News Briefs - Jan. 12
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The Latest Headlines:
- International to Build Trucks for Postal Service
- Lundberg: Diesel, Gasoline Prices Rise
- Secret Talks in California Supermarket Strike Break Down
- Kentucky Exempts Repairs From Tax
- Flick Becomes New President of UPS Europe
- Velocity Express Names New COO
- Lundberg: Diesel, Gasoline Prices Rise
International to Build Trucks for Postal Service
International Truck and Engine Corp. said Monday it had reached an agreement to deliver more than 1,700 International 4000 Series medium-duty trucks to the U.S. Postal Service during 2004.International is the operating company of Navistar International Corp. The deal also allows the Postal Service to upgrade part of its medium-duty truck fleet to International DT 466 diesel engines compliant with stricter emissions requirements,
Lundberg: Diesel, Gasoline Prices Rise
Retail diesel prices rose 3.3 cents per gallon to $1.63 over the past three weeks while retail gasoline prices increased more than seven cents, according to the Lundberg survey of 8,000 stations nationwide.The price for all three grades of gasoline combined was $1.58 on Friday, up 7.1 cents since Dec. 19. The all-grades retail average price of gasoline was 8 cents higher than it was this time last year.
Analyst Trilby Lundberg said rising crude oil prices, a weaker U.S. dollar and colder weather caused the increase in prices, the Associated Press reported.
The national weighted average price of gasoline, including taxes, at self-serve pumps Friday was about $1.55 for regular, $1.65 for midgrade, and $1.74 for premium. Transport Topics
Secret Talks in California Supermarket Strike Break Down
Four days of secret talks between the union representing 70,000 striking southern California grocery workers and several supermarket chains broke down on Sunday, Reuters reported.The United Food and Commercial Workers Union walked out at Vons and Pavilions Oct. 11. The next day, workers were locked out of Ralphs and Albertsons stores.
The talks were aimed at restarting formal negotiations with a federal mediator that broke down Dec. 19, union officials told Reuters.
Union officials said they hoped the federal mediator would call both sides back to the bargaining table by the end of the month, Reuters reported. Transport Topics
Kentucky Exempts Repairs From Tax
Truckers in Kentucky began paying a little bit less for repairs and replacement parts on Jan. 1, officials said.Charlotte Quarrels, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet, said truckers in interstate commerce received an exemption from the state’s 6% sales tax on repairs or replacement part purchases.
The state produced a list of repairs and parts that qualify for the exemption, said Ned Sheehy, president of the Kentucky Motor Transport Association.
This story appeared in the Jan. 12 print edition of Transport Topics.
Flick Becomes New President of UPS Europe
United Parcel Service said Monday it named Wolfgang Flick to replace the retiring John Warrick as president of UPS Europe.Flick assumed his new duties on Jan. 1 and is based at the region's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The region includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa and accounts for about half of the company's international revenue.
Warrick was with UPS for 34 years and had directed the operation of UPS's largest international region since 2000, the company said in a release.
UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies. Transport Topics
Velocity Express Names New COO
Package-delivery company Velocity Express Corp. said Monday it named Jeffrey Hendrickson as its new chief operating officer.Hendrickson previously worked for Sport & Health Company, Brinks Inc., the Chase Manhattan Corp. and National Car Rental System, Velocity said in a release.
Velocity is ranked No. 47 on the Transport Topics 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies. Transport Topics
