Navistar Caterpillar Alliance to Expand Commercial Truck Offerings
from Truck Trend
The developing partnership between Caterpillar and Navistar has both companies set to increase their presence within the commercial trucking industry in the very near future. Last year, the two companies announced a joint venture on a Caterpillar-branded work truck, which was assumed to be limited to severe-service applications. Recently announced was that, alongside the aforementioned severe-service Cat truck, Navistar and Caterpillar will be working on a full line of Cat-branded trucks that combine Navistar's International-brand chassis and MaxxForce engines with proprietary Caterpillar components, including automatic transmissions and cooling systems. The new line will be sold by Caterpillar dealers in North America. More

Fiat Races to Strike Chrysler Deal
from The Detroit News
Fiat SpA is offering Chrysler LLC billions of dollars worth of small-car and engine technology as part of a proposed alliance, but analysts, auto executives and, most importantly, members of the White House auto task force question whether the benefits will come in time to save the Auburn Hills automaker. Savings from platform- and component-sharing are valued at as much as $10 billion but could take months, even years, to materialize, while Chrysler's cash needs are urgent. More

Ford Adds Brain to Truck Brawn
from The Detroit News
For years, the battle in commercial truck sales focused on brawn. Now, as many commercial truck customers look for smarter ways to do business, Ford Motor Co.'s focus is turning toward brains. More

New Jobless Claims Fall; March Housing Starts Drop
from Yahoo! News
New jobless claims fell more than expected for the second straight week, but the number of Americans continuing to receive unemployment insurance benefits rose above 6 million for the first time. More

New York Manufacturing Index Improves
from Transport Topics Online
Manufacturing activity in the New York region improved this month, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said. The regional Fed’s “Empire State Index,” generally the first economic indicator in a given month, rose to a reading of negative 1.7, from a negative 38.2 reading last month that had been its lowest level on record, the Fed said. More

Success of Marketing Green Vehicles in U.S. Depends Largely on Continued Commitment by Automakers, Energy Policymakers
from Earth Times
Success in marketing "green," hybrid or alternative fueled-vehicles during the current economic recession will depend largely on overcoming consumer concerns about the personal financial risks associated with such an investment, such as resale value, availability and costs of battery replacement, reliability and fuel costs that remain low, according to research from Synovate Motoresearch. More

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Consumer Prices Dip Unexpectedly in March
from Yahoo! News
Consumer prices dipped unexpectedly in March, leaving prices over the past year falling at the fastest clip in more than a half-century. The recession is expected to keep a lid on inflation as widespread layoffs dampen wage pressures and weak demand keeps companies from raising prices. More

Environmental Groups to Seek Congressional Help on Clean-truck Program
from Los Angeles Times
Only a month ago, officials at the nation's busiest port complex believed the landmark clean-truck program -- a $1.8-billion strategy to slash toxic diesel emissions by phasing out 17,000 old, dirty big rigs -- had survived its toughest challenges and was on its way to becoming a model for green growth. More

Industrial Production Declines 1.5 Percent
from Transport Topics Online
Industrial production fell 1.5 percent in March, marking the fifth straight monthly downturn, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday. The increase was greater than economists’ forecasts of a 0.9 percent drop, Bloomberg reported. More