A.M. Executive Briefing - Aug. 25
This Morning's Headlines:
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Waste Management Appoints Chappel, An Insider, as Chief Financial Officer
Amid probes by the Securities and Exchange Commission into its financial reports and insider selling prior to changes in earnings estimates, Waste Management Inc. appointed Senior Vice President of Operations and Administration Donald R. Chappel as CFO and executive vice president.The company is being controlled by two outsiders as it looks for a new CEO; Chief Executive John E. Drury has quit the company and President and COO Rodney R. Proto was shown the door. In July, Earl E. DeFrates had his title of CFO taken away.
Port of Vancouver Backlog Won't Be Cleared for Two Weeks
Eight thousand containers have stacked up at the Port of Vancouver due to the truckers' strike. But the end of the strike means the backlog will soon be cleared out and the problems will not hold up railyards.Norasia Line has abandoned its consideration of switching to Seattle, particularly because of the job actions there. Due to an additional three shipping lines calling there, Vancouver's current container traffic beats last year's by 44 percent, which is the reason for requirements in the truckers' pact intended to improve efficiency. Journal of Commerce Online (08/25/99); Mongelluzzo, Bill
Drayage Truckers Slam Inefficient Terminals
West Coast Trucking general manager Dan Gatchet said at the Intermodal Association of North America meeting in San Francisco that companies need to speed up the interchange process at ports.Gatchet and others knowledgeable about intermodal operations say that would help the displeased port truckers make more money without having to institute hourly wage systems. If such steps are not taken, it is believed, shippers and long-haul firms could have to pay higher rates to subsidize such hourly pay.
In the past, people in the industry supported keeping the gates open longer. "Building more gates is not necessarily the answer," says Gatchet. Global Intermodal Systems President Mike Baldwin says equipment standards need to be clarified to speed up box-yard inspections. Journal of Commerce Online (08/25/99); Watson, Rip
Volvo Sees Scania Takeover Price Good Over 10 Yrs
Volvo chief Leif Johansson says the 60.7 billion crowns it paid for Scania is a high price but "good if you take a 10-year view." Volvo is attempting a merger with Scania to form the number-two truck manufacturer worldwide. Johansson adds that Volvo is now big enough that perennial rumors of the company being taken over are unlikely to come true. Reuters (08/25/99)Trucks in Fewer One-Vehicle Accidents than Cars, Study Says
Research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) indicates that trucks have fewer one-vehicle accidents, but more multiple-vehicle accidents, per mile on toll roads than do passenger vehicles.The U.S. Department of Transportation says that large trucks are in fewer accidents per mile, but more fatal accidents than passenger vehicles. The IIHS finds that trucks make up 3 percent of traffic volume and 7 percent of miles on theroad. However, 22 percent of multiple-vehicle accident deaths among those in the passenger vehicles occur in accidents involving trucks. Only 2 percent of the fatalities in truck-passenger vehicle accidents were made up of the people in the trucks. The Trucker Online (8/24/99)
Mobile Apps Shift to CE
Transportation and logistics on-board computers are starting to change from proprietary systems with one function to open systems that can do different things, writes Kinetic Computer Corp. President Vinit Nijhawan. The new devices can be customized and hooked up to data networks.In the last year, open systems have been oriented more toward networks than toward desktop computers. Such technology is good for on-board computers since they do not need hard drives, which don't always function properly.
One operating system that could be used for the on-board computers is Windows CE, which is already used in small and portable computers. It allows Web and e-mail access, as well as compatibility with Visual C++, Java J++, and Visual Basic.
indows CE is quickly overtaking the market for mobile operating systems, which unlike desktop operating systems are "real time" and "embedded." This means they work quickly in set amounts of time and are small and compatible with solid-state memory.
Windows CE version 2.1 will be available in custom embedded forms created by third parties. Third-party developers can make their own customized graphical user interfaces, subject to Microsoft specifications. These interfaces will allow the devices to be optimized for their specific functions.
Trucking companies are using the systems to hook employees into the company network to track cargo and verify deliveries, as well as data gathering for devising more efficient operations. Business Geographics (08/99) Vol. 7, No. 8; P. 37; Nijhawan, Vinit
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