P.M. Executive Briefing - April 4
This Afternoon's Headlines:
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UPS To Report Gain From Sale of Stakes in 2 Start-Up Firms
United Parcel Service expects to post a $241 million first-quarter gain before taxes due to its sale of its stake in e-commerce software maker Tradex Technologies, to California-based Ariba, and its stake in iShip.com, to Stamps.com.Bear, Stearns analyst Edward M. Wolf said the gain comes out to roughly 12 cents per share, but an arbitration ruling against the company, regarding a job dispute, will take a 3 cent to 4 cent bite out of that. Wall Street Journal (04/04/00) P. B4
Peterbilt Broadens Medium Offering
Peterbilt has upgraded the Class 7 Model 330, offering such improvements as a standard ergonomic steering wheel, powertrain items, and an optional crew cab conversion. There is also a Class 6 edition of the model.Peterbilt's medium-duty Model 270 cabover has also gone into production at a Ste. Therese, Quebec, plant. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (04/04/00) ; Sturgess, Steve
Truck Plant Shuts for Two Weeks
Western Star Trucks has responded to a moderate drop in sales projections by imposing a two-week shutdown of its factory in Kelowna, British Columbia.About three-quarters of the facility's almost 1,500 employees will be given vacation time or temporary layoffs during the shutdown, which begins Monday. The plan has been supported by the machinists' union, which represents some 900 of the workers, according to Roger Smithson, company director of human resources and industrial relations. However, some union members made statements against it, he said. Vancouver Sun (04/04/00) P. D2
Police Escort Nonunion Truck Drivers as Teamsters Picket
Springfield, Mo., police say Teamsters members protesting a lockout by Associated Wholesale Grocers in Kansas City and Springfield have been blocking truckers coming out of a company warehouse and have been throwing rocks.Nonunion truckers began receiving police escorts Monday. Since the beginning of the lockout Sunday, 20 incidents including common assault and destruction of property have been reported, but by Monday evening no one was yet arrested, and police did not intend to arrest anyone unless public safety is threatened or there is a report of assault.
Police spokesman Herschal Macy said despite the isolated incidents the two sides were cooperative. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (04/04/00) P. D6
Skyway Closes Doors
Skyway Freight Systems, a transportation and supply-chain management firm serving such clients as Dell Computer, Compaq, and GAP Inc., shut down Friday, giving no explanation for doing so. Heavy Duty Trucking Online (04/04/00)Tipping Health Scales
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 1999 indicating 18 percent of U.S. residents were obese, while 73% of truckers responding to a 1993 study were overweight or obese.Sue Roberts, a registered dietitian conducting wellness research for the Federal Highway Administration, said truck drivers will be better able to withstand fatigue and other job-related hardships if they improve their health by gathering information and changing their attitudes and habits. The FHWA will create a driver wellness training program and present it to trucking companies along with fatigue management training from the American Trucking Associations.
Another registered dietitian, Joanne Larsen, suggests drivers carry healthy foods intheir trucks instead of eating fast food or going to a truck-stop buffet, and they should also find time for regular exercise.
In addition, many truck stop restaurants offer low-fat or low-calorie entrees, and Iron Skillet Restaurants executive director Bill Webbon said that the Petro-owned restaurant chain will attempt to accommodate requests from drivers.
To counteract the long hours behind the wheel, Crete Carrier Corp. driver Albert Kohl takes a foldable treadmill with him on the road. Dart Transit owner-operator Joe Dougherty brings a mountain bike along, and he has joined one of the nationwide gym chains that gives members access to any location. Overdrive Online (04/00) ; Hatfield, Allison
Rockin' and Rollin' With E-Logistics
Chicago-based iLink Global provides logistics services for e-commerce sites. iLink does not charge companies to add its technology to their sites, so even start-ups can take advantage of its offerings, including price quotes, customs and regulatory compliance, and round-the-clock customer service.iLink offers transaction-based rates, and it with worldwide delivery times of about five to seven business days. One of the most important features of iLink Global's technology is that it troubleshoots the problems that arise from international shipping, such as denied parties and countries under embargo.
The iLink U.S. Customs interface technology recently received Automated Export System certification from the Customs Service and the Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division. Inbound Logistics (03/00) Vol. 20, No. 3; P. 56; Gentry, Connie
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