When you have a shipment, no matter how large or small, you want pickup, transit and delivery to go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Understanding the most common mistakes of freight shipping can help everyone get ahead and plan for success. Improper packaging You may not be able to control the handling your goods undergo in transit, but you can control how well protected they are before they leave your hands, which all comes down to the technique in which you pack the goods. Following your company’s freight-packaging guidelines, always use the proper materials for the items you’re shipping based on their size, weight, shape, fragility and value. To better protect your freight, start by palletizing your cargo, securing all loose products, wrapping your pallets in plastic and using a weather-proof seal. If you’re unsure how to properly wrap your shipment, ask your carrier how to ensure maximum security for both your goods and that of others who may be sharing the same truck. Failing to recognize a shipment’s special needs Skimping on insurance Incorrectly classifying freight Use a freight-quoting system that makes it easy to calculate freight class, or skip the need for freight classes by shipping with exclusive use-style STL. Regulated by the National Motor Traffic Association, the National Motor Freight Classification or NMFC is the standard for comparing the many different types of freight and classifying them. The NMFC also publishes minimum packing requirements, to enforce practical standards for protecting goods in transit and ensure that all cargo experiences reasonably safe handling and stowage. Finally, the NMFC governs the procedures for disputes or filing claims, as well as maintaining the terms and conditions of the Uniform Bill of Lading, a universally accepted contract of payment and receipt of completed delivery. Paying to ship air when trailer space is empty At the end of the day, mistakes happen, but you can avoid them if you’re aware of common mishaps and areas to be mindful of. Avoiding these common mistakes can lead to overall time and money savings and can ultimately help the industry become much more efficient and sustainable. Oren Zalansky is the CEO and founder of Flock Freight, a technology company that uses advanced algorithms to pool multiple shipments to fill trucks at scale through a new mode of shipping called shared truckload. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Editor’s note: this is the second and final installment of a two-part series on cyberattacks. Part one covered 5 tell-tale signs that an attack has occurred. Transportation companies are more susceptible than ever to cyberattacks after a tumultuous year shifted the attention of employees in many different directions. People who have the primary responsibility of keeping companies safe are seeing a difficult road ahead. Cybersecurity is a problem that will never go away, and in response, some transportation companies have given a person, or a department, the duties of chief information security officer (CISO) to enforce IT policies for connectivity among employees, customers and vendors. With or without a CISO role, all companies have similar needs for tightening their defenses. Barry Lance, network administrator for AIM Transportation Solutions, compares his defense strategy to the rings of an onion. It will take a layered approach to have any chance for success. Thwarting phishing attempts The outermost ring should focus on the types of threats that can most easily infiltrate a computer network, said Lance. These include drive-by downloaders and phishing, a type of malware that uses email as a vehicle to get users to click on links and enter login credentials, among other information. [Related: Top 5 signs you've been hacked and what to do next] Most phishing attempts can be thwarted by training employees to recognize suspicious emails, he said. Girard, Ohio-based AIM (CCJ Top 250, No. 152) operates a full-service equipment leasing business with more than 12,000 power units and dedicated fleets for shipper customers. Polaris Transport, a less-than-truckload carrier based in Toronto with more than 120 trucks, uses preventive measures to block phishing email attempts. The company’s email system is configured to automatically quarantine the most suspicious emails. Less suspicious emails are identified with a header, including emails that come from external servers, like Hotmail, that do not have a prerequisite transport layer security (TLS). “Our people pick it up,” said Dave Brajkovich, chief information officer. If tagged emails are legitimate, employees will notify the senders about the potential vulnerabilities of their email system. Securing the perimeter The second layer of Lance's onion is focused on preventing outer-layer threats that occur on the perimeter of a network, such as port scanning on firewalls. This is a more difficult area to identify attacks, since a lot of the activity that takes place on the perimeter today is being done automatically by software programs looking for easy targets. Lance said he uses software programs that monitor port utilization on network switches to look for traffic anomalies, particularly those that occur after normal business hours. His methodology pays special attention to messages that are moving in or out of AIM’s email domain to prevent attacks from reaching workstations and servers further downstream. “The trick for me right now is to create a mechanism to provide real-time alerting of these violations out to IT staff without creating alert fatigue for them,” he said. The last line of defense is to protect workstations and servers. Here, at the center of the onion, Lance said his focus is preventing specific types of threats by setting group policies for user access, and by monitoring for account lockouts, password changes, and security group membership changes. [Related: Motor carriers deal with 2020 spike in ransomware] To thwart more advanced types of cyberattacks on the network perimeter, Polaris is using a monitoring tool from Splunk that identifies possible infiltration attempts. Even the most advanced systems cannot predict when or where an attack will be made. “Proactiveness is something that doesn’t really exist when it comes to security,” said Ted de Vos, president of Simnet, based in the Toronto area, which provides managed IT services for Polaris Transport. “You can’t proactively monitor but you can reactively monitor everything.” The Splunk system monitors for different signs that trigger an event to manage. Examples of trigger events include a change in web traffic on a certain port that are combined with data transfers and a failed login. “Together that is an event, and it is what Splunk gives us,” de Vos said. Insights from Splunk are used to build risk analysis models based on different types of events that can occur. Simnet is using about 20 models to monitor for events at Polaris. Halvor Lines, a dry van and flatbed carrier based in Superior, Wis. (CCJ Top 250, No. 168), also uses a system that monitors network switches, routers and ports to spot suspicious trends, said Brett Corlett, systems engineer. Small and medium-sized fleets have a difficult time affording more advanced systems to monitor network traffic, he said, which continue to become more necessary to spot and thwart cyberattacks. The level of sophistication for cyberattacks is increasing. Many attacks are being done today with automated programs that use artificial intelligence to quickly find vulnerabilities and breach computer networks. “It’s scary and keeps me up at night,” Corlett added, “and it’s never going to end.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, April 27, 2021: Trimble and TravelCenters of America integrate maintenance software capabilities The new direct connection enables a more seamless collaboration between fleets and the nearly 250 TA Truck Service Centers, allowing fleets to more easily schedule maintenance, track and record service status, access parts and labor records and create invoices. Managing the connectivity through TMT Fleet Maintenance can also help eliminate duplicate data entry, result in fewer data entry errors and provide a more accurate and complete track record of maintenance over the entire lifecycle of a fleet's equipment. The module extends Trimble's ability to manage outsourced repairs by facilitating communication between fleet maintenance personnel and TA service locations with respect to scheduling and approval of repair work. Rand McNally updates Road Atlas Rand McNally cartographers evaluate areas annually that may benefit from additional mapping – including expanding metro areas – as well as document changes to roads and new points of interest. The 98th edition of the Road Atlas includes thousands of updates including updating maps of Massachusetts and Vermont to reflect mileage-based exit numbers; reviewing all U.S. county boundaries and updating them via the most recent U.S. Census data; and adding various new points of interest such as the UBS Arena, currently under construction, the new home of the New York Islanders hockey team. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, April 26, 2021: TCA names new chairman, officers In addition to Ward’s responsibilities as TCA Chairman, he also serves on TCA’s Board of Directors, Financial Oversight Committee, Highway Policy Committee, Regulatory Policy Committee, and Recruitment & Retention Human Resources Committee. The following individuals will assist Ward as TCA’s officers: Immediate Past Chair: Dennis Dellinger, President & CEO, Cargo Transporters, Inc.; First Vice Chair: John Elliott, CEO, Load One, LLC; Second Vice Chair: David Williams, Executive Vice President, Knight-Swift Transportation; Treasurer: Karen Smerchek, President, Veriha Trucking, Inc.; Secretary: Pete Hill, Vice President, Hill Brothers Transportation, Inc.; Association Vice President to ATA: Joey Hogan, President, Covenant Transport; At-Large Officer: John Culp, Executive Vice President of Finance, Maverick USA; At-Large Officer: Ed Nagle, President, Nagle Toledo, Inc; At-Large Officer: Jon Coca, President, Diamond Transportation System, Inc.; At-Large Officer: Mark Seymour, President & CEO, Kriska Transportation Group; At-Large Officer: Trevor Kurtz, General Manager, Brian Kurtz Trucking, LTD. Trucking stakeholders join TuSimple board Navistar last July took a minority stake in TuSimple, as did its now-parent company Traton. Lisboa will be accompanied by Nicole Nason, chief safety officer and head of external affairs at Cavnue, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President Richard Kramer as new board members. Last year, Goodyear announced a strategic partnership to provide tires and tire management solutions to TuSimple’s Autonomous Freight Network and earlier this year invested in the company. Cavnue was founded by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) to accelerate and realize the full potential of connected and autonomous vehicles, and Nason is a former Administrator of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. "Their combined expertise in the areas of transportation, logistics and safety will play a valuable role in helping bring what we believe is a transformational technology to market over the next few years," said Cheng Lu, President and CEO of TuSimple. Nikola, TA-Petro announce plans for hydrogen fueling stations Paired with the expected 500-mile range of the previously-announced Nikola Tre fuel-cell electric vehicle, Nikola expects the launch stations will enable operations of zero-emission heavy-duty commercial vehicles in and around the greater Los Angeles region and north through California’s Central Valley. “This exploration into hydrogen supply expands on our commitment to provide customers the widest range of fuel and non-fuel offerings, and on our Mission to ‘return every traveler to the road better than they came,’” said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TA-Petro. “Through our new business unit eTA, we are positioning ourselves to facilitate the transportation industry’s shift toward alternative fuel offerings including hydrogen, a leading form of energy for Class 7 and 8 vehicles. We are excited about this first foray into the future of heavy duty, long-haul trucks and look forward to supporting our loyal fleet customers as they increasingly adopt decarbonization strategies.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Unexpected downtime is every fleet owner’s worst nightmare. A disabled truck stranded on the side of the road creates a chain reaction of cost and inconvenience. A driver who might be paid per mile has been temporarily prevented from earning his or her wage. A shipment the truck is carrying has been delayed. The fleet manager must arrange a roadside repair or a tow depending on the nature of the repair or the truck’s distance from the nearest service station – a significant cost on its own. Finally, a key asset is sidelined and unprofitable while those repairs are made. This kind of repair and maintenance represents a significant portion of a fleet owner’s total cost of ownership. According to a recent report from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), “An Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2020 Updates,” maintenance costs consistently make up between 8% and 10% of a fleet’s average marginal cost per mile, and have done so over the past decade. Breakdowns can be kept to a minimum as long as a fleet owner stays on top of vehicle upkeep, including regular service with high-performance engine oil. To that end, the most recent API engine oil performance level for heavy-duty lubricants (CK-4 and FA-4) ensured that a new generation of formulations provided the proper levels of performance demanded by modern engine technology — including improved oxidation control, shear stability and aeration performance. So, is it reasonable to believe that as long as your lubricant is marked with the API CK-4 donut, you’re doing all you can to maximize the reliability and long-term performance of your engines? Not necessarily. Lubricant choice in North America When looking at the most prominent viscosity grades in the marketplace today, 81% of heavy-duty diesel lubricants sold in the North American market are 15W-40. No other available grade breaks the 10% threshold. As lubricant and additive technology has advanced, it’s been clearly shown that well-formulated, lower-viscosity lubricants can provide the needed levels of protection. The proof exists within the performance level of CK-4 and FA-4 engine lubricants themselves. All lubricants that meet the API performance levels, no matter the viscosity grade, must demonstrate the same high levels of baseline performance to ensure engine protection. Consider also that North American OEMs factory-fill most new-model engines with 10W-30 grade lubricants, indicating their confidence that lower viscosities are a beneficial choice and ideal for modern engine design. For fleet owners that have continued to use 15W-40 lubricants, it’s worth considering making a switch to remain consistent with your OEM’s specification, and to seize some significant operational advantages. The fuel efficiency benefits of lower viscosity By enabling engines to run more efficiently, lower viscosities can lead to some attractive fuel economy gains. According to “Trucking Efficiency Confidence Report: Low-Viscosity Engine Lubricants,” a joint report from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and Carbon War Room, the benefits of upgrading to available low-viscosity lubricants are clear cut. “Class 8 over-the-road fleets can realistically expect fuel savings in the range of 0.5%–1.5% by switching from 15W-40 to 5W/10W-30 engine oil,” the report says. Per the ATRI Trucking Review, fuel costs represent 24% of a fleet’s average cost per mile and are a prime target for reduced spending. Combined with their ability to make an impact on a fleet’s maintenance spend, there is significant opportunity for owners to reduce total cost of ownership by switching to a lower-viscosity formulation fleetwide. Going further with FA-4 As older trucks age out of fleets and an increasing number of late-model engines enter the marketplace, FA-4 lubricants are increasingly applicable. Any investment in new vehicles should come with a thorough consideration of FA-4 lubricants, especially if specified by your OEM. Making the switch Before making the switch outright, some initial testing may be beneficial to see how lower-viscosity lubricants can benefit your unique operational needs. And if you’re already using lower-viscosity CK-4 formulations, consider what’s possible by taking the next step with FA-4 lubricants. We have been working carefully with OEMs and oil marketers for many years to ensure that lower-viscosity formulations can provide the engine protection you need with the right additive chemistry and technology. Conventional wisdom may favor thicker oils, but the low-viscosity future is upon us. Don’t get left behind. Greg Matheson is product manager of heavy duty engine oils for The Lubrizol Corporation. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD When auto and commercial truck manufacturers are limiting production due to a global shortage of semiconductors, it's a sign that other types of manufacturers and suppliers are also getting squeezed. OEMs get the first allocation of chips from factories, and companies that supply IoT telematics systems to fleets are “fighting for what’s left over,” said Kerynn Holtzman, divisional vice president of customer operations for SkyBitz, the largest trailer telematics provider in terms of market share. Several years ago when auto manufacturing was in another boom cycle, “we lived through the painstaking process of managing a supply chain,” she added. Things are worse this time around. Semiconductors are not the only limiting factor. Resins are also backlogged and a medley of supply chain issues, from souring U.S.-China relations and, most recently, a cargo ship blocking the Suez canal, have contributed to global backlogs. “The chip shortage is an unfortunate consequence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s not unique to the transportation industry. It affects nearly every electronic device being manufactured right now,” said Chris Orban, vice president of data science at Trimble Transportation, one of the largest ELD suppliers. [Related: Sunsetting of 3G networks makes 2021 a year of transition for fleets] Fleets are placing record orders for new trucks and trailers. The combination of demand for installing IoT telematics systems on new equipment and replacing hundreds of thousands of mobile devices with 3G CDMA modems could far outstrip supply. Besides facing supply issues, fleets that delay their migration from mobile 3G hardware could face coverage issues. All major cellular players have started to remove 3G CDMA equipment from their cell towers to make additional room for 5G technology and to expand their support for widespread 4G LTE-enabled devices. Motor carriers that are still using 3G CDMA devices will be experiencing performance issues and reliability drops in the coming months. Widespread 3G network shutdowns will begin next February, and the final switch will be turned off in December 2022. In a written response, Omnitracs, one of the largest ELD and telematics providers, told CCJ that during the previous migration from 2G to 3G, fleets were continually weighing their options between not having to touch their vehicle until absolutely necessary in hopes that carriers would extend the life of older cell towers. The date of necessity may come earlier than expected this time around. Driving up sales “We are at an unprecedented crossroad,” she said. SkyBitz has over 220,000 devices in the field with 3G modems. Demand for 3G upgrades has increased sales for its products by threefold in the first quarter of 2021. The company began selling 4G LTE devices about four years ago and started in 2019 to focus on helping customers that still use 3G products migrate to 4G LTE. Overall, Holtzman said that SkyBitz expects 3G upgrades will account for 60% of its sales this year and the other 40% will come from acquiring new customers. “We fully plan to have a banner year,” she said. SkyBitz is owned by Ametek, a device manufacturing firm with $5.5 billion in annual revenue. When the auto industry started to show signs of a comeback in the fourth quarter of 2020, SkyBitz frontloaded its 2021 purchase orders for raw materials and began talking to suppliers to ensure that its contract manufacturers could meet its production needs. That strategy paid off, she said. The company has built up inventory to support anticipated demand through next summer. Lead times for semiconductors, resins and other materials used to manufacture mobile devices currently have 9 to 12-month lead times, she said. Chris Saunders, president of Integrated Communications, which supplies Samsung tablets, MDM software and other components for ELD systems, expects the end of the year to be “crazy” in terms of meeting demand from fleets waiting to migrate from 3G. The company has ample inventory for its ELD-in-a-Box product, but one of four distributors it uses has run completely out of stock and others are predicting a 12-week lead time on new orders. "From a lead time projection, this is the longest I’ve ever seen in the history of doing this,” he said, noting that lead times should normalize around the June timeframe, based on what he's been hearing from certain vendors. Saunders said that about 25% of current business is coming from fleets moving off old 3G systems to a tablet-based platform. He expects that number will steadily increase through the end of the year. Orban said Trimble Transportation is working closely with its fleet customers to assist in transitioning their mobility hardware to faster, more reliable 4G LTE not just to avoid service disruptions but to gain new fleet management capabilities. “The more intensive applications are not well-supported by the 3G network,” Orban said. “LTE networks can transfer data 10 times faster than older CDMA networks, which ultimately makes trucking companies operate more efficiently.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD A Tesla crash on Saturday in Texas that claimed the lives of two men, one of them being a doctor, has stirred up legitimate concerns about self-driving technology. These concerns, however, should be governed by facts which will continue to arise as investigations continue with Texas officials, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. What’s already come into question, according to the Houston Chronicle, is whether the 2019 Tesla Model S owned by 59-year-old Dr. William Varner was actually in self-driving mode when it ran off the road, crashed into a tree and caught fire killing Varner and his 69-year-old friend Everette Talbot in a gated community north of Houston. On Monday, two days after the crash, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that, “Data logs recovered so far show Autopilot was not enabled and this car did not purchase FSD (Full Self Driving). Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have.” Police reported that no one was behind the wheel and on Tuesday served Tesla with search warrants to gain access to vehicle data according to Reuters. Talbot’s body was recovered from the front passenger seat and Varner’s from a seat in the back. Police said according to witnesses the men had left Warner’s home to test the car in self-driving mode when the crash occurred just a few hundred yards away. The car had been badly burned and required a massive amount of water over a four-hour period to fully extinguish the compromised lithium-ion battery pack. The Houston Chronicle reported that it took 23,000 gallons from a nearby hydrant to snuff-out the battery fire while Car & Driver put it between 25,000 and 30,000 gallons. [Related: Isuzu forges partnership for first autonomous final-mile medium-duty truck] The conflicting data that’s pouring in is a reminder of the need for thorough investigative work which doesn’t abide by daily, weekly or monthly deadlines at media outlets around the globe. In the meantime, the crash has evoked concerns for self-driving technology particularly in larger class vehicles. In a conversation I had this week with Jim Carello, dealer principal at Regional International Corp. in Henrietta, New York, we had been talking about his role with the fuel-saving SPIER exhaust induction system when the topic turned to autonomous trucks. “Let me ask you a question,” Carello said. “You write articles all day long. After hearing what just happened to those two guys in the Tesla, do you think somebody is going to want two 53-footers or a 53 and a 48-foot tandem (trailer) running down the thruway mid-February in a snow storm with no driver in it?” [Related: Major fleets partner with self-driving truck developer TuSimple on autonomous freight network] It’s hard to beat a great question especially from a source that’s been selling trucks for over three decades. Carello’s absolutely right but, like so many others, he's keeping a close eye on the evolution of self-driving technology and sees its potential. “Now don't get me wrong,” he continued. “There will be places that they [self-driving trucks] will be great. Run in the Southern corridor. Run in Texas. Run in those areas [where lane markers aren’t obscured by snow]. But when you get a highly dense area, I think that it's going to be a bit of a challenge.” Engineering for better days ahead After 110,000 miles of road testing across the U.S. and Canada, Ford announced that BlueCruise hands-free highway driving will be available later this year for 2021 F-150 and 2021 Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with Ford Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 Prep Package. BlueCruise is an SAE Level 2 driver-assist technology that allows for hands-free driving so long as the driver pays attention to the road ahead. A camera scans for driver eye movement (even through sunglasses) to ensure that the driver's watching the road otherwise the system cuts off. [Related: Who's at fault in a self-driving truck crash?] What sticks out from Ford’s report are two things: first, BlueCruise is reserved for highways approved by Ford, and second, Ford reported that these self-driving tests reduced the stress often associated with long road trips. “I drive long-distance quite often, whether out to Boston or down to Florida to visit family or friends, and usually I mentally tire out on drives that far,” said Ford active safety engineer Alexandra Taylor who logged more than 3,000 miles while testing BlueCruise in an F-150 during what Ford calls its Mother of All Road Trips. “The one thing that became clear is that, when using BlueCruise, long drives aren’t nearly as mentally taxing to me.” If Taylor’s already seeing the benefits of hands-free driving in 3,000 miles, it’s tempting to think how much a system like this could benefit long-haul drivers and possibly lead to fewer collisions and improved driver retention rates. Testing does take time, though, and the process needs to be respected. On that note, self-driving start-up TuSimple announced last July that it had partnered with major carriers to test its self-driving tech in real-world conditions over the next four years. That's some serious test time, but then again, Class 8 trucking is a serious business that can't afford many mistakes. More self-driving truck technologies are aiming for the road ahead. Earlier this month, Isuzu North America Corporation and middle-mile logistics startup Gatik announced a partnership to develop fully autonomous medium-duty trucks, an industry first. Read more about that here. In January, Paccar announced plans to work with autonomous vehicle upstart Aurora Innovation to develop—what else—self driving trucks. Read more about that here. Following Ford’s lead, self-driving technology that requires drivers to play an active role down the road seems key--at least at this point. Computer-assisted driving features continue to evolve and continue to reduce accidents. GM and the University of Michigan reported in late 2019 how collision mitigation features had reduces crashes up to 81%. In a litigious age where billboards abound for crash-hungry, nuclear verdict attorneys, that's good news. Doubtless, computer-assisted driving technologies, are rightfully earning a bigger seat behind the wheel. It reminds me of a recent conversation I had with Newsmax anchor Grant Stinchfield who also runs a small fleet of Kenworth T680s in Dallas, Texas. I asked Stinchfield to pitch in his two cents on self-driving. “I understand technology is going to be coming to the forefront and I'm not against it,” he said. “When I look at things typically—and people will get mad when I say this—computers on average do a better job than people do. Computers do not make as many mistakes as people do, but when they make mistakes, it goes pretty badly. But you know, when humans make mistakes, it goes pretty badly as well.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Senate Republicans on Thursday unveiled their $568 billion infrastructure package – a counter proposal roughly 75% smaller than President Joe Biden's more than $2 trillion plan announced last month. While the GOP's proposal overall is smaller, the plan sets aside significantly more funding for roads and bridges – $299 billion compared to the $115 billion in Biden's plan. While Biden's plan put less than 10% of its proposed funding into improving the nation’s highways and bridges, the GOP plan earmarks more than 52%. [Related: Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure plan 'a liberal wish-list,' says GOP leader] American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear called the proposal "a good start and more in line with the investment in last year’s House Transportation Bill led by Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio," he said. "The trucking industry, along with all Americans who utilize our roads and bridges, knows the time for infrastructure investment is overdue." The GOP bill doesn't include funding for electric vehicles, whereas Biden's plan proposed to set aside $174 billion for them (including developing charging stations), helping U.S. automakers, boost battery production, and tax rebates and incentives for buying American-made EVs. The GOP also allocated funds, albeit in smaller amounts, for rail, water and sewer, and broadband. Both Democrat and Republican proposals call for $17 billion to be spent on ports and inland waterways and the GOP bill allocates $44 billion for airport improvements compared to Biden's $25 billion. "The infrastructure proposal led by [Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)] is wisely focused on actual infrastructure and addresses real deficiencies," said Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT). "It’s a responsible, solid step forward, and the Administration should welcome efforts to find common ground and meet us at the negotiating table." Biden's plan would be largely funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. The GOP plan lacked specificity on how it would raise money other than it should "flow through existing formula programs and proven discretionary programs." User fees on electric vehicles, which currently don't pay into the Highway Trust Fund, are also seen as likely income sources. Transportation Infrastructure/Congestion/Funding has been a perennial Top 10 issue in the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) annual Critical Issues In The Trucking Industry Survey. More than one-third of respondents (34.1%) to ATRI's 2020 survey believe that a federal infrastructure bill provides the best opportunity for truck parking capacity investments. While there are currently federal formula funds eligible for truck parking projects, ATRI noted they compete with road construction activities. In a letter sent to DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg Wednesday, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) urged the Biden Administration to make investments to address the nationwide truck parking shortage. OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer asked Buttigieg – with President Biden putting together the American Jobs Plan – to “include dedicated money for truck parking in the Administration’s infrastructure proposal.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD When calling transportation companies, drivers, shippers and other parties are often greeted by a voice assistant and a menu of choices. The caller experience can seem like being a contestant on the Price Is Right. Choosing a menu option, such as “one for dispatch” or “two for payroll” is like dropping a chip into the oversized Plinko board on the game show. The caller gets bounced around a few times before being connected to the right or wrong person. Some transportation companies have been giving their callers a different, more positive type of experience. CCJ recently shared how ShipEX, a Salt Lake City, Utah-based truckload carrier, uses a call center platform with voice intelligence to monitor key words in phone conversations with drivers and customers. The platform identifies sentiment — such as a driver who is upset with home time — and instantly alerts managers to intervene, where necessary. [Related: Truckload fleet ShipEX has a voice intelligence advantage] For many years, large corporations in hospitality, banking and other industries have been using interactive voice response technology. New advancements have taken natural language processing to a higher level by combining it with artificial intelligence (AI) in scalable cloud-based platforms. With this technology, motor carriers are giving their callers a familiar, interactive experience. Instead of asking callers to press buttons, they can use a conversational style. IntelePeer, for example, provides a cloud-based communications platform as a service (CPaaS) called Atmosphere. Fleets that use the platform have a customizable voice assistant ask the caller a question such as “How can I help you today?” The system listens to the response and identifies keywords to route calls based on the pre-defined workflow, explains Mack Greene, director of custom engineering. The IntelePeer platform has templates that fleets can use to get started without having to make large capital investments, Greene said. One of IntelePeer’s customers, a major trucking company, is using the technology to streamline interactions with drivers. Greene said that drivers can describe a challenge they are having, such as a breakdown or needing help with route planning. The voice assistant is set up to answer some questions automatically, like a driver who asks what the weather is going to be at the destination of a load. For more complicated items, the voice assistant goes through an interview process with the driver or customer. One of the questions asked of drivers is for a name and driver number. The driver provides the information by voice and the system asks a couple of follow-up questions to ensure the call is routed to the right person. If the system does not understand something it will read the answer or response back to the caller or, as a fallback, route the caller to a live agent, Greene said. The system reduces the amount of time employees spend interacting with drivers because some of the information a live person needs to ask, such as for a driver number, has already been captured. Also, when the driver is connected to an agent, the driver’s information—such as a payroll question the driver is calling about—is already on the agent’s screen. Voice intelligence improves caller satisfaction, Greene said, by routing the caller to the best possible agent to address their needs. When a large shipper customer calls, for example, the system can detect the number. If the caller is a VIP customer, the call can be routed to a top-tier agent. IntelePeer’s system can also detect the sentiment of the caller based on keywords and use this information to make a better routing decision. A driver who is upset may need special treatment. To set up the automated system, Greene said companies will first build out a storyboard of how they want people to move through a workflow. Training phrases are set up in the storyboard to help “bots” know what to look for, and they key words and phrases can expand as companies build out the interaction in a process he calls “supervised learning.” “Most customers expose [the system] to a smaller group and gradually expand over time,” he said. Using new advancements in voice intelligence technology is one of many ways that motor carriers and logistics providers are distinguishing themselves among drivers and shippers in a crowded field. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 22, 2021: Shippers Conditions hit lowest point of pandemic in February The weakened shipping conditions in February were severely impacted by tight capacity and high rates, FTR said. The firm added that the “expected stabilization in fuel costs could help mitigate the pain somewhat with the SCI measure forecast to move upward to a more modest negative range by summer.” “Widespread weather-related disruptions in February weakened the conditions in the marketplace for shippers as capacity tightened and rates increased,” said Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR. “Going forward, catch up freight volumes from disrupted businesses are likely to keep capacity tight in the coming weeks and months. As things normalize, the market will improve slightly as time goes on.” Last week, FTR released its Trucking Conditions report for February, which saw the Trucking Conditions Index hit its highest level in 16 months. Volvo, Mack opening new EV training hub According to the companies, the facility will be the West Coast hub of Volvo Trucks Academy and Mack Trucks Academy, which provide technical vehicle knowledge, dealer operations training and provides customers with exclusive access to expert training. The location will also support battery-electric training efforts for the Volvo VNR Electric and Mack LR Electric, supplying programs for company employees, technicians, dealer sales staff and aftermarket personnel, as well as owner-operators and fleet customers. With the addition of this new facility, the Mack Trucks Academy and Volvo Trucks Academy now have six training locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Mack operates training facilities in Allentown, Pennsylvania; Atlanta; Grand Prairie, Texas; Joliet, Illinois; and Toronto, Canada. Volvo operates training facilities in Atlanta; Grand Prairie, Texas; Hagerstown, Maryland; Joliet, Illinois; and Toronto, Canada. Saia takes delivery of two electric Volvos The VNR Electrics from Volvo Trucks North America are the first zero tailpipe emission, battery-electric Class 8 trucks to be deployed in Saia’s fleet, which provides regional freight distribution services throughout Southern California, as well as logistics services across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. “Volvo Trucks is pleased that Saia has chosen the VNR Electric as its first battery-electric model for regional freight transportation,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “We are excited to partner with their team on this important first step toward fleet electrification and look forward to delivering the quality and reliability Saia requires to scale their zero-emission fleet in the future.” To help Saia maximize vehicle uptime, TEC Equipment, Volvo Trucks’ largest West Coast dealership and a Volvo LIGHTS project partner, will provide contracted maintenance and repairs through the premier Volvo Gold Contract service offering at its location in Fontana, California. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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April 2023
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