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Trucking on for an Aid Charity

BELINDA Thorn is giving up her holiday to help an aid charity, but this is no fund-raising trek in an exotic location.

Belinda, from Elmswell, will be driving a 7.5 tonne truck across Europe to distribute everything from wheelchairs to school books and reading glasses to needy people in Kosovo.

The convoy has been organised by Hope and Aid Direct, which works with the Kosovan charity the Mother Theresa Society which advises on where the aid the convoys bring is most desperately needed.

The truck-driving volunteers then deliver it directly to the homes of those who need it.

Belinda, an administrator’s secretary at the trade union Unite, got into it because a friend she served with in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry had done it before.

“I’ll have a co-driver but the first time I’ll drive the truck will be when I drive out of the car park when we pick it up,” she said. “I’ve driven everything from tractors to a Ferrari, but I’ve not driven a truck.”

She is asking people who want to support the convoy to make donations at www.justgiving.com/belinda-thorn

She wants money not goods because Hope and Aid Direct keeps track of the constantly changing needs of the people it helps.

Belinda said: “Last week they needed wheelchairs and the week before it was coathangers.”

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Canadian carrier team for seamless North America service and U.S. Xpress

U.S. Xpress Enterprises and Canadian freight carrier Maritime-Ontario Freight Lines Ltd. (M-O) have partnered to launch a cross-border North American shipping solution. Through the partnership, each company will leverage its national network to move freight across the border and throughout each country, creating a seamless North American network covering the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The companies say their partnership comes as a response to customer demand for a one-stop direct carrier option with the geographic footprint, ease of access and capacity they need to take their freight safely across the border and to its final destination with no hassles, headaches or the need for third-party vendors.

Under terms of the agreement, M-O will carry the freight across the Canada-U.S. border crossing, and U.S. Xpress will be responsible for Mexico-U.S. Border crossings. The border crossings served through the partnership are Buffalo-Niagara and Detroit-Windsor. To ensure the security of the freight and facilities, M-O has completed the requirements and testing necessary to earn its C-TPAT certification in Canada and PIPS certification in the United States, and U.S. Xpress has been recognized as C-TPAT compliant.

“The bottom line here is that cross-border shipping is not easy, and there are not many good options available to carriers who want one point of contact,” said John White, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Chattanooga, Tenn.-based U.S. Xpress. “This service brings together two like-minded high-performing companies to give shippers the convenience and peace of mind that comes from dealing with one trusted carrier who can get their goods where they need to go safely and on time, effectively erasing the border and the issues associated with crossing it.”

The service has been designed to cover the widest possible range of needs and price points and will employ truckload, refrigerated, dedicated and some limited less-than-truckload options through team and solo arrangements. To take advantage of each company’s rail presence, intermodal services also will be used as appropriate. U.S. Xpress and M-O believe that the retail sector will generate the greatest demand for this service, along with pharmaceuticals, grocery and manufacturing.

“While many companies on both sides of the border claim to have an international presence, the extent of their reach is limited,” said Bill Henderson, Maritime-Ontario chief operating officer. “With our partnership, we will have more than just a few trucks over the border. Both companies offer best-in-class transportation solutions and are recognized premium brands in their respective countries. Needless to say, we believe this is a true game-changer for North American freight hauling.”

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Economic bellwethers that bode well for trucking

Data recently compiled and analyzed by experts on key segments of economic activity paint a positive picture of a economic recovery now on an upward trend that will benefit trucking as the year progresses.

For starters, the Institute for Supply Management(ISM) stated that its latest Report On Business (Manufacturing) indicates economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in July for the second time since July 2009— but the overall economy grew in July for the 38th consecutive month.

Interestingly, according to ISM, in July new manufacturing orders and inventories were contracting while manufacturing production and employment were growing.

“The PMI [Purchasing Managers Index]registered 49.8%, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from June’s reading of 49.7%, indicating contraction in the manufacturing sector for the second consecutive month, following 34 consecutive months of [manufacturing] expansion,” explained Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the ISMManufacturing Business Survey Committee.

“The New Orders Index registered 48%, an increase of 0.2 percentage point from June and indicating contraction in new orders for the second consecutive month, but at a slightly slower rate,” he continued,

“Both the Production Index and the Employment Index remained in growth territory, registering 51.3%and 52%, respectively,” Holcomb advised. “The Prices Index for raw materials registered 39.5%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points from the June reading of 37%, indicating lower prices on average for the third consecutive month.

Holcomb noted that of the 18 manufacturing industries surveyed, seven reported growth in July in the following order: Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Primary Metals; Petroleum & Coal Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Furniture & Related Products.

He said the11 industries reporting contraction in July, listed in order, were: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Textile Mills; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Printing & Related Support Activities; Paper Products; Machinery; and Computer & Electronic Products.

Turning to another pillar of trucking activity, construction spending in June climbed to a 2-1/2 year high as double-digit percentage increases in private residential and nonresidential construction “more than offset” an ongoing downturn in public construction, according to an analysis of new federal data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) trade group.

“The June [construction] spending gains come on top of upward revisions to May and April totals, reinforcing the notion that private construction is now growing consistently,” explained Ken Simon son, AGC’s chief economist. “Even more encouraging, the improvement is showing up in a wide range of residential and nonresidential categories.”

Simon son pointed out that total construction spending gained 0.4% in June and an impressive 7.0% year-over-year. He said private nonresidential spending rose for the fourth consecutive month and was 14% higher than it was in June 2011.

Residential construction increased 1.3% in June and a whopping 12% year-over-year, according to Simon son. He said this growth was driven by “new multifamily construction soaring 3.4% percent and 49%, respectively, and single-family homebuilding going up 3.0% and 19%.”

Simonson noted that “five of the eleven private nonresidential categories in the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly report registered double-digit percentage gains in spending from June 2011 to June 2012: power and energy construction (including oil and gas-related projects), 26%; hotels, 26%; manufacturing and educational, 19% apiece; and transportation (mainly trucking and rail facilities), 17%. There were also 7% year-over-year increases in health care, commercial (retail, warehouse and farm) and office construction.”

On the other hand, he said public construction spending “appears to have stabilized in recent months but the June 2012 total was 3.7% less than a year earlier. He added that only two of the Census Bureau’s 13 public categories posted year-over-year increases.

“Private nonresidential and multifamily construction should continue to grow in the second half of 2012 and beyond,” Simonson predicted.

“Single-family homebuilding also should top last year’s figures, although progress may not occur every month,” he continued.

“As a result,” Simonson summed up, “total construction spending in 2012 will be positive for the year for the first time since 2007– even though public construction will remain in the doldrums.”

Despite the upswing in construction spending this year, AGC CEO Stephen E. Sandherr did point out that the association remains concerned that “construction growth will remain unbalanced, however, unless lawmakers enact more funding for essential water, wastewater and other infrastructure projects.”

More good news for trucking—and the U.S. economy by extension– comes by way of the Summer Trucking Report just released by Ogden, UT-based TAB Bank. The bank stated that its study of the current state of trucking “shows broad signs of growth according to monthly truck tonnage, fuel costs, perceived business conditions, and invoice size. Historically,” TAB Bank noted, “trends in trucking and transportation serve as good indicators of the greater economy.”

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Reddaway Professional Drivers Win Truck Driving Competitions in Utah and Nevada

Two Reddaway professional drivers have won top honors for safe-driving skills in the states of Utah and Nevada. Joe Kwiatkowski placed first in the flatbed class at the Utah Truck Driving Championship. Scott Rideout placed first in the twin trailers class at the Nevada State Truck Driving Championship.Kwiatkowski and Rideout will go on to compete in the 2012 National Truck Driving Championships in Minneapolis on August 7-11.

Kwiatkowski has competed in the twin trailers and flatbed classes at state driving contests for the past six years. His win in the flatbed class qualifies him for his first-ever trip to nationals. A professional driver for over 22 years, Kwiatkowski has worked for Reddaway for 19 years. He has logged over one million consecutive safe-driving miles and 16 years without an accident. Kwiatkowski is a linehaul driver based at the Reddaway terminal in Saint George, Utah.

Rideout, who has worked for Reddaway for two years, has logged 875,000 consecutive safe-driving miles since beginning his driving career nine years ago. He is a linehaul driver at the Reddaway facility in Reno, Nev. and a member of the terminal’s safety committee.

Reddaway drivers are encouraged to use driving competitions as a way to sharpen their safe-driving skills. “Skilled, safety-committed drivers like Joe and Scott are what allow Reddaway to remain regional leaders in on-time, claim-free shipping. We are proud and thankful to have these superb service-minded professionals on our team,” said Dave Yonemoto, director of safety for Reddaway.

To qualify for the national championships, drivers must place first in their respective class at state competitions. Both the state and national competitions include challenging driving skills and maneuvering tests, a pre-trip inspection, and a written examination covering vehicle operation and federal safety regulations. To participate in the state competitions, drivers must be accident-free for one year.

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CSA revision process a start, serious flaws remain

In comments filed July 30, American Trucking Associations told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that while it supports the agency’s new process for improving its carrier oversight program Compliance, Safety, Accountability, the system still has serious deficiencies that must be corrected.

“ATA supports this new approach to making adjustments to the Safety Measurement System methodology,” ATA’s Vice President of Safety Policy Rob Abbott wrote. “Previously, FMCSA occasionally made changes to the methodology with no prior explanation or announcement.”

However, despite the more open process, Abbott said ATA still had significant concerns about the methodology — specifically the agency’s treatment of non-preventable crashes and the creation of a new category to exclusively measure hazardous materials safety.

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HR manager accused of taking $200k from Trucking company

A Lexington woman has been charged with taking more than $200,000 from the trucking company where she worked.

The State newspaper reported 39-year-old Lori M. Caldwell turned herself in to Lexington County sheriff’s deputies late last week.

Caldwell was charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent involving more than $10,000. She could be sentenced to 10 years in prison if she is convicted.

An arrest warrant says the human resources manager for Southeastern Freight Lines submitted false expense reports for more than four years.

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Celadon says 4Q profit up 63.6%

Celadon Group Inc. on Monday, July 30, said revenue for its 2012 fiscal fourth quarter ended June 30 increased 4.0 percent to $157.5 million from $151.2 million in the 2011 quarter. Freight revenue, which excludes fuel surcharges, increased 4.6 percent to $124.3 million from $118.8 million. Net income increased 63.6 percent to $9.0 million from $5.5 million.

For the fiscal year, revenue increased 5.4 percent to $599.0 million in 2012 from $568.2 million for the same period last year. Freight revenue increased 1.7 percent to $475.1 million from $467.0 million. Net income increased 67.8 percent to $25.5 million from $15.3 million.

“We are pleased with the results,” the Indianapolis-based company said. Fourth-quarter operating ratio, which represents operating expenses as a percent of revenue excluding fuel surcharge, was 87.2 percent compared to 90.9 percent. Operating ratio was reduced to 90.2 percent for the 2012 fiscal year compared with 93.4 percent for the 2011 fiscal year.

Celadon credited an increase of 4.1 percent in rates, a decrease in overall equipment costs and a decrease in operations and maintenance expense, which it attributed primarily to its decrease in average tractor age. Offsetting these improvements was a decline in miles per seated truck of about 4 percent from the prior year, most of which was the impact of improved freight selection, according to the company.

The company said that through a series of acquisitions made during the year, it has been able to increase its average seated count by about 7.2 percent, which provides the capacity to allow it to significantly increase miles as fleets continue to exit the market and for when the economic freight market improves.

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Marten Transport Ltd. Stock Downgraded

Marten Transport (Nasdaq:MRTN) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from buy to hold. The company’s strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its impressive record of earnings per share growth, compelling growth in net income and revenue growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself and poor profit margins.

MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD has improved earnings per share by 21.4% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. This trend suggests that the performance of the business is improving. During the past fiscal year, MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD increased its bottom line by earning $1.11 versus $0.90 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($1.32 versus $1.11).

The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Road & Rail industry average. The net income increased by 22.4% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $6.19 million to $7.58 million.

The gross profit margin for MARTEN TRANSPORT LTD is rather low; currently it is at 17.30%. Regardless of MRTN’s low profit margin, it has managed to increase from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, MRTN’s net profit margin of 4.80% is significantly lower than the same period one year prior. MRTN has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 17.94% from its price level of one year ago. Looking ahead, we do not see anything in this company’s numbers that would change the one-year trend. It was down over the last twelve months; and it could be down again in the next twelve. Naturally, a bull or bear market could sway the movement of this stock.

Marten Transport, Ltd. operates as a temperature-sensitive truckload carrier in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It offers protective service transportation and distribution of time and temperature sensitive materials and general commodities. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.3, above the average transportation industry P/E ratio of 14.1 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Marten Transport has a market cap of $383.8 million and is part of the services sector and transportation industry. Shares are down 5.1% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

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Mixed New-Truck Climate Did Not Affect Used-Truck Pricing

Used-truck pricing stayed high in June, even as new-truck orders fell, according to Chris Visser, senior analyst for American Truck Dealers Official Commercial Truck Guide.

In his Commercial Truck Blog, Visser reports that preliminary data indicates that used-truck pricing remained at a historically high level in June, despite steadily declining new-truck orders.

The ATD/NADA Commercial Truck Guide is predicting a modest increase in the average selling price of a sleeper tractor in June, up about 5% to 7% over May’s price of $48,026.

Visser attributes continued strength in the used market to an ongoing shortage of late-model, low-mileage trucks.

“Truck manufacturers can build as many new trucks as the market demands, but they can’t alleviate the shortage of late-model used trucks,” Visser said.

New truck orders have fallen for the last four out of five months, and are now at a level not seen since immediately before the rebound in late 2010, Visser said. However, new truck sales are still healthy, recovering from a dip early in 2012 to return to a level higher than all of last year save for December. Used truck sales per dealership took a steep dive in May, and preliminary June results indicate a very slight uptick that still leave the results in the “unusually low” category.

All this has not affected used-truck pricing to any noticeable extent, Visser said.

“There is one big reason for the disconnect in new vs. used truck market trends: Supply. The strength in used truck pricing since late 2009 is largely due to the low returning supply of 2008-2011 model year trucks, which has resulted in a shortage of late-model, low-mileage iron. There is no such shortage on the new side.”

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Injured Woman To be Paid by Trucking Company of $11.5 Million

A California court awarded $11.5 million to a woman who was injured by a piece of iron that flew off a flatbed in Sept., 2010.
The truck was operating for Selma-CA., -based Lion Raisins and was on highway 99.

The flatbed was carrying empty wooden bins held in place by cables. At one point, the load shifted and one of the iron corners from one of the bins flew off the trailer and into the windshield of a 2009 Acura, driven by Susan Reyes, who at the time was a 41-year-old teacher.

According to local media reports, her attorney said the verdict is one of the largest he can recall in 40 years of legal work.
Court heard that Reyes has no memory of the event and has lost her driver’s license and has been unable to continue her job as a special-assignment teacher.

The award was divided into money for past and future medical expenses, past and future earnings losses, and pain and suffering. The jury also awarded $350,000 to her husband, for damages.

In other recent big-money settlements, another Fresno woman was awarded $10.5 million in 2008 for brain injuries suffered after her car crashed with a dump truck whose driver later proved to be impaired.

And in 2010, two motorists who were seriously injured in a 2008 rear-end collision were awarded more than $9 million in damages.

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