Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/303000
JOURNAL NEWS 8 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | MAY 2014 t FTR's monthly Trucking Conditions Index fell in February to a read- ing of 7.54, a slight drop from January'. FTR said when adjusted to account for winter weather in February, the index would be above 10, which would indicate the tightest truck market on record. FTR predicts a positive freight environment for the rest of the year due to rising ship- per demand and capacity constraints caused by regulatory drag. t 1SFMJNJOBSZ$MBTTUSVDLOFUPSEFST for March totaled 27,139 units, concluding the best four-month period since 2006, and first- quarter 2014 orders were 35 percent above the same 2013 period, research firm FTR reported. ACT Research reported March's Class 8 orders totaled 27,400 units, the lowest total since November but still the sixth-best month since 2006. t The "NFSJDBO 5SBOTQPSUBUJPO 3FTFBSDI *OTUJUVUF is seeking input for two separate studies on the impacts of the hours-of-service rule and detention time. ATRI will use the HOS feedback for its third study on the hours rule implemented last July, while the detention time survey will evaluate the impact shippers and receivers may have on drivers' safety, productivity and hours compliance. Go to www.atri-online.org. t 5IF/BUJPOBM5SBOTQPSUBUJPO4BGFUZ#PBSE is investigating an April 10 accident near Orland, Calif., involving a FedEx Freight tractor- trailer that crossed the Interstate 5 median and crashed into a charter bus of high school students, killing 10 – including the drivers of both vehicles – and injuring at least 30. FedEx said the company is cooperat- ing fully with the investigation. t 5IF'FEFSBM.PUPS$BSSJFS4BGFUZ"ENJOJTUSBUJPOshut down Forest Hill, Texas-based FTW Transport for violations related to hours- of-service compliance and drug and alcohol regulations. The agency said the company in the past 12 months had been involved in five crashes that could have been prevented, and in two of them, FTW driv- ers were cited for careless driving. t 5IF5SVDLMPBE$BSSJFST"TTPDJBUJPO recognized MacKinnon Transport Inc., of Guelph, Ontario, and Bison Transport of Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the grand prize winners of its 38th annual National Fleet Safety Awards, sponsored by Great West Casualty Co. MacKinnon won in the small carrier division (total annual mileage of less than 25 million miles), while Bison Transport won in the large carrier division (total annual mileage of 25 million or more miles). t 5IF5$"board elected Shepard Dunn, president and chief executive officer of Bestway Express Inc. of Vincennes, Ind., as its 2014-15 chairman. INBRIEF 5/14 Text INFO to or visit XXXDDKEJHJUBMDPNJOGP