CCJ 0619 by dwatson

Jim Pinder

CORPORATE FLEET DIRECTOR

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JUNE 2019 | VOL 176 | NO. 6

COVER STORY

JOURNAL

TARGETING TECHNICIANS:

LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

A new way to hire

The source of trucking’s technician employment shortage is tied to a broken recruitment pipeline. In Part II of our 2019 Special Report on trucking’s technician shortage, CCJ seeks to explain how fleets, individual service providers and the industry at large can cooperate to help re-establish a stable recruitment and retention strategy. Cover design by David Watson

FEATURES

2019 spring truck show roundup

CCJ rounds up all the news and new truck and product announcements made at the Work Truck Show, the Technology and Maintenance Council’s Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition and the MidAmerica Trucking Show.

Driving engagement

More fleet executives believe driver retention should be about development — to get them more engaged in their work. Someone who is engaged will be motivated to go above and beyond what the job requires, as they are bought into the company and encouraged to exert positive influence on their peers to do the same.

Innovators: Nussbaum Transportation

The Hudson, Ill.-based truckload carrier enhances its scoring system for drivers with opportunities for personal growth and development.

News

Trump, Dem leaders agree to $2T in infrastructure spending … Hours proposal listed for early June publication … Court dismisses suit against U.S. Xpress over California break laws … Falcon Transport closure strands hundreds of drivers … Lawmakers back ELD livestock waiver … Operation Safe Driver Week to focus on speeding … Colorado DOT to study hazmat use of I-70 tunnel … Bill would repeal federal excise tax on new trucks … Bill would restore company drivers’ per diem deduction … GAO recommends underride guard inspections … FMCSA OKs alternate securement for ag commodities … NACFE: Regional hauls help with retention, e-commerce biz … FMCSA set to expand pilot program for under-21 interstate truckers

InBrief

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| JUNE 2019 3

DEPARTMENTS

ccjdigital.com

technology

facebook.com/CCJMagazine @CCJnow linkedin.com/ccjmagazine

Editorial

Automated driving, self-driving aren’t the same

Dana debuts e-axle on F-550

CityFreighter touts electric truck

Kenworth breaks ground on $140M paint facility

BYD delivers e-refuse truck

Autocar debuts first new conventional in three decades Tesla production set for 2020

Toyota, Kenworth unveil fuel-cell electric T680

Cooltrax offers trailer, asset tracker lineup Lytx shows risks of distracted commercial driving

38 InBrief

26 InBrief 28

Carriers applaud relationships, tech in freight transactions

41 42

Allison buys Vantage Power, AxleTech division

ITI’s On Ramp targets entry-level driver training Paragon adds Track My Driver to Flexipod KoiReader touts intelligent document processing SmartDrive gets waiver for ADAS windshield mount

Daimler’s Nielsen: Industry must make e-trucks viable Mack debuts electric LR refuse model

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Upfront

Preventable or Not?

Ad Index

Products

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

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Editor Jeff Crissey’s column

A cab driver attempted to speed around the right side of John Doe’s tractor-trailer while Doe was merging to the right, but the cabbie quickly ran out of room and scraped Doe’s rig. Was this a preventable accident?

Publication

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LEADING LEADINGNEWS, NEWS, TRUCKING TRUCKINGMARKET MARKET CONDITIONS CONDITIONSAND AND INDUSTRY INDUSTRYANALYSIS ANALYSIS

FMCSA Trump, Dem allows leaders after-hours agree to move $2T in to infrastructure park while loaded spending

Registry hack Hours proposal medical listeddelays for early rule Junecertificate publication ongress’ he Federal twoMotor top Democrats Carrier Safety – House Administration Speaker Nancyfinalized Pelosi and changes to

C T

I T

Senate guidance Minority around Leader the 150-air-mile-radius Chuck Schumer – emerged agriculture fromhours-of-service a meetn a monthly regulatory he Federal update Motor Carrier posted in late April, the Safety U.S.Administration Department ofsaid ing exemption with President and use Trump of theonpersonal April 30conveyance and announced provision. the trio last month listed June it intends 7 as the to postpone projected hadBoth agreed proposed to put $2 changes trillionwere intoput modernizing forward ahead U.S. infrastructure, of the Dec. 18 compli-Transportation date implementation for its coming proposal of a system to ance including deadline highways for theand agency’s bridges. electronic logging device mandate and pitched as pro-publicationthe alter federal meant hours-of-service to streamline regulations its communifor viding Trucking clarityorganizations and additional flexibility for drivers. cations with state licensing agenapplauded The newthe interpretation announcement of when it is legal to use a truck for personal convey- truck operators. cies is not regarding binding drivers’ and could medical change, ance whileallows acknowledging use whether details the were truck is loaded or not. Perhaps more significantly, the That date first insight that status. DOT and the guidance few and that answers a major a common question question of whether it’s appropriate to use personal but it’s thecertification Federal MotorThe Carrier multifaceted Safety Administration rule, part of conveyance remained: How status willtothe package have provided which astook to when effect a proposed in Januaryrule 2015, on get be funded? to a safe parking HOS reforms requires could FMCSA be unveiled. to electronically spot “[The or rest Truckload loca- Carriers At presstransmit time, thetoproposal state licensing remained agention Association] after hours embraces are the opporunder review ciesby the the results WhiteofHouse drivers’ Office medical of exhausted tunity to develop by a shipbipartisan, Management certifications; and Budget. FMCSA FMCSA receives filed the that per sound or legislation receiver. that will finally Trucking organizations acknowledged details rule with OMB information in late March. from medical examinplace “The our movement nation’s infrastructure were few and that a major question remained: Last summer ers. State and agencies fall, FMCSA then sought will send from at theatop shipper of the class by creating How will an infrastructure package be funded? feedback from the results industry tostakeholders the Commercial on or a sustainable receiver to Highway the Trust Fund what revisions Driver’s they’d License like toInformation see made to nearest that ends safe theresting troublesome deterioration of our highways and bridges,” said federal HOS System regulations. to make In late other March, states area David may Heller, be identivice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers U.S. Transportation aware of Secretary drivers’ exam Elaine results. Chao fied Association. as personal “While the endgame would be beneficial to all, the difficult conannounced that However, DOT and due FMCSA in partwere to the planconveyance,” versations stilltext need to be had, and an increase in the federal fuel tax, indexed ning a formal ongoing proposal outage to alter of the theNational regulaof to the inflation, clarification represents the most cost-effective way to accomplish this task.” Registry Chaoof nor Certified officialsMedical at FMCSA reads, “The“regardless trucking industry of Theisnew intimately familiar with itthe issues interpretation of when is legal to our use anation truck for personaltions. Neither have said what Examiners changes following they intend an attempted to make. conveyance allows use whether truck is loaded or not. whether faces duethe to deteriorating driver roads and bridges, and wethe have a tool that can genAlso listed hack, in FMCSA DOT’s regulatory says it will update postpone exhausted erate $340 his billion over or her the next 10 years to fix our bridges and fill potholes the requirement window forthat public it submit comhours across of theservice, country,” as long said Chris as the CMV Spear,ispresident being moved and chief solelyexecutive to enableofficer the driver for to was a projected ments on the information proposed to HOS state changes. agencies DOT for obtain the American the required Trucking rest at Associations. a safe location.” “ThePersonal fuel tax isconveyance the one funding used this toolway in should listed July three 26 as years, the closing until June date2021. for the be theannotated toolbox that in the payslog. for itself by users. It is the most effective, efficient and, – Matt Cole yes, Personal conservative conveyance way of generating also is newly theallowed amount when of money a safety that official we needrequires to do a comment period. – James Jaillet driver the job.” to move during an off-duty period. Such a use should be “no farther than theThe nearest industry reasonable may haveand gotten safe aarea better to idea complete of howthe any rest infrastructure period,” theplan text reads. would Regarding be funded the 150-air-mile-radius late last month, as exemption, Trump, Pelosi FMCSA and Schumer clarified the were definition sched- of the radius uled toasmeet extending again at from press thetime. commodity’s “They might source. as well Haulers haveusing said the fiveexemption [trillion but who dollars],” extend said beyond U.S. Rep. the radius Tom Cole would(R-Okla.). not need “Until to startthey hours actually recording tell us until how they reach the they’re edgegoing of thetoradius, the agency pay for said. it, agreeSuch drivers Scan the QR code with your smartphone or FMCSA said “an incident that visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsreturning ing on a number empty can stop occurred in early December letters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, hours doesn’trecording mean very upon reU.S. DOT Secretary 2017” ledElaine to interruptions Chao and FMCSA a daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, entering much.” the radius. Administrator in developing Ray Martinez thekicked electronic off the analysis, blogs and market condition articles. – CCJ– Staff Todd Dills HOS reforms transmission process lastprocess. August. 10

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| june 2019

commercial carrier journal

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Part 1 of 2: Drug recognition evaluations

et’s be totally upfront about this. I am vehemently opposed to anyone operating any type of vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I really can’t express how strongly I feel about this. Having a license is a privilege – not a right. I am also a big believer in the Constitution and due process. The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution says, in essence, that the States shall not deprive a person of life, liberty or property without due process of law. This means that the government must follow fair procedures before depriving a person of life, liberty or property. In other words, everyone gets an opportunity to be heard and a decision made by a neutral party. All this brings me to the reason I am writing this article. On April 20th of this year (coincidence with the “4/20 holiday”?), several states began conducting drug recognition evaluations at various locations. In short, drivers were taken out of their vehicles and a DRE was conducted. Numerous drivers were cited under 392.4(a) and were placed out of service based solely on the opinion of the person conducting the DRE and in spite of evidence to the contrary. Not surprisingly, I received a call from a carrier the following day. One of their drivers had been placed out of service following a DRE. Here is where it gets interesting. The driver had pulled into a weigh station when he was motioned to enter the scale house. The driver exited the vehicle with his paperwork and license. Upon entering the scale house a female officer took the driver to administer a series of tests, including field sobriety tests and tests of his vital signs. In the course of this the officer took him to a darkened bathroom to perform pupil response tests. The officer used a sphygmomanometer to test his blood pressure, and had him roll up his shirt sleeves and pant legs to inspect his arms and legs for sign of drug injections. NO INJECTION SITES WERE FOUND. The driver did not like to be touched, and the invasive personal nature of the testing made him uncomfortable, so he requested a breath or blood test instead. The officer performed a breathalyzer, which read 0.0 or NEGATIVE. The officer took a urine sample, and tested it at the scene. It also came back NEGATIVE. A K-9 unit was led around the truck and DID NOT ALERT. The officer kept asking the driver if he was on drugs (which the driver denied) and performing various tests. The entire process took between 1-3 hours and despite the negative breathalyzer, urine test, lack of drug injection sites and failure of a K-9 Unit to alert to his truck the driver was placed out of service for 24 hours for an alleged violation 392.4(a). The out of service was solely based on the opinion of the officer conducting the Drug Recognition Evaluation. When the carrier learned of the alleged 392.4(a) violation they reached out to enforcement seeking some explanation as all the tests had come back NEGATIVE for the presence of drugs. The carrier was informed by enforcement that they were sending off a second urine sample for testing but regardless of the results of that test they were standing by the opinion of the officer conducting the DRE that the driver was impaired by drugs/alcohol and would not be removing the alleged violation. Check back next month for part two, in which I go into more background about these evaluations.

commercial carrier journal

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JOURNAL NEWS

Federal court dismisses suit against U.S. Xpress over California meal, rest breaks

federal court in California has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of drivers against U.S. Xpress (CCJ Top 250, No. 16) concerning the state’s meal and rest break laws, signaling a potential tide change in the lingering legal issue. Precedent set by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the 2014 case of Dilts v. Penske had tilted court rulings against carriers over the past five years. California employers must provide a 30-minute meal break for every five hours of work and a paid 15-minute rest break for every four hours of work. Since the Dilts decision had determined that fleets should comply with the break laws, carriers of all sizes – including those with as few as 15 trucks – have been hit with lawsuits from drivers seeking back payment for not being provided the staterequired breaks. Large mega-carriers U.S. District Judge George H. Wu on also have been tarMay 2 granted a motion by Chatgeted by these lawsuits, tanooga, Tenn.-based U.S. Xpress which often have led seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. to pricey settlements with drivers. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in December 2018 rebuked the 2014 Dilts ruling and exempted carriers from having to provide the California-required breaks. FMCSA said the California laws conflict with federal hours-of-service regulations and that those regulations pre-empt the state’s labor code. In the U.S. Xpress case, U.S. District Judge George H. Wu on May 2 granted a motion by the Chattanooga, Tenn.based fleet seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. The case was the first since FMCSA’s exemption last December to test the current legal environment related to the break laws. Attorney Jim Hansen of the law firm Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Feary and Hansen, which defended U.S. Xpress in the case, cautioned carriers to remain compliant with the California break laws pending dual challenges to FMCSA’s stand against them. Hansen said a decision in those cases, which have been brought to the 9th Circuit Court by the Teamsters Union and the California Labor Commission, could take about two more years to resolve. – James Jaillet

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JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 6/19 • The Ohio Department of Public Safety petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to eliminate skills test waiver requirements for qualified military veterans that state an applicant must have been in a military position that requires driving a commercial vehicle in the last year and that the applicant must have operated a commercial vehicle for at least two years. Ohio DPS said eliminating the requirements would create more civilian opportunities for veterans. To view comments, go to Regulations.gov and search FMCSA-2019-0044-0001. • Bison Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 66) acquired all the assets of the COFC (container on flat car) intermodal operations of Indianapolis-based Celadon Group (No. 39), including operating personnel, drivers, customers and supplier relationships. Bison, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, said the purchase, terms of which were not disclosed, supports its corporate initiative for continued growth in its asset-light business platforms, including intermodal, and enhances its ability to support crossborder shippers in Canada, the United States and Mexico. • Estes Express Lines (No. 12) submitted a $15 million bid to acquire select assets of Eastern Freightways and Carrier Industries to expands its flatbed and dedicated transportation offerings. Eastern and Carrier are divisions of New England Motor Freight, which ceased operations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February. • FMCSA granted a five-year waiver to Groendyke Transport (No. 110) to allow the Enid, Okla.-based hazmat tanker fleet to install an amber brake-activated pulsating light in the upper center portion of its trailers in addition to steady-burning brake lights. Groendyke applied for the exemption last July, stating that the increased visibility would “be an efficient means to prevent rear-ending accidents.” • Lone Star Overnight, an Austin, Texasbased regional parcel carrier, announced a partnership with DHL OptimalShip to launch LSO Global, an international shipping service that allows customers to ship internationally to over 220,000 destinations and achieve door-to door delivery within three business days. The partnership also allows DHL to expand its services throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

Falcon Transport closure strands hundreds of drivers

oungstown, Ohio-based Falcon Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 146) suddenly ceased operations April 26. The 700-truck fleet sent text messages and emails to workers notifying them of the closure, leaving its drivers stranded without jobs, pay, access to Most reports of Youngstown, Ohiofuel cards or a ticket home. based Falcon Transport’s closing attribFalcon sent emails to its nearly 500 uted it to the shutdown of the General drivers April 27 telling them to stop Motors Lordstown Complex. work immediately. The company also reportedly blamed a computer malfunction when drivers did not have their paychecks direct-deposited as usual. In all, 577 people were out of work: 89 office employees, 81 owneroperators and 407 company drivers. Jayson Calhoun, Falcon’s director of operations, reportedly sent an email April 27 to employees saying: “We regret to inform you that Falcon Transport Co. is not able to continue operations and will be shutting down effective today. Please stop any work you are doing for the company immediately. You are not expected to return to work. Please be on the lookout for further information we will be sending regarding this information.” In addition to marooning drivers, Falcon left millions of dollars in freight stranded at roadside and truck stops, along with leased trucks and company-owned equipment, according to a company official. Andy Straley, Falcon’s executive director of safety, compliance and risk, said he’s heard from drivers who intend to file a class-action lawsuit against the fleet under the WARN Act, which requires companies with more than 100 employees to provide at least 60 days notice before mass layoffs or closings. Straley and others have outlaid thousands of dollars of their own money to help drivers fuel up to get home, he said. The company later said it did not file a WARN notice before its mass layoff because it was trying to raise capital to prevent the business’ closure. Notifying employees before its closure would have jeopardized those efforts, the company said in filings with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In its filings, Falcon also attributed its failure to provide the required 60-day notice to “unforeseen circumstances relating to material impairment of operations and the inability to realize on outstanding receivables, including, without limitation, issues associated with Falcon’s largest customer closing several operations.” Most reports of Falcon’s closing attributed it to the shutdown of the General Motors Lordstown Complex in early March. GM built its Cruz sedan at the plant and was a major customer of Falcon, which had dry van and flatbed operations. – James Jaillet

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JOURNAL NEWS

Lawmakers support permanent ELD exemption for livestockers

block of 63 lawmakers in the U.S. House last month penned a letter to transportation appropriations leaders asking them to allow drivers hauling livestock and bees to remain exempt from compliance with the federal electronic logging device mandate through the 2020 fiscal year — Sept. 30, 2020. Livestock haulers have been exempt from the mandate since its onset in December 2017, with agriculture groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, American Farm Bureau, Livestock Marketing Association and beekeeper groups lobbying for truckers carrying livestock and bees to continue to use paper logs to record duty status.

The groups have argued the unique circumstances of livestock haulers and the need for animals to be stationed in a place with access to food and water as the chief reasons for the exemption. “Livestock haulers across the country have the difficult task of ensuring motorist safety while also tending to the health and welfare of animals transported,” the House members wrote in their letter. “A one-year delay on ELD implementation would allow livestock haulers time to adapt and address concerns as the existing hours-of-service rules are reconsidered.” Agriculture groups have petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Operation Safe Driver Week to focus on speeding

he Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Operation Safe Driver Week, which focuses on unsafe driving of CVSA’s annual Operation Safe Driver Week will be held July 14-20 with a both trucks and cars, is set for July focus on speeding. 14-20 and will focus on speeding. Law enforcement also will be looking for distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seatbelt, following too closely, improper lane change, reckless or aggressive driving, failure to obey traffic control devices, evidence of drunk or drugged driving and more. Last year, nearly 11,000 citations were issued to truck and bus drivers. Law enforcement pulled over or inspected more than 42,000 commercial vehicle drivers during 2018’s Operation Safe Driver Week and issued 10,709 citations and 29,908 warnings for unsafe driving. The top five citations were for violations of state and local laws (6,008 citations), speeding (1,908), not using a seatbelt (1,169), not obeying a traffic control device (754) and using a handheld phone (262). – CCJ Staff 16

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The groups have argued the need for animals to be stationed in a place with access to food and water as a chief reason for the exemption.

Administration and asked Congress to create HOS regulations specifically for livestock haulers. While FMCSA has yet to rule on a petition filed in February, livestock groups have scored continued short-term exemptions for livestock and bee haulers from Congress via annual appropriations bills. – James Jaillet

Colorado DOT to study hazmat use of I-70 tunnel

new law in Colorado requires the state Department of Transportation to conduct a study on whether trucks hauling hazardous materials should be allowed to drive through the Eisenhower-Edwin C. Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Interstate 70. Currently, trucks hauling hazmat are banned from using the 1.7-mile tunnel and must use Loveland Pass (U.S. 6) except when the pass is closed during adverse winter conditions. In these situations, Colorado DOT closes the tunnel to all other traffic and escorts the hazmat loads through the tunnel. The law, signed last month by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, requires CDOT to study the feasibility of allowing hazmat transportation through the tunnel and to report on whether and under what conditions hazmat through the tunnel should be allowed. The law calls for the report to be completed by Dec. 1, 2020. The trucking industry in Colorado is in favor of allowing hazmat trucks to use the tunnel due to the difficulty of traversing Loveland Pass, especially in the winter, said Greg Fulton, presiThe Colorado DOT will study the dent for the Colorado Motor feasibility of allowing hazmat Carrier Association. loads to travel through the – Matt Cole Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70.

JOURNAL NEWS

Bill would repeal federal excise tax on new trucks

egislation to repeal the federal excise tax on most new heavy-duty trucks and trailers was introduced in the U.S. House in late April. The FET is a 102-year-old tax originally created to help pay for World War I. The 12% excise tax often adds between $12,000 to $22,000 to the cost of a new truck purchase. The Modernize the Truck Fleet coalition, which represents a broad collection of businesses in the trucking industry, praised the legislation’s introduction and said it is committed to repealing the FET and identifying an acceptable replacement to sustain the Highway Trust Fund. “When the FET was introduced over 100 years ago, it was to help pay the costs of fighting World War I,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who introduced H.R. 2381, the Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act of 2019, with Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). “Today, it has quadrupled from 3 percent to 12 percent, and the Ottoman Empire is no longer around,” LaMalfa said. “It’s an outdated and unnecessary barrier that discourages truck buyers from upgrading to more modern, Ad.pdf It’s 1 also 4/8/19 8:33 AM percentagecleanerJune and AutoDeck safer vehicles. the highest

based tax that Congress imposes on any product, and it’s not even a reliable source of funding for the Highway Trust Fund.” H.R. 2381 has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration. MTF is urging Congress to include H.R. 2381 in an infrastructure modThe MTF coalition is commiternization bill as it advances ted to repealing the FET and broader legislation. identifying an acceptable “The federal excise tax is replacement to sustain the Highway Trust Fund. an outdated burden to small businesses looking to invest in our transportation industry,” Peterson said. Launched in January 2019, the MTF coalition includes the American Truck Dealers, National Tank Truck Carriers, National Trailer Dealers Association, NTEAthe Association for the Work Truck Industry, Truck Renting and Leasing Association and Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association. – CCJ Staff

CMY

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| june 2019 17

JOURNAL NEWS

Bill would restore company drivers’ per diem deduction

bill introduced in Congress would restore the per diem tax deduction benefit for company drivers that was eliminated by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The deduction saved drivers hundreds – if not thousands – a year in tax liability, depending on how many days a year they worked. The per diem changes instituted by the 2017 law did not affect owner-operators, who still can deduct per diem as a business expense. The Tax Fairness for Workers Act would, among other small changes to the 2017 tax reform package, allow drivers to deduct 80% of the federal per diem allowance (currently $66 a day) from their annual tax bill. The 2018 tax year, filings for which were due in mid-April, was the first year

that drivers could not take the deduction. The bill was introduced in their respective chambers by Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Conor Lamb, both Democrats from Pennyslvania. Their bill would allow company drivers to deduct their per diem if carriers do not provide per diem reimbursements. There’s been a growing trend, accelerated by the per diem changes in the 2017 law, for carriers to incorporate per diem pay into drivers’ pay packages, allowing drivers to take advantage of the benefit even if they can’t enter it as an income deduction for tax purposes. Under these pay packages, drivers still receive 80% of the per diem rate set by the IRS as tax-free earnings. The Senate bill has been filed to the

The bill would allow company drivers to deduct their per diem if carriers do not provide per diem reimbursements.

Senate’s Finance Committee, where it has 13 co-sponsors, all Democrats. The House bill has been filed to the Ways and Means Committee, where it has 12 co-sponsors, 11 Democrats and one Republican. The bill also would allow union dues to be deducted from taxable income. – James Jaillet

GAO recommends underride guard inspections, cost analysis

he U.S. Government Accountability Office last month released a new report on truck underride guards, offering four recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation about improving data collection, inspections and more for the devices. GAO’s study found that fatalities reported from underride crashes accounted for less than 1% of total traffic fatalities between 2008 and 2017. The audit, evaluation and investigative arm of Congress also found, however, that underride crash fatalities “are likely underreported due to a variability in state and local data collection.” The study notes that police officers responding to crashes don’t use a standard definition of an underride crash and that states’ crash report forms vary, with some not including a field for underride data. Given these variables, the group says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration likely 18

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

doesn’t have accurate data on underride crashes to support efforts to reduce traffic fatalities. As a result of its study, GAO made the following recommendations to DOT: • NHTSA should update the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria to provide a standardized definition of underride crashes and to include underride as a data field; • NHTSA should provide information to state and local law enforcement on how to identify and record underride crashes; • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration should revise its regulations to require that rear underride guards are inspected during annual commercial vehicle inspections; and • NHTSA should conduct additional research on side underride guards to better understand their effectiveness and costs and, if warranted, develop standards for their implementation.

GAO says NHTSA likely doesn’t have accurate data on underride crashes to support efforts to reduce traffic fatalities.

Regarding side underride guards, a bill was reintroduced in Congress in March that would mandate the guards on trailers if passed. During its study, GAO asked trucking industry stakeholders about the feasibility of side underride guards and was told there were concerns about the additional weight, trailer clearance with the guards and the effects on under-trailer equipment and access. – Matt Cole

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JOURNAL NEWS

FMCSA OKs alternate securement for ag commodities

Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director, said the two biggest takeaways from the report revolve around drivers and alternative-fuel vehicles.

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced in a Federal Register notice published FMCSA’s waiver alApril 15 that truck drivers hauling certain agricultural lows alternate cargo securement methods commodities now can use for certain agricultural alternate methods for cargo commodities. securement. FMCSA granted the waiver to the American Trucking Associations’ Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, which requested the exemption in January 2018. The waiver allows for alternate securement for agricultural commodities transported in wood and plastic boxes and large fiberglass tubs, or for hay, straw and cotton bales grouped into large singular units. FMCSA says the cargo securement requirements are met using the following methods: • For wood and plastic boxes and bins, AFTC proposed they should be secured by perimeter tiedowns used in pairs with corner irons, along with blocking at the front end of the trailer. Trailers 32 feet long or less also would require the use of at least one lateral tie-down in the center of the trailer, while trailers longer than 32 feet would require at least two lateral tie-downs. • The group also proposed that fiberglass tubs be secured with at least two perimeter tie-downs, one attached near the front right corner of the trailer crossing diagonally to the left rear corner of the tub, and one attached near the front left corner of the trailer and extending to the right rear corner of the tub. • Baled cotton, hay, straw and other similar commodities in horizontal bales would have to be secured with at least two parallel longitudinal tie-downs over the top of the load and by at least four cross tie-downs if loaded more than one tier high. Vertical bales would have to be secured with two perimeter tie-downs, and if those are stacked in two tiers, two longitudinal tie-downs should extend over the top of the load along with at least four cross tie-downs. The waiver is effective through April 15, 2024. – Matt Cole

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

NACFE: Regional hauls promote driver retention, e-commerce

he North American Council for Freight Efficiency last month released its latest report, “More Regional Haul: An Opportunity for Trucking?” “If you ask most people to define trucking, words like ‘over the road’ and ‘long haul’ are likely to be part of the description,” said Rick Mihelic, director of future technologies and study team manager for NACFE. “But the reality is that 45 percent of the Class 8 tractors produced today are daycabs, and a high percentage of those trucks are involved in regional-haul operations.” According to NACFE, a number of forces have come together that have the potential to lead to a more regional movement of goods. Those factors include driver hiring and retention, e-commerce growth, the push toward immediate delivery, growth in GPS-based asset tracking systems, advances in electric and hybrid vehicles, vehicle automation, innovations in load matching systems, increased use of long-combination vehicles, vehicle specialization and data collection and mining. The report also provides examples of the various types of regional-haul applications. Mike Roeth, executive director for NACFE, said the two biggest takeaways from the report revolve around drivers and alternative-fuel vehicles. “Regional operations mean drivers are more likely to get home on a regular basis, and that could help the industry with its driver recruitment and retention problem,” Roeth said. “Regional operations are also fertile ground for alternative-fuel vehicles, because by their very nature, they make it easier for fueling infrastructure for vehicles that use an energy source other than gasoline or diesel fuel to be installed.” The report is available at NACFE.org. NACFE also is planning a fuel economy demonstration for regional fleets this fall. Run on Less Regional is being modeled after NACFE’s Run on Less event in 2017 in which seven long-haul trucks averaged 10.1 mpg. – CCJ Staff

JOURNAL NEWS

FMCSA set to expand pilot program for under-21 interstate truckers

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced a proposal to expand its pilot program for commercial driver’s license holders under the age of 21 to operate in interstate operations. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association announced its opposition to expanding the program, while the American Trucking Associations expressed its support. In a Federal Register notice published May 15, FMCSA is asking for public comments on a potential interstate pilot program for nonmilitary-trained drivers under the age of 21. There is already a pilot program in the works for 18-to20-year-old CDL holders with military driving experience to drive across state lines. FMCSA says its request for public comments is to help it determine if it should expand the pilot program and, if so, the program’s parameters. Some of the main topics the agency is seeking information on include: • Available data on the safety performance of under-21 intrastate truckers; • Concerns over insuring under-21 drivers for both intrastate and interstate commerce; • Minimum training requirements for drivers in the pilot program; • What kind of supervision should be required; • Training requirements for mentors, supervisors or codrivers; • If participating carriers should be required to establish a formal apprenticeship program; • Time or distance restrictions on younger drivers; • If younger drivers should be prohibited from hauling hazmat and oversize/overweight; • Standards for carriers and drivers to participate in the pilot; • How to handle drivers in the pilot who are convicted of violations while operating interstate; • When to determine if a driver or carrier should be removed from the program; and • If FMCSA should require safety equipment or onboard recording systems in the pilot. Comments can be filed at Regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0346. Also, both chambers of Congress have introduced Drive Safe Act legislation that would allow CDL holders under the age of 21 to drive interstate, but neither bill has seen action since they were introduced in February. OOIDA has opposed previous regulatory and legislative

FMCSA is asking for public comments on a potential interstate pilot program for nonmilitary-trained drivers under the age of 21.

efforts to allow younger interstate drivers and last year signed a coalition letter opposing the Drive Safe Act and similar bills, citing them as detrimental to highway safety. “Rather than developing ways to allow more teenagers behind the wheel of commercial trucks, the federal government should be taking steps to reverse the incessantly high driver turnover rate, which remains above 90 percent among large truckload carriers,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA president. “Efforts should focus on improving the industry instead of trying to hire more cheap labor.” OOIDA contends that younger drivers generally lack the maturity and experience to operate a CMV safely. “Launching this pilot program would go against FMCSA’s goal of improving highway safety,” Spencer said. “The agency should not be used as a tool for large motor carriers to expand their driver pool instead of fixing the problems that have led to their extremely high turnover rates. If highway safety is the priority, the age should go up, not down. Instead of efforts to entice the least experienced, the focus should be on hiring and retaining the most experienced drivers, not expanding the funnel of driver churn.” ATA, however, said it supported FMCSA’s efforts to expand its current work examining younger commercial drivers. “Right now, 18-, 19- and 20-year-old drivers are driving trucks in the United States,” said Chris Spear, ATA president and chief executive officer. “What these pilot programs will do is set out a path for these drivers to fully participate in our industry by allowing them to drive interstate. Allowing younger drivers, who are already moving goods intrastate, to drive interstate is a common-sense step that has support not just from the trucking industry but from a broad coalition. With FMCSA’s proposed pilot project and the bipartisan support for the Drive Safe Act in Congress, we hope we will soon create a path for more young people to fully participate in our industry.” – Matt Cole commercial carrier journal

| june 2019 21

■ PA R T N E R S O L U T I O N S / V O LV O T R U C K S

FUELING A NEW

APPROACH

Tom MacDonald Trucking increases productivity and driver comfort with Volvo VNL and its new D13TC technology Nova Scotia’s Tom MacDonald Trucking is built on a family tradition of mutual trust and communication. “Our name has always been our trademark, our signature,” says Ryan MacDonald, president and general manager of Tom MacDonald Trucking Ltd. “When people see our trucks, it’s unmistakable who they belong to and what they stand for. That gives our company, and our family, a great sense of pride.” Ryan’s father, Tom MacDonald, started with just one dump truck — hauling rock, gravel, and sand — and slowly built that operation to two trucks, then three. “I can remember stories my mother told me about them having to find co-signers to help with financing to get that second and third truck. It wasn’t all that easy back then.” But Tom believed in a strong work ethic, and that determination helped grow the company to its current fleet of more than 20 trucks, delivering dairy

and frozen goods all over Newfoundland. Ryan MacDonald started out washing trucks at age 12, then slowly but surely worked his way up to making deliveries and working dispatch. Now he has stepped into his father’s role full-time, with operations help from his brother Glen. MacDonald’s first challenge was reducing operational costs. “Fuel is, by far, our biggest expense. It’s something we monitor on a weekly basis.” With a fleet of trucks that each travel roughly 125,000 miles per year, improving fuel efficiency is what led him to Volvo Trucks. “Last August we had the privilege of visiting Volvo Trucks’ Customer Center in Dublin, Virginia, where they showcased the VNL, featuring the new turbo compounding engine. The new technology immediately had my attention.”

“Every truck that we replace with a VNL, we’re seeing upwards of 2 miles per gallon fuel savings.” RYAN MACDONALD, PRESIDENT, TOM MACDONALD TRUCKING

Tom MacDonald Trucking driver Darren Youden has more than a decade of experience hauling freight. The new VNL has quickly become his favorite truck to drive.

Quick look President and GM: Ryan MacDonald

Started: 1965

Employees: 60, including 45 drivers

Major load: dairy, dry & frozen goods

Trucks: 45 (55% Volvo)

Territories covered: United States & Canada

Based in: Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia, Canada

TE XT: JOHN POPE PHOTO: JOHN RUTH

The VNL’S D13TC engine captures and harnesses energy normally lost through the exhaust and converts it into mechanical energy. Paired with Volvo’s new I-Shift technology, owners can expect to see up to 7.5% fuel efficiency improvement, as well as increased power. MacDonald saw the VNL as a smart long-term investment and decided to order five units. More than a year since, he has no regrets. “Every truck that we replace with a VNL, we’re seeing upwards of 2 miles per gallon fuel savings, which accumulates to over $20,000 savings per truck each year. That’s money we can reinvest in our drivers by increasing their wages, their pension plan, and other incentives that help retain and attract new drivers.” Keeping drivers satisfied and on the job has always been an essential part of Tom MacDonald Trucking’s success. “Drivers are the face of the

company. They’re the first ones to meet the customer and it’s important to maintain the drivers and those relationships,” MacDonald says. Aside from the significant fuel savings the VNL offers, he knew Volvo’s innovations in driver comfort and productivity would be well-received back home. Darren Youden, a long-haul driver for the past 10 years, can attest to the difference the new trucks have made for his ride. “I was a little leery about making a change. But a week after my first run, I knew I was in love. I wouldn’t go back to anything else.” Youden says interior features such as the reclining bunk and fold-out table increase space and functionality, giving him a new ability to prepare and eat all his meals in the truck. By choosing to invest in the latest technologies for his drivers, MacDonald has been able to continue the tradition his father started that helps define what success looks like for Tom MacDonald Trucking. “We want to provide [for our employees] while they are drivers and also provide for them and their family after they retire. They are more than just our team members. They are an extension of our family.” MacDonald speaks with great reverence about his father, who still lives on the island and spends his retirement building boats and working on projects around the community. When asked what motivated a man who never finished high school to build his own company and inspire his children to join him, Ryan MacDonald offers a simple explanation: “My father is always trying to figure out how to lift things that are too heavy.” When you think of where Tom MacDonald Trucking began, it’s a perfect summation of how this family-run business continues to find success. ■

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

BY JASON CANNON

Dangerous confusion

Automated driving, self-driving aren’t the same

espite some of the videos you may see on social media, cars and trucks do not drive themselves and likely won’t for a long time. There are important distinctions between the six levels of autonomous driving and “self-driving,” and a lot of people haven’t figured that out. SAE International categorizes autonomous driving in levels 0-5. The higher the number, the less a human has to do behind the wheel. Level 5 is what would be considered self-driving, since to meet Level 5 criteria, the system would have to be able to drive in all weather and traffic conditions and wouldn’t require human interaction for any reason. Level 2-enabled systems now are being deployed widely but are wrapped up in the sexiness of the term “self-driving.” They’re being abused by some users through either sheer ignorance or an overreliance on not-ready-forprimetime technology. The systems that enable safe and predictable self-driving simply do not exist yet, and stretching Level 2 technology to Level 5 performance is both irresponsible and dangerous, because the computer is relying on its human for support — support that in a deadly crash in Florida in 2016 was watching a Harry Potter movie. “From a [self-driving] perception standpoint, TOMORROW’S TECH: Cars and trucks likely won’t drive themselves for a long time. NOT READY: Level 2 is being abused by some either through ignorance or overreliance.

MISLEADING TERM: “Self-driving” nullifies both the driver’s training and what they are doing.

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

Freightliner’s autonomous systems monitor lane markings and the traffic ahead and can handle some steering input and throttle and brake application. Each is a layer of technology designed to assist the driver, not replace them.

you naturally assume you don’t have to interact with the system, that the system is going to do everything that it needs to do regardless of what’s going on around the surrounding environment,” says Clint LaPreze, Freightliner’s On-Highway Marketing manager. “Whereas with automated driving, we’re automating certain features of that operation.” Tesla’s AutoPilot system, arguably the most publicized and certainly among the most technologically advanced platforms available, currently doesn’t do anything remarkably different from the Detroit Assurance-enabled Level 2-capable 2020 Freightliner Cascadia. It just has a flashy name that insinuates that it does — and legions of devotees that will swear that it does. “The danger of calling it ‘self-driving’ is that it nullifies the training and what the drivers are doing,” says Collin Shaw, Wabco’s director of marketing and business development for North America. Trucking’s migration toward automated driving has been compared to the airline industry’s use of an auto-pilot system, but T.J. Thomas, director of Bendix’s Customer Solutions and Marketing-Controls Group, notes that even

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a fleet’s with auto-pilot recipe for fully failure: engaged, The expectation there are stillthat twoa flesh-and-blood new hire should people hit the shop in the cockpit floor with at all a level times ofhandling expertiseacomparable variety of tasks to employees related to with safe flying. several years of seniority; “Whenayou lackrefer of a mentoring to it as automated, program;there and aare management still thingsteam thatthat maydoesn’t be different than understand today’s whatgeneration. a typical driver is used to doing, but somebody who On average, is working it costs more with than a more $8,000 highly to find automated and hire a technician.system Havingstill a person has a number dedicatedoftoroles onboarding to fill,” that employee Shaw – ingraining says. “Maybe themwhen in your it comes cultureto – is a critical. more highly automated vehicle, it’s not so “Does that much kid not on know the driving, what he’s butdoing, monitoring or does and he just do it different understanding than the way what’s youhappening do it?” Arrants in the said. New technicians environment often closely [and] follow understanding a manufacturer’s what’s recommendation happening or procedure with your — cargo. the textbook ” way. However, in the I’ve“real driven world” – or–iswhere it ridden? speed – using and uptime both are of morethe emphasis Tesla and than Freightliner process – the systems. perception Their may be that the new function employee is mostly is slow similar, or lacking including skill.baked-in Baptizingwarnings new hiresthat in “your beg the way” driver is an toongoing re-engage part if of their career they development remove theirand hands an important from the steering part of reducing turnover, wheel for Arrants an extended said. period of time. Tabbed as the If the “participation system trulytrophy” was self-driving, generation,it Millennials have wouldn’t gotten arequire bum rap theindriver the workplace, to prove they’re Arrants said, addingalert, that and it takes theaguy willingness watchingofHarry the employer Potter to learn how tothree manage yearsthe agogroup. might not have slid under“They only neath want a semi-trailer two basic things, at highway ” he said. speed. “They want a clean, safe work environment, but more “The than driveranything is still active else, they in thewant seat,to ” feel like they’re part of the family. They’re LaPreze very talented, says about and current they are commercially loyal, but they expect a few things from you.” available autonomous technology. “The drivUnlike the generations before them, er is most still the Millennials number-one value safety personal feature time in the more than money and as such mayvehicle, be unmotivated and they’re bygoing overtime to have pay,control Arrantsof it. The said.difference Incentivesbetween such as compensation automated systems time or in lieu automated of overtime taskspay versus mayself-drivbecome ing an increasingly is the perception important of how benefit somebody’s in attracting going young to assume talent, a certain he said.technology works Competition or does not among work.fleets ” for new technician talent is fierce, and simply showing Both the upTesla at a career and Freightliner day isn’t going systems to cutmonitor it, Arrants lanesaid. markings and the traffic ahead “Recruit and can in the handle beginning some steering [of the school input year], and throttle not theand end, brake ” he said. application. “Don’t Each wait for is aalayer career offair technology where you’ll designed be one toof assist 45 others. the driver, Go to not thereplace schoolthem. when school Despite starts. that, ” you still see numerous YouTube videos of Tesla drivers reading books, Getting sleeping involved in the earlier backseat in theor,student’s as cameeducation to light recentalso ly, producing helps shape their an X-rated potential film career afterpath, assigning Arrants responsibility said. forThe driving deeper to their you can vehicle. imbed your operation in a local technical The factprogram, these vehicles the more in some likelycases that handle school will this proextra responsibility duce the skillset is more you need, attributable and theto more lucklikely than you’ll to the be system’s able to hang sophistication. on to its graduates. JASON CANNON is Equipment Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcannon@randallreilly.com or call (205) 248-1175.

Nikoladebuts Dana to showcase e-axle on F-550 hydrogen tractor

N A

ikola n all-electric Motor Co. Ford ’s hydrogen-electric F-550 built semi-truck by Dana and will Motiv takeattracted center stage plenty early of attention next year in as late the cornerstone April at the Advanced of a three-day Clean Transportation event the company will use to showcase its Expo capabilities in Long and technologies. Beach, “Nikola Calif. World” is set for mid-April 2019 in Phoenix, Dana’s new the city that serves as the company’s TM4 headquarters. e-Axle, The first two days, April 16 and which 17, are was invitation-onlyDana’s for Nikola TM4 reservation e-Axle is designed for easy unveiled holders, suppliers, at the media and investors. The installation. show, final day, turns April the18, will be open to the public. dual A pre-production wheels at version of the company’s the hydrogen-electric rear. A 112kWh Nikola battery Two system will share produced day by oneBMW with the provides unveiling 350 of volts, a 2.3-megawatt which gets the truck hydrogen up tostation a top speed and the ofNikola aroundNZT 70 mph. 4X4. Range Demonstration is rated atdrives 90 miles, andand hydrogen gradeability filling tops will take out at place around the next 20 percent. day. On April 18, the public “It’s is open invited to different to see thedesign zero-emissions changes and trucks available and NZT forinany action. Class 4, 5 platform,” said Registration Adam Erickson, to the free applications event will open onengineer for line Dec. Dana.3. ––Jason Jason Cannon

CityFreighter touts Self-driving truck medium-duty e-truck maker expanding

C T

ityFreighter uSimple, a self-driving debuted itssystems fully-electric provider, medium-duty has been testing CF1 its Level truck 4atClass the 2019 8 autonomous ACT Expo. trucks Suited in Arizona for last-mile for more requirements, than a year and the truck recently hasbegan compact hauling dimensions freight for-profit of 21-bywith 9-by-7 commercial feet, a five-ton carriers GVWR, in theastate. keyless operation Earlier this andyear, a 100-mile TuSimple driving expanded range.its testing The payload facilities in Tucson from 6,800 to 50,000 capacitysquare is 2.4 feet, and next year, the company tons and plans 710 to grow its footprint further. To support cubic feet, itsboth development program, TuSimple projects based onitawill 17-create 500 jobs across a variety of inch fields low-floor ranging from engineering to autonoCityFreighter’s mous design. To truckachieve driving and office management. CF1 connects to The that,Tucson the rearexpansion axle has a projected total route-optimization andbillion goods-tracking economic is equippedimpact with of $1.1 over the next five an electric years. air sus- systems. pension The company designedalso plans to expand its U.S. autonomous to avoid the need fleet for to 200 an electric trucks in lift2019. system, TuSimple reduce loading/unloading said that with 500 trucks times worldwide, and lessen it driver will have strain. the world’s largest autonomous truck fleet. – Jason Jason Cannon Cannon

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | october | june 2019 2018

25 21

INBRIEF • Meritor Inc. is acquiring AxleTech, a privately-held technology company that designs, engineers, manufactures, sells and services off-highway defense, specialty and aftermarket suspensions, axles and braking and drivetrain systems and components. Meritor said the $175 million cash transaction leverages its core competencies to grow strategically in adjacent markets. AxleTech generated $248 million in revenue in 2018. • Chanje, a provider of sustainable lastmile industry systems, partnered with Thermo King to create a fully integrated refrigerated version of its V8100 all-electric last-mile delivery van. The Chanje van uses a Thermo King V-520 RT refrigeration unit and ThermoLite solar panels. • Mack Trucks made a battery refresher standard on all models to help reduce and reverse the effects of sulfation and enhance lead-acid battery life and performance. The truck maker also announced that a redesigned grille for its Pinnacle model will begin production in the third quarter of 2019. • Daimler Truck Financial and Western Star extended through 2019 their Western Star VetStar Military Appreciation program, which offers U.S. veterans and active military personnel up to a $2,000 match on a down payment for a new Western Star truck financed through DTF. The program was introduced in 2016, and the companies say it has empowered military veterans nationwide to launch their own trucking businesses, aiding their return to civilian life. • Hendrickson is expanding its Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems operations in Northeastern Ohio and will build its sixth trailer suspension plant on a 35acre property. The $50 million facility will house axle and suspension manufacturing operations and will be the company’s 11th U.S. manufacturing site. • ENow, a clean-technology company specializing in renewable energy systems, launched its Solar System Test Program to reduce costs for truck fleets interested in testing its mobile solar products. New customers and current customers with new applications, such as liftgate battery charging, can receive full credit for solar systems purchased for a test. Customers also can use ENow test management and analysis services for free.

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

Kenworth breaks ground on $140M paint facility

ith company officials and state dignitaries in attendance, Kenworth officially broke ground on a state-of-thePaccar and Kenworth officials are art paint facility at its Class 8 plant in joined by state dignitaries to break Chillicothe, Ohio. The truck OEM said the ground on Kenworth’s $140 million $140 million investment will help the truck paint facility at its Class 8 production facility in Chillicothe, Ohio. OEM alleviate bottlenecks and increase production capacity. The new paint facility will use the latest paint technology and environmental controls, including rotary spray guns that user less paint and thinner, paint systems that will increase first-pass yield and emissions-control systems that will improve the plant’s environmental footprint by reducing VOC emissions by 80 percent. The Chillicothe plant, which produces all of Kenworth’s T680, T880 and W990 trucks and tractors for the U.S. and Canadian markets, achieved record production volumes in 2018 with 39,800 units built. “These are exciting times at the factory, as we are running lately at record build rates,” said Rod Spencer, plant manager. “This investment is key to laying the foundation for future growth.” With more than $200 million invested in its Chillicothe factory in the last five years, the paint facility is the latest upgrade that also includes new manufacturing systems, lighting and a $33 million automated cab assembly system that will be operational this summer. “These continued investments will ensure the Chillicothe operation remains well-positioned to support continued market share growth through state-of-theart technologies supporting our world-class product,” said Mike Dozier, Paccar vice president and Kenworth general manager. The expansion will improve Kenworth’s paint capacity by 50 percent and allow the company to trim its current paint operation from three shifts to two – matching shifts in the rest of the Chillicothe plant operations – while increasing efficiency and helping to manage production cycle peaks. “Chillicothe is a great place for Paccar and Kenworth to build trucks,” said Harrie Schippers, Paccar president and chief financial officer. “It is close to our customers and our major supply base and highly skilled employees. The paint facility we are breaking ground on today is the latest phase of our strategy to ensure Chillicothe’s vital role to increase production of our market-leading products.” Dozier said Kenworth’s Class 8 order board remains strong, with current available build slots pushed out to the end of 2019 and into 2020. In 2018, the company turned in a 15 percent Class 8 market share in the U.S. and Canadian markets. “Economic fundamentals remain strong,” Schippers said, citing the current order backlog. “Even if orders were at a really low level, I would still expect us to start 2020 with a busy production schedule.” – Jeff Crissey

All Makes, All Models – Ready for the Road Ahead™

Find your nearest FleetPride location: 800-967-6206 • FleetPride.com

INBRIEF • Meritor Inc. will supply all-electric drivetrain systems under its Blue Horizon technology brand for 38 terminal tractors to be used at the ports of Long Beach and Oakland in California. The tractors will be equipped with TransPower-designed drive, powertrain, accessory and energy storage subsystems that work in tandem with Meritor axles and brakes. • Continental initiated an apprenticeship program for more than 1,200 students in Norfolk, Neb. The program is designed for Norfolk High juniors and seniors with a 2.5 GPA or higher who are part of the school’s autobody or metal careers academy. Apprentices will be paid for their work. • Fuso announced that A. Duie Pyle, a provider of asset- and nonasset-based transportation and supply chain offerings throughout the Northeast, now is using two electric-powered medium-duty eCanter trucks at its service center in Bronx, N.Y., to service urban-delivery routes in the surrounding New York metropolitan and Long Island areas. The silent emissions-free eCanter has a modular HV battery pack and a permanent synchronous e-motor and delivers an output of 185kW. • SAF-Holland, a manufacturer of trailer suspension and axle systems, truck suspensions, fifth wheels, landing gear and coupling products, will open a western region aftermarket distribution center in Phoenix in September. The nearly 45,000-square-foot facility will allow the company to supply replacement parts to distributors and dealers more efficiently in tandem with its current DC in Cincinnati. • Paccar Parts opened a new 160,000-square-foot parts distribution center in Toronto. The company said the facility will help increase uptime for fleets based in the metropolitan area. • Paccar redesigned its Paccar Powertrain website at PaccarPowertrain.com to aid customers in their search for the latest product information on Paccar engines, transmissions and axles. The company said the website features new videos and updated literature supported by enhanced navigation and mobile-responsive design to provide seamless access on any device.

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

Toyota, Kenworth unveil fuel-cell electric T680

oyota, Kenworth, the Port of Los Angeles and the California Air Resources Board last month unveiled the first of Toyota and Kenworth’s jointly developed zero-emissions fuel-cell electric heavy-duty trucks. The next-generation zeroThe fuel-cell electric truck uses the Kenworth T680 emissions truck expands on Class 8 model combined with Toyota’s fuel-cell the capabilities of Toyota’s electric technology. first two Project Portal proofof-concept trucks through enhanced capability, packaging and performance while offering an estimated range of more than 300 miles per fill, twice that of a typical drayage truck’s average daily duty cycle. Toyota and Kenworth will deploy 10 trucks as part of the Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities Project, hauling cargo received at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach throughout the L.A. Basin. “Toyota is committed to fuel-cell electric technology as a powertrain for the future, because it’s a clean, scalable platform that can meet a broad range of mobility needs with zero emissions,” said Bob Carter, executive vice president of automotive operations for Toyota. “The ZANZEFF collaboration and the innovative ‘Shore-to Store’ project allow us to move heavy-duty truck fuel-cell electric technology toward commercialization.” Since operations began in April 2017, the Project Portal “Alpha” and “Beta” proof-of-concept Class 8 trucks have logged more than 14,000 miles of testing and real-world drayage operations in and around the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach while emitting only water vapor. The first Kenworth/Toyota fuel-cell electric truck under the ZANZEFF project will begin drayage operations in the fourth quarter. The fuel-cell electric truck uses the Kenworth T680 Class 8 model combined with Toyota’s fuel-cell electric technology and is part of the ZANZEFF project. “The collaboration between the Port of Los Angeles, Kenworth, Toyota and Shell is providing an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the viability of fuel-cell electric technology in both drayage service and regional-haul commercial vehicle applications operating in Southern California,” said Mike Dozier, general manager for Kenworth Truck Co. and Paccar vice president. “The performance of the 10 Kenworth Class 8 trucks being developed under this program is targeted to meet or exceed that of a diesel-powered truck while producing water as the only emissions byproduct.” The trucks will move cargo from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports throughout the Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, the Port of Hueneme and eventually to Merced. The trucks will be operated by Toyota Logistics Services (4), UPS (3), Total Transportation Services Inc. (2) and Southern Counties Express (1). – Jason Cannon

Autocar rolls out first new conventional in three decades

utocar Trucks last month introduced its DC-64R, a purpose-built severe-duty refuse truck and the first new conventional truck for the brand in 31 years. The Autocar DC-64R features ultra-high-strength 160,000-psi steel frame rails designed for lightweight strength and to eliminate the need for frame liners in nearly all refuse applications. Eric Schwartz, managing director for Autocar, said the cab’s workspace maximizes productivity for drivers of all body types, with everything visible and within easy reach. “The cab also easily fits three, so work crews can get to and from their routes comfortably,” Schwartz said. “Our unique raked windshield provides exceptional visibility for safety, and the interior uses authentic materials like a full steel structure inside the dashboard and aluminum sheets as dash panels. Even the interior door handles are aluminum tubes, not plastic. The totally new cab structure is built from a combination of steel, judiciously chosen aluminum components and corner castings to withstand years of refuse abuse.” The DC-64R joins the ACX and ACMD cabover trucks and the ACTT terminal tractor as Autocar’s fourth line. The new truck also represents the rebirth of Autocar’s DC, first intro-

The DC-64R joins the ACX and ACMD cabover trucks and the ACTT terminal tractor as Autocar’s fourth line.

duced by the company in 1939 as its premier severe-duty and, revolutionary for the time, diesel-powered work truck. “One of the things we’re most proud of, because it will make a big difference in our customers’ business, is our totally upgraded electric system to resist the worst the garbage business can dish out,” said James Johnston, president for Autocar. “The DC also brings our customers the Autocar Always Up display, with game-changing one-touch diagnostics. It actually tells the operator or technician what fault has occurred and shows them how to fix it. It gets trucks back into service and making money faster than anything anyone has had before.” – Jason Cannon

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commercial carrier journal

4:06 PM june 4/22/19 2019 29

Tesla production slated for 2020

hen Tesla debuted its electric Semi tractor in late 2017, the company set a production target of 2019. After posting first-quarter financial losses of more than $700 million in late April, the company said it now plans to start production of its Class 8 in 2020. “Next year, we will start production,” said Jerome Guillen, president for Tesla Automotive. “We are very happy with driving the trucks extensively with, I think, so far quite amazing success.” The prototype Semis used to deliver some of its Model 3 sedans “are working amazingly well,” said Elon Musk, chief executive officer for Tesla. Guillen added, “We load them to maximum weight and continue to make improvements.” The company hasn’t confirmed order figures for the Semi in nearly a year. In May 2018, Musk pegged the figure at “about 2,000” units. Where the Semi will be built has not yet been determined, but Guillen noted “it’s pretty clear that we make all the batteries, and [the company is] driving it” in Sparks, Nev., home to Tesla’s Gigafactory. Jonathan Chang, general counsel for Tesla, said the company planned to finalize its acquisition of San Diego-based ultracapacitor and battery company Maxwell in May. – Jason Cannon

UPS, FedEx, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, J.B. Hunt and Walmart are among the carriers said to be reserving Semis.

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

BYD delivers e-refuse truck

uild Your Dreams last month delivered a BYD 8R Class 8 Automated Side Loader all-electric refuse collection truck to Waste Resources for Waste Resources’ all-electric refuse collection truck features a cab, chassis and propulsion system built service in City of Carson, Calif. by BYD and an ASL body built by Amrep. The heavy-duty truck features BYD’s propriety electric propulsion system designed for refuse collection. Waste Resources’ truck features a cab, chassis and propulsion system built by BYD and an ASL body built by Amrep, a Wastequip company. “Waste Resources is a forward-thinking company that is embracing zero-emissions technology for the benefit of the communities it serves,” said John Gerra, director of electric truck business development for BYD. “We’re very happy with the great work that Amrep does to help provide our customers with state-of-theart zero-emissions electric trucks.” Waste Resources also has placed orders for an additional three units, including another 8R Class 8 and two 6R Class 6 electric refuse trucks. BYD said its electric trucks are clean and quiet with less vibration, giving operators a better driving experience. With fewer moving parts than carbon-burning trucks, the trucks are easier to maintain and more cost-effective to operate, according to the company. – Jason Cannon

Allison buys Vantage Power, AxleTech division

llison Transmission Holdings last month announced the acquisitions of Vantage Power and AxleTech’s electric vehicle systems division. Terms were Allison said its acquisinot announced. tions of Vantage Power and AxleTech’s electric Vantage Power specializes in developing electrified vehicle systems division propulsion and connected vehicle technologies for complement its existing medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers and capabilities to advance electrification adoption in suppliers, with a focus on battery technology developcommercial vehicles. ment, vehicle integration and control systems, as well as vehicle connectivity and telemetry. AxleTech designs, engineers, manufactures, sells and services axles and integrated electrified axles for on- and off-highway heavy-duty commercial vehicles. The company also develops advanced powertrain systems, axles, components and aftermarket parts for global customers. “Vantage Power’s entrepreneurial spirit and technological advancements complement our strategic priorities to meet and exceed our customers’ demands,” said David Graziosi, president and chief executive officer for Allison Transmission. “AxleTech’s highly integrated solutions in the EV space and their presence in Allison’s end markets complement our position as a leading propulsion solutions provider.” – Jason Cannon

Daimler’s Nielsen: Industry must make battery-electric trucks viable

here is no business case today for battery-electric trucks, but the industry must work to change that. That was the message from Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer for Daimler Trucks North America, during his keynote address at ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Nielsen called on industry leaders and government officials to come together to help drive the adoption of battery-electric trucks, which he said face high upfront costs, charging infrastructure challenges and slow product development schedules. “Unfortunately, there is no business case today for a sane, sober customer to buy a battery-electric truck,” Nielsen said to a large crowd that gathered for the general session that preceded the exhibit hall’s opening. He cited a lacking charging infrastructure as a core concern.

“We must work together toward a common battery-electric charging infrastructure, and as we do that, we must keep working with the end user in mind,” he said. Product development schedules that typically average seven years from inception to rolling out of the factory need to be changed drastically, said Nielsen, who credited Daimler’s in-house research and development teams, or “swarms” as he calls them, for quickly bringing the company’s eM2 and eCascadia trucks to market. “Today, it is impossible to thrive in our industry with such lengthy building cycles,” he said. “Society demands faster change, our customers demand faster change, and we have responded.” High battery costs and weight also pose problems for fleet adoption. “Boy,

Roger Nielsen, DTNA president and CEO, discussed the viability of battery-electric trucks during his keynote address at ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

are they expensive,” Nielsen said. “They’re heavy, and they’re large.” More government incentives are needed to help spur additional R&D and fleet adoption, he said. “The incentives help and give us all in the industry a chance to scale up.” Daimler currently is playing a leading role in the Charging Interface Initiative, or Char-In, to help roll out standardized charging stations for heavy-duty trucks. – Tom Quimby

commercial carrier journal

june 2019

EQUIPMENT

Mack debuts electric LR refuse model

ack Trucks last month debuted an all-electric version of its LR refuse truck, a batterypowered model that will begin testing next year by the New York City Department of Sanitation. The truck produces zero tailpipe emissions and is “powerful, yet quiet,” said Jonathan Randall, senior vice president of marketing for Mack. The electric LR’s powertrain consists of two 130kW motors, a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission and a proprietary S522R 52,000-lb. rear axle. The truck features a copper-colored Bulldog hood ornament, signifying that it’s an electric vehicle. All of the LR BEV’s accessories, including the hydraulic systems for the Heil DuraPack 5000 body, are driven electrically through 12volt, 24-volt and 600-volt Mack Trucks unveiled its all-electric LR refuse model at the WasteExpo in Las Vegas. circuits. Four NMC lithium-ion batteries are charged via a 150kW SAE J1772-compliant charging system. Randall said New York’s sanitation department is an “ideal choice” to receive the first unit for real-world testing. In addition to being one of Mack’s largest customers, refuse and recycling collection are suited for electric vehicles, as they have predetermined routes and return to base after every shift, removing concerns about range and charging locations. Frequent starts and stops also provide regenerative braking opportunities to recapture energy, and since the trucks produce no emissions and are quieter, they can be operated at night. Randall said the electric LR, which was unveiled at the WasteExpo in Las Vegas, “is the latest example of Mack’s leadership within the refuse and recycling industry.” – CCJ Staff 32

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

Heavy-haul trailer

Fontaine Heavy-Haul’s Magnitude 55L Lowbed Trailer is built for haulers that do not need a spread-axle setup and want to maximize their payload. The trailer’s close-coupled operation allows for a design that’s 2,000 pounds lighter, so if a hauler needs only three or four axles close-coupled, the trailer is capable of an additional ton of payload and is built to handle 55 tons in 13 feet. Fabricated with 100,000-pound minimum-yield steel flanges, the trailer has a 26-foot clear deck length and a loaded deck height of 18 inches with 6 inches of ground clearance. A hydraulic removable gooseneck is engineered for quick connection and disconnection. A wide variety of accessories are available. fontaineheavyhaul.com

Wide-base all-position tire

Cooper’s Severe Series WBA is a mixedservice wide-base all-position tire suited for harsh operating conditions encountered by mixers and dump trucks. The tire is available in 385/65R22.5 and 425/65R22.5 sizes, both load range L, and features a five-rib design with 23/32nds of tread and a zigzag rib in the center engineered for added traction and cornering in slippery construction sites. Cut-, chip- and chunk-resistant compounds combined with the company’s Scrub Guard technology help the tire withstand scrubbing and curbing and maintain casing integrity. Notched circumferential ribs and stone ejector ledges help reduce and prevent the penetration of sharp rocks and stones, and grooved walls contain a dual shelf to aid in tread stability and minimize squirm when cornering. Tie bars help stabilize the center rib to enhance driving performance. coopertire.com

Drive retread

Bridgestone’s Bandag BLSS Drive Retread is designed for on- and offroad severe-service applications. A specialized tread compound helps resist cutting and chipping and deliver long-lasting life with added grip. A deep 32/32-inch tread provides more volume for longer wear, while the company’s stone rejection technology facilitates added durability. bridgestoneamericas.com

EQUIPMENT

All-weather mixed-service tire

Toyo’s M655 all-weather mixedservice tire for on- and off-road local and regional applications is suited for both the drive and steer positions and features the company’s 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol on its sidewall, indicating its ability to perform in snow and ice. The wide tread features aggressive blocks with multi-wave sipes to help optimize traction, while the combination of saddle notches and stone ejectors help support the blocks to retain overall stiffness while evacuating potentially harmful stones and debris. A cut- and chip-resistant tread compound and an aggressive sidewall protector both facilitate added durability on harsh roads, and Toyo’s proprietary e-balance casing technology enhances stability and longevity under heavy loads. The tire is available in sizes 225/70R19.5 14-ply and 245/70R19.5 16-ply. toyotires.com/commercial

Corrosion inhibitor

Cortec’s EcoShield 386 Water Based Coating Powered by Nano VpCI is a water- and acrylic-based corrosion inhibitor that uses a mixture of nano-sized nontoxic organic inhibitors formulated to protect metal in harsh outdoor conditions from UV exposure and salt spray. The thin high-gloss clear coat allows for ongoing visual inspection. cortecvci.com

LED indicator

APEM’s rear-mounting QRM6 LED Indicator is the latest addition to its 6mm QRM Series and is suited for harsh environments with its IP67 sealing and in applications where space constraints are an issue. The lightweight low-profile 2- to 28-volt indicator features a matte black finish and comes in standard, hyperbright, superbright and bi-color LEDs. A D-shaped bush helps impede rotation. apem.com

Roof-mount CNG system

Momentum’s roof-mount configuration for its compressed natural gas fuel system is designed for Class 6-8 refuse trucks. The lightweight system is available in both four-tank 70 diesel-gallon-equivalent and five-tank 87 DGE configurations. It is fabricated with high-strength steel and lightweight aluminum and made of nanoparticle-enhanced matrix resin technology. The system’s fuel management module houses the electronics, fuel filter and fuel-fill receptacles and is located where the driver fuels the truck. Constructed with a powdercoated exterior finish and Huck-bolted access cover, the system incorporates O-ring fittings, gauges, fill ports and valves with a filter access through the bottom. Fuel use is improved due to a fuel pressure regulator with a high-capacity filter designed to enable the vehicle to operate from 3,600 pounds per square inch when full to a minimum 230 psi. momentumfueltechnologies.com

Lift axle control module

IMI’s Intelligent Lift Axle Control Module is designed to consistently deploy and retract lift axles to the correct pressure settings, helping to eliminate driver guesswork, reduce the risk of overload fines and improve safety. The ILACM is an enhancement to IMI’s Norgren Lift Axle Control Module that is engineered to withstand and shift reliably in cold temperatures. The LACM has simplified plumbing with fewer fitting connections and leak points, helping eliminate the need for quick-release valves to get the axle off the ground quickly. The ILACM adds intelligent technology, with preset tamperproof operation parameters designed to be programmed easily from a smartphone or tablet through a Bluetooth-enabled mobile app. A cab-mounted override switch offers overload monitoring alerts. imi-precision.com commercial commercial carrier carrier journal | aPril june 2012 2019

The Industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Finest

2018 Owner-Operator of the Year Danny Jewell of Warren Transport

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2018 Company Driver of the Year Ester Nemeth of Bison Transport

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technology MAKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS WORK FOR YOUR FLEET BY AARON HUFF

The digital touch

Carriers applaud relationships, tech in freight transactions

igital brokers are trying to disrupt the $700 billion transportation industry with technology designed to automate freight transactions, such as instant “book it now” options for loads and trucks. Yet carriers are not ready to concede technology can or should replace the personal relationships they have developed with customers. This sentiment pervaded an awards banquet held in Minneapolis last month by C.H. Robinson, one of the world’s largest third-party logistics providers. The company’s Carrier of the Year awards program, now in its second year, recognizes truckload carriers that go above and beyond by displaying the highest level of service with C.H. Robinson while embracing its technology and developing relationships. Mac Pinkerton, president of the Eden Prairie, Minn.-based company, said digital brokers overestimate the ability of technology to replace people. “We don’t see it that way,” he said. “We BOOK IT NOW: Digital brokers are trying to disrupt the $700 billion transportation industry.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Carriers are not ready to concede technology should replace a personal touch. 3PL INTERACTION: C.H. Robinson said digital brokers overestimate tech’s ability to replace people.

commercial carrier journal

june 2019

understand how important relationships are in our business. They matter today more than they ever have, and that’s not going to change.” C.H. Robinson does business with 76,000 carriers annually to move between 19,000 and 26,000 loads a day and 6.4 million loads a year. “Our technology is cutting-edge,” Pinkerton said. “It is second to none. We keep the customer, carriers and employees at the center of the technology we develop and deploy.” ’They have our back’ Cheetah Transportation Systems, a Houstonbased expedite flatbed carrier, was the Carrier of the Year in the flatbed category. Ben Hartman, chief executive, said Cheetah has done business with digital Ben Hartman holds the award that Cheetah Transportation, a Houston-based expedite flatbed carrier, received as C.H. brokers that seem to Robinson’s Carrier of the Year in the flatbed category. discount the value of relationships. “I love technology,” Hartman said. “I love it all, but there is something to be said about the personal touch.” The difference in working with C.H. Robinson is that “we have their back, and they have our back. They understand nothing is perfect.” When accepting the award on stage, Hartman added, “there is a lot to be said about how we’ve formed a personal friendship. None of us want to disappoint a customer, but I definitely don’t want to disappoint my friends — no way.” The chaining effect In the past few years, C.H. Robinson has been developing new features for Navisphere Carrier, the technology platform it uses to interact digitally with carriers through a web portal, mobile app and other tools, said Kevin Abbot, vice president of truckload. One of the company’s latest technologies, now in beta testing, is a freight planning tool that carriers use to see the “chaining impact” of loads they choose. If a carrier wants to create a round trip, they may need to string together four of five loads. As soon as users pick the first load, the new tool shows the options for

Obstacle detection Cooltrax offers INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? trailer, assettrucks Scan barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to for big Go tothe ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters to system tracker lineup subscribe CCJCCJ Technology Weekly e-maile-mail newsletter. subscribetotothethe Technology Weekly newsletter. ear View

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Safety debutooltrax, a provider of ed its RVS-125 temperature control Sensestat Wireless monitoring products, introsystem may show that at midnight, the unit is still a quarter-mile the nextaway loadsfrom in the route Obstacle Detection duced a line of trailer and the unloading spot. and does the same for all System designed nonpowered GPS asset track“We are very carefully watching how it is unloaded” tosubsequent determine when loads in a route to warn truck ers designed toView provide fleet Rear Safety’s RVSThe technology uses drivers of potential managers with quick, Wireless precise containers actually are available for pickup to set realisticchain. delivery appoint125 Sensestat Obstacle probabilities, obstacles behind location and assetDetection managements, Prince said. “Our job as an intermodal provider isforecasting to make sureand a great System is designed their vehiclement with capabilities to increase number of little things happen on time and correctly.” developed by C.H. Robinson’s for easy installation data science team, to predicta detection utilization range ofheavy-duty fleet assets. on trucks, with no need to install the availability and pricing of up to 8 feet.The Thetrackers Predicting trailer capacity loads in markets. system is engiare built to excess al- cabling. When making deliveries, drivers often lose productive future time unloading or With the technology, carrineered to provide low fleet managsearching for empty to officer take tofortheir next load appointments. If no Audrey Ponsell, chief trailers operating Pearson, Ga.-based Popeare Trucking, holds the award Carrier mayers are able to put together athe driver both ers to audible set alerts and visual warning empty trailers available onsite, officefor personnel begin cold-calling Cooltrax’s of the Year in the 51-100 truck category. “highly optimized route” days indicators to foravoid unauthorbacking accidents. customers in the area to locate empty trailers. trailertracking in advance, Abbot said. izedECU use and The wireless is engineered to be U.S. Xpress (CCJ Top 250, No. 16) equips its trailer fleet with SkyBitz’s units feature For thesystem last three years, Pope a dry vanofand and includesasset multiple antenna tracking embedded with Trucking, cargo sensors. One theflatbed nation’scarrier largestwith nearlywaterproofminimized a weather100 trucks,carriers, has been a dedicated Tenn.-based run with C.H. Robinson Georgia andinstallationrecovery options. Acosts; user can proof connect to truckload theon Chattanooga, company usesbetween the inforFlorida.itThe Pearson, Ga.-based currently is working with for C.H. Robinson low-profile a Sensestat-equipped protect assets trailer byby pressing the mation receives to predict whencompany trailers will be unloaded and ready design to to get more freight in round trips that are not justmanagement. out and back. monitor’s sync monitoring button. in- – Aaron Huff pickup, said dedicated Aaron Wood, the company’s manager of trailer facilitate “We SkyBitz are definitely in anything cancustom bring totransportation us,” said Audrey Ponservice mileage, easy instalThe systeminterested is integrated with U.S.they Xpress’ sell, chief operating usage concerns lation to the management systemofficer. and with ESRI’s mapping software that Wood uses to powered technology being used by carriers with dedicated contracts, but and preventive setThe up geofences forcurrently tracking is arrivals, departures, turnaround times and asset. C.H. Robinson plans to bring the technology to the spot planning market. regions. maintenance trailer inventories by customer location and geographical Another new development at C.H. Robinson is aggregating bids trailfrom shipper protocols; and “The big thing that bites us and any carrier is when we have loaded Scale decustom reporting metcustomers with similarwhere lanes,wesuch as from Chicago to Atlanta, presenting the lliancecreate ers going into markets do not have loaded freight out,” heand said. buted rics a truck scale service. to improve bidU.S. opportunities once a month to carriers thatplanning participate in its Xpress is managing trailer counts in each region to Contract Corengineered toThe weigh trailer-tracking ridor program. maintain the balance of capacity across its freight network. The company each axle and units feature print a a weatherproof Previously, the company bids for customersitsseparately. also uses secondary carriers handled and railroads to reposition trailers in its low-profile requir- design to facilitate “We did 300 bids two years ago,” Abbot said. “This was diluting our ability to getreceipt without network. good equipment in U.S. the door. ” has been using the SkyBitz trailer tracking ing a drivereasy to stop. installation The to the powered In the three years Xpress asset andInallow fleet managers Alliance AxleWeigh system, its trailer count has gone from 17,000 to about 14,000 by increasing Alliance for to create perimeters Driver retention Motion Truck Scale isvirtualThe efficiency and managing the available capacity in its network, Wood said. AxleWeigh In instant alerts of motion past With theSkyBitz, driver shortage, more are placing individuWith U.S. Xpress alsocarriers can identify trailers aatpremium locations on thatloads havethat get built to weigh Motion Truck user-setover geofences and perimdrivers home frequently. al axles by driving not moved formore an extended period. These events could signal possible meScale is preconfigured for easy landmarks. Ponselldefects credited Robinson for helping the to carrier with up. driver retention. The the scale at eter 3 mph rechanical on C.H. trailers that are causing drivers not hook installation Thelength nonpowered asset- and company gets also flatbed driverstrailer homecapacity every weekend, whichtheir has been gardless of truck U.S. Xpress increases by monitoring use byinstrumental in can be installed tracking units use keeping turnover 35 percent. or configuration. third-party carriersatand shippers through interchange on long-lasting a gravel and elimi“Our company is honored and of blessed to work with C.H. Designedreplaceable for easy batteries agreements. “We know when one our trailers starts driveway, nating rugged the need RobinsonWood for over 20The years, ” Ponsell said when accepting the use, a driverfeature stops atan IP67-rated moving,” said. system tracks where trailers for ramps. weatherproof design for easy award for the 51-100 truck category. “We trust each other, and the controller and are picked up and dropped and how many miles they internal we know Robinsoncan is going to have We really enters his truck’s I.D.or external installamoved soC.H. the company bill carriers forour theback. authortion. easy-to-conceal units appreciate how they have us grow as a company.” number, and theThe controller will calculate the ized or nonauthorized use helped of its trailers. are net suited for shipping gross, tare and values. The scale containfeatures ers, skip bins and chassis. factory-calibrated load cells and a preproAARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. AaronHuff Huff grammed indicator. ––Aaron

In-motion scale weighs each axle

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | september | june 2018 2019

35 37

technology

INBRIEF • Fleetworthy Solutions, a provider of managed safety and compliance services and technologies, acquired TivaCloud, a provider of Software-as-a-Service and managed compliance offerings; terms were not released. Fleetworthy said the two companies will provide a combined regulatory compliance and safety risk management offering that will include its Intelligent Compliance Platform. • 3Gtms Inc., a provider of transportation management software systems, announced that technology investment firm Sumeru Equity Partners made a strategic investment in the company to help accelerate growth and product innovation; terms were not disclosed. • KeepTruckin, a provider of electronic logging devices, received another $149 million in investment funding, bringing its total investment capital to $228 million. The company said it will use the new round of cash to fund new hires, invest in hardware, form new partnerships and further its work in machine learning. The latest investment was led by Greenoaks Capital with participation from existing investors IVP, GV, Index Ventures and Scale Venture Partners. • Verizon Connect added Roadside Assistance to its existing Reveal fleet management software platform to connect fleet administrators and drivers to 24/7 emergency roadside service. Customers using Reveal’s Live Map or Field App can access a set of cost-effective services within a preferred vicinity. • Bolt System, a provider of fleet management and freight tracking software, released Bolt Tandem Workflow, a mobile app designed to provide drivers with a suite of services to help them improve productivity and streamline paperwork. Drivers can view a map of their route to a delivery drop, the estimated time of arrival, directions and traffic and weather alerts. The application is available for Android and iOS-based tablets or smartphones. • Stay Metrics, a provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers, updated its website at go.staymetrics.com with a mobile-friendly design and enhanced layouts. The company said the upgraded site coincides with the company’s refreshed branding and a shift in how it describes its products and services.

commercial carrier journal

june 2019

Lytx shows risks of distracted commercial driving

ytx, a provider of video telematics, analytics, productivity and safety systems for commercial fleets, shared information about commercial driving and distraction. In the United States, at least nine Americans die in distracted driving crashes every day. In commercial vehicle fleets, distraction related to cell phone use, eating or general inattention is the second-leading driver-related cause of fatal truck crashes. Lytx data shows the following about disLytx said its collections of more than tracted driving behaviors: 100 billion miles of driving data and • Risky behaviors behind the wheel tend to 100,000 daily risky driving events can help fleets protect drivers and cluster. Drivers who engage in one risky behavior often are found engaging in other improve their driving behavior. risky behaviors at the same time. Drivers who eat also tend to drive unbelted or follow the vehicle in front of them too closely. Lytx found that 23 percent of all its scored events included a driver engaging in multiple risky behaviors. • On a positive note, 65 percent of all cell phone use was hands-free in 2018, up from 27 percent in 2016. However, Lytx found a 13 percent increase in the overall volume of risky driving behavior involving handheld cell phones during this timeframe. • Lytx found a 10 percent increase in the overall volume of events in which drivers using hands-free devices engaged in one or more other risky distractions, such as eating, drinking, smoking or using another device. • A multitasking driver engaged in multiple risky distracting behaviors has a 100 percent increase in risk over a driver engaged in one risky distracting behavior. • Driver cell phone use occurs most frequently at 65 mph. “Our dream is that no commercial driver will ever be the cause of a collision,” said Brandon Nixon, chairman and chief executive for Lytx. “Through the work we’re doing to help fleets stay safe, we have a great opportunity to make that dream a reality. We use our billions of miles of driving data to train artificial intelligence algorithms to detect risk, and we use our advanced data analytics to identify risky behaviors and help fleets do something about distracted driving.” Overall, Lytx clients had about 625,000 fewer instances of risky driving in 2018 compared to 2017. The company’s Driver Safety Program has been associated with up to a 50 percent reduction in collisions and up to an 80 percent reduction in collision-related costs. “Identifying the underlying causes of risky behaviors and addressing the dangers of multitasking are crucial first steps to training safer drivers,” said Del Lisk, vice president of safety services for Lytx. “We recommend managers help their drivers understand the elevated risks around them, especially during peak times associated with distraction. Also, by advising drivers to make their calls or appointments before they start driving, managers can encourage them to avoid giving into these temptations.” – Aaron Huff

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Owned or used under license.

technology

INBRIEF • Platform Science, a provider of an enterprise-wide Internet of Things-based fleet management platform, announced a partnership with Noregon, an IoT company specializing in connected vehicle offerings, providing Noregon customers access to Platform Science’s Vehicle Fault Diagnostics, edge computing and 4G processing, all designed to offer comprehensive actionable plans for repairs that need to be made immediately or might be upcoming, leading to improvements in productivity and efficiency. • Fr8Hub, a provider of a cloud-based cross-border freight marketplace, released the 2019 version of its digital platform designed to match cross-border shippers throughout Mexico and the domestic United States, to and from border cities, with available carriers and drivers. The company said the latest version is more streamlined and flexible and provides enhanced tracking and visibility for shipments coming in and out of Mexico. • Fleetworthy Solutions announced a turnkey Sleep Apnea Management offering designed to handle driver screening, sleep diagnosis, education and training, equipment provisioning, document tracking and ongoing CPAP usage monitoring. • Drivewyze completed its bypass service rollout in Missouri at all 19 weigh stations across the state. The final four activated Drivewyze sites are in Kearney on Interstate 35 (northbound), Platte City on I-29 (northbound) and Willow Springs on U.S. 60/U.S. 63 (both east and westbound). • Kuebix, a transportation management system provider, announced the addition of Emerge’s Private Freight Marketplace to its Community Load Match, allowing Kuebix users to get additional truckload capacity through Emerge’s carrier marketplace. Kuebix TMS is designed to allow shippers to access all their contracted rates and the truckload spot market, and those shippers now can access Emerge to find additional truckload assets at specific rates. • Karmak, a provider of business management offerings, announced a partnership with Interstate Billing Service, a provider of accounts receivable management, to simplify payment clearing and the exchange of invoice batch files, automate credit approvals and provide reporting through Karmak’s Fusion system.

commercial carrier journal

june 2019

ITI’s On Ramp targets USDOT’s entry-level driver training rules

nstructional Technologies Inc., a provider of training products for the transportation industry, announced the availability of On Ramp ELDT (Entry-Level Driver Training), an online training, testing and recordkeeping system designed to help commercial driver’s license schools meet the new federal entry-level driver training standards that go into effect in February 2020. ITI said On Ramp meets entry-level driver training mandatory theory requirements on the 31 core curriculum “While the entry-level driver training rules will make areas required under the new standards. new drivers safer and easier to hire, if you’re a CDL school or a fleet that trains drivers, the list of changes will add time and cost to training,” said Laura McMillan, vice president of training development for ITI. “Responsibility for the written test has essentially been put on CDL schools instead of DMVs, which places a great burden on them not only for providing training and content but also for recordkeeping. On Ramp eases that burden.” ITI said On Ramp meets entry-level driver training mandatory theory requirements on the 31 core curriculum areas required under the new standards, eliminating the need for CDL schools to create new ELDT-compliant content. After students complete courses, instructors can use a Group Training Module to lead in-class discussions about real-world situations, answer individual questions and cement learning points. In addition to providing ELDT-compliant training, On Ramp includes a learning management system designed to record the completion of mandatory courses, regardless of whether students took the course individually or in a group setting, helping CDL schools meet the recordkeeping requirements of the ELDT mandate. On Ramp also automatically can send student completion data, including proficiency scores, to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Training Provider Registry. ITI also can help assess a fleet’s or CDL school’s overall ELDT readiness. Details of the TPR are pending, but what is known is that USDOT will use the registry to keep track of approved training providers and drivers who complete training. McMillan said ITI it is working with USDOT and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association to ensure the connection between On Ramp and the TPR is seamless and automatic. “Many carriers, private and for-hire, will be re-energizing and starting up training programs,” McMillan said. “This will not just be a reaction to new regulations but will be more driven by demand to control their own pipeline of drivers.” – Aaron Huff

technology

Paragon adds Track My Driver to Flexipod POD

aragon Software Systems announced enhancements to its Flexipod proof-of-delivery system by adding map-based Track My Driver functionality designed to enable logistics operaParagon’s Track My Driver tions to provide customers with access to live status functionality provides customers with live updates on the updates, allowing them to benefit from improved progress of their deliveries. first-time delivery success and reduced inbound customer-service call volumes. Logistics operators using Paragon’s proof-of-delivery software now have the option to upgrade the system to include, in both emails and SMS notifications, a link to the new driver tracking functionality. The company said the interface can be branded and customized to provide a range of relevant information, such as how many deliveries are left before an order arrives, providing customers with accurate information about arrival times so they can plan their day accordingly. Paragon said accurate communications ensure a higher proportion of customers are available at the time of delivery to accept an order, increasing first-time delivery success and customer satisfaction, while timely notifications also free up office-based resources by reducing the number of inbound calls from customers making “where is my order” queries. Also, customer service staff can be provided with access to the same tool, making it easier to resolve any complaints or queries. – Aaron Huff

KoiReader touts intelligent document processing

oiReader, a provider of digital freight document automation technology for the logistics industry, announced an artificial intelligence-based automated programming interface for freight documents used in multimodal global logistics operations. The KoiReader suite of docuKoiReader’s offering is engineered to use artificial ment automation APIs for the intelligence, smart algorithms, advanced data science, logistics industry includes image processing and computer vision technologies KoiReader for Invoice, KoiReadto automatically extract information and digitize data er for BOL and KoiReader for Document Classification. in a structure that can be used via an API with any enterprise management system. “The same way that social media photo recognition systems identify recurring images, KoiReader recognizes unstructured words and numbers in freight documents and converts that information into structured data,” said Vivek Prasad, chief executive officer for KoiReader. “With over one million lines of code, our technology goes well beyond document categorization services.” To leverage ongoing developments by KoiReader, monthly API updates are provided. “With KoiReader, there is no need to outsource document categorization to a third-party provider or relinquish your control over sensitive company and customer information,” Prasad said. “Our product delivers an immediate ROI for any industry that needs to convert unstructured data into structured data.” – Aaron Huff

INBRIEF • Trucker Tools added new features in its Smart Capacity platform and driver app designed to improve predictive freight matching, capacity visibility and load tracking. A Book it Now feature allows a driver or dispatcher to view and quickly select loads from a list of participating brokers’available loads, with pricing, that matches available fleet capacity or a driver’s preferred lanes. Detention Alerts issues a timestamp when a carrier arrives at the shipper’s facility, and when the wait time reaches a predetermined trigger, an alert is issued to the broker. • Pitt Ohio, a provider of regional and national transportation and logistics services, released Delivery Track, a real-time freight tracking tool that provides the Pittsburgh-based company’s shipper customers with updated locations along the delivery route and real-time ETA updates on a graphical display. Customers will see a“Delivery Track”link on PittOhio.com’s shipment tracking tool when their shipment status is listed as“Out for Delivery.” • McLeod Software, a Birmingham, Ala.-based provider of transportation management software systems, relocated to a new larger office facility in the city, culminating an 18-month process to allow the company to consolidate its Alabama employees to a single campus with added room for growth. The new headquarters represents a $21 million investment for McLeod, which now employs more than 450 professionals and also operates regional offices in Salt Lake City and Chicago. • Trimble teamed with Cobalt, an IT asset disposition company, to provide its fleet mobility customers with the ability to dispose of older onboard equipment in an environmentally-friendly way. Trimble customers who upgrade to new devices in 2019 and 2020 will be able to ship their uninstalled Trimble equipment to Cobalt for free, safe and secure disposal of the hardware, recycling any components when possible. • Trimble opened registration for its 2019 in.sight user conference+expo in Houston Sept. 15-18. The annual conference presents an opportunity for users of Trimble Transportation’s fleet mobility, enterprise and visibility products to learn from industry experts, attend educational sessions and take advantage of networking. Go to InsightUserConference.com. commercial carrier journal

june 2019

technology

SmartDrive gets waiver for ADAS windshield mount

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month announced in separate Federal Register notices that it received a request for an exemption to allow an advanced driver assistance systems camera to be mounted lower on windshields that regulations allow and that it had granted a similar exemption. Regulations require vehicle safety technologies to be mounted not more than 4 inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers or not more than 7 inches above the lower edge of the area swept by the wipers, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road, signs and signals. SmartDrive received an FMCSA waiver to allow its ADAS camera to be mounted in the approximate center of

the windshield but still outside drivers’ normal sight lines to the road, highway signs, signals and mirrors. SmartDrive’s camera housing is 3.7 inches wide by 5.2 inches tall. FMCSA said that it was not aware of any evidence showing that having these devices on windshields reduces safety. Navistar asked for permission for its ADAS to be mounted lower on the windshield than regulations allow and said it would be mounted outside drivers’ normal sight lines to all mirrors. The company said its camera should be mounted in the upper center area of the windshield and in an area where the windshield is swept by the wipers to provide a clear view of the road ahead and any obstacles that may be in the truck’s path. Navistar’s system includes rear-end

SmartDrive received an FMCSA waiver to allow its ADAS camera to be mounted in the approximate center of the windshield.

collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control with following distance alerts, stationary object alerts, lane departure warning, speeding alerts and automatic braking on stationary vehicles. FMCSA is seeking public comment on Navistar’s request, which can be made at Regulations.gov by searching Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0091. – Matt Cole

MORE Prospect Data | Market Share Data | New Prospects RigDig® has been helping truck equipment dealers increase their targeting and prospecting effectiveness with data insights on 1 million+ active trucking entities for nearly ten years: • Arming sales teams with invaluable prospect/client equipment data • Providing up-to-date market share data for your AOR • Identifying new prospect companies in your territories • Assessing growth trends/emerging markets • Guiding strategic planning

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commercial carrier journal

june 2019

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RECOGNIZE TRUE INNOVATION. SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION TODAY! Each month, CCJ editors select and recognize a for-hire or private fleet for solving common problems with out-of-the-box solutions.

As an Innovator: • You become part of a select group of people who convene each year in Key Largo, FL to network and discuss new ideas, challenges and solutions. • You are honored with a full article in Commercial Carrier Journal magazine for your innovation.

Visit CCJINNOVATORS.COM to submit your nomination. SPONSORED BY

NUSSBAUM TRANSPORTATION Hudson, Ill.

Randy Pugh is a CertRED driver for Nussbaum Transportation.

Nussbaum Transportation engages, rewards drivers with ongoing certification program BY AARON HUFF

n 2016, Nussbaum Transportation Services started using a unique system to score driver behaviors and habits. The system was developed by the company’s human resources and safety team, which identified four key metrics from data captured by the fleet’s video-based telematics system. Nussbaum developed a 10-point scale called Habits Ratings that simplified the management of those four types of complex driving behaviors: speed management, smooth driving, throttle usage and space management. The Hudson, Ill.-based truckload carrier was recognized by Commercial Carrier Journal as its 2017 Innovator of the Year for its novel use of technology, data and incentives to improve driver safety and fuel efficiency. In fall 2017, management created the Nussbaum Academy as a way to engage drivers in personal growth and development. For nearly two years, the fleet’s drivers have been enrolling in its Certification RED program. Next-level engagement Top-scoring drivers at Nussbaum already can make 8 cents per mile on top of their base rate by reaching the Platinum level. The payoffs for drivers who refine their habits are significant, but management saw an opportunity to use a voluntary program to incentivize them toward a new level of engagement by viewing their profession beyond just driving a truck. With the Certification RED program, or CertRED, Nussbaum drivers can “engage in their own terms, and in their own way,” says Jeremy Stickling, vice president of human resources and safety. “It is not something we try to force drivers into.” The company introduces the program to drivers during orientation training. “When we hire somebody, we realize [the program] is not everybody’s cup of tea,” Stickling says. “The idea is if you work here, we are going to give you the resources where you can maximize your skills.”

To achieve CertRED, drivers complete a checklist of requirements that takes between eight to 12 months to complete. Some items are based on results such as having a clean Compliance Safety Accountability record, no moving violations and no more than one service failure, Stickling says. In addition to results, Nussbaum also incorporates behaviors into the CertRED program. Drivers must keep their Habits Ratings above a 7.0 and demonstrate they are low risk. The score is set lower than the incentive program’s starting point of 8.5, on up to the Platinum level that starts at 9.5. “[7.0] is a very achievable standard,” says Stickling. “It is set high enough to show that drivers are intentional about how they drive.” The checklist’s skills development portion is organized into four rounds similar to quarterly school semesters. In each round, drivers have to complete: • One hands-on training course with a Nussbaum training engineer. The courses include a rodeo-style skills challenge, a fuel economy run, a full-scale vehicle inspection, a winter driving course and backing/maneuvering. • Up to three phone coaching sessions. Each call lasts from 20 minutes to an hour and is conducted by an office staff member or driver trainer. The phone training also covers behaviors, vehicle inspections, advanced logging and trip planning techniques and customer interactions.

The truckload carrier enhances its scoring system for drivers with opportunities for personal growth and development. commercial carrier journal | june 2019

Brent Nussbaum, CEO of Nussbaum Transportation, congratulates CertRED driver Terry Zuber during a graduation ceremony on the company’s operations floor. Zuber received a sterling silver ring embossed with his name.

• An additional 15 to 20 minutes of online learning every month beyond what drivers already are assigned. Drivers can complete all learning and development requirements at their own pace but have to wait two months to advance to the next round. Receiving recognition Once drivers complete all the CertRED requirements, they get a permanent 2-cents-per-mile increase to their base rate. Perhaps more important is the recognition they receive. “There is excitement when you have a target you are aiming for,” says Brent Nussbaum, chief executive officer. “Certified RED establishes a challenging target, and drivers really feel they’ve achieved something substantial when they hit it.” A driver participates in a graduation ceremony led by Brent Nussbaum in the middle of the operations floor. Spouses and other family members of drivers often attend. At the ceremony, drivers get a custom CertRED hat and a sterling silver ring embossed with their name. The ring and its display case are valued at about $550. Another reward is a custom decal for the truck. Stickling says Nussbaum drivers have been paying attention to trucks with a CertRED decal, which “has had a better response than I would have predicted. That part has been fun.” The driver also is recognized on the company’s social media channels and through internal communications. Once drivers earn CertRED, they can advance to RED 1, then RED 2 and 46

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

on up to RED 10. Each level requires 100,000 continuous miles of driving that meets the same requirements as the initial certification. Drivers can hit 100,000 miles in as little as nine months, Stickling says. RED 1 and subsequent levels do not have as many training requirements as CertRED. For each level, drivers have to complete between two and three hours of online learning. For RED 1, drivers have to attend two separate two-hour job shadows, one each with the operations and maintenance departments. The hands-on training and phone coaching sessions for RED 2 through RED 10 are under development, but they will be more technical and focused, Stickling says. The ring drivers get with CertRED has 10 spots to add small diamonds for each level. Each diamond adds between $130 and $170 in value. Drivers also get a halfcent increase in their mileage pay at each level, reaching a max of 7 cents per mile at RED 10 (2 cents for CertRED and 5 cents total for levels 1 to 10). Career opportunities Nussbaum also is keeping drivers engaged with a road captain program. Every driver manager has between 30 and 35 drivers, and three performers in each fleet have an opportunity to serve. Being CertRED is a requirement to be a captain, whose responsibilities are to mentor new hires and receive calls from other drivers who want to talk about their performance with a peer. The extra compensation is $25 a week plus “kickers”

when their new hires reach milestones. Captains also participate in a quarterly bonus program that is paid out if the fleet meets its retention goals. Nussbaum also has an opportunity for top-performing drivers to spend two days a month in the office coaching their peers who have safety scores in the lowest 10% of the fleet as measured by its video-based telematics system. Building momentum The results since CertRED’s inception have been compelling. The turnover rate of drivers enrolled in the program year to date is 18.8%. CertRED graduates have a 6.6% rate. Overall, the fleet’s turnover rate is 31.8% YTD. CertRED drivers are averaging 80 more miles per week than nonparticipants, which represents about a 3% increase in productivity, and the drivers are earning between $70 and $140 extra per week. “That is a needle mover,” Stickling says. The data show CertRED drivers in 2018 were three times less likely to have severe preventable accidents. “That is a very real number to us as well,” Stickling says. Nussbaum defines a severe accident as any incident that costs the company more than $3,000. Engagement is another measurable difference. A third party conducts fleetwide surveys for Nussbaum. The survey data show drivers enrolled in CertRED are 88% engaged based on the survey vendor’s engagement index. Drivers who do not participate in CertRED have a 78% engagement level. The total number of drivers who have enrolled or have graduated with CertRED is about 160. Nussbaum has a 400-truck fleet, and the momentum is building quickly from the influence that CertRED drivers are having on their peers to join, Stickling says. CCJ INNOVATORS profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Jeff Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953.

2019

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS A ROUNDUP OF NEW TRUCK AND PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE AT THE WORK TRUCK SHOW, THE TECHNOLOGY AND MAINTENANCE COUNCIL’S ANNUAL MEETING & TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION AND THE MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW. THE REPORT ALSO SERVES AS PART 3 OF A THREE-PART SERIES ON “MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS.” APRIL’S INSTALLMENT ADDRESSED LOW-ROLLING-RESISTANCE TIRES, AND MAY’S STORY FOCUSED ON CARGO SECURITY. BY CCJ STAFF

THE WORK TRUCK SHOW PETERBILT MEDIUMDUTY TRUCKS GET SMARTLINQ, BENDIX SAFETY SYSTEM PETERBILT announced that SmartLinq real-time remote diagnostics can be spec’d on its medium-duty Models 348, 337, 330 and 325 when selecting a Paccar PX

A two-year subscription is included with SmartLinq remote diagnostics.

or natural gas engine. Peterbilt also announced fall availability of the Bendix Wingman Fusion advanced driver assistance system for Models 348 and 337. The system integrates camera and radar technology to enable collision mitigation.

Mack’s factory-installed auxiliary axles feature Huck Bolt installation for added durability.

NAVISTAR PROGRAM TARGETS SPEC’ING, BODY INSTALLATION

MACK ADDS SHOCKS TO GRANITE, BOOSTS OTA CAPABILITIES WITH VOLVO MACK TRUCKS announced the addition of

NAVISTAR’S Diamond

standard vertical shock absorbers for factory-

Partner Program for body

installed auxiliary axles on Granite axle-forward

builders is designed to

and axle-back models.

upfitting process between

America enhanced their over-the-air engine

streamline the spec’ing and the company’s dealer net-

work and truck equipment manufacturers.

Also, both Mack and Volvo Trucks North Navistar hopes its Diamond Partner Program leads to more chassis modifications at its assembly plants.

their account; a cross-functional spec review of the equipment maker’s

chassis specifications; and access to Navistar’s Diamond Logic electrical system training.

commercial carrier journal

frequent parameter changes. The Parameter Plus packages enable up to 50 updates per VIN over

Participants receive an assigned application engineer responsible for

update capabilities for customers needing more

a 12-month period on all model-year 2018 and newer trucks, as well as older vehicles with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2017-compliant engines.

| june 2019

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

FUSO DEBUTS CLASS 5 GAS CABOVER FUSO TRUCK OF AMERICA’S FE180 gasoline-

powered Class 5 cabover is powered by General Motors’ 6-liter V8 engine that features a power output of 297 hp and 361 lb.-ft. of torque.

The GM engine is matched to a power takeoff-ca-

pable Allison 1000 Series transmission with Allison’s FuelSense 2.0 and DynActive shifting.

Ford Transit chassis cab and cutaway models also get a GVWR bump in 2020, as the maximum jumps from 10,360 to 11,000 pounds.

FORD TOUTS TRANSIT’S AWD, NEW ENGINES; ROLLS OUT F-600 CHASSIS CAB FORD TRANSIT upgrades for the 2020 model year include an intelligent all-wheel-drive system available on gasoline powertrains. A new 3.5-liter PFDI V6 gasoline engine with port fuel and direct injection offers imFuso Truck of America’s FE180 Gas features an estimated payload capacity of 11,185 pounds and has 19.5-inch tires.

proved efficiency over the outgoing 3.7-liter engine, and Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost gas engine also is available. Both gas engines can be ordered with dual 250-amp alternators to power upfit equipment. The new 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo I4 diesel engine offers more power

ISUZU PLANNING NEW CLASS 5 GAS MODELS

and torque than the outgoing 3.2-liter diesel engine. All engines are

ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK OF AMERICA an-

matched to Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission.

nounced plans for two new Class 5 gasoline engine models. The NQR Gas, with a target GVWR of 17,950

F-600 chassis cab

pounds, and the NRR Gas, with a target GVWR of

Ford’s new F-600 chassis cab is nearly the same as its F-550, but the

19,500 pounds, both will be powered by General

F-600 uses upgraded driveline and chassis components, as well as

Motors’ 6-liter Vortec V8 and mated to an Allison

higher-weight-rated 19.5-inch tires and wheels, for a maximum GVWR of

1000 RDS transmission with a power-takeoff gear.

22,000 pounds.

Isuzu also debuted a road-ready 12-foot Supreme Spartan Service body for its 109-inch-wheelbase

The F-600 is available with Ford’s 7.3-liter gas V8, 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel or 6.2-liter gas engines and in 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrains.

NPR and NPR-HD gasoline models. The company also is adding Mobileye advanced driver-assistance features to its N-Series and F-Series trucks.

GM LAUNCHES FLEET PARTS DISCOUNT PROGRAM GENERAL MOTORS’ Fleet

Parts Discount Program can

reach as much as 32 percent off the part’s list price. The discount is based on the

type of part and the size of the fleet.

Any customer with a GM

Supreme’s service body features eight compartments, a stand-up height interior with a street-side door and two interior LED dome lights.

GM’s Fleet Parts Discount Program offers a consolidated electronic invoice with all parts, labor and service information.

fleet account number and at least five fleet vehicles is eligible to access discounts on more than 450,000 GM parts and AC Delco maintenance and repair parts.

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019 49

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

REAR VIEW SAFETY TOUTS BLIND SPOT SENSOR, FATIGUE DETECTOR REAR VIEW SAFETY introduced its RVS-128 Advanced Blind Spot Sensor System that features an 82-foot detection range.

Preco Electronics’ PreView Side Defender II is built to ignore stationary objects.

The company also debuted its RVS-335 iVue Driver Fatigue System that uses advanced algorithms to

Accessories for Rear View Safety’s RVS-335 include an external GPS module and a vibration cushion.

alert drivers when detecting drowsiness. It has a detection range of 70 to 110 centimeters.

PRECO UPGRADES BLIND-SPOT PLATFORM

PRECO ELECTRONICS’ PreView Side Defender II blind-spot monitoring platform is designed to detect moving objects

such as pedestrians and vehicles in crowded low-speed urban

LINK ROLLS OUT 20K SELF-STEER AUXILIARY SUSPENSION

LINK MANUFACTURING’S 20K Self-Steer Auxiliary Suspension features the company’s proprietary Swift Mount

settings.

Side Defender II adds awareness and slow-speed functionality

to Preco’s blind-spot lane-change-assist feature to help reduce false alerts and lane-change accidents.

with interchangeable ride height brackets.

ASA Electronics’ VCAHD140i Heavy Duty Camera has a heavy-duty aluminum housing.

A stepped-edge on the frame bracket provides a visual

indicator to help center the suspension on the truck. The rear air spring brackets are compatible with wide flange frame rails.

ASA ELECTRONICS TOUTS HEAVY-DUTY CAMERA ASA ELECTRONICS’ VCAHD140i Heavy Duty Camera is a surface-mount device that uses IR low-light assist for a clear bright image at any time of day. Link’s 20K Self-Steer Auxiliary Suspension has an optional bulkhead air control system.

Its 146-degree viewing angle and mirror-image orientation provide a full picture of vehicle blind spots or when backing up.

TMC’s TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION PILOT FLYING J LAUNCHES FLEET CENTER VIRTUAL MAINTENANCE HUB

TRUCK-LITE’S ROAD READY OFFERS CONTINENTAL TIRE PRESSURE DATA

Center, a virtual maintenance sys-

trailer telematics system now

PILOT FLYING J launched Fleet

TRUCK-LITE’S Road Ready

tem that provides fleets with 24/7

real-time visibility and flexibility to manage their equipment, increase speed of service and improve account management.

The virtual maintenance system

is integrated with ContinenRolled out in 2017, Pilot Flying J Truck Care now has 24 24/7 service centers and 135 roadside assistance vehicles in 36 states.

commercial carrier journal

pressure monitoring system, allowing seamless integration

of tire pressure and temperature data. Also, Road Ready’s master control unit now is available in

provides real-time notifications, live chat and service records.

tal’s ContiPressureCheck tire

Road Ready’s SmartBridge Integrator now broadcasts data from Continental’s ContiPressureCheck TPMS to the cloud.

| june 2019

either solar-powered or hardwired versions.

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP Yokohama’s 712L and 114R UWB tires both are SmartWayverified for low rolling resistance.

YOKOHAMA DEBUTS TWO SMARTWAY-VERIFIED TIRES YOKOHAMA TIRE’S 712L long-haul deep-tread drive tire is constructed for advanced wear resistance, fuel efficiency, traction and durability. It is available in four sizes: 295/75R22.5, 11R22.5, 285/75R24.5 and 11R24.5. The 114R UWB regional-haul trailer tire is the successor to the company’s RY407 UWB and is available in size 445/50R22.5.

DANA DEBUTS CENTER DRIVESHAFT BEARING, LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL DANA’S new center bearing, available on standard Spicer SPL and

heavy-duty Spicer 10 Series driveshafts, addresses noise, vibration and harshness levels from higher

drivetrain torque stresses and

vibration frequencies created by

downspeeding and lightweighting.

The Spicer Trac-Lok limited-slip

The design of Dana’s center bearing helps provide a more user-friendly installation, reducing the possibility of future alignment-based issues.

differential for the company’s medium-duty S140 single

drive axle is designed to provide improved traction during wheel-slip events.

TUSIMPLE DEVELOPING LOW-LIGHT CAMERA

MITCHELL 1 ENHANCES TRUCKSERIES SOFTWARE

TUSIMPLE has developed a proprietary

automotive-grade camera and vision

MITCHELL 1 TuSimple plans to increase its fully-autonomous Level 4 U.S. truck fleet to 50 units this year.

added 1Search Plus to its TruckSeries web-based

system for the company’s fully-autonomous Level 4 trucks. Featuring an automotive CMOS image sensor, the custom-designed camera

system is engineered to allow for reliable autonomous operation at

Mitchell 1’s 1Search Plus is designed to consolidate and streamline searches within the TruckSeries product.

truck repair software. After technicians input diagnostics codes, symptoms or components, the tool scans Mitchell 1’s database and

night and in low-light conditions.

returns only the specific information the technician needs.

dium and long range up to 1,000 meters.

ing vehicle specifications, component location, compo-

The image sensor creates a set of camera systems for short, me-

Content is sorted into nearly a dozen categories, includnent operation, wiring diagrams, after-repair information and more.

PSI LAUNCHES NEW TPMS PLATFORM

DONALDSON’S FILTER MINDER MONITOR HELPS MAXIMIZE FILTER LIFE

PRESSURE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL’S

DONALDSON’S Filter Minder

telematics-enabled

is a wireless device equipped

TireView tire pres-

with sensors to detect air pres-

sure monitoring platform uses 10 cap sensors that are

PSI’s TireView can be run in a closed onboard system or connected to telematics solutions.

protected behind a bracket away from theft and damage. When used without an automatic tire inflation system, it can be used with PSI’s Flow Thru Kit for sensor management. The sensors have a five-year battery life and can be paired with a unique six-digit ID, allowing those that already are paired to be moved to different tire locations.

sure and temperature to help

determine the air filter’s actual condition.

Filter Minder technology

provides low-energy sensors

that conserve power and ex-

Donaldson’s Filter Minder also can monitor fuel, lubricant and hydraulic filters.

tend battery life, filtration insights for an entire fleet of trucks consolidated into a dashboard view, and customized alerts.

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019 51

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

PHILLIPS CONNECT LAUNCHES TRAILER TELEMATICS SYSTEMS

WABCO UPDATES ONGUARDACTIVE COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM

PHILLIPS CONNECT

OnGuardActive radar-based

WABCO HOLDINGS’

active collision mitigation

TECHNOLOGIES launched its TrailerNet, ChassisNet and ContainerNet transportation technology platforms

PCT’s AssetTrac batteries will last up to five years with one report per day or three years with a report on movement.

that come standard with GPS, geofencing, trailer mileage and seven-way voltage reporting, with options to add door and cargo sensors. PCT also introduced EZTrac and AssetTrac for fleets not ready for an all-in-one telematics system. EZTrac is a GPS tracker integrated into a plug-and-play harness piece, and AssetTrac is a battery-powered asset tracker with an internal motion sensor that can send periodic reports or report on motion.

platform now is designed to allow for a full stop from up to 37 mph through active

braking. The updated system also is engineered to offer

improved object detection up to 650 feet ahead via

enhanced filtering capabili-

ties of the integrated far- and near-range dual-beam radar. Wabco later this year will

offer an integrated Active

TRIMBLE, DECISIV CLOSE SERVICE LOOP WITH TMT SERVICECONNECT TRIMBLE said TMT Servi-

Lateral Safety technology suite that integrates its

active steering technology

with its OnLaneAssist active

Wabco’s OnGuardActive collision mitigation system is designed to adjust the vehicle’s speed automatically to maintain following distance.

lane-keeping assist system and OnSideAssist blind-spot

ceConnect, powered by

assist system. The company also announced a collabora-

Decisiv Service Relation-

tion with SmartDrive Systems to provide safety event video

ship Management, enables

recording through its OnLane camera system.

fleet shops using Trimble’s TMT Fleet Maintenance

software to be connected to more than 4,500 medium- and heavy-duty service locations.

TMT ServiceConnect

TMT ServiceConnect will allow Trimble users to gain direct connectivity to service locations, including OEM dealers.

is designed to provide

BLACKBERRY EXPANDS ASSET MONITORING LINEUP BLACKBERRY LTD. launched BlackBerry Radar H2, an intelligent data-driven asset monitoring device that can help automate operations and improve utilization of trailers,

more seamless collaboration between fleets and heavy-duty

containers, chassis and other remote assets.

service status, parts replaced and labor; and create invoices for

capabilities of BlackBerry Radar-M to provide enhanced

repair shops to schedule repair and maintenance activities; track the service performed.

BlackBerry Radar H2 is designed to expand on the core coverage and connectivity to the latest 4G LTE cellular networks, as well as a wireless gateway that also can connect to wireless cargo sensors, tire pressure monitoring systems

MICHELIN OFFERS HEAVYDUTY LIGHT-TRUCK TIRE

and brake sensors.

MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA’S Agilis CrossClimate light-duty commercial tire is available in 16 lighttruck sizes and five C-Metric sizes. The tire is engineered for durability over extended mileage; towing and hauling heavy loads; improved protection from impacts, punctures and aggressions; and all-weather performance.

commercial carrier journal

Michelin’s Agilis CrossClimate tire is designed for ¾- and 1-ton pickup trucks and vans.

| june 2019

When mounted on a chassis, BlackBerry Radar H2 is built to detect whether a container is “on” or “off” with no added wires or external sensors.

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

CARRIER DEBUTS SUPRA S6 MEDIUMDUTY REEFER UNIT CARRIER TRANSICOLD’S

APERIA’S HALO CONNECT PROVIDES FLEETWIDE VIEW OF TIRE HEALTH

Supra S6 truck refrig-

eration unit combines

APERIA TECHNOLOGIES’ Halo Connect provides fleets

improved performance,

with feedback on tires and

efficiency and reliability

and is suited for small- to medium-sized fleets.

The TRU uses Carrier

leverages its bolt-on Halo Tire Inflator devices that adjust

The Supra S6 truck refrigeration unit has a contemporary design.

tire pressure automatically for trucks and trailers.

Transicold’s APX control technology that provides intelligent

For Halo Connect, fleets

performance optimization, automatic trip data recording and

Aperia’s Halo Connect gives fleet managers immediate insights into tire health at a fleetwide and vehicle level.

add a retrofit sensor package

enhanced system diagnostics.

and gain access to Aperia’s analytics platform.

RUSH TRUCK CENTERS INTRODUCES ONLINE PARTS ORDERING PLATFORM RUSH TRUCK CENTERS introduced RushCare Parts Connect, an online parts ordering system designed to help customers shop for and order parts from the company’s 22-state dealer network. The system offers customers access to hundreds of thousands of in-stock parts numbers found in the company’s $250 million national inventory, as well as personalized results based on each

COOPER TOUTS ULTRALOW-ROLLING-RESISTANCE PRO SERIES LHS STEER TIRE COOPER TIRE’S Pro Series

LHS steer tire, now available in size 295/75R22.5, features the

company’s Energy Conservation Optimization technology that

combines tire design, compound-

customer’s parts and service history.

ing and construction to provide ultra-low rolling resistance.

The tire has 18/32nds of tread

depth and a wide footprint and

features a decoupling groove to

help minimize shoulder wear and a Customers can use the ordering system at RushTruckCenters.com by selecting the Shop Parts option.

ANCRA ROLLS OUT AUTOMATED DECKING SYSTEM automated integrated decking system de-

signed to allow loading dock staff and

groove wall in the tread pattern.

NOREGON UPDATES ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, JPRO NOREGON’S TripVision Uptime is a real-time fleet asset management

ANCRA CARGO debuted AutoDeck, an

stone-ejector design with a stepped

Cooper’s Wear Square, located on five places on the shoulder ribs, provides a visual indicator of the tire’s ongoing tread depth.

offering available as a standalone service. TripVision Uptime allows users Ancra Cargo’s AutoDeck system helps enhance loading efficiency and user safety.

to remotely clear fault codes, modify parameters such as maximum road and cruise speeds or idle shutdown

Noregon’s TripVision Uptime runs using a proprietary ND2 hardware device installed on a vehicle.

times and launch bidirectional tests

drivers to automate the height of each beam at

such as forced diesel particulate matter regenerations.

decking options.

tional controls for many components. Using the Virtual Truck tool within

the push of a button for efficient, customized

The easy-to-use automation features are built

for higher utilization and reduced loading time.

The latest JPro Professional update boasts an expanded list of bidirecJPro, users can simulate the tool’s advanced capabilities without connecting to a truck. commercial carrier journal

| june 2019 53

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

BENDIX’S SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES NOW AVAILABLE FOR RETROFIT

BENDIX announced that several of its commercial vehicle safety technologies now are available for retrofit, including Bendix

Wingman Fusion, Bendix Wing-

man Advanced, Bendix VORAD

THE MID-AMERICA TRUCKING SHOW

Bendix SafetyDirect wirelessly transmits real-time data and event-based information from a vehicle’s J1939 network to the fleet’s back office.

XL SPECIALIZED TOUTS TWO 110,000-POUND-CAPACITY HEAVY-DUTY TRAILERS XL SPECIALIZED unveiled two trailers, both with an 110,000-pound capacity rating. The XL 110 MiniDeck Extendable’s main deck fea-

(Vehicle On-Board Radar) VS-500, AutoVue 4G Lane Departure Warning System by Bendix CVS, Bendix

BlindSpotter Side Object Detection System and SafetyDirect from Bendix CVS.

tures a 14-inch loaded deck height with a 10-inch beam design and extends from 27 feet to 47 feet for a total 73-foot length.

Bendix also announced a SafetyDirect mobile app

that pairs the company’s hardware with the SafetyDirect online portal to provide fleet operators with 24/7 feedback on their fleet and drivers, as well as

The Low-Profile Hydraulic Detachable Gooseneck has a 15-inch

gooseneck with a swing clearance of 110 inches. The hydraulic neck has a five-position ride height.

STRICK TRAILERS OFFERS FIBERGLASS-REINFORCED COMPOSITE DRY VAN

BFGOODRICH ROLLS OUT HIGHWAY CONTROL TIRE LINE

fiberglass-reinforced composite dry van trailer uses a proprietary construction process to create seamless snag-free full-length

Strick Trailers’ fiberglass-reinforced composite trailer is available in any combination from 28-foot pups to 60-foot linehaul vans.

FRC sidewall panels that are pultruded with a moisture-resistant recyclable P.E.T. core. The panels are designed to not delaminate, and the hydrophobic characteristic helps prevents wicking, helping to prevent water intrusion and corrosion. Interior options include an E-track system, various cargo control

The Low-Profile HDG’s hydraulic neck detaches and reattaches using a power unit or a wet kit.

loaded deck height and a 13-foot

videos of severe events.

STRICK TRAILERS’ lighter-weight

The XL 110 Mini-Deck Extendable has an auto-steering system designed to rotate the axles automatically.

BFGOODRICH’S SmartWay-verified Highway Control tire line features optimized

microsiping to help fight irregular wear and sidewall compounds designed to promote fuel efficiency.

The Highway Control S steer/all-position

tire replaces the ST 244 and is available in sizes 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 (Load Range

G), 11R22.5 and 11R24.5 (Load Range H),

The Highway Control S steer/all-position tire features an improved shoulder rib and tread design.

275/80R22.5 (Load Range G) and 285/80R24.5 (Load Range G). The Highway Control T trailer tire replaces the TR 144 and is

available in sizes 11R22.5, 275/80R22.5, 11R24.5 and 285/75R24.5

systems and enhanced insulation packages.

(Load Range G).

ORBCOMM LAUNCHES SOLAR-POWERED TRACKING FOR DRY VANS, CONTAINERS

HANKOOK OFFERS DRIVE, TRAILER TIRES

ORBCOMM’S GT 1200

series of telematics devices for dry van trailer and container tracking feature an

HANKOOK TIRE’S SmartFlex DL15 long- and regional-haul drive tire has a self-regenerating With a new streamlined design, Orbcomm’s GT 1200 devices can be installed externally on all cargo asset types in about 10 minutes.

charging without direct sunlight.

central rib and semi-block tread pattern help improve fuel economy. improved rubber technology to help improve fuel efficiency and minimize irregular wear.

The compact devices are ruggedized to withstand ex-

treme conditions, require no battery changes for up to 10 years and include built-in tamper and impact detection. commercial carrier journal

progressive predictive wear, while an updated

The e3 Max DL21 long-haul drive tire has

enhanced high-sensitivity solar panel designed for fast

siping system designed to turn out during

| june 2019

The high-mileage e3 Wide TL21 trailer tire features the company’s Spiral-Coil technology that facilitates strong casing durability.

The e3 Max DL21 long-haul drive tire has a closed-shoulder tread design.

Save on maintenance by renting or leasing trailers with air disc brakes.

Talk about reliability Break the cycle of regular drum brake jobs. With air disc brakes you get longer pad life, reducing maintenance on your rented and leased trailers. They also lower the risk of out-of-adjustment violations and shorten stopping distances. Work with XTRA Lease, because the little extras make a big difference. www.xtralease.com/brakes

BUSINESS | 2019 SPRING TRUCK SHOW ROUNDUP

SEATS INC. REACHES FOR PINNACLE SEAT

Shell’s full synthetic CK-4 Rotella T6 15W-40 oil improves on its previous CJ-4 lubricants.

SEATS INC.’S Pinnacle truck seat, built

on the company’s Legacy Series, adds an enhanced EVC Cushion Comfort System, D2 Foam Technology, a fully reclining

backrest and a long armrest. The Pinnacle has an eight-position extendable cushion and an air lumbar package that includes dual lumbars and side bolsters. The Pinnacle’s

Universal-Ride

Suspension is fully

SHELL IMPROVES ENGINE OIL, TOUTS STARSHIP DEMO RUN

specifically tuned

thetic CK-4 Rotella T6 15W-40 engine

adjustable, and a

SHELL LUBRICANTS’ latest full syn-

adjustable shock

oil is formulated for extended oil drain

helps eliminate road

intervals and improved oxidation pro-

bouncing and bot-

tection and low temperature flow.

out. The seat also

plans for another cross-country

toming and topping

The company also announced

features 9-inch tow-

el-bar slide tracks to

provide added travel

and a bellow suspension cover.

demonstration of its Starship concept The Pinnacle was developed using pressure mapping equipment designed to maximize comfort.

tractor-trailer. On a cross-country run last summer, the truck averaged nearly 9 mpg. Shell also touted the Starship’s freight-ton efficiency.

THERMO KING UPGRADES ALL-ELECTRIC APU THERMO KING’S

upgraded allelectric TriPac

Rand McNally’s DC100 plug-andplay device sends information to and from the DriverConnect portal every 30 seconds.

Envidia auxiliary power unit is designed to provide 10 hours of runtime to make it through daily off-duty time.

The all-electric TriPac Envidia APU can be ordered with an optional heater, a 1,000-watt power inverter, solar panels and additional batteries.

The batterybased system features Thermo King’s Smart Charger Modules that facilitate optimum charging, as well as battery isolation in the event one of the four batteries goes bad so it doesn’t affect the other three batteries. The unit recharges from the truck’s alternator.

commercial carrier journal

Rig Dig_CCJ0413_PG108.indd 1

| june 2019 3/21/13 9:56 AM

RAND MCNALLY’S DRIVERCONNECT NOW AVAILABLE TO SMALL FLEETS RAND MCNALLY’S DriverConnect fleet

management system provides small fleets with logistics support and is enabled by Rand McNally’s DC100, a small plug-

and-play device that clips into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port.

Features include near-real-time vehicle

monitoring from a computer or smart-

phone, performance and safety reporting,

the ability to create custom geofences and access to engine idle times, speeding and hard-braking events.

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Five ways fleets use technology to set drivers up for success BY AARON HUFF

aving a formula that predicts which drivers will quit would be useful, but the signs of their departure already may be obvious. A driver who gets a paycheck that doesn’t satisfy his or her expectations probably is thinking of greener pastures elsewhere. But while knowing the early warning signs of turnover could help fleet managers take preventive actions to retain drivers, should retention be the only end goal? Mike Hammond believes retention is not what motor carriers should address. The connotation is that fleets tolerate drivers enough to keep them. Hammond is vice president of driver development for Epes Transport System, a Greensboro, N.C.-based truckload carrier with 1,400 power units. He says if he were a driver, he would not want to be merely retained. “I want a leader to lead me,” he says. Hammond says retention should be about employee development — to get drivers more engaged in their work. Someone who is engaged will be motivated to go above and beyond what the job requires, as they are bought into the company and encouraged to exert positive influence on their peers 68

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

Mix Telematics has a companion driver app, MyMix, for its in-cab fleet management system. Fleets that use it provide drivers with visibility of their safety scores for speeds, acceleration and braking behaviors and peer-to-peer rankings.

to do the same. That’s why more fleet executives and managers are finding ways to use technology to increase driver engagement.

1. Knowledge sharing Every time a company loses a tenured driver, the institutional knowledge the driver has gained while working for the company walks out the door.

TECHNOLOGY: DRIVER ENGAGEMENT

Workhound’s platform allows drivers to submit anonymous feedback, and carriers also can ask the technology company to connect with the driver if the issues are urgent. The platform aims to tackle turnover at a one-on-one level and also can help carriers identify trends that may prompt drivers to leave.

In 2015, Liquid Trucking, a tanker carrier based in Plattsmouth, Neb., created an app for its drivers to share location-based intelligence with the entire fleet. By using the DeliveRecon app, drivers can share tips about loading and unloading at shippers and receivers and also identify the best truck wash and parking locations along their routes. DeliveRecon combines location-based mobile customer relationship management, automated workflow and connectivity features. The app created a hub for drivers to communicate and access location intelligence from one place, says Jason Eisenman, director of human resources for Liquid. “We’re letting the drivers essentially train one another,” Eisenman says. The engagement factor is increased as drivers earn points for sharing tips and uploading information such as directions to a facility, photos of a receiver and offloading tips. The points are delivered to drivers using Stay Metrics’ rewards platform.

With Liquid Trucking’s DeliveRecon app, drivers for the Plattsmouth, Neb.-based fleet are able to share knowledge of shipping and receiving locations.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Paper Transport’s SmartETA app gives drivers a simulated trip plan for each work assignment. Drivers view their plans on a digital map display.

Eisenman says since debuting the rewards platform, implementing feedback from driver surveys and using DeliveRecon, Liquid has seen a 46 percent decline in accidents/ incidents and a 24 percent increase in weekly average truck revenue, while turnover has dropped from 68 to 24 percent. Liquid has spun off a separate company, Epic Ideas, to offer DeliveRecon to the transportation industry through a Software-as-a-Service.

2. Self-help workflow When Paper Transport (CCJ Top 250, No. 133) was implementing electronic driver logs, management wanted to blend the technology it used in the back office with its in-cab platform. It also wanted to consolidate some applications that drivers already were using on their own smartphones. The Green Bay, Wis.-based fleet, which operates 850 trucks, deployed Omnitracs’ XRS mobile fleet management system on an open-source Galaxy tablet.

commercial carrier journal

june 2019

TECHNOLOGY: DRIVER ENGAGEMENT real-time learning throughout [onboarding] has been a significant thing for us.” Paper also developed SmartETA, a proprietary trip planning app that accounts for a driver’s hours of service. With the technology, Paper shaved the trip planning learning curve to a simple push of a button. Drivers see a simulated trip plan on a digital map that shows them fuel stops along the route, mandated rest break locations and where and when they will arrive at customers.

3. Driver rewards Schneider rolled out Samsung Galaxy tablets for its drivers to track their work, read company updates, track compensation and benefits, complete training on the road, check weather, get customer information and road conditions and obtain turn-by-turn GPS directions. Future capabilities include electronic signatures and document transfers.

Swift Transportation in June 2017 created a unique executive position — a “vice president of driver engagement.” Addressing early driver turnover was one area of focus for the division.

One of the first applications Paper developed was a driver scorecard app to allow the company to funnel data to drivers that traditionally was available only to management. Drivers can review daily performance across several categories and see where they rank and track their progress toward a monthly reward. The tablets have given drivers a portable well of information and allowed Paper 70

commercial carrier journal

| june 2019

to extend training beyond orientation. The company uses Luma’s online training platform, and Ben Schill, vice president for Paper, credits the platform for helping the company significantly reduce early driver turnover, defined by the fleet as within 90 days of hiring. “We’ve actually extended our orientation by deploying different videos through their tenure,” Schill says. “Having

Businesses of all kinds use rewards systems to engage their employees and build loyalty. A growing number of carriers are doing the same to recognize drivers and show appreciation. “Building a culture of abundance leads to having more engaged drivers,” says Mary Malone, vice president of business development for Stay Metrics. The company administers a privately branded driver rewards portal for carriers and provides surveys that gather driver feedback at several points during onboarding. A number of studies have shown that if employees feel appreciated, they are more likely to be engaged, Malone says. A rewards platform is one way to show appreciation and measure engagement. Usher Transport uses Stay Metrics’ platform to recognize drivers for tenure and meeting specific job objectives. The Louisville, Ky.-based tanker carrier serves customers in the chemical and petroleum industries. The fleet has branded its online platform as “My Usher Rewards.” Drivers can login to track their progress and redeem points on items from an extensive online catalog. To increase buy-in and engagement from drivers in My Usher Rewards, management also encouraged the families of drivers to participate. Stay Metrics’ research shows that drivers who log in regularly to their carriers’ rewards portal are more likely to stay than

TECHNOLOGY: DRIVER ENGAGEMENT

Load One provides in-cab Wi-Fi to its drivers, an expense that is worth it to battle turnover, says John Elliott, president for the Taylor, Mich.-based expedite carrier. “Even if you go to the conservative low end of what it costs to replace a driver, you’re looking at about $5,000 a driver,” Elliott says. Systems that retain just a few drivers a year likely are worth the investment, he says.

those who do not. The company’s driver surveys are another way to create and measure engagement. “A lot of it has to do with trust,” Malone says. To build trust with drivers through surveys, carriers have to show them the benefits of providing feedback by sharing survey results and communicating their plans to address any issues identified from the surveys. “The worst thing you can do with survey data is not to use it,” she says.

4. Driver mentors Motor carriers that have successful driver mentorship programs report seeing higher levels of engagement from all participants. The more experienced and tenured drivers who serve as mentors often view their participation as a career advancement. Hammond says Epes credits its mentor program for lowering early driver turnover. At the four-month mark, 71 percent of drivers who have a mentor are retained compared to 47 percent of drivers without a mentor, he says.

The training content of Luma’s Drive First online driver orientation training platform is informed by user and client feedback and relevant industry topics. Motor carriers are using the rewards to provide gift cards and internal awards to drivers based on the points users earn.

Epes drivers who serve as mentors get their own business cards and a cell phone allowance and earn incentives that are paid out when their new drivers hit milestones, such as delivering their first load on time and when they have been on the job for one month. “They love it,” says Hammond of drivers who serve as mentors. “We have an engaged fleet. Driver mentors are an extension of our leadership.”

5. Gamification

Stay Metrics’ expanding library of training courses is one of many options for carriers to engage drivers and build loyalty with recognition and rewards. The company’s Driver Rewards platform gives carriers the option to use any or all modules in its Drive Safe and Drive Fit courses for ongoing training needs. Carriers can specify which module drivers take each month, and points are awarded automatically upon completion.

Many fleets use technology to create gamification programs to increase driver engagement by fostering competition and recognizing and rewarding drivers for their professional achievements. A successful gamification program uses

fair and consistent measurements, says Matt Brunelle, vice president of customer success for SmartDrive, which supplies commercial carrier journal

june 2019

TECHNOLOGY: DRIVER ENGAGEMENT

Claremont, N.C.-based Cargo Transporters uses TPI’s Driver Performer platform for both driver gamification and predictive modeling. Drivers receive regular scorecards with historical graphs and rankings relative to their peers on factors such as mileage, mpg, fuel compliance, out-of-route miles and on-time percentage.

Omnitracs channels data from electronic logging devices and transportation management software systems for its ELD Driver Retention model that relies on predictive analytics to provide alerts for drivers whose profiles present red flags. Omnitracs relies on a similar data set for its gamification program.

a video-based telematics and safety platform. The SmartDrive system calculates driver safety scores that represent the observed rate of risk for every driver based on 80 individual behaviors that include speeding, following distance, texting while driving, seatbelt compliance, aggressive maneuvers and more. The scores are normalized by hours and miles driven. The higher the SmartDrive Safety Scores, the higher the risk of collision. Now that most people, drivers included, use smartphones as a central source for information and interactions with people and their companies, “I think [apps] is how you’ve got to get everybody’s attention,” says Adam Bruttell, vice 72

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| june 2019

president of North America sales and marketing for Mix Telematics. Driver apps have become the preferred medium for fleets to deploy gamification strategies, and using the format to provide drivers visibility to their performance is changing their perception of technology as “big brother” and making it an essential part of the company’s safety and performance culture, Bruttell says. Gamification apps also are helping companies engage drivers differently than they have in the past. By using the SmartDrive app, fleets can have their drivers “self-coach” themselves and compete with their peers by monitoring their safety scores to see how they are driving each day in comparison with others, Brunelle says.

Aim NationaLease developed a system to help engage new drivers whose responses are entered into a system that helps identify the ones who aren’t happy. “If there’s a problem, people are emailed, and we handle the problem,” says John Reed, CIO.

Fleets also can use the SmartDrive app to allow their drivers to review video clips of risky events that the system detected and recorded. Mix Telematics has a companion driver app, MyMix, for its in-cab fleet management system. Fleets that use it provide drivers with visibility of their safety scores for speeds, acceleration and braking behaviors and peer-to-peer rankings. “For all of us, there is a need to compete,” Bruttell says. “We do not want to be last.” The industry trend is to use gamification to recognize and reward drivers in shorter timeframes, such as on a monthly basis, he says. Rather than limit payouts to the top performers, fleets also are scaling their incentives to reach more drivers across the board. “A lot of people just showcase good drivers, but I think you need to come up with a program where you are rewarding everyone,” Bruttell says. “Rising all tides raises all boats. You’ve got to find ways to make it not punitive.” By all measures, engaged drivers will be less likely to look for greener pastures. Technology can help fleets develop their drivers and encourage them to do more voluntarily and, in the process, realize benefits that go straight to the bottom line.

Trailer tester

Lite-Check’s Evaluator 740 trailer tester is designed to diagnose a trailer’s lighting and anti-lock braking systems. Along with electrical circuit conditions, all ABS manufacturers’ fault codes are displayed on a four-line LCD. The device includes a full-function remote control and is available in AC (110vdc) or DC (battery power) models. Lite-Check, www.lite-check.com, 800-343-8579

Engine oils

Petro-Canada’s Duron Geo LD SAE 15W-40 and SAE 10W-30 grade lubricants are API CK-4 licensed and approved for the latest Cummins natural gas engine oil specification, CES 20092, and are fully back-serviceable to Cummins CES 20085. The lubricant line is formulated to extend oil drain intervals up to 1,000 hours safely without risking increased engine wear or reduced performance. It also is designed to provide added all-weather performance and advanced engine protection and is approved by Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Mack and Volvo.

Drive-axle air suspension for e-axles

Reyco Granning’s WorkMaster 240AR-EV driveaxle air suspension is designed to be packaged with electric axles. The suspension’s low-profile frame brackets are engineered to allow room for body mounts or fifth-wheel angles, while the curved spring beam eliminates the lower air spring mount to increase ground clearance, reduce weight and accommodate a range of frame widths and a larger e-axle space-claim. The 240AR-EV has a GAWR range of 17,000 to 23,000 pounds and is suited for heavy-duty single or tandem drive-axle arrangements with ride heights ranging from 8.5 to 10 inches.

Petro-Canada Lubricants, https://lubricants.

Reyco Granning Electric Vehicle Solutions, www.reycogranning.com,

petro-canada.com, 866-335-3369

800-753-0050

Decking system for leased trailers

Ancra’s FasTrack Lift-A-Deck II Conversion System is a single track with brackets attached to the back for mounting into vertical logistics post slots. The track, with the addition of the company’s Lift-A-Deck II beam, is engineered to convert a standard dry van trailer into a captive beam Lift-A-Deck II decking trailer without permanent installation, allowing users of leased trailers to customize deck heights to accommodate loads of different sizes and insert beams where needed, increasing load average and avoiding freight double-stacking. Ancra Cargo, www.ancra.com, 800-233-5138 commercial carrier journal | june 2019

PRODUCTS

Steer tire

Bridgestone Americas’ R284 Ecopia steer tire is designed for improved fuel economy and enhanced treadwear in longhaul and regional service. The tire’s tread compound helps lengthen wear life, while the company’s NanoPro-Tech polymer technology helps reduce rolling resistance. Bridgestone’s IntelliShape sidewall features a slim bead to help reduce tire weight and further minimize rolling resistance, and the company’s proprietary Fuel Saver Sidewall compound works with NanoPro-Tech to help reduce energy loss. An optimized tread depth and width help maximize tread volume, while the company’s Defense Side Grooves within the tread pattern help minimize shoulder wear for longer life. Equalizer Ribs also are incorporated into the tread to help absorb irregular wear and promote higher removal mileage.

Idle reduction alert system

Idle Smart has added SmartAlert to its customer dashboard for remote management of idle reduction. SmartAlert is designed to provide proactive notifications based on user preferences to help minimize maintenance intervals and maximize vehicle uptime. Features include performance monitoring for all OEM and aftermarket battery auxiliary power unit systems, configurable performance thresholds and metrics for all features, notification of fault codes and operational errors to identify issues, and workflow management by time of day and day of week. Idle Smart, www.idlesmart.com, 913-744-4357

Bridgestone Americas Inc., https://commercial.bridgestone.com, 844-858-4737

Trailer GPS tracker/tail light

Hoses, cables, air lines

Haldex’s line of Midland 3IN1 ConnectSets, seven-way cable assemblies, tractor-trailer jumper air lines, tender kits and brake hose assemblies include dual live swivel fitting configurations. Haldex, www.haldex.com, 800-643-2374

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

Anytrek’s TrackLight GPS trailer tracker is engineered to look, work and install the same as a regular LED tail light. The covert module uses the 4G spectrum to help enhance connection to provide five-minute reporting while powered and 15-minute reporting while unpowered, while a built-in standby battery is designed to provide up to four months of reporting when the trailer is unhitched. A web portal and smartphone apps both provide real-time, historical and geofenced views of assets, as well as maintenance reminders by mileage and date. The family consists of 4-inch round and 6-inch oval models built to replace standard tail/ stop lights and an amber 6-inch model designed to replace trailer side lamps, all made for easy installation without additional tools and IP67-rated for harsh outdoor conditions. Anytrek Corp., www.anytrek.com, 626-652-8979

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PRODUCTS

Sliding vane pump

Blackmer’s SX1B-DEF Series Sliding Vane Pump is designed to meet the strict handling requirements of diesel exhaust fluid, with all its materials either DEF-approved or -tested to ensure there is no DEF contamination or leeching. The SX1B-DEF joins the company’s STX2-DEF, STX1220-DEF and STX3-DEF models to provide flow-rate options ranging from 10 to 250 gpm. The SX1B-DEF has a small compact design suited for truck mounting and refueling or tote applications. Both 12- and 110-volt motor options are available. The 110-volt version is available with a 50- and 60-Hz dual-rated motor. Other features include a C-face pump mounting, motor speed capabilities up to 1,750 rpm, easily maintained and replaceable Duravanes, a commercial mechanical seal and 1-inch NPT and 1-inch BSPP tapped-port options. Blackmer, www.psgdover.com, 616-241-1611

Fuel line valve

EZ Oil’s EZ Fuel Line Valve is designed for fuel supply line emergency shut-off applications. The valve has a lever built to lock in the “open” position, a ball valve design, an O-ring seal, a nickel-plated brass exterior and a removable extra-long straight hose barb. An adjustable lock nut can be used to adjust the valve’s final position, allowing operators to install the valve in any position they prefer. A red-colored handle cover helps improve visibility and allow easier access to the handle when the fuel needs to be shut off immediately. EZ Oil Drain Valve, https://ezoildrainvalve.com, 425-999-1200

INVE Z A E DR AL

US PATENTED

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IMPRO

REPLACES YOUR DRAIN PLUG TURN THE LEVER TO DRAIN OIL

REMOVABLE HOSE END

THE EASIEST OIL CHANGE

DPF cleaning solutions

Optional Hose Connections

STRAIGHT

ATTACH THE REMOVABLE HOSE END

LEVER CLOSED

CONNECT A HOSE

LEVER OPEN

OPEN THE LEVER TO DRAIN OIL

L-SHAPED RAN AR

★

LIFE TIME

W TY

Available at Participating NAPA Auto & Truck Parts stores nationwide and all Traction and Global Parts locations

W TY

LEVER CLOSED

RAN AR

www.EZoildrain.com 76

(425) 999-1200

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

★

AGAE’s solvent-free concentrated aqueous cleaning solutions for advanced diesel particulate filters are formulated with natural ingredients. The solutions are designed to produce exogenous residue removals of up to 1.2 kg and restore DPF backpressures to their original efficiency and manufacturer specifications. They are free of solvents, dyes/colorants and fragrances and are formulated to be compatible with DPF substrates and exogenous/foreign residues. The solutions also are nonflammable, noncorrosive, nonvolatile, nontoxic and biodegradable. AGAE Technologies, www.agaetech.com, 541-286-4031

PRODUCTS

Van body interior packages

EZ Stak’s preconfigured van body interior packages are available through upfitters and OEMs, making it easier for the end user to select an interior workspace and have it upfitted and ready to go at the point of sale. All packages are made of lightweight aluminum to help reduce fuel costs and increase payload. In addition to the available four preconfigured packages, the company also can help customers build their own custom layout from a list of standard cabinets. EZ Stak, www.ezstak.com, 630-994-3300

Windshield repair kit

RockPro’s Commercial Windshield Repair Kit uses a patented process to repair windshield chips and pits quickly. The kit includes instructions and adapters to repair both larger pits and all types of corners and edges. It also includes hot- and cold-weather cartridges, as the temperature outside can make a difference in how the resin sets to fill the windshield pits. RockPro Enterprises, https://rockpro.info/commercial, 800-555-5555

commercial carrier journal | june 2019

TOTAL FLEET SHOPPER

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• Protects your load from strap damage. • Protects your straps. • Holds your freight in place. • Saves Money on claims. • Made from HD Polyethylene. • Crack resistant. • Light weight and user friendly. • Hundreds of happy customers.

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AD INDEX Ancra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ancracargo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 CCJ Innovators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccjinnovators .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 CCJ Solutions Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccjsolutionssummit .com/register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Citgo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . citgo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Direct Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . directequipmentsupply .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Drivers Legal Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . driverslegalplan .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 13 Exxon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . exxon .com/diesel-efficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 EZ Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ezoildrain .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Fleetpride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleetpride .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 GATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckshow .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66-67 Hino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hino .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Howes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . howeslube .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Instructional Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . instructiontech .net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . internationaltrucks .com/erb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-1 IPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ipatools .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Isuzu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . isuzucv .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Minimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . minimizer .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firstcallonline .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Peterbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . peterbilt .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC Petro-Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . duronthetougherthebetter .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 ProMiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . promiles .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Propel It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . propelit .net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 RigDig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rigdig .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 She Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shedrivestrucks .com/subscribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shell .us/rotellavaluecalculator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC Shell Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shell .us/services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 TCA Driver of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckload .org/driver-of-the-year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 TMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jointmc .trucking .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Veeboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . veeboards .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Verizon Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . verizonconnect .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Volvo DEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dexheavydutyparts .com/drivetrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Volvo Partner Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . volvo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 Xtra Lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xtralease .com/brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 commercial carrier journal | june 2019

PREVENTABLE or NOT? Cab fares poorly with Doe’s rig

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commercial carrier journal | june 2019

t dawn, tractor-trailer driver John Doe had just completed a left-lane curbside delivery of “Cluckin’ Good” barbecue sauce to the Chickin’ Lickin’ restaurant on a one-way stretch of Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta. Appreciative of the just-in-time delivery, the restaurant manager had awarded Doe a Chicken N’ Biscuit Breakfast, which Doe had enjoyed, along with a giant coffee (two sugars, no cream), in the comfort of his cab. Burping with satisfaction, it was time for Doe to crank up his Cummins and leave, en route to Cowboy Bill’s Beefburger with some boxes of sourdough buns. As Doe inched his way into the stream of rush-hour traffic, a double-parked package delivery truck forced him to seek the right lane. To assist Doe’s lane change (and, perhaps, for fear of being hit by the 18-wheeler), a teenager in the right lane had stopped his Corvette. So Doe started to make his move, chewing on a Gummy Bear to maximize his concentration. At that moment, wildly impatient Orange Cab driver Chester “Butch” Mutley was directly behind Doe’s trailer, the A cab driver attempted to speed rear of which still occupied the left lane. Running late, Mutley decided, in around the right side of John Doe’s tractor-trailer while Doe error, that he could maneuver his Cawas merging to the right, but the price Classic around the slow-moving cabbie quickly ran out of room truck, and into the right lane for some and scraped Doe’s rig. Was this clear sailing, with no sweat. a preventable accident? At that same instant, Doe figured that he was in the clear and, neglecting to check his mirrors, started to exercise his Roadranger, accelerating fast. Suddenly … a flash of orange? What’s that crazy cabbie doing? Great Grizzly Gophers!!! WHAMMO!! Doe’s right front bumper was twisted decoratively around Mutley’s left fender, inspiring Doe’s safety director to issue him a warning letter for a preventable accident, which Doe contested. Mutley was bonkers, Doe claimed. Asked to resolve the issue, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee upheld the “preventable” decision, noting that Doe should have been more cautious and anticipated the possibility of a “squeeze-play” accident by making better use of his mirrors to spot Mutley’s kamikaze maneuver.

HARDWORKING PROTECTION FOR YOUR FLEET. The Shell Rotella Fleet Advantage™ combines Shell products and services to help lower your fleet’s operating costs and increase vehicle availability. As a leader in innovation and technology, Shell continually improves its products and services to help deliver savings to your fleet in three main pillars: Fuel savings, maintenance savings and increased equipment life. Use the Shell Rotella® Value Savings Calculator to see how much your fleet could save!1

www.shell.us/RotellaValueCalculator

The savings indicated are typical values seen in field and laboratory test evaluations. They do not represent a guarantee that savings will be achieved. Actual savings may be higher or lower than this calculation.

Introducing the Model 579 UltraLoftâ&#x201E;˘, with a lightweight integral cab-sleeper design that takes the Model 579 to new levels of driver comfort and performance. The distinctive exterior features a bold, sculpted roofline and aerodynamic enhancements for increased fuel economy. The new interior offers best-in-class headroom, bunk space and storage. The standard PACCAR Powertrain, including the PACCAR MX-13 engine and the advanced PACCAR Automated Transmission, maximizes fuel efficiency and drivability, making the Model 579 UltraLoft the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truck of choice. For more information, stop by your nearest Peterbilt dealer or visit Peterbilt.com.

CLASS PAYS