A.M. Executive Briefing - Feb. 8
This Morning's Headlines:
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Trucking Firms To Take Drivers to Court
A group of large trucking companies will try to get a court order to stop Port of Vancouver owner-operators from striking again.Saying some trucking companies are not following the agreement that ended the five-week summer 1999 strike there, the Container Haulers Association has threatened another strike. After the five-week summer job action, the British Columbia Labor Relations Board ruled that strike illegal.
A Word to Truckers: 'Safety Blitz' Today
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's I-95/I-76 Traffic Safety Task Force, along with state police and the Philadelphia Highway Patrol, will be conducting a truck-safety crackdown from 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The "traffic safety blitz" will take place on the Schuylkill Expressway in South Philadelphia.A $20,000 grant is funding an 18-month effort by the task force to reduce crashes on the Schuylkill Expressway and Interstate 95. Philadelphia Daily News Online (02/08/00) ; Heimer, Scott
Nissan Plans Top-Level Overhaul at Truck Division
Nissan Motor and Renault will shake up truck unit Nissan Diesel's top management in the coming months by adding at least one non-Nissan executive. This will further distance Nissan from its truck unit, possibly easing a future sale of Nissan Diesel.Renault will not have a substantial management role in Nissan Diesel, and the executives to be installed at Nissan Diesel will probably not be from Renault truck unit Renault VI. Many analysts are still saying Nissan can do little to help Nissan Diesel and appears to be trying to ease the path to selling the truck unit if a buyer can be found. Financial Times (02/08/00) P. 31; Harney, Alexandra
More Signs Will Steer Sleepy Truckers to Rest Areas
In an effort to combat crashes caused by fatigue, and supported by the trucking industry, the state of New York will put up more signs to inform truck drivers of nearby rest areas with space to park at least 20 trucks with 53-foot trailers. Up to 70 locations will be getting the signs in the spring. Associated Press (02/07/00)Truckers Pull Rigs Off Road as Fuel Prices Soar
Independent truckers in the Northeast are starting to park their trucks rather than operate with the region's high diesel prices.Carriers and owner-operators are having a difficult time turning a profit. New Hampshire trucker Mike McClellan is selling his rig and going to work for a Massachusetts junk-car hauler. New Hampshire Motor Truck Association President Bob Sculley says in a quarter century in the trucking industry he has never before seen such a situation for owner-operators.
While experts blame the price spike on dropping temperatures, small oil inventories, and forecasts of continued OPEC production limits, some truckers think fuel companies are trying to compensate for poor sales during the unusually warm autumn.
Some Maine potato farmers cannot find truckers to take their crops south unless the truckers can line up loads to haul on the way back. It is expected that the higher prices will eventually trickle down to consumers. Associated Press (02/07/00); Johnson, Gene
Rest Stops Could Be Few and Far Between for Washington Drivers
The Washington Department of Transportation proposed shutting down half of the state's rest areas part of the year. The department is responding to a loss of state revenue due to a voter-passed initiative lowering the fee for car licensing. Some sites could be shut down starting in April.The proposal list includes the SeaTac rest area on Interstate 5 northbound, Silverlake on I-5 southbound, both sites on I-90 in Shrag, both sites on I-5 at Toutle River, and both sites on I-90 in Ryegrass. Associated Press (02/07/00) ; Ashton, Linda
M'Bishi Motors, Volvo, Scania, to Join Forces in Truck Biz
Mitsubishi Motors wants Swedish truck and bus maker Scania to join its commercial-vehicle alliance with Volvo, which is attempting to take over Scania.Mitsubishi will be giving Scania details on the alliance with Volvo, which began in October and involves shared marketing and production facilities as well as joint medium-truck development. Mitsubishi will be making its truck and bus division autonomous in April and spinning it off next year. Jiji Press Ticker Service (02/07/00)
Road Work Necessitates Some Evasive Maneuvers
The truck-heavy Jimmy Carter Boulevard in Georgia will be undergoing resurfacing from Interstate 85 to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard by the end of August, and Gwinnett County will also be building more turn lanes at the Buford Highway intersection. State officials are hopeful that this resurfacing will be good for another decade, but that is heavily dependent on the amount of truck traffic on the four-lane boulevard.Some of the resurfacing work may be done at night when the weather starts getting hotter.
The county is also looking into a possible improvement at the Brook Hollow Parkway intersection. With all the construction going on, drivers will want to find alternatives to Jimmy Carter Boulevard. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (02/07/00) P. 1JJ; Shelton, Stacy
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