EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Top Stories
Fleets are looking at wireless technologies and changing driver habits in an effort to reduce fuel costs and environmental impacts caused by excessive idling. FULL STORY
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Canadian provinces seem to be spilt on the issue of whether or not to mandate speed limiters. FULL STORY
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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that included language that would provide a tax break for companies purchasing trucks with auxiliary power units (APUs) or advanced insulation by exempting the cost of those items from the federal excise tax on trucks. FULL STORY
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This summer, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin testing heavy- and medium-duty trucks for fuel efficiency in an effort to measure performance of different kinds of vehicles. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
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The Peterbilt ComfortClass system is now available in a 63-inch sleeper configuration and offers a combination of batteries and a thermal storage cooler to provide a temperature-controlled environment and the capacity to run computers, microwaves and other electronic devices in the sleeper. FULL STORY
The DM Advantage fan drives introduced by Horton, Inc. are designed to meet the current and future industry demands for reliable engine cooling, fuel savings and noise reduction. FULL STORY
Free online training is being offered by Fontaine International for anyone who works with Fontaine fifth wheels. The training consists of four modules: Product Identification, No-Slack II Rebuild, No-Slack II Coupling/Uncoupling, and No-Slack II Maintenance Procedures. FULL STORY
Kenworth is now offering an Allison 4000 and 4500 series automatic transmission when spec’d with a 1,650 lb.-ft. or less Cummins ISX engine on the Kenworth T800. The new Kenworth T800 configuration offers the benefits of automatic transmission while also meeting high horsepower requirements. FULL STORY
Briefly
On May 21, 2008, Ryder System’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Greg Swienton and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Robert Sanchez, rang the closing bell of the New York Stock Exchange in honor of Ryder’s 75th Anniversary. . .Aim NationaLease has acquired Amtralease, which will add about 120 vehicles to the Aim fleet in Erie, PA, and a modern maintenance facility. . .Hino Motors Manufacturing presented The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with its Quality Excellence Award for commercial tires on Hino medium-duty trucks. . .Utility Trailer’s manufacturing plant in Paragould, AR, received the Plant Safety Award presented by the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association (TTMA) for the fourth time in five years. . .Imperial Supplies is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a national distributor of fleet maintenance products and inventory management. . .GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services will be hosting a free webinar, “Mobile Resource Management – Increase Fleet Productivity and Reduce Costs” on Thursday, June 19 from 11 a.m. to noon (cst), click here to register. . .Yokohama Rubber Co. and it parent company, Yokohama Tire Corp., have reached an agreement with Hanzhou Zhoungce Rubber Co. on a design patent infringement lawsuit. Under the terms of the agreement, Hangzhou will destroy the manufacturing molds and remaining inventory of its Westlake H280 tires and will pay a cash settlement. . .J.J. Keller & Associates Inc. was honored as a Wisconsin Family Business of the Year at the 2008 Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Awards. . .The Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake that shook China. . .Heritage Propane has ordered three new Acterra trucks from terling Truck Corp., which one will be painted pink, two painted blue and for every gallon of fuel each truck uses, EPT will donate 1 cent to the American Breast Cancer Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation up to $300,000.
People on the Move
Mark Joyce has been promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer for AmeriQuest Transportation Services. . .Ryder System, Inc. has named John H. Williford as president of global supply chain solutions. . .Avis Budget Group has hired Thomas M. Gartland as executive vice president of sales and marketing. . .Jim Demetry has been appointed to the newly created position of chief of staff with Manheim. . .Cummins Inc. has announced that Joe Loughrey, president and chief operating officer, will retire in March 2009 and Tom Linebarger has been named as his replacement and Steve Spaulding has been promoted to vice president of the company’s engine business purchasing and supply chain. . .Scott L. Thompson has been named senior executive vice president and chief financial officer for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc.
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
06/03 Close | Two Week Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArvinMeritor | ARM | $15.08 | $0.10 | 0.67% |
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $13.30 | $0.05 | 0.38% |
| Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | $82.42 | $0.09 | 0.11% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $70.57 | $0.19 | 0.27% |
| Dana | DAN | $10.30 | $0.21 | 2.00% |
| Eaton | ETN | $94.99 | $1.06 | 1.10% |
| General Electric | GE | $30.46 | $0.05 | 0.16% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $23.77 | $0.75 | 3.06% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $52.50 | $0.33 | 0.63% |
| Ryder | R | $72.55 | $0.50 | 0.68% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
Volvo Group’s four truck companies reported in April their total deliveries of trucks was 24,616, an increase of 44 percent compared with same period last year. FULL STORY
The U.S. Department of Energy reported oil prices fell below $123 per barrel and diesel prices are beginning to drop after hitting a record high of $4.792 per gallon on May 30. FULL STORY
Reported orders of Class 8 trucks in April were 20,099, up 77 percent from last year and Class 5-7 truck orders were 16,095, up 14 percent. FULL STORY
News From TRALA
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