On track: Thursday August 14, 2008
On track: Thursday August 14, 2008

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Published: August 14, 2008

AT&T, Boeing sign $400M services deal

AT&T was awarded a $400 million contract to provide voice and data services to Boeing at more than 130 U.S. locations, including Oklahoma City.

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As part of the five-year deal, AT&T will consolidate Boeing's networks and run wireless and landline calls.

Best professional truck driver named

Oklahoma City resident and UPS driver Bill Harvey has been named the best professional truck driver in the state.

He won the four axle competition and received the highest overall score in eight categories at the 2008 Oklahoma Truck Driving Championships, sponsored by the Oklahoma Trucking Association and the Oklahoma Safety Management Council.

Harvey's win qualifies him for the American Trucking Association's National Truck Driving Championships next week in Houston.

GM delays closing of its NY power train plant

DETROIT — General Motors Corp. said Wednesday it pushed back the closure of an upstate New York power train plant to help boost its casting capacity, as the automaker shifts its product lineup focus toward cars and crossover vehicles.

The Detroit-based automaker said in May it would phase out work at the Massena, N.Y., plant by the end of 2008 as part of a shift toward more precision-oriented manufacturing technologies.

But as a result of a steep increase in consumer demand for smaller vehicles, GM is now delaying the plant's closure until mid-2009, GM spokeswoman Lynda Messina said.

American Airlines waives fee for military

FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines said Wednesday it will waive the fee to check a third bag for active members of the U.S. military.

Fees for first and second bags have always been waived for active service members, American said.

Previously, military personnel had to pay $100 for a third checked bag, and fill out a form to be reimbursed.

BMW has air bag concerns, makes recall

WASHINGTON — BMW AG said Wednesday it was recalling 200,000 vehicles over concerns the front passenger air bag may not work.

The recall involves the 2006 3 Series, the 2004-2006 5 Series, and the 2004-2006 X3 compact sport utility vehicles in the United States.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that small cracks could develop in a seat detection mat and deactivate the front passenger air bags.

NHTSA said the air bag warning lamp and the passenger air bag "on-off” light would remain on. The head protection system, however, would not be affected.

BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky said there were no injuries or accidents reported.

Ford is confident it will make profits again

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Despite the headwinds of a slumping U.S. economy, tight credit, high gasoline prices and declining home values, Ford Motor Co.'s top American executive said he is confident the company has enough cash to weather losses and make a profit again.

But Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, told reporters there will be a lag time before the company can start making profits on the small cars U.S. drivers are now craving.

And although sales of pickup trucks, Ford's old profit center, are starting to improve as gas prices moderate, Fields said the company isn't banking on that. Instead it is planning to make money on new global models it will bring to the U.S. from Europe starting in 2010, he said.

From Staff and Wire Reports