FMCSA Shuts Down Tennessee Trucking Outfit

Tennessee Trucking: Although a new study raises doubts about the reliability of CSA scores, those scores increasingly help federal regulators shut down unsafe trucking companies. Last week the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered motor carrier Three Angel Farms out of service, citing, among other criteria, high CSA scores. The…

DTNA/Freightliner Welcomes by Women In Trucking as Gold Level Partner

Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Freightliner Trucks have jointly joined the Women In Trucking (WIT) Assn. as a Gold Level Partner. As a long-time corporate member, DTNA and Freightliner are increasing their support to the highest level of commitment to the organization. “Daimler Trucks North America encourages workplace diversity…

Amendment seeks to curtail EPA oversight of fuel standards

Yesterday, June 27, the U.S. House appropriations committee may consider an amendment to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency EPA from regulating fuel and emission standards in trucks manufactured after model year 2016. The full committee is scheduled to meet for markup of its funding bill for the interior, environment and…

ACT Research: Trailer orders soften

ACT Research has reported that trailer orders softened in May, but the decline came as no surprise as May orders have fallen below April volumes in 10 of the past 12 years. The industry researcher said the sharp decline of 23% month-over-month, however, is indicative of a soft patch in…

NAFTA surface trade hit record high in March

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico was 6.2 percent higher in March than in March 2011, totaling $85.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation. March was the highest…

Four private fleet drivers inducted into PMTC Hall of Fame

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) has inducted four drivers into its Hall of Fame during its annual conference in King City yesterday. The Hall of Fame – found online at www.pmtc.ca –is sponsored by Huron Services Group and recognizes superior over the road performance by drivers whose…

Mack partners with community to open Mack Truck Stop

As a result of a partnership with multiple organizations in Lehigh Valley, Pa., a Titan by Mack now greets visitors to the Levitt Pavilion at SteelStacks, an arts and cultural center and the former site of Bethlehem Steel. Mack partnered with ArtsQuest, which manages the Levitt Pavilion, and the Lehigh…

Arkansas Best Corporation Closes on Acquisition of Premium Logistics Company Panther Expedited Services, Inc.

Arkansas Best Corporation (ABFS), a leading provider of freight transportation and logistics solutions, today announced it closed on the previously announced purchase of Panther Expedited Services, Inc. (“Panther”), from Fenway Partners LLC, for approximately $180 million, adding that all of Panther’s outstanding debt has been repaid. The $100 million term…

The FTR Shippers Conditions Index

FTR Associates on Wednesday, June 13, announced that its Shippers Conditions Index for April basically was unchanged from the previous month with a moderately negative reading of -5.4. The SCI sums up all market influences that affect shippers; a reading above zero suggests a favorable shipping environment, while a reading…

Allied Systems Holdings files for Chapter 11

Automotive transportation provider Allied Systems Holdings on Sunday, June 10, announced that the company has implemented a financial restructuring through Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code as part of its plan to eliminate debt and strengthen its balance sheet. The company said it will continue normal operations in the…

Trucking conditions Improvement 2012

FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) for April moved significantly higher from the previous month, climbing 2.7 points to a favourable reading of 9.1. The TCI is a compilation of factors affecting trucking companies. Any reading above zero indicates a positive environment for truckers with readings above 10 a sign that…

East Coast Truckers vie for Spot in Nationals on Home Turf

Professional drivers from the East Coast Atlantic provinces competed last weekend to earn a spot in the National Professional Truck Driving Championships, which this year will be hosted by their home association. Winners in the provincial competition included: Roy Mattinson, Roy Mattinson and Sons, two-axle; Steve MacPhee, Day & Ross…

FMCSA REPORTS GIVES CONGRESS REPORT ON CARRIER SAFETY

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has informed Congress that implementing the Carrier Safety Measurement System resulted in more carriers categorized as mandatory for investigation than using SafeStat. FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro summarized the agency’s 2011 fiscal year record for compliance reviews on high-risk carriers in her March 30 letter…

Truck Replacement Program Expanded by Tacoma Port

The Port of Tacoma announced new eligibility criteria to allow more diesel engine trucks to qualify for a voluntary program offering truck owners a financial incentive to purchase newer lower-emissions trucks to improve regional air quality. The broader criteria aim to increase participation and help truck owners meet the Port…

Equipment financing index up 20% in April

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association on Wednesday, May 23, announced that its Monthly Leasing and Finance Index, which reports economic activity for the $628 billion equipment finance sector, showed overall new business volume for April was $6.1 billion, up 20 percent from volume of $5.1 billion in the same…

Diesel engine has a place in the clean energy future

Clean Energy: Although alternative power is a hot topic in the transportation industry these days, diesel engines still have much to contribute to the clean and efficient energy future, according to Andreas Hoyler, manager engine lab and emissions, diesel systems in North America for Robert Bosch, LLC. Fleet Owner recently…

Positive reaction to stability-control proposal (NHTSA)

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Announcment: Back in 2010, Con-way Freight ordered 1,300 Freightliner tractors equipped with Meritor Wabco’s Roll Stability Control system. That order followed Con-way’s participating in a test program in 2009 in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the University of Michigan Transportation…