Hyundai Motor Company Monday said it plans to deploy the company's latest hydrogen fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks in California as part of two publicly funded projects slated to improve air quality in the region. The demo trucks that Hyundai will import into the U.S. are based on XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty truck. Debuting last year in Switzerland, XCIENT Fuel Cell has logged more than 620,000 miles over about 11 months of service. During that time, Hyundai claims the fleet has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tons compared to diesel-powered vehicles. The U.S. model provides a maximum driving range of 500 miles because the hydrogen will be stored in greater quantity on the vehicle in tanks rated at 700 bar, or about 10,000 psi, of pressure. The maximum gross combination weight of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck will be more than 37 tons, or about 82,000 pounds. Hyundai Motor was also awarded a $500,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) to demonstrate in Southern California two Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks. Largely funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project contributes to the attainment of clean air standards in the South Coast Air Basin by reducing emissions from diesel trucks. Hyundai and its fleet partner plan to begin operating these trucks next month for long-haul freight operations between warehouses in southern California for a 12-month period. Hyundai will also work with First Element Fuel (FEF), to utilize three hydrogen refueling stations in the region to refuel the trucks. "We look forward to seeing this important fuel cell project from Hyundai come to life," said Ben J. Benoit, South Coast AQMD's Governing Board chair. "The development of long-haul zero-emission truck technology is key to reducing emissions that will provide immediate benefits to our air and our communities." Deploying 30 XCIENT fuel cell trucks in northern California by mid-2023Hyundai Motor teamed with public and private partners in the U.S. to operate 30 units of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks beginning in the first half of 2023 – the largest commercial deployment of Class 8 hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks in the U.S. A consortium led by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Hyundai Motor recently won $22 million in grants from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and $7 million in additional grants from the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in support of this project. Hyundai's NorCAL ZERO project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Trucks, will deploy 30 XCIENT units with a 6x4 drive axle configuration to Glovis America, a logistics service provider, by the second quarter of 2023. The consortium also plans to establish a high-capacity hydrogen refueling station in Oakland, California that will be able to support as many as 50 trucks with an average fill of 30 kilograms. Hyundai Motor was able to gain the support of California funding agencies and local communities to demonstrate its hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty commercial vehicles, in large part due to the XCIENT Fuel Cell truck's proven track record in Europe. Hyundai announced last year it plans to deliver 1,600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Europe by 2025. The first 46 units were delivered to Switzerland in 2020. Based on the experience gathered from the initial demonstrations, Hyundai expects to accelerate efforts to officially launch its zero-emission commercial trucks in North America, and is already in talks with multiple logistics and commercial companies that are interested in leveraging hydrogen technology for their freight delivery and drayage services in the U.S. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Self-driving trucks have threatened to upend the freight industry for years, but a new report on the pace of patents within the tech industry focused on autonomous driving reveals how close the world is to this revolutionary event, and who the winners and losers might be. "Patent activity in autonomous vehicles is insanely hot right now and has been over the past three years," read a report from Patent Forecast, a firm that tracks intellectual property developments within industries. According to the report, issued patents and published applications have exploded in the last four years as the race to true self driving heats up, but the frontrunners in the pack have already begun to consolidate and widen their lead via partnerships. "Partnerships are becoming a vital part of the industry. Whether it be between OEMs and autonomous driving platforms, companies are beginning to realize that an autonomous vehicle is too large for any one company to tackle alone. Instead, more companies have created strategic portfolios to complement their niche," the report read. But, while partnerships facilitate the fusion of tech and hardware, as well as theory and practice, the real winners of the self-driving truck race will be patent owners, according to JiNan Glasgow George, the CEO of Patent Forecast. "If I give any theme for this report, it's partnerships," she said. "The biggest, most immediate need in self-driving vehicles is long haul trucking. We've already seen some successful applications, and it's still early." Patent Forecast's report looked at both the pace and scope of patents in the space as well as the broader market performance of each of the leading companies in self driving trucks to attempt to predict which company would win out in the end. Here's a look at some of the biggest players in the industry and where they stand. WaymoWaymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, took an early lead in filing for patents back in 2013 and has stayed more or less on top since then. According to George, Waymo now sits comfortably ahead of the pack and has a decent shot at completely dominating the market, just as Google Search and Google Maps dominate their respective sectors. "If you look at the company beyond trucking, they are about the data," she said. "My opinion is that Alphabet always goes for trying to monetize data. Usually Google companies don't have a long term patent need, they tend to buy companies. Waymo's portfolio doesn't cover enough to go into the vehicle applications, so they're going to have to make their technology vehicle agnostic." Basically, Waymo hasn't partnered with OEMs just yet because it may not need to. Waymo, according to George, will hope to invent a platform that works with all vehicles equally and then try to shut other competitors out of the space. Currently, Waymo is engaged in a massive amount of small scale passenger car testing and simulations to ensure their vehicles can operate safely in a long-haul environment. "In total, the Waymo Driver has driven across 10 states in the U.S. and accumulated over 20 million miles of autonomous driving experience on public roads, with an additional 20 billion miles in simulation," a Waymo representative told CCJ. Additionally, Waymo hopes to entirely side step the issue of road markings and sensors built into infrastructure by building a platform that works entirely with onboard and networked tech and sensors. "We aren’t asking cities or states to build out any special infrastructure for our autonomously driven trucks. Rather, our technology is designed to navigate the roads of today and will adapt to the roads of tomorrow," the Waymo representative said. Overall, George gave Waymo the top spot as the most likely company to bring self-driving trucks to the market, and the representative said the company was now focused on dealing with long tail risks like weather events and accidents on the highway by testing out their trucks in the relatively calm and temperate southeast. TuSimpleTuSimple has a partnership with Navistar to offer self-driving trucks equipped with its autonomous driving system beginning in 2024, but in 2021 it looks a few steps behind Waymo, though it's taken a decidedly different approach. "TuSimple has shown a lot of good activity, but it started later than Waymo, so there's a disadvantage," said George. TuSimple "has been able to build a fairly solid portfolio surrounding its core technologies which are its proprietary HD cameras that allow its trucks to operate day and night and AI truck control software," the report read. "For remaining LIDAR and radar technologies, the company has partnered with Aeva Inc and Sony to provide sensor technologies, which strategically fills holes in its patent portfolio and helps it catch up to a similar size as Waymo." Also, TuSimple has actually put the rubber to the road with a shipment of watermelons from Arizona to Oklahoma City that cut ten hours off a trip that typically averages 24 hours. TuSimple didn't respond to CCJ's requests for comments before the time of this article's publication. CCJ will update this article with any new information from TuSimple. AuroraAurora got a late start with trucking patents but has no shortage of tech genius behind the wheel as its founders hail from Google, Tesla, and Uber. The company has partnered with Volvo to retrofit some older trucks with self-driving technology, but most notably acquired Uber's Advanced Technologies Group, which worked on self-driving trucks. More recently, Aurora made headlines with talk of going public via an SPAC. Currently, the company is valued at more than $10 billion. While other companies have sought to partner with other firms to cover gaps, Aurora has taken on mostly a "buy" strategy of acquiring partners or competitors, said George. Overall, George doesn't expect Aurora to beat Waymo or TuSimple to market, but won't count the firm out just yet. Aurora declined to comment on its patent strategy in a move that may confirm how fiercely companies in this space protect their intellectual property. How close are we to self driving trucks?These days, most big self-driving truck companies could put a truck on a highway on a clear, sunny day and not run into too many problems. But, as any trucker knows, weather, traffic, and accidents on the road can spoil plans in a moment's notice. That's where self-driving trucks need to catch up.Onboard technology to facilitate self-driving trucks has advanced about as far as it can without smart infrastructure that talks to the onboard tech. According to George, because trucking and the infrastructure that supports it, spans the country, federal agencies need to coordinate and decide on a unified approach to smart infrastructure. "The issues are the coordination across federal and state governments and the DOT," said George. "There are a lot of agreements that have to come together to make that work." Additionally, unlike tech applications in a fixed location, self-driving trucks can't rely on connectivity and cloud computing, according to George. Instead, they'll need onboard processors to get realtime information from smart infrastructure that will help them adapt to weather or traffic conditions. "On the highways, trucks can’t be worried about connectivity to the cloud. Vehicles themselves need to communicate with distributed infrastructure. They're solving that with edge computing," said George. "You can’t solve it with cloud or micro cloud computing you have to have true edge, near where you need the analytics. Every intersection is going to need some sort of infrastructure to manage the vehicle data. Sensors that relate to weather and lights and traffic." In that way, self-driving trucks are simultaneously right around the corner and a world away. Most industry experts agree the shift to unmanned vehicles will eventually happen, but even the best-funded tech firm can't get make federal, state, and local governments agree on infrastructure overnight. But big tech's race for patents in the self-driving space proves that the country's sharpest minds in tech and infrastructure realize the money to be made in autonomous trucking will be in owning intellectual property or becoming a platform for a wide range of users. As for fleets looking to keep their heads above a rising tide when the autonomous driving revolution finally does come around, look out. Bigger, more invested fleets are sure to have the first-mover advantage. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD The recent shutdown of America’s largest gasoline pipeline recently resulted in a shock to the U.S.'s infrastructure topped off with a $5 million payout to hackers while serving as another warning that cyberattacks pose ever-present risks. As of early May 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates a nearly threefold increase in ransomware attacks during the past year. A majority of these attacks targeted smaller businesses. A new whitepaper by Polaris Transportation Group (PTG), the 2020 CCJ Innovator of the Year, outlines a strategy it has been successfully using to mitigate these risks. [Related: Top 5 signs you’ve been hacked, and what comes next?] PTG is a cross-border transportation and supply chain solutions company based in Ontario, Canada. CCJ recognized the company as Innovator of the Year for automating the customs process and digitizing freight transactions. The company started an IT-focused firm, NorthStar Digital Solutions, to handle its own growing IT security needs and those of similar clients. IT downtime — the real cost of a cyberattackThe whitepaper explores the cost of IT downtime, noting that it isn’t limited to specific loss of files or megabits of data from a cyberattack. Costs also can include damage to client relations, finances, employee retention, business growth and more. Many IT security breaches are “silent killers” with sophisticated technology that penetrates a company’s systems before anyone is even aware they’ve been attacked. Solid techniques, training programs and system infrastructures afford some protection. [Related: Fleets use layered approach for cybersecurity. Is it enough?] Organizations like financial and health care institutions handle sensitive data and have spent millions of dollars to proactively secure their platforms and networks. Transportation firms have traditionally not invested as heavily in security, making them easier targets for professional hackers. Hackers have recently discovered weak IT security postures in transportation and supply chain verticals. They are targeting organizations to steal data, ransom systems operations, use phishing campaigns to extract funds through fraudulent accounts, or steal passwords and commit identity theft. Upgrading IT security measuresThe whitepaper points out that antivirus protection no longer provides sufficient security. In the present world of digital integrations, IT security requires elevated protection that accounts for connection complexities and accompanying security and preventive tools and measures. NorthStar Digital Solutions emphasizes that when proper IT security is in place, such as firewalls and whitelisting, employees will notice and may be asking why they can no longer connect to websites they used to be able to. The company also recommends having someone fill the role of chief information security officer and an IT security group. These roles should be deputized to refuse connections they think will add risk to the organization and its clients. “All this will cost money and add layers to system processes, but it should be considered a ‘must have’ in some capacity," the whitepaper notes. Baseline recommendations for strengthening IT security postures include: · Add in solid SIEM (security information event management) protection for current system foundations. · Use end-user training programs for cybersecurity awareness, protection and proactive password management. This goes for all employees. · Use two-factor authentication solutions — if not for the entire organization, at least for senior-level executives and decision makers. · Combine security efforts with your cloud hosting solutions providers, which can provide additional levels of protection. The catch is that you’ll need to know what to ask for and what you want to spend. · Set appropriate policies for privacy and systems usage so that these are part of your code of conduct and expectations set for employees. · Establish a disaster recovery plan for IT security that incorporates a return point objective and a return to operations plan. This should include a fully manual contingency in case all systems fail. When to call the expertsNorthStar Digital Solutions recommends that every organization determine its own potential risks and security gaps. Those risks and gaps may be difficult to identify, in which case, enlisting the services of a highly rated cybersecurity consulting team will help. Experts can provide their clients with an IT security overview that shows what’s sufficient and provides recommendations to protect against the biggest, most immediate risks. NorthStar Digital advises organizations to take incremental steps to address the whole system once the most critical security holes are filled. Back it up: the 3-2-1 RuleNorthStar Digital says the impact of an unplanned IT security event can be limited by having system backups. Technology personnel often cite a “3-2-1 rule”: Store three copies of your data on two different mediums and keep one copy offsite. Testing the integrity of backups is critical, the company says in the whitepaper, to ensure that recovery can happen if the backup platform were compromised. “The problem with most IT disaster recovery plans or business continuity plans is that they are static processes with only vague procedures to back them,” NorthStar Digital says. “They’re tested perhaps once a year by the person who wrote them, if that.” According to NorthStar, it’s wise to move infrastructure offsite and sign a hosting contract. But simply hiring a cloud architect and believing the company will make things safe and secure won't work, cautions NorthStar, because that’s a separate role. “A cloud architect also won’t maintain the cloud platform, since they’re project-focused; they’ll finish the job and move on. A cloud architect will also build your cloud platform with no regard for cost,” the whitepaper said. NorthStar Digital acts as an IT security partner for companies to gain an understanding of their IT business objectives, build a migration plan, and ensure that cloud systems are resilient with multilocation availability. It also secures and maintains those systems 24/7, 365 days a year. To download a full copy of the whitepaper, click here. The whitepaper was created in partnership with Randall-Reilly, parent company of CCJ. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, July 26, 2021: ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index dips, but metrics remain strongThe latest release of ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index, with June data, showed volumes slowing, pricing moderating at a high level, and a still-strong supply-demand balance. Even though freight volumes declined, Carter Vieth, a research associate with ACT, said volumes remain at a healthy level following an upwardly revised May. “And with continuing lean U.S. inventories, durable goods orders rising to record levels, and consumers enjoying record wealth and savings, the fundamentals of the freight cycle remain clearly positive,” he added. Vieth also noted that ACT’s For-Hire Pricing Index moderated at a high level, ending a six-month run of consecutive increases. Despite the leveling off, June’s pricing reading was still the eighth best since the survey began in June 2009. “Developments in the driver market and freight volumes will be key to the near-term rate outlook,” he said. “While spot rates may come under pressure from driver re-entry, underlying equipment capacity tightness supports a positive contract rate outlook.” FMCSA finalizes requirement for all-electronic CDL info exchangeJust a week after the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General called on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to boost its CDL oversight, the agency is finalizing a rule that requires states to implement fully electronic transmission of driver history record information through the CDL Information System, including the posting of convictions, withdrawals, and disqualifications. The final rule, published in the Federal Register Friday, July 23, and effective Aug. 23, requires states to have the electronic systems in place no later than Aug. 22, 2024. “While all states currently have the technical capability to transmit the DHR information through CDLIS, some [state driver’s license agencies] are unable to do so when the driver information (e.g., driver's CDL number, date of birth, or state of record), required for CDLIS to validate and accept the electronic record, is incorrect or missing,” FMCSA said in the final rule. “Under those circumstances, states must rely on alternative methods of transmission, such as the U.S. mail.” FMCSA believes the three-year grace period gives states enough time to overcome these hurdles to fully implement the electronic systems. Truck driver charged with smuggling 115 immigrants in trailerA 43-year-old resident of Rosharon, Texas, is alleged to have attempted to smuggle dozens of undocumented non-citizens, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. According to the charges, Michael Warren Mccoy was stopped on U.S. Highway 59 approximately eight miles east of Laredo. Law enforcement reported conducting a traffic stop on the truck bearing Texas license plates due to a failure to drive in a single lane. At that time, they cut the seal on the trailer doors and discovered a total of 115 undocumented individuals, according to the charges. The complaint alleges Mccoy expected to be paid $250 for the transport, and that he'd made three previous, similar trips. If convicted, Mccoy faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 23 2021: Trucking coalition supports repeal of heavy truck taxThe Modernize the Truck Fleet, a coalition of trucking industry stakeholders – including the American Truck Dealers (ATD), American Trucking Associations and other groups – have announced their strong support for bipartisan legislation to repeal the 12% federal excise tax (FET) on the sale of heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The bill, S. 2435, which was introduced by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) – both members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over transportation-related taxes – will help modernize America’s heavy-duty truck fleet and protect the 1.3 million jobs supported by the U.S. trucking industry, the group claimed. Repeal of the FET allows fleets to replace older heavy-duty trucks with newer, safer and greener trucks. The coalition is urging Congress to include the Young/Cardin legislation in the bipartisan infrastructure legislation. "With most heavy-duty trucks over ten years old, passing this bill is crucial to help America modernize its aging truck fleet," said Steve Bassett, ATD chairman and dealer principal of General Truck Sales in Muncie, Indiana. The FET was first enacted by Congress in 1917 to help fund World War I and is the highest excise tax on a percentage basis that Congress levies on a product, often adding over $20,000 to the price of a new heavy-duty truck. The tax coupled with recent regulatory costs makes it more difficult for small businesses to afford a new truck. Mark Parker, ATD NextGen chairman from Linthicum Heights, Maryland, added that "doing away with the FET will help small businesses replace older trucks with new trucks that have the latest safety features, which will reduce crashes and increase highway safety.” Volvo debuts contract serviceVolvo Trucks North America has rolled out its Volvo Blue Contract service offering, a comprehensive maintenance program designed to improve uptime, assist in optimizing truck performance and simplify maintenance management for customers and dealers. The new Volvo Blue Contract provides a single premium service plan that replaces existing maintenance plans currently offered to customers, Volvo said. With monthly or pre-paid billing options, Volvo said customers can pay either on a recurring basis or up front with the purchase of their truck, either billed directly or through their dealer. Volvo Financial Services (VFS) can bundle the Volvo Blue Contract with a truck payment on a single invoice. This total solution allows the customer to pay the cost of the maintenance contract over time, interest free, Volvo said. “Well-maintained trucks increase overall fleet uptime and reduce overall cost of ownership. And a truck that is regularly and proactively inspected and serviced at a Volvo Trucks dealership by professional, trained technicians will likely be a safer truck while in operation,” said Ashley Murickan, product marketing manager, Volvo Trucks North America. “Additionally, the Volvo Blue Contract and its flexible billing options elevate our maintenance offering while simplifying the business transaction, ultimately benefiting both the customer and dealer.” Select preventative maintenance is included with the Volvo Blue Contract to provide further benefits to customers. Volvo said the plan allows customers to have full insight into their trucks’ service costs up front, providing confidence that their fleet maintenance is fully covered under the contract scope. Service schedules are tailored to specific vehicle applications in order to assist with the trucks being in top condition. This maximizes uptime, minimizes unnecessary stops at dealerships and reduces unforeseen repairs. Volvo adds its Blue Contract includes a 74-point inspection and oil analysis; all scheduled engine maintenance, including valve adjustments; all scheduled aftertreatment maintenance, including DPF cleaning; all scheduled transmission and scheduled axle maintenance; all scheduled chassis maintenance; fan belt tensioner and accessory drive belt tensioner replacements; and alternator coverage Additional repairs, such as warranty work or more advanced diagnostics, can be completed under the same roof, so trucks do not need to be removed from operation for separate service visits, Volvo said. Teamsters score another win within XPODrivers at XPO Logistics in Trenton, New Jersey, on Saturday, July 17 ratified their first contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one week after their co-workers in Miami did the same, and the two groups now have their rights and protections in a legally binding contract for the first time. “For the second time in one week, XPO workers ratified their first contract at XPO despite XPO management saying workers would never ratify a contract,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “These two groups’ positive contract votes give other XPO workers the hope that they too can fight and win a more secure future as Teamsters.” The group of 34 drivers at XPO in Trenton voted to join Local 701 in April 2017, but negotiations had been delayed. “I’m happy to be joining our brothers in Miami who ratified their contract, and I look forward to expanding and improving upon this two-year agreement that gives us a strong foundation to build from,” said Bruce Ryan, a linehaul driver at the former Con-way Freight and XPO since 1996. “I also look forward to bringing more XPO members into the Teamsters Union so that they can also have their rights and protections in writing.” The contract includes “just-cause” protections, a grievance process, successorship language, job protection language and retirement protections, among other improvements. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Uber Freight is set to acquire logistics technology firm Transplace for approximately $2.25 billion. The acquisition, pending approvals and closing, will consist of up to $750 million in common stock of Uber Freight’s parent company Uber Technologies, and the remainder in cash. Uber Freight will acquire Transplace from TPG Capital, the private equity platform of alternative asset firm TPG. “This is a significant step forward, not just for Uber Freight but for the entire logistics ecosystem,” said Lior Ron, Head of Uber Freight. “This is an opportunity to bring together complementary best-in-class technology solutions and operational excellence from two premier companies to create an industry-first shipper-to-carrier platform that will transform shippers’ entire supply chains, delivering operational resilience and reducing costs at a time when it matters most.” Ron said Uber Freight has always been carrier-first in how it operates, but talking just with carriers doesn't help solve some of the industry's bigger issues, such as detention, payment issues and more. "At the end of the day, there's a shipper behind it," he said. "If we're just a broker, we can advocate for the carrier all day long, but if we aren't touching the other side and closing that loop, our impact would be limited." “Our expectation is that shippers will see greater efficiency and transparency and carriers will benefit from the scale to drive improved operating ratios." Transplace CEO Frank McGuigan He added that, following the closing of the acquisition, combining Uber Freight's connections with carriers and Transplace's connections with shippers will help bridge the gap between carriers and shippers using data to, "basically better serve carriers with being closer to shippers." Transplace CEO Frank McGuigan noted the acquisition combines "the world’s premier shipper network platform with one of the industry’s most innovative supply platforms, to the benefit of all stakeholders,” he said. “Our expectation is that shippers will see greater efficiency and transparency and carriers will benefit from the scale to drive improved operating ratios. All in all, we expect to significantly reduce shipper and carrier empty miles to the benefit of highway and road infrastructures and the environment." The companies said the buyout will give carriers the ability to work directly with shippers and access high-quality freight across multiple service lines, including intermodal, cross-border and LTL. Uber Freight’s brokerage will continue to operate independently from Transplace’s managed transportation services. Following closing, Ron said there will be more opportunities for carriers using Uber Freight to access even more freight, as Transplace operates in some specialty industries, such as intermodal, petrol, chemicals and more. "The important caveat is that choice will always be with the shipper," Ron said. "The shipper will decide – and Transplace is the trusted partner of the shipper – if that load is best in position to go to Uber Freight, or go to another partner, another carrier, another competitor of Uber Freight for Transplace, we'll stay hands-off of that decision because at the end of the day, the choice is of the shipper." Transplace was acquired by TPG Capital in 2017. Over the course of the partnership, Transplace has invested heavily in technology and other growth initiatives. The combination of Uber Freight and Transplace will combine Uber Freight’s network of digitally-enabled carriers with Transplace’s trusted shipper technology and operational solutions. The companies say the acquisition will result in a fully scaled logistics platform built to meet both shippers and carriers where they are, no matter the size of their business or their transportation needs. Uber Freight said the transaction will allow it “to serve substantially more customers at all levels of the freight industry and will expand its presence into Mexico… through new capabilities in intermodal and customs brokerage.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
Maintenance costs are among the highest operational costs for fleets, behind only fuel and truck payments when it comes to vehicle-based costs, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s most recent Operational Costs of Trucking report.
One way to help control maintenance costs is for fleets to mitigate the chances of unscheduled roadside maintenance. As reported earlier this month, the American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council found the average distance driven between unscheduled roadside repairs fell nearly 19% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. Marco Encinas, director of product management for fleet telematics provider Teletrac Navman, said fleets can use their existing telematics systems to help keep unscheduled maintenance in check. He noted that the rise in unscheduled maintenance had a lot to do with the high freight demand during the pandemic, along with the current ongoing parts shortage. “The one thing that we did see was a huge increase in vehicles, specifically OTR vehicles, during the COVID pandemic,” Encinas said. “Everybody was home, but the transportation industry was busier than ever. They had to keep trucks running as much as possible. It seems like some of the operators let some of that normal maintenance behavior sort of lax in order to get productivity out of their trucks and keep them on the road.” Hear more about how telematics can help you keep on schedule with maintenance on this week's 10-44 webisode in the video above. On a day-to-day basis, Encinas said fleets should make sure their truck drivers are conducting required pre- and post-trip inspections each day, and help drivers better understand what to look for. “It helps you schedule your maintenance for things that won’t take you off the road immediately, but you definitely have to get addressed sooner rather than later,” he said. Utilizing tools from telematics service providers can also help drivers, as they allow fleets to customize a checklist of things to go over in addition to their normal inspections. “When you do those pre-trip and post-trip inspections and actually do the work…that will get you ahead of any kind of maintenance issues and put you in the preventive maintenance mode rather than reactive,” Encinas said. “Then you can selectively take the truck off the road to get stuff done when it’s not necessarily scheduled to be earning any revenue.” Encinas noted that Teletrac Navman’s system has a maintenance module that allows fleets to schedule routine maintenance for equipment based on miles driven that will alert the driver and maintenance department when the truck needs service. Another usage case for telematics is keeping track of maintenance costs for each piece of equipment a fleet operates. “It also helps you keep control of your costs and account for the costs that are going into maintaining your vehicles,” he said. “So, one thing is to do the daily maintenance and preventive maintenance of your vehicles to keep them on the road, but the other piece is now you can start looking at are you putting in more money into these vehicles in yearly maintenance than they’re generating? Maybe it’s time to swap out your truck and get a new one.” One thing Encinas said Teletrac Navman has been working on, and continues to work on, is incorporating maintenance and productivity data of trucks as they run to determine the best time to schedule them for maintenance. “There’s things that we’re doing on the telematics side to add more intelligence rather than run static reporting and static alerts, but also put more intelligence into it and help you make better decisions about when to take that truck in and stay ahead of the preventive maintenance.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Interstate Personnel Services (IPS) has acquired Joplin, Missouri-based dry van truckload carrier Transport Distribution Company (TDC) and a related entity for an undisclosed amount. TDC, founded by Larry Kloeppel, has been operating since 1985. "TDC’s regional coverage, focus on safety, providing high level service, disciplined management style and family culture are exactly what we are looking for as we build and increase overall capacity solutions for truckload shippers in the U.S.," said IPS President and CEO Dave Gibbs. TDC will retain its name and current management team. Gibbs said it will operate autonomously under the IPS umbrella, and will continue to focus on providing premium regional service to customers throughout the Midwest and Central U.S. "The timing was right for some of our family to retire out of TDC, and the geographical fit was perfect between our companies," said Regan Stephens, who will continue to serve as TDC President. "Dave Gibbs had my trust, not only because I had met Dave before, but also he kept gaining trust from day one of our negotiations. And the fact that our TDC people got to become part of a ESOP was a great benefit. The reasons that make this right for our people kept piling up.” IPS and its primary subsidiary companies Paschall Truck Lines, Paschal Logistics, Paschall Trailer Leasing, and IPS Leasing was founded in 1937 and currently operates more than 1,000 units and 3,000 trailers in its truckload operations. IPS is a 100% Employee Owned (ESOP) company that provides one-way, dedicated, regional, long haul, logistics, and equipment leasing services in the U.S. and Mexico. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, July 22, 2021: Hours regs waived for fuel haulers in two western statesGovernors in South Dakota and Wyoming have issued emergency declarations that suspend hours of service regulations for certain haulers in the states. The declarations apply to drivers hauling gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem’s order points to low inventories and outages of fuel, while the “return of normal supply flows to fuel terminals in South Dakota is not expected until early fall.” The Wyoming order from Gov. Mark Gordon notes increased post-pandemic travel and an early and severe wildfire season in the region have both contributed to fuel shortages in the state. Drivers transporting gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to either of the two states will be exempt from hours-of-service rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also clarified its emergency declaration rules, noting that the HOS waiver continues to apply to a driver after he or she has delivered the load, as long as he or she is returning to pick up more emergency relief supplies. “For example, if the Governor of the State of Wyoming issues an emergency declaration for the transportation of aviation fuel for wildfire suppression, and a driver picks up aviation fuel in Nevada to be transported to Wyoming for wildfire suppression and the trip goes through Idaho into Wyoming, the trip is covered by the emergency declaration,” the agency said. “If the driver then heads back to Nevada to pick up more aviation fuel to deliver to Wyoming, the trip is still covered by the emergency declaration. But once the driver is no longer providing direct assistance to the state emergency, in Wyoming in this example, such as deadheading back to Nevada to pick up cargo not related to the Wyoming emergency, or later transporting aviation fuel again from Nevada to be delivered to a state not subject to a specified emergency declaration, the driver is no longer covered by the emergency declaration.” The South Dakota waiver will expire no later than midnight, August 16, and the Wyoming waiver will expire no later than August 20. WIT seeks carriers to participate in Diversity and Inclusion programWomen In Trucking and CarriersEdge are seeking applications for the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Index through the end of July. The Index will collect and celebrate diversity efforts across the North American trucking industry, recognizing outstanding efforts at WIT's Accerelate! conference in November. The D&I Index is open to any for-hire or private fleet operating 10 trucks or more in the U.S. or Canada. Participation in the program starts with an application, and any current employee can apply on behalf of the company. After applying, companies will be provided with a questionnaire to collect details of current diversity and inclusion efforts. The questionnaire will be followed by an interview with company management, and a survey of employees. The final results and recognition will be unveiled at WIT's Accelerate! conference, Nov. 7-9 in Dallas, Texas. The application period will be open until midnight eastern time on July 31, 2021 https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Tractor-trailer driver John Doe was on a handsfree call with a fellow driver, cautiously going 25 mph in downtown traffic. Doe hastily ended the conversation as he passed by a road, on his left, where he was supposed to turn. A quick glance to his left revealed his delivery location, a warehouse, up ahead. Without a commercial GPS to calculate a new route, Doe did what he thought was the next-best thing and turned left at the next corner. This put him onto a residential road with an underpass. The clearance sign was marked at 13 feet, 1 inch. Knowing his trailer stood 13 feet tall, Doe proceeded with extreme caution at a snail’s pace under the bridge. After several feet he stopped when he heard and felt an unmistakable bridge strike. Was this accident preventable or not? The National Safety Council ruled it was preventable. The sign may have been inaccurate, but the council noted it is foolish to gamble on a 1-inch clearance. Doe should have turned around and looked for a safer route. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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April 2023
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