August 2011 Past Issues/Subscribe | Printer-Friendly | Advertise
UPCOMING EVENTS
San Diego Territory 18th Annual Golf Tournament at The Crossing in Carlsbad, CA

August 31, 2011
Greater LA/Orange Territory Meeting at Quality Equipment Rentals, Inglewood, CA

October 4-6, 2011
ICUEE The Demo Expo - Louisville, KY

November 10-11, 2011
CRA Board of Directors Meeting - Portland, OR

January 18, 2012
CRA Board of Directors Meeting - Ontario, CA

January 21-28, 2012
CRA RV Campout - Quartzsite, AZ

March 14-15, 2012
CRA Rental Rally Tradeshow - Pomona, CA. See www.RentalRally.com for more information.

See CRA's Calendar page for more information on CRA's upcoming events.

 
VENDOR NEWS
Bobcat Enterprises Inc. will distribute Doosan heavy excavators, wheel loaders and Doosan Moxy trucks in the greater metropolitan areas of Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio and their surrounding counties as well as northern Kentucky. "We see the Doosan product line as a good match for our current compact construction equipment business," said Arlen Swenson, general manager of Bobcat Enterprises. "Many of our existing customers are also users of heavy construction equipment and recognize our abilities for providing prompt parts and field service support. We also anticipate adding new customers to our customer base as a result of having Doosan products available."
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In an August 1st press release, Case reported that quick response force (QRF) teams from the North Dakota National Guard relied on Case M400T compact track loaders to fight flooding along the Souris River in Minot and Burlington, N.D., and the Sheyenne River near Kindred, N.D. The Case M400T military compact track loaders moved thousands of sandbags as part of the National Guard flood control effort. Guard units also used the M400T machines to move sand for filling 1,500 feet of HESCO barriers, and to raise levees throughout the area. National Guard units involved in the operations included the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment and the 816th Engineer Company.
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As Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Japan, celebrates 40 years in the United States, the company announced in a July 28th press release that it has hit another milestone as its U.S. distributor Kubota Tractor Corporation, Torrance, Calif., has retailed 1.5 million Kubota units in America. "We are thrilled as an organization to reach the 1.5 million mark for sales to our valued customers in the United States," said Yuichi "Ken" Kitao, President of Kubota Tractor Corporation. "Our network of outstanding Kubota dealers and the greater Kubota family of customers reflects the acceptance of Kubota’s engineering and innovative products over the past 40 years across America. In this time of growth for our company, Kubota has proudly created many jobs in the U.S. including positions in our manufacturing operations, corporate and field offices, as well as producing local business opportunities for Kubota dealers."
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Point-of-Rental™ Systems announced on July 29th that Bob Shaffer and Steve Husbands have sold their interest in the company to long-term employee and Chief Technical Officer, Wayne Harris. As manager of daily operations, Harris has served as company vice president since 2004, and was recently elected president of the corporation. Shaffer and Husbands will remain on the board, serving as Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer, and will continue working in the company until their retirement sometime in 2012. "After nearly 30 years with relatively no vacation, it’s time to start enjoying the fruit of our labor," Shaffer joked as he prepared for a European vacation with his family. "But seriously, we have complete confidence in Wayne’s ability to continue the success of the company," he said. "Because he has had a vital role in managing the business for so long, plus the fact that we've recently added staff, our customers shouldn't notice any change at all."
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Aztec Tents opened the submittal and voting period for its 2011 Photo Contest on July 29th. If you're interested in submitting an entry, pick your favorite image and tell Aztec why it's the best. Make sure your photo qualifies under the contest rules and send an email with your photo attachment to sales@aztectent.com. Aztec is letting customers decide on the winner... the image with the most votes at the end of the contest will win. The Grand Prize is a HD flat panel television. Get your vote in now! Click on "Learn more" to be connected to the Facebook voting page.
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Munich-based light and compact equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson grew at an above- average rate during the second quarter of 2011. Revenue was up 30.0 percent to EUR 266.9 million (Q2 2010: EUR 205.3 million). "We grew significantly faster than the overall market during the second quarter," explains Richard Mayer, spokesperson for the Executive Board. Group profit also reflected the upward trend in sales and revenue. Profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the second quarter was up 69.3 percent on the previous year at EUR 45.7 million (Q2 2010: EUR 27.0 million) – the highest figure since the 2007 merger. Profit before interest and tax (EBIT) increased to EUR 33.7 million (Q2 2010: EUR 17.2 million), resulting in an EBIT margin of 12.6 percent (Q2 2010: 8.4 percent). Profit for the second quarter after taxes and minority interests was up at EUR 22.5 million (Q2 2010: EUR 10.9 million). This corresponds to earnings per share of EUR 0.32 – double the same figure for the previous year.
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Twenty years ago on Flag Day, a group of people from Evansville, ID, traveled to Washington, DC, to display one of the world’s largest American flags. The display of the Great American Flag at the base of the Washington Monument was the centerpiece of the opening ceremony of the 1991 Evansville Freedom Festival. The flag was the brainchild of Len Silverfine, owner of a marketing firm called "The Big Idea Company." Len's first giant flag was made for the nation’s bicentennial and was hung from a bridge in New York on June 28, 1976. Within a couple of hours the wind had torn the flag to pieces. Len was encouraged by scores of calls from people volunteering for the task of sewing the flag back together. A vision emerged to create a new Great American Flag that "could become the catalyst for rallying Americans together." Len brought together bridge engineers and textile executives to determine exactly what was needed to fly a giant flag on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York. Once the specifications were determined, they decided that Anchor Industries in Evansville would be the place to sew it all together.
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BUSINESS NEWS
The California Chamber of Commerce Alert newsletter reported on July 22nd that fiscal committees in the Senate and Assembly will be the next battleground for most of the "job killer" bills that remained alive when legislators adjourned for their month-long summer recess. The California Chamber of Commerce is urging lawmakers to reject these proposals, which threaten the state’s job climate and will slow economic recovery if passed. Click on "Learn more" to see the list of bills. The list does not include the "job killer" tax bills, which require a two-thirds vote for approval and therefore are unlikely to move.
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The amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry rose 2.6 percent in June from May, rising after two monthly declines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ Freight Transportation Services Index released Wednesday, Aug. 10. BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that freight shipments in June measured by the Freight TSI rose to their second-highest level since August 2008, exceeded only by those in March. The 2.6 percent May-to-June increase was the biggest month-to-month rise since November 2009. Freight shipments have increased in 18 of the last 26 months, rising 1.3 percent in the past six months. Shipments rose 14.5 percent over the last 26 months, starting in May 2009. However, after declining 15.5 percent in the previous 15 months, shipments remain below the February 2008 level. In June, freight shipments returned to about the same level as August 2008, which was the start of six straight months of decline.
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Many truck drivers may not understand the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) enforcement program, causing them to worry that they could lose their jobs, according to a new survey from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), reported by truckinginfo.com on August 11th. ATRI's report detailed how CSA has affected the lives of commercial drivers and also reported on driver attitudes toward and comprehension of FMCSA's new regulatory program, based on survey information from 4,555 U.S. truck drivers.
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CARB
Proposed fuel economy standards for 2017-25 model-year vehicles, announced the first week of August by President Obama, should reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a pace consistent with targets set by the California Air Resources Board, according to agency representatives. The board plans to announce its clean-air targets in September, said Tom Cackette, its chief deputy executive officer, in a telephone interview. If the federal standards for fuel economy levels proposed last week are signed into law next summer, automakers can expect to be exempted from having to comply with separate California emissions standards, he confirmed.
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The On-Road Light-Duty Certification Section is responsible for the certification and production audit of new passenger cars (PC), light-duty trucks (LDT), medium-duty vehicles(MDV), on-road motorcycles (ONMC), off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRV) including off-road motorcycles (OFMC), all-terrain vehicles (ATV), off-road utility vehicles (UV), off-road sport vehicles (SV), and cars (SCAR), and electric golf carts (eGC). The Compression Ignition and Heavy-Duty Certification Section is responsible for the certification and production audit of new heavy-duty engines (HDE) and vehicles (HDV), including urban buses (UB), and new off-road compression ignition (OFCI) engines. Vehicles and engines (hereinafter, vehicles) are not legal for sale in California until certified. Violation of the requirement for certification can subject the vehicle manufacturers and/or selling dealers to enforcement actions including a fine of up to $5,000 per vehicle.
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On July 26, 2007, the Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted a regulation to reduce diesel particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from in-use (existing) off-road heavy-duty diesel vehicles in California. Such vehicles are used in construction, mining and industrial operations. On February 11, 2010, ARB issued a delay of the regulation's NOx and PM requirements pending further notice. Reporting, labeling, idling and disclosure requirements are still in effect. The regulatory language and information on reporting and compliance tools can be accessed on the ARB website (click on "Learn More"). For more information, please call the diesel vehicle information hot line at (866) 6-DIESEL or (866) 634-3735.
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This area of the Off-Road Mobile Sources website pertains to off-road large spark-ignition (LSI) equipment greater than 25 horsepower, including farm, construction and industrial equipment, powered by gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other alternate fuels. Typical applications that use LSI engines include forklifts, specialty vehicles, airport service vehicles, large turf care equipment, portable generators, and a wide array of other agricultural, construction and general industrial equipment. The U.S. EPA has sole authority to control new farm and construction equipment under 175 horsepower. To find out more about the regulatory activities and related information, click on "Learn More."
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This webpage provides information regarding the State of California's Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) for Stationary Compression Ignition Engines. This ATCM, which applies to stationary diesel engines used in both non-agricultural and agricultural operations is resulting in a reduction in the emissions of and exposure to diesel PM from stationary diesel engines throughout California. This webpage is maintained to provide a single site to obtain information on regulatory notices and advisories, information on the regulatory status and rule-making, public workshops and meetings, and other related information.
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The ARB's Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection Program and Periodic Smoke Inspection Program were adopted into law in 1988 (Senate Bill 1997) and 1990 (Senate Bill 2330) to control excessive smoke emissions and tampering from heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The regulations — CCR Title 13, Sections 2180-2189 for HDVIP; and CCR Title 13, Sections 2190-2194 for PSIP — governing these programs were last amended in 2007.
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Driving Toward a Cleaner California (DTCC) is a coalition of owners-operators, farmers, construction contractors and other business and community leaders committed to working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to craft a sensible truck and bus replacement rule that both cleans the air and keeps California's economy moving forward.
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Robert Bell Insurance Brokers, Inc.
Naylor, LLC
calrental.org

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