A.M. Executive Briefing - May 12
This Morning's Headlines:
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Most I-78 Trucks Have Safety Risks
In the seven months since Pennsylvania State Police began zero-tolerance truck safety enforcement on Interstate 78 in response to a string of deadly accidents, inspectors found that 95% of trucks had safety problems, and 34% of those trucks had to be taken out of service.In Operation Air Brake, which ran from October to April, the most common type of safety problem discovered by inspectors was brake violations. Last year, the state police and Department of Transportation, along with the Lehigh, Berks, and Northampton counties' AAA groups and the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, formed the I-78 Coalition in response to the fatal wrecks.
This week, Canadian trucker Gulvinder Singh Sandhu was found guilty of careless driving and speeding and was fined $1,525 for a September accident in which four family members died. He was cleared in March of homicide by vehicle and other serious charges, while he is still under investigation for alleged logbook violations. Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) Online (05/12/00); Herbert, Keith
Volvo Will Seek Further Expansion After Purchase of Renault Trucks
Volvo CEO Leif Johansson said his company will be able to make further acquisitions in the construction equipment, aero and marine engines, and bus sectors after acquiring the Renault truck unit.The company will probably concentrate on the construction sector, say analysts; Volvo could pursue John Deere or Britain's JCB, although JCB wants to stay independent. The scarcity of potential acquisition targets may deter Volvo's expansion in that sector.
UBS Warburg analyst Anders Fagerlund says Volvo needs to begin selling backhoe loaders, improve its Japanese market position, and upgrade its distribution network in the United States. Financial Times (05/12/00) P. 21; Brown-Humes, Christopher
Overnite Hearing Delayed
The National Labor Relations Board's hearing into 25 separate Teamsters charges claiming Overnite Transportation fired union backers will be delayed until June 19; it was to begin May 8. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (05/12/00)County to Get Load of Jobs; Watkins Will Build Huge Terminal
Watkins Motor Lines plans to build a 150-bay breakbulk terminal in Lake County, Fla., for redistribution of goods from satellite Florida facilities; the terminal, near State Road 50 and Lake Boulevard, would be the first and biggest such terminal in the state. It would have 150 employees when it opens in the second quarter of next year, but the payroll could eventually swell to 300.Watkins director of properties Michael Kevitch says the location is well situated for access to important Florida roads and cities and should handle between 100 and 250 trucks a day. Orlando Sentinel (05/11/00) P. 1, Lake Sentinel Section; Colarossi, Anthony
I-80 Drive to Sierra In for Improvements
A 90-mile-plus portion of Interstate 80 crossing the Sierra in California, which has been open for 40 years despite being designed for 20 years of operation, will be rebuilt and repaved over the next six years.The reconstruction of the stretch between Roseville and the Nevada border will include replacing some bridges to accommodate big trucks. The overhaul will take place during summer months and will be finished by 2006, starting this year at a three-mile westbound stretch near Donner Lake.
While no single construction site is expected to hold up traffic more than 20 minutes, during summer 2001 there may be more than one construction zone along the stretch, which will make the cumulative delay longer. Sacramento Bee (05/11/00) P. A1; Lindelof, Bill
N.C. May Ask Court to Enjoin Truck Stop
The North Carolina Division of Water Quality intends to seek an injunction against a truck stop in Wilmington that the agency says continues to discharge poorly treated wastewater despite paying fines again and again for years.Rick Shiver, who heads the agency's Wilmington office, says the court order will be the next step in enforcement against the Worsley Cos. truck stop, which paid over $21,000 in fines in 1998 and 1999. The agency decided against taking away Worsley's discharge permit, believing that Worsley will bring its wastewater treatment plant up to par sooner with an injunction, because a judge may issue consent orders.
Worsley environmental manager Don Quinn says parts of the treatment plant have seen upgrades and more are on the way, and that the restaurant switched to paper plates so it would not need to wash as many dishes. Shiver was unaware of the upgrades and believed that a large-scale overhaul was needed to bring the treatment plant in line with its permit restrictions. Wilmington Morning Star (05/11/00) P. 1B; Feagans, Brian
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