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Archive February 2014

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EnRoute - February 19, 2014


Top Stories

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is proposing new regulations to speed up the pace of union elections, which are identical to the changes that were first proposed in 2011. FULL STORY
 
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) have introduced a bill that would reinstate a biodiesel tax incentive that expired on December 31, 2013. The incentive would be offered for three years. FULL STORY
 
The Obama Administration has unveiled a national and voluntary “Cybersecurity Framework” that aims to get private industry and government to strengthen the security and resiliency of critical “cyber-infrastructure” in via public-private cooperation. FULL STORY

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has sent a letter stating that its old guidance on an FET-exempt glider kits should no longer be followed and glider businesses may soon have to begin collecting the FET from customers. FULL STORY
 


 

Technology Trends

 
Eaton has made several enhancements to its lineup of FLEX REMAN transmissions including a new parts numbering system and price structure. FULL STORY
 
Michelin Americas Truck Tires has launched a new steer tire, the Michelin X Multi Energy Z, which is engineered to improve fuel efficiency as well as tread life and durability for trucks running regional applications. FULL STORY
 
The new ProStake Stake and Platform truck body and a new selection of dump bodies are now available from Morgan Corporation. The new ProStake product line features rugged construction and more than 30 product enhancements while the new selection of Dump bodies are all designed to appeal to the Light-duty bailment market (Class 3-5). FULL STORY
 
The Conti EcoPlus HT3 is the latest trailer from Continental Tire the Americas, LLC, and has been developed for maximum cost effectiveness by incorporating greater fuel efficiency, long service life and retreadability. FULL STORY
 


Briefly

 
J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc. have announced their sponsorship of the J.J. Keller/Dallas Seavey Iditarod Racing Team for the eighth consecutive year. They will be the exclusive sponsor for 26 year old Dallas Seavey and will also sponsor longtime Iditarod musher and 2013 champion Mitch Seavey. . .Hino Trucks held a ceremony to commemorate the delivery of the 10,000th Hino truck to Penske Truck Leasing. The ceremony took place at Hino’s plant in Williamstown, West Virginia. . .Double Coin Tires and CMA have opened a new west coast distribution center in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. This is CMA’s second distribution center in North America. . .PHH Corp. is considering spinning off its fleet division and has hired J.P Morgan Securities, Centerview Partners, and Kirland and Ellis to explore that option. . . Bulkmatic Transport is outfitting its entire fleet of more than 500 tractors with the SmartDrive Systems video- and data-capture system. . .Donlen has introduced a toll management program under a new partnership with American Traffic Solutions (ATS). Under the program, Donlen in collaboration with ATS manages the process of enrolling fleet vehicles with toll authorities, sending out transponders and other toll devices and handling any violation disputes. . .Drivewyze, Inc. and PeopleNet has announced that Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass application is now available for PeopleNet onboard devices effective immediately. . .Imperial Supplies has introduced a new mobile app which is available for iOS and Android devices. The new app gives users the ability to access and purchase over 25,000 fleet maintenance products while on the go.
 
 
 

People

 
Karmak has introduced Lisa McCloud as the company’s new director of marketing. . .Rebecca S. Trenner has become a shareholder in the law firm of Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary, P.C. and Paul D. Root has begun his practice as an associate in the Scopelitis law firm’s Indianapolis office following his admission to the Indiana bar in the fall of 2013.
 

 
 
 

Taking $tock

A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:

Company Symbol (Click for Chart) 2/19 Close Performance
Allison Transmission Holdings ALSN $30.09 $0.14 -0.46%
Avis Budget Group Inc. CAR $40.00 $1.08 +2.77%
Cummins Inc. CMI $139.98 $2.50 -1.75%
Dana Holding Corp. DAN $20.13 $0.24 -1.18%
Eaton Corp. ETN $72.13 $0.34 -0.47%
General Electric GE $25.40 $0.25 -0.97%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber GT $26.56 $0.07  -0.26%
Navistar International Corp. NAV $35.96 $0.74 -2.02%
PACCAR Inc. PCAR $61.81 $0.48 -0.77%
Ryder R $70.94 $0.58 -0.81%

SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance

 
 

Money Matters

Rush Enterprises, Inc. reported growth and solid financial performance with record annual revenues of $3.4 billion in 2013 compared to $3.1 billion in 2012. FULL STORY 
 
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company had record fourth quarter segment operating income of $419 million for 2013, which was a 54% increase over the same quarter in 2012. FULL STORY
 
Daimler AG reported revenue increased 8% in the fourth quarter compared to the same period a year ago, and sales in the company’s Daimler Truck division increased 19% during the same time. FULL STORY


 

News From TRALA 

 
General Michael Hayden to Speak at TRALA's 2014 Annual Meeting 

General Michael Hayden is a retired four-star general who served as director of the CIA and the NSA. General Hayden became director of CIA in May of 2006, capping a career in service to the United States that included nearly 40 years in the Air Force. He served until 2009.
 
From 2005-2006, General Hayden was the country's first principal deputy director of national intelligence and the highest-ranking military intelligence officer in the country. From 1999-2005, Hayden had served as the director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and chief of the Central Security Service (CSS) after being appointed by President Bill Clinton.
 
General Hayden is one of the world's leading experts in cybersecurity and will speak on the delicate balance between liberty and security in intelligence work, as well as the unique security concerns facing all businesses in a world of rapidly evolving technology.
 
General Hayden's presentation would not be possible without the generous sponsorship of Volvo Trucks.  
 
Need Help Registering?
Please contact the TRALA Office at (703) 299-9120 and a member of the staff will be happy to assist you with registering for the upcoming TRALA 2014 Annual Meeting.  Please remember the hotel room block at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona will close on Wednesday, February 19.  We will no longer be able to guarantee the group room rate or availability at this time.
 
 
Any questions should be directed to TRALA’s Shannon Davison by email at sdavison@trala.org or contacting the TRALA Staff at (703) 299-9120.
 

 

 

TRALA Names Two Recipients for Industry Scholarship Program

Alexandria, VA – February 10, 2014 – The Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) has named Anthony Fisher and Jordan Proefrock as the recent recipients of the TRALA Industry Scholarship Program. These recipients will each receive a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable once for a total of $5,000 if they maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

 

Read More

EnRoute - February 5, 2014


Top Stories

U.S. Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) and Sam Graves (R-MO) have introduced three pieces of legislation to promote the use of natural gas in long haul trucking. FULL STORY
 
U.S. Senators had requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) analyze the effectiveness of the Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) program. The GAO concluded that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) should revise the program’s Safety Measurement System. FULL STORY
 
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) is making changes to its commercial border processes that are meant to make customs clearance more efficient and will require carriers to make some changes in the way they communicate with CBSA. FULL STORY
 
Trucking companies need to continue to follow industry standards and best practices when it comes to security and preventing threats of terrorism. Every employee needs to be a part of the security effort. FULL STORY


 

Technology Trends

 
The Department of Transportation announced its intent to begin taking steps to require vehicle-to-vehicle (also known as V2V) communication that would allow vehicles to “talk” to each other to exchange information like speed and road position to avoid crashes, especially common ones like rear-end, lane change and intersection crashes. FULL STORY 


Briefly

 
Meritor has unveiled two new Nissan NV3500 vans that will be used to deliver training to warehouse distributors, service garages and fleets in the U.S. and Canada. The vans will offerhands-on training that focuses on drivetrain and undercarriage components. . .Hino Trucks has donated a cab-over truck to Canadian Valley Technology Center, a vocational school located outside of Oklahoma City. CV Tech lost several vehicles as a result of the May 31, 2013 tornado. . .Double Coin Tires and CMA launched a new Double Coin Tires mobile application available for Apple iPhone and Android smartphones. . .Mack Trucks is offering special financing for U.S. military personnel looking to purchase a new Mack vehicle. . .Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company has launched a new mobile application for Apple iPhone and Android smartphones. The free mobile application uses GPS capabilities to search for a Utility dealership location within a user’s geographic location. . .Peterbilt is celebrating its 75th anniversary with commemorative events throughout the year that include a North American tour with specialized anniversary trailer, a limited-edition Model 579 and numerous other activities.
 
 
 

People

 
Thomas E. O’Donnell has joined the law firm of Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary. O’Donnell will provide services on behalf of the firm’s new offices in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. . .Hercules has hired Nathan Vandiver as an assistant production control manager. . .Bridgestone Americas Inc. (BSAM) has announced that Gordon Knapp will become COO of BSAM and chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO). . .Aditya “A.D.” Naik has been named vice president, Finance, Vehicle Group for Eaton. . .Karmak has announced the retirement of two regional managers, Larry O’Connor and Ron Kiser. . .Thomas Doll has been appointed vice-president, global purchasing excellence for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Sysetms LLC. . .Richard Kolodziej has announced that he will be retiring as president of NGVAmerica. He has been the organization’s president since 1995.
 

 
 
 

Taking $tock

A look at truck transportation-industry Fortune 500 public companies:

Company Symbol (Click for Chart) 2/5 Close Performance
Allison Transmission Holdings ALSN $28.38 $0.12 -0.42%
Avis Budget Group Inc. CAR $37.63 $0.18 -0.48%
Cummins Inc. CMI $126.67 $0.27 +0.21%
Dana Holding Corp. DAN $18.35 $0.11 -0.60%
Eaton Corp. ETN $69.10 $0.45 +0.66%
General Electric GE $24.52 $0.05 -0.20%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber GT $22.86 $0.05  -0.22%
Navistar International Corp. NAV $33.23 $0.42 +1.28%
PACCAR Inc. PCAR $56.90 $1.84 +3.34%
Ryder R $68.81 $0.71 -1.02%

SOURCE: Yahoo! Finance

 
 

Money Matters

PACCAR has reported revenue of $17.12 billion in 2013 compared to revenue of $17.05 billion in 2012.  This is the company's third best net annual profit in company history. FULL STORY

Meritor recorded a profit of $11 million for the fourth quarter of 2013, compared to a loss of $21 million for the prior year. FULL STORY 


 

News From TRALA 

 
Register Today to Attend TRALA's 2014 Annual Meeting 

You don't want to miss out on attending one of the largest gathering of rental and leasing executives in North America. The 2014 Annual Meeting is scheduled for March 10-14 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Click here to register to attend this important meeting.
 
Mack Leasing/Volvo Truck Leasing, NationaLease, and PacLease are scheduled to hold meetings in conjunction with the TRALA meeting, which will create more efficiency for attendees wanting to connect with the entire industry. To view the meetings and events scheduled for March 10 through March 14, please click here.
 
Hotel reservations for the Annual Meeting will only be accepted through the Annual Meeting registration form or by contacting TRALA’sLeslie Hummel. The information provided in the registration form will be submitted to the hotel on your behalf. No credit cards are required to guarantee your reservation at this time. Hotel confirmation numbers will be forwarded to all guests by a member of the TRALA staff as soon as they are received from the hotel.
 
Any questions should be directed to TRALA’s Shannon Davison by email at sdavison@trala.org or contacting the TRALA Staff at (703) 299-9120.