vehicles that was designed to reduce truck traffic on rural highways. The toll road raised its truck speed limit to 65 mph from 55 mph in September 2004, and in January ...
WASHINGTON: Transport Plan
Mar 06, 2006; ... OLYMPIA - Washington state lawmakers have given the green light for officials in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties to establish a tri-county transportation plan. The coordinated approach, a long discussed option for addressing the daily traffic backups on highways between Everett and ...
ARKANSAS: I-530 Project
Mar 06, 2006; ... PINE BLUFF - Lawmakers from southeast Arkansas are trying to get the proposed extension of Interstate 530 back on track. The project to extend the four-lane, limited-access highway from Pine Bluff to Monticello remains on the drawing board, despite the allocation of nearly $200 million ...
ArvinMeritor Plans to Sell Purolator Unit
Mar 06, 2006; ... Truck component manufacturer ArvinMeritor Inc., Troy, Mich., said it will sell its Purolator filters business to the German firms Robert Bosch Corp. and Mann+Hummel. The two companies intend to operate the Purolator business, based in Fayetteville, N.C., as a joint venture, ArvinMeritor ...
EARNINGS
Mar 06, 2006; ... Canada Mullen Group Income Fund (Toronto: MTL.UN), Aldersyde, Alberta, provides bulk hauling, truckload, specialized oilfield services and regional less-than-truckload transportation. During 2005, the company acquired Tenold Transportation, Payne Transportation and Schmidt ...
Highline Firm Obtains New Line of Credit
Mar 06, 2006; ... Equipment financing firm Highline Capital Inc. said it has secured a $75 million line of credit from WestLB Capital Markets. Highline Capital, Boulder, CoIo., said it will use the money to fund expansion efforts. Highline Capital provides financing to the trucking, equipment leasing and ...
Customs Certifies Maddocks System for Tracking Shipments to Canada
Mar 06, 2006; ... U.S. Customs and Border Protection has certified Maddocks Systems' TruckMate software package for tracking shipments between the United States and Canada, the company said. Maddocks spokesman Neal Cranna said the company received the certification after working closely with U.S. and ...
PEOPLE: BRIEFS
Mar 06, 2006; ... Carriers Crowley Maritime Corp., Oakland, Calif., promoted Maureen Cunningham to vice president of operations for its Puerto Rico liner services group. Crowley provides transportation and logistics services. The company said Cunningham will be responsible for all aspects of its land ...
EVENTS: BRIEFS
Mar 06, 2006; ... Special Events The International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association said its transportation improvement forum will be March 19-21 at the Fairmont Miramar hotel in Santa Monica, Calif. The association said truckers, toll operators, transportation associations and shippers should ...
Chaplain Pivotal to Workers' Well Being On or Off the Job, Trucking Firm Says
Mar 06, 2006; ... FLINT TOWNSHIP, Mich. - The tall, casually dressed clergyman is hardly noticed as he moves among the rugged-looking men, reassuringly tapping some on the shoulder, simply saying "good morning" or stopping for a brief chat. Meet the Rev. Ron Eminerling, chaplain to truckers. At ...
Clarke Reports Higher Quarterly Profits
Mar 06, 2006; ... Canadian holding company Clarke Inc. said it earned C$3.3 million or 46 Canadian cents per unit in the fourth quarter from continuing operations - more than twice as much as it did a year ago, when it earned C$1.3 million or 17 Canadian cents a unit. Clarke Inc. has investments in ...
Contrans Sees Small Profit Increase
Mar 06, 2006; ... Canadian holding company Contains Income Fund said it earned C$6.3 million or 23 Canadian cents for the quarter compared with C$6.1 million or 22 Canadian cents a share a year earlier. For the year, Contrans said it earned C$28.5 ...
NAFTA Surface Trade Continues Climb
Mar 06, 2006; ... Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 13.5% in December from a year earlier to $59.1 billion, the Department of Transportation said Feb. 28. U.S. imports by truck rose 5.2% in December from a year ago to $20.1 billion; truck exports increased 8.1% to $19.2 ...
State Court Backs CARB On Particulate Matter
Mar 06, 2006; ... A state court has upheld a 1998 determination by the California Air Resources Board to designate diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant. "CARB should act to cut down the amount of particulate exhaust in diesel-fueled engines," the Fresno Superior Court said in its Feb. 23 ...
Class 8 Fleet Grew 5.7% in '05 As Sales Gained, Polk Reports
Mar 06, 2006; ... The number of new and used Class 8 trucks in operation in the United States increased 5.7% in 2005. pushed both by rising sales and by fleets keeping more used trucks in sendee, according to data from R.L. Polk & Co. A total of 3.3 million Class 8 trucks were in use at the end of ...
Greater Scrutiny Shrinks Pool Of Qualified Drivers, Fleets Say
Mar 06, 2006; ... SECURITY Easier access to more background information about driver applicants is allowing carriers to make more-informed hiring decisions, which reduces the risk of employing drivers who pose a safety or security threat. But some fleets said the additional data is also screening ...
Soot Filters to Boost Price Of '07 Engines, DDC Says
Mar 06, 2006; ... PORTLAND, Ore. - Detroit Diesel Corp., engine subsidiary of Freightliner LLC, said its 2007 Series 60 engines would cost more than current models and that new diesel participate filters would account for about half the increase. The company did not say what these new engines would ...
Mack Expects 2007 Sales Drop To Be Less Severe Than 2003
Mar 06, 2006; ... February Class 8 Orders to Be 'Strong,' CEO Says Fleet customers are buying new trucks ahead of schedule to avoid paying sharply higher prices for 2007 models, hut an expected drop in sales next year probably will not be as bad as it was after emission regulations took effect in October ...
ATA Joins AARP's Alliance To Recruit, Keep Older Workers
Mar 06, 2006; ... American Trucking Associations said last week that it has joined AARPs Alliance for an Experienced Workforce in an effort to recruit and retain drivers and workers over 50. "With a critical driver shortage facing the trucking industry, now more than ever our industry is consistently ...
Driver Shortage, Fuel to Be Top Issues At Truckload Carriers' Annual Meeting
Mar 06, 2006; ... Truckload carrier executives, equipment suppliers and technology vendors are expected to attend the Truckload Carriers Association's annual convention March 12-15 in Orlando, Fla. TCA President Chris Burruss said the meeting will include discussions on improving driver retention, ...
Canadian Truck Group Favors Speed Governors
Mar 06, 2006; ... The Canadian Trucking Alliance, the largest trucking association in that country, announced last week it endorsed a policy that calls on provincial governments to mandate the use of speed governors on commercial trucks. In its announcement, CTA said governors should be on "all trucks ...
Dana Corp. Misses Interest Payments
Mar 06, 2006; ... Heavy-duty components manufacturer Dana Corp. said last week it did not make interest payments totaling about $21 million that were due March 1. The company said it has a 30-day grace period to make the payments on the senior notes, which come due March 1, 2009, and March 1, 2029. If Dana does ...
Correction
Mar 06, 2006; ... The news article "Wabash to Expand, CEO Tells Investors" (2-27, p. 35) ...
Experts Cite Seven Hiring Mistakes
Mar 06, 2006; ... Since October 2004, fleet managers have been required by federal regulation to keep records on safety performance for all commercial driver license holders and to share that information with prospective new employers who ask for it. To do this, fleets need a secure and efficient system ...
N.J. Gov. Wants to Stop Diverting Gas Tax Revenue
Mar 06, 2006; ... Under Corzine Plan, Transportation Trust Fund Would Gain $78 Million Over 5 Years Attempting to shore up New Jerseys transportation trust fund, Gov. Jon Corzine (D) has asked the legislature to stop diverting a portion of tlie gasoline tax to the general fund. The state s ...
WEST VIRGINIA: New Authority
Mar 06, 2006; ... CHARLESTON - A new West Virginia Transportation Authority would review and help coordinate transportation projects across the state under a bill a Senate committee approved in late February. Anyone who wants state money for a transportation project would have to submit a plan to the ...
Legislators Seek Cuts in Idaho Gov.'s Road Plan
Mar 06, 2006; ... BOISE, Idaho - House and Senate transportation committee leaders have made a pitch to scale back Gov. Dirk Kempthornes (R) $1.2 billion "Connecting Idaho" road-building plan, saying first-year funding should be limited to as few as three projects. Sen. Skip Brandt and Rep. JoAn Wood, ...
WYOMING: Bridge Restrictions
Mar 06, 2006; ... POWELL - Park County has reduced the speed limit and placed weight restrictions on traffic crossing the Willwood Bridge, which state and local engineers have called obsolete. The new regulations prohibit any vehicle weighing more than 20 tons from using the bridge, which is located in ...
Liquefied Natural Gas Seen as Way to Help Prevent Gas Shortages
Mar 06, 2006; ... HOUSTON - Since hurricanes Katrina and Rita slammed the Gulf Coast, the region has lost more than 610 billion cubic feet of natural gas production. That is about 3% of the nation's annual production and enough to power homes in eight Southern states for one year, according to the ...
Armor Holdings Acquires Military Vehicle Manufacturing Firm
Mar 06, 2006; ... Armor Holdings, the sole provider of armor for Humvees used by the Army in Iraq, agreed to buy Stewart & Stevenson Services for about $1.1 billion in cash, adding military vehicle manufacturing to its portfolio. The acquisition will be the biggest ever for the Jacksonville, Fla., ...
Eaton to Ax Jobs, Close Auto Plant To Save $20 Mln.
Mar 06, 2006; ... Truck component manufacturer Eaton Corp. said it is closing its Marshall, Mich., auto parts plant and eliminating a number of jobs at its automotive division to save about $20 million next year. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alexander Cutler said at an analyst meeting Feb. 23 the ...
Market Insiders
Mar 06, 2006; ... * Feb. 1 -James Staley, President and Chief Executive Officer of YRC Regional Transportation, sold 1,967 shares at $49.74 each, leaving him with 60,159 shares. * Feb. 17-21 -Marlys Smith, a director at Smithway Motor Xpress Corp., sold 10,000 shares from $9.40 to $9.45 each, leaving her ...
Sales Reps Take Honors At Mayflower
Mar 06, 2006; ... Mayflower Transit, St. Louis, said it honored John Clerc, John Carden and Fred Glore as sales representatives of the month for December. Mayflower, a unit of UniGroup Inc., transports household goods, electronic equipment, trade show exhibits and other specialized freight. UniGroup ranks ...
FLEETS: BRIEFS
Mar 06, 2006; ... Carriers Old Dominion Freight Line, Thomasville, N.C., said it opened service centers in Ocala, Fla.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; and Beaumont, Texas. ODFL is a less-than-truckload carrier. It ranks No. 28 on the TRANSPORT TOPICS 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies. The ...
Calendar
Mar 06, 2006; ... March 12-15 - Truckload Carriers Association. TCA's 68th Annual Convention, Gaylord Palms Resort, Orlando, FIa. (703-83S-1950) March 13-16 - World of Asphalt. World of Asphalt 2006 Show and Conference. Orange County Convention Center. Orlando, Fla. (800-867-6060) March 16 - ...
Fla. Flatbed Carrier Chromos Acquires Two Firms
Mar 06, 2006; ... Flatbed truckload currier Chromos Inc. said it has acquired two Florida companies. Chromos, Spring Hill, Fla., purchased Value Transportation Services, Tampa, and Cook Transport, Zephyrhills. Value Transportation is a flatbed broker, while Cook Transport relies on ...
Descartes Systems Reverses Losses
Mar 06, 2006; ... Canadian logistics technology provider Descartes Systems Group Inc. said it earned 8966,000 or 2 cents a share on revenue of 811.5 million for its fourth quarter ended Jan. 31. A year ago, Descartes reported a loss of $959,000 or 2 cents a ...
Oakland Port Nears Deal on Former Army Base
Mar 06, 2006; ... The Port of Oakland, Calif., said it expects to finalize a deal sometime in the next two months with the City of Oakland to acquire 150 acres of the now-closed Oakland Army Base. The additional land would enable the port ...
Lack of EOBR Mandate Angers Interest Groups
Mar 06, 2006; ... As part of its argument against the federal driver hours-of-service rule it is challenging, a coalition led by Public Citizen sharplv criticized the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for not requiring electronic onboard recorders to monitor compliance with the regulations. The ...
HOS, FMCSA Chief Top Trucking's Watch List
Mar 13, 2006; ... TRANSPORTATION WHO'S WHO Trucking's Washington agenda for 2006 is more divided and murkier than last year, when virtually all eyes were focused on the passage of a new highway funding bill that would be acceptable to both Congress and the White House. This year, legal challenges ...
Shipper Changes Cut Distances That Truckload Freight Travels
Mar 13, 2006; ... Changes in distribution patterns bv shippers are combining with wellknown industry issues of high fuel prices, a shortage of drivers, modifications to hours-of-semce Riles and highway congestion to drive down the average number of miles that a truck hauls a shipment, according to several earners ...
Diesel Jumps 7.4¢ to $2.545
Mar 13, 2006; ... Weekly Increase Is Largest in Five Months The retail price of diesel fuel jumped 7.4 cents to 82.545 a gallon last week, the largest weekly increase since early October and the highest level since earlv November, according to data from the Department of Energy. Diesel is now 37.7 ...
ATA Says Limiting Truck Speeds May Require Federal Mandate
Mar 13, 2006; ... The safety director of American Trucking Associations - which recently called for factory-installed speed governors on large trucks - said requiring the use of governors would probably need a government mandate. In February, ATA endorsed a policy to limit the speed of commercial trucks ...
Wash. Poised to Mandate Biodiesel, Ethanol Sales
Mar 13, 2006; ... Washington is likely to be the next state to mandate the use of biodiesel, after the state Senate approved legislation requiring 2% of the state's aggregate sales of gasoline and diesel to be ethanol and biodiesel, respectively, by Dec. 1, 2008. The bill, previously approved by the ...
Hill Expected to Change Truck Pension Funding
Mar 13, 2006; ... Congress is expected to pass legislation this spring providing financial relief to carriers that participate in multi-employer pensions by capping their liabilities and changing how companies calculate their contributions to such funds, an American Trucking Associations official ...
Ag Hauler Group Establishes Task Force To Prepare for Outbreak of Bird Flu
Mar 13, 2006; ... The Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference said last week it established an Avian Flu Task Force in an effort to prepare trucking for the possibility of an influenza outbreak. Fletcher Hall, executive director of AFTC, said the task force was established in response to the Bush ...
Dana Bankruptcy Seen as No Threat To Supply of Heavy-Duty Truck Parts
Mar 13, 2006; ... Truck makers said they were confident that Dana Corp.'s bankruptcy reorganization would not disrupt its ability to supply heavy-dutv components, hut some industry observers said the axle-and-drive-train supplier's problems underscored challenges facing the automotive supplier base. Dana ...
Analyst Says February Class 8 Orders Hit 41,800, 2nd Highest Total Ever
Mar 13, 2006; ... Preliminary North American Class 8 orders climbed to 41,800 in February, the second highest total ever, Bear Stearns analyst Peter Nesvold said, citing data from A.C.T ....
Allied Holdings Asks Teamsters for Wage Cuts
Mar 13, 2006; ... Allied Holdings Inc., parent of auto hauler Allied Automotive Group, said it asked the Teamsters union for a 14.5% compensation reduction to save $65 million to help it emerge from bankruptcy. Allied said it needs the cuts to help it buy new ...
Mineta Asks FMCSA's Sandberg To Stay at Helm Through March
Mar 13, 2006; ... Annette Sandberg, the departing head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, said last week she will remain with the agency through the end of March at the request of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. In a March 9 interview with TRANSPOHT TOPICS, Sandberg said that ...