Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, July 6, 2021: More than 120,000 Freightliner, Western Star trucks recalledDaimler Trucks North America is recalling more than 120,000 trucks for an issue that could cause a loss in electrical power and an unintended engine stall, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents. The recall affects approximately 122,056 model year 2019-2022 Freightliner Cascadia P4, 2021 Western Star WH126, 2020 Western Star WJ121, and 2021-2022 Western Star 49X trucks in which the battery cable terminal may break, resulting in a loss of electrical power and unintended engine stall. Dealers will repair or replace the battery cables, free of charge. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-893. NHTSA’s recall number is 21V-481. Peterbilt gets EV order from Sunbelt RentalsPeterbilt has received an order for five Model 579EV trucks from Sunbelt Rentals for use delivering rental machinery to and from jobsites across the country. The order is the first step towards Sunbelt Rentals’ goal of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions 35% by 2030, the companies say. “Sunbelt Rentals isn’t just making a commitment to purchase battery electric class 8 trucks. We are striving to be a leader in environmental responsibility and sustainability, not only in our industry, but in the overall commercial market,” says Eric Jahnsen, director, Transportation Fleet at Sunbelt Rentals. “In order to exceed our goals, we need to start operating zero emission vehicles immediately. Peterbilt is giving us the opportunity to put battery electric trucks on the road as soon as we can put the infrastructure in place to support it.” The all-electric Peterbilt 579EV provides a range up to 150 miles. When used in conjunction with a recommended DC fast-charger, the battery packs recharge in three to four hours. Groendyke increases pay for certain driversGroendyke Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 97) announced late last week that it has increased pay rates for some of its drivers as Phase 2 of a larger driver pay initiative. This second phase affects Groendyke drivers hauling refined and bio fuels, aviation gas and jet fuel, and asphalt, increasing their pay an average of 6% overall. It represents a $1.32 million investment, according to the company. Coupled with Phase 1, which raised pay for the tank truck carrier’s chemical and liquid petroleum gas drivers, Groendyke has now invested about $3.5 million in driver pay increases in 2021. Details on a third phase of driver pay changes will be released in the coming months, the company says. Large truckload fleet raises driver payCargo Transporters (No. 182), a regional and national truckload carrier located in North Carolina, increased pay for its over-the-road drivers as of Sunday, July 4. It's the second driver pay raise this year; the first was in January. Cargo Transporters increased solo driver pay 2 cents per Rand McNally practical route mile on all dispatched miles, increasing starting base pay to 52 cents per mile. Team driver pay increased 1 cent per mile on all dispatched miles. Along with the rate per mile increase, the productivity bonus rose to 3 cents per mile, according to the company. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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If there's a clear lesson from the I-40 Hernando de Soto bridge between Arkansas and Tennessee closing for repairs and costing the trucking industry $2.4 million every day, it's that the U.S.'s roads and bridges need repair, and that delays can strike at any time. A recent report from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association detailed an exhaustive list of the country's bridges and found that 45,000 of these economically vital structures urgently need repair. The Federal Highway Administration considers a bridge in "poor" or structurally deficient condition if its deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert condition rank below acceptable standards. "A bridge in poor condition requires repair or additional monitoring but is safe for public travel," the Federal Highway Administration told CCJ. "Safety is FHWA's number one priority." Surprisingly, neither Arkansas nor Tennessee make the list, despite the recent mishap involving a snapped beam on the substructure. In fact, the Hernando de Soto bridge wasn't even listed as "poor" quality or structurally deficient, ARTBA told CCJ. Below find a breakdown and analysis of the table above. States with the most structurally deficient bridgesThe top five states with the most structurally deficient bridges (Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Missouri) haven't changed since last year's rankings, but the lower half of the chart has moved around considerably. Overall, the U.S. made progress over the last year, reducing the number of total structurally deficient bridges by 1,140, according to ARTBA. Structurally deficient bridges average 68 years of age, and more than 170 million vehicles cross these bridges daily. ARTBA estimates that fixing the entire inventory of 45,000 poor quality bridges would cost $41.8 billion and take 40 years at the country's current pace. President Joe Biden's proposed infrastructure plan, the American Jobs Plan, would allocate $115 billion of a proposed $2.25 trillion to fixing highways, roads, and bridges. The proposal states it would single out the ten most "economically significant" bridges in the U.S. for repair as well as 10,000 other bridges around the country, though the Biden administration has yet to specify which exact bridges it considers "economically significant." Ultimately, the U.S. has nearly 50,000 subpar bridges across the country, and truckers and travelers cross them millions of times each day without incident. States with the highest share of structurally deficient bridgesThis list shows that while California may have 1,536 poor quality bridges, it's actually not that bad in comparison to other states. California has 38 million people and is larger in terms of square miles than any state besides Alaska or Texas. West Virginia, on the other hand, has nine more structurally deficient bridges than California, but only 1.7 million people and a territory less than one sixth of California's. In other words, a trucker is much more likely to drive over a structurally deficient bridge in West Virginia, Iowa, or Rhode Island than they are in California. States with the highest percentage of bridge deck area in poor conditionStructurally deficient bridges with poor superstructures or substructures still support millions of crossings every day, but for the over-the-road trucker, bridge deck area matters most. Rhode Island, one of the states with the highest share of structurally deficient bridges, takes the cake for greatest percentage of bad deck area, likely due to the state's small size and few bridges. West Virginia and Illinois also stand out as states with rough driving over bridges. States with the most bridges in seriously bad conditionEven among bridges deemed structurally deficient, a few states stand out. Bridges in "serious" or worse condition may have problems like loss of a section or deterioration of primary structural components number in the thousands. These states have the most bridges in "serious" or worse condition.
https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) announced Tuesday has acquired 100% of Dothan, Alabama-based less-than-truckload carrier AAA Cooper Transportation (No. 49). In addition to LTL services, AAA Cooper also offers dedicated contract carriage and ancillary services. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Knight-Swift’s adjusted earnings per share. The enterprise value of the transaction was $1.35 billion. The purchase price consideration consisted of $1.3 billion in cash, $10 million in Knight-Swift shares, and approximately $40 million in assumed debt, net of cash. Cash for the transaction was funded from a new $1.2 billion term loan provided by Bank of America to Knight-Swift, as well as existing Knight-Swift liquidity. AAA Cooper CEO Reid Dove has been named to the Knight-Swift board of directors and will continue to serve in his role as head of AAA Cooper. "In seeking our first LTL partner, we had three main requirements – the scale for entry with significant market share, the profitability and management depth to operate independently and provide a platform for compelling growth opportunities, and a world class culture,” said Knight-Swift CEO Dave Jackson. “We were excited to have identified AAA Cooper as a partner that meets all three requirements, and I couldn’t be happier to finally find the right time for both of us to create a partnership. This transaction firmly positions us as a meaningful player in the LTL space, where we intend to grow both organically and through future acquisitions." AAA Cooper is expected to generate approximately $780 million in revenue, $140 million in EBITDA, and $80 million in operating income for full-year 2021. The company serves its customers through an extensive network of approximately 70 facilities (90% owned, with the remainder leased), consisting of a terminal door count of over 3,400, strategically located across the southeastern and midwestern United States. AAA Cooper’s fleet includes nearly 3,000 tractors and 7,000 trailers, which execute at an operating ratio in the high 80’s to low 90’s. The company’s workforce includes approximately 4,800 associates. "Joining the Knight-Swift team is an exciting combination for the AAA Cooper team members and customers," Dove said. "It will allow us to pursue new opportunities and accelerate our growth. We will continue to operate as an independent company, headquartered in Dothan, Alabama, and will do so with the support and partnership of the strongest provider in the full truckload space. This is the fusion of two excellent companies in their respective sectors of the transportation industry, which makes this a win for our people, our customers, and for the newly expanded Knight-Swift team." https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 6, 2021:FMCSA looks to expand definition, mounting position of vehicle safety techThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing to expand the area on windshields in which safety technology devices can be mounted. The agency is also proposing to add more items to its definition of “vehicle safety technology.” Current regulations require devices with vehicle safety technologies to be mounted no more than 4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road and highway signs and signals. In a notice of proposed rulemaking set to be published in the Federal Register Tuesday, July 7, the agency proposes to increase from 4 inches to 8.5 inches the distance below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers within which vehicle safety technologies may be mounted. The other parameters would remain unchanged. Additionally, FMCSA is proposing to add more items to the definition of “vehicle safety technology.” Current regulations define them as, “a fleet-related incident management system, performance or behavior management system, speed management system, forward collision warning or mitigation system, active cruise control system, and transponder.” FMCSA is proposing to modify the definition of vehicle safety technology to add technologies that are intended to promote driver, occupant, and roadway safety, including braking warning systems, braking assist systems, automatic emergency braking, driver camera system, attention assist warning, and traffic sign recognition. The agency is requesting public comment on its proposal, which will open July 6 for 30 days. Comments can be made at www.regulations.gov by searching docket number FMCSA-2021-0037. To assist in development of the proposed regulatory revisions, FMCSA specifically requests responses to the following questions:
WEL raises driver pay againWEL Companies (CCJ Top 250, No. 178) is increasing driver pay for the second time this year with a 4 cents per mile increase, for a total of 7 cents per mile since the beginning of the year. “We are thrilled to announce that for the second time this year, WEL has completed the final stages of another compensation increase for company drivers,” said Bruce Tielens, WEL Companies owner. “During these unprecedented times in the transportation industry, we feel our drivers are the best-in-the-industry and our pay offerings should reflect that.” WEL has also increased both holiday and vacation pay and is adding upwards of 75 new trucks to the fleet in 2021. Yokohama increasing tire pricesYokohama Tire Corporation will implement a price increase on its commercial truck tires and consumer replacement tires, effective Aug. 1. The company cites an “unprecedented increase in the cost of raw materials and the ongoing rise of operational costs” for the increase. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Spot truckload freight volumes increased 4.5% last week, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the industry’s largest network of load boards and the DAT iQ data analytics service. Capacity tightened as the total number of trucks posted to the DAT network declined 4.7% compared to the previous week. National average spot van, refrigerated and flatbed pricing changed marginally compared to the previous week. The typical bounce ahead of the close of the second quarter and July 4 holiday did not occur, although the average van rate is nearly 67 cents a mile higher year over year and the reefer and flatbed rates are 78 cents a mile higher. The following are the average spot rates for June, according to DAT:
These are national average spot truckload rates for the month through June 27 and include a calculated fuel surcharge. The national average price of diesel was $3.30 per gallon last week, up 0.3% week over week. Trends to watchSeasonality returned to the market last week as retailers and food distributors pushed to move freight ahead of July 4 celebrations. Shippers typically pre-position freight around the country during the last two weeks leading up to the holiday and use the spot market to move urgent or “exception” freight, as indicated in the 4.5% increase in load posts. Dry van load-post volume was up 17% last week and the national average van load-to-truck ratio was 6.4, up from 5.2 the previous week. The load-to-truck ratio is a measure of the number of available loads on the DAT network relative to the number of available trucks and is a simple indicator of capacity supply and demand. Reefer load post volume increased 20% week over week and the national average reefer load-to-truck ratio was 14.2, up from 11.1 the previous week. Overall, the number of truckloads of produce moved is down about 20% year over year, or 8,200 fewer loads of produce per week in 2021, according to the Department of Agriculture. Flatbed load post volume was 8% lower last week and are down 24% over the last month. DAT notes that flatbed volume has been softening for the last nine weeks. The national average flatbed load-to-truck ratio fell 8% from 65.5 to 60.6. Lanes to watchSpot van: Los Angeles to Phoenix van rates averaged $4.44 per mile excluding a fuel surcharge. The 372-mile run is up 12 cents per mile week over week and $1.42 per mile since February. Phoenix is a fast-growing market for large warehouses. Spot van: Vans from Atlanta to Orlando averaged $3.89 per mile excluding fuel, a record for the 440-mile lane. The average spot van rate is now up $1.08 per mile since February. Spot flatbed: Houston to Lubbock, Texas, in the Permian Basin is the highest-volume lane for spot-market flatbed loads moved each year. The average rate was $3.73 per mile, up $2.04 year over year. The Baker Hughes drilling rig count in Texas stands at 221, more than double this time last year. Volume on this lane is driven by drill pipe, casings and related products being hauled west. Spot reefer: Loads from Laredo, Texas, to Atlanta averaged $3.07 a mile this week and have been climbing steadily since May 2020 when they were just $1.91 a mile. That’s a 60% increase year over year. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD The global pandemic has paused or inhibited momentum for a number of industries, but not the trucking industry. The economy relies heavily on drivers and fleets. Although it faces various obstacles — including increased demand and fewer drivers to meet it – the trucking industry continues to see significant growth. According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry was short roughly 60,800 drivers back in 2018, and the shortage has continued. Experts estimate 80,000 fewer available drivers on the roads in 2021 vs. a year ago. A combined higher demand and lack of qualified drivers requires fleets to accelerate their digital transformation efforts to keep pace. More fleets than ever before are leveraging cloud-based software and data to decrease planning time and optimize workflows. Fleet management software platforms enable fleets to do more with less and increase driver efficiency, which helps drivers complete more stops and thrive in a supportive work environment. What specific capabilities have fleets invested in to rise above the competition, improve decision-making and meet demand? Route optimization technology This technology automates driver plans to set both fleets and drivers up for success. By taking data and constantly-changing variables like weather and construction into account, planners can assign drivers to routes that save time and reduce missed deliveries. AI has raised the industry standard for efficient route planning, and trucking has recognized the value of automated route optimization technology. Automation capabilities will continue to evolve and advance transportation management processes. Drivers, as well as fleets, benefit from route optimization. AI-based software will increasingly enhance the driver experience by more effectively utilizing their skillsets. Eventually, route optimization software will start taking additional driver variables into account, such as their experience levels and preferences. For instance, fleets could create smoother, more efficient dispatching and driver training processes by automatically assigning new drivers to easier routes. Driver workflow software Driver workflow solutions increase fleet flexibility. With more advanced driver workflow software, each trucking company can customize their workflow steps and forms for drivers to suit their specific needs. These flexible forms and workflows improve the overall driver experience, which could lead to increased driver retention in the midst of a serious shortage. These solutions also boost productivity for all users: managers, dispatchers, planners, and drivers alike. Driver workflow solutions also streamline communication. Managers and drivers who use workflow software can communicate more easily via real-time data visibility, constant ETA updates and in-app messaging tools. Enhanced communication ensures operational efficiency and data integrity – critical for fleet managers and planners. Driver workflow solutions streamline onboarding. With fleets trying to meet constant demand, they’re always seeking ways to streamline the driver hiring and training process. Driver workflow technology eliminates those tedious, lengthy processes by reducing training time. A more intuitive dashboard means that drivers spend less time learning how to use and become comfortable with the software. Fleets benefit by saving money, time, and resources. Trucking industry will benefit from embracing digital transformation The future of transportation management has arrived; those who choose to ignore the technology will find themselves left far behind. Avi Geller is CEO of Maven Machines. By leveraging mobile cloud, industrial IoT, and machine learning technologies, Maven has provided premier Fleet, ELD, Workflow, Inbound Planning, and Dispatch solutions to over 300 fleets, including 1,000+ truck fleets. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Whenever enforcement officers conduct Level 3 inspections at weigh stations, drivers and officers have to complete some manual steps to transfer data between the electronic logging device (ELDs) in the truck and the computers at inspection sites. The transfer process takes time and is prone to data input errors. If manual steps cause disruptions in the transfer of hours-of-service (HOS) data, ultimately drivers could receive violations. Drivewyze, which provides a weigh station bypass program known as PreClear, has been working with ELD providers and state agencies on an automated e-Inspection service to eliminate the manual input. The company developed a new service through established relationships with ELD providers, government and law enforcement agencies and opened enrollment June 30 in the new program to fleets who pass through weigh stations in Maryland, Maine and Virginia. Drivewyze has been working with the states to automate the transfer of HOS data to improve speed, efficiency and inspection accuracy. Other states are expected to join the list once their agencies have completed software updates. The new e-Inspection service is free for fleets that use Drivewyze PreClear for weigh station bypass and have ELDs from Drivewyze integration partners. The first to participate in the new program are Platform Science and Geotab. Western Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 48) participated in the e-Inspection trials. The Nashville, Tennessee-based carrier has more than 3,000 trucks and 7,500 dry van and flatbed trailers. The company is in the process of deploying an ELD and fleet telematics system from Platform Science. “I think in those [three] states it will help us make things more efficient and save time,” said Daniel Patterson, director of safety. Whenever the company has Level 3 inspections its driver violation rates are much better than the national average, he noted. Participating in the e-Inspection program may result in the fleet getting more Level 3 inspections, but that “is always going to help us,” he said, because Western Express will get credit for more “clean” inspections, which will improve the company’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scores. E-Inspections will also help with driver satisfaction, especially since the company hires a lot of drivers new to the trucking industry from CDL schools. New drivers tend to “get a little nervous when doing inspections,” Patterson said. “This is making things easier.” For Western Express the e-Inspection process is reducing the time for drivers to go through a Level 3 by half, he estimates. “It saves a lot of time. Drivers love it.” Brian Heath, chief executive of Drivewyze, said that “clean” Level 3 inspections are completed within in a few minutes using the new service, which otherwise takes about 30 minutes to complete manually. The time savings “allows the driver and fleet to improve or maintain their safety score while logging more miles,” Heath said. “It also frees the inspection officer from time-consuming manual data entry so they can concentrate efforts on trucks that truly do need inspecting.” Heath stated that e-Inspections will help address longstanding CSA data sufficiency problems. Inspectors will have more time to stop trucks and keep the safety scores of fleets up to date. This would help fleets raise their CSA scores to qualify for weigh station bypass services as well as create more load opportunities with freight brokers and shippers, he noted. The e-Inspection process works by having the ELD automatically send driver logs to the roadside inspection site when an officer starts an inspection. The officer conducting an inspection has information at the vehicle, carrier and driver level pre-filled in an electronic inspection report form. The inspector then evaluates the information on the form to decide if any further validation or investigation is required. If the officer is satisfied, the inspection can be completed at the touch of a button. “As law enforcement and industry partner in the goal toward improved safety, tools like Drivewyze e-Inspection increase efficiency for both stakeholders,” said Captain Josh Barnes, Maryland State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, July 5, 2021: Five sentenced for disabling emissions control devicesThe U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania sentenced John Joseph, Gavin Rexer, Joseph Powell, Dennis Paulhamus and Timothy Sweitzer each to one year of probation and a $100 assessment for conspiring to defraud the United States and violating the Clean Air Act. Joseph, Rexer and Powell were also sentenced to 50 hours of community service, Paulhamus received a $15,000 fine, and Sweitzer was fined $10,000. Rexer, Powell, and Joseph were employed by Rockwater Northeast, a company that serviced the fracking industry. An investigation found that between August 2013 and June 2014, the five individuals conspired to illicitly disable the emissions control devices in Rockwater’s trucks. Specifically, they either removed the stock exhaust systems and replaced them with straight pipes or hollowed out the emissions exhaust components by removing environmental filters and elements. Paulhamus also provided high-tech “defeat” devices to assist in the scheme, which the co-conspirators used to disable and manipulate the trucks’ onboard diagnostics. They concealed these purchases in Rockwater’s books and records by mislabeling them as “exhaust systems.” They then falsely indicated that the illegally modified trucks had passed vehicle inspections at Sweitzer’s Garage, an inspection station certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. FMCSA proposes updates to hazmat regsThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on July 6 will publish a notice in the Federal Register proposing to amend the Hazardous Materials Safety Permits regulations to incorporate a reference to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s handbook containing inspection procedures and out-of-service criteria for inspections of shipments of transuranic waste and highway route controlled quantities of radioactive material. Current hazmat regs reference the April 1, 2019, edition of the CVSA handbook. FMCSA’s notice would incorporate the April 1, 2021, edition of the handbook. FMCSA says 21 updates distinguish the 2021 handbook from the 2019 version, but the incorporation of the new handbook doesn’t impose any new regulations. The proposed updates can be seen here in the section titled, “Discussion of Proposed Rulemaking.” The agency will accept public comments for 30 days beginning Tuesday, July 6 at www.regulations.gov by searching docket number FMCSA-2021-0063. Rail giant completes acquisition of Quality CarriersCSX Corp. has finalized its acquisition of Quality Carriers from Quality Distribution (CCJ Top 250, No. 34). The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Quality Carriers, one of the nation’s largest bulk liquid chemical haulers, operates over 2,500 trucks and 6,400 trailers. CSX says the acquisition allows it to “extend the reach of its network and gain access to new products, markets and regions through a unique and competitive multimodal solution.” “We are thrilled to welcome the Quality Carriers team to CSX,” said James M. Foote, president and chief executive officer of CSX. “We strive to provide chemical producers and shippers with the most efficient, cost-effective transportation services possible. By combining CSX’s and Quality Carriers’ capabilities, we can deliver an unparalleled multimodal solution that will generate substantial value for our customers.” https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Driving a vehicle safely is a combination of several abilities. Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills are likely a couple of the most important, but there's a host of others. For example, vehicle maintenance; namely, changing a tire. U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association recently partnered with Discount Tire and Ipsos on a survey showing drivers lack knowledge about tire safety, specifically pressure, tread and rotation. The survey revealed that 48% of drivers don’t know how often to check tire pressure, including 3% who believe they never have to check it; that 53% of drivers don’t know how to check tread wear to determine if tires show signs of damage and need to be replaced; and 53% of drivers don't know how often to rotate their tires. Before I ever got a learner's permit, my dad and granddad made sure I knew how to change a tire. Not just "This is how you do it," but "Take this tire off, find the spare, and put it on." Proper inflation, how to find the OEM recommended inflation level, and how to properly use and read a stick gauge were sub-lessons in the tire crash course, as was when and how to rotate tires. That lesson went a lot like this; "Now that you have the tire off, put the spare back up and swap the front and rear tires. You'll need to do this again in about six months." [Related: Tire testing can cut costs but isn’t for the faint of heart] That tire violations are among the top 5 vehicle out of service violations – they were No. 2 the last three years – motor carriers certainly have some room to improve as well. According to the American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, running on a tire that’s underinflated by just 10% can reduce fuel economy by 1.5%. At 20% underinflation, in addition to lost miles per gallon, the effects include a roughly 30% reduction in tire life. About 90% of tire blowouts are the result of underinflation, according to industry studies, due to the increased stress and higher running temperatures experienced by an underinflated tire. For car drivers that think they don't need to check the pressure in any of their four tires, you have to wonder what they think about having 18 of them, most in a dual configuration. “Even if there’s a difference of just 5 psi between two tires on the same wheel-end, one tire winds up carrying a greater share of the load and doing more work," said Guangning Zhao – product group director, Anti-Lock Braking Systems at Bendix. "As the tire assembly rotates, the tire with the lower pressure – being slightly smaller – will drag, causing premature wear and shortened tire life while increasing the odds of a blowout on the higher-pressure tire.” Bob Rutherford pointed out last week, inflation is a key contributor to jackknife tractor accidents. Each year, USTMA sponsors Tire Safety Week – an initiative aimed at providing information on the essentials of proper tire care and maintenance. Clearly, an educational push is needed. According to USTMA's survey, 70% of drivers across the U.S. reported not checking tire pressure in the 30 days before striking out on a long-distance trip, despite the industry recommendation to do so at least once a month. “Safety, stopping distance, fuel efficiency, operating costs, and tire life are all directly affected by running on properly pressurized tires,” said TJ Thomas, Bendix controls marketing and customer solutions director. “Additionally, as a growing number of fleets and drivers discover the advantages of air disc brakes and advanced, integrated collision mitigation technologies, it becomes that much more important to remember that properly inflated tires are crucial to realizing the full performance benefits and protecting their investments.” My guess the amount of tire apathy in the passenger car segment is that a rudimentary TPMS system is standard on many vehicles, but the information it gives the driver is reactionary. Fleets often also use TPMS system data to more effectively address issues such as tire failures on the road and frequent tire replacements, thus helping to shape a better tire strategy and maintenance plans. Even if you're equipped with an ATIS system, there's no substitute for a stick gauge and a regular checkup. "No technology on the road today is a replacement for a skilled, alert driver exercising safe habits and supported by proactive, comprehensive driver training, and safe operation of any vehicle remains with the driver at all times," said Thomas. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Staffing shortages are a perennial concern in freight and logistics. Even before the turbulence spurred by COVID-19, fleets had been looking for new ways to combat the driver shortage. In fact, the American Trucking Association’s Driver Shortage Analysis suggests that if the current path holds there will be a need for nearly 160,000 drivers by 2028. It’s encouraging to see the industry, and its lawmaking partners in the United States Congress, find new ways to attract and develop the next wave of drivers from Generation Z. Historically, fleets have been limited by the regulation that prohibits drivers under 21 years old from crossing state lines. The DRIVE-Safe Act is a bipartisan bill currently under consideration by Congress that would ease these restrictions for individuals through a two-step apprenticeship program. This is certainly a step in the right direction for driver hiring, as currently written, yet the bill doesn’t fully address the issue of safety behind the wheel for younger drivers with limited experience. This begs a question: how can fleets take advantage of the Drive-Safe Act while reducing potential risk on the road for drivers and bystanders alike? The answer comes via advancements in fleet safety technology, which include access to better analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). When deployed correctly these tools can help bridge the skill gap for new drivers to hit the road safely and confidently. Here’s how: Development Strategy Through AnalyticsEvery fleet has its own approach to training and development. Through the onboarding process, managers are able to assess skill levels, determine where gaps exist and deploy recommendations for drivers to meet organizational safety standards. A fleet manager can expect experienced drivers to have certain core competencies, but there’s no telling what level of skill that new, younger drivers enter the field with. From a resource perspective, it can be time intensive to get this young community on the same page. The goal is to make training and development much more scalable. This can be done by reframing how analytics is applied to gathering data and using it to identify trends and glean key insights. The analytics are fueled by the initial performance of new drivers to reveal areas where they are succeeding and where improvement is needed. From this a baseline can be created to learn and grow from. Rather than taking a blanket approach and offering redundant trainings, fleet managers can be much more targeted in the way they design early development learning paths to be the most effective. Drivers get exactly the guidance they need, accelerating the timeline for improvement. Taking a data-driven approach is a powerful strategy for your business. With each iteration the impact of the recommendation improves. The more data that is available, from both individual drivers and the community as a whole, the smarter the insights become. For DRIVE-Safe to be a long-term solution, it needs a corresponding long-term strategy. Real-Time Coaching Through AIDeveloping a strong, data-driven training strategy goes a long way in preparing first-time drivers for a career, but it can never account for real-world experience. Eventually, every young driver will need to start their first route. Tools are available to offer guidance and recommendations that could be potentially lifesaving. When AI is paired with dual-facing video dash cameras, intelligent monitoring and other sensors, it can glean a real-time understanding of driver behavior and external road conditions. Armed with this information, AI and in-cab coaching can flag behaviors and identify distractions that can be corrected before an accident occurs. The goal of these solutions isn’t to create an omnipresent backseat driver (or big-brother phenomenon). Rather, it is to create a sustainable in-cab system for further skills development. Technology can encourage greater driver participation, so they feel invested in their own growth and see measurable progress as they move forward early in their career. In the absence of real-world experience, technology eases new drivers into the nuances of trucking without leaving them on their own to succeed or fail. Driving Safe, Regardless of AgeFor logistics and freight, sustainable industry-wide growth hinges on a healthy pipeline of new drivers, each with best-in-class training and resources. As fleets digitize by integrating new technologies to improve efficiency and drive revenue, a tremendous opportunity exists in recruiting a generation of Digital Natives. In this, DRIVE-Safe may in fact go far in addressing the driver shortage. Underpinned by the right technology, drivers of all ages are poised to reduce risk and increase success. John Carione is vice president of marketing for IntelliShift, a provider of fleet telematics, ELD and camera vision technology with customers in field service, last mile and long-haul industry sectors. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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April 2023
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