News Briefs - Oct. 12
The Latest Headlines:
- Oshkosh Says It Did Not Win New U.K. Contract
- Tolls for Truckers Lowered on Ohio Turnpike
- Supreme Court Rejects Union Pacific's Appeal on Damages
- DaimlerChrysler's Axle Unit to Boost Output
- Freightliner Names American LaFrance Head
- Haan Named New Chairman of NWA Cargo
- Port of Tacoma's Executive Director Leaving
- Tolls for Truckers Lowered on Ohio Turnpike
Oshkosh Says It Did Not Win New U.K. Contract
Specialty truck maker Oshkosh Truck Corp. said Tuesday it was not selected for a new $2 billion contract by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense.Oshkosh said the Ministry, which selected MAN AG for the contract, indicated it would include more than 5,000 vehicles and more than 20 years of support.
The company said it does have two ongoing contracts with the Ministry of Defense. Transport Topics
Tolls for Truckers Lowered on Ohio Turnpike
Ohio state officials on Monday unveiled a plan to reduce tolls for truckers on the Ohio Turnpike, five weeks after agreeing to raise the speed limit, the Toledo Blade reported.Under the 18-month pilot program, most truckers would pay about $31 to cross the state on the turnpike - $11.45 less than the current toll, the article said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation said it expected the plan to turn into a 30% reduction of truck traffic on the side highways.
State troopers are also expected to increase patrols along alternative east-west highways, looking for speeding or overweight trucks, the Blade said. Transport Topics
Supreme Court Rejects Union Pacific's Appeal on Damages
The Supreme Court on Tuesday left intact a $25 million award freight railroad Union Pacific Corp. was ordered to pay an Arkansas man injured in a collision at a railroad crossing, Bloomberg reported.The justices, without comment, turned away Union Pacific's argument the award was so large it violated the Constitution. Last week, the court rejected a similar appeal from State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.
The 1998 accident at a crossing in Arkansas killed the driver of a garbage truck and seriously injured a passenger, Bloomberg said. An Arkansas jury awarded the injured man $5.1 million in compensation, plus the $25 million in punitive damages. The Arkansas Supreme Court upheld the judgment.
The Union Pacific verdict may mark the largest punitive award in a railroad crossing case, according to the company's appeal. Transport Topics
DaimlerChrysler's Axle Unit to Boost Output
DaimlerChrysler AG's Axle Alliance parts unit will spend as much as $40 million to increase production in Michigan in North Carolina, Bloomberg reported.Axle Alliance supplies axles for DaimlerChrysler truck units including Freightliner LLC, which said last month that revenue through August rose 25% on increased demand, Bloomberg said.
The investment includes about $30 million at a Redford, Mich., plant and $10 million to begin making axles in Kings Mountain, N.C. Bloomberg said. The unit, which has 200 workers, will add about 70 jobs in Michigan and employ 50 to 60 people initially in North Carolina, DaimlerChrysler said.
Axle Alliance and the United Auto Workers union also said they reached a new three-year national contract that took effect Oct. 1. Transport Topics
Freightliner Names American LaFrance Head
Truck maker Freightliner LLC said it named John Stevenson president of its fire and emergency equipment manufacturing subsidiary, American LaFrance.Freightliner, Portland, Ore., is a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler.
Freightliner said Stevenson, who had been manager of Freightliner’s truck-manufacturing facility in Cleveland, N.C., replaced Marc Gustafson, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities.
Stevenson joined Freightliner in 1999 and became manager of the Cleveland plant in 2001, company spokesman Chris Brandt said.
American LaFrance, Ladson, S.C., makes chassis, ambulances, aerial trucks, pumpers, rescue vehicles, tankers and wildland vehicles. Transport Topics
Haan Named New Chairman of NWA Cargo
Northwest Airlines said Tuesday that Phil Haan would become chairman of NWA Cargo on Oct. 1.The company said in a statement Haan is currently executive vice president of international, alliances and information technology.
Northwest said on its Web site NWA Cargo offers a range of domestic and international air freight products and services. Transport Topics
Port of Tacoma's Executive Director Leaving
The Port of Tacoma, Wash., said that Executive Director Andrea Riniker would resign from that position at the end of the year.The port said in a statement it is the fifth largest container port in North America. It also said it wanted Tim Farrell, deputy executive director, to succeed Riniker.
Riniker has served as executive director of the Port of Tacoma since 1997. Transport Topics
