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KAG Logistics Provides Supply Chain Solutions to Penske Truck Leasing Company, LP

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, -- KAG Logistics announced the signing of a two-year transportation and logistics services agreement with Penske Truck Leasing Company, LP ("Penske"). KAG Logistics will be the single-source provider of bulk fuel transportation to 282
Penske locations throughout the country. Penske, a leading global transportation services provider, operates more than 200,000 vehicles and services customers from over 1,000 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. The Fuels Delivery Group of KAG Logistics' parent company, Kenan Advantage Group, will provide the fuel transportation for the majority of the locations in the agreement. The contract is valued at more than $10.0 million.

"When Penske looked for more flexibility and terminal options, KAG Logistics successfully helped us uncouple our fuel supply in accordance with our fuel management strategy of better maximizing efficiencies," said Edward Touma, manager of fuel services for Penske. "We have over 470 fueling facilities in 44 states and KAG clearly stands above the competition with a broad base of assets, equipment, fair rates, and state-of-the-art technology to service our footprint," continued Mr. Touma.

According to KAG Logistics' executive vice president Kevin Spencer, "It is truly gratifying to partner with a company such as Penske Truck Leasing. We have built a strong relationship based on both companies unwavering commitment to excellence. We look forward to providing exceptional value-added services to Penske for many years to come."

KAG Logistics (www.kaglogistics.com) is the nation's first, fully-automated, end-to-end logistics services provider committed to the petroleum and related industries. The company focuses on optimal execution in the last mile petroleum distribution supply chain for its customers. It utilizes latest technologies, abundant fleet resources, highly trained personnel and advanced processes to accomplish premier customer service.

Website: http://www.kaglogistics.com

National Share the Road Highway Safety Program Visits Blessing of the Bikes Motorcycle Rally

COLEBROOK, N.H., -- Life-saving highway driving tips were presented today as part of the American Trucking Associations' national Share the Road highway safety tour by top professional truck drivers.

The Gold Wing Road Riders Association 2009 Blessing of the Bikes motorcycle rally provided the perfect backdrop for the elite group of million mile accident-free drivers to share their message of road safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycles are the only major motor vehicle category in which highway death rates have risen during the last decade.

The Colebrook, N.H. Share the Road stop allowed the elite Share the Road drivers the opportunity to show what professional truck drivers can and cannot see, and provide tips for how motorcyclists can stay safe on the highway.

"Reaching out to the members of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association is a chance for us to talk to a large number of motorcycle enthusiasts about the techniques they should know in order to stay safe around tractor-trailers," said John Foran, a professional truck driver for UPS. "Hopefully attendees will leave the show with a better understanding of passing safely, maintaining a safe speed and keeping a minimum following distance, so everyone stays safe out on the highway."

Featured at this weekend's event were professional truck drivers Jerry Charron (Con-way Freight) and John Foran (UPS). Those drivers are members of an elite team of million-mile, accident-free truck drivers who deliver the trucking industry's safety messages across the country.

Charron told attendees and reporters at the event that, "Share the Road allows me as a truck driver to give people life-saving advice. Most drivers were never taught what they can do to avoid an accident with a tractor-trailer. By being aware of the blind spots around trucks, all drivers can more easily avoid crashes. This information, and other safety advice, will help everyone to share the roads safely."

Today's presentation of Share the Road safety measures is important to motorists because:

• Motorcycle fatalities have increased nearly 60 percent during the last five years (NHTSA).
• 35 percent of all truck-involved highway fatalities occur in a truck's blind spots (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration).
• According to three different studies - including the AAA Traffic Safety Foundation and DOT, 3 out of 4 truck-involved fatalities are unintentionally initiated by car drivers.

At the truck safety demonstration, attendees were given a chance to see the road from the truck driver's perspective. They viewed safe merging and stopping distances, and learned up close and personal some of the differences between how cars and large trucks operate on the highways. Today's demonstration was designed to teach specific skills in order for motorists to drive safely around other automobiles and around trucks on the highways, so that they arrive safely at their destinations.

Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles deliver life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc. and Michelin North America, Inc. www.atastr.org

Old Dominion Freight Line Wins CIO 100 Award

THOMASVILLE, N.C. – CIO magazine will recognize Old Dominion Freight Line as one of its CIO 100 honorees at the 2009 CIO 100 Symposium and Awards Ceremony at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., August 23-25.

“We are pleased to receive such prestigious recognition for our use of technology to provide our clients with superior customer service,” said Ken Erdner, Vice President of Information Systems and Technology.

Old Dominion was recognized for its Dock Yard Management System Phase II, which moves freight more effectively across a shipping dock by using weight-sensitive forklifts and dashboards displaying current data.  Supervisors can monitor worker productivity and identify potential issues in real time.

Each year, the CIO 100 Awards recognize 100 organizations for using information technology in innovative ways. Winners are selected by the magazine’s editorial team based on demonstrated excellence in the areas of business technology innovation and business value.

Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. is a leading less-than-truckload (LTL) super regional carrier. Through its non-union work force and four operating groups, OD•Domestic, OD•Expedited, OD•Global and OD•Technology, Old Dominion offers an array of innovative products and services and provides complete nationwide coverage within the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Central States, Gulf States and West regions of the country and international services around the globe. Visit Old Dominion online at www.odfl.com.

Lifeclinic Teams Up With Trucking Industry to Promote Health and Wellness to Over-the-Road Professionals

Lifeclinic and Ramp Media create synergy to meet the health and wellness needs of our nation's over-the-road drivers and will showcase their efforts at The Great West Truck Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center June 25-27, 2009

Burtonsville, MD -- Lifeclinic International, Inc., the world's leading manufacturer and distributor of automated blood pressure monitors and health testing stations, is exhibiting its LC500 Health Station with Ramp Media (booth # 1345) at The Great West Truck Show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center June 25-27, 2009.

Featured at the Ramp Media booth will be the LC500 -- a wellness health station that is truck terminal-friendly health. The LC500 can measure blood pressure, weight, body fat, BMI and blood oxygen tests, and has glucose meter and pedometer upload capability. IR (infrared) and USB ports are standard for uploading data from various other personal health devices. Commercial drivers can easily navigate through the LC500's test options and health information via a 10.4" color LCD touch screen.

"The new LC500 models have been a huge success as we've almost completed our first in-terminal screening for one of our HTAA Charter Fleet Members. Since the information is able to be recorded we can really get a good snapshot as to the actual health of the fleet drivers and know what areas we need to focus on first," said Jenny Shefsky, Ramp Media's Associate Publisher. Shefsky added, "RAMP Media Group oversees the Healthy Trucking Association of America. HTAA is devoted to helping our nation's drivers get healthy and live longer lives. With current statistics showing that over-the-road professionals now have an average life expectancy of less than 60 years, HTAA realizes that there is a pressing need within the trucking industry for an organization that is dedicated to improving the health and wellness of its commercial driver population."

The LC500 is Internet-ready for secure, HIPAA-compliant, open source integration into most network environments and can easily interface with existing wellness applications so that all data gathered by it can be saved. The LC500, along with Lifeclinic's Web-based GroupStat management system, can collect, track and manage real-time biometric data, for individuals or in the aggregate, to improve the overall outcome of corporate health programs. Commercial drivers can also manage their own data from any Web browser via Lifeclinic.com or the employer's own Web site or health portal. Features include both a magnetic stripe and barcode reader for employee identification badges and cards.

About Lifeclinic International, Inc.
Lifeclinic is the world's largest supplier of commercial, automated, blood pressure monitors and health stations. Lifeclinic monitors can be found in over 30,000 pharmacies and 5,000 worksites, wellness centers, medical clinics and health clubs worldwide, performing 500,000,000 blood pressure measurements annually. Lifeclinic monitors, health stations and management systems encourage individuals to take an active role in their healthcare and provide corporate management with tools to help reduce costs while improving the health of individual employees.
Please visit http://www.lifeclinic.com for more information.

Dedicated Driving Jobs

Danny Herman Trucking recognized for outstanding service

Mountain City, Tenn. -- Danny Herman Trucking was recently recognized by Rheem Water Heating Division for its continued excellent service with a five year service award.

Rheem Water Heating Division Vice President and General Manager Peter Reynolds said, “Our success would not be possible without the dedication, support, and joint efforts necessary throughout all levels of the Danny Herman organization.”

Headquartered in Mountain City, Tenn., Danny Herman Trucking provides quality transportation services to domestic and international markets.

Founded in 1964 by Danny Herman, the company specializes in truckload shipments and is committed to timely and accurate responses to customers' needs.

Blake Grindstaff, Vice President of Operations at Danny Herman Trucking, says the company has been active in dealing with single-source and time-sensitive material for over thirty years. “It’s very rewarding for us at Danny Herman to receive this recognition from Rheem,” Grindstaff says.  “We work hard to keep our customers satisfied and credit our outstanding driving force and excellent staff for making that high level of service possible.”

Reynolds says that maintaining his company’s position as a leading provider of water heating solutions will be possible only with Danny Herman Trucking’s continued support.  “We congratulate Danny Herman Trucking and its employees,” he said. 

For information about Danny Herman Trucking services or opportunities with the company, visit www.dannyherman.com or call (800) 251-7500.

ATA Seeks Action Against Oil Speculation Amid Rise in Diesel Prices

ARLINGTON, Va., -- In an effort to mitigate dramatic spikes in fuel prices similar to those in 2008, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) called on Congress today to increase the transparency of futures markets and impose reasonable aggregate position limits on energy commodities.

"Since March, the price of diesel has risen 56 cents per gallon despite supplies being at a historical high and diesel demand at a 9-year low," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "It seems that more is at play than just the fundamentals of supply and demand."

While the price of crude oil is off from last summer's record-high levels, the commodity has seen a dramatic and inexplicable run-up in price over the past five months. Despite U.S. oil inventories near a 19-year high and oil demand down 6 percent from a year earlier, the price of crude has more than doubled since February.

"Demand for petroleum products in the United States is lower today than it was 10 years ago and supply is higher today than it was in 1982," said ATA Vice President and Chief Economist Bob Costello. "In addition, the International Energy Agency recently predicted that global demand for oil will drop by about 2.5 million barrels a day this year compared to last year -- the sharpest year-over-year decline in nearly 30 years."

According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), crude inventories in May were at their highest levels in almost two decades. Based on current levels of demand, commercial petroleum inventories amount to about 60 days' worth of supply -- that's 12 days more than a year ago, and 11 days more than the five-year average for this time of the year.

The trucking industry spent a record $150.9 billion purchasing diesel fuel last year and with relatively low freight volumes as a result of the global recession, the industry cannot afford a dramatic price spike in diesel fuel like the one in 2008. Diesel fuel is typically the second-highest expense for a trucking fleet, accounting for up to 25 percent of total operating expenses.

Since the price of oil and refined products cannot be fully explained by examining supply and demand, ATA looks to other factors that may be influencing the steep increase in this vital energy commodity.

"While we don't believe excessive speculation accounts for all of the recent run-up in oil prices, it has to have played a part," said ATA Vice President & Regulatory Affairs Counsel Richard Moskowitz. "ATA is concerned that speculation may be increasing, as investors seek investments that can insulate them from anticipated inflation that many believe is coming as a result of the U.S. and other governments' massive economic stimulus packages."

ATA recognizes that the recent fall in the dollar's value has played a role in the rising price of oil. Since February, the value of the dollar has fallen approximately 8 percent compared to the Euro. Yet this 8 percent drop in the dollar does not translate to a 100 percent increase in the price of a barrel of oil.

Financial participation via speculation in energy markets is necessary to a certain extent. Without speculators, trucking companies could not hedge their fuel purchases and would be even more exposed to fuel price changes. While some speculation is necessary to make a market, excessive speculation may fuel a dramatic price change as large institutions use derivatives and futures contracts as an asset-accumulation tool.

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.

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Florilli Transportation Renews Contract With XATA

Long-time XATA customer relies on MobileMax's dual-mode communications

MINNEAPOLIS, -- XATA Corporation (Nasdaq: XATA), the expert in fleet operations optimization, announced today that Florilli Transportation, LLC has renewed its contract for XATA's MobileMax fleet operations solution. Florilli will also run a pilot program with XATA's navigation feature running on XATA's TREQ-L color display. The Iowa-based company, which specializes in the delivery of temperature-controlled commodities, uses MobileMax by XATA to help utilize its 224-truck fleet more efficiently.

Florilli maximizes its fleet efficiency through MobileMax in-cab communications functions for sending and receiving driver messages, load information and driver/vehicle data. MobileMax's dual-mode communication system automatically switches between cellular- and satellite-based communications networks, depending on truck location and network availability. MobileMax automatically uses the least-cost communications mode.

"It is crucial that we have the ability to communicate with our drivers quickly and easily, and MobileMax provides that ability," said Murry Fitzer, CEO, Florilli Transportation. "With our fleet dispersed throughout the United States, hourly tracking information is equally critical, and it serves as a vital data feed to our monitoring tools and reporting systems."

"We're pleased that Florilli values its ongoing relationship with XATA," said David Gagne, executive vice president, XATA Corporation. "Adding functionality to our MobileMax product , based on our strategy and roadmap, ensures that we continue to meet our customers' needs."

"MobileMax's reporting also supplies us with valuable engine data that helps us mitigate excessive idle time, improve our fleet's fuel economy and keep our fleet properly maintained," added Fitzer. "This type of data helps drive our overall fleet optimization."

About XATA

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, XATA Corporation (Nasdaq: XATA) is an expert in optimizing fleet operations by reducing costs and ensuring regulatory compliance for the trucking industry. Our software and professional services help companies manage fleet operations, enhance driver safety and deliver a higher level of customer satisfaction. XATA provides expert services to develop the business processes required to deliver the profitability, safety and service level demanded by today's competitive transportation environments. For more information, visit www.xata.com or call 1-800-745-9282.

Poll: Americans Believe It Is Unfair to Impose Trucking Regulations on FedEx Express

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- On behalf of Brownbailout.com, Public Opinion Strategies conducted a national survey on June 2-3, 2009 of 800 registered voters regarding attitudes toward current legislation pertaining to overnight package delivery. The margin of error of the poll is +/- 3.46% in 95 out of 100 cases.

Key Findings

• Americans believe that overnight package delivery is important to the US economy.
  Fully 61% of voters say that overnight package delivery is either “extremely” (26%) or “very” (35%) important to the US economy. Another 30% believe it is “somewhat” important, and 7% say it is “not very” important.
• Americans value the reliability of the overnight package delivery system and would be concerned about changes that could make it less reliable.
  Fully 75% of voters say that the reliability of overnight package delivery is either “extremely” or “very” important to them, and 58% say they would be concerned if Congress were considering legislation that could make overnight package delivery less reliable.
• An overwhelming number of voters believe it is unfair to impose trucking regulations on FedEx’s shipping business.
  By a 70%-19% score, voters believe it is unfair for Congress to impose trucking regulations on FedEx’s shipping business in addition to the air regulations under which it has always operated.
• After hearing brief arguments from both sides on this issue, voters strongly oppose Congressional action.
  After hearing arguments on both sides of the issue (“bailout” because it only helps one company vs. “levels the playing field”/makes both play by same rules), voters oppose this proposed action by Congress to impose trucking regulations on FedEx by a huge 67%-20% margin.
• Voters say no need to change the laws.
  By an 81%-14% margin, voters agree that “consumers have choices, competitive prices and service options, so there is no need to change the laws.”

Bottom Line

Because Americans believe that the reliability of overnight package delivery is important both to them and to the nation’s economy, they say they would be concerned about proposed legislation that could make the system less reliable.

So, given how competitive Americans believe the current system to be, it’s easy to understand why they balk at Congress’ proposal to impose trucking regulations on FedEx’s shipping business in addition to the air regulations under which it has always operated. And, even after presenting brief arguments on both sides of this issue, voters end up opposing the proposed regulations by more than a three-to-one margin.

What Americans seem to be saying in this poll data is that there is already significant competition between the nation’s two largest overnight delivery companies, providing them with choice and price competitiveness. The system isn’t broken, and they see no need to “fix” it through additional regulation.