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. Freight quoting and matching – accelerated by the Covid pandemic – has long gone digital, but bulk material haulers seemingly were left behind. Carriers for years have developed or sought out platforms that ease the process of load quoting and booking for their customers, but the complexities and requirements that come with hauling bulk made automating that process problematic. "Whether it's from a safety perspective, an operations perspective, there's a lot more checks and puts and takes if you will that goes into executing a bulk load," said Schneider Senior Vice President of Bulk Jason Howe. "It might be the right kind of tanker, the right prep for the tank, air unload, pump unload, how am I gonna get the commodity in or out of the tank? Certainly the safety data sheet – the commodity I'm hauling – what the safety is involved there. There's a complexity that maybe has driven bulk in the past to remain more on the manual side." There's also the consideration, Howe said, that the makeup of the bulk industry consists largely of private carriers and, beyond the top 10 for-hire players in the space, it "gets really small, really fast." Schneider (CCJ Top 250, No. 9), one of just a few large carriers with bulk capacity – which it has offered for more than 50 years – launched in August a first-of-its-kind digital marketplace and extending 24/7 visibility to bulk shippers. Launched in 2020, Schneider's FreightPower marketplace leverages the strength of the company's pool of more than 11,000 trucks and 37,000 trailers to offer shippers access to capacity. To extend digital marketplace capabilities to its bulk customers, Schneider expanded its FreightPower technology and added "a few more steps that a shipper has to take, and a few more questions that they have to answer – or let's say boxes they have to check" Howe said. Registered shipper customers, via FreightPower, select product type and whether it's van, intermodal or bulk. They then select the origin and destination starting with the zip code and then the aforementioned boxes need to be checked. "Is it a shipper load or unload? Is the driver doing the work? Is there heat in transit required? These are all just check boxes on a webpage or the app," Howe said. Once the load is quoted and booked, Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Schneider uploads the Safety Data Sheet and transmits it across its team "and we do one last cursory review," Howe said. "So there's still that initial check. There's still that validation. So we would get the very specific commodity information that comes through there and as that flows into our system the shipper gets an email confirmation of the order." At this point the shipper can track the load through the process – through the assignment to a driver and as it moves along the route – and set up notification alters "not dissimilar from maybe ordering something online," Howe said. "I want to get an alert when it picks up. I want get alert when it delivers or is in route. And then there's also access that after it's delivered to specific load documents or proof of delivery." “We know shippers are busy, and their time is valuable. With Schneider FreightPower, they can book a bulk load from their smartphone or computer,” said Howe. “We are giving shippers time, independence and solutions — all backed by Schneider’s trusted brand.” With Schneider FreightPower shippers can instantly quote and book their freight. Once booked, customers use FreightPower to track the progress of their shipment from pickup to delivery — giving shippers complete freight management. Extending digital quoting and booking, Howe said, also allows Schneider to go after a larger slice of some of their most diversified customers' business. "Many of our customers that are shipping on the bulk side, most of them have some business on the van and intermodal side as well," Howe said, "so there's an extension there." There's also an opportunity, Howe said, to attract new business by creating some efficiencies in a previously mundane and manual process. "I think of the example as me, as a consumer, and how I like to buy and how I like to operate and to be able to use an app to go online and make it all happen is convenient," he said. "I do it on my schedule and my time. Being able to execute on an app is pretty easy. So it does, I think, meets the growing needs of our shippers and how they prefer to offer. Here's a way for me to go in and it's easy for me to get a quote and see, 'Hey, how does that compare with what I'm paying elsewhere?'" Bulk shippers often don't have a high volume but often ship the same thing to and from the same places. Once a shipper has built a history of load consistency – where shippers move the same commodities repeatedly to the same place – the number of boxes they need to check to rebook a similar load is slashed, further expediting the process. "To be able to pull up those order favorites, that convenience factor is really significant," he said. "Back to the consumer side, it's the automatic reorders. It's just simple and it saves time that can be focused on the other priorities." The CCJ Innovators program is brought to you by Comdata, Freightliner Trucks, Omnitracs and Valvoline. https://ift.tt/W4BmyPV
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Natural disasters are very hindsight things; "We should have done X," and "I wish we'd have Y." While they catch very few people by surprise, in almost every case you can't adequately prepare for most of them. In the best of cases all you can do is learn from going through one and apply that knowledge to the next one. When I was a senior in high school, an F5 tornado blew through and around my hometown. We knew it could get bad. The weather forecast was pretty bleak. School dismissed early and the likelihood of tornadoes in Alabama in the spring is always closer to probable than it is to probably not. But a 31-mile-long, three-quarter of a mile wide tornado wasn't at the forefront of any of our minds. It killed 32 people, some of them my classmates. In 2011, another major tornado took a similar path and nearly pushed the entire City of Pleasant Grove off the map. A tornado forecast in Alabama used to be white noise on television. What I learned from 1998 to 2011 was when the weather person said "tornado," pay attention. Whether it's an F0 or an F5, it's bad news. But other than just knowing what's going on, it's key to have a response plan. Sheltering in place is critical for your personal safety, but what do you do when you emerge from your bunker and you don't have power, running water, or any semblance of a place to live? Florida is no stranger to hurricanes. More storms hit Florida than any other state in the U.S., yet when Hurricane Ian cut a swath through there late last week there was really no way to mitigate it or prepare for it in the physical sense, other than to get out of its way. At the business level, a business continuity plan is a critical piece of your operations that should spell out protocols for every possible natural disaster. The Covid pandemic was a Baptism by fire. In December 2019, how many of your co-workers worked from home? How many just four months later? Few businesses had any rules or regulations in place on how to move entire office complexes of people into multiple homes in various cities and still have them work cohesively, and it all had to happen in a matter of days. It was an exercise of building the airplane while you're flying it. [Related: Hurricane season brings carriers’ disaster preparedness plans into focus] Sure. It's difficult to know all the ways you want to respond to a major structure fire, for example, if you've never been through one. You can ask any business that's suffered a fire and ask them, "what do you know now that you wish you knew then?" Think about your operations-critical functions and how those might be impacted in the event of a total-loss event. How does a fleet communicate with its drivers when its comms platform is rendered to ashes? Are all your important business documents – including customer contacts, contracts and invoices – located on site? What happens when those burn up? A total-loss fire is just that: a total loss. How do you plan to operate your business when there's barely anything left of it in the physical sense? It's important to have a "just in case plan," and if you ever have to use it, evaluate it and decide what parts worked well, what parts didn't, and what parts were total oversights. It should be a living document. It's never going to be perfect but a less-than-perfect plan is better than no plan at all. A business continuity plan isn't going to mitigate the physical effects of a near-Category 5 hurricane. Roofs are still going to be blown off. Windows are going to be broken, trees topped, roads closed and there's going to be flood damage. But what it can do is help you move operations a few days in advance; allow employees to scatter to safer parts of the state sooner, while still being able to support the business remotely; and enable the business to get back on its feet more quickly than it would otherwise because, once everything is settled, everyone is going to need their jobs. Many of us were fortunate that we were able to watch the events of Ian play out from hundreds or thousands of miles away, but there's an opportunity to learn from its carnage regardless of where you watched it blow through. I've never had to test my tornado plan, which mostly consists of fueling up our vehicles in advance; making sure I have enough bottled water and non-perishable food handy to cover us for a couple days; checking that all our external cell phone battery chargers and fully charged; and all the batteries in the flashlights are charged. Of note: I've never tested the plan, but I have deployed it a few times. We're all just a flash flood, structure fire, tornado, hurricane or earthquake away from being in this very scenario, and if you're watching a storm batter half of an entire state and not wondering, "what would I do if..." then you're truly playing with fire. https://ift.tt/n5HCFbM While pumping unused diesel or gasoline out of a truck’s fuel tank to sell on the open market is not exactly a convenient option, selling unused energy from an EV battery holds much more promise. Utilities around the U.S. have been working more closely with OEMs, fleets and government officials to explore vehicle-to-grid (V2G) electricity distribution. Such an option can not only help fleets recoup energy costs, but also help meet their communities' power needs during grid constraints. CCJ learned of two utilities that recently began pilots testing V2G with the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning. Another utility has been testing V2G with electric school buses. Experts believe larger Class 8 electric trucks have a lot of V2G potential so long as use cases provide enough battery power for discharging. CALSTART vice president Jasna Tomic, who has been working in V2G for the past 20 years, said the additional power that electric trucks can provide, like Mercedes’ recently announced eActros LongHaul with a 600kWh battery pack, can be impactful power sources if the right conditions are met. “If you have 10 [eActros trucks] on site, it's a huge battery storage that we need to definitely look at and work with the fleets, grid operators and utilities to understand how this can be better integrated into a grid system,” Tomic said. [Related: Freightliner unveils new eCascadia] V2G charger manufacturer Nuuve, which is working with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and the Cajon Valley Union School District to distribute power from electric school buses back to the grid, has developed V2G technology that they say can best determine when to charge and discharge EV batteries based on use cases. Nuvve’s website reports that their “VSL software and device enables an EV to receive instructions from the Nuvve Aggregation Server in order to control and regulate the battery charging and discharging, and helps predict travel time and distance to ensure proper charge levels.” Nuuve’s GIVe platform then works with utilities on real-time power requests to send energy from an idle EV back to the grid. “All EVs can benefit from V2G and, as the leader in the space, Nuvve welcomes all commercial fleets,” said Nick Casas, Nuvve’s vice president of commercial fleet sales. “V2G allows fleets to adopt with ease knowing they have the ability to recoup energy cost and lower the total cost of ownership.” According to SDG&E, Nuuve’s V2G technology is off to an impressive start. The pilot, which kicked off in July with eight electric school buses and six bidirectional chargers proved especially helpful during a recent grid shortage. “During the Labor Day heatwave in California, Nuvve reported that the school district discharged 650 kWh of energy as tracked through the company’s GIVe software platform, which aggregates the Cajon Valley Union School District’s buses into a virtual power plant and discharges electricity back to the grid,” said SDG&E Clean Transportation Programs manager Chris Faretta. In March, Ford and Pacific Gas & Electric in Northern California announced a V2G pilot using electric Ford F-150 Lighting pickups equipped with Ford’s Intelligent Backup Power hardware which can supply energy to power a home, small business or be fed back into the grid. “The PG&E pilot is going strong,” said Ford spokesman Eddie Fernandez. “In fact PG&E was just with [California] Governor [Gavin] Newsom at a climate bill signing ceremony [on Sept. 16] with several PG&E F-150 Lightnings that are part of its test fleet around Intelligent Backup Power and V2G services. Testing is ongoing and the data is helping map out future potential V2G services and innovations.” Duke Energy in North Carolina announced last month that it too had partnered with Ford on V2G pilot program that will include F-150 Lightning trucks. Up to 100 Duke Energy customers can enroll in the program, which will reduce vehicle lease payments for participants who lease an eligible EV, including Ford F-150 Lightning trucks. In exchange, customers will allow their EVs to feed energy back to the grid helping to balance it during peak demand. V2G challenges remainCompensation for fleets who participate in V2G in California is still a work in progress, Tomic said. Utilities are also learning the ins and outs of V2G, which is not as easy as it sounds since power companies are more accustomed to delivering power, not accepting it. Some solar customers have helped ease the transition by selling their unused power back to the grid, but there is still much work to be done in terms of safety considerations and power distribution. “Nothing is ever simple, right?” Tomic said. “Utilities are not used to this. They're not necessarily in favor right now. Utilities are somewhat of a barrier.” Concerns around how batteries may be impacted also present some concerns, according to Pegasus Specialty Vehicles President Brian Barringtong. Pegaus makes electric school buses from Zeuss electric chassis. “Obviously, it sounds great to be able to try to recoup some of the money that you are spending for the EV by selling that electricity back to the power company,” Barrington said. “Our concern is how does the constant use of the battery through charge and discharge affect the life of the battery? If you decrease the life of the battery you have to be able to add that expense back into the equation. “That battery is good for its first use for a limited number of cycles, and you are using that battery more by V2G, and we don’t feel that there has been enough of a study to determine whether the cost/benefit is worth it.” Patrick Couch, senior vice president of technical services at Gladstein, Neandross & Associates pointed out that electric trucks aren’t typically good V2G candidates compared to electric school buses, which have duty cycles that make them more available for battery discharging during peak grid times. “The hard part with V2G for commercial trucks in California is that the on-peak time when you would most want to export power is 4 to 9 p.m. Most commercial trucks are either still out working during this time, or have returned to base but haven’t had a chance to recharge,” Couch said. “So, you are looking for fleets that are home during the early afternoon time to soak up off-peak, renewable electricity so they can export it during the late afternoon or evening. “Outside of California, the time-of-day dynamics can be different, but there aren’t as many EV trucks being deployed in these areas,” Couch continued. Southern California Edison, which has also been testing V2G, noted that fleets can currently benefit from V1G, which seeks to maximize optimum charging times for fleets. “Yes, V2G is promising, but we feel that electric vehicles can be a great asset even before we get to the V2G stage,” said SoCal senior advisor Paul Griffo. “Right now we're in the stage of V1G, with dynamic time-of-use rates and demand response that EV fleet owners can participate in. We are seeing that 50% of the grid value of electric vehicles can be harnessed just through the V1G technologies. V2B, or vehicle-to-building, is the next phase. Some Ford vehicles, for example, can be used to provide backup power for buildings during power outages.” SoCal Edison sees great potential for V2G as zero-emission deadlines draw near in California, but in the meantime Griffo said more work needs to be done in research and development to help vet and standardize emerging technologies. “To meet California’s climate goals, by 2045 we’re going to need to electrify 76% of light duty vehicles, 67% of medium-duty vehicles and 38% of heavy-duty vehicles, so there is huge potential there,” Griffo said. “As vehicles become available with V2G technology, the key to unlocking their potential as a resource is certifications and standards of the components that connect them to the grid.” The solar industry helped unlock bidirectional power flow and has passed along lessons that can be used in the years ahead to help determine if “V2G could actually result in a reduction of customers’ electric bills in exchange for energy they supply from their EV batteries when they are connected to the grid,” Griffo added. https://ift.tt/n5HCFbM Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Sept. 30, 2022: FMCSA issues emergency declaration in eight states for Hurricane Ian relief effortsTo help the recovery efforts of areas affected by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall Wednesday afternoon along Florida’s west coast and caused catastrophic flooding and other damage, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a Regional Emergency Declaration that covers eight states. The declaration waives the maximum driving time hours-of-service regulations (49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.3) for truck drivers providing emergency relief in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Carriers providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts transporting supplies, goods, equipment and fuel into the affected states can operate under the declaration. Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure or routine commercial deliveries, FMCSA noted, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration, after the initial threat to life and property has passed. FMCSA’s declaration is effective through Oct. 28, or until the end of the emergency, whichever is earlier. DAT partners with ACT Research to enhance market reports, forecastsDAT Freight & Analytics and ACT Research have entered into an agreement that will enhance the service offerings of both organizations. The companies will work together to develop market reports and forecasts based on DAT RateView, a database of truckload pricing data, and ACT’s economic analysis and commercial vehicle data. Currently, ACT incorporates DAT data into its quarterly freight rate and volume forecast report, which was 98.7% accurate in its Q2 2022 forecast report, the company said. Said Tim Denoyer, Vice President and Sr. Analyst at ACT Research: “Joining forces to harness the power of DAT’s dearly valued RateView data, with our strategic forecasting services, will enhance our offerings to the industry.” With more than 500 million loads posted each year, DAT iQ provides details about spot and contract rates through a database of $137 billion in annual market transactions. “ACT Research provides a critical service to the industry,” said Ken Adamo, DAT's Chief of Analytics. “We’re excited about how our collaboration will enhance their spot and contract rate forecasting to benefit shippers, carriers, brokers and all stakeholders alike.” ACT utilizes proprietary Class 8 equipment population and driver analysis, with award-winning economic forecasting, to predict DAT rates over a two- to three-year window. “We add value by applying our expertise in freight volume and capacity dynamics to predict where rates are headed in the future,” added Denoyer. Volvo to offer EV chargers in new programVolvo Trucks North America announced a new program to provide streamlined access to electric vehicle (EV) charging offerings for dealers and fleet customers. The Vendor Direct Shipping program provides customers the opportunity to procure mobile and fixed charging hardware solutions directly from Volvo Trucks dealers when they purchase Volvo VNR Electric trucks. “The Vendor Direct Shipping program is a simple and effective method of ordering charging hardware for customers purchasing VNR Electric trucks,” said Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. “The Volvo Trucks dealer will be able to log in to the parts portal and order chargers just as they would to order any truck part. As we’ve said from the beginning, the purchase of a VNR Electric is more than just a truck, it’s a total transportation solution and providing our customers with reliable charging hardware is a key pillar in that process.” Beginning this October, customers will have the opportunity to purchase charging hardware when they purchase a Volvo VNR Electric truck. Customers will have two chargers from Heliox to choose from initially: a 50kW Mobile DC Fast Charger (Single Port CCS1) or a 180kW Flex DC Fast Charger (up to three CCS-1 dispensers). Volvo Trucks said it will continue to expand its offerings and partners as more and more fleets begin to adopt battery-electric trucks. Customers participating in the program can also work with participating vendors to develop tailored and scalable infrastructure to ensure the battery-electric trucks are being charged up efficiently while making the best use of available power. Heliox is the first provider to participate and has a team of EV charging experts and partners to ensure the entire project goes smoothly, from delivery, setup, commissioning, testing, training, operations, and beyond. Former U.S. Xpress exec joins autonomous truck firmAutonomous truck startup Waabi has hired Dustin Koehl, who will serve as the company’s Head of Transportation. Koehl is a 16-year trucking industry veteran and most recently led Over-The-Road (OTR) Operations for U.S. Xpress Enterprises (CCJ Top 250, No. 19). Waabi says Koehl is one of the first trucking executives to join an autonomous vehicle company. Waabi says the hire shows tremendous progress for the company’s move toward commercialization, adding that Koehl will bring his expertise to lead Waabi’s fleet and transportation efforts. https://ift.tt/n5HCFbM A fleet’s transition to electric trucks isn’t really going to reinvent its business. Things are still going to be loaded on a trailer and unloaded at a different location. The movement to zero emission will, however, reinvent the business model of most heavy truck OEMs and deepen the fleet/dealer relationship as motor carriers in some cases get strong-armed into adopting emerging technologies that they don’t fully understand and are not equipped to fully support in-house. Volvo Trucks North America is taking a consultive approach that walks hand-in-hand with fleets from truck acquisition, to infrastructure buildout, to maintenance and service, and bundling it all into a package that allows carriers to cover the entire process with a single payment. "We're not trying to sell battery electric trucks," said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks North America vice president of marketing and brand management. "We're trying to help customers find the best solution that meets their needs; diesel or electric." Volvo Trucks plans a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and 100% CO2 reduction by 2040, but “we think we can go faster,” said Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve. Much of the emission-slashing heavy-lifting in the near-term will be done by Volvo’s VNR Electric. Announced in late 2018 and available in five configurations, production on the fully electric VNR started in 2021 with production on next generation models currently underway. As heavily as its electric regional tractor features in its plans for the U.S., Volvo’s approach to zero emission is three pronged and includes diesel engines, battery electric and fuel cell electric. Volvo’s global electric lineup includes six models ranging from medium to heavy duty. Electric gold standardA fleet's transition to a battery electric comes fraught with questions: What do we do if it breaks down? How expensive are parts? How do we even make repairs? Sam Ellis, Volvo Trucks product manager, said the company unfurled its Volvo Gold Contract to address these concerns. The contract is a required component with the acquisition of a VNR Electric. Under the agreement the truck comes fully supported with remote diagnostics, and the contract covers all repairs with the exception of tires and glass. It also locks in parts and labor costs, and trucks can be serviced at any Volvo EV certified dealer. The company currently has 18 EV certified Volvo Truck dealers with 59 more in progress. Scheduled maintenance includes annual main service and chassis lube service at 30,000 miles. Other filter and fluid changes take place either annually or at 150,000 or more miles. Preventive maintenance is covered and handled on an as needed basis, but every PM includes a comprehensive inspection. Also covered is the truck’s battery, electrical system and its electric powertrain. Billing options are flexible and payable as either a lump sum, monthly ACH or monthly payments financed with Volvo Financial Services. The Gold Contract is interest-free. The cost is simply divided equally over the term. The Gold Contract may alleviate some of the concerns with keeping the truck moving, but there are plenty of other concerns that come along with acquisition: the cost of equipment, charging infrastructure, collateral value, new technology, tying up capital, navigating various incentives and insurance. Logan Andrew, electromobility market development manager for Volvo Financial Services, said the Gold Contract can be bundled with insurance payments, and charging infrastructure installation and maintenance, into a single monthly payment that covers basically all areas of the truck’s operation. Volvo helped QCD, a Texas-based fleet that services the restaurant business, find nearly $4 million in grants to install eight DC fast chargers and two portable chargers from Shell Recharge Solutions and acquire 14 VNR Electric trucks to service its Fontana, California, distribution center, “with lease financing from Volvo Financial that matched diesel total cost of operation,” said Manuel Aguirre, Volvo Energy Head of Charging and Infrastructure. To-date, Andrew said there’s been a “good mix” of customers leasing or purchasing trucks and Jared Ruiz, electromobility sales manager, said return on investment – which he said is still difficult to calculate – hasn’t been a primary consideration for fleet acquisition, rather it’s been companies in pursuit of greener solutions or feeling pressure from shipper-customers requiring their carrier partners cut its carbon footprint. InfrastructureThere are two primary modes of charging: depot charging, where trucks are charged at a company’s terminal usually overnight, and public charging. “We see up to 80% of the energy charging battery electric vehicles will come from depot charging,” said Aguirre. “That’s where fleets have control of the infrastructure. They have control of the access to infrastructure.” Depot charging can take between 2 and 12 hours while public fast charging can top off a truck in an hour or less, or between 6 and 12 hours using a 50-kilowatt slow charger. While there are only two choices when it comes to charging type – fast and slow – this is new technology and uncharted waters for most fleets. Volvo is now offering advisory services to help fleets select, design and install charging capabilities, maintain them and finance them – including help in seeking out applicable incentives. “There’s a lot of trade-offs,” Dan Freeze, Product Planning Manager, noted of the inverse correlation of cost of installation to charging time: the less it costs to install, the longer it will take to charge the truck. Higher capacity chargers, for example, can cost upwards of $1 million but can charge a truck in less than an hour while less expensive lower capacity units can take upwards of half a day. Lifecycle solutionsAs part of its consultive approach, Alexis Clemons, Volvo Group's electromobility sales manager, said Volvo can run simulations of real world routes for fleets, showcasing how an electric truck might fit into a given duty cycle. Clemons said the models assume worst case scenarios with regards to range and capability, and added that to-date real word performance has been better than predicted modeled performance in every case. Once the carrier transitions into acquiring the trucks, Volvo can help monitor their status in real-time and compile reports showing how one truck’s performance stacks up against others in the fleet. Volvo can then help the fleet optimize battery state of health, make recommendations for charging practices and manage end of life strategies. “Once we get to the actual end of life, or end of the Gold Contract, we're going to have a conversation, ‘Can we refurbish those battery packs and put that truck back on the road?’ Or we’re going to say they are no longer at a sufficient state of health,” and need to be repurposed, Clemons said, noting the company is expecting an 8 year life from its batteries. https://ift.tt/n5HCFbM Autonomous technology trucking company Kodiak Robotics Thursday announced a collaboration with Werner Enterprises (CCJ Top 250, No. 13) to establish an autonomous trucking lane and to showcase how efficiently autonomous trucks can be used via a transfer hub model. The relationship kicked off last month with a week-long pilot program in which a Kodiak truck, accompanied by a human safety driver, completed four round trips (eight segments) between Dallas and Lake City, Florida. During the pilot, Kodiak completed a total of 152 hours of operation – including mandatory rest breaks, time for refueling and driver swaps – covered 7,957 miles, and achieved 100% on-time delivery performance with a calculated average speed of 65 mph. Werner had trailers ready for a Kodiak self-driving truck to pick up on both ends of the trip, and Werner’s local drivers completed first-mile pickup and final-mile deliveries – a truckport/transfer hub model that Kodiak Founder and CEO Don Burnette said maximizes the amount of time the Kodiak Driver – the company's autonomous platform that uses a sensor fusion system and lightweight mapping solution – spends driving. The company noted that 94% of all miles were driven in autonomy while accompanied by a human safety driver. Werner’s Senior Vice President of Van/Expedited Chad Dittberner said the Omaha, Nebraska-based carrier is eager to establish the hybrid model of drivers and ongoing autonomous lanes "to create new and unparalleled levels of efficiency while staying focused on Werner’s value of putting safety first.” Burnette said the Kodiak Driver is designed to do the often-undesirable highway portions of long-haul routes, "allowing drivers to handle the deliveries that let them sleep in their own beds at night." Werner Enterprises also joined Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and seamlessly integrate the Kodiak Driver into their fleet. Kodiak Robotics in April, alongside U.S. Xpress, launched Level 4 autonomous freight service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta. Using a Kodiak self-driving truck and U.S. Xpress trailers, the two companies in May completed a first-of-its-kind pilot, hauling freight on four round-trips (eight segments), covering approximately 6,350 miles and delivering eight commercial loads between Dallas and Atlanta. https://ift.tt/JNMGCxK Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022: Canada ending cross-border vax mandate, OOIDA urges U.S. to follow suitThe Canadian government announced on Monday "the removal of all COVID-19 entry restrictions, as well as testing, quarantine, and isolation requirements for anyone entering Canada," including both Canadian and U.S. truckers. The move, which will be effective as of Oct. 1, ended a regulation that had caused heated, weeks-long protests to cripple the country's capital city of Ottawa earlier this year. Immediately following that move, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association called on the U.S. to follow suit. OOIDA cited the Canadian relaxation as due cause for President Joe Biden to "end the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders." The association used Biden's own words, noting the president's recent statement on CBS' 60 Minutes that "the pandemic is over." "With this recognition that our country has moved passed the pandemic phase of the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, we think this is a perfect time to move past these mandates," OOIDA concluded. The U.S. imposed its vaccine mandate on foreign drivers in January of this year, which was met with resistance from drivers and politicians alike. OOIDA in its statement on Monday said it represents more than 150,000 drivers, including more than 1,000 from Canada. "Throughout the COVID-19 emergency, our members and thousands of other professional truckers have been risking their lives to deliver critical goods to communities throughout North America," the organization wrote. "Prior to January 2022, truckers were safely operating across the U.S-Canadian border to ensure North Americans had the food and supplies they needed without having to show proof of vaccination or disclosing any other aspects of their personal medical history." OOIDA reiterated its stance that "commercial drivers spend the majority of their time alone in their vehicle and outside" and that "there is no evidence that truckers present a higher risk of spreading the virus," and have not been tied to any outbreaks or meaningful containment strategies for the virus. "OOIDA has always maintained that vaccination is a personal choice just like any health decision," the association went on, "and we have provided our members with the most up-to-date information about how they can receive COVID-19 vaccines. But for drivers who have made a decision that doesn’t comply with the mandate, it has forced them out of business or to change their operations." OOIDA dubbed the mandate an "enormous regulatory burden" that "adds another unnecessary obstacle" for cross-border operators. XPO honors driver for hitting 4 million accident-free milesXPO Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 7) has announced that long-time truck driver David Frazier has exceeded four million accident-free miles in his LTL career — the highest driver safety record in XPO’s history. The company tracks accident-free miles as part of its Road to Zero driver safety program. Frazier began driving LTL tractors in 1987 with Con-way, which was acquired by XPO in 2015. His groundbreaking four millionth mile was documented at the company’s terminal in Kernersville, North Carolina, where he has been based for over 34 years. It can take a professional truck driver nine years on average to cover one million miles, making Frazier’s accomplishment even more remarkable, given his tenure. “David is a legend in our network and a role model in every respect, particularly when it comes to safety procedures,” said Mario Harik, president, less-than-truckload, XPO Logistics. “Our drivers have watched him operate thousands of times and learned to always do things the right way. It’s a privilege to share his milestone with the industry.” The company has honored Frazier with a team celebration in Kernersville attended by district, region and corporate leaders. He also received the keys to a brand new XPO tractor with a customized cab design that displays his name and record achievement. Distributor launches hot shot fleet to meet shipping needsFrustrated by trying to find carriers to deliver its garage equipment reliably, carefully and cost-effectively to customers around North America, BendPak, Inc., started its own private fleet. Building on that experience, BendPak has now launched Bolt Transport, a hot shot transportation provider offering nationwide delivery of freight of all sizes. “We started Bolt Transport to serve our customers and other shippers that need to transport long and heavy, hard-to-move loads,” said Pat Weber, BendPak director of sales and business development. “Bolt’s goal is to help customers cut their shipping expenses and help alleviate the current lack of freight capacity in the U.S.” Hot-shotting generally means delivering time-sensitive or oversized LTL (less-than-truckload) freight within a set timeframe to a single customer or location. Along with traditional hot shot service, Bolt Transport also offers small package delivery, “high touch” white glove (typically for handle-with-care packages) services, messenger services and logistics solutions. Logistics offerings include efficiently coordinating and moving materials, inventory or equipment. The Bolt fleet is domiciled in two locations -- Theodore, Alabama, and Santa Paula, California. The company runs medium-duty trucks and 45-foot tarped flatbeds for hot shot hauls, as well as smaller trucks for lighter-duty services. FleetPride acquires Houston-area heavy-duty shopFleetPride announced this week that it has acquired the assets of Sam & Sons Truck Equipment of Houston, which was family-owned by brothers Samuel, Robert and Richard, and sister, Olivia Olivo. Founded in 1968, Sam & Sons provided unique and specialized heavy-duty services and, now as a part of FleetPride, "we look forward to carrying on 54 years of legacy, along with our customers and employees for years to come," said owner Richard Olivo. "Sam & Sons has thrived, and we are confident we will continue to be even more fortunate with FleetPride." Sam & Sons’ 26,000-square-foot location provides customers in the greater Houston area with expanded service capabilities, including specialized services in liftgate repair and an onsite 100-foot paint booth capable of servicing a 54-foot tractor and trailer. These capabilities are bolstered by access to FleetPride's heavy-duty parts inventory, both locally and nationwide. Sam & Sons has a loyal customer base, many of whom have been customers for over 20 years. FleetPride will continue to support these longstanding relationships with the same 35-plus local experts and is eager to continue the legacy of the company. https://ift.tt/JNMGCxK McLeod creates new web user interface expands other capabilities to support customer growth9/28/2022 When McLeod Software Corp. came on the scene almost four decades ago, the company was replacing typewriters. The provider of transportation dispatch, accounting, operations and brokerage management software, and document management systems rewrote its product line between 2000 and 2003 and is now many “refreshes” deep with plans to launch a new web browser user interface over the next few years across its PowerBroker and LoadMaster operations systems, which have grown to host more than 1,100 companies. McLeod made the announcement this week, along with several other updates, at its 2022 user conference in Nashville, which drew a record-setting number of attendees at 1,500-plus and had more vendors compared to previous years, representing the company’s growing integration partner roster. One of the TMS provider’s latest integration partners is Isaac Instruments. After publishing an open application programming interface (API) for digital freight matching within the PowerBroker system almost two years ago, McLeod said it is publishing the same type of open API for mobile communications, ELD systems and trailer monitoring and tracking. The first two deployments of this open mobile communications API with the new LoadMaster Symphony Mobile Communications Service (SMCS) include Isaac for tractor telematics, hours of service information, driver dispatch workflow and document image capture as well as TGI Connect for its trailer telematics solution. All new integrations for LoadMaster with both ELD/mobile communications and trailer telematics will employ this new standard Open SMCS API going forward, allowing any qualified telematics provider to develop a supported integration solution with McLeod. “Our goal is to be easy to interface, to have the most and the best interfaces,” said McLeod Software CEO Tom McLeod. “Our API will eliminate that bottleneck and allow us to get vendors up and running more quickly.” Like its APIs, the new web user interface will launch with PowerBroker as PowerBroker Web in early 2023, following a pilot with first-time users. The interface will later be released on the LoadMaster and LoadMaster LTL systems, capturing McLeods full product line. McLeod said the company has been able to preserve its robust functionality throughout the many refreshes its systems have been through, and the new interface will allow users to do even more, “finding the magic,” McLeod said, where users can get jobs done quicker with automation. “The new user interface, we’re not just putting a new skin on … We’re not just giving you the same functions as before. We’re taking the time with this new functionality to improve workflows – develop role-based workflows that guide the user and streamline the user’s interaction with the system,” he said. “We’ll be able to do more and more on a native basis. The user involvement and user feedback has been key to help us get there.” McLeod is expanding business process automation with carrier invoice processing as part of its Logix Solutions products as well to help carriers get paid faster and improve efficiency for 3PLs. The new module, which uses optical character recognition technology to mitigate the need for various images to be reviewed by people, helps 3PLs and brokers collect, identify, index and match carrier documents electronically to speed the carrier payment process. The system also works to help back-office staff handle exceptions, such as multiple loads on a single invoice or OS&D claims associated with a load. In addition to automation, McLeod is also investing in expanding its artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. A major focus in that area is market insights to help carriers make better pricing decisions. McLeod noted that APIs and cloud-based technology enable the company to aggregate anonymous customer data for its market insight products like its MPact trucking lane and rate analysis tool. The company in April released an advanced version called MPact PRO, which lets the carrier or 3PL benchmark themselves against the rest of the market and gain a deeper understanding of market-rate dynamics in any given origin, destination or lane. McLeod is working to develop predictive pricing that would offer foresight into rate trends several days into the future based on historical factors showcased in McLeod’s data. McLeod’s truckload market rate dataset is derived daily from over 1,000 companies that contribute rates. “That’s the roadmap for what we can do with machine learning,” said McLeod Chief Information Officer Ken Craig. “You’re going to be seeing everybody coming up with new little point solutions every day, but what data is being used to get that? Who knows how good that data is, or how old it is, or where they got it from. Our data is stellar – some of the best I’ve seen – and only our customers can use it.” McLeod has made other moves to help its customers improve performance. That includes a major overhaul for parts of the technical architecture of its systems, specifically the application servers and messaging systems that are the foundation for the functional software applications. The overhaul, completed in 2021, gives customers better ability to scale and grow their systems alongside McLeod’s growth. The company, which exceeded 600 full-time employees earlier this year, saw double-digit growth in 2021, and its 2022 top line revenue continues to grow at an annual rate exceeding 20%. https://ift.tt/JNMGCxK Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022: Biden approves $5 billion plan for nationwide electric vehicle infrastructureThe race to widely deploy electric vehicles has largely been a case of chicken and egg. Without the infrastructure to charge them, consumers en masse had no incentive to purchase EVs. Yet, with no EV density on the highway, there was no incentive to install infrastructure. Until now. The Biden-Harris Administration Tuesday approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plans for all 50 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico ahead of schedule under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, established and funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The approval unlocks access to more than $1.5 billion through next fiscal year to help build EV chargers covering approximately 75,000 miles of highway across the country. The NEVI formula funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which makes $5 billion available over five years, will help build a convenient, reliable and affordable EV charging network across the country. California is slated to get the single largest slice of the funding – more than $383,000,000 through 2026. Florida, at $198,000,000 is next. Washington D.C. ($16,600.000), New Hampshire ($17,200,000), Delaware ($17,600,000) and Hawaii ($17,600,000) were among the states receiving the lowest amounts. Puerto Rico was allocated $13,600,000. Find a state-by-state breakdown here. States can use NEVI Formula funding for projects directly related to the charging of a vehicle, including upgrading of existing and construction of new EV charging infrastructure; operation and maintenance costs of these charging stations; installation of on-site electrical service equipment; community and stakeholder engagement; workforce development activities; EV charging station signage; data sharing activities; and related mapping analysis and activities. Emergency HOS declaration extended in OregonAn emergency hours of service declaration allowing certain truck drivers to operate outside of certain hours regulations in Oregon has been extended through the end of October. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Aug. 27 issued an emergency declaration in the state due to wildfires and “critical fire danger” resulting from high temperatures, winds, storms with dry lightning and persistent drought. The declaration was originally set to expire Sept. 26, but the emergency is still ongoing, and FMCSA extended it through Oct. 31. Truck drivers providing direct assistance to the wildfire emergency in Oregon are exempt from Part 395.3 (maximum driving time) of FMCSA’s regulations. Direct assistance does not include routine commercial deliveries, including mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of the emergency declaration, FMCSA noted. FMCSA to allow UPS to train CLP holders on double trailersThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted an exemption to UPS (CCJ Top 250, No. 2) to allow the company to conduct behind-the-wheel training for commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders in twin 28-foot trailers, rather than waiting to conduct the training after the drivers receive their Class A CDLs and pass the required knowledge test to obtain the double/triple trailer endorsement. UPS requested the exemption in February 2020. FMCSA said UPS wanted to “ensure that its driver-trainees know how to safely operate the vehicles they will be driving in normal operations” and that the company planned “to train its Class A CLP holders to operate double trailers prior to the individuals receiving their CDLs and taking the double/triple trailer knowledge test.” Under the requested exemption, UPS driver-trainee CLP holders will be able to obtain on-the-road training in doubles only under direct supervision of a certified driver instructor who has completed UPS’s eight-week UPS Driver Trainer and Instructor Program and is recertified every 90 days before obtaining a CDL and the required endorsement for operating such CMVs. FMCSA said that before granting the request, it conducted a “comprehensive review of UPS’s safety performance,” including inspection and accident reports and more. https://ift.tt/HV1if4w Hiring the best and the brightest diesel mechanics during a technician shortage can require a change in tactics. As trade school officials told CCJ, it’s not just about offering a promising paycheck and a few tools to get started, it’s more about the entire compensation package, culture and sometimes even a jet plane. “We have employers come from all over the United States to recruit our students,” said Jim Mathis, president and CEO of WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming. “Some employers fly their private jets in and load up students and take them back to their area to show off their shops and wine and dine them.” Sandra Jordan, director of career services at Lincoln Tech’s Nashville campus said employers are fishing big time for the best students, which can lead to all-expense paid trips. She recalled a recent conversation with a student who landed a job following an enticing recruiting effort that they won’t soon forget. “I asked, ‘How did they get you onboarded?’” Jordan said. What came next was further confirmation of how far some shops are willing to go to attract tech students. “[The student] said, ‘Well, they paid for me and my significant other to come out to tour their facility. They gave us tickets to the aquarium. They bought us tickets to dinner. They paid for our hotel,'” Jordan said with a laugh. “I said, ‘All right, I don't want to hear anything else.” [Related: Diesel tech students maximizing opportunities in tech-starved industry] Jordan explained that students are told to seriously consider job offers before accepting “because if it's shiny and looks good doesn't necessarily mean it is.” In addition to rolling out the red carpet, shops can win over students with a tuition reimbursement incentive plan (TRIP) said Robert Kessler, regional vice president of operations at Universal Technical Institute and president of UTI’s campus in Exton, Pennsylvania. “I would tell you that it's not necessarily just the pay, but the whole compensation package,” Kessler said. “Many of the employers today offer some form of TRIP. They're offering to pay back students' loans over the course of time, and that is certainly a very attractive piece of the compensation package. In other cases, it might be relocation assistance or tool allowances, different things like that.” When it comes to benefits, 83% of respondents to the 2022 State of Diesel Technicians report, a survey-based report produced by Randall Reilly and sponsored by Shell Lubricant Solutions, reported that they receive health insurance; 78% get paid holiday leave; 72% dental insurance; 69% are offered an IRA or 401(k); 64% vision insurance; 60% uniform/PPE allowance; 58% life/accident/death and dismemberment insurance; 57% paid sick leave; 20% tool program reimbursement; 17% tuition reimbursement; 15% pension plan; and 14% profit sharing. Pay is not everything. Given the number of jobs available to students, they have an opportunity to be more particular about who they go to work for. Though a paycheck ranks high on the list of priorities, it’s not always the top concern. Adam Duplin, diesel program coordinator at New Village Institute (NVI) in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, said shops would do well to focus more on their relationship skills with students who may just as well jump ship if they sense better opportunities elsewhere. “More so with this younger generation of students, we're finding that they’re looking into mentoring or an open relationship with the employer to know that they're going to take care of them and help guide them and progress them the right way,” Duplin said. Current training methods in shops vary. According to the 2022 State of Diesel Technicians report, 50% of respondents are sent to training events and/or receive instruction from trainers brought on-site; 40% receive training through OEM/supplier courses online; 37% are taught through company-wide training curriculum; 28% are encouraged to seek out their own training; and 11% said they have not undergone training in their current role. NVI campus director Chris Barton pointed out that laying out a plan for students can help ease the frequently awkward question of pay. “I think being able to lay out a growth plan can help ease some of that pay issue,” Barton said. “Yes, they do care what they're making right off the bat, but I think in some cases they're willing to take maybe a little less, as long as they can see that there is a clear progression and they know how they can make more money in the future as they develop their skills or get certifications.” Jordan said students may be willing to take a cut in pay if someone shows them the big picture of the entire compensation package. “We spend a lot of time in our department and career services trying to educate students because some will come to us and say, ‘Well, I'm not getting tuition,’ and I'll say, ‘But they're paying you $32 an hour, so that's the equivalent of someone paying you $20 an hour plus tuition.’ So we have to sit down and show them the map and work it all out for them to understand.” Get your culture known quicklyWith smartphones in hand, NVI’s Director of Career Services Hal Wagner explained that students are researching shops not only for compensation packages but also for culture. If online feedback isn’t positive enough, students may look elsewhere no matter the pay. “Culture is number one, especially with these younger students that we see,” Wagner said. “They want to feel comfortable. They want to see that career path. They want see growth and they want to know their employers are going to take care of them.” After doing their research, word of mouth travels fast and plays a big roll, Wagner said, in influencing job selection, something the State of Diesel Technician report backs up with most respondents (67%) leaning on word of mouth for job leads. Shops that consider a tech’s family obligations, offer vacation time and shut their doors on weekends also keep techs feeling more content about their jobs. “That's a huge part that factors in where pay leaves off. It’s the culture and being comfortable with where you work,” Wagner continued. Mathis explained that students at WyoTech are taught to consider workplace culture instead of chasing a paycheck. “I think as much as anything is how are these students going to be treated? What's the culture of the shop?” Mathis said. “And I guess that's where my first bullet point is. Culture is everything in an organization, and so we really teach our students to make sure that you just don't go off pay or benefits, understand their culture, understand their expectations, make sure that your culture matches with their culture because if it's not, I don't care how much you get paid, it can be very miserable.” The importance of culture to the incoming crop of would-be technicians could mean a change in management philosophies at the fleet level, as respondents to the 2022 State of Diesel Technicians survey – about 51% of which have 21 or more years in the business – ranked corporate culture fifth among factors most important when choosing a new job, behind behind pay, location, opportunities for advancement and scope of work. Simply offering up a positive culture is not enough. Jordan said it’s the shops that quickly make themselves known to students and tactfully pursue them at career fairs that are typically reeling in most of the students. “We have people thinking totally outside the box with their recruiting strategies,” Jordan said. “I'll give you an example. I won't use company names, but at the career fair, the people who hired and got the most out of the career fair were people who made offers and interviewed the students on the spot. Other people said, ‘Hey, sign up for interviews. We're going to be here tomorrow.’ But students can’t wait for tomorrow. They’re gone. They were gone.” https://ift.tt/HV1if4w |
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April 2023
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