January 12, 2012

Resources

ACT: Class 8 Demand Remains Strong Despite Lackluster Economic Forecasts

Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine
ACT Research expects the pace of U.S. economic activity to operate at a rate of around 2 percent in 2012, according to the January issue of the ACT North American Commercial Vehicle OUTLOOK, published by ACT.

"A wide range of U.S. economic data reported in the last few weeks have been stronger than consensus expectations. However, they are incidental to underlying trends, as the fundamental factors affecting economic growth remain largely unchanged," says Sam Kahan, ACT's chief economist. "We do believe that the heavy-duty truck market will continue to benefit from healthy trucker profits and rising used truck values."

Daimler Adding Shift at N.C. Freightliner Plant; Will Hire 1,100 Workers This Year

Daimler Trucks North America officials said they will be adding a second shift to the company’s heavy-duty truck plant in Cleveland, N.C., adding 1,100 jobs over the course of this year.

The expansion, which is designed to meet increasing orders for DTNA’s Freightliner brand, the largest in North America, will expand employment at the plant by 72 percent.

Engine Casting Capacity Shrank In Recession, Foundries Say

Transport Topics Magazine
While heavy-duty truck makers said last week that they do not share Navistar International’s assessment that engine castings are in short supply, foundry executives said the recession eliminated industry capacity and problems could become more noticeable if demand for metal parts continues to rise.

Spokesmen for Daimler Trucks, Paccar Inc. and Volvo Group — Navistar’s heavy-duty North American competitors — all said they faced no shortage of engine parts machined from foundry castings.

FleetPride Announces Growth Oriented Promotions of Pete Pasdach and Mike Paxton

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – FleetPride, one of the nation's largest independent aftermarket distributors of heavy-duty truck and trailer parts, has announced two senior level promotions.

Mike Paxton moves from vice president of business development and strategic planning to vice president of mergers and acquisitions. Paxton's focus will be coordinating all resources required to execute growth through acquisitions, as well as the opening of greenfield locations in select markets.

Schneider National To Purchase More Than 2,500 Collision Safety Systems

TROY, Mich. – Meritor WABCO announced today that Schneider National, a premier provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services, has selected the OnGuard Collision Safety System as standard equipment for all new Class 8 commercial vehicles within its fleet.

OnGuard is the first “always on” collision mitigation system. It provides vehicles with an active braking system regardless if the cruise control is engaged. Meritor WABCO’s SmartTrac Stability Control System is also standard equipment on Schneider-owned vehicles.

Ceridian-UCLA Trucking Index Points to Healthy First of 2012

Truckinginfo.com
The fuel-purchase-based Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index (PCI), rose 0.2 percent in December after a 0.1 percent increase in November and a 1.1 percent increase in October.

Despite the three consecutive months in positive territory, the modest gains weren't enough to offset weakness felt over the past six months.

Shippers Conditions Index Declines in November

Truck Parts and Service Magazine
FTR Associates’ Shippers Conditions Index for November dropped 2.5 points from the previous month to a reading of -6.1, reflecting seasonal tightening of shipping capacity.

The SCI sums up all market influences that affect shippers; a reading above zero suggests a favorable shipping environment, while a reading below zero is unfavorable.

The Global Commercial Vehicle Industry Outlook - Still Time to Register

Heavy Duty Dialogue ’12 - The Global Commercial Vehicle Industry Outlook January 23, 2012, The Mirage, Las Vegas, Nevada. Still Time to Register! Register TODAY! www.hdma.org

Heavy Duty Dialogue ‘12’s outstanding program will address several strategic areas within the Commercial Vehicle Industry. Topics to be discussed include the Global Economic Landscape, Considerations for Manufacturing Near-Shoring, the Global and North American Truck and Trailer Outlook for OEM and Aftermarket, the Global Off-Highway Vehicle Outlook, an update on major legislative and regulatory issues in the US and abroad, as well as a perspective on doing business in major emerging markets.

PACCAR Begins Construction of DAF Factory in Brazil

India Automobile News
PACCAR held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new DAF assembly plant in Ponta Grossa, Brasil on January 9, 2012. The ceremony, led by Mark Pigott, PACCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Parana Governor Beto Richa, was attended by state and local officials, supplier partners, key transport companies and other business and educational leaders.

"This new DAF assembly facility is a strategically important development for PACCAR," said Mark Pigott. "The $200 million facility will consist of a 300,000-square-foot assembly plant on a 569-acre site in the city of Ponta Grossa, in the State of Parana. Construction will begin immediately and is due to be completed in 2013. Ponta Grossa has an excellent workforce and proximity to strategic supplier partners and the port of Paranagua," added Pigott. The high-technology and environmentally friendly facility is designed to assemble the premium quality DAF XF, CF and LF vehicles and the industry-leading PACCAR MX engine. It will produce DAF trucks for Brasil and the entire Latin American market. The DAF trucks will be distributed through a network of independent DAF dealers.

Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week ’12 Experiences Record Breaking Exhibitor Registration

ORLAND PARK, IL – December 15, 2011 – Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) organizers report strong response from a record number of exhibiting suppliers, with over 380 HDAW Product Expo exhibit spaces reserved at this point of registration, an increase of 20 percent the same period in 2011 for the 2012 conference. HDAW ‘12 will be held Monday, Jan. 23 -Thursday, Jan. 26 at the Mirage in Las Vegas, Nevada. Numbers from HDAW’11 were surpassed when stats showed a 15% increase in participation for HDAW’12, in part due to the registration of 40 new distributor personnel for 2012.

Trends to Watch in 2012: Economy and Business

Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine – Truckinginfo.com
A recent survey by GE Capital of mid-market chief financial officers showed that transportation CFOs, while less optimistic about the U.S. economy and the global economy than their counterparts, are one of the more optimistic groups of CFOs when it comes to the state of their own industry.

These CFOs expect revenues and profit margins to rise. At the same time, they expect energy and other costs to increase. Fuel price volatility, safety, and recruiting and retaining quality drivers are their top concerns.

Experts Predict More Mergers as Trucking’s Fortunes Improve

Transport Topics Magazine
Trucking industry mergers and acquisitions are expected to surge this year because of factors such as tight capacity and eager private-equity buyers, several industry experts have said.

Some analysts predicted transactions could double or even triple this year, compared with 2011, and they said that many deals are aimed at acquiring drivers or new business, rather than equipment.

Navistar Defense to Provide $880M in Upgrades for MRAP Vehicle Fleet

India Automobile News
New Delhi, Jan. 10 -- Navistar Defense, LLC received a $880 million delivery order today to upgrade 2,717 International MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The order from the U.S. Marine Corps System Command calls for MaxxPro units to be upgraded with the company's rolling chassis solution. The award also includes engineering changes, supplies and services.

"As Defense budgets are being reduced, it is imperative that we continue to develop economical solutions that repurpose assets while also working to ensure warfighters have access to emerging technologies and capabilities," said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar Defense. "Our rolling chassis solution allows us to leverage our unique vehicle design and replace an older chassis with a new, highly mobile independent suspension chassis. During all this we keep the armored capsule intact while creating commonality through the entire MaxxPro fleet."

Dover Corp sells Heil Trailer

Trailer/Body Builders
Heil Trailer International, a global manufacturer of cargo tank and specialty trailers has been sold to American Industrial Partners, a middle market private equity firm.

The deal is valued at approximately $220-million deal.

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