Under a partnership agreement with Volvo Trucks of North America, Transportation.com will add online truck configuration and quoting, customized financial services, and roadside assistance to its current services for small- to mid-sized carriers and private fleets.
Users will receive a free laptop computer and Internet access under Volvo's Most Valuable Package (MVP) program. Once a truck is spec'd with the program, it provides a suggested retail price and a referral to the nearest dealer.
For its part, Transportation.com will provide a free one-year subscription to its load-matching service as part of Volvo's MVP program.
Ge Capital Commercial Finance has formed an alliance with iSalvage (www.isalvage.com), a Web-based network for buying recycled and remanufactured automotive parts. Under the new business agreement, a link at the iSalvage site will connect users to the financial services they might need to acquire parts from the Internet marketplace.
Transportal Network, an online business offering truckload fleets decision support tools and volume purchasing services, has signed up seven new fleet members including its first Canadian carrier.
Midwest Specialized Transportation, a fleet providing high-service carriage for oversized loads, has installed two new software tools developed by Integrated Decision Support Corp. Expert Fuel will provide Midwest with an optimized fuel plan when a driver is dispatched, and Out-of-Route Alert will use data from the fleet's Qualcomm satellite communications system to determine if a driver is going to be late for a scheduled pickup or delivery.
Ace Hardware Corp. has purchased Eaton Corp.'s Fleet Advisor system to manage its 400-tractor private fleet operation. Fleet Advisor is a transportation logistics and fleet management system combining mobile communications, GPS and full-function onboard computers with support for other back-office information systems and third-party applications.
