EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Top Stories
A vote on the New York City congestion fee pricing compromise bill is anticipated on July 26 when the New York State Legislature is expected to reconvene. FULL STORY
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Truckers with auxiliary power units (APUs) installed on their vehicles are still considered overweight in some states despite the 2005 Energy Policy Act that included a 400-lb. weight exemption for on-board idle reduction systems and APUs. FULL STORY
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To encourage truckers to use idling reduction technology, U.S. and Canadian trucking groups are asking state and provincial governments to reconsider taxing fuel used in idling reduction equipment. FULL STORY
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative has $300,000 in grants available this year for projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
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For the first time Eaton Corp. will have remanufactured, medium-duty, manual transmissions with genuine Fuller components available at OEM dealerships throughout North America. FULL STORY
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Continental Tire North America, Inc. have both been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for meeting the EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership tractor-trailer equipment specifications. FULL STORY
PHH FirstFleet has expanded its capabilities for private truck fleets in North America to include enhanced fuel and maintenance services for managers. FULL STORY
Briefly
Comdata Corp. launched it first national television advertising campaign on July 16, which features gift cards, fleet cards and payroll cards. . .In an effort to help employees achieve personal wellness, Bendix is setting a new standard for health and wellness by beginning a yearlong pilot program entitled “Target Your Health”. . .Sterling Truck Corp. has revamped their website, www.SterlingTrucks.com and now includes updated information on all models and an enhanced Choose Your Work Application tool that makes it easier to find details about specific trucks and applications and to compare models. . .Karmak Inc. has recently joined STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), which is an IT standards body for the retail automotive industry. . .XATA Corp. has signed a lease on a state-of-the-art building that will become its corporate headquarters. . .Ryder System has announced that Whirlpool is extending and expanding its contract for parts warehousing and distribution services for an additional six years. . .Daily Direct/HaulBikes, a specialty carrier of motorcycles and other sport vehicles, has chosen PeopleNet as their fleet management system supplier. . .Webb Wheel has updated and improved its website, www.webbwheel.com, to allow visitors to access the database, view a company capabilities video and navigate to each of Webb’s business units directly from the home page. . .Isuzu & Hino Motors will jointly develop technology for cleaning up emissions from diesel engines in a bid to better compete with European and U.S. rivals. . .FleetNet has announced it is expanding its sales force to provide better coverage, including the addition of five regional sales managers in Cherryville, NC. . .The National Private Truck Council (NPTC) has recently moved their headquarters to 950 N. Glebe Road, Suite 530, Arlington, VA. . .The Clean Power calculator, which provides fleets with estimated savings they can achieve using its proprietary no-idle system, is now available on Kenworth’s website. . .SkyBitz has been awarded the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 913 Intrinsically Safe Apparatus and Associated Apparatus Compliance for its signature GLS 210 trailer tracking hardware. This certification is the highest qualification necessary to track dangerous shipments that have ignitable concentrations of flammable gases, vapors or liquids over road, rail or barge. . .To read more news about TRALA members, please click here.
People on the Move
Patrick McMahon, founder of the McMahon Truck Group formalized his planned retirement by resigning from his operating positions in the group’s companies. Mike McMahon has been elected chief executive officer and president of all the McMahon Truck Group Companies and Brad McMahon has been elected chief operating officer. . .Greg Stubblefield, a senior executive at Enterprise, will become president of Vanguard Car Rental following the completion of Enterprise’s purchase of Vanguard. . .Great Dane Trailers has promoted Brandie Fuller to vice president of marketing. . .Key Equipment Finance has named John Meringer as vice president of global pricing and economics, has promoted Sera Oliver to vice president of distribution, and has appointed John Amato, John Maes and Ebony Pompey as vice presidents of operations. . .Curt Wagner has assumed duties as director of marketing for Hendrickson Auxiliary Axle Systems. . .PeopleNet has promoted Ron Konezny to chief executive officer, effective immediately. . .Hercules Manufacturing Co. has recently hired Chip Honse as National Accounts Manager. . .U-Haul International has promoted Jim George to president of U-Haul Company of San Fernando Valley.
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
07/25 Close | Two Week Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArvinMeritor | ARM | $22.08 | $0.77 | 3.37% |
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $27.71 | $0.24 | 0.86% |
| Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | $80.50 | $1.16 | 1.42% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $109.81 | $2.03 | 1.82% |
| Eaton | ETN | $99.31 | $1.54 | 1.53% |
| General Electric | GE | $40.42 | $0.20 | 0.50% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $32.14 | $1.23 | 3.69% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $87.86 | $4.85 | 5.23% |
| Ryder | R | $52.53 | $0.05 | 0.10% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
Key Equipment Finance reported total revenue for the second quarter was $155 million, up 14 percent from $136 million from the same period last year. FULL STORY
PACCAR Financial Services revenues jumped 24 percent to $286.8 million compared to $231.4 million in the same quarter in 2006. FULL STORY
A 12 percent decline in sales for Caterpillar in North America is expected to be offset by the 24 percent increase in sales outside of North America. 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