Transport Topics Magazine
Heavy-duty U.S. truck sales continued their robust expansion in November, jumping 77 percent from the same month in 2010 and surging past the 57.7 percent growth rate for the year’s first 11 months, according to a Dec. 12 report from WardsAuto.com.
Original equipment manufacturers and their dealers sold 17,020 Class 8 trucks last month, up from 9,614 the previous November, Ward’s said. The year-to-date tally has soared to 150,419 vehicles from 95,410 the same period in 2010. Monthly sales topped the 17,000 mark for the second straight month, a feat last accomplished in January 2007.
Reuters
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is not the only person who thinks a tie-up between U.S. heavy truck makers Navistar International Corp. and Oshkosh Corp. might make sense.
So does Dan Ustian, Navistar's chief executive, though he contends he had the idea before the activist investor took 10 percent stakes in the two companies.
FleetOwner.com
“While the headwinds remain strong going into 2012, there are indications the economy and the housing market are gaining ground, albeit slowly. All told, though, next year will be another bumpy ride.” –Frank Nothaft, vice president and chief economist, Freddie Mac.
While there’s no doubt been a spate of good economic news of late, chronicled adeptly by my esteemed colleague David Cullen last week, the outlook for 2012 still remains cloudy at best due to a variety of factors – meaning that freight carriers will need to stay on their toes as the New Year approaches.
Transport Topics Magazine
YRC Worldwide said late Thursday it has sold “a significant portion” of the assets of its truckload unit YRC Glen Moore to truckload carrier Celadon Group.
YRC Glen Moore unit lost $10.3 million through the first three quarters of 2011, with a 113.4 operating ratio. Sales totaled $76.7 million.
Truck Parts and Service Magazine
Meritor Inc. hosted a celebration in honor of its longest-serving employee, Loraine Simler, a sales representative in Meritor’s Aftermarket & Trailer division, who is retiring this month after 65 years with the company. Simler has been witness to and participated in many firsts, including becoming Meritor’s first-ever female manager in 1965 when she was named a buying manager.
She joined the company in 1946 when it was Timken Axle as a file clerk/typist. In 1953, she became a secretary in the purchasing department. It was a few years after that she became part of the company’s history. “I was the first person to use an electric typewriter at this company,” Simler says. “It made me a lot faster when it came to typing invoices. I also used the first computer here.”