General Electric announces 225 orders for refurbished locomotives

GE also said in a statement that it will deliver 80 modernized locomotives previously ordered by Canadian Pacific railway Co and 100 to Norfolk Southern Corp in 2018. General Electric Chief Executive Officer John Flannery said in November that GE would exit at least $20 billion in operations to improve its financial performance. GE will make varying upgrades to aging locomotives - some more than 20 years old - such as improvements to control systems or electrical circuitry.

OOIDA Sues Pennsylvania Turnpike over Toll Hikes

Photo: Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission 

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for what it claims are excessive toll increases that place “an undue burden on interstate commerce while improperly diverting toll revenue to other projects unrelated to the turnpike.”

OOIDA and its co-plaintiffs, including the National Motorists Association and several small fleet and owner-operator companies, have requested an injunction to halt the commission from “overcharging customers to pay for non-turnpike projects” as well as to prevent the commission from borrowing money to help meet its obligations to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and in turn, to keep PennDOT from spending the money it received from the commission. Lastly, the suit seeks to have the alleged overcharges refunded to turnpike users.

“PTC's tolls unduly burden interstate commerce by causing the Pennsylvania Turnpike System to be used as a revenue-generating facility designed to underwrite expenses incurred by PennDOT in providing services and facilities throughout the Commonwealth that have no functional relationship to the Pennsylvania Turnpike System,” the lawsuit contends.

The commission has hiked tolls for each of the past 10 years, including a 6% increase in January, at least in part to help cover the PennDot payments, according to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette report.

“The tolls charged far exceed the value of the use of turnpike and the costs to maintain it,” said Todd Spencer, acting president and CEO of OOIDA, in a statement. “Truckers have especially overparid the price at as much as 70 cents per mile.”

The lawsuit was filed in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. OOIDA said the suit claims that interstate commerce laws governing for the Pennsylvania Turnpike “hold that tolls can only be used to maintain or expand the 359-mile highway for which the tolls are levied.

“Truckers and motorists are ...Read the rest of this story

Earnings Watch: FedEx Surges, Daseke Rebounds

Parcel and trucking giant FedEx posted a big gain in profits during its most recent quarter, while Daseke, the owner of several flatbed and specialized carriers, moved from a loss to a profit in both the final quarter of 2017 and for all of last year.

FedEx Corp. reported net income compared to a year ago more than tripled in its fiscal third quarter ending Feb. 28, totaling $2.07 billion, as earnings per share rose to $7.59 from $2.07.

Revenue in this most recent quarter grew to $16.5 billion from $15 billion a year earlier.

The net results include a tax benefit of $1.53 billion, or $5.60 per share, due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress late last year.

FedEx said it benefited from higher base rates, increased volume at FedEx Ground and FedEx Freight, and favorable fuel prices. The results were negatively affected by significantly higher variable compensation accruals, increased peak-related costs at FedEx Express, and adverse weather.

The FedEx Freight segment saw operating income improve 34% from a year ago to $55 million as revenue increased 14% to $1.69 billion.

Revenue increased due to less-than-truckload revenue per shipment growth of 8% and average daily LTL shipment growth of 6%, according to the company. Operating results improved primarily due to the benefit from higher LTL revenue per shipment, partially offset by higher variable compensation accruals.

The FedEx Express segment saw operating income decline 24% to $424 million despite higher revenue. This was attributed to an additional $170 million in costs in several forms, including its integration of TNT Express, adverse weather, and increased peak-related costs.

FedEx Ground reported revenue increased 11% to $5.22 billion as operating income moved 23% higher to $634 million. Strong revenue growth was driven by average daily package volume growth of 6% and higher base rates.

FedEx has ...Read the rest of this story

Schneider Completes Shift to Company-Owned Intermodal Chassis Network

Over a four-year period, Schneider purchased 15,000 intermodal chassis. Photo: Schneider

Trucking giant Schneider has completed its conversion to a company-owned and managed chassis fleet after buying 15,000 intermodal container chassis over the past four years.

The company began implementing the program in 2014 to assure access to lightweight, quality chassis when and where shippers and drivers needed them.

“We began investing in chassis because we realized we could deliver a better experience to our customers and dray drivers by controlling our own assets,” explained Jim Filter, senior vice president and general manager of Schneider's Intermodal division. “The shared chassis pool that carriers often use creates significant delays for drivers, primarily at the ramp or when experiencing a breakdown on the road. When there isn't an available chassis, the container is grounded. When one becomes available from the pool, they are often older, heavier, and fraught with mechanical problems.”

Owning a chassis fleet also means that the weight of all Schneider's chassis are the same. This allows the shipper to know how much weight they can haul with every load. Because the demand for chassis in shared pools can outstrip supply, Schneider says, it also will have an advantage because the company has more control.

Schneider can also control the condition of its chassis fleet, because it will maintain the equipment to identify issues and make repairs before they turn into more critical problems.

“With the Schneider chassis, shippers can expect fewer delays and greater efficiency, as we've supplied plenty of chassis at each ramp location,” said Filter. “We even created our own technology that tracks utilization, turn time and location, so we can ensure there is the right number of chassis at every ramp and we can keep shippers' freight moving.”

Follow <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/HDTrucking" ...Read the rest of this story

uStart Engine Starting System Available for Class 7-8 Trucks

Ioxus has added a uStart energy storage solution for Class 7 and Class 8 day cab trucks and tractors with up to 12-liter engines.

uStart is a smart power solution designed to improve starting reliability and extend battery and starter life. Installed by the OEM or as a retrofit; as a drop-in Group 31 battery replacement, uStart provides a higher level of starting power not available in typical batteries, particularly in tough duty cycles or cold weather, according to Ioxus.

uStart reduces the number of batteries a truck would require throughout its service life. In addition, uStart systems reduce stress on starters and provide jumpstart capabilities.

uStart smart power systems are based on ultracapacitors, which are used as energy storage building blocks. The systems utilize smart power electronics to intelligently monitor, manage and control power on a vehicle's electrical bus, minimizing cycling on the remaining batteries. uStart also has jump start capabilities, which eliminates costly and time-consuming roadside service calls for engine starting issues.

“With a solid foundation in ultracapacitor design and manufacturing, Ioxus has developed patented power management systems that are deployed across several applications where reliable, on-demand power is needed”, said Mark McGough, president and CEO at Ioxus. “uSTART smart power systems are already widely used in Class 6 models in package and other delivery truck markets. After extensive field testing, we are proud to announce that uSTART is proven to provide those same benefits to operators of Class 7 and 8 day cabs.”

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2018 International Roadcheck focuses on HOS compliance

Cambridge Analytica CEO Andrew Nix has been suspended

Andrew Nix, the CEO of the London-based voter profiling company Cambridge