Business

The political bickering that has engulfed much of the federal government over the past months and months is apparently weighing heavily on the nation’s economy.

The Aug. 6 issue of Transport Topics had an article headlined “Heat Wave Causing More Tire Failures, Adds Strain on Drivers, Fleet Execs Say” (p. 6). If there ever was a reason to maintain proper air pressure in tires, whether they are retreads or virgin tires — because there is no difference — it is hot weather.

Qualcomm Inc. has released a new edition of Trailer Tracks 210, which now includes a solar charging system designed to preserve uptime and battery life, the company announced Sept. 5.

A new report has raised questions about whether a Department of Defense contract to outsource freight shipments has produced huge savings claimed by Menlo Worldwide Logistics, in large part because of DOD’s failure to scrutinize the program closely.

Efforts to create a motor carrier-based pool to provide intermodal chassis are continuing, though American Trucking Associations’ Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference said it has not yet decided how to accomplish that goal.

Margo Oge, a key player in the federal government’s push to decrease vehicle emissions and increase fuel efficiency, said she will retire at the end of this month.

The ongoing pilot program that allows approved Mexican fleets into the interior of the United States suffers from lax oversight that does not sufficiently ensure compliance with the program’s requirements, a federal auditor said in a report released last week.

In their second week in charge, the new management team at Navistar International Corp. reported a quarterly loss for the three months ended July 31 and laid out plans for a return to financial health in the wake of the company’s recent change in its truck engine emissions strategy.

Truck and engine maker Navistar Inc. can continue selling its noncompliant MaxxForce engines using exhaust gas recirculation, but the penalties will be nearly double what was originally proposed, according to an Environmental Protection Agency final rule that went into effect Sept. 5.

New heavy-duty truck orders fell 23.4% to 16,200 in August from a year earlier, according to preliminary figures from ACT Research Co., and some truck makers said they plan more downtime at plants in order to trim production.