P.M. Executive Briefing - Sept. 24
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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Truckers' Speed Monitored; CHP Assigns Special Detail Along Interstate 5
For all of the month of September, four officers of the California Highway Patrol have been stepping up truck enforcement along the Golden State Freeway between Templin Highway and the Antelope Valley Freeway. The month-long program is intended to make that stretch of the highway safer in light of the high amount of trucks that use it over 2 million a year.The program could be kept up until year's end if at the end of September it is found to have lowered traffic violations. The patrol is mostly interested in cutting down speeding. While the limit for tractor-trailers on a portion of I-5 is 45 mph, some trucks were caught going 80 mph. The police are also trying to keep trucks from using lanes in which they are not allowed. Daily News of Los Angeles (09/23/99) P. SC1; Goldberg, Orith
Get Info on Georgia Bridge Closings
Drivers can get information on bridge closures in Georgia at www.dot.state.ga.us/homeoffs/pe/index.htm or at (404) 876-4313. Some bridges are being altered due to the lowering of truck weight limits. The Trucker Online (09/24/99)House Transportation Panel Chief to Hold I-78 Hearing; State Lawmaker Says Interstate is a 'Killer Highway' and Needs Attention
State Rep. Richard Geist (R-Blair), the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee chairman, announced on Wednesday that he will conduct a hearing on the subject of safety on I-78 following a string of deadly accidents on an area of road in the Lehigh Valley section. Geist said he will probably instruct the Transportation Committee's subcommittee on highways to hold a hearing about Lehigh Valley, although it is not known when it would take place.Rep. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) says one solution might be to heighten state police patrols to reduce the speed of motorists who regularly brake the speed limit, while another idea is to press for additional state road money for safety upgrades.
The interstate's Lehigh Valley section, which was meant to take on a significant amount of Route 22's excess truck traffic, opened in November 1989. Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (09/23/99) P. A1; Cattabiani, MarioF.
Iridium for Truck Trailers
Orbcomm chief Scott Webster is trying to avoid the sort of overspending on needlessly complicated technology that sent Iridium and ICO Global Communications into bankruptcy court.
hile the top-rank communication services appeal to executives, Webster says, "There are a heck of a lot more things than people." That is why Orbcomm concentrates on communication between things, such as trailers and shipping containers. The software that handles this communication is simpler and the data can stand a few seconds' delay. Iridium's network of telephone satellites costs $5 billion, while Orbcomm's satellite network was under $500 million.
Schneider National intends to put Orbcomm devices on all of its 43,000 trailers by the end of 2000; the device can track the location of the trailer via GPS and can also relay such information as whether the trailer is loaded and if it is hooked up to a tractor. A Schneider vice president says this will help the company know how many trailers are not in use and can be pressed into service.
Orbcomm has also signed on with J.B. Hunt Transport Services and GE Harris Railway Electronics. Webster anticipates 200,000 units either installed or ordered before January. Orbcomm's units create much less revenue than Iridium's do, but the company also needs much less in order to cover costs. JSA Research analyst Paul Nisbet predicts Orbcomm revenue would meet costs and noncash depreciation after 350,000 units are in place. Orbcomm might hit that level by 2000's third quarter. Forbes (10/04/99) Vol. 164, No. 8; P. 64; Fisher, Daniel
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