FedEx Freight | Some Trucking Companies also had a BIG bounce

Happy Presidents' Day

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Capacity, Rates Bite Con-way

Trucking and logistics giant Con-way reported losses for the fourth quarter and the full year, as overcapacity and aggressive pricing cut into trucking income. Con-way reported a net loss of $110.9 million for 2009, compared with a $67 million profit in 2008. Its revenue declined 15.3 percent last year to $4.3 billion. But signs are emerging the worst may be behind Con-way and other motor carriers, as freight shipping picks up and demand for capacity increases. Still, the industry enters 2010 weakened by fierce discounting that bit deep into earnings. The fourth quarter trends followed patterns set in the third quarter, when Con-way said it had turned to “aggressive pricing” to gain LTL market share.
 The LTL division reported $2.8 million in operating profit for the quarter, compared with a $9.4 million operating loss a year earlier. But LTL revenue of $683.9 million was up 6.8 percent from a year earlier.
This Week | Journal of Commerce

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YRC Worldwide Still En Route

LTL giant drives on despite deep tonnage decline, losses with lower debt, firmer pricing

YRC Worldwide is even getting money from the federal government these days, but what the country’s largest trucking operator really needs is more revenue from shippers.
Fresh from a key debt-for-equity agreement and an $85 million tax refund that eased the pain from deep losses in the fourth quarter, the company says it is making progress in winning back lost customers and recovering business scared away during YRC’s struggle for financial survival.
Timothy A. Wicks, president and chief operating officer, said 600 customers either returned or brought new business to YRC’s carriers in the fourth quarter and 400 more joined in the first month of 2010. In the first days of February, “we had three wins that are multimillion-dollar customers,” Wicks told investment analysts upon the release of the company’s 2009 financial report.
YRC Worldwide Still En Route | Journal of Commerce

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To Catch a Customer

YRC Worldwide is using everything from online advertising on The Wall Street Journal’s Web site to offering coupons for return customers to win shippers. It released a poll last month that it claims shows increasing shipper loyalty.
“It’s hard to tell the true intentions of shippers, so we decided to ask,” President and COO Timothy A. Wicks said. The company surveyed its shipper customers on topics including their 2010 outlook and how much freight they intend to give YRC Worldwide.
He said returning customers “go across the spectrum of small to large. We’ve been having tremendous success in the midsize segment as well. We remain optimistic that we will see more volume returned to us over the weeks and months ahead.”
Although it needs shippers badly, “We’re not hungry to have every single customer that we could get,” Wicks said. “We’re very careful about what we call unprofitable customers versus profitable customers.”
To Catch a Customer | Journal of Commerce

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Diesel Price Falls Fourth Straight Week

Declining crude oil prices pull retail diesel down to $2.769 per gallon

Retail diesel prices fell last week in their fourth straight weekly decline amid falling oil prices. In the week ending Feb. 8, diesel prices dropped an average of 1.2 cents from $2.781 per gallon to $2.769 per gallon, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The government report was delayed last week due to a severe snowstorm that shut down Washington, D.C., offices for four days. An update is due late Tuesday this week.
Causing the decline is a drop in crude oil prices. The average price of West Texas crude oil fell from $78.22 per barrel in January to $74.27 per barrel early in February. The New York Mercantile Exchange reports Monday that crude closed down $1.15 at $74.13 per barrel on Friday, Feb. 12.
Diesel Price Falls Fourth Straight Week | Journal of Commerce

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UPS honors 6 drivers in Nebraska for safe driving

Six Nebraska drivers for shipping giant UPS have gone more than 25 years without having an accident.
UPS recently honored the drivers by inducting them into the company's Circle of Honor. That elite group includes 4,793 UPS drivers worldwide and 78 in Nebraska who haven't had an accident in two and a half decades.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Des Moines businessman, trucker, John Ruan dies at 96

John Ruan, one of Iowa's most powerful businessmen who built a national trucking company and led a redevelopment of downtown Des Moines, died Saturday. He was 96.
Ruan had Parkinson's disease and had been in declining health for several years.
"John was a remarkable individual and he made a world of difference," said former Iowa Gov. Robert Ray. "John was a visionary and when he set his mind to something, he found a way to do it."
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Friday's Closing Prices due to President's Day.
Dow...10,099.14 -45.05 -0.44%

Nasdaq...2,183.53 +6.12 +0.28%

S&P 500...1,075.51 -2.96 -0.27%

FDX, UPS, CNW, SAIA, ODFL, VTNC, ABFS , YRCW--
No new news due to President's Day Holiday.

Coin of the Realm: Spelling Chile the Right Way

An exciting new role has just opened up at the national mint of Chile, but there's a catch: successful applicants will have to be able to spell the word "Chile."
That seemingly simple task was the undoing of the former general manager of the Chilean mint, Gregorio Iñiguez, who has reportedly been let go after an embarrassing blunder.
Iñiguez minted a set of 50-peso coins with the nation's name spelt C-H-I-I-E instead of the usual C-H-I-L-E, the BBC reported.
News Headlines

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In Japan, the Hummer Is Now Officially Green

Japanese drivers spooked by the recent Toyota and Prius recalls might consider another vehicle certified as “ecologically friendly” under Japan’s expanded cash-for-clunkers program: the Hummer H3.
Starting this week, Japanese buyers of the hulking power machines from General Motors — which come with a 5.3-liter, 300 horsepower engine and roar to 60 miles per hour in eight seconds — receive a 250,000 yen ($2,780) subsidy under Japan’s new, looser fuel-efficiency standards for imported cars.
News Headlines

How Music Impacts Your Money

There's no denying music can rev up a workout routine, but did you know that music can have a significant impact on your finances, too?
Numerous studies have linked music to spending behavior. In fact, the kinds of music you listen to can impact your opinion of your finances, the likelihood you'll blow your budget at the grocery store and your approach to balancing your checkbook or paying credit card bills.
In fact, a song's tempo and beat can impact just about any financial situation, and consequently your credit score.
Here's how to tune in to a finance-friendly beat, and put music to work for your money.
News Headlines

Berkshire Hathaway Goes Into S&P 500 With Trading Surge At the Close Friday, 12 Feb 2010

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has been welcomed into the benchmark S&P 500 index with a surge of trading just before today's close at the New York Stock Exchange.
CNBC's Maria Bartiromo reports there was an enormous crowd around the Berkshire post on the floor of the NYSE.
Index mutual funds that mimic the performance of the S&P had to buy Berkshire Class B shares because the stock is being added to the index after today's close.
Today's Wall Street Journal notes that over $1 trillion of investors' money "directly tracks" the S&P.
News Headlines

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:shift: Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Stocks Log Best Day in 3 Months as Dollar Drops

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UPS Freight Extends Canada-U.S. Expedited Lanes

Two-day lanes from Toronto, Montreal stretched to Atlanta, St. Louis

UPS Freight is speeding freight across the Canadian border by stretching its two-day delivery network from Toronto and Montreal as far south as St. Louis, Mo., and Atlanta.
The faster transit times announced today are part of a broader plan at UPS Freight to build up its cross-border business both by making operational changes and implementing technology.
UPS Freight uses a pre-arrival, electronic customs system to minimize delays at the border and accelerate transit times, the company said.
Last year UPS Freight named Allan Robison, former president of Canadian carrier YRC Reimer, vice president of sales. The less-than-truckload carrier cut more than 1,000 transit times between points in the U.S. and Canada and expanded service hours in some locations.
UPS Freight Extends Canada-U.S. Expedited Lanes | Journal of Commerce

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Con-way Multimodal Adds Experienced Talent in Senior Sales Role

John G. Wees Brings More Than Six Years' Expertise to Transportation Industry Sales and Operations Initiatives

Con-way Multimodal, the freight brokerage division of Menlo Worldwide Logistics, today announced that John G. Wees of Dallas has joined the organization in the newly created position of senior account executive. In that role, he will be responsible for developing and maintaining customer and third-party carrier relationships and request for proposal (RFP) responses. Menlo Worldwide Logistics is an operating company of Con-way Inc.
Wees joins Con-way Multimodal from a position as operations/sales manager at ARPCO Transport Services in Grapevine, Texas. Prior to that, he served as logistics account manager at Bear Transportation Services in Plano, Texas.
A Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) by the Transportation Intermediaries Association, Wees attended the University of Oregon.
Con-way Multimodal Adds Experienced Talent in Senior Sales Role - Yahoo! Finance

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Hoffa Says Teamsters to Build on YRC Success

Union must save existing jobs while organizing new companies, Hoffa says

The Teamsters are ready to put the muscle they used against Wall Street to help YRC Worldwide into action against fresh opponents, says General President James P. Hoffa.
"We took on the big banks to save YRCW and we're going to keep taking on big companies like Coca-Cola," Hoffa told representatives from more than 200 Teamsters locals in the brewery and beverage industries today in Washington.
Hoffa underscored the need to save existing Teamster jobs while organizing new companies, including FedEx. "There is one (labor) law for FedEx and another law for UPS," he said, referring to the Railway Labor Act and National Labor Relations Act.
Hoffa Says Teamsters to Build on YRC Success | Journal of Commerce

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Tango Transport says it will add at least 200 jobs in 2010

Tango Transport has announced that the carrier will be adding at least 200 new jobs throughout 2010.
“We are pleased to be in a position that allows us to provide job opportunities to an additional 200 families from the Ark-La-Tex,” Executive Vice President Chris Gorman said.
Founded in 1991, Shreveport, LA based Tango Transport has grown from an operation of two trucks and two trailers into one of the largest trucking companies in the southern United States, serving many Fortune 500 companies.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Dow...10,268.81 +169.67 +1.68%

Nasdaq...2,214.19 +30.66 +1.40%

S&P 500...1,094.87 +19.36 +1.80%


UPS...57.35...+1.20...+2.14%
ABFS...23.62...+0.48...+2.07%
CNW...31.84...+0.58...+1.86%
FDX...79.95...+1.40...+1.78%
JBHT...32.09...+0.41...+1.29%
VTNC...9.70...+0.12...+1.25%
LSTR...37.16...+0.38...+1.03%
HTLD...14.27...+0.13...+0.92%
KNX...18.02...+0.08...+0.45%
ODFL...28.32...-0.20...-0.70%
YRCW...0.55...-0.02...-2.81%
SAIA...11.69...-0.35...-2.91%

FDX--
FedEx declares regular dividend of 11 cents - Yahoo! Finance

UPS--
UPS Feeds the Need at Welcome Hall Mission - Yahoo! Finance
UPS expands two-day freight service - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

CNW--
Con-way Multimodal Adds Experienced Talent in Senior Sales Role - Yahoo! Finance

YRCW--
William Trubeck, Paul Weaver join WellCare Health Plans board - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

Stocks Log Best Day in 3 Months as Dollar Drops

Stocks logged their best day in about three months Tuesday as weakness in the dollar boosted commodity stocks.
A better-than-expected manufacturing report and some decent earnings also helped.
And the National Association of Home Builders said its gauge of homebuilder confidence rose to 17 in February, after falling for two straight months.
News Headlines

Forget Correction — It's a Cyclical Bull Market: Strategist

Stocks rallied on Tuesday after the Empire State Manufacturing Index rose past expectations, and on some positive earnings reports. How should investors be positioned going forward? Rod Smyth, chief investment strategist at Riverfront Investment Group, shared his investment strategies.
“This is a correction in an ongoing cyclical bull,” Smyth told CNBC.
Smyth particularly likes the dividend players and the dividend growers and said this is an opportunity for investors to look into them.
News Headlines

As Brazil Gets Hotter, So Does Its National Drink

Mardi Gras or Carnival?
Although most Americans tend to celebrate Mardi Gras, there is a growing group of people who are stepping to a samba beat and enjoying the Brazilian celebration of Carnival.
No doubt, with upcoming events like the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, more and more people will become aware of Brazilian culture. That’s a trend that hasn’t been lost on the makers of cachaça (pronounced “ka-SHA-sa,”), the key ingredient in Brazil’s classic cocktail, the caipirinha (pronounced “kai-pur-EEN-ya”).
News Headlines

In Praise of Speaking English

This is not a blog about English-only initiatives in schools or government. This blog supports English-only in memos from business consultants, HR types, and team leaders.
Consultant jargon turns clear ideas into cloudy gibberish. Over the weekend I read an email from a firm (not my own) touting the rollout of a new company-wide plan to "harmonize" something or other across all departments, looking at "comparator companies". There was one paragraph I never could decipher. I think what the email was trying to say in a thousand words was this: "We're coming up with a plan so that all procedures in all departments will be relatively the same. This makes sense and will save money. We'll let you know what we come up with."
News Headlines

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For Toyota to Win Back Buyers It Will Take More Than Incentives

As Toyota lays plans for a major incentive and marketing campaign designed to win back buyers, I was intrigued by the headlines coming from Toyota dealers at the National Auto Dealers Association meeting this weekend. In essence, some Toyota dealers believe the media has blown the controversy about unintended acceleration out of perspective. In other words, things aren't as bad as reporters have reported. I found these reports interesting, because it smacked of same thing I heard from Ford dealers during the Explorer/Firestone controversy back in 2000 and from GM and Chrysler dealers last year as those automakers slowly slid toward bankruptcy.
News Headlines

Tea Party Optimism vs. the Gold Rally

Money and politics is about my favorite topic (apart from spiritual faith, of course). And we had plenty of both in the last day or two.
Moderate Democrat Evan Bayh retires from the Senate, kinda sticking it to Team Obama (and by the way, Harry Reid).
Bayh's departure is basically saying, “You know, if you quit all this left-wing, cap-and-trade, government-takeover-of-health-care stuff, and the constant political favors and favoritism to the unions, especially the government employee unions, you might have a shot at saving your presidency and containing the midterm-election losses this November.”
But Mr. Bayh’s departure also opens up an eighth solid potential GOP Senate seat. And that brings Washington that much closer to grid-locking the left wing — something that stock markets and the investor class are cheering, with share prices jumping 170 Dow points today.
News Headlines

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:shift:Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Stocks Rise for 2nd Day, Buoyed by Earnings

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YRC Shareholders to Decide Debt Swap, Carrier’s Future

Special shareholder meeting will determine whether and how YRC moves forward

YRC Worldwide shareholders meet Wednesday to decide whether to accept a $550 debt-for-equity swap with bondholders that was completed Dec. 31.
The future of the nation’s largest trucking operator is at stake.
“A majority ‘yes’ vote is important to positioning YRC Worldwide for the future and securing the stronger financial foundation we’ve been laying out,” Chairman and CEO William D. Zollars said in a Feb. 16 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Without the debt-for-equity swap, the company could face bankruptcy reorganization.
Technically, shareholders were asked to vote on whether to amend YRC Worldwide’s certificate of incorporation to reduce the “par value” of YRC’s common stock and increase the number of shares from 125 million to more than 2 billion.
They were to vote on whether to implement a “reverse stock split” that would reduce the number of authorized shares and increase their value.
http://www.joc.com/trucking/yrc-shareholders-decide-debt-swap-carrier’s-future

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YRC Shareholders Approve Debt-Equity Swap

Special vote secures carrier's immediate future as 'going concern'

YRC Worldwide's shareholders approved the company's debt-for-equity swap Wednesday, clearing $550 million in debt from the company's books and giving the country's largest trucking company a new lease on life, at least through 2011.
Shareholder approval was needed to move ahead with the debt-for-equity swap, which gives 94 percent of the trucking giant's stock to its former bondholders and secures long-term lending and labor deals.
With $550 million in debt eliminated from its books, and $343 million in liquidity, including $98 million in cash, YRC Worldwide has the stability it needs to avoid bankruptcy, financial analysts said.
Now the company's immediate concern is winning back shippers and returning to profitability. YRC may see a profit before taxes as early as the second quarter, Chairman and CEO William D. Zollars said.
YRC Shareholders Approve Debt-Equity Swap | Journal of Commerce

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YRC Slides on Wall Street

Shareholder approval of debt swap, short-selling drive down price

YRC Worldwide’s stock value plunged today after shareholders approved the issue of more than 2 billion new shares as part of a debt-for-equity swap with bondholders.
The stock fell from a high of about 53 cents a share this morning, before the shareholder vote, to a low of about 39 cents before moving up slightly to 40 cents this afternoon.
YRC Worldwide’s stock was in the 90-cent range early this month, after hitting a high of $1.10 a share in early January after bondholders agreed to the debt-stock swap.
The stock swap will increase the number of authorized YRCW shares from 125 million to more than 2 billion, a massive dilution in value for existing shareholders.
Much of today’s decline is driven by short-selling, according to The Wall Street Journal.
YRC Slides on Wall Street | Journal of Commerce

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Spot Truckload Demand Rises 54 Percent

Transcore North America index for January points to freight recovery

Spot market demand for truckload freight rose for the fourth straight month in January, although it dipped compared with an unusually strong December, according to Transcore, which owns the DAT load-matching network.
Transcore’s North America Freight Index rose 54 percent from a year ago on increasingly easy year-over-year comparisons. The results indicate increasingly healthier demand for truckload capacity on the spot market.
Transcore's monthly index measures truckload freight volume found on U.S. and Canadian load boards supported by Transcore’s DAT Network, which handles more than 50 million loads and trucks a year.
Spot Truckload Demand Rises 54 Percent | Journal of Commerce

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'SuperTruck' draws Navistar attention

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – When Navistar’s Steve Bruford envisions the truck of the future, he sees a tractor-trailer getting over 10 mpg.
The truck manufacturer is taking the first step toward hitting that goal through testing it’s been performing here the past 15 months in the world’s largest wind tunnel at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Under a $2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, Navistar has been testing commercially available and proposed aerodynamic devices attached to a 53-foot trailer behind one of its ProStar tractors.
'SuperTruck' draws Navistar attention - eTrucker

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MAN SE Aims to Match 2009 Operating Profit, Plans Dividend

MAN SE, Europe’s third-biggest truckmaker, said it’s aiming to keep operating profit in 2010 at the same level as last year as Latin American business expands and the company cuts spending on labor.
MAN will pay a dividend of 25 cents a share after operating profit in 2009 totaled 504 million euros ($686 million), Chief Financial Officer Frank Lutz said today at a news conference in Munich. Sales will be stable, helped by growth in heavy-vehicle and power-plant equipment deliveries in Brazil, Lutz said.
Shrinking truck markets, a writedown on the value of MAN’s stake in Swedish competitor Scania AB and fines related to a bribery probe in Germany led to the company’s first full-year net loss since at least 1989. Chief Executive Officer Georg Pachta-Reyhofen said MAN plans on keeping costs and operating profit unchanged in 2010, with the truck division at least breaking even.
MAN SE Aims to Match 2009 Operating Profit, Plans Dividend - Bloomberg.com

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Dow...10,309.24 +40.43 +0.39%

Nasdaq...2,226.29 +12.10 +0.55%

S&P 500...1,099.51 +4.64 +0.42%


ABFS...25.28...+1.66...+7.03%
KNX...18.43...+0.39...+2.16%
VTNC...9.91...+0.21...+2.16%
ODFL...28.93...+0.61...+2.15%
JBHT...32.66...+0.57...+1.78%
LSTR...37.79...+0.63...+1.70%
HTLD...14.50...+0.23...+1.61%
UPS...57.51...+0.18...+0.31%
FDX...79.94...-0.03...-0.04%
CNW...31.55...-0.30...-0.94%
SAIA...11.50...-0.19...-1.63%
YRCW...0.39...-0.16...-28.96%

FDX--
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
This Inflation Fighter Isn't Bulletproof
Value Stocks | Value Investing
Expeditors International: Looking to Asian Markets for Growth (EXPD)

UPS--
Expeditors International: Looking to Asian Markets for Growth (EXPD)
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

CNW--
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

SAIA--
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

ODFL--
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

ABFS--
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
Quotes for ABFS - Yahoo! Finance

YRCW--
http://www.joc.com/trucking/yrc-shareholders-decide-debt-swap-carrier’s-future
YRC Shareholders Approve Debt-Equity Swap | Journal of Commerce
YRC Slides on Wall Street | Journal of Commerce
YRC Falls 28% on Plan to Issue Stock - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
YRC Worldwide Stockholders Approve Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation - Yahoo! Finance
Summary of YRC WORLDWIDE INC - Yahoo! Finance
UPDATE 2-YRC shareholders approve stock deal | Reuters
YRC Worldwide shareholders approve measures needed after debt-for-equity swap - Kansas City Business Journal:
Summary of YRC WORLDWIDE INC - Yahoo! Finance
YRC stockholders approve change related to notes - Yahoo! Finance

Stocks Rise for 2nd Day, Buoyed by Earnings

Stocks rose for second day Wednesday as a Deere earnings beat and a rebound in housing starts helped renew investor optimism about the recovery.
Stocks briefly pared gains this afternoon after a report showed the Fed is ready to start pulling back on its massive stimulus measures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 40.43, or 0.4 percent, to close at 10,309.24. The S&P 500 added 0.4 percent and the Nasdaq advanced 0.6 percent.
News Headlines

HP Earnings, Revenue Rise and Exceed Expectations

Hewlett-Packard reported results and an outlook that outstripped what Wall Street was expecting from the company, as strong server sales and a revival in its printing segment boosted results.
HP reported net income of $2.3 billion, or 96 cents a share, in its fiscal first quarter ended Jan. 31, up from $1.9 billion, or 75 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Excluding items, it earned $1.10 a share, beating the average Wall Street estimate of $1.06 a share, according to Thomson Reuters.
Sales for the most recent quarter rose to $31.2 billion, up from $28.8 billion.
News Headlines

Toyota Faces New Probe on Corolla Steering

U.S. regulators launched a preliminary investigation into reported steering problems on the Corolla sedan on Wednesday as Toyota Motor [TM 74.15 -1.86 (-2.45%) ] faced questions from U.S. lawmakers on whether it had ignored red flags on safety before a wave of vehicle recalls.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received more than 150 complaints about possible steering problems in 2009 and 2010 Corolla models, a U.S government official said.
News Headlines

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Party Gridlock in Washington Feeds New Fear of Debt Crisis

Senator Evan Bayh’s comments this week about a dysfunctional Congress reflected a complaint being directed at Washington with increasing frequency, and there is broad agreement among critics about Exhibit A: The unwillingness of the two parties to compromise to control a national debt that is rising to dangerous heights.
After decades of warnings that budgetary profligacy, escalating health care costs and an aging population would lead to a day of fiscal reckoning, economists and the nation’s foreign creditors say that moment is approaching faster than expected, hastened by a deep recession that cost trillions of dollars in lost tax revenues and higher spending for safety-net programs.
News Headlines

No Go Akio—Will Washington Push Mr. Toyoda to Testify?

The initial headlines out of Japan this morning are sure to ruffle feathers on Capitol Hill. Toyota President Akio Toyoda told reporters that he is not planning to appear at congressional hearings in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Toyoda also made it clear he will re-consider his plan and may appear at hearings if he is invited to do so. But as of now, he believes the company's U.S. based executives are the best people to answer questions about the Toyota recalls, the company's repair plan, and how whether the company moved fast enough.
News Headlines

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:shift:Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Dow Extends Winning Streak for 3rd Session

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Decker Truck Line Increases Pay For Drivers

Decker Truck Line, Fort Dodge, Iowa, has implemented a new pay plan for reefer/van company drivers out of increased business.
For drivers with one to three years of experience, starting pay is now 37 cents per mile. For those with four to nine years, it's 38 cents per mile. Ten-plus years of experience garners drivers 39 cents per mile. Drivers will get a half-cent increase annually to the current cap of 41 cents per mile.
"This pay plan has been designed not only to help our current driving staff, but to help attract additional premier quality drivers to help meet our customer demands and to more adequately address our drivers' needs," said Don Decker, president. "We are seeing increased business from our existing customers while at the same time we have been able to add some new accounts.
Decker Truck Line Increases Pay For Drivers - Truckinginfo.com

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Test Drive: Freightliner's Coronados

Premium is as premium does, and at least for the driver, Freightliner's Coronado does things very well. In both vocational and highway forms, a revised heavy truck and tractor series presents itself dramatically and attractively, and it welcomes you aboard and treats you nicely while you're there.
That can be said for a lot of upscale rigs, but the handsomeness and rarity of a Coronado makes it special.
Test Drive: Freightliner's Coronados - Truckinginfo.com

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Daimler posts $482 million Q4 net loss, disappoints markets

STUTTGART, Germany — German car and truck maker Daimler AG lost €352 million ($482 million) in the fourth quarter amid the global economic slump, contributing to a larger-than-expected loss on the year and sending shares down sharply.
The figure announced Thursday compares with a €1.53 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2008, which was due in part to charges at Chrysler LLC, with which Daimler was once merged.
Trucks, vans and buses also reported gains in revenue compared to the third quarter. Daimler is the world’s largest truckmaker with brands including Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, and Mitsubishi-Fuso.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Truck Orders Meet Low Expectations Following Dec. Rush

On the heels of the December rush to buy trucks before the EPA 2010 mandate went into effect, January truck net orders slipped 18 percent from the year-ago month, according to ACT Research.
ACT expected January orders to be weak with the new EPA 2010 emissions mandate, and orders did fall to 6,513 units, the researchers said in the latest release of State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Vehicles.
"Despite an economic recovery that has begun to take hold, the implementation of the EPA2010 emission mandate has made a difficult situation more challenging," said Kenny Vieth, partner and senior analyst with ACT. "While supply-demand imbalance in the U.S. freight market continues to improve, we are still a quarter or two away from material improvement in freight rates, which should boost used truck demand and valuations."
Truck Orders Meet Low Expectations Following Dec. Rush - Truckinginfo.com

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Trucker urged to contact attorney over rental question

Q. I am a truck driver and came home to find out that my landlord had defaulted on his mortgage of the house I rent and now the bank has started foreclosure proceedings. Do I have a home or am I just out on the street?
A. Property laws are state specific so you will need to speak with an attorney in your town about the laws that apply. Many states follow the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, which can be found on the Internet. That said, the first thing I would recommend is that you send a certified, return receipt letter to the mortgage holder/bank that includes a copy of your current lease to put them on notice you are occupying/leasing the property and that they must honor the lease. They may or may not have to honor the lease, but at least you have moved the burden to them.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Dow...10,392.90 +83.66 +0.81%

Nasdaq...2,241.71 +15.42 +0.69%

S&P 500...1,106.75 +7.24 +0.66%

2010 Makes & Models: Class 4-6 (takes awhile to load up)

KNX...18.50...+0.07...+0.38%
FDX...80.10...+0.16...+0.20%
LSTR...37.86...+0.07...+0.19%
HTLD...14.46...-0.04...-0.28%
ODFL...28.83...-0.10...-0.35%
UPS...57.17...-0.34...-0.59%
SAIA...11.42...-0.08...-0.70%
JBHT...32.35...-0.31...-0.95%
VTNC...9.75...-0.16...-1.61%
ABFS...24.76...-0.52...-2.06%
CNW...30.87...-0.68...-2.16%
YRCW...0.38...-0.01...-2.56%

UPS--
Commerce Dep't, UPS in collaboration - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

CNW--
Zacks #5 Rank Additions for Thursday - Yahoo! Finance

Dow Extends Winning Streak for 3rd Session

Stocks rose for a third straight day Thursday as an encouraging manufacturing report helped fuel investor optimism about the recovery.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained more than 80 points, or 0.8 percent, closing just shy of 10,400. That brings its three-day gain to 2.9 percent. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rose 0.7 percent.
After the bell, Dow futures tumbled as the Fed unexpectedly raised the discount rate, the rate the Fed charges banks, a quarter percentage point to 0.75 percent.
“I'm shocked. Completely shocked,” Todd Schoenberger, managing director of LandColt Trading said of the Fed’s move to raise the discount rate. "Expect a dramatic selloff at the open tomorrow morning," Schoenberger said.
News Headlines

Fed's Move Will be Talk of Friday's Markets

The Fed surprised markets just after the New York close Thursday by hiking the rate banks pay for emergency loans by a a quarter point to 0.75 percent, a first step on the road to unwinding the programs it used to fight the financial crisis.
The action itself was not a surprise, since the Fed has been warning a discount rate hike would be its next move. However, the timing was sooner than many investors expected and the after hours move gave the markets a shudder.
News Headlines

Dell Reports Lower Profit but Barely Beats Expectations

Dell reported a profit that declined from a year ago but modestly beat estimates as it saw strong sales of its notebook computers, though its gross margin was slightly below analysts' forecasts.
Dell reported a net profit of $334 million, or 17 cents a share, for its fiscal fourth quarter ended Jan. 29, compared with $351 million, or 18 cents a share, in the year-ago period.
Excluding one-time items, the world's #3 maker of personal computers said it earned 28 cents a share, down from 29 cents a share a year earlier.
News Headlines

Toyota Head to Testify Before Congress Next Week

The president of Toyota Motor [TM 73.44 -0.71 (-0.96%) ] said on Friday he intends to give a "sincere explanation" about the company's series of safety recalls when he testifies in front of U.S. lawmakers next week.
Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota's founder, accepted an invitation to testify next Wednesday before a congressional panel. His decision ends days of uncertainty about how the embattled automaker would respond to calls for a better response over its safety issues.
News Headlines

More Homeowners Walking Away From Mortgages

Wayne Bryant and his wife have just stopped paying the mortgage on their home in northern California, even though they can afford to pay. The reason? Because, Bryant says, the value of the house is less than what they owe.
"We are 45-50 percent under water," claims the 61-year-old Bryant, who works in airport management. "At this point we are 20 years away from being even. We're walking away because it's a good business decision."
Bryant bought his home three bedroom townhouse in 2006 for $582,000 and says it's worth about $315,000 now. He says he has never missed a payment on any of the homes or cars he's bought over the years. But that's changed.
News Headlines

Gridlock Leading to Debt Crisis?

The New York Times ran a front-page story yesterday called “Party Gridlock in Washington Feeds New Fear of a Debt Crisis.”
I would’ve preferred a different title.
In the aftermath of Scott Brown’s Senate win in Massachusetts, the new political gridlock in Washington could spell the end of the liberal crack-up that we have witnessed over the past year.
As yet another subheading to this theme, it is vital that the extravagant spending and borrowing in Washington not be an excuse for broad-based tax increases, which would sink the economy even further and jack up unemployment.
News Headlines

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:shift: Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Stocks Log Best Week of 2010 as Fed Shock Fades

WEEKEND EDITION

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UPS: Deutsche Reiterates “Buy,” Sees Strong Cash Flow

Deutsche Bank analyst Justin Yagerman today writes that he spent the past two days “on the road” with management at United Parcel Service (UPS) while they met with investors, and the main message was that the company will try an improve yield on each package carried to make up for continued pressure on delivery volumes and weight per package, which are kept under pressure by economic malaise. That should boost profitability, he believes.
Yagerman reiterated a “Buy” rating on shares of UPS and a $70 price target.
UPS: Deutsche Reiterates “Buy,” Sees Strong Cash Flow - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

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UPS, Commerce Department Partner to Boost Exports

Global carrier to connect customers with U.S. trade officials, opportunities abroad

What can Brown do for U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke? Help advance his campaign to double U.S. exports and create millions of jobs.
Locke today said his department would extend a partnership with global transportation giant UPS to identify potential exporters and help them break into new markets.
The partnership adds the international muscle of the $45.3 billion package delivery company to the Obama administration's National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports within five years to $3 trillion while creating 2 million jobs.
In the coming weeks, UPS will identify small- and medium-sized companies that currently export to just one market, Locke said at UPS's package hub in Doraville, Ga.
http://www.joc.com/air-expedited/ups-commerce-department-partner-boost-exports

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Did Snow Blow Truckload Rates Higher?

Surge in Morgan Stanley freight index attributed to frozen capacity

Snowstorms that slammed the country in early February may have boosted rates for truckload carriers by freezing capacity, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley.
The investment research firm's truckload freight index jumped 24.4 percent over the past two weeks, a period in early February when freight demand typically begins to fade.
"We suspect that winter storms forced a number of trucks off the road and tied up capacity with longer transit times," they said. "We wouldn't be surprised if some carriers were temporarily commanding higher spot rates due to tighter supply."
http://www.joc.com/trucking/did-snow-blow-truckload-rates-higher

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Career trucker finds it hard to make a good living in tough economy, but sticking with it

Charles Nestor, of Sanger, Texas, says he’s been a truck driver for most of his life, and in those times he wasn’t driving he was still working in the trucking industry.
“I’ve worked as a mechanic, dispatcher, safety professional, owned my own trucking company with multiple trucks,” and a few other things, he said. “Sometimes I’d just take a break from driving for a couple of years. I’ve been in the industry over 40 years.”
“It’s not gonna improve until we make adjustments in the kind of people we elect to public office,” Nestor said. “We need improvement on all levels of government. Do they want to serve as career politicians or do they want to serve the public? The people in charge of the Federal Highway Administration want to keep the boss happy. It’s a matter of people doing their job. There’s always an out for people in government. Leadership starts at the top. Right now I think our top is pretty thin.”
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Karl Krueger dies in Iowa accident

Karl Krueger of Sioux Falls, S.D., a 62-year-old union driver for Yellow Freight, passed away Feb. 16 at the scene of a five-truck crash near the end of a construction zone on Interstate 29 in western Iowa, the Associated Press reported.
Krueger is known among truckers for a run he made for the presidency of the United States, beginning in 2007. He ran on a platform of “eliminating America’s use of foreign oil and pushing alternative fuels – batteries, ethanol and biodiesel – to the forefront of American transport,” as reported by former Overdrive Managing Editor Steven Mackay when Krueger announced his run at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky., that year.
Karl Krueger dies in Iowa accident | Overdrive - Owner Operators Trucking Magazine

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Dow...10,402.35 +9.45 +0.09%

Nasdaq...2,243.87 +2.16 +0.10%

S&P 500...1,109.17 +2.42 +0.22%

Oil...79.81 +1.01 +1.28%

Gold...1,121.30 +3.30 +0.30%


KNX...18.92...+0.42...+2.27%
FDX...81.76...+1.66...+2.07%
JBHT...32.95...+0.60...+1.85%
LSTR...38.54...+0.68...+1.80%
ABFS...25.10...+0.34...+1.37%
UPS...57.81...+0.64...+1.12%
HTLD...14.62...+0.16...+1.11%
ODFL...29.15...+0.32...+1.11%
CNW...30.86...-0.01...-0.03%
SAIA...11.35...-0.07...-0.61%
YRCW...0.37...-0.01...-2.63%
VTNC...9.43...-0.32...-3.28%

FDX--
UPS: Deutsche Reiterates “Buy,” Sees Strong Cash Flow - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
http://secure2.thestreet.com/cap/lo..._yahoo/rmoney/technicalanalysis/10684931.html
Is K.R. Sridhar’s 'magic box' ready for prime time? - Fortune Brainstorm Tech
REFILE-US STOCKS-Wall St edges up but rate worries linger | Reuters

UPS--
UPS: Deutsche Reiterates “Buy,” Sees Strong Cash Flow - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
U.S. enlists UPS in quest to double exports | Reuters
U.S. enlists UPS in quest to double exports - Yahoo! Finance
Recent decision to exempt Canada from Buy America clause a boon to SMEs - Yahoo! Finance

YRCW--
The Coming Bubble of 2010 and How to Avoid It
Melton Logistics LLC opens Kansas City-area office with ex-YRC employee - Kansas City Business Journal:

Stocks Log Best Week of 2010 as Fed Shock Fades

Stocks eked out a gain Friday as the initial shock of the Fed's surprise move to raise the discount rate wore off.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained about 10 points, or 0.1 percent, closing above 10,400. After a four-day winning streak, the Dow gained 3 percent for the week, its best performance of 2010.
After the bell Thursday, the Fed raised the discount rate, the rate it charges banks to borrow money, by a quarter of a percentage point to 0.75 percent. Though the Fed had signaled that such a move was on the horizon, few expected it this soon.
News Headlines

Wall Street Still Cautious, Despite Strong Earnings Season

Don't believe everything you read.
That's the message from Wall Street in the wake of a generally upbeat earnings season that points to recovering demand.
Despite raised outlooks, positive comments from company executives and quarterly results that beat expectations, Wall Street analysts have pared back forecasts for 2010 as worries about the recovery's sustainability dominate.
Earnings season is winding down, with Wal-Mart's Thursday results one of the last bellwethers. Even though 72 percent of S&P 500 components have beaten the estimates so far, 2010 earnings growth estimates have declined from the beginning of the season.
News Headlines

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America's Most Dangerous Drivers By Profession

Does your job impact your safety on the roads? As it turns out, it does.
Recently, Insurance.com conducted an analysis of the occupations that carry the highest percentage of individuals who claim an accident when searching for auto insurance. The rankings are based on the information people must supply in seeking an insurance quote.
News Headlines

Toyota's Congressional Hearing: 'How Risky Is It'

Toyota is falling all over itself apologizing for flaws in its vehicles.
They are running TV ads as part of an effort to “restore your faith in our company”.
They ran an OpEd in the Washington Post, in which company president Akio Toyoda personally apologized and said he wants to “restore trust in our word and in our products”.
News Headlines

Akio Will Show, Toyota Gets its Message in Gear

The stage is set for Toyota President Akio Toyoda to testify at a Congressional hearing next week.
While the initial thought is Toyoda's appearance will finally be the chance for us to get to the bottom of the safety questions surrounding millions of Toyota cars and trucks, I think you'd be better served to dial back your expectations.
News Headlines

Obama 'Sins' Against Sin City

"What do you think of the President?" I asked the cab driver.
"You don't wanna know," he replied, then proceeded to rant for the next five minutes as he drove me up the Las Vegas Strip. "What does he have against us? I have two kids at UNLV, how am I supposed to pay for that If he keeps trashing Las Vegas? All us cabbies would be happy if he stayed home."
News Headlines

Tea-Party Power to Solve the Debt Problem

The New York Times ran a front-page story this week called “Party Gridlock in Washington Feeds New Fear of a Debt Crisis.”
As usual, they got it wrong.
Instead, the headline should have read, “After Scott Brown’s Astonishing Senate Win in Massachusetts, New Political Gridlock in Washington Could Spell the End of the Liberal Crack-Up We Have Witnessed over the Past Year.”
In fact, gridlock in Washington is good, since it will stop the assault of big government until the end of the year when Congress could be overturned by independents, tea partiers, Republicans, and probably some Democrats as well. Just take a look at the high spirits at the CPAC convention, where tea partiers are reinvigorating conservatives and Republicans.
News Headlines

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:shift:Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Stocks Close Lower Amid Caution On Rates

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New UPS Hub to Connect Calgary to the World

$30 Million Airport Facility to Expedite International Shipments

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario--UPS today announced the official opening of its new distribution centre at the Calgary International Airport (YYC), a state-of-the-art hub to provide businesses with direct access to the U.S. and international markets.
The facility, built at a cost of $30 million, will be central to the continued growth of Alberta’s economy, allowing local businesses to tap into global growth markets such as China, India and Mexico.
“Despite the recent recession, Calgary’s economy still stands as a growth engine for Canada with many businesses in the area looking to take advantage of emerging markets overseas,” said Mike Tierney, president of UPS Canada, who was joined by UPS International President Dan Brutto for the official opening.
New UPS Hub to Connect Calgary to the World - Yahoo! Finance

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TNT Profit Slumps 58 Percent

One-off charges, impairments outweighed cost savings

TNT, the Dutch mail and express delivery group, reported fourth quarter net income slumped 58 percent from a year ago as one-off charges and impairments outweighed cost savings.
Income fell to $34 million in the three months ending Dec. 31 from $80 million in the same period in 2008 on revenue 0.5 percent higher at $3.95 billion.
Operating income shrunk to $174 million from $218 million, including one-off charges, mainly non-cash, of $260 million.
The express division performed better in 2009 than in 2008, recording its first year-on-year increase in volume since the onset of the global economic downturn.
TNT Profit Slumps 58 Percent | Journal of Commerce

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Recession's Silver Lining: Highways Are Safer

It turns out that recession is not unrelieved misery. Amid the layoffs, business failures and bankruptcies, belt-tightening and anxiety there is some good news. When we go into a recession, highway safety improves.
And safety doesn't just improve because people drive less in a tougher economic climate, although that's part of the picture. There is evidence that safety improves because recessionary times tend to take less-safe drivers off the road, which may help explain two remarkable trends in recent truck safety data.
Recession's Silver Lining: Highways Are Safer - Truckinginfo.com

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Cummins Inc. agrees to pay $2.1 million penalty for diesel engine Clean Air Act violations

Cummins Inc., a major motor vehicle engine company based in Columbus, Ind., will pay a $2.1 million penalty and recall 405 engines under a settlement agreement resolving alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.
According to a complaint filed simultaneously with the settlement in federal court in the District of Columbia, between 1998 and 2006 Cummins shipped more than 570,000 heavy-duty diesel engines to vehicle equipment manufacturers nationwide without pollution control equipment included, in violation of the Clean Air Act, according to a news release on the Justice Department’s Web site. This equipment, known as exhaust after-treatment devices (ATDs), controls engine exhaust emissions once the emissions have exited the engine and entered the exhaust system. Typical ATDs include catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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CRST Malone announces 2 programs for drivers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — CRST Malone has announced two new programs to the company said could increase the success of its drivers.
The company has implemented a lease purchase plan, according to Sherri Cook, director of recruiting.
“In our new lease purchase plan, payments can be as low as $200 per week with zero down for trucks that are approximately three years old,” Cook said. “Lease purchase drivers also receive 100 percent of fuel surcharge and 75 percent of gross line haul average. We feel our plan is one of the best in the industry.”
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Western Star offers Cummins ISX15 for North American customers

FORT MILL, S.C. — Western Star Trucks Sales, Inc., Friday announced the availability of the Cummins ISX15 EPA 2010 engine for the North American market. Combined with Detroit Diesel's powertrain options, the Cummins ISX15 completes a full line of engine solutions that meet the demand for Western Star customers.
The Cummins ISX15 features 400 to 600 hp and 1450 to 2050 lb - ft of torque, resulting in excellent power and performance that will benefit a variety of Western Star vocational and on-highway applications.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Dow...10,383.38 -18.97 -0.18%

Nasdaq...2,242.03 -1.84 -0.08%

S&P 500...1,108.01 -1.16 -0.10%

2010 Makes & Models: Class 7-8 (takes forever to load up.)

SAIA...11.84...+0.49...+4.32%
HTLD...15.04...+0.42...+2.87%
ODFL...29.81...+0.66...+2.26%
KNX...19.20...+0.28...+1.48%
JBHT...33.40...+0.45...+1.37%
CNW...31.27...+0.41...+1.33%
ABFS...25.35...+0.25...+1.00%
LSTR...38.85...+0.31...+0.80%
FDX...82.36...+0.60...+0.73%
VTNC...9.46...+0.03...+0.32%
UPS...57.95...+0.14...+0.24%
YRCW...0.36...-0.01...-2.14%

FDX--
Money Managers: The Best of the Best

UPS--
Helping Out Haiti - Forbes.com
New UPS Hub to Connect Calgary to the World - Yahoo! Finance
UPS’ new Calgary hub debuts - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

Stocks Close Lower Amid Caution On Rates

Stocks ended slightly lower as investors held back ahead of congressional testimony by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, while scattered buying lifted shares of health insurers and banks.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index was weighed down by energy shares.
News Headlines

Dividend Stocks Providing 'Market Stability': Chief Investor

Markets were mostly flat after a higher opening on Monday, as investors sold energy and materials stocks. How should investors be positioned? Neil Hennessy, portfolio manager and CIO of Hennessy Funds and Dan Veru, Palisade executive vice president and CO-CIO of Capital Management shared their insights.
“We don’t think we’re going to have the market so much to buoy us this year like last year, so it’s going to be about stock selection and about picking the right companies and the right industries,” he continued.
In the meantime, Hennessy told investors to look into the dividend-paying companies.
“That’s where you’re going to get stability in the market going forward,” he said.
News Headlines

Charts: Stocks Likely to Double Dip After May

Stocks could continue to push higher until May, but after that there is a serious risk of a double dip, Robin Griffiths, technical strategist from Cazenove Capital, told CNBC Monday.
"We're still in the strong season of the year up until May, but after that … you better take risk off again; we're going to come back down," Griffiths said.
"The chances of a double dip are really very high. The idea that we're going to run away upwards from here I think is a really poor bet," he added.
News Headlines

How Dividend Stocks Can Pay Off Big for Recent Retirees

Having an allocation to dividend-yielding stocks can be a good move for most investors, but for those who are in or nearing retirement, it’s a must.
Christopher Davis, senior mutual fund analyst with Morningstar, says many newly-minted or soon-to-be retirees are primarily in fixed income investment, and, as a result, risk prematurely running out of money.
“A lot of times people associate retirement with fixed-income investing," says Davis. "They need to be safer since they’re living on that money and need the income which fixed income provides. If you are just starting retirement, you have potentially 20 or 30 more years of life left and you need to be able to continue to grow your nest egg and protect it against inflation.”
News Headlines

With Sharks Circling, Toyota's Hope for Quick Solution Fades

Toyota's stay in the penalty box won't be a quick one. If the last week has shown us anything it's the fact hearings, lawsuits, and a steady stream of stories about Toyota [TM 72.93 -0.42 (-0.57%) ] being slow to recall millions of potentially dangerous will keep flowing for some time. As a friend of mine in the auto industry said last week, "It's their turn in the barrel, and who knows how long it will last."
News Headlines

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:shift:Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
Dow Ends Down 100 as Confidence Drops

1,2,3, Succeed -- FedEx.com


FedEx woos small biz with Internet parodies

FedEx Corp is famous for memorable television commercials, but like many big companies, it is following customers as they navigate from the television to the computer and in turn, shipping much of its marketing to the Web.
One of the package delivery giant's biggest Web campaigns, running on video websites such as YouTube and Hulu, is a series of three-minute parodies called "1-2-3 Succeed!" starring comedian Fred Willard.
The spots are a departure for FedEx, which has always spent its advertising and promotion budget -- $379 million in 2009 -- on pricey marketing vehicles like the Super Bowl to snag accounts that need and can afford its premium shipping services.
But now, FedEx has set its sights on small businesses, or those with fewer than 100 employees, said Steve Pacheco, FedEx's managing director for advertising.
FedEx woos small biz with Internet parodies | Reuters

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Teamsters Canada files to represent FedEx Ground employees

Teamsters Canada, an affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has filed an application with the Canada Industrial Relations Board to represent 45 administrative workers for FedEx Ground in Mississauga, Ontario.
The board is expected to render its decision within the next few weeks.
FedEx issued this statement in response:
"Contrary to the inaccurate claims of the Teamsters' press release, this application does not mean that the union represents any FedEx Ground employee or has majority support at this time,” FedEx Ground spokesman Perry Colosimo said. “The company will request a hearing to challenge this application, which resulted from a card signing organizing effort. Until this challenge is resolved, FedEx Ground is under no obligation to bargain with the Teamsters."
Teamsters Canada files to represent FedEx Ground employees - Memphis Business Journal:

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YRC Worldwide Closes on First Tranche of $70 Million New Notes

- Proceeds to Satisfy Remaining 2010 Note Obligations
- Remaining Proceeds to Provide Working Capital
- Preferred Stock Now Converted to Common Stock


YRC Worldwide Inc. today reported it closed on the first tranche of the previously announced transaction for a private placement of $70 million in principal amount of unsecured 6% Senior Notes due 2014. The company will use the net proceeds from both tranches of the private placement to satisfy its remaining 2010 note obligations, with any excess proceeds available to be used for general corporate purposes. At the note holders' option, the notes are convertible into shares of the company's common stock at an initial conversion price of $0.43 per share, subject to adjustment.
YRC Worldwide Closes on First Tranche of $70 Million New Notes - Yahoo! Finance

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Lufthansa Pilots Suspend Strike

One freighter flight cancelled as pilots agree to wait until March 8

Lufthansa plans to operate just over half its scheduled 1,800 flights Feb. 23 after pilots suspended their four day strike.
The German carrier said it expects to return to a full schedule on Friday after the pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit late on Monday agreed to suspend the strike by over 4,000 pilots until March 8.
Lufthansa Cargo has only lost one freighter service -- from Frankfurt to Bangalore and Madras, India -- as managers with pilots licenses stepped in to fly its MD-11 freighters.
The suspension of the strike means the second cancelled freighter service -- from Frankfurt to Bahrain-Sharjah-Hong Kong -- will operate as scheduled on Thursday.
The strike and ensuing disruption will, however, hit cargo carried in the holds of Lufthansa's passenger aircraft.
Lufthansa Pilots Suspend Strike | Journal of Commerce

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OOIDA Blasts Talk of U.S.-Mexican Trucking Pact

Trucking group urges top U.S. trade official to challenge retaliatory Mexican tariffs on U.S. goods
A group representing independent truck drivers accused Mexico of “economic bullying” while arguing against allowing Mexican truckers to operate in the U.S.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to challenge the legality of $2.4 billion in tariffs Mexico placed on U.S. goods last year after Congress and the White House killed a cross-border trucking program.
In a meeting with Mexico’s secretary of the economy earlier this month, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the White House would consult with members of Congress opposed to reinstating a cross-border trucking program for Mexican carriers.
The Obama administration faces rising pressure from agricultural exporters and manufacturers whose business has been hurt by the Mexican tariffs. Mexico’s economy minister, Gerardo Ruiz Mateos, said 9 he expects the dispute will be resolved by the end of the year.
OOIDA Blasts Talk of U.S.-Mexican Trucking Pact | Journal of Commerce

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Cleanwaste to introduce unisex urine bag

BELGRADE, Mont. — Cleanwaste, a human waste management company, has introduced a personal unisex urine bag named Pee-Wee.
The product will be introduced at the NATSO convention in Las Vegas later this month.
Pee-Wee is a personal unisex urine bag pre-loaded with Cleanwaste’s unique gelling agent that completely gels and deodorizes waste while natural enzymes begin immediate breakdown, Mike Hetherington, Cleanwaste CEO, who added that Pee-Wee is biodegradable and sanitary and safe for users AND the environment.
“In today’s economy, rest areas are closing, there are fewer and fewer places where truckers and travelers can find a clean, safe bathroom,” Hetherington said. “Many loading docks do not allow truckers to use facilities and fewer retailers encourage the use of facilities. It’s often hard for truckers to park close enough to a facility in the middle of the night to feel safe going to and from. In addition, many corporate trucking fleets will fine or discharge a driver caught urinating near their rigs. In all cases, Pee-Wee is a safe sanitary alternative.”
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Dow...10,282.41 -100.97 -0.97%

Nasdaq...2,213.44 -28.59 -1.28%

S&P 500...1,094.60 -13.41 -1.21%


YRCW...0.37...+0.01...+2.18%
HTLD...15.18...+0.14...+0.93%
UPS...58.40...+0.45...+0.78%
KNX...19.25...+0.05...+0.26%
JBHT...33.45...+0.05...+0.15%
LSTR...38.82...-0.03...-0.08%
ODFL...29.59...-0.22...-0.74%
FDX...81.49...-0.87...-1.06%
SAIA...11.66...-0.18...-1.52%
CNW...30.78...-0.49...-1.57%
ABFS...24.55...-0.80...-3.16%
VTNC...9.10...-0.36...-3.81%

FDX--
FedEx woos small biz with Internet parodies | Reuters
Bloom Box: Segway or savior? - Fortune Brainstorm Tech
Teamsters Canada files to represent FedEx Ground employees - Memphis Business Journal:

YRCW--
YRCW: Income Statement for YRC Worldwide, Inc. - Yahoo! Finance
YRC Worldwide closes debt deal - Yahoo! Finance
YRC Worldwide Closes on First Tranche of $70 Million New Notes - Yahoo! Finance

Dow Ends Down 100 as Confidence Drops

Stocks suffered their biggest decline in three weeks Tuesday as a sharp drop in consumer confidence rattled the market.
The CBOE volatility index jumped, finishing above 21.
The Conference Board reported its gauge of consumer confidence tumbled to 46 in February from 56.5 in January. Economists had expected a much less severe drop to 54.8. A separate report showed home prices declined in December.
This came after a report out of Germany showed business morale hinted at a contraction for the first quarter and overshadowed some encouraging earnings reports.
News Headlines

Toyota Chief Faces Grilling on Safety in US Congress

Toyota Motor's president braced for tough questions from a U.S. congressional panel on Wednesday after the Japanese automaker conceded it had let safety standards slip and could still not explain most incidents of unintended acceleration.
President Akio Toyoda again apologised for the series of problems that have led to the recall of more than 8.5 million vehicles, been blamed for at least five deaths and set off fierce criticism of both the world's largest automaker and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
News Headlines

Hyundai Motor Halts 2011 US Sonata Sales, Shares Fall

Hyundai Motor said on Tuesday it had stopped U.S. sales of its 2011 Sonata sedan due to potential faults in the front door latches that could affect 5,000 vehicles.
Hyundai, which received complaints from customers but no reports of accidents or injuries, notified dealers late on Monday and the stop-sale order was put into affect at U.S. dealers on Tuesday, spokesman Miles Johnson said.
News Headlines

Nearly 20% of US Workers Underemployed in Jan

Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. workforce lacked adequate employment in January and struggled to make ends meet with reduced resources and bleak job prospects, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.
In findings that appear to paint a darker employment picture than official U.S. data, Gallup estimated that about 30 million Americans are underemployed, meaning either jobless or able to find only part-time work.
Underemployed people spent 36 percent less on household purchases than their fully employed neighbors in January, while six out of 10 were not hopeful about their chances of finding adequate work in the coming month, the poll said.
News Headlines

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The Mortgage Walkaway Number

With more and more evidence of more and more borrowers walking away from their mortgage commitments due to overwhelming negative equity, I got to thinking: What exactly is the monetary tipping point for a homeowner, someone occupying the home, hanging pictures on the walls, perhaps raising their kids in the second and third bedrooms, going to the neighborhood block parties...what exactly is the negative equity number that makes them say, "We're outta here."
Negative $70,000.
News Headlines

ABC News Restructuring, Buyouts to Eliminate 300-400 Jobs

ABC News is looking to eliminate up to 400 positions by offering buyouts across the news division. The number of people who opt for the "voluntary separation package" will determine whether the company does layoffs and how many people get the axe.
David Westin, president of ABC News, sent an e-mail to all ABC employees in which he explained the division's restructuring, detailing the "revolution in the ways that people get their news and information." He says that the digital age makes the news business more competitive and demands that ABC re-think their business.
News Headlines

Toyota Sticking by Electronics, For Better or Worse

As two days of Congressional hearings begin today, there is one question above all others that will be front and center: are the electronics in Toyota gas pedals flawed?
Toyota says no.
At least one outside expert disagrees.
At the end of the day, these conflicting views will be crystallize whether Toyota has truly solved the problem of unintended acceleration, or if the shims and re-designed gas pedals are band aids that will not truly fix the issue of sticky gas pedals.
News Headlines

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Dow Gains Over 90 After Bernanke Testimony

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Trucker Con-Way Turns Drivers into Sales People; Rewarding with Free Hats, Other Goodies

Trucker Con-way (CNW) may be able to increase the volume of packages it hauls by promising free hats and exercise equipment to its drivers, avers Longbow Research analyst Lee Klaskow in a note to clients today.
Klaskow spent a day recently riding shotgun with Con-way’s drivers in Newark, New Jersey, and he notes that the company has turned its pickup & delivery people into sales people of a sort, encouraging them to “ask shippers and consignees if they have any freight that needs to be shipped during their daily routes,” hoping to pick up last-minute packages that might have gone to another shipper. The company rewards drivers with 1 “point” for each extra lb. of freight they pick up, says Klaskow, points that the driver can redeem for goodies such as hats. (Company store, anyone?)
Trucker Con-Way Turns Drivers into Sales People; Rewarding with Free Hats, Other Goodies - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

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YRC Closes Debt Financing Deal with New Bonds

Investors trade $70 million for long-term notes due in 2014

YRC Worldwide yesterday closed the first part of a deal that will pay off $70 million in unsecured debt that wasn’t eliminated in its $464 million debt-for-equity swap.
The trucking and logistics operator issued $49.8 million in new bonds due in 2014 to private investors who put up the money to cover the $70 million in 2010 bonds.
The investors placed the $70 million in an escrow account, triggering the release of the first series of new senior notes.
YRC Closes Debt Financing Deal with New Bonds | Journal of Commerce

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Truck Tonnage Shoots Up

Surge in January follows worst year for trucking volume since 1982

Trucking is "clearly in a recovery mode," with the American Trucking Associations' truck tonnage index showing its strongest increase since January 2005 last month.
That's good news for an industry that saw tonnage levels drop 8.7 percent for the entire year -- the largest drop in freight shipments hauled by truck since 1982.
ATA's advance seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index jumped 3.1 percent in January from December, following a revised 1.3 percent increase in that month.
The index reached 110.4, its highest level since September 2008.
Truck Tonnage Shoots Up | Journal of Commerce

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Reddaway Shaves Transit Times Throughout Network

Reddaway, a subsidiary of YRC Worldwide, has cut transit times in more than 327,000 lane pairs throughout its network, providing more next-day and two-day delivery options.
The accelerated service enables Reddaway to shave transit times by a full day on lanes from northern California, Colorado and Washington going into western Oregon; lanes from Colorado and Washington going into northwestern Montana; and lanes from Utah, northern California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington going into Colorado, to name a few.
Reddaway Shaves Transit Times Throughout Network - Truckinginfo.com

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Truck Pricing in Canada Seen Stabilizing

Canadian General Freight Index sees slight monthly cost increase in December

Canadian trucking costs appear to be stabilizing, but at a level nearly 10 percent lower than a year ago, according to an index based on less-than-truckload and truckload rates.
Overall freight costs rose 0.2 percent in December from the previous month, said the Canadian General Freight Index published by Nulogx, a transportation management company that processes more than $750 million in freight transactions a year.
Base trucking rates, which exclude the impact of fuel surcharges, fell by 0.1 percent in December, the index said. That decrease was outstripped by a 3.7 percent rise in the average fuel surcharge compared with November.
Truck Pricing in Canada Seen Stabilizing | Journal of Commerce

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Atlas Earns $24 Million in Fourth Quarter

Rising freight demand pulls operator through recession

Beginning late last year, freight demand helped Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings withstand the global economic downturn in the fourth quarter as the freighter operator posted a $23.8 million net profit.
Fourth quarter profit fell 55 percent below the same period in 2008 on revenue of $321.6 million, which was 4 percent below the prior-year quarter.
“The global scale and scope of our operations positioned us very well to participate in a vigorous commercial charter market during the fourth quarter, especially in the Asia-Pacific region,” said William J. Flynn, president and chief executive officer. “Low inventory levels and stronger-than-expected holiday demand during the quarter generated yields in our commercial charter segment not seen since ports on the U.S. west coast were shut down in the second half of 2002. Peak charter yields were a major contributor to our earnings for the quarter.”
Atlas Earns $24 Million in Fourth Quarter | Journal of Commerce

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Austrian Airlines Freight Folded Into Lufthansa

Vienna to become central European hub for Lufthansa Cargo

Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Airlines will merge their global freight operations, including sales and flights, effective July 1.
The carriers said they will optimize the flow of cargo through their Frankfurt, Munich and Vienna hubs, merge their global distribution activities and harmonize product portfolios and processes.
Austrian Airlines, which also carries passengers, was acquired last September as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa, parent of Lufthansa Cargo.
The two airlines will jointly route cargo though Vienna and boost traffic through the airport. They will also integrate their freight handling and distribution operation in the country.
In all other worldwide markets, freight will be amalgamated under the Lufthansa Cargo brand.
"Vienna will become a central European hub for Lufthansa Cargo -- comparable to our German hubs at Frankfurt and Munich," said Carsten Spohr, chief executive officer and chairman of Lufthansa Cargo.
Austrian Airlines Freight Folded Into Lufthansa | Journal of Commerce

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Dow...10,374.16 +91.75 +0.89%

Nasdaq...2,235.90 +22.46 +1.01%

S&P 500...1,105.24 +10.64 +0.97%


YRCW...0.41...+0.04...+9.73%
VTNC...9.56...+0.46...+5.05%
ABFS...25.64...+1.09...+4.44%
SAIA...12.16...+0.50...+4.29%
CNW...31.78...+1.00...+3.25%
JBHT...34.21...+0.76...+2.27%
FDX...83.08...+1.59...+1.95%
ODFL...30.09...+0.50...+1.69%
HTLD...15.34...+0.16...+1.05%
KNX...19.44...+0.19...+0.99%
LSTR...39.10...+0.28...+0.72%
UPS...58.76...+0.36...+0.62%

FDX--
YRCW Up 6% on $70M Private Placement - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
Trucker Con-Way Turns Drivers into Sales People; Rewarding with Free Hats, Other Goodies - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
America's Next Top Value Stock (VLO)
Bloom Energy fuel cell aims to be 'Next New Thing' - MarketWatch
UPDATE 1-Startup Bloom unveils fuel cells to power buildings | Reuters

UPS--
It's Time To Go Global - Forbes.com

CNW--
Trucker Con-Way Turns Drivers into Sales People; Rewarding with Free Hats, Other Goodies - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com

ABFS--
Summary of ARKANSAS BEST CORP /DE/ - Yahoo! Finance

YRCW--
YRCW Up 6% on $70M Private Placement - Stocks To Watch Today - Barrons.com
Summary of YRC WORLDWIDE INC - Yahoo! Finance
FACTBOX-Biggest changes in Nasdaq short interest | Reuters
YRC Closes Debt Financing Deal with New Bonds | Journal of Commerce
Reddaway Shaves Transit Times Throughout Network - Truckinginfo.com

Dow Gains Over 90 After Bernanke Testimony

Stocks rallied Wednesday as the dollar pulled back and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged to keep rates low for a long time in his semi-annual testimony before Congress. Financials were among the top gainers.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained more than 90, or 0.9 percent, clawing back most of the 100 points it lost in the prior session's selloff.
"The dollar sold off and the market rallied," said Dave Rovelli, managing director of equity trading at Canaccord Adams.
The dollar had already been incurring profit-taking, Rovelli said, then took another hit when Bernanke said the Fed would likely keep rates low "for an extended period."
News Headlines

Toyota's Workers Worry But Back Embattled Boss

Anxious Toyota workers in the automaker's hometown rallied behind their president after he faced a grilling from U.S. lawmakers over the company's safety problems, but many fear the crisis is far from over.
Thousands of miles away in Washington, Toyota Motor's chief Akio Toyoda appeared before a sometimes hostile congressional panel, where he apologised for any accidents Toyota drivers have experienced.
The panel appearance of Toyoda, the 53-year-old grandson of the company's founder, was a dramatic turn in a safety crisis that broke a month ago with a series of recalls over unintended acceleration and braking problems that now includes more than 8.5 million vehicles globally.
News Headlines

Obama Rejects Attackers' Cries of 'Socialism'

President Barack Obama launched a vigorous defense of his economic agenda Wednesday, rejecting critics who call his policies "socialism" and insisting he aims to boost U.S. competitiveness abroad.
Speaking to the Business Roundtable, which groups some of the country's top chief executives, Obama called for support of his administration's efforts to overhaul financial regulation and create jobs.
"Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, I am an ardent believer in the free market," Obama said in prepared remarks.
News Headlines

GM to End Hummer After Sale to Chinese Buyer Fails

General Motors said Wednesday it will shut down Hummer after its bid to sell the brand to a Chinese company collapsed.
Heavy equipment maker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines pulled out of the deal for Hummer, known for its hulking, military-like SUVs, because it was unable to get clearance from Chinese regulators within the proposed deal timeframe, the manufacturer said in a separate statement.
GM said it will continue to honor existing Hummer warranties.
News Headlines

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Dow Pares Loss to 0.5%; Coke, Palm Fall

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Is Your Hometown Prepared for a Disaster? FedEx Corp. Helps Red Cross Ensure Hometown Is Ready When the Time Comes

Local Volunteer Training Program Launches with Shelter Simulation

FedEx Corp., an active participant in disaster relief, recovery and preparedness initiatives, is engaging FedEx team members in major cities throughout the country in disaster preparedness planning through the American Red Cross’ corporate volunteer involvement program Ready When the Time Comes.
Memphis, home of the company’s worldwide headquarters, will officially launch its program Feb. 27 with FedEx serving as the local lead sponsor.
Through the Ready When the Time Comes program, volunteers receive specialized training in crucial disaster response functions, such as shelter operations, large-scale feeding efforts, and damage assessment. The Red Cross trains employees from participating corporations and mobilizes them for large-scale local disasters. FedEx team members currently work closely with local chapters in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and now Memphis.
Is Your Hometown Prepared for a Disaster? FedEx Corp. Helps Red Cross Ensure Hometown Is Ready When the Time Comes - Yahoo! Finance

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Bloom box debut: More IPO than CO2

The long-awaited unveiling may have another goal in mind: to fuel investors' appetite for a public offering.

It was an awesome spectacle as product launches go: Speeches by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Colin Powell, a panel of top executives from Google, eBay, Wal-Mart, FedEx, Coca-Cola, and Cox Enterprises, video messages from Diane Feinstein and Michael Bloomberg, a heart-tugging slide show about saving the planet, and finally, after eight years and $400 million raised, the unveiling of the Holy Grail in a box — clean, inexpensive full-cell energy!
FedEx did agree to talk but won’t answer the most important question: How much are they paying for Bloom-box electricity? “We’re under a contractual agreement not to disclose the price,” says Mitch Jackson, FedEx’s senior director of environmental affairs.
Bloom box debut: More IPO than CO2 - Fortune Brainstorm Tech

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UPS Canada Toasts 35 Years of Success

Global Logistics Company Began Canadian Operations With One Checker Cab in Toronto in 1975
When UPS Canada picked up its first shipment in 1975 at Butterick Fashions Marketing in downtown Toronto - using a Checker cab - no one could have imagined where the company would be today.
Thirty-five years later, UPS Canada is connecting its Canadian customers with markets all over the world, utilizing 11,000 employees and 54 package operations facilities located throughout the nation.
It was Feb. 28, 1975, when Canada became the first country to host UPS operations outside the United States. Since then, the presence and scope of the company has grown dramatically to include air and ground service to any address in Canada along with global service to more than 200 countries and territories.
UPS Canada Toasts 35 Years of Success - Yahoo! Finance

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Sirius XM Posts Profit, Its First Since Merger

The satellite radio company Sirius XM Radio posted its first quarterly profit since its merger and said it expected to add 500,000 new subscribers in 2010 as the recovery in the car market increased demand.
The results on Thursday suggest that the company, run by the media industry veteran Mel Karmazin, has solidified. Just a year ago, it flirted with bankruptcy.
Sirius shares have risen sharply from a year ago when they traded as low as 5 cents each. Its stock was down 3 cents, or 2.73 percent, at $1.07 on Thursday. Analysts and investors are re-evaluating shares of Sirius, whose market capitalization is now about $4.1 billion.
Since then, the company has seen a rise in average revenue per user, lower costs to woo subscribers and an increase in new-car buyers who sign up after their trial subscriptions lapse.
Sirius Posts Profit Since Merger in 2009 - NYTimes.com

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Republican Calls on Obama to Back Fuel Tax Hike

Ohio’s Voinovich says he may not vote for highway bill without Obama support

Flanked by Democrats in a show of transportation bipartisanship, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, called Thursday for President Obama to back a highway spending plan with an increase in the federal fuel tax and warned he may not vote for a bill the White House does not fully support.
“This administration has to get engaged,” Voinovich said. “They are not, not one iota.”
Voinovich has gained a higher profile on Capitol Hill over the past week after joining a handful of other Republicans in bucking party leadership by voting for a Democratic-backed jobs bill. He also spoke out forcefully this week for action on a transportation bill he said must include the first increase in the gas tax since 1993, something the administration says it will not support.
Republican Calls on Obama to Back Fuel Tax Hike | Journal of Commerce

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Durable Goods Orders Snap Record Losing Streak

First gain in unfilled orders breaks 15-month downward spiral

Increases in new orders and -- for the first time in more than a year -- in unfilled orders in January signaled an upward trend for manufacturers of durable goods.
New orders for manufactured durable goods in January increased $5.2 billion or 3 percent to $175.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Thursday. Even more striking, unfilled orders, following a record 15 consecutive monthly decreases, increased $400 million or 0.1 percent to $718.1 billion.
Shipments and inventories were down slightly, the Census Bureau said.
The upswing in unfilled orders followed a 0.9 percent December decrease as orders began to catch up to capacity. Unfilled orders for primary metals led the upsurge. They had been climbing for the last eight months and put in the largest increase in January. Manufacturers put $500 million worth of primary metals, a gain of 3.2 percent, on their to-do lists, adding $16.1 billion to the total for unfilled orders.
Durable Goods Orders Snap Record Losing Streak | Journal of Commerce

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FMCSA opens driver screening website

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration yesterday, Feb. 24, opened a website where carriers can register to access a safety database that will be set up for screening applicants for driving jobs.
Although data probably won’t be available for a couple of months, carriers and third-party driver service providers can register for the Pre-Employment Screening Program FMCSA is developing at Pre-Employment Screening Program.
The program will give carriers access to five years of an applicant's accident history and three years of inspection history, with the driver's permission. The data will come from the Motor Carrier Management Information System and include the same information used by agency staff and state police for enforcement. Drivers also will have access to the information, and can include the report as part of their application.
FMCSA opens driver screening website - eTrucker

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Dow...10,321.03 -53.13 -0.51%

Nasdaq...2,234.22 -1.68 -0.08%

S&P 500...1,102.93 -2.31 -0.21%


ABFS...26.05...+0.41...+1.60%
JBHT...34.72...+0.51...+1.49%
ODFL...30.48...+0.39...+1.30%
CNW...32.14...+0.36...+1.13%
LSTR...39.41...+0.31...+0.79%
KNX...19.58...+0.14...+0.72%
SAIA...12.21...+0.05...+0.41%
HTLD...15.37...+0.03...+0.20%
FDX...83.18...+0.10...+0.12%
UPS...58.42...-0.34...-0.58%
YRCW...0.40...-0.00...-1.11%
VTNC...9.33...-0.23...-2.41%

FDX--
Is Your Hometown Prepared for a Disaster? FedEx Corp. Helps Red Cross Ensure Hometown Is Ready When the Time Comes - Yahoo! Finance
Bloom box debut: More IPO than CO2 - Fortune Brainstorm Tech
FedEx launching disaster preparedness program in Memphis - Memphis Business Journal:
Home Depot Gets The House In Order
Air China, Cathay Pacific plan cargo joint venture - Yahoo! Finance

UPS--
U.S. workers unlikely to go the way of Greece - MarketWatch
Home Depot Gets The House In Order
UPS Canada Toasts 35 Years of Success - Yahoo! Finance

SAIA--
Summary of SAIA INC - Yahoo! Finance

Dow Pares Loss to 0.5%; Coke, Palm Fall

Stocks posted modest losses Thursday as investors found some buying opportunities after an earlier selloff triggered by the jobless report and worries about Greece.
The S&P 500 lost just 0.2 percent and the Nasdaq fell just 0.1 percent.
The CBOE volatility index had been pushing higher for much of the day but ended down slightly at 20.10.
News Headlines

Rate Spike & Double-Dip Coming: Ex-Fed Governor

Markets opened lower on Thursday after the US government said weekly jobless claims rose more than expected last week. What should investors expect for stocks going forward? Robert Heller, former Federal Reserve governor, and Kathleen Stephansen, chief economist at Aladdin Capital Holdings, discussed their market outlooks.
“A double dip recession is still very much in the cards,” Heller told CNBC.
“The big elephant in the room is the huge federal deficit, and that will eventually will force up interest rates. And as interest rates go up, it will kill both businesses and consumer recovery.”
News Headlines

What VIX Says About Market 'Doom': Trading Execs

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the measure for fear in the market, rose over 8 percent to near 22 on Thursday. Should investors be paying closer attention to the figures? Gordon Charlop, managing director of Rosenblatt Securities, and Alan Valdes, vice president of Kabrik Trading, shared their insights.
“We’re still stuck in a trend and a bit of retrenching here.”
Charlop said he doesn’t see “any significant sense of gloom and doom.”
“We also seem to be a little bit light on volume,” he noted.
News Headlines

GOPs, President Make Little Progress on Health Care

President Barack Obama and Republicans clashed frequently Thursday at a summit on his stalled health care overhaul, battling over the size and cost of the proposal and moving no closer to a compromise agreement.
Obama told about 40 congressional leaders his comprehensive overhaul was "absolutely critical" to a sustained economic recovery, but Republicans said he should scrap the current plans and start over with a smaller approach.
"There are some fundamental differences between us that we cannot paper over," Jon Kyl, the No. 2 Senate Republican, told Obama, adding his plan gave Washington too much power over the health system and took it away from patients and doctors.
News Headlines

Toyota May Miss North American Output Target

Toyota Motor's [TM 73.90 -0.43 (-0.58%) ] output in North America will likely fall short of its target by 20 percent in the February-April period, hurt by a sharp slide in sales in the wake of its massive vehicle recalls, the Nikkei business reported.
On Wednesday, Toyota's president apologised to U.S. lawmakers for the safety crisis that has led to the recall of more than 8.5 million vehicles around the world.
News Headlines

Thursday's Health Summit: Obama the Re-Animator?

Like an insatiable flesh-eating zombie in an embarrassingly bad sci-fi flick, ObamaCare will not die. Just when you think it’s dead, The Re-Animator—President Obama—revives this corpse to feast again.
But if Bam isn’t careful, this zombie could turn on him and consume his presidency. It already gobbled up his first year, when he should have focused solely on the economy and jobs. Most Americans don’t want this sweeping, costly overhaul: a trillion dollars in new health spending over the next decade despite record-high deficits; over $600 billion in new taxes to pay for only part of it; and the certainty that the actual costs will run hundreds of billions of dollars higher.
News Headlines

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Post 6300
 
Stocks Gain 3% for Month but Rally Fades

WEEKEND EDITION

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YRC deal to sell fell through in 2006, SEC civil complaint says

YRC Worldwide Inc. was on the sales block in late 2006 but negotiations fell through, according to a civil complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission in an insider trading case.
The potential acquirer wasn’t named in the complaint, filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, but it said negotiations repeatedly stalled and restarted for at least two months beginning in late October 2006 before eventually being abandoned.
YRC deal to sell fell through in 2006, SEC civil complaint says - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Fitch Gives New YRC Bonds Low Rating

Credit service says carrier needs to return to positive cash flow before upgrade

By issuing a news series of bonds to pay off $45 million in near-term debt, YRC Worldwide "reduced the likelihood of a default in the very near term," said Fitch Ratings.
YRC Worldwide issued a tranche of bonds worth $49.3 million Feb. 23 as part of its plan to retire $70 million in debt not included in its $464 million debt-for-equity swap.
The credit rating agency assigned a C/RR6 rating to those new bonds, due in 2014, indicating that Fitch still considers YRC Worldwide "highly vulnerable" and that the new notes recovery prospects would be less than 10 percent "in a distressed scenario."
Despite that rating, Fitch did note that YRC Worldwide ended 2009 with $98 million in cash and $160 million available on its secured revolving credit facility.
Fitch Gives New YRC Bonds Low Rating | Journal of Commerce

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Bunning Pay-Go Stance Triggers DOT Crisis

Senator’s insistence on covering jobs bill cost will halt highway programs

Sen. Jim Bunning’s refusal to agree to a quick passage of a Senate jobs bill that would add to the federal budget deficit has the Department of Transportation close to shutting down its highway and transit programs.
Bunning, R-Ky., repeatedly objected when Democrats sought unanimous consent late Thursday and again Friday morning to quickly pass a bill that had bounced back and forth through the week between the Senate and House.
Late Friday, Rep. James L. Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said these were “rather astonishing developments” that would have “very far-reaching, serious consequences” by interrupting federal aid to state road construction, stimulus disbursements for infrastructure repairs and truck safety oversight.
Oberstar said Bunning’s action “has shut down” the nation’s surface transportation programs.
Bunning Pay-Go Stance Triggers DOT Crisis | Journal of Commerce

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Major DOT Programs Face Shutdown

Senate face-off could close highway, trucking, safety units

Major surface transportation programs at the Department of Transportation were in danger of shutting down starting Monday after a senator raised objections to final passage of a short-term extension of federal transportation funding.
Rep. James Oberstar, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said all activities by the Federal Highway Administration, large parts of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and some other DOT offices would stop running after current spending authority expires Feb. 28.
The threat came when Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., raised objections to a continuing resolution to keep funds moving for a month.
"The problem is Sen. Bunning is objecting to the continuing resolution and then threatened to filibuster," Oberstar said. "His actions will shut down federal transportation programs. That's his big hammer for whatever he is trying to accomplish, and I don't know what that is. ...
"This is just a terrible turn of events," he said.
Major DOT Programs Face Shutdown | Journal of Commerce

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Colorado DOT Offers Alerts Via E-mail, Text Message

The Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a new communications tool that will allow users to receive e-mail and text message updates on transportation topics and travel conditions, including news for truck drivers.
CDOT now offers updates on road condition information, chain laws, news releases and construction information across the state, broken down by specific corridors and regions of the state.
"With the technology available today, we wanted to expand our communication methods and provide more real-time information to the traveling public," said Russell George, CDOT executive director. "This new tool will allow users to directly receive the information they are interested in and hopefully help them prepare for travel delays and construction."
Colorado DOT Offers Alerts Via E-mail, Text Message - Truckinginfo.com

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Dalton Highway trucker still has safe track record

There was the time when his tractor-trailer started sliding down the Dalton Highway after going over 4,643-foot Atigun Pass, the steepest hill on the road system in Alaska.
"As soon as I came around a corner there was a (plow) coming up the hill throwing snow everywhere," John Taylor said. "I hit that snow and had no more traction."
Taylor, 64, recently passed the 3 million mile mark without an accident as a driver for Carlile Transportation Systems in Fairbanks. That equates to an average of approximately 130,500 miles or 130 trips to Prudhoe Bay and back each year for the past 23 years.
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

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Dow...10,325.26 +4.23 +0.04%

Nasdaq...2,238.26 +4.04 +0.18%

S&P 500...1,104.49 +1.56 +0.14%

Oil...79.66 +1.44 +1.84%

Gold...1,118.30 +10.50 +0.95%


YRCW...0.46...+0.06...+14.84%
SAIA...12.66...+0.45...+3.69%
VTNC...9.59...+0.26...+2.79%
JBHT...35.48...+0.76...+2.19%
FDX...84.76...+1.58...+1.90%
LSTR...39.89...+0.48...+1.22%
CNW...32.49...+0.35...+1.09%
KNX...19.75...+0.17...+0.87%
ODFL...30.74...+0.26...+0.85%
ABFS...26.24...+0.19...+0.73%
UPS...58.74...+0.32...+0.55%
HTLD...15.31...-0.06...-0.39%

FDX--
Air China, Cathay Pacific plan cargo joint venture - Yahoo! Finance
Northeast snow halts planes, trains, automobiles - Yahoo! Finance

UPS--
UPS to record $40M loss related to asset sale - Yahoo! Finance

CNW--
Summary of CON-WAY INC. - Yahoo! Finance

YRCW--
YRC deal to sell fell through in 2006, SEC civil complaint says - Kansas City Business Journal:
Fitch Gives New YRC Bonds Low Rating | Journal of Commerce

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Stocks Gain 3% for Month but Rally Fades

Stocks ended slightly higher Friday as the dollar fell and traders grappled with disappointing GDP and existing-home sales reports, playing the market in a tight range.
Trading volume was light as there was another element to battle: The weather. A "wicked snowicane," as Accuweather describes it, referring to the rare spiraling air masses in this storm, has dumped over a foot of snow in some parts of the Northeast, flooding in others and battering winds across the board.
News Headlines

Stock Correction Over? Market May Seesaw for Months

The correction that investors thought had finally arrived is beginning to fade as the stock market settles into a pattern likely to continue for months.
For nearly a year now, investors have been waiting for a big earthquake of a correction, but so far have been hit by a series of tremors.
And that may well be the case for most of 2010 as the Federal Reserve seems intent on keeping interest rates near zero. That leaves investors with few other options but to wait for stock market dips to put their money to work.
News Headlines

Best February for the S&P 500 Since 1998

The Dow and S&P 500 turned in their best monthly performance since November 2009, while the NASDAQ turned in its best monthly gain since December 2009. Among the major U.S. indices, the Russell 2,000 led the gains in February, with a gain of 4.41%.
The Dow finished this month in the green, up 2.56%, for its best February since 1995 when it gained 2.6%
The S&P rose 2.85% this month, for its best February since 1998 when it gained 7.04%
The NASDAQ posted a gain of 4.23% for its best February since 2000 when it increase 19.2% (biggest February % gain ever)
News Headlines

ae84y1.jpg


:shift:Now you are up to speed and informed.
http://www.truckingboards.com/truck...074-questions-comments-stc-newsletter-22.html
 
U.S. trucker YRC makes further job cuts
KANSAS CITY, March 1 (Reuters) - U.S. trucker YRC Worldwide (YRCW.O) (YRCW.O) has slashed its workforce further, cutting into its already-thinned ranks as it tries to appease lenders and debt-holders as part of a broad financial restructuring.
U.S. trucker YRC makes further job cuts | Reuters


Dow 10,403.79 +78.53 +0.76%
Nasdaq 2,273.57 +35.31 +1.58%
S&P 500 1,115.71 +11.22 +1.02%
Oil 78.67 -0.03 -0.04%
Gold 1,117.80 -0.50 -0.04%

YRC Worldwide, Inc. 0.43 Down 0.01 (2.27%)
Saia, Inc. 12.76 0.00 (0.00%)
Vitran Corporation, Inc. 0.00 N/A (N/A)
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, 34.88 Down 0.05 (0.14%)
FedEx Corporation 85.81 0.00 (0.00%)
Landstar System, Inc. 39.00 0.00 (0.00%)
Con-Way, Inc. 32.55 0.00 (0.00%)
Knight Transportation 19.7938 Up 0.05 (0.27%)
Old Dominion Freight Line 30.40 Down 0.05 (0.16%)
Arkansas Best Corporation 26.80 0.00 (0.00%)
United Parcel Service, Inc. 58.7609 Down 0.09 (0.15%)
Heartland Express, Inc. 15.52 0.00 (0.00%)


DOT Starts Furloughs Over Funding Hitch
2,000 workers home without pay as highway programs shut down

Charging that “political games” are forcing a partial shutdown of federal operations and support to states, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said nearly 2,000 employees are being furloughed starting March 1 after Congress let highway programs expire.
DOT Starts Furloughs Over Funding Hitch | Journal of Commerce

Obama budget eyes contractor issue
n recent years, governmental agencies and courts have tried to decide if workers are employees or independent contractors. Now a provision in President Obama’s 2011 federal budget request targets the issue.
Obama budget eyes contractor issue - eTrucker


Maersk CEO: Carriers, Shippers Need Stability

Recovery depends on long-term relationships, says head of largest container carrier

Container shipping is beginning to recover from its worst-ever recession, but shippers and carriers need to develop long-term relationships to ensure stability in rates and service, Maesk Line CEO Eivind Kolding said.

Kolding was keynote speaker Monday at the 10th annual JOC Trans-Pacific Conference.
Maersk CEO: Carriers, Shippers Need Stability | Journal of Commerce
 
Newsletter

Analyst suspends rating of YRC Worldwide stock until he gets more financial information
A key transportation stock analyst has suspended his rating of YRC Worldwide Inc., saying that the company hasn’t provided enough information about its operations to determine where it’s at on the road to recovery and that its stock is volatile.
Analyst suspends rating of YRC Worldwide stock until he gets more financial information - Kansas City Business Journal:



U.S. post office looks to cut costs as mail drops
* Postal service facing shortfall as mail volume drops

* Price hike and service changes seen

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service, faced with a dwindling number of customers and growing shortfalls, plans to raise prices, cut costs and ask for rule changes to make the struggling service more flexible, Postmaster General John Potter said on Tuesday.
U.S. post office looks to cut costs as mail drops | Reuters



Old Dominion Freight Line to Present at the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference
THOMASVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODFL - News) today announced that David Congdon, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Wes Frye, Senior Vice President – Finance and Chief Financial Officer, will participate in the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference on Monday, March 8, 2010, in Orlando, Florida. In connection with the conference, there will be an on-line simulcast and a replay of the Company’s presentation available at the Company’s web site starting at 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, March 8, 2010, which can be accessed at Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc.. Please go to the site at least 15 minutes prior to the presentation to download and install any necessary audio software.
Old Dominion Freight Line to Present at the Raymond James 31st Annual Institutional Investors Conference - Yahoo! Finance

Saia Honored With Lowe's 2009 Silver Award

JOHNS CREEK, Ga., Feb. 12, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saia, Inc. (Nasdaq:SAIA - News) has been named the "2009 Silver Team Award" recipient by Lowe's Companies, Inc. for exceeding two of the retailer's service performance indicators. This is the tenth consecutive year Saia has been recognized by the nation's second largest home improvement company.



Dow 10,405.98 +2.19 +0.02%
Nasdaq 2,280.79 +7.22 +0.32%
S&P 500 1,118.31 +2.60 +0.23%
Oil 79.70 +0.02 +0.03%
Gold 1,136.90 +19.10 +1.71%

YRCW 0.4249 Down 0.0001 (0.02%)
SAIA 12.3075 Down 0.00 (0.02%)
VTNC 0.00 N/A (N/A)
JBHT 35.10 0.00 (0.00%)
FDX 85.1992 Down 0.21 (0.25%)
LSTR 39.00 0.00 (0.00%)
CNW 32.34 0.00 (0.00%)
KNX 19.95 0.00 (0.00%)
ODFL 30.33 0.00 (0.00%)
ABFS 26.80 Up 0.05 (0.19%)
UPS 59.38 Up 0.22 (0.37%)
HTLD 15.45 0.00 (0.00%)

The Wrong Way to Fix Your 401(k)
Many believe that the 401(k) is the biggest raw deal that American workers have ever gotten. If you agree, but you still have money in your employer's plan, then you need to be especially careful not to make irreversible missteps that could cost you even more over the long run.
The Wrong Way to Fix Your 401(k)


Congress Fails to Break Transport Programs Standoff

Bunning rejects new overtures as partial DOT shutdown grows

The Department of Transportation’s highway programs remained shuttered for a second day, as lawmakers again failed to convince Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., to drop his objections to a temporary jobs/transportation measure.

Bunning is insisting that any legislation be paid for rather than add to the budget deficit, and his objection is stalling a short-term extension of both jobless benefit checks and DOT programs paid for by the Highway Trust Fund.
Congress Fails to Break Transport Programs Standoff | Journal of Commerce


J.B. Hunt Transport Taps FedEx's Duncan

Former FedEx Freight chief joins J.B. Hunt board of directors

The trucking industry hasn't seen the last of Douglas G. Duncan.

Less than a month after retiring as president and CEO of FedEx Freight, Duncan is joining the board of directors at J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Lowell, Ark.

It's the second board for Duncan, who also is a director at Benchmark Electronics.

Duncan brings 30 years of experience with the less-than-truckload industry and shipper supply chains to J.B. Hunt Transport's board.
J.B. Hunt Transport Taps FedEx's Duncan | Journal of Commerce
 
After Sharp Fall, NAFTA Surface Trade Rises

DOT agency sees slow rise in cross-border traffic after 23.3 percent drop in 2009

U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico by truck and rail rose 10.5 percent in December, the first year-over-year increase since the global financial crisis struck in September 2008.

However, that surface transportation trade was still 13.1 percent lower than in December 2007, indicating just how deep a hole the recession punched in cross-border business.
After Sharp Fall, NAFTA Surface Trade Rises | Journal of Commerce


Dow 10,396.76 -9.22 -0.09%
Nasdaq 2,280.68 -0.11 -0.00%
S&P 500 1,118.79 +0.48 +0.04%
Oil 80.8 -0.07 -0.09%
Gold 1,139.00 +2.10+0.18%



YRCW 0.43... 0.01... +1.88%
VTNC 9.62...-0.19...-1.94%
UPS 59.1...60.00...0.00%
SAIA 12.5...50.24...1.95%
ODFL 30.6...50.32...1.06%
LSTR 39.32...0.32...0.82%
KNX 19.75...-0.20..-1.00%
JBHT 34.60...-0.50...-1.42%
HTLD 15.42...-0.03...-0.19%
FDX 86.17...0.76...0.89%
CNW 32.09...-0.2...-0.77%
ABFS 27.02...0.27...1.01%


ODFL Expands Warehousing Business

Warehouse, headquarters extend LTL trucker's supply chain services

Old Dominion Freight Line is reaching deeper into shipper supply chains by expanding its warehousing division. The less-than-truckload carrier today opened a 160,000-square-foot warehouse, headquarters and free trade zone for its distribution business.

The warehouse is about five miles from ODFL's headquarters in Thomasville, N.C. "This new facility will enable our clients to better serve the Southeast, Northeast and Midwest markets," said Rick Keeler, senior vice president of pricing and strategic development.
ODFL Expands Warehousing Business | Journal of Commerce



Landstar Volume Jumps 17 Percent

Surge during winter's weakest shipping months boosts carrier

The economic recovery is finding its wheels at Landstar System, which saw its load volume leap 17 percent in January and again in February from depressed levels a year ago.

The $2 billion company is revising its expectations for the first quarter from single-digit to double-digit growth, said Henry H. Gerkens, chairman, president and CEO.
http://www.joc.com/trucking/landstar-volume-jumps-17-percent


Senate Revives Transport Programs as Bunning Relents

DOT to return to work as Highway Trust Fund extended another 30 days

Four days after blocking a temporary jobs and transportation measure and forcing a two-day shutdown of Department of Transportation highway programs, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., dropped his objections Tuesday night.

The Senate quickly passed legislation to resume funding for highway projects under a 30-day extension of the Highway Trust Fund and extended benefits and health insurance subsidies to the unemployed.
Senate Revives Transport Programs as Bunning Relents | Journal of Commerce



John T. Mentzer, Logistics Educator, Dead at 58
Dr. John T. "Tom" Mentzer, a University of Tennessee marketing and logistics professor, whose teaching and research influenced a generation of supply chain management professionals, died of melanoma Feb. 26 at his home in Knoxville, Tenn. He was 58.
Dr. Mentzer was Chancellor’s Professor and Harry J. and Vivienne R. Bruce Chair of Excellence in Business in the university's marketing and logistics department.
John T. Mentzer, Logistics Educator, Dead at 58 | Journal of Commerce



Heavy Truck Sales Rise in February

FTR Associates expects slow recovery in demand for Class 8 trucks

Early data show heavy truck orders climbed 19.7 percent in February from January, but were well below last year's average, indicating a slow recovery in new Class 8 truck orders, said FTR Associates.

The research firm said its preliminary data show Class 8 truck sales in the United States, Canada and Mexico reached 7,628 units in February.
Heavy Truck Sales Rise in February | Journal of Commerce
 
Werner Enterprises Chosen by Fortune as One of World's Most Admired Companies
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premier transportation and logistics carrier, Werner Enterprises (NASDAQ:WERN - News), has been chosen by Fortune as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies. The ranking was based on survey results that rated the company in nine key areas: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of product/services and global competitiveness.
Werner Enterprises Chosen by Fortune as One of World's Most Admired Companies - Yahoo! Finance


Dow 10,444.14 +47.38 +0.46%
Nasdaq 2,292.31 +11.63 +0.51%
S&P 500 1,122.97 +4.18 +0.37%
Oil 80.70 +0.49 +0.61%
Gold 1,132.60 -10.10 -0.88%


YRCW 0.44...0.01...1.62%
SAIA 12.64...0.09...0.72%
FDX 86.37...0.23...0.27%
ODFL 30.66...0.01...0.03%
UPS 59.20...0.02...0.03%
HTLD 15.38...-0.04...-0.26%
ABFS 26.91...-0.11...-0.41%
CNW 31.95...-0.16...-0.50%
KNX 19.64...-0.11...-0.56%
JBHT 34.30...-0.30...-0.87%
LSTR 38.94...-0.38...-0.97%
VTNC 9.53...-0.11...-1.14%


Starbucks an Unwilling Participant in Gun Control Debate
Coffee chain Starbucks is sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal and said it does not want to be put in the middle of a larger gun control debate.
The company's statement, issued Wednesday, stems from a recent campaign by some gun owners who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Gun control advocates have protested.
News Headlines



LTL Industry Shrinks 24.4 Percent

Total U.S. LTL revenue down to $25.2 billion in 2009, study shows

The less-than-truckload industry shrank 24.4 percent in 2009, as total U.S. LTL revenue plunged from $33.3 billion to $25.2 billion, according to an industry study.

The recession triggered by the 2008 global financial crisis spurred the worst decline in freight revenue in several years, the study by SJ Consulting Group revealed.
LTL Industry Shrinks 24.4 Percent | Journal of Commerce



Bill Introduced to Kill NAFTA

Legislation would withdraw U.S. from trade pact within six months

A bill that would end the North American Free Trade Agreement was introduced Thursday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill would require President Obama to withdraw the U.S. from NAFTA within six months.

“I voted against this legislation in 1993 because I knew that this trade agreement would lead to a decline in jobs and our industrial manufacturing base,” said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., one of 27 co-sponsors of the bill.
Bill Introduced to Kill NAFTA | Journal of Commerce


Big LTL Carriers Getting Smaller

Billion-dollar-plus companies lose 25 percent of revenue in 2009

Seven of the top 25 less-than-truckload carriers reported more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2009, according to a study of the LTL industry.

Together, they accounted for $16 billion in LTL sales, 63.4 percent of the total revenue of all LTL carriers in the United States, according to the SJ Consulting Group study.

That $16 billion is 25.8 percent less than the $21.6 billion in LTL revenue the same carriers had in 2008.
Big LTL Carriers Getting Smaller | Journal of Commerce



Maersk to Run Biodiesel Test

Two-year program to study effects on marine engines, storage tanks

Maersk Line and Lloyd's Register will team up in a two year program to test the suitability of biodiesel for use in powering marine engines.

The feasibility study, funded in part by the Dutch government, will take place on board the Maersk Line container ship, Maersk Kalmar. Collaborators in the project are Maersk Line, Maersk Tankers, Maersk Supply Service, Maersk Drilling, Maersk Ship Management, Lloyd’s Register’s Strategic Research Group, and a consortium of Dutch subcontractors. Maersk Maritime Technology will coordinate the project.
Maersk to Run Biodiesel Test | Journal of Commerce


YRC Worldwide Market Share Slips

Company’s share of LTL down 22.5 percent in 2009, study finds

YRC Worldwide is still the largest U.S. less-than-truckload company, but its national and regional carriers’ share of total LTL revenue dropped 22.5 percent last year to 17.5 percent, according to a survey of the top LTL trucking companies.
YRC Worldwide Market Share Slips | Journal of Commerce
 
'Ice Roads' returns for fourth season
The History Channel’s “Ice Road Truckers” TV series will premiere its fourth season this spring. The show focuses on Alex Debogorski and his fellow drivers as they return to the Northwestern ice roads each winter to battle the forces of nature while transporting tons of industrial goods over ice covered lakes.
http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=84748



Freight Powers Up at Top U.S. Rails

Bulk, equipment carloads push past November peak level

New loadings of the type of bulk materials and equipment that ride in regular railcars pushed to its highest level in more than a year for major U.S.-owned railroads.

The U.S. Class I carriers and a few regional lines that report their totals to the Association of American Railroads originated 290,261 carloads in the week ending Feb. 27, which broke out of a weather-bound narrow range of recent months and topped the 2009 peak set in November.
Freight Powers Up at Top U.S. Rails | Journal of Commerce



Dow 10,566.20 +122.06 +1.17%
Nasdaq 2,326.35 +34.04 +1.48%
S&P 500 1,138.69 +15.72 +1.40%

YRCW 0.47...0.03...5.91%..
CNW 33.08...1.14...3.57%
ABFS 27.60...0.69...2.56%
SAIA 12.92...0.28...2.22%
HTLD 15.71...0.33...2.15%
JBHT 34.94...0.64...1.87%
KNX 19.99...0.35...1.78%
ODFL 31.14...0.48...1.57%
LSTR 39.32...0.38...0.98%
FDX 86.93...0.57...0.66%
UPS 59.50...0.30...0.51%
VTNC 9.47...-0.01...-0.11%


Transport Jobs Shrink in February

All freight modes fell faster than normal winter pace

Despite signs of a slowly improving economy, employment in the transportation modes that include freight operations slid further in February, the Labor Department reported.

That extends an almost steady downtrend in transport industries since the recession hit hardest starting in late 2008. In recent months several transportation modes have reported gains in traffic levels as they pull out of their downturn, but that has yet to lift their employment.
Transport Jobs Shrink in February | Journal of Commerce



Retailer Big Lots Says Freight Rates Pressing Margins

Importer expects higher domestic and ocean shipping costs in 2010

Retailer Big Lots says growing sales this year will be partly offset by rising international and domestic freight transportation costs that will put its profit margins under pressure.

“Costs associated with shipping from Asia are just going up and that is all there is to it,” Steve Fishman, chairman and CEO of the Columbus, Ohio-based discount retailer, said in a conference call this week with analysts after the company released its results for the fiscal fourth quarter ending Jan. 30.
Retailer Big Lots Says Freight Rates Pressing Margins | Journal of Commerce



Unemployment rate unchanged as 36K jobs lost
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent in February as employers shed 36,000 jobs, fewer than expected. The figures suggested the job market is slowly healing but that significant hiring has yet to occur.

The Labor Department wouldn't quantify how the snowstorms that hammered the East Coast last month affected job losses. Economists said the storms probably inflated job losses but by less than predictions of 100,000 or more. Without the storms, the economy likely would have seen a net jobs gain in February for only the second time since the recession began two years ago.
Unemployment rate unchanged as 36K jobs lost - Yahoo! Finance




YRC gets delisting notice; reverse split planned
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) -- YRC Worldwide Inc. said on Friday that it has gotten a delisting notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market, and that it plans a reverse split of its stock by the end of June.

The Nasdaq notice, which YRC said it received Wednesday, came because its shares have traded below $1 for more than 30 days. YRC, one of the country's largest trucking companies, has until Aug. 30 to get the shares back above $1.
YRC gets delisting notice; reverse split planned - Yahoo! Finance
 
Borrowers Miss Out on Billions in Savings
The Federal Reserve has pushed mortgage rates to near half-century lows, but millions of U.S. homeowners haven't benefited from that because they can't -- or won't -- refinance.

Falling home prices have left many owners with little or no equity, making it harder to qualify for refinancing. Moreover, stricter lending standards and higher fees by banks and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and declining incomes have made it tougher and less attractive for borrowers to seek new loans.
borrowers-miss-out-on-billions: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance



Cash-Strapped States Delay Paying Income-Tax Refunds
This year, more Americans and businesses may be asking: Where's my tax refund?
Cash-strapped states are delaying state income tax refund checks owed to taxpayers.

That’s because cash-strapped states such as North Carolina, Alabama and Hawaii have been forced to slow down issuing income tax refunds to individuals and businesses because of a lack of funds in their budget.
News Headlines




Dow 10,566.20 +122.06 +1.17%
Nasdaq 2,326.35 +34.04 +1.48%
S&P 500 1,138.69 +15.72 +1.40%
Oil 81.50 +1.58 +1.97%
Gold 1,134.80 +2.20 +0.19%


YRCW 0.47...0.03...6.14%
CNW 33.08...1.14...3.57%
ABFS 27.62...0.71...2.64%
HTLD 15.73...0.34...2.24%
SAIA 12.92...0.28...2.22%
JBHT 34.98...0.68...1.98%
KNX 20.00..0.36...1.83%
ODFL 31.14...0.48...1.57%
LSTR 39.31...0.37...0.95%
FDX 86.95...0.59...0.68%
VTNC 9.53...0.05...0.53%
UPS 59.49...0.29...0.49%


iPad to Hit US Stores April 3, Then 9 More Markets

Apple said the first iPads will be in U.S. stores on April 3 and hit nine international markets later in the month, easing concerns that manufacturing constraints could delay launch.

The news sent shares [AAPL 218.95 8.24 (+3.91%) ] of Apple surging as much as 4.3 percent to an all-time high of $219.70 on the Nasdaq, as analysts said the speedy international rollout could help build sales momentum.
News Headlines


Ex-Rail Union Chief Pleads Guilty in Bribery Case

Rodzwicz sentencing to come in June on bribery, related charge

Edward Rodzwicz, who had been national president until Nov. 13 of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, pleaded guilty in federal court to bribery and a related interstate travel charge for unlawful activity, the St. Louis Business Journal reported.

The report said Rodzwicz faces sentencing June 3 for taking $20,000 in bribes from a St. Louis lawyer for allowing that person to keep a BLET status as a designated attorney for injury cases on behalf of union members.
Ex-Rail Union Chief Pleads Guilty in Bribery Case | Journal of Commerce




Dynamex Revenue Rises to $98.4 Million

Same-day carrier sees consecutive quarterly increase in core sales

Same-day carrier Dynamex increased its revenue slightly in its latest quarter as sequential quarter-to-quarter core sales increased for the second consecutive period.

The Dallas-based company reported $98.4 million in revenue for the quarter ending Jan. 31, compared with $97.6 million a year ago. Its net income slipped slightly, falling to $2.2 million from $2.3 million a year ago.
Dynamex Revenue Rises to $98.4 Million | Journal of Commerce



ATA suit vs. LA port to begin April 20
The Port of Los Angeles and the American Trucking Associations will square off in a civil suit in federal court beginning April 20 over driver classification aspects of the port’s drayage emissions program.

The trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles will consider ATA’s request for a permanent injunction to block the port program that would require all independent truckers to become employees of approved trucking companies. Under its Clean Trucks program, the port contends the concession plan is the only way to help drivers buy and maintain new lower-emissions trucks.
ATA suit vs. LA port to begin April 20 - eTrucker
 
I wanted to let you all know I was sick yesterday and apologize for not getting the newsletter done last night. Still recovering but will get a little something on here tonight for you all.


Drivers Debate Shortage Claims
There's no shortage of opinion about truck driver shortages. Some say they exist, some say they don't. Some say they're all about pay, while others cite demographics.

As a guest on the Evan Lockridge Report last week, I had the chance to hear what several truck drivers think about the issue. And they had a lot to say.

First off, trucking companies have no problem finding drivers right now.
The Roundtable March 8, 2010 | Journal of Commerce



Logistics Leader Jerry Ulm Dies


‘Passionate voice’ for transportation was executive at Owens Corning

Jerry Ulm, who capped his longtime logistics career as leader of global carrier relations at Owens Corning, died this month after a long illness. He was 60.

A former member of the National Industrial Transportation League’s board, Mr. Ulm was an outspoken advocate for shippers during a career spent entirely in transportation and logistics.
Logistics Leader Jerry Ulm Dies | Journal of Commerce



Nasdaq Warns YRC On Listing

Company has until Aug. 30 to raise share price above $1

YRC Worldwide must boost the value of its stock above $1 per share by Aug. 30 or face delisting, the Nasdaq Stock Market exchange warned the carrier.

The company hopes a reverse stock split that will reduce the number of outstanding shares from more than 1 billion to about 40 million to 200 million will do just that.
Nasdaq Warns YRC On Listing | Journal of Commerce


Dow 10,552.52 -13.68 -0.13%
Nasdaq 2,332.21 +5.86 +0.25%
S&P 500 1,138.50 -0.19 -0.02%
Oil 81.53 -0.27 -0.33%
Gold 1,123.60 -11.20 -0.99%

SAIA 13.63...0.71...5.50%
YRCW 0.49...0.02...4.90%
VTNC 9.99...0.46...4.83%
CNW 34.15...1.07...3.23%
ODFL 32.04...0.90...2.89%
ABFS 28.13...0.51...1.85%
JBHT 35.27...0.29...0.83%
KNX 20.13...0.13...0.65%
HTLD 15.81...0.09...0.54%
LSTR 39.52...0.21...0.53%
UPS 59.80...0.31...0.52%
FDX 86.67...-0.28...-0.32%


Stock market rebound shows its age at 1-year mark
NEW YORK (AP) -- A year after the stock market hit bottom and began a spectacular comeback, it's getting harder to dazzle investors.

Monday was a perfect example of what the market is all about. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 14 and the other major indexes were narrowly mixed as stocks stalled after a big rally on Friday.
Stock market rebound shows its age at 1-year mark - Yahoo! Finance
 
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