Monday March 29 2010

Resources

Mahindra Readies Announcement on U.S. Sales LCV and SUVs

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said it will announce a start date for U.S. sales of its diesel-powered pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles by early April, Bloomberg News reported.

The vehicles are currently undergoing testing in the U.S., according to Pawan Goenka, president of India-based company’s automotive division. Mahindra had planned to begin U.S. sales in the first quarter of this year, Bloomberg said.

Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Comment On Federal Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies and Enforcement

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On behalf of its motor vehicle parts manufacturer members, the Motor & Equipment Manufacturer Association (MEMA), with input from its Brand Protection Council, submitted comments on March 24 recommending that more resources be devoted toward the enforcement of anti-counterfeiting regulation and intellectual property rights violations to Victoria A. Espinel, the first-ever U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Office of Management and Budget.

Heavy Duty Trucking's Top 20 Products Honored at MATS

Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine honored the best new products of 2009 last week at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., presenting the companies with HDT's Top 20 Products award.

Heavy Duty Trucking's editors selected 50 nominees from among the new product announcements published by Heavy Duty Trucking in print and online. Darry Stuart, president of DWS Fleet Services, along with two fleet manager judges from the American Trucking Associations' Technology and Maintenance Council, further refined the list of nominees. Winning products were judged on innovation and their ability to make fleets safer, more efficient and more profitable.

A Few Minutes with Hebe of Navistar

Judging by the sights and sounds – chief among them being the positive words spoken by top executives of several major truck OEMs – here at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, trucking suppliers are straining at the bit for the economy to let them return to winning form.

Amidst all the news conferences and "booth visits,” fellow FleetOwner editor Wendy Leavitt and I had the chance to talk for a few– too few– minutes with Jim Hebe, sr. vp of North American sales operations for Navistar.

Navistar’s Jim Hebe

We started off by getting his outlook on Class 8 truck sales (U.S. and Canada). He said the year would end up “5 percent plus or minus higher than 2009”, which he translated to mean a finish somewhere between 90,000 and 110,000 units.

Orders for Manufactured Goods Jumps in February

New orders for manufactured durable goods were up 0.5 percent in February, the third straight boost and a positive sign for the trucking industry. This follows a 3.9 percent gain in January, American Trucking Associations' Chief Economist Bob Costello pointed out in his Weekly Economic Recap.

Freightliner Taps Tesla to Build an Electric Truck

The technology underpinning the sexy Tesla Roadster is showing up in the last place you’d expect to find it — a truck.

The Silicon Valley automaker is providing the batteries Freightliner Custom Chassis is putting in the electric trucks it will have on the road next year. Freightliner has offered CNG and hybrid electric trucks for years and it’s about to start selling a hydraulic hybrid. It says electrics are the logical next step.

Cummins Sees Bright Future as Independent Engine Manufacturer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Cummins is projecting a bright future for its engine business despite the loss of one OEM partner and the arrival of a new competitor in Paccar products.

Navistar will no longer offer Cummins power and Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks are now available with Paccar's own 13-litre MX engine, but the changing landscape is nothing new for Cummins, president Rich Freeland told a gathering of trucking industry reporters last night.

Mack Trucks says Well Placed for Market Rebound

According to comments made by Kevin Flaherty, the company's senior vice president, at the Mid-America Trucking Show, Mack Trucks is well positioned for success as economic and market conditions improve. Today's Trucking has reported that Flaherty cited the strength of the Mack dealer network, growing demand for the company's natural gas trucks, the company's leadership position in export last year, and successful execution on military contracts as harbingers of future success.

DTNA CEO Daum Wows HDMA Breakfast and Briefing Audience at MATS

Louisville, KY – Friday, March 26, 2010 - Since his summer of 2009 arrival on the scene as CEO of Daimler Trucks North America, Martin Daum’s charming personality has been somewhat of a well kept secret in our industry. Appearing in front of a crowd of over 550 supplier executives, Daum revealed a serious, but fun personality. This is not to say that he did a comedy act, but Daum portrayed the industry in a different light than many had expected.

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