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14 The marijuana problem
Laws around marijuana are relaxing. But federal standards for drivers using marijuana remain the same, creating hiring and retention problems in trucking.
24 Rolling forward
Rubber can create high operating costs, but tire makers are focusing on innovations for a changing industry. Choosing the right tire can be crucial to a fleet’s bottom line.
34 Driving with data
Optimizing routes requires data that many fleets are already collecting. Turn that data into routing solutions by simply picking a metric to improve.
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[ Lane Shift Ahead ]
Cannabis competition
Marijuana legalization is creating more roadblocks for fleets to find drivers
By Josh Fisher Editor in Chief
@TrucksAtWork
Marijuana’s growing popularity and societal acceptance is complicating the trucking industry’s driver hiring and retention struggles.
FOR YEARS, after crossing into Michigan from Ohio on Interstate 75, drivers would be overwhelmed with billboards touting God, guns, beef jerky—and, if you’re injured, telling you to call Joumana. But in the years since Michigan legalized recreational marijuana, most of those billboards dotting the farmlands between Toledo and Detroit are ads for rival marijuana dispensaries.
Since Michigan legalized weed in 2019, legalization has spread across northern states. More than half of the 23 states allowing recreational sales made it legal this decade (and another 13 states permit medical marijuana). Michigan recently overtook California as the largest cannabis market in the U.S. The legalization movement is winning—state by state.
“In 2023, 41% of [truck] drivers in the United States lived in a state where recreational marijuana was legal,” Jeffrey Short, VP at the American Transportation Research Institute, told FleetOwner Editor Jeremy Wolfe for this month’s cover story. “In 2019, it was half that number. It’s quite a big jump to all of a sudden happen.”
That number is even higher a year later as three more states legalized recreational cannabis within the past year. More states have marijuana on their ballots this fall. Things are changing on local levels—but not federally. So, while a driver’s neighbors might be able to live by their state laws and regulations, professional truck drivers must abide by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The number of drivers testing positive for marijuana is down year over year. However, the latest data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse still shows that marijuana is the most common drug detected in drivers. About six in 10 fleet managers are also losing potential drivers either because they test positive in pre-employment screenings or “walk out” when faced with taking a test.
While law enforcement has been able to
test drivers’ alcohol-related sobriety for years, there is no proven way to see if a driver is stoned at the moment or was in the previous weeks. Marijuana evidence can live in a human for more than a month, which could push occasional users to other professions or driving jobs that don’t require drug testing.
The 2023 ATRI study notes: “The federal prohibition of marijuana use by CDL holders has been highlighted as a potential disincentive for drivers to stay in the industry, and it has even been argued that loosening the restrictions on marijuana use would make the industry more attractive and widen the potential labor pool.”
We’re not here to argue for or against marijuana, but it’s obviously not making running a fleet easier. Nor is it making the roads safer, as Truckload Carrier Association VP David Heller notes in his Safety 411 column (page 22), citing a 2022 study that found a 5.8% increase in injury crash rates and a 4.1% increase in fatal rates in five states that legalized recreational marijuana.
Since that study, many more states have legalized weed and more are considering it. This will only complicate the trucking industry’s driver hiring and retention struggles. What is trucking to do?
New York City recently gave up pre-employment and random testing for marijuana use, basically allowing its emergency service workers to use marijuana unless they are suspected of using it while on duty. If more localities continue to wave the white flag on cannabis, it could make it harder for fleets to compete in the job market.
It’s a problem without a simple solution for trucking and roadway safety.
By the way, the last time I crossed into Michigan, some billboards for The Jerky Outlet still stood along I-75, but most of the rest were about weed. Unlike the trucking industry, marijuana legalization is likely not hurting the jerky industry. FO
Fuel costs up after state climate act
Washington’s fuel suppliers ignore an exemption from the climate bill
by Jeremy Wolfe
Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, introducing a statewide emissions reduction program, is facing backlash from the state’s trucking industry. Fuel used in agricultural transportation is supposed to be exempt from the program for the first five years—but, after the legislation, those fuel costs skyrocketed anyway. Fuel suppliers introduced fuel surcharges in response to the Act that did not exclude agricultural transportation.
“It inflated all of our costs,” Brian Hildebrant, a safety compliance officer for a refrigerated transportation company in Washington, told FleetOwner
Agricultural fuel exemptions
The Climate Commitment Act features an exemption for fuel used for agricultural purposes. Fuel suppliers can be exempt from emissions if the supplier can provide proof that a buyer is using the fuel for an exempt purpose.
This exemption had another key clause that is supposed to benefit trucking: a five-year exemption expansion for fuel used to transport agricultural products on public highways “to provide the agricultural sector with a feasible transition period.”
However, this exemption hasn’t stopped fuel suppliers from imposing surcharges on exempt fuels.
“The effects, immediately, were the increased costs of fuel—being notified by the fuel suppliers right away that, effective January 1, your costs are going up 50 cents,” Sheri Call, president and CEO of the Washington Trucking Associations, told FleetOwner
Fuel prices in adjacent states are not nearly as high, however. This brings a significant challenge to fleets looking to fuel in-state.
“We try to get our drivers lined up to where they’re fueling out of state,”
Hildebrant emphasized. “We’re trying to do as many different things as we can to cut costs. Freight rates are down so that makes it very challenging to try to keep moving.”
Trucking association sues
In 2023, the Washington Trucking Associations (WTA) and the Washington Farm Bureau (WFB) argued that Ecology hadn’t adequately introduced the agricultural exemption.
“Washington’s Department of Ecology failed to implement the agricultural fuel exemption, among others,” Call said. “We’ve gone down this path for all of ’23 and most of ’24, and Ecology just failed to come up with a solution.”
WTA and WFB argued that Ecology should require fuel suppliers to segregate exempt fuel sales, like agricultural-related fuel, to isolate exempt businesses from their fuel surcharges.
In June 2023, WTA and WFB requested that Ecology introduce a process for agriculture and transportation businesses to be exempt from these fuel surcharges. Ecology denied the formal petition in August 2023.
In September 2023, WTA and WFB filed legal action against Ecology. The organizations petitioned the Superior Court of Washington for Thurston County to review the department’s execution of the CCA and its denial of the petition.
On July 29, 2024, however, the Superior Court dismissed the petition.
“No findings nor analysis were given,” Call said. “He basically just ruled in favor of Ecology and their arguments … It feels like Ecology’s plan has been rubber-stamped, and we’re just being told to go away and shut up.”
Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese’s ruling read, “The Petitioners [WTA and WFB] have standing to bring this matter, but their claims fail on the merits of the reasons articulated by the Respondent [Ecology] in their briefing.”
The limits of Ecology’s authority Ecology’s briefing in question, which the Court agreed with in its dismissal, defends (among other arguments) the department’s execution of the CCA.
“The CCA is clear: Large fuel suppliers are the entities that incur compliance obligations for emissions resulting from the combustion of fuels supplied to Washington customers,” Ecology’s brief said. “The emissions exemptions at issue in this case must therefore be claimed by those suppliers.”
The supplier’s eligibility, however, wrote Ecology, depends on end users who are not subject to CCA. While fuel suppliers may be incentivized by Ecology to document fuel sales to these exempt end users, they are not required to do so. WTA’s and WFB’s petitions that Ecology enforce surcharge exemptions would be beyond the department’s authority and language of the CCA.
What’s next
In Washington, citizens will soon vote on whether to repeal the CCA in their November ballot.
Ballot initiative 2117 would repeal sections of the CCA and prohibit similar future programs. WTA supports the initiative. FO
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NACFE plans ‘messy’ Run
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency is planning its fifth Run on Less event, which will focus on the NACFE-coined phase of trucking’s powertrain transformation: the Messy Middle.
The 2025 Run will study trucking’s long-haul segment, including trucks that return to base and those in overthe-road duty cycles.
Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, said the Run will feature fleets deploying Class 8 day cab and sleeper trucks equipped with alternative fuel powertrains and efficiency technologies.
“We all know that there are a lot of solutions for decarbonizing longer-haul freight, and NACFE is going to take that head-on,” Roeth told FleetOwner. “We feel it’s our responsibility to help the industry figure out what’s available now, then soon, and into the future.”
Run on Less—Messy Middle aims to explain various decarbonization efforts, including alternative fueling options, and explore the impact of the duty cycle on powertrain selection. The research group is still looking for sponsors, fleet participants, and other contributors to join the line of Run on Less studies dating back to 2017’s inaugural Run. The next Run on Less begins in September 2025. The Run’s results will be published at RunOnLess.com.
Auto hauler continues to grow
Proficient Auto Logistics executives signed an agreement to buy a Utahbased hauler with terminals in seven states that would grow Proficient’s profits per share by about 20%.
The Proficient team, led by former Saia CEO Rick O’Dell, expects to complete its purchase of Auto Transport Group this summer. The
move adds an operation with about 100 vehicles, 80 people, and 200,000 annual deliveries.
“They operate at margins consistent with the best of our founding companies and are expected to be immediately accretive to earnings per share,” O’Dell said August 9.
In addition to Utah, ATG has terminals in Arizona, California, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Its operations dovetail nicely with the two California-based companies O’Dell and his team bought earlier this year: Deluxe Auto Carriers and Sierra Mountain Group.
Proficient’s second-quarter results showed a net loss of nearly $3.6 million on $107 million in operating revenue. The net loss included almost $6.7 million in stock compensation costs that stemmed from the company’s IPO; excluding those expenses and other items, adjusted operating income came in at $8.7 million.
Mack updates MD Series
Mack Trucks is refreshing its Mack MD Series diesel and electric medium-duty trucks with a larger cab that improves the driver environment and incorporates new safety features, the OEM announced.
The Mack MD Series is available with diesel or electric drivetrain options in the MD6, a Class 6 model with a GVWR of 25,995 lb., and the MD7, a Class 7 model with a GVWR of 33,000 lb. Both models are exempt from the 12% Federal excise tax.
Nikola says its H2 bet is paying off
Nikola’s pivot from battery electric trucks to hydrogen fuel cell EVs continues to pay off. It built 77 trucks and shipped 73 during Q2, a 58% and 38% jump, respectively, year over year. Executives aimed to ship 50 to 60 trucks, marking the second straight time they beat expectations.
Hyla, Nikola’s hydrogen refueling business, opened in Toronto and stations were being added and commissioned in California. The Long Beach location that opened in May already completed 700 fills by August. CEO Steve Girsky said the company is on track to have 14 refuel ing stations by year’s end.
Financially, Nikola is still a mixed bag, but the positives are steadily growing. Q2 was the company’s strongest quarter in history, with revenue of $31.3 million, double what it was a year ago and a 318% jump quarter over quarter.
Mack Trucks revamps its MD Series with enhanced features and safety upgrades.
Photo: Mack Trucks
PROBLEM THE
Institutional and cultural acceptance aggravates hiring and retention challenges by
Jeremy Wolfe
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Laws around marijuana are relaxing. Buying marijuana is becoming easier. But federal standards for drivers using marijuana remain the same.
Drivers are still subject to Department of Transportation regulations and testing. This brings some confusion for drivers and retention challenges for carriers.
On top of all this, the Drug Enforcement Administration may soon relax the federal classification of marijuana.
“It’s just another pressure point for the recruiters and HR departments of these carriers trying to compete for those eligible drivers,” Michael Precia, president and CSO of Fleetworthy, told FleetOwner.
While marijuana testing doesn’t measure impairment, it is still necessary to ensure fleets have the safest drivers— and is particularly important under the threat of nuclear verdicts. In response, fleets may have to improve their recruiting, retention, and education practices.
Growing acceptance of marijuana
Legal and cultural acceptance of marijuana is rising across the U.S. This challenges drivers to make sense of shifting regulations, and that confusion may get worse as the DEA considers rescheduling marijuana.
More accessible than ever
Sweeping legalization of medical and recreational marijuana brings easier access to the substance than ever before. Marijuana is becoming much more accessible at a rapid pace.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 of the contiguous 48 states allow recreational marijuana, and another 13 states allow medical marijuana. Over half of the 23 recreational states legalized marijuana since 2020.
“In 2023, 41% of drivers in the United States lived in a state where recreational marijuana was legal,” Jeffrey Short, VP of the American Transportation Research Institute, told
FleetOwner. “In 2019, it was half that number. It’s quite a big jump to all of a sudden happen.”
ATRI’s 2023 study, “Impacts of Marijuana Legalization on the Trucking Industry,” reviews recent demographic trends and research on the relationship between marijuana and trucking.
“With it being legal, it’s more accessible to more drivers,” Short said. “It’s not like you have to go into the underworld to get it; it’s right there.”
Marijuana can be as accessible as alcohol in many places. To illustrate this, Short mentioned that he visits Cape Cod in the summer in Massachusetts—where a marijuana dispensary sits right next to a Dunkin’ Donuts.
“It’s just that simple,” Short said.
Regulatory confusion for drivers
As marijuana legalization grows, many drivers are unclear on the rules.
“Legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana has caused a lot of confusion in the industry with drivers about what’s allowed and what isn’t allowed. You might have a driver who’s told by a medical professional that they should be using marijuana for pain or other symptoms, and then they’re hearing the same thing basically reinforced in the news,” Brenna Lyles, director of safety policy for the American Trucking Associations, told FleetOwner. “But at the end of the day, those drivers are still subject to the federal DOT drug testing standards, and so marijuana is still not permitted for them to use.”
The shifting marijuana landscape has brought regulatory confusion for a significant number of truck drivers.
“While the rules are clear, drivers don’t necessarily always know what the rules are,” Short said.
ATRI’s 2023 study included a survey of more than 3,000 drivers. One question asked whether CDL drivers can use marijuana while both off-duty and in a legal state. Among the responses, 19.1% of drivers said they were uncertain about the rules, and 6.6% of drivers
“It’s still a highly competitive situation to get the right drivers into your seats, and this complicates the process.”
– Michael Precia, Fleetworthy
incorrectly believed that they could use marijuana at that time.
“That’s a number in the range of a quarter of drivers out there were unclear on what the rules are,” Short said. “That’s the kind of confusion that has come out with this rollout of legal recreational marijuana while at the same time keeping it a very serious offense—as it should be—for drivers as far as testing is concerned.”
A driver can even refrain from using THC and still fail a drug test. Some cannabidiol (CBD) manufacturers allow small quantities of THC in their products, triggering positive tests for users simply seeking pain relief and not a high.
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case in October on this issue. In Medical Marijuana v. Horn, OTR hazmat driver Douglas Horn is suing Medical Marijuana Inc. The suit alleges that the company’s CBD product, advertised as containing “0% THC,” contained detectable quantities of THC and caused Horn to fail a DOT urine test, costing the driver his job.
The tables below show total violations and then break out the results by violation type for controlled substance (drug) tests and alcohol tests. The left side of each depicts total test results with violations by year and the right side of each compares total test results with violations for the month of June across five years: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Drug Violations
Total Drug Violations to Date
Violations reported through June 2024, as of July 1, 2024.
Marijuana use by adults nearly doubled since 2012, but drug violations over the last two years declined.
Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The above graph breaks out the results by violation type, for controlled substance (drug) tests by year and for the month of June for each of the five years since January 6, 2020.
44% of respondents in 2022 reported using marijuana within the last year. That is nearly double 2012’s reported use rate of 28%.
FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, rst implemented in 2020, is now a working federal database for drivers who have violated federal drug and alcohol testing requirements. Clearinghouse data is limited to only a few years, heavily disrupted by an unusual freight cycle since the pandemic. However, positive tests in recent years are declining.
Overall drug violations are trending down over the last two years. The number of drug violations in the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse fell since 2022, when drug violations peaked at 57,508. In 2023, violations dipped to 54,159.
for marijuana, and 2024’s report fell to 17,390. However, Clearinghouse in 2024 still found more positive marijuana tests than in 2021, which encountered 15,800 positive marijuana tests from January to June.
On the other hand, ATRI’s 2023 survey of 238 motor carriers suggests that positive pre-employment tests and walkouts have risen. When asked if respondents noticed an increase in positive pre-employment tests or walk-outs in the past ve years, 60.1% said ‘yes.’
Adding to the driver shortage
“I think all the carriers are looking for quali ed drivers,” Precia said. “It’s still a highly competitive situation to get the right drivers into your seats, and this complicates the process.”
Interestingly, ATRI’s 2023 study found that carriers might be warming up to drivers with past drug use. The institute’s survey of carriers found that more than half of respondents (56.3%) might hire a driver candidate with a past positive marijuana test.
“I guarantee you, if we had done that survey in 2002 instead of 2022, it would have been a different story,” Short said. “There’s clearly far more acceptance [of drivers who previously failed a test], and there’s clearly also a driver shortage.”
As of the Clearinghouse’s June 2024 report, violations to date reached 25,434—well below 2023’s midyear report total of 28,145 and 2022’s midyear total of 29,065.
Clearinghouse’s ndings speci cally for tests detecting marijuana metabolites shows a similar trend. Positive marijuana tests through Clearinghouse are down roughly 10% year over year.
The 2022 June report found 20,896 positive tests for marijuana, 2023’s midyear report found 19,378 positive tests
Drivers found to commit drug violations must immediately cease operating any commercial motor vehicle on public roadways. CDL holders and others considering a job in trucking might be turned off when they discover DOT’s stance on marijuana. As marijuana becomes more popular, culturally accepted, and accessible, these factors could limit the pool of available, quali ed drivers.
“This de nitely impacts the driving workforce and contributes to the driving shortage,” Lyles said.
The driver shortage continues to be one of the top issues facing industry professionals. The marijuana problem could aggravate that issue.
A large number of drivers tested positive for marijuana through Clearinghouse since 2020—more than 150,000, as of the June 2024 report. Though it reduces the number of available drivers, it also probably reduces the likelihood of marijuana-impaired drivers.
The above graph breaks out the results by violation type, for controlled alcohol tests by year and for the month of June for each of the five years since January 6, 2020
“I think, if you talk to a carrier, most of them—hopefully all of them—would say they’d rather have an empty truck compared to a driver who could potentially be high,” Lyles said. “We want to retain those good people who are quali ed and to make sure that they know what the rules are.”
Carriers do seem deeply concerned about the risk of impaired drivers. ATRI’s survey asked carriers how concerned they were that drivers would be more likely to drive impaired as a result of legalization. About 40% of respondents were ‘extremely concerned,’ 33% were ‘somewhat concerned,’ and 26% were ‘not concerned.’
What can fleets do?
The shifting marijuana landscape challenges eets to step up their messaging, education, recruiting, and retention
Fleets will want to look at their safety policies and onboarding practices to continue efficiently hiring the safest drivers. “It is making sure you have a very good safety policy in place, and then a process to drive that onboarding as quickly and ef ciently as possible,” Precia emphasized.
Carriers already have a lot of paperwork and regulatory diligence to keep their arms around. Partnering with a service provider might ease the burden of onboarding diligence. By doing so, this can assist in determining quickly
ineligible,” Precia told FleetOwner. Messaging and education are also crucial to ensure drivers know the rules.
“The regs require employers to give their drivers, when they’re hired, a handbook on the DOT testing rules, but that might be the last time that they ever get any kind of training or information about what they are allowed and not allowed to be doing,” Lyles said. “And those rules do change. If they don’t know how they’re changing, that’s concerning.”
With clear, consistent communication,
by David Heller
Don’t let safety go up in smoke
As legalization grows, marijuana continues to be more prevalent in DOT tests
IT SEEMS I HAVE developed a knack for dating myself in this column, so why stop now? The very fact I remember Cheech and Chong’s “Up in Smoke” bursting onto the scene more than four decades ago really ages me.
F ive states that legalized recreational marijuana saw an average 5.8% increase in injury crash rates and a 4.1% increase in fatal crash rates.
Since the cult classic film about cannabis was released in 1978, marijuana use has become more mainstream. Looking at a U.S. map of legalization efforts in 1978 versus today shows a dramatic difference. From being fully illegal then to today’s widespread decriminalization, medical and recreational legalization, the U.S. in 1978 is far from what it is today. Current federal law mandates that commercial truck drivers abstain from using marijuana, but a recent proposal to reclassify marijuana to a Schedule III narcotic from its longtime Schedule I status could further muddy up the
waters surrounding this issue.
As an industry, we recognize the effects that marijuana use could have on a professional truck driver’s safety performance. Invariably, any change to the schedules will almost always coincide with misinformation about marijuana use.
FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse data currently shows that marijuana metabolite is by far the most widely identified substance in drug tests performed to comply with DOT protocols. A reasonable assumption is that changing marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III narcotic does little to alleviate its presence as the number one detected substance.
Of course, it should be noted that this proposed change comes at a time when our industry still has no actual tests to perform on drivers that determine current impairment. While breathalyzers can determine a driver’s blood alcohol concentration, no comparable device exists for marijuana. A final federal rule that allowed oral fluid tests to detect marijuana was recently rescinded.
Citing issues regarding laboratory certification and the training of individuals collecting the specimens meant that the rule’s implementation had a long way to go before becoming reality. This is not a ringing endorsement for reclassifying marijuana now.
Furthermore, we continue to wait for long-overdue guidance or a rule from the Department of Health & Human Services regarding hair testing as an alternative to urine in DOT drug testing protocols. In language that originally appeared in the FAST Act in 2015, our industry should have been well on its way to using hair follicle testing for pre-employment drug screens. Instead, positive hair testing has not been incorporated into our
highly successful clearinghouse, leaving us to our own devices.
Research from the University of Central Arkansas demonstrates the efficacy of hair testing. In a study involving 88,021 licensed truck drivers who applied for jobs at seven Trucking Alliance member companies, both a urinalysis and a hair drug test were administered. Of those applicants, 4,362 failed their hair tests, but only 403 failed the urine test. A more extensive study involving 936,872 drivers revealed that hair testing identified nine times more drug users than urine testing and detected marijuana use five times more frequently.
Recent legalization efforts have not curtailed crashes whatsoever. A study conducted in 2022 found that recreational marijuana legalization and subsequent onset of retail sales in five states were, on average, associated with a 5.8% increase in injury crash rates and a 4.1% increase in fatal crash rates. Statistics like these highlight the need for strict drug policies in trucking. Marijuana’s increased accessibility and acceptance heighten the risk of impaired driving.
The purpose of this column is not to question the merits of the marijuana legalization efforts that have taken place across the country but to ask whether our industry has the resources necessary to curb its use on our roads.
Maybe before the government reclassifies marijuana and realizes that 1970’s Cheech and Chong dream, we can provide our industry with the tools to succeed and a fully implemented clearinghouse for others to follow. FO
David Heller | Dheller@truckload.org
David Heller, CDS, is senior VP of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association. He is responsible for interpreting and communicating industry-related legislation to TCA members.
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THE POWER TO GROW
Waiting on freight economy signs
Industry leaders are looking for hopeful trends among guarded optimism
by Geert De Lombaerde
The hour of truth is near. Executives of several publicly traded trucking companies said during summer earnings calls they expect to know after Labor Day if the relatively normal seasonal upswing the industry has seen since spring will produce a peak season worthy of the moniker and—maybe, just maybe—herald the beginning of a legitimate upswing in the freight economy.
“If we do in fact see the seasonal uptick as you get probably to the back half of August and really into September, then I think we would have more confidence that this is maybe a trend that we would expect to continue into fourth quarter and lead to a much more favorable bid season into next year,” Adam Miller, chief executive of Knight-Swift Transportation (No. 3 on the FleetOwner 500: For-Hire), told analysts.
Miller was representative of how his peers see the market, including in his timing estimate as well as in how he hedged about a true market turn.
Too many trucking leaders have predicted an imminent market turn since late last year for Miller or others to be truly bullish during Q2 earnings season. Yes, there’s a consensus that the worst has passed, but no executive is expecting a surge in business that will cure most of the industry’s ills. The adjectives they repeatedly used were more hesitant and hopeful than robust and ready to rock.
As Stifel analyst Bruce Chan wrote this summer: “There are some glimmers of hope in the market, but not enough to really inspire excitement just yet.”
Some data points are encouraging, with Schneider National (FO500 No. 6) and Werner Enterprises (FO500 No. 11) executives reporting customers are asking about extra capacity this fall.
But other indicators—including July top-line volumes at some large
carriers—still have work to do. A recent XPO Logistics (FO500 No. 13) study of its large customers found that dispersion: About half expect rates to remain flat, while the rest are split between expecting increases and declines.
Beyond the still-careful outlook, a few other trends emerged from recent conference calls:
More productive pricing
Pricing trends appear to support the guarded optimism about a market ready to turn. At Schneider, chief executive Mark Rourke said truckload contract prices rose in Q2, while spot prices actually topped contract rates in June—the first time that had happened in two years—and maintained a gap last month.
The XPO sales team negotiated an 8% rate increase this year, and ArcBest (FO500 No. 27) VP Chris Adkins was able to tell analysts it finished Q2 with a 5.1% increase in rates.
Knight-Swift’s Miller passed along an anecdote to warm the hearts of those chilled by this freight recession when he noted some customers pushing for rate decreases came up empty.
“We’ve held the line, and I think what we’ve found is we were still awarded a healthy amount of the business that
we bid on—even at small increases when customers were looking for big decreases,” Miller said.
Help wanted from the industrial economy
A pickup in activity from the factory sector would significantly improve the efficiency of many fleets. Yellow Corp.’s market exit opened up thousands of shipments per day. Several carriers also picked up more business from retailers, lowering per-shipment weights.
Alas, an industrial acceleration doesn’t appear close: Recent Purchasing Managers Index readings haven’t been encouraging, and bellwether equipment and machinery makers such as Rockwell Automation Inc., Illinois Tool Works Inc., and Stanley Black & Decker Inc. have told investors they don’t expect customers to pick up their spending during the rest of 2024. Orders aren’t cratering by any means, but manufacturers are making their equipment and inventories last longer.
Fritz Holzgrefe, president and CEO of Saia (FO500 No. 19), summed it up efficiently: “I don’t know that there’s a catalyst today that says the industrial economy is coming back and that would change our mix of business.” FO
Major public carriers are still waiting on signs of a market rebound. Photo: TFI International Inc.
ROLLING FORWARD:
Tire makers focus on innovations for a changing industry
Rubber can create high operating costs. Choosing the right tire can be crucial to a fleet’s bottom line. by Seth Skydel
Photo: Anyline
The latest American Transportation Research Institute Analysis of the Operational Costs of Trucking: 2024 Update notes rubber is one of the highest operating costs for eets. While per-mile tire costs fell 1.8% in Q1, tire costs set a recordhigh mark in 2023, up 2.2% on average per mile compared to the previous year.
With tire costs a top eet priority, choosing the right tire is crucial to ensuring continuous performance as well as meeting operational demands.
“The speci c use of a tire profoundly in uences its design,” Joe Hughes, urban product category manager at Michelin North America, explained. “Long-haul operations bene t from tires designed with long, even wear and low rolling resistance, with tailored tread patterns and material compositions. Tires for on/ off-road applications need to emphasize durability against cuts and tears and incorporate sturdy sidewall designs.”
There are many factors to consider when selecting tires for your eet, noted Valentino Faraone III, regional VP and new product development manager at Double Coin. “Fuel ef ciency, debris evacuation, scrub resistance, and casing robustness are some of the features that may or may not be important,” he said.
“Tread compounding and pattern selection are among the keys for realizing expected tire performance,” said Shaun Uys, VP and USA market manager for commercial vehicle tires at Continental Tire. “The goal when designing tread patterns and compounds is to balance rolling resistance, mileage, durability, and traction to achieve the desired performance in the intended application.”
Rich Cottrell, senior director of commercial marketing at Goodyear North America, said understanding the type of vehicle the tire will be used on will inform decisions on tire performance features and bene ts. “Consideration should be given to operating conditions such as load-carrying requirements,” he related. “Matching your eet to tires with the right tread durability and a
Gray Manufacturing’s newest mobile column lift, WPLS-50, has a 5,000 lb per column capacity for the light duty truck industry. It features a T-Handle design for easy maneuverability in tighter workspaces, lockable swivel casters and adjustable lift forks. The self-contained modular design includes a blinking light system for self-directing operational setup and a color-coded display background to indicate lift status.
The WPLS-50 provides a fast, safe and ergonomical lift system for technicians to service and maintain light duty vehicles.
Some factors to consider when selecting tires for your fleet include fuel e ciency, debris evacuation, scrub resistance, and casing robustness.
Photo: Michelin
Photo: Double Coin
purpose- t design will ultimately help limit service issues and improve uptime.”
, 68% of
In a 2024 Commercial Vehicle Tires & Retreading study by Endeavor Business Intelligence in conjunction with FleetOwner, Fleet Maintenance, and Modern Tire Dealer eet respondents cited tread life as the top concern with truck tires today, followed by tire quality (62%) and operating costs (56%). Among respondents who selected tire quality, 46% ranked it rst.
For eets, addressing tire uptime and longevity is clearly important as well. FO
Above: Continental’s ContiConnect system monitors tires to improve e ciency.
Right: The Goodyear RangeMax RTD tire was engineered for EVs and traditional work truck vehicles.
Improve uptime with tire pre-checks and monitoring
Though most fleets have formidable pre-check practices in place, there are solutions for tire monitoring that can help streamline those inspection processes on trucks and trailers, whether parked or on the road, related Jake Martin, marketing support specialist at Pressure Systems International, a Clarience Technologies Company, that provides automatic tire inflation systems, tire pressure monitoring systems, and TireView Live telematics solutions.
“There is a wide range of options for fleets to help with pre-check and monitoring, including automatic tire inflation systems and tire pressure monitoring systems,” Martin explained. “Additionally, telematics systems can allow fleets to track and monitor the tires on their assets and show pressure and temperature anomalies in the yard and as a truck goes down the road.”
Pre-trip tire condition is especially important in trailer applications because the trailers often sit idle for extended periods of time, and a minor tire leak can cause the unit to be inoperable, explained Matt Wilson, general manager of the controls business unit at Hendrickson. “While this condition should be noticed with a thorough pre-trip inspection, there are also automatic tire inflation systems like Hendrickson’s TireMaax Pro that can ensure the equipment is ready for operation.”
Chris Garcia, head of U.S. Automotive for Anyline, pointed out that tire inspections are critical for safety. “But currently, more than half of fleets conduct tire inspections manually,” he said. “Incorporating data-driven tire technology platforms can streamline and improve the accuracy of tire monitoring and management.”
Hendrickson’s TireMaax Pro automatically monitors and adjusts tire pressure, ensuring tires are always properly inflated.
For example, Anyline o ers a tire-scanning solution for measuring tread depth. The AI-driven technology can be used on any mobile device.
Doran Manufacturing o ers the Doran Connect 360 tire monitoring system, which the company said provides real-time tire pressure and temperature data using valve stem-mounted sensors. The information is relayed through the Doran Connect ECU monitor and gateway to alert drivers about critical high-temperature and low-pressure events. With cellular connectivity, the data is also available to fleet management personnel.
“Maintaining appropriate air pressure will allow a tire the best chance of delivering the expected performance for a fleet,” Shaun Uys, VP and USA market manager for commercial vehicle tires at Continental Tire, said. “Continental’s digital solutions for monitoring tire PSI and temperature include tire-mounted or valve cap sensors. Tires that are monitored by Continental’s ContiConnect system have shown to increase mileage by 15% and reduce tire-related breakdowns by 85%.” FO
Photo: Hendrickson
Photo: Goodyear Tire & Rubber
Photo: Continental Tire
Kevin Rohlwing on how used tires could make roadways better. Page 28
Focusing on EV tire needs
As more electric commercial trucks take to the road, their inherently higher torque and different vehicle dynamics have raised questions about whether new, specialized tire designs are needed for those vehicles.
“Due to regenerative braking on EVs, their tires need tread that balance wear and rolling resistance,” said Shaun Uys, VP and USA market manager for commercial vehicle tires at Continental Tire. “When vehicles have an increase in torque, the tire tread must have proper traction as well.”
“Tires used on electric vehicles need to contend with heavier loads and higher torque, making heat distribution and scrub resistance important,” said Valentino Faraone III, regional VP and new product development manager at Double Coin. “Each of these is equally important to positively impact the tire’s performance and longevity.”
“Electric vehicles require tires handle more weight and higher torque than tires on vehicles with internal combustion engines,” Chris Queen, commercial technology director, Goodyear North America, said. “However, regardless of drivetrain, tire features and benefits should be engineered to increase tread and casing life and efficiency for fleets.”
EVs are generally heavier than their traditional counterparts, which means rolling resistance plays a critical
role in their range, Joe Hughes, urban product category manager at Michelin North America, said. “Breakthroughs in tread pattern design and less apparent advancements in material development have been vital in addressing these challenges. EVs are known for their quiet operation, so moving forward, tire noise performance will become a more critical design factor.”
Continental’s Uys said EV tire evaluations are focused on balancing mileage and rolling resistance. “That balance will come from both tread design and compounding,” he explained. “EVs are constantly changing, and their tires will need to adapt to those changes.”
With the EV truck segment evolving and growing, tires need to be able to perform in changing environments, noted Chris Queen: “More experience with EVs and their unique needs will continue to push tire manufacturers.”
“As we move more toward EVs, we need to continue to look at ways to improve tire longevity and also casing durability for retreading purposes,” Double Coin’s Faraone said. “While improving critical features like scrub and heat dissipation to lower total cost per mile, manufacturers will also be continuing to find ways to use more environmentally friendly ingredients in EV tire production.” FO
by Kevin Rohlwing
Green-paved road of potential
Could ground-up used tires actually make the roads better for trucks?
CONSPIRACIES AND doomsday predictions aside, the importance of environmental stewardship should be evident by now. Pollution in any form does not make life better or the planet healthier. Almost everything has a carbon footprint or some effect on the environment; clean air and water are not guaranteed. The goal should be to minimize that impact as much as possible. All major truck tire manufacturers have initiated sustainability practices with targets to further environmental stewardship.
Rubber-modified asphalt can extend roadway life and make travel more stable for vehicles, reducing tire wear, rolling resistance, and fuel consumption. It could help solve the problem with end-of-life tires.
The truck tire life cycle begins on a path to greater sustainability, but the same level of attention is needed after it leaves the factory. Tire retreading is the most obvious way to extend tread life because it requires much less energy and raw materials than new tires. Properly
maintained Tier 1 and 2 tires will deliver multiple retreads for the lowest possible cost per mile with negligible environmental impact.
Many offshore Tier 3 and 4 truck tires are not considered good candidates for retreading, so their life cycle is shorter. This means the sustainability factor is relatively low because most of the carbon footprint for a truck tire is centered on the manufacturing process. Pollution is often considered a cost of doing business when economics is put before environmental concerns. Given those facts and more, the “one and done” truck tires are the least sustainable, with lower tread mileage compounding the negative impact.
Every tire must be removed from service when it reaches the end of its useful life, otherwise known as an endof-life, or ELT, tire. Decades ago, these tires were buried in landfills or illegally dumped in remote areas. State and local governments started licensing the businesses that pick up and dispose of scrap tires with positive results. However, according to the Tire Recycling Foundation (TRF), 944 million illegal tires still need to be cleaned up, and 56 million stockpiled scrap tires need recycling.
TRF estimates that about 71% of ELTs were beneficially used in 2021, with 28% recycled into new products. But with 5 million tons of ELTs generated in 2021, that still leaves about 1.5 million tons of tires that were probably buried in landfills or dumped.
Recycling is key to solving the ELT problem. Products derived from ELTs include floor mats, athletic playing surfaces, and auto components. However, there is not enough demand to close the gap in those markets.
I believe a logical solution to the ELT problem is rubber-modified asphalt, or
RMA. Research has shown that pavement life can be extended with less rutting and fatigue cracking by mixing ground rubber with asphalt. Furthermore, it has demonstrated greater resistance to low-temperature cracking, which causes potholes and related damage. Combine noise reduction with a smoother ride and better skid resistance in wet weather, and there is a lot to gain from RMA.
RMA has existed since the 1960s and has been the subject of hundreds of scientific reports and studies that have gauged its effectiveness. Data has shown that a stiffer, smoother surface reduces tire wear, rolling resistance, and fuel consumption. There is no shortage of information on the advantages of RMA as a road surface.
If RMA is adopted on a large scale, the results will be a sustainable market for ELTs and better roads. The trucking industry uses a lot of tires and travels more miles than any other ground transportation segment in North America. Trucks also create tons of ELTs that must be managed better.
While there are not enough markets for rubber mats to make a difference, there are more than 4 million miles of roadways that could be home to millions of scrap truck tires. It’s a great idea that solves two problems but needs industry support to become a reality.
TRF is a joint effort of industry organizations and stakeholders to “incentivize market development and advance federal and state regulations,” so recycled rubber products like RMA can help improve sustainability in the tire and transportation industries. Visit tirerecyclingfoundation. org for more information. 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: Vladimir Dyavhkov | 1769066269 | Getty Images
COLUMBUS, Indiana—To comply with 2027 emissions regulations, new powertrains must make performance compromises.
Despite the added weight and backpressure of a larger aftertreatment system, Cummins’ latest X15 engine still touts characteristic robustness and improved fuel economy. The 15-liter diesel engine is built to comply with EPA and CARB regulations and is a major step in the company’s fuel-agnostic engine platform, HELM.
“What you’re going to see is, because we’re investing in these new platforms— they’re state-of-the-art platforms, very efficient, very low friction—we’re able to both deliver fuel economy and lower NOx,” Jim Nebergall, executive director of market strategy for Cummins, told journalists before a walkaround of the new diesel engine at the Cummins Columbus Engine Plant. “That’s unheard of; historic.”
A significant part of the new X15’s fuel efficiency improvements comes from piston friction reductions, block cooling optimization, and weight reductions. Meanwhile, the aftertreatment system has expanded to meet some of the most stringent emissions requirements in decades.
Major engine changes
Ever-improving design and analysis technology allowed Cummins engineers to make minute engineering improvements throughout the engine. Some of the greatest improvements were in the engine block and pistons.
The engine block layout is roughly 50 lb. lighter. Stiff but light, the new block is noticeably shorter than the previous X15’s. Piston friction is reduced, and block cooling is further optimized. Overall, pressure loss is about a third
lower than the last X15—from 63 kPa down to 20 kPa.
The engine now utilizes a true dual overhead camshaft design. Cummins’ previous dual overhead camshaft configuration dedicated one camshaft to just actuating fuel injectors.
In addition, the engine moved from an open crankcase to a closed one for better emissions performance. The closed crankcase uses a maintenance-free crankcase ventilation breather, allowing the engine to feed crankcase gases to its aftertreatment system.
A new engine control unit, CM355, helps the engine meet new regulatory cybersecurity requirements. A composite valve cover and composite oil pan help to reduce the engine’s overall weight.
Smaller pistons
The pistons of the new X15 have been designed to be more compact, reducing overall engine weight and block height. The new piston has a smaller bowl and shorter height. Its pin is also closer to the firing deck, reducing friction.
Revised fuel pump
The fuel pump of the new engine aims to resolve some of the company’s previous fuel pump failures.
In addition to more compact design, the pump is now fuel lubricated rather than oil lubricated. The pump’s fuel pistons are located on opposite sides, helping to better balance the camshaft for enhanced robustness.
More sustainable fuel filter
New fuel filters to complement the X15 generate less waste, thanks to a reusable housing. A unique and light reusable plastic filter housing means that a technician may only need to drain old oil and replace the filter media. There is a spout on the bottom of the housing that allows a technician to drain the oil before removing the housing. The filter media itself is easy to remove and replace when necessary.
Stronger aftertreatment
To comply with 2027 emissions requirements, the aftertreatment system utilizes more catalyst volume through a dual selective catalytic reduction system. Cummins also added heaters to the aftertreatment system to boost catalyst performance on demand. The heaters have a pattern of resistive wire that can heat the catalyst material where conditions require. To power the heater, the engine now uses a 48-volt alternator. FO
The latest X15’s improvements allow it to gain fuel efficiency over older models despite a larger aftertreatment system. Photo: Jeremy Wolfe | FleetOwner
Latest in vehicle lighting
Betts Industries
Betts Industries’ lighting solutions include custom lamp kits, work lights, modules, remote testers, harnesses, cable and electrical components, and lighting accessories. The line consists of stop, tail, turn lamps, back-up lamps, clearance and side marker lamps, identi cation/ bar lamps, license lamps, junction boxes, sealed-beam work lamps, cabinet, meter and dome lamps, beacons and strobes, nose boxes, modules and brackets, replacement lenses and bulbs, plug and seal lamp options, lighting system testers, and other miscellaneous accessories.
Maxxima
Maxxima’s lighting products range includes stop, tail and turn, emergency, interior cargo, clearance and side marker LED lamps, add-on accessories to offroad lighting, and a wire harness system for trucks, buses, trailers, and mediumand heavy-duty trucks. The company’s new MHLE Series forward lighting solutions can be used by eets and owner-operators; the lens and body are constructed from 100% polycarbonate. The lights are ultra-light weight and hard coated with SilFort UVH3000. Each lamp has a 3-Pin Male H4 connector. MHLE Series products are covered by warranty.
Optronics
Branded LED lighting can be created with Optronics GloLight optics and incorporate a manufacturer, carrier, or product logo. The GloLight technology allows Optronics to consolidate graphics into the lamps. The traditional LED-style lens pattern surrounds the logo graphic in the middle of the lamp. The GloLight logo portion of the lamp illuminates when it is operating as a tail lamp;
when it is operating as a turn signal or brake, all portions of the lamp brighten. The LED lamps offer design exibility for branding since the GloLight technology can be used in both red and white or a combination. Lens striations can also be used to achieve visual effects.
Peterson
The PetersonPatriot is the latest addition to the Peterson family of lighting harnesses designed to combat corrosion. This modular harness system is built for quick and easy installation and repairs. The PetersonPatriot is equipped with color-coded locking clips, exible strain relief, silicone seals, and mounting tabs. It features the IMB-Integrated Moisture Barrier, which safeguards the harness and lighting system from moisture. According to the company, the PetersonPatriot also reduces maintenance costs as well as downtime.
Phillips
Phillips Industries dubs its Permalite Apex as the “next-gen interior corner
trailer lights for dry vans and refrigerated trailers.” According to the company, by utilizing BoardFree technology, these lights eliminate the need for PCBs, “offering unmatched durability against liquids, chemicals, and impacts.” With 600 lumens and ultra-low power draw, Permalite Apex ensures compliance with food safety regulations and maximizes ROI.
Tecniq
Tecniq says its new T46 high-visibility stop/tail/turn lights are designed with the latest in LED technology, resulting in bright, compliant, STT lights. According to the company, the lensing design facilitates increased off-axis visibility so operators are seen better in all conditions and at greater distances, both from the rear and sides of the lights. The lights are made from high-quality materials and are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Truck-Lite
Truck-Lite, a subsidiary of Clarience Technologies, makes lighting products for commercial trucking, vocational, waste and recycling, nal-mile delivery, and defense. Its trucking products emphasize lights and re ectors that maximize on-road visibility, while its lighting for the nal-mile attempts to maximize uptime. Some products include lighting with heated lenses for low-temperature conditions, turn signal lights, marker and clearance lights, warning lights, back-up lights, beacons, pedestal lights, and combination box lights. FO
Photo: Maxxima
Photo: Optronics
Photo: Phillips
Photo: Peterson
Photo: Tecniq
Optimizing routes requires data that many fleets are already collecting. Turn that data into routing solutions by simply picking a metric to improve.
by Jade Brasher
Gone are the days of laying maps at on a desk, using highlighters and sticky notes to indicate which roads to take and where to plan stops. Fleet route planning strategies have been signi cantly improved by mapping software. Yet, eets that aren’t going the extra mile to optimize their routes—either manually or via optimization software—are leaving bene ts on the table.
“In an ideal world, you would be able to get from A to B in the fastest amount of time, the shortest distance. There’d be no constraints,” Sabina Martin, VP of product management at Geotab, told FleetOwner. “But the reality is that routing is quite complex, and there are multiple variables that can come up on a day-to-day [basis] for a eet.”
Route optimization is another way for eets to use data and technology to improve ef ciency by saving time and fuel as well as improving routes.
Capturing data such as “whether a driver calls in sick for work, or they go to their vehicle and it’s not fueled ... or they got on the road and they hit an unexpected accident or traf c conditions,” Martin said, “is foundational to help make sure that we can leverage technology and [arti cial intelligence] ... to reroute drivers based off of all of those different conditions.”
“The foundation of being able to run a very e cient fleet is to use this data to help make sure that the routes are optimized to those ideal outcomes.”
– Sabina Martin, Geotab
Route optimization in the real world
Route optimization has multiple bene ts to the eet, even some that might be unexpected. One eet, Quality Custom Distribution (QCD), a division of Golden State Foods, created its own route optimization platform to improve operations but also to cut down on its drivers’ fatigue. The company called this process its “digital route transformation journey.”
QCD previously had drivers use ve different platforms for operations such as data gathering, route tracking, ELD compliance, and customer needs, Xavier Alcala, director of business solutions at QCD, told FleetOwner.
“We recognized that the complications of too many apps and tools burdened our drivers,” Alcala said. “Complete route insights required the use of multiple systems, which led to inef ciencies and burnout with our drivers. Our strategy was simple—consolidate.”
While the company uses a third-party system to capture data, the data-driven solution QCD now uses was developed in-house to create a single platform that did the job of the previous ve.
The platform includes all the drivers’ necessities, according to Alcala. It outlines routes, offers direct communication between drivers and their support teams, and has digital maintenance checklists, general administration tools, and even AI algorithms for optimum routing solutions. In addition, the platform allows customers access to a portal where they can find statements, delivery tracking, invoicing information, and customer support.
QCD observed noticeable changes from its fleet’s overall performance after implementing its digital transformation, Alcala told FleetOwner.
“On average, operations have been reduced by about 40 minutes each day, helping to eliminate driver fatigue,” Alcala noted. “QCD associates are now able to focus their attention on staffing and servicing our customers. Additionally, going paperless has given admin more time to service customers, as opposed to spending time filing away paperwork.”
Optimization requires data
Fleets that don’t yet have the ability to create their own proprietary solution can begin their own digital transformation in other ways through data.
“Management by measurement” is the phrase Geotab’s Martin used to highlight the importance of data when discussing optimization or fleet improvements in general. The data captured by the fleet determines those measurements.
“It’s really difficult for you to run your business if you don’t know where you stand, and you can’t use that data to help inform improvements but also to help leverage technology,” Martin told FleetOwner. “The foundation of being able to run a very efficient fleet is to use this data to help make sure that the routes are optimized to those ideal outcomes, such as … making sure [fleet drivers] are on time for their customers.”
Data capture offers fleets input such as its drivers’ location, which drivers are scheduled for work on any given day, and the nearest driver to a location that needs assistance at the last minute. Further, recent technology gives fleets transparency into traffic patterns, construction zones, weather conditions, and more.
Marrying data and routing gives fleets the ability to quickly process and analyze information for patterns and then develop data-driven decisions. Data allows route planning to become more dynamic and offers “tangible impacts” to fleets and businesses, Martin said.
It has “increased the accuracy of route planning,” Martin explained, which has “resulted in reduced fuel consumption,” and improved on-time deliveries. As AI evolves, Martin believes route optimization will only get better. “I think the options are limitless,” she told FleetOwner.
Not only is it essential to measure a fleet’s performance for a healthier bottom line, but route optimization can also help give fleets an edge over competitors. This is especially true for fleets
After implementing a route optimization strategy, QCD’s “operations have been reduced by about 40 minutes each day, helping to eliminate driver fatigue,” Xavier Alcala said. “QCD associates are now able to focus their attention on staffing and servicing our customers.” Photo: Quality Custom Distribution
that leverage products that turn data into predictive insights, such as route optimization software. Fleets that wait too long to implement data-driven performance metrics or data-driven insights might even find themselves falling behind in the very near future. The fleets that adopt this technology, however, will likely experience better customer service, on-time deliveries, and become safer, Martin said.
Data—and now the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence—is “not just a trend or a pulse at the time,” Martin said. “It’s something that’s going to reshape the industry.”
Route optimization can start small
Though data is essential for route optimization, the sheer amount of it can become overwhelming. ELDs and telematics systems produce thousands of data points each day. All this data can be challenging to wade through, leaving fleet managers, route planners, and dispatchers overwhelmed.
Yet, Steve Kalnitzky, product manager at Trimble, a fleet technology company, said that route optimization efforts can be tackled simply: one goal at a time.
Consider a fleet that only wants to track its drivers.
“If you’re beholden to the ELD laws ... you’re going to get [location] as a data capture element,” Kalnitzky said. “That’s a good start because now you see what’s happening already. Then that also leads to things like positioning: ‘I know where my customers are at. I know where the actual stop location is at. I know where my driver needs to stop.’”
While many fleets have access to thousands of data points, by tackling small goals at a time, such as in the example above, fleet managers and dispatchers will become less
overwhelmed and understand that they don’t have to make sense of all the data at once.
“You need these small pieces of data that can help you meet your goals, and I don’t think that necessarily means that you need all the data or none,” Kalnitzky told FleetOwner. “I think you can focus on small pieces of it.”
Fleets unsure where to start on their optimization journey can refer to what Kalnitzky calls the “ladders of optimization.”
“Ladders of optimization essentially are: ‘What’s the bare minimum I can do?’” Kalnitzky said.
The bottom rung of the optimization ladder in one fleet may be to plan routes manually with spreadsheets, ordering stops from closest to furthest; however, another fleet may be on the highest rung of the optimization ladder, using a complete system-generated solution with artificial intelligence or machine learning that “accounts for things like your dispatchers’ quirks and your drivers’ preferences,” Kalnitzky explained.
This ladder concept can help fleets take tangible steps to accomplish one optimization goal at a time until they reach a fully automated solution. However, Kalnitzky said the key to adding better value and optimization through data—especially in a system-generated optimization platform—is to ensure good data quality. That should start at the bottom rung.
“Maybe you don’t have good time window data. Maybe you don’t have good address data,” Kalnitzky said. “If you don’t feed the algorithm the right stuff, you’re not going to get a good answer that makes everybody happy.”
Mitigate the prevalence of poor data by talking to customers, paying attention to details, and comparing data points through different sources. Fleets using data obtained 10 years ago—a customer’s preferred delivery times, for example—might benefit from reaching out to ask if those times are still ideal.
Test optimization before a fleet-wide rollout
This process can seem intimidating and if done correctly will prove to be time-consuming and perhaps even expensive. But as Kalnitzky advised, optimization through data doesn’t have to be “all or nothing.”
“It doesn’t have to be a giant project,” he said. Fleets can spend one quarter focusing on one goal, such as improving the accuracy of time windows, and then see if there’s an improvement in any metrics at the end of that three-month period, he said. This will help guide the fleet’s next steps.
Even fleets with the resources to take on sweeping changes at once should still practice caution when overhauling operations. Years ago, one Trimble customer wanted to change its routing from fixed to dynamic to increase efficiency, Kalnitzky recalled.
“They onboarded the software; we taught them dynamic routing,” he explained. “They came to us and said, ‘This is incredible. After two months, we’ve saved so much money!’ But then they started churning customers.”
This fleet company hadn’t met with its customers before rolling out its new routing solutions, leading its customers to experience different delivery times and frustrations with this fleet’s service. Trimble was able to help this company transition to more of a hybrid routing system, incorporating both fixed routing to satisfy customers and dynamic routing to save money.
“You don’t eat a whole pizza at once—you eat a slice at a time,” Kalnitzky told FleetOwner. “The approach they should have taken was, ‘Let’s operate with the fixed route, let’s find some small areas for opportunity, and let’s not eat that whole pizza at once.’”
While QCD was able to create its own platform, there are route optimization tools available today for fleets of all sizes, budgets, and resources. With the help of telematics providers such as Geotab and Trimble, fleets can roll out optimization solutions across their entire fleet; however, for fleets that prefer to go it alone, as Trimble’s Kalnitzky said, all that’s required to get started is to simply pick a goal and get started.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to route optimization. One fleet’s route optimization strategy could look vastly different from another, depending on the goals of the fleet. In every fleet, however, there is room for better routing and better optimization. FO
Trucking’s ‘driverless era’ revs up
After successful tests, Atlas Energy to add two Kodiak trucks to its operations
by Josh Fisher
A“new driverless era for the autonomous trucking industry” has begun. That is how Don Burnette, Kodiak Robotics founder and chief executive, described the 21-mile runs of frac sand by Kodiak-equipped trucks without human drivers. The first hauls were completed on private Texas and New Mexico roads for Atlas Energy Solutions.
“We used our on-highway trucks to do the first driverless delivery in the Permian Basin’s private lease road network to demonstrate the capabilities of the Kodiak Driver, our industry-leading autonomous system,” Burnette told FleetOwner. “We operated the first driverless run with no one inside the cab.”
The Atlas operations move Kodiak closer to its mid-decade intentions to offer its humanless middle-mile operations along divided public highways.
After successful testing this year, Atlas ordered two Kodiak-equipped trucks to deliver frac sand across private roads in the Permian Basin, the highest-producing oil field in the U.S. The two trucks would join the private fleet’s other 120 human-operated trucks. Atlas plans to begin nearly 24/7 operations with the Kodiak equipment in early 2025.
“Once Atlas takes delivery of the Kodiak-equipped trucks, they will operate them with our support,” Burnette explained. “We will provide our technology to Atlas via a driver-as-a-service licensing agreement as well as operational support services, including remote monitoring from our operations center in Lancaster, Texas.”
Both companies noted the hot and dry Permian Basin climate can make truck driving challenging. The Kodiak Driver has been in pilot testing across Texas and much of the Sunbelt, driving through harsh conditions, including dust storms that impact visibility and extreme heat.
“With average traffic speeds of under 20 mph on these large swaths of private roads, we can safely deliver a more reliable last-mile solution to our customers in the Permian Basin. This truly represents a step-change in oil field logistics,” Atlas COO Chris Scholla said.
Atlas operates 12 proppant production facilities across the Permian Basin with an annual production capacity of 28 million tons. Proppant material, such as sand, is used with fracturing fluid during hydraulic fracking to keep ground fractures open for energy extraction.
Trucking’s driverless transportation transition
The new Atlas partnership represents the first reported time that Class 8 equipment has been moved to haul freight without a human driver. Other autonomous freight companies, such as Einride and Gatik, successfully move goods and materials with medium-duty equipment. Einride’s driverless vehicles also operate on private roads. Gatik’s box trucks are in driverless operations for Walmart and other retailers in Texas and Arkansas.
Other Kodiak rivals, such as Daimlerowned Torc Robotics and Aurora, have
OEM partnerships: Torc plans to debut its AV technology in Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner Cascadia in 2027, while Aurora has agreements with Volvo Trucks and Paccar’s Kenworth and Peterbilt to equip new truck models. Kodiak’s technology, however, is equipment agnostic and can be upfitted to most modern Class 8 vehicles.
For more than five years, Kodiak has been fine-tuning its Kodiak Driver technology, which is now in its sixth generation. When it announced its intentions to remove the driver from the cab earlier this year, the company had already completed more than 2.5 million miles of human-monitored testing on U.S. highways with major fleets such as C.R. England, Tyson Foods, Martin-Bower, and others.
“This partnership with Atlas shepherds a new driverless era for the autonomous trucking industry and shows that our autonomous technology is fully capable of commercial driverless operations,” Burnette told FleetOwner. “Delivering the first driverless truck to a customer is a significant milestone for us, for Atlas, and for the entire industry. This is just the beginning of what we see as a bright, driverless future.” FO
A Kodiak Robotics truck operates in the Permian Basin without a human driver to haul frac sand for Atlas Energy Solutions. The Atlas fleet plans to add two Kodiak-powered trucks to its fleet in 2025. Photo: Kodiak Robotics
by Gary Petty
180 years in the making
Procter & Gamble builds out its private fleet to take transportation control
IN 1837, CANDLEMAKER William Procter and soapmaker James Gamble founded Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. P&G now ranks among the world’s largest multinational consumer goods companies and has a market capitalization of nearly $400 billion.
Honored for supply chain leadership, P&G was again affirmed as a supply chain “master” in 2024, one of only four companies to achieve the Gartner Supply Chain Master Award. P&G attained top-five composite scores for at least seven of the past 10 years, demonstrating a long-term investment in excellence and a commitment to strengthen and optimize the supply chain.
In 2019, P&G became one of the largest and oldest corporations in American history to launch a private truck fleet from scratch. “Our own private fleet exemplifies a strong commitment to innovative solutions and ongoing operational excellence,” said Kelsey Lanier, P&G’s North American private fleet director.
Lanier is a 12-year company veteran who joined P&G directly after college, where she earned an industrial engineering degree and MBA from the University of Missouri. She is a member of the NPTC Board of Governors.
For more than 180 years, Lanier asserts, P&G depended entirely on outside carriers for transportation services with generally good results. Company leadership did not see the need for or want a private fleet to have a role in corporate transportation.
Things changed in 2017 and 2018. “The freight market was not pretty,” Lanier said. “Truck capacity demand exceeded supply, and some shipments could not be guaranteed at any price. As a shipper being dependent on the outside truck carrier world, we felt a degree of
capacity vulnerability not previously known. This led to a reassessment of the private fleet.”
Could the fleet deliver better control of capacity, costs, and service and in the process gain a competitive advantage? The answer was yes.
The fleet began with a pilot of 12 trucks and three lanes. “Our first truck rolled Sept. 25, 2019,” Lanier recalled. “Designed to handle the highest priority customer and intersite freight, the fleet in five years has grown from two fleet staff professionals to 18 and nearly 400 trucks, 800 drivers, and 2,500 trailers. The fleet delivers approximately 22% of our outbound finished products and less than 1% inbound. We see opportunities ahead to grow in both directions and continue to deliver value to P&G.”
P&G’s decision to use outside expertise was significant in the fleet’s development. “We currently lease all drivers and equipment,” Lanier said. “Private fleet specialist and former NPTC volunteer leader Jacob Klingbeil, CTP, was a co-founder of our private fleet. Jacob hired me and was a great mentor. He brought to P&G more than two decades of experience with a Fortune 25 company successfully running a private fleet with a similar go-to-market model.”
Quality drivers define the fleet’s success. “Our people are our greatest asset. We maintain our driver-preferred design, with consistent routes that enable drivers to be home after every trip. Our fleet continues to learn and improve,” Lanier said.
She added that the safety culture is the most critical part of the fleet—over profit and costs. Safety is more than a core value. Zero accidents, incidents, and injuries is P&G’s goal. “One of the most impactful technologies P&G uses are the
four cameras per truck,” she said. “The videos and data feedback collected allow our partners to coach drivers and make a positive difference in overall driver performance and fleet safety.”
In 2019, P&G became one of the largest and oldest corporations to launch a private fleet fleet from scratch. Today, the private fleet is flourishing.
P&G’s fleet won a 2022 Safety Award at the NPTC Annual Conference.
Looking ahead, Lanier sees managing exponential growth as the biggest challenge. “We feel positive about the continued success and continue to prioritize making it sustainable long term. The fleet is a perfect playground to test and learn. The NPTC Benchmarking Survey Report gives us a great resource to measure performance against industry standards.” 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.
Photo: Procter & Gamble
Customer-focused logistics
By keeping a close eye on ops, fleet allows customers to focus on business
by Seth Skydel
For Vincent Sardono, co-owner of Phoenix-based Go Xpressit, success is measured one customer at a time.
“Whether it’s for a small business or a large corporation, our job is to pick up and deliver goods timely and efficiently,” he said. “When we make that happen, we’re not only providing a service. Ultimately, we’re allowing our customers to focus on running their businesses.”
Go Xpressit fields 15 trucks and uses the services of about 20 independent contractors. Company-owned equipment includes mainly Hino and International trucks and tractors supplied by the RWC Group dealership.
Go Xpressit offers regional and local transportation options across Arizona and California. Courier services handle small-parcel deliveries, including documents, samples, and products. Last-mile delivery services are offered throughout the greater Phoenix area to residential addresses, retail locations, and construction sites. Liftgate deliveries for heavy or bulky items like machinery and furniture are also included.
Less-than-truckload services include local pickup and delivery, as well as shipment consolidation in conjunction with a network of carriers across the region. Flexible and secure warehousing solutions tailored to meet specific customer needs are provided at Phoenix facilities equipped with inventory management software. Truckload services with realtime tracking are provided as well.
The need for a management system designed explicitly for LTL, courier, and last-mile operations led Go Xpressit to the Facts freight management software from Carrier Logistics Inc., Sardono noted. “Our previous system wasn’t right for us,” he said. “After a customer told us about CLI and said that other carriers were using Facts, we looked into it.”
“We’ve already realized a return on our investment in Facts by significantly reducing our payroll costs,” Sardono continued. “Since we started using the CLI software, we’ve been able to handle a growing volume of freight with fewer front office and warehouse personnel. There’s even been another benefit from that reduction in staff because most of those people are still affiliated with the company. With our help, they were able to buy their own trucks and work for us as independent contractors.”
As part of the initial implementation of Facts software at Go Xpressit, core operations modules were included, and then accounts payable and general ledger solutions were added. The company has also implemented the CLI Residential Delivery Automation System with its automated scheduling and appointment confirmation capabilities.
Sardono explained that Go Xpressit can manage LTL and final-mile delivery operations more efficiently and effectively with the Residential Delivery Automation System, which is a relatively new addition to CLI Facts.
“Like other carriers in our industry segment, we needed to address the growing number of deliveries that are now scheduled at residential locations,”
Sardono said. “The system takes the hassle out of delivery scheduling by automatically sending email and text messages to final-mile customers that prompt them to select their preferred delivery time via a mobile interface.”
When customers confirm their delivery, the system automatically creates an appointment in Facts, schedules the delivery, and provides visibility to the original shipper. The system also automatically sends scheduled delivery time reminders to customers and gives them real-time updates on their status.
Go Xpressit plans to launch the CLI Dock Management System to streamline its cross-dock operations and eliminate paper-based, manual shipment handling processes, Sardono said.
“Technology and people are what keep us operating efficiently and profitably,” Sardono said. “Freight volumes rise and fall regularly. The key is to manage operations in a way that allows us to provide a high level of service, whether it’s a slow period or a busy one.”
“Our customers recognize that our goal is to streamline their logistics and shipping processes by providing timely and efficient service and cost-effective solutions for meeting their specific requirements,” he added. FO
Go Xpressit provides a range of regional and local transportation services throughout Arizona and California. Photo: Go Xpressit
Michael Simone Western Territory 973-713-0094 michael-s@fleetowner.com
Michael Simone Western Territory 973-713-0094 michael-s@fleetowner.com
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Look back at U.S. trucking
Trucking 101 series takes a look back at trucking’s rich U.S. manufacturing history
by Josh Fisher
Seven brands from four global companies account for 99.9% of all new Class 8 truck sales in the U.S. While some nascent manufacturers enter the alternative fuel heavy-duty trucking space, the traditional trucking OEMs continue to dominate the over-the-road eet market. FleetOwner’s online “Trucking 101” series, Fleets Explained, this summer looked at the history of the signi cant heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers that are now synonymous with the U.S. trucking industry.
After the military was the rst to extensively deploy trucks in its operations during World War I, the trucking industry grew as a new, more versatile supply chain solution in the late 1920s and 1930s. The industry experienced a boom in the 1950s and 1960s as the U.S. Interstate Highway System was developed, creating more ways to move freight along roads other than rail.
Since then, dozens of vehicle manufacturers have built heavy-duty trucks for eets. Several OEMs developed from businesses that initially produced equipment for farms, trolleys, or automobiles. Ford Motor Company, for example, produced Class 8 semi-trucks until the late 1990s, when it sold its heavy-duty truck line to Freightliner. Today, Ford owns the largest medium-duty (Class 4 to 7) market share in the U.S.
Other legacy heavy-duty truck makers that date back to the early 20th century were acquired by rivals, such as Brockway Motor Company, which Mack Trucks bought in 1956 and shut down in 1977. As the U.S. over-the-road freight industry grew, international companies looked to enter the thriving North American truck market, such as Volvo Group’s acquisition of most of White Motor Company in 1981.
Today, seven major North American truck OEMs remain subsidiaries of four global manufacturing corporations. However, a number of new companies focused on battery electric, hydrogen, or other alternative powertrains are attempting to enter the market. These include companies such as Tesla, which has some of its electric Class 8 vehicles in early eet operations, and Nikola, which began selling its hydrogen fuel cell EV Class 8 truck in 2023. Several other start-up manufacturers are looking to enter the alternative fuel transportation race.
You can read more about the history of Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, International, Volvo, Mack, and Western Star trucks at eetowner.com/ eets-explained. Since launching in May, Fleets Explained has focused on how trucking works with various segments, TMS technology, freight rates, industry abbreviations, and other explainers. FO
An early Freightliner cabover truck Photo: Peterbilt Motors Company Archives
Mack trucks on display at Mack Trucks Historical Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Mack Trucks Historical Museum
The Peterbilt Model 334 and smaller Model 260 were the first trucks produced by Peterbilt in 1939. A restored Model 334 from the Peterbilt archives is pictured here.
Photo: Peterbilt Motors Company Archives
The 1982 Volvo F7 model was the first Volvo truck to be built in the U.S. Photo: Volvo Trucks
“The level of professionalism and wealth of knowled e of the CTP culture is extraordinary. The opportunity to connect with fellow CTPs is priceless.”
“The CTP certification demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and prepares the fleet professional for advancement within the industry.”
“We have one from ‘ ettin it done’ to ‘ ettin it done better’. Earnin my CTP has made a tremendous difference helpin make this happen.”
“The CTP Exam was probably the hardest test of my career. Becomin a CTP has the built-in advanta e of bein around people passionate about what they do and willin to share different ways of success.”
The only certification program designed for today’s private fleet managers and suppliers.
CTP Class of 2024
Enhance You P ofessional C edibility • Imp ove You P ivate Fleet’s Pe fo mance • B oaden and Deepen You Knowledge of Key P ivate Fleet Management Disciplines
CTPS ARE RAISING INDUSTRY STANDARDS and increasin the respect and presti e of the private fleet professions. It is a benchmark of excellence that is earned by a select few, but available to any private fleet executive, mana er or supplier who is willin to make the necessary commitment.
Candidates for the Class of 2025 now bein accepted. Contact Kristen Todd, NPTC Director of Education and Certification, at 703-838-8841 or ktodd@nptc.or Sponsored by
Mike Schwersenska, CTP Class of 015 Brakebush Transportation
Taylor Wise, CTP Class of 0 Dot Transportation
David Barth, CTP Class of 017 Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
Ray Byrd, CTP Class of 009 Pioneer Landscape Centers
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