News Briefs - Sept. 20
The Latest Headlines:
- TDOT Considering Ways to Ease Truck Traffic
- EEOC Files Suit Against Schneider
- ArvinMeritor to Provide Axles to Volvo
- Teamsters President Voices Support for Proposed Detroit Tunnel
- Cooper Sells Automotive Parts Business
- EEOC Files Suit Against Schneider
TDOT Considering Ways to Ease Truck Traffic
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said truck and freight traffic was among its top concerns for the state's future, the Tennessean reported.The state is considering keeping trucks in the right lanes of highways where possible, although there is a safety concern trucks would be stuck in the same lane where others vehicles merge onto the road, the article said.
Tennessee is also looking at new technology that would reduce accidents by better alerting truckers to dangerous curves and other potential road hazards, and considering expanding rail service across the state to carry more freight, the article said.
EEOC Files Suit Against Schneider
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against Schneider National Inc., accusing the truckload carrier of disability discrimination in firing a driver last year, news services reported.The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, alleged Schneider violated the Americans with Disabilities Act for firing a driver after a medical leave following a fainting episode.
Tom Vandenberg, Schneider corporate counsel, said he believed the company was in “total compliance” with the act, and the company’s “obligation to public safety is paramount,” the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
The commission said the driver was never been diagnosed with any disease, only fainted once and received medical clearance to continue driving, according to court documents.
EEOC said it filed suit after attempting to settle with the company. Transport Topics
ArvinMeritor to Provide Axles to Volvo
Parts supplier ArvinMeritor Inc. said Sept. 15 it formed two joint ventures with the Volvo Group that would expand ArvinMeritor’s production of commercial vehicle drive axles and make it one of Volvo’s largest global suppliers.ArvinMeritor said in a statement it would provide more than 300,000 axles for Volvo’s commercial truck applications in North America, Europe, Australia, Brazil and India.
The company said it acquired Volvo’s commercial axle manufacturing facility in Lindesberg, Sweden, in 1998.
As part of that transaction, ArvinMeritor entered a long-term supply agreement with Volvo for heavy-duty drive axles, which has now been expanded. Transport Topics
Teamsters President Voices Support for Proposed Detroit Tunnel
In order to reduce congestion at the Ambassador Bridge and to “preserve and expand manufacturing jobs” in the region, Teamsters President James Hoffa urged officials to let work begin on the proposed Jobs Tunnel, the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership said in a release.The Jobs Tunnel would convert an existing rail tunnel into a two-lane truck route linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, the release said. A new train tunnel would be built alongside for double-stacked freight cars.
Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club on Sept. 13, Hoffa said the United States was “facing a gridlock crisis at the world’s busiest border crossing” and that “we must increase capacity across the border.” Transport Topics
Cooper Sells Automotive Parts Business
Cooper Tire and Rubber Co. said it would sell its automotive parts business to two buyout firms for about $1.17 billion.The Cooper-Standard Automotive, a manufacturer of fluid handling systems, body sealing systems, and vibration control systems was purchased by Cypress Group and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, the company said in a statement.
Cypress in July agreed to buy the auto parts unit of Dana Corp. for $1.1 billion, Reuters reported. Transport Topics
