CCJ1216 by dwatson

DECEMBER 2016

GRAPHIC APPEAL

CCJ recognizes 2016's Five Flashiest Fleets page 56

PAINLESS BREAKDOWNS

Roadside assistance gets faster, better page 32

HELP UNDER THE HOOD BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

Maintenance software systems know the ямБx page 44

HIGH-TECH CO-PILOT Collision avoidance systems can pay off page 60

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DECEMBER 2016 | VOL 173 | NO. 12

JOURNAL LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

BEYOND THE SPEED LIMITER

FMCSA’s speed limiter rule proposal has drawn criticism from all quarters of the trucking industry. Opponents generally dislike the idea of a one-size-fits-all limit and would prefer wider use of fleet telematics systems that can give drivers real-time alerts and feedback for speeding and other risky behaviors and report the exceptions to fleet management. Design by David Watson

FEATURES

11 News OOIDA mulls further ELD appeal … Drug

and alcohol clear-

CCJ ’s Five Flashiest Fleets

inghouse rule moves closer to publication …

If your tractor and trailer graphics lack imagination, you're not alone. But you and others are missing an opportunity to tell your customers and the motoring public more about your company, the services you provide and the products you haul. The five winning submissions this year successfully relate the company's purpose, tell a story, champion a cause or promote a strong corporate brand image.

Federal court rules PSP reports don’t violate driver privacy …

XPO sells former Con-

way truckload business

Driving safety

to TransForce … Carrier group wants

The road to autonomous driving is paved in layers of sophisticated technologies that all have to work together to keep a driver safe. The first layer is adaptive cruise, a technology that allows the driver to maintain safe following distances without having to actively manipulate the brake pedal. The next layers include the components of a collision avoidance system.

trucker drug testing via hair sample OK’d … Autonomous truck makes first commercial delivery – of beer … Interstate concrete pumpers seek 30-min-

Innovators: CalArk International

The Little Rock, Ark.-based truckload carrier develops its own tools to keep a real-time watch on loads, lanes and customers.

ute break exemption

12 InBrief 20 MarketPulse

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016 3

DEPARTMENTS

ccjdigital.com

technology

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

Editorial

Editor: Jeff Crissey Senior Editor: Aaron Huff Equipment Editor: Jason Cannon Managing Editor: Dean Smallwood News Editor: James Jaillet Associate Editor: Matt Cole Contributing Editor: Todd Dills editorial@ccjdigital.com

22 23

Platooning from the passengerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat Continental Tire breaks ground on $1.4B Mississippi plant

25 InBrief 26 26 28

Cybersecurity poses biggest threat to self-driving trucks NetraDyne expands driver safety platform

Volvo shows off Driver Assist platform

Navistar program helps fleets manage cores, components

40 InBrief

SAF-Holland debuts lightweight trailer suspension, fifth wheel lighting

Telogis expands, updates MRM platform

SkyBitz debuts solar-powered asset tracking

30 Test Drive: 2017 Ram

32 InFocus:

44 InFocus:

ProMaster Cargo Van

Omnitracs expands telematics portfolio

Maintenance software

Roadside assistance

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Upfront

Preventable or Not?

Products

Tire, starter, sunglasses, headlamps, more

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

A driver's daily challenges

John Doe was preparing to turn left from the inside lane when a four-wheeler zipped across the right lane and crashed into his right fender. Was this a preventable accident?

Ad Index

Design & Production

Art Director: David Watson Graphic Designer: Kenneth Stubbs Quality Assurance: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Leah Boyd production@ccjdigital.com

Trucking Media

Vice President of Sales, Trucking Media: Brad Holthaus sales@truckingmedia.com

Corporate

Chairman: Mike Reilly President/CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operating Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Business Development: Robert Lake Senior Vice President, Data: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Events: Stacy McCants Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault

3200 Rice Mine Road N.E. Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com Commercial Carrier Journal (ISSN 1533-7502) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Single copy price U.S., $6; Canada/ Mexico, $9; Foreign, $12. Subscription rates, payable in U.S. dollars, $48 per year (in Canada $78 U.S. currency). For subscription information/inquiries, please email commercialcarrierjournal@halldata.com. Periodicals Postage-Paid at Tuscaloosa, AL, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Commercial Carrier Journal, PO Box 2186, Skokie, IL 60076-9919. Unsolicited letters, manuscripts, stories, materials or photographs cannot be returned except where the sender provides a postage-paid, addressed, stamped envelope. Address all mail to Commercial Carrier Journal Editorial Dept., P.O. Box 3187, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403. All advertisers for Commercial Carrier Journal are accepted and published by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC on the representation that the advertiser and/ or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark, infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Copyright ÂŠ 2016, Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Commercial Carrier Journal. is a registered trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC. Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein.

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LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

OOIDA to ask for new ELD hearing

he Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said last month that it intends to file a motion asking the court that heard its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation’s electronic logging device mandate to rehear its case. OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer OOIDA was unable to convince the said the request for a rehearing will be made to the court of its arguments that the rule 7th Circuit Court of Appeals following the court’s violates truckers’ rights to privacy. Oct. 31-issued decision to uphold the mandate. Three of the 7th Circuit’s 13 judges heard the case, and they were assigned randomly, Spencer said. A rehearing would draw the full 7th Circuit bench to the case, if OOIDA’s motion is granted, and would allow the owner-operator advocacy group to again state its arguments against the mandate. “It may have just been that the luck of the draw was not on our side,” Spencer said. “The issues we raised are really important issues. It seemed like they dismissed the same issues the judges took pretty seriously just five years ago,” he said, referring to the 7th Circuit’s decision to vacate the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 2010-issued rule to mandate electronic logs. The ELD rule, OOIDA argues, violates truckers’ Fourth Amendment rights, promotes harassment of truckers by their carriers, doesn’t comply with Congress’ directives and is more costly than beneficial. The judges that overhead and ruled on the case dismissed those arguments. If the 7th Circuit denies OOIDA’s request for a rehearing en banc, the association likely will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Spencer said. The ELD mandate was made final by FMCSA last December. It will require nearly all drivers using paper logs to switch to an ELD by Dec. 18, 2017, save for those operating pre2000 model-year trucks or running certain short-haul routes. OOIDA filed its suit against the rule in March. Oral arguments were heard in Chicago on Sept. 13. The American Trucking Associations applauded the 7th Circuit’s Oct. 31 decision. “ATA is pleased that the court has cleared the way for this important regulation, and we look forward to its implementation,” said Sean McNally, ATA vice president of public affairs. The Truckload Carriers Association also voiced its support for the court’s ruling and said the mandate will help ensure hours-of-service compliance by all carriers. Scan the QR code with your “Our members are rather proactive, and having smartphone or the court back them and their ELD efforts is a good visit ccjdigital.com/ thing,” said David Heller, TCA vice president of news/subscribe-togovernmental affairs. “The court ruling goes a long newsletters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, a daily e-mail newsletway toward leveling the playing field and making ter filled with news, analysis, blogs sure all carriers are abiding by hours-of-service and market condition articles. regulations.” – James Jaillet

Drug and alcohol clearinghouse rule moves closer to publication

rule to establish a drug and alcohol clearinghouse for

commercial driver’s license holders had cleared its last regulatory hurdle and was scheduled for publication as CCJ went to press. The CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule would establish a database of CDL holders who have failed or refused to take a drug test. The final version of the rule cleared the White House’s Office of Management and Budget on Oct. 31. In its latest rulemaking update, the U.S. Department of Transportation had estimated the final rule would be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 23, but that date was subject to change. According to the preliminary proposed version of the rule, the clearinghouse would require carriers to submit positive drug tests and refusals to the database, and owner-operators also would have to report the consortium or thirdparty drug test administrator they use and authorize it to submit the information to the database. OMB gave the rule a “consistent with change” evaluation, which meant the final rule was cleared for publication with changes recommended by the office. Those recommendations have not been made public, and the rule’s final text won’t be known until it’s published in the Federal Register.

commercial carrier journal

– Matt Cole

| december 2016 11

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 12/16 • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month granted an hours-of-service exemption to the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association for drivers of certain oversize/overweight vehicles from the 30-minute rest break requirement, but the agency denied SC&RA’s request to be exempt from the 14-hour rule. SC&RA’s main reasoning behind both exemption requests was the difficulty the drivers face finding parking for such large vehicles. • New York became the 45th state to void indemnity clauses holding trucking companies responsible for damaged goods regardless of fault. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo into law Nov. 4 following a unanimous vote by the Legislature. Delaware, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont still permit indemnification clauses in trucking contracts.

regulators frame policy around the development and deployment of automated vehicles. DOT is seeking 15 committee members who will serve two-year terms, with no more than two consecutive term reappointments. Individuals interested in nominating themselves or other potential members should send relevant materials to automation@dot.gov. • FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training rule was approved Nov. 15 by the White House Office of Management and Budget and should be published in the Federal Register in the coming weeks. The proposed rule outlined a core curriculum for new truckers receiving their CDL and required 30 hours of behindthe-wheel training. The rule also laid out minimum qualifications for instructors, testing and test vehicles for a driver trainer registry.

• J.B. Hunt (CCJ Top 250, No. 6) reached a $260,000 settlement with four Sikh truckers who claimed religious discrimination when they refused to comply • The U.S. Department of Transportation with the Lowell, Ark.-based carrier’s preis establishing an advisory committee on employment hair-sample October_Ancra Ratcheting Winches_7x4.5.pdf 1 9/6/16 9:02 AM drug-testing automated transportation meant to help program. One of the five articles of

faith for Sikhs is maintaining uncut hair, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which announced the settlement last month. • Saia Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 26) announced plans to expand into the Northeast next year, opening three to five terminals in the second quarter in major markets in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The Duluth, Ga.-based less-thantruckload company said the expansion is the first step in its strategic growth plan that will continue into 2018 and beyond as it works to provide complete continental U.S. coverage. • The Texas Department of Transportation launched Phase 2 of its Truck Toll Discount program intended to help ease Interstate 35 gridlock through Austin. Trucks with a valid TxTag that travel on State Route 130/45SE from the I-35 exit in Georgetown to the U.S. 183 exit in Buda will pay the standard two-axle rate and realize a savings of 67 percent, from $24.12 to $8.04. Drivers who switch from Pay By Mail to TxTag could realize a savings of 75 percent, from $32.07 to $8.04. The discount is set to run through Aug. 31, 2017.

CMY

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Untitled-2 1

| december 2016

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JOURNAL NEWS

Federal court rules PSP reports don’t violate driver privacy

federal appellate court has concluded the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Preemployment Screening Program does not violate drivers’ privacy by providing non-serious safety violations to potential employers. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of the case on Oct. 21. “Indeed, the disclosure of other non-serious driver-related safety violations, such as speeding tickets or other fines, would presumably help achieve Congress’ objective in empowering the FMCSA to promote highway safety,” Judge Norman Stahl wrote. In 2005, Congress mandated that the agency grant trucking companies access to certain minimum information from its Motor Carrier Management Information System so that employers had a reliable method of verifying drivers’ safety records quickly before hiring them. A carrier can opt to use PSP to screen a potential hire by submitting a consent form signed by the driver and paying a $10 fee. This release form informs potential employees they agree to allow the company access to the past five years of their

A federal appellate court ruled that FMCSA’s Pre-employment Screening Program does not violate drivers’ privacy.

crash data, the last three years of inspections and “serious safety violations for an individual driver.” Federal regulations define “serious” violations as ones the U.S. Department of Transportation determines prevent a driver from operating a commercial vehicle until corrected. The law does not indicate if the agency must provide non-serious driver safety violations to potential employers. In 2014, six truckers filed a class action suit, but the federal district court rejected arguments that FMCSA’s inclusion of non-serious violations in PSP reports violates applicants’ privacy and that the agency lacks authority to release it. The appeals court agreed with

the lower court’s conclusion that Congress had not barred releasing other driver information in PSP reports with the potential employee’s consent. Mandating that the agency “shall provide” these reports “can just as easily be read as a floor, an articulation of the agency’s minimum disclosure obligations, rather than a ceiling,” Stahl wrote. The court also dismissed assertions that potential hires “have no choice but to sign off on the release of their records in order to seek future employment” and that signing this form “would certainly doom any prospect for employment.” Companies are not required to access the PSP to screen potential employees, the court noted. However, even if carriers do, appellants had not shown their “chances for employment are doomed entirely as a result of employers having access to their driving records which include nonserious violations,” it stated. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is not a plaintiff in the suit but in 2014 expressed its support for it and said the six drivers were OOIDA members. – Jill Dunn

XPO sells former Con-way truckload business to TransForce

PO Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 3) in late October sold its truckload business – the bulk of which came via its acquisition of Con-way – to TransForce Inc. (No. 7) for about $558 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments. The acquisition by TransForce could make it the nation’s largest truckload carrier. XPO acquired all of Con-way’s operations for $3 billion last year and will use the proceeds from the TransForce deal to pay down debt.

commercial carrier journal

The divested truckload operation encompasses about 3,000 tractors, 7,500 trailers and 29 locations that were part of the October 2015 Conway purchase. XPO said it will continue to offer full truckload services to customers in the United States, Mexico and Canada through its brokerage network. “This transaction strengthens our balance sheet and improves our long-term growth profile,” said Bradley Jacobs, XPO chairman and chief executive officer. “In addition

| december 2016

XPO acquired all of Con-way’s operations for $3 billion last year and will use the proceeds from the TransForce deal to pay down debt.

to deleveraging, the sale reduces our annual capex requirements, increases our return on capital and lessens the cyclicality of our operations.” – James Jaillet

JOURNAL NEWS

Carrier group wants trucker drug testing via hair sample OK’d

coalition of major carriers has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to immediately allow hair sample tests to satisfy federal rules requiring trucking companies to drug-test drivers prior to employment. The agency currently only recognizes urine sample tests. The Trucking Alliance, a carrier advocacy group that includes J.B. Hunt (CCJ Top 250, No. 6), Knight Transportation (No. 24), Maverick Transportation (No. 76) and Dupre Logistics (No. 128), submitted the petition. The FAST Act highway bill passed last year opens the door for the agency to recognize hair tests in lieu of urine samples, but not until the Department of Health and Human Services creates guidelines for hair sample testing. The FAST Act required HHS to finalize guidelines within a year of the law’s enactment, which would be Dec. 5 of this year. The guidelines had not been finalized last month, however, and the Alliance said HHS likely will request more time to do so, further delaying carriers’ ability to test drivers via hair sample. “On this issue, the private sector is already far ahead of the public sector in utilizing the latest methods to detect

Testing drivers via hair sample instead of a urine sample yields more positive tests, the Trucking Alliance argues.

drug users,” said Lane Kidd, managing director of the Trucking Alliance. “While we wait on HHS and FMCSA, we can possibly save lives with this exemption by keeping many hard drug users out of our trucks and off our highways.” Some carriers such as J.B. Hunt already test drivers via hair sample, but those carriers still must spend money to test drivers via urine sample, a practice that could be ended if the agency accepted drug screening via hair analysis, the Alliance members argue. – James Jaillet

Autonomous truck makes first commercial delivery - of beer

he path toward a “driverless truck” is full of firsts, many of which have yet to take place. But the movement cleared one of its most significant hurdles to-date last month – actually making an autonomous delivery. Through a partnership between trucking technology startup Otto and Anheuser-Busch, beer drinkers in the Colorado Springs area were the first in the world to consume goods delivered by a fully autonomous truck. Otto, which was bought by Uber in August, hauled 51 cases of Budweiser during a pre-dawn run from Fort Collins, Colo., through downtown Denver before arriving at Colorado Springs for delivery. While the roads weren’t crowded on the two-plus-hour drive, Otto’s truck still had to deal with sharing the road. The truck, a Volvo VNL, used cameras, radar and lidar (laser-based) sensors to see the road. Otto’s system controlled the truck’s acceleration, braking and steering to carry the beer exit-to-exit with no human intervention. Otto co-founder Lior Ron said the truck’s driver was out of the driver’s seat for the entire 120-mile trek down Interstate 25 and monitored the system from the sleeper. All the driver had to do was drive the truck onto the interstate and take over as it left the interstate to its 16

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

Otto’s cameras, radar and lidar sensors controlled the Volvo VNL’s acceleration, braking and steering to carry the beer exitto-exit with no human intervention.

final destination at the distributor. Ron said his company worked closely with Colorado state transportation agencies in setting parameters for the test. The 51,744 cans of Budweiser got a commemorative design to recognize the partnership and delivery. However, cutting-edge trucking technology doesn’t necessarily come with a rate premium. Ron said Otto was paid $470 for the job, basically market rate. – Jason Cannon

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JOURNAL NEWS

Interstate concrete pumpers seek 30-minute break exemption

A ACPA said “an unknown number of the pumping trucks are operated in metropolitan areas and do routinely cross state lines.”

n association representing concrete pumping companies and their employees is looking for an exemption for all interstate concrete pumping trucks and their drivers

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18 Untitled-7 1

commercial carrier journal

from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s 30-minute rest break regulation. The American Concrete Pumping Association’s exemption request would apply across the U.S. concrete pumping industry to all operators, companies and drivers who deliver, set up and operate concrete pumps. ACPA said many of the trucks operate intrastate and wouldn’t be covered under the exemption, but “an unknown number of the pumping trucks are operated in metropolitan areas and do routinely cross state lines.” The association said it has several reasons behind the exemption request: • The mandatory 30-minute break increases the risk of dangerous conditions on jobsites because it would require the concrete pump to be shut down and cleaned out. Stopping the flow of concrete can allow air to enter the pipes, which could cause hoses to whip around and hit a pump operator. • Pump operators already take breaks throughout the day, so an additional 30-minute break doesn’t enhance safety. • The operators only drive between 25 and 32 percent of their shift, with average daily driving distances of just 20 to 25 miles. • Because ready-mixed concrete truck drivers were granted a permanent exemption from keeping logs if operating within a 100-mile radius, its concrete pump operators don’t have time to take a break because of the perishable nature of concrete, which hardens within 90 minutes of the ingredients being mixed. FMCSA is seeking public comment on the request. To comment, search Docket No. FMCSA-2016-0342 at www.regulations.gov. – Matt Cole

| december 2016 11/2/16 2:43 PM

MARKETPULSE

he following information is obtained from the October 2016 CCJ MarketPulse Report, a survey of more than 200 senior executives at trucking companies who have agreed to participate monthly. The October 2016 CCJ MarketPulse Report received 80 completed responses from carrier executives. If you would like to participate in the CCJ MarketPulse survey, please email Jeff Crissey at jcrissey@randallreilly.com.

“While we are excited to see a Trump victory and a Republican-controlled Congress, it will be interesting to see how quickly Trump’s policies will move this country forward.” – CCJ MarketPulse respondent

1 0 9 T MONTH EV ER S E

5.6

Survey respondents indicated improving business conditions on a month-over-month basis, with 32.4 percent of all respondents saying October was better than September and 13.8 percent saying it was worse (compared to 23.8 percent in the September 2016 survey). Compared to the same month last year, 23.7 percent of all respondents said October 2016 was better, while 43.8 percent said it was worse. In the next six months, 41.3 percent of respondents expect business conditions to improve (28.8 percent last month), with respondents from fleets with more than 100 power units slightly more optimistic.

Business forecast for the next 6 months Much worse Worse

Overall

Same

Up to 100 power units

Better

More than 100 power units

Much better

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Capacity remains level Carrier intentions to add capacity remain stable, with 30.0 percent of all respondents saying they are planning to increase fleet size in the next six months, while 63.8 percent plan to keep fleet size the same by either replacing aging equipment or not making any changes. Meanwhile, 6.2 percent of respondents indicate they will decrease the size of their fleets in the next six months.

IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS, WE PLAN TO:

UP TO 100 MORE THAN 100 POWER UNITS POWER UNITS 29.2% 30.4%

OVERALL 30.0%

Increase the size of our fleet Replace aging equipment but keep fleet size the same Decrease the size of our fleet Make no change in our fleet

43.8% 6.2% 20.0%

41.7% 8.3% 20.8%

44.6% 5.4% 19.6%

All about drivers

in October 1 = WORST 10 = BEST W

2 MONTH EV

Business conditions slowly improving

ER 3

Carrier sentiment holds steady The Carrier Sentiment Index for October was 5.61, essentially unchanged from the September survey. The index assesses the month on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the carrier’s worst month and 10 being the best. Respondents from fleets with up to 100 power units were slightly more positive, ranking October at 5.75 compared to 5.55 for respondents from fleets with more than 100 power units.

With the presidential election behind us, only 2.5 percent of respondents rank the political climate in Washington as their top concern, down from 6.3 percent in last month’s survey. Once again, driver availability leads the way as the top concern for 41.6 percent of all respondents. Freight volume was the top concern for 33.9 percent of respondents from fleets with more than 100 power units but just 9.5 percent of respondents from fleets with up to 100 power units. Freight pricing fell to the No. 3 top concern at 22.1 percent for all respondents.

Carrier top concerns

80% 70% 60% Driver availability

50% 40%

SOURCE: CCJ MARKETPULSE REPORT

30%

Freight volume

20% Freight pricing

10%

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commercial carrier journal | december 2016

Political climate in Washington

Regulation

Nov.

2015

Dec.

Jan.

2016

Feb.

March

April

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

BY JASON CANNON

Platooning from the passenger’s seat Going from spectator to ProStar participant

’ve seen my fair share of platooning demonstrations. One truck paces another. They change lanes. They both stop. The technological sophistication involved is impressive, but it’s not exactly a spectator sport. That all changed last month along with my perspective when I went from spectator to active platooner. During a demonstration at Navistar’s proving grounds in New Carlisle, Ind., I was able to ride along as two ProStars synched up for a couple of semi-autonomous laps around the track. The demonstration lead rig led the other at a gap of about 20 meters, which the trailing driver could adjust on a sliding scale. Once the lead driver accepted the request to join the platoon, he was in charge of the second vehicle’s input, including acceleration, braking and steering. The second truck is controlled by radio frequency signals from the lead tractor. While the driver in the front is calling all of the shots, truck No. 2 PLATOONING VIEWING: The technological sophistication is impressive, but it’s not a spectator sport.

DIFFERENT DEMO: The steering automation uses an electric-hydraulic system and is unique to Navistar.

NEARLY PRIME TIME: Platooning technology is available but needs refinement – and regulation.

commercial carrier journal

isn’t solely at his mercy. The trailing driver can take over control of his truck at any time by hitting any of the pedals or simply leaving the platoon, which severs the radio connection. If he wanted to brake, all he has to do is step on the pedal. The truck would respond as it would normally. The steering automation, which uses an electric-hydraulic system, is unique to Navistar’s project, said Scott Smay, Navistar’s director of vehicle integration. Many other platooning demos require the trailing driver to steer their own vehicle while the platoon handles speed and braking. Continued on page 23

| december 2016

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It can be unnerving to ride in a truck that is being led around. Continued from page 22 International partnered with Texas A&M to research and test platooning tech beyond radar cameras, vehicle-to-vehicle communication and longitudinal patterns. They are pushing the envelope to also include lateral (lane change) movement. Tomasz Salamon, lead engineer for Navistar platooning partner Ricardo Inc., said platooning technology is readily available but needs refinement – and regulation – before becoming widely viable. Smay said interference from GPS satellites is not uncommon at this stage in testing, and Salamon said the ability to encrypt the radio signal tightly is an important hurdle to clear. Platooning’s time is coming, and it already may be here. Lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, following distance alerts and collision mitigation each already are regulated and available widely. Each of those systems have to communicate with one another in a platoon, so the skeletal system – Once the lead driver accepted the electronic architecture – is already in the the request to join the platoon, he was in charge of the second order book. vehicle’s input, including accelAfter a couple of laps, the lead truck led eration, braking and steering. us off the track to the staging area, again with our driver doing almost nothing. As truck No. 1 decelerated, we followed suit. As he veered left to exit the track, we followed him. It’s interesting to watch platooning technology in action, even though it can be somewhat unnerving to ride in a truck that is being led around by someone who is 50-plus feet away. JASON CANNON is Equipment Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcannon@randallreilly.com or call (205) 248-1175.

Continental Tire breaks ground on $1.4B Mississippi plant

ontinental Tire last month officially broke ground on its state-of-the-art commercial truck tire plant in Clinton, Miss. The plant will augment its North American commercial truck tire production alongside its existing facility in Mt. Vernon, Ill. Continental will invest nearly $1.4 billion in its Clinton facility in the next decade, making it the largest plant investment in company history and the second-largest economic development project in Mississippi’s history. The plant is expected to employ as many as 2,500 people and will be Continental’s first new plant for its truck tire business globally in more than 10 years. The creation of a new commercial tire plant in North America comes as Continental’s U.S. market penetration increases, said Paul Williams, executive vice president, commercial vehicle tire, the Americas. The plant will include an internal training center, customer training center and customer showcase facility, and Continental will relocate its technology and warranty center from Mt. Vernon to Clinton. Site preparation will take a year and a half, with plant construction beginning in 2018 and manufacturing operations starting by the end of 2019. “We believe in our long-term opportunities to grow our business further in the U.S. market,” said Nikolai Setzer, member of Continental’s Executive Board and head of Continental’s global tire business worldwide. – Jeff Crissey

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (fifth from left) joins Continental’s Nikolai Setzer (fourth from left) and Paul Williams (far right) and other dignitaries in breaking ground on the company’s new plant in Clinton, Miss. commercial carrier journal

december 2016

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INBRIEF • All of the nearly 16,000 Volvo trucks recalled earlier this year have been identified for repair, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Volvo announced the recall for certain model-year 2016-17 VNL, VNX and VNM trucks because of a steering shaft defect that the truck maker said could cause a complete loss of steering. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reached out to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to exercise its authority to place the affected trucks out of service. • TravelCenters of America formed the TA Truck Service Commercial Tire Network to allow it to better meet increased customer demand for flexible, efficient sourcing of commercial tires. In addition to the company’s traditional retail and national account offerings, TA has added tire brands and expanded the brands available through both its RoadSquad emergency roadside and OnSite mobile maintenance services. Many brands now are available for pickup, for delivery at customer locations and through direct sales.

• Peterbilt added Bendix’s Wingman Advanced collision mitigation technology to its medium-duty Models 337 and 348. Wingman Advanced integrates with Bendix’s ESP full stability system and is designed to alert drivers to take evasive action and actively engage braking if an imminent collision is detected. • Peterbilt’s Red Oval preowned truck program now includes preleased PacLease trucks with a complementary Red Oval Assurance Warranty that provides engine and aftertreatment coverage for vehicles up to five model years or 550,000 miles. Buyers also receive comprehensive vehicle inspections, preferred Paccar Financial financing and Paccar Parts Loyalty Card discounts for parts and service at participating Peterbilt dealerships. • Mitchell 1 completed model-year 2016 updates to its TruckSeries software suite, an online application designed to provide truck service technicians with labor estimates, diagnostic trouble code procedures and repair information for all makes of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The latest release of TruckSeries

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also includes a Transmission Service & Fault Code Index in the Repair module to help provide technicians with faster access to transmission information for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. • Ryder System launched a fuel delivery network for its ChoiceLease and SelectCare customer fleets that are off duty and domiciled at customer locations in the United States and Canada. The network leverages Ryder’s fuel partnerships and combines the benefits of maximized driving time, increased asset utilization and transparent and consistent fuel pricing. • Ryder System launched its updated preowned vehicle sales website, Usedtrucks.Ryder.com. The fully responsive and mobile-friendly site now includes enhanced search tools and new features designed to make it easier for customers to locate preowned vehicles. • PurePower Technologies, a provider of new and remanufactured fuel injectors and turbochargers for OEMs and the aftermarket, expanded its product lineup to include turbochargers for light-, medium- and heavy-duty truck engines.

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commercial carrier journal

december 2016

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Volvo shows off Driver Assist platform

olvo Trucks North America last month gave industry press and fleet customers an up-close look at the company’s new Volvo Active Driver Assist system in a track demonstration in Laurens, S.C., showing off the crash avoidance technology designed to help prevent severe rear-end collisions and rollovers. The VADA system is built upon Bendix’s Wingman Fusion active safety system, fully integrating it from the factory with no external monitors or displays. That level of integration means that all of the system’s alerts appear in the main Driver Information Display within the instrument cluster. VADA takes the Fusion system a step beyond current capabilities by incorporating a 42-degree-angle camera with the 22-degree radar sensor, allowing the system to better detect other vehicles and react accordingly, said Ash Makki, Volvo’s

technology marketing manager. The system constantly reads the road ahead, using the camera system to identify other vehicles and the radar system to track their movement. Should the system detect an impending rear-end crash, such as when stopping distances begin to narrow quickly, it will alert the driver with visual and audio warnings. If the driver does not take braking or steering action to avoid the crash, the truck will engage the brakes autonomously in an attempt to prevent the crash or reduce its severity. VADA’s new camera and radar also allow for more accurate lane departure warnings and a bolstered active cruise control system that maintains proper following distances at highway speeds. The system also includes the full electronic stability control system designed to prevent rollover crashes and loss of control by disengaging the throttle and

Volvo Active Driver Assist incorporates a 42-degree-angle camera with Bendix Wingman Fusion’s 22-degree radar sensor.

braking to avoid such crashes. Trigger events – such as hard braking, excessive speed, swerving and lane changes without a signal – record 20-second video clips before and after the event that are uploaded to a dashboard where fleet managers can download them. Fleets also can use the Bendix SafetyDirect portal to score drivers and target them for intervention. The system is available on both the VNL and VNM models. – James Jaillet

Navistar program helps fleets manage cores, components

avistar last month rolled out a program to help fleet customers manage end of life, wrecked trucks and surplus components. The company’s Core Advantage Program is designed to help fleet owners reduce overall costs by aiding management of core and remanufacturing activity through new tools such as Navistar’s proprietary Core Management System. Navistar defines a core as a “used or failed part that has been returned by the customer at the end of its product life.” Joel Larsen, Navistar vice president of parts product management, said cores are a key part of the business and that he expects the program to increase the company’s product and service offerings, including Navistar’s private Fleetrite parts label and OnCom26

commercial carrier journal

mand suite of value-added services. “A good core return program is key to a successful reman program,” Larsen said. Cores are employed to remanufacture a returned part and restore it to like-new condition. Remanufactured parts carry the same features and functionality as new parts and come with the same warranty. “Remanufacturing is great for the environment and great for business,” said Chintan Sopariwala, general manager of core and remanufacturing operations at Navistar. “Remanufactured parts offer a low-cost alternative to new parts without sacrificing on product quality or warranty. Last year alone, Navistar recycled over 70 million pounds of used truck components, and we have even more aggressive plans to increase this number.”

| december 2016

Navistar defines a core as a “used or failed part that has been returned by the customer at the end of its product life.”

With the Core Advantage Program, fleets can have their own account number and location codes within the CMS, which streamlines their ability to see and run reports on purchases, return history, core eligibility and core fallout rates across multiple locations. – Jason Cannon

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SAF-Holland debuts lightweight trailer suspension, fifth wheel lighting system

AF-Holland last month debuted a lighter trailer suspension that targets weight savings, which Roger Jansen – product manager of trailers, axles and suspensions – said will be at a premium

as aerodynamic efficiency mandates from Phase 2 legislation will add nearly 500 pounds via skirts, tails and fairings. The CBX40 AeroBeam on-highway van slider is the first product in the company’s

Aero Series and, with a base weight of 1,267 pounds, is about 10 percent lighter than the outgoing CBX40 model. The suspension also features SAF-Holland’s Black Armour coating and SwingAlign system for maintaining axle adjustment. Shocks have been relocated to provide more room on the subframe for air tanks, brake valves, tire inflation systems and anti-lock braking system modules. The unit is customizable with a manual or air-assisted slide pin release, Dockwalk, auto-sensing lift axles, drum or air disc brakes and parallel or taper spindles. Fifth wheel helper SAF-Holland unveiled its fifth wheel coupling assistant, ELI-te (Electronic Lock Indicator – technology enhanced). Available as an integrated option on FW35 Series fifth wheels, the ELI-te is mounted directly to the fifth wheel top plate and features electrical output capability to support connection with remote indicators. When a trailer kingpin is coupled to an ELI-te fifth wheel, four white LED lights mounted within the fifth wheel automatically illuminate the lock jaws, assisting drivers by directing attention to the connection between the lock jaws and kingpin. The white lights will remain lit for five minutes. If the system senses a coupling problem, red LED lights will flash from both sides of the fifth wheel and will remain flashing until the driver reattempts the coupling. – Jason Cannon

Roger Jansen, SAF-Holland product manager of trailers, axles and suspensions, shows the details on the company’s new CBX40 AeroBeam trailer suspension.

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TEST DRIVE: 2017 RAM PROMASTER CARGO VAN

Ramming forward ProMaster poised for big-time push BY JASON CANNON

he commercial van market has undergone a Euro-invasion unlike anything since The Ed Sullivan Show ushered Beatlemania stateside in the 1960s. Ram’s ProMaster, inspired mostly by its sibling Fiat Ducato, is coming off a banner year thanks to the U.S. Postal Service, which recently received the last of a 9,000-unit order – only to request 3,000 more. The unibody ProMaster, available in 14 different configurations, was launched in 2013 as a 2014 model and has helped Ram seize upwards of 15 percent market share since the Ram Commercial brand was born in 2012. ProMaster comes standard with a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 engine that kicks out 280 hp and is matched to a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 3-liter four-cylinder EcoDiesel that features 174 hp is available as an option and is matched to a 6-speed automated manual transmission. Dave Sowers, Ram Commercial’s head of marketing, said the availability of an AMT on the diesel was designed to help commercial customers recruit drivers. “By making an automated manual, you get the best of both worlds,” he said. “A vehicle that just about any driver can operate, and you still maintain that efficiency and durability.” New for 2017, the ProMaster diesel powertrain gets an electric parking brake. “If you stop the vehicle, shut it off and get out and forget to set the parking brake, it will set it automatically, and you 30

commercial carrier journal

Ram’s unibody ProMaster, available in 14 different configurations, was inspired mostly by its sibling Fiat Ducato.

don’t have to worry about the vehicle in that case,” Sowers said. I was able to test a 2017 ProMaster over the course of several days, motoring more than 270 miles on both highway and city streets. My test unit featured the stock gas powertrain that is prominent across the Chrysler, Ram and Dodge brands. I found the engine nimble at highway speeds, and traction and handling were tight. An optional AMT isn’t the only thing included on ProMaster aimed at making driving easier; ProMaster is the only Class 2 commercial van that doesn’t feature rear-wheel drive. “Front-wheel drive is a better, more predictable package for inexperienced drivers,” Sowers said. “Most of these guys that drive these things are hired for another skill.” I may or may not qualify as an inexperienced driver, but predictable is an accurate way to describe the handling, highlighted by responsive steering. Making the van easier to drive is just one of the benefits of the frontwheel-drive setup. There are fewer parts from front to back, allowing for a lower load floor and bigger doors that can fit a standard-size pallet.

| december 2016

ProMaster comes standard with a 3.6-liter gasoline V6 engine that kicks out 280 hp.

Predictable is an accurate way to describe ProMaster’s handling, highlighted by responsive steering.

For customers in the market for a chassis cab, front-wheel drive gives upfitters more room to work. “It’s much easier to upfit,” Sowers said. “We have lower frame rails in the back so you can get your upfit closer to the

ground, but it also means the upfitter has less to touch in the back.” Chassis cabs and cutaways, available in the 3500 series in either a 136- or 159-inch wheelbase, feature a low roof with a cabto-axle of 81 or 104 inches, respectively. While the unibody construction gives ProMaster a noticeably smoother ride than a large body-on-frame van, it still provides enough backbone for a 4,417-pound payload rating. “That’s going to get me more than a ¾-ton truck in most cases, with the added benefit of the security that comes along with it,” Sowers said. While ProMaster’s ride and handling improves when it’s loaded, it was comfortable even when absent a payload. ProMaster cargo vans are available in a 118-inch short-wheelbase low-roof 1500, low- and high-roof 136-inch medium-wheelbase 1500, medium- and 159-inch-long-wheelbase high-roof 2500, and long-wheelbase high-roof 3500 in standard or extended body, which adds 14 inches. Cargo volumes range from 283 to 530 cubic feet. My low-roof 136-inch-wheelbase test model featured up to 469 cubic feet of storage, and the 65-inch floor-to-ceiling height made standing up in the back easy. The average American male is 5-foot-10, so most guys are likely to agree. ProMaster has an almost imposing driving position. Two captain seats, which each swivel 180 degrees, are mounted on a raised deck that gives the driver an elevated vantage point through the giant windshield; a bench seat is optional. A 36-foot turning radius shines on urban surface streets. At the rear, ProMaster’s cargo doors open in three stages – 90, 180 and almost 270 degrees – making loading and unloading simple for most any application, and a low load floor height makes egress comfortable. Sowers said the average age of the commercial van fleet is hovering at just more than seven years old and that Ram

is hoping to capitalize on soon-to-come turnover rates with the Italian-inspired ProMaster. With the agility the van offers on the road, coupled with ergonomic comforts such as its lower step-in height, Ram Commercial may be poised to push its 15 percent share to new heights.

My low-roof 136-inch-wheelbase test model featured up to 469 cubic feet of storage.

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31 8/17/16 9:15 AM

in focus: ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE

Like a good neighbor BY JASON CANNON

reakdowns rarely come at a convenient time, but when they happen at roadside – leaving a driver and his truck and cargo stranded on the highway hundreds or thousands of miles from the main office – it only adds insult to injury. A nationwide network of 24-hour emergency service vendors dot the map, standing at the ready for everything from mechanical failures to flat tires and towing, as well as equipment relocation, driveway services and preventive maintenance issues that need to be handled over the road. “We handle each event per our customers’ specialized instructions,” says Heather Dean, director of marketing and sales operations for FleetNet. A breakdown service vendor also acts like somewhat of an Angie’s List for truckers, allowing the service experience of previous customers to dictate who gets called for the next one. FleetNet ranks the service, quality and pricing of each of its vendors after each event, which gives the company insight into which ones to use again and which to avoid. “If a vendor performs poorly, they are ranked low in our system and not used again,” Dean says. “Because FleetNet manages over 450,000 events annually, customers enjoy our priority service due to repeat business with vendors.” Emergency networks also benefit from their ability to buy services on scale. FleetNet negotiates rates with towing vendors that saves customers more than 30 percent, Dean says. In almost all cases, emergency breakdown services also can arrange warranty repairs.

“Contacting a vendor directly without having [an] insurance certificate on file or not knowing their history with service calls can cost customers much more than the service fee if things don’t go smoothly,” she says. Clark and Dean say both their companies begin contacting the most qualified service vendor available as quickly as the call for help is placed. In many cases, a customer’s average downtime can be measured in minutes versus days. “The average downtime for non-major events is just over two hours from the time we receive the call until the unit is rolling again,” Dean says. It’s also worth considering the time of day you do most of your driving, which could limit your options when the need arises. “In the middle of the night, you’ve got to have something,” Clark says. “I just don’t think you can not have some kind of plan.”

Security and speed Savings aside, using a reliable emergency service network also acts as a security blanket for time-sensitive deliveries. “If you’ve got a load of ice cream that you’re carrying across the country, you can’t afford to not have some sort of emergency contingency,” says Jane Clark, NationaLease vice president of member services. “If you can wait a couple of days, maybe you don’t need something like this. But if you’ve got deadlines or perishable loads, you can’t afford to not have some kind of backup plan.” Fleets that turn to emergency services as a final option usually argue the expense isn’t worth the time saved, but Dean says if properly planned and executed, an emergency service call can be your best option in many cases.

Payment plans While NationaLease service only is available to network members, FleetNet is an open network that offers contract rates and bills direct for contract customers. For fleets willing to roll the dice on not needing a volume of roadside service annually, FleetNet also handles one-off calls for customers not under contract but who find themselves in a bind. Dean says the service fee for noncontract customers is a little higher, and those customers must pay the vendor at the time of service. “Contract customers with established credit are billed,” Dean says. “Being able to bill a customer is more convenient for their drivers [and] dispatchers, as they do not need to worry about a form of payment.”

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

Using a reliable emergency service network acts as a security blanket for time-sensitive deliveries.

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technology Autonomous risk

Cybersecurity poses biggest threat to self-driving trucks

he expanding network of Internet of Things technology is giving motor carriers new options to make their equipment and drivers safer and more efficient. But every new device, software application or sensor that connects to the Internet comes with added risk. More information continues to be processed and stored in the cloud, putting individuals and businesses at risk from a cyberattack. Awareness of that risk is heightened by recent events. In late October, a global Internet attack brought down major websites and slowed communications to a crawl. Also, WikiLeaks exposed thousands of private email messages sent and received by a top operative in the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign. A security breach that exposes data belonging to a trucking company may not make national headlines, but it could be costly and damaging to the parties involved. A cybercriminal might decide to hack EXPANDING NETWORK: IoT gives carriers options to make equipment and drivers safer and efficient. IN THE CLOUD: More data continues to be processed and stored, increasing the risk of a cyberattack. KEEPING UP WITH DEMAND: The transportation industry will need to look beyond ‘point solutions.’

commercial carrier journal

More information continues to be processed and stored in the cloud, putting individuals and businesses at risk from a cyberattack.

into a carrier’s IT systems to obtain freight manifests. Besides planning a load heist, a hacker might do this to change a manifest to facilitate smuggling or drug trafficking. Freight brokers that provide on-demand shipping services also might be victimized by cybercriminals that use websites to pose as qualified carriers and take loads. The specter of risk only will increase as autonomous trucks hit the roads. One easily can imagine the problems caused by a cyberattack that disables a vehicle or takes over the controls. Cisco, which specializes in IoT systems for transportation, builds end-to-end architectures for systems in aviation, rail and public transit. The company now is developing IoT solutions for customers in manufacturing, trucking, logistics and other supply chain-related industries. Barry Einsig, Cisco’s global transportation executive, said transportation companies already use “point solutions,” such as asset tracking systems, to increase levels of control and security. But point solutions leave gaps in security, and “in the end, they become single points of failure,” Einsig said. The transportation industry eventually will need to look beyond “point solutions” to keep up with the demand for IoT systems that connect carriers, shippers, third parties and global supply chains. A single point of failure or security breach in a supply chain has far-reaching effects. Einsig said transportation companies must think beyond their own IoT network perimeter and take part in broader security issues as the march toward automation continues. “That’s where we can help,” he said. Beyond providing IT security for individual companies and their networks, Cisco wants to provide a secure architecture for IoT

december 2016

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

systems that enable truck platooning and automated trucking systems. Automated trucking systems will rely on secure IoT systems that link manufacturers to distribution facilities, carriers and end customers. These systems will be able to automatically identify what is on the truck, where it needs to be routed and when it will be at the next facility and to the end customer for unloading. The first glimpse of what an automated trucking system looks like came in late October. A self-driving truck created by Otto transported a load of beer exitto-exit with no human intervention. The next step likely will be the use of alreadyexisting IoT systems to load and unload trailers automatically. To keep up with these and other advancements, the transportation industry will need to converge their disparate IT systems onto a single IP network to enable better information sharing and common communications, Einsig said. The future of trucking is exciting, but automation also carries cyberrelated risks that must be anticipated and addressed. AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296.

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december 2016

technology

Netradyne expands driver safety platform

etradyne added three features to its DriverI safety platform for commercial vehicles. DriverI is designed to capture every moment and aspect of the driving experience, rather than a small sample of triggered data, to better protect each driver, each fleet

manager and the fleet’s reputation. The platform is designed with detection, causality and reasoning capabilities at the vehicle level. Fleets also can use DriverI to recognize good driving behaviors and results and reinforce best practices.

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commercial carrier journal

The new features use what Netradyne’s DriverI Netradyne desafety platform for commercial vehicles scribes as Artifiis designed to capcial Intelligence ture every moment Deep Learning and aspect of the and include Traffic driving experience. Light Detection, Relative Speed Determination and Pedestrian Identification: • Traffic Light Detection accurately detects and recognizes traffic lights to give fleets insight into their routes and capture a more robust driving view in the absence of an inertia-based trigger. • Relative Speed Determination analyzes every minute of every driving hour – computing the vehicle’s speed against the traffic flow – providing visibility into potential unsafe speed variances based on road conditions. • Pedestrian Identification expands on Netradyne’s Deep Learning portfolio to detect the proximity of pedestrians to the vehicle, improving risk analysis. The online Fleet Safety Management Center enables fleet managers to access video events that have been transmitted based on preconfigured parameters. Fleet managers also can remotely access video events stored on the DriverI platform to respond quickly to claims, inquiries and customer service requests. Fleet Managers also can query the DriverI dashboard and search video events by driver, vehicle, date, time and location. “Through the application of Deep Learning, fleets are provided with a wider view into the driving environment, allowing for more complete context around the conditions that the fleet is operating under and ultimately making the fleet safer in those driving conditions,” said Avneesh Agrawal, Netradyne co-founder and chief executive officer. – Aaron Huff

december 2016 1/21/16 12:54 PM

ESTABLISHED 1997

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INBRIEF • Verizon Communications Inc. completed its $2.4 billion acquisition of Fleetmatics Group PLC for $60 per share in cash. Fleetmatics is now part of the Verizon Telematics business, which offers wireless, software and hardware solutions to consumers, enterprises, vehicle makers and dealers to power connected-vehicle products worldwide. • U.S. Bank expanded its Voyager Network by making its fuel card usable at thousands of additional “cardlock” or “backyard” private fueling sites used by corporations, government agencies and other organizations. The card will provide fleet managers with richer data and more control over when their drivers access automated, unattended fuel sites, the company said. The Voyager Network includes more than 230,000 locations. • Aljex Software, a provider of webbased transportation management software for brokers, carriers and third-party logistics providers, released an Accounts Payable solution designed to organize and automate the payment process. The AP solution is integrated with the company’s Vision TMS and also can be integrated as a back-end solution for third parties looking to streamline accounting. • 10-4 Systems, a provider of multimodal shipment tracking, announced an integration with McLeod Software’s PowerBroker to provide shippers and carriers added transparency thoughout their networks. 10-4 works with more than 8,000 asset and nonasset carriers to continuously recalculate ETAs. • Paragon Software Systems, a provider of vehicle routing and scheduling optimization software, announced an integration with the Astrata Group’s vehicle tracking system. Paragon said five further partner integrations are planned due to growing global demand for vehicle tracking.

commercial carrier journal

Telogis expands, updates MRM software platform

elogis announced a number of extensions to its Mobile Resource Management software platform during its annual Latitude business conference, held Nov. 2-4 Jason Koch, Telogis co-founder, explains the in Dana Point, Calif. Telogis Spotlight mobile app to attendees of the • A new Telogis Spotlight mobile company’s annual Latitude business conference. app gives supervisors and fleet managers a quick easy-to-read snapshot of what’s happening in the field with up-to-date analytics about vehicle health and driver performance. Spotlight highlights critical data and areas of concern that allow users to determine where attention may be required. The app automatically curates analytics information into dashboards and scorecards and helps interpret the severity of vehicles’ diagnostic trouble codes. Field managers can locate and contact teams in the field through the app and receive visual representations of information about safety, fuel efficiency and vehicle health, as well as the locations of nearby vehicles and drivers in either map or list views. Managers also can set up push notifications for key information and easily share insights and information with others within their organization. “By having all of the information they need in the palms of their hands – simply and graphically displayed in the Spotlight app – customers can monitor, react and pivot resources throughout the day and more easily identify opportunities to optimize areas of their businesses,” said Jason Koch, Telogis co-founder. The Telogis Spotlight app will be available in early 2017 as an extension of the Telogis MRM platform. It has been optimized for iOS but also will be available for Android devices. • Also announced were feature enhancements to the Telogis Compliance applications for managing hours-of-service adherence to ensure drivers’ logs are up to date while supporting federal and state rules and local exemptions. The HOS app is designed in a user-friendly manner so that drivers easily can provide the application to law enforcement during an inspection. The Driver Vehicle Inspection Reporting capability within Telogis Compliance takes advantage of advanced sensors on drivers’ everyday mobile devices. Fleet managers can confirm the path drivers have taken to move around a vehicle when performing an inspection. Telogis Compliance for HOS and DVIR management is available now as an extension of the Telogis MRM platform on the App Store or Google Play. • A new Telogis Dispatch module within the Telogis Dynamic Response Suite allows for more dynamic and “smarter” decisions than traditional dispatching, with route optimization capability and the ability to automate dispatch workflows. Telogis Dispatch will be available in early 2017. • Telogis also announced the next generation of Telogis Control Room to provide a high-level graphical view of all work being completed across the organization in a heads-up display format. Customizable widgets keep supervisors in the know and help them respond to business needs in a timely manner. Telogis ControlRoom works in conjunction with Telogis ETA. – Aaron Huff

december 2016

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technology

INBRIEF • Drivewyze added bypass services to seven more Michigan weigh stations on U.S. Interstates 69, 75, 94 and 96. The company now offers bypass services at more than 600 weigh stations and inspections sites nationwide. • FourKites announced that Dupré Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 128) selected its real-time tracking platform to increase supply chain visibility. Dupré can share FourKites’ location data and estimated arrival times with its shipping and receiving customers, preventing calls and emails. The Lafayette, La.-based fleet also has been able to improve driver relationships through faster settlements without third-party factoring. • Lytx, a provider of driver and fleet safety programs and data, announced that St. George, Utahbased Andrus Transportation Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 249) selected its DriveCam video telematics program to safeguard its freight and drivers. Andrus, a 340-truck dry van carrier that serves 11 Western states and Texas, selected DriveCam following a trial period. • WorkHound, a provider of software designed to help carriers reduce driver turnover, announced that Texarkana, Ark.-based Southern Refrigerated Transport reduced turnover by 16 percent while saving $580,000 in replacement costs over the last six months. SRT’s 900-plus drivers use their smartphones to share anonymous feedback, praise, problems and ideas with their carriers through WorkHound, which aggregates the data and turns it into insights to help manage and retain drivers. • MacroPoint, a provider of freight tracking software, announced that logistics provider GlobalTranz has fully integrated its freight tracking software solution into its transportation management software platform to automate track-and-trace capabilities for truckload carriers and customers.

commercial carrier journal

SkyBitz debuts solar-powered asset tracking

kyBitz released the Falcon GXT5000, its solar-powered global positioning satellite-based asset tracking system that uses 3G/4G cellular networks for transportation, intermodal shipments and other markets that rely on mobile assets. The Falcon GXT5000 is engineered to be over-the-air configurable and provide on-demand reporting with analytic dashboards that help improve on-time deliveries and reduce time wasted searching for available trailers and assets. Additional features, according to the company, include: • A low-profile self-contained rugged design; • Reporting for 90 to 120 days without direct exposure to sunlight; • Easy, fast and flexible installation; • Support of cargo status data via sensors; and • More intelligent and responsive selfdiagnostics, allowing for over-theair troubleshooting. Fleet customers can start deploying SkyBitz’s asset management solutions

SkyBitz’s Falcon GXT5000 is engineered to be over-theair configurable and provide on-demand reporting with analytic dashboards.

without any upfront capital expense through the company’s subscriptionbased enterprise solution, SkyBitz as a Service. KKW Trucking, a Pomona, Californiabased truckload carrier operating in 11 western states, upgraded its fleet of over 1,000 dry van trailers to the Falcon GXT5000. Long service life, easy installation and hassle-free asset tracking all were attractive design features that led KKW to adopt the solar-based product. “Since we started using the SkyBitz Falcon GXT5000, I’ve been particularly impressed with the accurate location and status reporting we’ve received and just how quick and easy it was to install the units on our trailers,” said Brandon Krueger, IT director of KKW. “Because the GXT5000 uses solar power to charge its batteries, we don’t have to worry about switching those out anymore.” – Aaron Huff

Omnitracs expands telematics portfolio

mnitracs announced that two of its flagship solutions for scalable easy-to-deploy telematics and compliance have new capabilities designed to benefit a wider number of industries and allow fleets of all sizes to realize greater benefits from real-time asset tracking and databased fleet visibility. Geared toward short-haul fleets, Roadnet Telematics now provides fleet managers with a big-picture view designed to allow them to better optimize fuel consumption, reduce maintenance costs, maximize productivity and identify underutilized assets, helping to reduce costs associated with out-of-service vehicles.

december 2016

For companies and carriers with smaller fleets looking to combine both telematics and compliance solutions, the XRS platform now is designed to help level the playing field by enabling the use of smartphones and tablets to quickly and inexpensively equip their fleets with applications and data previously available only to larger carriers. “Telematics is accessible whether you’re a large carrier in need of compliance or a small landscaping business in need of track-and-trace capabilities that can scale up when the company grows,” said Kevin Haugh, chief strategy and product officer. – Aaron Huff

technology

in focus: MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE

No time to waste Shops use technology to make the most of skilled labor BY AARON HUFF

he software that fleets use to maintain their shop and equipment may not get the same attention as technology used to manage drivers and operations. But as equipment and maintenance costs rise, some features might deserve a closer look, such as tracking labor utilization. If you are paying technicians for 40 hours per week, how many hours should you expect to be spent on activities that improve equipment utilization and lower your cost per mile? A report that shows hours worked as a percentage of hours paid will show if you are getting your money’s worth, says Dave Reed, a fleet consultant with Dossier Systems, a provider of fleet maintenance software. Dossier and other maintenance software systems use VMRS codes to track and report repairs. VMRS codes enable fleets to identify labor utilization for each type of repair. Fleets use Dossier to create standard times for each type of repair. The data might show that changing a tire should take a half-hour based on historical repair information. After looking at a report of repair times, a manager could drill down to identify mechanics that do repairs in the standard time and those that are under or over time. “If they are under time, that may not be a benefit, as they may not be doing the job completely,” Reed says.

Crowdsourcing repairs Besides tracking labor utilization, software providers have other tools to help technicians be more efficient. TMW Systems offers mobile apps and integration for its TMT fleet maintenance system designed to eliminate duplicate data entry by drivers and technicians, says Renaldo Adler, TMW Systems’ principal of asset maintenance, fleets and service centers. The TMT system’s apps are designed for mechanics and parts managers to streamline the repair process. Workers can update the system from anywhere to capture labor activities more accurately. TMT also integrates data from electronic driver vehicle inspection reports. As drivers complete inspections, any noted equipment defects automatically enter the software to create repair orders. Adler says TMW Systems is working with truck OEMs to 44

commercial carrier journal

december 2016

Dossier Systems recently integrated its fleet maintenance management software with PeopleNet’s fleet mobility platform.

have data and fault codes from their remote diagnostics services be available to customers that use the TMT system. The data could sent to service providers that use the software, which would help fleets expand beyond their dealer network and allow them to handle breakdowns and preventive maintenance on the road. “We’ve got to get everyone in the cloud, and then we can do that,” Adler says. Fast check-in, estimates Shop efficiency often begins before the actual repairs take place. Navistar dealerships now use a technology to expedite the check-in process. All of Navistar’s North American service departments use the Accelerator Write-Up app. The Android-based app uses a multiple-choice questionnaire to assign corresponding complaint codes. It then links the issues to action plans to help service technicians diagnose and repair specific vehicle issues. The Accelerator Write-Up data is accessible to customers subscribing to OnCommand Connection, Navistar’s remote diagnostics system. With this visibility, fleets can view a vehicle’s service history and health reports from any online device. Labor estimating software also can expedite the repair process by eliminating the need for repair shops to conduct time-consuming manual searches or base their estimates on past experience. Mitchell 1’s TruckSeries software includes TruckLabor, a module that offers estimates based on the company’s standardized labor times. Labor categories include engine, brake, electrical, HVAC, steering, suspension, transmission, driveline/axles and accessories. The suite also includes an online diagnostics and repair information resource for shops that repair all makes and models of Class 4-8 trucks to speed up the repair process and increase accuracy, says Kristy LaPage, business manager of Mitchell 1’s commercial vehicle group.

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n PA R T N E R S O L U T I O N S / C H E V R O N

Chevron answers your questions about the new oils Meet Shawn Whitacre, the senior staff engineer at Chevron and the chairman of the ASTM Heavy-Duty Engine Oil Classification Panel, which was tasked with the final development of the Proposed Category 11 (PC-11) requirements that take effect in late 2016. He is primarily responsible for product formulation of the Delo® brand of Heavy Duty Engine Oils and currently the lead formulator responsible for development of Chevron’s API CK-4 and FA-4 product line upgrade. Whitacre took time to answer a few questions you may have about the new oils.

Q A

How thorough has the testing been for the new oils?

The official product qualification programs that are required to license these new oils are very rigorous. We’re required to pass nine different dynamometer engine tests that evaluate all aspects of oil performance. These include specific tests that evaluate the oil’s ability to protect against wear, corrosion, thermal breakdown, deposit formation, oil thickening, filter plugging and aeration. Other laboratory tests confirm that the oil won’t degrade engine seal materials or other internal engine components. Many of these tests carry over from the previous specification (API CJ-4) but the new specs also require that we pass the Volvo T-13 test, a 360-hour engine test that really stresses the oil with high temperature and fueling rate. This new requirement ups the ante in terms of oxidation control protection – something that engine builders feel is critical to ensuring long oil life. This is in part why some OEMs are approving longer oil drain intervals when the new API CK-4 products are used. We’ve put our new products through literally thousands of hours of laboratory engine testing that are required to demonstrate performance against these new API standards, as well as the variety of OEM specs that often require even greater performance. But, as rigorous as our laboratory testing program was, we also realize that it is no substitute for the proof-of-performance that is demonstrated by getting products into customer’s hands and learning together with them about the advantages delivered by the new products. To support the upcoming launch, we embarked on the most rigorous and varied field-testing program in our history: We put the new products in nearly 1,000 engines in a variety of equipment types. We’re testing in almost 500 on-highway trucks across a range of builders, and for the first time ever our new product field test program includes a significant number of

off-highway pieces of equipment as well — applications in construction, agriculture, and mining — markets that often have different needs than the traditional on-highway sector. For that reason, we felt it was critical to expand our testing to include those markets as well. Our combination of laboratory engine and bench testing coupled with this significant field experience will give customers even greater confidence in this transition, allowing them to leverage the benefits of the new oils regardless of which Delo oil they choose.

What do fleet managers need to know about the new oils? Are these new oils only for on-highway or can they also be used for off-highway?

I think it is important to understand what has changed, and why. There are definitely improvements that will benefit both on- and off-highway equipment. In early 2011, engine manufacturers formally requested the development of a new engine oil category. Although the primary motivation was the need to improve the efficiency of on-highway diesel engines in order to lower their carbon emissions, the request was also endorsed by a number of the traditional off-highway equipment builders. The off-highway OEMs weren’t faced with the same greenhouse gas regulations but nonetheless saw a need for improved lubricant quality — including improvements in oxidation stability, aeration control, and shear stability. So, effectively, they were asking for even greater flexibility and this presented both an opportunity and a challenge. How do we upgrade the performance of traditional heavy-duty motor oils at backward-compatible performance levels and viscosity grades while also providing new lower viscosity offerings that deliver even greater fuel savings? What resulted was essentially two categories in one – API CK-4, which will be the ideal choice for off-road customers as

well as mixed on-highway fleets that may not be ready to move to the much lower viscosity products; and, API FA-4, a new lower viscosity category aimed at the newest model year engines that are designed to take advantage of this new oil and deliver optimized fuel economy.

Q A

What can you tell us about the diesel engine OEM specifications for API CK-4 and FA-4 oils?

As has been the case over the past 20-plus years, OEMs often introduce their own engine oil specifications that build upon the core industry specification. These specs sometimes include more stringent limits in the existing specification tests, or even involve introduction of additional tests that evaluate an OEM-specific requirement. For the API CK-4 and API FA-4 category, Cummins, Detroit Diesel and Volvo (including Mack and Renault) have introduced new oil performance standards. Cummins has issued CES 20086 (akin to API CK-4) and CES 20087 (akin to API FA-4) that include more stringent limits in certain engine tests. It is important to note that even though they have a low viscosity spec (20087), use of these oils may be limited to certain products and applications. It is important to consult owner’s manuals and other service literature to determine the appropriate selection for a given application and model year. Detroit Diesel (Daimler Truck North America) has issued DFS 93K222 (for CK-4) and DFS 93K223 (for FA-4) that incorporate requirements from the new API specs, select testing requirements from the European (ACEA) specs, as well as a new power cylinder scuffing test that they developed in house. They will allow use of DFS 93K223 oils in their new engines as well those dating back to model year 2010, offering flexibility to mixed fleets that choose to make the switch. Volvo has introduced VDS-4.5 (and Mack EO-S 4.5) that includes tighter limits in certain API CK-4 tests, as well as select European test requirements. At this stage, Volvo has not introduced a spec aligned with API FA-4, as they are not

yet approving the lower viscosity oils for use in their products. Volvo VDS-4.5 oils do qualify for longer oil drain intervals when used.

Q A

What questions are you most frequently asked about the new oils?

Q A

Will the new oils offer the same emissions control protection?

Q A

How can you gauge potential equipment life?

I think that the most common misperception about the new oils is that they are only for new engines. The API CK-4 spec was developed to be “backward compatible,” and it respects the requirements of previous oil standards and builds from it. As a result, oils meeting this spec can be used in equipment where older standards (API CJ-4 or API CI-4) may have been previously recommended. Further, there has been confusion regarding new engines that might be pre-filled with API FA-4 oil. In this case, the owner of this new equipment will have the option of continuing to use API FA-4 products for optimum fuel efficiency, or they can certainly switch to an API CK-4 oil if that makes more sense for the fleet. As always, it is important to consider OEM recommendations for viscosity grade and oil performance requirements when making the selection.

The API CJ-4 category was the first to implement a “chemical box” that was intended to limit the impact of oil consumption on the performance of new emission control catalysts and filters. No change has been made to these limits on ash, sulfur and phosphorus for the new categories. As a result, the new oils will offer the same protection of the emission control system.

Chevron evaluates the performance of new products not just through standard specification testing, but also through very rigorous field tests that include evaluation of used oil analysis — and, more importantly, through detailed engine inspection after significant mileage accumulation. This allows us to comprehensively evaluate the performance of our new products and also to showcase that enhanced protection in the manner that means the most to our customers: with our products in their fleet, in their equipment, with their operators and their working environment.

HOW CAN CHEVRON HELP?

Visit www.ccjdigital.com/partner-solutions/chevron to learn more about how new PC-11 oils will meet the demands of operating conditions, and protect today’s and tomorrow’s on and off highway heavy-duty diesel engines.

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The CCJ areas in their businesses: • Operational efficiency • Use of information technology

• Customer relations • Maintenance practices • Safety

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INNOVATORS

CALARK INTERNATIONAL Little Rock, Ark. CalArk provides retail pool distribution and white-glove residential service across more than 16 metropolitan areas and six states across the Southeast. Part of its success is due to its development of and investment in a robust warehouse and transportation management system that enables real-time inventory and delivery tracking for its clients.

CalArk’s in-house data mining maximizes efficiencies, service BY DEAN SMALLWOOD

he bigger the company, the harder it becomes to keep tabs on the everyday myriad of information created by its own operations – and the possible outcomes caused by numerous day-to-day employee decisions. CalArk International (CCJ Top 250, No. 174) realized this and was able to get in front of the additional data generated by its own growth and find ways to maximize efficiencies in all of its separate service offerings while maintaining its own high standards of customer service. The Little Rock, Ark.-based company is an irregular-route general commodities contract full truckload carrier, serving 48 states with door-to-door service and Mexico via Laredo, Texas. “The Wheels of American Business” – as CalArk refers to itself – was founded over 40 years ago and today owns more than 600 tractors and 2,200 trailers. It posted more than $124 million in revenue in 2015 and has more than 1,000 employees companywide. In 2014, CalArk was able to expand its business capabilities to include contract warehousing and distribution services by purchasing a 650,000-square-foot warehouse close to its main facility in Little Rock. CalArk has warehouse locations in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee as well. The company’s warehousing customers normally fall into one of three categories: manufacturers needing pre- and post-production storage; transloading customers who need short-term warehousing; and redistribution customers who need sorting, cross-docking and last-mile delivery services.

Maximizing efficiencies With a growing array of services and the additional customers they bring, CalArk realized it needed more ways to ensure it was maximizing its service potential across all of its operations. That’s what led the company to develop its own “Efficiency Auger.” The internal tool was spawned from internal data mining, data warehousing and performance management concepts. The tool’s origins can be traced back to about a year and a half ago. That’s when Malea Still, vice president of development and sustainability, said company president Rochelle Bartholomew “shared her vision of where she wanted the company to go.” Still knew it would be a large project for a midsize carrier and said CalArk “could have outsourced this, but we decided to do it in-house” with company talent. They wanted a product that was tailored to CalArk’s specific needs and could be modified as the business changes. She gathered a team of “forward-thinking” employees who were “not afraid to address limitations.”

The truckload carrier develops its own tools to keep a real-time watch on loads, lanes and customers.

commercial carrier journal | december 2016

An internally developed and complex algorithm breaks every order down into sections. CalArk’s Efficiency Auger assigns an expectation of each time and compares the results, allowing the fleet to easily determine wasted time in those orders. The results can be viewed individually or grouped by customer, lane, driver, fleet manager or planner.

The major focus for the Efficiency Auger is to solve the problem of inefficiencies. The data tool automatically breaks down thousands of completed loads into segments that help CalArk easily identify wasted time down to the minute, allowing the company to attack inefficiency with surgical precision. “We can identify individual loads, lanes or customers as a whole,” Still said. Data can be viewed from several angles by comparing customer, load planner and driver data to each other in a ranking-style process. “We use the data to communicate with customers in an effort to keep the supply chain as effective as possible,” Still said. CalArk is able to use the information gleaned from its Efficiency Auger to solve predicted capacity issues, which in turn helps the company circumnavigate any real or perceived driver shortage, including that caused down the road by the December 2017 electronic logging device mandate. The tool helps CalArk view the way it generates revenue differently, Still said. Using this newfound data, the company is able to drill down to rate per hour rather than just rate per mile. “This innovation allows us to do more with less,” she said. Finding a balance CalArk also uses a “Balance Map” diagram to explain the concept to customers on a basic level. “We take truck and load data and visually represent it on webbased map software,” Still said. 50

The map is broken down into the company’s custom three-digit ZIP codes, rather than at the state level, to match its planning regions. The map also is interactive: Users have the ability to click on different areas to see the local ratio of loads vs. trucks, as well as several other pieces of information. The map is displayed on a large monitor in CalArk’s operations floor, and it also is accessible easily by cell phone or personal computer to provide the company’s traveling team members the same up-to-date information and advantages as workers in the office. The data is refreshed every 15 minutes to give CalArk’s operations group near real-time data. The map updates every time that a load is booked, a driver becomes available or an appointment is set. This process increases operational efficiency partly by eliminating the need to manually count loads vs. trucks, thereby allowing coordinators to spend more time on decisionmaking. This accurate and timely knowledge helps operations make decisions on freight demands quickly and effectively, Still said. Customer service data The same data-mined information also allows CalArk to keep a real-time watch on its service levels. The company takes all service-related data and places it into an internally developed and interactive “Customer Service Scorecard” to track late pickups, late deliveries and resets.

commercial carrier journal | december 2016

The company can view these on a lane, customer or company level. “We address and document all late deliveries and code them according to what the root cause is,” Still said. “This tells us not only that we were late, but why we are late.” CalArk counts anything past appointment time as late. The company is able to use this information to spot negative trends and address potential customer service issues before they happen. Still said CalArk takes a proactive approach to customer service and that the company’s service levels have improved significantly over the past year based on real service progress and data integrity improvements. “We don’t want to wait for a customer to send us a scorecard to tell us how we did,” she said. “We want to be able to approach the customer with progress reports that show them how important servicing them is to our business.” Digging deeper To further increase efficiencies across its operational model, CalArk also implemented a product from one of its longtime vendor suppliers. The tool further assists the organization in enhancing and maximizing its customer service levels. It is designed to provide a seamless workflow and additional flexibility to analyze and attack the entire operations network from any angle, Still said. The program allows each user to see and understand the perspective of their teammates, allowing them to better unite and work together toward common goals. “We believe in being harder on ourselves than the customer might be in an effort to provide exceptional customer service,” Still said. CCJ INNOVATORS profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Jeff Crissey at jcrissey@ccjmagazine.com or 800-633-5953.

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Technology can do more to lower on-the-road risk BY AARON HUFF

ith the authority to create and enforce laws, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration can do more than promote a safety campaign to “slow down to save lives.” It also can mandate a speed limit for heavy-duty vehicles – and its proposed rule for speed limiters does just that. Now in the comment period, the rule ultimately may require all trucks weighing over 26,000 pounds to be governed at 60, 65 or 68 mph, the three speeds under consideration in the agency’s proposal. FMCSA has data to support a mandatory use of speed limiters to save lives, reduce emissions and save $605 million in fuel costs. A U.S. Department of Transportation study released in 2012 involved more than 150,000 trucks and 28,000 crashes during a 2007-09 data collection period. The study examined speed-relevant truck crashes and found the crash rate for motor carriers that used speed limiters was 1.4 crashes per 100 trucks per year. By contrast, the crash rate for carriers that did not use the devices was nearly five times higher: five crashes per 100 trucks per year. Today, more than 85 percent of fleets govern the top speed of their trucks, according to a recent survey from the American Transportation Research Institute. The most common top speed setting is 65 mph, with fuel economy, maintenance and safety cited by fleets as their top reasons. But the aforementioned study from a few years ago may not have accounted for other technologies that many motor carriers with speed limiters also now use to reduce accidents. By today’s standards, speed limiters are entry-level technology for safety. Indeed, FMCSA’s speed limiter proposed rule has drawn criticism from all quarters of the trucking industry. Opponents generally dislike the idea of a one-size-fits-all limit and are 52

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| december 2016

concerned about traffic speed differentials between trucks and passenger vehicles. Fleet telematics systems now are being used widely to manage risky speed behaviors. Some can give drivers real-time alerts and feedback for speeding and other risky behaviors and report the exceptions to fleet management. Indeed, such technologies even might make a speed limit mandate appear to be unnecessary.

Healthy speeds Apria Healthcare, a provider of home health services and equipment, is built on speed. The company delivers oxygen tanks and other medical devices to homes, and its fast deliveries enable patients to be discharged more quickly from hospitals. Apria serves about 1.8 million patients nationwide with a fleet of 6,800 trucks that it dispatches from 400 locations. The company is implementing a suite of cloud-based routing, dispatch and fleet telematics applications from Telogis. “We are putting tools in our vehicles to be able to deliver faster and give our drivers visibility into orders and to get equipment into homes,” says Apria Healthcare uses the Telogis Coach app as an automated tool for driver performance reporting.

The SafeSpeed application delivers location-specific speed limit data from SpeedGauge to the Magtec system, which then adjusts the throttle signal to the ECM to limit the vehicle’s top speed.

Debra Morris, executive vice president and chief financial cost the trucking industry billions of dollars. However, the agenofficer. cy predicts the increased fuel efficiency will create net savings for As part of the project, Apria configured its Telogis system to fleets, with additional savings from accident reduction. One item FMCSA glossed over in the rule is the cost to develalert fleet managers if drivers exceed 75 mph. op tamperproof speed limiters. The truck’s top speed already can “We felt that we did not want to go too low because of the be programmed into its ECM, but making devices tamperproof volume of alerts,” says Giancarlo Gavino, national fleet and transportation safety manager. Even with a high speed threshold, will require a one-time cost of between $150 million and $200 million industrywide, according to the Truck and Engine Manuthe number of excessive speeding alerts was “quite a bit” at first, facturers Association. Gavino says. Making ECMs tamperproof may not be considered an upSince installing the system, Apria has seen a 90 percent reducgrade for fleets. Newer and more advanced technologies, such tion in excessive speeds, Morris says. as those found in many telematics systems, might provide more In addition to speed alerts, Apria uses Telogis Coach, a preferable options for self-policing app that improving speed mangives drivers real-time agement. notifications and a SpeedGauge and daily performance score derived from four cateMagtec offer one examgories: speeding, harsh ple of what is now posdeceleration, accelerasible with “connected” tion and idle time. speed limiter technolo– Sid Nair, senior director of marketing and product management, Teletrac The app gives drivers gy. SpeedGauge provides a distinct audible alert if they exceed any threshold and provides business intelligence and location-based analytics, while Magtec specializes in telematics and vehicle security systems. them with an opportunity to modify their behaviors before an In September, the companies announced a collaborative excessive alert is reported to fleet management. For speeding, product called SafeSpeed that can adjust a vehicle’s top speed drivers are alerted if they exceed 70 mph. “We are letting [drivers] self-police themselves by looking at settings by location while in motion. SafeSpeed works through the scores,” Gavino says. “We want the tool to pay dividends on an integration of SpeedGauge’s database of road speed limits its own without us putting more effort into it. For the most part, and Magtec’s connected vehicle security system. it has been working well without too much involvement.” Magtec’s system can disable a parked vehicle until drivers enter an authentication code. Fleets also can use its system to Connected throttle control safely bring a moving vehicle to a stop, if necessary, by initiating By FMCSA’s own estimates, its proposed speed limiter rule will a remote shutdown sequence that incrementally cuts the throttle.

“The focus is to provide data in a more holistic way than speed.”

commercial carrier journal

december 2016

COVER STORY: BEYOND THE SPEED LIMITER

The SafeSpeed application delivers SpeedGauge’s location-specific speed limit data to the Magtec system, which then adjusts the throttle signal to the ECM to limit the vehicle’s top speed. This approach enables a smooth and gradual throttle reduction as a driver approaches the upper speed threshold, says Mitch Morisset, vice president of Magtec. With the connected speed limiter technology, fleets automatically can enforce speed policies since the vehicle’s maximum speed is adjusted according to local posted speed limits. The system can be configured to tolerate thresholds, such as allowing drivers a 5 mph leeway past the posted speed limit. The device also has a “quick override” button designed to give a driver a two-minute window to exceed the location-based speed limit up to the vehicle’s maximum allowable speed. Drivers may need to use the override option to pass a slower vehicle, but the system tracks their usage and reports it to fleet management, says Jonathan Hubbard, chief executive of SpeedGauge. The companies tested SafeSpeed with two carriers and now offer the product commercially. “The biggest feedback we got from carriers is that it really helps them improve their Compliance Safety Accountability scores,” Hubbard says.

high-quality Bluetooth headset for hands-free communication. The headset is paired with the Maven Co-Pilot app that resides on smartphones or tablets and has connectivity to the company’s cloud-based software platform. Drivers can use the headset to make phone calls, listen to music or receive voice commands from their navigation apps. However, the headset’s safety benefit is not limited to hands-free connectivity. Inside the headset are sensors that detect subtle head movements as drivers look side to side at mirrors, down at gauges or at objects inside and around their vehicles. The app’s sensors and algorithms also can detect head bobs, or a lack of movement, that may provide early signs of drowsiness or fatigue. Maven Co-Pilot gives drivers feedback on their safe driving and alertness via a Maven Score that indicates if they are checking their mirrors in a timely manner, following the speed limit and more. For speed management, fleets can set a top speed threshold. Through an integration partnership with SpeedGauge, the Maven Co-Pilot app can receive real-time updates for location-specific speed limits. If drivers exceed speed limits, they receive an audible alert through the headset. “Drivers hear what they need to hear and keep moving on to do their job,” says Craig Campbell, Maven’s vice president of sales and marketing. Maven’s analysis of speed data gathered from fleets show that: • Heavy-duty trucks operate at highway speeds (55 mph or higher) 77 percent of the time and travel at 70 mph or more 25 percent of the time. • Trucks driving 55-59 mph are the safest, as defined by the least number of hard brakes and most attentive driver behavior. • The majority of hard braking incidents occur at operating speeds below 50 mph. • Across the 55-70 mph highway speed categories, hard braking likelihood is nearly constant but accounts for just 11 percent of total brake events. • When trucks are traveling between 60 and 74.9 mph, the data does not show a drop in safety, and driver alertness is not notably different.

The Internet of Things

Changing behaviors

Compared to only a few years ago, today’s mobile fleet management platforms have a much broader set of safety and performance features. This expansion is due mostly to the options to use Internet of Things technologies that include wearable devices. Today’s IoT systems are able to interact with drivers automatically when risky behaviors occur, such as when they exceed posted speed limits or become distracted and fatigued. Maven Machines’ mobile fleet management system uses a

Technology also can help drivers change behaviors that may impact speeding. A number of gamification systems integrate with mobile devices to provide drivers with automated feedback that includes easy-to-understand scores and competitions to earn rewards and recognition. Vnomics designed its fleet management platform to provide distinct audible tones when drivers exceed fleet-established thresholds for top speed and rpms. Drivers also receive a daily score that shows their fuel

Maven Machines uses a wearable device to send audible alerts to drivers and detect alertness.

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

COVER STORY: BEYOND THE SPEED LIMITER and safety performance in relation to what they could have achieved by staying within the selected range. Fleet managers also can receive immediate e-mail alerts for excessive speed events. A web-based fleet management portal shows simplified metrics for driver speed, shifting, hard braking and engine idling. The metrics account for the frequency and severity of events and show the associated fuel loss for each. The Vnomics platform calculates fuel loss by modeling the engine’s performance. Its algorithms determine the fuel economy that drivers could have achieved compared to their actual results, says Bob Magnant, the company’s vice president of product management. The full version of Vnomics’ telematics system provides drivers with a visual display of their scores and other applications such as electronic logs. The company’s slimmed-down version, True Fuel, provides audible tones and communicates scores to drivers verbally without an in-cab display. Azuga’s telematics platform is used primarily by fleets with light- and medium-duty vehicles. The mobile application shows drivers a safety score and leaderboard that they can use daily to see their speeding and hard braking behaviors. Azuga has built-in driver incentive programs that fleets can use to send gift cards to top-performing employees and contractors. The company’s data scientists also can create custom reports for fleets that illustrate more contexts for speed behaviors, such as the impacts of risky intersections and weather conditions, says Ananth Rani, Azuga’s founder and president. PeopleNet, a provider of fleet mobility and telematics, has integrated with SpeedGauge and continues to look at more opportunities to augment its driver speed reporting capabilities. Fleets equipped with PeopleNet’s Video Intelligence system can capture data from road signs and use its integration with in-cab navigation applications such as ALK Co-Pilot to provide real-time feedback to drivers about posted speed limits. “We look at what technology is on the truck and how to integrate it to provide the best answer on what safety problem a driver is having,” says Eric Witty, PeopleNet’s vice president of product. Teletrac is focused on driver scorecards and safety analytics for its telematics platform. “The focus is to provide data in a more holistic way than speed,” says Sid Nair, senior director of marketing and product management. Using Teletrac’s driver scorecard, a manager can drill down to an interactive mapping tool to identify exactly where along a route a driver was speeding. The tool can replay the driver’s speed profile to identify where he exceeded the speed limit, had a hard braking event or ran a stop sign. Teletrac’s turnby-turn navigation provides drivers with instant alerts if they exceed the posted speed.

Vnomics calculates a daily score for drivers that shows how they performed compared to their potential.

“There are no more excuses about not knowing what the speed is at any time,” Nair says.

Speedy replays Video-based safety systems use speed and other triggers to capture a video of risky driving events. Some of these systems also can give drivers speed alerts. Lytx’s optional Speed Trigger allows fleets to track driver speeding patterns based on their speed limit policy and posted speed limits. The company says data for the last 15 months from 25 over-the-road trucking clients, including 10 clients in the process of deploying its system, show that: • In the immediate six months following deployment, Lytx DriveCam trial clients are seeing an average of a 69 percent reduction in speeding violations. • Many of its long-tenured clients that are running good programs record two to six speeding violations per 100 vehicles per month. By comparison, new clients who are testing the Lytx platform on a trial basis begin with an average of 27 speeding violations per 100 vehicles per month. • Existing clients who initiate Speed Trigger see an additional 33 percent reduction in violations in the first six months. Advances in video systems also can detect automatically if a driver’s speed is safe relative to his or her environment. Netradyne’s DriverI platform uses artificial intelligence to monitor a driver’s speed in relation to real-time road conditions. “Driving at the speed limit in bad weather may not be illegal or a violation, but it may be very unsafe,” says Sandeep Pandya, president of Netradyne. “With advancements in computer vision and artificial intelligence, we can now supply the missing context around a driver’s environment to automatically determine what speed is considered ‘safe’ as compared to other vehicles on the road, which takes the guessing out of safety.” commercial carrier journal

december 2016

CCJ’s Five Flashiest Fleets winners exemplify excellence in marketing and messaging

Check out the CCJ’s Five Flashiest Fleets winners for 2016, and get inspired to tell your company’s message. Or if you want to promote the trucking industry as a whole, head over to TruckingMovesAmerica.com, order a Trucking Moves America Forward

trailer wrap, and spread the word.

BY JEFF CRISSEY

Since 1978, Commercial Carrier Journal has recognized excellence in fleet graphics design and execution. The judges for this

f your tractor and trailer graphics lack imagination, you’re not

year’s competition included the editorial, art design and marketing

alone. But you and others are missing an opportunity to tell

staffs from CCJ and fellow Randall-Reilly publications Truck Parts &

your customers and the motoring public more about your

Service, Successful Dealer and Overdrive.

company, the services you provide and the products you haul.

However, tractor-trailer graphics are about more than just eye ap-

Each judge ranked their top five out of all submitted entries, and scores were weighted to determine a final ranking. The five

peal and bold colors. The best graphics incorporate these elements

winning submissions this year successfully relate the company’s

along with messaging that raises eyebrows and hits home for those

purpose, tell a story, champion a cause or promote a strong

who see them on the road.

corporate brand image.

A kid at heart CARRIER: Rock On Trucks

GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Rock On Production

STARTING with one truck and one trailer and

the idea that she could make a little extra money,

Minnesota businesses with 60 trucks, 70 trailers, 60 employees and 40 dedicated owner-operators. With the birth of the Vierkants’ first child came trucks that brought smiles to children’s faces as they thought of all the moms

Krystal Vierkant began Rock On Trucks in August 2001 as a

stuck in traffic with their little ones, including these themed trucks

25-year-old already working a full-time job. Kevin Vierkant, her

from Walt Disney Pictures’ Frozen and Pixar’s The Incredibles.

first driver and now her husband and operations manager, had the idea to identify each truck with NASCAR-like numbers on the

WHY WE LIKED IT: “These tractor-trailer designs are eye-catch-

tractor doors.

ing, to say the least. The details of the cartoon characters bring

As the concept’s popularity and the fleet both grew, so did

them to life on the sides of the trucks and trailers, especially when

identifying Rock On Trucks. In five years, Krystal built Rock On

combined with the matching color scheme.” – Matt Cole, CCJ

Trucks into Rock On Companies, which includes six independent

and Overdrive associate editor

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

Vroom, vroom

CARRIER: Mackie Transportation

GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Sign Design

WHITBY, Ontario-based Mackie Transportation started in 1928 and now is a fifth-generation family-

ized trailers and provide a visual of the different types of vehicles we can transport,” said Sara Mackie, director of special services. Mackie’s graphics feature peeled-back corners of an otherwise white trailer side to reveal a look inside the enclosed automobile

owned business specializing in dedicated truckload, refrigerated,

hauler with images of motorcycles and cars, showcasing one of the

flatbed and automobile transportation across North America. It has

company’s core freight segments in the process.

grown its fleet to more than 90 trucks and 200 trailers. “In addition to creating brand identity for Mackie Transportation,

WHY WE LIKED IT: “I like how the graphics give the viewer a look

the idea behind our design with our enclosed car haulers is to give

inside the trailer. It not only looks cool, it tells the viewer what the

the general public a look at the layout inside one of these special-

Mackie trailer is used for.” – Ken Stubbs, Overdrive art director

A peek inside

CARRIER: Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply

GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply

DEMPSEY UNIFORM & LINEN SUPPLY has grown to become one of the largest family-owned suppliers in

have been flagged at stoplights by concerned citizens telling them to close their doors!” Dempsey’s fleet graphics provide a three-dimensional “glimpse inside” the trailer to showcase all of the products and services the company offers.

the Mid-Atlantic region, offering weekly pickup, cleaning and delivery services. Despite having a fleet of trucks with the Dempsey

WHY WE LIKED IT: “One of the most critical elements of a linen

logo delivering to thousands of customers across six states, the

or uniform service is that their goods be clean, and the colors

company decided it needed its trucks, not just its employees, to

and usage of white space on the trailer do a good job of giving

do the talking.

off an appearance of cleanliness. That the graphic looks like a

“The idea behind our design was to convey the products and

storage closet is a unique way to visually showcase the company’s

services that Dempsey provides in an eye-catching way,” said

products in an organized and effective manner.” – Jason Cannon,

Kristin Dempsey, vice president. “It’s been effective. Our drivers

CCJ equipment editor commercial carrier journal

| december 2016 57

Over hill, over dale CARRIER: Celadon Trucking

GRAPHICS DESIGNER: Celadon Trucking

CELADON recently began an initiative to hire military veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces for over-the-road and administrative positions. To highlight its efforts, the Indianapolis-based company began looking for ways to communicate its new focus on the military. “During a meeting with one of our suppliers, the topic of promoting our veterans initiative came up,” said Ben Green, Celadon’s senior manager of marketing and creative services. “The results were these designs promoting each of the four major branches of service.” The four tribute tractors feature camouflage, slogans, logos and colors for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Together, the four designs make up the company’s Warrior Fleet to honor the service of the driver behind the wheel. WHY WE LIKED IT: “I appreciate the smart design of these military trucks. While keeping with an overall consistent design and layout, the trucks are uniquely tailored to each branch of the military. The clever use of military colors and camo patterns allows the viewer to recognize what branch each truck represents. Also, the logos are large and prominently placed on the cab to help drive the point home.” – David Watson, CCJ art director

commercial carrier journal

| december 2016

Honoring past and present CARRIER: Dart Transit

GRAPHICS DESIGNER: The Johnson Group

THE DART NETWORK unveiled three trucks and trailers this past Veterans Day to honor the service and sacrifices of the U.S. military. Three owner-operators were selected from a pool of entries to lease the trucks, including both retired and active members of the military. The trailers will be used for special events, including the Eagan, Minn.based company’s participation in convoys, parades and Wreaths Across America this month. “Military men and women sacrifice a lot for us, so it’s important that we recognize and pay tribute to them,” said Kristen Ries, communications manager. “Our driving community is very excited about the new trucks and trailers, and we couldn’t be happier to offer this to them.” Dart’s fleet graphics honor the sacrifices of our nation’s past service members and recognize current military men and women for their brave service. The tractors feature a silhouette of the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima, while the trailers feature the words “Freedom is Fragile” with the silhouette of a modern soldier. WHY WE LIKED IT: “These Dart tractors and trailers are truly an eye-popping and whiplash-inducing way to grab everyone’s attention on the highway and remind them of the sacrifices that our veterans present and past have made to protect and defend the United States. The colors of the sun, clouds, hills and U.S. flag carry over on front and back and are highlighted by the soldiers in silhouette, images that could embody anyone who’s ever worn the uniform.” – Dean Smallwood, CCJ managing editor commercial carrier journal

| december 2016 59

Bendix’s Wingman Advanced and Wingman Fusion collision mitigation technologies are designed to help drivers potentially avoid rear-end collisions or at least help reduce their severity.

Collision avoidance systems, other technologies playing increasingly critical roles for fleets BY JASON CANNON

“A

utonomous driving” may be the loudest current buzz phrase in trucking, but the road to robot transportation is paved in layers of sophisticated technologies that all have to work together in order to keep a driver safe. The first layer is adaptive cruise, a technology that allows the truck 60

commercial carrier journal

to maintain safe following distances without the driver having to actively manipulate the accelerator or brake pedal. The next several layers include the components that make up what is largely considered a collision avoidance system, a package that Jon Morrison, president of Wabco Americas, calls a critical factor in facilitating autono-

| december 2016

mous driving. “Wabco uses the terminology ‘collision mitigation system,’ ” Morrison says. “That means a system that provides active braking on moving, stopping and stationary vehicles to help mitigate or prevent impending rear-end collisions.” Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs for Bendix Com-

EQUIPMENT: COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS Wabco’s OnGuardActive collision mitigation system uses a 77GHz radar-only solution with up to a 650-foot reach.

mercial Vehicle Systems, says the terms collision avoidance, collision mitigation and crash avoidance are terms that often are used interchangeably. “The Bendix Wingman Advanced and Bendix Wingman Fusion systems are collision mitigation technologies,” he says. “They are designed to help drivers potentially avoid rear-end collisions, or at least help reduce their severity.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 17,775 people died in highway crashes in the first six months of 2016, a 10 percent increase from the first half of 2015. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said 3,744 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes in 2014, a 5 percent drop from 2013. The fatality rate in truck-related crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by large trucks declined by 6 percent, from 0.143 to 0.134. Combination trucks involved in fatal crashes dropped from 2,813 in 2013 to 2,717 in 2014. The rate fell from 1.67 to 1.60 on a 100-million-VMT basis, and there also was a slight decline in the overall fatality numbers, from 2,896 to 2,839. ESC mandate looms In order to combat on-highway injuries and fatalities, the government has implemented measures requiring trucks to be outfitted with an increasing array of safety equipment and technologies designed to protect not only the driver but also those driving around them. Effective next year, all new trucks will be required to have an electronic stability control system that can help prevent a rollover accident. ESC systems represent a roughly $600 add-on that NHTSA expects will prevent an estimated 49 deaths and 1,758 crashes annually.

A collision mitigation system takes vehicle stability control multiple steps further, but Morrison says the two systems communicate and work together. “What this really does is to give the driver options in a collision situation,” Andersky says. “If the driver feels they are not going to be able to stop in time to avoid a collision, they can have the option to swerve and avoid the crash if the lane next to them is clear.” If needed, the ESC system will intervene automatically to help mitigate the potential rollover or loss of control. While collision avoidance systems mitigate or prevent impending rearend collisions, ESC systems improve directional stability and help protect against rollovers, skidding, spinning and jackknifing. Separate systems can work handin-hand, such as Wabco’s joint development program with ZF on Evasive Maneuver Assist. The system helps evade a stationary vehicle ahead, while ESC helps prevent a rollover during the evasive maneuver, Morrison says. While Bendix’s collision mitigation systems are integrated with the company’s Electronic Stability Program full-stability system, both perform separate functions. The collision mitigation technology combines adaptive cruise control

– to help the driver maintain a set following distance behind a forward vehicle – and autonomous emergency braking, which helps the driver avoid collisions by automatically cutting throttle and applying the brakes when the system determines a collision is imminent. The system also provides various alerts to let the driver know when following distance is closing, a collision is imminent with a moving vehicle or, with Wingman Fusion, a stationary one before applying brakes, and if a metallic stationary object is in his lane of travel. Wabco’s OnGuardActive collision mitigation system uses a 77GHz radaronly solution with up to a 650-foot reach. OnGuardActive performs active braking on moving, stopping and stationary vehicles; supports the driver with forward collision warning; offers adaptive cruise control as an optional feature; uses dual-mode radar that addresses both long-range and adjacentlane views; is modular and scalable; and comes with continuous automatic radar alignment. Mandatory mitigation? Collision mitigation also could follow in ESC’s government-mandated footsteps. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that collision avoid-

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| december 2016 61

EQUIPMENT: COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS Bendix’s Wingman Fusion system provides the driver with various alerts to let him know when a collision is imminent with a stationary vehicle before applying the brakes.

Key words in collision mitigation Forward Collision Warning alerts the driver if he is getting too close to the vehicle in front of him. These alert-only systems with no active intervention help the driver maintain a safe following distance and manually avoid a potential collision situation. Crash Imminent Braking (CIB), Autonomous or Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) are synonymous and both alerts and intervenes, meaning that when the system determines a collision is imminent, it alerts the driver and applies braking to help avoid the collision or lessen its severity if unavoidable. Dynamic Brake Support helps the driver apply additional braking power to mitigate a collision. If the system determines the driver is not applying enough braking, it automatically will add additional braking to help – as long as the driver already has started to apply the brakes. – Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems

ance systems could have prevented or lessened the severity of injuries in twocar accidents involving tractor-trailers by nearly 80 percent in 2011-12. 62

commercial carrier journal

According to FMCSA’s report, heavy trucks involved in injury crashes rose sharply in 2014 – from 73,000 to 88,000. Injuries as a result of large truck crashes per 100 million VMT also rose from 34.6 to 39.8, their highest point since 2006. The report says 45,000 combination trucks were involved in injury crashes in 2014, compared to 38,000 the prior year. On a 100-million-VMT basis, the rate rose from 22.6 to 26.4. Last year, NTSB released a report recommending collision avoidance systems become standard on all new commercial and passenger vehicles. “Regulators are still working on deciding a date,” Morrison says. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is possible in 2017 but is more likely in 2018, Andersky says. “This could, of course, change with the change in the administration,” he says. Morrison says Wabco has sold more than 100,000 of its OnGuard collision mitigation systems, and more than 200 fleet customers have logged more than 45 billion miles. Heavy-duty truck fleets using Wabco’s OnGuard have reported an up to 87 percent reduction in accidents, resulting in an up to 89 percent savings in accident costs compared to vehicles lacking the system. The driver remains the key In its 2015 report, NTSB concluded

| december 2016

that collision warning systems, particularly when paired with active braking, could reduce the frequency and severity of rear-end crashes significantly, but Morrison says the systems only can complement safe driving habits. “The industry has a long history of providing driver assist systems that improve driver, vehicle and road safety,” he says. “But it’s also important to note that computers never have a bad day, get tired or distracted, and that the driver remains in ultimate control of the vehicle.” Safety technologies help support, not replace, the talents of the driver, says Del Lisk, vice president of safety services for Lytx, a provider of in-cab safety systems and analytics. “We’ve seen the unintended hazards of automated technology – when drivers begin to rely on the technology to do the job of driving, and they mentally check out,” Lisk says. Collision mitigation systems augment a driver’s skills, but they’re not a replacement for attentiveness, he says. “Technology has limits, and keeping the driver engaged to compensate for those limits is going to be critical for the success of collision mitigation systems and other forms of automated technology in the cab.” The driver is “the most sophisticated technology in the cab,” Lisk says.

Andrus Transportation Services, a St. George, Utah-based 340-truck dry van carrier that serves 11 Western states and Texas, selected Lytx’s DriveCam system following a trial period with its drivers.

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EQUIPMENT: COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS The Lytx DriveCam platform’s event recorder is mounted in the cab, usually on the windshield, and captures incident-specific video of the driver and his surroundings.

“Humans make decisions weighing myriad variables – wet load, dry load, full load, partial load, weather conditions, surrounding traffic and so on – in a split second.” Pete Allen, executive vice president of sales for MiX Telematics North America, agrees. “The algorithms in a computer, while sophisticated, may have difficulty making judgment calls in certain types of crashes,” Allen says. “What if there is going to be a crash, and there is a choice to hit a wall on the right or a pedestrian in the street? I believe there are probably ‘edge cases’ where the driver’s judgment will still play a role.” The systems are designed to assist drivers, not replace them, Andersky says. “Responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle remains with the driver at all times,” he says. Lytx’s DriveCam platform puts collision mitigation squarely in the driver’s seat. The platform’s event recorder is mounted in the cab, usually on the windshield, and captures incident-specific video of the driver 64

commercial carrier journal

and his surroundings for 12-second increments – eight seconds before and four seconds after an incident. This video – when combined with mapping, analytics and telematics, including location, speed and direction – can predict and prevent highrisk behavior. SmartDrive also offers a video event recorder solution that includes web-based and mobile-capable coaching to improve driver safety performance. Surprising revelations Such technologies also can make drivers and fleets aware of unexpected behaviors. “We found that drivers we thought were the safest because of the absence of driving events were actually fairly complacent about their driving,” says Wes Peterson, director of risk management for Andrus Transportation Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 249), a St. George, Utah-based 340-truck dry van carrier that serves 11 Western states and Texas.

| december 2016

Andrus selected Lytx’s DriveCam system following a trial period with its drivers. “They hadn’t been in a collision, but it was just because the odds had not yet caught up to them,” Peterson says. “They’d been lucky drivers.” Driver behavior solutions help coach and fine-tune that judgment, versus relying on a computer to do the driver’s work, Allen says. Peterson says the data-backed insight gave Andrus’ driving coaches a clearer path to eliminate complacency and address unsafe driving behaviors before they became serious. Andersky also wants drivers and fleets to understand that Bendix safety technologies complement safe driving practices and are not intended to enable or encourage aggressive driving. “Technology today, and for the foreseeable future, will not replace the need for safe drivers, safe driving habits and comprehensive driver training,” he says. “As a Class A CDL holder, I like the fact that I have something backing me up just in case.”

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Starter motor for Paccar engines

Leece-Neville Heavy Duty Systems’ M110608 starter motor for Paccar’s MX11 and MX-13 engines is designed for improved performance and reliability. The bolt-in replacement is engineered to fit in tighter spaces, while its in-line gear reduction design helps provide more power. The starter motor features Prestolite Electric’s Integral Magnetic Switch/Soft Start Relay technology that helps eliminate voltage drop issues by minimizing wiring between the relay and the solenoid. The unit also features a heavy-duty brush plate to facilitate improved conductivity and an e-coating for added corrosion resistance. Prestolite Electric, www.prestolite.com, 800-354-0560

Long-haul drive tire

Uniroyal’s LD10 long-haul drive tire features a compound designed for fuel efficiency and long, even wear, while its proprietary DuraShield construction helps facilitate added durability and retreadability. Pyramidal steel belts, insulating-belt edge strips and a heavy-gauge inner liner all are engineered to help reduce stress, promote endurance and protect the casing. The tire is available in two sizes, 275/80R22.5 (load range G) and 11R22.5 (load range H). Uniroyal, www.uniroyaltrucktires.com, 866-357-6847

Large sunglasses

Fatheadz sunglasses are suited for driving and are made with frame widths ranging between 130 to 160 mm. The v2.0 line features several color options, polarized lenses and an anti-reflective coating. Fatheadz, www.fatheadz.com, 888-383-1199

LED headlamps

Optronics’ LED headlamps are available in three formats that cover a range of vehicle makes and models: The HLL93HLB series fits a seven-inch round format and has built-in high- and low-beam functions, while the HLL79HB high-beam lamps and HLL78LB low-beam lamps fit 4- by 6-inch rectangular formats. The lamps use standard H4 threeblade connectors to help facilitate quick, easy installation and are engineered to accommodate both 12- and 24-volt electrical systems with an expected service life of 30,000 hours. They feature powder-coated die-cast aluminum housings and polycarbonate lenses with a coating that helps protect them against exposure to UV rays and harsh environments while combatting cracking, fading and yellowing. Optronics Inc., www.optronicsinc.com, 800-364-5483 commercial carrier journal | december 2016

PRODUCTS

Rear trailer fairing

Stemco’s TrailerTail Covered rear trailer fairing is designed to increase driver usage and fuel efficiency. The fairing features side panels that cover the lockrod handles on most trailer styles, requiring operators to deploy the fairing before opening or closing the trailer’s rear doors and expediting the learning curve for inexperienced drivers. The fairing is available for the TrailerTail Trident and TrailerTail 4x4 manual deployment systems. Stemco, www.stemco.com, 800-527-8492

Engine brake Mobile device mounting system Trucker Tough’s in-vehicle Gear Rack System for mounting mobile devices includes a flexible 18-inch bar that attaches to the dashboard or windshield with high-powered suction cups. A cell phone mount and GPS mount round out the starter pack; accessories are available. RoadPro Brands, www.roadprobrands.com, 717-964-3642

Jacobs’ optimized engine brake for the 15liter 2017 Cummins X15 engine is designed to deliver 10 percent additional braking power at engine speeds under 1,700 rpm. At a typical engine speed of 1,500 rpm, the unit is built to provide 450 hp of braking power for added control while in traffic or descending a hill. Wıth a downshift to increase engine speed, the engine brake in the X15 Performance Series is designed to deliver a retarding force of up to 600 hp of braking at 2,100 rpm. Jacobs Vehicle Systems, www.jakebrake.com, 800-876-5253

Lube filter

Light cover plates

Grote’s Snap-In Cover Plates are designed for retrofits and lighting upgrades. The plates are engineered for fast, easy installation with snap tabs that accommodate plate thicknesses from 1/8- to ¼-inch. They are available in two standard sizes (4-inch round, 6-inch oval) and colors (gray, black) and come in sets of two. Each set includes a foam gasket to help minimize moisture intrusion and a flange mounting hole pattern for screw mounting and added security. Grote Industries, www.grote.com, 800-628-0809

commercial carrier journal | december 2016

Cummins Filtration’s Fleetguard LF14000NN combination lube filter has been refined for newer engine platforms, including Cummins X15 engines. The filter uses a co-bonding lamination process that pairs NanoNet and StrataPore media together to create a single filter element to maximize the media area within the filter for added capacity and service life while eliminating the need for separate media sections without losing the combination performance of the different media grades. The filter is designed to reduce flow restriction, allowing the engine to operate more efficiently with less parasitic power loss. Cummins Filtration, www.cumminsfiltration.com, 615-366-5150

PRODUCTS

Air tank kit

Ridewellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-plumbed factory-integrated air tank kit for its self-steering RSS-233 suspension systems includes a 1,300-cubic-inch air tank and a pressure protection valve. A 30-amp relay for liftin-reverse operation, a pigtail and a high-flow Lift Axle Control remove the need for an air control kit enclosure. Ridewell Suspensions, www.ridewellcorp.com, 800-641-4122

Safety and security system SafeKeyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fob is designed to act as a portable real-time safety and security system for both the driver and his cargo assets by providing an accessible and convenient emergency alert in the event of a safety, security or medical emergency or attempted theft. The technology can be activated discretely from up to 150 feet away from the truck cab to dispatch local public safety and emergency services on a priority basis, track the location of compromised trucks and remotely disable stolen vehicles. The system also is designed to provide location, speed and geofencing tracking abilities. SafeKey Corp., www.safekeyfleetsafety.com, 877-309-0359 commercial carrier journal | december 2016

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AD INDEX American Truckers Legal Association . . . . .800-525-4285 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

O’Reilly Auto Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FirstCallOnline .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Ancra International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-233-5138 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Omnitracs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-348-7227 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

BestPass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .518-621-5879 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Overdrive’s Trucker Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-633-5953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Bitimec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .877-637-1900 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Panasonic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ToughbookTerritory .com/CCJ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

CCJ ’s Innovators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-633-5953 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

PCS Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281-419-9500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Chevron Partner Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CCJDigital .com/Partner-Solutions/Chevron . . . . . . .46-47

Peterbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-473-8372 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC

Cummins Filtration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-22-FILTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Petro-Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .DuronTheTougherTheBetter .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Detroit Diesel Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313-592-5000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PPGCommercialCoatings .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Direct Equipment Supply Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-992-1478 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

ProMiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-324-8588 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Dorman HD Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-868-5777 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Shell Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-231-6950 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76, IBC

Eberspacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-387-4800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

TA Petro Commercial Tire Network . . . . . . .TA-Petro .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

EpicVue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .844-EPICVUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

TA Petro RoadSquad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-824-SHOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

ExxonMobil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MobilDelvac .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34-35

TCA Driver of the Year Contest . . . . . . . . . . . .Truckload .org/Driver-Of-The-Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Fitzgerald Collision & Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . .931-450-4450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Telogis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Telogis .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Freightliner Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .503-745-8000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

TMW Fleet Maintenance Management . .800-401-6682 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Fumoto Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .707-545-7020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Total Specialties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-323-3198 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Howes Lubricator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-438-4693 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

TruckFridge .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .502-863-4536 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Imperial Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-558-2808 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Truckstop .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-203-2540 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .InternationalTrucks .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

TSI/SSG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-223-4540 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

JVR Safe-T-Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .818-363-7199 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Vipar Heavy Duty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vipar .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Kalmar Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OttawaTrucksNA .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

VIS Service Automation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .866-847-8721 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Kenworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Kenworth .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22-23

Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Supertruck .VolvoTrucks .us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IFC-1

Lytx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .866-419-5861 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Wreaths Across America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WreathsAcrossAmerica .org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Minimizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-248-3855 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Zamzow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Zamzow-Tarp .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

NTEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .WorkTruckShow .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

commercial carrier journal | december 2016

If I use thinner oils will my engine still be protected?

I-40

The ability of engine oil to prevent wear by keeping moving parts separated is one of the key functions that it has to perform. That ability comes from the fluid viscosity and the additives which protect By Dan Arcy Shell Lubricants the metal surfaces.

Hickey Highway

The thickness of the oil film which separates the moving parts is dependent on the viscosity of the oil and it will also depend on the speed and load of the engine operation. If oil is too thin to provide effective separation between moving parts or does not effectively control contaminants, this could result in increased wear through the contact of metal parts or abrasive wear, and could possibly shorten engine life.

Hickey Shopping Plaza

As truck and engine manufacturers are trying to achieve the maximum fuel economy for their equipment, the trend is to use lighter viscosity oils to assist in reducing fuel consumption. These full synthetic or synthetic blend oils are expected to provide fuel economy benefits, but not compromise on engine durability. Through extensive testing on synthetic blend Shell Rotella® T5 10W-30, Shell has demonstrated a 1.6% fuel economy improvement benefit vs. conventional 15W-40* with no compromise on durability.

PREVENTABLE or NOT? Doe dinged by bargain-hunting Buick

evitalized by coffee and a moderate-sized stack of Walnut Waffles – with low-fat butter, diet syrup and a healthy helping of fresh fruit – trucker John Doe pulled out of Snardley’s Truck Stop with a smile on his face, a fresh bag of celery sticks at his side, and happy thoughts of weekend bass fishing in his head. The sun was shining on Interstate 40, the morning air was crisp, and the CB chatter was especially entertaining. At the moment, Channel 19 was being dominated by doubles driver Dudley Hill, who’d just conJohn Doe was preparing to turn left from the inside cluded a demonstration of his newly lane when a four-wheeler acquired duck call and now was zipped across the right extolling the virtues of L.C. Smith lane and crashed into his double-barrel shotguns. “Ol’ Dudley right fender. Was this a really quacks me up,” Doe mused. preventable accident? Doe approached the intersection with Hickey Highway, where he cautiously checked his mirrors, activated his turn signal, moved into the inside lane and slowed to about 20 mph, preparing to make a left turn. At that instant, a badly dented Buick station wagon driven by retired roofer Clyde J. Crumbquist recklessly rocketed out of the adjacent shopping mall, zipped across the right lane while fumbling through his coupons and ... BLAM! ... crashed into the right fender of Doe’s longnose conventional! Thankfully, no one was hurt, but Doe received another blow from his safety director: a warning letter for a preventable accident, which he contested. Rendering a final decision, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee ruled in Doe’s favor, deciding that he had no time to react and could not possibly have anticipated or avoided Crumbquist’s crazed attack.

Manufacturers develop their engines to operate efficiently with specific viscosity grades, so you should check with them to see which viscosity grades they allow and/or any specific conditions such as ambient temperature, which may influence the use of those viscosity grades. The SAE and API have established minimum requirements for lighter viscosity oils which should allow for effective protection of key engine parts. A number of diesel engine manufacturers recommend lower viscosity lubricants in their newest engines, and the move to lower viscosity lubricants is reinforced by the announcement that one of the focus areas for the next generation of heavy-duty diesel engine oils will be fuel economy improvements, which lower viscosity oils have demonstrated the ability to provide. This is particularly important as the first-ever fuel economy regulations for heavy trucks will begin in 2014. Synthetic engine oil also can help keep the engine clean through improved sludge, deposit and varnish protection, and helps reduce overall engine wear under extreme operating conditions. Synthetic engine oils typically have more stable viscosity and provide better protection when the engine is running under high-temperature conditions, such as high speeds and heavy loads. *as demonstrated in 2009 on-the-road field testing for 10W-30 viscosity grade only, highway cycles, compared to Shell Rotella® T Triple Protection® 15W-40.

This monthly column is brought to you by Shell Lubricants. Got a question? Visit ROTELLA.com, call 1-800-237-6950 or write to The ANSWER COLUMN, 1001 Fannin, Ste. 500, Houston,TX 77002. The term “Shell Lubricants” refers to the various Shell Group companies engaged in the lubricants business.

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commercial carrier journal | december 2016 11/9/15 9:07 AM

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