It’s commonly accepted that our highways, bridges and other public infrastructure components are deteriorating. In 2009 the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) handed out a failing grade of D when it released its “Report Card on America’s Infrastructure.” And when its next report card is issued later this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that failing grade fall to an even more dismal F....More
Much like the overall economy, status quo is the overriding theme for our 10th annual Fleet Owner 500 ranking of the top private fleets in the U.S. Just like America’s sputtering economic growth in 2012, there’s little change from last year in the rankings and equipment totals among the country’s largest private fleets....More
An annual outlook report on the equipment leasing and financing industry concludes that businesses have essentially “hit the pause button” on equipment and software investment until there is a resolution to the “fiscal cliff” – with the impact on the transportation industry decidedly mixed should no agreement be reached over tax increases and automatic spending cuts that make up the cliff....More
The annualized turnover rate for drivers at both large and small truckload fleets remains high – and is continuing to increase at the smaller carriers.
According to the American Trucking Assns. (ATA) Trucking Activity Report, linehaul driver turnover at large truckload fleets remained over 100% for the second straight quarter. Just as disconcerting, however, is that the rate at smaller truckload carriers rose to a new five-year high....More
Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) 2012 Q4 Business Expectations survey found that 82% of the carriers surveyed are “willing to support allowing younger, properly trained drivers to enter the [trucking] driving pool.” TCP noted that this finding comes in the wake of a hike in driver turnover to over 100% in 2012 Q3 that is pushing carriers to look at new ways of attracting quality, long-term drivers....More
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released an analysis evaluating operational impacts on business and carrier supply chains that have occurred since the full rollout of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program in December 2010....More
There are no guarantees when it comes to making money as an entrepreneur. It’s a learning process that continues every time you pick up a new skill or knowledge. Each enterprise develops a life of its own, equally as true in trucking as in any other small business. The hardest lesson to learn is that it takes years to grow a start-up to the point where it’s generating a sustainable profit and enough revenue to cover costs....More
There’s a warm blue (for the color of the flame when natural gas is ignited) glow being cast over the spec’ing choices of more and more truck fleets seeking to go green, both to gain green by spending less on fuel and to demonstrate environmental sensibility by switching to trucks powered by either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG).Natural gas (NG) is starting to catch fire in the truck-fleet market....More
Fleets looking for an all-electric vehicle solution have been left with just a few choices to date. But several recent developments may be changing that, including one from San Francisco-based Motiv Power Systems. Motiv has recently inked a five-year contract with the city of Chicago potentially worth up to $13.4 million for its ePCS electric powertrain system....More
MANAGERS: Patrick Vaughn and Ron Halley
TITLES: COO and vice president of fleet and facilities, respectively
FLEET: Student Transportation, Wall, NJ
OPERATION: Contract school bus fleet of over 9,300 units operating in 14 states and Canada...More
Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems announced that three of its truck tire retread products have achieved verification under the SmartWay Transport Partnership program.
The retreads, the G316 AT Fuel Max, the G572 LHD Fuel Max and the G305 ATS Fuel Max provide low rolling resistance among other benefits, the company said. The EPA established low rolling resistance requirements for retreaded truck tires this year, requiring a fuel consumption reduction of at least 3% to be verified as low rolling resistance retreaded tires....More
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has certified all 2014 model year Volvo Trucks vehicles as meeting greenhouse gas regulations for heavy trucks....More
Trailer aerodynamic device maker Freight Wing has formally introduced side skirts specifically designed for intermodal trailers; skirts that Sean Graham, Freight Wing’s president, said deliver fuel economy savings similar to models deployed on dry van trailers, which is roughly 5% to 7%....More
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection announced it is now accepting applications for its Natural Gas Vehicle Grant program, which will provide up to $20 million over the next three years to help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavy-duty natural gas fleet vehicles....More
Gulf Oil Limited Partnership (LP), a national, branded supplier of fuels including gasoline and diesel, has begun to get thoroughly involved in the market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel for truck transportation, according to the firm’s CEO Joe Petrowski....More
Cummins Westport Inc., announced it has launched field trials on the new ISX12 G natural gas engine based on the Cummins ISX12 diesel engine platform, the newest member of Cummins heavy-duty engine family. Full production of the engine is expected to commence in early 2013....More
Mack Trucks has announced that its full lineup of model-year 2014 trucks and tractors is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as meeting 2014 fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations....More
When Darin McClure sits down with a customer, one of the first subjects he raises is cost per mile. “Many of our customers haven’t calculated a CPM that takes into account all of the costs of running trucks to support their businesses,” says the leasing account manager at Maudlin Idealease. “Our customers are not generally in the trucking business, so we use our expertise to show them how to determine a true CPM and how to use that information to [deploy] the right equipment.”...More
In the words of one manufacturer, fifth wheel technology hasn’t changed significantly in decades. While there have been advances such as cab-actuated air release, low maintenance offerings, no-tilt designs, and the use of lighter weight materials, core systems remain fundamentally unchanged....More
Bridgestone Commercial Solutions, a business unit of Bridgestone America Tire Operations, has announced it is “reintroducing” its Dayton medium truck-tire line. The tire maker said that “commercial market needs combined with renewed interest from drivers, small fleets and managers pushed the revival of the line, which was retired in 2011....More
Trojan Battery has launched a new iPad app that makes it easier to find information on the company’s products. The app, available in the Apple App Store by searching “Trojan Battery Company” or “Trojan App,” provides the most current information on products and markets.
The Trojan app also features a wide variety of documents including market brochures, technical spec sheets, user’s guides, white papers, glossary of battery terms, Trojan Tips video tutorials and corporate videos....More
Penske Used Trucks has updated its website to offer more customization and “intuitive online shopping” for users, the company said.
Located at PenskeUsedTrucks.com, the redesigned site provides faster access to light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and used trailers. Vehicle types can now be accessed via a single click and shoppers are now able to produce side-by-side comparisons of up to five trucks with faster search parameters....More
To help meet federal stopping distance standards, TRP has introduced an aftermarket brake program that offers brake lines for both 20,000 and 23,000 lb. applications....More
Carrier Transicold’s Vector trailer refrigeration units now have a dual-voltage option that allows them to operate in standby mode on either 460-volt or 208 to 230-volt electric service. Vector is an all-electric trailer refrigeration system that incorporates a diesel generator for mobile operation and plug-in standby operation when parked....More
Kenworth Truck Co. is making a new heavy-duty front frame assembly available as an option on its T370 medium-duty models. The assembly makes it easier for body builders to install customer winch bumpers, the company said....More
Luber-finer has launched its new line of heavy-duty Time Release Technology (TRT) oil filters. Designed to go beyond filtration, according to the company, the TRT filters “provide users with an oil management system that helps maintain oil quality and reduce maintenance costs associated with oil-change intervals.”...More
Oliver Rubber has released a new trailer retread that meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay verification for retreads. The ULP trailer (ultra low profile) wide base single is designed for long-haul trailer applications, the company said....More
Sloan Transportation Products has released a new line of gladhand products with several features designed to improve ease of use and extend life.
According to Sloan, benefits of the MaxxGrip Dura-Grip gladhand combo include:...More
Talbert Manufacturing has released a new lightweight trailer that, when coupled with a typical tractor, can haul equipment up to 80,000 lbs. capacity while the entire vehicle remains under the 120,000-lb. superload limit of most states.
The 40-ton lightweight trailer weighs just over 18,000 lbs. and is designed to haul everything from excavators to small and mid-sized dozers and other construction equipment....More
SelecTrucks has made improvements to two of its vehicle programs on used Freightliner and Western Star trucks. The enhancements to its 60-day buyer’s assurance and Select Limited warranty gives truck owners more options for protecting their investment, the company said.
The new enhancements include:...More
Rislone is offering a more concentrated version of its original Engine Treatment. The new Engine Treatment Concentrate is available in a bottle half the size of the original product, the company said, and with less oil....More
Owners and fans of Western Star Trucks now have a new website where they can read the latest news, hold discussions and view photo galleries. The site, located at www.StarNation.com, is for Western Star truck owners, operators and enthusiasts, the company said....More
The Racor Div. of Parker Hannifin Corp. has published a Heaters Brochure for Diesel Fuel and Coolant Applications.
According to Racor, all diesel fuels (other than #1 diesel) contain dissolved waxes. At cold temperatures wax crystallizes, leading to fuel gelling and filter plugging. These changes greatly reduce fuel flow, adversely affecting the operability of vehicles. It is necessary, now more than ever, to utilize an efficient fuel heating system for all cold weather applications....More
Maxi-Seal Harness Systems announced it has received patent approval for a hardshell J560 connector for heavy-duty trucks, trailers and trailer dollies....More
Shell Lubricants has released Shell Rotella T6 0W-40, a full-synthetic, heavy-duty diesel engine oil designed for extreme cold condition operation.
The oil uses free flowing synthetic base oils that allow reliable pumping on start-up under extreme cold climate conditions, yet remains thick enough under high temperature operation to protect against engine wear, Shell said....More
Mack Trucks has announced that Jost International will supply fifth wheel coupling devices for certain models. The devices will be a standard feature on all Mack Pinnacle, Titan and Granite models.
Jost fifth wheels have been a value-added option for Mack dealers and customers for more than a decade, Mack said....More
Polar Corp. has debuted its first trailer designed for the North American propane industry. The Polar NexGen MC-331 highway transport trailer is designed for durability and low lifecycle costs, the company said....More
Dana Holding Corp. has released its first iPad application for aftermarket customers.
The free Spicer for iPad app provides product and service information. It is available for download now from the iTunes App Store by searching “Spicer for iPad.”...More
There’s a warm blue (for the color of the flame when natural gas is ignited) glow being cast over the spec’ing choices of more and more truck fleets seeking to go green, both to gain green by spending less on fuel and to demonstrate environmental sensibility by switching to trucks powered by either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG).Natural gas (NG) is starting to catch fire in the truck-fleet market....More
Chrysler’s Ram Trucks division is beefing up performance attributes of its 2013 model Ram heavy duty pickups and chassis cab trucks, adding in a new cooling system and specially-designed air intake system for diesel-powered units, along with a factory-integrated fifth-wheel and gooseneck hitch mount option just for starters....More
Mitsubishi Fuso is running a special financing offer for purchase of 2012-2014 Canter FE Series medium-duty trucks. The offer, featuring 1.4% APR financing for 36 months plus the option of delaying the first payment for up to 90 days, is available to qualifying purchasers.
Additional financing and leasing options are available to U.S. customers who do not qualify to the special 1.4% rate....More
MANAGERS: Patrick Vaughn and Ron Halley
TITLES: COO and vice president of fleet and facilities, respectively
FLEET: Student Transportation, Wall, NJ
OPERATION: Contract school bus fleet of over 9,300 units operating in 14 states and Canada...More
If Kenny Rogers were to pen a song about talking and/or texting while driving a commercial vehicle, it might go something like this: “You got to know when you can talk … and when you can’t talk … know when it’s safe to text … and know when it should be shunned …”In fact, the law as it applies to truck and bus operators is very clear on the subject of talking and/or texting while dri...More
Problem:
Sysco is a huge and highly visible company with a commitment to safety as big as the business itself. It has more than 9,500 power units serving the U.S. and Canada from some 165 primary operating locations across North America.
When Al Dibens, senior director of safety, security and business continuity management, joined the company, he brought with him some experience with DriveCam, so he recommended it to Sysco as a way to further improve fleet safety and reduce costs....More
Sunnyvale, CA-based provider of management solutions for mobile/field workforces Trimble has acquired privately-held ALK Technologies Inc. of Princeton, NJ. The ALK Technologies business will be reported as part of Trimble’s Mobile Solutions segment. Financial terms were not disclosed.
As a global provider of routing, mapping, mileage and navigation technologies, ALK Technologies offers proprietary routing and international map-based solutions for transportation, logistics and mobile workforces....More
A new version of Pegasus TransTech’s Transflo Mobile has been released, the company said, improving its convenience and reliability when scanning and submitting documents electronically.
Using Transflo Mobile on a compatible iPhone or Android phone, a driver can capture a signed bill of lading and send the image in real time from anyplace with cell phone service. With this new release, a carrier also can send invoices and proof-of-delivery documents to a participating Transflo $Velocity broker, 3PL, or factoring company....More
Mobile office solutions provider Havis has released a new mount designed for 10-in. tablet devices. The Universal Tablet Mount is compatible with most 10-in. tablets from a wide variety of manufacturers, including Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, Motorola, Panasonic, Samsung, and Toshiba....More
Nevada has become the 15th state to adopt the use of the Drivewyze PreClear bypass service. PreClear uses tablets, smartphones and select electronic onboard recorder (EOBR) devices to provide commercial vehicles with inspection site bypass.
There are 11 locations in Nevada now using the system....More
Ryder System has released its RydeSmart onboard telematics system as a mobile application. RydeSmart 3.0 is available for the iPhone and iPad devices.
According to Ryder, the application enables existing RydeSmart customers to track their vehicles and access real-time data on their fleets from their mobile devices at any location, any time of the day. Customers will be able to access detailed maps and check the movement and status of their fleets....More
Telogis has released Fleet 10, a scalable fleet management solution and integral part of the company’s cloud-based location intelligence platform, it said. The solution assists companies requiring dynamic routing, real-time work order management, navigation, telematics and mobile integration services for mobile workforces....More
Glacier Computer has released a new addition to its Everest line of fixed and vehicle mount terminals. The new E4500 is designed for warehouse, distribution, manufacturing and logistics applications....More
GammaTech Computer Corp. has released a new semi-rugged mobile tablet PC that meets Military Standard 810G and IP43 standard for drop, shock, dust and water resistance.
The Durabook model CA10 is equipped with a 10.1 in. TFT LCD display with resistive multi-touch screen and features hot swappable dual-battery design with up to eight hours of power....More
Profit Tools, a trucking software provider, has released a new signature capture and mobile dispatch application.
DiSC Mobile was designed to expedite and simplify the current system of receiving and processing proof-of-delivery documents, as well as improve communication between dispatch and drivers in the field, the company said.
According to Profit Tools, DiSC Mobile makes proof of delivery immediately available to all required or interested parties while also speeding the billing and settlements process....More
Dedicated fleet operations have been around for a long time, but that has not stopped Schneider National from going to work to redefine what providing dedicated services really means. The result has been a true win-win for customers and carriers alike....More
Okay, here we are, already a few months into 2013 and all I keep hearing is that now is the time to start planning for the next highway bill. Next highway bill? Yes, you read that correctly. Even though MAP-21 was recently passed and it seems as if we are only just beginning to get introduced to its ramifications, it is still just a two-year bill. It is imperative that planning for the next bill begins now....More
San Francisco start-up company Motiv Power Systems is looking to fill a “gap” that it says exists in the commercial electric vehicle market. According to Jim Castelaz, CEO of the company, which launched in 2009, there are limited choices in the industry when it comes to electric vehicle options for fleets. “We want to fill this gap that is missing within the industry,” he says. “Fleets are used to being able to customize their vehicles…and I think the electric chassis out there are limited.”...More
B enjamin Moore is one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of paint products in North America with more than 4,000 independently owned retail locations. Performing roughly half of its transportation requirements, the company’s private fleet consists of 116 power units, 122 drivers, and 148 trailers—all operating from 11 terminals in the U.S. and seven in Canada. Both drivers and equipment are leased. Each terminal has a logistics manager responsible for day-to-day operations of drivers and equipment....More
Every January I see a surge of suppliers who want to set up meetings. It seems like every Dale Carnegie comes back from the holidays committed to working harder and being a better version of last year’s model. It’s the same reason the company fridge is full of salads the first month of the year. I call it the “January Syndrome.”...More
On Nov. 13, 1973, the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) established the current testing standard for tires on vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or more. It was intended to ensure that tires were constructed in a manner that could withstand the operational conditions associated with trucks. It also required markings on the sidewall so the user would know the load-carrying capacity as well as other important information....More
