In today’s environment of environmentally conscience consumers, regulators and legislators, the PrePass system introduced to the State of Illinois back in 1998 has proven as an environmental and fiscal opportunity to truckers and their business.

Launched in California in 1995, PrePass is designed to enable qualified motor carriers to comply with weight, safety and credential requirements at highway speeds, the benefits being savings in fuel consumption as well as cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

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Road Transport conglomerate YRC Worldwide has signaled its intent to provide a substantial transportation platform in China by acquiring the Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Company, the desired outcome being to better support local customers and large multinational companies based in China.

The Kansas based parent company of such brands as  YRC Logistics, Yellow Transportation and Roadway, entered into an agreement with the Shanghai Jiayu Logistics Company (SJLC) back in December of 2007, prior to the present purchase of sixty-five percent of SJLC stock.  The remainder of SJLC’s stock is set to be purchased by YRC Worldwide in 2010, subject to Chinese company’s 2008-2009 financial performance.

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A nationwide truck strike backed by two Queensland based industry groups which started back in late July, failed a matter of days later amongst  a disjointed industry and internal and external pressure not to proceed.

According to the Australian Trucking Association, a group not supporting industrial action, the strike failed because "Australia’s truck drivers recognised that going on strike would not fix the issues facing our industry," but that there was "enormous frustration" lingering within the industry.

Responding to enquiries from Freightscene.com, the Federal Member for Forrest, Ms Nola Marino MP, remarked that the industry faces numerous challenges on several fronts going forward, and that fuel costs, impending legislation as well as a skills shortage would all provide challenges that need to be addressed.

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A demonstration project currently underway involving truck transportation between the United States and Mexico has received a boost today with the announcement that the project will be extended for an additional two years.

The project which is aimed at implementing certain trucking provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement was, according to John Hill of the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, suffering with a lack of participation, mainly due to limitations in the demonstration projects allotted time frame.

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The Montana State hospital, after urging from Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, is set to receive and operate a purely electric powered truck, supplied by California manufacturer ZAP.

The vehicle, part of ZAP’s electric vehicle lineup, was purchased by the state after Governor Schweitzer had first seen a similar vehicle during a fourth of July Parade.  The purchase being in line with the governor’s initiative which asks state agencies to reduce their fuel consumption by 20 percent by the year 2010.

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The trucking industry in Australia appears split over attempts by two of the industry’s representative organisations to organised a nationwide stoppage of truck transport.

The stoppage, which commenced this morning in Australia has been organised by the Queensland based National Road Transport Forum and Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association in response to increased fuel prices and proposed legislation by Australia’s Labor government which would see a raft of new charges imposed on the industry.(*)

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Some three weeks since truckers first reported to authorities that their rigs had been hit by by a what appears to be shots from a high powered rifle on a stretch of Interstate 95, in St Johns County Florida, authorities continue with their investigation into the shootings.

Communicating with Freightscene.com, Sergeant Chuck Mulligan from the St John’s County Sheriff’s Office said that there had been several interviews conducted as a result of information received in the case, however at present, according to Sergeant Mulligan, there is not enough evidence to name a suspect in the case.

Freightscene.com also understands that investigators continue to follow up on any information that is received regarding the shootings.  Once again,  any person with information relevant to the Interstate 95 shootings should call the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office on 904-824-8304.

Source: St Johns County Sheriff’s Office                                                        With thanks to Sergeant Chuck Mulligan

United States based trucking group, YRC North American Transportation has announced that three of its operating companies, Yellow Transportation, Roadway and USF Holland, have implemented changes that see the reduction of transit times on over 30,000 transport lanes.

According to a statement made by the company in a press release, the faster and more reliable lanes are part of service enhancements made by the three companies, with the aim of optimising their network and allowing YRC to improve service by at least one day for more than 15 percent of its shipments.

President and CEO of YRC North American Transportation, Mike Smid, commenting on the improvements explained that the network enhancements had been made possible by "designing networks with fewer miles" as well as having the "the lanes involve fewer handoff’s" as this means "faster and more reliable deliveries".

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The Government of Canada has released a report into the use of speed limiters on trucks, with the outcomes being a reported reduction in the consumption of diesel fuel as well as showing positive environmental outcomes.

A proposed speed limit of 105 Kilometres per hour for trucks in Canada has long been been endorsed by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, and now that the report(*), initiated by Transport Canada, has indicated additional benefits, provincial and territorial authorities in Canada, who have jurisdiction over road use and after-market additions to motor vehicles, may come under pressure forgo at least some of that responsibility.

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Global express delivery company TNT has announced the commencement of a scheduled road throughout its six-nation road network in Asia.  The network, which is based out of china stretches out and across 5,000 km with stops in over 125 cities in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Laos.

Connecting to TNT’s international express network at Nanning, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, TNT’s Asia Road Network also enables connections to within the Chinese domestic network. 

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