TRUCKMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Navistar brightens its outlook and the industry's

New York,NY,YSA -Reuters, by By Nick Zieminski & Bijoy Koyitty (Bangalore,India); Editing by John Wallace, Lisa Von Ahn, Dave Zimmerman -Mar 9, 2011: -- Truck and engine maker Navistar International Corp. raised its forecast for the North American market and said it was on track to reach the high end of its 2011 profit target, sending its shares up nearly 4 percent...   The company Chief Executive Dan Ustian said it raised truck production schedules by 40 percent on various models because of increasing orders...  It raised its estimate for truck and bus retail sales in North America this year to 260,000, marking about a 36 percent jump from 2010, while noting that industry orders over the past four months were running at a 350,000-unit annual rate. Sales fell 2 percent to $2.7 billion...  Navistar, which gets the bulk of its sales from North America, had about a 19 percent share of the heavy-duty truck market in the latest quarter, and has said it aims for about 25 percent... (Photo from truckaccessoryguide: International MXT pickup)

* USA - 180 laid-off workers return to Navistar. Company’s new workload includes the Workstar, the Transtar and the Prostar

Springfield,OH,USA -Springfield News Sun, by Everdeen Mason -March 10, 2011:  --  Navistar Inc. is recovering from last year’s trauma with three new truck models and almost 200 recalled workers...  The production of the new models and an increased demand in the trucking industry has allowed the plant to hire back employees that were laid off last year, said Jim Rumpf, general plant manager...  Last year, Navistar laid off 250 workers in October and the plant temporarily shut down...  Navistar has called back 180 laid-off workers since January. And seven more recall letters were sent out Thursday, said Jason Barlow, president of United Auto Workers Local 402, which represents the laid-off workers...  (Navistar employees attach a truck cab to its chasis as they assemble a truck at the Springfield plant Thursday, March 10. Staff photo by Bill Lackey)


* USA - Volvo launches new truck for automobile transport

Greensboro,N.C.,USA -Truck News (CAN) -7 March 2011: -- Volvo Trucks North America has introduced a new truck exclusively for the automobile transport business. Officials say the Volvo Autohauler (VAH) was developed to maximize freight capacity while bringing efficiency, safety and comfort to the automotive market... The VAH is a day cab with a lower chassis than standard models, a short bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) dimension and an EPA 2010 engine... The design also features an axle-forward configuration, designed to provide the weight distribution needed for optimum manoeuvrability. With a clean top-of-frame behind the cab, the VAH is designed for quick body mounting and easy trailer hook up... (Photo: The new Volvo Autohauler features a lower chassis and shorter bumper-to-back-of-cab designed for easy and efficient transport of cars and trucks)

* Peterbilt increases production of Model 587, 382

(Image: Strong demand since the Model 587's launch in late 2010 has prompted Peterbilt to double its daily build rate)

Denton,TX,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Mar 8, 2011: -- Peterbilt has announced an increase in production of both the Model 587 and Model 382 at its truck manufacturing facility in Denton... The Model 587 is equipped with standard front air disc brakes, and newly designed steering geometry offers improved curb-to-curb manoeuvrability by 12%. In addition, Peterbilt says the innovative forward lighting system enhances visibility by more consistently distributing down-road light coverage by 35%... The Model 587 is standard with the 2010 Paccar MX engine with 380-485 horsepower range...

(Image: Peterbilt officials say the Model 382 boasts outstanding manoeuvrability, aerodynamic efficiency, and exceptional serviceability for shorter haul pick-up, delivery and diminishing load markets) ... Peterbilt officials have also announced an increase in production of the new Model 382, touting its "outstanding manoeuvrability, aerodynamic efficiency, and exceptional serviceability for shorter haul pick-up, delivery and diminishing load markets"...

* Western Star taps new market with vocational 'bad-ass' at the the Work Truck Show

(Photo: The new Western Star 4700 vocational truck)

Indianapolis,IND,USA -Truck News (CAN), by James Menzies -Mar 7, 2011: -- Western Star has come out with its first new truck in more than a decade, aimed at six core vocational segments including: dump; mixer; crane; roll-off; snow plow; and sewer vac applications... The new, self-described "bad-ass" model 4700 is aimed at "value-minded" construction and municipal customers... Available in either a set-forward or set-back configuration, the 4700 boasts a short 110-inch BBC... The new offering will come with the Detroit Diesel DD13 under the hood, or the Cummins ISC and ISL if a 13-litre is not required... 

 (Photo: The Western Star 4700 comes with a luxurious interior that may seem out of place at some job sites)


* New Fuso Canter triples service intervals and looks sharp too

Indianapolis.IND,USA -Truck News (CAN), by James Menzies -Mar 8, 2011: -- Mitsubishi Fuso has brought its popular Canter cabover to the North American market, where it will serve the Classes 3-5 markets... The truck, shown for the first time at the Work Truck Show, features Fuso's Duonic six-speed automatic transmission, Daimler's BlueTec SCR emissions aftertreatment system, a 4P10 turbo diesel engine and payload that's as much as 2,200 lbs greater than competitive models, Fuso officials announced this morning at the launch... Perhaps most impressively, the Canter extends service intervals from 6,000 miles to a whopping 18,000... (Photo: The new Fuso Canter comes in several configurations, including an extended cab)


* Isuzu re-launches gas-powered N-Series, unveils new commercial van

Indianapolis,IND,USA -Truck News (CAN) -Mar 8, 2011:  --   Isuzu has announced it is bringing back its N-Series gasoline-powered delivery truck. Gas-powered NPR (12,000-lb. GVWR) and NPR-HD (14,500-lb. GVWR) trucks will be offered in single cab and crew cab configurations...  The trucks will be powered by a GM Vortec six-litre V8 engine. The engine will be mated with a GM Powertrain six-speed automatic transmission...   Also at the Work Truck Show, Isuzu revealed a new commercial van produced in partnership with Utilimaster Corporation, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors. The Reach rides on an Isuzu NPR Eco-Max chassis and is powered by the Isuzu three-litre diesel engine...   (Photo: Isuzu and Utilimaster teamed up to design a new commercial van)

* USA - Truck chassis maker Spartan Motors buys Florida fire truck maker Classic Fire

Charlotte,MICH,USA -The Associated Press -March 7, 2011:  --  Spartan Motors Inc., which makes chassis for fire trucks, RVs and other vehicles, said Monday it has acquired fire truck maker Classic Fire... Terms of the deal, expected to close April 1, were not disclosed... Ocala, Fla.-based Classic Fire makes mini-pumper trucks, tankers, and brush fire trucks, as well as light rescue vehicles. It generated $10 million in revenue last year... Spartan Motors, based in Charlotte, Mich., said the acquisition gives it coverage in more market segments and at different prices... It also brings the company pump technology and fire truck expertise, Spartan said...

* USA - Commercial Vehicle gets seat-supply deal with Chinese truck maker

(Photo: Commercial Vehicle Group has two existing China plants in Shanghai)

New Albany,OH,USA -Business First -March 9, 2011: -- Commercial Vehicle Group Inc. is doing more than signing on the dotted line for a new multimillion-dollar supplier contract... The New Albany-based heavy-duty truck parts supplier said this week it plans to open a production plant in Beijing to supply driver seats to China’s Beiqi Foton Motor Company Ltd... The manufacturer signed a deal with Commercial Vehicle that makes the Central Ohio company one of two prime seat suppliers for a new line... Foton has said production of the trucks could begin as early as June and would increase over four years with peak annual volume expected to eventually top 150,000 vehicles. Commercial Vehicle expects to supply about half the seats at that point, which could translate to revenue of more than $30 million annually for the company, which recorded $598 million in 2010 revenue...

* Indiana - NV van storage solutions

Indianapolis,IND,USA -Fleet Owner -Mar 11, 2011:  --  Weather Guard Van Solutions has created a series of storage solutions designed specifically for the new Nissan NV commercial van... The items, which include driver-friendly bulkheads, a wide range of shelving, specialty storage equipment, and roof rack options, are designed to assist professional contractors and field service workers, and were introduced this week at the National Truck Equipment Assn.’s Work Truck Show...   The custom bulkhead provides 4 in. of additional room for drivers, Weather Guard said. It is available for both standard-roof and high-roof models and comes complete with accessories such as hard hat, fire extinguisher, and extension cord brackets; literature holders; first aid kit and safety reflector kit trays. There is also a “dog hatch” door that allows for the convenient storage of 10 ft. of pipe or lumber inside the van...  Inside the van, 90 in. of jumbo steel shelving for the safe storage of tools and equipment is available. Shelves themselves are available in 44 in. and 59.5 in. versions, all of which will fit in either standard-roof or high-roof models. There is a 51-in. retainer lip for all shelving units...  Also available are a variety of units that include locking shelf doors, locking parts cabinets, and locking file drawers. Specialty storage solutions such as Itemizer and Pack Rat drawer units and Bed Rat sliding platforms are also available...  (Photo frm tradeshow.weatherguard: A van by Weather Guard Van Solutions)