EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Top Stories
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A new rule issued by The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and scheduled to go into effect on June 1, 2012 will require interstate commercial truck and bus companies with serious patterns of hours-of-service (HOS) violations to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all their vehicles. FULL STORY
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and his Mexican counterpart have agreed to form a working group to consider the next steps of the cross-border trucking program. FULL STORY
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FMCSA is pushing back the start of its new safety monitoring system, Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010, until November to allow the trucking industry more time to prepare. FULL STORY
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The National Research Council have come out with a report entitled, “Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles.” The report includes suggestions on training drivers on fuel-efficient driving techniques, adjusting size and weight restrictions, developing intelligent vehicles and improving U.S. highways. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
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Navistar launches the ReStar Vehicle Reconditioning Program which is designed for late-model Class 5-8 commercial trucks and analyzes, recommends and replaces key mechanical and aesthetic components based on the application, age and history of each truck. FULL STORY
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Thermo King has introduced three new products that aim to provide environmental and cost savings. The TriPace Electric APU System is an all-new electric auxiliary idle reduction and temperature management system designed to maintain comfortable temperature conditions in the truck cab without running an engine; The T-1000 SpectrumTM Multi-Temp Unit for Trucks is a self-powered multi-temperature unit with the latest in scroll compressor technology; and the SmartPowerTM High Output Electric Standby Option provides customers with the choice of a 24-hp high-output electric standby option or the existing 14-hp version. FULL STORY
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Supreme Corporation has launched the new Supreme Express Aluminum Van Body Program which gives Supreme customers a completed aluminum van body in 10 business days or 15 business days with an approved liftgate. FULL STORY
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Peterbilt has introduced an EPA SmartWay-certified Model 587 highway tractor which will replace the Model 387. The new model will improve on fuel efficiency, technology and serviceability. FULL STORY
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The Bridgestone-brand R287A steer tire is a new long-wearing tire from Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) which is designed to provide superior tread wear and mileage for low cost-per-mile in regional and long-haul applications. FULL STORY
Briefly
Rush Enterprises, Inc. has announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase certain assets of Lake City Companies, LLC and certain subsidiaries and affiliates. . .Chairman and CEO Tim Solso of Cummins Inc. was recently named as one of the top 30 CEOs in the world by Barron’s magazine. Solso was recognized for leading Cummins through “one of the most impressive revivals in industrial America”. . .Ryder System, Inc. has launched its new multilingual used vehicle websites and online inventory search tools. At www.usedtrucks.ryder.com, customers have an easier way to find used vehicles in either English or Spanish. For the Canadian Market, customers can visit www.ryderusedtrucks.ca to view and search for vehicles in either English or French. . .PeopleNet Communications has won a contract with Frozen Food Express Industries Inc., under which PeopleNet will replace Qualcomm Inc. as the refrigerated carrier’s mobile communications vendor. . .Meritor WABCO Vehicle Control Systems and Iteris, Inc. have formed a partnership to streamline and simplify delivery of critical data about vehicle safety and performance to their mutual customers. The agreement allows information captured by Meritor WABCO’s SmartTrac and OnGuard active safety systems to be available through Safety Direct.
People
Richard J. Kramer has taken over as president and chief executive officer of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Jim McKinnon has been named vice president and chief information officer and will report directly to chief financial officer Darren Wells. . .Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) has named Scott Damon vice president of marketing, effective immediately. He replaces Tim Chen who has left the company. . .President Obama plans to name former Maryland legislator and trucking industry critic Bill Bronrott to be deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
4/14 Close | Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $15.29 | $0.54 | 3.66% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $67.72 | $1.66 | 2.51% |
| Dana | DAN | $13.57 | $0.38 | 2.88% |
| Eaton | ETN | $79.91 | $0.53 | 0.67% |
| General Electric | GE | $19.35 | $0.40 | 2.11% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $14.24 | $0.29 | 2.08% |
| Navistar International Corp. | NAV | $50.01 | $0.03 | 0.06% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $46.42 | $0.65 | 1.42% |
| Ryder | R | $43.73 |
$0.78 | 1.82% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
The San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG) Board has selected Ryder System, Inc. as its fleet partner in a groundbreaking heavy-duty natural gas truck rental and leasing project in Southern California. Ryder will use $19.3 million in state and federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding secured by SANBAG to implement the project. FULL STORY
News From TRALA
TRALA has made the presentations of its 2010 Annual Meeting available on the website. Please click here to view and download the presentations. Video of the All-Conference Assembly and the Awards Dinner will be make available in the coming weeks, please be on the lookout for an announcement. If you have trouble downloading the information or have questions, please contact TRALA’s Shannon Murray at smurray@trala.org or (703) 299-9120.