May 9, 2011

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FTR Reports 32 Percent Order Surge April vs March ‘11

Truck Parts and Service Magazine
FTR Associates has released preliminary data showing April Class 8 truck total net orders for all major North American OEM’s at 37,922, a 32 percent increase over March. FTR reports April preliminary orders continue the trend of significant month-over-month increases. March orders were 20 percent above February with the annualized rate for the past three months now at 362,700 units. The figure includes U.S., Canada, Mexico and Exports.

HDMA Applauds Introduction of Commercial Vehicle Safety Technology Bill

Research Triangle Park, NC - MEMA and HDMA strongly support a bill introduced by Reps. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) on May 4 which provides a tax credit for commercial vehicle owners to purchase and install specific advanced safety.

Wabash National Swings to First-Quarter Profit

Transport Topics Magazine
Trailer manufacturer Wabash National Corp. reported a first-quarter profit on improved sales, turning around a loss from a year ago.

Net income was $3.2 million, or 5 cents a share, compared with a loss of $139.1 million, or $4.64, a year ago. Sales almost tripled, rising to $222 million, from $78 million.

Mack Hagerstown Plant Celebrates 50 Years of Powertrain Assembly

Fleet Maintenance Magazine
In a ceremony today at the plant in Hagerstown, MD, where its powertrain components have been assembled since 1961, Mack Trucks, Inc. paid tribute to the past, celebrated the present and cast a positive eye to the future.

In 1959, looking for a modern alternative to its existing engine, transmission and carrier facility in Plainfield, NJ, Mack decided to invest $45 million in a new one million square foot plant on 280 acres in Hagerstown. With construction complete, the first Mack engine rolled off the assembly line in 1961. As the company’s products have become more advanced over the years, so have the capabilities of the Hagerstown plant, thanks to continued investment and a commitment to excellence.

Nelson Global Products Ready to Serve Global Customers

Truckinginfo.com
Nelson Global Products is back in business with a new name and a mission to serve OEM and aftermarket customers around the world with products supporting the thermal requirements of complex diesel emissions systems.

Nelson Global Products, formerly named Global Tube, bought Cummins' commercial vehicle exhaust business in January, allowing Cummins Emissions Solutions to focus on products critical to Cummins' growth strategy.

Cummins Center of Excellence Opens in Houston

Truck Parts and Service Magazine
Cummins Inc. announced the Cummins Oil and Gas Center of Excellence, a business launched to serve the needs of its growing oil and gas customer base. The Houston land-based center is located in a primary hub of engineering and technology for the oil and gas industry, and represents a significant investment by Cummins Inc. The Cummins Offshore Oil and Gas Center of Excellence is located in Singapore, geographically positioned in a global center of oil platform and shipbuilding and the home of related suppliers.

“The Cummins Oil and Gas Center of Excellence allows Cummins to expand our current product offering beyond the broad range of diesel and natural gas engines currently available to customers,” say Tom Linebarger, president and chief operating officer. “What makes our Center of Excellence business model unique is our ability to provide customers with a complete integrated product designed to meet their unique needs.”

ACT: Equipment Orders Still on a Roll, +158 Percent Y/Y

FleetOwner.com
Net orders for Class 8 trucks and commercial trailers remain on a roll as freight demand continues to exceed capacity, helping carriers generate cash for a long-overdue replacement of their aging fleets.

“The commercial trucking fleet is ancient as carriers went several years – four in the case of trailers – without replacing their equipment,” Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst with ACT Research Co., told Fleet Owner. “This frenzy we’re seeing in orders also reflects that carriers now have the necessary cash to buy equipment.”

Celadon Exec: Abrupt Capacity Shortage Threatens Trucking

Transport Topics Magazine
There could be an “instantaneous capacity shortage” in the United States this year or next because of a “perfect storm” fed by an aging, shrinking truck fleet and a lack of good drivers, said Paul Will, president and chief operating officer of Celadon Group.

The convergence of these economic storm fronts will “result in the tightest transportation market we’ve seen,” Will said May 4 in a keynote address at ALK Technologies’ annual summit.

Delaware Unveils State and Fed Funded Idle-Reduction Units at Rest Stop

Transport Topics Magazine
Delaware has opened its first truck parking spaces with idle-reduction equipment, its Department of Transportation said.

The technology installed at 24 parking spaces at the Smyra Rest Area “eliminates the need for drivers to idle their diesel engines,” DelDOT said in a statement announcing the April 19 unveiling.

Opinion: Transportation Infrastructure — A Pivotal Moment

Transportation for America via Transport Topics Magazine
This is a pivotal moment for our nation’s commitment to investing in transportation infrastructure. The Interstate Highway System has been built, but it no longer meets all our needs and is showing its age.

The next transportation bill must address the many challenges our nation is facing:

Cummins Takes QSK High-Horsepower Engine Range to Tier 4 Final

Truck Parts and Service Magazine
Cummins Inc. announced that the QSK high-horsepower engine range will move forward to meet EPA Tier 4 Final off-highway 2015 emissions with a combination of clean in-cylinder combustion and a new selective catalytic reduction clean exhaust system.

For most applications, the Tier 4 Final QSK engine and integrated SCR aftertreatment offer the installation simplicity of a drop-in replacement for the current QSK engine and exhaust muffler, with a similar size and equivalent noise reduction. Cummins says that while its Tier 4 Final technology achieves low emissions levels, it also reduces the overall cost of operation, with QSK fuel efficiency improved by 5 percent to 10 percent depending on the equipment duty cycle.

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