P.M. Executive Briefing - Mar. 28
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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OSHA Puts 13,000 Worksites on Safety Notice
A number of trucking firms are on the list of roughly 13,000 companies notified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that they will be given a thorough OSHA inspection if they do not repair on-site hazards.The companies on the list had at least eight lost-time injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time employees. If needed, companies should bring in safety consultants, and smaller firms could use state OSHA agencies' free on-site consultation services, OSHA said. TruckingInfo.com (03/28/00)
Hutchison & Oracle Team for Freight E-Commerce Venture
The Hutchison Whampoa subsidiary Hutchison Port Holdings is establishing an e-commerce joint venture with Oracle called Global Transport eXchange, which will bring together logistics and transportation providers and customers online and will be run by Oracle products.When GTX becomes operational, planned for the third quarter, it will be one of eight e-commerce offerings from parent company portsnportal.com, a wholly-owned HPH unit; Hutchison owns 90% of GTX, with Oracle holding the remainder. Other portsnportal.com products will include Maritime Cargo Processing, the global electronic trading site Arena.com, and the secure information exchange Bolero.
HPH plans to list GTX or portsnportal.com on one of the stock exchanges within the next year and a half. Reuters (03/27/00)
Personnel: Navistar International
Navistar International has promoted Howard Levy from purchasing director to the post of vice president of purchasing and supplier development, taking the place of the retired Jim Simonton. Automotive News (03/27/00) No. 5867; P. 32Volvo Program Guarantees Uptime
Volvo Trucks North America's Cost Per Mile Program, now offered in the southeastern United States and in Canada, will be expanded to dealerships in the rest of the United States starting next month.The program, which Volvo has been testing for two years, enables fleets to pay a guaranteed price for maintenance, payable on a monthly basis, which is derived from the fleet's expected mileage.
The truckmaker is also working on adding fuel costs to the CPM program through a possible partnership with Mobil Oil and Petro Stopping Centers. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (03/28/00)
Proven Steps Help Companies Trim Fuel Costs
Many trucking companies are seeking methods of cutting fuel consumption due to high costs.In the past four years, USA Truck has outfitted its trucks with electronic devices for use while the trucker is in the sleeper berth; they only allow the engine to idle as long as it takes to maintain a specific cab temperature, shutting it off at other times.
The carrier also uses a satellite system that allows it to track truck engines as well as idling time, putting together a weekly ranking of trucks idling times and counseling the 100 lowest drivers on the list; the company says cutting idling time can reduce per-tractor daily fuel consumption by as much as two gallons.
American Freightways is using a monitor to shut off engines once they have idled for three minutes, and another device that improves fuel efficiency by shifting the transmission automatically is being tested by AF and is popular with drivers.
Other carriers are telling drivers to drive below certain speeds, since higher speeds consume fuel faster, and using speed governors. However, trucking companies were working to improve fuel efficiency long before the recent price spike, and Cannon Express CEO Dean Cannon says carriers worked so hard to raise efficiency due to rate pressure last year that there is little room for further improvements. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Online (03/26/00); Courteau, Sarah L.
ShipChem.com
Eastman Chemical and Global Logistics Technologies (G-Log) have teamed up to create ShipChem.com, designed to be virtual logistics provider that will cut transportation costs and risks for chemical manufacturers, distributors, carriers, and 3PLs. The site can be customized to the specific needs of each customer.ShipChem.com' online services will include planning and management for companies that outsource logistics operations to the new venture, which Eastman said it will do once the new company makes its debut in the second quarter. Modern Bulk Transporter (03/00) Vol. 62, No. 9; P. 52
Business Negotiations
Bulknet.com enables chemical shippers and carriers to negotiate online on an anonymous basis. Information on loads, including the shipper's tank washing and linehaul pricing, are posted by registered shippers, while descriptions of regionally located equipment and its availability are put up by registered carriers.Carriers can agree to the shipper's tank washing and linehaul pricing or bid securely. Bills, paperwork, and quality metrics are done by Bulknet.com.
Bulknet.com's other services are CDBulk, through which customers can use the Bulknet information technology infrastructure for their own needs, and Bulkbids, which provides customers with customized Web sites for sending out bulk bids. Modern Bulk Transporter (03/00) Vol. 62, No. 9; P. 53
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