Total cost of ground transportation climbed 1.2% in February

OPP charge driver after spotting major damage on trailer

SAF-Holland and ACOFAS Team up for Tech Training Program

Photo via ACOFAS Facebook

SAF-Holland is teaming up with the American Council of Frame and Alignment Specialists for a technician education program taking place June 27-28 in Muskegon, Mich.

The program will cover proper maintenance and repair procedures on SAF-Holland and Neway products, including the FW35 Holland fifth wheel and the latest lightweight fifth wheel assemblies, Neway drive axle Air suspensions used on heavy trucks and emergency equipment, SAF Holland air suspensions for trailers, and SAF Holland's air disc brakes.

The event will take place at SAF-Holland's facilities located at 1950 Industrial Blvd., in Muskegon. The host for the event is Carl Mesker, SAF-Holland vice president of aftermarket sales.

Instructors and topics will include:

The training program is limited to 20 attendees and registration is currently open.

To find out more about the event and register, go to acofas.com or contact Gordon Botts, [email protected] or 815-482-4255.

Related: International RH Truck Offers SAF-Holland Fifth Wheel

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CGI INVESTOR ALERT: The Law Offices of Vincent Wong Notifies Investors of a Class Action Involving Celadon Group Inc. and a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of June 19, 2017

Truck Dealership Employment Rose 5.6% in 2016

Photo: Evan Lockridge

Employment at truck dealerships hit its highest point in five years, according to a report from American Truck Dealers a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Employment was up 5.6% for the year, with medium- and heavy-duty truck dealerships employing 129,392 workers in 2016. The numbers were gathered by ATD in its annual financial profile of America's new-truck dealerships, ATD Data 2016.

Truck dealerships also employed 17.4% more technicians in 2016 for a total of 44,108. The average dealership employed 57 workers and sold 145 new trucks in the year on average. Despite the increase in employment in 2016, truck sales were actually down 8.3% for the year, topping $85.4 billion.

Sales averaged $37.8 million per dealership, again down 8.8% from the year before. The average price of a new Class 8 truck was $119,574 in 2016 and the average price of a used Class 8 truck was $47,217. The top 10 states in sales by rank were Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Georgia.

“Commercial truck dealerships contribute to their communities with jobs that pay well and offer the opportunity for advancement,” said Patrick Manzi, ATD/NADA senior economist. “In the service department, demand for technical positions remains high, as dealerships help maintain the commercial vehicles that are a vital part of the U.S. transportation infrastructure.”

Related: "It's All About the Customers" - Dealer of the Year Nominees Speak Out

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Denso Taps Brett Lowie for Director of Americas Operations

Denso Products and Services Americas, an affiliate of global automotive supplier Denso Corp., has named Brett Lowie its director of Americas Operations.

He will be tasked with overseeing all Denso parts department shipping operations in North America. Lowie is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience in high-volume parts distribution, warehousing, and supply chain management.

“Brett's wealth of supply chain knowledge and experience is already strengthening our organization, expanding our network and paving the way for us to take customer service to the next level,” said Kazu Yanagawa, vice president of Denso's supply chain management group. “With his keen understanding of the complex logistics involved in getting the right parts to the customer the first time, Brett is a tremendous addition to our management team.”

Lowie's career in the automotive industry began at Chrysler in 1986 as a parts distribution center manager. He later worked at Penske Logistics as a general manager, overseeing 25 West Coast distribution centers and related transportation and installation services. Before joining Denso, Lowie spent more than eight years at Mercedes-Benz USA as its department manager of parts distribution and related operations.

Lowie is a member of the Warehousing Education and Research Council, a professional logistics organization focused on warehouse management and its role in the supply chain. He earned his MBA in international business and finance from Baker College in Flint, Mich., and his B.S. in economics and finance from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn.

Related: Denso's Joe Mejaly Talks Heavy-Duty Aftermarket

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Accuride agrees to acquire KIC

Accuride Corp. said it has reached an agreement to acquire KIC LLC, a supplier of wheel end components based in Vancouver, WA.

Accuride, headquartered in Evansville, IN., manufactures wheels and wheel-end components under several brands including Accuride and Gunite.

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