Mack Trucks is offering a factory-installed electric auxiliary power unit (eAPU) for Anthem and Pinnacle models spec'd with a 70-inch sleeper. The Phillips and Temro Idle Free Series 5000 eAPU offers customers increased air-cooling capacity, reduced idling and simplified maintenance. Stu Russoli, Mack Trucks highway product manager, said the Idle Free eAPU features a 10,000 BTU compressor and three-speed evaporator fan to direct the airflow to the sleeper without duct work, allowing the driver to easily adjust temperature and fan speed from the control panel located on the evaporator in the bunk. The Trojan AGM battery can keep the sleeper 73 degrees (from am 83-degree ambient temperature) for 9 hours. The unit is recharged while the truck is driving but an optional automatic start-stop kit, which allows the truck to automatically idle to recharge the batteries, turning the engine off when they are fully charged, is available as an option. Russoli said the unit can be recharged in 90 minutes once it's depleted or 3 hours if battery is completely drained. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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The trucking industry is short at least a record-high 80,000 drivers, according to American Trucking Associations' Chief Economist Bob Costello, due in large part to accelerated retirements in the wake of the pandemic and trucking schools that were shuttered or limited in their ability to infuse new CDL drivers into the workforce. Costello's updated figure represents a significant upward adjustment from his previous estimation of less than 60,000. Costello noted the driver shortage improved in 2019 thanks mostly to an infusion of new talent and a stable freight environment, but industry-wide volatility brought on by the pandemic has boosted headcount needs by more than 30%. The current estimation and its upward movement is likely no surprise as the White House struggles with ideas to reconcile the amount of goods that need to be moved with the lack of capacity to move it. "This is sort of a warning to the entire supply chain," Costello said, noting that if current trends hold, trucking could be short 160,000 drivers by 2030. "I really do think the supply chain problems of today are a glimpse into our future if we do not fix this." While it's easy to lay blame on the pandemic, Costello said all transportation players – from shipper to carrier to receiver – play a role in the labor problem, and that the current supply chain woes only pile on underlying industry issues like elevated driver age and lack of diversity in the driver force. Shifting the driver paradigm: Winning with equipment, technology and culture Join us in person at the the 2021 CCJ Solutions Summit, Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, in Chandler, Arizona. CCJ Summit assembles fleet executives, thought leaders, industry analysts and leading suppliers to explore ways equipment, technology and corporate culture can shift the driver paradigm and overcome your No. 1 challenge: Cultivating a qualified workforce. Don’t miss your chance to collaborate and socialize in-person with your peers at the picturesque Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. "We have a demographics problem," Costello said. "We have a high average age [and] you have to be at least 21 years old to drive interstate freight, but most people don't wait around." Costello said most new drivers enter the industry at around 35 years old, and for LTL and private fleets that number balloons to over 50 years old. "When you're going to have life out on the road, I don't know if I want to do it at 35 (years old)," Costello said, harkening to the fact that many would-be truck drivers have already sought another career path by the time they are of age to drive interstate. In fact, Costello suggested that trucking's age model is backwards; that, ideally, drivers should learn to drive OTR first before driving intrastate, which includes urban settings that can be more challenging. Costello noted he and ATA support the DRIVE Safe Act, which could infuse the industry with up to 3,000 drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 who would be trained and mentored for interstate driving. Fleets have also struggled to onboard women consistently. While females make up about 47% of the workforce, they make up less than 8% of truck drivers. Even fleets who have had success attracting women drivers, Costello said, barely crack 20%. Diversity aside, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has removed about 70,000 drivers from the road, and "the vast majority of them aren't even attempting the return-to-duty process," Costello noted. Before Costello tied an updated number to it, fleets had already identified a lack of drivers as biggest issue currently facing the industry for the fifth year in a row. "I'm not telling you fleets don't get applicants. They get applicants," he said. "It's just that they cannot hire the vast majority of them." Costello conceded that the idea of a driver shortage can be both relative and controversial but pointed to a two-year-long trend in climbing driver pay as an indicator that fleets are feeling the pressure to find and keep drivers. According to a recent CCJ survey, 68% of fleet respondents had raised driver pay at least once this year, and 31% reported raising driver wages more than once (7% said pay has been raised three times or more). Better pay, though, hasn't translated to more freight movement. In many cases, drivers are taking those raises and coupling it with more home time. The end result is they are able to be home more and drive less, but their take home pay is unchanged. "Pay alone does not solve this problem," he said. The deteriorating infrastructure and lack of investment is also a headwind for the industry as Costello noted bottlenecks, traffic jams and haphazard parking availability impacts how long a driver wants to stay on the road in a given day. "Drivers quit early if they can find a parking spot for the night. If they knew they could drive a couple more hours down the road, think about that – over the span of the year – how many more loads they could do?" Shippers are part of the problem and would-be solution, Costello said, noting slashing detention times could boost productivity while also removing one of drivers' more cited points of frustration. "The trucking industry alone cannot solve this," he said. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
Truck driver John Doe was headed northbound on a crisp morning, traveling down on a two-lane city boulevard at the posted speed limit of 35 mph.
Doe turned right at the next intersection and up ahead saw a pickup in the opposing lane. Doe could tell the driver was distracted and the pickup was going at a high speed, weaving in and out of its lane. The road was devoid of other traffic except for Doe’s tractor-trailer. The pickup driver suddenly jutted into Doe’s lane, on a collision course with the tractor. Doe promptly hit both his horn and his service brakes and came to a screeching halt. The screeching tires and blaring horn caught the attention of the pickup driver who, momentarily, whizzed back into his own lane before losing control smashing into Doe’s left front fender. Could the truck driver have prevented this accident? The National Safety Council ruled the accident was non-preventable. John Doe stopped dead in his tracks immediately upon seeing Durham’s truck in his lane and could not have avoided the impact. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Suprise Trucking's long road to resurrection after early setbacks for Bryon and Holly Stoll10/25/2021 Trucking nearly broke the Stoll family. Literally and figuratively. Several times. While unhooking a trailer full of toilet seats for Bemis, Bryon Stoll was struggling to get the landing gear to budge. Slowly, it started to move. Barely. Bryon readjusted his feet and mustered all his might. He was going to drop this trailer, and with a final hefty crank "the handle came off in my hand," he recalled. "My feet stayed planted but from the waist up I twisted and leaned back at the same time, just from the sheer force of it." The combination of force and motion shattered one of his vertebrae. That was the end of his trucking career, or so he thought. Bryon had a spinal infusion to repair his back and joined a small local company as its systems administrator. He also joined the local volunteer fire department, "and the work I did with the fire department and getting certified as a fire firefighter and EMT," he said, "I guess it helped strengthen my core muscles. And all of a sudden my back problems went away." Bryon and his wife, Holly, were in the process of establishing their young family when fate struck yet again. "After about five years on the department, I answered a call for a house fire right across the street from where we were living and broke my tibia and my fibula in my left leg," Bryon recalled, "and that put me down and out." During his rehab period, Bryon decided he wanted another career change, and all the money being made in oilfield work held a major allure. "I really didn't want to get back into trucking, because I started trucking back in the mid- to late-'90s, but from the kind of money we're talking, 'let's do it," he said to himself. "It was all financially driven, but that allowed us to buy a house, get our credit straight, buy a brand-new pickup truck. You know, we started going down the right path here, you know, getting our stuff together." The Stolls worked in the North Dakota oil fields for six years, but when oil prices dropped customers stopped honoring contracts. The Stolls had a vested interest in the companies they worked for and maxed out credit cards to keep themselves afloat before ultimately returning home. "If you ever listened to Kevin Rutherford and his advice on starting a business and getting into trucking," Bryon said, "we did everything opposite of his suggestions and advice." In 2016, while trying to figure out the family's next move, Bryon said Holly told him he should "buy a truck and work for myself. So we did," he recalled. Suprise Trucking – the Stolls' New London, Wisconsin reefer carrier – now has eight drivers "concentrated on serving our customers, providing excellent communication and always striving to be on time. We insist on hard work, honesty and fulfilling our drivers' and customers' needs." Holly owns the majority of the company and is the company's President, its namesake (Suprise is her maiden name) and handles most of the business end of the company. Bryon is co-owner, vice president and driver. Suprise Trucking is among 10 semi-finalists for Overdrive's 2021 Small Fleet Champ award. The drop in freight rates with the onset of the pandemic, Bryon said, incentivized a few drivers to stay home, "but we persevered and bought multiple pieces of equipment and were able to expand and able to grow." The fleet features two company-owned trucks and seven owner-operators with an eighth on the way. "So we've slowly, slowly been growing and we've helped three or four of the guys buy their trucks," Holly said. The company has added three drivers in the first six months this year – a growth rate that's been stoked by a dedicated customer with an inventory backlog and spot reefer rates that are on an absolute tear. "We have one direct customer and that's hauling windows and doors – finished windows and doors – and we deliver them to builders," Bryon said. "And they, at the beginning of the COVID, you know, everybody was shut down. So they've got a backlog," and now "they're screaming for trucks all the time." It doesn't take a lot of talent to find good rates these days, but Holly said what sets Suprise Trucking apart from other small trucking operations is the amount of forethought and planning they put into working the right load board, or the right broker, at the right time for the right driver. "We have a handful of brokers that we use very often and that definitely helps," Holly said, adding the company has brought on a former co-worker from the oilfield to help manage the logistics side of load booking. "Knowing your lanes right now is very key." Being able to effectively work its lanes has enabled Suprise to secure a fleet-average rate of about $5 per mile – more than $1.50 per mile higher than reefer spot market averages. Focus on people, diversification for growthHolly said another way her virtually debt-free small company is working to stand out is in how it treats its employees, namely its drivers. "We don't force anybody to do anything, but when they tell me they they're ready to work, we put them to work," she said. "When they say they're ready to go home, we send them home. If they have a personal issue that needs attention, we'll do whatever we can to help with that." The Stolls, and Suprise's acumen for negotiation and load planning, have passed down some hefty settlements for operators willing to put in the hours. Bryon said active owner-operators routinely gross $10,000 to $15,000 a week, adding one driver recently topped $17,000. Holly is also an advocate for detention pay and routinely will request it on behalf of her drivers when appropriate. Bryon said the company's goal for this year was to have 10 trucks running by the end of the year. While he's not sure he'll hit that mark, he's certain they'll be close. And he's already eyeing 2022. "If we can keep these guys, I would like to see about five more next year," he said. An authorized dealer for Pittsburgh Power, Suprise Trucking is also diversified, helping its drivers -- and any driver or local business -- improve fuel economy (and profitability) with tunings and Pittsburgh's Max Mileage catalyst. "Back in the day, you get a truck and you want to make a million dollars. You go out and run and run and run," Bryon said of adding to the business. "The more miles you put on the more money you make. Well, I don't like that idea because my butt starts to hurt. It gets sore. So we try to work, work smarter, not harder. And it's working really, really good for us. "All of our drivers use catalyst by their choice, we don't pressure them. They just choose to do it," he continued. "I tell them, 'Buy one gallon and try it and let me know.' And they keep coming back to keep buying it. They don't want to run without it." Outside clients source the product and other work through them, too. "Eight years ago, I didn't foresee myself" doing this type of work, he said, "but I'm glad we took the leap. But then 20 years ago, neither one of us ever thought we'd be where we are, doing what we're doing." What they're doing now is crushing revenue goals. The Stolls pay their owner-operators 80% of the secured rate, and Suprise grossed $1 million dollars for the first time last year – a nearly 100% improvement over 2019. This year, the company is on pace to eclipse $2 million in gross revenue. "We don't have many thrills and bells and whistles," Bryon said. "I've got one friend of mine – an owner-operator for a company in the area – and he's trying to figure out his numbers. Well, when he asked for a copy of the rate con, [the company] sent it to him, but they have a piece of paper in the picture covering the rate. And I hear that so much from so many different people. It's like just part of what they do in the industry. And it's like, so you're taking their word on what they're paying you. My guys, we're full transparency. They want to know something, we show it to them. Actually, they've seen the invoices. They'll see the rate con. It's all accessible to them." Suprise also leases reefer trailers to its drivers – another revenue stream for the business, albeit a small one. "We have more reefers than we do, probably, trucks," Holly said, "but [if drivers] don't want to go buy their own, they pay us $300 a week to rent from us." No mileage surcharge. No hours rate or usage fee. "It's just a flat $300 a week. ... Some of these places you rent a trailer from, they'll hit you for the $300 a week, but then they're charging you a mileage and surcharging your hours on the reefer, and by the time you're done, you're almost $3,000 a month." Suprise works to reinvest into its community alongside its employees and contracting owner-ops. Bryon said the company supports the local art leagues and various other causes that support local businesses and charities. And, of course, local volunteer fire and EMS departments, he added. [Related: Building reefer business through adversity with Woods Transportation] https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Technology news and briefs for the week of Oct. 23: Road Ready integrates LogIQ with Air-WeighRoad Ready, a telematics and smart fleet technology provider from Clarience Technologies, has introduced Air-Weigh as its newest LogIQ integrated data platform. This partnership with Air-Weigh, an electronic on-board scales company, connects data between the trailer and tractor through the cloud which represents a new milestone for Road Ready and the LogIQ platform.Air-Weigh provides fleets with gross weight data in Road Ready’s FleetViz user interface. Over the last several months Road Ready has unveiled several offerings, including a 5G Ready telematics system, a first-of-its-kind trailer telematics solution allowing fleets to operate their systems continuously without worrying about downtime caused by cellular network upgrades. In September, Road Ready introduced its LogIQ integrated data platform. The LogIQ integrated data platform combines data from a broad network of industry partners with its own trailer telematics system, making it easier for commercial fleets to obtain insights from data generated by trailers and other fleet equipment. Azuga launches fleet sustainability serviceFleet telematics company Azuga has launched a fleet sustainability service via a partnership with GreenPrint.Azuga customers can certify their fleet vehicles are carbon neutral and receive independent, third-party attestation. Customers will receive impact reports and carbon offset certificates indicating the environmental benefit from their participation. GreenPrint specializes in sustainability programs for carbon-intensive businesses, especially in the oil and gas, and transportation industries. GreenPrint has neutralized over 10 million metric tons of carbon from more than one million vehicles across 16 countries. Azuga customers can choose to add the fleet sustainability option for an additional monthly fee ranging from $5-$7 per vehicle (certain heavy duty trucks require customized pricing). GreenPrint receives data from Azuga to calculate total emissions and then invests in carbon offsets to make the vehicles certified carbon neutral. The Azuga service is open to any Azuga customer and fleets of all sizes. Azuga intends to initially promote the program to enterprise accounts and larger SMB customers that may have greater pressures around ESG performance from investors and corporate customers. Transflo updates its workflow appTransflo has released the latest iteration of its driver-focused workflow app, Transflo Mobile+ 5.0, simplifying the app signup experience, bolstering security to protect fleet and driver data and enhancing user experience.Transflo Mobile+ 5.0 introduces multi-fleet profiles that make job transitions quicker and easier for drivers, and for fleets, simplifies onboarding new drivers. The 5.0 release also offers an industry first — a free version of the app, Transflo Mobile+ Lite, built specifically for owner-operators. With an updated menu, fleets and drivers can manage passwords, add a user profile and image and make changes to their email address and phone number. Transflo Mobile+ 5.0 also now offers the option to enter the app via biometric reading such as face scan technology or fingerprint, providing a more secure, quicker way to access Transflo’s suite of tools. A new carousel feature within the Transflo app allows owner-operators to easily work with multiple brokers and carriers, which also allows for load visibility by the hiring entity. Transflo Mobile+ 5.0 is available for download now. Transflo Mobile+ can be downloaded on any iOS or Android device via the App Store and Google Play market. Drivers and fleets already using the app can update from their devices’ app store. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Oct. 25, 2021: FMCSA’s Joshi meets with Midwest trucking groupsFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Deputy Administrator Meera Joshi last week met with several transportation organizations in the Midwest as part of efforts to strengthen commercial vehicle safety, bolster truck driver availability, and improve rail-to-truck supply chain efficiencies. The meetings were part of efforts by the Biden Administration to address supply chain disruptions. Truck driver retention and recruitment have been a focus of the White House Task Force on Supply Chain Disruptions. The core reason for America's truck driver capacity issue is the "startlingly low retention of current drivers," according to a statement from the FMCSA. “Truck drivers are essential professionals who have been working on the front lines of this pandemic," Joshi said. "It’s hard to overstate the critical nature of trucking to the wellbeing of our nation. Truck driving is a vital segment of the supply chain, and our focus is on continually enhancing workplace practices while improving efficiencies including decreasing driver detention time while ensuring the highest level of safety possible for every roadway traveler.” During her Midwest trip, Joshi met with representatives of the Illinois Farm Bureau Association, the Illinois Trucking Association, Union Pacific Railroad’s Global IV Intermodal Terminal, and at a United Parcel Service driver training facility. A statement from the FMCSA said discussions covered a broad range of strategies to improve supply chain movement and roadway safety including:
ACT: Volumes, rates, capacity improved in SeptemberThe latest release of ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index, with September data, showed an increase in volumes, pricing, and capacity, with a lower but still-strong supply-demand balance. While the volume index improved, ACT Research Vice President and Senior Analyst Tim Denoyer said it is still “considerably below the 65.5 average of the past 12 months, due in large part to supply chain bottlenecks. In particular, chip and part shortages are hindering vehicle production, though peak holiday shipping is continuing to provide demand support.” Denoyer added that the tight trucking market, coupled with the proposed vaccine mandate potentially impacting recruiting and equipment production challenges, the possibility for record rate increases is high. “However, the driver response to higher pay rates is ongoing, and we ultimately expect little impact of employer vaccine mandates in trucking, where about 80% of capacity is in fleets under 100 employees,” he said. “Equipment supply-chain constraints also continue to limit capacity growth, and hiring and retention of new drivers will be key to the rate trajectory.” ATA’s TMC again studying smart reefer productsThe American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council last week announced the start of its second study on the use and adoption of intelligence products and services in the refrigerated transportation sector. This is the second survey report TMC and eSMARTT have collaborated on, the first was released June 30 and centered on the trailer rental and lease market. The first report identified refrigerated carriers as early adopters of technology driven by the need to track temperatures and the high cost of failures. The final report for refrigerated carriers will be available for the spring, annual TMC meeting in Orlando. “Everyone wants to know that their food and medicines are safe and effective at the time and point of use” said TMC Executive Director Robert Braswell, “and this research will show how leading carriers are using technology to ensure safe and efficient deliveries.” Target Freight Management opens new Florida locationTransportation management system provider Target Freight Management is opening a new office in Tampa Bay, Florida. The addition of the Tampa office brings Target Freight to six locations nationwide, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and with operations in Florida, Iowa, New York, North Carolina and Texas. TFM’s Tampa office also includes space for future expansion. TFM’s new Tampa Bay employees will augment the company’s real-time freight logistics, sales, and customer service efforts. With shipping costs and turnaround times for most U.S. freight on the rise due to a worldwide supply chain slowdown that largely stems from the COVID–19 pandemic, TFM’s Tampa Bay team will focus on finding new transportation solutions for shippers whose freight may be moving slowly through backlogged and understaffed U.S. ports. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD For the fifth year in a row, the driver shortage has topped the American Transportation Research Institute's (ATRI) annual Top Industry Issues report, a survey of more than 2,500 carriers, commercial drivers and other industry stakeholders. Unlike 2019 and 2020, where margins between the driver shortage and the No. 2 industry issues were much closer and the driver shortage earned just 28.6% and 26.4% of the total share of votes, respectively, the driver shortage totaled 47.4% of the total share of votes in the 2021 survey. “The contributors to this [driver] shortage are endless,” said Rebecca Brewster, ATRI president and COO during an educational session Sunday at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Management Conference and Exhibition in Nashville. “Growing freight demand, the shift to e-commerce that leads to more local jobs that is hurting the over-the-road driver recruiting, an aging workforce and we are not backfilling with younger individuals that we need to account for those driver retirements.” Brewster added the pandemic also has created a backlog in driver supply from training schools and state licensing agencies that were temporarily shut down. Hugh Ekberg, president and CEO of CRST International, cited the unfavorable perceptions of truck driving as a career and advocated for the consideration of under-21 drivers to help offset supply chain concerns across the country. “Age is not the number one indicator of safety, it is how does the person think and behave,” he said. “Some people are not going to be good, safe drivers and many adults would be very safe drivers." Ekberg also said the ability to reach potential drivers at a younger age with a positive message about truck driving is critical to solving the driver shortage. The fact the industry can't actively recruit drivers while they're in high school is problematic, and often would-be drivers pick different trades – like plumbers or electricians – where their age isn't a factor. "To attract them 3 or 4 years later is very difficult… We have to do a better job to communicate what a great industry [trucking] is, how important it is to our economy and what a truly rewarding profession it can be,” he said. The driver shortage isn't the only labor-related concern noted in ATRI’s Top 10 as a shortage of diesel technicians cracked the list (No. 10) for the first time. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be over 28,000 openings for diesel service technicians and mechanics for each of the next 10 years. Driver-related issues dominated ATRI’s Top 10 list in 2021, with driver retention and driver compensation ranking No. 2 and No. 3. Truck parking, which was listed as a tie for No. 1 among commercial driver respondents, didn’t crack the Top 10 for carrier respondents but settled in at No. 5 overall. Detention/delay at customer facilities was No. 7 overall on the list, up two spots from last year. “Retention breaks down to consistency, transparency and communications,” said Bill Hambrick, a company driver for Werner Enterprises and an America’s Road Team Captain. He said drivers want a working relationship with the employers – one where their feedback is valued and transparency is established. "Communications is vital," he said. "Without it you sever any way of salvaging daily productivity." Rounding out the rest of the Top 10 list: · No. 4: Lawsuit abuse reform (tort reform), driven by a 967% increase in average jury verdict size between 2010 and 2018; · No. 6: Compliance Safety and Accountability (CSA), down from No. 4 in 2020; · No. 8: Transportation infrastructure/congestion/funding is back on the list after falling out last year; · No. 9: Insurance cost and availability, down from No. 5 last year. For the third year in a row, driver distraction fell just outside the Top 10, landing at No. 11. According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “Nine percent of fatal crashes, 15 percent of injury crashes, and 15 percent of all police-reported motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2019 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.” Fuel prices came in at No. 12 and the economy (angst over inflation, supply chain disruptions, workforce challenges, and uncertainty over lingering or long-term impacts from the pandemic) came in at No. 13. ATRI’s annual Top Industry Issues survey asks respondents, including motor carriers and drivers, to select their top three from a list of 30 pre-identified critical issues, and subsequently rank their top three preferred strategies that correspond to each selected issue. An issue that is ranked by a respondent as most important receives three points, while an issue ranked second receives two points and an issue ranked third receives one point. The issue with the highest number of points is identified as the top industry issue. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Fleets servicing Volvo's truck plant going electric to support truckmaker in its climate pledge10/24/2021 Volvo Trucks North America takes its carbon footprint very seriously, which is why they have committed to shrinking it. The company's New River Valley (NRV) manufacturing plant already is a carbon neutral facility, is fully powered by local renewable electricity and is landfill free. But VTNA President Peter Voorhoeve said it's not enough that the facility itself be green. It's important that those who service the manufacturing site join the truckmaker on its quest to clean up the environment. Watsontown Trucking Company and Camrett Logistics, two VTNA customers and carrier partners, placed orders for their first Volvo VNR Electric trucks – the first deployments of Volvo's battery-electric model in Virginia. By the end of this year the Virginia-based fleets will deploy the zero tailpipe emission trucks to transport inbound parts and components daily to NRV in Dublin, Virginia. It's increasingly common for shipper customers to lean on carriers to go green, seeing trucking company's tailpipe emissions as part of their own. However, Voorhoeve noted neither carrier were forced to adopt electric, rather they opted into a partnership VTNA announced in August that would cut emissions of trucks coming into the plant. "That's the ultimate level of partnership," Voorhoeve said, adding the initiative with Watsontown Trucking Company and Camrett Logistics was an opportunity to continue its partnership with fleets already servicing local NRV logistics routes, "and to utilize Volvo VNR Electrics to reduce the carbon footprint of our own supply chain." The trucks will complete up to 12 roundtrips per day from their local warehouse facilities to NRV. The Volvo VNR Electric’s 264-kWh lithium-ion batteries have an operating range of up to 150 miles. Regenerative braking can increase range by returning up to 15% of the power back to the battery, depending on the duty cycle. Voorhoeve said Volvo is helping support the trucks with charging facilities at the plant, but the carriers will rely mostly on charging terminals at their respective depots along with mobile options. Deploying the electric models is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 140 metric tons annually (46.53 metric tons per truck each year) and reduce diesel use by around 18,000 gallons per year. Watsontown Trucking Company, a SmartWay-certified carrier, operates a fleet of 425 trucks in a mix of over-the-road, and regional haul and last-mile delivery. Camrett Logistics operates a fleet of 18 Volvo trucks, and the Volvo VNR Electric will be the company’s first battery-electric truck. Collin Peel, founder and CEO of Camrett Logistics, said the company hopes to be fully carbon neutral by 2030 and is making investments in solar panels to power all its facilities with a goal of electrifying all the Class 8 trucks in their operations. The Volvo VNR Electric will be serviced at the local Volvo Trucks dealership, Nacarato Truck Centers, in Roanoke, Virginia, which is working toward becoming a Volvo EV Certified Dealership. Camrett Logistics is also working to train technicians at its own shop to service electric trucks. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
No matter what GPS says, tractor-trailer drivers should not risk trying to drive over a high-pitched railroad crossing and they should pay attention to any signs advising against same.
That advice came from law enforcement and a veteran truck driver following a recent collision between a train and car hauler in Oklahoma which was captured on video that has since gone viral. [Related: Using navigation systems to boost safety, efficiency] Two other trucks that became grounded on that same crossing about 80 miles north of Dallas the week of Oct. 11 were able to free their trucks before a train approached. All three truck drivers apparently followed a GPS-initiated detour to avoid road construction in the area. Love County Sheriff's OfficeThe Love County Sheriff’s Office reported that the dramatic Oct. 15 collision between an Amtrak passenger train and a car hauler sent five of the train's passengers to the hospital with minor injuries. The truck driver and his dog were out of the vehicle at the time and not injured. Love County Sheriff Marty Grisham said road construction on a nearby highway appeared to have prompted the driver’s GPS to offer an alternate route, which he followed to a high-pitched railroad crossing on Addington Bend Road at Highway 77 near Thackerville. “We’ve had several trailers hang up on that track in that area right there,” Grisham said. “There wasn’t enough room for him to turn around so I guess he decided to just go on across. Of course the trailer hung up on the tracks.” The Oklahoma Highway Patrol told CCJ that two other tractor-trailers became stuck on that same railroad crossing during the week of the crash. The driver in the viral crash was not able to free his truck in time. Once his low-riding trailer became stuck, he called 911. “About the time our dispatcher picked up the phone and made the call [to alert train authorities] the accident had happened,” Grisham said. “The timing there…it was just poor timing. There just wasn’t enough time to get this train stopped before it hit.” OHP and the sheriff both said that signs are posted on either side of the crossing advising truck drivers to avoid crossing the tracks. OHP Trooper Dylan Wright said truck traffic on Highway 77 leading to the crossing "has increased significantly" following road construction on nearby Interstate 35. Oklahoma Department of Transportation has posted alternate routes on their website. [Related: Here’s how to minimize risks of GPS routing] Longtime truck driver and owner-operator CG Soza of Soza Trucking, which specializes in car hauling, said it’s a mistake to blindly follow GPS. “Anybody with a little bit of experience knows that they need to check that out before they actually follow GPS,” Soza said. “It’s a big problem because, honestly, I don’t think drivers nowadays get the training they need. They’re lacking a lot of real-world experience.” The fact that the driver blew past the sign advising against crossing the tracks didn’t help either. “There’s mistake number two,” Soza said. When it comes to detours that pop on GPS because of road construction, Soza said be leery of following the device’s suggestion for an alternate route. “One thing about GPS, they think you’re in a car, not an 80-foot long, 14-foot high vehicle,” Soza said. “That’s putting too much confidence into technology and not enough thinking for themselves as a driver. I get that a lot, too, especially when the freeway’s closed. I always follow the detours that the highway patrol sets up because if I get in trouble on that, then I can point the finger at somebody else.” Wright advised that truckers carefully weigh the risks before crossing any tracks. “Heed warning signs when approaching rail road crossing area, make sure you have the proper clearance to negotiate the crossing and if there is any doubt on whether your truck will be able to cross safely or not, turn around and find an alternate route,” Wright said. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Oct. 22, 2021: Canadian province proposing legislation to require bathroom access for truckersThe Ontario government Wednesday announced its intentions to introduce legislation that, if passed, would mandate washroom access for truck drivers at businesses where they are picking up and delivering. The legislation is the result of consultations conducted by the Ontario Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee that have indicated that truck drivers, couriers and others are often denied use of a washroom at businesses they serve. “This is something most people in Ontario take for granted, but access to washrooms is a matter of common decency currently being denied to hundreds of thousands of workers in this province,” said Ontario Minister of Labor, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton. “Workers who deliver and pick up goods have been on the frontlines of the pandemic, ensuring that essential supplies continue to reach the people of Ontario. Providing these hardworking men and women with access to washrooms is a small change that will make a big difference, so they can do their jobs with the dignity and respect they deserve.” The Ontario Trucking Association strongly supports the proposed legislation. “Our province’s truck drivers deserve our respect, our support, our thanks and our best efforts to help them do their jobs so Ontarians can put food on our tables and have access to the goods we need,” said OTA President and CEO Stephen Laskowski. “We are encouraged this announcement will give truck drivers access to the necessary facilities wherever they may be working.” FTR Shippers Conditions improve slightlyMarket conditions for shippers continued to gradually improve in August, according to FTR’s Shippers Conditions Index, improving to the best reading since September 2020 at -6.8, slightly better than the -8.1 July index. A minor loosening of capacity utilization and marginally lower fuel costs contributed to the improvement in the August SCI measure. Market conditions for shippers are technically getting better, but the relief is so incremental as to be of little value, FTR noted. “Conditions in August continued to head in the right direction, though not enough to provide relief for shippers,” said Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR. “This is, however, as good as it will get for 2021. Shippers conditions are likely to degrade as the year wears on and demands for holiday shipping ramp up. Fuel, in particular, is expected to be a significant headwind as prices have increased dramatically heading into the winter season.” Idaho Mack dealer receives EV certificationMack Trucks dealer Northwest Equipment Sales, based in Boise, Idaho, is now a Certified Electric Vehicle Dealer, making it the first Mack dealer in the Northwest U.S. with that designation. Northwest Equipment began the process for EV certification in February 2021. Meeting frequently with the Mack team to help them through the stringent requirements and process, the 28,000 square-foot Boise dealership will have four bays available for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). These bays can also be used for diesel-powered vehicles when vacant. “Mack Trucks would like to recognize and thank Northwest Equipment Sales for their commitment to electrification and for their support of the Mack LR Electric, Mack’s first fully electric vehicle,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations. “The investment and certification ensures that Northwest Equipment is ready and able to meet the needs of our customers as we continue to see the adoption of electric vehicles in fleets.” TEC Equipment’s Fontana, California-based dealership is also a Certified EV Dealer and was the first Mack dealer to have this designation. To be EV-certified, dealerships must meet numerous safety, charging, infrastructure and training requirements. Updating the facility is also required. With the certification, Northwest Equipment Sales’ Boise location is now fully equipped and ready to service the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle. Production of the LR Electric will begin this year at the Mack Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Class 8 Mack vehicles for North America and export are assembled. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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