Chrysler Bankruptcy: Test Drive for GM
from CNN
Will General Motors succeed in its efforts to restructure itself and turn the embattled automaker around? That could depend on how well the bankruptcy process plays out over the next month at rival Chrysler LLC. More

Ford Seeks New Union Talks
from Detroit Free Press
Ford Motor Co. wants to talk to the UAW about additional modifications to its labor agreement, a Ford vice president said Wednesday, even though UAW members just ratified new cost-saving changes in March. More

Chrysler Lenders Agree to Deal with Treasury Plan
from The Detroit News
The vast majority of Chrysler LLC's secured lenders -- including a Michigan public retirees' pension fund, the University of Kentucky and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation -- agreed to a deal with the Treasury Department to help Chrysler survive. More

Bernanke: Economy May Start to Grow This Year
from Transport Topics
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday that the economy will probably start to grow later this year, the Associated Press reported. More

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Construction Spending Increases 0.3 Percent
from Transport Topics
Construction spending rose in March for the first time in six months, the Commerce Department said. The 0.3 percent increase followed a revised 1 percent drop in February. More

Marchionne to Head Chrysler
from The Detroit News
Fiat Group CEO Sergio Marchionne will become the chief executive of Chrysler after the U.S. automaker emerges from bankruptcy, a Fiat spokesman confirmed. Marchionne, the 56-year-old dual Canadian and Italian citizen, has been tipped for the job since the Italian automaker reached a deal to take a 20-percent stake in the bankrupt Chrysler. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has said he would step down when the bankruptcy is complete, which would make room for Marchionne. More

Ford Throws Switch for All-electric Transit Connect Truck
from Fleet Owner
Ford's European import, the Transit Connect, is already receiving a bit of a makeover—or, more accurately, a close relative has been born—even before the compact commercial truck goes on sale in the U.S. The light-duty van, which has sold more than 600,000 units in 58 countries so far, debuts here this summer. And now Ford has announced that, in the first half of 2010, the Transit Connect will be available as an all-electric vehicle as well. More

Navistar’s Green Products Qualify for Government Grants
from Trailer Body Builders
Eligible fleets wanting to make environmentally responsible changes to their vehicles can now apply for government grants to offset the costs of retrofitting their existing trucks. International truck and IC Bus dealers offer a suite of products that may qualify under federal, state, and local clean diesel grant programs. More

Obama Wants Boost in Biofuel Use
from The Detroit News
The Obama administration said it is taking steps to boost demand for the nation's sagging biofuels industry. Many ethanol producers are struggling because motorists consider gasoline prices around $2 a gallon affordable, and are not clamoring for a cheaper fuel. A 2007 energy law, however, requires a dramatic increase in the use of biofuels: 11.1 billion gallons this year, nearly 60 percent more than what the United States used in 2007. More

Truck Fleet Buys Improve
from Outsourced Logistics
In April 2009, 48 percent of fleet equipment buyers polled planned to place orders for power units in the next three months, says CK Commercial Vehicle Research (CKCVR). In the same poll, 38 percent reported planned trailer buys for the same period. More

New Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Plunge to 601K
from Yahoo!
New applications for U.S. jobless benefits plunged to the lowest level in 14 weeks, a possible sign that the massive wave of layoffs has peaked. Still, the number of unemployed Americans getting benefits climbed to a new record. More