Greetings from RoadKing.com
Newsletter for 2/15/2002

This Week: International's Chief Sees 2002 as Another Tough Year; RoadKing.com Contest; Get Sirius; IdleAire to Start Truckstop Installations; So Long, Waylon Jennings

International's Chief Sees 2002 as Another Tough Year

Don't look for a big turnaround in new truck sales this year, thanks in large part to uncertainty over stiffer emissions rules on engines sold after Oct.1, according to Steve Keate, president, truck group, International Trucks and Engine Corp., in the first of a planned series of monthly conference call briefings.

The tougher EPA regs are "a very hot topic" in the industry and among International's fleet customers. A lot of uncertainty still surrounds the technologies that will be used to meet the EPA's requirements, questions like, will the engines require bigger cooling packages? Will their fuel efficiency decline and if so, as seems likely, by how much? Will they cost more to maintain and repair?

Keate said International's projections show the new engines adding $3,000-$5,000 to the cost of a truck, and decreasing fuel efficiency by 2 percent to 5 percent - significant numbers for fleets.

Fleets might buy up pre-October trucks as a hedge, then stop and await developments. This could produce a brief jump in business for OEMs and suppliers, followed by a quick decline - not something the industry needs nor wants, he said.

Some fleets are taking a wait-and-see attitude, with plans to buy late-model used trucks as needed to replace units in their fleets. That could be good news for the used truck market. Used truck prices have stabilized after dropping some 50 percent since last year, he said. International has reduced its inventory of used Class 8 vehicles by 40 percent since last year. Used trucks might start to sell even better later this year if fleets choose them over new trucks that would have to carry the cleaner engines, he said.

Keate also said International won't offer Detroit Diesels as an option after September. That's because Detroit is a subsidiary of Freightliner Corp., International's chief rival, and, "It doesn't make sense," Keate said, "to put resources into the hands of a company owned and controlled by our primary competitor."

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RoadKing.com Contest!

This week RoadKing.com will give away Chris Tomlin's cd " THE NOISE WE MAKE". This album ranges from tender moments of intimate worship to powerful songs of celebration and declaration.

Congratulations to last week's winner James LeVeque from Troy, Ala.!

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Get Sirius

Sirius Satellite Radio on Feb. 14 began rolling out its pay-radio service, with signals available in Denver; Houston; Jackson, Miss.; and Phoenix. The launch comes several months after its competitor, XM Satellite Radio, began its own service. Sirius at one time seemed to be ahead of XM in developing the service, but XM passed it and thus reaped a bonanza of praise from tech, entertainment and business segments. Sirius officials however say they believe they will regain the top spot once consumers have a chance to listen and compare.

Satellite radio requires a special receiver and is fee-based - Sirius charges $12.95 a month. Both XM and Sirius are working on receivers that will pick up each other's signals, so consumers who want to switch won't have to invest in a new unit.

Click here for more information!

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IdleAire to Start Truckstop Installations

IdleAire Corp. has announced it will install its HVAC-phone-AC power-Internet units at several Petro Stopping Centers. The units are attached by flexible conduits to trusses built over truckstop parking spaces. Drivers park, attach the business end of the "umbilical cord" to their cab window and pay to use the services, which include heat and air, phone, Internet access, and AC power outlets. The unit is designed not to interfere with getting into or out of the cab.

So far, IdleAire has three government-funded pilot operations running, one at Hunt's Point Market in New York City and the other at a travel plaza on the New York Thruway. While something is needed that can reduce idling - and its associated costs and environmental effects - one has to wonder about whether this service will fly. The trusses will be yet another obstacle - some might say target - in truckstop parking lots. They'll likely mean the loss of some parking spaces to put up and give drivers needed maneuvering room.

I've already heard from drivers who raise other concerns - damaged trusses falling onto combos; trailers hooking the "umbilicals" and ripping them off; increased damage to trucks from clipping trusses and supports (or other trucks); financial liability issues - personal and corporate - in the event of such damage.

Cost will be another concern - the service might cost $9 to $12 a night, according to some published reports. Depending on the price of diesel, drivers might decide to idle out of old habit rather than hunt for a place with the service. Remember Park 'n View? Drivers stayed away from it in droves, and it was cheap compared with this fee scale.

This service will bear watching to see if it secures driver acceptance. At the same time, the industry should continue pursuing other avenues to arrive at lower idling, including low-cost compact generators and plug-in shore power. Each has value, as truckers need to stay warm or cool and run appliances not only at truckstops, but also at shippers and, sadly and too often, pulled up on some ramp for a little rest before the cops roust them and tell them to move on.

www.idleaire.com

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So Long, Waylon Jennings

Like many of you, I woke up Thursday to learn that Waylon Jennings had died from complications of his long-running battle with diabetes. As it happened, I was proud to see that the TV station that came on when I flipped the switch had gone to a local truckstop to get reactions from drivers. They talked about how his music had kept them awake late in the night on dark lonely roads, about growing up with his music and most of all, about how he stood for things they believed in - dignity, courage, self-reliance and being your own person.

His longtime friends and fellow artists praised his generosity and kindness as well as his talent. I've been friends for a long time with his office manager, and can attest to the many stories she's told of his helping others.

Waylon Jennings was a unique individual, and we are fortunate to have had him so long. Ironically - or maybe not, since the man earned the title "Outlaw" - his latest release was called "Never Say Die."

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Until next time, be safe, make money and get home often.
Bill Hudgins, Editor-in-Chief, Road King Magazine