A fire at BP’s Whiting, Indiana, oil refinery has temporarily shut down the facility and, as of Monday morning, the timing of the restart is unknown. According to BP, the fire occurred on Wednesday, Aug. 24, and was limited to a single electrical system and quickly extinguished, "but led to a loss of utilities in other parts of the refinery," said Christina Audisho, media relations manager for BP. Audisho added that "BP is making progress in restoring the utilities needed to bring the plant back to normal operations," but no date was given. She added, however, that the company "is making significant progress and working toward a phased restart of the refinery." In response to the refinery’s shutdown, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a regional emergency declaration for fuel haulers in four Midwestern states -- Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The declaration exempts motor carriers and drivers from 49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.3, or maximum driving time limits, if hauling with direct assistance in support of relief efforts related to shortages of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in the affected states due to the fire. Direct support and assistance ends when a driver or commercial motor vehicle is used in interstate commerce to transport cargo or provide services that are not in support of emergency relief efforts related to the emergency. When a driver is moving from emergency relief efforts to normal operations, a 10-hour break is required when the total time a driver is engaged in emergency relief efforts, or in a combination of emergency relief and normal operations, equals or exceeds 14 hours. FMCSA’s declaration is currently set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 10, or when the emergency ends, whichever is sooner. According to BP, its Whiting, Indiana, refinery is the largest in the Midwest and the company’s largest in the world. It processes around 440,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produces around 10 million gallons of gasoline, 4 million gallons of diesel and 2 million gallons of jet fuel daily, the company said in a fact sheet about the refinery. The shutdown occurs at a time when diesel demand is ramping up in the region due in large part to fall harvests. According to a report from Bloomberg, distillate inventories, including diesel, in the region are at their lowest seasonally since 2006. BP noted that it is working with its partners to secure fuel for the Midwest region. Chris Lee, vice president of marketing for ProMiles, observed retail diesel price spikes in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin in the days following the BP Whiting shutdown. According to ProMiles data, average prices in Illinois rose from $5 per gallon on Aug. 24 to $5.17 per gallon on Aug. 28. Indiana saw a similar jump, rising from $5.14/gal on Aug. 24 to $5.26/gal on Aug. 28. Wisconsin saw the biggest jump of the three states following the shutdown, rising from $4.75/gal on Aug. 24 to $5/gal on Aug. 28. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. [Related: Moving beyond the horror of high fuel on the road to profit] https://ift.tt/4sBVc57
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Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Aug. 29, 2022: FleetForce Truck Driving School opens in Venice, FloridaFleetForce Truck Driving School opened its newest training facility in Venice, Florida. Students enrolling in the CDL school can attend tuition-free through a pre-hire program — a collaboration between FleetForce, Florida Trucking Association and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota. Trucking companies that are FTA members pay the tuition costs up front, with an agreement to hire the student once they complete the course and receive their CDL. The Venice location is on the campus of State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, and is the second program launched in collaboration with the college. This is the company’s fourth location in Florida, with multiple new sites scheduled to open around the state over the next year. Since the program launched in November, Dr. Todd Fritch, executive vice president and provost of State College of Florida, said more than 200 individuals have earned their commercial licenses through FleetForce at our Bradenton campus. The expansion to our Venice campus will double the capacity rate while also providing a training opportunity closer to home for south county residents.” The tuition-free program is available at all FleetForce locations and has been successful in recruiting more students into the trucking industry, with more than 5,000 aspiring drivers having applied since the program launched last year. Omni Logistics opens new warehouse, cross-dock facility in DallasGlobal multimodal logistics provider Omni Logistics recently opened a new 366,711 sq. ft. Dallas Campus. The opening of the new facility follows the recent opening of Omni Logistics’ new, renewables-powered corporate headquarters in Dallas, new offices in Phoenix, and extensive new warehouse and cross-dock facilities in San Francisco and Philadelphia. "Omni Logistics’ new Dallas Campus is a direct response to our customer’s needs for new warehouse space and cross-dock facilities to support their growing businesses,” said JJ Schickel, CEO of Omni Logistics. “We want to ensure that our customers have access to the facilities and specialized services they need. This new facility will empower our customers to be prepared for peak season and any supply chain disruptions that may arise.” The Dallas Campus, located 8 miles from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and 17 miles from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), has easy access to State Highways 183 and 121, making the pickup and drop-off process as seamless as possible for carriers. The campus is also 20 miles away from the Dallas Central Business District and 15 miles from the Fort Worth Central Business District, making this facility centrally located for shippers across multiple industries. The gated campus is CTPAT certified, protected by guards, and has a state-of-the-art security system which is ideal for shippers with high-security needs. Featuring a total of 83 dock doors, the new facility offers shippers and carriers an efficient and accessible option for warehousing and cross-docking. Capabilities of the new Class A campus include:
https://ift.tt/4sBVc57 Strategies to recruit the next generation of drivers and address the national trucking shortage8/28/2022 The labor market has experienced a seismic shift in the last two years. Supply chain interruptions, the global economy, rising inflation and changing worker experiences have impacted many industries that need workers, especially trucking. In 2021, the industry was short a then-record 60,000 drivers, and the ongoing challenge of hiring workers will not be short-lived. According to a projection by the American Trucking Associations, the industry is set to face a shortage of 160,000 drivers by 2030 if changes are not made. At a time when four generations of drivers are active in the workforce and there are nearly two open jobs for every unemployed worker in the United States, organizations are competing for labor unlike ever before. Transportation and relocation companies must consider all the ways prospective and current drivers across generations interact with the business, from application to interview, hiring and onboarding. In addition to the current driver shortage, strong growth in corporate relocation budgets and a competitive market for household moves highlight why the need to engage, attract and retain the next generation of drivers is critical today. Investing in technological innovation, competing on compensation, advocating to expand the workforce and accommodating and adapting to different generational work styles will support the long-term health of the business and industry. Invest in technological innovationWhen it comes to driver recruitment, leveraging purpose-built recruiting software has become increasingly necessary. This is especially important for young adult drivers ages 18 to 25, a demographic that was identified by the American Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) Research Advisory Committee as a top priority in 2021, with a focus on how to best integrate younger adults into trucking career. Young adult workers value a quick and easy application process as well as a seamless interview and job offer experience. These preferences can be supported and strengthened by innovative recruiting technology. In fact, according to cross-industry data from Employ Inc., 45% of workers would not apply to an employer again if they had a bad candidate experience. Timeliness is especially important as Top Echelon Network research shows that 40% of job candidates reject offers because another organization made an offer faster. In the past six months alone, 72% of recruiters have encountered candidates who have, at one time, received multiple offers at the same time, according to new data from Employ. Smart recruiting software is one way to significantly reduce interaction time with potential drivers as well as the time-to-hire. For example, Atlas Van Lines recently partnered with Tenstreet, and was able to reduce the average time it takes to bring new recruits on board from 88 days to 15 days. Streamlining the hiring process through purpose-built recruiting software not only addresses the preferences and expectations of job seekers today, but also allows new hires to begin driving sooner, filling a critical workforce gap. Further, organizations must make it as easy as possible for drivers to use their services in an efficient and valuable manner. For the next generation of drivers, offering easily accessible, interactive software is crucial to recruitment and retention as these workers expect to have technology integrated into their work experience. Organizations must prioritize the adoption of technological solutions that allow drivers to have the information they always need at their fingertips. For all generations, the tools should not be cumbersome or difficult to learn and use. Continuing to invest in technological innovations that appeal to and support drivers across generations is key to hiring and retention today. Compete on compensationA desire for higher compensation is a key factor for many workers today. A new study from ATRI surveyed Millennials and Gen-Z drivers ages 21 to 30, and 40% said compensation was the most important factor when it came to choosing a career in trucking. Furthermore, 52% of American workers across industries believe they could make more money right now simply by switching jobs. Competing on compensation is critical for attracting and retaining drivers, especially at a time when there are so many jobs available, and workers are entertaining positions in other trade industries. Organizations that cannot compete on pay must think of other forms of compensation that can be accommodated. This may include a signing bonus, more paid time off, a bonus if you hit specific targets or a more flexible schedule. Advocate to lower driving age limitThere are important legislation efforts that look to remove roadblocks to growing the pipeline of the next generation of drivers. For example, under current federal regulations, states can issue a commercial driver’s license to anyone 18 or older, but it prohibits truck drivers from crossing state lines until they turn 21, which is usually required for long-haul trucking. To address this, the new Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program allows drivers who are at least 18 years old, have a state-issued commercial driver's license, and a clean record, to drive on the interstate under the direct supervision of an experienced driver. Transportation and relocation companies must support legislation that accommodates drivers under the age of 21 because it creates a larger talent pool and helps capture young drivers at the onset of their careers. This can be done by engaging with local representatives involved in transportation legislation, including members of Congress who sit on the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which oversees the U.S. Department of Transportation and the implementation of policies like the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program. Stand by principles and valuesFinding new drivers in today’s competitive market is one challenge, but retaining those drivers is another. Many younger workers opt to engage with organizations that are socially responsible and aligned with their values. According to ATRI, 84% of younger drivers consider company culture important. They are also more likely to want to be a part of an organization’s value system and hold them accountable. Today, one-third of new hires leave jobs within the first 90 days due to misaligned expectations, poor onboarding experiences and a company culture that is not a fit. Organizations can showcase their value to prospects by explaining its values, vision, mission and culture, and consider doing so during each part of the process: recruiting, interviewing and onboarding. Transportation companies can also showcase their value in practice by listening to and acting on feedback from employees and agents, who each bring a unique perspective that, if considered, will strengthen the organization overall. While the driver workforce is aging – and this is a major contributing factor to today’s shortage – there are many ways to simultaneously engage and support existing drivers, while implementing new strategies to attract and retain a new generation. Hiring and retaining workers is a challenge across industries, but investing in technological innovation, competing on compensation, advocating for policy change and highlighting the organization’s culture and values are key strategies to support the needs of the trucking industry today. By doing so, we will begin to overcome the driver shortage and build a stronger, more stable workforce moving forward. Barry Schellenberg is president and COO of Atlas Van Lines, a leading mover and the largest subsidiary of Atlas World Group. He leads the company’s household goods division in the U.S., which includes corporate marketing, transportation services, revenue distribution, customer service, and more. Schellenberg brings more than 30 years of experience in operations, supply chain, strategic execution, and logistics to Atlas® and the transportation industry. https://ift.tt/4sBVc57 Western Star earlier this month rolled out its third model in two years – the on-highway 57X. Since its 2020 pivot to become Daimler Truck North America's vocational brand, Western Star has launched models 49X and 47X but the 57X marks an about-face from the jobsite. The 57X will replace the 5700XE – Western Star's first foray into aero market that debuted in 2014 and starred as Optimus Prime in the Transformer franchise that same year. The model 5700XE was discontinued at the end of last year. The 57X is the most fuel-efficient model Western Star has ever built – 5.8% more fuel-efficient than its predecessor. About half of those gains come from an aerodynamic retooling and the other half from a powertrain comprised exclusively of Detroit products. In the video above, ride along with CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon as he takes a spin around the Detroit-Metro area, and hear from product experts Clint LaPreze and Ryan Major about some of the highlights of Western Star's newest model. [Related: Test driving Western Star 57X] In this video00:00 - Intro 00:34 - Bumper, lights, safety features, & automated driving 02:23 - Hood, air intake, mirrors, & visibility 03:36 - Interior 04:12 - Dashboard overview 07:18 - How does the inside look & feel? 07:59 - Aerodynamics & MPG 08:55 - Conclusion Video transcriptJason Cannon Ryan Major Jason Cannon We are still holding on to that 39 feet. We're at 33 feet. Now we're down to two miles an hour. And if that van were to stop, this truck is going to stop. Again my feet are firmly planted on the floor. My hands aren't really on the steering wheel. They should be, but this is just sort of a demonstration that it's keeping itself in the lane and it's pacing itself with traffic. It looks like we're about to stop. My feet are on the ground and here we go; we are stopping. We didn't hit the van. The van's going to take off, and since we didn't stay here longer than two seconds, the truck starts itself and we're going to catch back up to the van. Ryan Major Jason Cannon Ryan Major Clint LaPreze I swipe down once on the left hand side. I get my temperature and my oil pressure. Swiping down again gives me my axle temperature, readings, so on and so forth through five different menu settings. If I swipe to the right, it takes me back to the center display area where I can choose the information I would like to see here. I have two options here. I can select an option that just shows me my miles per hour and my RPM readings or, if I swipe down, that's the driver assistance screen where, if we were out on the road, it would show the vehicle in front of us. Swiping over to the left provides the entertainment or trip information for the driver. Swipe down once and it shows trip information a second time, lifetime fuel consumption and radio information, and if the driver does have a phone paired with the system they can control the device, music and phone operation there. The steering wheel controls consist of many different common features for the driver. You have your set speed for cruise control and resume on the left-hand side, a back button, a cancellation and a marker interrupt. On the upper right-hand corner you see this control with two squares, or two cards, if you will. And if I click that, it allows me to have quick menu access to adjust my following distance or my lane bias for active lane assist. If I press it again, it provides me control for intelligent powertrain management with the upper and lower history values. To exit the menu I can press the back button. Moving over to the right hand side of the steering wheel. I have the option for phone receive or hang up, a secondary back button, a mute, and a volume up and a volume down. Jason Cannon Ryan Major Jason Cannon If I'm an owner operator, if I'm a small fleet, and I'm really looking for a premium driving experience – maybe I'm looking for a reward truck – this is absolutely that. It is comfortable. I think I've mentioned before that it's cliche to say that these trucks have a very automotive feel. This truck has a very automotive feel from the fit and finish, which is super premium, to the technology in play, the lane centering technology. This is just a very nice, very safe truck. https://ift.tt/vINmQko Volvo Group North America wraps Volvo LIGHTS project with key insights into mass BEV adoption8/26/2022 A multi-year project that brought together a range of entities to design and implement innovative programs to successfully introduce zero-emission heavy-duty battery-electric trucks and equipment into the market at scale wrapped this week, bringing widespread adoption of commercial electric vehicles closer to reality for fleets across the U.S. The Volvo LIGHTS project, which launched in 2019 in Southern California, has mapped out a blueprint for the robust support ecosystem necessary to deploy these vehicles as fleets and the companies they serve strive for greener operations. The project culminated in an Aug. 23 event in Ontario, California, that featured off-site tours of BEV fleet projects from the vehicles themselves to warehouse equipment, charging infrastructure, energy storage, fleet maintenance facilities and more; speaker panels spotlighting lessons learned related to BEV technology, route optimization, charging infrastructure, total cost of ownership, job training, sales and service support and more; and a display of Volvo VNR Electric trucks from project participants. During the three-year project, which ran in California’s South Coast Air Basin, Volvo Trucks deployed its first Class 8 pilot Volvo VNR Electric trucks to fleet operators to collect real-world operating data and customer feedback ahead of announcing its commercial model in December 2020. Also during that time, Volvo Group North America collaborated with 14 public and private partners to develop programs and best practices that would help lay the foundation for the successful commercialization of battery-electric freight trucks. “By working closely with an extraordinary group of public and private partners through the Volvo LIGHTS project, we were able to validate key processes around Class 8 battery-electric truck adoption for commercial transport segments and identify challenges that needed to be addressed for widespread market introduction,” said Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve. Those processes included identifying ideal routes for electrification, creating comprehensive dealer support, developing reliable and cost-effective charging infrastructure and building technician and first-responder training programs, among other things. To identify routes, Volvo Trucks deployed 30 Volvo VNR Electric trucks to 11 fleets to operate across their daily Southern California routes to assess factors that may impact vehicle range, including topography, ambient temperature, traffic patterns, driving styles and more. This led Volvo Trucks to introduce its route planning tool, Electric Performance Generator, which enables fleet managers to simulate real-world routes for their VNR Electric trucks. During the project, Volvo Trucks’ largest West Coast dealership, TEC Equipment, provided uptime support to the fleet customers that leased VNR Electrics through the Volvo LIGHTS project. The hands-on experience gained during the project led TEC Equipment Fontana to become the nation’s first Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer and spurred the rollout of certified dealerships across North America. Southern California Edison (SCE) and Shell Recharge Solutions collaborated with other project partners to install and energize 58 networked public and private charging stations, which provided insight into ways to streamline processes, shorten installation timelines and refine existing laws related to allowing entities other than utilities to re-sell electricity for EV charging. SCE also conducted a site grid system impact study to help plans for supporting a future of fully electrified goods movement. Rio Hondo College and San Bernardino Valley College worked with Volvo Trucks to launch heavy-duty electric truck technician training programs, which produced a combined total of more than 45 graduates throughout the life of the project. The project also informed first-responder training materials that raise awareness of the high-voltage components on the Volvo VNR Electric. "Zero-emission trucks work – as this project shows – and we need strong rules, in many states and federally, promoting them,” said Craig Segall, California Air Resources Board (CARB) deputy executive officer for mobile sources and incentives. “This project shows that this technology can serve business and deliver protections that will benefit the health of our communities that need it the most." The project was funded by a $44.8 million award to California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District from the CARB as part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving both public health and the environment. South Coast AQMD also contributed $4 million from its Clean Fuels Fund. Volvo Group and its partners contributed $43 million in matching funds for a total project of $91 million. “This project shows how important it is for public and private entities to work together to bring zero-emission technologies and infrastructure to the nation,” said Ben J. Benoit, chair of the South Coast AQMD’s governing board. “Now that the project is coming to an end, we look forward to seeing these cleaner trucks on the road and the impact they will have on air quality.” Other partners in the five-time award-winning project, which was led by Volvo Group North America and California’s South Coast AQMD, included NFI Industries, Dependable Highway Express, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, CALSTART, University of California, Riverside CE-CERT and Reach Out. https://ift.tt/vINmQko Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Aug. 26, 2022: New York trucking group balks at NYC’s parking crackdownNew York City is cracking down on illegally parked commercial vehicles, and the state's trucking association has responded. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the New York Police Department announced operation “Heavy Duty Enforcement,” an overnight action against illegally parked commercial vehicles in neighborhoods of southern Queens. According to a statement from the mayor's office, the multi-faceted effort is in response to community complaints and consists of three teams utilizing heavy tow operations, booting, and writing tickets. Beginning on Monday, Aug. 15, operation “Heavy Duty Enforcement” deployed NYPD officers traffic enforcement agents to multiple locations across southern Queens. In the first five days of the operation – from Aug. 15 through Aug. 19 – the NYPD issued 597 summonses, attached 89-wheel clamps, and towed 55 illegally parked vehicles to a temporary storage facility. “If you park commercial vehicles illegally, you will get ticketed, towed, or given the boot,” said Adams. “For far too long, large commercial vehicles have been parking illegally in this neighborhood, disrupting daily life, and contributing to noise, traffic and pollution. We cannot let our neighborhood streets turn into illegal parking lots. I want every New Yorker to know your city is looking out for you and your quality of life.” According to section 4-08 (k) (6) of the New York City parking rules, large commercial vehicles are prohibited from parking on residential streets overnight between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. seven days a week. The Trucking Association of New York said the problem can be solved, not by issuing tickets and towing trucks, but by creating more truck parking. "While we in no way condone parking on residential streets where it is illegal to do so, we feel it is imperative to understand we cannot ticket out of this problem," TANY President Kendra Hems said in a statement posted to the group’s Facebook page. "Heavy enforcement alone has not worked in the past and will not work now absent available commercial vehicle parking. The reality is that drivers, many of them our neighbors, family, and friends, simply have nowhere to park. This is not their personal vehicle, but the vehicle that embodies their livelihood and provides for their family.” Hems added that the city needs to “address the underlying issue of inadequate truck parking in all five boroughs. The industry is taking steps, but we cannot do this alone, we need our partners in government to dedicate the time and resources to resolve this problem.” Kenworth adds Lane Keeping Assist as option on Class 8 trucksNew Kenworth T680, T880 and W990 trucks are now available for order with the optional Kenworth Lane Keeping Assist, which was first introduced with the Kenworth T680 Next Generation in 2021. Lane Keeping Assist uses camera input to identify when the truck is departing the lane and provides a “nudge” to help keep the truck centered in the lane. This feature requires the truck to be factory equipped with the Bendix Fusion advanced driver assistance system. Lane Keeping Assist also includes Torque Assisted Steering, which provides additional torque to the steering column, helping to reduce driver fatigue. Other Kenworth advanced driver assistance technologies available for select Class 8 models include Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Side Object Detection, provided by Bendix. International dealer opens first public commercial vehicle charging station in MichiganInternational dealer West Michigan International recently opened Michigan’s first public electric commercial vehicle charging station at its Kalamazoo location. Located off I-94, the new electric vehicle (EV) charging station is optimized for commercial vehicle charging and will provide fleets the ability to charge larger vehicles, including Class 8 electric trucks. The DC fast charger features two 24-hour charging hookups. “We understand that time is money in the commercial vehicle industry, which led us to install one of the fastest chargers offered,” said Ed Rietman, dealer principal, West Michigan International. “Similar to diesel fueling stations, drivers who utilize these public chargers will have the convenience of paying at the pump and getting in and out quickly.” Rietman, International Truck’s 2019 North American Dealer of the Year, has grown West Michigan International to include more than 90 service bays with 280 personnel across its five locations, as well as around-the-clock emergency break down, towing and recovery service. With EVs becoming an industry focus, Rietman and his team made the decision to invest and help customers in the transition. The chargers at the West Michigan International in Kalamazoo were installed with support from Navistar’s charging partner, InCharge. The dealership worked closely with Navistar’s NEXT eMobility team to plan, coordinate and install the vehicle charger. NEXT operates around a model that provides an end-to-end solution for customers looking to transition their business operations to EVs. https://ift.tt/vINmQko Hyliion Hypertruck ERX getting big improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions with GE generator8/25/2022 Hyliion announced that it will be acquiring a fuel-agnostic generator from General Electric that is expected to drastically cut emissions and increase fuel efficiency by up to 20% in its hybrid ERX. Hyliion CEO Thomas Healy told CCJ that GE approached his Texas-based company about a year ago with the Karno generator which Healy said is lighter and smaller than current generators on the market and is capable of running on both gaseous and conventional fuels. The unit relies on flameless oxidation to produce heat which in turn is used to generate electricity. In a lab setting, flameless oxidation has shown up to a 20% gain in fuel efficiency. “GE has been doing this as a skunkworks kind of project,” Healy said. “They're using learnings from jet engines because it actually came out of their aviation division.” [Related: Hyliion CEO kicks off instructional video series on hybrid trucks] In addition to flameless oxidation, the Karno generator also “leverages 3D printing of components which allows us to increase the efficiency,” Healy added. “We actually have some metal like heat exchanger parts inside the generator that actually come off of a 3D printer.” In a laboratory setting, flameless oxidation in the Karno generator has slashed emissions. “It produces extremely low emissions,” Healy said. “It's not like a combustion engine. Flameless oxidation converts the fuel into heat. That heat is then used to drive a linear generator system and that's what produces the electricity.” Emissions results from hydrogen have been the most impressive. “It's basically at a level where when you're running it on hydrogen, the laboratory engine equipment can't notice any emissions coming out of it,” Healy said. “It’s ultra, ultra low emissions. I put it on par with a fuel cell from that standpoint.” Efficiency gains are expected to surpass fuel cell. The generator will run on various gaseous and liquid fuels such as diesel, natural gas, hydrogen, propane and ammonia. “We're going to be more so pushing hydrogen and natural gas but yes it can use conventional fuels as well,” Healy said. Once the Karno generator is spec’d to run on a certain fuel, it can be changed later to run on other fuels so long as the fuel supply system is compatible with that fuel. “The only change we see is that you would need to make sure your [fuel] tanks are spec’d correctly,” Healy said. “Obviously, diesel tanks are different than natural gas tanks. So that's the only change we see. The generator we expect to stay the same.” Road testing is expected to begin in the “next couple of quarters,” Healy said with rollout anticipated in 2025. The Hypertruck ERX equipped with the “natural gas [12-liter] Cummins engine” will be commercialized and released in late 2023, "and then in a couple years after that is when we'll actually be bringing this solution to market.” Hyliion’s transaction with GE is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of Q3 2022. With an acquisition value of ~$37 million, GE will receive $15 million in cash and approximately $22 million in Hyliion stock. Hyliion will acquire the generator technology and integrate the Cincinnati-based engineering team that created the KARNO system into Hyliion. https://ift.tt/vINmQko PS Logistics acquires Phoenix Leasing of Tennessee strikes deal with Colonial Freight Systems8/25/2022 PS Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 37), via its Loudon, Tennessee-based subsidiary Purdy Brothers Trucking, has acquired Phoenix Leasing of Tennessee, while also reaching an agreement with Phoenix sister company Colonial Freight Systems to contract with its drivers to continue to service to its southeastern cold-chain customers. Financial terms were not disclosed. Acquired by PS Logistics in 2014, Purdy Brothers Trucking operates 144 trucks from terminals in Loudon, Princeton, Illinois; Zellwood, Florida; and White Post, Virginia. Colonial Freight Systems operates 250 trucks from terminals in Knoxville and Nashville. Thursday's move is the second acquisition for Birmingham, Alabama-based PS Logistics this month, having already picked up flatbed operation Noble LLC, which includes Noble Trucking and Noble Logistics, through its DMT Trucking subsidiary. This latest transaction deepens PS Logistics refrigerated operations across the Southeast and adds 55 lease purchase drivers to Purdy Brother’s fleet, including more than 50 late model tractors. Since 2014, PS Logistics has acquired and integrated 27 trucking and logistics operations. This year has been a hot one for mergers and acquisitions among trucking fleets, particularly among CCJ's Top 250 for-hire carriers. There have been 14 mergers and acquisitions since the beginning of June among the Top 250. To date 23 Top 250 fleets have struck 22 deals this year. https://ift.tt/vINmQko The expo hall at Trimble’s 2022 Insight Tech Conference in Orlando was covered with transportation technology providers, many of which have integration partnerships with the company. But perhaps more notable was some of Trimble’s competitors on the floor. The main theme across the many sessions at Trimble this year was connecting via the cloud across competitive lines. “Everybody understands (the cloud) is where the world is going. I think it took a while for everybody to believe that, but I believe transportation is there now, and they’re starting to realize they’re never going to be able to integrate this data and workflows until they get there,” said James Langley, senior vice president of Trimble Transportation. “What everybody wants is that truly integrated experience to be able to say it’s not about a TMS, telematics, maps; it’s about what the dispatcher needs to be more efficient. I don’t really care what applications it touches. I care about the workflow for that user to have a more efficient set of capabilities to have more actionable intelligence at my fingertips.” The company’s focus during the event was on empowering and enabling carriers, shippers and brokers to work better together by creating an ecosystem for all transportation stakeholders to be more connected and support more productivity and sustainability across the supply chain that has been incapacitated since shortly after the pandemic began. The goal of Trimble’s Connect and Scale 2025 strategy is leveraging the cloud via its recent partnership with Microsoft to connect data beyond the carrier side to the entirety of the supply chain, which Langley said still benefits carriers. “We’re building from our carrier-centric base, and you have to expand into the greater supply chain to solve their problems,” he said. “Carriers only have visibility into so much freight demand. The more you get connected, the more you gain visibility. The average carrier today is planning for today and tomorrow maybe … “Imagine trying to optimize that every day. But what if you had the market intelligence, because you can see into the shipper demand and be connected to get two days out, how much more efficient would you get in your holistic planning solution if you could see what freight is going to look like 48 hours from now instead of [only] tomorrow?” Trimble is partnering with shippers and carriers to provide visibility between freight and capacity to fix broken supply chains. The company has partnered with shippers to provide carriers with market insight, including historical and current understanding of market conditions and robust analysis of key market metrics, including rates, times and speeds – all sourced from aggregated, anonymized market data. It also provides insights to carriers – and shippers if a carrier chooses to share their data – of their own networks and presents actionable insights into key network metrics, including velocity, revenue, empty miles percentage and balance – all sourced from a carrier’s TMS. Linking these pieces and enabling data to flow among three customer communities – shipper/3PL, carrier/broker and driver – Langley said, enables collaboration across procurement (the right freight for the right carrier), planning (the right load for the right truck, right now) and execution (pick it up and deliver on time, safely and efficiently), creating a transportation industry continuum in which Trimble’s connected solutions and integrated partners support source-to-settle workflows for shippers and bid-to-bill workflows for carriers and brokers. This occurs in Trimble’s Engage Lane transportation procurement platform highlighted at the event. The company, which partnered with Procter & Gamble to gather data for the platform, is in the process of launching it among carriers and shippers to include big names like Whole Foods and Waste Management. It already includes 70 lanes awarded by P&G. Engage Lane provides a digital workflow of the bid process between shippers and carriers and simplifies EDI connection. Kelly Williams, Engage Lane product manager, said whereas it takes P&G three to five months to onboard a carrier, Engage Lane connects shippers’ and carriers’ transportation management systems, allowing order tenders as quickly as within two days. Trimble also highlighted Connected Cab via Instinct, its new mobile operating system, that helps improve the driver experience with things like ELD data, in-cab event recording and driver workflows, and introduced its new Connected Maintenance platform. Combining all these elements into one platform with cloud computing allows for network optimization and maximizing resource utilization, which creates more sustainability, said Trimble CEO Rob Painter. “With customers, sustainability is increasingly becoming a top priority,” Painter said. “Trimble historically thrives at the intersection of productivity and sustainability.” Operating better and faster, he said, naturally creates more sustainability. He said if a fleet of 1,000 vehicles can increase resource utilization by 1%, it would save that carrier 1 million annual miles driven and add $2 million to that carrier’s bottom line while reducing carbon emissions by 3 million pounds. Langley said a typical carrier runs about 15% empty miles and 8% out-of-route miles, and the average trailer is only 70% loaded, leaving huge opportunities to eliminate waste. “It’s not about 100% utilization; every little 1% we get better has huge economies of scale for all of us,” he said. https://ift.tt/vINmQko Anyone driving through the United States at night will notice the number of unused parking lots, yet American truckers are facing a shortage of safe places to park between destinations. At best, this leads to irritation, lost time and lost money. At worst, it can lead to tragedies like the 2009 shooting death of Jason Rivenburg, who was forced to park at an abandoned gas station less than 15 miles from his destination. Numerous studies and reports since his death have all echoed the need for safe places to stop. With some creative thinking, logistics companies can actually work with local businesses and municipal governments to create safe places to park. The truck parking problem is really a space problem. In rural regions, truckers have numerous options when it comes to resting for a few hours or pulling over for the night. However, this isn’t really viable in crowded, highly dense areas such as the Pacific Northwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic region and California. Any driver who has gone through Chicago or Dallas looking for a place to park knows this all too well. One of the biggest issues is that rest stations and truck stops require a lot of land, which is in short supply in cities and the immediate suburbs. That’s why truck drivers will often have to make a round-trip of more than 100 miles with empty trailers just to park their trucks. This is a problem on a number of levels. For starters, it creates significant traffic issues in metropolitan areas as thousands of trucks take up space on the roads unnecessarily. With the price of fuel today, the economic cost of wasted runs creates significant financial hardship for commercial carriers and that doesn’t even factor in environmental concerns as millions of miles are driven in diesel trucks every year solely to get drivers to a safe place top park. It really is the worst of all possible worlds and it doesn’t have to be this way. Many studies highlight this problem for truckers. More than 75% of truck drivers and nearly 66% of logistics personnel regularly experience problems finding safe locations to rest, and 90% reported struggling to find safe parking during night hours – primarily during weekdays but also during weekend hours. This influx of requests proves there is a problem. Thankfully the solution is well within reach. The obvious answer is to find places for truck drivers to park near where they are dropping off or picking up their loads. Unfortunately, there aren’t vast swaths of undeveloped land that truckers can magically use when their shifts are done. Or are there? As it turns out, most urban areas have existing parking facilities that literally sit empty during the hours when truckers are burning hours looking for places to stop. Until now, there hasn’t been a practical way to tap into this resource, even though it is the perfect solution for a critical problem. One obvious solution is the shopping mall. Most suburban malls, and even those located within city limits, were designed in the 1960s and 70s to accommodate large amounts of vehicle traffic and have hundreds of acres of spaces for employees and customers to use. As soon as the mall closes, this area quickly empties out and remains unused until the next morning. These are precisely the hours that truckers most require places to park, and given the significant downturn in the mall retail business over the last decade opening up these parking lots to trucking companies could create a significant income stream for the property owner. Creating these kinds of partnerships would require direct contact between logistics companies and mall operators. Fortunately, from a logistics perspective, a number of national companies control large chunks of the mall market. One contract could solve the parking problem in multiple cities. Another unused parking resource can be found at stadiums, many of which are under the control of local and municipal government. These lots are full during sporting events but in places with NFL teams, lots may only be used a few days a month. Drive by Gillette Stadium near Boston when the Patriots aren’t playing and you will see tens of thousands of empty spaces, even as thousands of truckers drive to the middle of Massachusetts to find a place to bunk down. There are very few easy solutions in this world, and things that seem like they should be simple turn out to be complicated. When it comes to parking trucks safely in areas close to where they need to be, the solution could be straightforward. In fact, a number of trucking companies are leasing spaces from non-traditional property owners and managers to alleviate what has been an intractable problem for decades. Much more can be done, and the good news is that there are technology platforms out there that make it possible for all parties to connect with each other and do a “digital handshake” that will benefit drivers, carriers, the public, municipalities and the environment. If this is done right, it could be a win-win for everyone. Edward Moon is a Growth Marketer at WhereiPark, a technology company that enables multifamily, residential, and commercial property owners to discover new revenue sources through innovative solutions that leverage unused parking spaces. https://ift.tt/vINmQko |
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April 2023
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