EnRoute
Headlines From The Vehicle Renting and Leasing Industry
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Top Stories
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved new rules that would block pre-1994 trucks from ports by 2010 and require all trucks built from 1994 to 2003 to be retrofitted to reduce diesel particulate matter up to 85 percent. CARB officials are still uncertain how the new rules will be enforced. FULL STORY
-
The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is receiving reports that biodiesel is performing well in extremely cold conditions, however they are still urging biodiesel users to practice good fuel management. FULL STORY
-
A quick victory was expected in Quebec when Transportation Minister Julie Boulet filed legislation that would require mandatory speed limiters on heavy-duty trucks, but transportation officials now say they may wait to implement the speed limiters until the other Canadian provinces enact similar legislation. FULL STORY
-
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding all truckers, travelers and anyone else coming into the U.S. at a land border crossing that they will be required to have a birth certificate and photo ID or a U.S. passport as of January 31, 2008. FULL STORY
Technology Trends
-
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reports they have addressed the stringent regulations established by the federal TREAD Act with their new commercial-duty light-truck tires. FULL STORY
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems supports the Canadian Trucking Alliance decision to ask all major North American heavy-truck OEMs to make stability technology standard on all new commercial power units. FULL STORY
Beginning in 2008, the first commercial application of Eaton’s Crutonite alloy will be the exhaust valves on Caterpillar Inc.’s C15 heavy-duty on-highway diesel engine. FULL STORY
Light emitting diode (LED) technology has been available for more than four decades and as it becomes more advanced, companies such as Truck-Lite are releasing more products using the technology. FULL STORY
Briefly
Ryder System has been named one of the “Diversity Elite 60” by Hispanic Business magazine, the only transportation rental and leasing company in the publication’s 2007 survey. . .PACCAR donated a Peterbilt Model 387 truck to East Mississippi Community College for use in the school’s commercial vehicle drivers’ training program. . .Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. announced that its dealer Utility Trailers de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. has opened the first Utility dealership in Leon, Mexico. . .Supreme Industries' wholly owned subsidiary, Supreme Corp. has been awarded a contract by Penske Truck Leasing Co. to build dry freight vehicles for its consumer fleet in 2008. . .Volvo Financial Services North America, the financial arm of Volvo Trucks, has opened a new office in Aurora, Ontario. . .Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.’s board of directors has approved a plan that, when finalized, will keep the company’s world headquarters in Akron, Ohio. . .J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Medium-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Survey ranks Peterbilt highest in conventional cab medium-duty customer satisfaction. . .Eaton Corp. and Dana Corp. have launched a new online ordering tool, the Roadranger Warranty Assistant, www.go.roadranger.com/warranty1, which is designed to provide customers and OEM dealers with a comprehensive resource to quickly and easily review, select and purchase extended protection plans. . .Penske Truck Leasing has donated a 1914 Garford Stake Bed Truck to the Antique Auto Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. . .ArvinMeritor has entered into an agreement to acquire Mascot Truck Parts Ltd., based in Mississauga, Canada. . .J.J. Keller & Associates now offers seven regulation-based training topics available in-cab via IdleAire’s Advanced Travel Center Electrification technology platform. . .Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC delivered gifts for 85 children to the Salvation Army’s Elyria, Ohio location, as well as $500 worth of children’s hats, mittens and socks. The donations are the result of both company and employee participation in the Angel Tree Program.
People on the Move
Andrew Penca, commissioner of Indiana Workforce Development has joined Cummins as assistant to President Joe Loughrey. . .Don Wahlin, CEO of Stoughton Trailers LLC has announced that his sons, Bill Ken, and Bob Wahlin will assume the management and leadership of the company, effective immediately. . .Bridgestone Firestone has promoted John Pitman to director, strategic financial planning,; Curt Maggard has been named director, DC operations and Steven Brooks has been named president of Bridgestone Firestone Manufacturing Operations.
Taking $tock
A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:
| Company | Symbol (Click for Chart) |
12/12 Close | Two Week Performance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArvinMeritor | ARM | $11.56 | $0.69 | 5.63% |
| Avis Budget Group Inc. | CAR | $13.25 | $0.23 | 1.71% |
| Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | $73.82 | $0.10 | 0.14% |
| Cummins Inc. | CMI | $124.70 | $6.51 | 5.51% |
| Eaton | ETN | $92.50 | $0.07 | 0.08% |
| General Electric | GE | $37.25 | $0.22 | 0.59% |
| Goodyear Tire & Rubber | GT | $27.42 | $0.73 | 2.59% |
| PACCAR Inc. | PCAR | $55.19 | $0.97 | 1.79% |
| Ryder | R | $47.88 | $0.16 | 0.34% |
SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance and bigcharts.com
Money Matters
Volvo Group’s four truck companies reported total deliveries of 185,048 trucks, which is an increase of 2 percent from a year earlier. FULL STORY
Dana Corp. has obtained fully underwritten commitments for a $2 billion exit financing strategy that ensures the company will emerge from bankruptcy by the end of January 2008. FULL STORY
News From TRALA
What family can’t use some help with paying for the costs of today’s higher education? Don’t miss the opportunity for your son or daughter to apply for a $5,000 college scholarship that is renewable for up to four years for a total of $20,000. Visit TRALA’s website www.trala.org and click on the button for complete details and the online application. The deadline for applying is January 15, 2008. If you have questions or need other information, please contact TRALA’s Anne Riser at 703/299-9120 or ariser@trala.org.