ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

As the oft-quoted sage of Upper Montclair, N.J., Yogi Berra, said: It's deja vu all over again, as Norfolk Southern Corp. and CSX Corp. fitfully struggle to absorb Conrail. Along the way, the railroads are managing to harm their reputations and franchises as they alienate customers, lose freight and incur great expense.

Memphis, Tenn.-based holding company FDX Corp. said profits increased 26% in the fiscal year that ended May 31 thanks to good performances by its air freight carrier Federal Express and ground package carrier RPS Inc.

Refrigerated trailers have come a long way since they replaced carted boxes of perishable goods cooled with blocks of ice. Their evolution continues as technology advances and customers make new demands.

The idea of packing food in ice to haul it long distances has been around since the Roman Empire. But it took a truckload of spoiled meat in 1938 and a challenge to a golfing buddy to prompt the invention of today's refrigerated trailer.

Air shipping rights obtained in a purchase of Challenge Air Cargo could give United Parcel Service dominant market share of both heavy air cargo and express package service in Latin America.

Domino's Pizza put a 48-foot-long, 102-inch-high Utility refrigerated trailer - equipped with backup lights, a video camera and proximity sensors - through its paces from its distribution center in Nashville, Tenn. Despite the kinks, the pizza purveyor bought a stripped-down version. Domino’s liked the trailer so much the company ended up buying it, though without most of the high-tech equipment.

The devil is in the details, complained fleet operators who criticized truck manufacturers for poor quality control in shipping new equipment to buyers. Some said the increased production of Class 8 trucks could be partly to blame.

Shop Talk discussions at the summer meeting of The Maintenance Council covered issues ranging from air compressor replacement to the pros and cons of owning or leasing truck wash racks. Shop Talk encourages individuals to discuss maintenance-related issues and compare experiences with other truck maintenance experts.

Highway robbers are banking on the easy prey of unattended trailers, and the black market distribution network has become so sophisticated that the stolen loot can be on a boat bound overseas before the theft is even reported.