When you look at the demographics of the trucking industry, Gen Z is underrrepresented in many roles, including that of drivers. The good news is there are opportunities for fleets to attract the youngest labor pool.
8 Preparing for roadside enforcement
10 Where is the fuel for hydrogen trucks?
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24 Tires trends
OEMs are reducing electric truck prices
to finally fix highway funding
Like truck and engine designs, tire tread designs are evolving to meet fleet demands. Spurred on by competition and regulatory pressures, tire buyers remain the big winners.
36 Managing fleets with AI
Machine learning, the field of artificial intelligence, is maturing at an incredible pace. How, and where, are fleets using this technology?
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Photos: Jeremy Wolfe | FleetOwner Cover Photo: Smederevac | 2155127956 | Getty Images, Eric Van Egeren | 2639822463 | Generated by Shutterstock AI
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Artificial safety nets
Why the industry still needs human intelligence more than ever
By Josh Fisher Editor in Chief
@TrucksAtWork
The solution to combating AI limitations is human intelligence. Until trucking perfects AI coaching and safety detection, fleets and drivers need human-to-human interactions and understanding.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is a powerful tool. But it’s not powerful enough yet to replace the human side of fleet safety. Don’t let this emerging technology create an artificial safety net that your fleet might regret.
Nothing in transportation is more important than safety. Every good fleet manager wants their drivers to return home safely. Every shipper wants their products delivered in full and on time. And every fleet owner doesn’t want to be on the wrong side of the next nuclear verdict because a prosecutor convinced a jury their fleet was unsafe.
Enter AI. Technology providers are heralding it as the key to better operations. Machine learning can analyze data quickly to help fleets develop better routing and predictive maintenance strategies, which streamlines operations and improves the bottom line. But this evolving technology comes with risks. The most significant risk is putting too much faith in a machine to make your fleet safer.
“We live in a world where AI is merging with our day-to-day lives in every conceivable way, and the speed and depth of its integration into our lives in both scope and velocity is stunning,” according to Sean Ritchie, VP of sales and pre-sales at Solera Fleet Solutions.
Speaking at a recent Reuters U.S. transportation conference, Ritchie offered a stark warning to fleets and transportation technology providers: Putting too much faith in AI could expose companies to significant risks on roads and in courtrooms.
“In our rush to adopt AI, specifically within fleet safety, we’ve not given proper consideration to the implications of what that technology is today—not what it’s going to be in three to five years,” Ritchie said.
The best safety systems trigger at least 10% false positives, he said. If a system is finding false positives, is it finding all unsafe actions?
Ritchie said that 20% of a fleet’s drivers tend to represent 80% of an operation’s vehicle risks. To better safety, you focus on that 20%.
“False positives complicate your ability to do so, potentially having your safety team spend valuable time focusing on drivers who are not as urgent a priority,” he said. “You can’t afford to waste 10% of your time.”
While a fleet manager might be diverted from giving attention to the most problematic drivers on staff, AI can still miss some actual driving risks. It might prioritize one bad action, such as rolling through a stop sign, while ignoring countless others.
Ritchie told me that Solera’s internal research found that AI-only video safety systems miss one-third of risks. “You are liable for acting on all data that is presented to your team,” Ritchie said when talking about how AI ties in with nuclear verdicts. “If a video only has the AI trigger list, but there is another risk on video not labeled for coaching, you are still liable for that other risk and documenting that you coach that risk.”
If a driver has an at-fault accident while caught on video doing something unsafe, an opposing counsel will use discovery to “subpoena every single video of that driver,” Ritchie said. “They will go through that video, frame by frame, and document everything risky that driver did. Your defense can’t be: ‘Well, my AI system didn’t label it for coaching, so I didn’t coach it.’”
What’s the answer to combating these AI limitations? Human intelligence. Until trucking perfects AI coaching and safety, fleets need human-to-human interactions.
“I believe that as long as we are honest with each other, put the safety of the drivers as the most important thing in our business, and ultimately find the right balance of artificial intelligence and human intelligence, we will find operational optimizations that will protect our drivers, our fleets, and our businesses,” Ritchie said.
While your fleet focuses on how AI can give you an edge, don’t forget the human aspect of the industry. FO
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Preparing for roadside enforcement
English proficiency is returning to CVSA’s Out-of-Service Criteria
by Jeremy Wolfe
English language proficiency requirements are coming back: Beginning June 25, CVSA’s Out-of-Service Criteria will formally include ELP.
While many fleets already require ELP for new drivers, all motor carriers now face significant pressure to do so. If drivers do not know English well enough to pass roadside inspections, their loads could face major setbacks.
But what will an ELP inspection look like, and how can fleets prepare? Carriers will need to be careful not to run afoul of discrimination laws, warns Steven Moore, a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP and an expert in labor law.
“An employer has to be careful not to go beyond these ELP requirements unnecessarily,” Moore told FleetOwner. “Sometimes, if you go too far with something, you might find yourself in trouble with a different law.”
What enforcers will look for
Following guidance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, roadside inspectors will now always initiate their roadside inspections in English as a matter of course. If the inspector gets the impression that the driver might not be proficient in English, they will conduct the ELP assessment. Two main stages comprise the assessment: a spoken driver interview and a sign recognition test.
If the driver fails either stage of the assessment, the inspector can cite the driver for a violation and place them out of service.
FMCSA is withholding the exact ELP assessment details for now, but the regulation (49 CFR 391.11) requires that drivers know English well enough to:
• Converse with the general public.
• Understand highway signs and signals.
• Respond to official inquiries.
• Make entries on reports and records.
Consequences for carriers
The cost of employing drivers who don’t speak English could be significant.
Citations for violating driver qualification requirements can cost motor carriers several thousand dollars. An outof-service designation can spoil a load, customer relations, and more.
“It could be very disruptive for some trucking companies if that were to occur,” Moore said. “There could be penalties under contractual requirements if there’s a delay. There could be damage to perishable foods that are being transported, like produce.”
The new standards will likely have an especially high impact on immigrant drivers, Moore said. The consequences of violations will be significantly damaging for smaller, financially vulnerable carriers.
What should fleets do?
Fleets should obviously ensure that all their drivers are proficient in English. Many carriers already enforce ELP in their hiring process. By June 25, other carriers will need to enforce ELP among their drivers.
In practice, that might include additional steps in the hiring process or tutoring for existing drivers.
“The trucking company has to ensure applicants have sufficient English proficiency,” Moore said. “That might include, for example, an English language assessment as part of the hiring process. I would recommend that be applicable to all applicants … They could provide tutoring classes, if it’s the type of organization that would do that, or at least provide that some way with an outside vendor.”
Be wary of discrimination
English language proficiency is closely related to issues of race and ethnicity. Carriers should be careful that their new ELP requirements also comply with civil rights laws.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, for example, may charge carriers for violation of the Civil Rights Act if their requirements don’t comply.
“This is where there could be discrimination claims under federal laws. A company can’t go too far and say ‘this is an English-only enterprise’ or somehow discriminate against someone because they have an accent,” Moore said. “It has to make sure that the ELP requirements are being met, but it cannot go too far beyond that because it could run afoul of discrimination laws.” FO
When an inspector believes a driver is not proficient in English, they will conduct a spoken interview and a sign recognition test. Photo: FleetOwner
Where is the fuel for hydrogen trucks?
Here is where U.S. hydrogen production stands
by Jade Brasher
There has been a push to use hydrogen as a fuel source for decades, but the road to get there has been bumpy.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, using the most recent data available, there are 33 hydrogen production facilities in the U.S. that produce roughly 10 million metric tons of hydrogen annually. Most of this hydrogen was purchased by the petroleum and coal products industry (68%) and the chemicals manufacturing industry (21%), primarily to produce ammonia and derivatives, the EIA states.
While other industries are finding success with hydrogen, why is it that the trucking industry can’t seem to?
The state of hydrogen use today
Of the hydrogen produced across the globe, less than 1% is used as a fuel; however, transportation sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation and shipping, have shown interest in developing the hydrogen fuel market.
“There has been a significant push from airlines recently,” Omar Chaudhary, sales and business development manager at Accelera, said. “Both United Airlines as well as Delta have signed [a memorandum of understanding] to essentially convert a big portion of their fleet to use [sustainable aviation fuel]. So, we’re noticing an uptick in these applications currently.”
There have also been significant developments in trucking to enable hydrogen as a fuel. OEMs have developed hydrogen fuel cell EVs and hydrogen combustion-powered vehicles.
Accelera, a business unit of U.S.based engine manufacturer Cummins, provides electrolyzers for use at hydrogen refueling stations to advance the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel in the trucking industry. While the demand
Hydrogen production in the U.S. needs to ramp up if trucking ever intends to use it as a fuel, but the government could be getting in the way.
for electrolyzers has increased across the globe—Chaudhary referenced areas such as Canada and Germany—there is little growth in the U.S. because of the lack of policy support, he said.
Trump and hydrogen production
Growing hydrogen production in the U.S. is not possible without help from the federal government. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, intended to offer tax credits to hydrogen producers whose facilities begin construction before January 1, 2033— the cleaner the hydrogen produced, the higher the incentive.
But even the Biden administration didn’t do the hydrogen industry “any favors,” according to Connor Dolan, VP of external affairs for the Fuel Cell and Energy Association. The hydrogen credit was established in 2022 but didn’t receive a final rulemaking until January 3, 2025.
With the Trump administration, the status of those incentives is uncertain. Known as 45V, the incentives are subject to potential elimination under the current congress—preventing any tax credits to be given to production facilities that begin construction after December 31, 2025. Dolan and other advocates are hoping to prevent this.
“Our focus right now is on the U.S. Senate,” he said. “We’re taking a num ber of steps to try and defend this tax credit and get some restoration back on the table here.”
Without 45V, Dolan believes the companies that want to invest billions of dollars in U.S. hydrogen will simply go elsewhere. “45V was the key differ entiator between building clean facil ities in the United States versus else where for a lot of these large, major corporations,” he said.
But what’s the status of the billions of dollars the Biden administration set aside for regional hydrogen hubs?
Since inauguration day, many of these hubs haven’t been able to move forward, Dolan explained, and “a lot of them are at risk for getting discontinued moving forward or canceled by the current administration at the Department of Energy.”
“Notably, six of the seven hubs include heavy-duty transportation solutions as one of their major end-use activities,” Dolan said. “This program was intended to create a national network for hydrogen development, ultimately including long-haul trucking opportunities across the country. We really very much need to keep this program in place and are actively working on that front.” FO
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Analysts see pricing dynamics improving
Two teams of analysts found what trucking executives have been loath to even hint at over the past year: The struggling freight market appears to be nearing a bottom.
In notes to investors, researchers at Stifel, led by Bruce Chan (focusing on the truckload market), and at
Goldman Sachs, led by Jordan Alliger (examining less-than-truckload freight), stated in June that carrier exits have brought supply closer to equilibrium with demand levels that are still soft. The Goldman group said both LTL and truckload dynamics are showing “several attributes that could suggest the bottom is near.” That sets the stage for carriers to assert a little
pricing power in the quarters ahead, the analysts added.
“We believe tariff changes played a minimal role in rates moving higher in recent weeks,” Chan and his associates wrote. “But the price action corroborates our view of a market nearing equilibrium—and one with rates primed to inflect alongside sustainable demand improvement.”
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On the LTL side, Alliger and his team wrote that the exit of Yellow Corp. nearly two years ago has helped reduce capacity enough to the point where the sector is set to enter its next upcycle with fewer trucks than it had going into the last one. That, they added, will produce good margins on the incremental business.
Trump revokes waivers granted to CARB
President Donald Trump revoked the California Air Resources Board’s waivers for Advanced Clean Trucks, Advanced Clean Cars II, and HeavyDuty Omnibus, eliminating most of the Golden State’s impactful emissions authority over commercial vehicles.
Trump signed three Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to terminate the waivers. By signing the resolutions, Trump nullified the CARB waivers and prohibited EPA from issuing similar waivers in the future.
“We officially rescued the U.S. auto industry from destruction by terminating California’s electric vehicle mandate once and for all,” Trump said at the resolutions’ signing event.
However, the CRA resolutions have a dubious legal standing that U.S. courts will test.
Trucking industry leaders celebrated the win against state emissions regulations. The Senate Parliamentarian, the Government Accountability Office, and several legal experts have argued that CRA does not apply to the CARB waivers. CRA involves agency rules; the CARB waivers are adjudicatory orders, not rules.
Allison acquires Dana’s offhighway business for $2.7B
The commercial powertrain landscape is changing. Allison Transmission is acquiring Dana’s off-highway business. The $2.7 billion deal, announced June 11 and expected to close later this year, would expand Allison’s commercial-duty powertrain technology portfolio.
For fleet managers, particularly those in vocational sectors such as construction, mining, and agriculture, this acquisition creates a strategic alignment between two key suppliers in the industry. Allison, already a dominant force in on-highway transmissions, will now integrate Dana’s off-highway drivetrain and propulsion technologies, including axles and driveshafts for off-highway operations.
“This acquisition marks a transformative milestone in our commitment to empowering our current and future customers with propulsion and
drivetrain solutions that improve the way the world works,” David Graziosi, Allison chair and CEO, said. “We look forward to harnessing this momentum to increase value for all of our stakeholders worldwide.”
2025 Brake Safety Week scheduled
Law enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. will conduct commercial motor vehicle inspections, educate drivers and motor carriers about the importance of brake safety, and provide brake inspection and violation data to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance for this year’s Brake Safety Week, scheduled for August 24-30.
CVSA-certified inspectors will conduct routine commercial motor vehicle inspections throughout the week, with a focus on brake systems and components. As part of this year’s
brake safety initiative, inspectors will pay particular attention to drums and rotors. Brake drum and rotor issues may affect a vehicle’s brake efficiency. Broken pieces of drums and rotors may become dislodged from the vehicle en route and damage other vehicles or result in injuries.
Commercial motor vehicles with brake-related out-of-service violations or any other out-of-service violations will be removed from roadways.
During Brake Safety Week, inspectors will collect data on commercial motor vehicle inspections, brake systems and components, and brakerelated violations and report that data to the CVSA. Some jurisdictions will use performance-based brake testers (PBBTs) to assess the braking performance of vehicles and submit PBBT-specific data to the Alliance. CVSA will collect and analyze all data and report the results publicly later this year. FO
OEMs are reducing electric truck prices
How manufacturing will bring down one of the biggest hurdles to ZEV adoption by
Jeremy Wolfe
The benefits of electrification continue to be outweighed by its hurdles. The upfront cost of battery-electric vehicles remain a particular challenge.
Zero-emission commercial vehicles are expensive. It’s a significant reason why ZEV adoption is stalling, the federal government revoked CARB waivers, and CARB states got cold feet.
However, that’s not the final word on ZEVs. Partners with McKinsey & Company estimate that OEMS can reduce the cost of zero-emission trucks by as much as 30% in the near future.
That cost reduction would come from many areas—supply chain optimization, warranty reductions, and more. But the greatest price improvement could rest in the battery pack.
“We see different battery chemistries and technologies allowing us to take almost half the cost of the battery pack,” Moritz Rittstieg, a partner with McKinsey & Company, told industry media at the Fosgard House of Journalists during the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in Anaheim. “We see significant improvements in speed of charging and costs going down much faster than projected.”
Why fleets adopt EVs
Customer demand is growing. Carbon emission reductions are increasingly popular among some of the largest U.S. companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Phillips, and many more.
Affordability is, however, a much more important factor to consider. Currently, the commercial ZEV cost of ownership is far above that of diesel vehicles for most fleets. McKinsey & Company estimates fleet ZEV TCOs are 30-50% higher than ICE vehicles running diesel.
The upfront cost of an EV, which the firm said is about 35% of a battery-elec-
Chinese manufacturer BYD’s production of the Blade battery is one of the most significant design improvements for LFP batteries. Photo: BYD
tric vehicle’s TCO, is significantly higher compared to diesel, according to the firm. A diesel heavy-duty day cab could cost roughly $150,000 in 2024, while the ZEV equivalent could cost $250,000 to as much as $400,000—roughly, a 100% markup.
Rittstieg suggested that OEMs could reduce peak upfront EV prices from $400,000 down to as little $285,000 by improving three main areas: batteries, manufacturing, and scaling.
Perhaps the most significant upfront cost improvement is taking place in the battery packs. According to Rittstieg, battery pricing optimization could cut the cost of the battery pack by almost half. For a $400,000 truck, that could be a reduction of $60,000—about 15% of the total upfront cost.
Reducing battery costs for OEMs
Those battery cost improvements are elevating an underdog of EV battery chemistries: lithium-ion iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.
For years, LFP had a reputation for being cheaper but less energy-dense than batteries built with more expensive metals, such as nickel and cobalt.
Recent manufacturing improvements, such as Chinese company BYD’s development of cell-to-pack technology,
increased the energy density of LFP packs. The addition of manganese to LFP, referred to as LMFP, further closed the performance gap.
However, those cost reductions were achieved by Chinese manufacturers. The U.S. depends heavily on imports to meet LFP battery demand, and China is its largest provider. Commercial OEMs have an opportunity to lower EV costs by moving this improved battery production to North America.
The
joint venture
Thankfully, U.S. OEMs are already bringing production across the Pacific.
Amplify Cell Technologies is a joint venture by some of the largest trucking manufacturers—Daimler Truck, Paccar, and Accelera by Cummins—to build commercial EV batteries domestically.
“We’re well on the way to build a plant that is at the required scale—and we have the localization, suppliers, and supply chain—that enables those costs to be reduced,” Kel Kearns, CEO of Amplify, said at ACT Expo.
The joint venture is now building a 21 GWh factory in Mississippi to produce commercial battery cells for heavy- and medium-duty vehicles. The plant broke ground in mid-2024 and plans to begin production in 2027. FO
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
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Carrier execs discuss B-1, cabotage
by Geert De Lombaerde
Executives of Schneider National and J.B. Hunt Transport Services said June 10 that stricter enforcement of cabotage regulations can be one of the last steps the trucking market needs to find a supply-demand equilibrium.
Speaking at the Wells Fargo Industrials & Materials Conference in Chicago, both J.B. Hunt COO Nick Hobbs and Schneider CEO Mark Rourke welcomed the increased enforcement of rules around B-1 visas, which allow foreign drivers into the U.S. only to drop off goods and/or pick up return loads. Industry advocates—including the American Trucking Associations at the Truckload Carriers Association conference in March—have called for such a tightening, saying that the freight downturn has been extended in part by fleets abusing the visas and hiring Mexican drivers to run domestic routes illegally.
“There’s a lot of noise […] starting to spark about cabotage, and I think that’s really coming on,” Hobbs told the Wells conference. “I think that’s a really big play on where cheap rates are coming from.”
Rourke told analyst Chris Wetherbee that cabotage violations impact many parts of the country, but that the Southwest and Southeast regions will benefit more from more regular enforcement.
“Just a mere threatening of enforcement drives change,” Rourke said. “Just the fact that the border started to do some more questioning and more enforcement stopped the proliferation of carriers coming into the U.S., which then means a little tightening of capacity, particularly around the border.”
The discussions around the B-1 issue by both Rourke and Hobbs were in response to questions from Wetherbee
about the June 25 return of English-proficiency standards to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Out-of-Service Criteria. The executives pointed out that the move is also likely to reduce supply in some way as well.
Broadly speaking about market dynamics, Hobbs said he has “a little bit of optimism” that supply and demand are nearing a balancing point. That echoes recent commentary from analysts who said they see a bottom nearing and pricing dynamics improving for carriers. FO
Truckstop adds new features
by Jeremy Wolfe
Truckstop announced seven new features to enhance the load matching experience for its load board carrier customers. The company said that the new features are designed to make it easier to find loads that align with carriers’ specific needs and preferences. Four of the features are currently in place and three are planned for later this year:
• Authority age filter: With this feature, carriers can filter loads based on the broker’s authority age requirement. This saves carriers time by allowing them to view only loads from brokers with which they may be eligible to work.
• Backhaul search: A convenient ‘swap’ icon allows carriers to quickly reverse their origin and destination search, making it easier to find return loads from their current location.
• Load popularity: Carriers can assess load postings by the number of times they have been viewed, helping identify opportunities with less competition.
• Similar loads recommendations: This feature suggests similar loads that align with the carrier’s search criteria, helping them discover more opportunities that are relevant to their needs.
Coming later this year:
• Lane suggestions: For carriers with flexible destinations, this feature provides intelligent lane suggestions, offering guidance and reducing the overwhelming feeling of too many “anywhere” options.
• Factorability data: Factoring customers can quickly determine if a broker is financially stable and Truckstop Factorable directly from the load summary
page. This eliminates the need to navigate away from the load board to check a broker’s status.
• RMIS onboarded loads: Carriers will be able to easily identify loads posted by brokers they have already onboarded with. It streamlines the booking process and reduces the risk associated with working with unknown brokers.
“At Truckstop, we’re always innovating to better serve carriers, and these advancements reflect our commitment to listening to our customers and addressing the challenges of today’s competitive freight market,” Sam Peterson, Truckstop’s CTO, said. “These new features provide significant benefits to carriers, enabling them to operate more efficiently, make informed decisions, and ultimately improve their bottom line.” FO
How to HIRE AND HOLD ON to the next generation
When you look at the demographics of the trucking industry, Gen Z is underrepresented in many roles, including drivers.
by Jenna Hume
Photo: Eric Van Egeren
Labor challenges are nothing new to the trucking industry. Driver and technician shortages get the most attention, but a new workforce shortage is brewing.
The baby boomers, who have dominated trucking for decades, are leaving the industry. But Gen Z isn’t replacing them, creating a next-generation shortage. The good news is there are opportunities for eets to attract the youngest labor pool, according to Melanie Rittenour, director of human resources for Keller Trucking.
“If you look at the studies, we’re already in a labor shortage across the country in any industry, but they’re already predicting some signi cant labor shortages in the truck driver market,” Rittenour told FleetOwner. “It’s not one that’s going to be as easily accommodated by arti cial intelligence, so we are going to need the individuals ful lling these roles. I think that’s why it’s going
A positive work environment, opportunities for career growth, and benefits that are tailored to Gen Zers will help them stay engaged after they are hired.
Photo: freemixer | 2196711789 | Getty Images
How to recruit Gen Z
When planning Gen Z recruitment, it’s important to understand what the generation’s values, wants, needs, and hopes are, according to multiple sources that have worked with or recruited Gen Z. Here is their advice:
Recruit early
According to these experts, the importance of recruiting Gen Z at an early stage in life cannot be overstated.
The Next Generation Trucking Association promotes trucking careers and encourages carriers to help young people start trucking career paths. Part of Next Gen’s work is building high school CDL truck driver, diesel tech, and supply chain logistics programs across North America.
Similarly, Keller Trucking has a finishing program that includes hiring drivers directly out of CDL school and pairing them with experienced drivers for several weeks to complete their training.
With CarriersEdge’s Best Fleets To Drive For program, Jazrawy witnesses the many strategies fleets are taking to recruit the younger generation.
“Going to high schools and programs like Touch-a-Truck ... to talk about the blind spots of the truck and things like that is what the best fleets, those in the top 20 in the Hall of Fame, started doing about 10 years ago—and what we’re seeing is that it’s continuing,” Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge, said.
Jazrawy said that America’s Service Line, the 2024 Private Fleet of the Year winner, is currently focused on recruiting younger technicians through scholarships. And Garner Trucking is winning over the next generation by taking simulators into high schools for students to try out.
Offer work-life balance
Gen Z places a high value on work-life balance, more so than previous generations. Driving jobs don’t always offer this balance, but Keller Trucking has come up with a solution. The fleet offers a four-on, four-off driver position that allows drivers to have more time at home compared to the typical over-the-road driver.
“They partner with a different driver, so it helps us keep our trucks running, but each driver is only out four days at a time versus the longer stints out on the road,” Melanie Rittenour, director of human resources for Keller Trucking, said. “We’ve needed to be a little more creative in coming up with those over-the-road opportunities, which is not something that you used to experience when you were recruiting drivers.”
Have up-to-date technology
Gen Z is often referred to as digital natives. They grew up with computers, cell phones, and the internet. They expect to use technology in their jobs. Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, said employers wanting to attract Gen Z should invest in and focus on new technology.
A plus is that Gen Z typically needs less technology training than older generations—and might even be helpful when fleets bring on new tech. Rittenour said that Keller allows drivers to decide how much instruction they need on new technology. The fleet also asks workers how they prefer to learn: hands-on or through other resources.
Meet Gen Z where they’re at
Instead of using typical recruitment tactics, tailoring strategies specifically to Gen Z can have a stronger impact. An example Jazrawy gave was when Gen Xer Tim Chrulski, Garner Trucking’s COO, posted a video on social media using Gen X slang. Jazrawy described the video as funny and approachable, especially for the younger generation.
Show that your company cares
According to Trent, Gen Z doesn’t want to work for companies that only care about the bottom line. It’s important to them that their employers care about the community, the environment, and other causes.
In recent years, mental health awareness has grown significantly in the U.S. When looking for potential employers, Gen Z typically prioritizes companies that offer mental health support and benefits, Trent said.
to be really important that we make sure we address the needs of the next generation so that we can keep the trucks full and keep freight delivered.”
Gen Z workers
Gen Z roughly includes those born between 1997 and 2012. While there is not an official number of how many Gen Zers are currently employed within the trucking industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s most recent data on trucking demographics is from 2023, so it doesn’t include recent hires. (See charts on this page.)
Truck driver age demographics are specifically covered in the bar charts. A breakdown of the age demographics for other transportation jobs can also be found in the charts.
Compared to millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers, Gen Z is underrepresented in transportation (of course, some Gen Zers still aren’t 18 years old yet). According to Jane Jazrawy, CEO
THE HUMAN TOUCH
TRAILER FLOORS
CDL holders skew older than the U.S. Labor Force overall; drivers under 30 are underrepresented. Credit: U.S. Department of Transportation
ACS data reinforces observations from CDLIS regarding CDL driver age distributions; in this dataset, drivers up to age 45 appear to be underrepresented.
Credit: U.S. Department of Transportation
How to retain Gen Z talent
Akey to good recruitment is high retention rates. After hiring more Gen Zers, it’s important to offer them benefits, opportunities, career growth, and more in order to keep them engaged.
Offer mentorship opportunities
A common Gen Z stereotype is that they aren’t interested in learning from the older generations. But with many from this generation, this simply isn’t true. Many successful fleets that recruited Gen Z offer mentorship opportunities.
“During the new-hire orientation process, we ask them if they want a mentor. I’d say about 50% of them say yes,” Melanie Rittenour, director of human resources for Keller Trucking, said.
Once drivers are paired with their mentor, contact information is exchanged so the drivers can communicate on and off the road. Rittenour explained that the best part of this relationship is the chance for mentors to answer younger drivers’ questions. “The experienced driver becomes someone the mentee can say, ‘Hey, I’m in this city. Is there a good place to park? Is there a good place to eat? Is there anything I should know about?’” she said.
Listen
Despite being young, Gen Z wants to be heard within their company. Gen Z wants their opinions to matter to coworkers and supervisors, and they do not want to be ignored or discounted because they are newer to the workforce.
“They want to work for somebody where they feel
of CarriersEdge, this generational gap in trucking is nothing new.
“There was a point in trucking around 2010 where it was evident that there were no older millennials,” Jazrawy told FleetOwner. “You had older people and you had some younger people, but there was a big gap in leadership and in the drivers where everybody was 55-plus, and there were no 40-year-olds, until they started getting second-career people … But there was nobody in their 20s and their 30s, like nobody. The age range is finally starting to skew younger.”
appreciated as a part of the team, and just because they’re young, they still want their opinions to matter,” Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, said.
Define opportunities for growth
Gen Z values clarity in their potential career paths and wants to know how they could advance in a company.
“Give them a career path,” Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge, said. “Give them some sort of light at the end of the tunnel. A lot of this generation is feeling like there’s nowhere to go; if they can see a path forward, that’s going to keep them closer. It will keep them at the company longer if they see a career path and if they see where they can use their skills—whatever those happen to be.”
Generational obstacles
According to Lindsey Trent, president and co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, a major obstacle Gen Z faces in entry into the industry is simply a lack of awareness.
“People just don’t know about opportunities, and in order to understand the opportunities out there, there has to be industry engagement,” Trent told FleetOwner.
Age also plays a factor in transportation and trucking opportunity. Some fleets may hesitate to hire drivers under the age of 21 because federal
regulations prohibit younger CDL drivers from interstate operations. But Trent pointed out that there are plenty of entry-level driver jobs that wouldn’t require younger drivers to cross state lines.
“There are plenty of CDL jobs that will hire an 18-year-old without crossing state lines, whether that’s a farmer- or a yard spotter-type job,” Trent explained. “It’s a matter of getting them connected to those jobs in their area until they’re 21, when they would be able to expand their horizons and cross state lines.” FO
by David Heller
How to finally fix highway funding
It’s time to stop kicking the funding can down our crumbling roads
HERE WE GO again. When it comes to government funding for our nation’s roads and bridges, I can’t help but use this idiom once again: Robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Our federal government is embarking on a new Highway Reauthorization Bill as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires in just over a year: September 2026. This puts the onus on the current Congress to replace President Joe Biden’s IIJA. As such, creating a sustainable funding mechanism for a nation’s roads and bridges should be a priority.
For years, we’ve been kicking the can down the crumbling roads instead of creating sustainable funding. Current fees allocated to the Highway Trust Fund have not changed since 1993, a far cry from the 2025 pricing that we currently face. As a result, this has created a shortfall, commonly made up of general fund transfers that have little to no chance of consistently subsidizing a trust fund that requires predictability.
Cue the drumroll, please, as we enter a world called the gallons-based user fee, or GBUF. This user fee is precisely as it sounds, based upon the very nature of its funding. The idea of paying a fee for each gallon of fuel makes perfect sense and offers a path to sustainable funding that everyone should support.
The Trump administration’s “Drill Baby Drill” platform is leading to falling fuel prices, and absorption of an increase to fees paid at the pump should be feasible. Taking into account what our nation currently pays for gasoline and diesel, 18.4 cents and 24.4 cents per gallon should increase to 39.9 cents and 52.9 cents, respectively. Coupled with registration fees for both electric and hybrid vehicles, this creates a sustainable funding mechanism for improving roads and bridges. Today, our nation’s
infrastructure is nowhere near making the Dean’s list when it comes to the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Infrastructure Report Card.
Yes, this comes at a cost. To the average passenger vehicle owner, the annual cost is likely around $125, a price less than what many pay for streaming services. But every road user is already paying this fee without realizing it. According to the American Transportation Research Institute, trucking’s cost of congestion equates to $108.8 billion, taking into account wasted fuel, lost time, and increased operating costs.
A first-class infrastructure would help alleviate those costs. Additionally, if anyone has had to replace a flat tire caused by a pothole, they know that they are likely paying more than $125 for that tire. Traffic congestion, vehicle wear and tear, and higher insurance premiums all fall into the category of crumbling infrastructure as unrealized costs absorbed by Americans that would decrease if we had a trust fund with the dollars to sustain it.
Here is the best feature of all: When it comes to the GBUF, the fees attributed to it, in terms of cost, are low. Ridiculously low—just 1% because the collection process already exists. In our government world, where saving dollars continues to be paramount in getting costs in line, the administrative fee of 1% makes it the most attractive option to consider.
It is essential to note that increasing these fees addresses a pressing need, namely the repeal of the Federal Excise Tax on new equipment. The FET is set at 12% of the price of a new tractor, which is not a small amount of money. Enacted in 1917 to help fund World War I, the time for repealing it has long been overdue.
By increasing the GBUF paid at the pump, our industry can finally shed the
burdensome cost of the FET and invest those dollars in safety equipment or fleet upgrades, representing a win-win situation for all involved.
Supporting our infrastructure must become a priority if we are to grow our economy and provide our nation with the first-class infrastructure that we ultimately pay for.
For years, our HTF has been sustained by general fund transfers, demonstrating the need for higher gasoline prices at the pump. Supporting our infrastructure must become a priority if we are to grow our economy and provide our nation with the first-class infrastructure that we ultimately pay for. FO
David Heller | Dheller@truckload.org
David Heller, CDS, is senior VP of safety and governmental affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association. He is responsible for interpreting and communicating industry-related legislation to TCA members.
Photo: BluIz60 | 808006478 | Getty Images
These are not your
drive tires
Like truck and engine designs, tire tread designs are evolving to meet fleet demands. Spurred on by competition and regulatory pressures, tire buyers remain the big winners. by Jim Park
Photo: Vladimir Zapletin | 1089451236 Getty Images
Perhaps the greatest innovation ever in heavy truck tire technology came along in the 1980s with the introduction of radial tires. Invented by Michelin and brought into service just after World War II, they rst appeared on passenger cars and commercial vehicles in Europe in the 1950s and ’60s. Radial tires took over the North American passenger car market starting in the ’70s, driven by fuel ef ciency concerns and the “energy crisis.”
It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that radials became the tire of choice in trucking, especially among long-haul carriers. Radials offered longer tread life, improved handling and stability, and better fuel economy because of their lower rolling resistance.
It took trucking a while to warm up to radial tires—predictably—because they were more costly and demanded changes to long-established maintenance
“The reality is each segment has unique forces to combat; choosing a tire best suited to the application will provide the best performance possible.”
Tom Clauer, Yokohama Tire
practices. Once the TCO became apparent, trucking went all in.
Since then, we’ve seen dozens of innovations in tire design, including some radical improvements in tread design and construction—all adding to or
subtracting from the three pillars of tire performance: traction, durability, and rolling resistance.
Miles to takeo vs. miles per gallon
Early radial drive tires were gnarly things with open shoulders and big, deep tread blocks. The deep treads offered loads of traction, and tire makers sold long miles to takeoff. Later, when fuel ef ciency gained importance, tire makers reduced tread depth by a third to a half and sold the lower rolling resistance of the thinner tread. They argued that the fuel saved would offset shorter overall tire life.
Developments in compounding have enabled engineers to incorporate lower tread depths and improved fuel efciency with enhanced traction on drives that were previously unimaginable. High silica tread rubber, for example, allowed engineers to overcome compromises between rolling resistance, traction, and
SAFEDRIVE-AI 2
EQUIPMENT FEATURE
wear, noted former tire designer Jim Garrett, now a product marketing manager at Michelin.
“In the past, you could make a low rolling resistance compound and still have your tread depth, for example, but it wore really fast,” he told FleetOwner. “The high silica tread proved very durable, and it offered lower rolling resistance and good traction.”
Long wear, good traction, improved fuel efficiency. Check. Check. Check.
Chalk one up for market forces.
Then, 10 or 15 years ago, the emphasis on fuel efficiency, specifically low rolling resistance, received a significant push from regulators. Meeting the evolving GHG/CAFE requirements for power OEMs had a considerable impact on the tire industry, forcing it to push the boundaries of design and development.
“Over the last several years, reductions in rolling resistance have been a primary focus for tire manufacturers,” Tom Clauer, Yokohama Tire’s senior manager of commercial product planning, said. “That focus has led to advances in compounding and unique designs. Drive tires now have lower tread depths, tighter void areas—which help reduce rolling resistance while providing the required traction—and acceptable initial tread mileage.”
“For OEMs, developing a new engine is literally a billion-dollar project today,” Garrett added. “So, if they can get something out of the tires, that’s almost free for them. They’ve been pushing us for years, and that’s driven some of our innovation.”
What fleets are buying today
Fleet requirements vary by operation and geography. Many fleets are now seeking fuel savings, particularly in overthe-road operations. Regional/line-haul fleets are more focused on mileage and durability, Clauer said.
“I believe the goal would be to have a product that can perform adequately in all segments, but this is only a possibility if a fleet treads lightly across segments,”
he added. “The reality is each segment has unique forces to combat; choosing a tire best suited to the application will provide the best performance possible.”
Like the three pillars of tire performance, fleets weigh several cost criteria when selecting a tire: acquisition cost, cost per mile, and total cost of ownership. Acquisition cost is obvious, whereas the latter two are more challenging to tease out over the life of the tire.
“While treadwear, durability, and overhaul mileage are important considerations, for some regional operations where tires are exposed to harsh operating conditions, it’s harder to prove the value of long tread life,” Molly Chen, marketing brand manager at Maxam Tire North America, told FleetOwner. “Some regional fleets will purchase Tier 2 or Tier 3 brands at a lower price point to minimize cost per mile.”
Chen said that in more predictable applications, such as long-haul,
cost-conscious fleets are looking for overall value.
“They prioritize long tread life, fuel efficiency, and consistent performance over long distances, but price is certainly a factor in the overall value/CPM equation and certainly is a priority,” she said. “Those fleets also recognize that retreading can lead to significant cost savings, and so they demand high-quality casings that can retread multiple times.”
Of course, underpinning fuel efficiency, durability, and mileage is valuable.
Along those lines, Continental introduced ContiTread HT, a fuel-efficient trailer retread for the U.S. market earlier this year, featuring an enhanced shoulder design. The tread is available across the standard sizes for various fleet applications.
“The innovative retread enhances fuel efficiency, high scrub, and offers durability,” Shaun Uys, head of Con-
This eye-catching tire, Michelin’s X Line Grip D, is a radical departure from “traditional” drive tire tread designs. Love it or hate it, Michelin says it delivers big gains on every front.
Photo: Jim Park
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tinental’s U.S. truck tire replacement business, explained.
Its tread compound combines an engineered tread pattern to deliver outstanding removal mileage. Uys said the new design offers eets up to a 20% improvement in rolling resistance, translating to lower fuel consumption and reduced operational costs.
“Fleets today are prioritizing tire selections that deliver the lowest cost of ownership through a combination of durability, performance, and proactive tire management solutions,” Chris Queen, North American technology director at Goodyear Commercial, said. “Fleet managers are increasingly favoring tires that offer extended tread life,
How did we get here?
Improving
fuel ef ciency, and retreadability—helping ensure a lower total cost of ownership. But they also seek advanced technology offerings that allow them to stay ahead of tire maintenance issues before they become costly problems.”
While not directly related to tire performance, Queen said eets are looking to align with suppliers that deliver value-added services, such as tire management programs.
“Goodyear’s comprehensive suite of tire management programs and intelligent tire solutions, including Fleet HQ and Goodyear TPMS Plus, empower eets to be more proactive with maintenance and help uncover new opportunities to reduce costs and downtime,” Queen explained.
Continental’s HDL2 DL Eco Plus is a fuel-e cient, long haul drive tire with deep lugs to protect against stone retention and extend casing life.
tread design, specifically, and tire design generally, has historically been a game of inches. However, the field has blown wide open over the past decade or so, primarily due to advances in simulation technology and tire-building capabilities.
“Tire manufacturers are able to run digital simulations on new tires before they are ever tested in the field, providing engineers with the insight they need to make necessary improvements to the design,” Robby Hamby, director of commercial product strategy at Bridgestone Americas, told FleetOwner. “Computer technology has also aided lab-scale validation e orts. Engineers can now understand performance impact and optimize designs in real time without running full-scale fleet validations.”
Simulation technologies allow engineers to model complex tread patterns and predict how they will perform in various conditions (wet, dry, snow, etc.). They can also simulate stress, heat, and wear on a tire before making physical prototypes.
“Advanced computer modeling and simulation have revolutionized how tread designs are developed,” Gavin Broussard, Apollo Tyres’ national sales head, explained. “That has enabled the creation of tires that perform better, last longer, and meet stricter safety and environmental standards.”
Traction continued to improve with the development of precision siping—tiny zig-zag cuts in the tread face. But that required advances in tire manufacturing processes.
Michelin uses 3D-printed metal parts in the tire molds, allowing previously impossible tread designs—including advanced siping and its Regenion technology—that open up new grooves in a tire as it wears.
“You have to design those features in a way that you create the groove without creating too much demolding force,” Jim Garrett, product marketing manager at Michelin, told FleetOwner. “Otherwise, you could damage the mold, the curing press, and the tire. A lot of research went into that.”
Tire manufacturers can build tires that deliver more of what fleets look for in a tire with far fewer compromises. The 200,000-mile tire is fairly common today, with many makes and models running out to 300,000 miles and more in well-managed tire programs. FO
Photo: Continental Tire
Photo: sergeyryzhov
Evolving tread designs
While tire makers offer a full range of products to suit any fleet preference, their premium long-haul offerings tend to reflect state-of-the-art design and engineering. Premium fuel-efficient drive tires tend to look more like steer tires these days, with tightly packed tread blocks, distinct circumferential grooves, and closed shoulders. And they perform as well or better than the tires your uncle was buying 20 or 30 years ago.
But wait. Michelin is about to unveil a tread design that flies in the face of conventional tire designs. It launches officially in early July, but Michelin has been touring the X Line Grip D to trade shows and dealer events. It always gets a strong reaction.
It’s built on a brand-new casing design that incorporates existing technology, which engineers have refined and improved. But it’s the tread design that gets people’s attention.
Garrett says they are seeing 20% more miles from the tire overall, but due to the chevron shape of the grooves, the compound, full-depth siping, and the new siping layout, end-of-life traction is significantly increased.
“We’re equal to or better than the XDN 2 when new, but we crush it at the worn stage,” he told FleetOwner. We’re getting 90% better snow traction at the end of life than the very popular XDN 2.”
The XDN 2, after 22 years, remains Michelin’s most popular tire. Garrett said they decided not to try making incremental improvements to that tire but rather start with a clean slate and incorporate all the learnings from that tire while bringing a lot of new technology to the design.
And that is how tread designs and tires evolve as a whole. Your Uncle Floyd would be astonished at the progress we’ve made in tire design since the radial first came to market. FO
Like other premium drive tire offerings, Yokohama’s 709ZL features tightly packed tread blocks to reduce fuel-sucking tread squirm and closed shoulder designs. Traction doesn’t suffer thanks to a unique tread block pattern or, in some cases, siping. It’s just a different way of achieving the same goal.
Photo: Yokohama
Regional tires are up against a harsher environment, and some trade-offs between fuel efficiency and durability are necessary. Designers pull the best design features of many applications together to minimize the compromises.
Photo: Bridgestone
fuel fries
yes, even french fries can have a role in fueling fleets For as long as foods have been fried, the cooking oil used in fryers has been considered a waste product. But now, Chevron is working with big names in the food business to collect that cooking oil and convert it into biofuels. Scan the QR code for a roundtable discussion on this circular supply chain configuration.
by Kevin Rohlwing
No need to max out your tires
Are you hurting your cost per mile by overinflating your fleet’s tires?
FEDERAL REGULATIONS require specific information to be molded on the sidewall of a truck tire. The size, date of manufacture, and maximum load-carrying capacity are among the mandated markings for all truck tires sold in the U.S. There are also performance requirements that are not optional. Manufacturers must mold the letters “DOT” on the sidewall to indicate it meets those standards. It’s a self-certification, so all the manufacturer has to do is submit the test data that shows the tire meets the requirements.
M aintenance, load distribution, and vehicle configuration impact the inflation pressure that gives your rubber the best treadwear, traction, and performance.
Another key piece of information on every tire sidewall is the required inflation pressure to carry the maximum load. Many people confuse this as the maximum inflation pressure, but that is not the case. The load and inflation information on the sidewall reflects the required inflation pressure to carry the
maximum load at the maximum speed. Molding the maximum speed on every sidewall is not required by federal law, but the default maximum speed for a truck tire in the U.S. is 75 mph unless designated otherwise. The only requirement applies to tires with a maximum speed of 55 mph.
Speed, load, and inflation pressure are all related. In low-speed operations, the load can exceed what is indicated on the sidewall. Again, in some cases, the pressure doesn’t change, while in others, the higher load at the lower speed requires more inflation pressure than what is indicated on the tire. It’s all about heat. Higher speeds create more flexing, which results in additional heat. The lower flexing at lower speeds generates less heat, allowing the load to increase with or without additional inflation pressure.
For years, every truck tire has been inflated to what the trucking industry believes is the maximum inflation pressure on the sidewall. In reality, most of those truck tires are overinflated because the maximum load is never applied. Federal regulation states that the tires on an axle must be able to support the GAWR listed on the certification label. On a 20,000-lb. axle with dual tires, each tire must support 5,000 lb. A standard 295/75R22.5 Load Range G in a dual application has a maximum load of 6,175 lb. at 110 psi. Inflating all four tires to the inflation pressure for the maximum load results in an overinflation condition because the maximum load for the axle is 20,000 lb., regardless of what is indicated on the tires.
That same tire will carry 5,155 lb. at 85 psi, which is enough to support the GAWR. At 85 psi, each tire in a dual application is inflated to the load, resulting in the optimal footprint for maximum treadwear and traction. When
the tires are overinflated to 110 psi on a vehicle with a 20,000-lb. GAWR, the footprints will have more pressure on the middle of the tread, which can result in irregular and/or accelerated treadwear.
Federal regulation 571.120 requires tires to have the carrying capacity to support the GAWR but not the inflation pressure. On a 20,000-lb. axle that only carries 18,000 lb., the same 295/75R22.5 Load Range G in a dual position can support 4,500 lb. at 70 psi, which is sufficient for the load. There’s no room for error, but it’s perfectly legal and acceptable as long as each tire is inflated to 70 psi.
For fleets, the issue is maintaining inflation pressure. Every tire loses 1-2 psi per month. At 110 psi on a vehicle with a 20,000-lb. GAWR, it can take over a year before the inflation pressure reaches the point where it can no longer support the maximum load for the axle. Underinflation is kryptonite for a pneumatic tire because the additional flexing results in excessive heat, which leads to the breakdown of the bonds between the internal components in the tire. It’s the leading cause of “gators,” so a lot of fleets choose overinflation because the consequences are less severe and do not result in roadside failure.
Working with the tire manufacturer is the best way to determine the optimal inflation pressure for commercial vehicles. Inflation pressure maintenance, load distribution, and vehicle configuration all play an important role in finding the most efficient inflation pressure. Inflating every truck to the maximum pressure for its load can increase the cost per mile in the long run. FO
Kevin
Rohlwing | krohlwing@tireindustry.org
Kevin Rohlwing is the chief technical officer for the Tire Industry Association. He has more than 40 years of experience in the tire industry and has created programs to help train more than 220,000 technicians.
Photo: steve631 | 1190021995 | Getty Images
BUMPER Selector Tool
Bumper Spec Simplified
Latest in vehicle lighting
Grote
To help fleets maximize uptime and safety in harsh conditions, Grote Industries developed the heated all-weather stop/tail/turn lamps. These lamps automatically begin heating when tempera-
tures drop below 40°F. This helps drivers maintain visibility and compliance without scraping lenses. The system uses advanced thermal regulation technology to prevent overheating and reduce power consumption, saving time and
Gray Manufacturing builds products that meet the “Buy American Act,” ensuring your dollars fuel the domestic economy and guaranteeing that parts and product are always available to you.
money. They are available in 4- and 6-in. sizes, and backup lamp options.
Hella
Hella says its MLB 200 LED light bar is a compact and powerful optical warning system 16 in. long and 1.4 in. high and weatherproof and vibration-resistant. Operating on 10-30 VDC, the light bar features 24 user-selectable flash patterns and consumes 74 watts. It’s available in amber and amber/white with SAE J845 Class 1, California Title 13, and ECE-R10 certifications for compliance. Mounting options include fixed and magnet. The fixed version has a 10-in. cable and open wire leads; the magnet version has a 10-in. spiral cable with a lighter plug and integrated switches.
Optronics
Optronics’ STL104 Series integrates logos and graphics into 4-in. round LED stop/turn/tail lights through patented manufacturing technology. The lights feature 29 SMD LEDs, with 10 paired with optics for light output and 19 illuminating the logo portion during stop-and-turn functions. Each light undergoes individual testing for photometric compliance, shock resistance, and FMVSS 108 requirements. The lights are FMVSS compliant for under 80-in. applications and may be used in over 80 in. They feature industry-standard PL3 connections and grommet mounting, with alternative connection and mounting options available.
Peterson
Peterson Manufacturing’s 2101 rectangular surface-mount LED work/scene light delivers an intense 2,300-lumen output, providing a broad, high-visibility flood beam for demanding work environments. Engineered for performance and durability, it features a rugged die-cast aluminum housing with integrated heat-dissipating fins to
ensure optimal thermal management. Designed for versatility, it mounts at a 45-degree angle and supports both 12V and 24V electrical systems thanks to its advanced multi-volt circuitry. It’s rated IP67 for protection against dust and water ingress.
Phillips
BoardFree lighting from Phillips eliminates the circuit board entirely. The electronics are embedded in a solid, sealed design with no internal air space. The company says this prevents water intrusion, reduces vibration damage, and eliminates the need for a heat sink. The result is a slimmer, more durable light that performs reliably in harsh environments and lasts longer with fewer maintenance issues. Made in America, BoardFree lighting is designed to meet fleet demands. For a fully sealed system, Phillips recommends specifying its lighting with the STA-DRY harness for a complete moisture-blocking solution that can be specified at any trailer OEM.
TecNiq
TecNiq’s all-new E110 360-degree ultra spotlight was designed to provide remote-accessible, high-powered illumination (5,000 lumens). Whether servicing utility lines, removing debris from storms, or simply working in poorly lit areas, the company says its E110 has the light and features today’s fleets and service vehicles demand, including a surface mount design with mounting plate, remote that allows for 360 degrees of turn, and 100% sealed design that keeps circuit boards safe. The product meets IP68 rating for dust and water incursion, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.
Truck-Lite
Truck-Lite’s new 34 Series 1.25-in. LED marker and clearance light is designed for the specialty trailer market and applications requiring a slightly larger mounting hole. It offers easy installation with a 13/8-in. mounting hole and compatibility with material thicknesses up to 0.22 in.
PC-rated optics meet 180-degree visibility requirements with just one lamp, reducing component count and installation time. The hardwired design simplifies retrofits, while single-function and dual-function options (with auxiliary stop/turn capability) offer flexibility to meet diverse lighting needs. Both models deliver bright legal light output
with a smooth glow for enhanced visibility. For a unified appearance, the single-function lamp matches the dual-function lamp’s minor output. Available in red or yellow with clear lens options and built for longevity, its fully epoxy-encapsulated internal circuitry resists corrosion, water, and vibration for long-term durability. FO
McKinstry’s electric work truck of choice
The construction and energy services firm shares its Silverado EV experience
by Jade Brasher
McKinstry, a national construction and energy services firm, has a fleet of approximately 860 vehicles, including 114 EVs. Of those 114 EVs, 100 are Silverado EVs. The company is “on the leading edge of technology,” Ryan Winchester, McKinstry’s fleet manager, told FleetOwner, and “EVs are obviously right there in that space.”
Silverado EV in fleet operations
To be a McKinstry work truck, a vehicle needs space for upfits, extra weight, and ample storage. When General Motors announced an electric version of the Silverado, McKinstry ordered 100 trucks immediately because the Silverado EV offers that, Winchester said.
Winchester thinks that in some ways, the performance of the Silverado EVs is superior to ICE pickups because they’re quieter, more comfortable, and smoother. He also appreciates the absence of engine noise. “You can drive down the road and have a regular conversation,” Winchester said. “You don’t have to raise your voice at all.”
However, when comparing an EV with an ICE vehicle, the vehicle’s weightto-range ratio should be considered— especially in a work truck application.
Though McKinstry needed a full-size electric pickup for upfits and equipment, loading the vehicle sacrifices range. One of McKinstry’s Silverado EVs lost 20 miles of range after it was equipped with 520 lb. of upfits, Winchester said.
Thankfully, the Silverado EV automatically calculates its own weight via sensors and adjusts the vehicle’s range accordingly. The sensors also consider driver behaviors. “It starts to calculate how heavy you are on the accelerator, and the computer starts to decrease its range so that it’ll tell you that it’s time to charge,” Winchester explained.
How McKinstry charges its EVs McKinstry’s charging challenges have been minimal, Winchester said. The fleet uses all methods of charging available to it, including charging at drivers’ homes, facility charging, and public charging.
The company completes its own charger installations and has found power constraints to be the biggest obstacle, Winchester said. “Depending on how many chargers you put into a building, you start to get limited on the power usage because you only have so much power coming in,” he noted.
Winchester said GM is also ready to help when McKinstry needs additional expertise. GM assists the company by analyzing its data to help decide how best to implement EVs within the fleet.
According to Winchester, General Motors Envolve, the manufacturer’s commercial customer team, looks at McKinstry’s data and alerts it of routes where electrification will be no problem. For other routes, GM shows McKinstry how electrification would be possible with adequate charging infrastructure.
“Right now, it wouldn’t make sense to deploy 50 EVs into Montana because the infrastructure is not there,” Winchester
said. “In that way, [GM Envolve has] really started to become more involved as we get into the next wave of EVs.”
Silverado EV impressions
Overall, integrating Silverado EVs into the fleet wasn’t a daunting task. There were some fluke incidents at first, such as the time a driver shifted the Silverado EV to drive when it was still charging, triggering a safety redundancy and forcing a tow. But aside from that, “there haven’t really been too many issues,” Winchester said. “It’s been pretty easy.”
Winchester said the fleet is also saving money on fuel. One McKinstry driver now spends $600 a month on charging when he previously spent $1,200 on gas. McKinstry also found that EVs decrease maintenance, requiring only regular tire rotations, pivot point lubrication, and occasional over-the-air updates, Winchester said.
Winchester and McKinstry are pleased with the Silverado EVs. Winchester’s electrification advice to other fleets is to just do it. But grow “responsibly,” he said, adding batches of EVs at a time to ensure they’re working properly, that drivers are acclimating to them, and that they make sense for the fleet. FO
To be a McKinstry work truck, a vehicle needs space to handle extra upfits, extra weight, and ample storage, and as a full-size pickup, the Silverado EV allows just that.
Photo: McKinstry
How can turn your data into OPERATIONAL EDGE
The TMS is the perfect platform between a fleet and its data. by Jeremy Wolfe
Data has become overwhelmingly bountiful in the 21st century. Within the last decade, some of humanity’s smartest minds developed novel ways to utilize that data—not just through traditional software logic but with generalized inferences and predictive intelligence.
Enter machine learning, the eld of arti cial intelligence that is maturing at an incredible pace.
How, and where, are eets using this technology?
“‘How are they using AI’ is a question that probably is changing almost by the minute,” Ben Wiesen, president of Carrier Logistics, told FleetOwner. “That’s how quickly the technology is changing.”
It might not be surprising that one of transportation’s most important data partners, transportation management system providers, are prominent developers of transportation AI tools.
Opportunity for TMS companies
In a highly competitive industry like transportation, where abundant data was the status quo for decades, AI is capable of transforming operations with rapid insights.
“If someone can get a little bit of an edge in this industry, it can get so much advantage over other carriers in a customer relationship, over lower costs or better customer service,” Hans Galland, founder and CEO of BeyondTrucks, told FleetOwner.
However, the technology is not a magical cure-all for transportation challenges. Even existing AI applications need thorough development to work for eets’ particular needs.
“It’s hard to offer generic solutions that are super powerful,” Galland said.
TMS developers, already collecting and re ning large volumes of information for eets’ operational duties, are developing tailored AI solutions for those speci c needs.
The AI tools among TMS
Two of the most prominent AI tools may be route optimization solutions and text recognition programs. Computerized route optimization and text recognition have been around for several decades, and recent machine learning tech is bringing signi cant enhancements.
Route optimization
An ideal route transports a load to its destination quickly, safely, and ef ciently.
Traditional route planning methods often use static maps to nd the best path—but speed, risk, and ef ciency are affected by much more than map data.
In mathematics, an optimization problem is based on this exact situation: the vehicle routing problem, introduced to the eld in 1959 in a scholastic paper called “The Truck Dispatching Problem”—go gure.
Researchers have spent decades teaching computers to nd the best feasible routes. Like with many other optimization problems, machine learning techniques are now improving real-world vehicle routing. AI can greatly improve less-than-truckload routing in particular, with its signicantly more stops and possible solutions, as researchers at MIT showed in 2021.
“The rst and classic use case of AI in LTL has been around optimizing the routing of shipments to trucks,”
Photo:
Andrey Suslov
127728257 Getty Images
CLI’s Wiesen said. “The reason why it is more than a math model—the reason it is AI—is because the input to the model involves travel time.”
Machine learning applications are particularly suited for juggling location, time of day, local traf c patterns, weather, seasonality, and more to estimate travel time. To AI’s advantage, much of that additional data is plentiful, making route optimization a perfect t for the technology.
Many TMS route optimization tools connect directly to prominent technology companies, such as Microsoft, for the heavy lifting of data gathering and computation.
Text recognition
While industry groups are moving toward standardized digital forms such as electronic bills of lading, paper forms are still common.
“Not everyone is doing that yet, and so there’s still a tremendous amount of paper,” CLI’s Wiesen said. “Historically, the next step was someone’s ngers would be on a keyboard, and they would be transcribing the data from that piece of paper into a computer system. It was low-value, high-touch work.”
Manual data entry is slow, expensive, and prone to error. Many carriers use solutions to expedite the process, but human review can still be needed.
Companies digitizing their paperwork can use scanners and software to convert the written information into digital data. The dominant solution is optical character recognition (OCR), a powerful and ubiquitous approach that is present in almost all text processing applications. Companies have used OCR for over 50 years and the technology became most accessible with the advent of cloud computing.
OCR programs can recognize characters and words with great accuracy, but often can’t contextualize those characters without laborious, explicit guidance. Modern OCR has utilized machine learning techniques for over a decade, but new AI developments are further optimizing document processing: Large language models (LLMs), the power behind tools like ChatGPT, can ease the context problem.
“What AI has done is it’s given us the ability to contextualize that data,” Wiesen said. According to him, a perfect example of LLMs in action is identifying zip codes. “If you see a vedigit numerical value after a two-letter abbreviation that’s clearly a state, then you know it’s a zip code. We just know that inherently, because we’re human and we’re sort of smart. The computers now contextualize data the same way.”
How CLI uses AI
Carrier Logistics primarily serves asset-based LTL motor carriers with its TMS platform, FACTS. According to Wiesen, CLI sees itself as a cutting-edge platform with progressive customers. Fitting that description, the company offers several AI tools. The FACTS platform uses machine
BeyondTrucks’s load planning optimization provides recommendations for assigning drivers and equipment.
Photo: BeyondTrucks
learning to optimize LTL operations, acquire shipping location information, weigh debt risks, and parse documents.
Automated shipping location information
CLI uses AI to automatically provide detailed information about new shipping and receiving locations. It calls this solution LOC-AI, or Location Management Arti cial Intelligence.
CLI rolled out LOC-AI in 2020, initially to help address changing shipping needs during the pandemic. In LTL, trucks frequently visit new, unknown sites to distribute parts to oneoff locations.
“If I don’t know the attributes of a stop, it’s very hard to do optimization. Maybe there’s a particular location that requires a liftgate that I shouldn’t go to in certain hours because they’re in a restaurant zone,” Wiesen said. “The LOC-AI product gives them information about a location they never serviced without them having to spend time going to Google Maps and looking each one up, trying to decide what they think.”
The LOC-AI tool taps into large data sources and uses heuristic models to determine if the location requires special equipment, extra time for processing, and more.
“[They should do] anything they can to ensure they have the right equipment [and] the right driver,” Wiesen said.
AI debt risk scoring
The company’s accounts receivable risk analyzer provides automated debt risk scores for accounts. The A/R risk analyzer uses AI to identify at-risk accounts. Rolled out in 2023, Wiesen describes the feature as “analysis of moneys that customers owe in order to try and calculate risk of each account—risk of default, of not getting paid, of having bad debt.” The system evaluates risk through debtor behavior. A consistent debtor, always paying on time, is not very risky, he explained.
“It’s the one that maybe never owed me a lot of money and suddenly does, or the one who had been paying me reliably but suddenly is paying me a little bit slower,” Wiesen said. “It’s the
accounts that have variability and change in behavior where we see a lot of inherent risk.”
Automated data entry
CLI recently added AI-assisted data entry to its platform. The solution pairs large language models with text recognition programs to reduce the need for manual data entry.
“With AI, we’re now able to extract data from the documents
TMS providers using AI now
With their prime position to employ fleet data, most major TMS providers are developing and boasting machine learning tools today.
Alvys
Alvys has an automated PDF data entry program, combining computer vision with OCR. The company is planning AI approaches to the vehicle routing problem for e cient dispatch planning. The platform uses LLMs to allow users to automate routine communications such as ETA inquiries and delivery location confirmations.
BeyondTrucks
BeyondTrucks’s predictive ETA provides AI-powered estimates of arrival and departure times.
Predictive inventory monitoring provides forecasts for the inventory levels at monitored customer sites.
Load planning optimization provides recommendations for assigning specific drivers and equipment to loads.
Geotab
Geotab Ace, launched in early 2023, is an LLM chatbot in Geotab’s TMS that helps customers easily retrieve and process their telematics data.
Isaac Instruments
Isaac Instruments provides a Fuel Equivalent service that uses AI to make fuel e ciency comparisons between customer vehicles with similar operations.
Magnus Technologies
Magnus’s AI-powered truckload planning service can build a five-day market forecast of expected freight and capacity.
The Magnus EDI Manager allows users to auto-accept specific customer load tenders and provides visibility into network balance and customer volume commitments.
The Magnus Customer Tracking Portal includes AI-powered ETA predictions for shipments.
McLeod Software
McLeod’s MPact.RespondAI is a communication tool that automatically crafts industry-specific responses to common
using vision-type AI products,” Wiesen said. “It’s able to contextualize the data that it’s pulling off of documents to understand what each of those data elements is, and then it can normalize and inject it into our TMS.”
What should fleets look for?
With revolutionary technologies, failed initiatives and deceptive marketing wait around every corner. Carriers that want
McLeod has an AI-powered communication tool that automatically crafts responses to common messages, such as requests for quotes or shipping status updates. Photo: McLeod Software
messages, such as requests for quotes or shipping status updates. It can handle incoming messages from inboxes and telematics systems, leveraging TMS data in its communications. McLeod’s Order Creation interface allows users to automatically convert unstructured email data and attachments into TMS order entries.
Revenova
Revenova’s AI agent add-on, Artimus, can build truck postings from inbound emails or text prompts and can automatically respond to customer quote requests. The company also said it also uses AI for route optimization and automated carrier selection.
Samsara
The Samsara Assistant is a large language model that can answer Samsara-specific questions and can look up live data on maintenance, hours of service, safety, and more.
Samsara’s Drowsiness Detection AI model allows its inward-facing cameras to detect signs of drowsiness in drivers and alert both drivers and managers.
The company also o ers other AI tools to provide estimates of available trailer volume, identify job site safety hazards from photos, automatically process paper BOLs, and build unique training programs according to a carriers’ procedures manuals.
to learn the best uses for AI should be careful to minimize error risk, prioritize safety, and keep an eye on projected costs and benefits.
Safety
CLI’s Wiesen urged fleets to focus on safety: AI initiatives should prioritize data security and privacy.
“Security is number one,” Wiesen said. “There is no such thing as a safe neighborhood once you’re on the internet … As soon as we do anything with a computer, we’re in the most dangerous neighborhood all the time.”
Platforms with strong data security encrypt their data as well as have a thorough process in place to authenticate their users. AI tools should follow similar encryption and authentication standards, lest a TMS chatbot leak sensitive fleet information.
Be wary of hallucinations Fleet leaders using machine learning tools must always watch for mistakes: These AI tools are not as predictable as traditional algorithms. Many AI models are black boxes; even their creators don’t know how they work. Safety-critical AI applications tend to use interpretable models, such as autonomous truck tech, but most machine learning tools bear constant unpredictability.
One of the most unpredictable AI tools are LLMs. Tools like ChatGPT are sophisticated word predictors. They are inherently random and researchers still don’t know exactly how LLMs remember facts. These tools frequently hallucinate, leading them to recommend absurdities like putting glue on pizza.
While AI chatbots can make it significantly easier for a user to interact with business data, hallucinations present a major risk for errors.
“We hear about AI hallucination all the time, and anyone that has played with ChatGPT has seen it first-hand,” Wiesen said. “How do I know that it’s going to have me making good decisions or executing well-thought-out plans?”
Competent AI chatbot developers will include extensive software logic to ensure LLMs handle critical data with care. Carriers, ultimately, should still rely on human oversight for important decisions.
Focus on cost benefit
Even the best AI tools can only be as good as their applications. Fleet managers should understand the best use cases for each AI tool under consideration before investing in new technology.
“To just say ‘I’m going to use AI’ but have no idea what you’re going to do with it, you’re probably going to be disappointed,” Wiesen said.
BeyondTrucks’ Galland noted the integration of an AI
solution is also important. If the solution is slow or confusing to access, employees will rarely use it.
“Fleets need to look at the total cost of an AI plugin, add the fact that not all people may use it, and then compare that to the value it can generate,” Galland explained. “AI is not about the technical capabilities. The value of AI is seen in the adoption, and no one has solved the adoption problem.”
The future of AI
AI technology is far from its full maturity, especially in transportation.
“We know the journey is not over,” Wiesen said.
One promising AI tool for the near future is the AI agent: a system of several LLMs collaborating to interact with software and accomplish complex tasks autonomously. Tech giants are working to implement AI agents in customer service today.
Wiesen pointed to dispatch operations as another area that could see further automation, clarifying that the technology would not entirely replace human workers. “When there are problems and when there are interruptions, that’s when the humans are getting involved.”
Ultimately, Wiesen said, AI has the opportunity to improve every aspect of transportation. FO
Raising Performance to New Levels
Charging innovations grow
Although many fleets still find charging technology complex, it is improving
by Jade Brasher
Electric vehicles are gaining momentum in the industry. Fleets have found them to be more economical, and they contribute to ESG goals. Yet, charging remains a deterrent for other fleets that wish to electrify. And it remains a headache for early adopters.
“The fleet managers have never had anything other than diesel or gas,” Tyler Phillipi, CEO of OptiGrid, a modular fleet charging solution, told FleetOwner. “The site developers have never had to fight for power before. … No one really knows what they’re doing, so it’s not like this problem is going away.”
However, technology improves as time goes on. Here are two innovations within the industry that are increasing charging capacity and decreasing charge time.
On-site charging within a week
Charging has been the biggest hurdle for fleets looking to electrify. Even fleets that successfully integrated electric vehicles into their operations years ago still rely on “temporary” charging to keep their vehicles juiced up.
There are multiple challenges associated with building charging infrastructure; however, the challenge that often takes the most time to overcome is with the utility providers. Burying cable in the ground, building concrete pads for new transformers, suffering through the lead time to get a new transformer—all these factors add to the time it takes to build charging infrastructure at a fleet depot.
One company, OptiGrid, has worked to eliminate the headache and drastically cut the time it takes to enable on-site charging. OptiGrid supplies fleets and businesses with a charging solution that is nearly plug and play. The solution includes a battery and charging cables in a 7-ft.-tall unit with only a 3x3-ft. footprint.
The unit is wired to the existing power cables, slowly draws and stores power in the battery pack, and then releases that power to charge an electric vehicle via DC fast charging. Phillipi called the slow power draw and quick charge release concept “garden hose in, fire hose out.”
The concept is simple. “We drop basically a battery and all the electronics needed in a box that’s pre-certified that will work in many kinds of situations,” Phillipi explained.
These units are designed to work in any terrain and in any weather. They’re also designed as a modular solution— each unit is the exact same—which speeds up lead time and deployment.
“We’re going from a bespoke solution ... that involves tearing up the ground and running lots of cables and stuff to something that is modular that we can drop,” Phillipi said. “So, that temporary solution where they’re driving in a diesel generator or they’re bringing in a flatbed with the batteries on it—this is more permanent. But it really only takes eight bolts in the ground.”
The simplicity of the unit brings charging infrastructure development down from years to days. The quickest installation Phillipi and the OptiGrid team has seen so far is five business days. A contract was “signed on Friday, and [OptiGrid] was installed by the next Friday,” Phillipi said.
Each unit can accommodate up to four charging cables to power four vehicles at once. If a fleet needs more chargers or has larger vehicles that require more power to charge, they simply need to add another unit to the site.
OptiGrid has been around for some time, but it had a different name in the beginning: FreeWire Technologies. As a startup, the company “struggled to manufacture its product affordably and consistently, leading to downtime and rising support costs that ultimately outpaced the company’s ability to sustain operations,” according to a press release. With a belief in the concept, electric terminal truck manufacturer Orange EV decided to invest in the company and create OptiGrid.
Windrose, a Class 8 electric vehicle manufacturer based in China, is testing dual chargers in its Class 8 EVs. The company recently partnered with Terawatt to test battery charging with dual ports. Photo: Windrose Technology
The support from Orange EV extends to its supply chain and customer network, which “provides the U.S. manufacturing foundation and market access needed to bring OptiGrid’s reengineered charging platform to fleets at scale,” a release stated.
While OptiGrid’s initial focus is to aid current Orange EV customers with their charging needs, the company anticipates commercial expansion later this year.
Two ports, one truck
Windrose, a Class 8 electric vehicle manufacturer based in China, is testing dual chargers in its Class 8 EVs. The company, which is building an assembly plant in California, recently partnered with Terawatt to test battery charging with dual ports. Terawatt is a charging depot developer with commercial-sized charging stations in Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The company has experienced success in building
its charging depots, and it’s now completing charging demonstrations with electric trucks on the side.
Terawatt recently completed demonstrations of dual-port charging with Windrose’s Class 8 electric long-haul truck. Terawatt was able to deliver “over 650 kW using two 350kW chargers” to the trucks and deemed the demonstration successful, according to a release.
The Windrose truck charged to a 240mile range in about 40 minutes
In addition to the demonstration, Terawatt is working with Windrose to connect vehicle systems with Terawatt’s energy management platforms. The goal is to deliver even more value to fleet customers with improved uptime, “more intelligent charging,” and improved total cost of ownership, the release said.
If the demonstrations continue to prove successful, dual-port charging could be the next widely adopted innovation on long-haul electric trucks. FO
Terawatt recently completed demonstrations of dual-port charging with Windrose’s Class 8 electric long-haul truck. Terawatt was able to deliver “over 650 kW using two 350kW chargers” to the trucks. Photo: Terawatt
by Gary Petty
“I am beyond excited”
NPTC honors fleet safety manager Danielle Siecienski of New South Express
THE NATIONAL PRIVATE Truck Council and the Certified Transportation Professional program’s official sponsor, J.J. Keller & Associates, are pleased to congratulate Danielle Siecienski, CTP, safety manager at New South Express on winning the CTP Class of 2024 Top Graduate award, sponsored by FleetOwner. This prestigious award was presented at the CTP graduation ceremony held at the NPTC Annual Conference held in Orlando on April 21, 2024.
“I am still celebrating my new certification and being named the Top Graduate … Thanks to the PFMI faculty for sharing their knowledge.”
“Danielle achieving this year’s highest CTP exam score is especially noteworthy,” said Mike Schwersenska, CTP, chair of NPTC Institute Board of Governors and general manager of Brakebush Transportation. “This is one of the best and largest CTP classes in the 31-year history of the program.”
With 104 CTP graduates, NPTC has 898 active CTPs out of nearly 1,800 who
have achieved certification since 1993.
“This year’s exam was one of the most thorough and comprehensive we have ever administered,” Kristen Todd, NPTC director of education and certification, said. “The reason is a record 143 CTP volunteer graders. This high number of graders gave us a total of more than 2,000 individual grades recorded for both the case study and short answer essays. This means each candidate’s exam was read separately by 15 CTP graders, infusing the grading process itself with a high degree of fairness, corroboration, and integrity.”
Siecienski did not plan a career in transportation. Raised in Connecticut, she participated in her high school’s JROTC program and intended to join the U.S. Army. After graduation, she considered becoming a police officer but ended up accepting a job managing the fleet of her uncle’s construction company. In 2017, Siecienski joined New South Express, working in the payroll department, later transferring to driver recruiting and safety, then exclusively to safety.
New South Express was founded in 1988 as the private fleet of New South Companies, a collection of family-owned sawmills in North and South Carolina. In 2006, Canfor Southern Pine acquired New South Companies and New South Express.
“Since our inception, we’ve grown from two sawmill locations to 13 across the Southeast, achieved through acquisitions and natural expansion,” Siecienski said. “While the main focus of our private fleet is transporting finished dimensional lumber, we also handle wood chips, wood shavings, wood bark, and cut logs.”
Starting with just a few drivers, the fleet now has 232 drivers, 200 power units (a mix of Class 8 day cabs and
sleepers), and more than 400 trailers. Equipment also includes open-top bulk vans, flatbeds, and log trailers.
Carl Hamilton, president of New South Express and senior logistics director for Canfor Southern Pine, introduced Siecienski to NPTC. “My boss, Carl, inspired and encouraged me to attend council events and get certified. I participated in several NPTC/J.J. Keller webcasts and attended my first conference in Cincinnati and last year in Orlando,” she said. “It opened my eyes and blew my mind. I felt I needed to learn everything. This was my think tank.
“The Private Fleet Management Institute was incredibly impressive,” she continued. “It’s hard work, fantastic in every way, and so much fun. The faculty members were very good, like Kate Mirise, CTP, of the Royal Group, who reached out and acted like a mentor. As the first person ‘pioneer’ from New South Express to go through the CTP program, I feel incredibly inspired to encourage my teammates to get active with NPTC and become certified. More from our company will be coming to PFMI and the CTP program in future years.”
“I am still celebrating my new certification and being named the Top Graduate for this year’s class. I am beyond excited! I worked so hard and am still amazed it came to fruition. Thanks to the PFMI faculty for sharing their knowledge. Thank you to fellow participants who made me step out of my comfort zone. Finally, a special thanks to my teammates for being truly amazing and helping me bring home the gold at the end.” FO
Gary Petty | gpetty@nptc.org
Gary Petty has more than 30 years of experience as CEO of national trade associations in the trucking industry. He has been the president and CEO of the National Private Truck Council since 2001.
Danielle Siecienski Photo: NPTC
Remaining ready for what’s next
K.L. Harring shows how dedication leads to success
by Seth Skydel
Keith Harring knows exactly what has made K.L. Harring Transportation a success. “We’re fortunate to have great customers,” the company’s president said. “We specialize in providing truckload service for dedicated, time-sensitive freight, so it takes collaboration to continue growing.”
Based in Bethel, Pennsylvania, K.L. Harring operates 52 Kenworth tractors and 107 Great Dane reefer trailers with Thermo King refrigeration units. The carrier offers expedited team truckload, long-haul regional and national, specialized refrigerated, and express LTL logistics services.
For Harring, operating late-model, company-owned equipment is critical to meeting customer needs. He said working with the same suppliers for many years has enabled growth and success.
“Since day one, we’ve run nothing but Kenworths on a strict three-year trade cycle, which keeps our fleet performing at the highest standard,” Harring said. “Our specs have evolved with fuel efficiency and safety technology—we’re even investing in three T680E battery-electric tractors for a customer committed to sustainability—but the manufacturers we rely on haven’t changed.”
Harring also invests in technologies
Gold standard
that ensure strict adherence to temperature control, reducing cargo claims and enhancing customer service.
“Our GDP (Good Distribution Practice) Accreditation by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance is a testament to our unwavering commitment,” he said. “We’re the first assetbased carrier in the U.S. to do so.”
Behind the scenes, Harring explained that adherence to a “highend preventive maintenance program” helps ensure fleet reliability. “We handle everything in-house except for warranty and some engine work,” he said.
Management technology is key for Harring as well. The company uses Trimble’s TMW.Suite TMS and TMT Fleet Maintenance platforms.
The story behind K. L. Harring illustrates the company’s dedication to service. He began working full-time as an owner-operator in 1978. In 1985, he decided to build a business after spending seven years on the road. By 1988, he
Keith Harring wasn’t looking for a limited-edition truck when he pulled into Motor Truck Equipment—now known as Kenworth of Pennsylvania—in 1980. He was looking for a truck that could take him from being an owner-operator to a serious player in the trucking industry. The moment he saw the Gold Nugget Kenworth W900, he knew this was the truck that would set him apart from the competition.
The Gold Nugget was a rare, limited-edition model, part of a small production run of just 100 W900s. “Everything about it was distinctive—from its paint and special badging, it stood out,”
had moved his company out of a rented garage and into a new, custom-built facility that today includes office space, maintenance, and 30,000 sq. ft. of temperature-controlled warehouse space.
Keith Harring has successfully built K.L. Harring into what it is today. He climbed his way to success one step at a time, but while the company that bears his name is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, he’s not resting on his laurels.
“Being a growing and profitable company takes continual dedication and hard work,” Harring said. FO
Harring said. “But it wasn’t just about looks. The Gold Nugget was built for serious work.”
Under the hood, the special W900 packed a Caterpillar 3406A engine—still in the truck today—paired with a 15-speed manual transmission that was later replaced with a 9-speed and 3.90 ratio rear ends. Even now, after nearly 3 million miles and four engine overhauls, the truck runs strong.
Still in pristine condition, the Gold Nugget is stored indoors, occasionally taken out for a drive with Keith proudly behind the wheel. Without question, it is the gold standard of his fleet.
In 1980, Keith Harring purchased this limited-edition Gold Nugget Kenworth W900. Photo: K.L. Harring Transportation
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Restored models from ATHS
The American Truck Historical Society’s annual convention brought beautifully restored trucks from nearly every decade of the last 100 years. by Jeremy Wolfe
MADISON, Wisconsin—From a century-old Diamond-T to the Ford AeroMax of the ’90s, countless restored trucks outlined the industry’s rich history at the American Truck Historical Society’s National Convention and Truck Show in June. Restored models from nearly every decade of the last 100 years brought to life the iconic looks of model lines past. For over 40 years, ATHS has coordinated its iconic truck shows to preserve trucking’s history. Trucks shown above are described in more detail below.
1959 GMC 860
This GMC 860 with a Heil milk tanker hauled livestock and milk for Mc-Mor-Han Trucking. It has a 6-71 diesel engine and a 5-speed transmission with overdrive, according to the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. Jim Francis, a trucker and farmer in Warren, Illinois, bought the truck in 1982 and takes care of it today.
1991 Ford AeroMax
Ford produced the AeroMax heavy-duty trucks as part of its aerodynamic line of L-series models from 1988 until 1998. The AeroMax line became Sterling Trucks after being acquired by Daimler, until Daimler discontinued it in 2009.
Mike Middleton, a professional driver for Old Dominion Freight Line, fell in love with the AeroMax when he first saw it at 14 years old. And 27 years later, he was able to buy an AeroMax that had logged 1.3 million miles. Middleton brings the truck to shows a few times a year.
1963 Kenworth 921
This 1963 Kenworth hauled lumber in the Pacific Northwest. In 2014, Craig Vogel bought the 921 from its original owner and retrofitted it with a new engine and transmission. FO
1946 Dodge WFM-37, by Steve Haberland in
Right: 1959 Diamond-T 923D and 1985 Dorsey Milwaukee trailer, by Craig
1959 GMC 860 and 1947
Heil milk tanker
Photos: Jeremy Wolfe | FleetOwner
1963 Kenworth 921
1991 Ford AeroMax
Left:
Cody, Wyoming
Cox Jr. in New Lisbon, Wisconsin
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