A.M. Executive Briefing - Mar. 30
This Morning's Headlines:
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NJ Terminal Opens 2 New Gates to Truckers
Global Terminal & Container Services in Jersey City, N.J., debuted a pair of bobtail gates Wednesday, enabling truckers to enter the terminal between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. on business days. The terminal is also reconsidering the hours for its regularates, as requested by the New Jersey Motor Truck Association. Journal of Commerce (03/30/00) P. 11
Volvo Is in Advanced Talks With Renault Trucks: Report
According to a Thursday report in the Dagens Industry newspaper, Volvo and Renault Vehicules Industriels, which is 100% owner of Mack Trucks in the United States, are in advanced discussions that will be the subject of a Volvo board meeting Thursday in Gothenburg, Sweden. The report, which cited unidentified sources, said there could be a deal in the next two weeks.Volvo wanted to purchase RVI with cash netted from selling its car unit to Ford last year, while the French company's desire was to become a top Volvo shareholder by buying a stake of 15% to 20%, according to the newspaper.
Renault and Volvo had no comment on the newspaper's story. Agence France Presse (03/30/00)
Long-Term Solutions Needed: Mack's Gigou
Michel Gigou, president of Mack Trucks, told a recent Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association breakfast that truck manufacturers need long-term solutions to eliminate the present problem with used trucks. They must take into account the fact used trucks will be worthless if they do not appeal to second or third owners, since successive owners may put the trucks to different uses than the first owner did.Regarding the need to meet future emissions rules, Gigou said it is best and least expensive to look at "how all the components work together" in the entire truck.
He also said there will probably end up being only four or five worldwide OEMs due to increasing expenses, but these global companies will need to sell different products in different markets and will need autonomous regional mangers to make decisions relevant to this factor. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (03/30/00); Ryder, Andrew
Truckers Settlement Solidified
The Idaho Senate unanimously passed a flat yearly truck registration fee to take the place of the weight-distance tax, and budgetmakers also found a way to finance the $27 million in damages the state will pay to the American Trucking Associations after a judge agreed with ATA that the two-tiered system favored intrastate haulers.Intrastate trucking interests complained about the new system, which will still be based on weight and distance but will lower taxes on long-distance trucking while raising intrastate trucking taxes substantially.
Trucks that go under 2,500 miles annually will pay only $255, a concession to those that rack up few miles, such as those involved in agriculture. The legislature must still approve the settlement financing plan. Associated Press (03/29/00); Fick, Bob
Big Rig Full of Computers Stolen at Stop
An independent driver's new Volvo rig with a trailer full of computer hardware was stolen Monday evening from the Lee Hi Truck Stop at Interstate 81 near Lexington, Va. Driver Viron Vance was hauling the $400,000 in equipment, owned by Menlo Logistics in Richmond, for U.S. Xpress.Authorities in the state capital have been looking into a string of thefts of computer equipment and believe this incident is related. The perpetrator, according to investigators' theory, was aware of the contents of the trailer and had been following it.
Vance had been eating dinner when the truck, locked with the keys inside, was stolen; its tracking device has apparently been disabled. Roanoke Times (03/29/00) P. B3; Chittum, Matt
Officials Tout Results of Soybean-Based Grease Testing
SoyTRUK, a truck grease derived from soybeans and developed with money from the state of Iowa, was promoted at the Statehouse in Des Moines Wednesday by Gov. Tom Vilsack and other state officials, along with Ruan Transportation and researchers from the University of North Iowa.The state has urged the creation of value-added agricultural products to make up for low corn and soybean prices; officials say the amount of soybeans that would be sold if the grease gets a 30% share of the market could be 1.4 million bushels.
SoyTRUK is also a superior, longer-lasting lubricant compared to ordinary greases and survives high temperatures, said the officials. The product was also touted as better for the environment, superior at sticking to metal, and rust-inhibiting. It is distributed by West Central Cooperative in Ralston, Iowa, and has been tested around the country by a UNI research program over the last 12 months. Associated Press (03/29/00) ; Thomas, Ken
Wider is Better, Report on I-81 Says
An 11-member task force on Interstate 81 safety in Virginia, created last year due to calls from three of the state's Congressmen, put out its report Tuesday, advocating a project that would broaden the road to six or eight lanes. Such a 15- to 20-year project is currently in planning stages.The task force also wants commercial vehicles to have collision radar and similar technology to improve safety, and the report suggests the state Transportation Department conduct a safety campaign involving high-tech systems for traffic management and for giving drivers road condition information.
The department has already put up electronic signs at two locations on the highway, improved guardrails, and added rumble strips. The report also supported using alternative commuter and commercial transportation as well as increased traffic enforcement. Roanoke Times (03/29/00) P. B1; Stewart, Keisha
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