Personal spending rose for the first time in three months, gaining 0.4% in July, the Commerce Department said Thursday.
The upturn followed no change in June. Personal incomes rose 0.3% for a third straight month.
Economists’ median forecast was for a 0.5% increase in spending, Bloomberg reported.
A rise in consumer spending could increase demand for new factory goods and the trucking shipments that get them to stores.
WAUNAKEE, Wis. -- A recent public poll conducted by the National Motorists Association (NMA) has found that three Ontario cities are among the worst speed trap locations across the US and Canada. Windsor, Hamilton, and Mississauga rank third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the Worst Speed Trap Cities category for cities with populations greater than 50,000. Flower Mound, Texas and Livonia, Mich. Ranked number one and two in the same category.
Not surprisingly, Ontario took the top spot in the Worst Speed Trap States and Provinces category, with Nova Scotia coming in second. The province faring best with voters was Quebec, coming in 52nd place out of 53 states and provinces.
The NMA analyzed the most recent five years of data from its Web site, The National Speed Trap Exchange, which lists tens of thousands of chronic speed traps in the US and Canada and includes descriptive commentary about each listing.
To develop the rankings, the NMA calculated the total number of affirmative votes across speed traps in a given community and then indexed the total to the community’s population size.
For its part, the NMA condemned speed traps as typically combining “arbitrarily low speed limits with heavy traffic enforcement designed to generate ticket revenue. While the intent may be to modify driver behaviour long-term, that is rarely the result. Speed traps keep springing up in the same locations, the issuance of tickets flows unabated, and there is no material effect on traffic safety. That is why the NMA advocates for increased speed limits in chronic speed trap areas supported by traffic studies and proven engineering principles.”
To see the full list of rankings, visit here.
Initial jobless claims fell last week to the lowest level since April 2008, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Claims fell by 4,000 for the week ended Saturday, to 364,000, Labor said.
Economists had forecast 380,000 new claims, Bloomberg reported.
The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, decreased to 380,250, from 388,250 the previous week.
Continuing jobless claims for the previous week ended Dec. 10 fell by 79,000 to 3.55 million, the lowest since September 2008.
FLORENCE, Ky. -- Three Canadians were among the 10 winners in Meritor Aftermarket's 'Run with the Bull' contest, which rewarded customers who insisted on the company's Meritor, Euclid, Mascot or Meritor Wabco product brands.
The contest was open both to distributors and end users. Grand prize winners Gale Wickersham of Wick's Truck & Trailers in Omaha, Neb. and Mike Drovdahl from Southwest Trailer Service in Portland, Ore., each won a trip to Spain to witness the Running of the Bulls as grand prize winners.
Eight other winners, including the Canadians, won a lodge trip, according to the company. The Canadian winners included Trevor Deacon, parts manager with Pineridge Trailer in Kamloops, B.C. and Peter Sullivan, manager, Quinte Truck and Trailer in Belleville, Ont. from the channel customer side. On the end user side, Jesse Dimmel, purchasing, Pioneer Construction in Sudbury, Ont. was a winner.
"We know our customers are running hard to satisfy their clients and to keep up with the hectic demand of maximizing vehicles' on-road performance," said Terry Livingston, general manager, Meritor Aftermarket. "We understand that our customers have a choice in selecting quality aftermarket parts for trucks, trailers and specialty vehicles. This customized incentive program fit perfectly with their desire to buy the best and to qualify for several high-caliber prizes."
BRAMPTON, Ont. -- Hankook Tire Canada has introduced three new tires to its truck and bus line: the DH06, the AH15 and the AH24. The trio were designed with Hankook's e3 technology (energy, economy, and environment) are intended for medium haul applications.
The DH06 features zigzag grooves and open shoulder for improved performance and traction; optimized block size to prevent against irregular wear; deeper grooves and wider tread to help lengthen tread life in all weather conditions; and a unique tread design to help decrease stone retention.
Designed for high-scrub applications, the AH24 features a combination of straight and zigzag grooves designed to improve performance and traction; a closed shoulder rib to help provide stability and better performance for even wear; multi-sipes to promote more even wear; a unique tread design to help decrease stone retention; deeper grooves and wider tread to help lengthen tread life; and Hankook's Sidewall Protector Rib which is designed to resist cuts and abrasions from curbing and impact
Features for the AH15, a multi-purpose tire for mixed service, include a multi-step groove shape to help with traction; an optimized lug design to help prevent uneven wear; a deeper grooves and wider tread to help lengthen tread life; and tread designed to improve traction on various road conditions.
"Hankook's latest commercial tires, the DH06, AH15 and AH24 are designed to increase durability -helping our customers save money," explains Bill Hume, vice-president, Hankook Tire Canada. "The tires are a great value and offer excellent performance and traction while offering extended mileage."
DH06 and AH24 are available in six sizes, including 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 in both 14 and 16 ply-ratings. AH15 is available in 385/65R22.5 in 18 ply-rating.
The primary mission of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
The FMCSA was established as a separate administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999. FMCSA is headquartered in Washington, DC and employs more than 1,000 people in all 50 States and the District of Columbia, all dedicated to improving the safety of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) and saving lives.
These are the guys that are supposed to keep everyone in the trucking industry in order. But who can we get to keep them in order? 2011 has not been a good year for FMCSA this would be the third strike against this government agency – when will we stand up and demand they be investigated?
Back in January of this year the FMCSA received two strikes against them right off the bat. The American Trucking Association reported that the FMCSA liked to manipulate reports to make the reports in their favor so they would have “proof” of some regulation they wanted to add to the trucking industry.
in an effort to rationalize a change in federal Hours of Service (HOS) requirements for professional truck drivers, the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) misapplied its own crash numbers so as to elevate driver fatigue as a cause of truck crashes, the American Trucking Associations (ATA)
We now have the FMCSA making things up just so they can add or take away from regulations as long as they get what they want. That doesn’t sound like a safety group to me, does it you? Although, this does not surprise me as we already knew they like to “mold” or “fudge” reports into their favor. When the real facts are supplied they ignore them because the real facts tell a very different story than the manipulated reports they use do.
Next up was a few days after the first report a second report from E-Trucker.com said that a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) field supervisor has pleaded not guilty to a bribery charge, despite recordings of him agreeing to delay a carrier review or audit for cash. What is the deal with these two accusations against these lawmakers?
Oh but wait it only gets better, you see now we have a third reason to call them corrupt. Charlie Morasch – a Land Line staff writer reported late yesterday that A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enforcement officer has been indicted for accepting bribes in exchange for Level 1 CVSA decals. The decals, issued by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, signal to other law enforcement officers that a commercial motor vehicle has passed a roadside inspection. Eric Hernandez, an FMCSA Motor Carrier Safety Specialist who worked at the agency’s Laredo, TX, office allegedly sold the stickers to truck drivers.
This is kind of scary news because the Obama administration is getting ready to re-open the failed cross-border trucking program – that ironically was closed before because of safety and security reasons. The leaders in the trucking industry should be demanding that an investigation be done on the FMCSA to see if they are still a felicitous part of the government – especially since they are the ones that decide what rules the trucking industry is to operate under.
This last incrimination against the FMCSA is something that needs to be investigated BEFORE the already failed cross-border trucking program with Mexico allows a bunch of “safe” trucks – that received their clear inspection stickers via cash donations – into the United States.
Maybe the “claims” that these government agencies use to “make things seem worse than they really are” are in fact – made up? It’s getting to the point that these morons need to stop playing games, and get serious. If this is true and is taking place – then an investigation needs to be done – and the trash needs taken out!
Sources:
FMCSA border inspector in TX indicted for taking bribes
Strike Two! – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
FMCSA – mission statement
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