CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at [email protected] or 800-633-5953. Driver one, starting in Oregon, will bring a Central California-bound load from Oregon to Northern California. A second driver arrives from Central California with an Oregon-bound load. The two drivers will swap trailers halfway and return to where they started so the loads can carry on to their final destination. That’s how truckload carrier Rollzi operates. For the small Seattle-based carrier, the Interstate 5 corridor that runs the length of California and beyond to the Canadian border is a running track, and its drivers and trucks are the track team. Boosted by its proprietary technology, its single-lane relay strategy allows multiple drivers to combine to deliver loads along the corridor across California, Oregon and Washington rather than a single driver traveling the full distance. This approach allows the company to increase utilization and drive more revenue per truck than a traditional carrier, while improving efficiency for shipping customers and offering better pay and quality of life for drivers, said Rollzi Co-founder and CEO Damien Hutchins. “The strategy and the technology go hand in hand; you can't have the strategy without the tech, and the tech is not as valuable without the strategy,” he said. “I get this question a lot where they ask, ‘What tool would you buy to be a tech forward trucking company?’ I think what's missing in that question is, ‘What is the strategy you're going to marry to it?” The company’s approach focuses on one lane at a time. It recently completed an $8 million funding round with near-term plans to expand its fleet, refine its relays and support hiring. Part of that includes extending its operations toward the East Coast, focusing on other specific lanes like Interstate 10 from Los Angeles to Atlanta. Each lane has its own customers and dedicated trucks and drivers. When a shipper hires Rollzi, the technology considers dozens of data points to model the most efficient relay to match the right driver, truck and trailer to each load. These data points can include live data from telematics, market inputs, service activity, driver location and hours of service, fuel prices, traffic data, weather data and more. From there, each trip is broken into relay segments. Relays ensure that Rollzi trucks are being used efficiently and that drivers are limiting wasted time. For example, a driver that has a load going 1,000 miles south swaps trailers with a driver carrying a northbound load after 200 miles and turns around to return to their home terminal. At the home terminal, they park the truck for their required 10-hour break. Instead of the truck sitting for 10 hours, another driver that has just completed their break gets in that truck and completes the same 200 mile out-and-back trip, increasing the truck’s utilization. This is replicated during the course of a load's journey to ensure trucks are being used efficiently and that loads keep moving. “Maybe a driver that's local to LA and a driver that's local to Seattle meet in the middle; they can trade trailers, and that load can keep moving, eliminating some nights of sleep where that load is just sitting in the truck stop while the driver rests,” Hutchins said. “It's great for drivers because they get to stay closer to home. They get a lot more predictability not only in their routes, but also in their personal lives. They know where they're going to be each day of the week as well as when they're going to be at home.” While the strategy benefits the carrier and its drivers, it also benefits shippers because Rollzi has more flexibility with high truck density. If a shipper has a hot load that needs to be moved immediately, the chances Rollzi has an available truck in the area are much higher. If a driver is delayed to their next pickup location, it’s easier to send another driver in their place. And it also benefits shippers’ relationships with their customers as the Rollzi model cuts down on transit time so freight arrives at its destination faster. “Decision making across so many parameters at scale, considering the dynamic nature of trucking, has not been possible until recently,” Hutchins said. “With our relay model we could rival the largest asset-based carriers with a fraction of the trucks. For us, it's all about how we can be more efficient and effective for our shipping customers and for our drivers.” “With our relay model we could rival the largest asset-based carriers with a fraction of the trucks. For us, it's all about how we can be more efficient and effective for our shipping customers and for our drivers.” – Rollzi Co-founder and CEO Damien Hutchins Hutchins said it does create complex dispatching logistics when it comes to switching a load multiple times throughout a shipment, but that’s where the strategy benefits the technology. It feeds the software a steady baseline of data because Rollzi trucks run up and down the same highway multiple times a week. When Rollzi began developing the technology, Hutchins said the company took a different approach compared to most tech companies. He said Rollzi started with the operations piece, while most start by writing the code with an idea of what they want the end platform to look like and then fit the operations into it. Throughout 2021, Rollzi began collecting data from its trucks – a lot via manual processes. “At the beginning of 2022, that's when we said ‘Okay, we have the bones; we have the right tools in place and the right data collection structure, so let's go ahead and build the platform to put all that data into our own data warehouse and start getting those insights,” Hutchins said. He said the company chose to develop its own technology because it wanted the flexibility to control the code in the future. There also wasn’t anything available on the market that could manage the complexity of Rollzi’s system, which breaks a traditional load into four nodes (shipment, driver, truck and trailer, individually because they are interchangeable throughout the life of the load) while traditional carriers typically have one or two nodes. “Our telematics system is a great Internet of Things company that has about 25 different API's that we can utilize for all different kinds of things, and rebuilding that ourselves probably doesn't make sense,” Hutchins said. “But building the system that ingests that and then makes sense of it and takes action on that is really what made sense to us.” Starting the 'recommendation engine'He said Rollzi built its software to gather numerous, specific data points from different areas: some public data like traffic, weather or fuel cost information; some industry data available via subscription like volume data by market or spot rates by market; and then internal data, from a driver’s hours of service to something as granular as what the fuel level is at any point in time in a particular truck.Here are a couple of examples of how the data and resulting recommendations from the system work: Rollzi’s model, which provides fairly standard fuel programming with a few additional data points, considers the fuel level of the truck and current and forecasted truck MPG. Because the trucks do not go off route, the only variable is which fueling stations along the route will be used – and price can be one factor. Sometimes the resulting recommendation from Rollzi’s system is to top off fuel well before it’s necessary so the driver can delay or avoid fueling the truck in an area that might be more expensive. Another example is Rollzi’s use of weather data. "Foul weather typically means a delay, and our technology factors this into its recommendations,” Hutchins said. “We handle all delays in a similar way in that the system will recommend rescheduled load handoffs. When optimizing for utilization, our technology aims to keep all tractors moving on either side of the event (wildfire, major accident, weather) until it has cleared. Loaded trailers that need to cross the impacted segment of the route can be held on either side at a hub – depending on location – until the event is over.” The drivers on those loads would then be redispatched to alternative pre-loaded trailers that can continue to move on their respective sides to keep those tractors moving. The Rollzi platform – what Hutchins called a recommendation engine – connects the multitude of data to create the most efficient trips, pairing a load to the best driver, truck and trailer during each segment of the trip. This combination of data allows the company to tweak the relays for different optimizations. “Maybe we want to optimize one week for revenue, or maybe we want to optimize for getting a specific driver to a specific destination maybe because of another load or maybe because they have a birthday party they need to get to at the end of their trip,” Hutchins said. “So we have these different levers we can pull on for optimization.” Prior to launching Rollzi, Hutchins ran the brokerage operations team at digital brokerage Convoy. That’s where he said he realized the need for further optimization that could reduce costs while driving revenue up and still satisfying shipper customers and drivers. “I realized there are a lot of inefficiencies Convoy had already solved, but there were still more there,” he said. The same goes for Rollzi; Hutchins said the company will never be done developing its technology – continuously adding to its capabilities. A load booking and dispatching revolutionLooking forward, he said Rollzi envisions a platform that will not only offer recommendations but one that will take action by booking that recommended load and automatically assigning the truck and trailer to a driver.“The end goal is to get this really complex network to operate as autonomously as possible with little or no human interaction in the service of that load,” Hutchins said. That will result in cost savings, though he couldn’t offer an estimated amount. He said with the system handling a lot of the traditional planning, booking and dispatch duties once it becomes autonomous, the company can reduce back-office headcount. The technology will enable drivers to perform some of that back-office work instead. He said he expects to see revenue per truck increase significantly as well. “We think it'll depend on how far we can bring that utilization metric up; what I mean by that is all time is our denominator with rolling and loaded miles as the numerator. So how much of the time is the truck moving with the load?” he said. “I look at efficiency in terms of asset utilization, and what a lot of companies will say is, ‘Hey, we're reducing empty miles.’ I actually don't look at miles as a denominator. I look at all time as a denominator.” That includes the time a driver spends asleep in an idling truck that isn’t being used and is incurring expenses. He said the relay strategy can eliminate some of those nights that an asset goes unused, increasing utilization. Shippers schedule their loads with the assumption that drivers will be stopping every 11 hours for a 10-hour break. “I thought if you could keep that truck going for all 24 hours or as close to 24 hours as possible, you’d really start to see a lot of efficiencies; you’d start to change the cost structure of the carrier,” Hutchins said. “Some carriers have solved this by running teams or putting two people in the truck. That comes with its own limitations; drivers don't love it, and you still have the same driver problem that you have with a solo driver. You still have high turnover, and drivers are still away from home for a really long time.” Hutchins said Rollzi has about a 16% churn rate, which is far below the industry standard. In addition to the relay strategy, which allows for more home time, Rollzi pays drivers by the hour – as well as overtime – for all on-duty time, including fueling, waiting at facilities and during breakdowns. The company also provides late-model trucks with technology and amenities that Hutchins said helps drivers switch from truck to truck easily. While many major trucking companies have dedicated lanes, they also have assigned trucks per driver. With Rollzi’s relay model, Hutchins said he thinks the company will be able to rival some of those major carriers but with far fewer trucks. “Having fewer trucks on the road to service the same number of shipments is good for the highways, and it solves some of the parking issues and some of the waste issues,” Hutchins said. Rollzi currently has 12 trucks and 12 drivers, including Hutchins. He said the company is onboarding 10 additional trucks right now and is adding drivers rapidly. The CCJ Innovators program is brought to you by Comdata, Freightliner Trucks, Omnitracs and Valvoline. https://ift.tt/3nbExq6
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According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of my town is about 7,100. I think a few people were counted twice, and there might be a few of the undead in there too because Demopolis, Alabama, feels a lot smaller than that. If you cruise through any parking lot – from Walmart to Marvin's, which are at opposite ends of town – on any given day, do you know how many electric vehicles you'll see? Zero. You can't get from one end of this town to the other without traveling on U.S. Highway 80, and I feel pretty confident that if there was an electric vehicle in this town, I'd have seen it by now. In larger towns – like Birmingham, Tuscaloosa and especially Huntsville – it's not uncommon to see a battery electric, but it's still uncommon enough to make you stop and say, "Hey look at that!" Now Mobile is adding itself to the list. In Alabama, we refer to Mobile as "the beach." It's like calling any canned soft drink "Coke." You just have to figure out the details, but we know what we mean. The City of Mobile last month ordered a Mack LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicle – the first electric vehicle to operate in its fleet of 26 refuse trucks and the first electric LR in the state. Mobile, with a population of 187,000 as of the 2020 Census (people love living at 'the beach'), got funding from the Volkswagen lawsuit settlement and plans to seek grants to help with the purchase of charging stations and the development of a comprehensive electric vehicle plan, said Mobile's Chief Resilience Officer Casi Callaway. Alabama joins California and New York (of all places) and a handful of other states on the electric trash route, and orders for the electric LR have poured in from pockets all over the U.S. Four NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries, charged through a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system, power the Mack LR Electric model and all onboard accessories through 12V, 24V and 600V circuits. Twin electric motors produce 448 continuous horsepower and 4,051 lb.-ft. of peak torque output from zero RPM. The two-stage regenerative braking system helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day with an increasing load. The cab of the LR Electric model features a copper-colored Bulldog to signify its all-electric powertrain. The same driver- and passenger-side configurations, as well as seat and door options, are available for the Mack LR Electric as those that are offered in the diesel Mack LR model. The LR Electric can be fitted with bodies from various manufacturers to meet each customer’s unique set of needs. The City of Mobile’s Mack LR Electric will be equipped with an automated side-loader and will operate in residential areas. Mobile is investing in a Portable Superfast DC Charger. Callaway said a portable charging station will enable the City to test different locations and serve as backup support once permanent charging stations are chosen and installed. The City of Mobile’s LR Electric model will be supported by Gulf Coast Truck & Equipment Co. Despite being home to an important NASA installation (Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville has delivered propulsion systems and hardware and launch vehicles for almost 60 years), Alabama hasn't been widely known to embrace the cutting edge – until now. Mobile – at the opposite end of the state from Huntsville – is giving beachgoers a reason to say, "Hey look at that!" https://ift.tt/dEKZt6X A new first- and last-mile cold-chain visibility product has hit the market. Supply chain and logistics technology company Tive has introduced Tive Tag, a cloud-enabled multi-trip temperature logging label. The long-life temperature logger comes in the form of a thin, flexible shipping label with a non-lithium battery that is designed to be reused among multiple trips throughout a year’s time. Tive said it costs half the price of a conventional logger. “I’m really excited to show the Tive Tag to the world … Seamless like a shipping label, the Tive Tag puts amazing tech in the palm of your hand at a price the market has never seen,” said Tive Founder and CEO Krenar Komoni. “Customers have been searching for a last-mile solution, and cost has always been the barrier. The Tive Tag is the answer.” The temperature logger can be used for first- and last-mile deliveries and warehouse operations, as well as over-the-road, rail, air and ocean cold chain management. Users can stick the tag on a reusable plastic container, a carton or a box, tap it with their phone and ship. When the shipment arrives, the tag is tapped again to collect temperature data from its origin to its destination, and users can define individual trips with a tap. Temperature data is uploaded instantly to the Tive Tag cloud mobile and web applications – where users can see the shipment’s complete history – for review and regulatory compliance. https://ift.tt/Uc4WgB0 Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 29, 2022: 17 states, D.C. and Quebec release action plan to advance electric truck, bus adoptionThis week, 19 U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions participating in the Multi-State Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) initiative released an action plan to help fight rising diesel exhaust pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating the transition to zero-emission trucks, vans and buses. The coalition, which includes 17 states, Washington, D.C., and Quebec, developed the plan working through the Multi-State ZEV Task Force facilitated by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The U.S. jurisdictions in the initiative collectively represent 43% of the population, nearly half of the economy, and 36% of the nation’s medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Informed by extensive engagement with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, the action plan includes more than 65 strategies and recommendations for policymakers to consider to accelerate electric truck and bus adoption, including vehicle sales and purchase requirements like the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, vehicle and infrastructure purchase incentives, utility investment in charging infrastructure, innovative financing mechanisms, workforce development programs, and deployment of public charging in communities and along travel corridors. The participating jurisdictions are already moving forward to implement the plan’s recommendations. In 2021, Quebec adopted a regulation requiring all new school buses to be electric. Six states – California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington – have adopted the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, which requires medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to sell an increasing percentage of ZEVs. California, Massachusetts, and Oregon have adopted the Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus regulation to reduce NOx and PM emissions from heavy-duty trucks while the market transitions. Other states are actively working to adopt these rules, and many have set targets to transition state and municipal fleets. The plan recommends partnerships with the trucking industry, community groups, labor groups, educational institutions and others to develop workforce training and re-training programs, and identifies key labor issues impacting workers. GLS US expands LTL into ColoradoGLS US, a shipping company offering parcel and freight delivery services to nine states across the Western U.S., is expanding its LTL services to Colorado. "We are incredibly thrilled to announce our expansion. The need for reliable, quick shipping services is felt across the nation, and the GLS US team is dedicated to fulfilling it in the best way possible." said GLS US Chief Operating Officer for Freight Service, Joe Bartone. "The Colorado move was a pivotal one for our LTL offering. Colorado is the gateway to the West and this expansion helps solidify our West Coast Terminal Network." GLS US currently provides services across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, including Priority, Ground and Freight delivery. https://ift.tt/q6M7Jbo
It's easier for fleets to think of their relationship with a vendor as one way: The fleet cuts a check and goods or services arrive. But it doesn't have to be that way.
Transportation is a relationship business and vendor reps can provide more than "thanks for your business" donuts for the service bay or golf trips for the leadership team. They have, and can share, expertise. On this week's 10-44, Tom Gauerke, Chevron Lubricants national accounts manager, joins Jason and Matt to discuss the things that he wishes fleets knew and the questions he wishes they would ask. First and foremost is that he wants fleets to know they can lean on all their vendors for advice and insights, because they spend so much time at the fleet level and "have seen a little bit of everything." 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/q6M7Jbo Heavy-duty service providers continue to show their creativity with new ways to create technician pipelines into our industry. The latest effort to combat the tech shortage comes from Four Star Freightliner. The dealer announced in May an expanded partnership with Ingram State Technical College. The agreement, which will benefit students enrolled in Ingram’s diesel mechanics program, is the result of a two-year partnership between the college, Four Star Freightliner, the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is one part of the program designed to prepare students for the transition from classroom to workforce. Participants will complete college courses and earn select lab credit hours as apprentices through Four Star Freightliner. [DOWNLOAD your free copy of the 2022 State of Diesel Technicians report by clicking here] In addition to the recent announcement, Four Star Freightliner has worked with the diesel tech program at Ingram State since 2014 by donating inoperable, but modern equipment such as transmissions and engines for the students to work on — and even allowing them to borrow a truck, according to the dealer. “Ingram State’s leadership behind [President] Annette Funderburk is just outstanding. With their high energy and ‘we can accomplish anything’ attitude, it is easy to support those types of people. They also have an outstanding diesel technology instructor who is there for all the right reasons. We support them with up-to-date products to work on because it will not do anyone any good working with outdated equipment and technology,” says Four Star Freightliner Dealer Principal Jerry Kocan, who is also a member of Ingram State’s industry advisory board. Those who are incarcerated and have received a “minimum community out security level status” within the department of corrections are eligible for the program. “They would be available for work release and they’re working in vocations all across Alabama which allows them to earn a wage,” says Funderburk. Once students graduate and earn the time to participate in a co-op program, they will begin working 3-4 hours per day in the dealership and be mentored by a senior technician. Students also receive daily and weekly feedback and are monitored to see how they acclimate into a schedule, Kocan says. The technical college’s “goal of rehabilitation with a path is just very simple but enlightening. I really believe if people can support themselves and their loved ones with a good wage, have hope and see a better future, they will walk toward that path. How can you not support giving people who have earned it a second chance? That is why we are here right? To have an impact on people and enrich their lives,” Kocan says. Funderburk says the program with Four Star Freightliner is special because “it truly leads our students at Ingram State through a prison to workforce pipeline. It allows them to earn and receive a certificate in diesel mechanics while they also enter into a business and industry where they are learning the skills needed to operate in today’s society, which is one of the hardest things for those who are currently incarcerated to do, to reenter society. “With Mr. Kocan and his employees, we couldn’t ask for better partnership and collaboration. They believe in second chances. They believe our student body will come to work every day and be prepared to learn,” she adds. The technician shortage is so dire and has been an issue for so long, it would be easier to throw one’s hands up in the air in resignation or rely on the age-old practice of poaching, which accomplishes nothing in the grand scheme of things. However, it’s heartening to see the industry constantly coming up with new ideas — whether it’s targeting former members of the military, aligning with a local school or working with incarcerated individuals to teach them a trade benefitting themselves and the trucking industry. These are but a few examples of what repair shops are doing, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next. https://ift.tt/q6M7Jbo A new company has entered the transportation insurance market with a goal to help move cargo through the supply chain faster. Spot cargo insurtech company MiKargo247.com provides freight brokers, 3PLs and motor carriers instant access to all-risk cargo insurance up to $1 million per load on land and rail in the U.S. and Canada. “We developed MiKargo247.com to fill a dangerous hole in the market,” said Michele McGinnis, co-founder and CEO of MiKargo247.com. “It’s estimated that over 60% of cargo on the road goes uninsured daily, racking up $15+ billion worth of damages that cannot be recouped. With MiKargo, not only are shippers and freight brokers protected with an all-risk policy if something goes wrong, but the truckers can now haul previously uninsurable loads, ultimately making them more money, and freight brokers can expand capacity to satisfy their customer needs as well.” MiKargo247 provides access to commodities typically excluded by other cargo policies. In addition, customers can get a quote in 10 seconds and bind coverage in 90 seconds; there’s not signup or subscription required and no more waiting for agent or underwriter approval, speeding up the process. MiKargo247 is underwritten by Roanoke Insurance Group Inc. with underwriting authority provided by A-Rated Munich Re Syndicate Ltd. – Syndicate 457 at Lloyd’s of London. https://ift.tt/q6M7Jbo Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, July 28, 2022: FTR’s Shippers Conditions dropped in MayFTR’s Shippers Conditions Index (SCI) fell back in May to a -6.2 reading. After relatively stable diesel prices in April, large increases in May coupled with tighter capacity utilization led to tougher market conditions despite some rate relief. The outlook for the SCI is for little change, as utilization and rates are expected to remain mildly unfavorable for shippers. Occasional positive readings are possible depending on changes in fuel costs and market dynamics, FTR said. “There is a lot of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead as congestion remains a front burner issue for anyone moving freight through the port and rail supply chain,” said Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR. “There is no easy solution to the congestion woes facing the ports and rail carriers, and it is unlikely to improve meaningfully before the peak season ramps up.” The Shippers Conditions Index tracks the changes representing four major conditions in the U.S. full-load freight market: freight demand, freight rates, fleet capacity and fuel price. The individual metrics are combined into a single index that tracks the market conditions that influence the shippers’ freight transport environment. A positive score represents good, optimistic conditions. A negative score represents poor, pessimistic conditions. Nominate a driver for Pilot’s Road Warrior contestPilot Flying J this week announced the return of its annual Road Warrior contest with the largest prize total in history. This year’s $30,000 Road Warrior contest will recognize and reward three truck drivers who go the extra mile in their jobs and communities. From Aug. 1 through Aug. 15, Pilot will be accepting nominations for the chance to be named the 2022 Road Warrior. Submissions should highlight the driver’s contributions to the trucking industry, safe driving history, community involvement, miles driven, and other meaningful stories about the nominee. Three winners will be selected with cash prizes including $15,000 for the grand prize winner, $10,000 for second place, and $5,000 for third place. “We are honored to recognize the selflessness, dedication and service of professional truck drivers who are working hard to deliver the goods that we all rely on,” said David Hughes, Senior Vice President of Sales for Pilot Flying J. “Our annual Road Warrior contest is an opportunity to highlight those individuals who are role models in the trucking industry and to say thank you to all the drivers out there for letting us be part of your journey to keep the country moving.” To enter, visit the Road Warrior contest page beginning Aug. 1 and submit a nomination through Aug. 15 for a professional driver deserving of this recognition. The winners will be announced at the end of September as part of National Truck Driver Appreciation Month. Last year’s grand prize winner was Eric Curlett, a Marine Corps veteran and glass hauler for Maverick Transportation. He was nominated by a fellow driver who described him as “one of the best humans” he has ever met. Curlett was chosen for his dedication to the profession, outstanding driver record, and involvement in his community. https://ift.tt/q6M7Jbo Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, July 27, 2022: Connecticut enacts new emissions law targeting trucksConnecticut Gov. Ned Lamont last week announced the enactment of Public Act 22-25, a new law that includes a number of actions that will help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the transportation sector. Among the measures the law contains, it authorizes the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to adopt more stringent emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. It also makes various statutory changes under the Connecticut Clean Air Act, expands existing programs, and establishes several new programs concerning electric vehicle use and improving air quality. The bill’s provisions include, among other things:
“This is a transformational time in transportation, and the CTDOT is ready to meet the moment by investing in cleaner, greener transportation, building out electric vehicle infrastructure, and advancing safety and mobility projects around the state,” said CTDOT Commissioner Joe Giulietti. Female driver workforce grows to over 13%, according to Women in TruckingThe percentage of professional truck drivers who are female has increased to 13.7% in 2022, an increase of more than 3% since 2019. This is according to new data highlighted in the WIT index, which was recently released by the Women in Trucking Association (WIT). At a time when the industry is significantly struggling to recruit and retain an adequate number of professional drivers, this is good news. The number of women obtaining their CDLs and becoming professional drivers has continued to grow in recent years. According to the 2019 WIT Index, women made up more than 10% of over-the-road truck drivers, an increase of almost 30% over the 7.89% seen in the WIT Index in 2018. The increase came after an industry-wide push to hire more women drivers in response to the capacity crunch in 2018. “We believe that you can’t change what you can’t measure, so we have initiated the WIT Index to monitor the growth of women’s involvement in transportation careers over the years,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of WIT. “The double-digit data regarding female drivers is encouraging as we move toward a more gender-diverse driving force. We anticipate these numbers to continue to increase in the coming years." In addition to making up 13.7% of the driver workforce, WIT also found that women make up 33.8% of C-Suite executives, 39.6% of company leaders, 31% of boards of directors, 74.9% of HR/talent management, 3.7% of technician roles, 44.7% of dispatchers and 40% of safety roles. Voie spearheaded the launch of the first WIT Index in 2016. The WIT Index is the official industry barometer to regularly benchmark and measure the percentage of women who are professional drivers, in corporate positions, and serve on boards of directors. Initiated in 2016, the index is comprised of average percentages of females in various roles that are reported by companies in transportation, including predominantly for-hire trucking companies, private fleets, transportation intermediaries, railroads, ocean carriers, equipment manufacturers, and technology companies. This data was confidentially gathered from January through April of 2022 from 180 participating companies and percentages are reported only as aggregate totals of respondents. The full report can be found here. Xtra Lease relocates Indianapolis facilityXtra Lease has moved its Indianapolis operations to a brand-new facility on the west side of the city at 10484 East County Road 300 North, Indianapolis, IN, 46234, and is now open for business. The company offers a mix of semi-trailers for rent and lease, including dry vans, reefers, flatbeds, storage trailers and specialty equipment. “We’re excited because the new facility positions us better to support the needs of our local customers,” said Mark Backman, Midwest Regional Vice President for XTRA Lease. “We’re conveniently located off Interstate 74, which is closer to fast-growing logistics operations located in such areas as Plainfield, Whitestown and Lebanon, Indiana.” In addition to providing trailer rental and lease services, the new branch has a full-service maintenance shop. Xtra Lease Indianapolis is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. https://ift.tt/mgbyEHI Fleets don’t have to wait for a major fuel company to set up a hydrogen station for fuel cell and internal combustion trucks. They can build their own. Onsite hydrogen production is a growing option, particularly as more companies acquire fuel cell forklifts to lower their carbon footprint. During the grand opening of their truck factory in San Antonio earlier this year, Navistar told reporters that they would produce hydrogen onsite for their fuel cell forklifts. Extending that approach to truck fueling is also an option, particularly as fleets look for ways to more quickly step-up emissions reductions to keep up with sustainability goals that can impact their ESG (environmental, social, governance) rating and affect investor sentiment. “That’s the great thing because it gives people flexibility now,” said Jim Nebergall, general manager of Cummins' hydrogen engine business. “It’s hard to produce diesel onsite. This is a new option. “I think we will see behind the fence fueling with onsite production,” Nebergall continued. “People do that today with hydrogen-powered forklifts, so those customers are looking at this and are very interested.” [Related: Cummins, Air Products announce hydrogen partnership] Air Products, the world’s largest hydrogen supplier, offers onsite equipment for hydrogen production. Their mid-range PHG830 model, which produces hydrogen through steam methane reforming (the most popular production method), requires a 10-yard by 25-yard footprint and takes about a week to install. An Air Products description online states that “the generators are highly-efficient, using less natural gas than other processes, and a modular design enables quick installation and start-up.” BayoTech, which counts equipment giant Caterpillar among its investor partners, markets its BayoGaas Hydrogen Hubs to “provide a low-cost, low-carbon fuel," their website states. “The hubs are quick to deploy, have a small footprint of only 0.25 acres, and utilize existing natural gas infrastructure." BayoTech will “install and operate a hub to generate onsite hydrogen,” an important consideration given the level of expertise needed to maintain such systems. Been there, done thatCalifornia Fuel Cell Partnership Executive Director Bill Elrick noted that there’s been growing interest in producing hydrogen onsite backed in part by “skyrocketing” investment.“We've seen it done from smaller SMR (steam methane reforming) units to electrolyzers and even new novel approaches coming up,” said Elrick, whose 25 years of experience in the alt fuel industry includes hydrogen production. “You've got an awesome opportunity to produce energy and fuel onsite, so you control more of your operations, whether you're a big fleet operator or you’re a retail gas station that wants to create your own power for selling your candy, soft drinks as well as the fuel,” Elrick continued. “That's a great opportunity and I think we're going to see more and more interest. The last two years, the momentum in hydrogen, the investment in hydrogen, has been so incredible.” [Related: Fleets share impressions of zero-emission trucks, vans] However, Elrick pointed out that producing hydrogen on-site requires careful planning around fuel needs, land availability and the complexities of production itself. “My not-so certain response is that it's totally doable, but without some significant breakthroughs, the real challenge I see is the footprint required for an electrolyzer or even a small SMR is significant,” Elrick said. “If it's a forklift operation of moderate size, that's probably doable but if you start to then get a really big operation, especially if you move into medium and heavy duty, I think the fuel requirement is so significant, that the footprint of your production center will start to encroach on your operations in a way that'll be pretty significant,” Elrick continued. Taking on the role of fuel production is no easy task. “How many people who have an operation of a fleet facility want to add energy producer on top of it as a different business venture?” Elrick said. “On the one hand, yes, it would give you the opportunity to control more of your own destiny. On the other, now you're going to become an expert at that as well. You need to be. "We operated a station here for 15 years, and I can tell you, especially with it being the first in the country, by the time it was done and we closed it, it was a working historic antique, and I both loved it and hated it with the same breath," Elrick continued. Power sources are also a factor. For instance, Navistar will be powering its hydrogen generator with green energy from Texas’ power grid, which will enhance its overall ESG score. Ultimately, Elrick remains optimistic about producing hydrogen onsite and pointed to huge investment in R&D that's expected to expand product offerings. “I think the innovation that's going to come over the next five to 10 years is going to be tremendous,” he said. “We saw that when the right market signals [emerged] for solar, wind and batteries. When you see that kind of momentum, innovation takes off.” https://ift.tt/mgbyEHI |
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April 2023
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