CCJ 0419

APRIL 2019

DRY VAN TRAILERS

This year's latest models, specs page 56

LOW ROLLING RESISTANCE Expedite carrier develops game-changing technology to help its drivers succeed

Fuel-efďŹ cient tires get more durable page 50

DRIVER RETENTION

Hold on to the ones you have

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

page 46

Chris Bader DRIVER

Steve Sperbeck GENERAL MANAGER

© 2019 , Inc. All rights reserved.

All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

THE COMBINATION THAT PUTS ERL INTERMODAL AHEAD, HAULING ULTRA-HEAVY LOADS WITH ZERO DOWNTIME. “The A26™-powered International® LT® and RH™ Series trucks in our fleet have delivered valuable operational insights and zero unscheduled downtime.

It’s not uncommon for our International LT Series trucks to haul up to 143,000 pounds at a time. And with the A26, the lightest engine in its class, our Intermodal double trailer loads are hauled up and down hills, in every weather condition, giving us that tie-in between power and fuel efficiency.

A large contributor to the bottom line, the A26’s fuel efficiency is practically paying for the fleet.

As we add more trucks, our fleet of LTs and RHs are also making a difference as we compete for drivers.

The comfort, the quietness of the engine and the tight turning radius are features that our drivers really enjoy.

With our A26-powered International LT and RH Series trucks, reliability remains number one.”

– Steve Sperbeck, General Manager

VIEW THE FULL ERL INTERMODAL STORY AND DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF DRIVING AN INTERNATIONAL LT WITH THE A26 AT INTERNATIONALTRUCKS.COM/LT-SERIES

© 2019 Penske. All Rights Reserved.

With remote diagnostics, we not only know if there’s a problem with your engine, we know from 800 miles away. By monitoring vehicle data, we can help you make reliable, informed decisions, getting you back on the road quickly — and keeping you there.

It’s how we deliver confidence. Learn more at gopenske.com.

APRIL 2019 | VOL 176 | NO. 4

JOURNAL

COVER STORY

Innovator of the Year:

Load One From left, Brian Whitley, Load One president, and John Elliott, CEO

Commercial Carrier Journal has named Taylor, Mich.-based Load One as the 2019 CCJ Innovator of the Year for the internal development of its Ultimate Advantage Driver App that pushes business intelligence directly to owner-operators with real-time load visibility across the expedite company’s entire network.

LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Cover photo by Mary Rosecrans

FEATURES

46

Hold on to what you have

10 News

Walmart's moves to be more aggressive about its driver hiring and retention show that, despite a recent slowdown in economic growth, the market for drivers is still drum-tight, and competition among fleets, even those offering the best pay and benefits, remains fierce.

50

Don’t resist low-rollingresistance tires

Various aerodynamic devices help move air out of the way of a truck and reduce resistance, but there are fewer options for reducing drag created by tires as they travel across the road. If tire pressures are at the recommended level, the next step might be investing in a set of low-rolling-resistance tires with casing materials and tread designs that optimize fuel efficiency.

56

Trailer Focus: Dry Vans

Today’s dry vans are lighter than those of the past while also being stronger. By replacing heavier components with equally strong lighter-weight materials and adding extra strength in areas that need beefing up, designers have been able to build significantly better trailers to carry specific loads without fatiguing certain design elements.

Martinez: FMCSA deciding on HOS overhaul proposal … DoD consolidating household goods military moves … Rule change eases process for drivers upgrading from Class B CDL to Class A … George Washington Bridge is most congested U.S. freight bottleneck … Bills would pave way for special HOS regs for livestock, agriculture haulers … Legislation would allow under-21 interstate drivers …

Bill would roll back ELD mandate for small carriers … Legislation to require side underride guards on trailers reintroduced … Coalition asks Congress to extend pup trailer length; TCA, OOIDA object … Navistar ordered to pay fleet $1.3M over MaxxForce engine problems

12 InBrief 17 Perspectives

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| APRIL 2019 3

DEPARTMENTS

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Future of e-trucks, charging stations recalls classic riddle

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Hydrogen fueling hardware tested

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20 Test Drive:

Freightliner 2020 Cascadia

22 InFocus:

Seasonal maintenance

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32

Volvo delivers first all-electric trucks

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Fontaine designs narrow Peterbilt cab for utilities, steel haulers

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24 InBrief 26 Nikola adds battery-powered 26

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34

Omnitracs wants to predict load cycle times for carriers J.J. Keller releases video-based risk management system ALK, TMW Appian become Trimble MAPS Truck mirrors soon may be a rearview memory Stay Metrics study analyzes drivers’ pre-turnover thoughts New indicator highlights early-stage turnover trends 3Gtms updates TMS system, adds new features Fleetworthy adds ‘rapid response’ compliance data

option to electrified lineup

34

Stertil-Koni spotlights LED tubes for lifts

35 InFocus:

NACFE reports on charging infrastructure for electric trucks

36 InBrief

Ryder opens new facilities for e-commerce offering

Mobile computing

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Upfront

72

Preventable or Not?

71

Ad Index

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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Editor: Jeff Crissey Senior Editor: Aaron Huff Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon Managing Editor: Dean Smallwood Senior Editor: James Jaillet News Editor: Matt Cole Contributing Editor: Todd Dills

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An impatient sports car driver tried unsuccessfully to cut in front of John Doe’s tractortrailer before approaching a construction zone. Was this a preventable accident?

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Copyright © 2019 ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK OF AMERICA, INC.

UPFRONT

Funding infrastructure improvements is a trillion-dollar question Will partisan bitterness spoil surface transportation reauthorization hopes?

BY JEFF CRISSEY

I

f there’s one thing lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can agree on in Washington’s otherwise poisonous political climate, it’s the need to improve the nation’s aging infrastructure. The bipartisan issue was considered low-hanging fruit and an easy win during President Trump’s first year in office.

More than two years later, however, legislators still haven’t managed to move the ball any closer to the goal line, and America’s roads and bridges continue to show their age, propped up by Highway Trust Fund dollars that haven’t been adjusted in more than 25 years and which could be insolvent by 2021. According to the World Economic Forum, U.S. overall infrastructure now ranks 9th in the world, and the quality of its roads is 11th.

“There are roads in Syria that are better-paved than the George Washington Parkway,” said Chris Spear, American Trucking Associations’ president and chief executive officer, expressing his frustrations during an address at ATA’s Technology & Maintenance Council 2019 Annual Meeting in Atlanta last month, highlighting a road he regularly travels in the D.C. area as an example of why legislation is so important. “The policy of the National Park Service, a federal agency, is to lower the speed limit so people driving on the parkway have more time to avoid the potholes. That’s the solution? ... That has to be the dumbest policy I’ve ever heard.”

But Spear is optimistic on bipartisan legislation expected to take shape in the next four to eight weeks that could generate a bill in the House in June and the Senate

by July.

“This could be historic, and if properly funded with real money, we could see new efficiencies, the elimination of bottlenecks and congestion where we lose $74.5 billion per year sitting in traffic, 425,000 drivers sitting idle for an entire year,” said Spear. “The damage our equipment endures simply because of our infrastructure is something you are all too familiar

with. Good infrastructure is an investment in our nation’s future.”

In its 2020 Budget Fact Sheet released last month, the White House called for “at least $1 trillion” in infrastructure funding to replace the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, a 2015 stop-gap measure to keep infrastructure improvement projects afloat that expires in 2020.

“We must provide our state, local and private partners – who build, own and operate the vast majority of the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure – the longterm funding certainty they need to effectively plan and deliver projects,” the administration said. “Such reauthorization must, at a minimum, address the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund in a fiscally responsible manner, focus on nationally and regionally significant projects, support emerging technologies and innovation, encourage the revenue mechanisms of the future and promote more efficient and effective permitting.”

The next couple months could indeed be significant to seeing major infrastructure funding happen in Trump’s first term. If legislation doesn’t pass soon, the issue on how to fund the White House’s $1 trillion-plus request risks becoming a political football in the next election cycle.

The trucking industry has stepped up to the plate, and ATA’s Build America Fund proposal – that it estimates would generate $340 billion over 10 years – and calls for similar fuel tax increases have broad industry support.

Less-appetizing options such as public-private partnerships and tolling also remain on the table.

The clock continues to tick on the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. If legislators miss this new window of opportunity for major infrastructure funding legislation, and if the rancor that ensued over the recent border wall stalemate and subsequent government shutdown is any indication of how the current crop of lawmakers will act on future big-ticket budget items, it could again be years before the issue finally is addressed.

JEFF CRISSEY is Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com.

6

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

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

FMCSA Martinez: allows FMCSA after-hours deciding move on HOS tooverhaul park while proposal loaded

DOD consolidating Registry hack household goods delays medical military moves certificate rule

T

10

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

TT

he U.S. Department of Defense, which accounts forCarrier 20 percent he Federal Motor

of theSafety country’s household goods Administration said shipments, to a last monthisittransitioning intends to postpone single-source model by This the implementation of2021. a system means moves will be hanmeantall tothe streamline its communidled by awith single brokerage other cations state licensingoragenentity.

DOD moves roughly 400,000 cies regarding drivers’ medical military families a year. certification status.

DOD’s current relocation manThe multifaceted rule, part of agement system had come under which took effect in January 2015, scrutiny to complaints by requiresdue FMCSA to electronically military families about the timelitransmit to state licensing agenness qualityof ofdrivers’ their household ciesand the results medical goods movers,FMCSA as well as claimsthat for certifications; receives Aaron Huff

he he Federal FederalMotor MotorCarrier CarrierSafety Safety Administration Administration is nearing finalized a decision changeson to whether guidancetoaround proceedthe with 150-air-mile-radius a proposed rule thatagriculture would change hours-of-service federal hoursof-service exemptionregulations, and use ofsaid the FMCSA personalAdministrator conveyance provision.

Ray Martinez.

“We Bothcontinue proposed tochanges evaluatewere comments put forward and are ahead veryof close the to Dec. conclud18 compliance ing our deadline evaluation for the andagency’s deciding electronic whether logging we can move deviceforward mandatewith andan pitched NPRMasthat providing would provide clarity and definitive additional text,” flexibility said Martinez. for drivers.

“As we continue this work, we want to maintain The new safety interpretation while keeping of when uniform it is rules legal as to much use a truck as possible for personal for motor conveycarriers ance and drivers allows wherever use whether we can. the truck Uncertainty is loaded is not or not. goodPerhaps for the more industry significantly, and not good the guidance for the enforcement answers a common community.” question of whether it’s appropriate to use personal conveyance Martinez spoke statusMarch to 12 at the Truckload get Carriers to a safe Association’s parking Convention in Las spot Vegas. orHis restremarks loca- were more muted than tion just aafter few weeks hoursbeforehand are when he seemed exhausted to confirm that by athe shipagency had decided to per proceed or receiver. with an HOS reform proposal.

However, “The movement FMCSA later walked back those comments, saying Martinez didn’t mean to from a shipper imply that ato decision or receiver the had been made.

FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez said the He said electronic logging device nearest safethe resting agency is deciding whether to proceed with a mandate, which took full effect last April, rulemaking to overhaul HOS regulations. area may be identiallowed the industry and FMCSA greater fied as personal HOS visibility.text Martinez said that under the ELD mandate, HOS violations have conveyance,” dropped dramatically. Preliminary data shows less than 1 percent of all driver inspecof the clarification tions have resultedofin a The driver cited forofoperating a required or reads, “regardless newbeing interpretation when it is without legal to use a truck forELD personal grandfathered AOBRD.conveyance Also, HOSallows violations use whether decreased the truck by 52is percent loaded orinnot. the last year. whether the driver exhausted “These are hissteps or her in the right direction,” said Martinez. “We understand industry hours is the one of service, that is as responsible long as the forCMV the successes is being moved here. Where solely there to enable has been the driver confusion to obtain sometimes, the required where there rest at hasa been safe location.” uncertainty, Personal that has conveyance been mirrored used this on the wayenforceshould be ment annotated side. This in is thea time log. of transition. It is important that the federal government, state Personal partners conveyance on the enforcement also is newly side and allowed the industry when a safety make sure official we work requires through a driver all this to in move 2019 asduring we transition an off-duty from period.

AOBRDs Such to ELDs a useby should December be “no 16,farther 2019.” than theMartinez nearest reasonable and safe area to complete the the restagency period,” theatext reads. noted the transition to ELDs has helped take closer look the 150-air-mile-radius exemption, FMCSA clarified the definition of the at Regarding HOS reform.

He said the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking FMCSA radius as extending thecomments commodity’s Haulers using the exemption put forth generatedfrom 5,200 onsource. hot-button HOS issues, includingbut shortwho beyond the radius wouldfor notadverse need todriving start hours recordingand until reach haul extend provisions, HOS exceptions conditions thethey 30-minthe edge of the radius, the ute rest break provision agency drivers and thesaid. ruleSuch requiring Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsreturning stop drivers toempty spendcan eight letters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, hours recording upon consecutive hours in rea a daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, entering the radius. sleeper berth. analysis, blogs and market condition articles.

––Todd Dills Jeff Crissey

lost or damaged goods. information from medical examinsystem also was ers.The State agencies thenripe willfor send bilking, said to Joel Summer, a former the results the Commercial owner of License a household goods mover Driver’s Information inSystem the New who now to York makearea other states serves consultant forresults. other awareasofadrivers’ exam household goods However, due carriers. in part to the Summeroutage said entities setongoing of the were National ting up shell companies to land Registry of Certified Medical household contracts with Examinersgoods following an attempted DOD. companies were hack,These FMCSA says it willoften postpone operated by a larger moving manthe requirement that it submit agement company that would for skim information to state agencies the profits while subprime three years, untilpaying June 2021. rates to the actual household goods – Matt Cole carriers, he said.

– James Jaillet

All DOD moves will be handled by FMCSA a single said company “an incident — either that a brokerage, occurred in anearly actual December household goods 2017”line ledor toainterruptions new company formed in developing via a partnership the electronic between transmission existing van process. lines.

commercial carrier journal

| july 2018 9

JOURNAL NEWS

Rule change eases process for drivers upgrading from Class B CDL to Class A driver training rule.

The new rulemaking adds an optional theory instruction curriculum for those upgrading from a Class B to a Class A that removes eight instructional units involving non-driving activities. Class B CDL holders still will have the option to complete the full Class A theory instruction curriculum, which includes the eight non-driving activities.

The instructional units cut from the mandatory curriculum for Class B upgrades are handling and documenting cargo, environmental compliance issues, post-crash procedures, external communications, whistleblower/coercion, trip planning, drugs/alcohol and medical requirements.

FMCSA said these first-time units are nearly identical to instructional

Jim Allen/365 Trucking

I

t soon will be easier for Class B commercial driver’s license holders to upgrade to a Class A CDL. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month published a final rule that updates its Entry-Level Driver Training regulations.

The original rule, published in December 2016, required the same classroom instruction for both firsttime CDL applicants and Class B CDL holders upgrading to a Class A CDL. FMCSA now is amending that rule, determining that “because Class B CDL holders have prior training or experience, they are not required to receive the same level of theory training as individuals who have never held a CDL.” The rule does not change any behindthe-wheel training requirements in the

FMCSA is amending its Entry-Level Driver Training regulations to eliminate some classroom instruction for Class B CDL holders upgrading to a Class A CDL.

units in the Class B CDL curriculum.

The agency is keeping the non-driving instructional units on hours-of-service requirements and fatigue and wellness awareness.

The rule went into effect 60 days after its March 6 publication in the Federal Register and has a compliance date of Feb. 7, 2020, the same as the original Entry-Level Driver Training rule.

– Matt Cole

George Washington Bridge is most congested U.S. freight bottleneck

W

hile Texas is home to the most congested freight corridors in the United States, a New Jersey interchange is the worst bottleneck in the country, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s updated 2019 Top Truck Bottleneck List.

For the first time since 2014, the George Washington Bridge at the interchange of Interstate 95 and State Route 4 in Fort Lee, New Jersey, tops the list. The average truck speed there is 31 mph, with an average truck speed during rush hour of 23 mph. The average rush hour speed decreased by 7.65 percent in 2018, ATRI reports.

The new No. 1 location overtakes Atlanta’s “Spaghetti Junction” interchange at I-285 and I-85, which held the top spot for the previous three years.

The 2019 Top Truck Bottleneck List was compiled by ATRI using

GPS data from nearly one million trucks at 300 congested locations across the country. The top 10 U.S. freight bottlenecks: • Fort Lee, New Jersey: I-95 at S.R. 4 • Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North) • Atlanta: I-75 at I-285 (North) • Los Angeles: S.R. 60 at S.R. 57 • Houston: I-45 at I-69/U.S. 59 • Cincinnati: I-71 at I-75 • Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94 • Nashville, Tennessee: I-24/I-40 at I-440 (East) • Atlanta: I-20 at I-285 (West) • Los Angeles: I-710 at I-105 ATRI’s analysis found that yearover-year truck speeds across the top 10 locations dropped by an average of nearly 9 percent.

Thirteen of the top 100 worst freight bottlenecks are in Texas, with nine of those in Houston. Other states

Fort Lee, New Jersey, at the interchange of I-95 and New Jersey State Route 4 (the George Washington Bridge), is the most congested freight bottleneck in the United States, according to ATRI.

with a significant number of freight bottlenecks are California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland/ Washington, D.C., Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington.

The interchange with the biggest slowdown in 2018 was I-94 at U.S. 52 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, which saw an 18.67 percent decrease in average rush hour speeds.

– Matt Cole commercial carrier journal

| april 2019 11

JOURNAL NEWS

SPONSORED INFORMATION

INBRIEF 4/19

SPUDS vs.

BUDS W

e all knew it would happen: A commercial vehicle hauling “legal” hemp/marijuana would be stopped, the cargo seized and the driver prosecuted.

On Jan. 24, 2019, the Idaho State Police seized 6,701 pounds of allegedly illicit marijuana at the East Boise Point of Entry. Not surprisingly, the driver was arrested and is facing marijuana trafficking charges.

What makes this case so interesting is that the driver was not transporting marijuana from the cartels but was instead hauling industrial hemp — at least per his bill of lading.

At the stop, the driver presented his bill of lading.

However, the trooper became suspicious that the cargo was not hemp but was instead marijuana.

The officer opened one of the bags and tested a sample of the alleged hemp. The test came back positive for THC. A K9 unit also alerted to the cargo.

Not surprisingly, the driver was arrested. None of this would be out of the ordinary except for the fact that hemp is legal nationwide.

In 2018 the Federal government passed the Farm Bill, which made industrial hemp and its byproducts, including CBD, legal. As a result, CBD dispensaries have turned into big business. This is why Big Sky Scientific, the owner of the hemp involved in the stop, is suing the county prosecutor’s office and the Idaho State Police for the return of its hemp.

What does this mean for the trucking industry? It means that the driver of the truck transporting the hemp inadvertently finds himself in the middle of what could be an epic fight about marijuana vs. hemp.

It also means that we are heading for a showdown between the States and Federal government as everyone struggles to get their arms around the booming CBD/ medical marijuana issue.

With that in mind, any carrier transporting industrial hemp across state lines should make sure they understand the laws of every state they will enter. Failure to recognize the differences could very well place you in the same scenario as we discussed here as Idaho is not the only state that takes a hard line position.

• The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General is auditing DOT’s medical certification program and is focusing on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2014. Since the registry’s onset, there have been eight indictments and six convictions against medical examiners who have issued fraudulent certificates to drivers.

• New England Motor Freight (CCJ Top 250, No. 67), a Elizabeth, N.J.based less-than-truckload carrier, last month announced it will cease operations and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company operated nearly 2,000 power units and employed more than 1,700 drivers.

Vincent Colistra, a senior managing director with NEMF adviser Phoenix Management, cited “two years of losses” and “continuing and unsustainable rises in overhead as well as a severe industry shortage of drivers.”

• Wheaton Van Lines (No. 101) acquired Stevens Worldwide Van Lines (No. 203) to expand its capacity and capabilities; terms were not announced. The Stevens family will continue to own and operate Stevens International Forwarding and Focused Logistics from three local agencies in Saginaw, Mich.; Toledo, Ohio; and Cleveland. This is Wheaton’s third acquisition since 2012 when it acquired Bekins Van Lines and, a year later, Clark & Reid.

• Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont last month said he was reconsidering a trucks-only tolling plan he backed during his run for office last year.

Lamont noted legal challenges from the trucking industry and that he has learned that tolling trucks only wouldn’t provide enough revenue to upgrade the state’s infrastructure. Lamont also stated he would consider proposals in the state’s legislature for tolling both cars and trucks to generate the funds needed to improve the state’s infrastructure but only if there was a significant discount for Connecticut EZPass users.

• The total number of highway deaths ticked down slightly in 2018 from 2017, according to the National Safety Council. NSC estimates 40,000 people lost their lives in crashes in 2018, a 1 percent decline from 2017 (40,231 deaths) and 2016 (40,327 deaths). The group also estimates about 4.5 million people were injured in crashes last year — also a 1 percent decrease from 2017. California had the most fatalities in 2018 with 3,651 deaths, followed by Texas with 3,597 and Florida with 3,325.

• Another fatal crash involving a Tesla sedan and a tractor-trailer is under investigation by federal agencies. Jeremy Banner was killed March 1 in Delray Beach, Fla., when the Tesla Model 3 he was driving southbound on U.S. 441 went underneath the side of a 2019 International LT tractortrailer driven by Richard Wood, who was making a left turn from the northbound lanes of the divided highway. The crash is similar to one in 2016 involving a Tesla Model S near Gainesville, Fla., in which the car, with Autopilot activated, drove under a tractor-trailer that was making a left turn across a highway, killing the driver.

• Prime Inc. (No. 15) and Nussbaum Transportation were named the overall winners of the Truckload Carriers Association’s 2019 Best Fleets to Drive For contest. The awards were announced last month by TCA and CarriersEdge at TCA’s 81st annual convention in Las Vegas. Prime was named Best Overall Fleet in the large carrier category, and Nussbaum was the small carrier category winner.

• Old Dominion Freight Line (No. 10) opened six new, relocated or remodeled service centers in Houston; Mobile, Ala.; Pompano Beach, Fla.; Texarkana, Ark.; and Otay Mesa and Anaheim, Calif. The Thomasville, N.C.-based LTL company cited business growth and client demand.

12

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JOURNAL NEWS

Bills would pave way for special HOS regs for livestock, agriculture haulers

R

enewing efforts that began last Congress, lawmakers in both the House and Senate last month introduced separate legislation that would facilitate the creation of special hours-of-service regulations for drivers hauling livestock, bees and other agriculture commodities.

Livestock and bee haulers remain exempt from the electronic logging device mandate through September as part of funding legislation enacted in February. Stakeholders within those groups have pressed Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation to enact permanent specific HOS regulations that they argue are necessary.

Agriculture haulers currently are eligible for the short-haul exemption that allows them to run without keeping any records of duty status if they remain

within 150 air-miles of the load’s source.

A bill introduced last month in the House would give drivers hauling livestock and insects a 300-mile radius and an expanded set of hours limits when they remain within that radius.

Introduced in January by Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), the Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act calls for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to increase the available drive time for livestock/insect haulers operating within the 300-airmile radius of their on-duty origin to at least 15 hours and potentially up to 18. Once completing their on-duty day, drivers then must take a break of five hours less than their drive-time maximum — between 10 and 13 hours.

Another bill filed last month in the

Legislation would allow under-21 interstate drivers

A

bill was introduced into both chambers of Congress in late February that would allow commercial driver’s license holders under age 21 to cross state lines and work in interstate operations. Currently, federal law only allows CDL holders 21 and older to operate interstate, while 48 states allow drivers 18 and older to operate Class 8 trucks intrastate.

The Drive Safe Act (H.R. 13 74 and S. 569) also would institute new training criteria for under-21 operators to be able to drive interstate, including at least 400 hours of on-duty time and 240 hours of driving time, both with an experienced operator training them. Trucks used for this training would be equipped with active braking systems, forward-facing video recorders and governors that cap speeds at 65 mph.

The legislation was introduced in both chambers during the last Congress, but no action was taken. The American Trucking Associations, a proponent of the legislation, has argued that it could help mitigate the driver shortage and help the trucking industry tap into a larger pool of prospective career drivers.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association opposes the legislation, saying the same entities pushing it would subject young drivers to poor working conditions, predatory lease-to-own schemes and low compensation. – James Jaillet 14

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

Livestock and bee haulers remain exempt from the ELD mandate through September as part of funding legislation enacted in February.

Senate would require that FMCSA establish a working group of representatives from states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and trade groups and stakeholders. The group would be tasked with reshaping hours regulations and ELD requirements for livestock and agricultural haulers. The Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act calls for the group to be formed within 120 days of the bill’s passage and that a report be issued within a year of its formation.

– James Jaillet

Bill would roll back ELD mandate for small carriers

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bill to allow small carriers, including single-truck owneroperators, to forgo use of electronic logging devices and return to using paper The Small Carrier Electronic logs is being prepped to Logging Device Exemption Act file in the U.S. House, would allow all carriers with according to an aide for 10 or fewer trucks to use paper logs to record duty status.

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.). Peterson introduced the legislation last Congress and is the lawmaker prepping the same bill, H.R. 5948, for the current session.

The Small Carrier Electronic Logging Device Exemption Act would exempt all carriers with 10 or fewer trucks from the ELD mandate, meaning they could revert back to using paper logs to record duty status.

The legislation originally was introduced last May but failed to make it out of committee. Other than Peterson, a Democrat, the bill gained 33 co-sponsors last Congress — all of them Republicans.

– James Jaillet

JOURNAL NEWS

Legislation to require side underride guards on trailers reintroduced

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group of U.S. senators and representatives last month reintroduced legislation that would mandate side underride guards on tractor-trailers designed to help mitigate impacts on car occupants in crashes where the car slides under the trailer. The legislation initially was introduced in December 2017, but no action was taken.

The Stop Underrides Act would require underride guards on the sides and front of a truck and would update the standards for underrides on the back of trailers. It also would add underride guards as part of the required annual inspections for trucks and require the U.S. Department of Transportation to review underride standards every five years.

The legislation was introduced by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and

Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Reps. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) and Mark DeSaulnier (R-Calif.). The bill’s full text had not been released at press time, so it was unclear if it would require the side underride guards on only new trailers or also older models through retrofits.

A 2017 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that side underride guards offer similar safety benefits as rear-mounted guards. IIHS said in its report that in 2015, 301 people died in crashes in which a passenger car struck the side of a tractor-trailer. The group determined that rigid side underride guards could reduce injury risk in about 75 percent of side-trailer crashes.

A number of groups, including the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the Truck Safety Coalition, supported

A bill reintroduced in both chambers of Congress would mandate side underride guards on tractor-trailers.

the reintroduced legislation.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association opposed the legislation when it originally was introduced.

The American Trucking Associations also was opposed in 2017 to requiring the devices.

“Side underride guards would add significant weight and require stiffer trailers which can develop cracks in the frame rails during normal operation, wearing out sooner and creating a safety issue of potential trailer failure during operation,” ATA said in May 2017.

– Matt Cole

Coalition asks Congress to extend pup trailer length; TCA, OOIDA object

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n organization representing major trucking companies and national business organizations last month renewed its call for longer pup trailers, but it’s not a change all the industry supports.

Americans for Modern Transportation sent a letter to leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure asking that the standard length of double trailers be increased from 28 to 33 feet.

In its letter to Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.) the association claims the addition of a combined 10 feet of trailer space will: • Mean fewer trucks on the road and 53.2 million fewer hours of congestion; • Improve safety because of 4,500 fewer

truck-involved accidents; • Lower shipping costs by $2.6 billion; • Reduce stress on the infrastructure by requiring 3.1 billion fewer truck miles; and • Reduce emissions by 2.9 million fewer tons of carbon dioxide from 255 million fewer gallons of fuel.

There have been several attempts to approve twin 33s, but none have been successful. Last June, a group of truckload carriers sent a similar letter to the leaders of the same House committee asking for the trailer length increase.

The Truckload Carriers Association renewed its objection to any changes in the length of pup trailers.

“Advocating for a vehicle configuration that only benefits a small segment of the trucking industry would only exacerbate current industry problems such as truck

The Truckload Carriers Association renewed its objection to any changes in the length of pup trailers.

parking, the driver shortage and overall vehicle safety,” said David Heller, TCA vice president of government affairs.

When the topic of longer pup trailers was considered last May, the OwnerOperators Independent Drivers Association spoke out against it. In a letter to Congress, OOIDA said twin 33s would benefit large trucking companies but “adversely impact” smaller trucking businesses and reduce highway safety.

In the past, the Teamsters union has weighed in against longer pup trailers.

– David Hollis commercial carrier journal

| april 2019 15

JOURNAL NEWS

Navistar ordered to pay fleet $1.3M over MaxxForce engine problems

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avistar, parent company of International Truck, last month was ordered by a jury to pay an Ohio-based fleet at least $1.3 million in damages relating to Navistar’s now-defunct MaxxForce engine line. A Navistar spokesperson said the company was disappointed and that it was “reviewing its options.”

Attorneys for Willard, Ohio-based Dutch Maid Logistics, which has 150 trucks, say the final settlement could reach $2 million once payback for attorney’s fees has been calculated.

The common court jury in Licking County, Ohio, awarded Dutch Maid $1.025 million in punitive damages against Navistar and another $275,000 in damages for allegedly concealing MaxxForce engine defects.

In August 2017, Navistar was ordered to pay more than $30 million to Milan

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Supply Chain Solutions (CCJ Top 250, No. 236), a Tennessee-based 400-truck fleet. Navistar said that its engines had undergone millions of miles of testing and that it was “confident, based on this testing, that the product would perform” properly. Navistar also said it had defended similar lawsuits successfully.

In March 2016, Navistar reached a $7.5 million settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to end a criminal probe into accusations that it misled investors about alleged defects with its MaxxForce line.

Navistar has since discontinued the manufacturing and sale of its MaxxForce engines and revamped its truck and engine lineup. Warrantable claims on the engines spurred billions of dollars in financial losses between 2012 and 2016, though in more recent years

Warrantable claims on MaxxForce engines spurred billions of dollars in financial losses for Navistar between 2012 and 2016.

the company has turned a profit.

Navistar was the only North American engine maker to pursue enhanced exhaust gas recirculation to meet tighter federal emissions standards enacted in 2010. However, it abandoned its EGR-only strategy in 2012 and introduced new engines that use diesel exhaust fluid-based selective catalytic reduction.

– James Jaillet

JOURNAL | PERSPECTIVES

Some news from the trade wars

BY BOB DIELI, MACKAY & COMPANY

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t has been just about a year since the United States imposed tariffs on a wide array of Chinese goods in an effort to reduce the bilateral trade deficit between the two countries. China, as might be expected, retaliated with several tariffs of their own directed at American goods, most notably agricultural commodities.

We thought you might find the import news in the chart on this page of interest. It tells about the progress of the trade war in general, and it also tells us about the impact of the trade war on the trucking economy.

Several years ago, MacKay & Company developed a metric with which to measure the trucking economy. We call it Truckable Economic Activity (TEA®). It is based on the same set of figures that are used to calculate the Gross Domestic Product, but it combines those figures in a different way.

One of the major ways in which the two numbers differ is in the treatment of imports. In GDP, imports are a negative. In TEA®, imports are a positive, because the goods have to get from the dock to their point of sale, and they will spend some time in a truck to do that.

The chart plots what has happened to the largest category of Truckable Imports over the past three years. Nonautomotive Consumer Goods is the technical term for the contents of your standard big-box retailer, and these

Imports of Nonautomotive Consumer Goods 380 370 360 350 340 330 320 310 300 290

Billions of Chained 2012 Dollars

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goods represent 26 percent of total Truckable Imports.

Following a weather-driven supply chain unwinding in late 2017, the pace of imports began to accelerate.

Some of the rise was associated with increased demand, and some of the rise was associated with efforts by U.S. purchasers of the goods to get delivery before any tariffs went into effect.

In other words, we pulled some purchases that otherwise would have been made in 2019 into 2018. The resulting boost in imports is part of the reason you have been reading about the widening of the trade deficit in the latter part of 2018.

What does this mean for the trucking economy in 2019? Most likely, a slower pace of activity asso-

ciated with imports, both because we already bought some of the 2019 goods and because the tariffs are expected to reduce the demand for imports.

That slower pace of imports might lead to the desired narrowing of the trade deficit that started all this unpleasantness. But the statistical evidence to make this determination will not be available for quite some time.

Tune in next time … * TEA®, Truckable Economic Activity, is a measure of goods that move by truck. TEA® is published quarterly and includes an array of pertinent economic factors impacting our industry. Please visit MacKayCo.com to learn more.

MacKay & Company specializes in marketing research and management consulting for the commercial trucking, construction and agricultural equipment industries. Go to MacKayCo.com. commercial carrier journal

| april 2019 17

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

BY JASON CANNON

Which will come first?

Future of e-trucks, charging stations recalls classic riddle

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here was a meme on Facebook recently that I found humorous. It said, “I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know” — a spin on determining which came first.

Leave it to trucking and logistics – an industry currently mired in its own chicken-and-egg struggle – to make that determination.

As of this writing, there are at least six OEMs – Volvo, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Tesla, Thor Trucks and The Lion Electric Co. – with sights set on an electric Class 8 tractor.

That doesn’t count the likes of Cummins, Fuso, Chanje and a host of others that already have lighter electric solutions tooling around the final mile. Mack is working on an electric refuse truck.

Navistar has said it plans to start its electric program in the medium-duty segment. Companies such as Nikola, Kenworth and Toyota are promoting fuel cells as the future.

So with all the promise that electrics hold, what’s really holding us back? Is a 300-ish-mile range really that large of a hurdle when you consider the promises of reduced maintenance intervals and zero tailpipe emissions?

I don’t think so. Range anxiety, as it commonly is called, easily can be overcome with the ability to “top off ” along your route.

ELECTRIC QUESTION: Trucking and logistics is facing its own chicken-and-egg riddle.

TRUCKS VS. CHARGING: Electric trucks need charging stations, which need customers.

INITIAL SOLUTION: A private infrastructure won’t be conducive to wide deployment.

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| april 2019

Which will come first? The electric truck or the infrastructure to support it?

Therein lies the problem. That’s simply not possible.

“Charging has sort of become the key barrier to deployment,” says Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. Roeth says that up until recently, battery cost was the primary issue.

Michael Berube, acting deputy assistant secretary of sustainable transportation, energy efficiency and renewable energy for the U.S. Department of Energy, says the average cost of a battery pack currently sits at about $197 per kilowatt hour. He estimates Tesla’s costs to be about $10 fewer.

WANT MORE EQUIPMENT NEWS? Scan the barcode to receive CCJ Equipment Weekly sign up the for the CCJ Equipment Weekly or go tonewsletter ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters e-mail or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK.

a fleet’s Jim Castelaz, recipe for failure: Motiv The Power expectation Systemsthat founder a newand hire chief shouldexecutive hit the shop floor officer, with whose a levelcompany of expertise has comparable a numbertoofemployees electric powertrain with several years options of in seniority; the medium-duty a lack of a mentoring segment, said program; at last and month’s a management Green Truck team that Summit doesn’tin understand Indianapolis today’s that generation. anything under $200 per kWh represents a savings in the medium-duty segment On average, versus it costs a fossil-fuel more thanpowertrain. $8,000 to findHe and said hire that’s because fleets spend a technician. more Having moneyaon person fuel dedicated than theytodo onboarding on the truck itself. that employee – ingraining them in your culture – is Maybe the cost of the critical. pack isn’t the barrier it once was, but it never will be cheap enough if“Does they’rethat notkid simple not know to fill. what he’s doing, or does he Undaunted, Castelaz justsaid do itthe different “movement than the ofway goods youand do it?” people Arrants is asaid. fantastic segment for New the electric technicians vehicle. often” closely follow a manufacturer’s He’s right, but currently recommendation those operations or procedure have—tothe return textbook to base, way. and that’s not an interesting However, proposition in the “real for world” public – where recharging. speed and uptime The easiest-sounding are of more solution emphasis is to than simply process heap – the more perception energymay into the battery, butbethe thatchallenge the new employee for a commercial is slow or lacking truck isskill. packing on enough battery Baptizing power to new supply hires aninextended “your way” range is anof ongoing about part 600 miles without of sacrificing their careerpayload. development and an important part of “Three kWh reducing per mile turnover, needsArrants almostsaid. two megawatt hours of storage,” Castelaz Tabbed said. as “It’s the “participation hard.” trophy” generation, MilWhich is lennials why, according have gotten to the a bum most raprecent in the workplace, NACFE report, Arrants the initial infrastructure said, adding that is going it takestoabe willingness private. But of the that’s employer not to conducive to wide learn how deployment. to manage the group.

For a large-scale “They rollout, onlyawant national two basic infrastructure things,” he said. has to “They come want a clean, first. safeEven workthe environment, fleets mostbut willing moreto than embrace anything electrification else, they want aren’t to feel likegoing they’re topart jump of the head-first family. They’re into a truck very talented, that is aand logistical they arenightmare loyal, but they to expect refuela— fewnot things when from their you. option ” is a diesel unit that can find fuel at nearly Unlike every exit the generations along the Interstate. before them, most Millennials value personal time more If than e-adoption money and is really as such going maytobetake unmotivated off, similar byresources overtime pay, are going Arrants said.toIncentives have to be such made as compensation available to truck time stops in lieuwilling of overtime to install pay may charging become an increasingly terminals. important benefit in attracting young talent, he said.

Competition Depending among fleets on for battery new technician capacity and talent how is fierce, muchand charge simply you showing upneed, at a career an electric day isn’t truck going could to cutbeit,recharged Arrants said. in about an hour.

That’s “Recruit a long in the time beginning for a carrier [of the toschool sit at ayear], pump, notbut theifend, the” he operating said. “Don’t exwait penses for of a career an electric fair where truck you’ll are what be onethey’re of 45 others. claimed Go–tobetween the school 60when and 80 school percentstarts. of that ” of the diesel unit – it still seems like an attractive proposition Getting in a lot involved of cases. earlier in the student’s education also helps Theshape lack of their electric potential trucks career is holding path, Arrants back infrasaid. structure The deeper development, you can imbed just your like the operation lack ofin infrastruca local technical ture is holding program, back thedeployment more likely that of electric schooltrucks. will produce Someone the skillset – the youchicken need, and or the themore egg –likely has to you’ll blink be able first.to hang on to its graduates.

JASON CANNON is Equipment Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcannon@randallreilly.com or call (205) 248-1175.

Nikola to fueling showcase Hydrogen hydrogentested tractor hardware

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groupMotor of Co.’s hydrogen-electric ikola hydrogen will take center stage early semi-truck fuel stakeholdnext year as the cornerstone of a three-day ers – includevent the company will use to showcase its ing Hyundai, Toyota will help test capabilities and technologies. hydrogen Nikola Motor “Nikola World” is setheavy-duty for mid-April 2019 in fueling hardware to and Toyota Phoenix, the city that serves the company’s assist as in standard– have signedThe a firstization headquarters. two days, 16toand andApril speed market for reservation fuelmemorandum of 17, are invitation-only for Nikola cell electric trucks. understanding tomedia holders, suppliers, and investors. The test heavy-duty final day, April 18, will be open to the public. hydrogen fueling hardware assist in A pre-production version oftothe company’s standardization and speed market hydrogen-electric Nikola Twotowill share for day Class 8 fuel-cell electric trucks. one with the unveiling of a 2.3-megawatt The triostation of truck hydrogen andand the automobile Nikola NZTmakers 4X4. are joined by Shell, Air Liquide and Nel Demonstration drives and hydrogen filling Hydrogen Fueling.

Theday. industry group will take place the next On April 18, the has created specifications for the fueling public is invited to see the zero-emissions nozzle,and vehicle trucks NZTreceptacle, in action. dispenser hose and breakawaytodevice components for Registration the free event will open onthe purpose for line Dec. 3. of developing–requests Jason Cannon proposals to suppliers.

– Jason Cannon

Self-driving truck maker expanding 12-speed Endurant

gets dual PTO option T E

uSimple, a self-driving systems provider, has been testing its Level 4 Class 8 autonomous aton-Cummins trucks in Arizona Automated for more than Transa year and recently missionbegan Technologies hauling freight last month for-profit said with it hascommercial expanded carriers the Endurant in the state. automatedEarlier transmission this year,portfolio TuSimpletoexpanded include its a testing new dual facilities power-takeoff in Tucson version from 6,800 of the to 50,000 12-speed square model. feet, and next year, the company Theplans dualtoPTO growoption its footprint has two further. mounting To support locations: its an development eight-bolt program, TuSimple projects bottom mount it will create and 500 jobs across a variety of a four-bolt fields ranging rear from engineering to autonomous mounttruck withdriving a and office management.

The combined Tucson95 expansion has a projected total economic hp capability. impact of $1.1 billion over the next five A single years.PTO Since the launch of the 12-speed overdrive model The company with an also plans to expand its U.S. model in late 2017, autonomous eight-bolt botfleet to 200 trucks in 2019.

Tuthe Endurant portfoSimple tom mount said that alsowith 500 trucks worldwide, lio has expanded to an 11-speed it is will available. have the world’s include largest autonomous direct-drive model. truck – Jason fleet.

Cannon – Jason Cannon

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | october | april 2019 2018

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TEST DRIVE: FREIGHTLINER 2020 CASCADIA

Semi-automation provides welcome support

BY JASON CANNON

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reightliner’s recently announced semi-autonomous Cascadia won’t begin production until this fall, but I had an early test run last month. I experienced its newly automated functions on a trip between West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce, Fla. This next-generation Cascadia will hold the distinction as the first production model tractor in North America with Level 2 automation, meaning the truck can accelerate, decelerate and steer independently.

The brain behind this is the Detroit Assurance 5.0 driver assistance platform. Its Adaptive Cruise Control handles acceleration and deceleration, while Active Lane Assist handles automated steering input.

I used the ACC to 0 feature as we exited Interstate 95 for a truck stop in Fort Pierce. The car in front of me slowed as we both pulled off toward truck parking, then it stopped.

The truck slowed itself from 65 mph, pacing the car at a safe distance before stopping on its own.

Active Lane Assist consists of Lane Keep Assist and Lane Departure Protection. When a driver switches on ACC, the system engages LKA, which uses small steering gear movements to keep the truck centered in its lane; the driver also can allow for a slightly left or right bias. With LDP, if the truck drifts without the turn signal engaged, the system will counter-steer the tractor back into its lane and emit audible and visual warnings.

If the driver decides to move left or right – maybe to give a construction crew some breathing room – the system doesn’t fight it; the truck simply moves over as it traditionally would.

Active braking works the same way.

“The system always assumes the driver has a good reason for doing it,” says Brian Daniels, product marketing manager for Detroit Components. “The final decision always lies with the driver.”

When highway lane markings were well-defined, Active Lane Assist worked flawlessly. Wheel input from the system was subtle and precise. I cruised for long stretches with my feet planted on the floor and hands only resting on the wheel.

I enjoyed this feature. I can see the benefits of the automated support over 400, 500 or 600 miles per day.

Detroit Assurance 5.0 requires that the driver remain actively engaged. Steering wheel sensors detect if you take your hands off the wheel and offer a series of escalating audible warnings as a reminder to put them back. Ignore the persistent, screeching requests to grab the wheel, and 20

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

In addition to its semi-autonomous driving systems, Freightliner's 2020 Cascadia delivers a major boost in fuel efficiency, thanks largely to aerodynamic improvements.

Other new standard features include automatic wipers and smart headlamps with intelligent high beam.

LKA will disable. LDP remains enabled to keep the tractor within its lane, but it will drift from right to left line to re-engage the driver.

There were times the camera struggled to find and keep its lane position, but those instances mostly were limited to state highways and other stretches of road with no clear lane markings. Since this isn’t a self-driving truck, that’s one reason why it’s important for the driver to remain alert. It’s not always obvious when the system no longer recognizes lane markers.

Even off interstate highways, the system works more often than not, but Level 2 driving is the domain of the open road, not a two-lane highway with stoplights every 300 yards. And while LKA and LDP were challenged here, ACC to 0 never skipped a beat. It was an excellent traffic fighter.

Side Guard Assist, consisting of two short-range radar sensors that monitor the unit’s right side to the trailer’s rear, is a suite of handy options designed to prevent collisions. Trailer Sweep Assist alerts the driver that the trailer has off-tracked to the extent that it’s about to hit a stationary object, such as a sign or pole.

Lane Change Assist and Turn Assist each detect objects along the passenger-side blind spot. When the system detects an object, a yellow signal is displayed in the right-side pillar and in the driver information display. If the driver then drifts to the right or switches on the blinker for a right-side lane change, the display changes to red, and the system produces an audible warning. It’s a nice extra layer of added blind-spot protection.

New standard features for the 2020 model year include automatic wipers and smart headlamps with intelligent high beam. When set to the auto position, a windshield sensor turns the wipers on when moisture is detected. The system will maintain interval or continuous wiping and switch itself off when it’s no longer needed.

A windshield-mounted sensor recognizes poor visibility conditions, including dusk and low light, and switches on the headlamps. The system turns them off when visibility improves. The intelligent high-beam system uses the high-definition camera to scan for brake lights and oncoming headlights, switching between high and low beams as needed.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a next-generation truck without some aerodynamic and fuel efficiency improvements. The new truck delivers a 35 percent improvement in fuel efficiency when compared to 2007’s first-generation Cascadia. A new AeroX model offers a 5 percent boost over the current-generation Cascadia AeroX. One aerodynamic improvement is a standard A-pillar deflector that helps slide air more smoothly down the tractor’s side. It also helps keep rain and road grime off the side windows. Tow hook covers also are standard.

Aerodynamic Height Control, an industry-first optional upfit, automatically lowers the suspension height one inch at 55 mph

to reduce drag and raises the vehicle to its original ride height at 45 mph. It’s not even noticeable from the driver’s seat.

The autonomous-friendly Cascadia isn’t going to slash any driving jobs. For example, we missed an Interstate on-ramp and had to execute a tight about-face on a four-lane highway.

Detroit Assurance 5.0 wasn’t riding to my rescue there.

But what it can do is give the driver a little support by taking over many small things that add up to big things over an 11-hour day while also constantly watching over the truck’s surroundings.

The 2020 Cascadia won’t turn a bad driver into a good one, but it gives all drivers an unobtrusive co-pilot, making them even better without extra work on their part.

The Detroit Assurance 5.0 platform marries this bumper-mounted radar with a new HD camera affixed atop the windshield to provide improved object recognition.

commercial carrier journal

|

april 2019

21

in focus: SEASONAL MAINTENANCE

Wash it all away There’s more to truck cleaning than just water and soap

BY JASON CANNON

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oad salts and deicers are designed to keep highways passable in harsh winter conditions, but left untended, the chemical formulas that eat away at snow and ice will do the same thing to truck chassis, metal components and wiring.

Gerry Mead, executive director of innovation for Phillips, says wash programs are often the first things eliminated during fleet cost-cutting exercises. But Scott Colvin, PPG commercial transit brand manager, says one of the best corrosion inhibitors is simply keeping the truck clean.

Jack Lennon, vice president for Blue Beacon Truck Wash operations, says just washing the truck’s exterior with cold water won’t remove corrosive chemicals and road salts stuck in the truck’s frame, junction boxes, couplers and other hard-to-reach areas. A combination of detergents and hot water dissolves contaminants and surface salts better than cold water, he says.

Once the truck and trailer have been washed with detergent or neutralizer, it’s equally important that they are rinsed thoroughly, Mead says. “Salt’s not the corrosive agent,” he says. “When you add water and it breaks down, chlorine comes out of there, and that’s your corrosive agent of the salt.”

Mead says fleets that have their own in-house wash program often recirculate their water, a green tactic that actually could be pumping contaminants back on their trucks. “You have to check the salt content of your recycled water,” he says.

Dave Latimer, vice president of shops strategy and operations for Pilot Flying J, says a high-pressure low-volume wash helps keep salt from clinging to metal parts and causing corrosion.

Corrosion caution Routine visual inspections that specifically look for signs of corrosion also are an important part of any preventive maintenance program, and technicians should address vehicle damage quickly — even something as seemingly mundane as a stone chip on a painted bumper.

“That is a very common place for corrosion to begin,” Colvin says. “It doesn’t take much for a stone chip to crack through the paint down to the bare metal, and once the rust starts, it will creep underneath, blister the paint up and start deteriorating the steel surface.”

In cases where component replacement isn’t necessary, bare-metal areas should be coated with primer and/or paint to keep rust from getting worse over time, he says.

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commercial carrier journal | april 2019

When washing a truck, a combination of detergents and hot water is recommended to remove corrosive chemicals and road salts.

The parts of the truck closest to the road are most susceptible to corrosion, making a visual inspection of the lower third of the unit vital. “Such is the case for the wheel,” Colvin says. “There’s brake components, brake lines, any part of the chassis or brake components, or the air lines that are used to connect air brakes — all of that is susceptible to corrosion. If a line fails or some brake components fail, that could have bad results with accidents and injuries.”

In less severe cases, corrosion simply can add to downtime.

“Having rust and corrosion on the wheel end of the truck can take a 20-minute change of a tire and turn it into 40 minutes to an hour,” Latimer says.

Wiring is especially susceptible to corrosion. Designed to keep moisture out, a plastic wire jacket with a hole in it actually can trap corrosives and prevent them from being washed off.

“Any time that you have a wire that gets penetrated – the plastic wrap around it gets impacted or cut – that really allows an opportunity for [corrosion] to start,” Latimer says. “Once it gets in there, it’s like a wick. It just spreads.”

A wiring checkup should be part of a driver’s pre-trip inspection, and Latimer recommends plugs be cleaned with a wire brush before connections are made. He says it’s also helpful to use dielectric grease on connection points.

Another effective way to mitigate electrical corrosion is to use nylon components or fittings. Proper wire repair also is important, Mead says.

“You can’t go around plugging in with a wire tester and poking it and breaking the jackets,” he says. “You have to have sealed butt connectors, trying not to have too many connectors.”

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INBRIEF

Volvo delivers first all-electric trucks

• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations last month increased prices by 20 percent on all Dayton brand truck and bus radial tires sold in the United States. The company cited increased business costs and other market dynamics.

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olvo delivered its first all-electric vehicles — a refuse truck to waste and recycling company Renova, and a distribution truck to logistics company DB Schenker and partner hauler TGM, all operating in Sweden.

The two Volvo FL Electric trucks are The two Volvo FL Electric trucks are part of a pre-series developed in collaboration part of a pre-series developed in colwith select customers. laboration with select customers. Series production of the FL Electric and its sibling, the FE Electric, is expected to commence with a limited number of European models later this year.

“Our close collaboration with drivers and customers has enabled us to develop, in a short space of time, electrified transport solutions that meet high requirements in terms of performance, driving distances, cargo handling and vehicle use,” said Roger Alm, Volvo Trucks president.

The drivers who will operate the electric trucks have had the opportunity to test-drive them prior to delivery as part of their operator training. Alm said the drivers were impressed with the responsive driveline, the truck’s “fast and seamless acceleration and the low noise level.”

The FL Electric and FE Electric trucks are designed for distribution, refuse handling and other urban transport applications. The FL Electric has capacity for a gross vehicle weight of 17-plus tons, while the FE Electric has capacity for a GVW of 30 tons.

– Jason Cannon

• Navistar signed a service partnership agreement with Love’s Travel Stops, adding 315 Love’s Truck Tire Care and Speedco locations and 1,000-plus technicians to the International Truck service network. The partnership authorizes Love’s and Speedco locations to handle new, extended and used truck warranty work with repair times of three hours or less on International Class 6-8 trucks. Love’s locations will accept Fleet Charge cards, providing Navistar customers with consistent parts pricing.

• TuSimple, a San Diego-based developer of an autonomous retrofit system, received $95 million in investment funding from technology company Sina Corp. and Hong Kong-based investor Composite Capital. TuSimple said it planned to use the money to grow its fleet of Level 4 autonomous vehicles that are being used in test runs in partnerships with fleets and shippers in Arizona. The company also plans to expand its testing into Texas and hopes to have 50 test trucks deployed by June.

• Volvo Trucks added an optional workstation to its VNL 760 and 740 and VNX 740 models that features ergonomic advancements and transforms from a sitting area and table to a base for seating cushions that unfold into a bed. Other enhancements include an angled table for easier seating, a 103-degree cushion-seat angle for improved comfort and connected cushions that can be secured.

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• Jacobs Vehicle Systems, a manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engine retarding systems and valve actuation mechanisms, announced that its compression release engine brake was selected for factory installation on Hino’s Class XL7 and XL8 Series trucks.

The brake is integrated with the Hino A09 engine’s electronic control system and ABS and has a two-stage brake operation of medium and high and cruise control compatibility for greater driver control.

24

Fontaine designs narrow Peterbilt cab for utilities, steel haulers

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

ontaine Modification Co. announced its development of a narrow cab for Peterbilt trucks to help fleets improve maneuverability and efficiency when hauling utility poles and steel to offroad sites.

Utility companies and steel haulers often need to carry large items such as utility poles to locations where tractors and trailers have trouble going. Because the cab width The narrow cab was limits the amount of product that may be hauled on either designed at Fontaine’s Product Development side of the cab, fleets typically have had to use trucks that Center in Charlotte, N.C. have been modified crudely, or they run overwidth trucks that require permitting each time they haul a wide load.

Fontaine narrowed the Model 365 6×6 by 181/2 inches, taking it from 721/2 to 54 inches wide to create more space on the cab’s sides to transport poles or steel while meeting legal requirements.

The design also provides a door in the back of the cab that allows the driver to exit when cargo is loaded on the sides.

– Jason Cannon

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INBRIEF • Transtex, a developer and manufacturer of aerodynamic products, acquired SmartTruck’s Class 8 trailer aerodynamic system assets, including the TopKit system; terms were not announced.

Nikola adds battery-powered option to electrified lineup

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ikola Motor Co., which is working to develop and deploy a hydrogen-electric-powered Class 8 tractor, last month announced that it will showcase a battery-powered tractor at its Nikola World event in April.

Nikola Motor Co. debuted its hydrogenThe company debuted its hydrogen-elecelectric fuel-cell tractor in December 2016. tric fuel-cell tractor in December 2016.

Despite the addition of a battery option, the company tweeted it was not shifting its focus away from hydrogen, adding it was simply offering battery options for shorter-range non-weight-sensitive applications.

“Zero implications on hydrogen,” read a tweet from @nikolamotor. “Hydrogen for long haul, over 700 stations going up and over 14 billion in pre orders for H2 and rising every day. BEV customers don’t compete with hydrogen as they are mainly for inner city and much less range.”

The company called hydrogen its “primary focus” for the long term, touting 50-to1 sales of hydrogen versus electric. “We believe both have their place,” the company tweeted.

Hydrogen-equipped models, according to the company, are 5,000 pounds lighter and offer lower operating costs in long-haul applications, even factoring for hydrogen costs.

Nikola already has attracted investments from and partnerships with major suppliers, including an investment from Wabco and buy-ins from Ryder and Bosch. It’s also secured several thousand orders from major fleets for its hydrogen-electric truck.

The company intends to deploy units for fleet testing this year and to ramp up production this year and next, and it’s also developing a hydrogen fueling network. The hydrogen-electric Nikola One, while powered by electric power, will use hydrogen fuel to create electricity rather than charging and batteries.

– Jason Cannon

• Velociti, a supplier of technology deployment and support services, was named the preferred installation provider by Rocketail, a developer of aerodynamic tail systems for semi-trailers. Fleets deploying Rocketail products can select Velociti’s nationwide network of mobile technicians.

• East Manufacturing expanded its East Elite Wheel-End assembly warranty from five years/350,000 miles to five years/unlimited mileage. The wheelend assembly is standard on all East aluminum trailer types and models.

• Jacobs Vehicle Systems announced a collaboration with West Virginia University’s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engine and Emissions to define the benefits of Jacobs’ cylinder deactivation and early exhaust valve opening systems on heavy-duty diesel engines for commercial vehicles, with a focus on testing trucks in low-load operations.

• BestDrive, a commercial tire dealer and retreader focusing on Continental offerings, opened locations in Houston, Los Angeles and Little Rock, Ark. The company now has 31 locations in 17 states.

• Phillips Industries released its PhillipsTools app designed to offer quick, easy availability to information about the company and its products in one location. The app offers access to updated product literature, catalogs and bulletins in English, Spanish and French, as well as the company’s library of Tech Tips and videos. It is available for Apple iPad devices and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store by searching for PhillipsTools.

S

• Great Dane’s manufacturing facility in Wayne, Neb., produced its 125,000th refrigerated trailer, an Everest Single-Temp reefer designed for Schuster Co. of Le Mars, Iowa, a Great Dane customer since 1988.

26

Stertil-Koni spotlights LED tubes for lifts

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

tertil-Koni, a provider of heavy-duty vehicle lifts, introduced an enhanced high-performance LED lighting system for both its Skylift platform and four-post systems. The goal is to increase area-specific under-vehicle lighting for greater shop safety and efficiency. The lighting systems have: • Preassembled 40-inch light tubes with transformer and mounting brackets; • A modular “plug and play” design to facilitate easier installation and expandability; • A slim-line design; • A safe low voltage (24 volts); • A water-resistant design suitable for Skylift wash bay applications; and • Eco-friendly energy-efficient bulbs.

“Stertil-Koni’s LED lighting systems are a cost-effective Stertil-Koni’s LED lighting solution to a relatively widespread challenge in maintesystem for its heavy-duty nance facilities of all sizes and functions — the lack of lifts is designed to increase suitable lighting to perform work safely and productivearea-specific under-vehicle lighting for greater shop ly,” said Dr. Jean DellAmore, the company’s president.

– Jason Cannon safety and efficiency.

NACFE reports on charging infrastructure for electric trucks

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he North American Council for Freight Efficiency last month released its third Guidance Report, “Amping Up: Charging Infrastructure For Electric Trucks,” which details factors to consider in infrastructure planning for charging commercial battery-electric vehicles.

NACFE found that although there is no one-size-fits-all solution to charging, there are common steps and considerations that any fleet looking at deploying electric vehicles needs to undertake to ensure they have a cost-effective strategy.

“Every charging installation faces a variety of variables — number of trucks to charge, local utility rate tariffs and power delivery structure, existing site and local grid details,” says Chris Nelder of Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent nonprofit focusing on clean energy development. “There are no rules of thumb.”

The report provides information on infrastructure basics such as hardware, software, networking and maintenance.

It also looks at charging speeds, charger communication and charging locations.

One area of concern when it comes to electric vehicles is grid capacity. NACFE’s report suggests that utilities may have to develop new demand-management and/or storage solutions, while new tariff structures also may be necessary to encourage smart charging when electricity supply is available, clean and economical.

NACFE’s report also offers a step-bystep charging procurement roadmap that lays out what fleets need to do to deploy a charging infrastructure successfully.

“Planning and permitting for charging infrastructure can be time-intensive

NACFE’s report offers a step-by-step charging procurement roadmap that lays out what fleets need to do to deploy a charging infrastructure successfully.

processes,” said Mike Roeth, executive director for NACFE. “Fleets need to start early and should use the roadmap from the Guidance Report to make sure they have included all the necessary steps.”

The report is available at nacfe.org and includes 160 references, a bibliogra-

phy and appendices that list charging infrastructure suppliers and utilities with electric charging programs.

NACFE is planning additional Guidance Reports that focus on Class 7 and 8 daycabs and Class 8 long-haul electric-based vehicles. – Jason Cannon

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27 10/27/17 9:00 AM AM 12/1/17 9:52

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

A matter of hours

Omnitracs wants to predict load cycle times for carriers

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leet attendees at the Omnitracs Outlook user conference in late February were given a vision of time replacing miles as trucking’s bedrock metric.

By many accounts, it already has.

Most measurements used by fleets and drivers – such as hours of service, speed (mph), appointments and payroll – are based on time. One of the few holdouts is freight rates.

What if shippers and carriers used time instead of mileage to calculate and negotiate rates? Omnitracs, a provider of mobile fleet management technology, wants to accelerate this ideology.

Getting ready Soon after Ray Greer became chief executive for Omnitracs in February 2018, the company hired the Boston Consulting Group to help develop a strategic plan. This led to hiring a third-party software developer, Redhat, to “change the way we develop and deploy solutions,” Greer said.

The process also led to a complete organizational redesign. “It’s one thing FEWER MILEAGE METRICS: Most measurements used by fleets are based on time.

A NEW IDEOLOGY: Omnitracs thinks shippers and carriers should use time to evaluate rates.

NO TIME TO WASTE: The trucking industry is now in an electronic logging device environment.

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“I am learning that miles are increasingly mattering less and less,” said Ray Greer, chief executive for Omnitracs. “I am almost of the opinion that they don’t matter at all. What matters is time.”

to have a strategy and vision, and another for an organization to have the ability to execute on that strategy,” he said.

That led to the hiring late last year of Michal Yariv as vice president and general manager of strategic initiatives. “We really needed to find a leader that comes out of the industry,” Greer said.

With a background in technology and logistics, Yariv shared Omnitracs’ vision to move the industry toward a time-based system for freight to improve efficiency and safety.

“What if we could make it all align?” she asked. “What if we could align payment against the hours that are actually being spent to move that shipment?”

The cost of detention Alignment already is happening with driver wages. Fleets in the for-hire truckload market are taking actions to pay their drivers on an hourly or salary basis. A recent survey by Omnitracs found that about 33 percent of its customers are thinking about an hourly or salaried model for drivers. Of those, 30 percent already are implementing such pay models. About 66 percent of fleets are not considering an hourly or salaried model. Of these, about 40 percent say the reason is because shippers pay by the mile.

The trucking industry now is in an electronic logging device environment where it has become more essential to minimize wasted time and make the most of drivers’ hours, she said.

People make time-based decisions depending on the context, said Yariv, who used a football analogy to explain that time does not matter as much in the first quarter

Obstacle detection J.J. Keller touts risk INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? management system Scan barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to for big trucks Go tothe ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters to system subscribe CCJCCJ Technology Weekly e-maile-mail newsletter. subscribetotothethe Technology Weekly newsletter. ear View .J. Keller has added video

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Safety debutevent hardware and maned its RVS-125 agement tools to its line of safeSensestat Wireless ty and compliance products. system of a game. mayHowever, show thatduring at midnight, the fourth thequarter unit is still when a quarter-mile the game is on away thefrom line, a sense of Obstacle Detection The J.J. Keller Encompass Vidthe urgency unloading grows.spot.

Teams practice two-minute drills and call plays to manage the clock, such System designed eo Event Management offering as “We passing are to very thecarefully sidelines.watching how it is unloaded” to determine when to warn truck and Dash Cam Pro Safety’s is designed Rear View RVS“In this post-ELD mandate world, we aretoinset therealistic two-minute drill, ” she said. drivers of potential to give fleets anSensestat additional containers actually are available for pickup delivery appoint125 Wireless Obstacle Detention one“Our of thejob topasconcerns for fleets, and Yariv studya that obstacles behind way to manage risk,Detection identify ments, Princeissaid. an intermodal provider is tocited makea sure greatpegs the cost System is designed to the trucking at $1 billion a year. their vehicleproblematic with driver behavior number of littleindustry things happen on time and correctly.” for easy installation “That is a billion that is lost in driver wages,” she said. “It’s the driver who is being a detection and range provideonremedial coaching heavy-duty trucks, with no need to install impacted bytrailer detention and what they take home in their paycheck.” of up to 8 feet. andThe training.

Predicting capacity excess cabling.

Detention also is a safetydrivers issue. Last Federal Motor Carrier Safety dash-mounted When making deliveries, oftenyear, losethe productive time unloading or Adminis- system is engi-J.J. Keller’s tration issued a reporttrailers that said 15-minute inappointments. a load’s averageIfdwell camera technology is engisearching for empty to atake to theirincrease next load no time can neered to provide increasetrailers the average expectedonsite, crash office rate bypersonnel 6.2 percent.

Because is based on miles, the driver both neered audible to read andtraffic visual signs warning and empty are available may begin pay cold-calling drivers speed make up for empty lost time spent waiting, which also makes them become indicators to record avoiddriving backingfootage accidents. when customers in up thetoarea to locate trailers. fatigued and frustrated, The wireless triggered.

ECU isThe engineered video event to be U.S. Xpress (CCJ TopYariv 250, said.

No. 16) equips its trailer fleet with SkyBitz’s waterprooffootage and includes is available multiple forantenna review tracking system embedded with cargo sensors. One of the nation’s largest Evaluating loads the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based company uses the inforinstallationthrough options. A a back-office user can connect dash-to truckload carriers, Carriersitalready evaluate and when price loads based perand hour, but for what if they had a Sensestat-equipped board. trailer by– pressing Aaron Huff the mation receives to predict trailers willon berevenue unloaded ready more data intelligence aboutthe expected wait manager times andoftransit monitor’s sync button.

– Aaron Huff pickup, said Aaron Wood, company’s trailertimes? management.

MikeSkyBitz Gabbei,system chief information Toptransportation 250, No. 39), said the The is integratedofficer with for U.S.Celadon Xpress’(CCJ custom ALK, TMW Appian Indianapolis-based truckload the dwell timesthat andWood transituses times management system and withcarrier ESRI’sknows mapping software to for about 70 become Trimble MAPS percent of the loads its business. set up geofences forintracking arrivals, departures, turnaround times and rimble launched TrimOther carriers lack data atlocation all and rely tribal knowledge within their organizatrailer inventories by any customer andongeographical planning regions. ble MAPS (Maps and tions, said survey of Omnitracs that loaded shows 75 percent of “The bigYariv, thingwho thatcited bitesa us and any carrier is customers when we have trailllianceApplications Scale defor Professional carriers notmarkets have information aboutfreight detention ers goingdointo where weindotheir notsystems have loaded out,”times. he said. buted Solutions), a truck scalea new division that “YourXpress data isisonly as goodtrailer as the counts size of your fleet, ” she said.region Largeto and sophisticated U.S. managing in each planning to weigh Trimble’s former ALK carriers such Celadon detention for shipments, and routes theyengineered unites maintain theas balance of have capacity acrossdata its freight network.customers The company each axle and Technologies print a and TMW Appialready serviced,carriers but they lack data forto thereposition freight they not.inWhat also useshave secondary and railroads itshave trailers its if a company receipt without an Final requirMile businesses. wanted to expand its business or go to the spot market to find more loads? network.

Omnitracs locations forbeen 1.2 million trucks operated 12,000 customers.ing a driver toThe stop.division The unites ALK’s In the threetracks yearsdaily U.S. Xpress has using the SkyBitz trailerbytracking Locationitstracking amounts about 30 terabytes data annually. and Greer dis- Alliance AxleWeigh mileage,In mapping and navisystem, trailer count hastogone from 17,000 toofabout 14,000 byYariv increasing The cussed theand company’s plans toavailable model this data toin determine where trucks are being heldMotion Truck gation Scaleproducts is withAlliance Appian’s efficiency managing the capacity its network, Wood said.

AxleWeigh In up,With routeSkyBitz, drivers safely and efficiently help fleets make better decisions. built to weigh routing, individuscheduling and optimiU.S. Xpress also canand identify trailers at locations that have Motion Truck saidfor thean goal is to create models thatevents accurately manymehours it will al axles by driving zation offerings. over – Aaron Huff notYariv moved extended period.

These couldpredict signalhow possible Scale is preconfigured for easy take to service allon loads fromthat pickup delivery, taking chanical defects trailers are to causing drivers tointo not account hook up.travel times and the scale at 3 mph reinstallation and delays of various factors. gardless of truck length U.S.because Xpress also increases trailer capacity by monitoring their use by can be installed “We wantcarriers to take into like interchange seasonality and the or configuration. third-party andaccount shippersthings through on a gravel time of day to“We determine the likelihood of trailers being detained, agreements. know when one of our starts ” she said.Designed for easy driveway, eliminating the need Gabbei Wood believessaid. thatThe drivers will tracks be the where biggesttrailers benefactor of mileuse, a driver stops at moving,” system for ramps. ages being replaced with time-based metrics. the controller and are picked up and dropped and how many miles they “We’ve do something from the driver side to bring drivers enters his truck’s I.D.MAPS will maintain its moved sogot thetocompany can bill carriers for the authorTrimble into the market,” he said.use “Drivers want stable pay.” number, andcore theproduct controller will including calculatePC the ized or nonauthorized of its trailers. brands, Miler navigation gross, tare and netrouting, values.CoPilot The scale features and Appian routing and schedulfactory-calibrated load cells and a preproAARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. ing software (pictured).

E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. grammed indicator.

– Aaron Huff

In-motion scale weighs Teach axle

A

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | september | april 2019 2018

29 35

technology

Will truck mirrors soon be a rearview memory?

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afety executives from three large fleets are losing interest in rearview and blind spot mirrors. Going mirrorless is the better option, they believe.

Representatives from J.B. Hunt Transport, Schneider National and Maverick Transportation spoke March 10 during the Truckload Carriers Association’s annual conference in Las Vegas about their experiences using a mirrorless camera vision system.

The system’s manufacturer, Stoneridge, has been in business for 50 years as an OEM supplier of electrical components. In the past few years, it has researched, developed and tested an advanced camera system called MirrorEye with input from fleets and drivers.

On Dec. 28, 2018, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration approved an exemption to a rule that requires any vehicle over 25,000 pounds to have mirrors affixed to each side. The total surface area of side or “West Coast” mirrors must be at least 50 square inches.

MirrorEye is the only technology to be granted this exemption by FMCSA so far.

Removing right-side worries J.B. Hunt (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) uses the standard West Coast mirrors and has fender and passenger-side lookdown mirrors across its fleet of Freightliner Cascadia and Navistar LT tractors. The total mirror surface area on its trucks is between 414 and 440 square inches — about three times more than what the law requires.

All these mirrors could go away.

“I hope that this mirrorless option will help us remove or reduce the mirrors on the outside of our trucks,” said Greer Woodruff, senior vice president of safety, security and driver personnel for J.B. Hunt.

With conventional mirrors, the 30

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Stoneridge’s MirrorEye camera system is designed to provide expanded views that all but eliminate blind spots around a tractor-trailer.

Lowell, Ark.-based company is seeing three times as many safety events occur on the tractor’s right side versus the driver’s side, he said. The MirrorEye system’s expanded view all but eliminates blind spots on the right-hand side, he said.

J.B. Hunt has been testing the MirrorEye camera system on two trucks that operate in the New York area for more than 135,000 miles. The technology has proven especially useful to drivers who pick up at and deliver to difficult locations.

“Our drivers are really reporting that this is helping them deal with really close-quarter situations,” Woodruff said.

Maverick Transportation (No. 75) has been testing the system on several tractors for a total of 600,000 miles. The Little Rock, Ark.-based fleet currently has about 370 inches of mirror surface area, but Dean Newell, vice president of safety and driver training, believes the future of trucking is mirrorless.

Taking away blind spots Newell is especially interested in the system’s ability to eliminate a blind spot that is created by the front of the A-pil-

lar and the back of the side mirrors. The A-pillar and mirrors obstruct a driver’s view of crossing traffic.

Display screens for the MirrorEye system mount on the A-pillars inside the cab. Drivers do not have to turn their heads as far to see the screens as they do for their side mirrors, Woodruff said. Drivers can keep their peripheral vision toward the vehicle’s front.

MirrorEye has a wider field of view than conventional mirrors. West Coast mirrors open up a rearward field of view at a 20-degree angle, but MirrorEye has a 110-degree view. When making turns, the system uses the angle from the truck’s electronic steering sensor to pan the rear view for the driver to the left or right, according to the direction of the turn. The driver “can look at the trailer all the way around the turn,” said Newell.

Drivers have a center screen that shows the full length of the truck’s right side. Dan Prella, director of safety and training for Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider (No. 7), stressed the camera system’s value in removing this as a blind spot for drivers.

“In our experience, you can see from a bit ahead of the front bumper all

technology the way back to the drive tires, essentially two full lanes wide,” Prella said.

“Everything alongside the tractor is plainly visible.”

Unlike mirrors, the cameras outside the vehicle are heated and self-cleaning to prevent obstructions from rain, ice and other elements. The system also gives drivers much better nighttime vision than conventional mirrors with its infrared technology.

Combating distraction All fleet safety executives agreed their drivers have benefited from the technology to combat distractions. Woodruff noted that 91 percent of the U.S. population has smartphones.

“A lot of people are driving distracted,” he said. “What we find in accidents is oftentimes there is more than one factor. If we can improve visibility for our drivers, maybe we can take a factor away, and then maybe we reduce the probability of that crash occurring.”

Newell mentioned another type of distraction.

“It seems to me that everybody is in a hurry,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about our drivers and our employees.

I’m talking about everybody’s like that.

This is a tool that we can give drivers that can combat some of this. People are still going to be in a hurry, but we can see them now.”

The cameras, mounted above the truck doors, also are more aerodynamic than conventional mirrors, said Steve Fox, director of business development for Stoneridge. He said MirrorEye increases a vehicle’s fuel efficiency by 2.5 percent.

The system currently is available as a retrofit, with aftermarket installation and service handled by Velociti. Stoneridge plans for the system to become a factory-installed option by OEMs. The company also offers an ELD and is looking to add other technologies to complement the vision system.

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technology

Stay Metrics study analyzes drivers’ pre-turnover thoughts

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tay Metrics, a provider of driver retention tools, announced new research showing the differences in pre-turnover thoughts by drivers for key demographics and segments in the trucking industry in 2018. Stay Metrics published the research as a Stay Data Story and said the results can help carriers understand industry trends so they can counter the driver shortage and early driver turnover.

“In response to the industrywide driver shortage and high early turnover, understanding which types of drivers are the most at-risk provides carriers with a powerful tool to address the underlying issues,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and chief executive officer for Stay Metrics.

To discover what types of drivers are more likely to consider leaving their carriers, Stay Metrics analyzed 16,065 responses to one of the questions on its in-depth Annual Driver Satisfaction survey. The responses from drivers represented 75 carriers in 2018.

The survey question asks drivers how strongly they agree or disagree with this statement: “In the last six months, I have considered leaving my carrier.” The study breaks down responses by gender, age, industry experience, driver type and equipment.

Among the key findings: • Gender. Female drivers tended to disagree more strongly that they had thought about leaving their carrier.

This result is consistent with a previous study in 2018 by Stay Metrics that found women are more satisfied overall than men with their carriers; • Age. The 41-50 and 51-60 ranges are most likely to agree or strongly agree that they thought about leaving in 2018. Generally, the data show the tendency of drivers to be thinking of leaving is fairly consistent across all age groups. The only group that drops noticeably is drivers over 60; • Industry experience. Drivers with less than one year of industry experience and drivers with seven to 15

Stay Metrics said its periodic Stay Data Story can help carriers understand industry trends so they can counter the driver shortage and early driver turnover.

years of experience were the most strongly to agree that they considered leaving; • Driver type. The only major area of difference noticed in this data set was that owner-operators seemed slightly less likely to have considered leaving than company drivers, subcontractors and lease/purchase drivers; and • Equipment. Refrigerated and flatbed drivers were less likely to have considered leaving their carrier.

Intermodal drivers were the most likely to have thought about leaving.

Stay Metrics said the Stay Data Story series will be updated and published periodically when significant trends are found in the company’s data that are useful to the transportation industry at-large.

– Aaron Huff

New indicator highlights early-stage turnover trends Stay Metrics announced a new indicator for trends in early-stage driver turnover. The Stay Days Table serves as a “survivor” chart that shows the number of drivers hired by carriers each month and the percentage remaining at specific milestones after their date of hire — 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and more.

Stay Metrics said the table will allow it to follow specific cohorts of drivers and to show how well carriers are retaining them over time. “We believe the new Stay Days Table demonstrates the depth and pervasiveness of the early driver turnover problem,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and chief executive officer for Stay Metrics.

The table saw a slight increase in overall retention for drivers hired in September and later. According to Stay Metrics, one possible explanation is that these drivers wanted to avoid changing carriers before the holiday season. “Our current version shows data for 2018, and we 32

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plan to update the metric for 2019 and beyond to continue monitoring the industry’s progress,” Hindes said.

– Aaron Huff

As Stay Metrics’ Stay Days Table shows, about 60 percent of the more than 3,000 drivers from 89 carriers hired in January 2018 did not make it one year with their fleet.

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technology

3Gtms updates TMS system, adds new capabilities

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Gtms, a provider of transportation management software, announced the release of its 3G-TM transportation management system version 18.0. In addition to updated capabilities and enhancements for planning and rating, execution and integrations, 3G-TM v18.0 includes the company’s Load Management Workspace and a stop interleaving feature.

The Load Management Workspace is designed for organizations in a high-speed transactional environment. It features: • One screen that compiles all information and delivers a snapshot to inform a quote; • Configurable screens that allow customers to tailor information to each user; • An automatic feed of DAT Rate Indexes; • Configurable workflows that support the unique ways an organization operates; and • A Quick-Start implementation option to help get users up and running faster.

The stop interleaving feature is a planning enhancement suited for organizations that execute local pickup-and-delivery operations or that have access to assets for performing backhaul or continuous move-type routes that they wish to treat as a single load. Stop interleaving helps improve

functionality around post-planning decisions to: • Create loads that intersperse P&D activities; • Allow for delivery-and-pickup activities to occur at the same stops sequentially; and • Allow empty miles to be incurred at any segment of the route to perform additional pickup activities.

Other highlights include the ability for internal or Carrier Portal users to post available trucks and match them up with uncovered loads, improve visibility and use new tools that accelerate and simplify the onboarding of new carriers by enabling better workflows and automation. – Aaron Huff

Fleetworthy adds ‘rapid response’ compliance data

Ryder opens new facilities for e-commerce offering

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leetworthy Solutions added a new feature to Comply, its online software platform used by fleets to organize Rapid Incident Response is available safety and complinow to all users of Comply to capture ance data. Rapid a snapshot in time of all driver files required for post-crash reports and Incident Response is other litigation purposes. designed to collect and package driver-related files quickly in time-sensitive and dangerous situations.

If a driver is involved in a crash, or if a fleet manager needs to retrieve the driver’s qualifications file quickly, RIR allows for quick packaging of driver-related files in an easy-to-share ZIP file, Fleetworthy said.

Authorized users can download essential driver data that includes expiring, permanent, medical, drug and alcohol and human resources documents, plus background, education, accidents, exempt logs, graph logs and more.

– Aaron Huff

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3Gtms’ Load Management Workspace is designed to help reduce manual work by allowing users to get work done with fewer screens and clicks.

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yder System, a provider of commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation and supply chain services, announced an e-commerce fulfillment offering for manufacturers Ryder said the new offering is that do business online. an alternative to third-party Ryder is opening two marketplaces by fulfilling multiclient facilities in Perris, product orders from manufacturers direct to consumers.

Calif. and Fort Worth, Texas, and is expanding an existing Ryder-managed warehouse in Douglassville, Pa. The three facilities will be operational by May to service an existing customer, a small appliance manufacturer and new customers.

With the new e-commerce fulfillment facilities strategically located, Ryder said it can deliver small to large parcel goods to 95 percent of the United States in two days or less.

The company said it will foster relationships with qualified carriers to ensure that its customers maintain speed to market and hit cost and service targets.

– Aaron Huff

technology

in focus: MOBILE COMPUTING

The path of migration 3G’s sunset forcing fleets to rethink mobile strategy

BY AARON HUFF

I

n the United States, an estimated 7.5 million Internet of Things devices connect vehicles and drivers to their fleets through 3G cellular networks, according to technology research firm Gartner.

The number of 3G devices in service will be declining rapidly over the next year or two. With the sunsetting of 3G, many fleets will be looking to squeeze out the remaining life from their investments in aging hardware.

Most telematics and IoT devices sold in 2018 onward use 4G LTE modems. For companies that use older devices, the end could be drawing near. Verizon has announced its plans to shut down 3G service after 2019, and AT&T recently said its 3G shutoff should be completed by 2022.

To that end, Verizon stopped accepting new 3G-CDMA subscriptions to its network after June 30, 2018. AT&T blocked new 3G activations starting this year.

Changing landscape Mark Eisenberg, chief executive for Orbcomm, believes the sunsetting of 3G will have major impacts on technology suppliers, comparing the business climate to “throwing your chips in the middle and distributing them again.” The migration to 4G likely will create new winners and losers in the market, he said.

Orbcomm’s asset tracking and monitoring systems have satellite and cellular connectivity depending on customer needs. One area where the company has seen major demand is its latest 4G and satellite offerings for transporters of temperature-sensitive freight.

“This is the year of the reefer container,” Eisenberg said.

Orbcomm is closing deals to deploy its technology on an additional 300,000 to 400,000 refrigerated containers.

4G carrots Interviews with major telematics suppliers discovered that companies are offering discounts and incentives to their customers to migrate to their 4G offerings.

“We didn’t want to force any migration in the U.S. or Canada,” said Ray Greer, chief executive officer for Omnitracs. Greer said Omnitracs no longer ships 3G devices and that it discontinued the practice starting this year with its 4G LTE-enabled IVG platform.

John Binder, director of wireless operations for Trimble,

Major telematics suppliers are offering discounts and incentives to their customers to migrate to their 4G offerings.

said fleets will continue to migrate to 4G beyond the cutoff dates given by Verizon, AT&T and others. After these dates, the networks no longer will guarantee the quality of their 3G service.

Trimble Transportation Mobility, formerly PeopleNet, has about 250,000 devices in the field that have some exposure to sunsetting CDMA and GSM networks, Binder said. Trimble has a multinetwork operator architecture that enables its devices to select and use any available CDMA or GSM carrier.

Trimble’s 4G LTE platforms include the PeopleNet Mobile Gateway and PeopleNet Connected Gateway. For customers that use the company’s older 3G devices, Trimble has internal reporting that gives it visibility to the 3G networks its customers are using and their service levels, he said.

With this reporting, Trimble provides customers with information about any degradation in 3G service they may have experienced or can expect to encounter, particularly with Verizon since its sunset date comes first.

“We feel a deep responsibility to be completely open and transparent as to what is occurring,” Binder said. Some areas may have a reduction in overlapping 3G cell sites, which may constrict their communications to one channel.

“We have knowledge that this much has already occurred on the (3G) networks,” he said. “The coverage looks the same, but the ability to carry traffic at a high level of service diminishes over time.”

While many fleets will continue to use 3G devices for a couple more years, “the minute they feel some impact, they will want to upgrade,” Binder said. commercial carrier journal

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technology

INBRIEF

shared telematics services amongst various vertical markets.

• FourKites, a provider of predictive analytics tools that help improve on-time delivery and optimize supply chains, announced an algorithm designed to predict shipment times with greater accuracy. DynamicETA uses more than 150 data points associated with a single load – including shipper, carrier, lane, rest patterns, load, traffic and weather – and learns continuously from millions of monthly shipments to incorporate recent history and account for seasonal and annual behavioral changes.

• Kuebix, a transportation management software system provider, announced a collaboration with Estes Truckload Management to enhance its FleetMax program. FleetMax is designed to fill empty backhauls of private fleets and offer additional truckload capacity to Kuebix’s community of shippers and brokers. Private fleet owners using FleetMax to eliminate empty miles and generate more profit now can have all related financials and settlements managed through Estes.

• Trimble, a provider of transportation management software products, announced a collaboration with Digi International, a provider of Internet of Things connectivity products and services, to enable Trimble fleet customers to leverage the SmartSense by Digi system on refrigerated trailers, allowing food and beverage fleets to monitor cargo conditions remotely for productivity, compliance and quality control.

• GoShip.com, an online less-than-truckload shipping exchange, expanded its shipping to and from Canada. Customers can use their own customs broker or use a self-service customs broker, documents and customs invoice provided by GoShip.com. Other new features include shipment tracking and the ability to view upcoming and past shipments.

• Trimble announced that its Field Service Management division enhanced its Trimble Pulse suite with an advanced Software-as-aService-based telematics platform designed to connect, monitor and manage assets and enable intelligent decision-making and timely actions. The application leverages Trimble’s

• Softeon, a global supply chain software provider, announced that S3 Group, a management consulting firm and provider of services to the logistics and supply chain industries, now is a certified implementation and integration partner for Softeon’s Order Fulfillment System.

• Samsara, a provider of tools for driver safety and fleet management and compliance, now offers an AI Dash Camera that captures video triggered by aggressive braking or cornering and uses real-time computer-vision processing to interpret road scenes, detect rolling stops, read speed limits and identify distracted driving and tailgating. The system provides proactive alerts to drivers and real-time information to fleet managers to help coach drivers.

• Durabook Americas upgraded its Durabook R11 rugged tablet. The device now features an Intel 8th Generation CPU, Intel UHD 620 graphics processor, DDR4 memory, Intel Dual Band Wireless AC 9260 and Bluetooth V5, as well as Windows 10 Pro for added security.

• I.D. Systems, which acquired and integrated CarrierWeb into its Logistics Visibility group as PowerFleet for Logistics, announced that Lubbock, Texas-based refrigerated hauler Robert Heath Trucking selected its ELD-compliant LV9000 hardware device, an onboard system with two-way communications and customized driver workflow, to provide real-time positions, engine performance data and truck-specific navigation. PowerFleet also is integrated with Robert Heath’s TRU microprocessors for two-way command and control of reefer temperatures and alerts.

Greer Woodruff, Sr. VP Safety, Security, and Driver Personnel J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.

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STEER FS591™

Load One develops game-changing technology to help drivers excel in its expedited trucking niche

A

BY AARON HUFF

s an expedited transportation and freight management provider, Load One starts each morning with about 25 percent of its daily business in the hopper. To fill out the remainder of its 400-plus-truck fleet, the company has to act quickly to secure offers via phone, email, websites and electronic data interchange tenders.

38

commercial carrier journal

Many of its customers have immediate service requirements and are sharing the same load offers with multiple carriers. The first responder wins the business, making every second count.

The expedite segment is like an ambulance service, says John Elliott, founder and chief executive officer of Load One, the third-largest expedite carrier with annual revenues of more

| april 2019

than $160 million. Expedite customers order trucks when facing disruptions and emergencies, such as a potential assembly line shutdown. “Everything for us is the exception,� Elliott says. Given unpredictable demand, pre-planning loads for trucks and drivers is nearly impossible.

During the past two years, Load One has developed technologies to gain

ANC at that time, and programmers at the software consulting firm have a deep knowledge of the Sylectus database. De Leon was one of the founders of Sylectus, a division of fleet management systems provider Omnitracs.

With Elliott’s guidance, ANC programmers moved quickly to develop software and incorporate user feedback to differentiate Load One in the expedite market.

“I like technologies, and so I like to push and do things,” Elliott says. “The collaborative effort between our technology guys, our staff and our drivers is phenomenal.”

FAST LOAD MATCHING

John Elliott, Load One’s founder and chief executive officer, says pre-planning loads for trucks and drivers in the unpredictable expedite segment is nearly impossible, but the company has developed technologies to achieve high levels of efficiency, revenue and customer service.

distinct advantages by bringing office staff and drivers as close as possible to optimizing their workflows, Elliott says.

With these developments, Load One has achieved higher levels of efficiency, revenue and customer service while transforming the work experience of drivers, most of whom are owner-operators. For the vision and execution of game-changing technology in one of the trucking industry’s most challenging segments, Load One has earned the distinctive honor as the Commercial Carrier Journal 2019 Innovator of the Year.

BOLTING ON APPLICATIONS

Load One’s technology is fueled by a data replication process. The company’s data center at its headquarters in Taylor, Mich., replicates a live database from its web-based Sylectus transportation management system to a separate database hosted in the Microsoft Azure cloud.

Load One is developing custom software applications and databases in Azure through an exclusive multiyear agreement with App Nouveau Canada, a partnership Elliott established in March 2017. Ed De Leon, who founded

The first project Load One completed with ANC in September 2017 was a customer mobile app, Load One Track, that gives customers total transparency of their shipments from dispatch through delivery, among other selfservice functions.

Soon afterward, the team developed a system that automates the laborious process of monitoring “bid boards,” the private websites that third-party logistics providers and shipper customers use to communicate bid requests and load offers to carriers. The sites are most common for Load One’s automotive industry customers, Elliott says.

The operations department had to monitor numerous bid boards to find loads. It also searched the Sylectus TMS to find available trucks and drivers within range and to verify those assets had the right payload and dimensions for the offers.

Load One’s fleet is comprised of cargo vans, straight trucks, tractortrailers and a specialized curtainside trailer division.

With the new bidding system, offers are extracted from the websites and matched with available assets and drivers in Sylectus. Offers that don’t match are declined automatically, which “saves us huge man-hours,” says Elliott.

Offers that match are presented

commercial carrier journal

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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.

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COVER STORY 2019 INNOVATOR of the YEAR

instantly to dispatchers via the TMS to accept or decline, upon which the system sends an immediate response to the customer through EDI and other electronic channels.

THE VISIBILITY SHORTAGE

In October 2017, Elliott directed ANC to develop a mobile driver app with tools no other expedite carrier offers.

Specifically, he wanted to give predictive information to help drivers make strategic business decisions.

Drivers already had the fleet’s Macro 19 message at their disposal.

Pressing the button in the fleet’s incab mobile communications platform queries the Sylectus database to show the number of Load One trucks within a vicinity’s defined search radius, as well as the driver’s position in line for the next dispatch.

As new offers arrive, the standard dispatch practice is to call the driver who is closest to the pickup location.

If two or more drivers are in the same area, dispatchers move according to FIFO wait times — first driver in, first out.

Another option for drivers is to call dispatch. Elliott says a driver might say, “Hey, I’m parked 75 miles west of Nashville. What are you seeing?”

To respond to these requests, a dispatcher might view a report in Sylectus that shows orders Load One moved recently in nearby freight markets. With this information, dispatchers can make recommendations for drivers.

The problem with the planning methods was that dispatchers and drivers lacked visibility to opportunities Load One had missed. Every day, the company turns down or brokers many loads when it does not have trucks available.

“There was never a holistic view of it all,” says Elliott.

THE ULTIMATE ADVANTAGE

In January 2018, Load One rolled out a

As an expedited transportation and freight management provider, Load One has to act quickly to secure offers via phone, email, websites and electronic data interchange tenders.

base version of a new driver app, with the first iteration focusing on productivity tools. Drivers could message dispatch, scan trip documents, monitor past and current pay details and see the number of miles remaining on their current dispatch. They also could see the ETA of their delivery based on vehicle speed.

Drivers also could view their hoursof-service status through an integration with the fleet’s in-cab mobile platform. The app also gave drivers a single sign-on experience to third-party applications, including Stay Metrics’ driver rewards platform and Netradyne’s vision-based safety system.

Elliott wanted the next version to include a dynamic mapping tool to give drivers historic and real-time data on demand and capacity. With this business intelligence, drivers could make strategic decisions for positioning their trucks.

Elliott knew of competitors that gave drivers “heat maps” of loads the company had moved in the past 30 or 60 days, but he says the data likely was not helpful. “A heat map in our business is outdated within days,” he says.

When Elliott presented his ideas for

the dynamic heat mapping tool to ANC, “we took it as a challenge,” De Leon says.

“We knew we had the data to Load One is developdo it.” ing custom software applications and

By January databases through 2018, ANC an exclusive multiprogramyear agreement mers brought with App Nouveau Canada, founded by demand and Ed De Leon, who also capacity founded Sylectus, a information provider of a webbased transportation together in management system. an interactive mapping tool. The updated version of the app was named the Load One Ultimate Advantage Driver App and has the following planning resources: Demand: Preplanned orders. Drivers can view orders in their current area that are booked. These orders generally are more common for truckload shipments.

Past orders moved. The map shows the origins and number of loads moved, by commercial carrier journal

| april 2019 41

COVER STORY 2019 INNOVATOR of the YEAR

Load One, the third-largest expedite carrier with annual revenues of more than $160 million, has a fleet comprised of cargo vans, straight trucks, tractor-trailers and a specialized curtainside trailer division.

location, through Load One’s fleet. The locations of these loads are marked with green pins.

Missed opportunities. The locations of offers that Load One turned down or brokered when trucks were not available are marked with red pins. This data comes from the bid response system the company developed previously, which tracks the offers Load One accepted and declined.

Drivers can view any and all of this demand data by the day of the week and by the last 30 days, seven days and two days. The data is matched automatically to their equipment unit size, such as a straight truck or cargo van.

Capacity: Truck locations. The current locations of Load One trucks are identified with dark blue truck icons. The map view shows drivers only the trucks in a similar class as their own. They also can view trucks by single or team drivers.

Competitors’ trucks. Drivers can display the locations of trucks from other expedite carriers that use Sylectus. Competitors’ trucks are shown as orange icons.

This data comes from Sylectus and its 42

commercial carrier journal

integration with the Alliance Network, a private load board. Load One and other Sylectus users have visibility to competitors’ trucks for brokering loads.

Load One is the network’s largest freight broker, Elliott says.

FORWARD PLANNING

Giving drivers visibility to competitors’ trucks helps them position their own assets and respond to offers faster, Elliott says, because shippers often are contacting more than one expedite carrier at a time.

Load One drivers can avoid clustering in areas that tend to be popular, such as truck stops and rest areas, and instead wait for loads at locations closer to customers to speed their response times to opportunities.

With the interactive mapping tool, Load One drivers who are dispatched on a load can look through the business conditions in markets where they are delivering and plan ahead. Drivers could perform a quick market analysis while taking their required 30-minute break.

The Macro 19 tool only showed drivers the dispatch pecking order after they

| april 2019

had arrived. With the app, drivers can see the miles they have remaining on their current trip and what position they will have when they arrive.

Owner-operator Alvin Wright, based in Walbridge, Ohio, owns a straight truck he drives as a team with his wife, and he recently arrived in Dallas to wait for a load. By using the app, he saw a few loads had been coming out of Dallas in the past few days, but he realized he was number four in line for dispatch.

Wright decided to look outside Dallas.

His search took him south to Laredo, where he saw five missed opportunities in the last two days — loads that had been offered but where Load One did not have trucks.

“Instead of waiting on dispatch to figure something out, you can look at the app and plan what you are going to do,” Wright says. “We put it to wind and decided to go (to Laredo).”

Wright sent a message to dispatch saying he was going south, and he says he “got a load in Laredo before we even got down there.”

Owner-operator Steve James, based in Dallas, has been with Load One for

COVER STORY 2019 INNOVATOR of the YEAR

more than seven years. He is a small fleet owner with one tractor, three straight trucks and a cargo van.

“Prior to the app, you’d work off past experience,” he says. With the app, “everything you need is at your fingertips.”

James has seen his business improve on all fronts since using the app. He says that revenues are up and that deadhead and time between loads are down.

Instead of having “What are you seeing?” conversations with drivers, Load One’s operations floor is able to spend more time finding freight, servicing customers and helping drivers with other needs, says Elliott.

“To some extent, our drivers have a better holistic view than what our operations people do,” he says. “(Drivers) have the data now.”

By putting information in the hands of drivers, Load One has reemphasized the status of its owner-operator business model. The company no longer needs to

John Elliott uses a large iPhone for live demonstrations of the company’s Ultimate Advantage Driver App, which includes a dynamic interactive mapping tool that gives drivers historic and real-time data on demand and capacity, allowing them to make strategic decisions for positioning their trucks for future loads.

offer suggestions to drivers for where to find loads.

“This takes us out of that loop,” Elliott says. “The app gives them the data

to make decisions entirely themselves.”

THE FIRST RESPONDER

One of Load One’s most recent

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commercial carrier journal

| april 2019 43

COVER STORY 2019 INNOVATOR of the YEAR

During the past two years, Load One has developed technologies to gain distinct advantages by bringing office staff and drivers as close as possible to optimizing their workflows.

providers to look up rates and give Load One operators the tools they need to provide customers with a total solution.

HOLDING ON TO DRIVERS

developments is a system that speeds response times to customer offers and bid requests.

When the company receives an offer, the system does a radius search to find available trucks and drivers in the area based on their location and HOS data.

With a click of a button, a dispatcher can send relevant information about the load offer to all drivers in the area.

Drivers receive an instant notification in the app to accept or decline the offer immediately. Drivers also receive an automated phone call that reads them relevant information about the load.

They can respond hands-free by voice to accept or decline.

The company still dispatches with the FIFO method, but now it has a near-instant response from all drivers in the area, which speeds the process for covering loads from customers. Previously, dispatchers called drivers in order of dispatch. Each call would take several minutes, and roughly 40 percent of the time, the customer already had found another carrier before they responded, Elliott says.

With the new system, Load One averages 60 seconds to have responses from all drivers in the area, De Leon says.

Dispatchers have a screen that shows the responses on each load using a traffic signal icon for the status — green for accepted, yellow for expired and red for 44

commercial carrier journal

declined. As soon as a light turns green, dispatchers know they can accept the customer’s offer.

With the technology, the company has increased its load securement between 10 and 15 percent, which has increased revenue for Load One and its drivers, Elliott says.

If Load One does not have a driver available, dispatchers also can use the system to offer the load to partner carriers as a broker through the company’s integration with Sylectus. Also, the technology integrates with the websites of air freight and less-than-truckload

| april 2019

The expedite segment’s unpredictable demand plays a factor in driver turnover. The technology Load One developed is helping to further reduce its already low turnover rate. Last year, the company had a 24.6 percent turnover rate, and Elliott believes it will be under 20 percent this year.

Once drivers become familiar with the tool, “if they go to a competitor, they lose that technology,” says Elliott. “It’s hard to take that step back.”

The app has a 95-percent fleet adoption, and a recent survey of users generated a positive rating of 98 percent.

More importantly, Load One has been able to grow capacity and revenue without adding trucks by scaling its efficiencies to secure loads faster than its competitors.

“We are trying to give predictive analytics to a very unpredictable industry and market,” says Elliott. “I think we’ve taken it further than anyone in the industry.”

ABOUT THE AWARD

Commercial Carrier Journal’s editors recognize innovators throughout the year and select one for special recognition as the CCJ Innovator of the Year.

Innovators considered for the current award were those recognized in the magazine in 2018.

Innovation in any aspect of the operation is eligible for recognition. To qualify, the carrier must operate at least 10 power units in Classes 3-8 and maintain a satisfactory safety rating, if rated. Selection of innovators for recognition is at the sole discretion of CCJ’s editorial staff.

This year’s award was announced and presented at the CCJ Innovators Summit, a networking event for current and prior-year CCJ Innovators held Feb. 6-8 in Key Largo, Fla. Representatives of the innovative trucking operations updated one another on their initiatives.

The CCJ Innovators program is sponsored by Freightliner Trucks, Omnitracs and Shell Lubricants. For more information on the program and links to previously recognized CCJ Innovators or to fill out the online nomination form, go to www.ccjinnovators.com, or contact Jeff Crissey, CCJ editor, at 205-248-1244.

Visit ccjinnovators.com

Congratulations to

the entire class of 2018 CCJ Innovators, and to Load One for earning the

2019 CCJ Innovator of the Year.

The CCJ Innovators Program recognizes the trucking industry’s visionaries and best-run operations.

Competition among fleets for drivers remains fierce

W

BY JAMES JAILLET almart Transportation, which operates more than 8,000 trucks in one of the country’s largest private fleets, has shown of late it’s not immune to the industry’s pressing need for new drivers.

In recent weeks, the company has announced a fleetwide pay increase to push its starting compensation to $87,500 annually, with more senior drivers able to earn over $100,000 a year.

Walmart also announced intentions to hire 900 additional drivers this year, and it has overhauled its driver onboarding process to bring on those new hires more quickly.

The company’s moves to be more aggressive about its driver hiring and retention show that, despite a recent slowdown in economic growth, the market for drivers is still drum-tight, and competition among fleets, even those offering the best pay and benefits, remains fierce.

“It’s clear from the tactics that Walmart is having to apply that it’s pretty tough out there,” says Kent Ferguson, director of transportation solutions for HireRight, a provider of employee background checks. “Traditionally, private fleets are able to recruit from for-hire fleets without any issues.” But lately, “private fleets are having difficulties they haven’t had,” he says.

Private fleets such as Walmart generally have been insulated from the war for drivers that for-hire fleets, especially larger ones, wage continuously. Higher pay, more predictable home time and modern equipment have allowed them to pluck readily 46

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

from the for-hire ranks.

But the trends of an aging driver workforce and steady pay increases in the for-hire segment are changing that dynamic, Ferguson says. Larger carriers began instituting pay increases in late 2017, and smaller carriers followed last year. For-hire fleets also have invested in equipment upgrades, he says.

Also, the freight boom early last year, combined with the effects of the federal electronic logging device mandate, inflamed the industry’s driver recruiting and retention needs in both the for-hire segment and private fleets, Ferguson says.

Michelle Malashock, a spokesperson for Walmart Transportation, acknowledges that increased competition for drivers triggered the company’s changes, specifically in its driver onboarding process. “When we were looking at the driver shortage and the needs we had, we had to improve the system,” Malashock says. The company was losing hires because of the time it took to bring them in for training and testing, she says.

Even though Walmart “offered more money and better benefits, it was taking too long,” Malashock says. What was once a two-month process has been pared to roughly three weeks, she says, from the company’s point of initial contact to when drivers get behind the wheel.

Also, instead of its previous one-day event, in which many drivers were turned away for failing portions of its testing protocol, Walmart has created a three-day training and testing event

BUSINESS | DRIVER RETENTION

for all its new driver hires. These drivers, who already have been given conditional employment offers and are on the company payroll, now receive instruction on Walmart’s standards rather than simply showing up expected to know company procedures, Malashock says.

Walmart began piloting the new onboarding process last fall and now has implemented it nationwide. The overhaul has worked, with roughly 85 percent of the company’s hires now completing the program successfully, she says.

Though those 900 drivers are only a fraction of the tens of thousands of driver hires that fleets will make this year, it’s likely to have an impact on the for-hire driver pool, Ferguson says.

“I think it’s going to hit for-hire carriers pretty hard,” he says.

“They’re already struggling to keep the drivers they have. As far as freight volume goes, motor carriers could haul more if they could get more drivers. We’re going to see what the trends are on the for-hire side to try to stem” the effects of Walmart’s new pay package, Ferguson says.

Also, once hired, it’s hard to wrestle a private fleet driver back to the for-hire segment. Walmart’s annual turnover rate is just 7 percent, Malashock says. That’s dramatically lower than the 80plus percent turnover rate at for-hire fleets.

Walmart requires drivers to have 30 months of driving experience over the prior three-year period, so for-hire carriers will need to continue to work to recruit younger entrants to the industry, particularly as the existing driver pool continues to age into retirement, Ferguson says.

Sign-on bonus battle Though sign-on bonuses are a common aspect of fleets’ efforts to recruit and retain drivers, those bonuses likely do more harm than good, particularly for carriers trying to incentivize drivers to not jump ship to another fleet.

“Carriers throw sign-on bonuses at drivers like they’re candy, and they create a bit of a sugar high,” says Jeremy Reymer,

Increased competition for drivers prompted Walmart Transportation to make changes, specifically in its driver onboarding process.

chief executive of DriverReach and a member of the American Trucking Associations’ Workforce Development Committee, who’s tasked with finding answers to the industry’s driver shortage woes. “But that sugar high wears off.”

With so many carriers offering sign-on bonuses, “it becomes a domino effect,” Reymer says. With carriers attempting to poach drivers away from other fleets with their own bonus offers, “it gets built into drivers’ mentality” to bounce around to continue grabbing bonuses, he says.

What’s more, the way many carriers structure their sign-on bonus payouts, they’re overly complex and set up false expectations for drivers out of the gate. “Sign-on bonuses are not the long-term solution to the challenges in the trucking industry,” says Max Farrell, CEO and founder of WorkHound, a driver feedback platform.

Miscommunication and “misaligned expectations” are already issues that compound driver turnover, Farrell says. “There’s so many asterisks in what defines a sign-on bonus, and all the data tell us that pay is already too complicated in this industry,” he says.

Instead of sign-on bonuses, carriers instead should opt for pay packages that guarantee a weekly minimum, Reymer says. “The most important thing to a driver is how much they are bringing home every week and on a consistent basis,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you make 80 cents a mile or 25 cents a mile. At the end of the day, you know how much money you’re bringing home each week.”

Unlike a salary program, guaranteed weekly pay offers a floor to drivers’ pay, still incentivizing them and their carrier to be more efficient and productive and continue to strive for more miles, Reymer says. Salary programs can have the opposite effect, he says; by setting a pay maximum, they don’t incentive drivers to strive for more miles but do incentivize companies to try to squeeze more out of their drivers.

Farrell agrees, citing driver feedback data from the WorkHound platform. It’s not necessarily “I want more money,” he says. Instead, it’s that drivers want more predictable paychecks.

“Volatility in pay is polarizing,” Farrell says. “On those weeks when drivers talk about low pay, they think ‘I could make more at McDonald’s and be home with my family,’ or ‘I could work for Uber’ ” and make just as much, he says.

Reymer says that as the need for drivers continues to dog carriers, he’s noticing more fleets switching to guaranteed minimum pay packages. Of the roughly 100 fleet customers using DriverReach’s applicant tracking system, about a quarter of them now offer guaranteed weekly pay, he says. “You want to set drivers up to succeed,” he says. “If this week they make $1,200 and the next week they make $450, they can’t live like that.

“Where can we reconcile what’s in the best interest of the driver and what’s in the best interest of the fleet?” he says. “If you commercial carrier journal

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BUSINESS | DRIVER RETENTION

Truckers earn more than workers in construction and manufacturing, helping lead to stable employment within trucking, a BLS report finds.

have a guarantee that you never earn less than X but you’re also rewarded when you go above that, it makes so much sense. It fosters a mutual beneficial relationship between the driver and their employer.”

Sizing up the shortage Recent estimates by ATA put the current driver shortage at 50,000 and climbing. But a recent study published by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics – the U.S. Department of Labor’s research wing – concludes that, from a true economics perspective, there’s little evidence supporting the widely publicized notion that there’s a driver shortage in the trucking industry.

Any perceived shortage is isolated to long-haul truckload fleets, argues the study from BLS. The issue, BLS contends, is more one of driver retention rather than a shortfall of people willing to work as truck drivers. The agency acknowledges the market for drivers has been tight for decades but says there’s no “evidence of a secular shortage,” referring to a long-term shortage as opposed to temporary or cyclical.

The BLS report “Is The U.S. Labor Market for Truck Drivers Broken?” summarizes that “As a whole, the market for truck drivers appears to work as well as any other blue-collar labor market, and while it tends to be ‘tight,’ it imposes no constraints on entry into (or exit from) the occupation. There is thus no reason to think that, given sufficient time, driver supply should fail to respond to price (wage) signals in the standard way.”

The report was written by Stephen Burks, an economics professor at the University of Minnesota Morris, and Kristen Monaco, a BLS associate commissioner. The authors contend that labor shortages are difficult for economists to pin down and study and cast blame for persistent claims of a driver shortage on the media, both the consumer and trucking trade press, and with trade associations such as ATA, which has insisted for years that the industry faces a pressing shortage of truck drivers.

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello, in a response issued to 48

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the BLS report, says the report’s authors “demonstrate some basic misunderstandings about the trucking industry.”

“The authors’ own concession that wages are going up significantly, as motor carriers are unable to hire quality drivers, undercuts their own conclusions,” Costello says. “This alone suggests there is a systemic issue with getting enough labor in the for-hire truckload driver market.” He also says the report disregards ATA’s arguments that the driver deficit is about a lack of “qualified drivers,” not a shortage of applicants.

“Unlike other blue-collar jobs the authors compare truck drivers to, motor carriers cannot simply hire anyone to do the job,” Costello says. “There are many barriers to entry for new drivers, such as age requirements, CDL testing standards, strict drug and alcohol testing regimes and, perhaps most importantly for many fleets, safe and clean driving records. In some cases, carriers must reject 90 precent of applicants out of hand because they fail to meet at least one of the prerequisites to drive in interstate commerce.”

BLS contends that while ATA data on driver turnover and industry-wide anecdotes about the challenges in recruiting the desired number of drivers have contributed to the driver shortage perception, high turnover does not equate to a labor shortage, and accounting for all industry segments, there’s little evidence of a labor shortage relative to driving jobs.

From the BLS report: “Economists would not regard high turnover rates and the associated problems of recruiting and retaining drivers in this part of trucking as a long-term shortage.

Nor would they call these conditions a ‘broken market,’ except to the extent that one might use that term for a secondary labor market segment, since the high turnover that marks such a segment is an indicator that the jobs in it are unattractive to many potential employees.”

BLS also asserts that higher driver pay could help alleviate fleets’ recruiting and retention woes. “Higher earnings in truck driving increase occupational entry, especially among individuals who are willing to work longer hours for higher weekly income,” the report states.

The BLS report covered industry data from 2003 to 2017, including data on industry wages, turnover, trucking segments and more. Those metrics were compared to data within other industries with which trucking competes for workers, such as construction and manufacturing. Truckers earn more than workers in those industries, helping lead to more stable employment within trucking, the report finds.

While drivers are likely to move between industries for better money, truckers surprisingly move between occupations at a lower rate than “workers with similar education levels,” the report’s authors say. “This suggests that, in aggregate, the labor market for truck drivers works about as well as the labor markets for other blue-collar occupations.”

Today’s LRR tires still save fuel while achieving more mileage

BY JASON CANNON

Goodyear’s G572 1AD Fuel Max tire is engineered for enhanced fuel efficiency, tread life and traction in high-torque, single-axle drive and 6x2 applications.

O

ne of the most effective ways to boost a truck’s fuel efficiency is to decrease the amount of friction created by its forward motion.

Various aerodynamic devices help move air out of the way and reduce resistance, but there are fewer options for reducing drag created by tires as they travel across the road.

“The most effective and least costly component to increasing a fleet’s fuel efficiency is air pressure,” says Tom Clauer, Yokohama Tire’s senior manager of commercial and OTR product planning.

“Maintaining the proper air pressure is the single most important item to reducing a tire’s rolling resistance.”

Because air pressure is what provides the tire’s load-carrying ability, inflation is a contributor to its rolling resistance.

Tire rolling resistance is the thirdbiggest factor affecting a vehicle’s fuel economy behind engine inefficiencies and aerodynamic drag, and fuel costs represent many fleets’ highest nonpayroll operating expense, with rolling resistance from tires accounting for about one-third of fuel costs.

According to the American Truck-

ing Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council, improper tire inflation, defined by as little as 10 psi low, reduces fuel economy by about 1 percent. About 30 to 40 percent of the fuel required to move a vehicle down the highway is spent overcoming tire rolling resistance. When tires are underinflated, the amount of drag created by the tires increases.

“Simply consider dribbling a basketball at the recommended air pressure versus one that has less air pressure,” Clauer says. “One has a lot [more] bounce because of the correct air pres-

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE FOLLOWING STORY IS PART 1 OF A THREE-PART SERIES ON “MEDIUM-DUTY TRUCKS.” MAY’S INSTALLMENT WILL COVER CARGO SECURITY. JUNE’S COVERAGE WILL HIGHLIGHT NEWS AND NEW PRODUCTS FROM SPRING TRUCK SHOWS. 50

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EQUIPMENT: LOW-ROLLING-RESISTANCE TIRES sure. The same applies to rolling the basketballs across a floor. The one with the correct air pressure will roll much faster and further due to its [lower] rolling resistance.”

If tire pressures are at the recommended level, the next step might be investing in a set of low-rolling-resistance tires.

What exactly is LRR? Lower rolling resistance is achieved by manipulating a variety of tire functions, including casing materials and tread designs to stabilize ribs and blocks.

“Aerodynamic drag is also taken into consideration when designing tread patterns and depths,” Clauer says.

Stabilizing tread blocks to reduce the tire’s movement – or “squirm” – along with LRR rubber compounds affect the tire’s tread depth, mileage range and traction to a degree.

“A tire’s tread can account for up to half of a tire’s rolling resistance in many cases,” says Mahesh Kavaturu, Goodyear’s commercial technology director.

LRR tires seek to reduce the amount of energy lost through tread deformation, he says.

“This can be achieved by reducing the tread block’s height, by stabilizing

the tread elements using higher angle drafts, by designing the tread elements to take more rigid shapes or by increasing the surface area of the tread block to increase its stiffness,” Kavaturu says.

Tire compounds are also key. Kavaturu says before a truck tire goes to market, the rolling resistance properties of its compounds are evaluated by measuring a dynamic called “rebound.”

“Think of bouncing a rubber ball on the ground and then measuring how high it bounces,” he says. “The higher the ball bounces, the less energy it has lost in its collision, or deformation, with the ground. Compounds with good rebound properties tend to exhibit lower rolling resistance.”

Myths and truths One widely held belief is that an LRR tire’s lifespan is shorter than that of a standard tire, but Mike Graber, Toyo’s director of sales for commercial truck tires, says that is only true because the LRR tire usually starts with less tread depth off the rack. The rubber itself doesn’t actually wear measurably faster.

“When measuring miles per 32nd of an inch of tread, the difference between the two is much closer,” he says.

“The deeper the tread blocks, the

Toyo’s Nanoenergy M175 long-haul super-single trailer tire is engineered with the company’s Nano Balance Technology that contributes to more precisely arranged molecules in the tread compound for low rolling resistance.

better the grip and wear, but the worse for fuel economy,” says Sharon Cowart, product marketing director for Michelin North America. “However, through tire design, it is possible to utilize technologically-advanced compounds and tire-construction techniques to minimize a tire’s rolling resistance while striving to maintain other performances. There are some design options available that can lower the

Yokohama has a wide selection of commercial tires engineered for low rolling resistance, including its 712L Drive tire.

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EQUIPMENT: LOW-ROLLING-RESISTANCE TIRES

Cooper’s Roadmaster RM180+(EM) long-haul steer tire features a highway tread pattern and an optimized footprint to help promote low rolling resistance.

rolling resistance in areas not related to grip or other performances — internal components, for example.”

Wear-life improves with each new generation of LRR tires, and fleets that years ago strapped on a set and were left unsatisfied might be surprised at the performance improvements.

“As LRR tires have gained in popularity, tire manufacturers have been able to increase the tread depths of LRR steer and drive tires and still maintain fuel savings with newer tread compounds and casing designs,” says Chuck Luther, Northeast sales manager for Triangle Tire USA. “In most cases today, LRR tires are capable of achieving comparable or better overall mileage than conventional non-LRR tires.”

Graber says traction tires generally have a higher content of natural rubber, which tends to be softer and offer more grip and cut and chip resistance.

Synthetic rubber contributes to lower rolling resistance but comes with a tradeoff on traction versus a standard tire with the same tread pattern.

“From a rolling resistance stand52

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Bridgestone Americas’ Greatec M835A Ecopia ultra-wide-base drive tire has a high-rigidity tread pattern to help enhance tread life, even wear and low rolling resistance.

notice any difference in traction, adding it all goes back to proper inflation.

“It is important to emphasize the role air pressure plays in fuel efficiency as well as tire footprint and traction,” he says. “Always inflate tires to the tire manufacturer’s recommended air pressure for the load carried. This, in many ways, goes against conventional wisdom of 100 psi in all wheel positions. However, proper air pressure to load carried translates into better traction, better fuel efficiency and casing longevity.”

Continental recently participated in an independent third-party test using its 11R22.5 LRR tires. In the long-haul segment, the tires delivered a fuel economy of 7.35 mpg.

point, a perfectly smooth rubber surface with no pattern would be ideal,” says Marco Rabe, Continental’s head of truck tire technology for the Americas region.

“However, this would come at the cost of traction and wet-snow performance.”

Luther says as long as the tread design is conducive to the environment in which the tires are used, most carriers won’t

| april 2019

The bottom line Continental recently participated in an independent third-party test using its 11R22.5 LRR tires. In the long-haul segment, the tires delivered a fuel economy of 7.35 mpg. According to the 2018 Annual Fleet Fuel Study from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, the national average is 5.91 mpg.

Based on an annual average of 105,014 miles, burning more than 17,773 gallons of fuel per year – at $3.89 per gallon – Continental’s fuelefficiency improvement accounts for $13,500 in fuel savings per truck.

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EQUIPMENT: LOW-ROLLING-RESISTANCE TIRES “The key is to make sure that the casing has been properly maintained throughout its initial lifecycle and that the casing is of premium original quality,” Kavaturu adds.

Pirelli’s Pentathlon D long-haul drive tire has a specialized undertread compound engineered for low rolling resistance.

“The exact fuel economy benefit will vary from fleet to fleet depending on the exact nature of their operations,” Cowart says. “However, we can use a rule of thumb that, for linehaul fleets, a 3 percent reduction in rolling resistance translates into a 1 percent fuel savings, or an increase of .05 miles per gallon. It may not sound like a lot, but for a fleet, the savings can really add up.”

Savings can be compounded further by retreading the casings, provided the casing is in retreadable condition.

“In many cases, as tires have evolved over the years, the casing itself has become more fuel-efficient by optimizing the construction and rubber compounding,” says Phillip Mosier, Cooper Tire’s manager of commercial tire development. “These improvements also lead to lower heat generation in the casing, which creates a very retreadable tire.”

Reducing heat reduces rolling resistance, but Rabe says it also improves the likelihood that a casing can be retreaded since heat deteriorates tires.

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Application matters Applications that run at consistent steady speeds – such as long haul and regional segments – stand to reap the most benefits from an investment in LRR tires.

“Applications such as [pickup and delivery] or on- and off-road benefit less from low-rolling-resistance compounding, because the engine and brakes make a higher contribution to fuel economy,” Mosier says.

Kavaturu agrees that some tires are better suited to certain applications than others. “Whenever choosing tires, a critical question for a fleet to consider is, ‘What are we asking the tire to do?’” he says. “A mixed-service tire that has been designed to roll across severe terrain might not be the best choice for a long-haul truck, and a long-haul tire that has been engineered for low rolling resistance is probably not the ideal choice for a truck that primarily travels off-road across debris-strewn surfaces.”

In applications such as on- and off-road and waste operations – where there is a high probability of damage, frequent starts and stops, multiple turns and loose material slippage – it’s difficult to measure the benefits of LRR tires, Clauer says.

“Of course, fuel savings can be had in any operation and application, but the tradeoff may make it a moot point,” he says.

Where to put them?

Often the trailer is a no-man’s land for tires – an afterthought or place to mount tires nearing the end of their lifecycle – but Cowart says the contribution of rolling resistance is linked to the vehicle’s number of wheel positions.

She says drive and trailer positions at

| april 2019

Michelin’s 455/55R22.5 X One MultiEnergy T wide-base single trailer tire is designed for regional operations and is engineered for fuel economy and reduced irregular wear.

eight tires each would contribute much more than two steer tires.

Most fleets using LRR tires, Graber says, use them in both the steer and drive positions. If opting between drive and steer axles to try them, the drive position would make the most sense because there are more positions to extract the fuel consumption benefit.

“The more wheel positions using LRR tires, the better the fuel consumption result for the user,” he says.

According to Continental research, the impact of each axle position on the overall rolling resistance is 15 percent on the steer axle, 42.5 percent on the drive axle and 42.5 percent on the trailer axles.

“Fleets often discount the trailer as being an influence, but it has a high influence on fuel economy,” Rabe says.

The trailer position plays a critical role, Luther says. “Of the three wheel positions on a tractor-trailer combination, the trailer axle tire position contributes 35 to 40 percent of the tire rolling resistance and therefore should be considered as a valuable position for fuel-saving tires,” he says.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit MLB.com. Š2019 Hankook Tire America Corp.

TREAD B R A V E LY .

Hankook long haul tires are developed for dependability and fuel efficiency, delivering increased mileage and total lifecycle cost savings. Learn more at www.HankookTire.com/us

Hankook Tire America Corp. 333 Commerce Street, Suite 600, Nashville, TN 37201

BY DEAN SMALLWOOD

M

ost of today’s dry vans are stronger than those of the past while also being lighter. By adding extra strength in areas that needed beefing up and replacing heavier components with equally strong lighter-weight materials, designers have been able to build significantly better trailers to carry specific loads without fatiguing certain design elements.

Structural integrity has been enhanced because of more accurate methods in determining where stress loads are the highest, due primarily to improved design tools that can analyze the properties of the various materials used on the assembly line.

Trailer manufacturers also have reduced weight by us-

ing composite floors that also help increase load capacity.

Composite panels used as side, front and rear door materials also maximize interior width and length while providing a smooth snag-free surface. Thinwall designs also provide added cube capacity, which means more freight per haul and better margins for fleets.

Many trucking companies also spec anti-snag roof bows that are less likely to damage cubed-out cargo while it’s being loaded and unloaded. And as durability and maintenance continue to be major issues for fleets, trailer manufacturers have engineered alternatives to, or moved away from, traditional plywood liners.

GREAT DANE | www.greatdanetrailers.com CHAMPION CL

CHAMPION CP

LENGTH: 53 ft.

LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.83-in. or

SIDES: Flat composite plate with PPW galvanized steel skins; uprights on 50-in. centers ROOF: 0.04-in. aluminum sheet with bows on 24-in. centers REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite swing; dual-seal gaskets; white galvanized steel cover sheet FLOOR: 1.38-in. nom. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: Front – steel hat type for tire protection between support gear and coupler; bay and upper running gear areas – 4-in.deep steel I-beams on 12-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K sliding air ride with 49-in. axle spacing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Wabco 2S/1M Easy Stop BRAKES: 16.5-by-7-in. drums with S-cam brakes SCUFF BAND: Two rows – first row, 5-in. extruded aluminum integrated with bottom rail; second row, 6-in. galvanized 18-gauge steel INTERIOR OPTIONS: Overlaid track; various scuff bands; aluminum floors; front interior and ceiling linings

1.25-in. logistics posts on 24-in. centers; 1.1-in. steel hats optional; 0.05-in. prepainted white flat aluminum side sheets; side doors optional ROOF: 0.04-in. aluminum sheet with bows on 24-in. centers REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite swing; dual-seal gaskets; white galvanized steel cover sheet; rear rollup doors optional FLOOR: 1.38-in. nom. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: Front – steel hat type for tire protection between support gear and coupler; bay and upper running gear areas – 4-in.deep steel I-beams on 12-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K sliding air ride with 49-in. axle spacing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Wabco 2S/1M Easy Stop BRAKES: 16.5-by-7-in. drums with S-cam brakes SCUFF BAND: 12-in. galvanized 18-gauge steel, full length INTERIOR OPTIONS: Overlaid or recessed track; various scuff bands; aluminum floors; interior and ceiling linings

LOOK FOR SPECIFICATIONS OF SELECT FLATBED TRAILERS IN JULY AND REFRIGERATED MODELS IN OCTOBER. 56

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Today’s dry vans are stronger than those of the past while also weighing less, thanks to improved structural integrity and lighter materials.

TRAILER FOCUS DRY VANS CHAMPION SE LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.83-in. or 1.25-in. logistics posts on 24-in. centers; 1.1-in. steel hats optional; 0.05-in. prepainted white flat aluminum side sheets ROOF: 0.04-in. aluminum sheet with bows on 24-in. centers REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite swing; dual-seal gaskets; white

galvanized steel cover sheet FLOOR: 1.38-in. nom. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: Front – steel hat type for tire protection between support gear and coupler; bay and upper running gear areas – 4-in.-deep steel I-beams on 12-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K sliding air ride with 49-in. axle spacing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Wabco 2S/1M Easy Stop BRAKES: 16.5-by-7-in. drums with S-cam brakes SCUFF BAND: 10.25-in. galvanized 18-gauge steel, full length INTERIOR OPTIONS: Overlaid track; various scuff bands; aluminum floors; front interior and ceiling linings

HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD | www.translead.com HT ORIGINAL LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.05-in. prepainted white aluminum ROOF: One-piece 0.04-in. full-width aluminum sheet, tension-leveled prior to installation REAR FRAME: Hot-dipped 0.375-in. galvanized steel construction with low-profile header, tubeshaped posts; forged steel angle iron in top corners for added rack resistance; lights recessed in rear sill with heavy-duty protection bars CROSSMEMBER: 4-in.-deep hot-rolled steel I-beam; 80,000-psi yield strength, located on 12-in. centers; hat-shaped crossmem-

bers ahead of landing gear; rear 4 ft. of trailer has crossmembers located on 8-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Vantraax HKANT 40K Air Ride ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Twosensor/one-modulator valve 2S/1M system, PLC4Truckscompatible system BRAKES: Nonasbestos lining, 16.5-by-7-in. quick-change type; S cam-operated automatic slack adjuster INTERIOR LINING: Exterior-grade 0.25-in. plywood installed horizontally over side posts; exterior-grade 0.5-in. plywood installed on bottom, 0.25-in. on top over front wall

HT HY-CUBE LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.05-in. prepainted white aluminum ROOF: One-piece 0.04-in. full-width aluminum sheet, tension-leveled prior to installation REAR FRAME: Hot-dipped 0.375-in. galvanized steel construction with low-profile header, tube-shaped posts; forged steel angle iron in top corners for added rack resistance; lights recessed in rear sill with heavy-duty protection bars CROSSMEMBER: 4-in.-deep hot-rolled steel I-beam; 80,000-psi yield

strength, located on 12-in. centers; hat-shaped crossmembers ahead of landing gear; rear 4 ft. of trailer has crossmembers located on 8-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Vantraax HKANT 40K Air Ride ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Two-sensor/ one-modulator valve 2S/1M system, PLC4Trucks-compatible system BRAKES: Nonasbestos lining, 16.5-by-7-in. quick-change type; S cam-operated automatic slack adjuster INTERIOR LINING: White 0.235-in. HDPE lining installed full height between uprights with no fasteners; side lining hooks into place for easy replacement; exterior-grade 0.5-in. plywood installed on bottom, 0.25-in. on top over front wall

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TRAILER FOCUS DRY VANS HT COMPOSITE/XT LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.36 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.25-in. composite panel with prepainted white high-tensile galvanized steel inner and outer sheets ROOF: One-piece 0.04-in. full-width aluminum sheet, tension-leveled prior to installation REAR FRAME: Hot-dipped 0.375-in. galvanized steel construction with low-profile header, tube-shaped posts; forged steel angle iron in

top corners for added rack resistance; lights recessed in rear sill with heavy-duty protection bars CROSSMEMBER: 4-in.-deep hot-rolled steel I-beam; 80,000-psi yield strength, located on 12-in. centers SUSPENSION: Hendrickson air ride ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Two-sensor/one-modulator valve 2S/1M system, PLC4Truckscompatible system BRAKES: Nonasbestos lining, 16.5-by-7-in. quick-change type; S cam-operated automatic slack adjuster INTERIOR LINING: Exterior-grade 0.5-in. plywood installed on bottom, 0.25-in. plywood installed on top over front wall, none on sidewalls

STOUGHTON | www.stoughtontrailers.com Z-PLATE LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101 in.

LOWER RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6 SIDES: Prepainted white aluminum panels, splice plates riveted with 0.25-in.diameter aluminum rivets on 1.5-in. centers; 14-gauge galvanized steel inner splice plates with 6 in. on center vertical A-slots SIDE RAIL/SCUFF: Height, 1 ft.

LOWER RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6 TOP RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6; sidewall sheet extended behind lower portion to eliminate drilling holes and improve water shedding

TOUGH PLATE LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101 in.

SIDES: Prepainted white composite panels above extended base rail, splice plates riveted with 0.25-in.-diameter aluminum rivets on 1.5-in. centers; 14-gauge steel inner splice plates with 6 in. on center vertical A-slots SIDE RAIL/SCUFF: Height, 1 ft.

LOWER RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 20.5 in., 6061-T6 high base rail TOP RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6; sidewall sheet extended behind lower portion to eliminate drilling holes and improve water shedding ROOF: 0.04-in. one-piece aluminum sheet pretensioned against galvanized steel bows, 24 in. on center, crowned and fastened to top

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ROOF: 0.04-in. one-piece aluminum sheet pretensioned against galvanized steel bows, 24 in. on center, crowned and fastened to top rail with galvanized bolts, stainless-steel washers and lock nuts REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite panels with dual durometer gaskets FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; three screws per board, staggered CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beam on 12-in. center SUSPENSION: Rigid trailing arm-style air suspension with EZ-Align axle alignment and external dock lock REAR IMPACT GUARD: Bolt-on impact guard with bolt-on anti-skid horizontal member and four vertical posts LANDING GEAR: Two-speed vertical; square tubular legs with replaceable cushion foot and roadside crank handle LIGHTS: Truck-Lite LEDs, harnesses throughout

rail with galvanized bolts, stainless-steel washers and lock nuts REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite panels with dual durometer gaskets FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; three screws per board, staggered CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beam on 12-in. center SUSPENSION: Rigid trailing arm-style air suspension with EZ-Align axle alignment and external dock lock REAR IMPACT GUARD: Bolt-on impact guard with bolt-on anti-skid horizontal member and four vertical posts LANDING GEAR: Two-speed vertical; square tubular legs with replaceable cushion foot and roadside crank handle LIGHTS: Truck-Lite LEDs, harnesses throughout

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TRAILER FOCUS DRY VANS ALUMINUM SHEET AND POST LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: 98.5 in.

SIDES: Galvanized steel posts, 24 in. on center, 16 in. on center landing gear forward; 14-gauge single-slot logistics posts with double-rivet row vertically throughout 0.05-in. aluminum prepainted panels SIDE RAIL/SCUFF: Height, 1 ft.

LOWER RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6 TOP RAIL: Extruded aluminum, 6061-T6; sidewall sheet extended behind lower portion to eliminate drilling holes and improve water shedding ROOF: 0.04-in. one-piece aluminum sheet pretensioned against gal-

vanized steel bows, 24 in. on center, crowned and fastened to top rail with galvanized bolts, stainless-steel washers and lock nuts REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite panels with dual durometer gaskets FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; three screws per board, staggered CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beam on 12-in. center SUSPENSION: Rigid trailing arm-style air suspension with EZ-Align axle alignment and external dock lock REAR IMPACT GUARD: Bolt-on impact guard with bolt-on anti-skid horizontal member and four vertical posts LANDING GEAR: Two-speed vertical; square tubular legs with replaceable cushion foot and roadside crank handle LIGHTS: Truck-Lite LEDs, harnesses throughout

UTILITY TRAILER | www.utilitytrailer.com 4000D-X COMPOSITE LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.375 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101 in. at wearband, 101.25 in. lining to lining REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite rear swing doors, satin-finish stainlesssteel rear door case FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. steel I-beam on 12-in. center line SUSPENSION: Hendrickson HKANT 40,000-lb. Vantraax air-ride sliding tandem with Quik-Draw pin release ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Bendix TABS-6 2S-1M ABS System

4000D LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.375 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: Minimum 98.5 in. wearband to wearband REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite rear swing doors, satin-finish stainless-steel rear door case FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. steel I-beam on 12-in. center line SUSPENSION: Hendrickson HKANT 40,000-lb. Vantraax air-ride sliding tandem with Quik-Draw pin release

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commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

BRAKES: Outboard-mounted cast-iron drums AXLE: Hendrickson LDA; N-spindle; UTM Premium five-year wheel-end system EXTERIOR/INTERIOR: Prepainted white aluminum exterior side skins; prepainted white 80,000-psi galvanized steel snagfree lining with injected polyurethane foam core bonding interior lining panels to outside skin panels LOGISTICS POSTS: A-slot side posts at a maximum 24-in. center line; extra posts over kingpin and landing gear ROOF SKIN: One-piece aluminum coil roof skin with galvanized steel anti-snag roof bows on 24-in. center lines; 16-in. center lines in bay area

ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Bendix TABS-6 2S-1M ABS System BRAKES: Outboard-mounted castiron drums AXLE: Hendrickson LDA; N-spindle; UTM Premium five-year wheel-end system EXTERIOR/INTERIOR: Prepainted white aluminum exterior side skins; 0.25-in. AC grade plywood interior lining ROOF SKIN: One-piece aluminum coil roof skin with galvanized steel anti-snag roof bows on 24-in. center lines; 16-in. center lines in bay area

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TRAILER FOCUS DRY VANS 4000D-X COMPOSITE TBR LENGTH: 53 ft.

WIDTH: 102.375 in.

HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101.75 in. bottom rail to bottom rail; 101.25 in. lining to lining; 101 in. wearband to wearband REAR DOORS: 0.5-in. composite rear swing doors, satin-finish stainless-steel rear door case FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated hardwood CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. steel I-beam on 12-in. center line SUSPENSION: Hendrickson HKANT 40,000lb. Vantraax air-ride sliding tandem with Quik-Draw pin release ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Bendix TABS-6 2S/1M ABS System

BRAKES: Outboard-mounted cast-iron drums AXLE: Hendrickson LDA; N-spindle; UTM Premium five-year wheel-end system EXTERIOR/INTERIOR: Prepainted white aluminum exterior side skins; prepainted white 80,000-psi galvanized steel snagfree lining with injected polyurethane foam core bonding interior lining panels to outside skin panels LOGISTICS POSTS: A-slot side posts at a maximum 24-in. center line; extra posts over kingpin and landing gear ROOF SKIN: One-piece aluminum coil roof skin with galvanized steel anti-snag roof bows on 24-in. center lines; 16-in. center lines in bay area

VANGUARD NATIONAL | www.vanguardtrailer.com VXP

high-strength steel

LENGTH: 53 ft.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101.25 in.

panel to panel HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.313-in. composite laminate CONNECTION POSTS:14gauge 50-ksi Series A logistics posts, 48-in. centers throughout ROOF BOWS: Anti-snag, 1-in. deep on 24-in. centers prebonded to roof skin; added bracing between top rail and rear frame ROOF SHEET: 0.04-in. aluminum REAR DOORS: Composite swing with structural anti-theft pin and collar fasteners, five hinges and one lock rod per door FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; preundercoated, three screws per board; fully galvanized steel threshold section CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beams on 12-in. centers; wax-coated 80-ksi

VIP 4000 LENGTH: 53 ft.

INSIDE WIDTH: 100 in. post to post HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.05-in. aluminum prepainted white CONNECTION POSTS:14gauge 80-ksi Series A logistics posts, 16-in. centers throughout ROOF BOWS: Anti-snag, 1-in. deep on 24-in. centers prebonded to roof skin; added bracing between top rail and rear frame ROOF SHEET: 0.04-in. aluminum REAR DOORS: Plymetal swing with structural anti-theft pin and collar fasteners, five hinges and one lock rod per door FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; preundercoated, three screws per

62

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

SUSPENSION AND SUBFRAME: Air-ride slide, 216-in. rails; fully galvanized bolt-together landing leg bracing spanning seven crossmembers; fully galvanized floor protection plate between coupler and landing leg section; fully galvanized rear frame and bolt-together bumper; 30 percent underride bracing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Meritor Wabco 2S-1M FRONT LINING: 0.5-in. plywood full height, close out at bottom SCUFF LINING: Extruded aluminum base rail with 18-gauge galvanized corrugated steel attached to sidewall for a total of 12-in. side protection; standard base rail with 6-in. galvanized scuff or 19.3-in. high base rail SIDE LINING: Snag-free composite plate panels with galvanized logistics posts LIGHTS: Dual-function clearance/turn-signal and clearance/brake LED Glo-Lights

board; fully galvanized steel threshold section CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beams on 12-in. centers; wax-coated 80-ksi high-strength steel SUSPENSION AND SUBFRAME: Air-ride slide, 216-in. rails; fully galvanized bolt-together landing leg bracing spanning seven crossmembers; fully galvanized floor protection plate between coupler and landing leg section; fully galvanized rear frame and bolt-together bumper; 30 percent underride bracing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Meritor Wabco 2S-1M FRONT LINING: 0.5-in. plywood or sheet and post full height, close out at bottom SCUFF LINING: 12-in. corrugated steel directly attached to posts SIDE LINING: 0.25-in. plywood or sheet and post recessed between posts LIGHTS: Dual-function clearance/turn-signal and clearance/brake LED Glo-Lights

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TRAILER FOCUS DRY VANS MAXCUBE LENGTH: 53 ft.

INSIDE WIDTH: 101-in. anti-snag snap-in interior liner HEIGHT: 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: 0.05-in. aluminum prepainted white CONNECTION POSTS:14gauge MaxCube Series A logistics posts, 16-in. centers throughout ROOF BOWS: Anti-snag, 1-in. deep on 24-in. centers prebonded to roof skin; added bracing between top rail and rear frame ROOF SHEET: 0.04-in. aluminum REAR DOORS: Plymetal swing with structural anti-theft pin and collar fasteners, five hinges and one lock rod per door FLOOR: 1.375-in. laminated oak; preundercoated, three screws per board; fully galvanized steel threshold section

CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. I-beams on 12-in. centers; wax-coated 80-ksi highstrength steel SUSPENSION AND SUBFRAME: Air-ride slide, 216-in. rails; fully galvanized bolttogether landing leg bracing spanning seven crossmembers; fully galvanized floor protection plate between coupler and landing leg section; fully galvanized rear frame and bolt-together bumper; 30 percent underride bracing ANTI-LOCK BRAKES: Meritor Wabco 2S-1M FRONT LINING: 0.5-in. plywood full height, close out at bottom SCUFF LINING: Impact-resistant plastic interior recessed between posts with no fasteners SIDE LINING: Snap-in high-strength polypropylene LIGHTS: Dual-function clearance/turn-signal and clearance/brake LED Glo-Lights

WABASH NATIONAL | www.wabashnational.com

DURAPLATE

DURAPLATE HD

DIMENSIONS: 53 ft. by 102.375 in. by 13 ft. 6 in.

DIMENSIONS: 53 ft. by 102.375 in. by 13 ft. 6 in.

SIDES: DuraPlate composite panels; flat seam design allows top rail connection to outside panel; extruded aluminum base rail NOSE: Heavy-duty stainless-steel lower nose rail with approach angle; optional DuraPlate nose ROOF: Aluminum roof sheet, anti-snag roof bows; optional DuraPlate roof REAR FRAME: Galvanized rear frame standard with painted and stainless-steel options DOOR: DuraPlate composite swing door with TrustLock Plus system FLOOR: Full 1.375-in. laminated oak; up to 24,000-lb. rating available CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. steel or aluminum crossmembers on 12-in. centers in bay, steel crossmembers over subframe and landing gear, 8-in. centers in rear 2 feet, steel-bolted crossmember attachment SUSPENSION: Mechanical or air suspension; parallel P-spindle wheel ends LIGHTS: All LED lights

SIDES: DuraPlate composite panels; flat seam design allows top rail connection to outside panel; 22-in.-high extruded aluminum base rail in lower sidewall NOSE: Heavy-duty stainless-steel lower nose rail with approach angle; optional DuraPlate nose ROOF: Aluminum roof sheet, anti-snag roof bows; optional DuraPlate roof REAR FRAME: Galvanized rear frame standard with painted and stainless-steel options DOOR: DuraPlate composite swing door with TrustLock Plus system FLOOR: Full 1.375-in. laminated oak; up to 28,000-lb. rating available CROSSMEMBER: 4-in. steel or aluminum crossmembers on 12-in. centers in bay, steel crossmembers over subframe and landing gear, 8-in. centers in rear 2 feet, steel-bolted crossmember attachment SUSPENSION: Mechanical or air suspension; parallel P-spindle wheel ends LIGHTS: All LED lights

64

commercial carrier journal

| april 2019

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Aftermarket lineup Black aluminum wheels

Alcoa’s forged aluminum Dura-Black Wheels are available in Menacing Matte Black and are manufactured to be lighter and stronger to help improve payload and fuel efficiency.

Each wheel rim flange and mounting surface appears bright and in contrast to the wheel’s matte black face to help provide increased protection during tire mounting and when in use. The wheel is treated on both sides for mounting flexibility in the steer and drive positions and comes with color-matched components, including a black valve stem, and a precision laser-etched logo. Several sizes and weights are available.

Arconic Wheel and Transportation Products, www.alcoawheels.com, 800-242-9898

Denso’s PowerEdge heavy-duty aftermarket lineup includes starters, alternators and aftertreatment products. The starters include 12 part numbers with 31,000 applications, with high-performance features such as overcrank protection that monitors internal temperatures to guard against thermal damage, and integral magnetic switch technology that helps reduce voltage drop. The alternators include four 12-volt 170-amp units in padmount and J180-mount formats built with segment conductor technology that incorporates a square wire copper stator for a lightweight alternator with added conductivity, higher amps at idle and cruising speed, and improved airflow for cooling and longer life. The aftertreatment lineup includes 53 diesel particulate filters with 335 applications and 23 diesel oxidation catalysts with 92 applications for 2007 and newer trucks.

Denso Products and Services Americas, www.poweredgeproducts.com, 310-834-6352

In-frame storage box

Belmor’s Aluminum In-Frame Storage Box has a low-profile reinforced diamond-plate-patterned lid with a weatherproof gasket to help keep out dirt and moisture. The box uses the space between the truck’s frame rails for secure storage of chains and binders and has a no-drill mounting system designed for easy installation. A lockable trigger latch provides added security and protection. Three sizes are available, each with either a 6- or 8-inch depth.

Belmor, www.belmor.com, 800-423-1855

66

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

PRODUCTS

Starter heat shield

Lubrication accessory kit

Lumax’s Lubrication Accessory Kit contains a storage case and 11 accessories, including a grease hose, grease couplers, a grease injector needle and several adapters, including needle nose. The accessories are engineered to be compatible with all standard grease guns, grease pumps and dispensing devices.

Lumax, www.lumax.com, 844-660-6876

Heatshield’s Lava Starter Shield has volcanic rock-based fibers that help protect starters from high amperages and headers. The shield is rated for 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit of continuous heat and 2,000 degrees F of intermittent heat and is designed to perform with a ½-inch air gap from the heat source. High-temperature hook-andloop fastener strips help hold it in place.

Heatshield Products, www.heatshieldproducts.com, 844-723-2665

Winch bar

Kinedyne’s Ease-Z Winch Bar rotates 360 degrees and has a tapered heat-treated carbon-steel and mushroom-shaped head for easier insertion and to keep the bar seated in the winch cap while preventing it from slipping during revolution and when the user is applying torque. A knurled non-slip handle with a flanged grip ring on the bar’s upper shaft helps prevent it from slipping out of the user’s hands, even in moist conditions. The bar has an angled shape to help keep it from rolling away.

Kinedyne, www.kinedyne.com, 800-848-6057

Heavy-duty aftermarket components Dorman’s latest heavy-duty aftermarket components include air tank cables, automatic and manual transmission shift cables, harmonic balancers, fog light assemblies and an exhaust gas temperature sensor for Navistar’s International MaxxForce DT and DT 466 engines. The sensor is part of the company’s OEFix line, while the cables are part of its HD Exclusive line.

Dorman HD Solutions, www.dormanhdsolutions.com, 800-523-2492

Steerable axle fender bracket kit

Minimizer’s Steerable Axle Fender Bracket Kit for the company’s MIN2220 Super-Single Fenders is designed for use with a Watson Chalin SL20K-2065 axle. The kit features a bolt-on design for quick installation using existing holes on the brake assembly, allowing the fender to raise, lower and steer with the axle.

Minimizer, www.minimizer.com, 800-248-3855 commercial carrier journal | april 2019

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Design features include low-friction seals to impede coolant leakage, cast-iron blades to enhance coolant flow and reduce cavitation, and coolant-resistant bearings engineered to withstand high rotation speeds and heavy loads.

Dayco Products, www.dayco.com, 248-404-6500

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Landing gear grease

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SAF-Holland’s True Lube landing gear grease has a high-technology formula stability and a wide operating temperature range of –40 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit to facilitate consistent, smooth crank operation. The grease features corrosion and oxidation protection, oil bleed control to help reduce oil leaks and prevent grease hardening, saltwater resistance to function in harsh coastal environments, and anti-wear and load-carrying properties to inhibit gear and screw damage under heavy loads. It is available in 5-gallon pails, 14-ounce tubes and 120-pound drums.

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Rocketail’s Wing fairing is integrated with the trailer door and extends 14 inches from the rear, which helps eliminate rear collision damage. The one-piece wing-shaped airfoil has a compact footprint with no additional external or internal moving parts and features a jet wing design constructed of lightweight high-impact gas-infused polymers that are cross-braced internally. It uses swing-hinges that lock the wings in an aerodynamic open position each time the doors are closed, and when the doors are opened, the system shifts the wings flush with the sides of the trailer, allowing the doors to swing a full 270 degrees without being blocked. Each Wing weighs less than 25 pounds and attaches without guy-wires or struts with two industrial-grade stainless-steel hinges.

Rocketail, www.rocketail.com, 858-926-2100

68

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

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PREVENTABLE or NOT?

Porsche cuts off Doe’s cruise

A

t 10 a.m. on a clear day, John Doe’s tractor-trailer was westbound on a three-lane one-way road near Chicago. Since the highway department was repairing portions of the two right lanes, Doe hugged the left lane and “proceeded with caution at a slow speed,” according to his statement.

A moment before the accident, the driver of a 2012 Porsche 911 in the center lane saw the construction ahead and suddenly accelerated into the outside An impatient sports car lane, attempting to squeak past Doe’s driver tried unsuccessfully to cut in front of slow-moving truck. Recently involved John Doe’s tractor-trailer in a previous crash, the Porsche’s driver before approaching a con– Mrs. Muffy Morgan – was wearing a struction zone. Was this a neck brace and unable to turn her head to preventable accident? check clearances.

Consequently, Morgan sideswiped the right front bumper of Doe’s truck and further damaged the already-dented left rear quarter-panel of her vehicle. In contrast, the only damage to Doe’s truck was chipped paint on the right front fender.

Doe stated that anticipating the other driver’s split-second and irrational maneuver in time to avoid a collision was impossible. The Accident Review Committee of the National Safety Council disagreed, noting that Doe should have sized up the situation and expected that a car from behind would either have to stop or try to cut in front of him. That is, Doe should have been prepared to yield.

72

commercial carrier journal | april 2019

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Introducing the Model 579 UltraLoft™, 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 driver’s truck of choice.

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