P.M. Executive Briefing - Aug. 30
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New Jersey Seeks To Further Limit Trucks on Roadways
New Jersey officials are seeking to close a "loophole" in the state law limiting tractor-trailers on N.J. roads, the Record (Bergen County, N.J.) newspaper reported Wednesday.Under the law, tractor-trailers traveling through New Jersey are limited to interstate highways; trucks that begin or end their trips in New Jersey may use local roads.
After a May fatal accident in Lambertville, N.J., in which a truck driver lost control on Route 179 and hit three vehicles and a video store, state officials have called for clarification of the law, the article said.
The American Trucking Associations is already suing against the original ban, calling it "unsafe, unfair and unconstitutional," the article said. Transport Topics
Cargo Continues to Boom at Calif. Ports, Raising Space Concerns
The adjacent ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to see their cargo container volumes rise, but while this shows growth in international trade it also creates a need for more and more space to handle the volume, Lloyd's List International reported.Long Beach is the largest U.S. container port, with LA close behind. The two have spent more than $1 billion in the past six years to create more water, rail and truck access, plus other development for more terminals to handle more containers, the article said.
Container growth directly feeds both local drayage trucks that haul the boxed cargo to and from warehouses around the ports, and regional trucking that may carry the loads several hundred miles.
At those ports, container volumes are already five years ahead of that predicted by a major consultant's report just 20 months ago. Another consultant predicts volumes could quadruple within 20 years to need five times more space than the current 1,800 acres, Lloyd's List said.
LA and Long Beach are trying to become more efficient by forcing shippers and carriers to remove containers from terminals more promptly, so as to make better use of space and reduce congestion, the article said. These measures may also end up helping the trucking industry – which faces a driver shortage – by using drivers more efficiently, the article said. Transport Topics
Ford Faces Possible Large-Scale Vehicle Recall
Already facing congressional hearings and loss of vehicle production at several of its assembly plants related to the problems of Firestone tires on Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicles, Ford Motor Co. now faces a possible recall of millions of vehicles by a California judge over ignition problems, the Associated Press reports. In Oakland, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Michael Ballachey late Tuesday issued a preliminary decision that could result in Ford recalling up to two million vehicles, models made in vehicle years 1983-95, because their ignitions are subject to stalling.
The New York Times reported that consumer advocates think a recall could cost up to $250 million. The judge has another hearing on the issue Sept. 28, and the AP report said Ford would appeal if the judge issues a permanent order for a recall. Transport Topics
Truckers Can Thank Buses for Curbing Number of Holiday Drivers
Truck drivers who have to work through the Labor Day holiday weekend can take comfort in this idea: that a surge in bus travel may be taking a million cars off U.S. roadways.The American Bus Association reports, from a survey of bus operators nationwide, that an estimated four million people will take a bus for their holiday travel (Friday, Sept. 1 through Monday, Sept. 4. If all those riders were in cars instead, ABA estimates it take another million cars to get them where they are going. Transport Topics
USA Truck Chair Announces Retirement
General commodities carrier USA Truck announced Wednesday that its chairman of the board, J.B. Speed, will retire on Oct. 18.Speed is a member of the original group that purchased USA Truck in 1988. He has served in the capacity of chairman since then.
Current President and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Powell will serve as interim chairman until the company's board of directors names a new chairman. Transport Topics
Quebec Conducts Truck Safety Inspections; Helicopter Helps Find Dodgers
Officials from Quebec law-enforcement and automobile-insurance agencies teamed up to crack down Tuesday on tractor-trailers attempting to avoid weigh stations, The (Montreal) Gazette reported Wednesday.A helicopter above the highways kept a lookout for drivers taking secondary roads to get around the government weigh stations in several Quebec towns, the article noted.
By noon, the halfway point of the effort, 77 trucks had been stopped for inspections; nine of those were ordered off the road for mechanical infractions and 24 more were found to have minor defects, the newspaper said. Transport Topics
Canadian Transportation Profits Up in Second Quarter
Canada's economy keeps perking along, which implies good news continuing for trucks that carry the nation's goods.Canadian businesses, including transportation companies, reported a healthy second quarter, according to a Statistics Canada report carried by Bloomberg Wednesday.
In the transportation and warehousing industry, operating profits increased from C$0.7 billion in the first quarter to C$1.2 billion in the second, the report said.
The transportation industry was boosted in part by increased shipments for the manufacturing sector, which reported its own 2.3% increase to C$14.3 billion in operating profits, according to the report. Transport Topics
Headlines From Today's A.M. Briefing
- Economic Good Times Mean More Gridlock on Roads
- DOT Pushing Public Input on Truck Safety with Web Site
- Oil Inventories Rise, But So Do Prices
- KLM Begins Talks To Sell Freight-Handling Unit
- Truck Parts Maker Shiloh Acquires A.G. Simpson
- UPS Logistics Group To Acquire Canada's Livingston
- California's Ventura Freeway Adds PrePass Capabilities To Speed Up Weighing Process
- Husband-Wife Trucking Duo Now Employs Other Married Teams
