News Briefs - June 30
The Latest Headlines:
- Mediator in S.C. Trying to Set Up Talks in Trucker Strike
- Chicago-Area Factory Index Falls in June
- TruckersB2B Members to Get Fuel Rebates From TravelCenters
- Mitsubishi Fuso's Annual Profit Rises
- CAW Members Approve Pact With Navistar
- Burlington Northern Limits Some Shipments From L.A. Port
- Senate Aide Sworn in as Member of NTSB
- Chicago-Area Factory Index Falls in June
Mediator in S.C. Trying to Set Up Talks in Trucker Strike
A labor mediator in South Carolina will try to set up a meeting between companies and independent truckers who are striking, the Associated Press reported.Some independent truckers have parked their rigs and are picketing the entrances to port terminals in Charleston, joining other truckers on strike at several other ports around the nation. They are protesting low wages and high fuel costs, AP said.
Byron Miller, a spokesman for the South Carolina State Ports Authority, said activity is off about 25% at container terminals operated by the authority. Transport Topics
Chicago-Area Factory Index Falls in June
The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said Wednesday that factory activity in the Chicago area expanded at a much slower pace in June than the previous month.NAPM said the regional manufacturing index decreased to 56.4 this month from 68 in May. Although the decline was the biggest since September 1974, a reading greater than 50 signals growth.
The Chicago survey's employment index fell to 53.6 this month from 54.8 in May, while the production index dropped to 53.9 from 71.1.
In addition the new orders index fell to 56.8 from 74.4, but the inventories index rose to 56.4 from 52.6.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the region produces 40% of the nation's motor vehicles, 35% of the nation's steel and almost half of its farm equipment. Transport Topics
TruckersB2B Members to Get Fuel Rebates From TravelCenters
TravelCenters of America said Tuesday that member fleets of TruckersB2B would be eligible for rebates of up to 3 cents per gallon on fuel purchases at its service cents effective July 1.TA said in a statement that TruckersB2B members can get the rebate when they use their Comdata, EFS or Fleet One cards.
TravelCenters said it has 150 locations in 41 states and Canada. TruckersB2B has 16,500 member fleets, representing more than 435,000 trucks, the release said. Transport Topics
Mitsubishi Fuso's Annual Profit Rises
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. said its annual profit rose 12-fold as new laws in Japan boosted sales of lower-emission trucks, Bloomberg reported.Fuso's net income rose to $161 million in the fiscal year ended March 31. The company, which is 65% owned by DaimlerChrysler AG, said sales rose 23% during the year.
Global unit sales in the year ended March rose 24% to 193,000 units, Fuso said. Sales in Japan rose 48% to 95,900, while sales abroad rose 7% to 97,100.
The company has not disclosed the cost of the recalls, affecting about 35% of the 1.3 million vehicles it has in Japan, Bloomberg said. Transport Topics
CAW Members Approve Pact With Navistar
International Truck and Engine Corp., the operating company of truck maker Navistar International Corp., said that members of the Canadian Auto Workers had ratified new labor contracts for Navistar's plant in Chatham, Ontario.The contracts will run through June 30, 2009, and modify the contracts that had been scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2007.
International said in a statement that the Chatham plant currently produces about 84 trucks per day, and based on current demand, production is scheduled to increase to 110 in late July.
n 2007, the plant is expected to being producing a new heavy-duty truck called the LH, the company said.
In October 2002, Navistar announced plans to close the plant in July 2003, but negotiations between the CAW and company as well as government support kept the plant open. Transport Topics
Burlington Northern Limits Some Shipments From L.A. Port
Freight railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. has set limits on some eastbound international cargo from Los Angeles to prevent congestion, Bloomberg reported.Company spokesman Richard Russack did not say how much business the railroad turned away nor did he identify the customers affected, Bloomberg said.
Burlington Northern's action – started June 18 – is limited to shipments at the Hobart rail terminal in Los Angeles. The railroad also loads shipments directly onto its trains at port facilities in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. announced similar action recently for container shipments from Vancouver, citing a surge in Asian imports, Bloomberg said. Transport Topics
Senate Aide Sworn in as Member of NTSB
Deborah Hersman, who was a senior staff member of the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for five years, was sworn in as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board June 21, NTSB announced.She was a key staff member involved with the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999, which created the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Will Scheltema
