EnRoute

Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Top Stories

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  The Small Business Administration (SBA) will begin guaranteeing America’s Recovery Capital (ARC) interest-free loans to small businesses suffering financial hardship due to the economic recession. ARC loans are 100 percent guaranteed deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000 available to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing qualifying debt. FULL STORY

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  The Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) is offering a free white paper, titled “Successful Urea/Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Handling, Storage & Dispensing,” that will bring fleets and companies up to speed on working with DEF. FULL STORY

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  The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce adopted an amendment to the Global Warming Bill that would move authority to regulate fuel economy for heavy-duty trucks away from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and give it to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). FULL STORY

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  Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been working with the White House and members of the U.S. House of Representatives to revive long-distance trucking across the U.S. - Mexican border through a program that satisfies the U.S. commitment to NAFTA as well as highway safety. FULL STORY

Technology Trends

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  Enterprise Commercial Trucks, a division of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, has begun offering consumer rentals and accessories at more than 125 locations across the United States. FULL STORY

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  Alcoa Fastening System’s new product, the Marson-brand HP-3, is a multifunctional hand rivet tool that offers powerful riveting capacity. FULL STORY

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  Freightliner Trucks and Eaton Corp. have created the Freightliner Business Class M2e Hybrid Truck for Pennington Gas Service. This truck marks the first application of the Eaton parallel electric hybrid system to hazardous material delivery application. FULL STORY

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  J.J. Keller & Associates has developed 2290 Online, a web-based application that assists companies in filing IRS Heavy Vehicle Use Tax forms. FULL STORY

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  The TREQ-M4 in-cab color display unit (CDU) is the newest in-cab touch screen computer that is available as an option for new XATA customers and as an upgrade for existing users of Xata products. FULL STORY

Briefly

Waltco Hydraulic Liftgates is preparing to merge with Ultron Lift Corp., both companies are members of the Hiab Division of Cargotec Corporation. The new company will continue as Waltco Lift Corp. . .Hino Trucks has teamed up with Jerr-Dan Corporation to debut at least seven tow and recovery vehicles for use at all events that take place at the Indianapolis Speedway during the 2009 racing season. . .Stoughton Trailers has made Truck-Lite’s “Life-Time Lighting Solution” its factory-standard lighting and harness system. . .Peterbilt Motors Co. is now offering Dometic battery-powered air conditioning systems as a factory-installed option with its new Model 386 Hybrid Electric diesel-electric hybrid trucks developed by Eaton Corp. . . Penske Truck Rental has been selected as the exclusive provider of consumer rental trucks by Simple Self Storage. . .Thermo King’s new rebate program will be extended to TruckersB2B members and will be available on select Thermo King equipment. . .The Kenworth Truck Company manufacturing plant in Renton, WA, was recently honored by the King County Industrial Waste Program with the Commitment-to-Compliance Award for outstanding compliance with the plant’s industrial wastewater discharge permit. . .J.J. Keller & Associates’ FleetMentor has been recognized as the 2009 Best Vertical Market Business Content Solution by the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) at the 24th Annual CODIE Awards. . . Fleet One has entered into a multiyear fleet services agreement with Hess Corp. Fleet One will become the issuer and processor of Hess’ private labeled fleet fueling card.