Trucks World News

BRIDGE COLLAPSE ON I-5, TRUCK ACCIDENT * USA

2013-05-25T03:52:00.003-03:00

* Washington - I-5 closed after bridge struck by truck collapses

Seattle,WASH,USA -Transport Topics -24 May 2013: -- A section of the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River north of Seattle collapsed after it was struck late Thursday by a heavy-duty truck, closing the West Coast’s main north-south highway in both directions... The bridge — about 60 miles north of Seattle and 40 miles south of the Canadian border — was hit by a flatbed truck operated by Mullen Trucking, Alberta, Canada, that was carrying an oversize load, a Washington State Patrol spokesman said... Three other motorists were injured in the incident, which state transportation officials said will disrupt freight routes between the U.S. and Canada, forcing traffic onto smaller roads, Bloomberg reported...

* New Zealand - Truck Drivers' Union: "Dangerous work practices putting drivers at risk"

2013-05-25T03:41:00.000-03:00

(Photo by Alan Gibson)
Tolaga Bay,North Island,New Zealand -The New Zealand Herald -21 May 2013: -- The truck drivers' union has blamed dangerous work practices for putting drivers at risk. The comment comes after yesterday's collision between two logging trucks near Tolaga Bay which killed one driver and left the other seriously injured... Transport and logistics secretary for FIRST Union, Karl Andersen, said the industry was structured in a way that encouraged unsafe practices. "Many truck drivers are owner-operators and their margins are constantly squeezed, leading to drivers taking short cuts, running bald tires, breaking driver regulations, and in some cases using stimulants to get through. Fatigue is a very real issue for many drivers'' ... Mr Andersen said Australia's road safety law was stronger, and a recent law change had stopped drivers' pay systems from incentivising dangerous practice... He said drivers worked long hours, and shouldn't also have to work in an unsafe environment...

* India - New FUSO trucks produced in

2013-05-25T02:47:00.005-03:00

* India - Daimler rolls out FUSO range of trucks

(Photo: Bijoy Ghosh - Albert Kirchmann (left), head Daimler Trucks Asia, and President and CEO, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, and Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, with the new truck at company's Oragadam manufacturing facility near Chennai on Thursday)
Tamil Nadu,Chennai,India -The Hindu -23 May 2013: -- German truck maker Daimler AG rolled out from the company’s plant near here, the FUSO trucks with a local content of over 80 per cent... The FUSO range of trucks, which was produced by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Japan (MFTBC), consists of five models that span medium/heavy-duty and light/medium-duty... These trucks will be exported and sold through the FUSO network to 15 countries across Asia and Africa... The Oragadam plant, near here, will now complement Mitsubishi Fuso Truck’s Kawasaki plant in Japan, and the combined target of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and DICV is to double the annual sales of Fuso trucks to 290,000 units by 2020. Company officials, however, refused to divulge the expected geographic contribution of this target...

* Russia - Truckmaker Kamaz triples 2012 net profit and will pay first dividend in 20 yrs

(Photo: A Kamaz truck on route)
Moscow,Russia -Reuters, by Gleb Stolyarov; Maria Kiselyova; and Douglas Busvine -May 23, 2013: -- Russian truckmaker Kamaz said on Thursday it would return around 500 million roubles ($16 million) to shareholders in its first dividend payout in 20 years... Kamaz, in which German autos group Daimler has an 11 percent stake, said in a statement it would pay 10 percent of last year's net profit in dividends... The company earlier reported a tripling of earnings for 2012 to 5.8 billion roubles. Under Russian Accounting Standards that are used to calculate dividends, the net profit totalled 4.9 billion roubles. ($1 = 31.2910 Russian roubles)...

* Chinese truck maker eyes parts centre in Nigeria

Lagos,Nigeria -The Business Day, by Mike Ochonma -22 May 2013: -- With Nigeria as the most promising destination to make investment, CC Auto FZE, is making plans to establish a trucks spare parts centre... With October this year slated as the date for the commissioning, the spare parts centre will be located in the Calabar Free Trade Zone (CFTZ), Calabar, the Cross River State capital... The automobile company is devoted to the manufacturing of heavy duty equipments and special automobile vehicles ranging from highway trucks, trailer, off-road dumper, evacuation dump truck, cross country truck.self loader, fueltanker, Pick-up truck, mini truck, Minibuses and auto Chinese series. All these are based on Chinese Changchun Automotive industry cluster, which is the manufacturer of the first Chinese truck...

MAC LAREN limited edition: ONLY 100 CARS * UK

2013-05-24T09:40:00.000-03:00

* UK - McLaren celebrates 50th anniversary with limited edition 12C

(Picture: Only one hundred of the limited edition 12C and 12C Spiders will be available ... 50 12C Coupes and 50 12C Spiders)
-Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -May 24, 2013: -- McLaren is looking to make the wanting and the owning of a 12C even more enticing as part of its ongoing 50th Anniversary celebrations... Featuring a tidy list of anniversary upgrades, the McLaren 50 12C and 12C Spider are available as part of a special one hundred car run... McLaren’s Special Operations (MSO), the division responsible for bespoke projects, the design team went about implementing a number of technical and aesthetic upgrades to the limited edition 12C and 12 Spider... Fitted out with a carbon ceramic brake upgrade, the McLaren 50 12C comes equipped with 394 x 36mm discs up front while the aft section receives discs in a 380 x 34mm configuration. Surrounding the carbon ceramic brakes and holding the rubber in place is another upgrade in the form of satin black ultra-lightweight wheels. These high performance rims, set at 19 inches forward and 20 inches rearward, not only save 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of unsprung weight but also assist in managing the 12C’s 625 horsepower... Retail price for the limited edition McLaren 50 12C is pegged at £196,000 for the coupe and £215,500 for the open aired 12C Spider...

* Texas / USA - Garage-built Bailey Blade XTR sports car coming to SEMA

(Photo: BXR Motors - The Bailey Blade XTR from BXR Motors)
Fort Worth,TX,USA -Gizmag, by C.C. Weiss -May 23, 2013: ... A hot rod and kit car enthusiast, Neal Bailey had more than a decade of experience tearing down, rebuilding and racing cars... For the five years and change since, Bailey has worked out of his own Texas garage, building and refining his car... He's also founded BXR Motors and hired a small team of professionals to help see his dream through... Bailey has envisioned several engines under the curvy, vented hood, and the latest specifications list on BXR's website shows it as a 5.0-liter "Coyote" V8 from the Ford Mustang GT. Bailey imagines offering the engine with supercharger and twin-turbocharger options that give it anywhere from 550 to 750 horsepower and over 570 lb-ft (772.8 Nm) of torque... BXR expects the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 4.5 seconds before reaching speeds of up to 175 mph (281 km/h)...

TRUCK SALES: Class 8 orders hit * USA

2013-05-24T09:28:00.000-03:00

* Indiana - Class 8 orders hit second-highest volume in 16 months: ACT Research

(Photo)
Columbus,IND,USA -Truck News -May 22, 2013: -- Class 8 orders remained above 20,000 units for a seventh consecutive month in April, rising to their second highest volume in sixteen months, according to the latest figures form ACT Research. April Class 8 net orders totalled just over 23,200 units. Medium-duty net orders totalled 16,740 units, the best order volume in six months and the second best in the past 26 month... “Class 8 orders year-to-date bound for the US, Canada, and Mexico all continue to trend above year ago levels. Demand from Mexico is particularly strong,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT’s president and senior analyst. “Class 8 cancellations remained in record low territory in April, which is a positive indicator for stronger demand. As has been the case this cycle, backlogs for the medium duty market remain thin relative to build. Per-day build hit its second highest level in a year in April” ...

* Australia - TO PREVENT TERRORISM: NEW CHEMICAL SECURITY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

2013-05-24T09:19:00.000-03:00

* Australia - New Chemical Security Campaign Launched

Canberra,ACTA,Australia -ATA Friday Facts -24 May 2013: -- Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, has launched a new campaign to prevent terrorists from accessing chemicals that can be used to manufacture explosives... The campaign calls upon the chemical supply chain, including businesses that transport or store chemicals, to be vigilant and to report suspicious activity to the National Security Hotline... Mr. Dreyfus said the new chemical security website had a list of 96 chemicals of security concern, which have the potential to create explosive devices. “The challenge for government is that when used properly, these chemicals are widely used for a variety of legitimate business and household applications such cleaning or fertilising the lawn but in the wrong hands, these chemicals can be lethal:”
-- “Drain cleaner and rust remover - some of these products contain nitric or sulphuric acid" ..
-- “Model engine fuel – many model engines run on nitromethane, a chemical with explosive properties greater than TNT" ...
-- “Pool sanitiser" – this product contains hydrogen peroxide, which is the necessary chemical to make an explosive known as TATP (tri-acetone tri-peroxide). It is called ‘Mother of Satan’ by terrorists because it is so dangerous to handle. This was the explosive used to attack the transport network in London" ...
The ATA and other industry bodies are working with governments to develop a national code of practice to prevent the loss or theft of chemicals through the chemical supply chain...

FUEL DELIVERY * Canada

2013-05-24T08:52:00.002-03:00

* Ontario / Canada - Bluewave Energy 'Ready to Roll' with automated fleet fueling service

(Photo: Staff gathered outside Bluewave Energy's Richmond Hill, Ont. facility for the official launch of the company's Ready to Roll automated fleet fueling service earlier today)
Richmond Hill,ONT,CAN -Truck News, by Adam Ledlow -17 May 2013: -- Bluewave Energy is looking to turn fleets’ downtime into uptime with its new “Ready to Roll” automated fueling service... Willie Rouse, vice-president of commercial fuels for Bluewave’s Eastern division, says the service is intended to save fleets both time and money by avoiding the hassle and risk associated with on-site fuel storage, eliminating the need to travel to fueling stations, and maximizing efficiency by fueling up during fleet downtime – often overnight... At present, the service is rolling out in Toronto, but officials at Parkland Fuel Corporation, Bluewave’s parent company, say expansion across Canada is slated for the future...

THEFT ALERTS * USA

2013-05-24T08:42:00.003-03:00

* Arizona - Help Inc. to deliver cargo theft alerts

Phoenix,AZ,USA -Transport Topics -21 May 2013: -- Help Inc. said it will deliver cargo theft alerts to roadside enforcement officers at truck inspection facilities in more than 30 states... The company will provide the alerts to the facilities through a messaging feature in its PrePass weigh station preclearance system... The system is currently accepted at almost 300 weigh stations and is used by 445,000 trucks, according to Help Inc...

DANGEROUS CO's and FREIGHT BROOKER * USA

2013-05-24T08:33:00.000-03:00

* Arizona - OOIDA, stiffed truckers file class action against Pacific Financial Association

(Photo)
Phoenix,AZ.,USA -Land Line, by Sandi Soendker -22 May 2013: -- Claiming broker trust agreement violations, OOIDA and three plaintiffs filed a class action complaint against Pacific Financial and Federal Service Corp. in the Superior Court of the state of Arizona in January. The complaint asks for declaratory relief, injunctive relief and damages... OOIDA members, Moore Transportation; Jasmine LLC; and K and S Trucking LLC, all hauled loads for a California freight broker known as Alliance Transportation. When Alliance failed to pay, these companies made claims to the broker’s trust funds, which were held by Pacific Financial as trustee... OOIDA and the named plaintiffs claim that Pacific Financial failed in its job to protect the interests of motor carriers who are the beneficiaries of the broker’s trust. Plaintiffs claim it failed to pay trust claims promptly, favored some trust beneficiaries over others, engaged in conflicts of interest, and failed to terminate the trust when claims exceeded available funds... OOIDA and the plaintiffs are asking that the civil action be certified as a class action and for an award of compensatory damages to the plaintiffs and the class, plus punitive damages...

* DC - FMCSA declares Colorado-based trucking company 'imminent hazard'

Washington,DC,USA -Land Line, by Greg Grisolano -24 May 2013: -- A Colorado trucking company has been declared an imminent hazard to public safety by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... GD Cars Inc., of Aurora, CO, was ordered to immediately cease all operations after a May 13 compliance review by FMCSA found the company to be in violation of numerous safety regulations. The company’s primary business is transporting used cars and trucks in interstate commerce... In addition to failing to ensure that its vehicles were properly and regularly inspected, repaired and maintained, FMCSA investigators found GD Cars to be in violation of federal regulations requiring random drug and alcohol testing of its drivers. The company also failed to monitor and ensure that its drivers complied with federal hours-of-service regulations. On occasion, the company dispatched a driver who did not possess a commercial driver’s license...

DANGEROUS TRUCKER * USA

2013-05-24T07:02:00.000-03:00

* New Mexico - Long-haul trucker ordered out of service following DWI crash

(Picture: Police of New Mexico)

Santa Fe,NM,USA -Land Line -22 May 2013: -- A New Mexico-based long hauler has been declared an imminent hazard after being charged with driving while intoxicated following a crash last month... The driver, 55-year-old Bobby Cleveland of Prewitt, NM, was operating a 2,400-gallon propane tanker truck in McKinley County, NM, when the vehicle overturned, resulting in the release of hazardous material and the temporary closure of Interstate 40... Based on the investigation of officers on scene, it appears as if Cleveland was traveling on SR 122 at a fast rate of speed. He lost control of the truck, which was filled with propane at the time. Upon crashing, the tank sustained a small leak... This resulted in Interstate 40, both east and west directions, being shut down for an hour while a hazmat officer evaluated the scene. State Route 122 as well as the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train tracks were also shut down... Officers also noticed empty containers of an alcoholic beverage at the crash scene. A DWI investigation was conducted, and Cleveland was arrested for DWI. He was also charged with careless driving and open container...

UTILITY's number 50,000 dry van trailer * USA

2013-05-23T20:31:00.002-03:00

* Virginia - Utility produces 50,000th dry van trailer

Glade Spring,VA,USA -Fleet Owner -May 23, 2013: -- Food City is the recipient of the 50,000th dry van trailer produced by Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. at its Glade Spring, VA, manufacturing plant... Headquartered in Abingdon, VA, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. (Food City’s parent company) is a locally owned company operating 106 retail supermarkets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The milestone trailer is a 4000D-X composite dry van...

TRUCKING INDUSTRY NEWS * USA

2013-05-23T20:24:00.000-03:00

* Illinois - Dillon Transport adds 25 Kenworth T800 LNG tractors

(Picture: Dillon Transport Inc., new Peterbilt 386 sleeper unit)
Burr Ridge,ILL,USA -Fleet Owner -May 22, 2013: -- Dillon Transport will add 25 Kenworth T800s with liquefied natural gas engines to its 450-plus vehicle fleet... The tractors are short hood day cabs and will be powered by the new Cummins Westpory ISX12 G heavy-duty LNG engine... Dillon is a liquid and dry bulk carrier operating primarily east of the Rockies. The fleets will run the tractors out of its Dallas, TX, terminal, hauling asphalt, sand and other raw bulk products... The trucks are specified with both a 72- and a 150-gal. LNG tank to provide a range of approximately 650 mi. The trucks are expected to make two 600-mi. round trips per day in a driver slip-seat operation. LNG refueling will typically be done twice a day at the Clean Energy station located at Dillon Transport’s Dallas terminal...

Peterbilt news * USA & Canada

2013-05-23T20:07:00.002-03:00

* Louisiana - Peterbilt LCF gets new interior

New Orleans,LOU,USA -Fleet Owner -May 22, 2013: -- The low-cab forward Peterbilt Model 320 has been updated with an all-new ProBilt interior that improves ergonomics, visibility and comfort, according to Peterbilt Motors Co., which introduced the floor-to-ceiling redesign at the Waste Expo show... Among the most notable changes is a new dash with molded-in color for better durability. It features a large driver information display for critical vehicle data, backlit LED gauges and removable panels for easier access to electrical and HVAC components. Controls for a reworked HVAC system have been moved to the header, as have toggle switches for body devices and the audio system... A multi-purpose center console now sits between driver and passenger seats, offering multiple storage compartments and cup holders, as well as a USB charging port and a 12VDC charging outlet. Removable panels on the console also provide easier access to body controls... Throttle and brake pedal positions have been modified to improve comfort and safety... Other features of the new interior include a padded headliner for better thermal and acoustic performance, a 4-speaker audio system, tilt/telescoping steering wheel and heated seats...

TRUCKING INDUSTRY BORDER TROUBLES * WORLDWIDE

2013-05-23T19:40:00.002-03:00

* Kenya - Begins processing trucks after dispute snarled main port

Nairobi,Kenya -Bloomberg, by Eric Ombok & Bernard Sanga -May 22, 2013: --
The Kenya National Highways Authority began processing trucks that had blocked the road to and from Mombasa, the country’s main port, in a dispute over cargo-weighing procedures... Truckers obstructed the road in recent days in an attempt to pressure the authority to assess trucks based on gross weight rather than axle load, Meshack Kidenda, head of the authority, said today in the capital, Nairobi. Vehicles with a gross weight of as much as 48 metric tons will now be cleared through a weigh station for a 90-day period, backdated to May 14, Kidenda said, after which the axle-load measure will be used again... Over 96 percent of cargo at the port is moved by trucks and land-locked nations including Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi rely on the port. The truckers favor the use of gross weight because it allows them to carry more goods, while the authority prefers the axle measure because that reduces overloading and damage to highways... The stand-off at the Mariakani weigh bridge delayed clearance of cargo at the port and some trucking companies increased charges, Shippers Council of Eastern Africa Chief Executive Officer Gilbert Langat said in a phone interview...

* Bulgarian and Turkish Transport Ministers mull 'truck' problem

(Picture: Bulgarian truck drivers blocked two major border checkpoints with Turkey)
Leipzig,Germany -Novinite Business -May 22, 2013: -- Bulgarian Transport Minister, Kristian Krastev, is to meet with Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim, in Leipzig, Germany, on Wednesday... Krastev and Yildirim, who already held several phone calls, are expected to seek a permanent solution of the problem with Bulgarian tractor trailers in Turkey... They will negotiate an agreement on freight shipments... The meeting comes on the heels of protests of Bulgarian drivers and freight road carriers, who blocked the Kapitan Andreevo-Kapakule and the Lessovo border crossing points between Bulgaria and Turkey last week... Bulgarian drivers and truck owners were protesting the hurdles for their business on the other side of the border and unfair competition. They complained from unfounded restrictions such as not allowing into Turkish territory trucks carrying over 500 liters of fuel or making drivers wait at the Turkish border for days... The blockade was lifted late Friday evening as all demands were met after negotiations between Krastev, the Deputy Regional Governor of Edirne and the Customs Chief of Kapakule...

WOMEN assemble trucks in * Saudi Arabia

2013-05-23T19:15:00.004-03:00

* Saudi Arabia - Women assemble trucks for Mercedes-Benz

(Picture)
Jeddah,S.A. -RTT News -20 May 2013: -- Conservative Saudi Arabia has made history in women empowerment by training 13 Saudi women to assemble trucks for Mercedes-Benz and its Jeddah partner, thereby enabling them to enter a male-dominated job in the oil-rich Kingdom... The company, which produces 5,000 trucks annually in Jeddah in a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, trained the 13 women in technical work assembly of light parts of heavy machinery... The first group of female learners is now working with the company as full-time employees, and it plans to hire more female students who are interested in learning and eventually working at the company. The company also proposed to expand its factory and make a separate section for female workers...

Cadillac SRX SUVs recalled * USA

2013-05-23T18:30:00.001-03:00

* DC - GM recalling 20,000 new Cadillac SRX SUVs

(Photo: Cadillac SRX SUVs)
Washington ,DC,USA -The Detroit News. by David Shepardson -May 22, 2013: -- General Motors Co. said it is recalling nearly 20,000 new Cadillac SRX SUVs for faulty wheel lug nuts... The Detroit automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration it is recalling 18,871 2013 SRX SUVs in the United States and nearly 1,000 in Canada over concerns that a wheel could eventually fall off... GM has been investigating the issue of loosening wheel nuts since October 2012. GM said in January it determined that wheel nuts with a blue-tint Teflon topcoat could loosen...

* Australia - Ford Motor Co. will stop manufacturing vehicles in 2016

2013-05-23T18:03:00.002-03:00

* Australia - Ford to cease vehicle production in

Campbellfield,VIC,Australia -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -May 23, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. will stop manufacturing vehicles in Australia in 2016, a continent where the Dearborn automaker has produced automobiles for about nine decades... Ford on Wednesday said two manufacturing sites — Broadmeadows and Geelong — will close, resulting in 1,200 job losses. Ford said it has lost about $581 million in Australia in the last three years... The Australian car market iscomprised of comprises about 1.1 million annual new-vehicle sales split among more than 65 brands. A weakening Japanese yen compared to the Australian dollar has resulted in import vehicles that are less expensive...

*South Korea/USA - Velocity an aptly named Veloster concept car

(Photo by Larry Edsall - Designers turned a Hyundai Velostar into the Velocity concept vehicle. The car boasts a 400-horsepower engine)
Las Vegas,NEV,USA -The Detroit News, by Larry Edsall-May 23, 2013: -- At the typical auto show, many concept cars are less about wild automotive fantasy and more about providing a thinly disguised hint to whet appetites for the next generation of production vehicles. But there are still places for designers and engineers to do some dreaming, and to encourage car enthusiasts to dream along with them. One such gathering is the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, where aftermarket product producers and original-equipment automakers are encouraged to get wild and even wacky. And thus, the “Velocity,” a car based on the Hyundai Veloster, a sporty three-door coupe. The Velocity is the Hyundai Design and Technology Center’s answer to the question, “What if?”...

* Japan - Nissan to sell first joint minicar to expand in the market

(Photos by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg: A worker assembles a vehicle at Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima plant in Japan. Nissan produces a minicar at the plant)
Nishi-ku,Yokohama,Japan -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by Ma Jie, Yuki Hagiwara and Anna Mukai -23 May 2013: -- Nissan Motor Co. will start selling its first minicar jointly developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Japan next month amid increasing demand for smaller, cheaper vehicles. Nissan began production of the minicar at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima plant in Okayama prefecture this week. The model will be sold as the Nissan DAYZ and Mitsubishi eK Wagon starting in June. Nissan, which previously sold rebadged minicars made by Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi, is targeting to gain market share in a category that now accounts for 38 percent of new-car sales in Japan. Known as “Kei” cars and favored for their low cost and ease of handling, sales of this segment are projected to rise this year even as total industry demand shrinks with the end of government incentives, according to IHS Automotive...

* USA - Summer vacation will be cut short for Detroit's Big Three workers this year

2013-05-23T08:57:00.001-03:00

* Michigan - Rising car sales shrink summer plant shutdowns for Detroit's Big Three

(Photo, by Jeff Kowalsky/Bloomberg: New 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokees move down the assembly line at the Chrysler LLC Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -22 May 2013: -- Summer vacation will be cut short for more auto factory workers this year, as carmakers try to keep up with heightened demand... Detroit automakers plan to reduce their annual two-week July shutdowns at dozens of North American plants that produce popular models such as Ford Motor Co.’s F-Series pickup trucks and Chrysler Group LLC’s Jeeps... Ford, General Motors Co. and Chrysler — which have collectively grown their market share this year for the first time in two decades — have their North American plants running at or above capacity, meaning nearly all operate two shifts, with many running three. And this year, they are trying to squeeze every bit of production from their plants... Auto sales are up 6.9 percent through April, according to Autodata Corp., and U.S. sales may hit 15.5 million this year. That would be the highest annual total since 2007, according to industry news and data company WardsAuto; in 2007, automakers sold nearly 16.5 million cars and trucks but had more production facilities scattered across the continent... Automakers customarily idle their plants for two weeks during the summer, but in recent years have been reducing that off-time — allowing them to produce tens of thousands more vehicles... Last year, four Chrysler assembly plants worked through the summer; two others took one week off. Chrysler has 26 North American assembly, powertrain, transmission and stamping facilities... Ford will halve the vacation time at 20 of its 31 North American factories, including six of its assembly plants. Last year, the automaker limited summer shutdowns at 13 facilities...

* Michigan - GM, Ford to gain market share in U.S. at foreign rivals' expense

Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -22 May 2013: -- An influential annual report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch says General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. will gain market share in the United States over the next four years at the expense of foreign automakers such as Japan’s Nissan Motor Co... Chrysler Group LLC, which posted the biggest sales gains of any domestic manufacturer in recent years, will see its share growth flatten out, according to the annual “Car Wars” report, which also has Toyota Motor Corp. continuing to gain share...

* DC - Automakers, dealers object to rental recall bill

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News David Shepardson -May 22, 2013: -- Automakers came under harsh criticism for opposing a bill that would require rental car companies to park all recalled vehicles until they are repaired... At a Senate Commerce subcomittee hearing Tuesday, the president and chief executive officer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Mitch Bainwol, came under tough questioning from key Democratic senators. Automakers are worried that a proposed law could force them to fix rental cars before fixing individual owners’ cars — and that they could face lawsuits from rental firms companies for lost revenue while recalled cars are out of commission... The alliance, which is the trade group representing Detroit’s Big Three automakers, Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG and seven others — along the National Automobile Dealers Association, which represents 16,000 new car dealers — told the committee that oversees auto safety that they oppose a bill endorsed by rental car companies that would end the practice of allowing the rental of unrepaired recalled vehicles...

* Michigan - GM to invest $44.5M on Lansing logistics center, creating 200 jobs

(Photo: GM Plant in Lansing, Michigan)
Lansing,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -May 21, 2013: -- General Motors Co. officially announced Tuesday that it will spend $44.5 million to build a logistics center at its Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant, following its recent tax break approval from Lansing... The company said the new 400,000-square-foot building, which will go next to the plant, will create 200 new jobs. The center will sequence and assemble parts to help with manufacturing flexibility at Lansing Grand River, GM said. It also will save money for GM, improve quality and boost efficiency by using available land and cutting transportation costs, the Detroit automaker said...

TRUCKMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

2013-05-20T11:37:00.000-03:00

* Germany - Actros voted Green Truck 2013

Stuttgart,Germany -HGV UK -May 17, 2013: -- The Mercedes-Benz Actros 1851 GigaSpace is the greenest truck around, according to two of Germany’s leading commercial vehicle publications, ‘Trucker’ and ‘VerkehrsRundschau’... With fuel consumption almost a litre lower than that of the second-placed vehicle, coupled with reduced CO2 emissions, the Actros beat off competition to secure top spot in independent tests conducted along a standardised route... Equipped with a cruise control system which recognises the topography of the route ahead and acts to deliver optimum fuel consumption, the 1851 was joined by two other variants of Actros in the top 10 of this environmental ranking...

* Sweden - Volvo April truck shipments ease 2% year to year

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Stockholm,Sweden -Reuters, by Niklas Pollard and Johannes Hellstrom -May 17, 2013: -- World number two truck maker Volvo said on Friday shipments of its trucks eased 2 percent year-on-year in April as booming business in South America took most of the sting out of moderating declines in Europe and the United States... Including joint ventures, mainly India's Eicher, shipments dipped 4 percent from a year ago, Volvo said in a statement... Volvo, which sells trucks under the Renault, Mack and UD Trucks as well as its own name, said deliveries in its biggest market, Europe, fell 7 percent while they dipped 10 percent in North America and 12 percent in Asia... But deliveries in South America, where government incentives in regional powerhouse Brazil has generated a surge in demand over the past couple of quarters, shot up 54 percent in the month to offset nearly all the decline elsewhere... Indications demand is picking up pace also in the recession-hit European market have been gaining in strength in recent months and Volvo said its Renault brand had stopped running short-time work weeks in April...

* Illinois / USA - Navistar RV sold to Allied Specialty vehicles

(Allied Specialty Vehicles has purchased Navistar International’s recreational vehicle business)
Warrensville,ILL,USA -Bloomberg/In Auto News -May 17, 2013: -- As truckmaker Navistar is currently concentrating on its main business, selling the Navistar RV represents a big step in this direction... Beginning with August, Navistar has begun to add a new management team, part of its plan to end losses... Besides purchasing the Navistar NV, Allied Specialty Vehicles has also entered a leasing deal for a Navistar recreational vehicle plant in Elkhart, Indiana. A recent report shows that heavy truck industry in the US continues to recover as sales surpassed 20,000 units since December. Trucking companies have to buy around 20,000 trucks per month to replace the old ones manufactured by the Navistar International and Paccar companies. Although the heavy truck industry has not fully recovered, investors are optimistic as home construction is increasing and carriers are the ones moving the automobiles and the construction equipment...

AUTOS RECALLS * USA

2013-05-20T11:20:00.000-03:00

* DC / USA - 2013 Subaru outback, Legacy recalled for steering flaw

(Photo: 2013 Subaru Outback)
Washington,DC,USA -The Car Connection, by Suzanne Kane -May 17, 2013: -- Subaru is recalling certain 2013 model year Outback wagons and Legacy sedans for a potential steering flaw that could cause loss of steering control... A notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website puts the number of vehicles potentially affected by the recall at 5,379... The NHTSA bulletin and documentation from Subaru identify the problem as a defect in the steering column assembly. Specifically, the steering column assembly contains splined inner and outer shafts that are intended to be a tight press fit...

CARMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

2013-05-20T11:11:00.006-03:00

* Germany - S-Class Mercedes unwrapped. Flagship model is chock full of luxuries

(Photo by Marcus Brandt / Associated Press: The new S-Class Mercedes, which debuted in Hamburg, Germany, this week, offers a hot-stone style massage and can soothe motorists with scents. It also can anticipate rough pavement)
Hamburg,Germany -Associated Press/The Detroit News, by David McHugh -May 18, 2013: -- Daimler AG has unveiled the newest version of its S-Class model from luxury brand Mercedes-Benz, a car that will play a key role in the company's effort to restore its earnings performance... The new S-class sedan was shown off Wednesday in Hamburg, Germany... It has a taller grille that changes its exterior appearance, but the major emphasis was on the technology added to increase driver comfort and safety — and underline Mercedes' image as a maker of advanced vehicles for the well-heeled... The car will be important to the company's efforts to improve earnings... Typically, the company puts technology in the S-Class that only later appears in other models... The car can process information from its 360-degree cameras and radar to help drivers steer within their lanes and keep the right distance to other cars, as well as avoid collisions at crossings... It can detect rough pavement ahead and adjust the suspension to keep the ride smooth... The seats offer a hot-stone style massage, using 14 separately operated air chambers and heating elements in the seat back... If desired, a perfume generator allows the interior scent to be adjusted, with four "discreet and mild" fragrances and three intensity settings...

* USA / Michigan - Ford projects rise in four-cylinder vehicle sales. Smaller engines in 66% of new vehicles by 2020; others not so sure

(Photo from Ford: In 2008, new vehicles with four-cylinders made up 40 percent of the market, according to market researcher R.L. Polk & Co.; today, they are 53 percent of the new-vehicle market)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -May 20, 2013: -- Automobiles with four-cylinder engines already comprise more than half of U.S. new-vehicle sales, and that number could grow to two-thirds by the end of the decade, according to projections by Ford Motor Co.... The shift to the smaller engines is a result of strict federal fuel-efficiency standards — known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE — and means a growing share of cars, SUVs and trucks will join the four-cylinder fray by 2020. Ford's estimates are high by some analysts' accounts, but it's not the first time Ford has gone its own way when it comes to powertrains... In 2008, new vehicles with four-cylinders made up 40 percent of the market, according to market researcher R.L. Polk and Co.; today, they are 53 percent of the new-vehicle market. And Ford anticipates that by 2020, 66 percent of all new vehicles will come equipped with four-cylinders...

TYRES NEWS * WORLDWIDE

2013-05-20T10:04:00.003-03:00

* UK - Report reinforces perceived value of cold weather tyres

Birmingham,West Midlands,UK -Transport Engineer -17 May 2013: -- After a winter that saw very low temperatures for most of the country, ATS Euromaster's annual winter weather study shows that the value of fitting cold weather tyres is hitting home... Winter tyres have been proven to offer improved grip, handling and cornering aw well as reduced braking distances when the temperature drops below 7°C – which it did for 95% of the six months measured for the study... Of 10 cities analysed, Newcastle upon Tyne recorded the highest number of days when commuter time temperatures dipped below 7°C, with 162 compared to the 129 reported in the previous year's study. Aberdeen had the second highest number with 159 days...

'Trucker Spy' convicted after road rage incident * USA

2013-05-19T06:06:00.004-03:00

* Tennessee - “Trucker Spy” shot video of bad truck drivers

Chattanooga,TENN,USA -Land Line -16 May 2013: -- A man known as the “Trucker Spy” who shot video of what he considered bad truck drivers and posted it on YouTube or turned it over to trucking companies may be headed to prison for eight years or more... The Chattanoogan reports that 46-year-old Joseph John Volpe has been convicted of attempted murder after a road rage incident that occurred three years ago. Volpe had slowed down to shoot video of a truck when another truck came up from behind and had to slow down abruptly... Volpe claims the trucker then tried to run him off the road and that that’s why he fired a pistol, hitting the head rest in the trucker’s cab... The conviction could get Volpe eight to 12 years in prison...

* Maryland - Fuel tax on the way up

Annapolis,MAR,USA -Land Line, by Keith Goble -17 May 2013: -- Gov. Martin O’Malley signed a bill into law on Thursday, May 16, which could result in truckers and other drivers in Maryland paying about twice as much in state taxes at the fuel pump... The governor signed a six-year, $4.4 billion transportation funding plan. The effort is touted to address a lack of new highway construction money available after 2017... Initiated by the governor, the new law is expected to raise about $830 million annually for state and local road, bridge and transit work...

* Governments of Canada, New Brunswick funding new Intelligent Transportation Systems

Salisbury,N.B.,CAN -Trucks News -May 16, 2013: -- The Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick are contributing thousands in funding for several new Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) projects. The projects include:

• The Commercial Vehicle Preclearance System – The system for compliant vehicles is designed to reduce the number of times vehicles need to stop at inspection stations, saving time and reducing fuel usage.
• The Online Special Moves Permitting System – Designed to modernize and streamline the process for the trucking industry to apply for and receive special permits for moving over-sized and over-dimension loads – in an effort to save time for both industry and government, and provide a one-stop, online portal for users in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
• The Provincial ITS Architecture planning document – Designed to identify opportunities for improved integration and information/data sharing in an attempt to create a safer, more efficient and more effective transportation network.

The total cost of these projects is estimated at $427,000, with the federal government contributing up to $210,000 under the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program, and the Province of New Brunswick providing $217,000.

* Washington - State troopers to team with truckers to ticket aggressive four-wheelers

(Photo)
Olympia,WASH,USA -Fleet Owner, by Deborah Whistler -May 17, 2013: -- Washington State Patrol troopers will team up with the trucking industry May 20-24 to nab four-wheelers driving aggressively around big rigs as part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks Project... Troopers will ride along with truckers to look for motorists who are driving unsafely around big trucks. When a trooper spots a car speeding, cutting others off or driving aggressively around a truck, the trooper will radio ahead to fellow officers to stop the motorist...

* Spain: Hauliers see aggravating factor on economic recession

2013-05-16T11:43:00.000-03:00

* 44 tons: hostile Spanish carriers to generalize to the whole country

(Photo: The 44 tonnes is likely to increase the supply of transport already in surplus, say carriers)
-WK Transport et Logistique/The Official Carriers, by Daniel Solano -6 May 2013: -- Catalonia has authorized 44 t as experimental until September 2013 and chargers require widespread across the country. But the Spanish hauliers see it as an aggravating factor of economic recession... At the end of 2012, the regional government of Catalonia, the Generalitat, authorized the movement of vehicles to 44 tons on an experimental basis until September 30, 2013... Professional associations of TRM and the Spanish government denounced a "break the unity of the Spanish market" ... The legal services of the State are studying the opportunity of filing a complaint in court, the Spanish Confederation of freight (EETC) has already taken this step... Catalan pilot project was well received by shippers who are strong supporters of the increase in tonnage. According to the Spanish Association of FMCG companies (AECOC), which brings together 25,000 manufacturers and distributors, this measure would carry more goods by reducing the number of truck traffic on the roads, where a positive effect on environment... In addition, the organization sees the possibility of improving the process and facilitate the loading and unloading...

* Europe - Cabotage liberalization planned for late 2014

2013-05-16T11:27:00.002-03:00

* EU - Cabotage liberalization will not occur in 2014

(Photo: UK High road at night)
Brusells,Belgium -WK Transport et Logistique / The Official Carriers, by Anne Kerriou and Louis Guarino -16 May 2013: -- Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for Transport, said that the liberalization of cabotage will ultimately not by the end of his term, planned for late 2014. A coaster that satisfies employers and unions... The discret European Transport Commissioner, Siim Kallas, has formalized its backpedaling on the liberalization of cabotage in road haulage... FNTR (National Federation of Road Transport) immediately welcomed the reprieve: "In the midst of economic crisis, and in the absence of European social harmonization, liberalization of cabotage in 2014 was pure madness. It would cost France, like other European countries, thousands of jobs" recalls the employers' organization... On the employee side, the CGT has also expressed his satisfaction, speaking of a "victory for the European workforce" ...