Most trailer manufacturers expect demand to exceed production capacity throughout 2023, but ACT Research says some fleets appear to be splitting orders to hedge their bets. “January OEM business conditions, including 2023 demand expectations and labor, were on-par with December overall — with a bias toward the ‘better’ side of the pendulum for labor but concerns about demand and the material supply chain,” director – CV market research and publications Jennifer McNealy said, referring to related surveys. “Demand overall remains robust, and cancellations are low, but we are hearing that some orders are being made to replenish dealer stock, rather than going directly to fleet customers.” The 24,300 net orders recorded…

Wheels, Donlen and LeasePlan USA will all be rebranded as Wheels in the wake of the fleet management companies’ previously announced merger. “We approached the branding process with careful consideration, utilizing both internal and external resources to establish a clear vision for the new organization,” CEO Shlomo Crandus said in a press release. “Our primary focus is on providing exceptional mobility management services for our clients to ensure they are successful.” The combined company manages more than 800,000 vehicles and has $7 billion in assets in Canada and the U.S. Software transportes 3000

Marc Blackman, president and CEO of Gold Eagle, will serve as chairman of MEMA’s board of directors in 2023. Other executive committee members with the vehicle supplier association include first vice-chairman Kurk Wilks, president and CEO of Mann + Hummel; and second vice-president Jon Husby, president and CEO of ADAC automotive. Bill Long is the association’s president and CEO, while Peter Butterfield, chairman and CEO of Omega Environmental Technologies, is an officer. Marc Blackman (Photo: MEMA) “Our board members are meaningful industry leaders with the knowledge and commitment to help MEMA and members succeed,” Long said in a press release. New to the board this year are Mike Alcala, president…

B.C. truckers are divided on a decision by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to defer its already-postponed Rolling Truck Age Program by another nine months. The program banning container-hauling trucks with model years older than 2006, in a bid to control local emissions, was expected to go into effect April 3. It had originally been set to take hold last September. “In September 2022, we advised implementation of the Rolling Truck Age Program would be deferred until April 3, 2023, to allow for truck owner-operators to source program-compliant trucks,” the port authority said in a news release. “However, in light of the current economic landscape and continued pandemic-related issues, we…

Even before SAF-Holland acquired Haldex, the two companies were working together on integrating each other’s products. SAF-Holland was already one of Haldex’s biggest global customers and talks were in progress on pairing SAF’s air disc brakes with Haldex’s disc brake calipers and actuators to reduce weight. “A major step in our continued growth and product development strategy was the acquisition of Haldex,” said Mike Ginocchio, vice-president – product line management, Americas. (Illustration: SAF-Holland) The companies touted the benefits of the marriage at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s spring meeting. There’s virtually no product overlap between the two, Ginocchio said, making the combination an excellent fit. Both companies have more than…

Earl Adams, Jr. has been sworn in as deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), taking over a role previously held by Robin Hutcheson, who was confirmed as FMCSA’s administrator on Sept. 22. Adams has served as FMCSA’s chief counsel since July 2021. He will join Hutcheson to lead the agency and will oversee a portfolio of initiatives across the agency’s various program offices that supports FMCSA’s mission – to prevent crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Earl Adams, Jr. (Photo: FMCSA) “Earl is a mission-driven leader and thinker who embodies the values of our agency and the entire Department of Transportation,” Hutcheson said.…

J.B. Hunt driver Andrew Waits of Tacoma, Wash., was named Goodyear’s 2022 Highway Hero at the Technology & Maintenance Council meetings of the American Trucking Associations. Waits was driving along I-405 in Washington last year when he witnessed a motorcyclist get struck by a car. He positioned his truck so that the injured motorcyclist wouldn’t be run over, and then Waits, who is also a volunteer firefighter, rushed to his aid. Andrew Waits (right) is presented with the Goodyear Highway Hero award by Cary Budzinski, senior director of Goodyear North American commercial sales. (Photo: Goodyear) He stayed on the scene and protected the motorcyclist until first responders arrived. Waits’ boss, Nick Hobbs, chief…

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has dubbed the current part of the trucking industry’s journey toward decarbonization as the “messy middle,” but it doesn’t want that to be viewed negatively. “It shouldn’t have a negative connotation,” Jeff Seger, author of NACFE’s latest report on the messy middle said during a press briefing at the Technology & Maintenance Council’s spring meetings. “It’s just a period of a lot of different options for fleets, and a lot of decisions are going to need to be made.” (Source: NACFE) Decarbonization is already in progress, added NACFE head Mike Roeth. This is even true for fleets that are still burning diesel,…

Kellie Taube has been promoted to the role of senior director, global sales with Pressure Systems International (P.S.I.). She replaces Jim Sharkey, who was recently promoted to the role of president. Taube has been with P.S.I. since 2021, initially as sales director for the northeast region and strategic accounts. The company also named Jim Herzog as sales director, southcentral region. He joined P.S.I. through its intern program and in 2015 became operations manager, moving into the sales organization in 2019. Todd Pate has been named sales director, southeast region. He spent 15 years with Hyundai Translead before joining P.S.I. And Jacob Castro has been named sales director, northeast region. He…

The family of trucking industry pioneer Ken Dwhytie has announced his passing on Feb. 18, just shy of his 100th birthday. “Ken was well known throughout the Canadian truck and trailer industry,” his family wrote in an obituary, noting he was also a pioneering member of the Ontario Trucking Association. “He was a former member of Kiwanis and gave several years of his time to managing a very successful midget AA GTA and Ontario minor hockey team.” Ken Dwhytie (Photo: Submitted) Dwhytie served in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII as an air force trainer. Afterwards, he held senior positions with a number of truck and trailer companies including…