Trucks World News

ALTERNATIVE FUELS * USA - EVs or CNGs?

2012-01-27T20:18:00.000-03:00

* Which Are Better: Electric Cars or Natural Gas Vehicles?

(Photo: CNG mobile station)

New York,NY,USA -Forbes, by Michael Kanellos -11 Jan 2012: -- The debate has raged for years in alternative transportation. Electric vehicle (EV) advocates claim that the steady improvement in battery technology, the pervasiveness of the grid, and software and services to enable things like high-speed charging will make electrification of at least some portion of the transportation market inevitable... Electric will even play a role in public transportation, argues Proterra, which has created an electric bus for municipal transportation and a complementary high-speed DC charger that can get its 68-passenger behemoths back on the street in 20 minutes or less... CNG advocates, however, claim they have a big advantage on their side: reality. CNG cars already exist and natural gas, thanks to hydraulic fracturing, could remain relatively cheap for some time... Who is right? To be honest, both. EVs and CNG vehicles will percolate into the market over the next ten years depending on the circumstances... And it could take years for many fleet owners to get over range anxiety. A government agency that needs cars to check out municipal softball fields might be able to get by with electrics, but taxi routes are unpredictable. The passenger that gets in at O’Hare Airport might need to go downtown, or to Northern Indiana... Expect the discussion to go on for years...

VEHICLES R & D * USA

2012-01-27T20:03:00.000-03:00

* N.Y. - Collision in the Making Between Self-Driving Cars and How the World Works

(Photo by Ramin Rahimian/The New York Times - An autonomous car at Google headquarters. Legal scholars and insurance companies, among others, see some hurdles ahead)

New York,NY,USA -The New York Times, by John Markoff -January 23, 2012: -- Even as Google tests its small fleet of self-driving vehicles on California highways, legal scholars and government officials are warning that society has only begun wrestling with the changes that would be required in a system created a century ago to meet the challenge of horseless carriage... As Google has demonstrated, computerized systems that replace human drivers are now largely workable and could greatly limit human error, which causes most of the 33,000 deaths and 1.2 million injuries that now occur each year on the nation’s roads... Such vehicles also hold the potential for greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions — and, more broadly, for restoring the United States’ primacy in the global automobile industry... But questions of legal liability, privacy and insurance regulation have yet to be addressed, and an array of speakers suggested that such challenges might pose far more problems than the technological ones...

TECHNOLOGY on TRUCKS * USA

2012-01-27T11:41:00.002-03:00

* DC - Data Shows Speeding and Log Violations are Main CSA Culprits; Technology Can Help

(Photo courtesy of PeopleNet)

Washington,DC,USA -TruckingInfo, by Jim Beach -20 Jan 2012: -- Electronic logs are touted as a high-tech solution for the two leading violations in the Fatigued Driver BASIC: driver's record of duty status is not current and a log violation in general form and manner... When the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program in late 2010, a number of carriers were surprised to find a poorer safety rating than they enjoyed under the old SafeStat. Fortunately, for many fleets, the areas where their safety ratings have taken the biggest hit are also areas that are among the easiest to fix, and a variety of technology vendors offer products to help... For instance, if a manager knows that driver A speeds consistently he presents a risk, even if he hasn't been pulled over by law enforcement yet. The same goes for the driver who shows a high level of hard-braking incidents or one who can't keep his logbook straight...

* Michigan - Road Safety Agency Is Urged to Add Expertise in Electronics Systems

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images - Last February, a Toyota technician in California repaired a Camry recalled over the possibility of a sticky accelerator pedal)

Detroit,MICH,USA -The New York Times, by BILL VLASIC -January 18, 2012: -- A branch of the National Academy of Sciences reported Wednesday that federal safety regulators lack the expertise to monitor vehicles with increasingly sophisticated electronics... With electronics systems becoming more complex, the agency needs to “gain a stronger understanding” of both the hardware and computer software that automakers are installing in their latest models, the group said... The National Academy of Sciences was asked to review procedures at N.H.T.S.A. after the agency’s investigation of unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles and a possible link to electronic-control systems. The Japanese automaker recalled more than eight million vehicles worldwide in 2009 and 2010 to fix sticky accelerator pedals or replace faulty floor mats that Toyota had claimed could cause unintended acceleration... Members of the science committee said that despite its shortcomings, the safety agency had done all that it was capable of doing to determine why Toyotas were suddenly accelerating out of control and causing serious accidents. They concluded that the agency had correctly closed its investigation after failing to find evidence of defects in Toyota’s electronic throttle systems...

* Trying to Nudge Drowsy Drivers

(Photo: As an option in its 2013 Fusion and Explorer, Ford will offer a technology package intended to keep cars in the center of their lanes on the road)

New York,NY,USA -The New York Times, by Randall Stross -January 21, 2012: -- A driverless car is not yet ready for the market. But in the meantime, automakers are continuing to market some components of one. The Ford Motor Company announced last month that it would offer “lane-keeping technology” as an option for its 2013 Ford Fusion and Ford Explorer... When lane-keeping technology works, it can save lives. But it is suited only for certain road conditions, and there are reasons to doubt that it will activate as consistently as it should... Ford’s technology relies on a camera mounted to the rear-view mirror. When the system is switched on and the vehicle is traveling more than 40 miles per hour, it will use the road’s lane markings to sense veering near one edge of the lane or the other. If the turn signal is off, the system will assume that the drift is unintentional and will send a vibration to the steering wheel as a warning... If the driver doesn’t correct the drift, the software is then supposed to engage the power steering and turn the car back toward the center of the lane... When all goes well, this will be flat-out wonderful. But the camera may have difficulty detecting the lane markings — when the sun is at a low angle, for example, or during heavy rainfall or on curves. If it fails to see the markings, it simply remains dormant...
(Photo: The “Driver Alert System” will warn drivers if it detects a weaving pattern associated with drowsiness)

Ford’s new technology package also includes what it calls a “Driver Alert System,” which will provide warnings when the software detects a pattern of driving associated with drowsiness, such as weaving within the lane boundaries... As humans, we have one thing that works in our favor while driving: we are more likely to handle unexpected events successfully than the software in an autonomous car...

ENGINE MAKERS * USA

2012-01-27T07:15:00.000-03:00

* Arkansas - Detroit Diesel delivers 100,000th DD engine

(Photo)

Texarcana,ARK,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Jan 23, 2012: -- Southern Refrigerated Transport has received delivery of Detroit Diesel's 100,000th engine built under the DD platform... The milestone engine was delivered in a Freightliner Cascadia on Jan. 19... Southern Refrigerated is owned by Covenant Transportation Group, which is a longtime Daimler customer with more than 70% of its fleet comprised of Freightliner tractors with Detroit engines...

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * USA

2012-01-27T06:35:00.001-03:00

* New U.S. Car Plants Signal Renewal for Manufacturing

(Photo Bloomberg News: Auto makers are expanding U.S. plants. In Smyrna, Tenn., shown, Nissan will build a new luxury car for export)

New York,NY,USA -The WSJ, by Neal E. Boudette/Chester Dawson in Tokyo -January 26, 2012: -- Not so long ago, the U.S. was considered a high-cost place for making automobiles... But helped by favorable foreign exchange rates, and an ample supply of affordable labor, the U.S. has emerged as a surprisingly competitive producer of cars and trucks, and a favored location for making vehicles to be exported to markets around the world—especially for Japan's big three auto makers... Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. are ramping up capacity in their U.S. plants with the intention of shipping U.S.-made models to Europe, Korea, the Middle East and other parts of the world... The trend of foreign auto makers increasing output in the U.S. could help give the American economy an additional shot in the arm as the rebounding Detroit auto makers ramp up investments in Midwest plants. General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC have said they will spend more than $15 billion to expand their U.S. operations... German auto makers, which are hindered by the euro's strength against the dollar, are moving in the same direction. Volkswagen AG just opened a new plant in Tennessee and is considering building a second to produce Audi vehicles. BMW AG is expanding its plant in South Carolina, which already exports to markets world-wide, while Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz unit is considering adding a second U.S. plant to one it already has in Alabama...

* Washington - Kenworth introduces hands-free communication system

Kirkland,WASH,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Jan 23, 2012: -- In an effort to reduce distracted driving and comply with hands-free calling legislation for drivers in both Canada and the US, Kenworth has announced the introduction of its NavPlus multi-function communication system... NavPlus offers hands-free phone capability, true-truck navigation, iPod and MP3 integration, diagnostics, gauges, camera inputs and a host of other features. NavPlus is standard equipment on Kenworth Class 8 trucks ordered with the premium interior package, and is available as an option on all Kenworth trucks... Kenworth officials also said the NavPlus can remember and work with up to 10 Bluetooth devices, since many trucks are used in slip seat operations, or with driver teams...

TRUCK BODY MANUFACTURER FINED * USA

2012-01-27T06:13:00.000-03:00

* Pennsylvania - Berks-based truck maker fined for safety violations at Georgia plant

Caernarvon Township,Berks County,PENN,USA -The Reading Eagle -26 Jan 2012: -- A Berks County truck body manufacturer has been fined $93,000 by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration for health and safety violations at a plant it operates in Rydal, Ga... Morgan Corp., doing business as Morgan Truck Body, was cited for 24 violations after a July inspection at the Georgia plant... OSHA said the Georgia plant makes and assembles heavy duty truck bodies for Home Depot, Lowe's, UPS, FedEx and Ryder Truck Rental...

* USA - To Develop Global Strategy for Supply Chain Security

2012-01-26T07:41:00.000-03:00

* DC - Homeland Security chief says goods need to move more efficiently, securely

(Photo)

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by R.G. Edmonson -Jan 25, 2012: -- The U.S. will develop a global supply chain strategy that allows goods to move efficiently and securely, and encourages development of resiliency in the supply chain to mitigate the effects of a terrorist attack, Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, said Wednesday... The national supply chain security has been in the works for two years and supplants a strategy set in 2007. If carried out, it could be a significant basis for the government’s future supply chain security efforts... Napolitano said that the federal government will encourage security efforts on the part of state and local governments. DHS and the State Department will spend the next six months meeting with foreign officials and leaders in the private sector to develop specific steps to take in reaching the goals...

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

2012-01-26T07:07:00.001-03:00

* Washington - Teamsters Clash Over Owner-Operator Bill proposed in Washington state, would classify owner-operators as employees

(Photo)

Olympia,WASH,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Bill Mongelluzzo -Jan 25, 2012: -- The harbor trucking industry is clashing with the Teamsters union over a bill before the Washington state legislature that would classify owner-operators as employees rather than as independent contractors... The bill is similar to legislation introduced last year in California. That bill was placed in the “inactive file” last summer when it failed to progress, but since California legislation can continue on for two years, it could be resurrected at any time this year... Generally, the drayage truck driver classification issue is part of the Teamsters’ strategy to organize drivers at ports across the country. Unions can not organize independent contractors, but if truck drivers are classified as employees of harbor trucking companies, the Teamsters could legally organize the drivers... The Washington Trucking Association, which opposes classifying drayage truck drivers as employees, told a legislative committee Tuesday in Olympia, Wash., that the bill would violate federal preemption law...

* Kansas - Court Plans Hearing on YRC Worldwide Class Action Settlement

(Photo)

Overland Park,KS,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jan 23, 2012: -- Trucking giant would set up $6.5 million fund to settle ERISA lawsuit... The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas will hold a fairness hearing March 6 to determine whether the proposed settlement is “fair, reasonable and adequate” ... The lawsuit and settlement are part of the aftermath of the $4.3 billion trucking operator’s severe losses in the years prior to its restructuring last July... The class action lawsuit, recognized by the court in 2010, claimed YRC Worldwide violated federal law in its management of employee’s 401(k) retirement plans... The litigation alleged the carrier broke the law by allowing the plans to purchase and hold its stock at a time when it was “unsuitable and imprudent investment.” In the settlement, YRC Worldwide denied any wrongdoing but agreed to the proposed settlement to “eliminate the burden and expense of further litigation” ...

Pay Back State Aid * Europe

2012-01-26T06:50:00.000-03:00

* Belgium - EU Orders Deutsche Post to return up to $1.3 billion to German government

(Photo: DHL / Trojan Horse)
Brussels,Belgium -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Bruce Barnard -Jan 25, 2012: -- European Union trust busters ordered Deutsche Post to pay back up to $1.3 billion in aid from the German government that breached the bloc’s competition rules... Germany’s former postal monopoly benefited from a combination of highly regulated prices and pension relief subsidies. This gave the carrier an economic advantage over private rivals, especially in sectors like parcel delivery where it faces strong competition, the European Commission said... Deutsche Post, which expanded into transport and logistics and owns DHL Express, should refund “incompatible aid in the range of $650 million-$1.3 billion,” the Commission ruled. But the company can retain $7.3 billion of government aid granted between 1990 and 1995 for operating a universal postal service... The EU’s executive also ordered Belgium’s bpost, jointly owned by CVC Capital Partners and the Belgium government, to refund $542 million of illegal state aid... The Commission also approved $2.5 billion government aid to France’s La Poste and $68 million to Hellenic Post of Greece... The rulings close a five-year investigation into state aid to mail operators that was initially triggered by a complaint by UPS.

Hours Of Service * USA

2012-01-26T06:31:00.000-03:00

* DC - Public Citizen, FMCSA dismiss current HOS lawsuit

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line, by Jami Jones -Jan. 24, 2012: -- The latest skirmish in the hours-of-service war has drawn to a close. The parties in the latest lawsuit challenging the regulation have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit... In a joint motion to dismiss filed on Monday, Jan. 23, Public Citizen, Teamsters, Advocates for Highway Safety, Truck Safety Coalition and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration agreed to dismiss the lawsuit... But that doesn’t necessarily mean HOS is in the clear... The reason for the dismissal is that the regulation being challenged in the lawsuit no longer exists... The changes made by FMCSA – altering 34-hour restart and mandating breaks – were enough to make the current lawsuit a moot point... With the dismissal, the only course of action left for the plaintiffs to take a run at the 11th hour of driving is to file suit again...

EOBR * USA

2012-01-26T06:21:00.000-03:00

* Illinois - FMCSA ordered to respond to request for cease and desist on EOBR policies

Chicago,ILL,USA -Land Line, by Jami Jones -24 Jan 2012: -- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has less than two weeks to respond to a cease-and-desist motion filed by OOIDA seeking a stop to the agency’s continued policies and practices regarding electronic on-board recorders... Judge, Diane P. Wood, with the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ordered FMCSA to file a response to OOIDA’s motion for a specific mandate directing FMCSA to cease and desist by Feb. 6... OOIDA filed the motion on Jan. 19, nearly five months after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit tossed the electronic on-board recorder regulation... The motion asks the court to issue a mandate ordering the FMCSA to cease and desist from authorizing, sanctioning or in any way encouraging the use of electronic monitoring devices until the agency has promulgated regulations that ensure that such devices will not be used to harass drivers...

ENGINE MAKERS * USA

2012-01-25T10:40:00.000-03:00

* Indiana - Cummins: ISX12 engine can deliver up to 12% fuel economy improvement. Full production of the engine begins in March.

Columbus,IND,USA -Penton Media/Fleet Owner -Jan 24, 2012: -- Cummins announced its new ISX12 heavy-duty engine with optimized calibrations can deliver up to a 12% improvement in fuel economy over the ISX11.9 engine in some applications... Cummins said the engine delivers as much as 12% improvement in vocational applications and up to 5% when used in regional applications... The ISX12 is designed to work in rigorous duty cycles, including dump and mixer trucks, and refuse applications, Cummins said... It comes with the Cummins aftertreatment system with selective catalytic reduction technology... In addition to vocational applications, the ISX12 is suited for regional hauling and LTL distribution operations running Class 8 daycabs, Cummins said...

TRUCKS SAFETY CHECKS * South Africa

2012-01-25T10:30:00.002-03:00

* South Africa - Putting safety first for the big long-haulers

(Photo: Scania plant)

Johannesburg,SA -BizCommunity -24 Jan 2012: -- Scania SA's initiative of setting up of a series of roadside safety checks on trucks, buses and their drivers during the festive season, proved an unqualified success... This was a joint venture between the Department of Transport's Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Scania, Pick n Pay and a health and safety company, Reality... The RTMC provided 10 traffic officers who spent a week undergoing specialised training at the Gerotek test facility, near Pretoria, prior to the start of the programme... The checkpoints were set up at Grasmere, Heidelberg, Middelburg, Bela Bela and Monsol. Where multiple checkpoints were established they were in different directions and often at different venues, which were usually fuel stations or weighbridges. The checks were not limited to Scania products, but involved all makes and models... The opportunity was also taken to test the drivers for hypertension (high blood pressure), HIV/AIDS and sugar diabetes. Medical staff were on hand to provide counselling, which was welcomed by the drivers...

TAX POLICIES * UK

2012-01-25T10:08:00.001-03:00

* UK - Foreign trucks must pay for using UK roads

London,EN,UK -Commercial Motor, by Hayley Pink -25 January 2012: -- Foreign trucks could face a £10 per day charge to use UK roads under government plans to introduce a lorry road user charge... In a consultation to be announced later today, the Department for Transport (DfT) will reveal details of the scheme intended to level the playing field between foreign hauliers and British hauliers, who are already required to pay charges for using roads in mainland Europe... In contrast, UK-registered HGVs pay charges or tolls in most other European countries, for example, a lorry doing a two-day return trip from the UK to the Netherlands pays 16 Euros in user charges...

* UK - Plans to Compensate Domestic Truckers for Road-Usage Levy

London,EN,UK -Bloomberg (USA), by Gonzalo Vina -Jan 25, 2012: -- Britain’s government will compensate owners of U.K.-registered trucks who will face a daily charge of as much as 10 pounds ($15.6) to use their vehicles by 2015, Transport Minister, Mike Penning, said... The U.K. is seeking ways to charge foreign hauliers to use Britain’s roads without hurting U.K. lorry drivers. European Union rules prevent the U.K. from charging only trucks with foreign plates. About 1.5 million trips a year are made by such vehicles... “We want to ensure that U.K. hauliers get a fairer deal and help maintain the competitiveness of our logistics industry,” Penning said in a statement released by his office in London today...

TRUCKING PROGNOSIS * Europe

2012-01-25T10:01:00.000-03:00

* Belgium - Hauliers risk collapse from lack of fuel efficiency

Brussels,Belgium -Commercial Motor, by Christopher Walton -25 January 2012: -- One-in-seven haulage and logistics firms throughout Europe believe they will go out of business within eight years unless action is taken to improve fuel efficiency... According to a survey of 400 fleet and transport managers conducted by Goodyear Dunlop, operators are struggling to keep up with EU emissions regulations and lack funds to invest in fuel-efficient technology... The survey also found that some operators were already stretched to their limits by the European Commission's target of a 20% reduction in CO2 by 2020. More than half (52%) of respondents said their vehicle parc could not achieve CO2 reductions of more that 10%... Geoff Dunning, Road Haulage Association chief executive, says the pressure for action over emissions will only increase, but it was up to operators' customers to pay for the carbon cost as much as the transport cost...

TRANSPORT POLICIES * Europe

2012-01-25T09:53:00.000-03:00

* FTA and GreenRoad join forces for Van Excellence

London,EN,UK -HGV UK -January 24, 2012: -- GreenRoad, a leader in driver performance and safety management, is the latest partner of the Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) Van Excellence scheme... GreenRoad is designed to dramatically reduce crash incidents and cut fuel consumption by enhancing driver performance while behind the wheel. A typical GreenRoad customer sees up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions as well as a 50% reduction on collision costs... Van Excellence is an industry-led initiative to raise standards and improve the image of the UK’s growing van sector and includes a tough accreditation system and a strict code of practice, and is backed by many household names. The launch of Van Excellence in 2010 has been widely welcomed in the industry, and many businesses have joined the scheme. Van Excellence is a standard set by van operators for use by van operators, sharing and formalising working practices already used by leading companies in the sector...

ROAD TECHNOLOGIES * Europe

2012-01-25T09:46:00.001-03:00

* UK - Road train approaching

Brussels,Belgium -HGV UK -24 Jan 2012: -- The SARTRE project, Safe Road Trains for the Environment has successfully completed the first test demonstrations of a multiple vehicle platoon. The test fleet included a lead truck followed by three cars driven entirely autonomously at speeds of up to 90 km/h – with no more than six metres gap between the vehicles... The SARTRE project is being driven by seven European partners and is the only one of its kind to focus on the development of technology that can be implemented on conventional highways in which platooned traffic operates in a mixed environment with other road users... Recognizing that the challenge of implementing road train technology on Europe’s highways is not solely a technical matter, SARTRE also includes a major study to identify what social infrastructure changes will be needed for vehicle platooning to become a reality...

TRAILER MAKERS * UK

2012-01-25T09:34:00.001-03:00

* SDC gets approval for all five longer semi-trailer models

N.Ireland,UK -Commercial Motor, by Christopher Walton -23 January 2012: -- Trailer manufacturer SDC has been granted approval by the Vehicle Certification Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, for all five of its longer semi-trailer models... Under the stipulations of the ten year longer semi-trailer trial all specifications of trailer must meet the turning circle requirement, meaning the tractor (either 4x2 or 6x2) and trailer must be able to turn in a 12.5m circle...

TRUCKING STATISTICS * USA

2012-01-25T07:44:00.005-03:00

*Truck Tonnage Posts Largest Annual Gain in 13 Years

Arlington,VA,USA -Transport Topics -24 Jan 2012: -- Truck tonnage rose 5.9% last year over 2010, its biggest annual gain in 13 years, American Trucking Associations said Tuesday... Tonnage jumped 10.5% in December from a year earlier, ATA said in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage report. On a month-to-month basis, December tonnage was 6.8% higher than November, following a 0.3% monthly gain...

* Oregon . TransCore's North American Freight Index records highest December freight volumes since 2005

Portland,ORE,USA -Truck News,by Lou Smyrlis -Jan 25, 2012: -- TransCore's North American Freight Index in December climbed 11 percent compared to December 2010 on the spot market, marking the second highest freight volume for December since 2005... December's Index was the fourth consecutive month where same-month volume was the highest since the record-setting levels of 2005. Consistent with historic norms, month-over month, spot market freight volume declined 18 percent. This year's November-to-December dip was deeper than the ten-year average decline of 14 percent, partly due to November's volume being stronger than seasonal norms... TransCore's monthly North American Freight Index reflects spot market freight availability on the company's network of load boards in the United States and Canada... Spot market rates are paid to the carrier by freight brokers and third-party logistics (3PL) companies...

OPINIONS * USA

2012-01-25T06:59:00.002-03:00

* USA - Small cars will become trucks in the future, thanks to mpg regulations

(Photo: Tata's Nano EV)

USA -auto-types, by James Wilkins -January 24, 2012: -- Most likely, everyone knows about the new regulations in the USA that require cars to reach a fuel efficiency level of 54.5 mpg by 2025. And every car maker surely knows the current situation in which trucks have lower fuel efficiency requirements will continue well into that same future. The rule that governs this principle is a simple one: the larger the vehicle, the lower fuel economy it has... When SUVs and crossovers become mainstream that situation suddenly changed. Thus, car makers became increasingly interested in labeling their cars as trucks... Why was that possible? Because of regulations that consider height, all wheel drive, load bay, folding seats and if they are present or not, among others. Modify the numbers and shape a bit and, technically, you get a perfect truck... The Union of Concerned Scientists is concerned about the double standard. Don Anair, senior engineer in the clean vehicle program of the UCS, on a side note, it should be said that the association appreciates the new standards, except for the part that deal with trucks and other large vehicles... The talks concerning these new regulations are continuing until the 13th of February. Overall, these regulations are a blessing for those who want greener cars. Just the part that deals with trucks and other large vehicles should be checked for loose ends...

* Michigan - Should the speed limit for cars and semi trucks be the same?

MICH,USA -mlive/The Grand Rapids Press, by Troy Reimink -January 24, 2012: ... Part of the problem is the discrepancy between speed limits for cars and trucks. I believe this leads to more unsafe and aggressive driving on the part of cars trying to get around trucks and angry drivers after following behind a "rolling road block" while one truck passes another... This comment gets to the heart of an issue that has divided policy-makers for decades. Federal law in 1987 permitted states to raise rural interstate highway speed limits from the then nationally mandated 55 mph to 65 mph.” Michigan was one of a relatively few states to set different highway speed limits for cars and trucks, and a version of this division remains in place today... Here, it depends which study you read. In 2006, researchers at the University of Arkansas analyzed car-truck accidents in states with differential speed limits (DSL) versus those with universal speed limits (USL) and found “speed variation and vehicle interactions have a direct impact on highway safety”... This appears to contradict a 2005 study by the National Highway Administration that found no significant difference in car-truck crash rates in DSL states versus USL states...

TRAILER SALES * USA

2012-01-24T11:49:00.000-03:00

* Stevens Transport Buys 1,200 Reefer Trailers

(Photo: Stevens Transport's trucks)
Dallas,TX,USA-The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jan 20, 2012: -- Demand for refrigerated transport grows as food retailers push regional distribution... Refrigerated trucker Stevens Transport is purchasing 1,200 temperature-controlled trailers from Utility Trailer Manufacturing to reinforce its growth plans... Stevens is the 16th-largest truckload carrier in the U.S., according to data from SJ Consulting Group. It operates more than 2,000 trucks and 3,500 trailers... The privately owned Dallas-based company’s trucking revenue increased 8.2 percent in 2010 to about $500 million, according to SJ Consulting Group estimates...

STRIKE * Italy

2012-01-24T11:37:00.001-03:00

* Truck Drivers Block Highways to Port

(Photo Reuters, by Ciro De Luca: Naples north highway is blocked during the protest)

Gioia Tauro,Italy -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Bruce Barnard -Jan 23, 2012: -- Drivers block highways connecting Gioia Tauro to northern industrial cities... Italian truck drivers kicked off a weeklong protest against higher fuel taxes and road tolls on Monday by blocking highways from the southern container port of Gioia Tauro to the northern industrial cities of Milan and Turin... The drivers also are demanding a ceiling on insurance premiums, easier reimbursement of duty on diesel fuel and a government crackdown on unlicensed trucking companies blamed for driving down freight rates. Supporters are protesting government plans to liberalize the industry by increasing the number of licenses and allowing drivers to transfer from one city to another... The nationwide truckers strike follows a week-long stoppage in Sicily last week, which seriously disrupted the delivery of food and fuel across the island... Gas station owners also are set to strike this week to protest government plans to deregulate the sector to spur competition. Train workers are expected to walk off the job too, threatening further disruption to freight traffic to and from the nation’s ports... The Italian government is planning to deregulate a wide swath of protected professions, from taxi drivers, and lawyers to pharmacists, to spark economic activity in one of the euro zone’s slowest growing economies...

* Swiss - IRU calls for roadblocks to cease

Geneva,Swiss -The Irish Trucker (UK) -25 January 2012: -- In an urgent letter to the Italian Home Affairs Minister, Anna-Maria Cancellieri, and to European Commission Vice-Presiden, Antonio Tajani, the International Road Transport Union today called for immediate action to lift blockades set up by striking Italian truck drivers... In order to ensure the free movement of goods, and to guarantee the safety of other drivers and their trucks and launch the Rapid Intervention Mechanism, the IRU have made the request... Due to the strikes, a large number of foreign trucks have been blocked throughout Italy, and despite the presence of Italian police, no interventions have been made to free circulation... The IRU considers this an unacceptable situation with regards to the commitments of Member States, which are oblieds to notify to the Commission in advance major events such as demonstrations or road works concerning important routes, which could potentially impede trade...

TRUCKING INDUSTRY * USA

2012-01-24T11:22:00.000-03:00

* YRC Worldwide to Sell 61 Truck Terminals

Overland Park,KS,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by William B. Cassidy -Jan 23, 2012: -- LTL trucking company plans sealed-bid auction for vacant ‘surplus’ terminals... YRC Worldwide and NRC Realty & Capital Advisors have plenty of capacity to offer the right bidders — 2,299 terminal doors... The $4.3 billion trucking giant wants to sell 61 “surplus” terminals in a “buy one, some or all” sealed-bid auction that will be completed by March 15. The auction comes as YRC plans to overhaul its remaining network of about 300 terminals to speed freight flow by eliminating unnecessary handling... YRC Worldwide has struggled to match its network with freight demand since 2006, shedding terminals as it suffered more than $2.5 billion in losses. Most of the terminals being auctioned are not part of YRC’s active less-than-truckload network, but closed sites the company hasn’t been able to sell...

TRUCKS R & D * WORLDWIDE

2012-01-24T11:05:00.001-03:00

* India / USA - Quantum Awarded Contract from Mahindra and Mahindra India for Hydrogen Vehicle Development

Mumbai,India/Lake Forest,CAL,USA -The Journal of India -Jan, 24, 2012: -- Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc., a global leader in natural gas, hydrogen and hybrid electric vehicle technologies, announced that it was awarded an engineering development contract from the leading Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., to develop hydrogen systems for a mini-bus platform... Under this contract, Quantum will engineer and modify Mahindra's 2.5L engine to run on clean hydrogen, while improving vehicle performance characteristics through enhanced electronic control software strategies and engine calibration. Quantum will supply its world-leading ultra-light weight hydrogen storage system and proprietary hydrogen fuel injection system for this application...

* The Netherlands - TNT testing an aerodynamic device in 6% lower fuel consumption

Hoofddorp,Netherlands -Truck Europe, by Claude Yvens - 20 Jan 2012: -- TNT Express has decided to extend a test on a van semi-trailer with an aerodynamic device composed of three deflectors positioned at the rear of the semi-trailer. Research carried out largely by Daimler has shown this device to be the most effective for reducing aerodynamic drag, and therefore fuel consumption. TNT Express has obtained a reduction in fuel consumption of 6%, or 1.65 litres per 100 km. The company had obtained an exemption from the Dutch authorities, enabling it to operate a road unit of longer than the normally authorised 16.5 metres. This exemption has been renewed by the road transport service RDW. The deflectors have been designed and manufactured by Ephicas.

TRUCK SALES * Canada

2012-01-24T10:54:00.000-03:00

* Canada - Azure Delivers 1,000th Balance, to Purolator

(Photo: Azure Dynamics has delivered the 1,000th Balance hybrid electric, to Purolator Courier)

Toronto,ONT,CAN -Work Truck Magazine -January 14, 2012: -- Azure Dynamics has delivered its 1,000th Balance hybrid electric, to Purolator Courier, its largest customer, which now has 555 of the parallel drive vehicles... The 1,000th Balance truck represents Purolator’s 200th received in 2011, as part of a 600-unit order to be delivered over a three-year period. Purolator currently operates 555 of the trucks, out of a total fleet of some 3,500 vehicles. An additional 200 units is slated for delivery this year, and another 200 in 2013... The Balance hybrids for Purolator are integrated by Azure on a Ford E-450 chassis with a Ford 5.4-liter gasoline engine. The hybrid electric drive features engine-off at idle and below 20 miles per hour, and electronically supports key ancillary functions like power steering and braking... Azure says it’s the world’s leading provider of hybrid electric powertrain solutions in the Class 2c-5 medium-duty commercial hybrid truck sector, with a market share of approximately 50%...