ND DOT Adopts Federal Guidelines for Former Military Drivers
The North Dakota Department of Transportation is now allowing members of the military to apply commercial driving experience obtained while in the military to acquire a North Dakota CDL....
FMCSA Posts 2012-2016 Strategic Plan
The core of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's strategic plan for the next five years is to press ahead with rules and reforms it already has under way....
Inland Truck Parts Stars in Fox Sports Network's "Motorhead Garage"
Inland Truck Parts' Kansas City store will be featured on Fox Sports Network's "Motorhead Garage" TV series in an upcoming "Big Rig" episode....
Accuride Names VP to Head Imperial Group
Accuride Corp. named Greg Kern the new vice president of the company's Imperial Group business unit....
Central Freight Denies Age Discrimination Following Lawsuit Settlement
After agreeing to pay $400,000 to eight former dockworkers to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Central Freight Lines Inc. released a statement denying discrimination and saying the settlement was only to avoid the costs of further litigation....
NPTC Inducts Four Drivers into Hall of Fame
Four truck drivers, who have together logged more than 14 million miles of safe driving in more than 140 years of service, were honored by the National Private Truck Council and inducted into the NPTC/Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions Driver Hall of Fame...
Celadon Named Healthy Trucking Fleet
The first-ever Healthy Trucking Fleet of the Year award, a collaboration between FusionHealth and Navistar, was presented to Celadon Group at their headquarters in Indianapolis....
NHTSA Unveils Proposed Stability Control Mandate
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today proposed a first-ever federal motor vehicle safety standard to require electronic stability control (ESC) systems on large commercial trucks and buses....
FTR: Trucking Industry Seeing Relatively Good Recovery
The trucking industry, at least for the short term, is experiencing good recovery, according to FTR Associates Senior Consultant Noel Perry. The recovery has maybe a year and a half or two years to go, he said during FTR's "State of Freight" webinar....
Parker Chelsea Introduces 511 Series Power Take-Off
The new coaxial designed rear mount Chelsea 511 Series PTO from Parker Hannifin provides a compact housing that helps eliminate clearance issues. ...
Progressive Dynamics Offers 24-Volt Converter/Charger
Progressive Dynamics has introduced a 24-volt power converter/battery charger in 25 amp and 40 amp configurations with built-in, patented four-stage charging system....
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Fuel Prices Keep Falling, Greek Economy Affects Oil Prices
Diesel and gasoline prices dropped for the fifth straight week, but oil prices continue to fall due to concerns over Europe, particularly Greece's economy.
Diesel fuel prices dropped by by an average of 5.3 cents to $4.004 a gallon, according the the Energy Information Administration's weekly fuel upsate. This is the lowest the average price of diesel has been since late February. ...
Virginia DMV "Troops to Trucks" Program Puts Veterans to Work
Through the new Troops to Trucks program, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is joining forces with the military and transportation-related businesses to put former servicemen and women and National Guard and Reserves members to work in the transportation industry....
Horton Adds Two QuickShip Warehouse Locations
Horton has added warehouse locations in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Grand Prairie, Texas, to its QuickShip warehouse program. Including the two new locations, the program now integrates eight warehouses for one- or two-day delivery throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada....
Boston Announces Daytime Hazmat Ban
The Massachusetts transportation department announced a ban on trucks carrying hazardous materials through Boston between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., a move that trucking interests say could worsen safety, not improve it....
FTR Shippers Conditions Index Steadies in March
FTR Associates' Shippers Conditions Index for March did not show much change from the previous month. The index currently stands at -5.3, representing a moderately unfavorable condition for shippers that is expected to persist until the onset of the busy fall shipping season....
TruckingOffice Acquires HammerLane Software
TruckingOffice will acquire HammerLane Software, a longtime provider of desktop applications for owner-operators, leased fleets and full fleets in the trucking industry....
Forbes Lists Old Dominion, Marten Among Most Trustworthy Companies
Old Dominion Freight Line and Marten Transport have been named two of America's 100 Most Trustworthy Companies by Forbes magazine....
Pilot Flying J Adds Shorepower Pedestals in Weed, Calif.
Plug-in power is now available at the Pilot Travel Center at Exit 745 on I-5 in Weed in Northern California....
Monday, May 14, 2012
Highway Bill Conferees Face Daunting Schedule
House and Senate conferees last week began work on the highway bill under considerable pressure of time and necessity.
Counting today, the conferees have 19 working days left before the current extension expires June 30. Their staffs, who do much of the detail work in the conference process, probably will be working close to 24-7....
Central Freight Lines Settles Age Discrimination Lawsuit
Central Freight Lines will pay $400,000 to eight former dockworkers to settle an age discrimination lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission....
TCA Announces Weight Loss Showdown Winners
The Truckload Carriers Association announced that in its Weight Loss Showdown, Carl Bailey of Fair Play, Mo., took the top honor for individuals and Prime, Inc. of Springfield, Mo., won the company contest....
Northwood University Offers Aftermarket Scholarship Program
Northwood University has developed a scholarship program for the children of aftermarket professionals....
Bauer Truck Repair Named HDA Truck Pride's Truck Service Expert of the Year
HDA Truck Pride named Bauer Truck Repair in Shippenville, Penn., the 2011 Truck Service Expert of the Year....
Caterpillar to Sell Majority Interest in Third-Party Logistics Business
Platinum Equity is acquiring a 65% equity stake in Caterpillar Logistics Services LLC, the third-party logistics division of its wholly owned subsidiary Caterpillar Logistics Inc....
Schneider National Extends Relationship with BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway will continue to be one of Schneider National's primary rail providers under a new, multiyear agreement....
Friday, May 11, 2012
University of Maryland Announces Choptank Transport Business Scholarship
Choptank Transport, a third-party logistics company headquartered in Preston, Md., has finalized a scholarship endowment program with the University of Maryland....
NationLease Names New President
Dean Vicha has been named President of NationaLease, a full-service truck leasing organization....
XPO Logistics Reports 1Q Losses
XPO Logistics reported losses for 1Q 2012, but its business segments all experienced revenue growth. The company's quarter net loss was $2.7 million, compared with net income of $1.1 million for the same period last year....
Total Quality Logistics Donates $1 per Load to the Troops
Total Quality Logistics begins its $1 per load Memorial Day fundraising campaign Monday, May 14. May 14-20, one dollar from every load TQL arranges will be donated to the Yellow Ribbon Support Center and the Let Us Never Forget Scholarship Fund....
Georgia Logging Company Ordered to Shut Down
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered Georgia-based Judson Mobley Logging to immediately cease all transportation services, declaring the truck company an imminent hazard to public safety....
DOT Simplifies Stop Sign Regs
The Obama Administration is eliminating 46 regulations on traffic signs to provide more flexibility for state and local governments, including allowing communities to replace traffic signs when they are worn out rather than requiring signs to be replaced by a specific date....
Carriers Can Preview Proposed CSA Safety Measurement System Changes
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has updated the CSA Safety Measurement System website and the SMS Preview website. Carriers can log in to to CSA's Safety Measurement System site to preview the first package of proposed changes through two websites:...
CARB Urges Tractor-Trailer Owners to Register Early for Flexibility
The California Air Resources Board is encouraging small fleet owners of 2010 and older model year 53-foot or longer box-type trailers that operate on California highways to report vehicle information now to gain additional time to comply with the Tractor-Trailer Greenhouse Gas regulation....
Broadway Flying J Adds Plug-In Power at Iowa Truckstop
Electrical connections at truckstop parking spaces are now available at the Broadway Flying J Travel Plaza in Williams, Iowa, on Interstate 35 at Exit 144, between Des Moines and the Minnesota state line....
New Research Identifies Large Truck Rollover Locations
The American Transportation Research Institute has produced a database of locations with the highest frequency of large truck rollovers using more than 50,000 crash records from a nine-year period (from 2001-2009)....
Thursday, May 10, 2012
More Regulations Expected to Strengthen Safety Systems Market
The continuing problem of too many Class 4-8 truck safety technologies chasing too few consumer dollars has stalled their market penetration of integrated safety systems, reports Frost & Sullivan. However, the safety systems market is poised for a steep growth trajectory during the next five to seven years due to a tighter regulatory environment, introduction of integrated safety systems and availability of telematics-based safety applications....
Freight Shipments Fell 0.8% in March from February
After a one-month increase, the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry fell 0.8% in March from February, reports the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' Freight Transportation Services Index. The March level was 16% above the April 2009 low during the recession....
Economic Growth to Continue Throughout 2012
Economic growth is expected to continue in the United States throughout the remainder of 2012, say the nation's purchasing and supply executives in their spring 2012 Semiannual Economic Forecast....
Rihm Kenworth Opens Fourth Location
Rihm Kenworth, one of Kenworth's oldest continually-operating family-owned truck dealers, has opened its fourth location, a 16,000-square-foot, full-service dealership in Sauk Centre, Minn....
Westport Revenues Up, but Losses Deepen
Westport Innovations Inc. reported mostly growth in its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012....
Xata Corp. Losses for the Quarter
Xata Corp. reported deeper year-over-year losses for the first quarter of 2012, its second fiscal quarter....
Dupre Logistics Recognized by National Tank Truck Carriers
The National Tank Truck Carriers Association awarded Dupre Logistics with the Grand Award in the 21 million - 35 million mile class in Personnel Safety....
Pacer Announces Agreement with CSX
Pacer International entered into a new multi-year agreement with CSX Transportation, under which CSX will continue as Pacer's primary rail carrier in the Eastern U.S....
Honeywell Green Diesel to be Produced From Bio Feedstocks in U.S. Facility
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, is licensing technology to Emerald Biofuels to produce Honeywell Green Diesel at a facility in Louisiana....
Quality Distribution Reports 1Q Growth
Quality Distribution Inc. reported positive numbers for the first quarter of 2012 compared to last year's first quarter. The company had a net income of $6.7 million, or 26 cents per diluted share, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012,...
Safety Board Highlights Dangers of Hose-Chemical Incompatibility
The National Transportation Safety Board has asked the Department of Transportation to warn trucking companies about the dangers of not using the right hoses for the right chemicals, ...
Tarpstop Adds Director of Outside Sales
Tarpstop, a U.S. manufacturer of tarps and tarping systems, announced that Bob Abrahamson, formerly with Ancra International, has joined the company as director of outside sales....
TravelCenters Gives $30,000 Grant to Trucker's Development & Relief Fund
TravelCenters of America, operator of TA and Petro Stopping Centers, presented a BP Fueling Communities grant donation of $30,000 to The St. Christopher Truckers Development & Relief Fund....
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
ATA's Graves Not Optimistic about Highway Bill
The country has a lot on the line in the current negotiations over the highway bill, but Bill Graves, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations, is not optimistic that Congress will do what needs to be done....
Government Lowers Diesel Price Estimates for 2012
The Department of Energy expects that on-highway diesel fuel retail prices, which averaged $3.84 per gallon in 2011, will average $4.06 per gallon in 2012, which is 9 cents per gallon lower than in last month's outlook....
Freight Volumes Show Slow But Continued Growth
The freight market continued to grow in April at the slow pace we have experienced for most of the recovery, with North American freight volumes rising 1.9% from March to April, according to the Cass Freight Index....
Trucking Jobs Grow by 1,800 in April
For-hire trucking companies added 1,800 payroll jobs in April, according to the latest estimates released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This comes after a loss of 2,500 in jobs in March, which the BLS adjusted after initially estimating a loss of 1,900 jobs....
Platt Bridge Detours in Place in Southwest Philadelphia
Commercial trucks over 14,000 pounds and vehicles with a placarded amount of hazardous materials will be prohibited from traveling on the George C. Platt Memorial Bridge (Route 291) over the Schuylkill River in Southwest Philadelphia for two years as of Monday, May 7 at 9 a.m....
Teamsters Endorse Obama in 2012
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced the union's endorsement of President Barack Obama for re-election in 2012. Hoffa made the official announcement to more than 1,500 Teamster members attending the union's annual conference in Las Vegas this week....
Three States Get $20 Million in Emergency Transportation Funding
Oregon, Alabama and South Carolina will receive a shared $20 million in federal funds to help cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events....
Students Promote Safety Belts in FMCSA Art Contest
Two youngsters were honored for their posters urging truck drivers to buckle up....
Fontaine Names New VP of Sales and Marketing
Fontaine Trailer Company has promoted Alan Briley to vice president of sales and marketing....
Domestic Intermodal Container Volume Surges 14.9% in First Quarter
Domestic container volume gained a "remarkable" 14.9% in the first quarter compared to a year ago, according to the Intermodal Association of North America's Intermodal Market Trends & Statistics report....
Increases in Retail Container Traffic Expected Through Back-to-School Season
Import cargo volume at the nation's major retail container ports will be flat in May compared with the same month last year, but is expected to see solid year-over-year increases through this summer and the back-to-school season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker...
Hendrickson Announces Suspension Training Program for June
Hendrickson has scheduled its next round of technical suspension training for the heavy-duty transportation industry with its ninth session of the Hendrickson Vehicle Suspension Institute....
