Drive to Make Freight Shipments More Efficient Places New Spotlight on Chassis Management
A generation ago, railroad clerks used four words — “your pig is here” — to inform truckers that an intermodal trailer shipment had arrived and was ready for pickup.
June 7, 2010ATA, Others Urge Action on Vehicle Technology Bill
American Trucking Associations and other business groups are urging the Senate to move forward with a bill that would create a research program to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy- and medium-duty trucks.
June 7, 2010April Truck Tonnage Swells 9.4%
Trucking tonnage grew 9.4% in April above year-ago levels, the strongest monthly gain in more than five years and another sign of solid economic recovery, American Trucking Associations reported last week.
June 7, 2010Nationwide Paint Shortage Threatens Projects to Stripe State, Local Road Lanes, Crosswalks
Paint manufacturers and suppliers are notifying contractors and transportation officials around the country that market forces and a scarcity of raw materials are causing shortages of white and yellow road paint used to mark highway lanes.
June 7, 2010Class 8 Registrations Rise in 1Q as Fleets Seek Out ’09 Engines
Registrations of new Class 8 trucks in the United States totaled 25,635 in the first quarter, a 2.5% increase from a year earlier, R.L. Polk & Co. reported.
June 7, 2010April Trailer Orders Rise 3%; Backlog Hits 20-Month High
April trailer orders rose 3% from 2009 levels, and the backlog at trailer factories working to fill those orders rose to its highest level in 20 months as demand for equipment continued to exceed build rates, ACT Research Co. reported.
June 7, 2010Inspectors Prepare for 2010 Roadcheck Despite Budget Shortfalls, Staffing Cuts
Despite lean budgets and staff cuts because of the recession, more than 9,000 state, federal and provincial law enforcement officers are expected to be deployed at 1,500 locations across North America to inspect commercial trucks and buses during the annual Roadcheck event from June 8-10.
June 7, 2010Diesel Declines 4.1¢ to $2.98
The average price of retail diesel fuel in the country dropped for the third straight week, this time by 4.1 cents a gallon to $2.98, the Department of Energy reported, bringing the price of trucking’s main fuel below $3 for the first time since late March.
June 7, 2010Obama, Biden Visit Maryland Truck Dealership
President Obama and Vice President Biden toured an International Trucks dealership in Maryland Friday following the release of the government’s monthly jobs report.
June 4, 2010Court Lets Calif. Reefer Rule Stand
A federal court denied an American Trucking Associations petition requesting that the full court reconsider a three-judge panel’s previous decision that let California’s “reefer retrofit” rule stand.
June 4, 2010