P.M. Executive Briefing - Dec. 7
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Bell & Howell Joins Big 3 in Parts Exchange
Bell & Howell (BHW) is the technology partner in an Internet-based parts exchange with Ford Motor Co. (F), DaimlerChrysler (DCX) and General Motors (GM), Reuters reported Thursday.
Each company will own 25% of the yet-unnamed venture, Reuters said. It will ease the flow of parts between original equipment manufacturers and their customers, beginning with independent shops that repair damage from wrecks, the news service said.
The portal will launch in the United States and Canada, but the partners plan to take it global, according to Reuters.
Swift to Pay $450,000 in Wage Bias Case
Swift Transportation Co. (SWFT) agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a federal complaint over wage discrimination against female employees, Bloomberg reported late Thursday.The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement, and said employers in male-dominated industries should especially note the ruling, Bloomberg reported.
EEOC found that Swift had been paying six women driver managers less than their male colleagues at the company's terminal in Edwardsville, Kan.
The agency said it settled another sex discrimination suit against the Phoenix-based truckload carrier last year for $529,999, over a company policy that prohibited women drivers from being trained by male instructors, according to the news service. Transport Topics
Corning to Expand N.C. Fiber Optics Plant
Trucking companies that carry fiber optic cable may have more business as Corning Inc. (GLW) expands a North Carolina plant and seeks a site for an additional facility.Corning said its board or directors approved a $450 million investment to further expand a large Concord, N.C. plant, increasing its fiber manufacturing capacity by at least 25% a year through 2004, Reuters reported Thursday.
That plant will soon be the largest plant in the world producing such material, Reuters said.
Corning also expects to announce a site for a new manufacturing facility in a few months and begin construction in the first half of 2001, the news service reported. Transport Topics
Shell Cuts Fuel Prices in Britain as Price War Begins
Shell Oil company joined retail supermarkets in slashing Britain's gas prices Wednesday by 2 pence per liter (roughly 12 U.S. cents per gallon), the Britain's Press Association reported. On Wednesday, several supermarkets cut prices for diesel and unleaded gas.The companies said the price cut was possible due to lower crude oil prices. Prices on the London exchange stood at $27.81 a barrel in Thusday afternoon trading, while light sweet crude dropped 50 cents to $29.68 a barrel in New York.
Currently, gas in Britain costs more than US$4.50 per gallon. By comparison, the U.S. average price this week is $1.50 per gallon, according to the Department of Energy. Transport Topics
Clinton Proposes Changes in Air Traffic Control
In a move that could help trucking companies that haul airfreight, President Bill Clinton announced a proposal Thursday that would require airlines to pay fees for air traffic services in an effort to relieve air congestion and reduce flight delays during peak times.Reuters reported that Clinton ordered the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration to look at what changes would be needed to introduce higher landing fees for peak traffic hours. Currently, landing fees depend on an aircraft's weight, and airport fees are usually passed on to airline passengers, Reuters noted.
The White House said flight delays have increased by more than 58% since 1995.
Any steps to ease congestion in the skies would have a positive impact on carriers that handle airfreight. Some trucking companies, such as United Parcel Service (UPS) and FedEx (FDX), operate their own air fleets, while others haul cargo carried in the bellies of passenger airliners. Fewer delays on the runways means trucks will be able to move freight more efficiently.
The proposal is part of an effort to make the government-run air traffic control more like a private organization, Reuters said. The fees would need congressional approval. Transport Topics
Headlines From Today's A.M. Briefing
- Big Three Expected to Announce Internet Parts Exchange
- Texas to Tighten Truck Tailpipe Standards, Restrict Other Diesels
- Eaton to Build Brazil Factory for Medium-Duty Transmissions
- Iraq Lowers Crude Oil Price for January
- Nissan Starts SUV Production for Renault in Mexico
- New Container Terminal Possible in South Carolina
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