P.M. Executive Briefing - Nov. 3
This Afternoon's Headlines:
ul>
Clarke Inc. Profit Up Five Per Cent
The Canadian trucking company Clarke Inc. saw C$69.9 million in revenue in the second fiscal quarter, up 11%, with C$3.2 million (48 cents per share) in profit, up 5%. The profit was impacted by a 37% tax rate, 9 percentage points higher than the rate 12 months before, which a company release said was related to its 1998 IPO.For the first half of the fiscal year, the company's revenue was C$138.5 million, up 21%, with net income of C$5.5 million, up 6%. The six-month revenue figure was affected by the 1998 Concord Transportation acquisition. During the second quarter, Clarke divisions expanded in Mexico and the United States. Canadian Press (11/03/99)
Complaints Prompt Patrol to Tighten Up on Big Rigs
Residents have voiced concerns about dangerous during meetings in Missouri Highway Patrol Troop C's 11-county coverage area. In response to those complaints, the patrol this week began a program for commercial-vehicle enforcement that uses covert vehicles, unmarked cars, and aircraft to watch for violators.
eroing in on one county a day, troopers gave 37 warnings and 33 tickets Monday and Tuesday. In addition, residents would prefer to see more troopers, and Sgt. Terry St. Clair says the troop was found by a recent study to be understaffed. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (11/03/99) P. 1, St. Charles County Post Section; Munz, Michele
NHTSA Posts August Recalls
On Aug. 23, Great Dane began informing owners of a recall of 4,639 commercial van trailers with slide suspensions made between January and August of last year, according to a Nov. 1 posting by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Some could have problems with the welds between the trailer crossmembers and the upper bogie rails. Dealers will put in attachment clips/gussets and do new welding. Owners can call (800) 633-4176 if they do not get the free repair in a reasonable time. Land Line Magazine Online (11/03/99)Trucker's Attorney Starts Appeals Process, Seeks New Trial
Jon A. Jaworski, defense lawyer for a trucker who was convicted on four counts of intoxication manslaughter regarding a June accident on the Gulf Freeway that killed three children and their father, requested a new trial from a Texas district judge. Jaworski claims 27 reversible errors in the trial, which ended in a 60-year sentence for trucker Jose Coronado Martinez.Prosecutor Warren Diepraam and Jaworski will present arguments to the judge Nov. 10. The case would go on to Houston appeals courts, and potentially further, if Jaworski's motion for a new trial is unsuccessful. Houston Chronicle (11/02/99) P. 16A; Brewer, Steve
Freightliner Introduces Truck Productivity Computer (TM)
Freightliner Corp. has debuted the Truck Productivity Computer, which includes a computer, communications interface, GPS, and stereo as well as a display for vehicle data and a weather/RDS receiver. For safety's sake, while the truck is in motion the computer reduces the number functions that can be used, and it is capable of voice recognition as well as "reading" text memos aloud.Freightliner is working companies that will design programs to run on the unit, which the uses Microsoft Windows CE platform, and it could also monitor hours of service. The unit can be installed in an ordinary radio slot and includes a pair of universal serial bus connections for attaching peripherals. PR Newswire (11/03/99)
Guatemala Provides Lessons on How to Cut Cargo Theft
Guatemala was having a major cargo-theft problem when Donald J. Planty was the United States' ambassador there. Now, as executive director of the trade organization Caribbean Latin American Action, he is trying to call attention to the ways Guatemalan agencies, with his help, fought the problem. One way was to organize trucks ahead of time into police-escorted convoys. Planty says the methods could be extended to other Central American countries whose cargo crime puts them in jeopardy of losing foreign investment. Journal of Commerce Online (11/03/99); Hall, Kevin G.© copyright 1999 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
