P.M. Executive Briefing - Nov. 20
ul>
Gas Prices Drop, But Still Higher Than Nov. 1999
Although gas prices have dropped 2 cents per gallon in the last two weeks, the closely watched Lundberg Survey notes that prices are still 25 cents higher than they were in the weekend before Thanksgiving of 1999, the Associated Press reported.The survey’s most-recent price averaged $1.57 per gallon, compared with $1.32 during the same period last year.
Chrysler May Face Plant Shutdowns
Chrysler's inventory of trucks and cars has surpassed the market demand, possibly triggering temporary plant closing in the next few months, the Detroit News reported.Dealers are ordering fewer Chrysler vehicles than in previous years, the article said. This may leave the company with as many as 94,000 extra vehicles. For example, dealers have ordered 18,000 fewer Grand Cherokees (sport utility vehicles) than the company has planned to produce in December, the story said.
Analysts don't think demand will pick up in the next few months, which may prompt Chrysler to cut production, the newspaper wrote.
However, DaimlerChrysler (DCX) said they have made no final decision on any shutdowns due overproduction. Transport Topics
Tower Opens Denver Freight Forwarder Office
Tower Group International has opened a new office in the Denver area to provide customs brokerage and international freight forwarding service.The Denver facility is the third office that Buffalo, N.Y-based Tower Group has opened this year. It is one of five operating subsidiaries of FedEx Corp. (FDX) Transport Topics
Truck Crash Deaths Continue Downward Trend
New federal statistics show continuing improvement in truck safety, with the fatal crash rate at its lowest point since point since the Department of Transportation began keeping safety records on large trucks in 1975.The new rate is 2.28 fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled, which dropped despite the fact that large trucks traveled three billion more miles in 1999 than in 1998.
The latest random drug testing of drivers produced just 1.5% positive results, a figure less than half that of other workplaces, according to the American Trucking Associations, which noted that truck drivers continue to be the least likely to be cited for alcohol use in fatal crashes where alcohol is a factor. Transport Topics
WestPoint Stevens Closing S.C. Terminal
Home fashion marketer WestPoint Stevens (WXS) will phase out trucking operations at its Greenville, S.C. terminal in the next six to eight weeks. It will continue to maintain terminals in Burlington, N.C. and Valley, Ala., which along with common-contract carriers will take over many operations formerly handled at Greenville.WestPoint Stevens said the move is part of an effort to streamline its trucking operations.
It is a major producer of bed linens, towels, blankets, comforters and accessories marketed under well-known brand names. Transport Topics
Con-Way Central Opens 54-Door Terminal
Con-Way Central Express said its new 54-door service center for the Rochester, N.Y. area began operating Monday, and will be able to handle four times as much freight as the previous facility.The terminal in nearby Chili, N.Y. will provide earlier pick-up and delivery services for businesses in the greater Rochester metropolitan area, Con-Way said. The new terminal is close to service for a Canadian fast ferry to Toronto that should begin operating in 2001, and can serve the Greater Rochester International Airport and major highways.
The opening is part of Con-Way's plan to add more than 100 new dock doors a month to its North American service network. Transport Topics
Ryder, Toyota Tsusho Form Joint Venture
Ryder System, a U.S. commercial truck leasing company and logistics provider, has formed a joint venture with Japanese trading company Toyota Tsusho, to provide distribution services for parts suppliers and Japanese automakers in the United States, Bloomberg said.Toyota Tsusho is affiliated with Toyota Motor Corp. The venture will be called TTR Logistics, will have equal participation from Ryder and Toyota Tsusho, and will initially focus on the North American market, with plans to expand globally. Transport Topics
EU Eyes Weekend Truck Ban, Driver Hours of Service
The European Union is expected to approve a plan that would ban all trucks from traveling certain main highways for a 24-hour period each weekend, and is also considering limits on hours of service, The Journal of Commerce Online reported Monday.Germany and France now have such weekend bans, but Britain and Spain do not, so the EU is expected to seek that harmonization on Wednesday.
A 1993 directive limiting working hours for oil rig workers and medical interns is being eyed for truckers, but an exemption for owner-operators is under consideration, the news service reported. Transport Topics
Nationwide Diesel Prices Rise
The national diesel average rose 2.4 cents from last week to $1.627 per gallon, the U.S. Department of Energy reports.Most regional prices also rose. The highest price was in California, with a per gallon price of $1.880. The widest change was in the Central Atlantic, where the per gallon price jumped by more than 5 cents from last week.
Both the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast showed price drops. Diesel in the Rocky Mountains dropped almost 3 cents, while the West Coast prices dropped almost 2 cents. Transport Topics
EU Antitrust Eye on Freight Forwarding
A cross-border venture for freight forwarding and postal operations has come under European Union antitrust scrutiny, the Journal of Commerce Online reported Monday.EU authorities are investigating the Delta project, which involves TPG - the Dutch postal, air express and logistics group - the British Post Office and Singapore Post.
In a separate action, the commission began an investigation into the operations of BahnTrans, the freight forwarding and transport joint venture formerly owned by Deutsche Bahn, Germany's state-owned railway, and Thyssen Haniel Logistics, the news service reported. Transport Topics
Headlines From Today's A.M. Briefing
- Colder Winter Predictions Raise Crude Oil Price
- 12 States Push Calif.-Type Engine Standards
- Diesel Engine Maker Cummins May Cut More Jobs
- UPS, FedEx Say They Need Billions for Ergo Rule
- Australian Truckers End Oil Terminal Blockades
- Manpower Says Transport Firms to Add Jobs in 1Q
- Roberson Acquires Timberline Assets
- Gingrich Pushes Trucking Device
- Occupational Doctors Oppose Ergonomics Standard
- Construction on Northern Va.'s I-95 'Mixing Bowl' Going Smoothly
form method="post" action="http://www.truckline.com/scripts/submany.pl">
| ||||
