Industry News
INDUSTRY NEWS
DETAILS OF PLAN TO RAISE TRUCK FUEL ECONOMY STILL UNCLEAR
After President Obama announced that the federal government would be crafting the first-ever fuel economy standards for large trucks, observers said it was still unclear exactly what those standards would entail. "We have the title of the book. We just don't know how the chapters are going to read," said Glen Kedzie, American Trucking Associations' environmental counsel. Obama's executive order calls for a standard to be set in time for the 2014 model year. The standard would, he said, "bring down the cost for transporting goods, serving businesses and consumers alike. It will reduce pollution, given that freight vehicles produce roughly one-fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions related to transportation." Obama directed the Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to issue a rule setting the fuel standard by July 2011. Dennis Slagle, president and CEO of Volvo Trucks North America and one of several truck and engine executives attending the White House announcement said that the order was "a good document but very conceptual at this stage." Slagle said that the industry would have appreciated a "breather" from new emissions standards. But he added that "we would rather be part of the process than wake up and find one day that a tablet has been handed to us." (Transport Topics, May 31, 2010)
index. The gain was the biggest year-to-year increase since January 2005. The index rose 0.9% in April from March, following a 0.4% increase, ATA said. ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the latest reading fits with a sustained economic recovery. "Truck tonnage volumes continue to improve at a solid, yet sustainable, rate. Tonnage is being boosted by robust manufacturing output and stronger retail sales," he said. Costello also said that "for most fleets, freight volumes feel better than reported tonnage because the supply situation, particularly in the truckload sector, is turning quickly." (Transport Topics, May 28, 2010)
FHWA LAUNCHES CONGESTION-TRACKING TOOL
The Federal Highway Administration said it has launched a tool that tracks traffic chokepoints based on data from trucks. The Freight Performance Measures tool is designed both to help carriers move goods more efficiently and to help local governments prioritize spending needs, FHWA said. FPM's Web-based tool, FPMweb, uses truck speeds from satellite data to measure congestion along significant freight routes. Users can access the tool at www.freightperformance.org. FHWA, which is part of the Department of Transportation, said it developed the system with the American Transportation Research Institute. (Transport Topics, May 26, 2010)
TRUCKERS OPPOSE MANDATE FOR BIODIESEL IN CANADA
Canadian truckers called on their federal government to junk its plan to implement a national 2% biodiesel mandate, saying that a government study found the cost of the mandate would be nearly five times greater than the benefit. The Canadian opposition relates to stalling the biodiesel industry in the United States over trucking's resistance and the lapse of a federal tax credit. (Transport Topics, May 24, 2010)
TRUCK TONNAGE SURGES 9.4%
Truck tonnage surged 7.5% in April from a year ago, the fifth straight year-to-year increase and the largest gain in more than five years, according to the American Trucking Associations. Tonnage has risen 6% this year compared with the same period in 2009, ATA said in its monthly seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage
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