EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Top Stories
After the fall provincial election in Ontario, the government is expected to introduce legislation to make it mandatory for all tractor-trailer units that operate into, out of or within Ontario to activate devices preventing the vehicles from exceeding a speed of 105 km/hour (65 mph). FULL STORY
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State and local governments and non-profit organizations in the Northeast have until July 31 to apply to receive a grant from the $1.7 million pool that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made available for clean diesel projects. FULL STORY
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already begun to urge the NY State Assembly to approve his traffic congestion fee pilot program when they return for a special session on July 16. FULL STORY
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Catalytic converters with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) are just one of the methods being developed for meeting the EPA’s stricter 2010 emission reduction standards. Whatever technology is used is likely to affect the value of trucks purchased in the next few years. FULL STORY
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The U.S. Senate agreed last month to a compromise on truck fuel economy standards that were included in a broader energy bill. The new version still requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue rules for commercial truck fuel economy but does not include specific annual mandates. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
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In mid-July, Peterbilt Motors Co. will begin production on the new Model 325, its first vehicle dedicated to the Class 5 market. FULL STORY
As part of a move to expand its product offerings beyond temperature control and anti-idling systems, Carrier Transicold has introduced a new line of “industrial strength” cargo security devices for trailers and containers. FULL STORY
Mack Trucks has introduced the Navion R5000 navigational radio that integrates up to six separate functions, including safety-related devices, vehicle information and entertainment. FULL STORY
Hendrickson Trailer Suspension Systems has designed the Hendrickson Chassis Axle that combines low cost with low maintenance. FULL STORY
Briefly
NationaLease has a new website, www.nationaleasetruckrental.com, which is designed to enable businesses to search the company’s entire U.S. network and then select the specific commercial truck model they seek to rent. . .Michelin and the province of Nova Scotia have agreed to invest $50 million in Michelin’s Bridgewater tire manufacturing facility, due to be completed in 2009. . .Thermo King is offering instant cash rebates of up to $100 for the third year in a row. . .Murphy Hoffman Company recently released an entirely re-designed website, www.mhctruck.com, to help better serve their customers. . .Hino Motors will spend $8.6 million to open a medium-duty truck assembly plant in West Virginia. . .Fleet One announced that its fuel cards are now accepted at participating Cenex convenience stores and fuel sites across the country. . .Ryder System has opened two new service facilities in Concord and Ottawa, Canada. . .Continental Tire North America will invest $78 million in its Mt. Vernon, IL plant to expand the company’s commercial operations and regionalize its commercial tire production. . .W. Marvin Rush, founder and Chairman of Rush Enterprises, Inc., received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award in Distribution and Construction category in the Houston and Gulf Coast Area. . .FleetCor has acquired the remaining 50 percent ownership interest of CCS Slovakia through its subsidiary CCS in the Czech Republic. . .PACCAR Leasing Co. has announced the expansion of its franchise network in North America with the addition of 10 locations in the United States and two new locations in Canada. . .The Rubber Manufacturers Association has recognized six of Bridgestone Americas Holdings Inc. facilities for outstanding safety performance. . .ArvinMeritor has been selected by International Military and Government, LLC – a subsidiary of International Truck & Engine Corp. – to supply 1,200 vehicle sets of front and rear drive axles, with brakes and transfer cases, for a new generation of armored personnel carriers for the U.S. military. . .J.J. Keller & Associates has launched “Transport Safety Pro Advisor Online Community,” an online service that provides information on safety issues, including new regulations. . .Penske Truck Leasing has celebrated the grand opening of a new 18,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Sacramento, CA. . .SAF-Holland has released its 2007 Catalog & Selection Guide for Coupler Products which is available in electronic or printed format. . .To read more news about TRALA members, please click here.
People on the Move
Jeff Eudy was promoted to vice president of sales for Karmak and Todd Robertson was named the new area manager for the Eastern sales territory. . .Key Equipment Finance has named Douglas Dupy as vice president of U.S. sales and Chris Nugent as vice president of asset management for its global vendor services group. . .Brad Sproule has been put in charge of national sales operations for Hino Motors Canada. . .Yokohama Tire Corp. has hired Gregg Vandermark as performance marketing manager, Rusty Taylor as manager of finance and administration of the business division and Dan King has been promoted to vice president of sales. . .Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group has appointed Daniel Bayne as director of sales. . .John Jabas has been named vice president of legalization for Comdata Corp.’s regulatory compliance division.
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
07/11 Close | Two Week Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArvinMeritor | ARM | $22.42 | $0.02 | 0.09% |
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $28.94 | $0.30 | 1.05% |
| Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | $82.17 | $0.95 | 1.17% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $114.35 | $2.71 | 2.43% |
| Eaton | ETN | $95.26 | $0.58 | 0.61% |
| General Electric | GE | $38.20 | $0.30 | 0.79% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $35.72 | $0.02 | 0.06% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $91.40 | $0.25 | 0.27% |
| Ryder | R | $54.86 | $0.74 | 1.37% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
Trident Capital has made an additional $6 million investment to XATA Corp., which will allow the company to extend its product portfolio. FULL STORY
General Motors has agreed to sell Allison Transmission to the Onex Corp. and the Carlyle Group for $5.6 billion. FULL STORY
When the sale of Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management is finalized, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services has said its Mercedes and truck financial operations will remain a part of Daimler AG. FULL STORY
News From TRALA
"Don't forget you can order copies of TRALA's security publications, The Truck Renting and Leasing Security and Self-Assessement Guide and Safeguarding America's Transportation System - Security Guide for Truck Rental Company Employees by visiting the TRALA website and placing an order online. These publications are available at no cost to TRALA members. If you have any questions, please contact Tom James at (703) 299-9120 or tjames@trala.org