FleetOwner.com
Truck manufacturers will experience “a big gap between order intake and actual build” for medium and heavy-duty trucks in 2011, according to Jim Hebe, Navistar sr. VP for North American operations.
Truck makers may see an increase in new truck orders beyond already strong numbers, “but they won’t get built because of capacity problems with the supply base,” Hebe said at a recent press briefing. “We can’t raise production much beyond where we are right now because of supply issues.”
E-trucker.com
Trucking analysts Noel Perry of FTR Associates and Peter Nesvold of Jefferies & Co. will deliver their insights and projections about the trucking industry during the Commercial Vehicle Outlook Conference Aug. 24-25 in Dallas.
They will discuss equipment sales, capacity, fuel prices, employment and freight trends at the conference which unfolds on the eve of the Great American Trucking Show Aug. 25-27 at the Dallas Convention Center.
WARRENVILLE, Ill. - Navistar Defense, LLC announced that it received a $183 million delivery order for 250 International® MaxxPro® Dash ambulances with DXM™ independent suspension. The order from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles falls under the company’s existing indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract and is Navistar’s ninth major MRAP variant.
“Survivability and mobility continue to be key capabilities required to help our warfighters complete their missions safely,” said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar Defense. “Medics face the same threats on the battlefield and we are proud to provide them with a vehicle that offers both MRAP level protection and independent suspension for off-road mobility.”
Dow Jones Business News
House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said that all deductions--including federal subsidies paid to the largest oil companies--should be on the table as part of a drive to overhaul the corporate tax code.
"As we get in to look at fundamental reform of the corporate tax code, this and every other issue ought to be considered," Boehner said at a weekly press conference, in answer to a question about whether or not the subsidies to major oil companies should be ended.
Transport Topics Magazine
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last week placed four new driver fatigue studies into its hours-of-service docket and said the studies probably would cause the agency to miss a court-imposed July 26 deadline for posting its final hours rule.
“We still plan to issue a final rule this year and are going to try desperately to meet the settlement agreement deadline, even though it’s looking less likely that we will do so,” said Larry Minor, FMCSA’s associate administrator for policy and program development.
Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine
FTR Associates' Shippers' Condition Index as reported in the firm's May Shippers Update fell significantly to a reading of -11.4, reflecting tightening capacity and accelerating transport costs. 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 recent sharp deterioration in the SCI reflects the twin pressures of tightening capacity and rising fuel surcharges," said Larry Gross, Senior Consultant for FTR. "Looking ahead, with the slower recent growth in the economy, we are expecting the SCI to begin to stabilize and would not be surprised to even see some modest improvement in the next few months. Such improvement would not, however, change our basic outlook for a difficult environment for shippers through the end of this year and well beyond."
MEMA recently confirmed that Environmental Protection Agency’s Karl Simon was added as one of the featured speakers at the upcoming MEMA Regulatory Affairs Committee (RAC) meeting on Monday, May 23, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Simon is the director of the Compliance and Innovative Strategies Division at the EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality and will be the first speaker. Simon will provide a general, informal update on EPA’s activities, particularly on emissions standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
Associated Press
Mining equipment maker Joy Global Inc. said Monday it will buy mining and oil and gas drilling equipment maker LeTourneau Technologies Inc. from Rowan Companies Inc. for $1.1 billion in cash.
LeTourneau designs, builds and supports equipment for the mining and oil and gas drilling industries and makes earthmoving equipment. Joy Global said its board and the Rowan board have approved the deal, and pending regulatory approval, it expects the sale to close within 60 days. Joy Global said the purchase will add to its profit this year excluding transaction costs and an accounting charge.
Fleet Maintenance Magazine
Meritor, Inc., Troy, Michigan and Pressure Systems International, San Antonio, TX have announced the renewal of their strategic alliance covering the distribution of the Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI in North America. MTIS by PSI is the leading automatic tire inflation system in North America with over 350,000 units sold.
Under terms of the agreement, Meritor remains the exclusive distributor of MTIS by PSI for the commercial semi-trailer market and aftermarket in North America, selling a complete line-up of kits for new or retrofit installations. Pressure Systems International retains all responsibility for design and manufacture of the system, which includes ThermAlert technology, a high temperature notification system available on all MTIS by PSI kits.