P.M. Executive Briefing - Oct. 7
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Truck Protests Cause Consumers to Do Without
Owner-operator truckers cutting off traffic to protest against high fuel costs and for the province to let them unionize have caused food and fuel shortages in three regions of Quebec. In the Rouyn-Noranda area, provincial police were brought in to help non-protesting truckers make deliveries Wednesday. Serge Menard, the minister in charge of public security, said provincial police will assist "truckers who are being intimidated" and that "priority will be given to vehicles hauling food or gasoline."a Tuque, in the central part of the province, was running gravely low on food and gas. "We've been taken hostage," an unidentified woman said. Highways were also cut off by truckers in the Saguenay-Lac-St.-Jean area. Protests have been going on since Monday. Trucker spokesman Roland Meunier says the truckersmake C$4.75 to C$8 per hour after expenses and that some parts of the province have fuel prices of C$0.76 per liter. Vancouver Sun Online (10/07/99)
Report: UPS Ends Some Gun Deliveries
In order to head off handgun thefts by employees and others, starting Monday United Parcel Service's ground service will no longer carry handgun shipments, according to the Morning Call. Even though UPS overnight air will still take handguns, the policy change may hurt small business owners because of the higher prices for the overnight service. The U.S. Postal Service will not deliver firearms at all.According to Jim Chambers, executive director of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, UPS carries almost 75 percent of manufacturer-to-distributor gun deliveries and close to 100 percent of distributor-to-dealer deliveries. Shotguns, rifles, and long guns will still be handled by the ground service because they are not as attractive to thieves, says UPS spokesman Bob Godlewski. Associated Press (10/07/99)
Detroit Diesel Participates in Emission Reduction Demonstration
Detroit Diesel Corp. will be taking part in Southern California's Emission Reduction Demonstration Program, in which Ralph's Grocery vehicles and Santa Monica buses will show the effects of exhaust-treatment technologies and ARCO's EC Diesel fuel product. EC Diesel has no sulfur content and thus can be used with catalytic converters and particulate filters. Also working with Detroit Diesel and ARCO in the demonstration are Johnson Matthey and Engelhard.Detroit Diesel Director of Emissions Programs Tim Tindall says the company anticipates the demonstration will find "an 80-90 percent reduction in particulate matter, hydrocarbon, and carbon monoxide emissions out of the tailpipe" and show "the viability of retrofitting catalytic technology for existing vehicles." PR Newswire (10/07/99)
MAN Trucks Unit On Lookout For Strategic Alliances
On Thursday, Chairman Klaus Schubert of the commercial-vehicles unit of Germany's MAN group says the unit is looking for "strategic alliances" but solely "if we have the majority, at least 50 percent plus one ... [w]e want to play an active role." The unit, MAN Nutzfahrzeuge, anticipates that its purchase of Star, a Polish truck manufacturer, will be completed early next month at the latest. MAN also makes other machinery and equipment including diesel engines. Agence France Presse (10/07/99)Volvo Starts Production At New Joint Venture Plant in Saudi Arabia
A new truck plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, built by a joint venture of Volvo Truck and Zahid Tractor, has begun heavy-truck output. The plant will be managed by Volvo, which has a 25 percent stake. The maximum annual output would be 600 units. AFX News (10/07/99)Yellow Freight Picks Campbell-Ewald
The Michigan-based Campbell-Ewald agency has been hired to help set Yellow Freight Corp.'s brand image as the trucking firm expands its television advertising from cable sports, during which Yellow Freight commercials began airing in 1998, to business and financial programming beginning in early 2000.
ellow Freight is looking for customers among logistics managers as well as those in charge of transportation and distribution, and it is also now trying to compete with parcel carriers. The company's campaign should emphasize newer services such as Definite Delivery and Exact Express, and paint Yellow Freight as more customer-oriented than competing carriers. A rise in direct-mail and print advertising is in the works as well, and Yellow Freight has tapped Valentine McCormick Ligibel for interactive marketing. Advertising Age (10/04/99) Vol. 70, No. 41; P. 68; Chura, Hillary
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