EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Top Stories
The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) transportation refrigeration unit rule (TRU) is scheduled to go into effect on December 30, 2008, however it will not be enforced until 30 days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grants the state’s waiver request to enforce the new regulation. FULL STORY
-
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has scheduled it first ever symposium to address the issues revolving around electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs). FULL STORY
-
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Urban Partnership Agreement Program has continued to face opposition at the local level in implementing new congestion pricing programs. FULL STORY
-
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is asking the U.S. Congress to pass legislation that would provide an additional $8 billion to the Highway Trust Fund to avoid a shortfall. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
-
The Fontaine Fusion flatbed from Fontaine Trailer weighs only 8,400 pounds and handles a 52,000 pound load in just four feet because of the extruded mainbeam. FULL STORY
XATA Corp. has upgraded XATANET, the company’s on-demand fleet operations software, to include improved digital mapping software as part of the 4.3 release. FULL STORY
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is delaying the effective date of the rewrite of the federal government’s safety standards on lighting and reflective devices from September 1, 2008 to December 1, 2009. NHTSA decided to delay the effective date to allow the agency enough time to analyze petitions it received for reconsideration of the final rule. FULL STORY
After a six-month beta test, J.J. Keller & Associates have made two significant enhancements to FleetMentor, the company’s online fleet management tool solution. FULL STORY
Briefly
Detroit Diesel has launched a new website, www.detroitdiesel.com, to compliment its new engine line as well as the company’s other products. . .Bridgestone Bandag Tire Solutions (BBTS) has received the Delivery Achievement Award from Hino Motors Manufacturing for 100% on-time delivery and 100% delivery accuracy. . .ArvinMeritor has opened a new $30 million manufacturing facility in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. . .Dana Holding Corp. plans to sell its corporate headquarters building and grounds and relocate to its existing Automotive Systems Technology Center in Maumee, Ohio. . .Cummins Inc. has earned a 100 percent rating for the fourth consecutive year from The Human Rights Campaign on the company’s LGBT-related policies and practices. . .Yokohama Tire Co. is beginning their first football campaign, the “Home Team Pride” jersey promotion which involves a jersey giveaway where dealers in specific markets offer free, official replica team jerseys to every customer who buys any four Yokohama tires. . .Waltco Truck Equipment Co. is planning to consolidate manufacturing operations at the company’s primary manufacturing facility in Tallmadge, Ohio. . .Sterling Truck Corp. has announced the availability of the Eaton Fuller UltraShift Highway Value (HV) 6-speed transmission as an option for all Sterling Acterra Trucks. . .Michelin Americas Truck Tires and Aircraft Tire Co. are two divisions of Michelin North America that have been awarded Best Value Medal silver awards by the U.S. military’s Defense Supply Center Columbus. . .Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire LLC is observing the 10th anniversary of its Aiken County, South Carolina plant and as part of the celebration, the factory recently made a $5,000 donation to the Aiken Technical College.
People on the Move
Dr. Richard Sayre has been named director of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. . .Dana Holding Corp. has named Jacqueline Dedo as vice president, strategy/business development. . .Fleet One has hired Jeremy Head as a technology specialist; Jeff Uselton as a local account executive; Charles Edwards as an over-the-road account executive; Sara Noriega as a local account executive; Todd Kubiak as an over-the-road account executive and Sherri Elder as an over-the-road account executive. . .Dan Sobic has been promoted to the position of executive vice president of PACCAR and Bob Christensen has been promoted to senior vice president with the company.
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
08/27 Close | Two Week Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArvinMeritor | ARM | $15.56 | $0.37 | 2.44% |
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $7.85 | $0.26 | 3.43% |
| Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | $62.82 | $1.44 | 2.35% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $56.58 | $3.09 | 5.78% |
| Dana | DAN | $6.27 | $0.05 | 0.79% |
| Eaton | ETN | $69.94 | $2.82 | 4.20% |
| General Electric | GE | $28.09 | $0.03 | 0.11% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $17.32 | $0.73 | 4.04% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $42.67 | $0.17 | 0.40% |
| Ryder | R | $65.17 | $2.62 | 4.19% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
GE Capital Solutions Fleet Services has completed its acquisition of most of CitiCapital, Citigroup’s North American commercial leasing and commercial equipment finance business that will add about $13.2 billion in assets. FULL STORY
Navistar International Corp. has reported sales jumped 34 percent to $3.95 billion in the fiscal third quarter which allowed the company to post back-to-back quarterly earnings for the first time in more than a year. FULL STORY
Ryder System has completed the acquisition of Gordon Truck Leasing which is expected to add $11 million in annualized operating revenue to its Fleet Management Solutions business unit. FULL STORY
News From TRALA
You won’t want to miss the 2008 Washington Briefing and TRALA Council Meetings taking place November 10-11 in our Nation’s Capital. The deadline for hotel reservations at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City is October 10. To reserve your room at the specially-negotiated rate, click here and be sure to enter the group code TRVTRVAA or call (703) 415-5000 and mention TRALA. To register for the meeting, visit www.trala.org. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Murray at (703) 299-9120 or smurray@trala.org.