Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021: 15 Republican governors call on Biden to suspend certain trucking regsTennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who is also Chairman of the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, was joined Monday by 14 other Republican governors in launching “Operation Open Road,” which calls on the Biden Administration to address the supply chain crisis by suspending burdensome regulations. The governors also pledged to take action at the state level to help the trucking industry move freight more efficiently. The governors committed to, where allowable, modifying size and weight restrictions, adjusting hours of service constraints, deregulating education and occupational licensure barriers to get more truck drivers on the road, and more. The group also called on Biden to “suspend outdated federal regulations that unnecessarily require commercial driver’s license holders to be 21 years old and lower the age to 18 years old so that well-trained, working adults can work across state borders.” The governors also asked Biden to suspend the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for private employers; review and revise policies that deter use or domestic manufacturing of essential transportation equipment, including intermodal containers, chassis, and automobiles, trucks, and tractor trailers; and to stop spending that will raise taxes and grow inflation. Tennessee Gov. Lee was joined in launching Operation Open Road by: Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona; Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida; Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia; Gov. Brad Little of Idaho; Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa; Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri; Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana; Gov. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska; Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota; Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio; Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma; Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina; and Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas. “Republican governors across the country have committed to doing everything we can to solve a growing supply chain crisis that has resulted in backed up ports and empty shelves,” Lee said. “We call on the Biden Administration to join us in Operation Open Road by suspending burdensome regulations on the trucking industry and therefore ensuring small businesses and American consumers have access to the goods they need this holiday season.” Infrastructure law expands HOS relief for livestock haulersThe bipartisan infrastructure package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this month includes a provision that gives livestock and insect haulers additional hours of service relief under the agricultural hours exemption. The law amends a provision in the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 to exempt livestock and insect haulers from the hours-of-service rules when they are within 150 air miles not only of the source but also their final destination. The law already exempted livestock haulers from HOS rules while operating within a 150 air-mile radius from the source of the shipment. Now, livestock and insect haulers will only have to abide by hours limitations if they exit the 150 air-mile radius of both the pickup location and the destination. Trucking advocacy group Trucker Nation says 150 air miles equates to about 172 land miles, or a rough three hours’ driving, expanding livestock and insect haulers’ potential single-trip hours-exempt length to around six hours one-way. Given recent-history changes to guidance around the ag exemption, such haulers would likely be exempt on a straight return back to the source as well, given they stay within one radius or another for the entirety of the turn. Additionally, such a hauler would only be required to use an ELD if he or she had logbook-necessary trips for more than 8 days in any rolling 30-day period. To operate under the exception, haulers must be operating during planting and harvesting season as defined by the states they’re operating in. In many states, however, such season is defined as Jan. 1-Dec. 31. Trucker Nation's Andrea Marks emphasized that she had been assured by FMCSA that since this was a statutory exemption passed by Congress, livestock/insect haulers could use the new flexibilities now. At once, though, she noted that discretionary use by haulers at this point could be subject to inconsistent enforcement at roadside, given the time it takes for official guidance to flow from FMCSA to the states and enforcement personnel. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Last year, truck drivers finally started getting the recognition they deserve from the public. From #thankatrucker hashtags to people buying meals for drivers at truck stops to a simple thank you on the street, drivers earned praise, recognition and celebration from the public for what seemed like the first time since BJ and the Bear was on TV. For companies that employ drivers, though, the importance of great drivers is nothing new. Truck drivers move 71% of all goods in the United States. They keep the supply chain moving and make sure food and products stay on shelves. Deliveries continue to be made and medical workers get the PPE they need. Although they were essential throughout the pandemic, COVID-19 caused many drivers to take early retirement, leave the workforce or stay home to avoid the virus (or worse, stay home because of the virus). The American Trucking Associations (ATA) noted that many truck driving schools closed during the pandemic, and 40% fewer drivers were trained last year, meaning fewer new drivers entered the industry – just as the massive pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce began. This so-called “great resignation” is happening in many sectors of the economy, but it is particularly devastating for the transportation and logistics industries. What does that mean? Fewer drivers available to deliver the goods and returns. Shipping delays. Supply chain backups. Add to that the complex labor market that everyone is facing right now, issues with people not showing up for interviews or work and pay competition across the board, and you can see why so many are having trouble hiring and keeping drivers. That’s why the ATA says the driver shortage could reach 160,000 drivers by 2028 If current trends hold. This is not just an inconvenience. It is a crisis that affects the entire economy. Centerline’s Drivers’ annual State of Trucking survey found that 50% of employers surveyed are having a difficult time filling open driver positions. The consequences of not filling open driving roles can be dire, including missed delivery deadlines, decreased productivity and increased costs. And of course, the ripple effect is felt across the supply chain. The research showed that the cost of a truck sitting empty is approximately $500 per day – and half of the companies surveyed had trucks sit for at least one day. Almost a quarter experienced them sitting empty for more than a week. It’s always been a drivers’ market, but with higher demand for drivers than ever before, drivers can pick and choose where they want to go. So how can your company be the one they choose? Almost all the companies Centerline surveyed said they were increasing pay. Emsi data confirmed it. Truck driver job wages increased 18% from March 2018 to February 2021 as their importance to the supply chain grew. But with wage parity comes a need to differentiate yourself in other ways, including benefits, incentives, career development opportunities and putting more emphasis on soft skills. Some are also hiring less-experienced drivers or modifying their hiring requirements. Getting personal with drivers can help, too. Ask them directly what they are looking for and tell them how you can meet those needs. The survey showed many drivers want local routes, steady hours, competitive pay and the ability to have more time at home. But some also would prefer to travel or be on the road for days or weeks. Being flexible and open is crucial. It’s no longer about saying, “This is the job and this is the route.” It must be a meaningful conversation with a potential driver guided by the ability to be flexible in both recruiting and staffing. It’s also about outreach. As an industry we must try to attract military veterans, women, younger drivers – demographics that haven’t been targeted. And you can’t forget about retention. Filling a role is only half the battle. The other half is making sure your drivers are happy and want to stay. Drivers like independence, pay and stability, with two-thirds of them saying they want medical insurance or would look for new opportunities if offered better pay. Nearly half want a 401k. And across the board, they want to be treated with respect and feel like a valued part of the company. Whether it’s driver retention programs, contests or rewards for driving miles or just meals and events that make them feel respected, finding ways to celebrate your drivers will go a long way not only to keeping your drivers happy, but making them ambassadors for your fleet and our industry. Jill Quinn is President of Centerline Drivers, which connects commercial drivers with customers across the supply chain. Her passion for making a difference in people’s lives by connecting them with work has led to many successful partnerships between customers looking to grow and drivers who deserve great opportunities. She was named to Women in Trucking Association’s (WIT) Top Women to Watch list in 2020 and to Staffing Industry Analysts’ Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list four times. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD courtesy Coro A new report from cybersecurity company Coro predicts escalating cyber attacks on transportation and trucking companies that are supporting an already duressed supply chain this holiday season. Nearly 30% of transportation and logistics organizations reported more than 20 supply chain disruptions via cyber attack last year, according to BCI’s Supply Chain Resilience Report 2021 – up from just 4.8% reporting the same number in 2019. Across all industries, Coro found the number of cyber attacks is increasing, but transportation stands out as one of the fastest growing sectors with attacks already having risen almost 150% between January 2020 and today. The loss of manufacturing and logistics capacity, and employee-power, bundled with increasing demand for goods, creates a potentially weak and vulnerable infrastructure for cybercriminals to break through. McAfee Enterprise and FireEye this month released its Cybercrime in a Pandemic World: The Impact of COVID-19 findings, revealing the imminent need for organizations to prioritize and strengthen their cybersecurity architecture. The findings indicate that during the pandemic, 81% of global organizations experienced increased cyber threats with 79% experiencing downtime due to a cyber incident during a peak season. As the holiday season approaches, supply chain and logistics, e-commerce and retail, and the travel industry see predictable increases in consumer and business activity, making them more vulnerable to cyber threats and leaving business, employee and consumer data at risk. Coro's report noted that attacks trend significantly upward during the holiday season, and in transportation the average number of attacks during the final four months of this year are spiking 43% over January to August 2021 monthly averages. Attacks on transportation companies for December are projected to be more than 58% over January 2021. “It is imperative all businesses prioritize security technology to keep them protected, especially during the peak holiday season,” said Bryan Palma, CEO of the newly combined company. “Ninety-four percent of IT professionals want their organization to improve its overall cyber readiness. Businesses must do more and need an intelligent security architecture for managing today’s sophisticated threat landscape.” Coro CEO Guy Moskowitz said that mid-market companies (companies with between 100 and 1,500 employees) were especially vulnerable due to a lack of resources to combat cyberthreats that now target employees who work from anywhere in the world. “While we’ve seen broader-reaching protection developed for the large enterprise, the cyber security industry is not prioritizing mid-market needs. Now, growing businesses remain entirely exposed in the face of truly unprecedented levels of cyber attacks, which are rapidly increasing not only in volume and sophistication but also in range and lethality,” he said. “The market has failed to protect these essential businesses, and Coro is addressing this issue by providing comprehensive, enterprise-grade cyber security protection priced and engineered specifically for mid-size companies.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021: Steering, electrical issues prompt Western Star recallsTwo recalls from Daimler Trucks North America will impact more than 7,600 Western Star trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. One recall affects approximately 7,128 trucks for a potential electrical issue, and the other affects approximately 479 trucks for a potential steering issue. The larger of the recall affects model year 2017-2019 Western Star 4700, 4900, 5700, and 6900 trucks. The affected trucks have a power stud that passes through the bulkhead. In certain circumstances, the power stud may contact the bulkhead and result in an electrical arc, increasing the risk of a fire. Dealers will replace the pass-through power studs, free of charge. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-907. NHTSA’s recall number is 21V-882. The other recall affects model year 2021-2022 Western Star 49X trucks, in which the steering shaft may not have been properly installed, causing it to separate from the steering gear. Dealers will inspect the steering shaft and repair it as necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until the inspection has been performed. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number 905. NHTSA’s recall number is 21V-864. Wisconsin DHL workers vote to join TeamstersWorkers at DHL-Semper Fi Logistics on Friday voted for representation by Local 344 by a 16-8 vote conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. These delivery drivers and dock workers contacted Local 344 seeking improvements in their working conditions, wages and benefits. "This hard-fought effort is a long time coming," said Constance Thornton, delivery driver for DHL-Semper Fi Logistics. "This election means bringing dignity and respect to the employees here. Union representation is the best way to make it happen." The workers at DHL reached out to the Teamsters after years of stagnant wages, inconsistent working conditions and anemic benefits. They built a strong presence in the shop and worked well with the Local 344 Volunteer Organizing Committee (VOC) to overcome the employer's union busting efforts. "I want to congratulate the DHL employees for their hard work and the persistent efforts of the DHL Organizing Committee along with the rank and file Local 344 VOC," said John Walters, Local 344 organizer. "Their efforts will be rewarded with a seat at the bargaining table which gives them their best shot at fighting for the improvements they are seeking. We look forward to negotiating their first contract." CVSA launches Human Trafficking Awareness InitiativeThe Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is launching a new annual three-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI) early next year in Canada and the U.S., corresponding with each country’s Human Trafficking Awareness Day. In the U.S., the initiative will start on U.S. Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Jan. 11, to Jan. 13. In Canada, it will start on Canada’s Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which is Feb. 22, to Feb. 24. This initiative is an awareness and outreach effort to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about the crime of human trafficking, the signs to look for and what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked. “Human traffickers often use roadways as the mode of transportation for transporting their victims,” said CVSA President Capt. John Broers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “Since our roadways are the ‘workplace’ for truck drivers, motorcoach drivers and commercial motor vehicle inspectors, they are in a prime position to make a difference in helping to identify potential victims of human trafficking.” In preparation for the 2022 Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative, CVSA is offering human trafficking awareness resources to its membership and working with the Truckers Against Trafficking organization to distribute wallet cards and window decals. In addition, during the three-day awareness initiatives, CVSA jurisdictions will note human trafficking awareness and outreach data and submit that data to the Alliance.
https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Technology news and briefs for the week of Nov. 21: Dossier Systems acquiredDossier Systems, a provider of fleet maintenance management software, has been acquired by AMCS, global supplier of integrated software and vehicle technology for the waste, recycling and resource industries, based in Ireland.Dossier’s cloud-based solution automates the control and administration of fleet vehicles and other assets using real-time data to unlock hidden productivity and cost savings potential through customizable reports. Jimmy Martin, CEO and founder of the AMCS Group, said the acquisition will enable his company to deliver and support Dossier’s unique SaaS solution for fleet maintenance on a global scale. "We will be bringing the solution to the AMCS Platform where we envision integrations with our current solutions including ERP, smart dispatch, mobile workforce, vehicle technology and route optimization," he said. "So customers can benefit from a unique set of integrated capabilities. Axele upgrades its TMSTransportation Management System (TMS) company Axele has upgraded its TMS software to include new integrations for factoring and load boards and new features for dispatch and settlement.The upgrade includes: • A new dashboard KPIs for safety and preventive maintenance issues. This dashboard will show the number of drivers, tractors, and trailers having warning and critical issues to help with safety and preventive maintenance. The Assets, Drivers, Tractors, and Trailers list pages will show the counts of warning and critical issues. • Integration with TAFS factoring. TAFS will advance payments with a one-hour advance option so that trucking companies will get their money faster, improving cash flow. Rather than waiting for a customer to remit payments TAFS quickly advances a percentage of the invoice. This steady cash flow helps fund critical business expenses such as payroll, fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Axele’s integration with TAFS automates the process for carriers to submit documentation to TAFS, which means carriers get paid even faster. • Loadboard Integrations. Loadsmart load board provides free truckloads to help carriers find the correct freight to keep trucks full; 123Loadboard load board is a freight matching marketplace to find loads and truck freight; C.H. Robinson load board provides a large number of load opportunities across North America. • Connection to the Verizon Connect Marketplace. Axele integrates Hours of Service (HOS) data directly from Verizon Connect so that dispatchers can find the right load for their drivers and the correct driver for the load considering available HOS, driver preferences, load profitability, and more. Axele’s partnership with Verizon Connect and inclusion within its marketplace means carriers can maximize their driver schedules with the most profitable loads and provide accurate ETAs to shippers and brokers with automated tracking links. New features are Dispatcher Commission, which allows companies to manage dispatcher commission calculations on each load and add payment terms for each dispatcher; Tractor Settlement, enabling users to create custom tractor settlements for tractor owners by adding payment terms for each tractor; and New Load Templates in which users create and save templates for commonly repeated loads, thereby reducing the time to create loads even further. The Axele TMS now supports the Texas DOT ruleset for carriers who comply with federal FMCSA and Texas ELD rulesets. The rulesets can be applied by driver. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Nov. 22, 2021: Alabama flatbedder offering ‘Driver Shortage Surcharge’ to driversIn an effort to reward its drivers for weathering a tidal wave of holiday shipping demand, Birmingham, Alabama-based flatbedder Montgomery Transport is instituting a 5 cents per mile Driver Shortage Surcharge. Effective Nov. 8, the over-dimensional freight and full transportation management specialist added a nickel surcharge on all loads, which will be passed on directly to drivers for a period of 90 days. Montgomery Transport CEO Rollins Montgomery noted that with e-commerce expected to hit record levels this year, demand for local drivers, warehouse employees and drivers to support the final-mile support will be at a fevered pitch. “This year has presented our industry with many challenges as supply chain constraints have forced all companies to adapt and discover new ways to push their businesses forward,” he said. “The labor force has been affected particularly hard within the transportation industry as many drivers have found new local opportunities and/or better pay in areas such as warehousing or final-mile delivery to support the e-commerce boom. We chose to address this issue by further investing in our best asset which is behind the wheel.” Montgomery estimated that e-commerce shipments to be at an all-time high during the next 90 days as the holiday season approaches so the need for qualified drivers will only be amplified particularly within the flatbed space. J.B. Hunt launches new transload service for New York/New JerseyJ.B. Hunt (CCJ Top 250, No. 3) announced the launch of a new transload service to assist shippers in the New York metro area experiencing nationwide congestion. The new service will be managed through a recently expanded facility in Jersey City, New Jersey, that will provide port drayage, transloading and inland linehaul solutions. The facility is the first of its kind for the company and opens at a key time with the holiday season fast approaching. “Our new transloading service will help customers accelerate freight movement and improve container fluidity,” said Shelley Simpson, chief commercial officer and executive vice president of people and human resources at J.B. Hunt. “It is the latest example of how J.B. Hunt is creating solutions for customers to improve the agility of their supply chain.” The new transloading service provides a one-stop source for quickly transferring ocean freight into equipment for domestic transport. Shippers can leverage J.B. Hunt Intermodal and J.B. Hunt Highway Services to move freight outbound from the facility, providing line haul capacity to anywhere in the United States. J.B. Hunt expanded its use of the facility in October to utilize a 25,000 square-foot area to establish the new service offering. The facility consists of ample on-site parking, offers 24/7 service and is located near all major railroads and port terminals in the New York area. Financing firm offering equipment financing for start-ups1st Commercial Credit, a nationwide funding company that specializes in accounts receivable factoring and trade payable financing, has introduced an equipment financing program for various sized companies, credit score ranges, and industries. The company has a new funding program for companies needing up to $75,000 in equipment finance for start-ups. For start-ups less than three months old, a large demand exists for equipment financing, the company says. While it has been difficult for business owners with less than two years of operatiors to secure equipment financing, 1st Commercial Credit says it is optimistic in providing financial services to higher risk clients. The company says more than 60% of clients that come to 1st Commercial Credit for funding have less than one year since start-up. says, "Equipment finance has always been a great alternative financial instrument for acquiring equipment without using your bank line or cash savings,” says Raul Esqueda, President of 1st Commercial Credit. “Our primary equipment finance clients are capped out with their existing lenders, have challenged credit, or have financial stress due to growth in sales. We cover a very wide credit score range for approvals many vendors and dealerships would appreciate."
https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD There are no sure things with technology. Companies can have innovative patents, positive media coverage, devoted loyal customers, and yet never live up to market goals. Some case studies are easy to spot on the road. Consider ATDynamics’ TrailerTails. Introduced commercially in 2008, at one point in time these innovative aerodynamic solutions were headed towards 10%+ of new trailer market share. All four Department of Energy SuperTruck I prototypes by Peterbilt/Cummins, Daimler, Volvo and Navistar relied on them to exceed 10 mpg in 2014 through 2016. Their patented origami folding system was difficult to improve on and definitely beneficial. The principles of trailer boattails are well researched in full scale testing going back to the 1930s, scale model wind tunnels going back to before the 1960s, and competent CFD analytical studies dating from the 2000s. I did extensive evaluations in wind tunnel, in CFD and on the road in my past work and met many other researchers over the years working on boattails. NACFE has written about them in our Confidence Report Trailer Aerodynamics, released in 2016 and recently updated. The published research shows the longer the tail, the better the drag reduction. The maximum legal length is 60 inches, but ATDynamics limited the extension to what reasonably could fold up on the back of the trailer, essentially the width of one trailer door. Stemco acquired ATDynamics in 2015 and added TrailerTails to its catalog. The market looked promising. Fuel efficiency focused customers like MVT, Prime, C.R. England and others promoted TrailerTails, putting them on a sizeable number of trailers. A 2014 American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council announcement estimated more than 50 fleets had deployed TrailerTrails, 50,000 were on order and an estimated 200,000 would be on the road by 2017. CCJ reported an interview from the 2015 Mid-America Trucking that more than 40,000 TrailerTails were in use with 500 customers. TrailerTails are great drag reducers. No argument there. Paired with skirts and tractor-trailer gap reducers, the SuperTrucks exceeded 50% drag reductions versus their Model Year 2009 baselines. The U.S. SmartWay program lists them as verified aerodynamic devices capable of 9% fuel economy improvement combined with skirts. Last year Stemco ceased sales of TrailerTails. What happened? Stemco determined that TrailerTails did not fit well with its product line. I can speculate on additional contributing factors. Operationally, my findings over the years in following multiple variations of boattails is that the longer the tail and the more manual the operation, driver acceptance is more challenging. A fleet manager once summed it up to me that the kiss of death for a technology starts with a designer saying, “All the driver has to do is…” His experience was that any additional steps required of the driver were challenging to implement with 100% reliability. Not a reflection on drivers, but on the need to automate. The manual nature of stowing and deploying the tails clearly impacted driver acceptance and use. The inability of the driver to see the TrailerTail when deployed also led to at least a few damaged light poles at truck stops and other yard issues. Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, and I both drive a lot of highway miles. A game we developed was to spot how many TrailerTrails were not deployed. Improvements were made to the design, but TrailerTails we’re also fighting an unexpected extended drop in fuel prices. Beginning in January 2015, national diesel fuel prices dropped and stayed below $3 per gallon for three full years, crossing back above $3 in January 2018, according to DOE’s Energy Information Agency. It then dropped again below $3 per gallon in January 2020 and stayed there through March 2021. TrailerTails were interesting to the market with fuel hovering near $4 per gallon and projected to increase in the future. When it fell and stayed below $3 fleets prioritized investments elsewhere, namely other efficiency opportunities like better tractors. During this same period (2015-2021), OEMs – empowered by both the success of DOE SuperTruck I and II programs and ever more stringent EPA/NHTSA GHG emissions reductions – launched updated and improved aerodynamic tractor models. As fuel prices now again spike toward the $4 range, it will be interesting to see if those fuel prices will stabilize and if a next generation of TrailerTails will reenter the market to compete with a range of alternative boattail systems. The point is that new technologies are never sure things. Much depends on factors beyond the control of the technology. Having great patents, great customers, big orders, government support and positive media splash are not always enough to ensure success. Rick Mihelic is NACFE’s Director of Emerging Technologies. He has authored for NACFE four Guidance Reports on electric and alternative fuel medium- and heavy-duty trucks and several Confidence Reports on Determining Efficiency, Tractor and Trailer Aerodynamics, Two Truck Platooning, and authored special studies on Regional Haul, Defining Production and Intentional Pairing of tractor trailers. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Black Friday takes on a whole new meaning for carriers victimized by cargo theft over the Thanksgiving holiday. Analyzing data over the past five Thanksgiving holidays – from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday – CargoNet discovered 137 recorded thefts (an average of 27 per year), and that Thanksgiving 2020 was the most active period in the analysis with 40 thefts recorded. Cargo thieves targeted shipments of televisions, major appliances, mixed electronics and alcoholic beverages the most during the analysis period, pushing shipment value past $125,000. Theft reports were most common in states that have cargo theft problems throughout the year, including California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Florida. CargoNet has been tracking heightened activity of full truckload thefts across the Southeast, Eastern Seaboard and Midwest and evidence points to both planned theft by following desirable shipments from their origin and crimes of opportunity at truck stops along major trucking arteries in these regions. CargoNet considers desirable shipments to include pharmaceuticals, firearms and ammunition, consumer electronics, designer apparel, alcoholic beverages, metals and tires. In the Southeast, container thefts have increased due to a cargo crime ring actively targeting the Savannah area, according to Keith Lewis, CargoNet's vice president of operations. "It is important to point out these thefts are occurring near the port – mainly in carrier drop yards and not inside the port. Their method of operation has generally focused on imported refrigerated goods, such as shrimp and other types of shellfish," he said, adding that according to CargoNet's 2021 Q2 Cargo Theft Trend report, food and beverage represents over 30% of all thefts in the state of Georgia, which leads all commodity groups in the state. Historically Georgia had a state-wide, leading-edge frontline cargo theft task force, Lewis said, "but with the retirement of the task force unit's head – Special Agent in Charge – and formerly the unit's best advocate, the cargo theft task force was disbanded three years ago due to lack of support from state government." Although there has been an increase of thefts in the Savannah area, data for the state of Georgia indicates a slight decrease in Q1 and Q2 of this year. The decrease was aided by an increase of local law enforcement activity such as increased patrolling in the container yard areas and off-port carriers bolstering their security efforts. CargoNet has also noted the increased targeting of computer electronics shipments across Southern California, Central California and the Bay Area. Almost all recorded thefts were of shipments that were stolen after the trucker departed a warehouse in Southern California or the Bay Area. Activity appears to have peaked in June 2021, but the agency still considers theft risk to be high. "The uptick in computer and electronic thefts is mostly due to cargo pilferages where they are opting to target pallets of high-value products loaded in the center of the carrier's trailer," Lewis said. "In certain cases, it is believed some of these instances have been assisted due to insider information, possibly bad actors or disgruntled employees." According to the data CargoNet has collected, pilfered thefts from this specific crew of electronics shipping out of California account for an estimated $10 million in stolen cargo year to date. "One of the challenges is that the carriers (insiders) are often involved in the theft and the carrier does not file a police report. This results in untimely delays and incomplete information such as the theft location, which is a key component of the investigation and paramount for the recovery efforts," Lewis said. "When and if a report is filed, it becomes extremely difficult to investigate and obtain law enforcement support. Having the theft location provides an opportunity to identify the appropriate reporting agency. " In addition to driver shortages, California's restrictions on older power units and ongoing independent contractor issues, and a lack of containers and/or container chassis, "we see a backlog of loaded container trailers sitting near the port area," Lewis added. "This gives cargo thieves the opportunity to shop for electronics to steal, and June is the perfect time of year for that as shippers' inventory moves through the ports as they prepare for the holiday shopping season." https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Nov. 19, 2021: Waymo expanding UPS partnership to Class 8 trucksAutonomous truck tech developer Waymo announced this week it is expanding its partnership with UPS (CCJ Top 250, No. 2) ahead of the holiday season to add autonomous freight movement with Class 8 trucks. Over the next several weeks, Waymo will conduct autonomous trial runs with UPS using Waymo Via Class 8 trucks equipped with the fifth generation Waymo Driver. The trial runs will take place in Texas, where the Waymo Driver will deliver for UPS’ North American Air Freight unit between facilities in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. “These Class 8 trial runs will build on all of the learnings and success we’ve had testing with UPS over the years, as well as our previous Class 8 trial runs with other carriers across unique verticals, including J.B. Hunt,” Waymo said. “While it’s still early days, this partnership with UPS is a great example of how Waymo Via is creating an autonomous delivery solution spanning trucking and local delivery that can offer customers unique safety benefits, network flexibility, and scalability.” New Orleans woman pleads guilty in staged-accident fraud schemeUnited States Attorney Duane A. Evans in the Eastern District of Louisiana announced this week that Chandrika Brown, 30, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, arising out of staged automobile accidents with tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles occurring in New Orleans. According to the guilty plea, Brown, along with her co-defendants, Doniesha Gibson, of New Orleans, and Ishais Price, of New Orleans, and a co-defendant driver conspired to commit mail fraud in connection with a staged accident with a co-defendant driver. The guilty plea brings the total number of defendants convicted in “Operation Sideswipe” to 29. According to court documents, Brown claimed that on Oct. 15, 2015, she was a passenger in a 2014 Dodge Avenger owned and driven by Gibson that was hit by a Hotard bus while traveling on the I-10 near the flyover of the I-510. Price was also in the vehicle. In truth, a co-defendant asked Gibson to recruit Brown and Price to ride along as a passenger, and he then intentionally sought out a commercial vehicle to intentionally hit. After the staged accident, the co-defendant driver switched seats with Gibson, and they called the New Orleans Police Department. Gibson, along with the passengers, falsely stated that the Hotard bus illegally changed lanes and caused the accident. Thereafter, Brown, Gibson, Price, and the co-defendant driver each retained counsel and made demands against Hotard’s owner and insurer for personal injury damages. As a result of the claims, the insurer utilized the U.S. mail to send the settlement drafts to Brown, Gibson, Price, and the co-defendant driver’s counsel. The total settlement for the Hotard bus accident was approximately $677,500. Brown faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. Upon release from prison, she also faces a term of supervised release of up to three years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 16, 2022. Averitt celebrates 50th anniversary
Averitt Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 30) recently marked the official date of its 50th year of service on Oct. 1, 2021. As the culmination of a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary, Averitt marked the special day with celebrations at its facilities across the country, including at its corporate headquarters in Cookeville, Tennessee. On Oct. 1 and dating back to National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Sept. 12-18), the festivities at Averitt’s facilities included special ceremonies, grab-and-go meals and employee prize drawings for wireless headsets, GPS units, gift cards, televisions, iPads and more. For the grand company-wide prize, five over-the-road drivers had their names drawn to be assigned a brand-new 2022 Freightliner truck. The winners were Hickory, North Carolia-based Crystal Austin; Little Rock, Arkansas-based Rey Cabigquez; Greensboro. North Carolina-based Troyshawn Downey; Charlotte, North Carolina-based Tim Johnson; and Jackson, Tennessee-based Rebecca Sanders. In 1958, Thurman Averitt founded the company as Livingston Merchant’s Co-Op in Livingston, Tennessee. In 1969, Averitt incorporated his company and called it Averitt Express. While making regular deliveries in Nashville, Averitt became acquainted with Gary Sasser, who at the time was a young dockworker. Sasser happened to ask Averitt one day if he would be interested in selling his company. After some thought, Averitt said yes. On Oct. 1, 1971, Sasser, at the age of 21, purchased Averitt Express, which at the time consisted of two associates, three tractors and five trailers. Today, Sasser serves as Averitt’s chairman and chief executive officer. The company now employs more than 9,000 people and operates approximately 4,600 tractors, 15,000 trailers and 140 facilities across the country. “In 1971, I was just a 21-year-old kid who was going to night school, but I knew that I wanted to be in the transportation industry,” said Sasser, who also took logistics training while serving in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. “I was surprised when Mr. Averitt agreed to sell, and it didn’t take long to face my first challenge: how to make payroll. We actually sold the trucks and leased them back just so we could have some operating capital to give everyone a paycheck. We learned a lot in those early days.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD After bottoming out in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, diesel fuel prices have climbed steadily the last 12 months, rising from the 2020 national average low of $2.372 per gallon during the week ending Nov. 2, 2020, to the 2021 high-to-date national average of $3.734 per gallon during the week ending Nov. 15, 2021. The biggest catalyst behind rising fuel costs is the price of crude oil, according to Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for Oil Price Information Service (OPIS). The Department of Energy, in its November Short-Term Energy Outlook, said Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $84 a barrel in October 2021, up $9 a barrel from September, and up $43 a barrel from October 2020. “I think most of it has had to do with crude,” Kloza said. “There will be a lot of things blamed; there’ll be politics blamed or whatever, but it’s the price of crude.” Kloza noted that the last time crude prices were this high – about seven or eight years ago – diesel prices were up but gasoline wasn’t as high as it is today. He said that’s due in part to additional expenses in the supply chain. “There’s probably around 750,000 barrels a day – or about 5% less refining capacity – than there was seven years ago,” he said. “And driver shortages … tanker driver shortages have really manifested themselves in markets.” He also noted that payrolls for employees at truck stops and gas stations are higher now than they were, which is also driving up the cost of fuel. While diesel prices have hit somewhat of a plateau in recent weeks – increasing by just 2 cents per gallon nationwide since the end of October – Kloza said the severity of the coming winter will play a large role in diesel prices over the next few months. “[Diesel]’s really the only fuel that can be substituted when natural gas problems arise,” he said. “You’ll hear lots of different estimates of how much can be substituted in Asia or in Europe. I’ve seen it happen in the United States when we get natural gas curtailments. We have a lot of natural gas in the ground, but we don’t have a lot when you get down-state in places like Chicago and New England. Then the price can really rise exponentially, or you can be turned off of natural gas for a power plant, and when that happens, they start buying diesel.” Hear more about what's happening in the oil and diesel fuel markets on this week's 10-44 webisode in the video above. Kloza, who has spent much of his career in New Jersey, said that in particularly harsh winters, the casinos in Atlantic City will have their natural gas shut off to prioritize hospitals, schools and homes. The casinos then have diesel shipped in to keep their heat on, putting a strain on diesel supply. “If you get a vortex kind of winter, you could have incredible rises in prices in diesel,” he said. Another factor that could keep diesel prices elevated, according to the Department of Energy, is that OPEC+ said it is committed to maintaining its scheduled production increase of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day in December rather than increase production in response to already high crude prices and increasing demand. Kloza said he expects more fluctuation in diesel prices over the next five months than gasoline prices, and foresees an increase to around $4 a gallon nationwide for a little while before starting to decline. As for California, which he said “marches to the tune of its own drum,” prices are likely to be around $5 a gallon. “On a national basis, if I were setting the over/under in Vegas and it was $4, I would take the over, for at least a brief period of time,” Kloza said, "but I don’t think we’ll average those numbers for a long period.” The Energy Department forecasts a steady decline in diesel prices throughout 2022 following a plateau in the fourth quarter of 2021. DOE forecasts the national average for retail on-highway diesel prices to average $3.39 a gallon nationally in the first quarter of 2022, falling to $3.13 a gallon nationally by the end of next year. Will diesel shortages be a problem going forward? Find out more the video above. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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