Business
Transport Topics business coverage focuses on the financial, economic, and commercial aspects of the modern freight business. Looking at both the microeconomic and macroeconomic forces shaping bottom lines, the news in this category includes labor news, jobs reports, tonnage and sales indicators, operations analysis, money and banking, mergers, acquisitions, e-commerce, bankruptcy, insurance issues, and more.
Automobile Sales Rise 18% in May
U.S. automobile and light truck sales rose 18% in May to 1.4 million vehicles, news services reported.
June 4, 2012Delphi to Buy FCI Group Unit
Truck and auto component maker Delphi Automotive has entered into exclusive talks to acquire a unit of FCI Group from Bain Capital for about 764 million euros ($958 million), Bloomberg reported.
June 4, 2012Roadcheck 2012 Begins Tuesday
About 10,000 federal, state, provincial and local truck and bus inspectors will fan out at more than 1,500 locations across North America Tuesday through Thursday for the annual “Roadcheck” inspections on commercial vehicles.
June 4, 2012Natural Gas Engines a Niche Product, Daum Says, and Daimler Has No Plans to Make Them
OXON HILL, Md. — Expressing some skepticism about the near-term strength of the market for natural-gas engines in heavy-duty trucks, Daimler Trucks’ chief U.S. executive said the truck maker will continue using Cummins Inc. engines rather than developing its own natural-gas power plants.
June 4, 2012Volkswagen Shuffles Execs; Changes Truck Chief
Volkswagen AG appointed a new trucks chief, added a top executive for China and replaced three Audi board members as part of a shakeup to push forward with growth plans, Bloomberg reported Monday.
June 4, 2012Oil Continues to Fall on Growth Concerns
Oil fell for a fifth trading day Monday, dropping more than $2 to just over $81 a barrel on concerns about economic growth in the U.S. and China, Bloomberg reported
June 4, 2012Opinion: Might as Well Adapt — EOBRs Are Here to Stay
Those in our industry can make whatever excuses they want for not using EOBRs. The bottom line is they haven’t wrapped their minds around how to make money legally. I mean, they might as well be bootlegging whiskey. It’s the same damn thing.
June 4, 2012Kenworth Begins Producing T680 Tractor, Completing 4-Year, $400 Million Investment
KIRKLAND, Wash. — Kenworth Truck Co. began production of its T680 at its Chillicothe, Ohio, truck factory late last month, company officials announced here.
June 4, 2012Shippers, Fleets Seek Competitive Edge by Tailoring More Services to Customers
When shippers search for the right carrier to transport their goods, price is often just one of their considerations, according to industry experts and trucking executives.
June 4, 2012Daimler Says New Cascadia Tops 9 MPG in Road Trials
OXON HILL, Md. — Daimler Trucks North America unveiled what will become its primary over-the-road heavy-duty tractor next year and said the new model — named the Cascadia Evolution — will be about 7% more fuel-efficient than its 2010 model.
June 4, 2012