News In Brief
The Mid-America Trucking Show is scheduled for March 21-23 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. Last year the show set a new record for number of exhibiting companies with 1,127 exhibitors, and organizers are expecting this year's event to be just as big. Included in this year's festivities will be the Second Annual Paul K. Young Memorial Truck Beauty Championship, a concert by the group Alabama, and seminars put on by the Kentucky Motor Transport Assn. For more information visit www.truckingshow.com
The American Trucking Associations is making some changes to its America's Road Team, including shorter terms and more promotional efforts. Although the group will continue to work closely with ATA's Office of Public Affairs, it will be under control of the ATA Safety and Loss Prevention Management Council, adding driver input to the Council's services. Road Team guidelines will be set by a committee of current and veteran Road Team Captains and ATA-member motor carrier safety officials.
Following last fall's successful lead of auto manufacturers, International Truck and Engine Corp. has rolled out a special financing plan. "Catch It While You Can" offers a 0% first year interest rate financing on 60- and 72-month loans on new International trucks. Through March 31, qualified customers buying up to 10 trucks will receive an effective APR of 4.71% for 60 months and 5.10% for 72 months. For customers who don't take advantage of the 0% first year interest rate financing, International is offering alternative purchasing options.
Motor carriers may now be able to update their DOT registration electronically. If you have a U.S. Department of Transportation number and your "biennial package" for updating your Motor Carrier Identification Report form (MCS-150), you can update it online at www.safersys.org.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has changed the estimated time required to deal with daily log books from 2 minutes to 6.5 minutes for drivers and from 30 seconds to 3 minutes for carriers. However, the American Trucking Associations estimates that it takes drivers 10-15 minutes a day to properly complete their log sheets and that motor carriers spend some 9 minutes a day per driver processing the logs.
The Diesel Technology Forum has available an online directory at www.dieselforum.org that identifies state and federal funding sources for upgrading existing diesel equipment so that it produces fewer emissions.
Horton recently sold its 3 millionth fan drive. Representatives from Horton and the trucking company that purchased the drive, U.S. Xpress, gathered to mark the occasion. Horton executives presented a special edition of the DriveMaster fan drive made into a trophy to executives at the Chattanooga, Tenn., trucking company.
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