News roundup, Oct. 1: Roadrunner laying off 450 in downsizing, Michelin hikes tire prices, truckers slow-rolling in Michigan

Updated Oct 8, 2019

Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019:

Michigan truckers slow-rolling to support 10-4 D.C.
Truckers in Michigan will be slow-rolling Friday, Oct. 4, in hopes of taking their concerns to state government, the press and the public. The event is a show of solidarity with truckers participating in an event in Washington, D.C., this week.

Marty Passenger, one of the organizers of the Michigan event, says it’s a way to support drivers who will gather for That’s a Big 10-4 on D.C. beginning Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Fredericksburg, Va., then in D.C. on the National Mall Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 5.

Mich Slow Roll 2019 10 01 10 51Events of the Michigan Slow Roll include:

  • Meeting at NuVu Fuels in Ionia at 8 a.m. on Friday
  • Meet with Josh Neyhart, policy advisor to the governor
  • Slow roll to Ionia scale house and talk to news media and state police
  • Slow roll to Flying J in Lansing, circle the lot to make other drivers aware
  • Drive to the capitol building for photos
  • Stop at the Martin Luther King Parking Lot to meet media
  • Return to Ionia

Passenger said he and others intend to tell the governor’s representative and media about truckers’ concerns for safety, training, hours of service, taxes, autonomous trucks, maintenance costs and freight rates.

“We want to show the public how they need to give us room and stop cutting us off,” said Passenger, an owner-operator. “Let them know what the truck driving life is like and how the public is affected by trucks and the changes on the horizon, that drivers are professional.”

Major fleet Roadrunner cutting 10 percent of workforce in downsize
Roadrunner Transportation Systems (No. 31, CCJ Top 250) announced Monday it will downsize its dry van business due to a lack of profitability in the segment.

In addition to dumping more than half of its dry van-focused tractors and trailers, the company says it will close five terminal locations and eliminate 450 positions — about 10 percent of the company’s workforce. Roadrunner says it expects to incur a one-time cost of between $12 million and $16 million in the restructure.

The company says it expects to complete the process by the end of the year, with the planned layoffs to come in the next 60 to 90 days.

Michelin announces tire price increase
Michelin North America is increasing prices up to 4.9% for all North American Fleet Account customers for Michelin, BFGoodrich, Michelin Retread Technologies and Oliver brand products in the U.S. and Canada. The increase will take effect Dec. 1.

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