P.M. Executive Briefing - Feb. 23
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Navistar Warns Investors of Challenging Year Ahead
Navistar International Chairman John Horne told shareholders Tuesday the company still expects to sell 405,000 medium and heavy trucks in 2000, down 60,000 from last year, but the year will be a challenge. He said Navistar's engine and chassis operations could allow it to play a bigger part in small trucks, where demand is being fueled by Internet retailing.Within the next month, the company will have an important announcement about its e-commerce plans, said Horne; he also said he has been in seminars regarding the AutoXchange electronic exchange from Ford and the computer company Oracle. Financial Times (02/23/00) P. 20; Tait, Nikki
PM Tells Protesters to Pass On Soaring Costs to Others
As Canadian truck drivers protesting fuel prices parked on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and engaged in other protests in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces Tuesday, Prime Minister Jean Chretien said the truckers should pass expenses along to their customers and that the federal government had little means to help them.He said the country's federal fuel taxes are probably the lowest in the world, although opposition party legislators said the government had hiked diesel taxes C$0.02 per liter as one of its efforts at deficit cutting.
Ontario Premier Mike Harris Tuesday charged that oil companies are misleading consumers with a "ruse" blaming provincial taxes for higher prices on fuel, but he essentially turned down a reduction in fuel taxes because it could not be ensured that the reduction would lower prices for consumers.
[The London (Ontario) Free Press reported that Harris said he would assist independents in changing contracts and passing higher fuel costs along to customers.] Ottawa Citizen (02/23/00) P. A3; Beauchesne, Eric; Bryden, Joan
RVI Sees Decision on Samsung Commercial Vehicles Stake in 2-3 Months
Renault Vehicules Industriels/Mack Chairman Patrick Faure said in two to three months the company will decide whether to buy a stake in Samsung Commercial Vehicles, a unit of Samsung Motors. AFX - Asia (02/22/00)Bekins CEO Connects Info Highway to the Real One
Larry Marzullo, the new chairman and CEO of the GeoLogistics subsidiaries Bekins and GeoLogistics Network Solutions, is working on ways to capitalize on the fulfillment side of e-commerce.GNS's HomeDirect USA subsidiary focuses on delivering high-end appliances and electronics, offering online shipment tracking as well as home assembly/setup of products and removal of packaging. Marzullo's vision is to deliver directly to customers from manufacturers, with customers ordering items at a manufacturer Web site and the order being sent directly to Bekins for handling.
Having held such past Bekins posts as chief information officer and vice president of information technology, Marzullo "brings a technical eye to what is essentially a technically flat industry," says HomeFair.com President Bryan S. Schutjer, a onetime colleague. Crain's Chicago Business (02/14/00) Vol. 23, No. 7; P. 12; Knapp, Kevin
Standardization Remains Clarion Call
A panel at the 1999 Tank Container Association Industry Conference unanimously agreed that industry-wide standardization for equipment, testing procedures, identification codes, surveyor training, and maintenance and repair techniques would improve repair/maintenance logistics and reduce costs. The average 16.7% annual growth of tank container demand is one factor driving the call for standardization.David Bailey, of the British firm Fort Vale Engineering, said the most important pieces of tank equipment, meriting particular consideration, are the pressure-relief and vacuum-relief valves, which should be inspected visually about every six months. Air inlet valves need to have better sealing integrity than liquid valves, he said. Proper maintenance is required for efficiency and safety in tank containers, said Bailey. Modern Bulk Transporter (02/00) Vol. 62, No. 8; P. 78
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