Panel Sees New Trends in Lighter Trucks

ANAHEIM, Calif. — New truck technologies and tax benefits are two of several trends evident in the light- and medium-duty commercial truck market, a panel of suppliers said Sept. 23.

Speaking at the International Trucking Show here, several panelists said that the upcoming changes in diesel engine emissions in 2007, although a major concern for heavy-duty truck fleets, may also affect medium-duty truck buyers over the next several years.

Rod Morris, general manager of Ryder System's Los Angeles region, said the company had already reserved assembly line slots at truck manufacturers in 2005 and 2006, but was taking a wait-and-see attitude for 2007.

The concern, Morris said, was that no one knows now how the trucks will perform with the new emissions controls equipment required to meet toughened federal regulations going into effect in 2007.

"For us to go out and buy 8,500 to 10,000 trucks, if it goes wrong once, it goes wrong 10,000 times," he said.

Ryder System ranked No. 5 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of the top U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.

The session was sponsored by Light & Medium Truck, a Transport Topics Publishing Group publication.

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