P.M. Executive Briefing - Aug. 7
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UPS Goes Digital For Fuel; Will Purchase Through American Petroleum Exchange
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UPS will purchase almost 90 million gallons of fuel through the American Petroleum Exchange system, which allows current UPS vendors to compete with other potential fuel providers for UPS' business. American Petroleum Exchange said bids will be submitted on its website, apexchange.com. Transport Topics
Automaker Layoffs Affect Trucking
With automakers cutting back their production plans amid slower sales growth than expected, truckers that haul parts or finished vehicles can also expect some crimp in their business plans.
That includes 900 GM workers to be laid off from the Janesville, Wis., medium-duty truck plant, and another 3,300 DaimlerChrysler workers idled for a week (soon after the normal two-week summer furlough) at a plant making Dodge Neons.
The automaking industry is one of the nation's largest, and generates huge volumes of truck-hauled shipments to supply the assembly plants. Transport Topics
Tradiant, Vitria Team Up in Transportation E-Commerce Venture
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Vitria's BusinessWare product will allow Tradiant to connect shippers and logistics pro-viders with its transportation services, such as its universal booking and documentation system. Transport Topics
Pennsylvania Rail Center Celebrates First Year, Starts Planning Expansion
The Bethlehem (Pa.) Commerce Center marks its first year of operations this week, and is already making plans for expansion in the next year, the Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) reported Monday.The intermodal hub's president, Michael Zaia, told the Morning Call that by the facility's second anniversary, he expects to see a paper distribution center, refrigerated foods warehouse and a lumber distribution center will be part of the hub.
Other expansions include several miles of new track and road, as well as more tractor-trailer parking spaces, bringing the total to as many as 3,000, the article said. J.B. Hunt, Schneider and Roadway are also considering building a service facility at the hub, according to the article.
Statistics released by the company show that Norfolk Southern Corp. took over the terminal, 50,000 containers have moved through. Zaia expects an eventual capacity of 150,000 to 200,000 containers per year, the article said. Transport Topics
Elite Logistics Signs Deal To Expand Wireless Tracking System
Elite Logistics has signed an original equipment manufacturer agreement with the Fleet Advertising Media Group and Fleet Tracking Inc., to help boost its wireless tracking systems, the company said Monday.Under the agreement, Fleet Tracking will supply Elite Logistics technology to FAMG to locate vehicles via the Internet and measure truckside advertising.
Elite Logistics makes the PageTrack™ family of Intelligent Vehicle Systems, which creates a tracking system using global positioning systems and wireless technology. Transport Topics
USF Worldwide Logistics Creates New E-Commerce Subsidiary
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USF Ventures Inc. also announced a strategic alliance with Newgistics, Inc. and R.R. Donnelley Logistics Services Monday. This alliance will operate a returns management service for online and catalog retailers, allowing the processing of returned merchandise at USF Processors, another USF Worldwide Logistics subsidiary. Transport Topics
Pennsylvania Trucker Faces Felony Charges For Pushing Car 12 Miles On Interstate
A Pennsylvania truck driver, angry at being cut off by a motorist, allegedly pushed that car 12 miles on Interstate 83 in York County, Pa., the York Daily Record reported this week.The driver, 65-year-old James Trimble of Mechanicsburg, Pa., was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, criminal mischief, harassment and following too closely, and was released on $25,000 bond, the article said.
According to reports, 43-year-old Michael Eck of Baltimore a licensed truck driver himself for almost 20 years pulled his Chevy Impala in front of Trimble's Peterbilt flatbed hauling heavy equipment. Trimble allegedly became angry and bumped Eck's car twice with his truck, causing the Impala to stall. Police say Trimble then pushed the car 12 miles up Interstate 83 at speeds near 60 miles per hour, the article said.
Eck called 911 on his cellular phone and an officer eventually caught up to the pair. The officer told the Daily Record that no drugs or alcohol played a part, just that Trimble was very angry at being cut off. Transport Topics
