Economy

Lack of general skills leads to small business demise: Statscan

OTTAWA -- Financial and management skills are the keys to business success -- more so than asset and equipment growth -- says a new study by Stats Canada.

Volvo Link Sentry and Volvo Action Service standard with EPA ’07 engines

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Volvo Trucks will make its Volvo Link Sentry two-way satellite communications and Volvo Action Service (VAS) 24/7 roadside assistance service standard on all trucks with U.S. '07 engines.

Bendix battles on against knock-offs

ELYRIA, Ohio -- Counterfeit brake parts, mainly from overseas, are a threat to consumer safety and damage the brand reputation of original equipment components manufacturers, says Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC.

Industrial product and raw materials prices edge back down

OTTAWA -- Manufactured goods prices out of the factory gate declined in August as prices for primary metal and petroleum products fell. Raw materials prices also fell in August (down 3.5% from July to August, following a 5.2% increase in July) -- the result of lower prices for crude oil and non-ferrous metals, reports Stats Canada.

Navistar inks engine deal with Chinese powerhouse

WARRENVILLE, Ill. -- Navistar's Brazilian subsidiary has licensed the largest diesel enginemaker in China, Dongfeng Chaoyang Diesel Co., to manufacture and sell select diesel engines in that country.

International’s new ProStar set to roll out in Canada this January

CHATHAM, Ont. -- With upwards of 1,200 orders taken to date for the ProStar, International's new flagship aero tractor, workers at the truckmaker's Chatham, Ont. plant are going full tilt readying the plant for the truck's roll out in January 2007.

Guten Tag Canada! German truckers look for fresh start in the Dominion

TORONTO -- Reinhard Hollenhorst, owner of 25-truck fleet HTI Spedition in Munster, Germany, has gotten to the point where he believes he's seen the best trucking days Deutschland has to offer.

Goodyear workers give 3-day notice for strike; truck production could be affected

PITTSBURGH -- The union representing nearly 14,000 Goodyear Tire & Rubber workers at 12 U.S. plants is threatening to call employees to the streets this Thursday.

Vitran buys LTL carrier to enhance Atlantic footprint

TORONTO -- Canada's largest LTL carrier is expanding its presence in North America's East Coast freight network.

Trimac buys Ontario cement hauler

CALGARY -- Liquid bulk truckload giant Trimac Income Fund has completed the purchase of the Jeffbrett Group Partnership, a 50-tractor cement hauler in Southern Ontario.

BREAKING NEWS: Steelworkers strike at 16 NA Goodyear plants

AKRON, Ohio -- About 14,000 Goodyear workers walked off the job today, three days after their union warned the company its members would go on strike if contract demands weren't met.

ArvinMeritor seeks injunction against Eaton in transmission battle

TROY, Mich. -- The back-and-forth legal tussle between ArvinMeritor and Eaton over automated mechanical transmissions has escalated to a higher level

Global express giant joins Canadian, Latin ops

PLANTATION, Fla. -- The Canadian arm of the world's leading express delivery and logistics company is being merged with the firm's South American business.

Import-export gap widens slightly

OTTAWA -- Canada's merchandise trade surplus rose in August as exports advanced for the fourth consecutive month and imports fell.

Pre-buy just ending: Bear Stearns

NEW YORK -- There won't likely be many truck buyers on dealer lots in early part of 2007, as the so-called pre-buy of heavy equipment is only now winding down, says the transportation market division of economic analysts Bear Stearns.