EnRoute

Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Top Stories

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  Industry experts predict a severe diesel mechanic shortage in coming years as most of them in the field are baby boomers and will be reaching retirement age between 2010 and 2030. FULL STORY

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  Fleets, insurance companies and OEMS are now viewing black box recorders as a way to lower costs, improve vehicle performance, proactively reign in potentially harmful driving habits before they lead to accidents and allowing fleet managers to take a more active and immediate role in risk management. FULL STORY

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  Fleet managers need to view truck tires as financial assets, not consumables and in order to get the most out of these assets, every fleet should consider a tire management program that includes tracking, analysis, and preventative maintenance. FULL STORY

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  An audit on the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking program conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General found that FMCSA continually took actions to address six of eight of its August 2007 recommendations for improving the border safety program, but the agency still needs to enhance certain areas of documentation. FULL STORY

Technology Trends

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  U-Haul International is in the process of buying trucks and hiring drivers to provide what it calls the U Box program, in which it rents out five-by-eight foot containers to customers, picks them up, warehouses them if need be, and delivers them. The U Box Program will be marketed to commercial as well as residential customers and will be available throughout the U.S. and will be expanding into Canada as the program evolves. FULL STORY

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  Eaton Corporation has launched UltraShift Plus, the company’s next generation of automated transmissions which feature new automated clutch technology and intelligent shift selection software that employs grading sensing, weight computation and driver throttle commands. FULL STORY

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  Closed Loop Cooling has been added as an option by Thermo King for its TriPac Hybrid Auxiliary Idle Reduction and Temperature Control System (APU). The option is suited for drivers who operate frequently in warm climates or prefer that the TriPac system not tie into the tractor engine coolant. FULL STORY

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  Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems have launched an online weight savings calculator that will estimate the value of weight savings. The calculator is ideal for “what if” scenarios, fleet planning, potential fuel-cost impact, or other such weight-critical hauling analyses. FULL STORY

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  G661 HAS steer and all-position tire, G662 RSA with Fuel Max Technology and G662 RSA are three new medium truck tires that have been introduced by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and all can be ordered with the company’s DuraSeal Technology. FULL STORY

Briefly

Daimler Trucks North America will have a hand in an initiative co-owned by The Halo Foundation and Road Scholar Transport “93 Cents for Flight 93” campaign, a fund-raising endeavor commemorating the passengers and crew members aboard United Flight 93, who lost their lives on Sept 11, 2001. . .SAF-Holland and Scania CV AB are working together in the aftermarket segment which means that the workshops and dealers in the global Scania service network will now carry out maintenance work on SAF-Holland trailer components and sell SAF-Holland original parts. . .For the fifth year in a row, Cummins Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, which represents the top 10 percent of the world’s largest 2,500 companies in corporate sustainability. . .Navistar International Corp. and Caterpillar Inc. have announced the closing of a joint venture transaction resulting in a new company, NC2 Global LLC, to serve the global commercial truck market. . .Mack Trucks has opened its new world headquarters in Greensboro, NC and the company marked the occasion with a celebration that included a display of modern and antique Mack trucks, tours of the new headquarters, presentations on Mack’s history and accomplishments, and contests for employees. . .The U.S. Military’s Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) has awarded Michelin North America two additional Best Value Awards for exemplary logistics performance in supplying aircraft and ground tires to all four branches of the U.S. military. . .For the fourth consecutive year, Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been named to BusinessWeek’s annual ranking of the best companies for new college graduates to launch their careers. Enterprise is the only car rental company to earn a spot since BusinessWeek began producing the list in 2006. . .Silver Eagle Manufacturing Co. announced that it will offer a limited lifetime warranty on its aerodynamic skirts, an extension from the products’ previous one-year warranty, effective on products shipped after September 1st. . .Odessa Technologies launched a Spanish version of its website and its LeaseWave system. The company is working on Japanese and Chinese versions of its software as well.

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