FleetOwner

• Freight forecast amounts to mixed bag -
The latest U.S. freight market outlook issued by FTR Associates presents a mixed bag of projections. Freight volumes should start recovering by early 2010 and could gain significant strength as the year progresses, according to the firm’s economists


• LA uses wireless traffic control to cut congestion -
The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works' decided to use wireless technology to control 1,000 traffic signals with the goal of reducing congestion and the exhaust emissions that go with it. Proxim Wireless Corp. and Systems Integrated (SI) took on the project, which recently earned the county a 2009 National Association of Counties Achievement Award-- in addition to benefiting from improved traffic flow


• Grote announces key executive appointments -
Grote Industries, a leading manufacturer of high-performance LED lighting technology, has appointed Jim Braun as CFO and John Grote as vp of sales & marketing. The company said the appointments were made so it could “call on knowledgeable, energetic and seasoned executive staff as it looks toward the future


• SkyBitz names senior VPs -
Henry Popplewell, a long-time industry executive in the areas of transportation and wireless communications, has joined SkyBitz as senior vp of sales. The trailer and asset tracking company has also named Siamak Azmoudeh, formerly of Pegasus TransTech, as its new senior vp of product line management


• ICC sells fuel management patents -
DFConnect, a software system for managing fuel purchases, and two related patents have been sold by Innovative Computing Corp. to Epona LLC, a privately held company specializing in management software solutions


• Scania’s R-series named Truck of the Year -
Scania revamped its R-series of trucks to add more distinctive exterior styling, and to increase productivity and fuel economy. Those changes have paid off, as the R-Series has been named the International Truck of the Year by the European trucking press


• FedEx to add GPS/web-based service -
To more precisely track individual shipments in transit, FedEx Corp. is rolling out a new service next year dubbed SenseAware., which will combine a GPS sensor device and a web-based collaboration platform in one package. The new service will become available in the spring of 2010


• Navistar taps Ostarello for powertrain post -
Navistar International Corp. today appointed Steve Ostarello as vice president of the company’s powertrain product development organization. The OEM said Ostarello, a veteran employee with more than 25 years of experience, has “held numerous roles of increasing responsibility in the company’s engine engineering organization, including his most recent assignment as general manager, powertrain product development.” Ostarello has been heading the powertrain product development organization on an interim basis since the post was vacated earlier this year


• Clean Burn earns DOE energy award -
The U.S. Dept. of Energy Industrial Technologies Program has given used-oil furnance and boiler manufacturer Clean Burn its 2009 Save Energy Now Energy Saver award


• Rice Lake Weighing buys Precision Loads -
Rice Lake Weighing Systems has purchased on-board scale manufacturer Precision Loads, the company has announced. Terms of the transaction were not released

See our own trucking blog - Brett's Trucking Blog or check out our Trucking Articles homepage for more great info! Don't forget to use our custom search engine to search for articles on your specific topic of choice!