P.M. Executive Briefing - Dec. 30
The A.M. and P.M. Executive Briefings will not run Friday in observance of the New Year's holiday. The briefings will resume on Monday. Happy New Year!
This Afternoon's Headlines:
ul>
Accident Rate Going Down for Specialized Carriers
Of the 184 Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association members polled in the 1999 Safety Survey of 1998 Incidents, 56% had no accidents last year, compared to the 50.3% figure for the previous year. The accident incident rate was more than 1.0 at 7.9% of the companies, compared to twice that percentage in earlier surveys. The survey report is available from the SC&RA Foundation, which funded the survey, at (703) 698-0297 or www.scranet.org. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (12/30/99)
Trucker to Build Big I-459 Terminal
Con-Way Southern Express is to construct a $6 million distribution center at a Bessemer, Ala., industrial park near Interstate 459. The Perimeter Industrial Park facility will have 100 bays with space for 50 more, according to Con-Way Birmingham center manager Jim Poe. The new center, taking the place of the current 24-bay site at Pinson Valley, will increase the payroll from 53 to 75. Completion is expected for November. Birmingham News Online (12/30/99); Tomberlin, MichaelTrucker Pleads Not Guilty to Possessing Ton of Pot
Los Angeles trucker Claudio Gutierrez, 24, arrested Dec. 6 on allegations that his truck contained 2,700 pounds of marijuana in addition to a load of garlic, entered a not guilty plea to charges of trafficking marijuana and possession with intent to deliver. At a Wednesday video arraignment at Will County (Ill.) Circuit Court, Gutierrez said via an interpreter that he could not afford a lawyer, and he was assigned a public defender.Gutierrez ran from state police drug investigators when they attempted to interrogate him by his truck at a truck stop in Bolingbrook, Ill., according to officials. The marijuana was found in the truck after that, they said. Chicago Tribune (12/30/99) P. 3, Metro Southwest Section; Presecky, William
Viking Freight Names New Operations Directors
The FDX LTL unit Viking Freight has appointed Steve Adkins its southern territory regional operations director, while former Whittier, Calif., service center manager Daren Van Wagenen has been named northern territory service center manager. Both territories are in the western United States. Viking has also appointed Roger Cooper to the post of director of operations planning and engineering. Journal of Commerce Online (12/30/99)OOIDA Signs Discount Deal With Western Star
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association members will be able to get the sort of collective-purchasing prices that large fleets enjoy thanks to a deal between OOIDA and Western Star. A special Western Star Constellation 4964EX outfitted with various equipment that appeals to owner-operators will be available to OOIDA members at a discount of thousands of dollars. They can also save on stock or custom Western Star trucks. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (12/30/99)Bulkmatic Develops Rail Transloading Network to Serve Customers in Mexico
Bulkmatic de Mexico's new Mexico City rail transfer facility, the company's biggest to open in the country in the last three years, signals the company's intent to have a big impact in Mexican bulk transloading. Bulkmatic and GATX partnered to build the facility, which operates as FerroSoluciones, and GATX plans to add storage of non-hazardous liquids as well as a hazmat transloading and storage facility. Many of Bulkmatic's Mexican customers are also its U.S. customers.Trucking south of the border is done by Bulkmatic Transport's Mexican partner Transportes Lopez e Hijos, which also performs most of the maintenance on Bulkmatic de Mexico's dry bulk trailer fleet. The company also has Mexican transloading facilities in Monterrey, Altamira, Guadalajara, Queretaro, and Leon, with a Torreon facility on the way, in addition to a Laredo, Texas, terminal.
The Mexico City FerroSoluciones terminal also manages rail transportation, provides secure storage of rail cars, and performs inventory management, nitrogen blanketing, and heating for customers. Warehousing and bagging services are also to be introduced, and the company is contemplating offering other services at its facilities and eyeing the possibility of using dry bulk intermodal containers.
Plastics make up between 85% and 90% of Bulkmatic de Mexico activity. Most are U.S. shipments, but Mexican firms are becoming more interested in transloading, particularly because of the improved efficiency at privatized railroads. The company tries not to perform Mexico City-area truck hauls longer than 30 miles, but some have to go farther, and other Bulkmatic de Mexico facilities' trucking distances are even longer. Modern Bulk Transporter (12/99) Vol. 62, No. 6; P. 34
© copyright 1999 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
