Sandberg Confirmed
Annette Sandberg now officially heads the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, after being sworn in as the second administrator in the agency’s three-year history. She was sworn in Aug. 5. The Senate confirmed Sandberg July 31, following President Bush’s nomination in March. DOT Secretary Norman Mineta had nominated her to serve as the agency’s deputy director in December when former Administrator Joseph Clapp retired.
TransForce to Buy Canadian Freightways
The Quebec-based TransForce Income Fund has said it will buy Canadian Freightways after its bid was accepted by CF’s parent company, Consolidated Freightways, and approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Consolidated Freightways is under Chapter 11 proceedings in the United States, but Canadian Freightways was not under bankruptcy protection.
N.Y. Ups Truck Route Fines
Fines for violating New York truck routes, currently ranging from $50 to $200, will increase to $200 to $2,000 on Nov. 1. Gov. George Pataki signed a bill increasing the minimum and maximum fines for first and repeat violation of truck route signs. The bill states that too many truckers cut through residential neighborhoods to avoid delays.
Tonnage Increases
Truck freight picked up further in July, according to the American Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted Truck Tonnage Index. The preliminary July index reached nearly 156, its highest level since December 1999, when it totaled more than 157 during the peak of the late 1990s economic boom.
Autocar President
Jim Johnston has been named president of Indiana-based Autocar Trucks, which manufactures the Xpeditor, a low cabover truck used mainly for refuse hauling. Johnston served as a vice president of Minnesota-based McNeilus Truck and Manufacturing for the past two years. He replaces Bob Enright, who had been president for two years of Autocar Trucks, a subsidiary of Grand Vehicle Works Holdings Corp. of Highland Park, Ill.
International Plant
International Truck and Engine Corp. will keep its Chatham, Ontario, plant open for truck production after receiving a substantial financial aid commitment from the Canadian and Ontario governments.
The Illinois-based company announced Sept. 4 that the government participation is part of the company’s 10-year, $189 million program that includes investments in technology, training and updating the plant.
The Canadian government will provide up to $23 million through its Technology Partnerships Canada program and other training programs. Ontario will contribute a maximum of $22 million toward the total investment, which is part of its $438 million Large Scale Strategic Investment Initiative that was announced in February.
