Trucking news and briefs for Monday, May 31, 2021: Volvo VNR Electric completes nation’s first zero-emission grocery delivery Albertsons has also procured electric-powered reefer units from Advanced Energy Machines to pair with its VNR Electrics. The combination of the units led to the first 100% zero-emission grocery delivery with a Class 8 truck in the U.S., which took place Friday, May 28, at an Albertsons store in Irvine. “We are thrilled to continue our long-term partnership with Albertsons Cos. as they begin their journey toward fleet electrification and achieve this momentous accomplishment of a fully zero-emission grocery delivery,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “Albertsons’ commitment to corporate sustainability is demonstrated by the steps it is taking to reduce its carbon footprint in its stores and fleet. We are confident that the Volvo VNR Electrics Albertsons is deploying in Southern California will enable the company to not only reduce its emissions, but to make reliable daily deliveries to its grocery stores throughout the region.” Albertsons operates 1,400 Class 8 trucks nationwide, all of which are certified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay program as meeting high transportation sustainability and efficiency standards. The Southern California fleet, which is made up entirely of trucks manufactured by Volvo Trucks, covers 335 stores in the region, running from the Central Coast to the California-Mexico border. Shell, Penske working together to reduce emissions “Over 10 years ago, Shell and Penske Corporation and Team Penske began a business to business, technical and motorsports collaboration. During that time, commercial enterprise has grown significantly between our organizations,” said Roger Penske, Chairman and CEO of Penske Corporation. “Now, by combining Shell’s energy solutions with Penske Logistics and technology expertise, the companies aim to help customers achieve their sustainability goals faster and at a lower cost.” Additionally, through their partnership, the companies also aim to help to reduce the carbon footprint of the NTT IndyCar Series. Landstar names Safety Office of the Year Chatila serves as the designated Landstar Safety Officer (LSO) at the independent agency owned by Yossef Chatila, in St. Augustine, Florida. He was selected as 2020 LSO of the Year for his outstanding support of the Landstar safety culture. The Let’s Move It agency has a spotless safety record and did not experience a single preventable accident in 2020. With more than 6 million Landstar business capacity owner (BCO) miles booked, Let’s Move It increased its revenue 22% in 2020 compared to 2019, all while improving the agency’s safety results. Chatila, like the 11 other LSO of the Year finalists in 2020, leads an independent Landstar agency with an impeccable safety record and a staff that continuously looks for ways to improve. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Kenworth has added a 52-inch flat roof sleeper for the T680, T880 and W990 models for applications that may require a low roof, like crane, pump and car haulers. The W990 added a righthand side horizontal tailpipe under the DPF/SCR to match the current T680 and T880 offering. An under rail DPF/SCR exhaust system is also available on the T680 and T880 models. To further reduce overall truck height (the Kenworth AG400L rear suspension’s new 6.5-inch ride height is two inches lower than previously available) the set forward front axle Kenworth W990 and T880S models have a 5-inch drop front axle option that lowers the front of the truck by 1.5 inches over the standard 3.5 inches drop. Kenworth low-profile tire options include 275/80R22.5 front tires and 255/70R22.5 rear tires, 295/60R22.5 front and rear tires. The smaller 22.5-inch diameter fuel tanks allow for maximum ground clearance. “Truck height is extremely critical in many low-roof operations,” said Laura Bloch, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The 52-inch flat roof sleeper, plus the other supporting options, will help our customers specify their trucks to meet the needs of their low-profile applications.” Marker lights, beacons, airhorns and vertical stacks are also available, making the Kenworth 52-inch flat roof sleeper an option for image-conscious fleets and truck operators. The 52-inch flat roof sleeper model is equipped with the new 2.1-meter wide cab. Key features include fully trimmed premium interior, 56-inch interior cab height, triple-sealed door for a quiet ride, 15-inch Digital Display, Kenworth SmartWheel® available with cruise and radio control on the steering wheel, and under door light which illuminates the steps and ground. Also available are the latest driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation. In addition, remote PTO controls are available from the factory for easy upfit and a full truck kit provides air and light lines to the end of the frame. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD A round up of trucking's people news and headline makers for the week of May 31, 2021. Andy Transport executes succession plan "Andreea has contributed to Andy's growth since its humble beginnings. She has grown professionally and established herself as a respected and competent leader," Ilie Crisan said. "Most importantly, she has the passion, vision, and dedication to continue building on Andy's corporate culture, foster diversity and inclusion, and build trusting relationships. As a founder, I am thrilled to have continued family involvement in the ownership and leadership of Andy." Andreea Crisan has held several leadership positions of increasing responsibility since joining Andy. Under her leadership, the organizational structure has expanded to include departments such as IT, HR, risk management, accounting and legal. SELF names new Texas service center manager Brown has more than six years of experience at Southeastern, starting his career at the Charlotte service center in North Carolina as a part-time freight handler. He has served in various leadership positions during his time with the company, including management trainee, inbound and outbound supervisor and, most recently, assistant service center manager in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Transervice named new executives Gregg Nierenberg has been named chief executive officer and president. He has held leadership roles in multiple Fortune 500 global public companies and was most recently senior vice president of Fleet Services with Avis Budget Group overseeing a fleet of 400,000+ cars and commercial trucks across 100+ maintenance facilities. Prior to Avis Budget Group, Nierenberg served as part of Hertz Global Holdings’ Senior Management Team with roles as vice president of operations and vice president of global fleet for Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC Equipment Rental). Prior to HERC, Nierenberg spent 14 years in various roles at Ryder System, Inc. with his last responsibility at Ryder leading the asset management and used vehicle sales functions. Gino Fontana, CTP, has been promoted to chief operations officer and executive vice president. Formerly vice president operations for Transervice Logistics’ Berkeley Division and Puerto Rico operations and before that, director of business development, Midwest. Fontana has over 25 years of progressive leadership, operations and sales responsibilities in fleet leasing and trucking. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, May 28, 2021: CTA asks court to rehear AB5 case The move had been long expected, as the CTA said earlier this month that it planned to seek an en banc review of the case, which would require all 29 judges in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to vote yay or nay on rehearing the case. If a simple majority votes in favor, 11 of the judges will rehear the case that the CTA says could put up to 70,000 owner-operators in the Golden State out of business. The AB 5 law took effect in the beginning of 2020, but a district court judge granted the CTA an injunction, citing the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994, which preempts any state-level law that would “interfere with prices, routes and services” of motor carriers. On April 28, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed an injunction in a blow to the CTA’s cause. A panel of three judges at that time ruled that the ABC test for classifying workers as independent contractors couldn’t be preempted by the FAAAA, ruling 2-1 that the test was a “generally applicable labor law that affects a motor carrier’s relationship with its workforce and does not bind, compel, or otherwise freeze into place the prices, routes, or services of motor carriers.” By pushing to rehear the case, the CTA has bought California truckers more time, as AB 5 won’t be enforced until the legal battle ends. If denied again by the Ninth Circuit, the CTA could choose to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. The Ninth Circuit’s ruling to enforce the use of the ABC test runs counter to a nearly identical Massachusetts law that the First Circuit Court in 2016 ruled was preempted by the FAAAA, which bodes well for the CTA should the case escalate to the Supreme Court. Alabama Trucking Association fights truck-only tolls proposal for new bridge The proposal calls for construction of a bridge over the Mobile River designated for the use of only large trucks over 46 feet long. These trucks would be prohibited from using the Wallace Tunnel and instead travel over the river on the truck bridge, paying a toll of no more than $15. Construction of the truck bridge would also mean the signed hazardous cargo route would no longer have to pass through the Africatown community, and hazmat trucks would instead be able to use the new I-10 Mobile River Bridge. Alabama Trucking Association President and CEO Mark Colson said in a letter Wednesday to the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization and the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission that it supports efforts to relieve congestion in the I-10 Wallace Tunnel in Mobile but asked the groups to reconsider tolling only trucks using the bridge to help fund the project. “According to local officials, Phase 1 of this project is estimated to cost $675 million with $125 million coming from the federal INFRA Grant, $250 million from state funding, and $300 million coming from bonded (borrowed) money to be repaid by placing a toll only on the trucking industry at $15 per trip,” Colson said. “In other words, the trucking industry is being asked to put up the same amount of money as the state and federal governments combined to initiate this project.” The association added that, according to ALDOT, trucks account for 7-10% of the traffic count through the Wallace Tunnel, yet “the proposal being discussed places 100% of the cost burden on the commercial trucking industry.” “Additionally, the proposal only targets a specific sector of commercial trucking: trucks 46 ft. in length or greater,” Colson added. “To date, no rationale has been provided to substantiate this decision. There are dozens of additional categories of large commercial trucks and vehicles under 46 ft. in length that make up thousands of daily vehicles that would continue to use the tunnel and not pay a toll.” Colson also said ATA is concerned about “the likelihood that congestion will not be relieved since only a small proportion of the traffic is being diverted from the tunnel.” Bill to protect non-OEM aftermarket parts buyers intro'd in Massachusetts According to the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network, current law allows original vehicle and component manufacturers to deny warranty coverage on a commercial vehicle if the vehicle owner does not source his parts and service at an authorized dealership. “Our goal at CVSN is to level the playing field between dealers and independent heavy-duty distributors” says Marc Karon, legislative affairs chairman for CVSN. “This new proposed bill is a continuation of our efforts that have brought right to repair and access to telematics to the heavy-duty aftermarket.” CVSN adds that it will work on the same legislation in other states until warranty protection is offered everywhere truck parts are sold. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
Bottlenecks cost the U.S. economy more than $42 billion in 2019, according to a review of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) data, and freight shipments suffered almost 660 million hours of delay on the nation's roadways.
"Our examination brings into sharp focus the continued costs of congestion on America's highway network," American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Dr. Alison Premo Black said of the agency's recent study, Throttled: The Economic Costs of Freight Bottlenecks. "Legislation to address freight mobility through increased federal transportation investment would help alleviate these bottlenecks, increase business productivity, and power the economy for the next generation." "Highway freight shipments collectively experienced over 27 million days of delay in 2019 – the equivalent of nearly 75,000 years – with over one-third of the lost time occurring on the Interstates." Dr. Alison Premo Black, American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Chief Economist Unsurprisingly, the study found New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, Nashville, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are among cities hardest hit by freight bottlenecks. "Highway freight shipments collectively experienced over 27 million days of delay in 2019 – the equivalent of nearly 75,000 years – with over one-third of the lost time occurring on the Interstates," Black noted in the report. It was also the top spot ranked by FHWA for hours of delay per mile, logging 263,116 hours at a cost of $76 million. The intersection of I-95 and State Route 4 near the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, was the worst freight bottleneck in the country last year for the second year in a row, according to data compiled by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). The average truck speed at the G.W. Bridge interchange is 29.7 miles per hour, according to ARTI's report released earlier this year, with an average truck speed during rush hour of 22.4 miles per hour. The cost of congestion on the Interstate Highway System alone has grown 25% over the last two years – from $12 billion in 2017 to over $15 billion in 2019, while the cost of congestion on the top 10 bottlenecks increased by 11% in just one year (from $761.8 million in 2018 to $848.4 million in 2019), and 26 states face $500 million or more in congestion costs annually, according to Black. Highway freight shipments experienced over 658,854,025 million hours of delay in 2019, with over one-third of those hours (36%) on the Interstate Highway System. Almost 73% of the value of domestic freight is shipped via truck and the value of truck shipments is expected to more than double by 2045, according to ARTBA's analysis of FHWA's data. ATRI pegs congestion costs notably higher than FHWA, noting the trucking industry is hit with $74.5 billion each year and 1.2 billion lost hours of productivity – the equivalent of 425,533 trucks sitting idle for an entire year. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD A truck’s powertrain as well as other components could be in tip-top working order. But choosing the wrong battery configuration for a Class 8 truck based on use case and outside temperature can zap a truck’s power, leading to repair and costly time off the road. “Today’s trucks are more advanced than ever before. More technology projects have been added to trucks in the past decade than the previous five decades added together. With all this technology, the energy storage on the truck is more important today than ever,” says Jeremy Cordray, director of technical sales, transportation markets, EnerSys. Cordray adds the evolution of Class 8 truck batteries “has truly been revolutionary” as technologies like thin plate pure lead (TPPL) have become predominant throughout the industry because of the growing needs of today’s trucks. [RELATED: How to: Check for wheel-end seal leaks] “The electrical content on today’s trucks is significant due to offering increased safety measures, having more infotainment for operators and fleets having more asset management in terms of vehicle connectivity,” says Jeff Muir, director of original equipment commercial sales, East Penn Manufacturing Co. “All these new features are making the industry safer; however, they require additional energy and add parasitic draws.” Doing it right Whether it’s delivery trucks that make frequent stops to long haul trucks, the application of a truck should drive the kind of battery used in a truck. The weather in the regions a truck travels also is an important factor in battery choice. “Many times battery problems are blamed on the battery rather than understanding that battery problems arise when the application does not line up with the chosen battery,” Cordray says. Enersys John Miller, senior director, product engineering, Stryten Manufacturing, agrees duty cycles impact battery life. Miller says the trucks that are primarily on delivery routes with limited stops, little highway driving and generally return to a home base every day have the least demanding usage profile and a standard battery will work well. “For longer-haul applications where a sleeper cab is in use and no-idle laws are in place, batteries are not only used for engine start but also to support the comforts of the sleeper cab. In this case, batteries can see significant mid- or deep cycling. In sleeper cab applications, the user should consider a battery that can withstand a high level of cycling to ensure an engine will start the next day. Appropriate batteries for this are generally identified as high cycling or extreme cycling types. Absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries are a good solution to withstand deep cycling,” he says. Cordray adds that over the past decade, the Class 8 truck market has been leaning toward abuse-resistant technologies like TPPL that provides great flexibility and longevity in many different applications. East Penn Manufacturing offers three main categories of Group 31 batteries: Starting batteries, which are designed to start the truck and offer minimal cycling; dual purpose batteries, designed for starting and cycling application (hoteling, for example); and AGM batteries, which offer best-in-class starting and cycling performance, Muir says. “If the right battery is selected, the end user may experience upwards of four-plus years of service life. Adversely, if the incorrect battery is used for the application, replacement normally occurs within the first 12 months of service,” he says. [RELATED: Troubleshooting turbochargers] Other factors in battery selection are temperature of the regions the truck travels as well as maintaining OEM recommendations. “The big key factor here is the climate in the region. A lot of the folks think the higher the CCA — cold cranking amps at zero degrees — the better it is to have in their truck. It’s true when you’re looking at cold climates. But we don’t need 1,000 CCA batteries if all your trucking is done in the southern states,” says Jeff Barron, lab manager/engineering and technical services, Interstate Batteries. Barron also points out the importance of meeting the CCA rating from the OEM. Whether it’s Cummins, Detroit, or other engine makers, the batteries should meet the CCA value for that particular engine. Interstate Batteries “Some of the positive attributes of a battery, such as engine cranking ability, will improve with increasing temperatures. However, increasing temperatures also increase some negative attributes, such corrosive reactions inside the battery, which will reduce battery life,” Miller says. Barron adds, “When you have resistance within the battery — and every battery has resistance — you are going to have heat created, especially when you’re in these high-temperature regions.” Consequences of using the wrong batteries Enersys says many battery options are available for trucks’ energy storage and these varied technologies provide matches for specific applications, but when not matched correctly, the truck’s performance can suffer. “For instance, different technologies of batteries have different internal resistance and since energy takes the path of least resistance, if flooded and TPPL AGM batteries are put together in the same truck, the lower resistance TPPL AGM batteries will work harder than the flooded batteries,” Cordray says. Muir says incorrect battery selection will result in down time, jump starts and unsatisfied operators. “Fleets also should be sure their battery selection works with their off-truck chargers. These potential heartburns impact the bottom line and customer credibility. Many times, the wrong batteries are chosen for minimal upfront savings, but it pays to consider the total overall cost of ownership and risk mitigation for the fleet or even the individual owner,” he says. Miller says multiple failure points can occur if using the wrong batteries for the wrong use case. Ioxus For example, choosing a battery that is too low in CCA can cause premature engine no start. A battery too low in capacity might result in the battery failing to provide needed load support for cab loads, resulting in the inability to use some electrical functions, particularly when the truck is idle or just running on the batteries. Selecting a standard battery for a use case that requires mid- to deep-cycle capability can cause premature loss of load support, potential engine start issues and short battery life, he says. Barron adds a final tip: “We don’t want to mix an old battery with a new one because they equalize to the lowest capacity, which will drop down the new battery to the older battery.” Class is in session To assist dealers with explaining the different batteries and which are the best for each customer, suppliers train dealers as well as provide learning materials. Stryten stresses the importance of dealers and customers understanding the customers’ use case for the truck and to start out by asking three questions: What is the OEM’s recommendation for CCA power? Are you dependent upon the battery bank to support sleeper loads? Are you in a usage pattern that spends substantial time at idle with low engine RPM? Stryten Manufacturing East Penn has a vast network of sales and service professionals who perform onsite training and assessment. “We are proficient in all types of popular commercial truck battery technology and can give the best overall assessment to match the individual needs of each operation,” Muir says. “We also have dedicated a space on our Fahrenheit website for people to ask commercial truck battery-related questions at any time, helping to further educate and aid in this important decision-making process.” EnerSys says it is focused on empowering the truck industry to make the right battery choice for specific applications. “First, we ensure we work with truck manufacturers to understand the true needs of each truck and then develop proper energy storage technical specifications,” Cordray says. “Once we have mutually developed these choices with the manufacturers, our team of technical experts work alongside dealers, distributors and service providers through many channels to educate on the technical aspects of solutions along with best practices that will allow maximum return on investment.” Barron says it comes down to knowing what you have, what you need as far as CAA and OE specifications and what’s your regular maintenance schedules — which should include the batteries. “Don’t shortchange the batteries because that’s what gets you started and going,” he says. “It’s also important to understand the potential cost of the battery decision,” Miller says. “What may be cheap upfront may end up costing more, either with multiple battery replacements or through roadside jump starts and delivery penalty costs.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Detroit DD13 engine has new power ratings and features for its fifth generation that focus on efficiency, robustness and thermal management. David Carson, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Daimler Trucks North America, noted that the DD13 Gen 5 was built on the proven Heavy-Duty Engine Platform from Detroit, yet the DD13 Gen 5 "builds on that legacy," in that it is 60 lbs. lighter than its predecessor due to its new aftertreatment system (ATS). It is available with the Freightliner Cascadia for on-highway applications and Western Star 49X trucks for vocational applications such as construction and municipal jobs. Better packaging and more frame rail space ensures clear back of frame for Truck Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs) and upfitters. ThermoCoasting, which was initially introduced with the Detroit DD15 Gen 5 engine, prevents aftertreatment cool down during a driving regen to keep the system at its optimum temperature and significantly reduces the need for parked regenerations, a particularly useful feature for stop-and-go vocational/urban applications. ThermoCoasting also increases ATS performance and extends Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) cleaning and maintenance intervals, Detroit said. Many of the key components in the DD13 Gen 5 engine have reduced packaging complexity and are more durable to achieve an even higher level of reliability compared to previous generations. With new vocational-focused ratings delivering up to 525 HP and 1850 lb-ft of torque, the DD13 Gen 5 becomes an option for wider range of jobsite applications including mixers, municipal, vacuum trucks, and oilfield. These ratings have additional power at the upper end of the RPM band and more torque at the low end compared to the current DD13. Additionally, the DD13 Gen 5 has been strengthened to handle higher compression ratios, while its new swirl piston design improves combustion and efficiency, according to Detroit. A new asymmetric, fixed geometry turbocharger delivers rapid response while also using new thermal management strategies to keep heat in the aftertreatment and reduce the amount of system cool down. The new journal bearing turbocharger also features a Thermal Control Valve (TCV) that boosts regen performance, allowing for more completed regens at most engine speeds and loads, especially when utilizing a PTO for vocational applications. Carson said when Detroit updated its DD13 Gen 5 for on-highway applications, it applied many of the same solutions found in the recently revamped DD15 Gen 5 engine. The new ball bearing, fixed geometry turbocharger allows peak power and torque to be reached faster and delivers more fuel economy gains. Integrated Detroit Powertrain (IDP) ratings further slow engine RPMs while maintaining pulling power, reducing parasitic losses and wear for optimal fuel efficiency. The journal bearing turbocharger with the Thermal Control Valve (TCV) is also available without further downspeeding for on-highway customers. The DD13 Gen 5 engine comes standard with the Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle services, which provides fleets with remote access to vehicle diagnostic data as well as fuel efficiency and safety performance insights. Through the Detroit Connect portal, fleet managers can access vehicle fault event and performance data to deepen their knowledge about overall fleet health. Access to the information can be customized so only information relevant to the user's role is visible. Included in Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle solutions is Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics service, which lets fleet managers know in near-realtime when vehicles experience fault events, the severity of the fault, and when, where, and how to best resolve the issue. In addition to Virtual Technician, the Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle services includes Detroit Connect Remote Updates, which uses secure, over-the-air programming and a cellular connection to change select engine parameter settings; and Detroit Connect Analytics, which translates fuel efficiency and safety performance data into actionable insights for optimizing truck and fleet performance. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Self-driving technology company TuSimple continues to notch off achievements while testing its autonomous trucks, but the San Diego-based start-up can’t always say the same for other vehicles—particularly those that don’t abide by traffic laws. TuSimple Chief Administrative Officer Jim Mullen told Commercial Carrier Journal that a TuSimple test truck was recently side-swiped by a vehicle in Arizona that ran a red light. Nobody was injured in the hit and run, but police are taking a much closer look at the video TuSimple passed along. “We have the video footage,” Mullen said “We’ve given it to law enforcement. They're looking at the video to see if they can identify the driver.” TuSimple compiles plenty of travel data that has become important during an unprecedented time of nuclear verdicts. This, Mullen said, makes trucking companies excited. “Our technology—our cameras, our LIDAR, our radar—it detects everything that’s going on,” he said. [Related: Volvo adds Aurora as AV partner to spur development] Mullen was the former general counsel at Werner. Following a collision, accident reconstruction specialists are often hired to better gauge details and render an opinion on the collision, he said, but the high-level, unblinking eyes of TuSimple’s Level 4 autonomous technology provides much more information than carriers have had in the past. “We'll have all that data now. We'll have literally the video of the action,” Mullen said. “We'll know exactly where the accident happened, how fast the vehicles were going and the jurors or the judge or whomever, they’ll have all the data you could possibly need to make an evaluation. We think that's going to be very helpful for the industry on combating unreasonable verdicts.” Life in the fast lane TuSimpleDuring a recent run from Arizona to Oklahoma City, a TuSimple truck hauling a load of watermelons for pilot-test collaborators Giumarra and Associated Wholesale Grocers cut ten hours off a trip that typically averages 24 hours. “There was no break time, no hours of service issues so it went straight through,” Mullen said. “That's how we arrived at that 10 hours savings time.” Time-sensitive industries stand to gain from quicker delivery times and that’s particularly true for food shippers. “That's an industry which has freight capacity concerns fairly regularly and is oftentimes subject to the wild fluctuations in the spot market,” Mullen explained. “And of course, there's the desire to get the produce to market as quickly as possible so spoiling is reduced. And expanding the length of haul and decompressing the time leads to more areas to be serviced by fresh produce.” Other shippers concerned about freight delivery times—and who isn’t?—are also excited about turning back the clock. “When we talk to our strategic partners, that's one of the elements of the autonomous network that excites them—expanding the speed to market and reducing the transit time,” Mullen said. Drivers out in the fourth quarter The trucks have been performing “really well in rain and wind” and other outdoor conditions found in the Sun Belt—so well that later this year safety drivers will be pulled from the cab. “In the fourth quarter, probably November, we're going to take the human out on a pilot basis in Arizona,” Mullen said. A roughly 100-mile trip from Tucson to Case Grande will be absent of people, save for those virtually monitoring the truck. “We'll do that a handful of times in November as a pilot with the human out,” Mullen said. Other than the Arizona pilot, TuSimple does not plan on removing safety drivers on a regular basis until Navistar rolls out its production truck in 2024. TuSimpleIn addition to lowering risk and improving delivery times by removing the driver, Mullen said the other benefit fleets will enjoy is eliminating the cost of drivers. “Labor costs are the largest cost factor in trucking, so that that's going to help dramatically,” he said. In addition to saving on driver costs, fleets will see fuel savings add up given more precise acceleration and braking. A study conducted by the University of California at San Diego showed that TuSimple’s self-driving computers easily outperformed people in terms of driving efficiency. “We compared our AV miles versus our manually driven miles and there was about a 10% MPG improvements in AV versus manual,” Mullen said. “Our AV drives very smooth. It doesn't get on and off the throttle and brake frequently.” Fuel purchasing is another possibility for fuel savings from AVs. An autonomous truck doesn’t care about which locations have driver lounges or showers, notes Justin King, head of product innovation for Comdata, a FleetCor company. [Related: AV truck firm Embark partners with Arizona DOT to improve work zone safety] King believes the truckstop landscape will evolve quickly once autonomous trucks hit the road. “You won’t need as many of them,” he said. “The reason why we have so many truckstop chains [now] is because people have preferences. A robot doesn’t care. It stops wherever the lowest price is.” Regulatory considerations at the federal level have been supportive of driverless trucks and that hasn’t changed, Mullen said, under the Biden administration. “We haven't seen anything on the legislative side that's a showstopper or problematic for us,” Mullen said. “We don't see that environment changing for the worse at all.” Looking ahead More trucks means more mapping and AV analysis by engineers back at the office and safety drivers inside the cab. “They obviously not only ensure that the artificial intelligence does what it's supposed to be doing, but they’re also there to help correct any sort of deficiencies,” Mullen explained. “Also their experience as over-the-road truck drivers helps educate the artificial intelligence on how to handle situations on the road.” As fleets transition to autonomous trucks, drivers will still be needed, Mullen explained, to take over driving once a truck reaches a terminal where both AV and non-AV trucks will be present. “I think not only TuSimple, but our customers—the shippers and the motor carriers—they’re going to want to separate AV from manual operations,” Mullen said. “I don't think they're going to want one dock being AV and [humans] right next to it.” Some fleets may elect to keep drivers for regional and city routes while relegating AV trucks for long-haul since, as Mullen pointed out, it’s more difficult to hire and retain over-the-road drivers. In any event, drivers shouldn’t be concerned about being replaced by an AV anytime soon. “There's no doubt in our mind that if you're a truck driver today, and I don't care if you got your CDL yesterday, you're going to be able to retire a truck driver without a doubt,” Mullen said. Roughly 6,700 reservations have been placed for Navistar trucks equipped with TuSimple’s AV system. “We're focusing on expanding and increasing those reservations as we approach 2024,” Mullen said. To that end, TuSimple’s AV routes will be expanding beyond the West where they’ve mostly been at work in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico. “By the end of the year, we’ll be hauling freight to Florida, North Carolina and Georgia,” Mullen said. Note: CCJ Senior Editor Aaron Huff contributed to this story. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD A bi-partisan bill unanimously cleared the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Wednesday, allocating $304 billion for road, bridge and highway programs over the next five years – a 34% increase from current highway bill. The progress of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 – which Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called the "first major action on surface transportation since the FAST Act six years ago" that would "raise baseline funding for roads and bridges to an all-time high" – stands in stark contrast to President Joe Biden's multi-trillion dollar infrastructure package, which has been met with partisan resistance and a Republican counter-proposal that strips three-quarters of its funding. Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va) noted the bill is flexible to states’ unique needs "and responsive to the urgent need for investment," while taking "meaningful steps to repair our country’s crumbling roads and bridges, creates jobs, simplifies the permitting process, and expands the climate title." The proposal includes $2.5 billion to create alternative fuel corridors along the National Highway System and build out electric vehicle charging infrastructure in communities across the country and calls for $18 billion in climate programs, including $6.4 billion for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and $8.7 billion to increase resilience to climate change and extreme weather. “The passage of the roads bill provides renewed optimism for a timely, bipartisan surface transportation reauthorization," said National Association of Counties (NACo) Executive Director Matthew Chase. Counties own 44% of the nation’s road miles and nearly 40% of all bridges, including 62% of those considered "off-system." "Consistent federal investment through a new, long-term surface transportation reauthorization, developed in consultation with federal, state and local partners, would allow counties to undertake much-needed infrastructure improvement and development projects," Chase said. NATSO President and CEO Lisa Mullings called the bill "a critical step in ensuring that we adequately fund surface transportation and address the nation’s infrastructure needs." The prior authorization for surface transportation programs expired in 2020. Congress passed a one-year extension that will expire on Sept. 30. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 27, 2021: FMCSA extends COVID-related waivers through August This hours of service extension includes the same regulatory relief for motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to COVID-19, as included in the Feb. 17 declaration. The waiver only applies to drivers hauling the following:
FMCSA says it plans to review the status of this and other emergency regulatory relief — including CDL, CLP and medical card validity extensions — on July 1, and may modify or end the waivers. "It is FMCSA’s intention to wind down the exemptions granted under this Emergency Declaration and related COVID-19 regulatory relief measures to the extent possible," the agency says. ATRI seeks fleet input on operational costs Now in its 13th year, the report collects cost information directly from fleets and owner-operators. It is used as a key benchmarking tool by carriers of all sizes. Public sector agencies also utilize ATRI’s real-world data analysis to make better-informed transportation planning and infrastructure investment decisions. Most recently, ATRI’s Operational Costs of Trucking data was used to quantify impacts from the I-40 bridge closure in Memphis. Among the for-hire fleet metrics being requested by ATRI are driver pay, fuel costs, insurance premiums and lease or purchase payments. Carriers and owner-operators are asked to provide full-year 2020 cost per mile and/or cost per hour data using the easy-to-use online data entry form. For-hire motor carriers are encouraged to provide operational cost data to ATRI by Friday, Aug. 20. ATRI’s data collection form, which protects all confidential information, is available here. Participating motor carriers will receive an advance copy of the full report. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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