People In The News
Following are personnel changes that recently occurred in the trucking industry:
ATA Truck Tonnage Index Fell 0.3% in July
The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.3 percent in July, marking the first month-to-month drop since April. The seasonally adjusted tonnage index equaled 116.2 in July, while the non-seasonally adjusted index fell 0.1 percent to 119.7.
The seasonally adjusted index was 4.4 percent higher compared with July 2007, marking its ninth consecutive year-over-year increase, although the gain was a full percentage point lower than the improvement in June. Year-to-date, the index was up 3.6 percent compared with the same period in 2007. Tonnage contracted 1.7 percent and 1.5 percent in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello says July’s tonnage reading matched several anecdotal reports from motor carriers that freight was softer in July than in the previous month. Costello cautions that truck tonnage could be volatile in coming months because the economy is expected to soften further before improving. However, slight declines in fuel prices and tightening capacity could help offset softer freight volumes, he says.
Datalliance Acquires HDeXchange
Datalliance announced it acquired the assets of HDeXchange, Inc. (HDX) effective Sept. 1, 2008, and will take control of all activities performed by HDX and its wholly owned subsidiary, HDX Services. Datalliance is a provider of vendor managed inventory (VMI) and other e-commerce services and HDX provides e-commerce services to the heavy-duty truck parts supply chain.
According to the announcement, “HDX will continue to operate as the industry’s voice for electronic commerce initiatives, as well as maintain its full suite of services, but with the financial backing of Datalliance.”
Edward Kuo will remain executive director “on a long-term basis” and the services of the current HDX Board of Directors will be retained “on a short-term basis.”
