Convex 2001 Heads for the Big D in October; More Than 4,000 Expected to Attend
Convex 2001, the 51st annual convention of the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), takes place Oct 2-4, 2001, at the Dallas (TX) Convention Center. Attendance is expected to exceed 4,000. A 550-booth exposition of equipment used in petroleum marketing operations will feature more than 200 exhibitors, displaying underground and aboveground storage tanks, dispensing equipment, leak detection equipment, meters, canopies, electronic controls, and other related equipment.
An opening-day breakfast will feature Suzie Humphreys' presentation, “Life Is What Happens — While You're Making Other Plans.” At a luncheon later that day, Larry Winget will speak about “Stuff That Works Every Single Day.”
Five education sessions are planned for both days. Topics include: “Negotiating Strategies,” “The Pros & Cons of Consolidation,” “Petroleum Marketing Around the Globe,” and “Critical Issues Update.”
The general session speaker will be Michael Marks, talking about “The Future of Distribution.” After the general session, Marks will present a concurrent session on “The Pros and Cons of Consolidation.”
Larry Hafer, 2001 PEI president, will preside over a short membership meeting after the general session. New officers and board of directors will be inducted at the membership meeting. Hafer is chief executive officer of Hafer Petroleum Equipment Ltd, headquartered in Reading PA.
To request registration and/or housing information for Convex 2001, phone PEI at 918-494-9696, fax 918-491-9895, or access www.pei.org/convex.
VOHMA Adds Training Courses to Schedule
The International Vessel Operators Hazardous Materials Association (VOHMA) has announced the latest additions to its schedule of hazardous materials transportation training:
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Transport Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations — Clear Language. This one-day course will review the new TDG Clear Language Regulations scheduled for publication in September 2001. The program will also highlight differences between the TDG and the new 30th Amendment to the IMDG Code. The course is offered in conjunction with the VOHMA annual meeting Oct 17, 2001, at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. The registration fee is $225 for VOHMA members and members of co-sponsoring associations and $255 for non-members.
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IMDG Recurrent Training — Including the 30th Amendment. A one-day program designed for those who have completed their basic regulatory training and require recurrent training to meet regulatory mandates. This course provides an overview of changes in the IMDG Code contained within Amendment 30 and the latest applicable domestic requirements. Training will be Oct 9, 2001, in Secaucus NJ. The registration fee is $225 for VOHMA members and members of co-sponsoring associations and $255 for non-members.
For more information contact VOHMA, 1118 Bay Rd, Lake George NY 12845; phone 518-761-0263; fax 518-792-7781; access www.vohma.com; or e-mail: [email protected].
Cargo Tank Maintenance Seminar Turns 17 in October
The 17th annual Cargo Tank Maintenance Seminar and Equipment Show will be held Oct 29-31, 2001, at the Rosemont Convention Center near Chicago IL's O'Hare Airport. This trucking industry maintenance seminar and exhibit show focusing on cargo tanks is co-sponsored by National Tank Truck Carriers and the Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association. The registration fee is $125 per person.
Seminar speakers from industry, equipment, and service suppliers, and government will discuss operational and regulatory topics affecting cargo tanks. Anticipated regulations prohibiting gasoline in trailer wetlines will be discussed. The equipment show will include some 130 exhibit booths and 25 trailers. For further information on attending or exhibiting, phone 703-838-1960 or e-mail [email protected].
Convention to Explore Chemical Logistics
With a theme of “Logistics Optimization in the Chemical Industry,” the eighth edition of the National Logistics & Transportation Convention is planned for Sept 13-14, 2001, at the Hotel Nikko México in Mexico City. Sponsored by the Asociación Nacional de la Industria Química (ANIQ), the event consists of general sessions and workshops examining:
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Trade agreements and tax reform: Implications, benefits, and financial terms
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Realities of the new Mexican government
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Perspective and challenge of multimodal transportation
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Competitiveness of Mexican ports
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Distribution centers integration
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Paradigms in rail transportation
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Corporate logistics integration: services, costs, and dealing
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Developing opportunities in goods transportation: logistics trends and new tools
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A task force in logistics
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A method of evaluation for chemical industry carriers
To register for this convention, e-mail [email protected], phone +525-575-0838, fax +525-575-0842, or access www.aniq.org.mx/logistic.
Course Instructs Class On LNG Use as Fuel
Chart Applied Technologies will offer a two-day liquefied natural gas (LNG) training school Sept 25-26, 2001. The training will be offered at Chart's Applied Technology location in Burnsville MN (near Minneapolis). This school focuses on use of LNG as an alternative fuel for vehicles. It is designed to provide basic understanding of LNG use in trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Participants will learn how an LNG/LCNG fueling station works and how to maintain and operate an LNG project.
Training will cover topics including:
- Theory of cryogenics
- LNG safety
- LNG applications
- Storage tank design
- Vacuum insulation technology
- Vehicle and station design
- Plumbing systems
- System installations
- System maintenance and repair
A plant tour also will be offered. The class is free of charge, but class size is limited. To apply, contact Kristi Reker by e-mailing [email protected], phoning 952-882-5225, or faxing 952-882-5172.
Quinn, Canary to Address Users' Conference
Patrick Quinn, 2001-2002 chairman of the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), and William J Canary, interim president and chief executive officer of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), will be featured speakers at the McLeod Software 11th annual Users' Conference, set for Sept 26-29, 2001, in Birmingham AL. Quinn is scheduled to speak September 27 during the opening general assembly, and Canary will speak September 28 at the general assembly.
A long-time member of TCA, Quinn has served on several committees and management panels. He is also active in the ATA, where he was vice-chairman of the Litigation Center and chairman of the ATA Image Advisory Committee. He was recipient of the 1997 Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Nebraska and is a member of the board of directors of Transcommunications Inc.
A former special assistant to President Bush for intergovernmental affairs, Canary also served as chief of staff for the Republican National Committee and on Republican presidential campaign and convention committees. Canary is a commentator and political analyst for both NBC's affiliate WSFA and Alabama Public Television in Montgomery AL for election night coverage, and weekly public affairs programs. He also is a co-author of The Alabama Poll.
For information on the McLeod Users' Conference, access www.McLeodSoftware.com.
DOT Plans Cross-Border NAFTA Conference
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to hold a conference on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Oct 21-24, 2001, in San Antonio TX. Conference panel discussions will include US, Canadian, and Mexican government officials from regulatory agencies that affect cross-border transport operations. Sessions will be conducted in both English and Spanish.
NAFTA transportation provisions will allow motor carriers from all three NAFTA nations increased access to each other's countries — many of them for the first time. Motor carriers will be required to comply with operating requirements, as well as various customs, immigration, agricultural, and other requirements imposed by each NAFTA nation.
The purpose of the conference is to assist commercial truck carriers, bus operators, customs brokers, shippers, and other companies and/or associations that have an interest in the conduct of cross-border business that will involve transport operations in understanding requirements for legal operations outside their own countries.
Additional information is available at www.dot.gov/NAFTA, or phone Eddie Carazo at 202-366-2892.
Expocam Will Show How to Conserve Fuel
Expocam 2001, a Canadian trucking exhibition this year, is providing a forum to show drivers and fleet managers how to make their fuel, and their trucks, go further for less cost. The show, endorsed by the Quebec Trucking Association (QTA), will be held Oct 18-20, 2001, at Place Bonaventure in Montreal.
A biennial show, Expocam showcases equipment and supplies for the trucking industry. Managed by dmg world media and endorsed by the QTA, the exhibition runs from 10 am to 6 pm October 18; 10 am to 8 pm October 19; and 10 am to 6 pm October 20. For more information, phone dmg at 416-385-2033 or 888-823-7469.
V-Pulse: Volvo's Answer to 2002 Standards
Volvo Trucks North America Inc announces V-Pulse engine technology, its response to meeting diesel emissions standards that take effect in October 2002. All Volvo trucks equipped with Volvo Power that are ordered by fourth-quarter 2002 will use V-Pulse technology.
Most domestic manufacturers of heavy-duty diesel engines will apply some form of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) technology to meet 2002 emissions standards. The challenge has been to devise a way to recirculate exhaust back into the engine without compromising fuel efficiency, weight, and performance.
While working with EGR technology, Volvo has retained its existing engine platform without the need for aftertreatment, by developing V-Pulse. The technology uses pressure pulses created by the exhaust valves, then recirculates up to 30% of exhaust through the V-Pulse cooler and back into the inlet. By using high-pressure, modulating unit injectors, clean and efficient combustion is achieved.
V-Pulse will be supported by the company's Prism program that provides diagnostic and repair support services integrated with the electronics of all Volvo trucks.
Cummins Sells 100,000th RoadRelay Unit
Cummins Inc recently sold its 100,000th RoadRelay onboard computer. RoadRelay 4 is a compact in- or on-dash-mounted unit, with a four-line display. While RoadRelay 4 is designed for Cummins electronic engines, it also is compatible with other manufacturers' diesel engines.
By downloading trip, safety, and route information from RoadRelay to INFORM or INSPEC — the related Cummins information management software packages — fleet managers can evaluate and compare vehicles, drivers, and routes.