Gustav hasn’t stopped oil prices from falling
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
Despite worries that Hurricane Gustav would wreak havoc to Gulf of Mexico refineries and oil supplies, the price of crude oil actually dropped from $115.46 per barrel on August 29th to $109.71 yesterday, and is selling for $108.29 a barrel today, CNNMoney.com reported...
The future of emissions regulations and technologies
By Wendy Leavitt, director of editorial development
FleetOwner recently spoke with Dr. Walter G. Copan, executive vp of American operations & CTO for Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc., about the rapidly changing world of emissions control and regulation...
Arkansas offers real-time drug test results
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
Nearly eight months after its creation, Arkansas’ one-of-a-kind online alcohol and drug test database for commercial truck drivers is getting positive feedback – and it’s being looked at as a possible model for developing a similar system for tracking alcohol and drug test results on a national basis...
DEF infrastructure in good shape
By Brian Straight, managing editor
With all the major manufacturers now settled on their engine solutions for 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) compliance, the focus is shifting to the infrastructure for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) distribution...
Arvin Meritor opens new axle plant
By Jim Mele, Editor-in-Chief
Monterrey, Mexico. As part of its new focus on commercial vehicles, component builder ArvinMeritor officially opened a 40,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility here today. The company’s first all-new manufacturing plant in 19 years, it went from a green field to a working facility in just nine months...
Hybrids serve New York City’s hungry
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
The latest hybrid technology is finding its way to the streets of New York, as City Harvest—which collects excess food and delivers it for free throughout the five boroughs—has purchased four DuraStar Hybrid trucks from Penske Truck Leasing...
Michelin rolls out new wide-base tire
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
The new X One XDN2 wide-base on-highway drive tire introduced by Michelin Americas Truck Tires at the Great American Truck Show last week aims to be an all-in-one solution for truckers – providing optimum fuel efficiency, long life, and improved traction...
Volvo unveils fuel program for fleets
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
To help its customers maximize fuel economy over the life of their equipment, Volvo Trucks North America is rolling out a far-reaching program called Fuelwatch that encompasses everything from spec’ing and maintenance to driver training and fuel efficiency analysis.
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Down the road
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
DALLAS, TX – If anyone is supposed to have a crystal ball in the truck manufacturing business, it’s Tony McQuary, senior director of strategic business planning for Peterbilt Motors Co. It’s his job to look down the road one, three, five, even 10 years and figure out what customers are going to need from their trucks – even if customers themselves don’t know what they’ll need...
Traffic fatalities down 4%, DOT says
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
According to a report released by the Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities on U.S. roadways fell 3.9% in 2007, reaching the lowest total in more than a decade and the lowest fatality rate on record...
Diesel fuel prices drop an additional 14 cents
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
The average diesel price in the U.S. decreased fourteen cents to $4.21 for the week of August 18, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This marks the fourth consecutive week prices fell at least a dime, as the average price of a gallon of diesel dropped $0.51 during that time span...
New analysis highlights rear-end crash causes
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
Rear-end crashes are one of the most common claims for most fleet operations, whether comprised of light, medium, or heavy-duty vehicles, yet the cure for this issue remains relatively simple: increase the following distances between vehicles on the highway...
Fewer Class 8 owners expect to buy trucks
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Heavy-Duty Truck Customer Satisfaction Study, the percentage of Class 8 truck owners who say they will definitely buy or lease a new truck in the next 12 months has hit the lowest level since 2002...
Mack moving operations out of Allentown
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
Mack Trucks will undergo a major restructuring plan that includes moving its administrative headquarters and most support functions from Allentown, PA, to Greensboro, NC, as well as transferring assembly of all Mack highway vehicles from the Volvo New River Valley, VA, plant to the Mack plant in Macungie, PA...
Cummins to use SCR across the board in 2010
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
Cummins announced today it will add Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment to its heavy-duty product line to meet 2010 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) diesel-engine emissions regulations...
Wine fleet gets first Peterbilt hybrids
By Jim Mele, editor-in-chief
NAPA, CA. The first two production Peterbilt hybrid electric medium duty trucks were delivered today to VinLux Fine Wine Transport, a wine storage and expedited delivery business with a fleet of 35 delivery trucks operating throughout California. The two Peterbilt Model 335 hybrids are going into daily service in the San Francisco region...
Paid back: Aiding owner-operators on fuel
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
There is enough for owner-operators to worry about without having to keep a constant eye on what diesel prices are averaging. A number of carriers have programs in place to alleviate that concern through surcharge programs that pay a significant portion of contracted carriers’ fuel bills...
Manufacturing steady in July
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
According to the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) July Report on Business, economic activity in the manufacturing sector was unchanged during the month, although both new orders and inventories contracted, the group said...
Reports conflict about the future of freight
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
The latest freight data from the Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) and the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) both show slight growth, giving hope to those who feel trucking will soon begin somewhat of a rebound...
Trucking facing disconnects, says ATRI
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
NAPLES, FL – The trucking industry is facing a series of disconnects that could hamper its ability to handle projected growth in freight tonnage over the next decade, according to Dan Murray, vp of research with the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)...
Sterling shows new sleeper, 13L diesel, LNG truck
By Jim Mele, editor-in-chief
NAPA, CA. A mid-size integrated sleeper for regional haulers and the first public appearance of the Detroit Diesel DD13 engine topped new product announcements at a Sterling Truck Corp. press conference here yesterday. The work-truck subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) also introduced the first OEM-built natural gas heavy truck, the Sterling Set-Back 113, powered by the Cummins Westport ISL G...
Cross-border program extended two years
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
A highly controversial cross-border trucking demonstration project--which allows up to 100 Mexican carriers to operate beyond the U.S. border commercial zones and up to 100 U.S. carriers to operate throughout Mexico--has been extended for two years to the maximum three years allowed by statute as a pilot program...
Senate gets safety tax credit bill
By Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
Tax credits for a spate of trucking safety technologies will be debated when the U.S. Senate reconvenes in the fall, courtesy of a new bill introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) last week – one that mirrors a similar piece of legislation crafted for the U.S. House of Representatives in October of last year...
A year after I-35W collapse, bridges still need attention
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
A study released this week by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) reported that nearly 25% of the 600,000 bridges in the U.S. need to be modernized or repaired, with the bill for all renovations topping $140 billion...
Report on road conditions details progress
By Justin Carretta, online news editor
According to the Reason Foundation’s 17th Annual Report on the Performance of State Highway Systems, six of seven key performance indicators that measure total highway performance improved from 2005 to 2006...
