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. AI Fleet bills itself as "a tech-first carrier, rebuilding trucking from the ground up" with advanced technologies and data science routing. Based in Austin, Texas, the 40-truck dry van truckload carrier launched last year taking aim at inefficiencies in the trucking sector, where driver utilization is below 50% and driver turnover is more than 90%. AI Fleet founder and CEO Marc El Khoury noted the driver shortage is a symptom of the low utilization across the industry, adding his company is building "a new kind of trucking company – one where drivers are proud to work and where technology reduces inefficiencies and powers innovation.” Technology may be the motor carrier's great enabler, but El Khoury holds his company culture – one where the driver is near the top – in the highest regard. AI Fleet's company driver force are guaranteed a base minimum pay and offered incentives based on mileage "and everyone has health benefits," El Khoury said. "Everyone is guaranteed home time every single week." El Khoury said 100% of his driver force makes more than the guaranteed minimum salary of $67,600. With benefits that include a per diem and paid vacation days, the company also lets drivers choose when and where they spend their 48-hour home-time every week. "We actually like to tell them, 'If there's anything specific you want to visit next weekend, you can either go home or you can just tell us where you want to be, and we'll get you there.' That is a big part of our business model," he said. "We know where the freight is across the country. Our technology allows us to pretty much be wherever we want at any period in time. So that's a benefit that we offer our drivers. You can either be home or you can be wherever you want to visit next week." Machine learning muscleThe muscle behind AI Fleet is a proprietary algorithm that's at the center of all the carrier's operations seeking to eliminate "as much dwell that we can on a driver's journey end-to-end, from home-to-home," El Khoury said. "We need technology and a business model that is obsessed with driver happiness. And so, right now, our technology is very driver-centric. It adjusts based on driver preferences as well. You know, not all drivers want to haul the same kind of freight. Not all drivers want to go to the same cities that other drivers want. So this is what our technology does. It's very focused on our drivers and we'll continue to learn as we hopefully continue developing it and continue investing it." A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Freight Lab study estimated that drivers lose upwards of 40% of their drive time tied up in delays, but El Khoury said that's not the case at AI Fleet. "Utilization is the source of all the inefficiency in trucking and that is what we are solving. If every truck driver in America drove anywhere near an AI Fleet driver, you would have a massive driver surplus out there," he said, adding that the carrier's technology stack helps drive a revenue per truck per week upwards of $8,000. "Getting a high revenue per truck is really about booking the right load that goes to the right place at the right time. That is what our technology does. It allows us to learn over time. What is the right rate that we should pick? Getting a load from Customer A, even if it's the same exact lane, doesn't mean you're gonna get the same exact rate with Customer B. Different customers – different lanes – have different pricing in the market. It's not a very efficient market from that perspective. So, part of our technology is to learn who can give us the specific rate in a specific lane." The company’s technology automates order flow and load planning, and AI technology pick loads based on what’s best for the given driver and will generate the most revenue for the truck. The probability of a reload at a specific destination is also an important factor in load selection, El Khoury said. "When we are arriving, what load will we have to haul next? It's really about making sure we are efficient and eliminating wait times for the driver. We never take a load unless we have a guaranteed reload," he said. "When we plan a driver, we plan them home-to-home – or Monday through Friday – depending on their specific requirements. While we may not book the entire journey on day one, but we always know what we're going to do the following day. That is a big part of our business model." El Khoury said too many fleets focus almost entirely on empty miles and deadhead, "and that, for us, that is just only one component of the efficiency in the system that allows us to make sure that drivers are not sitting," he said. "Our drivers call themselves runners. The other day, we put something on Facebook saying, 'Hey, look. Check out this article about AI Fleet.' And one of our first drivers said that 'You have to tell folks that you are running at AI Fleet. We don't sit. We drive 500 miles every single day.' We're proud of that. We are a company for some of the best drivers out there because our technology enables us to get that level of efficiency." Improving rates (freight and turnover)Driver turnover at AI Fleet is so low, El Khoury said he had to come up with a way to accurately describe it."We stopped liking to say zero because we know at some point it will happen. So we like to say under 10% because we have never lost a driver to another fleet," he said. "We know it will happen so we don't want to say zero, but we have never lost a driver to a different fleet." As much as AI Fleet's algorithm leans on driver preferences, it's freight rates that pay the bills. El Khoury said the carrier's platform is always watching the spot market for opportunities to capture better rates, regardless of what the posted rate may be. "Even though in the spot market you can see average rates, that does not mean that every customer will give us those rates. Some will give us higher rates. Some will give us lower rates," he said. "Our technology is just learning over time. So we're able to learn maybe a digital broker is a little bit more generous than a traditional broker sometimes on which lane. That is what we are continuously learning so that we can optimize our routes a little better." El Khoury said drivers are partners in load planning from the day they join the company. "We have very long conversations with them and those conversations continue throughout their tenure at AI Fleet," he said. "Someone who tells us at the beginning, 'Just please let me avoid the Northeast' may change their mind at some point and say, 'Actually, I want to visit my granddaughter in Portland, Maine.' So those kind of conversations are always there. "Now we are a trucking company. We are a business. We don't offer folks 100% flexibility, and they don't want 100% flexibility," El Khoury added. "Many drivers tell us when we are recruiting, 'I'm looking for a company that just works in Texas and Louisiana, back-and-forth.' We are very honest. We say that we are not the right trucking company for you because we are in the business of making you as much money as possible and we can't do that if we are very constrained geographically for the majority of our other drivers. They're our partners and those are kind of the conversations we have with them on a week-to-week basis, if not a day-to-day basis, that then feed directly into our technology." The technology and its algorithm plays an important role in decision-making but El Khoury said its not always the determining factor. "If we keep assigning loads on the driver based on an algorithm without putting in driver preferences into the algorithm, that is not the recipe for having a happy team," he said, adding the company also solicits feedback from its drivers on particular customers. "We've actually learned a lot from our drivers in terms of where to go, where to avoid, and our algorithm today reprioritizes some facilities if we are constantly being detained there. [Drivers] understand what we're doing. They may not go into the detail of our algorithm on a day-to-day basis, but they know that we utilize the technology to help them maximize their success, help them maximize their revenue, and they are a partner in this." The algorithm tries to predict the probability of getting a given rate from a specific broker based on that broker's history. "We don't select the lane, we select a specific load. Our algorithm doesn't tell us, 'Hey, just go to San Antonio.' It tells us this C.H. Robinson load takes you to San Antonio – and this is where obviously there's some analysis that is on – if the posted rate is $2,000 and the DAT rate is $3,000, is there any flexibility? And so we we always have to learn what is the best rate on that load? "But when you look at DAT you think, 'Alright, there's only one price between the two points,' but then when you actually look at individual loads you find a very wide variety of posted prices," he added. "As a carrier, should we take the posted rate? Should we negotiate a little higher? Should we negotiate much higher? That is part of what our technology teaches us to do over time." The tech stack, El Khoury said, helps inform AI Fleet when to push back on rate, when to take the load outright, and when to pass entirely. "Very few folks just tell you, 'My posted rate, I cannot go a penny above," he said. If the rate is fair, El Khoury said the carrier will quickly book the load. "We're also in the business of making sure that our customers are making money. We're not there to squeeze rate out of everybody else. That is actually the least important part of our business model," he said. "We don't want to throw away margin, but where we get the most margin is by keeping our truck rolling. That, for us, is more important than calling Uber Freight and saying, 'I really want $100 more on this load.' That that is not as important than just waiting two days to get the rate that you want." AI Fleet in December closed a $21 million Series A funding round led, the proceeds of which will be used to scale the carrier's operation, expand driver benefits and further the company’s sustainability efforts, El Khoury said. The CCJ Innovators program is brought to you by Comdata, Freightliner Trucks, Omnitracs and EOX Vantage. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Each month, CCJ profiles a fleet for deploying – and in many cases, developing – innovative strategies and/or technologies that improve their business. These can be recruitment and retention initiatives, maintenance practices, back office technologies and anything (and everything) in between. Below is a round up of CCJ's 2021 Innovators. Werner enjoying ROI from EDGE fleet managementDespite the memes, t-shirts, political firestorms and late-night monologues, 2020 wasn’t a total wash. For longtime trucking giant Werner Enterprises (CCJ Top 250, No. 11), last year proved to be the right time to roll out its cloud-based propriety mobile fleet management program, Werner EDGE.Announced in May, Werner EDGE has been helping drivers, carriers and shippers gain a better handle on the complex world of trucking, which got even tougher during the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full story on January's Innovator here. Titan Freight exec plans to bridge the divide to zero-emissionsTitan Freight Systems in 2010 set an ambitious goal to reduce fleet emissions by 20% within a decade.The Portland, Oregon-based company’s Vision 2020 plan had metrics tied to fuel efficiency gains. To execute on those metrics, Titan replaced most of the 2007 EPA Tier 2 and older engine emission trucks in its fleet and invested hundreds of thousands in aftermarket products that included engine idle shut off devices, cab fairings, trailer side skirts, wheel covers and technology for monitoring driver speeds and behaviors. In the second quarter of 2020, Titan Freight began using a new fuel that significantly reduces emissions and creates a low-cost advantage – renewable diesel (RD, or R99). Read the full story on February's Innovator here. XPO boosts training efficiency with virtual realityXPO Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 6) kicked off the new year with a successful six-week-long pilot of its virtual reality (VR) training for less-than-truckload (LTL) employees in North America. The solution integrates XPO software with Oculus for Business headsets, and the company plans to scale its new-age training solution across its LTL operations in the months ahead.The company’s use of virtual reality for LTL training follows its deployment of augmented reality at key logistics sites, where headsets guide employees during inventory picking. Read the full story on the March Innovator here. Montgomery Transport's image-based load securement app leads to more effective training, reduced claimsA picture can be worth a lot more than a thousand words. It can help keep loads secure and lead to fewer claims and out-of-service violations.That’s been the case for Birmingham, Alabama-based Montgomery Transport, which has taken an app originally designed for improving office communications with drivers and transformed it into an image-based safety tool that’s reinforcing cargo safety management and reducing claims. Read the full story on our April Innovator here. Trailiner’s gambit prevents miscues, reduces driver turnoverOperating errors can be quite costly for motor carriers, like when a driver misreads a trailer number and hooks up to the wrong asset. By the time someone notices the exception, a chunk of fuel, labor and revenue has been wasted and a customer service failure has, or is about to, occur.Preventing this and other types of errors, such as miscommunications that contribute to driver turnover, have been major focus points for Amber Edmondson after she purchased the company in December 2018 from its founder, H.E. “Spook” Whitener. Read the full story on the May Innovator here. Laredo-based fleet uses technology to push back on insurance spikeDespite zero at-fault accidents in 2019, Regional Express Carriers (REC) – Barry Conlon's 24 truck Laredo-based fleet – "was being lumped into the same bucket as everybody else," he said, "because there's been an increase in the number incidents, the number of verdicts ... The almost daily struggles to afford these premiums is just crippling."Conlon knew the kind data that could show underwriters a carrier's accident risk existed, but packaging it all together was problematic. So he set out to create the platform himself. Read the full story on June's Innovator here. UniGroup lands a 'big win' with its new transportation management systemUniGroup (CCJ Top 250, No. 25) in 2019 decided it was time to start considering a replacement for an older transportation management system that was looking increasingly obsolete. To help improve its competitive edge in logistics, UniGroup partnered with Rose Rocket, a Canada-based software company that develops transportation management software by the same name. The two companies went to work in 2019 to tailor a system for UniGroup that would help smooth out the kinks common to the supply chain business.Read the full story on our July Innovator here. JLE Industries turns load planning over to driversEvan Pohaski and a team of investment partners in 2014 started a flatbed carrier in Pittsburg. Besides purchasing new trucks and trailers, the fledgling JLE Industries acquired fleet management technology from established vendors in the industry.From the start, leadership was focused on how to set the company apart. To that end, in 2015 a decision to develop a proprietary software platform was made to help load planners and managers better serve the needs of drivers. Read the full story on the August Innovator here. Prime boosts reach of weekly drivers meetings with social mediaYouTube can be a handy resource for many things, from learning how to change the engine oil in a 1997 Honda Civic to the basics of karate. For the drivers for Prime, Inc., (CCJ Top 250, No. 14) YouTube has become an invaluable enabler of staying connected with their company and fellow drivers.Read the full story on September's Innovator here. DapeCon tries to digitize, electrify intermodal truckingPort terminals are the event horizon, with inefficiencies coming from drayage and other players creating gravitational pull.Most dray carriers are small operators that use manual processes like faxes, texts, instant messages, and phone calls to complete tasks associated with picking up, delivering, and returning containers to ports. Six years ago, Dvinov co-founded DapeCon, an intermodal trucking company in Linden, N.J., with fellow business partners Leonardo Cancela and Eugene Karp. The trio had previously launched a freight forwarding, container transloading and warehousing business, Dapex, in 2005. The vision for DapeCon was to not be another trucking company. They wanted to digitize all aspects of the intermodal business. Read the full story on the October Innovator here. Transition from employee to employee-owner pays off big for Long Haul TruckingAlmost a decade ago, Long Haul Trucking (CCJ Top 250, No. 223) founder John Daniels was looking forward to retirement and there were no shortage of suitors for the 365-truck Albertville, Minnesota-based carrier. But rather than cash out and hand over the keys to the company that he spent 25 years building, he instead turned to the people who helped build it – his employees. Read the full story on November's Innovator here. NFI rolls dice to secure equipment, refocuses driver recruitmentAs ports across the U.S. continue to take on historic freight surges fueled by increased online shopping, NFI (CCJ Top 250, No. 21) has sought to mitigate the uptick in demand for equipment, especially chassis.Chassis supply levels were already strained prior to COVID, NFI senior vice president Aaron Brown said, prompting a need to think outside the box to keep up with growing demand at the ports. Read the full story on December's Innovator here. 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. The CCJ Innovators program is brought to you by Comdata, Freightliner Trucks, Omnitracs and EOX Vantage. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Numerous trucking companies and other businesses related to trucking have been increasingly targeted by hackers in cyberattacks over the last two years. One of the bigger attacks in 2021 hit the Colonial Pipeline in May, prompting fuel outages in multiple states. Individual trucking companies, including Marten Transport in October, have also been targeted. With more technology being added to trucks with every new model year, there is also a growing threat of hacks into the computer systems of the vehicles themselves. In this week's 10-44, hosts Jason Cannon and Matt Cole look at the threats facing trucks on the road and how cybersecurity firms are trying to address them. C2A Security CEO Michael Dick said trucking companies are a high-value target because of the value of the trucks themselves, as well as the value of the cargo being hauled. CCJ's 10-44 is a weekly video feature covering the latest in trucking news and trends, equipment and technology. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Autonomous truck driving technology startup TuSimple said it successfully completed this month what it bills as "the world's first fully autonomous semi-truck run on open public roads without a human in the vehicle and without human intervention." The fully driverless run took place Dec. 22 with TuSimple's upfitted autonomous semi-truck beginning its journey from a railyard in Tucson, Arizona, and traveling more than 80 miles on surface streets and highways at night, to its destination – a high-volume distribution center in the Phoenix metro area. Along the journey, TuSimple's Autonomous Driving System (ADS) navigated surface streets, traffic signals, on-ramps, off-ramps, emergency lane vehicles and highway lane changes in open traffic while interacting with other motorists. TuSimple President and CEO Cheng Lu said the test reinforced what his company believes is its "unique position at the forefront of autonomous trucking, delivering advanced driving technology at commercial scale. This year, we were laser-focused on putting our technology through a rigorous test on open public roads under real-world conditions, and to see all our hard work and dedication come together is extremely rewarding. By achieving this momentous technical milestone, we demonstrated the advanced capabilities of TuSimple's autonomous driving system and the commercial maturity of our testing process, prioritizing safety and collaboration every step of the way." The one-hour and 20-minute drive is the first time a Class 8 autonomous truck has operated on open public roads without a human in the vehicle and without human intervention, according to TuSimple, and is part of an ongoing test program that will continue into 2022. The test was performed in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Transportation and law enforcement. A TuSimple survey vehicle was deployed to look for anomalies operating over five miles ahead, an oversight vehicle capable of putting the autonomous truck in a minimal risk condition (MRC) was trailing behind, and law enforcement vehicles followed half-a-mile behind as an extra layer of safety precaution. The autonomous driving test was 100% operated by TuSimple's ADS without a human on-board, without remote human control of the vehicle, and without traffic intervention. TuSimple's "Driver Out" pilot program is the culmination of 1.5 years of work to develop an L4 autonomous semi-truck with the level of redundancy, reliability, and consistency to safely take the driver out on public roads. This is a critical first step in scaling autonomous trucking operations on the TuSimple Autonomous Freight Network (AFN). https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021: Averitt executive retiringPhil Pierce is retiring as executive vice president of sales and marketing for Averitt Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 30), capping a 40-year career with the company. Pierce joined Averitt in 1981 and has served in a wide variety of roles, including service center director for the company’s Chattanooga location, national accounts executive, vice president of regional sales. “There’s simply no way to put into words the full impact Phil has made on Averitt Express,” said Averitt President Wayne Spain. “His remarkable influence was the reason he became the first and only executive vice president of sales in our history many years ago. His leadership of our sales team played a major role in helping us reach and surpass the billion-dollar mark in annual revenue. Phil’s energy, enthusiasm, optimism and leadership embody the Averitt culture. Over his 40-year career, he has personally inspired thousands of associates, from salespeople and drivers across the country to corporate associates here in Cookeville. Averitt would not be the company we are today without Phil Pierce." As a member of Averitt’s executive team, Pierce will remain an active member of the company’s board of directors. He also plans to remain active as a member the company’s “Ambassador Team,” a special group of retired associates who choose to stay connected to Averitt’s unique culture through charitable giving and community service. A native of Athens, Tennessee, Pierce earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Tennessee in 1974. While at Tennessee, he played quarterback for the football team alongside fellow Averitt teammate Wayne Spain, as well as former Tennessee head football coach and athletics director Phil Fulmer. Pierce and his wife, Nancy, have lived in Cookeville since 1982. They have three grown children, Phillip, Rebecca and Jimmy, as well as one grandchild, Pierce, and another grandchild expected to be born in 2022. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Rivian recently added a fleet section and a new electric van in the hopes of reeling in more commercial interest beyond its massive van order with Amazon. The news comes as the Ford-backed California start-up pursues plans to expand its first plant in Illinois and break ground on a second auto plant in Georgia that will triple production—a welcomed move following a recent stock tumble brought on by a shareholder report that revealed a production slump in 2021. Rivian’s website now includes a fleet tab which provides information on its Rivian Commercial Van (RCV) program including charging, fleet vehicle management through Rivian FleetOS and fleet vehicle options. The only commercial EV currently shown on Rivian’s website is their EDV 700 van, 100,000 of which are destined for ecommerce giant Amazon. However, in a recent letter to shareholders, Rivian announced that the 700 cubic foot van will be joined by a smaller van, the EDV 500 next year. That van is narrower and shorter than the EDV 700. RivianIn its online fleet section, Rivian describes its commercial van lineup as “configurable models ranging from 450 to 900 cubic feet of cargo capacity with options for integrated factory upfitting.” So while a van larger than 700 cubic feet is available, it’s unclear if that vehicle is a separate model or a larger variant of the EDV 700. Range listed for the EDV 700 tops out at 201 miles. It’s not clear if that range applies to the larger 900 cubic foot van. Range is not provided for the EDV 500. Payload capacity for the vans ranges from 1,960 pounds to 5,300 pounds. Rivian aims to provide a turn-key commercial EV program which includes assessing fleet needs for charging and EV duty cycles. Rivian’s mobile service division can provide on-the-spot EV repairs and maintenance or transport the vehicle to a Rivian service center if needed. Rivian will begin accepting fleet orders next year and expects to begin delivering non-Amazon vans in 2023. Interested fleets can register now on Rivian’s fleet section for additional information. Big production goalsTo help meet demand for its growing EV lineup, Rivian announced that it will be expanding its first plant in Normal, Illinois and begin construction this summer on a second plant near Atlanta, Ga. Following its anticipated completion in 2023, Rivian’s Georgia site is expected to triple annual EV production from 200,000 to 600,000 vehicles.Demand for its first consumer EVs, the R1T pickup and R1S SUV, has been high. However, production goals for the 12-year-old company fell short of expectations for 2021 according to Rivian’s Q3 shareholder letter, the first such letter following its IPO last month. Net loss for the third quarter amounted to $1.23 billion compared to $288 million for the same time last year. Rivian's setbacks led to a 16% dip in stock value to $89.98 per share on Monday, Dec. 20. Rivian blamed the slump on supply chain setbacks and growing pains as it seeks to spool-up and streamline production. Rivian“Launching three vehicles across two platforms during our first year of production requires the simultaneous ramp of our supply chain, hiring and training of a production workforce, equipment bring-up, and rapid iteration through production quality loops,” states Rivian’s Q3 letter to shareholders. “In addition, we have been met with one of the most complex supply chain environments the automotive industry has ever experienced,” the letter continues. “Our team continues to work closely with our supplier partners to help mitigate issues associated with bringing up a new supply chain, and we are encouraged that the issues we are experiencing, while certainly challenging, are not systemic in nature.” Shares rebounded to $107.09 each by Monday which is a roughly 47% decline from its record $172.01 high six days after its Nov. 10 Wall Street debut. Neither the Rivian R1T pickup or R1S SUV are mentioned as upcoming fleet vehicles on Rivian’s website or their shareholder newsletter which was published in mid-December. The R1T, which first rolled out to customers in September, has received glowing reviews from several media outlets including MotorTrend which crowned the EV as its 2022 Truck of the Year. Rivian https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD In late 2020, somebody promised me that 2021 was going to be better. While it was (to a degree), I still feel like we were short-changed on the number of brighter tomorrows. Ever since I got my commercial license more than five years ago, one of the things that I enjoy most about my job is that I get to drive trucks. My role at CCJ since 2016 has changed a lot, but there's still nothing more fun than climbing up in the cab and running off a few hundred miles (or more). The pandemic shut down a lot of my fun down after March 2020, but I had high hopes for making up time and miles in 2021. What I don't think any of us knew at the time is that the effects of 2020 would linger for as long as they have, and the fallout – including a truck component shortage – would vary as much as it has. It wasn't as much as I'd hoped but, thankfully, I was able to get some seat time this year. 2021 came out of the gate hot with a new T680. Kenworth in 2012 introduced the T680 as a third-generation aerodynamic conventional tractor and eventual successor to the T660 and T700, and gussied up its technology for 2021 while beefing up its aero (the new T680 is 10% more aerodynamic over the prior generation.) Back in February, I was able to take the new model around Renton, Washington, before the even truck was formally announced to the public. Kenworth also intro'd an all new medium-duty lineup. Not to be outdone, Kenworth's Paccar sister company Peterbilt overhauled its medium duty lineup this Spring. The new Model 535 and Model 536 trucks are designed for the Class 5 and 6 non-CDL lease and rental market – a segment that makes up almost 40% of the entire medium duty market – and with them come a new new 2.1 meter cab and the new Paccar TX-8 fully automatic transmission. I took several of Pete's revamped models for a spin around the road course at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. T680 aside, 2021 apparently was the year of medium duty drives. I was there in 2019 – at Mack's Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO) facility in Roanoke Valley, Virginia – when the company announced its plans to re-enter the medium duty market, and in the face of a global pandemic Mack launched it anyway. Targeting medium-duty trucking vocations with frequent urban stop-and-go cycles like dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank, the 25,995 pound Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) MD6, and 33,000 pound GVWR MD7, are both exempt from the 12% Federal Excise Tax (FET) and the MD6 model slides in just under the cutoff for requiring a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) for non-hazardous payloads. I was able to take a Class 6 model for a trek around Birmingham, Alabama, in November. Here's to hoping for brighter tomorrows in greater quantities in 2022. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021: Eight tanker drivers in running for Tank Truck Driver of the Year AwardThe National Tank Truck Carriers has announced the eight professional tank truck drivers who have been selected as this year's Champion Finalists for the Professional Tank Truck Driver of the Year Award. The finalists are:
These drivers will now advance to the final round of the selection process next month in Washington, D.C., where a panel of industry professionals will judge them on their knowledge of the tank truck industry, dedication to safety, ability to communicate the industry’s messages, overall safe driving record, and their positive community efforts outside of their driving responsibilities. The Grand Champion will be unveiled at the NTTC’s 2022 Annual Conference & Exhibits at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, April 23-26. “Congratulations to the eight Champion Finalists and all of the professional drivers who applied this year,” said NTTC President and CEO Ryan Streblow. “In our unique segment, safety is the single most critical element of success and these finalists epitomize the safety culture that the tank truck industry is recognized for." During the Grand Champion’s one-year term, he will serve as the face of the industry, representing NTTC at safety-focused events throughout the year, and sharing NTTC's mission of safety and education with the general public. The award is sponsored by Great West Casualty Company. Top 250 fleet announces driver pay increaseEagan, Minnesota-based Bay & Bay Transfer Co. (CCJ Top 250, No. 171) announced last week that drivers joining the carrier will start at between 60 and 64 cents per mile base pay plus accessorial pay. “Driver pay is key in both hiring and retaining drivers," said Michael Blair, director of driver recruitment at Bay & Bay. "From the top down here at Bay & Bay, we understand the importance of not only bringing on new drivers, but keeping your drivers that have been with you for years satisfied." A statement from the company said continuing their commitment to being a top-paying trucking company, Bay & Bay has raised driver pay four times over the last 12 months. In May 2021, the company raised driver company pay 5 cpm and in July 2021, it announced what it said was an unprecedented pay increase for independent contractors with a base pay of $1.40 up to $2 on loaded miles and $1.10 on empty miles. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021: A.N. Webber will turn 75A.N. Webber Inc. will celebrate its 75th year of business in 2022, having grown from a one truck gravel hauling side job to more than 280 employees driving 200 late model Peterbilt’s with four locations and a robust freight brokerage team.The company was founded in 1947 by Albert “Neal” Webber, Sr., who bought a 1941 International KB8 semi to haul gravel for a local Kankakee, Illinois, quarry. He had driven for his brother previously and decided to branch off on his own. By 1958 A.N. “Neal” Webber, Jr. joined his father in the family business after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army, along with his wife, Dee. Within a few years the family business had expanded from dump box trailers to flatbed services, hauling rebar out of a local mill in Kankakee Illinois for the creation of the Interstate Highway System. Neal Jr. drove trucks while Dee ran the office. Neal Senior retired in 1975 as Alan N. Webber graduated from high school and became the third generation Webber in the transportation company, working for his father. Over the ensuing years, many family members worked at the company. By 1980, during a raging blizzard, the Webber’s moved the operation to a new, larger facility on the south side of Kankakee. In the 1980s, the company opened a terminal in McBee, S.C., and purchased Strassy Service System, which provided a larger geographic delivery capability within the state of Illinois, when freight transportation was still highly regulated for intra-state traffic. Alan Webber became president of the various Webber companies and central operations were moved to McBee. The company expanded into Mexico in the 90s. Also, in 1991 Neal Junior purchased a building in Kankakee, renaming the facility South Tec Development Corp. With more than one million square feet of space, the former manufacturing plant was recreated to a business offering warehouse and manufacturing space. The building was quickly filled with tenants, including Webber moving their corporate office in, where it still resides today. Alan launched the company into the logistics business in 2005, naming it A.N. Webber Logistics, Inc. In 2018, Alan’s son, Zach Webber, fresh from a five-year stint with a larger logistics company, came aboard to run A.N. Webber Logistics as its vice president. The now robust brokerage division had doubled revenue over the last year and tripled headcount. The logistics division now accounts for more than 50% of the revenue, and additional growth is planned. Albert Neal Webber, Jr. passed away in 2016 and Alan Webber assumed the role of CEO. Alan’s nephew, Todd Perzee, was named as president of Webber to oversee the day-to-day operations. Todd, the son Alan’s sister Kae Webber is the fourth generation of the family to oversee the operation. U.S. ports get grants funds from DOTChristmas came early for many U.S. ports, as last week the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary announced the award of more than $241 million in discretionary grant funding for 25 projects to improve port facilities in 19 states and one territory through the Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The state of Georgia was awarded funding for Garden City's Colonel’s Island Berth #4. The project will construct a fourth roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel berth at the Port of Brunswick’s Colonel's Island Terminal in order to add needed capacity at the nation’s second busiest Ro-Ro cargo port and more efficiently accommodate the larger 7,000-plus-unit vehicle carrier vessels that are becoming the industry standard for Ro-Ro ships calling at U.S. ports. The projects that were awarded grants include coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 PIDP includes priorities related to job creation, climate change, and environmental justice impacts. Commercial Credit, Inc. acquires Keystone Equipment FinanceCommercial Credit, Inc. (CCI), a Charlotte-based equipment and accounts receivable finance company and the parent company of Commercial Credit Group Inc. (CCG) and Commercial Funding Inc., has acquired Keystone Equipment Finance Corp. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Based in Connecticut, Keystone Equipment Finance Corp. provides small-ticket equipment financing specializing in the transportation and construction related industries. Keystone will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of CCI, gaining and leveraging CCI’s extensive resources. Keystone’s operations and management will remain in place, with no expected change in personnel. CCI President and CEO Dan McDonough said the Keystone acquisition is highly attractive as it expands his company's transaction range in the industries it serves. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD I've previously written about the Motor Carrier Exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and why its elimination was necessary, but a recent event on Dec. 23 exemplifies why its elimination is both necessary and warranted. Jeff Clark, a seasoned veteran driver for De Pere, Wisconsin-based Paper Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 105), was on eastbound Interstate-94 near Osseo. Jeff felt his tractor break traction at the 80-mile marker. With that warning premonition, Jeff heeded the hint and parked his rig at the 88-mile marker. Another driver about five minutes later asked Jeff whether he saw the pile up just behind him at the 80-mile marker. Later, Jeff heard about 100-plus vehicle pile-up at the 96-mile marker – just seven miles further ahead – due to freezing rain. Had Jeff not heeded his experiential training, he, too, would have joined the carnage. Wisconsin State PatrolTo Paper Transport’s credit, this is a prime example of how important it is to have a supportive company that encourages its drivers to shut down for safety. Why was Jeff so lucky, when so many failed to safely park their rig? When drivers are paid by the mile but regulated by the hour, safety will necessarily be demoted to a secondary consideration. Period. When inclement weather appears, as it so often does at this time of year, drivers will push onward to preserve their paychecks. It’s simply a matter of motivation. It's only when you’re a veteran like Jeff that you know it’s better to call it a day and profitably drive another day. Sadly, so many others lacked the discipline, experience and training that comes with years of driving. This is not a new phenomenon. We see this nearly each year in Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Texas and other states. As drivers, we curse the DOT for closing the highways. Let me say this: Frankly, it’s because many of us are too stupid and lack Jeff’s training and experience, so the DOT steps in to fill the void. It’s not entirely our fault. Our motivation gets compromised between preserving a paycheck versus earning nothing while safely parked. The exemption to the FLSA; the disconnect between pay by mile versus regulated by hour; the lack of a tiered CDL-based on experience; zealous but inexperienced desk-based dispatchers overruling the captain of the ship and urging continued progress; and the notion that “if the wheels ain’t turning, you ain’t earning” are all culpable. Unless the FMCSA and Congress step in to remedy these vulnerabilities, these events will continue several times every year with potentially tragic outcomes. Alec Costerus is President of Colorado-based Aerodyne Transportation, LLC, an over-the-road long-haul trucking company hauling freight throughout North America; and is co-founder of Alpha Drivers Testing & Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in optimizing drivetrains for owner-operators and fleets. He is the immediate past-Chairman of the Trucking Solutions Group, a peer-to-peer group of owner-operators who collaborate on trucking business and regulatory matters. He can be reached at [email protected]. Wisconsin State Patrol https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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