Transport Topics Magazine
New Class 8 truck orders in North America jumped more than 200% in February to about 24,000 units, the fourth month in a row of 24,000 orders or more, market researchers ACT Research Co. and FTR Associates said in separate reports.
“A cyclical recovery is definitely underway, as demonstrated by yet another month of very strong orders,” Roy Wiley, spokesman for Navistar Inc., which builds International trucks, told Transport Topics.
Transport Topics Magazine
The increase in Class 8 truck demand that began late last year has some component makers scrambling to meet the sudden surge, and one analyst warned the supply problem could get worse if orders grow as expected.
Most suppliers also raised their prices because the demand surge hit at the same time as a rapid rise in commodity prices.
Transport Topics Magazine
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has begun sending an initial batch of 23,000 Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program warning letters to fleets as the agency begins concrete interventions in its new program.
Over the next several months, a total of at least 50,000 warning letters will be sent, Boyd Stephenson, manager of safety and security for American Trucking Associations, told Transport Topics.
Warning letters advise carriers that their performance merited “alert” status by falling below acceptable levels on at least one of CSA’s Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs.
Those BASICs, such as unsafe or fatigued driving, form the statistical heart of CSA’s safety measurement system, which assigns a percentage ranking on each BASIC and establishes thresholds. Warning letters are sent when threshold levels are exceeded.
Transport Topics Magazine
WASHINGTON — American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves said the next long-term transportation funding bill may not pass until after the 2012 elections.
Speaking to the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials here March 2, Graves said there’s no consensus in Congress, no money and no priority for a new bill.
Truckinginfo.com
Midwest Wheel Companies of Des Moines, Iowa, celebrated its 100th anniversary on March 1, 2011.
Founded in 1911 by Fred Prior and George Koons, Midwest Wheel Companies was the first rubber vulcanizer west of the Mississippi. In the early days, the company specialized in rebuilding and repairing solid rubber tires and wooden wheels crafted of hickory.
Research Triangle Park, NC - More than 120 participants representing the motor vehicle parts supplier industry were in the nation’s capitol to discuss vital industry issues with elected officials and regulators as part of the annual MEMA Legislative Summit. The event opened on March 2 and concluded on March 3.
More than 100 congressional meetings were scheduled. Attendees included members of MEMA’s affiliate associations: Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association (MERA) and Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA).