Poor fluid management is one of the quickest ways to boost a truck's maintenance-related downtime. Think about it; all a truck's most critical components – the engine, aftertreatment, transmission, wheel ends, and more – need some type of fluid or lube in order to operate. In this week's 10-44, Jason and Matt talk with Jaye Russo, national accounts manager for Chevron Lubricants, and discuss best practices for keeping fluid and lube tolerances tight and equipment running. Russo notes that in almost every case, testing and sampling is fairly inexpensive and that "the industry average is about a 150% return on what you're actually spending on those samples," through the extended life of the fluids, the ability to lengthen change intervals and reduced maintenance and replacement costs. CCJ's 10-44 is a weekly video feature covering the latest in trucking news and trends, equipment and technology. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. https://ift.tt/nwZf2M5
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Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 26, 2022: Arkansas police, trucking industry working to ease CDL testing backlogThe Arkansas Trucking Association and Arkansas State Police are working together to help ease a backlog of would-be commercial driver’s license holders waiting to complete their skills tests. As with non-commercial driver’s license testing, professional truck drivers must pass both a written and a skills test to obtain their CDL. Staffing issues and a limited number of test sites have sidelined CDL candidates who have been forced to wait weeks to complete the skills test. “Our industry desperately needs more safe and qualified drivers to be able to stock grocery shelves and deliver all of life’s essentials,” said Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton. “With ongoing supply chain and workforce issues, delaying the certification of fully-trained drivers impacts everyone — not just trucking.” After being notified of drivers facing weeks-long delays between completing their CDL training and being able to take the CDL skills test, Newton approached the Arkansas State Police to find a solution. Together, the ASP and ATA came up with a multi-pronged approach to streamline the backlog, including:
“We commend the Arkansas State Police for implementing swift and decisive resolutions to address the backlog of CDL skills tests,” Newton said. “Our economy needs people to go to work and these drivers are ready and willing to do so, with the support of the Arkansas CDL examiners.” Drivewyze adds cargo theft ‘hot spot’ alertsDrivewyze has teamed up with cargo theft analytics firm Verisk to provide Cargo Theft Alerts as a value-added feature in its Safety+ service. Drivewyze Safety+ is an in-cab product that provides context-based, proactive, customizable, driver safety notifications through existing ELDs or telematics devices. The theft “hot spot” alerts are available thanks to a collaboration with Verisk, provider of CargoNet. With Cargo Theft Alerts, drivers are notified when approaching one of the top 50 riskiest parking locations and top 50 riskiest counties in the country. Safety+ will display a driver-safe visual and audible warning through the in-cab ELD or telematics device as they approach these high-risk areas. The alerts are fully automated and require no driver interaction. Safety+ high-risk areas will be updated regularly based on the latest data from CargoNet. Subscribers will also receive Daily Hot Theft Zone Alerts, powered by CargoNet, to be informed on the latest incidents of cargo theft throughout the U.S. and Canada. CargoNet’s database receives and integrates cargo theft data from law enforcement, insurers, transportation companies, manufacturers and retailers. Drivewyze Safety+ is a premium subscription service available on more than 2.5 million ELD devices. Safety+ subscribers can receive a heads up on high-citation areas for speeding, upcoming parking availability in select states, and high-risk areas for cargo theft. In addition, fleet managers can create customized driver safety alerts, access driver behavior analytics, and manage fleet risk. Fleetmaster Express adding 10 electric Volvos to fleetFor-hire carrier Fleetmaster Express has ordered 10 Volvo VNR Electrics to support supply chain sustainability efforts for Ball Corporation, a global provider of recyclable aluminum beverage packaging. Fleetmaster Express will begin operating its first two battery-electric trucks in Q2 2022, making them the first Volvo VNR Electric trucks to operate in Texas. The eight additional Volvo VNR Electrics will be delivered in early 2023. “It is fantastic to see our three brands unite around the common goal of making the world a better place to live,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “We commend Fleetmaster Express and Ball Corporation for their commitment to sustainable operations with the integration of the first Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the state of Texas.” The Volvo VNR Electric trucks will be used to haul finished aluminum cans on approximately 8-mile runs around Fort Worth from Ball Corporation’s distribution center, averaging 10 to 15 trips per day. To support the charging of its battery-electric fleet, Fleetmaster Express has installed charging infrastructure at its Fort Worth facility. Fleetmaster Express, founded in 1987 by Bill B. Bumgarner, operates more than 300 trucks and 1,300 trailers with locations in Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The two Volvo VNR Electrics are the first battery-electric Class 8 trucks in its fleet. Volvo adding fossil-free steel to heavy-duty electric trucksVolvo announced this week it is the world’s first truck manufacturer to introduce fossil-free steel in its trucks. The steel is produced by the Swedish steel company SSAB, and the heavy-duty electric Volvo trucks will be the first to include it. The steel from SSAB is produced using a completely new technology based on hydrogen. The result is a much lower climate impact than conventionally produced steel. Small scale introduction of the steel in Volvo's heavy electric trucks will begin in the third quarter of 2022. "We will increase the use of fossil-free materials in all our trucks to make them net-zero not only in operation – but also when it comes to the materials they are built of," says Jessica Sandström, Senior Vice President Product Management, Volvo Trucks. The first steel produced with hydrogen will be used in the truck's frame rails, the backbone of the truck upon which all other main components are mounted. As the availability of fossil-free steel increases, it will also be introduced in other parts of the truck. Volvo says that today, around 30% of the materials in a new Volvo truck come from recycled materials, and up to 90% of the truck can be recycled at the end of its life. https://ift.tt/anKYMf2 The American Trucking Associations recently hosted a roundtable discussion during which several panelists cited a driver shortage, recruitment strategies and stoked fear of potentially empty store shelves. The panelists and I disagree on several points. First, there is no driver shortage. Rather, there has been a driver retention issue for decades. Let’s get real: you cannot solve a problem if you keep misstating the facts and mischaracterizing the problem at hand. Panelist Donna Kintop from DDC Group said that “many companies are putting in retention plans to keep the people they have and that they are satisfied.” She said job candidates in all industries, including trucking, have more options, and before accepting job offers they are seeking higher salaries and benefits – two components conspicuously lacking within many mega-fleets’ traditional pay structure. Kintop said companies “are developing talent for today’s culture and retraining their leaders to be more adaptable, along with upgrading their internal recruiting teams and make sure they’re up-to-date on the newest recruiting techniques.” To translate: Many trucking companies are going to repackage the same rote garbage hoping the drivers like the flavor. Second, according to ZipRecruiter, as of May 2022, the average annual pay for a truck driver in the U.S. is $51,910 a year. That works out to be approximately $24.96 per hour. But ZipRecruiter’s math is flawed. The $51,910 figure assumes 2,080 hours in the year, which is a normal 52-week year at 40 hours per week – 40 hours per week for every week of the year without time off. When a driver works 70 hours in eight days (assuming two weeks off annually) that driver is actually working 3,071 hours, which reduces their hourly pay to $16.90, barely above many states’ $15 per hour minimum wage. Still, that calculation also assumes that there is no unpaid working time, which is a completely bogus assumption. In the final analysis, drivers’ wages fail to even meet an entry-level grocery store position. The easy, simple, economically viable and socially equitable solution is to eliminate the overtime pay exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Using the example above, the same company driver who worked 3,071 hours in a year at the $24.96 hourly rate that the industry touts by ZipRecruiter would bolster their income by 73% to $90,000, much more commensurate with the hours worked, the important “semi-skilled” level of responsibility and the living conditions endured. Instead of carriers looking at this as astronomical annual earnings, this $38,100 is the annual amount that many carriers are ripping-off from drivers. Taking in their entirety since the FLSA’s 1938 enactment, at $38,100 per driver in today’s dollars, the industry has usurped $4.8 trillion dollars from the hard-working drivers’ pocket. That’s $95 billion of income each year that could be injected into the economy at a grassroots level that would broadly boost the economy, eliminate retention issues, negate the need to update recruitment packaging techniques and wipe away fears of empty shelves. Trying to figure out why there’s a driver shortage is no mystery. It’s pay. It all stems from the FLSA exemption to overtime and the pay-by-mile paradigm. Truck drivers don't need to carry economic burden on their collective backs, and if the "driver shortage" has taught us anything it's that if there is insufficient remuneration there will continue to be a driver retention problem. Absent a cost of labor adjustment, where many fleets historically attributed zero value to a driver’s time – “If the wheels ain’t turnin’, the driver ain’t earnin’,” – nothing will account for the microeconomic imbalance, and all the numerous programs, tax credits, recruitment packaging tactics, governmental red tape elimination, government and private sector apprenticeship programs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce recruiting programs to help separating military members enter the industry, the Federal Drive-Safe Act to allow new drivers aged 18-20 to drive interstate freight, and the like, will all be for naught. ATA’s chief economist Bob Costello said that, “We’ve had a lot of these issues for a long time in the trucking industry. It’s just the last two years of the pandemic really brought them to the forefront.” Well, yes and no. Yes, the issues have been around for decades. But, no, the pandemic is not to blame. Decades of unsuccessful solutions and those sought today clearly indicate that even after decades of a continued driver shortage refrain, many fleets have yet to truly identify and address the salient problem. https://ift.tt/anKYMf2 Technology news and briefs for the week of May 22, 2022: Drivewyze partners with Verisk to add cargo theft alertsDrivewyze has added a new feature to its platform. The company has partnered with Verisk, provider of CargoNet, to provide cargo theft alerts on the Drivewyze Safety+ subscription service, an in-cab SaaS product that provides context-based, proactive, customizable, driver safety notifications through existing ELDs or telematics devices. Drivers will receive cargo theft alerts when approaching one of the top 50 riskiest parking locations and top 50 riskiest counties in the country. Safety+ will display a driver-safe visual and audible warning through the in-cab ELD or telematics device as they approach these high-risk areas. The alerts are fully automated and require no driver interaction. Data from CargoNet shows cargo theft incidents are on the rise. CargoNet reported cargo theft incidents increased by more than 5% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. Last year, nearly 1,300 incidents of cargo theft were reported in the U.S. and Canada, with approximately 50% of thefts occurring in California, Texas and Florida. High-risk areas are updated regularly based on the latest data from CargoNet. Subscribers also receive daily “hot theft zone” alerts to be informed on the latest incidents of cargo theft throughout the U.S. and Canada. CargoNet’s database receives and integrates cargo theft data from law enforcement, insurers, transportation companies, manufacturers and retailers. 3G TMS integrates Parade's capacity management platformFreight broker software provider Parade has partnered with 3G to connect its truckload capacity management platform with 3G’s transportation management system. With this integration, Parade adds capacity management to a freight broker’s execution workflow to automatically qualify carriers, post to load boards and match loads to capacity, all within 3G’s TMS. And Parade’s carrier profiles are also connected to 3G’s TMS enabling seamless booking, carrier re-use and management workflows. Parade said freight brokers can book more loads in less time with better margins when using Parade and increase their capacity to manage those loads with 3G’s TMS. With Parade, carriers have the option to quote and digitally book loads; freight brokers can improve carrier relationships and add new carriers easily to grow their carrier base and increase carrier re-use; and carrier reps can post loads where their preferred carriers are finding and booking freight. Solera adds upgrades to Omnitracs One platformSolera Holdings LLC has added several enhancements to its Omnitracs One platform, which integrates driver, office personnel and fleet manager applications into a singular platform. These upgrades include unlimited third-party mobile or web applications integration to create a comprehensive, unified driver experience. Third-party applications can be configured to launch from within the driver's circle of service workflow or as a stand-alone application available to the driver at all times. Another update is a secure, single sign-on login so customers can access Omnitracs One and SuperVision products within a single portal. The upgrades also include improved navigation data through integrations with both Trimble Co-Pilot powered by Trimble Maps and Verizon Connect Navigation. These integrations provide truckers with information about roads to avoid and areas with truck restrictions. And integration with the Trimble Transportation Cloud platform enables new and existing customers to quickly and easily integrate Trimble's TMS with Omnitracs One, allowing for faster migration of data. The Omnitracs One platform has also integrated with Velociti (including Samsung, SOTI and RAM Mounts) for managed mobile device management (MDM), device acquisition, provisioning and deployment, providing a more streamlined and reliable service. Upgrades also include a new data product, Solera Fleet Solutions Location Intelligence, that provides information on shipper locations within Omnitracs One. https://ift.tt/anKYMf2 Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, May 25, 2022: Cargo theft expected to increase over holiday weekendCargo theft recording firm CargoNet expects a significant threat to freight transportation this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. CargoNet reviewed theft data from 2017 to 2021 for the Thursday prior to Memorial Day to the Wednesday after in order to help supply chain professionals mitigate theft. There were 144 events reported with an average of 29 events per year. The stolen cargo in each event was worth an average of $298,328 -- due in part to five thefts that exceeded $1 million in property stolen. Twenty-one percent of recorded thefts occurred on Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and a significant amount of thefts also occurred on Sunday (16%) and Monday (15%), the firm found. Food and beverage items were the most stolen, and cargo thieves targeted a wide range of products in this category. The most common were alcoholic beverages, seafood products and meat products. Electronics were not a significant target in previous years, but such shipments are considerably more attractive this upcoming holiday due to supply chain disruptions, CargoNet added. Theft activity in the first quarter of 2022 was just over 15% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and CargoNet’s analysts expect theft activity to remain elevated this Memorial Day weekend. “We continue to be concerned about the increase in rail thefts and targeting of computer electronics shipments shipping from California, as well as a breakout of full truckload cargo thefts spreading across the eastern half of the United States,” the firm said. In previous years, household goods and food and beverage items were the most commonly targeted commodities. This would include items like appliances, toys, alcoholic beverages and seafood. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused shortages and price inflation of specific goods, and CargoNet believes the items most affected -- like baby formula and computer electronics -- are the items most at-risk over Memorial Day weekend. Carriers and others in the supply chain can mitigate the risk of theft by arranging for same-day delivery of short-haul shipments, embedding covert tracking devices in the shipment, and using high-security locks to prevent trailer burglaries, CargoNet said. Additionally, drivers should adhere to the "red zone" rule and avoid stopping within 250 miles of pickup. Drivers should also be on the lookout for any vehicles that appear to be following them. Fuel prices see slight decline, despite falling East Coast inventoriesDiesel fuel prices were on the downswing across most of the United States during the week ending May 23, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. According to EIA, diesel’s national average dropped by 4.2 cents to $5.57 per gallon. The decrease was spurred by declines in all regions across the country except the Rocky Mountain region and California, which saw increases of 3 cents and 2.5 cents, respectively. The largest decreases were seen in the Gulf Coast and New England regions, where prices dropped by 7.9 cents and 6 cents, respectively. The nation's most expensive diesel can be found in California at $6.50 per gallon, followed by New England at $6.37 per gallon. The cheapest fuel can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $5.22 per gallon, followed by the Midwest region at $5.29. Prices in other regions, according to EIA, are:
For more on refining capacity and shortages on the East Coast, read this story, published today. ProMiles’ numbers during the same week saw fuel prices stay mostly flat, falling by 0.8 cents, bringing its national average to $5.49 per gallon. According to ProMiles’ Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $6.44 per gallon, and the cheapest can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $5.23 per gallon. Bendix hosting ride-and-drive event at TalladegaBendix will hold a regional Ride-and-Drive technology demonstration next month at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, as part of the 2022 season of its popular demo program. The event will be held June 7-8 and is open to any fleets and dealers in the demo area, as well as drivers and driver trainers. Advanced registration is requested. Fleets and owner-operators should register using the links below.
Bendix will demonstrate the full spectrum of its tractor- and trailer-based safety technologies, including the flagship advanced driver assistance system, Bendix Wingman Fusion; truck, tractor and trailer stability technologies; and the Bendix ADB22X air disc brake. The 2022 program will also showcase the Bendix Intellipark Electronic Parking Brake technology, as well as SafetyDirect by Bendix CVS, updates to the Bendix BlindSpotter side object detection system, and more. Landstar named Fortune 500 companyLandstar System (CCJ Top 250, No. 9) has been named for the first time to the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations by revenue. With revenue of approximately $6.5 billion in fiscal year 2021, an annual record for the company, Landstar debuted at number 491 on the list. “The consistent strength and depth of the Landstar network is what earned the company this prestigious ranking,” said Landstar President and CEO Jim Gattoni. “The ability of our independent agents and employees to scale operations and adjust to the marketplace, the power of our unique capacity network to execute, and our innovative digital tools that facilitate efficiency in freight transportation management combined flawlessly to achieve remarkable performance.” The ranking reflects Landstar’s record-setting growth in 2021, and is also a testament to the company’s business model that has proven successful for decades, Landstar said. Since its initial public offering in March 1993, Landstar annual revenue has increased more than 500%, and the company has achieved a total shareholder return compound annual growth rate through May 20, 2022 of approximately 17%. “On behalf of Landstar’s leadership team, I congratulate everyone who has contributed to Landstar’s success,” Gattoni added. “We thank all of our independent agencies, owner-operators leased to Landstar, approved third-party carriers, customers and employees who have helped us accomplish this milestone. Making the Fortune 500 was truly a team effort.” https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF The U.S. Solicitor General on Tuesday filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court recommending that the High Court deny a review of the California Trucking Association’s (CTA) case challenging California’s AB 5 law that would effectively put a halt to the traditional leased owner-operator model in the state. The AB 5 law, which institutes the restrictive ABC test for determining independent contractor status, took effect in California in January 2020. A federal district court, however, granted an injunction that exempted the trucking industry from the law. CTA argued that the 1994 Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (FAAAA or F4A) bars states from enacting laws that interfere with “routes, prices and services” of motor carriers. The State of California appealed the injunction, and a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in April 2021 reversed the injunction. CTA then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the injunction was allowed to remain in place until the case played out. In response to CTA’s petition, the Supreme Court last November asked the Solicitor General to file a brief on whether the Court should hear the case. “Although the circuits have reached differing outcomes with respect to FAAAA preemption of the ABC test as codified under the laws of various states, those case-specific decisions do not create a conflict warranting this Court’s review,” the Solicitor General wrote in its brief. “Moreover, the interlocutory posture of this case and the need to resolve a threshold issue of state law -- namely, whether motor carriers and owner-operators may fall within the business-to-business exemption under California law – make this case a poor vehicle in which to address the question presented. Further review is unwarranted.” Transportation legal firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary said in a Law Alert Tuesday that while the Solicitor General’s brief “is very influential and often tracks the Court’s ultimate determination,” the decision still comes down to the High Court and requires four Justices to vote to hear the case. “Nevertheless, this is not a positive development in the effort to reverse the Ninth Circuit opinion,” Scopelitis added. As for the next steps in the case, CTA and the State of California have 14 days to file supplemental briefs responding to the Solicitor General’s brief. The petition will be considered at the Supreme Court’s next conference, at least two weeks from now. “Given the timing, it is possible that the petition will not be considered before the Court recesses for the summer at the end of June, in which case the next currently scheduled conference is Oct. 6,” Scopelitis noted. https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF A cratering number of dry van orders dropped the over net U.S. order total last month to 19,614 units, according to ACT Research. April's order intake was down more than 48% from the previous month, but were 23% higher compared to April of 2021. Dry van orders slid 64%, largely thanks to ongoing uncertainty surrounding material costs and build rates. Frank Maly, ACT Research director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research, said that despite April’s drop, OEMs continue to negotiate with fleets "and that effort is building a large group of staged/planned orders that are not yet officially posted to the backlog. Once OEMs gain sufficient confidence in their supply chain and labor availability to open 2023 production slots," he added, "expect a surge of orders to be ‘officially’ accepted.” Don Ake, FTR's vice president of commercial vehicles, said COVID lockdowns in China will delay some components that are needed to make trailers and the war in Europe is creating shortages of aluminum with an associated spike in pricing. "These and other doubts have delayed OEMs from issuing quotes for 2023 requirements," he added. "So, the low order volumes reflect OEMs filling in the months of the 2022 production schedule they feel more confident about." Maly noted manufacturers traditionally have been unwilling to push commitments past 12 months, and crossing into a new calendar year (2023) this quickly would not normally be under consideration. "However, recent years, including the pandemic-battered 2020-2021, have been anything but normal, leading us to expect some OEMs to begin viewing deeper orderboards, with appropriate cost/price protections, which would result in both a competitive advantage and improved fleet relations," Maly said. The orderboard slid sequentially in April, and Maly expects the backlog to contract through late spring and early summer, "but the yet-to-be-determined date for opening the 2023 orderboards will reverse the backlog contraction and likely quickly extend the backlog well into next year," he added. Ake estimated pent-up demand for trailers at over 100,000 units – a level that's held steady for several months. "But now, the supply chain difficulties are expected to extend into 2023," he said. "OEMs will then have to build at high rates for an extended time to catch up to demand. The short-term prospects are subdued, but the long-term outlook remains bright.” https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF Truck makers and their supply base largely shield research and development from the public (and especially competitors) until they have confidence in both the technology and the marketplace potential. Great ideas introduced at this year’s truck shows may have origins as far back as decades ago. Take aerodynamics for example. Aerodynamics have had an on-again off-again market priority for more than 50 years. During the 1950s, the University of Maryland, working with Trailmobile, pioneered roof fairing development. In 1974, during the oil embargo, we saw enactment of 55 mph speed limits. This was a significant first step in caring, at a regulatory level, about the relationship between truck aerodynamics and fuel economy. Truck aerodynamics were significant enough in the 1970s that non-truck builders like NASA were doing testing in wind tunnels like the Langley Research Center and, later, Ames Research Center. NASA researchers were driving trucks at test facilities like Dryden Flight Research Center. If those sites don’t ring a bell, the facilities were both instrumental in developing cutting edge aircraft of their day, including the first jet aircraft for the military and revolutionary aircraft like the North American P-51, the Bell X-1, the North American X-15 and the Rockwell Space Shuttle. A June 1999 NASA report, A Reassessment of Heavy-Duty Aerodynamic Design Features and Priorities, summarizes years of aerodynamic truck research. The OEMs were doing research and development too. The landmark aerodynamic Kenworth T600 came out of the late 70s focused on aerodynamics and fuel economy and was put into production in 1985. Freightliner introduced the FLD aerodynamic conventional in 1987. The Peterbilt Model 372 aerodynamic cabover came out in 1988. Other manufacturers introduced aerodynamic models, each competing for a new market segment that was redefining an industry that worshipped long and tall non-aerodynamic conventional trucks with lots of shiny metal and big engines. In the mid-1990s, federal and state emissions regulations started to come in, fuel prices also began to rise again, and the freight transportation market got more competitive with the growth of software systems and the Internet of Things. Improved aerodynamics became not only an efficiency opportunity, but also an OEM necessity. Emissions systems added to vehicles – compounded by a maturing market that demanded automotive fit and finish quality, interiors and driver comfort items – were making trucks both heavier and worse on fuel economy. Lightweighting, aerodynamics, reduced rolling resistance, improved lubricants and more were needed to offset the negatives each model year. Periodic spikes in fuel pricing due to world events have helped accelerate the adoption of more aerodynamic products. Today there still are a significant group of truck operators who prefer the long and tall conventional style of vehicle, but the majority of vehicles made today are heavily invested in improved aerodynamics; from hoods, mirrors, bumpers, roof fairings, extenders and more. The recent spike in fuel prices has reinforced the fact that those are good investments for improving the bottom line for shippers and fleets. Changing the marketplace from primarily blunt nose long and tall conventionals to today’s refined aerodynamic conventionals capable of exceeding 10 mpg has taken more than 50 years of effort. Now we have many new technologies coming into the mix, including battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles and other hybrid electric powertrains. We have automated and connected vehicles that may eliminate the need for a human cab interior all together. We are seeing cabovers reentering the market, along with all new body designs from start-ups. And diesels are not off the table, with a new focus on alternatives like renewable diesel, renewable natural gas, and even internal combustion engines running on hydrogen. Trailers are becoming increasingly aerodynamic and lighter weight too. All of these new changes can capitalize on the lessons learned over 50 years of aerodynamic refinement in heavy-duty trucks. Whatever the new power source for trucks, aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tires and light weighting will continue to be needed and will continue to need improvement. For background on improving all three of these areas, browse NACFE’s many reports. Those three improvement areas will continue to be a journey, not a destination. https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Monday issued an hours of service waiver for haulers of baby formula and related manufacturing ingredients. Baby formula was already included in the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration that allowed for hours of service waivers for drivers transporting baby formula as a finished product. Monday's emergency declaration clarifies that HOS requirements are temporarily waived for motor carriers transporting for both baby formula and the other ingredients used for production, such as corn syrup, casein, hydrolyzed protein and whey. The waiver covers motor carriers hauling formula and its ingredients to either manufacturers, distributors or stores. Baby formula has been in short supply since the FDA in February closed Abbott Nutrition's plant in Sturgis, Michigan, after four infants contracted bacterial infections from formula made there. President Biden last week invoked the Defense Production Act to increase baby formula production, requiring suppliers to direct ingredients to baby formula manufacturers as a priority. According to FMCSA, by execution of its emergency declaration, motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance to the emergency in direct support of relief efforts related to the emergency as set out in this declaration are granted relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, maximum driving time for property-carrying vehicles. Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration. To be eligible for relief from 49 CFR § 395.3, the transportation must incident to the immediate restoration of baby formula supplies. Direct assistance terminates when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are not in support of emergency relief efforts related to the emergency as set forth in this Emergency Declaration, or when the motor carrier dispatches a driver or commercial motor vehicle to another location to begin operations in commerce. (49 CFR § 390.23(b)). Upon termination of direct assistance to emergency relief efforts related to the emergency as set forth in this Emergency Declaration, the motor carrier and driver are subject to the requirements of 49 CFR § 395.3 while operating commercial motor vehicles, except that a driver may return empty to the motor carrier’s terminal or the driver’s normal work reporting location without complying with 49 CFR § 395.3, except as noted herein. When a driver is moving from emergency relief efforts to normal operations, a 10-hour break is required when the total time a driver is engaged in emergency relief efforts, or in a combination of emergency relief and normal operations, equals 14 hours. https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, May 24, 2022: Cuban citizen pleads guilty in Texas CDL fraud schemeThe Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General announced that Fernando Guardado Vazquez, a Cuban citizen, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on May 10 to conspiracy to commit mail and honest services fraud in connection with a scheme to fraudulently issue commercial driver's licenses. According to the indictment, from January 2017 to about June 2019, Vazquez and two co-conspirators paid a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) employee to falsely certify that CDL applicants had passed the skills portion of the CDL test. However, those applicants had either failed or had not taken the test. The DPS employee provided Vazquez and a co-conspirator with temporary CDLs for the applicants, and DPS later mailed those individuals permanent CDLs. Daimler recalls approx. 200 Freightliner, Western Star trucksTwo separate recalls from Daimler Trucks North America include approximately 209 Freightliner and Western Star trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. The largest of the two recalls involves 185 trucks in which the gross axle weight rating (GAWR) listed on the Federal Certification Label is incorrect, which can allow the trucks to be overloaded, the recall states. Affected trucks include certain 2020 Freightliner Cascadia, 2020-2022 Western Star 4700 and 5700, 2022 Western Star 4900, and 2020-2023 Freightliner New Cascadia models. Dealers will be replace the GAWR labels for free. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-933. NHTSA’s recall number is 22V-338. The other recall affects approximately 24 model year 2022 Freightliner Cascadia trucks in which the antilock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) may be manually disabled. As such, the trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 121, "Air Brake Systems," and 136, "Electronic Stability Control Systems on Heavy Vehicles." Dealers will correct this feature to bring the trucks into compliance. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-932. NHTSA’s recall number is 22V-339. Penske Truck Leasing opens new location in New JerseyPenske Truck Leasing recently opened a new facility in Cranbury, New Jersey, located at 2682 US 130 North, near exit 8 and 8A of the New Jersey Turnpike and U.S. Route 1. At this location, Penske offers consumer and commercial truck rental, full-service truck leasing and contract truck fleet maintenance. It is also outfitted with the company's proprietary fully digital and voice-directed preventive maintenance process and Penske digital experience solutions, as well as options related to onboard technology systems (ELDs, telematics, onboard cameras, etc.). “We’ve outgrown the South Brunswick facility by 10-fold in the past 30 years,” said Mike Duquette, New York Metro area vice president for Penske Truck Leasing. “When we first opened, the location serviced nearly 200 vehicles out of two truck bays -- now, three decades later, we service over 2,000 vehicles out of three truck bays; this new state-of-the-art facility was eminent.” The location is 22,995-square-feet and sits on 9.62 acres. It features five drive-thru bays with 10 service areas and is complemented by an additional 10 covered service areas hugging the facility. It also has an automated wash bay, and a full-service three lane fuel island. https://ift.tt/Dx7KyfF |
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