EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Top Stories
-
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new stopping distance regulations which take effect in August 2011 have some fleets concerned that they will be forced to spec more expensive air disc brakes or retrofit vehicles to meet the new rules however brake manufacturers are saying August 2011 will be a nonevent for fleets. FULL STORY
Industry carriers, suppliers and law enforcement officials have filed a petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding two provisions in the recent final rule on electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) that should be reconsidered. FULL STORY
-
As technology continues to advance and fleets have information coming from all directions, many are turning to benchmarking programs that crunch the numbers and create detailed reports, saving both time and money. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
-
The ContiRT20 Performance is a new pneumatic radial industrial tire from Continental Tire the Americas LLC which offers greater puncture resistance, increased lateral stability and greater potential for retreading. FULL STORY
-
Truck-Lite has released the Super 80 LED Interior Trailer lamp with IR motion sensor. The lamp uses advanced technology to boost efficiency and is activated when motion is recognized which can be up to 10 feet away from the lamp surface. FULL STORY
-
On June 1, 2010, J.J. Keller & Associates will be launching CSA Management Suite to assist transportation professionals in preparing for and managing their safety compliance program under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s CSA 2010 initiative. FULL STORY
-
Navistar Inc. has unveiled the eStar, an all-electric delivery/cargo van. The new eStar is not a hybrid truck, nor is it a conversion from a gasoline- or diesel-burning vehicle. It is a purpose-built Class 3 delivery and cargo van that the company says balances the needs of the environment with the needs of businesses in the United States. FULL STORY
-
The T-600R and the T-800R are the latest units in the all-new T Series line of temperature control units for straight trucks from Thermo King. The new units feature reciprocating compressor technology, increased capacity over previous models and the TSR-2 control system with its leading diagnostic capabilities. FULL STORY
-
Dana Holding Corporation has developed the Victor Reinz ThermoGlide, a high-temperature exhaust gasket coating designed to meet the increasing challenges of modern gasoline and diesel engines. FULL STORY
Briefly
Continental Tire the Americas LLC marked the first year in its new headquarters in South Carolina by donating $35,000 to Lancaster County schools and more than 350 tires for the county to use in its police, fire and municipal vehicle fleets. . .Volvo and GMC Truck Center of Carolina has changed its name to Advantage Truck Center to more accurately reflect the full-service truck dealership’s broadened scope of operations. . .Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems announced that its Steertek fabricated front steer axle now comes with a standard 10-year 1-million-mile limited warranty. The limited warranty covers Steertek axles equipped on approved vehicles built after January 1, 2010, includes the axle beam, steering arm, knuckle assemblies and kingpins when used in Hendrickson-approved applications in the United States and Canada and within the proper guidelines of Steertek. . .Nord-Lock designed its wheel nut to eliminate unintentional loosening, the main cause of wheel loss. Based on wedge-locking technology, the Nord-Lock wheel nut is designed for both on- and off-road vehicles, suits standard flat-faced steel rims and M22x1.5 studs, and is easy to install. . .Navistar Inc. and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced the two companies have reached a long-term supply agreement for Navistar to be the principal provider of International brad commercial trucks to J.B. Hunt through 2014. . .Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company ranked 40th on Forbes Magazine’s fifth annual listing of companies with the best reputations in the United States. . .Eaton Corp. has selected A123 Systems to supply lithium-ion batteries for a hybrid power system to be installed on a Ford F550-based plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
5/19 Close | Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $11.35 | $0.42 | 3.57% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $68.47 | $1.30 | 1.86% |
| Dana | DAN | $10.88 | $0.13 | 1.18% |
| Eaton | ETN | $70.37 | $2.24 | 3.08% |
| General Electric | GE | $17.26 | $0.03 | 0.17% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $11.97 | $0.42 | 3.39% |
| Navistar International Corp. | NAV | $53.62 | $0.78 | 1.48% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $42.00 | $0.92 | 2.14% |
| Ryder | R | $45.00 |
$0.23 | 0.51% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
Supreme Industries, Inc. reported the company’s gross profit improved to 7.2 percent from last year’s 6.0 percent, reflecting a higher proportion of specialty products sold and cost reductions. FULL STORY
In the Americas, Bridgestone posted operating income of 11.7 billion yen on net sales of 279.1 billion yen. The sales total represents an 11% increase from the first quarter of 2009. FULL STORY