Friday, November 25, 2011

Strengthening Trucking Sector Begins to Shine Its Light on YRC Worldwide

While headlines keep pushing the panic button regarding the US economic recovery, the trucking industry continues to paint a far brighter picture.

The American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Chief Economist Bob Costello recently reported that "tonnage readings continue to show that the economy is growing and not sliding back into recession."

The Bedford Report examines the outlook for companies in the trucking industry and provides equity research on YRC Worldwide, Inc. and Arkansas Best Corporation. Full Story....

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Teamsters Sue To Close Border To Unsafe, Polluting Mexican Trucks

Hoffa: Pilot Program Is An Attack on American Truckers and Warehouse Workers

The Teamsters on Wednesday sued to block the U.S. Department of Transportation from opening the U.S. border to dangerous Mexican trucks through an illegal pilot program.

"Opening the border to these dangerous, dirty trucks is an attack on highway safety, an attack on American truckers and warehouse workers, an attack on border security and an attack on our environment," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "It's outrageous enough that we've outsourced millions of jobs to foreign countries, but now we're bringing foreign workers across the border into the United States to take our jobs. This is another pressure the American middle class doesn't need."

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Public Citizen and the Sierra Club challenged the program in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

The suit claims the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration breaks the following laws:

It waives a law that trucks must display certain proof that they meet federal safety standards.

It breaks the law requiring the pilot program to achieve an equivalent level of safety because Mexican drivers don't have to meet the same physical requirements as U.S. drivers.

It breaks the law that Mexico must provide simultaneous and comparable access to U.S. trucks. Mexico cannot do so because of the limited availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel in Mexico.

It breaks the law that the pilot program must include enough participants to be statistically valid. The FMCSA's proposal ensures that only the best Mexican trucks participate, which would allow it to justify letting any Mexican truck over the border in the future.

It doesn't comply with the environment requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act.

"Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly set tough safety conditions for any cross-border trucking program, and this one clearly doesn't meet those conditions," Hoffa said.

The pilot program got off to a rocky start when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approved trucking operator Grupo Behr from Tijuana, Mexico. The carrier owned one 20-year-old semi-tractor trailer with numerous safety issues. FMCSA had to disqualify it from the program after the Teamsters Union and others brought Grupo Behr's safety record to light. A second carrier, Transportes Olympic, of Monterrey, Mexico, started operating in the U.S. last month. Safety concerns have also been raised about Transportes Olympic.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

UPS Sets 2012 Rates

New Pricing Takes Effect Jan. 2, 2012

UPS released new published rates for 2012, including a net increase of 4.9 percent for UPS Ground packages and a net increase of 4.9 percent on all UPS Air services and U.S.-origin international shipments.

The rate increase for UPS Ground shipments is based on a 5.9 percent increase in the base rate, less a 1 percentage point reduction to the index-based ground fuel surcharge. The rate increase for UPS Air and international services shipments is based on a 6.9 percent increase in the base rate, less a 2 percentage point reduction to the index-based air and international fuel surcharge.

Additionally, UPS Next Day Air Freight and UPS 2nd Day Air Freight rates for shipments within and between the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico will increase 5.9 percent. UPS 3 Day Freight rates will remain unchanged.

Updated rate and service information will be posted on www.ups.com/rates beginning today. On Jan. 2, 2012, when the new rates take effect, customers can download the 2012 Rate and Service Guide.