For Maverick Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 79), swapping out truck mirrors for the camera-based MirrorEye System from Stoneridge was largely based on providing a better experience behind the wheel for their drivers. Three years into using the high-definition, multi-camera system, Dean Newell, vice-president of safety and driver training at Maverick in Little Rock, Arkansas, said they’re glad they made that choice. The roughly 1,600-truck fleet that handles flatbed, specialized and heavy haul loads recently announced that all of their new trucks will be spec'd with MirrorEye, the first camera monitor system to receive a federal exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “The feedback that we’ve gotten from the drivers is absolutely phenomenal,” Newell said, adding five strategically placed cameras allow drivers to see around trucks and eliminate blind spots. “Being an ex-driver myself, I know what that's like to have to lean and look two or three times (before turning and changing lanes),” Newell added. [Related: Test driving Stoneridge's MirrorEye camera system] One of the more popular features for drivers on the MirrorEye system has been improved visibility in low-light conditions. Five relatively small monitors placed within quick view of the driver allow for plenty to see. This proves especially helpful when lighting outside may be less than favorable. “The night vision has definitely improved,” Newell said. “When you go back into a dock in a dark hole, you don't have that dark hole anymore. So it's been very positive there from an accident standpoint. When they make a turn, the camera actually pans out. So they don't lose sight of the trailer and they all thought that was a big benefit to it.” Flatbed carrier Montgomery Transport, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has also been using MirrorEye. Driver feedback there helped lead the company to spec the technology with every new truck. “MirrorEye is one of the most impactful pieces of equipment I’ve ever used in my trucking career,” said Rosko Craig, 2018 Montgomery Driver of the Year and Alabama Trucking Association’s 2019 Driver of the Year. “The system allows me to see objects around my truck that were previously impossible to see from the driver’s seat of my cab. And the infrared cameras and digital monitors provide a clear view at night and the ability to peek through rain, snow, fog and tire spray take driving to a whole new level.” StoneridgeImproved visibility in inclement weather has been one of the bigger benefits heralded by drivers according to Brad Corrodi, vice president of fleet solutions at Stoneridge. Heated cameras and coated lenses help keep images clear during weather events. “We do regular driver surveys and what jumps off the page is the first time someone has a MirrorEye system when they've been through bad weather,” Corrodi said. "People are trained and have used a mirror for a long time and certainly some drivers hold the view that if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Well, you know, the quote we get over and over again is ‘I didn't realize what I wasn't seeing until you showed it to me.’” Event recorders have been helpful in exonerating drivers, Corrodi said, but accident prevention courtesy of a camera-based monitoring system like MirrorEye is even more helpful. “There is a real opportunity to deploy technology in a way that helps both the driver and the fleet,” Corrodi said. “There's been an awful lot of technology that fleets have deployed for optimization, tracking or event monitoring, but those really don't help the driver much. “They say exoneration, but that's not really helping anybody avoid an issue in the first place. A critical part of safety is helping the most effective agent of safety in the vehicle which is the driver,” Corrodi continued. Driver recruiting and retention tool Trucks at Montgomery are an average of 1.7 years old, and while having newer trucks is helpful, the latest safety technologies in place helps lure and keep drivers. “I definitely think it will help to bring in younger drivers because they are definitely a lot more attracted to the technology,” said Anna Lacy McMains, Montgomery’s vice president of marketing and communications. “If you're somewhat fresh out of school, then I think that's going to be very important for them to help them feel safer on the road, knowing that they've got brand new equipment and then some additional safety technology beyond the extra safety technology that we've already put in there.” Given the positive feedback that MirrorEye has generated so far, Newell anticipates that the system will help in driver retention. “We've already got several (drivers) that say, ‘Hey, can I get one of those trucks?’ It's good stuff,” he said. The learning curve for drivers using the system is typically “between a week and two weeks” Corrodi said, “then they forget about what they had before.” Very little maintenance is required on the part of drivers, Newell said. “It's not a big problem. For the drivers that have them, it's real simple,” he said. “You just take a microfiber cloth and wipe it off if it does get something on it. The views in the truck are always clean. It makes no difference if you're running in rain or whatever. It's just a better view.” Curtis Roberts, director of safety at Montgomery Transport, said drivers at first were not very receptive to having MirrorEye in place of their familiar mirrors. “Initially they were completely against it,” he said. “They were concerned about it being a distraction. They were concerned about various things. It was just overwhelming to have these three monitors placed in the cab of their truck.” However, it wasn’t long before they “began to really become familiar with the system and fell in love with it,” Roberts said. Stoneridge https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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While the work schedule of professional truck drivers varies, the sedentary nature of the job doesn’t – nor do the limited healthy food options on the road. The demographics of the driver workforce are another health concern. Nearly 57% of all truckers are over the age of 45, and 23% are over 55. Nearly a quarter of the current trucking workforce is on track to hit retirement age within the next 10 years, and nearly 8% of truckers currently are already above retirement age. A medical study conducted in 2014 found obesity and smoking were twice as prevalent in long-haul truckers as the general population. Both increase their risk of heart disease and diabetes. Sixty-one percent of drivers in the study reported having two or more of these risk factors: hypertension, obesity, smoking, high cholesterol, no physical activity, and six or fewer hours of sleep per 24-hour period. Drivers are well aware of the toll of their career takes on their health. As part of CCJ's 2020 What Drivers Want survey, drivers listed heath as their No. 2 job concern (19%), next to “paying my bills each month” at 28%. Additionally, 7% of drivers said the thing they dislike most about their job is “driving has been bad for my health.” The survey had 1,056 respondents, split between company drivers (82%) and leased owner operators (18%). Boosting corporate health programs Some motor carriers have also installed their own apps on in-cab mobile platforms to give drivers a more convenient way to participate in corporate health and wellness programs. Drivers can compete in virtual competitions, such as 5Ks, using the Rolling Strong mobile app.Fleets that use the Platform Science connected vehicle platform have the option to choose the Rolling Strong driver-focused health and wellness app from its marketplace of trucking industry-focused applications. “Our technology makes it possible for third party apps, such as Rolling Strong, to be integrated onto the systems of all our fleet partners, and we’ll continue to add more apps that serve drivers and meet their specific needs on and off the road,” said Thomas Colby, senior vice president, Partner Ecosystem, at Platform Science. The Rolling Strong health and wellness mobile app has a Health Risk Assessment Questionnaire to identify individual areas for improvement. App users can also monitor hydration, nutrition, fitness activity, sleep and weight, and have access to Rolling Strong health and wellness coaches for advice. The app has exercise programs with guided workout routines that can be done anywhere without the need for a gym. The routines are based on personalized preferences with duration and intensity choices, and daily step tracking with an integrated wearable activity tracker. Rolling Strong also gives drivers annual reminders about DOT certification and medical evaluations coming up for renewal. Mesilla Valley Transport (MVT), a Las Cruces, N.M.-based truckload carrier (CCJ Top 250, No. 74), uses Rolling Strong as its driver wellness program on Platform Science. Additionally, the company has kiosks at all company terminals where drivers can check their weight and vitals. The quick test lets drivers know if their blood pressure is high and indicates other health concerns that may need to be addressed, explained Royal Jones, president of MVT. When out on the road, drivers use the Rolling Strong app to monitor their progress and connect with a wellness coach to learn about proper diet and ways to exercise on the road. “These things are just extra care that we can give our drivers to make them feel better about their health and job at MVT,” Jones said. Another motor carrier that uses the Rolling Strong platform is Koch Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 96). The truckload carrier in Minneapolis, Minnesota, provides the mobile app to about 850 drivers as well as administrative staff. “We know that maintaining personal health can be a challenge so for the past year we’ve been looking for a partner who could help everyone improve their quality of life at work and at home,” said Angela Scanlon, human resources director at Koch Trucking. Koch Trucking introduced its new wellness program in February in conjunction with American Heart Month 2021, a program from the Centers for Disease Control that aims to help people focus on their cardiovascular health. For drivers, Koch Trucking provides Rolling Strong’s RS Flex system that creates an in-cab workout gym. RS Flex connects low impact resistance bands to various connection points in the truck while the app guides users through workout routines. “Drivers are a rare commodity these days, so we hope this program will help achieve our main goal, which is to keep them driving,” Scanlon said. “Unhealthy habits have taken too many of them out of the game on extended medical leaves, or they have sadly passed away at a young age. Rolling Strong is a program designed for drivers that has helped thousands lose weight, lower blood pressure, and successfully recertify their CDL medical cards. With it, we believe they will be able to take better care of themselves.” Rolling Strong provides Koch Trucking users with in-app competitions to win awards for meeting certain health, wellness and fitness criteria. Koch Trucking awards prizes – such as tumblers, wearables and gift cards – to increase engagement and participation in the program. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, March 29, 2021: 2020 sees uptick in cargo theft
Cargo theft volumes and values in the U.S. increased in 2020 over the previous year and also hit a five-year high, according to cargo theft recording firm Sensitech’s annual report. The firm notes that its data is an indirect representation of the overall cargo theft footprint and not a direct reflection. It uses data from transportation security councils, insurance companies and law enforcement organizations, which may not represent 100% of all thefts but does provide a cross-section of thefts to identify trends, the firm notes. Sensitech recorded 870 cargo thefts throughout the U.S. in 2020 – 222 in the first quarter, 230 in the second quarter, 185 in the third quarter and 233 in the fourth quarter. The average value of 2020 thefts was $166,854. These numbers represent a 23% increase in volume and a 41% increase in average value when compared to 2019. The numbers also represent the highest recorded volume and average value in the last five years, Sensitech adds. 2020 represents a second consecutive year with an upward trend in reported cargo theft volume, which prior to 2019 had been in decline since 2011. Notable cargo theft trends in 2020 include pandemic-influenced product targeting and a record-breaking year for pilferage. Primarily, the rise in pilferage has fueled the increase in thefts, Sensitech says, as large-scale pilferage events accounted for 43% of total thefts. Pilferage is the theft of small portions of a load rather than stealing a full load. Additionally, product targeting in the pandemic was specific to merchandise that was already in shortage, ensuring quick liquidation and easy resale for the thieves. These products included toilet paper, disinfectants, personal protective equipment, ventilators and more. This is in line with Sensitech’s data showing miscellaneous products being the most stolen for the year for the first time, accounting for 23% of all thefts. Sensitech found that 48% of all recorded thefts in 2020 occurred in just three states – California (20%), Texas (18%), Florida (10%). Cargo theft by month in 2020 was more volatile than typical years in which the fourth quarter normally ranks highest. Last year, April was the busiest month for cargo theft, logging 11% of the annual total. December, with 10% of the year’s total, was the next busiest month. Werner driver receives CVSA’s IDEA honor In addition to his stellar safe-driving history, Parker also does his part for the community. He sings the national anthem before the stock car races at the Jefferson County (Nebraska) Speedway and at the start of Minor League Baseball games. In addition, Parker participates in the World’s Largest Truck Convoy for Special Olympics. The convoy is a one-day celebration of the trucking industry, its allied partners and law enforcement, all working together to raise funds for the Special Olympics. CVSA recognizes the exceptional careers of professional truck drivers and their commitment to public safety through its driver excellence award. To apply for the award, nominees must have at least 25 cumulative years of crash-free driving in a commercial motor vehicle with a clean driving record for the past three years, no felony convictions, no safety-related driving suspensions in the past three years and no driver violations in the past three years, excluding form and manner violations. “My reaction upon hearing the fantastic news that I’d received the International Driver Excellence Award was to be humbled,” said Parker. “To be acknowledged by CVSA is truly an honor.” CVSA’s IDEA isn’t the only award Parker has received throughout his driving career. He has received multiple President’s Safe Driving Awards from the Nebraska Trucking Association, Werner’s Safe Driver Awards, and one, two, three and four million accident-free miles awards from his company. When he has time away from driving, Parker travels with his wife, singing southern gospel music at churches and gospel music events. In fact, he and his wife have recorded four albums in Nashville. Parker will receive his award at the 2021 CVSA Annual Conference and Exhibition in the fall. He will be presented with a crystal trophy and a check for $2,500. At this time, the annual conference is still scheduled to be held in-person in Wilmington, Delaware. PrePass Safety Alliance sponsored this year’s IDEA. Forward Air boosts owner-operator pay Team owner-operators for the company are receiving an 11 cents-per-mile increase, while individual owner-operators will see a 5 cents-per-mile increase. In addition to the rate per mile increase, the company announced a sign-on bonus program to help drive first-year profitability for transitioning owner-operators or fleet owners. The bonus consists of $10,000 per team truck and $4,000 per solo truck added to the Forward fleet – all paid out in the first year of service. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD I’ve been around long enough to remember when major changes in trucking technology came about at a much slower pace than what we see today. Every day, and often multiple times per day, there is some news item about a new development around improving safety, fuel efficiency or reducing GHG emissions. Or they can relate to more innovative technologies like battery electric or fuel-cell electric vehicles and autonomous trucking. It can be confusing – intimidating even – to know which technologies will bring value to your fleet, and which will merely add costs or complications while under-delivering a return on investment. You can go through all the calculations to determine a theoretical total cost of ownership, but we know in trucking that the gap between “in theory” and “in practice” can be wide. In some cases, very wide. [Related: Truck lease becoming more appealing option versus ownership] While fleet professionals cannot afford to stand still and avoid investing in new technology, they also can’t afford to invest in the wrong technology. Truck rental may be an acceptable avenue for a fleet to dip a toe into new technology waters. Renting a truck that features a new technology can provide some insight into how it is likely to perform in a fleet’s operation. There are some constraints, however, as it’s likely the rental vehicle will not match the specs of the other vehicles in the fleet. While you might gain some insights, it may be difficult to draw an apples-to-apples comparison. To counter this limitation, it may be feasible to obtain more accurate comparative information via full-service leasing. With a full-service lease you can match your current vehicle specs for everything except the new technology you are considering. This method allows you to isolate the technology itself and draw more informative conclusions as to its effectiveness and financial ROI, while leaving the maintenance up to the provider. As the trucking industry continues along the path of integrating more disruptive technologies like battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, full-service leasing will be an even more popular procurement option. [Related: Understanding the value of fair market value leases] The risks of predicting total landed costs, including maintenance, battery management and residual value, will be on the provider, relieving the lessee of the burdens of uncertainty and making it easier to test these exciting advancements. Full-service leasing makes sense for a variety of reasons but when it comes to evaluating new technology, it can be a great tool that allows you to learn “in practice” versus “in theory.” Joe Gallick is Senior Vice President of Sales for NationaLease is an experienced supply chain executive and spokesperson in the logistics provider industry. Prior to joining NationaLease, Gallick served as the Senior Vice President of Penske Logistics for 13 years after four years as the Vice President National Accounts for Penske Truck Leasing.
https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD In a hearing before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Thursday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned "user fees" as a possible source for infrastructure funding, and that he was "very open" to a potential national vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax as a source of funding for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The HTF – the primary source of federal funding used by state governments to maintain and improve roads – is funded currently almost exclusively by a per-gallon excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. The current federal fuel tax rates of 18.4 cents on gas and 24.4 cents on diesel were last increased in 1993. Since then, improvements in vehicle miles per gallon, combined with inflation over that 28-year span, have undercut the HTF's ability to adequately fund roads projects and the roughly $40 billion fund has faced annual shortfalls for more than a decade. Last February, several U.S. Senators proposed a VMT tax exclusively on trucks. VMT has long been seen as a more consistent stream of funding, especially as the nation begins its shift to electrified vehicles that would circumvent a fuel tax entirely. However, a report compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute found that costs associated with implementing a VMT tax could far exceed any revenue gains. ATRI “It’s clear that a VMT tax is a far more complicated and costly replacement for the fuel tax than many had anticipated,” said James Burg Trucking Company President and CEO Jim Burg. “If a system like this is going to work for everyone, many years of thoughtful planning and federal leadership are needed.” ATRI found that replacing the fuel tax with a VMT tax, which would be assessed on 272 million private vehicles, could result in collection costs of more than $20 billion annually – about 300 times higher than the federal fuel tax. Collection points currently are fewer than 270 companies that own fueling terminals, but with a VMT that would balloon to "every registered motor vehicle in the U.S.," ATRI noted. Hardware costs alone (mostly attributable to providing motorists with a GPS-enabled device) could have an initial price tag of $13.6 billion and require ongoing replacement. Telecommunications costs would be approximately $13 billion annually, and account administration would be an additional $4.3 billion each year, ATRI estimated. "On top of these costs, credit card transactions for electronic payment and even the shipping costs for the hardware could each cost more than $1 billion," the agency said. Further, ATRI said, without the ability to ensure mandatory participation in the VMT and methods in place to collect delinquent payments, incidents of VMT tax evasion are likely to be high. "When there is significant cheating or a sense of unfairness, tax systems begin to break down and those following the rules no longer buy into them," the agency wrote. "I think the public is willing to pay for it if they get a transportation system," said Congressman Don Young, (R-AK) at Thursday's hearing. "We have 10 states now that have passed a user fee – or a higher user fee – as long as the user knows the money's going into transportation." Despite the static fuel tax rate, fuel economy improvements, and electric vehicle proliferation headwinds, federal fuel tax revenues have grown across the past two decades by approximately 20 – a result of "growth in vehicle travel, though each vehicle, on average, is paying less into the trust fund due to improved fuel economy," ATRI wrote in its report. In 2019, 3.26 trillion vehicle miles were traveled in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). If each of these miles were charged 1-cent per mile, ATRI theorized, it would raise $32.6 billion. Nearly 90% of these miles were driven by light duty vehicles. Tractor-trailers make up only 1% of the U.S. fleet, but accrue more than 5% of the miles driven, according to the FHWA. Rate structure, ATRI said, would be key in achieving wide-ranging goals of any potential VMT, but there is no clear-cut best option. The simplicity of a flat rate VMT "is generally not able to meet certain social or environmental policy objectives that go beyond revenue generation," the report said. "If the stated goal of a VMT tax goes beyond revenue collection, then a variable rate is necessary." Variable rates, which could allow state and local jurisdictions to set customized rates in addition to the federal VMT tax, would be "confusing," ATRI suggested, "and it is unclear how price signals would be channeled to drivers. A worst-case scenario would have drivers not receiving the price signals, and unknowingly accruing expenses that they did not intend or could not afford." A hybrid approach, with a flat federal rate and variable state rates, could be deployed but a per-mile charge would need to be clearly defined at state boundaries, and there could be no variability based on time or below state-level boundaries. That's an approach somewhat similar to the IFTA system but like the variable rate approach, a hybrid option would require expensive onboard GPS-level tracking technology. With the possibility of identifying VMT by roadway, a VMT tax system could end the double taxation issues, like paying both a toll and a fuel tax. While that may sound like good news, ATRI contended it would drop several billion dollars in revenue from the Highway Trust Fund. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, March 26, 2021: ATA forms group to bolster trucking's relationship with law enforcement A statement from ATA said the board is comprised of ATA members who have "previous experience in federal, state and local law enforcement, as well as current and retired law enforcement officials who have contributed positively to the partnership between both groups." During its inaugural meeting, held virtually last week, the board identified primary issues it will focus on in the coming weeks and months. Those issues include combatting human trafficking; increasing truck parking capacity and ensuring driver safety at rest stops; commercial motor vehicle safety and security; and enhancing access to training for drivers and company safety personnel. The 22 members of the Law Enforcement Advisory Board will convene bimonthly to identify areas of opportunity and provide recommendations on priority issues. “No two groups have a stronger and more consistent presence on our nation's highways than law enforcement officers and American truckers,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Therein lies a strategic opportunity for greater collaboration, increased communication, and new bonds. The incredible depth and breadth of experience represented on this board will be an invaluable asset for our industry, the law enforcement community, and the safety of the motoring public alike.” Top 250 carrier acquires reefer fleet Founded in 1997, Holman is a privately held trucking company providing transportation services to the food and grocery, dairy and frozen food product industries. The company employs approximately 189 people with a fleet of about 164 trucks and services customers in the western United States with a concentration in the Pacific Northwest. “We are excited about this acquisition," said Leonard's Express CEO Ken Johnson. "It will help us add to our existing refrigerated capacity allowing us to better serve our current customer base and additionally, it will help us expand our coverage in the Western United States. We find the business models and culture of Holman and Leonard’s are very compatible and the synergies created by the combination of both companies will benefit our customers from a service-level standpoint. J.B. Hunt integrates load board with KeepTruckin The companies say the integration will bring greater visibility into capacity and offer carriers freight opportunities that better align with their operations. “By integrating our two platforms, we can gain a more transparent view of the marketplace and better match capacity demand with available trucks,” said Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources at J.B. Hunt. “KeepTruckin is a trusted name among carriers, and we believe this cross-platform functionality will help businesses move freight with greater efficiency.” Through the integration, freight available in J.B. Hunt 360 will be accessible through KeepTruckin’s Smart Load Board. Approved carriers will be able to book loads and make offers on available freight using the Smart Load Board’s web or mobile platform. Carriers can also opt-in to provide their location data for the duration of the load, giving shippers the ability to track and trace the status of their shipments in real-time using J.B. Hunt 360. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Everyone wants to maximize fuel economy but getting there can be a challenge, particularly when it comes to balancing fuel consumption versus power needs. “It's important to understand the unique end-user customer objectives at the point of order, such as intended application, the vehicle operating weight, gradeability requirements, expected cruise speed, and probably the most challenging is understanding their bias towards fuel economy versus performance,” said Brent Maurer, Allison Transmission manager of customer integration engineering. Maurer participated in a 2021 Work Truck Show virtual panel recently alongside Cummins powertrain TCO and consultancy leader Kris Ptasanik and Cummins medium duty on-highway product manager Derek Keisler. [Related: Hino adding Cummins diesels to focus on battery electric] Cummins and Allison have worked together for years tackling powertrain efficiency concerns and they were happy to do so again for the panel’s topic on powertrain optimization. First up? Know thy powertrain. Maurer recommends consulting the Allison Vocational Model Guide first to get more familiar with your powertrain options. “Optimizing your powertrain requires a clear understanding of the options available,” he said. “And the Alison Vocational Model Guide provides this. “The guide contains transmission ratings for input torque, input power in vehicle weight, and list out vehicle controls functions that are available such as PTO drive interfaces, auto neutral auxiliary function, range inhibits, and many more,” Maurer continued. Cummins PowerSpec, which was released in a web-based version in October, offers some new feature calculators which can guide fleets on spec’ing a powertrain. “If you want to know how the feature that you want to enable may impact the operation, you can use one of these calculators to get a little bit more of a graphical view,” Ptasanik said. “Instead of just reading a feature description you can also build a powertrain spec. “You can select what engine you want to use, what transmission you want to use, rear end ratio, and it'll show you what that looks like and where it lands in RPM ranges,” Ptasanik continued. “And it'll also give you some alternate specs, some other things that you may want to consider based on your application and where your desired output that you're asking for. [This doesn't make sense] There's also a way to get some additional support by emailing into the power spec web team.” [Related: International RH now available with new regional Allison transmission] Keeping up with the latest powertrain options is critical. Allison built on the success of its fuel-saving feature FuelSense released in 2014 with FuelSense 2.0 with DynActive Shifting in 2018. “FuelSense 2.0 Dynamic Shifting is a global technology solution that can deliver a fuel savings up to 6% while maintaining traditional Alison advantages of quality, reliability, durability and productivity,” Maurer said. “Dynamic shifting is a continuously variable method of shift scheduling and is the cornerstone of FuelSense 2.0. Instead of using shift point tables with defined points, dynamic shifting chooses the most efficient shift points based on the current environmental and vehicle conditions,” Maurer said. Fleets can turn to Allison DOC, a diagnostic tool, that can trend FuelSense 2.0 parameters and be used for traditional troubleshooting such as reading calibration and diagnostic information or recording snapshots, Maurer explained. When it comes to increasing uptime, Keisler said Cummins worked to extend and align maintenance intervals for model year 2021. For the B6.7, [engine? What is this and what application is it for?] “from an oil and filter change interval we've been able to bump up our duty cycle based numbers up to 30,000 miles or 1000 hours. Now that's up from 20,550 on our 2017 product fuel filter interval change, increased by a factor of 4X, which we were really excited about,” Keisler said. L9 oil and oil filter intervals were increased up to 50,000 miles or 1,500 hours, and the fuel filter change was bumped up to 50,000 miles or 1,500 hours. For the X12, numbers were pushed out to 75,000 miles or 1,500 hours on oil and filter change and 60,000 miles, or 1,500 hours for a fuel filter with a maintenance free crankcase ventilation system. Keeping up with the latest fluid advancements can also improve powertrain efficiency. “Allison TES668 is the next generation of transmission synthetic fluid that takes advantage of the latest developments in fluid formulation technology,” Maurer said. “TES668 offers improved anti-wear performance and friction modifiers, a durability resulting in better shift quality under temperature variation, and overall enhanced transmission performance.” Allison TES668, which launched in January, is available through Petro Canada and Castrol. The fluid is reverse interchangeable with TES-295 and 389, “meaning it's okay to convert over your existing fleet,” Maurer said. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Motor carriers have been voluntarily submitting fuel efficiency and air quality performance data to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 2004. Being an EPA Smartway Carrier Partner has benefits for competing in shipper contract freight bids, also known as RFPs. In the past few years, G&D Integrated has participated in a number of RFPs that asked the carrier to provide more detailed environmental information than its SmartWay rankings and scores. Some bids have asked open-ended questions about what the fleet is doing to reduce its carbon impact, but others have asked for detailed plans to reduce carbon emissions in specific lanes, said Vince Buonassi, G&D’s group manager of transportation programs. [Related: Biodiesel, renewable diesel show DPF and engine performance improvements] Shippers are analyzing the environmental impact of their supply chains and setting sustainability goals for their transportation departments. “A lot [of shippers] have initiatives to drive down their carbon footprint and are partnering with companies like G&D Integrated that take that into account,” Buonassi said. Chris Schmale, bid operations manager of REG, the nation’s largest producer of biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels, has noticed the sustainability goals of shippers have been having more influence on how they award freight contracts to carriers. “The sustainability aspect has become a big issue,” he said, and the pressure on carriers is not just coming from shippers. Federal, state and local municipalities also are coming up with new emission requirements. “Fleets are getting it from every which direction.” Winning bids with biofuels For RFPs with open-ended environmental questions, Buonassi shares details about the company’s use of biodiesel and recycled engine oil and provides statistics that show how consumption of both products has decreased the company’s carbon impact. “I see it on lot of bids,” he said. “Some [shippers] want you to put pen to paper, and other times it seems like one of those ‘rubber stamp’ things where you fill out a bit of information and then never hear anything after the fact.” One of G&D Integrated’s customers is a manufacturer of environmentally friendly cleaning products. About two years ago, the shipper conducted an RFP, and asked G&D to explain how it would reduce carbon emissions in a certain lane and volume of freight versus a standard trucking company. Buonassi credits the company’s use of biodiesel for winning this and other bids. “There are certainly a few manufacturers, and a few different organizations, that have wanted us to quantify the potential impact,” he said. He also credits the fleet’s use of biodiesel for getting favorable scores from East Coast ports, specifically in Georgia and South Carolina, that were given an imperative to reduce their carbon footprint by working with more environmentally conscious truckers. [Related: Innovators: fleet exec has plan to bridge the divide to zero emissions] Speaking of ports, Buonassi said the company’s use of biodiesel and other environmental initiatives has not resulted in winning extra business, but “it has allowed us to set ourselves apart when we talk about how we differentiate ourselves in the market,” he said. “It gives us a lot of conversation pieces. People are pretty receptive to it overall.” The annual reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from G&D’s use of biodiesel is equal to nearly 230,000 fewer gallons of gasoline consumed each year. Particulate matter is reduced by 2,854 pounds annually. These numbers come from the B20 Club, a program from the Illinois Soybean Association and the American Lung Association. Demand rising for diesel alternatives “They were claiming that this product would not only cost us less money but also would not result in any efficiency losses,” Buonassi says. He has found that to be true and says biodiesel has not caused G&D Integrated to increase its rates. G&D Integrated started with a B11 blend before moving up to B20. Each time, it rigorously tested the fuel. “What we observed was there was absolutely zero degradation in performance,” he said. Biodiesel added lubricity and it has also performed well in cold weather. From 2012 to 2018, biodiesel consumption nationally has increased by 111%, which has far outpaced the growth of petroleum diesel consumption, Schmale said. “We see that consumption staying steady,” he notes, and renewable diesel production is now increasing as well. “We think all those fuels are going to work and play together.” Fleets that purchase biodiesel blends and renewable diesel from REG typically have fuel delivered to their own facilities in bulk, Schmale said. Fleets without on-site tanks can also contract with fuel suppliers to fill up trucks at their facilities using a tank wagon and wet hose. Zero emission zones coming? The use of biofuels may not be enough of an environmental offering to help last-mile delivery fleets win new business. Electric vehicles have become popular in this sector where daily truck routes are typically less than 200 miles. Meeting government clean air policies and sustainability goals is a motivator for last-mile fleets to go electric, but so are the longer-term cost savings advantages, said Charlotte Argue, senior manager, fleet electrification at telematics provider Geotab. Local fleets are being pushed by their employees and shareholders to have environmental goals, and there is always a need to be more competitive by reducing fuel usage, she noted. Argue sees the possibility that more cities in the United States will adopt a delivery concept that has emerged in Europe where cities are installing automatic boom barriers around zero emission zones. To enter, delivery vehicles have to either be registered as electric vehicles or pay a fine. The Netherlands has dozens of cities with these low or zero-emission zones, she said. Last month, Santa Monica, Calif., became the first city in the U.S. to create a one-square-mile zero emission zone as a voluntary pilot project. Companies involved in the pilot, such as IKEA, will be using smaller and cleaner vehicles to make deliveries instead of larger, diesel-fueled trucks. Businesses who are pilot participants in the Santa Monica program will be providing priority curb access for zero emission delivery vehicles in select loading areas within the zone. Automation to eliminate detention "The demands on carriers are as high as they've ever been,” said Andrew Smith, Outrider founder, and CEO. “Yet carriers are stuck idling running their diesel engines in distribution yards waiting up to two-to-four hours to drop off and pick up the next trailer.” Not only is detention bad for business, but its environmental cost is 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, or the equivalent of five coal-fired power plants, he estimates. Outrider has developed autonomous technology for yard trucks that reduces trailer turn time. The company’s technology helps carriers spend less time idling and more time earning revenue, he said. Shippers and 3PLs are the ones who deploy Outrider's yard automation technology, but carriers play an important role by working alongside autonomous yard trucks and digitizing their workflows to integrate with shipper and 3PLs’ warehouse and yard management systems for end-to-end freight visibility. “Working together, carriers, shippers, and 3PLs increase distribution yard efficiency and advance their sustainability objectives," he said. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Most fleets are using some, if not all, of their software products through a subscription rather than the more traditional client-server approach. A downside of the SaaS model is its linearity, meaning users have limited options for customizing the software to meet their specific needs. Telematics provider Geotab announced a new product that changes the traditional SaaS model during the Geotab Extend virtual conference, March 23-24. The new product, Extended Services, will allow fleets to create secondary databases for sharing vehicle telematics data with their own applications as well as granting secure access to third parties through an open application programming interface (API). Colin Sutherland, Geotab’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, describes Extended Services as a “scalable way for customers to use data.” Prior to creating the new service, fleets that wanted to share data with third parties had to provide login credentials to their own Geotab platform, although they could limit access based on user permissions. Extended Services creates an entirely separate database that only contains data that fleets want to share. Instead of requesting data from the main Geotab database, an open API that hits a secondary database would have a faster transaction speed of under two seconds, Sutherland said. [Related: Geotab creates 'Order Now' program for third-party apps] One area where the product could immediately see use by fleets is to share a database with insurance companies for quoting and underwriting policies. Some insurance companies, especially “insurtech” firms, have programs that allow fleets to share telematics data to obtain price quotes. Other insurers have ongoing data sharing programs that fleets use to quality for discounts. Fleets may not want to share telematics data that includes customer locations, for example, or the time of day that drivers are driving, said Neil Cawse, chief executive of Geotab. Extended Services allows the customer to control that and other parameters. Cawse expects to see fleets sharing the same database containing the last 30 days of data, for example, to multiple insurance companies to obtain competing quotes based on their actual risk behaviors. Equipment leasing companies are another Geotab customer that Sutherland sees a demand for Extended Services. Currently, 50,000 of the more than 2.2 million vehicle subscriptions in Geotab’s network are owned by equipment leasing companies who are offering telematics services to their customers from the Geotab platform. Leasing companies will be able to set up separate databases for telematics modules they offer to their fleet customers — one database for ELD data, another for fuel card data, engine diagnostics, odometer readings and more. Neil Cawse sees additional use cases for Extended Services that include sharing vehicle data with a third-party maintenance service center. A shop doesn’t need to know, nor would a fleet want them to know, how many harsh braking or speeding events that drivers had. A fleet could choose to only make visible certain data sets, like diagnostic trouble codes. Distributing data and controlling access and flow “is what it’s all about,” he said. [Related: Could 'insurtech' lower costs of truck insurance?] Cawse points to another use case with the Port of Vancouver, Wash. The Port has a program that guarantees wait times for trucking companies will not be more than 30 minutes if they install a telematics device or share location data. By using Extended Services, fleets will be able to create a database that only shows the locations when drivers enter the port. The moment trucks leave, the record in the database will shut off, he said. Other announcements made by Geotab during its Geotab Extend event are:
https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, March 25, 2021: Self-driving truck maker partners with Arizona DOT to boost work zone safety Through the partnership, automatic driving systems developer Embark and ADOT intend to work together to share data that will support the safe navigation of highway work zones by autonomous trucks. Using collected data, Embark will provide Arizona with feedback on mutually-defined areas of interest, such as infrastructure health, road design and quality of publicly available work zone data. Embark will also provide technical briefings to Arizona officials to contribute to awareness of rapidly developing AV technology. ADOT, in turn, will share open-source data on work zones that can contribute to safe navigation. Both Embark and ADOT may seek to share with other public sector stakeholders any relevant findings that would facilitate the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles. Work zone safety and keeping highway crews safe are critical aspects of ADOT's overall safety goals. 123,000 work zone related crashes occurred nationally in 2018, resulting in 757 preventable fatalities. 30 percent of work zone fatal crashes and 10 percent of work zone injury crashes involved at least one large truck. In Arizona, there were 971 work zone crashes and 17 preventable fatalities in 2018. Embark is pursuing a middle mile approach to automated trucking, operating only on limited access highways and short off-highway segments to distribution centers. The company’s truck uses a sensors-first architecture that is less reliant on static maps in order to detect and react to lane closures and other dynamic changes in the road environment in a manner similar to a human driver. Embark says its truck can safely react to lane closures as they appear on the road, including ones it has never seen before. Pride Group Enterprises places order for 100 electric trucks The Mississauga, Ontario, Canada-based Pride will be integrating the electric trucks into its existing logistics, full maintenance, leasing, rental and equipment retail operations throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as deploying them with a selection of its fleet management clients. The majority of the trucks are expected to be delivered to Pride during 2021, with the remainder of deliveries expected to take place in 2022. In addition to supplying the vehicles, Lion will also install adequate charging infrastructure as well as integrate advanced telematics services into its operations. The Lion6 and Lion8 trucks have ranges of 180 and 165 miles, respectively, and will be used for regional shipping operations. “This order from Pride serves as not only a significant step in Lion’s growth, but also as a milestone in the adoption and deployment of heavy-duty electric vehicles – further proof that zero-emission freight is here, now,” said Marc Bedard, CEO and founder of Lion. “We hope this initial deployment of all-electric trucks marks the beginning of a larger ongoing partnership with Pride, and we will be working with their team to ensure that infrastructure and electric vehicle fleet management capabilities are built in tandem to optimize their electric operations.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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