CCJ0915 by dwatson

SEPTEMBER 2015

STAYING IN GEAR

Manual gearboxes still have their fans page 61

WHAT'S ON TV?

Satellite packages expand choices for drivers page 30

Find out where enforcement is light and tight BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

GETTING CONNECTED

Trucks aren't alone out on the highway page 69

WORKING TOGETHER

Teamwork yields today's remote diagnostics page 46

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GAO: FMCSA study on 2013 hours rule flawed, safety conclusions could be inaccurate

new congressional report said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has limited ability to truly evaluate the 2013-implemented hours-of-service rule because its 2014 study did not meet research standards and has data constraints. The Government Accountability Office report covers only the agency’s 2014-released study on the hours rule, and not the one currently in the works that was required by a December 2014 U.S. Department of Transportation funding act that also suspended certain portions of the 2013 rule. The U.S. House transportation committee asked GAO to review FMCSA’s 2014 study on the 2013 HOS rule. GAO reported that the agency had done an acceptable job designing the study and analyzing data but had not used guidance outlining specific standards for conducting the study and reporting its results. GAO said FMCSA failed to report several limitations and had not fully linked results to its overall conclusions. While the agency agreed with GAO’s recommendations, it maintained it had adhered to standard research principles and practices in its January 2014 HOS study. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx outlined what DOT took as a positive from the report, namely that it “provides further evidence that the changes FMCSA made to the GAO found drivers who worked less than HOS rules improve highway 65 hours weekly changed their schedules because of the 2013 hours rule, a result safety by saving lives and lowernot anticipated by FMCSA. ing the risk of driver fatigue. This reinforces our belief that these lifesaving measures are critical to keeping people safe on the roads.” GAO said FMCSA lacked methodology supporting the study’s objectives and cited the 2013 requirement that drivers take two nighttime breaks in their restart as an example. The study should have compared driver fatigue after a one-night and a two-night restart, but instead it compared drivers with a one-night restart to those with two or more nights of rest, which could have skewed the results, GAO wrote. It also had not completely met certain standards regarding reporting limitations and linking the conclusions to the results. Therefore, the agency’s conclusion about the extent to which crash risk is reduced by the HOS rule may have Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsbeen overstated, the report letters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, a said. daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, analyGAO noted that the sis, blogs and market condition articles. Continued on page 20 10

commercial carrier journal

| september 2015

President signs highway patch, extending funding through October

resident Obama on July 31 signed into law a bill to

extend funding for the Highway Trust Fund for three months. The previous extension, signed at the end of May, extended funding through July 31. The latest one was Congress’ 34th stopgap surface transportation measure in a decade despite the introduction of several longterm bills. Obama signed the latest patch into law after the House passed the extension 385-34 and the Senate later passed it 91-4. Meanwhile, the Senate also passed a comprehensive six-year highway bill, but further work on the DRIVE Act was postponed until September when Congress was set to reconvene from its August recess. When lawmakers resume work, they’ll have about six weeks to either pass a long-term highway bill or clear another short-term stopgap. The DRIVE Act, a six-year $275 billion highway bill, would be the first multiyear bill since 2012’s MAP-21. – James Jaillet

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JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 9/15 • The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association posted an online petition against the proposed rulemaking mandating speed limiters on trucks, saying the rule will create “an artificial and unsafe speed differential between trucks and other highway users” and that improving truck driver training and ensuring that law enforcement tickets passenger car drivers who drive unsafely around trucks is the only way to improve safety in these situations. The proposed speed limiter rule was sent May 19 to the White

• TowMate, a company that manufactures and sells wireless tow lights, submitted an exemption request to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration asking the agency to allow motor carriers to use rechargeable wireless temporary stop, turn and tail lights during temporary emergency towing situations in lieu of hardwired temporary lighting systems. To view the petition and comments, go to www.regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2015-0238.

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House’s Office of Management and Budget, which was projected to clear it in late August.

• CargoNet reported that cargo thieves stole more than $19.5 million from the country’s supply chain in the second quarter. Yearover-year cargo theft increased 8 percent in the second quarter, while the total estimated value of stolen cargo was up $8 million. Cargo theft was highest in California with 36 reported thefts, followed by Texas with 35 and Florida with 27. Food and beverage items were the most stolen commodity, household items ranked second, and theft of electronics ranked third. • UPS (CCJ Top 250, No. 1) is acquiring truckload freight brokerage company Coyote Logistics for $1.8 billion, allowing the parcel carrier to expand into the truckload brokerage market. Coyote, which reported annual revenue of $2.1 billion in 2014, has played a growing role in supporting UPS peak holiday shipping operations over the past few years, and UPS plans to leverage Coyote’s carrier network even further. • Daseke Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 44) – an Addison, Texas-based provider of flatbed, open-deck and specialty trucking, a merger with Hornady Transportation; terms were not released. Monroeville, Ala.-based Hornady, which has a terminal in Birmingham, operates 230 tractors and 325 flatbed trailers and operates east of the Rocky Mountains, primarily supporting the building products and steel industries.

• The California Construction Trucking Association has been renamed the Western States Trucking Association. The group, founded in 1941, has grown from its original members owning dump trucks to currently representing owner-operators, small and mid-sized trucking companies and broker members seeking a strong advocate before local, state and federal regulatory agencies and legislative bodies.

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• The ports of Seattle and Tacoma on Aug. 4 voted to form the Northwest Seaport Alliance, which unifies the two former competitors’ cargo terminal investments, operations, planning and marketing to strengthen the ports’ appeal and attract more cargo to the Puget Sound cargo gateway, the thirdlargest in North America. The alliance also formed a port development authority that will manage container, breakbulk, auto and some bulk terminals in Seattle and Tacoma.

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COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| SEPTEMBER 2015 13

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journal news

Darling nominated as full-time FMCSA administrator

resident Obama last month nominated T.F. Scott Darling to become the next administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a position he’s filled on an acting basis since former Administrator Anne Ferro’s departure last August. Darling, chief counsel of FMCSA, served as acting administrator of the agency for seven months until March 30 when U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx removed the title but asked Darling to continue running the agency. For Darling to officially become head of the agency, his nomination still must be confirmed by the Senate, which took a four-week recess in August and was unlikely to take up Darling’s nomination vote until after it returned to work this month. “Through strong and effective management as chief counsel and acting administrator of FMCSA, Scott has

already demonstrated his ability to lead the agency,” Foxx said. “He is committed to making our roads safer for motorists, passengers and professional truck and bus drivers, and is constantly working with all sides to find solutions to challenges facing the industry and the motoring public. As administrator, FMCSA will continue to benefit from his years of leadership and experience working in the transportation sector. I look forward to our continued work together.” Both the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association expressed support for Darling’s nomination. “We congratulate Scott on his nomination to this critical position, and we look forward to continuing to work with him to improve truck and highway safety,” said Bill Graves, ATA president and chief executive officer. OOIDA cited entry-level driver train-

T.F. Scott Darling has overseen FMCSA since former Administrator Anne Ferro’s departure last August.

ing as an area where it and Darling already have “made significant progress” and said it hopes Darling will take up issues such as detention time and driver pay reform. “We look forward to continuing to work with Administrator Scott Darling,” said Jim Johnston, OOIDA president and CEO. “We have found him to be open and receptive to input from the association, and he appears to appreciate the role of professional truckers. – James Jaillet

NTSB blames truck operator’s lack of sleep in Morgan crash

he root cause of the fatal June 2014 crash involving a Walmart tractor-trailer and actor Tracy Morgan was a tired truck operator, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded following its yearlong investigation. Truck driver Kevin Roper, who has been charged with vehicular homicide in the case, had slept just four hours in the 33 hours preceding the crash, NTSB said. The crash, which severely injured Morgan and others and killed comedian James McNair, sparked a firestorm of debate over truck operators’ hoursof-service limits last summer and nearly derailed attempts by Congress to roll back some 2013-implemented rules governing the use of a driver’s 34-hour restart. But as NTSB noted in its Aug. 11 14

commercial carrier journal

report, hours-of-service limits “do not address off-duty choices,” echoing the sentiment expressed last year by the American Trucking Associations following the crash and the debate surrounding it. According to an NTSB animation of the crash released with last month’s report, Roper was traveling about 20 mph over the posted 45 mph speed limit – a reduced limit due to construction. Traffic was moving at about 10 mph when Roper approached, and he was traveling roughly 65 mph when he came upon the Mercedes limo van in which McNair, Morgan and others were riding. Factors pointing to Roper’s fatigue, NTSB said, include not slowing down to the reduced 45 mph limit and failing to react to the slower traffic ahead of

| september 2015

him. He only began to brake about 200 feet before impact, the board said. Contributing to Roper’s fatigue was the long commute he made the night before in his personal car, driving about 800 miles from Georgia to Delaware to begin his on-duty driving period. Since the crash, Walmart has settled civil suits with McNair’s family and Morgan. – James Jaillet

Truck driver Kevin Roper had slept just four hours in the 33 hours preceding the crash that injured actor Tracy Morgan, NTSB said.

journal news

Bills would fine companies for misclassifying drivers

ongress is considering duplicate bills, reintroduced this year, which would crack down on employers that misclassify employees as independent contractors. The Payroll Fraud Prevention Act

would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require employers to classify workers accurately and provide employees with notice of their classification. Democrats Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Rep. Frederica Wilson

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commercial carrier journal

of Florida introduced the legislation in their respective chambers July 29, which was referred to committees. Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., who cosponsored H.R. 3427, said misclassified workers are denied employment law protections, public benefits programs and fair compensation. The New Jersey Democrat estimated that up to 40 percent of employers in his home state misclassify workers. While the legislation does not target a specific industry, Payne noted that misclassified port truckers in New Jersey and New York average $28,000 annually. The bill would impose fines up to $1,100 for a violation of misclassification, minimum wage or overtime standards and up to $5,000 for repeat or willful violations. It also would: • Make unemployment compensation grants contingent on states meeting certain requirements; • Direct all divisions of the U.S. Department of Labor to report misclassification to DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, which may provide this information to the Internal Revenue Service; and • Require that division to conduct audits of industries with frequent incidence of misclassification. H.R. 3427 has three co-sponsors, while S. 1896 has five co-sponsors. It has been introduced three times since 2011. – Jill Dunn

| september 2015

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journal news

Trucking companies’ suit against NY Thruway’s ‘excessive’ tolls gets green light

lawsuit by trucking interests claiming the New York State Thruway Authority charges excessive tolls received new life last month after a federal appeals court reinstated their claims. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said the suit brought by three trucking companies, the American Trucking Associations and numerous individual truckers can proceed. They claim the Thruway Authority violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution by charging excessive tolls that reduce truck driver income and cause higher consumer prices. Companies that were part of the suit included Wadhams Enterprises of Phelps, New York Lightning Express Delivery Service of Modena and New York Ward Transport & Logistics Corp., which has operations in Newburgh and Tonawanda, N.Y. Their suit had been thrown out earlier by a Manhattan federal court judge because the state wasn’t named as a party. The litigants said that up to $100 million a year – about 12 percent of tolls – is spent on the New York State Canal System. Second Circuit Judge Dennis Jacobs said the canals have “faded

into obsolescence” and are used primarily for recreation. The New York State Constitution obligates the state to support the canals. In 1992, the State Legislature shifted responsibility for the canal system’s operation from the New York Department of Transportation to the Thruway Authority, a self-funded public entity that technically is not under state control, the three-judge decision said. The appeals court said the Thruway Authority is not an arm of the state and not entitled to the state’s sovereign immunity. – David Hollis

The litigants said that up to $100 million a year – about 12 percent of New York State Thruway tolls – is spent on the New York State Canal System.

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commercial carrier journal

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| september 2015

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journal news Continued from page 10 agency is hindered in assessing HOS effects by limited availability and representativeness of driver schedule data. Neither FMCSA nor other organizations have a central database with representative driver schedule data that can be generalized to the entire

industry, GAO reported. GAO had purchased data from the American Transportation Research Institute for its report. While that provided 15,000 driver records from 16 for-hire trucking companies, the data is not representative of other industry segments such as owner-

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20 Untitled-17 1

commercial carrier journal

operators and private carriers. “Due to current data limitations, it is not possible to fully evaluate the rule’s impact,” GAO wrote. “Our analysis suggests that the rule may have affected a larger population of drivers than FMCSA anticipated, but without representative data, there is no way to be certain this is universally the case.” It said its own analysis of a limited sample of available data provides some insight into the rule’s effects and the extent it aligns with FMCSA’s assumptions and estimates. Some drivers at the sample of 16 for-hire carriers who worked the longest hours – more than 65 hours weekly – reduced hours after the rule became effective. GAO’s finding is consistent with FMCSA’s assumption that drivers working more than 65 hours were more likely to be affected. However, GAO’s analysis found those who worked less than 65 hours weekly also changed their schedules after the rule, a result not anticipated by the agency. In responding to the report, DOT said GAO had recognized achievements associated with the rule: A decrease in the frequency of long work schedules, lower risk of driver fatigue and reduced fatal truck crashes. “As we state in this report, however, these findings cannot be directly attributed to the rule,” wrote GAO, which recommended FMCSA adopt guidance outlining research standards. GAO also noted that while electronically collected representative schedule data soon will be available to the agency, the 2012 highway reauthorization limits use of this information to law enforcement. In December, Congress suspended the two-night provision until Sept. 30 or when FMCSA completes a new study, whichever comes later. It also suspended the onceper-week limit of the restart’s use. – Jill Dunn

| september 2015 8/18/15 9:51 AM

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A fast and furious future for trucking Industry no longer can opt out of evolving tech

or a long time in the trucking industry, simply opting out of new technology was a pretty solid business strategy. If your trucks were a year or two old and you were on a longterm trade cycle when something new came out, it was perfectly fine to let the other guys wrestle with it and figure out how to make it work while your faithful old rigs kept roaring down the road. In an age of cheap fuel, the competitive advantages of new technology often were minimal. Moreover, when the time came to refresh your fleet, you simply could leverage what your competitors already had learned and integrate new technology into your operations fairly easily. Those days are pretty much dead and gone. The incredible consumerside tech push that started in the 1970s finally has caught up to trucking. Everything’s wired together, sensors are everywhere, communication is constant, and the government is pushing new technology on fleets the minute it becomes commercially viable. There are new fuels and battery systems to assimilate. Meanwhile, a new Internet-fueled global supereconomy is forcing ever faster and leaner operations from fleets. Here’s just a taste of some of the new tech and trends you’ll soon face: • Three-dimensional printing machines using multiple materials will be everywhere and “manufactur-

commercial carrier journal

Worldwide shifts in freight patterns, combined with infrastructure changes such as smart highways, connected vehicles and super bridges, will make trucking a truly globalized industry.

ing” everything from scratch. They’ll scan your body and print clothes fitted exactly to your body shape; they’ll build whole houses with the electrical wiring and plumbing already in place; and put roofs on existing houses. And when your technicians need a part, they’ll enter the code, and the machine will build it in the When fuel Was cheap: the competitive advantages shop. of new technology often • Super highways filled with autonowere minimal. mous trucks will connect every point on the globe. It will be possible to start a trip a long time coming: in Terra del Fuego in Argentina, drive the the incredible consumer-side tech push finally has caught length of South and North America, cross up to trucking. new bridges spanning the Bering Sea into Russia, continue on to Spain, cross another Worth the investment: new super bridge at Gibraltar and drive While the challenges may be down to Capetown, South Africa. Or if you enormous, the rewards will be as well. like, you could take a left and head down to Korea and cross the new bridge into Japan.

| september 2015

Want more equipment neWs? Scan the barcode to sign up for the CCJ Equipment Weekly e-mail newsletter or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK.

Fleets are facing a new Internetfueled global super-economy. • Freight will change. As 3D printers become common, you’ll move from hauling finished goods to hauling more raw materials. Moreover, as the rising global economy and connected world creates new middle classes in places such as Africa and India, the United States will emerge as the most important food-producing nation on the planet. Efficiently moving food products around the world will create incredible wealth both for the country as a whole and trucking as an industry. • You’ll own your trucks, but the powertrains in them will belong to the OEM. You’ll have a powertrain contract guaranteeing you maximum uptime and efficiency with those drivetrains. All upgrades and any new technology will be downloaded automatically or installed as they become available or are mandated by law. • Drivers’ seats in trucks will double as medical monitoring devices. If a driver is tired, in a road-rage incident with an elevated pulse or having a medical emergency, a fleet will know in real time and be able to take control of the truck away from the driver and pull it off the road or route it to an alternate location (such as a hospital) in an emergency. The most important takeaway is that every single expert and futurist we’ve interviewed recently has been bullish on trucking’s future. It is a vital industry that only will become more important for our sustained global economic growth over the next several decades. The challenges facing the industry will be enormous in the next few years. But the rewards will be as well. JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jroberts@ccjmagazine.com or call (205) 248-1358.

Shell launches Virtual Assistant

hell last month launched Shell Virtual Assistant, an interactive one-stop shop on the company’s website where customers and distributors in the United States and United Kingdom can ask common lubricant-related questions any time. After typing in a question via an online message window, avatars Emma and Ethan reply back with an appropriate answer within seconds. Shell Virtual Assistant also can make product recommendations based on customers’ equipment by linking customers to Shell LubeMatch, which is available in 138 countries and 21 languages. Shell Virtual Assistant also complements Shell LubeAdvisor, which includes a Web platform, a technical helpdesk and local application experts for deeper technical support. – Jack Roberts

BFGoodrich recalls more than 100,000 tires in U.S.

FGoodrich is recalling about 129,000 tires that were sold in North America, with 104,000 of those sold in the United States. The tires are found primarily on commercial light trucks, as well as full-sized heavy-duty vans, small RVs and some ¾and one-ton pickup trucks, according to the company. The recall, which has been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, includes eight specific commercial light truck tire sizes produced under the product names BFGoodrich Commercial T/A All-Season, BFGoodrich Commercial T/A All-Season 2 and BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A. A limited number of these tires experienced a rapid loss of air pressure “due to a rupture of the sidewall in the bead area under severe usage conditions.” BFGoodrich says this can result in a potential risk of loss of control or a crash. – CCJ staff

commercial carrier journal | september 2015

Volvo petitions over rain-light windshield sensor

olvo Trucks requested an exemption from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow the placement of rain and ambient light detection sensors on its trucks lower in the windshield than currently permitted by regulations. Volvo said being able to mount the rain and ambiSafety regulations currently require antennas, ent light detection sensor transponders and similar devices to be located 6 lower would allow the inches or less below the top of the windshield, outcompany to introduce the side the area swept by the wipers and outside of the sensor as an option. driver’s line of sight to the road and highway signs. According to Volvo’s exemption request, being able to mount the rain and ambient light detection sensor lower would allow the company to introduce the sensor as an option on some of its trucks. Volvo says the sensor is about 2.6 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide and “would be placed on the passenger side of the windshield, outside the driver’s sight lines to all mirrors, highway signs, signals and view of the road ahead.” Volvo specifically requests the sensor be placed on the lower part of the windshield within the bottom 6 inches of the area swept by the wipers. To view public comments on Volvo’s request, go to regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2015-0239. – Matt Cole

Ford gets exemption for Transit’s exhaust location

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month granted Ford Motor Co. an exemption to allow motor carriers to operate Ford says its Transit has undergone performance-based testing that demonstrates its the company’s Transit-based comexhaust system is as safe or safer than if it mercial motor vehicles that don’t adhered to FMCSA regulations. meet current exhaust system location requirements. Regulations require exhaust systems of buses powered by gasoline engines to discharge at or within six inches forward of the back of the bus, and the exhaust system of every truck and truck tractor to discharge at the rear of the cab or near the rear of the cab. The Ford Transit doesn’t meet these requirements. Ford said it performed carbon monoxide concentration tests, which used monitors at various locations within the vehicle to measure the concentration of CO ingress into the cabin area under various driving conditions, including idle and top speed. According to the request, the tests showed the “resulting CO concentration is below every threshold used by federal agencies.” The exemption is valid until Aug. 14, 2017. – Jack Roberts 26 Untitled-13 1

commercial carrier journal | september 2015 6/9/15 10:31 AM

Mack requests NHTSA exemption for 2,000 noncompliant trucks

ack Trucks last month filed a petition for exemption with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after the company discovered noncompliance with some of its trucks. Affected by the noncompliance are about 1,977 modelyear 2014-16 LEU incomplete vehicles manufactured between July 22, 2013 and April 20, 2015. Mack said the brake actuation and release times on the trucks exceed the requirements slightly – by milliseconds. Mack’s petition for exemption is from the notification and remedy requirements from NHTSA because the company says the noncompliance is inconsequential to the safety of the vehicles. After extensive testing, Mack found that, on average, brake actuation times exceed the requirements by .04 seconds, and brake release times exceed the requirements by .09 seconds. According to the petition request, Mack says a change in brake chamber size from type 24 to type 30, which occurred in 2013 production, may have caused the noncompliance. Mack says that after testing by an independent evaluation company, the company was able to determine the affected trucks remain compliant with brake stopping distance requirements.

Mack LEUs are used almost exclusively for residential garbage collection service. The company says in its request that it’s correcting the noncompliance on all future trucks to comply fully with the regulations. The petition request was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 18, after which NHTSA initiated a 30-day comment period. To make a comment, go to regulations.gov and search Docket No. NHTSA-2015-0054. – Matt Cole

Mack LEUs are used almost exclusively for residential garbage collection service.

Volvo, Mack roll out prepaid maintenance plans

Volvo and Mack Premium Maintenance Plans are prepaid contracts that offer numerous levels of coverage, locking in current parts and labor rates.

s part of their ongoing efforts to reduce customers’ operating costs, Volvo Trucks of North America and Mack Trucks both introduced pre-paid preventive maintenance plans. The Volvo maintenance plans cover all model-year 2011 and newer models powered by D11, D13 or D16 engines and align with the new service intervals announced earlier this year. Mack plans also are based on the revised service intervals announced earlier this year and are available for all model-year 2011 and newer models powered by MP7, MP8 or MP10 engines. Volvo and Mack Premium Maintenance Plans are prepaid contracts that offer numerous levels of coverage, locking in current parts and labor rates and increasing customer control of maintenance expenses. In addition to three specified plans ranging from basic oil changes and 74-point inspections to more in-depth maintenance, customers can create custom plans of varying scope and duration to fit their specific needs. The plans also offer the option to include service of the aftertreatment system, transmission and chassis. Customers can purchase a Volvo or Mack Premium Maintenance Plan through their dealers and schedule maintenance at any of the OEMs’ dealerships in the United States and Canada. Volvo customers can contact Volvo Action Service, the company’s 24/7 service and support network; likewise, Mack customers can contact the company’s OneCall 24/7 service and support network. – Jack Roberts commercial carrier journal | september 2015

INBrief • Volvo Trucks of North America and Mack Trucks entered into a memorandum of understanding with Omnitracs – a provider of fleet management, routing and predictive analytics systems – to develop future fleet management services for carriers. The agreement allows Omnitracs to leverage Volvo’s Remote Diagnostics and Mack’s GuardDog telematics-based proactive diagnostics and repair planning systems. • International Truck finalized the remaining 7,950 orders of a 9,000-truck order from Quality Companies Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Indianapolis-based Celadon Group (CCJ Top 250, No. 35). The order consists primarily of ProStar and LoneStar tractors powered by Cummins ISX15 engines and will be spread across the next three years. • C.R. England (CCJ Top 250, No. 21) is adding 2016 Western Star 5700 XE tractors to its fleet. Over the next several months, the Salt Lake City-based refrigerated company will add nearly 200 new 5700 XEs, with tenured solo and team drivers and million-mile drivers the first to receive the new tractors that feature the Detroit DD15 engine and directdrive DT12 automated shift transmission. • Knight Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 24) selected Volvo Trucks to supply 38 specially decorated VNL 670 tractors to recognize its 25th anniversary. Instead of Knight’s traditional red and charcoal gray color scheme, the anniversary trucks feature a silver finish with a special decal with the fleet’s logo. • The Goodyear Tire & Service Network opened two Commercial Tire & Service Centers in Seattle and Chesapeake, Va. The additions follow recent openings in Dearborn, Mich.; Montgomery, Ala.; and Garland, Texas. • Double Coin and CMA launched its redesigned website at www.doublecointires. com. Optimized for smartphones, tablets and desktop computers, the site is designed to provide an enhanced user experience and an easier and quicker way to obtain the latest news, dealer locations, product specifications, trade shows and other information. • Three Mack Trucks-based models pulled in a combined $870,000 during a charitable auction at WasteExpo 2015 to support research and continuing education efforts by the 21st Century Environmental Research & Education Foundation. Mack provided three chassis – a TerraPro Low Entry, TerraPro Cabover and Granite – each featuring a body donated by Heil, McNeilus and Galbreath, respectively.

NACFE releases in-depth low-rollingresistance tire study, recommendations

he North American Council for Freight Efficiency last month released NACFE’s report on low-rolling-resistance tires found that overall traction perforan in-depth report detailing acceptance mance was good and that driver accepand real-world use of low-rolling-resistance is growing. tance tires. The report includes Decision Making Tools to help fleets and owner-operators select the best tires for all tractor-trailer positions. These tools include a Decision Guide with high-level information on general tire details, a Total Cost of Ownership Calculator and a Confidence Matrix to help calculate return on investment. Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director, noted several important findings in the report that challenge many common assumptions regarding low-rolling-resistance tires today. “Our study confirmed that low-rolling-resistance tires do get better fuel economy than standing singles,” Roeth said. “But we also found wear characteristics to be better on low-rolling-resistance tires. And while reports of poor traction and driver resistance to these tires are common, we found that overall traction performance was good and driver acceptance is growing.” NACFE’s report on low-rolling-resistance tires is one of several in-depth studies the organization is planning. – Jack Roberts

Volvo honored for energy reduction efforts

olvo Group North America recently was honored with a 2015 Energy Award from the Industrial Energy Technology Conference for its efforts to reduce energy usage at its manufacturing facilities. Since 2009, the Volvo Group has reduced energy consumption by 26.8 percent at eight of its This Volvo VHD tractor was built at U.S. manufacturing facilities, exceeding its the company’s New River Valley plant original goal of a 25 percent reduction in in Dublin, Va. energy consumption by the year 2020. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory nominated the Volvo Group for its energy management activities that have resulted in a significant reduction in energy use under several programs, including DOE’s Better Buildings, Better Plants Challenge and the Superior Energy Performance program. Three of the Volvo Group’s manufacturing sites – the Macungie Cab and Vehicle Assembly facility in Macungie, Pa., where all Mack Trucks for North America and export are assembled; the New River Valley assembly plant in Dublin, Va., where all Volvo Trucks for North America are assembled; and the Volvo Group Powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Md. – are among the top six SEP Platinum-certified facilities. The IETC Energy Awards are presented annually and recognize individuals, industrial plants or organizations that successfully have applied energy conservation in their operations. – Jack Roberts

commercial carrier journal | september 2015

• Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. announced the opening of Utility Trailer Sales of Oregon’s new location in Redmond, Ore. The 27,000-square-foot full-service dealership sells both new and used trailers and has a paint booth, a large parts retail area and eight service bays. • Great Dane will hold its first Supplier Summit and Innovation Challenge Sept. 28-30 in Savannah, Ga. The summit will provide a forum to celebrate the contributions of the company’s key suppliers, including an awards dinner. The Innovation Challenge is designed to unite resources to create new solutions for Great Dane and its customers. • Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, which develops and manufactures safety and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles, announced that its new headquarters will remain in Lorain County, Ohio, where the company will move 10 miles from its current Elyria location to a 60-acre site in Avon. • Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems announced that its Bendix On-Line Brake School now serves more than 30,000 registered users from more than two dozen countries. Bendix opened access to its knowledge database and technical resources in March 2013. Registration is free at brake-school. com. • SAF-Holland – a global manufacturer of truck and trailer suspensions, fifth wheels, landing gear and coupling products – announced that its manufacturing facility in Holland, Mich., received Paccar’s 2014 50PPM Quality Award for meeting the truck maker’s quality standards. • Mack Trucks delivered a commemorative Pinnacle tractor – the 25,000th truck equipped with its GuardDog Connect integrated telematics solution – to Cresson, Texas-based 3 Star Daylighting. The proactive diagnostics and repair planning solution monitors critical fault codes to help reduce repair times and is standard in Granite, Pinnacle, Titan and TerraPro models. • Meritor contributed $50,000 to the Wyakin Warrior Foundation, which mentors and provides financial aid to severely wounded veterans pursuing degrees in many areas, including engineering, business, law, criminal justice, education and computer science. • Shealy Truck Center of Columbia, S.C., celebrated its 75th anniversary as a Mack Trucks dealer. Founded in 1932 by James H. “Bo” Shealy, the company became a Mack dealer in April 1940. commercial carrier journal | september 2015 Untitled-7 1

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in focus: IN-CAB SATELLITE TV

All the comforts of home More fleets using in-cab TV to recruit, retain drivers By jaCK RoBeRts

ne of the great joys of the modern age is relaxing in front of the television set after a hard day at work, or catching the big game on the weekend. Up until recently, television has been a rare treat for drivers on the road. It’s mostly been enjoyed in drivers’ lounges – where program choices are dictated by majority vote as opposed to individual tastes – or on rare evenings when a driver checks into a hotel. But new advances in reliable high-quality satellite TV systems are allowing more drivers to catch their favorite shows in the privacy of their sleeper cabs. Also, more progressive fleets are viewing in-cab television as a shrewd way to attract new drivers and keep good ones. Why now? The adoption rate of in-cab satellite TV entertainment has grown significantly over the past couple of years, says Lance Platt, chief executive officer of EpicVue, an in-cab satellite TV provider. Platt says the overall market for live television service in trucking is dominated by the longhaul segment. “Long-haul drivers that are away from home for extended periods are most affected by quality-of-life issues 30

commercial carrier journal

that EpicVue is targeting,” he says. “Prior to EpicVue, there was not a formalized program for fleet companies to provide live satellite television to drivers, and therefore, very few drivers were able to benefit from the service.” Nelson Roberts, director of fleet accounts for King Controls, says lower prices and more reliable service have reshaped the in-cab television market. “Much like any high-technology product, the cost of the hardware has fallen significantly in the past 10 years,” Roberts says. Drivers and fleets now can get a complete system for about $1,000, which includes a high-definition television, mount, mobile auto-aiming satellite TV antenna, HD satellite TV receiver, interconnecting cables and remote control. Perfecting the auto-aiming satellite antenna has allowed providers to offer a high-definition picture and sound in a sleeper cab at a reasonable cost, Roberts says. “Today, the satellites actually ‘speak’ to the antenna and tell it

where the satellite is located, some as high as 22,000 miles in the sky, with pinpoint accuracy,” he says. “This allows for the strongest possible signal combined with the best high-definition picture anywhere in the lower 48 states.” While satellite TV has been available for years, the equipment never was designed specifically for the transportation industry until recently, Platt says. EpicVue worked with a satellite dish manufacturer to reduce the size of the dish by more than 40 percent and increase its lifespan by several multiples as a result of more ruggedized equipment. But the real key, Platt says, has been the ability to deliver meaningful content at an attractive price point. Television service is typically north of $100 per month for the average user, but with a bulk purchase arrangement, EpicVue is able to deliver more than 100 channels of content – including premium channels such as HBO and Showtime, as well as NFL Sunday Ticket – for $49 per month. The package includes all necessary

The cost of the hardware has fallen significantly in the past 10 years.

| september 2015

– Nelson Roberts, director of fleet accounts, King Controls

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equipment and a support team to help drivers with technical issues. How long to install? System installation typically is handled at the fleet level and averages about two hours. Fleets can install the system themselves or work

through a certified installation partner such as Velociti. EpicVue provides onsite training complemented by training videos and written installation instructions. King Controls offers auto-aiming DirecTV or Dish mobile satellite TV antennas that weigh 8 pounds, plus a

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couple of pounds for the anti-vibration permanent mounting bracket. The company’s standard 22-inch high-definition television, plus the satellite receiver and accessories, can add an additional 10 pounds, “giving a total of less than 20 pounds installed in most average installations,” Roberts says. Installation, when using King’s MB150 anti-vibration mounting bracket, takes about 45 minutes to an hour per rig, he says. Many satellite providers provide a financial subsidy for the needed hardware to get fleets rolling with incab entertainment, Roberts says. The subsidy depends on the fleet’s number of satellite receivers; discounts can begin at 25 trucks or more. Recruiting and retaining According to Platt, early-adopter fleets report that in-cab television has given them a competitive advantage for attracting and keeping drivers. “Most of our customers are reluctant to share specific data on driver numbers,” he says. “That said, many of these same fleets have reported anywhere from a 50- to 200-percent increase in retention with those drivers using EpicVue. This is such a crucial component of our service that when a fleet signs up with us, they are provided a press kit to help promote their use of EpicVue in their recruiting efforts. ” Roberts says many of King’s customers use in-cab television in different ways, often as rewards for high fuel economy numbers or reaching safe mileage milestones. “Each of our fleet clients has a different approach to how they use the reward of a King satellite TV system,” he says. “But one thing is certain – once a driver becomes used to the TV programming in their rig, they will go to great lengths to retain that benefit for sure.”

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EQUIPMENT Rollie Anderson, ATS chief executive officer, said the introduction of the fleet’s “new flagship,” its Trail King TK360 trailer, coincided with his company’s 60-year anniversary.

Custom oversize-haul trailer built for ATS Anderson Trucking Service’s state-of-the-art TK360 trailer, built by Trail King, is designed for loads ranging from 200,000 to 360,000 pounds. When fully expanded to more than 210 feet in length, it will span two lanes of a roadway and allow the St. Cloud, Minn.-based specialized hauling fleet to meet bridge and engineering standards for a greatly increased permitted vehicle capacity. The TK360 trailer has multiple deck lengths and axles designed to expand from 14 feet wide out to 20. The trailer will be equipped with a perimeter deck designed to reduce loaded height and extend up to 72 feet long.

Brent Anderson, ATS chief operating officer, said the unit was ordered in February after many months of fact-finding and engineering and “will take the ATS Heavy Haul capacity to the next level. Hauling loads up to 360,000 pounds means that we will be permitting this equipment for up to 700,000 pounds.” All dual-lane loads will require upfront planning and engineering atypical of normal oversize/overweight transport. Hauls are expected to require a team of at least six people, including a supervisor, escorts and two drivers – one pulling truck in front and one push truck behind. Trail King Industries, TrailKing.com

Simple financing jumpstarts 10-truck vocational fleet Holcombe Energy Resource, one of Pennsylvania’s They helped finance Holcombe’s current 10 largest oil and gas service providers, was founded Freightliner 112SD tri-axle water trucks that, in a short six years ago by Matthew Austin with only the energy and oil business, often face mountain$8,000. Established to provide transportation services ous and other harsh conditions – no problem, since to the oil and gas inthey are equipped with dustry around northa 1,900-square-inch eastern Pennsylvania’s radiator to cool engines Marcellus Shale rated up to 600 hp and formation, Holcombe 2,050 lb.-ft. of torque has run Freightlinfor loads up to 160,000 ers exclusively in part pounds. “My experience due to what Austin with Freightliner Trucks describes as a high and the Daimler Truck level of customer Financial people is the service from Daimreason we will always ler Truck Financial, stick with this brand,” the financing arm of Austin said. Holcombe Energy Resource’s Freightliner 112SD tri-axle water trucks are equipped with the Freightliner’s parent Freightliner Trucks, Cummins ISX15 and feature a wheel cut up to 50 degrees that helps negotiate tight spaces. company. Steer axles are rated from 12,000 to 22,000 pounds and the drives from 23,000 to 70,000. FreightlinerTrucks.com 34

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EQUIPMENT

Caterpillar, Navistar part ways on CT series trucks Navistar and Caterpillar each announced in July that they’re ending their partnership, an arrangement under which Navistar has produced and engineered Cat-branded CT series trucks since 2011. Navistar also announced it will launch a new line of premium PayStar vocational trucks beginning in early 2016, using some of the shared technologies and intellectual property from its venture with Caterpillar. “Navistar and Caterpillar have had a strong collaborative working relationship through a number of projects and partnerships for many, many years,” said Bill Kozek, Navistar Truck and Parts president. “This next phase provides Navistar with an exciting opportunity to introduce new technologies and product features into our new line of premium vocational trucks.” Navistar will continue to manufacture trucks for Caterpillar through 2016, and both companies will have the opportunity to leverage certain joint intellectual property, collaborate with suppliers and utilize licensing agreements moving forward. “We appreciate the collaboration we have had with Navistar,” said Chris Chadwick, Caterpillar’s director of the Global On-Highway Truck Group. “As we look to future launches of new truck models, this updated strategy will

A 15L engine for Caterpillar CT series trucks? | Caterpillar’s Chris Chadwick told Overdrive Equipment Editor Jack Roberts in July that Caterpillar has “no plans” to re-enter the on-highway engine business. For now, Caterpillar will continue to spec the Navist ar-built CT13 13-liter diesel engine for its CT truck s. “The big hole for us right now is obviously the lack of a 15-liter engine,” Chadwick said. “But we have a strategy in place to add a 15-liter option before yearend and will offer more details on that in the fall.”

better position us to help provide our customers with the best products and services for this market.” Caterpillar said the transition process will begin immediately, with production expected to begin at the company’s plant in Victoria, Texas, in the first half of next year. Also, Caterpillar dealers will continue to sell and support Cat vocational trucks.

Executive Editor Jack Roberts

Caterpillar, Caterpillar.com Navistar Inc., Navistar.com

Macks handle dirty work for Carolina fleet The 60-truck Carolina Waste & Recycling fleet, based around Charleston, S.C., is comprised mostly of Mack models, which cofounder Scott Fennell turns to for reliability on rough-andtumble urban routes and in and out of landfills. To help enhance both safety and customer service, each truck is outfitted with a brake retarder system to help maintain a steady speed when traveling downhill. All also are outfitted with a tablet-driven route management system, allowing the driver to not only record service calls and report items on pre- and post-trip inspections but also photograph any issues such as overloaded containers or vehicles blocking pickup. Drivers can send the data back to the office before they complete their route, and the photos provide support for issues that previously might have been open to dispute. Mack Trucks, MackTrucks.com

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2015

Carolina Waste & Recycling’s maintenance workers have adjusted to the higher-level technology offered by the newer Macks and will continue performing most of their own maintenance in-house.

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Dump fleet invests to capitalize on public construction projects As 2014 began, Blue Max Trucking president Denton Williams had realized that contractors near the company’s headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., were ramping up commercial and public construction projects, which would involve Blue Max’s primary businesses as a mostly dump truck ﬂeet. “We wanted a truck that offered drivers a comfortable work environment and could lower our fuel bills,” Williams said. MHC Kenworth’s Charlotte location invited Williams to a customer event in Phoenix where he formed his ﬁrst impressions of the heavy-haul T880 while driving on a test track and an offroad course. Impressed by the truck’s visibility and handling characteristics, Blue Max spec’d 38 T880s with dump bodies and 380-hp Paccar MX-13 engines, providing 1,450 lb.-ft. of torque driven through Allison 4500 RDS 6-speed automatic transmissions. The company also spec’d four T880 tractors equipped with 455-hp MX-13 engines and 10-speed Eaton UltraShift Plus transmissions.

ONLY DETROIT CAN DELIVER THIS LEVEL OF integration.

Kenworth Truck Co., Kenworth.com

EQUIPMENT NEWS | INBRIEF • Representatives from body manufacturer Con-Tech were on hand last month at Peterbilt’s plant in Denton, Texas, to take delivery of the plant’s first vocational Model 567 in a setforward front axle configuration. The truck was introduced earlier this year during the Word of Concrete trade show and now is in production. It is available in both 115- and 121-inch BBC lengths; the 115-inch BBC has a bumper-to-front axle distance of 29 inches, and the 121-inch BBC has a 31-inch bumper-to-front axle distance. The truck comes standard with the Paccar MX-13 rated up to 500 hp and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque. Con-Tech designs, manufactures and installs ready-mix bodies such as its High Performance Drum and specialized packages such as its BridgeKing model engineered for optimized weight distribution and bridge law compliance. Visit CTMMixers.com. • Navistar will be first-to-market with the Eaton Procision line of dual-clutch transmissions for its International DuraStar medium-duty trucks. The 7-speed transmission is designed to deliver added fuel economy compared to a similarly equipped vehicle with a torque converter automatic transmission. The Procision features electronic shifting that uses grade, vehicle weight and throttle input to provide optimal fuel efficiency and smooth, continuous torque delivery. The dual-clutch technology is designed for more efficient acceleration from a stopped position and to optimize shift points to get to the highest gear efficiently. Visit Navistar.com and Eaton.com/Eaton/Procision. • Goodyear’s G186 MSA (Mixed-Service All-Position) UniCircle retread is designed for oilfield and other mixedservice fleets seeking enhanced traction and more miles to removal. The retread has three zig-zag circumferential grooves for added all-season traction, a long-wearing compound for increased tread life and the company’s proprietary UniCircle Technology. UniCircle treads are positioned on casings using laser-guided technology and are precision-stitched, which eliminates cutting or splicing during the tread application process for a more uniform and balanced application that helps extend casing life and mileage. Visit GoodyearTruckTires.com.

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technology

Making the latest technology developMents work for your fleet by AAron Huff

Staying connected

Document capture apps expand mobile driver workflow

ransportation companies need a fast and reliable stream of documents and information coming from drivers to support their billing, payroll and settlement functions. Without this, cash flow dries up, and driver satisfaction plummets. A number of electronic capture methods can get paperwork and receipts to the office quickly and accurately. The fastest-growing, by far, involve mobile apps. Apps are free and convenient to use for drivers. Fleets cover the cost, generally a small transaction fee for each document scanned or for all documents pertaining to a load. Drivers for Packard Transport, a flatbed carrier with 209 owner-operators, use truck stop scanning and their own devices to transmit images. The Channahon, Ill.-based company provides two choices for apps: Connect Mobile Capture from EBE Technologies and Transflo Mobile+ from Pegasus TransTech. The apps make it easy for Packard drivers to send trip documents to the office immediately after delivering Quickly anD accurately: Mobile apps provide electronic loads, says Chris Checca, capture methods to get paperIT manager. In exchange, work and receipts to the office. the fleet cuts a settlement not just For Drivers: check the same day. integration with back-office billing and payroll functions is another benefit of mobile apps.

Document capture But the benefits of mobile continuous in-house scanning are short-lived marketing: the app itself can when apps do not ensure become a useful tool to reinforce image quality at the point the fleet’s brand. of capture. Otherwise, errors abound and rework piles up. Some apps have built-in intelligence to prompt drivers to retake an image if necessary prior to submission. Compression techniques also play a role. Frank Adelman, chief executive officer of Pegasus TransTech, says the Transflo Mobile+ app ensures quality while reducing the image sizes from 1 MB to less than 100 kb per document to minimize usage of drivers’ data plans. Integration with billing and payroll functions is another benefit. EBE’s Connect Mobile Capture app integrates with the fleet’s back-office systems and will trigger automatic exception

alerts if drivers have missing or incomplete paperwork. This feature, called Settlement Assistant, “eliminates payday surprises,” says Larry Kerr, president of EBE. Forward mobility When equipped properly, these apps can EBE’s Connect be an entry point for a much broader set Mobile Capture app of tools to keep drivers connected to the integrates with a enterprise. fleet’s back-office systems and will CalArk, a dry van carrier based in Little trigger automatic Rock, Ark. (CCJ Top 250, No. 164), uses exception alerts if expanded mobile services in the Transflo drivers have missing or incomplete Mobile+ app that include driver validation, pre-plan notification, load tendering, paperwork. two-way messaging, driver scorecards and accident and claims submissions. The Transflo Mobile+ app is part of an integration platform that Pegasus TransTech calls Mobile Software as a Service (MSaaS). CalArk uses the integration with its back-office systems to communicate electronically with drivers inside and outside the cab. “The ability to offer out-of-cab communication and provide real-time KPIs to drivers, in conjunction with the already utilized mobile scanning application, got us excited about the endless possibilities and flexibility we needed,” says Matt Braslavsky, vice president of information technology for CalArk. Because drivers see, touch and interact daily with company apps, the app itself becomes a useful marketing tool to reinforce the brand. Both EBE and Pegasus TransTech allow fleet customers to display their logos prominently in mobile apps. Fleets also can add custom functions such as hyperlinks that allow drivers to access their secure websites. Using mobile apps to stay connected with drivers inside and outside the cab has become a strategy for fleets to improve their quality of life and get more information from them faster. aaron huff is senior editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. e-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call 385-225-9472. commercial carrier journal | september 2015

technology

InBrief • AT&T introduced Workforce Manager, a new mobile platform designed to give business customers support for a wide range of mobile devices and management tools through a cloud-based portal, allowing them to build a custom, scalable and flexible management system for their business operations using available modules that include timekeeping, mobile forms, work order dispatching, billing and GPS tracking to locate workers and capture information in the field. The platform has a Web portal with visual dashboards, reporting features and back-office functions. • Fleetio launched Fleetio Fuel, a mobile fuel-tracking app designed specifically for fleets. The app, free for Fleetio users, is designed to allow drivers to log fuel information such as location and receipts in seconds using a mobile phone or tablet, and to provide fleet managers with comprehensive data such as cost per mile, miles per gallon and distance between fillups, enabling then to improve efficiency and save money. Fleetio Fuel also allows users to view fuel history for specific vehicles. • 4RoadService.com completed the overhaul of its website designed to let truck drivers and dispatchers quickly find truck repair services on any Web-enabled device at 4RoadService.com and via the 4RoadService apps for iOS and Android. 4RoadService.com currently lists more than 26,000 truck, tire and trailer repair shops and mobile units. • Aljex, a hosted software system used by brokers, third-party logistics providers, carriers and other transportation providers, announced an integration with 10-4 Systems, an online transportation marketplace for booking, tracking and billing loads. Aljex said the integration enables its software customers to access 10-4 Systems directly from their native user interface to match loads with available capacity from a customer’s prescreened carriers, allowing the customer to negotiate with carriers directly. When a load is accepted, 10-4 links the customer’s Aljex system with the carrier’s dispatch software to update the load’s location and ETA, eliminating the need for EDI. • MacroPoint announced a load tracking integration with Arcline (2000), a transportation management software provider for freight brokers and trucking companies. MacroPoint is used by brokers, third-party logistics providers

MiX brings video-based driver monitoring to U.S.

iX Telematics, a global provider of fleet and MiX Vision maintains a rolling mobile asset management systems, announced 72 hours of footage per vehicle the U.S. availability of its MiX Vision video-based driv- and automatically adds links to video clips within driver safety er monitoring application. scoring reports. Integrated with MiX’s onboard computer and Webbased fleet management platform, MiX Vision maintains a rolling 72 hours of footage per vehicle and automatically adds links to video clips within driver safety scoring reports. As an enhancement to MiX Telematics’ fleet management system, the company said the offering can help fleets: • Make more informed decisions about incidents involving their drivers; • Identify drivers who may need additional coaching and training; and • Prevent crashes and ultimately reduce their insurance rates. Using video footage captured with in-vehicle cameras, MiX Vision is designed to provide front-facing and cab-facing video, with sound, to allow for added clarity at the time of an event. The video from MiX Vision can be retrieved from any 2½-minute segment when needed so that fleet managers can view what happened before an event occurred. MiX Vision videos can be viewed alongside a timeline within MiX Fleet Manager, adding further context to incident scenarios. Video segments related to any in-cab event are added automatically to drivers’ RAG (Red, Amber, Green) reports that highlight driving events affecting fleet safety and efficiency. The data also is used to implement more targeted driver training programs. “U.S. customers are extremely safety-conscious, and those who have seen the MiX Vision product are eager to roll it out to their fleets, not only to help improve safety but also to reduce their liability position on frivolous claims,” said Skip Kinford, president and chief executive officer of MiX Telematics Americas. – Aaron Huff

SkyBitz system adds cargo sensor, interior mounting

kyBitz announced the Falcon series GXT3100C, an all-in-one trailer and container tracking system with three components: a GXT3100 mobile terminal with a remote antenna, a SkyBitz Cargo Sensor and a SkyBitz’s Falcon series GXT3100C proprietary mounting bracket. is an all-in-one trailer and conAll three are mounted inside the trailer using a single tainer tracking system with three components: a GXT3100 mobile galvanized steel bracket to facilitate easy installation terminal with a remote antenna, and protection from cargo. The system can tether to a SkyBitz Cargo Sensor and a the trailer’s 7-way connector for power and runs on proprietary mounting bracket. rechargeable batteries to produce frequent reporting on location and cargo status. The external antenna is visible from the trailer’s exterior. “At SkyBitz, we pride ourselves on our culture of innovation and working closely with our customers to develop customized solutions built to better serve their needs,” said Henry Popplewell, senior vice president and general manager of SkyBitz. – Aaron Huff

commercial carrier journal | september 2015

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InBrief and shippers to have real-time location tracking, on-time delivery monitoring, and arrival and departure notifications. Its freight tracking software tracks the location of a driver’s mobile phone or existing in-cab ELD and/or GPS devices. • Omnitracs, a provider of fleet management systems to transportation and logistics companies, announced that Celadon (CCJ Top 250, No. 35) extended its contract for Omnitracs’TT210 trailer tracking technology by three years. Indianapolis-based Celadon first adopted the untethered system across its fleet of 13,000 trailers in 2005 to complement the capabilities of its Omnitracs in-cab mobile fleet management platform. • SmartDrive Systems announced that TBHC Delivers, a full-service direct distribution company, deployed its video-based safety program across its entire fleet. TBHC, the country’s largest distributor of Hunt Brothers Pizza, said it selected SmartDrive based on its technology, configurable and easy-touse coaching tools and the speed with which video footage would be made available to the fleet. TBHC also is designating a driver mentor who will work with each individual driver to determine what went wrong during an event and what can be done to prevent a repeat occurrence. • Electronic Funds Source announced that McLeod Express, a diversified transportation and logistics provider, selected and has gone live with its payments platform. EFS built a direct integration into McLeod Express’ back-office transportation management system, and the carrier now is using the provider’s Fuel Card, Checks and MoneyCodes, Fuel Tax and Corporate Card solutions. • Internet Truckstop Group increased its companywide minimum wage to $15 per hour throughout its family of brands, including Truckstop.com, uDrove, Real Time Freight and ITS Financial Services.

Interested In truckIng technology? Scan the barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to subscribe to the CCJ Technology Weekly e-mail newsletter. 44

TivaCloud’s compliance management software for all fleets

ivaCloud announced a new cloud-based compliance management software system designed for motor carriers of all sizes. The company says it offers a “pay for what you use” option suited for small independent fleets that comprise 90 percent of all trucking TivaCloud delivers a U.S. Departfirms in the United States. ment of Transportation Insights reThe monthly subscription cost to manage a small port that shows detailed breakouts of a motor carrier’s BASIC scores. fleet’s compliance program would be less than the average tank of gas, TivaCloud says. Clients pay on a month-to-month basis with no contracts and no cancellation fees. “Today, technology is transforming the trucking industry, but we’ve come across many motor carriers that are still pushing papers for their compliance and operations management system,” says Jeffrey Stilwell, president of TivaCloud. TivaCloud delivers a U.S. Department of Transportation Insights report that shows detailed breakouts of a motor carrier’s Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category scores that include violations, accidents, clean inspections and trending analysis. The software also can generate Virtual BASICs reports for locations that share a single DOT number to get a deeper insight into key compliance areas that otherwise might be overlooked, the company says. “We’ve designed and built TivaCloud to ensure that companies run with absolute peace of mind,” Stilwell says. “We also have some amazing new features that will be released later this year to further improve our customers’ compliance programs.” – Aaron Huff

VDO RoadLog ELD expands options for installation

ontinental Commercial Vehicles & Aftermarket – a global supplier of systems and components to automobile and truck manufacturers, as well as electronic logging device technology to fleets and drivers – has expanded its VDO RoadLog ELD vehicle application options The new VDO RoadLog OBD II with additional OBD II installation kits. installation kits cover light- and medium-duty trucks as well The new installation kits cover light- and as 2014-and-newer Volvo and medium-duty trucks as well as 2014-and-newer Mack vehicles. Volvo and Mack vehicles. Continental offers several different VDO RoadLog ELD installation kits to fit a wide variety of Class 1-8 trucks on the road today. The VDO RoadLog OBD II Converter Installation Kit is designed for application on Class 1-6 light- and medium-duty trucks with “plug and play” installation that allows the use of a single VDO RoadLog ELD platform for fleets with a variety of Class 1-6 trucks. The VDO RoadLog OBD II 16-pin Y-cable Installation Kit covers model-year 2014-and-up Volvo and Mack trucks with a passenger car-style OBD II port. Cable kits and mounting brackets are supplied. – Aaron Huff

commercial carrier journal | september 2015

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in focus: REMOTE DIAGNOSTICS

Fringe benefit or killer app?

Team-ups between telematics companies, OEMs spur progress by aaron huff

emote diagnostics surfaced in the late 1990s when telematics systems linked with electronically controlled engines to transmit fault codes to the office. In theory, this new conduit would prevent breakdowns and costly repairs. In reality, the fault code data was difficult to decipher by fleet managers, and the upcharge in telematics was difficult to justify. That all changed five years ago when Daimler Trucks North America teamed with Zonar Systems, a telematics and mobile fleet management software company, to create DTNA Virtual Technician. The diagnostics service became standard on all Freightliner trucks with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2010-certified Detroit and newer engines. Whenever a fault code or “check engine” light appears, experts in Detroit’s Customer Support Center review and provide information to the vehicle owner and help schedule a repair if necessary. Other heavy- and medium-duty truck and engine manufacturers followed suit. About two years ago, Volvo’s Remote Diagnostics and Mack’s Guard Dog Connect offerings began using Telogis’ telematics offering and Decisiv’s service event management platform to connect everyone involved – the call center, fleet and service provider – whenever a fault code appeared. Also, Paccar is installing PeopleNet hardware at the factory to supply its customers with diagnostics services. Have the alignments between telematics companies and OEMs caused fleets to re-evaluate their use of mobile technologies? Is remote diagnostics the “killer app” they have needed? Follow the money The return on investment for telematics comes from operations and not from maintenance, says Stuart Kerr, senior vice president of Enterprise Business for telematics provider Fleetmatics. “In terms of what fleets can save in maintenance costs, the idea of a guy standing there with a part ready to go is more often than not a fantasy,” Kerr says. “Instead, clients that are making the most of their investment in telematics are doing so because they have the information to change how they run their core operations.” Fleetmatics is one of the largest “pure play” telematics companies with about 28,000 customers that manage nearly 600,000 vehicles combined. Its Reveal telematics system is installed in vehicles and uses Apple or Android devices for the display. Reveal can report fault codes and other engine data, and Fleet46

commercial carrier journal | september 2015

Fleetmatics’ Reveal telematics system is installed in vehicles and uses Apple or Android devices for the display.

matics is “always open to talking about a partnership” with OEMs, Kerr says. But he says there is also an advantage to being neutral because most fleets operate a mix of vehicles and want telematics systems that work equally well for all makes and models. Large fleets want telematics systems that can put the location and status of vehicles and drivers in context for their business operations. The integration of telematics data with payroll, fuel purchasing and work order management provides visibility across the enterprise and delivers maximum returns, Kerr says. Social telematics As co-founder and president of Azuga, Ananth Rani entered the telematics market with a low price point. Azuga selected a small “plug and play” OBD II device for light- and medium-duty vehicles made by Danlaw. The device is deployed in three million vehicles and is used by insurance companies such as Progressive to monitor driving behaviors and offer safety discounts to their customers. Using the device, Rani designed new cloud-based telematics applications that engage drivers in competition, gamification and rewards. Azuga calls its niche “social telematics,” and since opening in May 2013, the company has signed 1,000 fleet customers that manage about 50,000 vehicles. Azuga’s low price is what initially sparked the interest of Aaron’s, a specialty rent-to-own retailer. To date, Aaron’s fleet has installed Azuga in 2,600 of its 3,000 trucks that deliver furniture, consumer electronics and home appliances to customers. Utilization of vehicles was Aaron’s starting point for telematics. Most of its delivery vehicles are 14-foot Isuzu straight trucks rated at 12,000 pounds, and most stores have two assigned to

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technology them. Azuga helped answer the question: Do stores really need both trucks? “We made sure stores understood that trucks are there to be used,” says Lewis Allen, senior manager of fleet operations at Aaron’s. “If they are not used, you don’t need it.” Next on the ROI checklist was idling, fuel economy and speeding. Regional managers for Azuga developed a ‘social Aaron’s review reports on these telematics’ platform that items with store managers. engages drivers to improve At present, Aaron’s does not performance using gamificaissue company phones to drivers tion and rewards. to use Azuga’s social telematics app, but that is “something we are going to look at,” Allen says. “We definitely see a value in it.” Taking advantage Remote diagnostics may not be the main reason fleets invest in telematics, but now that OEMs have the systems in place to support it, why not take advantage?

Omnitracs, one of the trucking industry’s largest telematics providers, does not have an exclusive partnership agreement with an OEM; instead, the company has been working with all OEMs to provide a single interface to deliver mutual fleet customers that own all makes and models of vehicles with diagnostics that go beyond the standard SAE descriptions of fault codes. “If a fleet manager has three different types of vehicles, he does not want to have to go to three different interfaces,” says Dan Speicher, chief technology officer. OEMs also are using the diagnostics feeds from Omnitracs to supply their own remote diagnostics and uptime services. “We are somewhat dependent on one another for the success of fault code sharing,” Speicher says. Now that telematics hardware for remote diagnostics is being factory-installed in vehicles, fleets can activate additional applications such as Omnitracs has been working with all tracking, messaging OEMs to provide a single interface to deand electronic logs as liver mutual fleet customers with detailed diagnostics on all makes and models. they see fit.

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Overall inspections fell in 2014 as industry and law enforcement stepped up the push to revamp the CSA program. Meanwhile, state enforcement intensity continues to vary widely, with violations continuing to tilt toward on-highway infractions and hours. BY TODD DILLS

ruck inspection numbers rose nearly 20 percent between 2011 and 2013, the early years of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance Safety Accountability program. Then, due to various factors, that total fell by close to 10 percent last year. Large regional disparities in the behavior of state truck enforcement departments that do the inspections and write the violations have continued, 54

commercial carrier journal

though some states have changed their inspection and violation priorities. These changes are highlighted in the latest update by CCJ’s sister publication, Overdrive, as part of our ongoing CSA’s Data Trail analysis. In addition to what’s shown in these pages, there is much more detail at CCJDigital.com/CSA. One possible factor in the nationwide decline in inspections is the growing movement against CSA within the industry and even some areas of law

| september 2015

enforcement. There have been widespread investigations, in venues ranging from these pages to Congress, of the program’s inequities. “I think there’s a lot of legitimacy to the movement until these scores are fixed,” said Dan Murray, American Transportation Research Institute vice president. Speaking in April at the Truckload Carriers Association’s Safety & Security Division meeting, Murray said that as a result of industry pressure,

COVER STORY: DECREASING INSPECTIONS

For further detail on state rankings regarding inspections and violations, visit CCJDigital.com/CSA.

he believes a “sea change” is coming in two to three years so that CSA “somehow becomes useful to industry.” Chief among the program’s problems today are the percentile-ranking, nationally comparative nature of the CSA SMS’ categories of measurement and the fact that the rankings/scores are available publicly. The problems are due in part to the widely diverging tactics and approaches to inspection selection and other enforcement at the state and local levels. As Murray noted, results of ATRI’s relatively recent shipper survey on CSA showed that 96 percent of shippers “were checking existing carrier accounts’ scores, and 100 percent were checking prospective accounts.” Since its introduction in March, not much seems to have happened with H.R. 1371, the House bill that would require a concerted study and revamp of the program, including pulling SMS percentile rankings/scores from public view. Attempts to move similar language into drafts of the highway reauthorization may surface again during the next round of talks. Nonetheless, CSA’s irregularities remain a topic of large concern. Though inspections fell in 2014, the intensity spread among state enforce-

ment departments continued to range widely. Measured by inspections conducted per lane-mile of National Highway System roadway, it was as high as 17 in Maryland and as low as one in Vermont. Also extremely divergent among states are violation profiles. If there’s any trend, it’s “definitely a movement to more moving and hoursof-service violations,” says Steve Keppler, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance executive director. PEACH STATE PULLS BACK Among top-10 enforcement-intense states with the biggest declines in inspections was Georgia. The state dialed back on overall inspections from 81,183 in 2013 to 69,188 in 2014, a 15 percent decline. The reason? Continuing manpower issues, says Capt. Jeremy Vickery of the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Atlanta headquarters. From a high of about 300 dedicated State Patrol troopers involved in commercial vehicle enforcement, the state now has 242 officers. “The goal is to get back to 300 by 2017,” Vickery says. As in other budget-hampered areas across the nation, Georgia is focusing on doing more with less. Part of that solution is relying on technology. The department has put 150 TruCam Lidar guns in operation. The speed-radar guns also have photo, video and GPS capabilities to provide solid evidence of vehicles following too closely. Vickery touts the state’s GTACT program, its version of FMCSA’s national Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks effort. With the TruCams in place, “if you can see that video [of a car] 0.2 seconds off the truck’s bumper,” Vickery says, or vice versa, the notoriously fuzzy offense has a much better chance of sticking in court. With video capability, speeding offenses proceed likewise. Georgia’s also one of 11 states that has a performance-based brake tester, a device that measures overall and

individual-axle brake performance. North Georgia-based Lt. Lee Robertson says the PBBT is used occasionally by a mobile unit in hilly country with a predominance of log trucks and other units “where they are really using those brakes a lot.” It was used at an I-85 scale in Lavonia, Ga., during an unannounced May 6 national brake check blitz. Such units are proving to be a boon for finding brake problems, particularly in disc-brake systems where a lot of the components are encased and not easily inspected visually, says Keppler. “Brakes are still the number one issue” nationwide for inspectors. Brakes also rank high on most states’ violation-priorities lists. (In Georgia, brake violations trail only lights and hours of service violations.) Brake violations “used to be predominantly related

ONLINE EXTRAS

• CSA’s Data Trail — Visit CCJDigital. com/csa for updated maps and full 48-state downloads with 2014 rankings for inspection and violation intensity, from moving violations to clean inspections, hours violations and maintenance subcategories for brakes, lights and tires. • “How to influence enforcement actions at roadside” — Search that phrase at OverdriveOnline.com to read inspectors’ and owner-operators’ tips to communicate effectively and make your next stop a non-event. For more on the subject, search “discretion is a big word” for an analysis of how officer discretion plays out in roadside enforcement situations. • Podcast: Latest on the SFD rulemaking — Due later this year, an FMCSA rulemaking will seek to tie inspection/violation data to a carrier’s safety fitness determination. Dave Heller of the Truckload Carriers Association believes the proposal will represent the industry’s best opportunity to speak out broadly on the CSA program. Search “industry with a voice” to hear his address at TCA’s Safety and Security meeting in April.

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| SEPTEMBER 2015 55

cover story: Decreasing inspections

Todd Dills

a good job and some that won’t. PBBTs offer another way to look at those braking systems.”

Georgia DPS has put 150 of these TruCam Lidar radar guns into service, useful for more than measuring speed. With photo, video and GPS capabilities to document and provide solid evidence, officers say they’re a boon to making the notorious “following too close” charge stick in court.

to brake adjustment, but we’re seeing a shift toward brake-system-componenttype violations,” partly due to self-adjusting slack adjusters, Keppler says. With disc brakes, there’s a longerterm issue. “Most of the components are encased, and some suppliers say you don’t have to maintain them,” Keppler says. “There are some fleets that will do

most intense enForcement

ILLINOIS REVS UP ENFORCEMENT Brakes also rank high, No. 2, in another top-10 inspection-intensity state’s violation priorities. Significant in Illinois’ case, however, is what the violation category’s tied with in the state’s rankings: speeding. Illinois offers a counterpoint to Georgia’s falling inspection numbers. Between 2012 and 2014, Illinois shifted priorites, pouring resources into truck enforcement. It nearly doubled its number of inspections to replace Nevada in the top 10 (measured per lane-mile), jumping 15 places to No. 7. Rob Dykes, posting on Overdrive’s Facebook page, pointed to observed increased activity the past year at the improved scale facility eastbound and westbound on I-280 in Moline. “They seem to be open 24/7 with the PrePass turned off,” he wrote. “You have to

Should carriers’ CSA SMS scores/rankings be removed from public view? Yes, along with all inspection, violation, not-at-fault crash data 43% OverdriveOnline.com poll

parade through just to get sent to the bypass lane.” Illinois’ fixed-location inspections were up by a small margin last year, according to the data. However, the vast majority of its increase is attributable to roadside enforcement. The number of such inspections grew by 60 percent from 2013 to 2014. Hours of service, speeding and improper lane changes all appear in the state’s top six violation categories, in addition to equipment/

inspections per lane-mile

Maryland 16.6 1 California 11.2 1 Pennsylvania 10.4 Texas 9.4 Arizona 8.9 1 Missouri 8.3 15 Illinois 6.8 Georgia 6.8 Indiana 6.5 4 New Mexico 6.5

1.2- Numbers indicate 16.6 inspections per lane-mile.

Yes, along with any data not proven to correlate to crash risk No 35% 16% Yes, but keep all associated I don’t data accessible 4% know 2%

least intense enForcement

1.2 Vermont 1.6 North Dakota 1 1.7 New Hampshire 1 2 Nebraska 2 2.2 Wyoming 3 2.3 Maine 1 2.3 West Virginia 7 2.3 Oklahoma 4 2.3 Louisiana 1 2.4 South Dakota 3

Indicates number of places the state moved up or down in the intensity rankings compared to Overdrive’s 2014 analysis.

More than 60 percent of inspections conducted at roadside.

SOURCE: Unless otherwise noted, the source of all data in this report is RigDig Business Intelligence (rigdig.com/bi, 866-237-7788) data from calendar year 2014. This list excludes Alaska, Hawaii and the District of Columbia.

commercial carrier journal

| september 2015

More than 60 percent of inspections conducted at a fixed location.

cover story: Decreasing inspections

wireless inspections meet resistance The Wireless Roadside Inspection program from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is far from ready for prime time, but with a multistate field operational test set to begin late this year, it’s garnered enough attention that some members of Congress have asked a critical question: Is it worth it? In addition to a block on funding insurance-hike work and extension of the restart change rollback, an item halting funding to the WRI research and design effort also was included in the U.S. Department of Transportation funding bill that moved out of committee in May. The block would prohibit appropriations funding contingent on a requirement that DOT’s leadership report “to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations that such program does not conflict with existing non-Federal electronic screening systems,” the language of the item says. In an online seminar in May, Steve Vaughn of Help Inc., provider of the PrePass system and a public-private partner provider of various electronic screening systems, described WRI as an electronic screening tool to “increase the number of safety inspections. What they’re looking to do is develop a system to retrieve realtime safety data at the roadside” without a direct interaction between the driver and law enforcement. Here’s how it works: When a truck enters an area, data about the carrier, the driver’s duty status, his recent hours history and, among other things, vehicle condition information recorded by onvehicle sensors is sent to the inspection facility. “The plan shows that it will give a recommendation to the inspector at the site to either inspect or don’t inspect,” Vaughn said. Automating inspection procedures where possible also has been in the discussion. Steve Keppler, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance executive director, says concerns over the WRI initiative from the industry, commercially available bypass companies and state officials are legitimate. “Some people are concerned that the federal government is building a system that could compete with existing systems,” Keppler says. “Is that the appropriate federal role?” Both PrePass and Drivewyze offer systems that perform some of the same functions as WRI. Drivewyze in 2013 went

Todd Dills

maintenance-related issues. The first of those categories, hours, was significantly at issue in accidents involving trucks that killed two (and severely injured one) state police officers between November 2012 and January 2014. That created ideal conditions for an increased awareness of truck enforcement throughout the state, says Don Schaefer, Mid-West Truckers Association executive director. Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Todd Armstrong says stakeholders in truck enforcement convened in the aftermath and refocused enforcement on trucks, accounting for the large inspection increase in 2014. Its 950-odd-member squad comes out of the state’s police academies certified for Level 3 credentials inspections, where a threefold increase was seen between 2012 and 2014. Troopers have emphasized truck inspections particularly on patrol in priority corridors such as the high-traffic region around Chicago (accounting for nearly half of all inspections), in Metro East around St. Louis, Mo., and in and around Effingham on I-70 and I-57. In Will County near Chicago, which includes the city of Joliet and a growing number of intermodal facilities, one particular hotspot of activity made waves after the Mid-West group, responding to member complaints, made it known. The association alleged entrapment by officers working at a weight-restricted culvert crossing where confusing signage provided inadequate warning of the restriction. The officers “know the opportunities,” Schaefer says. “The issue with this culvert, which is a simple repair, has been dragging on and on and on.” After the issue “blew up” following a radio spot by Mid-West Associate Director Matt Wells on WBBM-AM in Chicago, it got the state’s attention, says Schaefer. “Illinois DOT had said they’d put it on their five-year plan to get it fixed. Now, they say they’ve found the

Lt. Lee Robertson of the Georgia State Patrol says that Wireless Roadside Inspector contractor Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been in conversation with his state, among others, about participating in WRI’s field operational test.

so far as to demonstrate how existing commercially available technologies could be used to populate a Level 3 inspection report with data adequate enough to efficiently upload an official inspection of a truck outfitted with electronic logs. Industry and public entities have concerns, Vaughn noted, the primary one being privacy. How much data collected by automated roadside systems on carriers “will be made available to the public?” he asked. “What will be available to carriers’ competitors?” As with CSA, “If the public can get it, competitors can, too.” The appropriations bill draft language addressed that concern by requiring DOT to ensure the agency wasn’t overstepping its current statutory authority by using automatically collected data in its inspection databases. The bill also makes certain that DOT puts in place restrictions “to specifically address privacy concerns” of motor carriers and drivers. Only after 180 days following such actions taken or certified by DOT would funding, $11 million worth of it, according to FMCSA’s website, be allowed to continue. “There’s concern that people don’t know where this is going,” Keppler says. “Will FMCSA require the states to adopt whatever they come up with? Until they can articulate what the long-term goal is,” the bill’s language would put a stop to the program. The legislation does, however, note explicitly that “nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting the Department’s ongoing research efforts in this area,” perhaps an acknowledgment of the inevitable march of technology.

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COVER STORY: DECREASING INSPECTIONS money, and they’re going to fix it” as soon as possible. It’s another example of how getting involved in the conversations around

equity and fairness in inspections, violations and citations at levels above the inspector can pay dividends. As Help Inc.’s Steve Vaughn noted in a recent

seminar, if you have a problem that needs a remedy, “I’d recommend you get involved at the headquarters level where you can really affect some change.”

THE SEVEN-STATE SPEED TRAP

These seven states show speeding among their top six violation priorities. All but Ohio are a top 20 state in CCJ’s moving violations intensity rankings. Trucks are under particular scrutiny while on the highway in these states that have considerable resources devoted to mobile enforcement, so the best way to avoid being placed under the enforcement microscope is to keep off the accelerator. Of the seven states, the two at the east-west extremes (West Virginia and Nebraska) are far down the rankings in inspection intensity, meaning your TOUGHEST STATES FOR MOVING VIOLATIONS OVERALL* odds of having a truck inspected during a roadside Iowa 6.9% North Dakota 10.5% NATIONAL AVERAGE: 4.6% stop there are low. But if it does, the likelihood that Washington 6.8% New Mexico 9.8% Indiana 24.8% speeding was the reason it was stopped is relatively Alabama 6.3% Massachusetts 9.5% Delaware 22.4% high. West Virginia Inspection intensity rank: No. 42 Violations per inspection: 1.1 Clean inspections – 53% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Lights 23.6% Observed vehicle defects 16.4% Brakes 9.9% Tires 6.9% Hours 6% Speeding 5.9% Ohio Inspection intensity rank: No. 26 Violations per inspection: 1.8 Clean inspections – 35.5% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Lights 33.5% Brakes 19.8% Observed vehicle defects 8.5% Tires 7.8% Hours 7% Speeding 3.7% Indiana Inspection intensity rank: No. 9 Violations per inspection: 1.8 Clean inspections – 17.3% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Hours 18.7% Speeding 17.4% Lights 9.3% Brakes 8.5%

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

Illinois Michigan Idaho Tennessee Oklahoma

20.6% 13.8% 13% 13% 12.7%

Nebraska Vermont West Virginia Wyoming Louisiana

Observed vehicle defects 8.4% Lack of periodic inspection 3% Michigan Inspection intensity rank: No. 13 Violations per inspection: 1.8 Clean inspections – 19% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Lights 17.4% Observed vehicle defects 15.6% Brakes 13.4% Speeding 9% Hours 6.2% Tires 3.1% Illinois Inspection intensity rank: No. 7 Violations per inspection: 1.1 Clean inspections – 47.7% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Lights 12.4% Brakes 11.1% Speeding 11.1% Hours 8.9% Observed vehicle defects 8.2%

| SEPTEMBER 2015

9.4% 9.1% 9% 8.3% 7.7%

Nevada 6.2% Colorado 6%

*Percentages indicate moving violations’ share of all that state’s violations

Improper lane change 6.6% Iowa Inspection intensity rank: No. 18 Violations per inspection: 2.1 Clean inspections – 23.6% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Hours 18.1% Lights 16.7% Observed vehicle defects 14.7% Brakes 9.9% Lack of periodic inspection 5.2% Speeding 4.5% Nebraska Inspection intensity rank: No. 45 Violations per inspection: 1.5 Clean inspections – 47.6% VIOLATION PRIORITIES Brakes 15.8% Observed vehicle defects 13.3% Lights 10.8% Hours 9.9% Lack of periodic inspection 7.1% Speeding 6.3%

Manual transmissions have dominated trucking for more than a century – but are they about to be relegated to specialty status? By Jack RoBeRts

astering an unsynchronized heavy-duty manual transmission is as much an art as a science. Old-school drivers say they simply don’t feel in complete control of a truck unless it has a manual gearbox. Even the most ardent automated manual transmission experts admit that on a good day, a highly skilled driver with a manual transmission is equal to the best computer-controlled

transmissions in the world in terms of shifting efficiency and fuel economy. Yet, time appears to be catching up to the manual transmission. Spurred by the pressure to maximize fuel economy and safety and to integrate new drivers into fleet operations quickly and seamlessly, more carriers are spec’ing new truck purchases with automated manual gearboxes. OEMs, including Volvo and Freightliner, report steady and impressive take rates on AMTs – now routinely

spec’d on more than half the new vehicles that roll off their factory floors. From a high-level view, the industry trend toward AMTs seems irreversible. But reports of the manual transmission’s demise may be premature. David Johnson, president and chief instructor at Theodore, Ala.-based Premier Driving Academy, still believes in training students on manuals because, in his opinion, it gives them a better overall feel for the vehicle. Also, he thinks it is vital for drivers to understand the mechanics and physics of up- and down-shifting. Finally, as a point of pride, he wants to graduate fully trained drivers capable of operating any truck on the road today and – just as importantly from the students’ perspective – able to go after and get any driving job they want. Still in the majority “The use of automated manual transmissions is definitely increasing in market share as more companies focus on fuel efficiency, driver recruitment and driver retention,” says Ryan Trzybinski, product strategy manager, commercial powertrain, Eaton. “However, manuals still hold the majority share of transmissions in the NAFTA

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| september 2015 61

EquipmEnt: MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS Eaton’s Fuller Advantage manual transmission line features several upgrades designed to target maintenance issues and improve overall functionality and performance, such as a new precision gear lubrication system.

marketplace, especially in smaller fleets that have a number of quality experienced drivers or owneroperators. They do not need to go to AMTs. Eaton still sees the value of manuals because it provides fleets with a choice when they spec their trucks.” Eaton also is seeing a good number of manuals in bigger fleets that run a combination of transmissions to accommodate a variety of drivers. “While we see AMTs continuing to increase in share, we definitely think manuals are going to be around for quite some time,” Trzybinski says. “We have a new 10-speed manual, and we definitely see that as a viable option because the cost and simplicity of manual transmissions continues to make them very attractive to a lot of buyers. And the reliability of the constant mesh manual transmission is world-class.” Stu Russoli, Mack highway and powertrain products marketing manager, says the company sees trends that point to AMTs becoming the dominant transmission in certain segments, but that doesn’t mean conventional manual transmissions will go away completely. “We believe they will still play a role to support a base price point, and they will also find favor in vocational applications where the ability to have manual control over shifting and clutch engagement is desired,” Russoli says. “Design work on manual transmissions is being done, but I would say it is more of a refinement of a very solid technology to better 62

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improve such things as weight and overall durability. There are new materials and processes today that can make some significant improvements in performance and ease of use in the future.” Jon Morrison, president of Wabco’s North American operations, says his company also sees a continued place for manual transmissions in the market. “We don’t think the writing is on the wall for them,” Morrison says. “The adoption of AMT transmissions, however, has expanded to approximately 17 percent of new truck and bus production as of 2014.” Wabco estimates that market penetration of the industry’s AMT solutions will reach one-third of new truck and bus builds by 2019. All about the driver Morrison believes the advantages of AMTs for fuel savings and driver retention will continue to drive further market penetration over manual transmissions. “We also see advantages when an AMT connects to the driveline, engine and braking systems,” he says. “As the increase in and adoption of automated vehicle controls utilizes the AMT to enhance the burgeoning use of autonomous control features on heavy trucks, that trend will continue.”

| september 2015

Also, the learning curve for manual gearboxes can be a daunting one for new drivers. Johnson says that using automated transmissions can be a makeor-break factor for some students who don’t test well. In limited cases – about one in five students, he estimates – he’ll let a student who is trained and proficient on a manual but nervous to use one with an examiner sitting in the passenger seat take the commercial driver’s license driving exam with an automatic transmission. Johnson mentioned a fleet he does business with that recently dropped two competitive driving schools from its “acceptable” list because those schools were sending Class E drivers to them – but the fleet didn’t run any automatics. That’s why he maintains a vested interest in emphasizing manual training at his school. “Some of the larger fleets have really well-refined training programs that they do in-house,” Trzybinski says. “This is giving drivers the ability to operate both manual and automated transmissions. That, in turn, is making those same operators more attractive to potential employers.” With AMT skills only, newer drivers may not be as marketable as far as going to a different fleet or switching to another application such as logging or heavy-haul where manuals are more prevalent, he says. “Knowing how to operate a manual transmission is a great skill for a driver to have if they want to make sure they are attractive to a broader market.” A future with fleets? If one takes a step back and looks at the entire heavy-duty market, it’s easy to see a vibrant customer base for manual gearboxes, Russoli says. (Continued on page 66)

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EquipmEnt: MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS (Continued from page 62) “If you draw a line between highway and vocational trucks, you will see two fairly distinct sets of priorities and needs for manual transmission customers,” he says. “While it’s true that AMTs are making significant gains in market share, conventional manual transmissions shouldn’t be written off just yet. They are not going away for the foreseeable future.” On the highway side, basic 10-speed manual transmissions remain common, Russoli says. “Regardless of whether it’s for a highway or vocational application, manual transmission customers are looking for a transmission that is durable, easy to shift, reliable and easy to service,” he says. “Simplicity and familiarity with the technology still play an important part in the purchase decision.” The bulk of Eaton’s research and development is in automation these days, but Trzybinski says the company’s new Fuller Advantage manual line features several upgrades designed specifically to target maintenance issues and improve overall functionality and performance. An overdrive version was launched toward the end of 2013, and a directdrive version arrived this year. The 10-speed manual doesn’t need an external cooler, which Trzybinski says saves maintenance costs and eliminates burn-up risk possibly caused by a pinched line or improper cooler maintenance. “When a customer pinches a line, it is a nonwarrantable failure, meaning that’s a mistake that they make and is not the transmission’s fault,” he says. “We’ve eliminated the root cause for that happening, so we are reducing our customer’s costs.” Other Advantage series upgrades include a new precision gear lubrication system designed to eliminate 66

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the desire to stay in a manual also goes up.”

Manual transmissions such as Mack’s Maxitorque ES not only offer a desirable wide overall ratio with extra low gears for slow speed but also have more gear steps to keep the engine dialed into the ideal operating range.

churn loss and yield 1.5 to 2 percent better fuel economy. “We also reduced the weight up to 70 pounds less than our previous 10-speed models,” Trzybinski says. “The Fuller Advantage manual is an excellent product, and customer feedback has been very good. Our customers are seeing good value in these transmissions.” While AMTs are enjoying a surge in the on-highway market, they have been slow to catch on in vocational applications where fleets look for different benefits and features from manual gearboxes. Russoli says manual transmissions such as Mack’s Maxitorque ES – available with 10, 13 and 18 speeds – not only offer a desirable wide overall ratio with extra low gears for slow speed but also have more gear steps to keep the engine dialed into the ideal operating range. Manuals also easily can accommodate customized power-takeoff speed controls, multiple special PTOs, multispeed reverse and range case neutral, all positives in vocational applications, he says. It’s a trend Eaton also has noticed. “In vocational applications, manuals are holding a much stronger presence than in line haul,” Trzybinski says. “Our 18-speed manual and 13-speed manual do really well in these applications. As the experience of the drivers goes up, the comfort level and

| september 2015

Good to have a choice For many fleets, having two highly successful transmissions in the market simply means more flexibility when it comes to spec’ing for different applications and pleasing drivers. “A lot of customers are saying ‘Hey, I have a transmission that lasts forever and meets my expectations in terms of durability with very minimal service issues and is performing great. Why would I change it? And I still have quality experienced drivers who prefer manuals,’ ” Trzybinski says. The other important point is a price break at a time when vehicles and mandated components are becoming ever more expensive – a critical consideration for smaller fleets and independents, he says. “They want quick payback on their investment,” Trzybinski says. “Many of our manuals deliver fuel economy improvements that show a positive payback, which is very important to customers. Today’s fleets, in many cases, are making very sophisticated analysis on payback when making buying decisions, and transmission choice is no different.” Russoli agrees that price remains important for fleets. “However, while the initial cost for a manual transmission is less, customers receive a very favorable return on their investment when spec’ing an AMT because of increased fuel efficiency and improved driver comfort,” he says. “Also, today’s AMTs are very smart and, in many cases, can prevent a driver from doing something that would otherwise damage a conventional manual transmission, engine or driveline. Those are the high-level factors that fleets have to consider when deciding on a manual or automated transmission spec.”

A DICTIONARY

OF THE RESULTS LANGUAGE

insanity noun in·san·i·ty

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

smart verb \’smart\

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