Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Jan. 19, 2024: J.B. Hunt adds former rail exec to Board of DirectorsJ.B. Hunt Transport Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 3) announced Wednesday that Patrick Ottensmeyer has been elected the newest member of its board of directors, effective Jan. 12, expanding the board to 10 total board seats. Ottensmeyer brings more than 17 years of rail industry experience to the company’s board. He served as president and CEO of Kansas City Southern (KCS), a Class I railroad, from 2015 to 2023, until the completion of the merger creating Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) in 2023. From 2008 to 2015, he was executive vice president of sales and marketing at KCS and served as executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer at the railroad from 2006 to 2008. Ottensmeyer also served as the U.S. Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Mexico Economic Council (USMXECO) from 2019 to 2023. In this role, he was instrumental in representing business interests during the formation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) from 2017-2020. He currently serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; for the Greenbrier Companies, an international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets; and for Watco Companies, a single-source transportation and supply chain services company with locations throughout North America and Australia. Ottensmeyer is also co-chair of the Brookings Institute USMCA Initiative and chair of the Truman Library Institute. Ottensmeyer is the third new board member since 2021 for J.B. Hunt and will serve on the board’s Compensation Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Last year, Persio Lisboa joined the board following his retirement in 2021 as president and CEO of Navistar, Inc. His 35-year career included extensive senior executive experience with Navistar. Thad Hill was also elected to the board in 2021. Hill is CEO of Calpine Corporation (Calpine), one of the nation’s largest independent competitive power companies operating power plants and retail businesses in 22 states and Ontario, Canada. [Related: 'Get ready to compete': New rail behemoth sets sights on trucking] FMCSA renews HOS exemption for certain paper mill driversThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is provisionally renewing an exemption from the hours-of-service regulations for WestRock that allows its employees to operate on specific section of public road between its shipping and receiving locations. The exemption is restricted to a specific route, measuring less than 300 feet in one direction, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, allowing WestRock’s shipping department employees and occasional substitute CDL holders to occasionally work up to 16 consecutive hours and be allowed to return to work with less than the mandatory 10 consecutive hours off duty. FMCSA previously determined that the operations of WestRock’s drivers under this exemption would likely maintain a level of safety equivalent to or greater than the level of safety that would be achieved in the absence of the exemption. The exemption renewal is for 5 years, effective April 17, 2024, through April 16, 2029. In its exemption application, WestRock said its shipping and receiving departments are on opposite sides of the paper mill, requiring driver-employees to travel on a public road to shuttle trailers as needed. These drivers utilize a public road an average of 40 times per day to travel between WestRock’s manufacturing facility and shipping and receiving docks. FMCSA said it’s “unaware of any evidence of a degradation of safety attributable to the current exemption for WestRock’s drivers.” Iowa’s harvest proclamation waiving weight limits extended againGrain, fertilizer and manure haulers traveling on non-interstate highways and roads in Iowa are getting even more time to operate outside normal weight restrictions. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Dec. 13 signed an extension to the harvest proclamation that has been in effect since Sept. 11 and has now been extended four times since in one-month increments. The proclamation, now effective through Feb. 12, allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of the waiver. It applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those that don't exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight. Other stipulations that must be met to take advantage of the exemption:
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Engine oils are the lifeblood of a vehicle's engine, ensuring its smooth operation, longevity and protection against wear and tear. When extreme cold temperatures arrive, the choice of engine oil becomes even more critical. Cold weather poses significant challenges to engine oils, potentially affecting their performance and ultimately impacting the overall health of the engine. This makes choosing the right engine oil extremely important in the winter season. What to look for in your engine oil for cold weatherChoosing the right engine oil for cold temperature performance and engine protection requires considering several key factors. OEM engine oil recommendations. Your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) should have recommended engine oil requirements listed in your owner’s manual. The specifications required (API or OEM) and viscosity should be noted. These recommendations should be followed. Usually, different viscosities for different ambient temperature ranges may be included. Most over-the-road heavy duty truck OEM’s factory-fill with a 10W-30 engine oil (API CK-4 or FA-4). 10W-30 engine oils offer better fuel economy than 15W-40 engine oils, while still offering your engine the protection it needs. Low temperature pumpability. Pumpability refers to the ability of an engine oil to flow and circulate effectively throughout the engine's components, even in extremely cold temperatures. When the temperature drops, conventional oils tend to become thicker and less fluid, making it challenging for them to move quickly through the engine's intricate network of passages and provide lubrication to critical parts. This can lead to issues such as delayed lubrication, increased friction, and difficulty in starting the engine. The lower the winter-grade (W) portion of the engine oil viscosity (10W-30), the better it cranks and pumps in cold weather. Once again, refer to your owner’s manual for the proper viscosity grade for different ambient temperature ranges. Synthetic formulation. Synthetic oils are known for their superior cold temperature performance. They have a more consistent molecular structure, which allows them to flow better in cold weather compared to conventional oils. Cold temperatures impacts on engine oilsCold temperatures can have a profound impact on the viscosity of engine oils. As temperatures drop, the oil's viscosity increases, causing it to become thicker and more resistant to flowing smoothly throughout the engine's various components. Low Winter grade engine oils will flow better at cold temperatures than higher Winter grade engine oils. For example, a 5W-XX engine oil is tested for cold temperature pumpability at -35C, while a 15W-XX is tested for cold temperature pumpability at -25C. Consequences of choosing the wrong engine oil in cold environmentsSelecting the wrong engine oil for cold temperatures can have detrimental consequences. Using an oil that is not formulated for cold weather can lead to several issues, including: • Difficulty starting. Cold Thickened oils can make it harder for the engine to turn over in cold weather, leading to prolonged cranking times and potential strain on the battery and starter motor. • Reduced fuel efficiency: Thickened oils can create more resistance within the engine, requiring more energy to overcome, and ultimately resulting in decreased fuel efficiency. • Poor lubrication. Inadequate lubrication due to the wrong viscosity can cause dry starts since the oil may be too thick to be pumped through the filter or the oil gallery. • Increased wear and tear: When the engine is not adequately lubricated, the increased friction can lead to accelerated wear and tear on critical components like bearings, pistons, and cylinders. Making the right choiceWhen it comes to selecting the right engine oil for cold temperature performance and engine protection, making an informed choice is paramount. Extreme cold temperatures can compromise an engine's functionality, and using the wrong oil exacerbates these challenges. Investing in a high-quality engine oil with the right viscosity/flow properties and formulation is essential to ensure proper lubrication, smooth start-ups, reduced wear and tear, and overall optimal engine performance even in the harshest winter conditions. Regularly consulting your vehicle's owner's manual and seeking the guidance of automotive lubrication experts can help you make the right choice and keep your engine running smoothly all year round.
https://ift.tt/UbNmi7R Marshall County, Mississippi, roughly 60 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee, will be the home of an advanced battery cell manufacturing facility for a joint venture founded by Cummins' zero-emissions business segment Accelera, Daimler Trucks & Buses U.S. Holding and Paccar, the companies announced Thursday. The 21-gigawatt hour (GWh) factory is expected to begin producing battery cells in 2027. The joint venture, announced in September 2023, localizes battery cell production for commercial electric vehicles and is expected to create more than 2,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs, with the option for further expansion as demand grows. Accelera, Daimler Truck and PACCAR will each own 30% of, and jointly control, the business, which will focus on lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery technology for commercial battery-electric trucks. EVE Energy will serve as the technology partner in the joint venture with 10% ownership and will contribute its battery cell design and manufacturing expertise to the future cell manufacturing plant. Daimler Truck North America President and CEO John O’Leary noted that localized battery cell production is expected to help drive down costs while the collaboration among truck manufactures biggest players should produce differentiated battery cell technology that supports the adoption of electric vehicles for medium- and heavy-duty commercial transportation. “This site selection represents an exciting and tangible step toward advancing our Destination Zero strategy and our vision to lead the industry toward a decarbonized future,” said Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “We are excited to join the Marshall County community to drive economic growth and job creation in Mississippi, while continuing to expand our strong partnerships and serve the diverse needs of our customers.” The Marshall County site solidifies Paccar's presence in The Magnolia State as it's MX engine line is produced about 130 miles east in Columbus. "The state, the communities and the people of Mississippi are wonderful business partners for Paccar. We look forward to expanding that partnership in northern Mississippi with this new battery cell factory that will provide industry-leading cost effective zero-emissions solutions for our customers,” said Paccar Chief Executive Officer Preston Feight. https://ift.tt/UbNmi7R Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024: ATA names newest Road Team CaptainsThe American Trucking Associations on Tuesday announced its new team of 24 professional truck drivers to the 2024-2025 America's Road Team. The drivers will serve as trucking industry ambassadors, traveling the country to spread the message of safe driving, while teaching about the trucking industry and its opportunities. “This elite group of professionals rose to the top of their field through years of hard work, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to safety that is measured in millions of miles,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “These exceptional individuals embody an essential segment of the American workforce whose contributions are seen and felt by virtually everyone in this country. As these captains now head over the road with a new mission and a vital message to share, we take extreme pride in their achievements and know that our nation will learn many valuable lessons from them and the example they set for our entire industry.” Founded in 1986, America’s Road Team is an elite group of professional truck drivers with superior safety records that represents the trucking industry. Captains, with support from their companies, dedicate time each month to attending industry events, speaking at schools or meeting with policymakers on behalf of the trucking industry. The drivers on this this year’s team hail from 14 different states, represent 14 different motor carriers and have a total of 61.6 million accident-free driving miles. America’s Road Team is sponsored by Volvo Trucks. The new Captains will tour the country in ATA's Interstate One Image Truck, a Volvo VNL 760, towing an American flag-emblazoned trailer that contains a state-of-the-art truck driving simulator and mobile classroom. After receiving their signature navy blue America's Road Team blazers, the 2024-2025 Captains will immediately begin their work improving public perception of the trucking industry. Trucking industry professionals can support America's Road Team's mission by following the team's two-year journey on Facebook and Twitter and interacting with the Captains at major industry events, conferences and community visits. The 2024-2025 America’s Road Team Captains are:
A. Duie Pyle opens new facility in MaineA. Duie Pyle on Tuesday announced it opened the doors of a new facility in Bangor, Maine, to further enhance its Northeast network and strengthen its position as a supply chain solutions provider in the region. The opening of this facility marks the company's first expansion in 2024, the year of its centennial anniversary. Officially located at 335 Industrial Drive, Pittsfield, ME, 04967, the facility will extend access to Pyle’s LTL, warehouse and distribution and dedicated freight capabilities, enhancing its ability to service more customers in the local Maine area. Upon opening, the facility added 12 new jobs to the local economy, with another nine coming by the end of the year. Pyle previously had one LTL service center located in Portland, Maine, so this expansion allows for more comprehensive, full-service coverage across the state. "We’re kicking 2024 off with a bang, as this new facility enables us to solidify our industry-leading presence across the Northeast,” said John Luciani, COO of LTL Solutions at A. Duie Pyle. "This strategic addition to our network brings a higher level of LTL, dedicated and warehouse and distribution support to our customers in Central and Northern Maine. This opening is the first of a series coming down the pipeline this year that will further enhance our strong service center network and expand our capabilities to service more customers.” The facility officially opened its doors and was fully operational as of Jan. 15. Upon opening, this location featured eight drivers, two dockworkers and two managers. When fully staffed before the end of 2024, the center is expected to have 12 drivers, four dockworkers, two fleet technicians and three managers. H&M Bay names new Director of OperationsLTL frozen and refrigerated logistics provider H&M Bay earlier this month announced the promotion of Kevin McMahan to Director of Operations. McMahan has been with H&M Bay since 1997 and has held numerous positions in operations throughout his tenure. Starting as a Mid-Atlantic dispatcher and warehouseman, he worked his way up to Warehouse Manager and then Division Manager of H&M Bay’s Florida division. In 2015, he was promoted to Operations Manager, where he served up until his promotion. “We are grateful to have such committed, hardworking employees at H&M Bay, and Kevin exemplifies this,” said H&M Bay Vice President and Partner Walt Messick III. “Under his leadership, no matter the role, H&M Bay has always seen positive changes and results, and I expect no less in his new assignment.” NationaLease names new senior VP of operationsFull-service truck leasing company NationaLease announced this week that Jane Clark has been promoted to senior vice president of operations. In this expanded role, Clark will direct all national account support across NationaLease in addition to her existing responsibilities. Clark will continue to manage NationaLease’s member services, including reciprocal service, purchasing and meetings. She will remain responsible for strengthening member relationships, reducing member costs, and improving collaboration within NationaLease support groups. https://ift.tt/v0Gfn2Y Soft deadlines are as problematic as fake news. One of my favorite phrases is, “You get what you tolerate.” Setting deadlines is supposed to encourage the completion of something. It often involves a commitment from a person, a team, a company or an industry to, as Star Trek’s Captain Picard so eloquently says, “make it so.” You gear up and commit to this deadline thinking it’s real, however, when the deadline comes, it turns out that it was more of a Jack Sparrow guideline. Nothing is more traumatizing to those who made the commitment and accomplished the goal on time. Knowing that others got to extend their schedules, delay costs, delay overtime and more, while your team made the good faith effort to meet the deadline, is very aggravating for those who put in the effort to hit the benchmark. I have seen this repeatedly in corporations where multiple project teams were working in parallel toward their own team deadlines, only to find that another team had gotten to extend theirs, sometimes impacting all the parallel efforts. And I get it; stuff happens. Certainly, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a truckload of wrenches into everyone’s schedules. But it’s not the unexpected that bothers me. You learn to expect the unexpected, plan for it, have contingency plans in place, and do your best to recover. What bothers me is the “artificial deadline,” where supposedly intelligent people challenge an effort by taking a realistic schedule and cutting off months or years to encourage progress. This happens more frequently than management types will admit. A team leader does their due diligence with the experts and lays out what they feel is a realistic schedule. An experienced manager will dive into the details and challenge the planner, knowing some of the estimates have been padded due to unknowns or to reduce risk. An inexperienced manager (or autocrat) will just look at the proposed schedule and casually slice it by 10%, 20% or more to satisfy his manager. This can have a domino effect as managers higher up also can carve the schedule, hoping to impress the president, board of directors, stockholders or whoever. You see this a lot in politics. Those in charge of a high visibility program needing funding will agree to unrealistic schedule compression under the hope that once the program gets funded, it will be possible to renegotiate the schedules downstream. Or they are hoping that at some point the project is more expensive to stop than it is to complete. There have been quite a few examples coming out of aerospace and defense over the last 60 years. It’s almost an art form. Especially where interrelated projects are involved, then it’s critical that one not be the first to announce a missed deadline, hoping that others will take the heat for what they all really would like to get. I’ve watched a number of emissions requirements over the years. Regulators on one side trying to push industry toward necessary improvements that require the cards to fall just right on technology development, while the industry tries to find ways to delay or skirt the deadline. At times it’s a game of chicken to see who will blink first. Often it involves the supreme tool of delays — tying things up in court where schedules seemingly become irrelevant. Several months back I had a discussion with an associate about how a regulator’s job is to push the envelope on industry. New regulations never reinforce the status quo. I discussed that some regulators will push hard knowing that if the deadlines become infeasible, they can just be extended it without changing the meat of the regulation. This is exactly like some airport experiences where plane delays are announced after the schedule departure time has been missed, and then extended for an unrealistic 20 minutes, after which it is again extended, and so on. I’ve spent a few days in airports waiting 20 minutes at a time for a flight that was delayed for hours. The challenge with artificial deadlines is that pretty soon they carry no weight and the convening authority loses credibility. Teams start planning for an expected delay. Progress slows. Innovation slows. Costs increase. Setting realistic, achievable schedules for technology is challenging. It requires a negotiation between all players. But most importantly, it requires demonstrating a commitment to achieve the deadline. Altering schedules for convenience damages commitment. I know that hard schedules are achievable by motivated and capable teams. A curse of a project is when the deadlines are perceived as fluid. Deadlines need to be bought into, they need to have some credibility, and the people involved — at all levels — need to have a level of commitment. When that infrastructure breaks down, the damages can be extensive, especially for the next project and deadline. When start-ups announce they will be in production in two years on something that reasonably will take five, I wonder what their teams actually believe. I wonder if their investors and management actually believe those artificial deadlines. I wonder if they are actually that naïve to believe the schedule con. Regulators have the unenviable job of getting people to do something different — something often perceived as constraining. They have many differing participants to please. Often regulators have to face a whole spectrum of advocates and critics, while trying to make progress. When they set deadlines, there are many ramifications and tradeoffs being made, and rarely are those all known. Some regulatory deadlines are truly cast in concrete, while others are fluid. The organizations that have a better track record of sticking to deadlines have better success setting new ones. Those that don’t have more challenging futures. In the end, a deadline is a commitment, a contract so to speak between all engaged. If the deadline proves to be fluid, the contract is essentially null and void, whether it was missed because the team couldn’t get it done, or because the deadline was artificial to begin with. In the contracting world, there are penalties for missing deadlines, and written contracts with clauses for missing key dates. Those contracts are negotiated between all the parties involved. Outside of written contracts, when a deadline is missed, those that tried to meet it are penalized and those that failed are rewarded. That is the cost of artificial deadlines, and the bill comes due at the next deadline. https://ift.tt/v0Gfn2Y PS Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 29) entered the new year in growth mode. Not even three weeks into 2024, the Birmingham, Alabama-based trucking conglomerate has made two acquisitions: Buddy Moore Trucking a week ago and, Tuesday through subsidiary Blair Logistics, the flatbed division of Kenly, North Carolina-based ELS. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ELS will retain its heavy haul and intermodal divisions and operate under the same name. The flatbed division will now operate as Blair. "The ELS flatbed division will be complementary to our existing over-length operations and allow us to provide enhanced geographic coverage and service offerings to our customers while simultaneously providing greater opportunities to drivers," said Scott Smith, chief executive officer and co-founder of PS Logistics. The transaction cements PS Logistics – already one of the largest privately held transportation and logistics companies in the U.S. – as one of the largest 53-foot flatbed carriers in the country with more than 500 power units and 1,250 over-length trailers. Headquartered in Kenly, North Carolina, ELS was founded in 2009 by Tim Butts and operates as a family-owned business. ELS’s flatbed division maintains a fleet of more than 90 tractors and more than 240 over-length flatbed trailers, primarily hauling steel, industrial materials, lumber and other building materials. “ELS has worked in similar geographies and with similar customers as PS Logistics’ operating companies for many years, and we’ve been able to see firsthand how well they service customers and set up drivers for success," said Tim Butts, founder and owner of ELS. "We’re excited that the flatbed division will now be a part of a larger organization that maintains a driver-first culture.” Since 2016, PS Logistics has acquired more than two dozen trucking operations and five non-asset logistics operations across the country, four of them in the last six months. https://ift.tt/v0Gfn2Y Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024: NHTSA sets next four underride advisory committee meetingsThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the dates for the next four meetings of its Advisory Committee on Underride Protection (ACUP), which is tasked with providing advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on safety regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities related to underride crashes. The next four ACUP meetings will be held Feb. 8, March 13, April 24, and May 22 -- each from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern. Pre-registration is required to attend each online meeting. A link allowing access to each meeting will be distributed to registrants within 24 hours of the meeting start time. Each meeting will be open to the public and will be held virtually via Zoom. Information and registration for the meetings will be available on the NHTSA website at least one week in advance of each meeting, NHTSA said. The committee during the Feb. 8 meeting will discuss rear underride crashes, prevention and mitigation technologies, and the committee’s recommendations to the DOT. The March 13 meeting will cover side underride crashes, prevention and mitigation technologies and the committee’s recommendations. The April 24 meeting will cover front underride crashes and prevention and mitigation technologies, and the final scheduled meeting on May 22 will cover underride data needs. NHTSA last year published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking exploring possibly requiring side underride guards on trailers. [Related: Side underride guards the costliest trucking mandate ever?] Nebraska waives HOS regs for heating fuel haulersNebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on Jan. 12 issued an executive order temporarily waiving the maximum driving time limits (49 Code of Federal Regulations 395.3) for drivers hauling residential heating fuels and oils or fuel used to generate power for residential heat into or within the state. Pillen’s order said the state “is experiencing extreme cold weather creating unexpected demand for heating fuel and oils needed to support the health and welfare” of residents. Drivers utilizing the waiver are required to carry a copy of the order as evidence of their direct support to the state during the emergency. Pillen said the order “will help reduce delays to ensure power districts have the fuel reserves needed to keep up with surging demand.” It is effective immediately and will remain in effect through Feb. 11 at 11:59 p.m. Western Star trucks recalled for parking brake issueDaimler Trucks North America is recalling approximately 149 Western Star trucks in which a defect in the inversion valve may delay the engagement of the parking brake, which could allow the vehicle to move unintentionally. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents said this causes the trucks to fall out of compliance with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems." Affected units include certain 2023-’24 Western Star 4900 trucks and 2023 Western Star 6900 trucks. The remedy to fix the issue is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 10. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL992. NHTSA’s recall number is 24V-013. Polaris names next presidentPolaris Transportation Group, CCJ’s 2020 Innovator of the Year, has named Richard Kunow as the company's President. Formerly Polaris’ Chief Operating Officer (COO) since joining in 2020, Kunow has been leading the company's day-to-day operations and strategic growth plan. As President, he will be overseeing Polaris Transportation Group and Polaris Commercial Warehousing companies. Dave Cox will hold the position of Polaris CEO. In this role, he will be at the forefront of leading the company's growth and visionary initiatives, sustainability efforts, workplace culture, community-focused programs and technological advancements. Over his years with Polaris, Kunow has made significant achievements in establishing the company's operational resiliency, including maintaining rapid growth at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, improving visibility, warehousing efficiencies and the overall customer experience through digitization and an Energy Savings plan that has resulted in approximately 30% savings across all service locations. Kunow brings over 35 years of senior management experience to his new position as President. Since beginning his professional career with the Canadian Coast Guard, he has dedicated his career to strategic business development and execution with some of the most prominent worldwide organizations including PepsiCo, Maple Leaf Foods, DHL and Walmart. [Related: CCJ’s 2020 Innovator of the Year: Polaris Transportation Group using technology to automate paperwork, customs] Odyssey Logistics names new Chief Commercial OfficerMultimodal logistics provider Odyssey Logistics has appointed Omar Shamsie as its Chief Commercial Officer. Shamsie will focus on driving strategic sales growth, vertical market development and cross-sell initiatives to deepen customer relationships and drive new business. “Bringing Omar on board is a significant step for us,” said Hans Stig Moller, CEO of Odyssey Logistics. “His expertise aligns perfectly with our mission to elevate our enterprise clients’ operations and serve them more strategically. Omar’s approach is not just about technology; it’s about understanding and solving the real-world complexities our clients face. With his leadership, we’re poised to deliver more holistic solutions and proactive support, helping our clients navigate market challenges with confidence.” Shamsie’s appointment is a capstone on Odyssey’s recent advances in maximizing its multimodal offering and making strategic investments in technology, the company said. Before joining Odyssey, Shamsie worked at Maersk, holding several senior international leadership positions in 10 different countries during his three decades of service with the company. He was most recently the Area Managing Director of Maersk in Canada and prior to that the President of Maersk Line’s North America region based in New Jersey. 3PL ODW Logistics merges business unitsThird-party logistics provider ODW Logistics on Tuesday announced the strategic merger of its Transportation Management business unit with its Contract Logistics business unit. Now under common ownership, this cohesive integration marks a pivotal move to provide clients with an integrated logistics offering, emphasizing operational efficiencies and supply chain transparency, the company said. With a legacy dating back to 1971, ODW Logistics has been a trusted provider of warehousing, distribution and asset-based transportation solutions, serving leading brands across the United States. In 2009, the company expanded its portfolio through a joint venture, establishing ODW LTS (Logistics Transportation Services) specializing in freight management, brokerage, and managed transportation solutions. Now, ODW LTS, co-founded by John Guggenbiller, enters a new chapter by merging with ODW Logistics under a unified ownership group, recognized as ODW Logistics, Inc. Having guided ODW LTS through 15 years of remarkable growth, John Guggenbiller is set to retire in 2024. Ted Nikolai, president of ODW Logistics, has been named Group President of ODW Logistics and will oversee both business units. Dave Giblin, Vice President of ODW Logistics, has been appointed Executive Vice President to lead the transportation management division. https://ift.tt/v0Gfn2Y Berkshire Hathaway on Tuesday acquired the remaining 20% of Pilot Corporation, bringing the multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, 100% ownership of Pilot Travel Centers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Berkshire Hathaway had spent upwards of $11 billion to acquire its 80% stake. Pilot is the second piece of a major on-highway overhaul that's taken place in less than a year where fleets buy their fuel. BP Products North America Inc., a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of BP p.l.c., completed its $1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America last May. Berkshire Hathaway, where billionaire investor Warren Buffett serves as chairman and CEO, purchased a 38.6% stake in Pilot Flying J in 2017. The Maggelet family, owners of FJ Management, Inc., retained 11.3% ownership at the time with Haslam family holding the balance. Berkshire in 2023 became the majority shareholder by acquiring an additional 41.4% stake. The Haslam family retained 20% ownership and remained involved with the truckstop chain until Tuesday. "While this has certainly been an emotional decision for us, it is one we felt was right for our family at this time," said Jim Haslam II, founder of Pilot Travel Centers. "We look forward to continuing to support our life-long home of Knoxville, Tennessee, and to furthering our deep commitment and philanthropy throughout the region that we all love." Founded in Gate City, Virginia in 1958 by Jim Haslam II, Pilot is the largest operator of travel centers in North America with more than 750 locations across 44 states and six Canadian provinces, selling roughly 14 billion gallons of fuel a year, and approximately $3 billion in food and merchandise. Prior to the sale, Pilot Flying J was the fifth largest private company in the U.S. "As a family business, it is humbling to think of all of the team members who have been a part of Pilot Flying J and we are beyond grateful for their commitment and contributions over the years," added Jimmy Haslam, CEO and Chairman of Pilot Corporation. "We also have profound appreciation for all of the guests, professional drivers, and trucking companies who have supported Pilot Flying J as they have been a key part of the evolution and growth of this dynamic industry over the last six decades. We will always consider the Pilot Flying J team as family, and we wish them success as they continue to develop the best travel center network in North America and keep America moving." https://ift.tt/SqXhRJC No state bans all cellphone use for all drivers, thought most have at least banned text messaging, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Just like speed limit signs and seatbelts, such laws are often ignored, but some states are cracking down even more on cellphone use, and the trucking industry, I’m sure, is glad to hear it as 79% of truck drivers see unsafe driving by passenger vehicles on a very regular basis compared to 42% having observed unsafe driving from fellow truckers, based on data from a survey by insurance company Cover Whale. At the beginning of January, Tennessee enacted the Eddie Conrad Act, which increases the number of points charged for a distracted driving citation. Despite having a distracted driving law in place already, there's a crash involving a distracted driver every 23 minutes in Tennessee, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol data. Fatal distracted driving-related auto accidents (i.e., where a driver was using a cell phone) increased 16.6% between 2017 and 2021 in Michigan. In response, the state expanded its existing ban on texting and driving last June to entirely prohibit cellphone use, including texting, holding a phone up to make calls, scrolling through apps or anything else that requires a driver to physically hold the device while driving even when stopped at a red light or stop sign. I’ve often heard stories from my grandparents and my mother – all truck drivers at one point in my life – about the naughty things they’ve seen passenger car drivers do from their height advantage – and it’s not limited to cellphone use. That’s not to mention the number of times they experienced near accidents or saw accidents occur between a passenger car and a truck where the passenger car driver was clearly at fault. And according to the many industry experts I’ve spoken with since I joined the industry, that’s the case more often than not, but trucking companies are still held liable and many times are slapped with lawsuits that result in nuclear verdicts. According to a report by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, one in four auto accident cases now involves a trucking company, resulting in a surge of large verdicts. A 2023 report by Marathon Strategies found that nuclear verdicts against companies are on the rise nationwide, and trucking is at the top of the list of industries bearing the brunt of the dramatic increase. Of all the industries analyzed in Marathon’s report, the trucking industry saw the greatest growth in the sum of their verdicts with an astounding 17,681% increase from 2020 to 2022. And the cost of nuclear verdicts goes beyond the trucking companies involved in lawsuits to affect other trucking companies, costing more to insure their assets and drivers as well as costs related to preventative measures, like investing in technology – like inward- and outward-facing cameras – to prove their innocence in the event such a disastrous accident were to occur. While regulation can only go so far to solve this problem that targets one of the most critical – if not the most critical – industries, it can help. Trucking companies who haven't already should urge their state regulators to expand existing distracted driving laws, and hopefully we’ll see more states follow suit in cracking down on distracted driving of passenger car drivers in 2024 to the benefit of those who live their lives on the road. https://ift.tt/SqXhRJC Commercial Carrier Journal parent company Randall Reilly LLC is strategically separating its talent acquisition business and its industrial data business with its accompanying services. The talent acquisition side will be doing business as Randall Reilly, while the data business is launching as a new brand, doing business as Fusable. Matt Reilly, formerly CEO of the combined Randall Reilly LLC venture, and now CEO of Fusable, said that “what’s remarkably consistent in our history since our first brands began in 1911, is that we’ve constantly innovated and evolved.” He frequently refers to the business as a “110-year-old startup.” Scott Miller has transitioned to CEO of the new Randall Reilly Talent LLC from his role of general manager of the Talent Intelligence division of Randall Reilly. “We are working on simplifying the companies so we can both focus on our strengths,” said Miller. “Ours is talent acquisition, and Fusable's is using data to deliver outcomes. We have reached the point where it makes sense for our businesses to operate independently.” The move positions Fusable, with its best-in-class data products such as EDA, Central Analysis Bureau, EquipmentWatch, Iron Solutions, RigDig, Price Digests, and Fusable Digital to leverage data-driven solutions for industrial sectors, fostering its growth as a standalone entity. Fusable will also retain the media brands such as Commercial Carrier Journal (CCJ), Overdrive, Trucks, Parts, Service (TPS), Clean Trucking, Equipment World and Total Landscape Care, renowned for their industry expertise and thought leadership. The separation underscores the commitment of both companies to the growth and evolution of each. It allows each company to operate independently, focusing on its core strengths and further developing tailored solutions, the companies said. https://ift.tt/SqXhRJC |
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April 2023
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