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Editorial

FedEx ordering 1,000 electric delivery vans

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

XPO orders 100 e-trucks from CityFreighter Daimler sees fertile ground for growth in Mexico

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California labor laws spreading nationwide

Volvo's regional VNR tractor going electric

Dallas-based tech Brain tops at Rush's annual Tech Skills Rodeo

Rule to repeal glider cap removed from EPA agenda

CARB to require trucks to store emissions, fuel data

30 InBrief

P.S.I. announces TireView pressure monitoring system

32 32

Another Run on Less in the planning stages

24 Test Drive:

International CV Series

Vector Back Office turns field documents into invoices Stay Metrics: Women drivers less likely to leave carriers SmartDrive petitions FMCSA over camera positioning

Orbcomm updates monitors for refrigerated containers Trimble enhances analytics, business intelligence tools Project 44 signs J.B. Hunt integration, announces GateHouse acquisition

34 InFocus: Driver surveys

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Straight-truck driver John Doe saw a sports car turn into a driveway ahead, but he wasn’t fast enough to react when the car suddenly backed into his path. Was this a preventable accident?

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

FMCSADrivers Judge: allows should after-hours be paid for move tosleeper park while berthloaded time

HouseRegistry asks for hack inquiry of XPO's delays practices medical swath of members of the U.S. House certificate rule

n a recent he Federal decision, Motor a federal Carrierjudge Safety in Administration Arkansas has said finalized that drivchanges to have called for an investigation into treatment of employees XPOCarrier Logistics ers should guidance be paid around at least the minimum 150-air-mile-radius wage for time agriculture spent off-duty hours-of-service he Federalby Motor (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) following news said Safety Administration and inexemption their sleeper andberths. use of the Thepersonal ruling doesn’t conveyance institute provision. any new reports that last alleged poor and potentially month it intends to postpone requirements Both proposed for carriers, changes but itwere could putopen forward the ahead door to of lawsuits the Dec. 18 compliillegal practices by the company. the implementation of a system brought ance deadline by drivers. for the agency’s electronic logging device mandate and pitched as proA letter dated 4 and signed by 97 meantDec. to streamline its communividing The decision clarity and also additional doesn’t stipulate flexibilitythat fordrivers drivers.necessarily should be paid asks forstate thelicensing lower chamcations with agendirectly The new for sleeper interpretation berth time, of when but according it is legal to use the ruling, a trucksleeper for personal berth convey- House members ber’s Education and Workforce Committee cies regarding drivers’ medical time ance is allows compensable use whether under thethe truck FairisLabor loaded Standards or not. Perhaps Act, saidmore trucking significantly, the to probe claims of discrimination against certification status. attorney guidanceEddie answers Wayland a common of King question & Ballow. of whether it’s appropriate to use personal pregnant women, sexual harassment, The multifaceted rule, part of conveyance The opinion status by to driver misclassification and working which took effect in Januarycondi2015, Judge get to Timothy a safe parking tions that violate federal law. requires FMCSA to electronically L. spot Brooks or rest oflocathe One of thetransmit more serious allegations to state licensing agenU.S. tion District after hours are against XPOcies is that it did not accommothe results of drivers’ medical Court exhausted in the by a shipdate pregnant employees’ requests for that certifications; FMCSA receives Western per or receiver. District less strenuous work at the advice of their information from medical examinof “The Arkansas movement says doctors, which toagencies several then women havers. led State will send that, from under a shipper FLSA, ing miscarriages, according to the news the results to the Commercial drivers’ or receiver total to the reports. Driver’s License Information compensation, nearest safe resting The lawsuit was filed by three P.A.M. Transportation drivers XPO said it has overhauled its states poliSystem to make other once area may divided be identiby who alleged that the company didn’t pay them minimum cies regarding pregnant workers and has aware of drivers’ exam results. the fiedtotal as personal number wage for all hours worked. launched an internal investigation. However, due in part to the of conveyance,” hours worked, text The Houseongoing letter also asks outage offor theconsidNational should of the clarification equal at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Having eration of new legislation, the Pregnant Registry of Certified Medical to reads, account “regardless for sleeper of berth time “is a big deal,” said itWayland. a lot The new interpretation of when is legal to “That’s use a truck for personal Workers Fairness Act, following which would require Examiners an attempted conveyance allows use compensable.” whether the truck is loaded or not. of whether time every the driver day that would be considered employers tohack, “provide accomFMCSAreasonable says it will postpone exhausted Brooks issued his or the her opinion Oct. 19 in a case in which three drivers filed a workers.” requirement that it submit class-action hours of service, lawsuit as long against as the P.A.M. CMV Transportation is being moved (CCJ solely Top to250, enable No.the 59). driver to modations tothepregnant – James information to state agenciesJaillet for The obtain lawsuit the required originally restwas at afiled safeinlocation.” December Personal 2016 byconveyance P.A.M. drivers usedDavid this way should three years, until June 2021. Browne, be annotated Antonio in the Caldwell log. and Lucretia Hall, who alleged that the company – Matt Cole didn’t Personal pay them conveyance minimum also wage is newly for all allowed hours worked. when a safety official requires a driver Wayland to move saidduring this is an oneoff-duty of the first period. decisions Such abyuse a federal should judge be “nothat farther than finds the nearest sleeperreasonable berth timeand as compensable safe area to complete hours. Itthe now rest currently period,”isthe thetext reads. law Regarding in this case, the 150-air-mile-radius he said, though P.A.M. exemption, couldFMCSA continue clarified to litigate the definition and of the fight radiusthe as extending judge’s ruling from “by the commodity’s asking for reconsideration source. Haulers or using appealing.” the exemption but The who Tontitown, extend beyond Ark.-based the radiuscompany would notalso needcould to start choose hours to recording settle with until they reach the edge plaintiffs, of the radius, the who agency could said. Such drivers Scan the QR code with your smartphone or FMCSA said “an incident that visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsnumber returninginto empty can stop occurred in early December letters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, the hours thousands, recording upon reXPO Logistics2017” says itled hastooverhauled interruptions its a daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, Wayland entering the said. radius. policies regarding in developing pregnantthe workers electronic and has analysis, blogs and market condition articles. – James Jaillet – Todd Dills launched an transmission internal investigation. process. 8

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

commercial carrier journal

| july 2018 9

JOURNAL NEWS

Analyst: Driver pay gains to continue in 2019 as carriers struggle to attract, retain drivers

rucking companies will continue to feel pressure to increase driver pay into 2019, said analyst Gordon Klemp of the National Transportation Institute. Ongoing pay increases would follow a year of multiple wage jumps that Klemp projected would culminate with driver pay increasing 11 to 11.5 percent overall by the end of 2018, making the year the strongest for pay increases on record. “We’re going to see payment movement which we wouldn’t normally see after this strong of a period,” According to a recent NTI survey of 519 private and for-hire Klemp said. That’s because for-hire driver pay still lags fleets spanning all types of operations, only 6 percent said what private fleet drivers earned in 2008 and is 2.46 perpay increases were bringing in new driver candidates. A cent behind the 10-year inflation rate, he said. whopping 85 percent said pay increases hadn’t attracted new “The thing we’re going to have to confront as an drivers, and 9 percent didn’t know. industry is we have a driver supply that’s inelastic,” is not only low compared to other blue-collar jobs, it’s also Klemp said. Raising pay is necessary, but it will take years, not months, “until we get to a wage number that variable and affected by factors – weather, congestion and breakdowns – outside a driver’s control. And the hours are starts to draw people in who wouldn’t have considered long: The average full-time worker works 42.8 hours per week, driving in the past,” he said. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared to more Though top drivers earned between $70,000 and than 65 hours per week for drivers. $80,000 in 2018, the average overall wasn't enough to That, along with lack of respect, inadequate home time attract new drivers into the industry, Klemp said. and poor equipment, leads to According to a recent NTI low job satisfaction among drivsurvey of 519 private and forers. Competition from other hire fleets spanning all types industries also hurts trucking, of operations, only 6 percent Klemp said, citing job openings said pay increases were bringin even small towns offering ing in new driver candidates. comparable or higher wages A whopping 85 percent said than trucking without the long pay increases hadn’t attracted hours and nomadic lifestyle. new drivers, and 9 percent – Gordon Klemp, analyst, Into 2019, Klemp predicts an didn’t know. National Transportation Institute average pay increase of just over In fact, one of NTI’s 7 percent nationally, depending TopPayCarriers – meaning they on GDP, with pay continuing to regionalize. Other trends already had an elite pay and benefits package – increased he sees in the coming year: driver pay twice in 2018, totaling 18.5 percent, and they • Guaranteed pay: More carriers will offer a minimum reported seated truck count down nearly 3 percent coming weekly pay. Packages currently being offered vary widely out of the third quarter, Klemp said. from $700 to $1,200 per week depending on region, equipSurveyed fleets agreed that raising pay remained critical ment, endorsements and type of freight. to maintaining their existing driver count, with 98.7 per• Transition pay: Carriers will seek to ease new drivers cent saying that improving their pay relative to competitors was critical to retaining drivers and attracting existing into their system without them being hurt financially by offering increased cents per mile or a defined payment for drivers looking for new opportunities. a certain period. Beyond pay, there are many factors working against truck– Linda Longton ing when it comes to attracting new talent, Klemp said. Pay

“We’re going to see payment movement which we wouldn’t normally see after this strong of a period.”

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019 9

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 1/19 • The U.S. Department of Transportation increased fines across the board for violations of federal trucking regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 to adjust fine amounts each year based on inflation. A final rule published Nov. 27 in the Federal Register made the new fine amounts effective immediately. Go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2013-0161-0127. • FMCSA is soliciting requests through February from fleets and owner-operators to review crashes that weren’t the truck driver’s fault for its Crash Preventability Demonstration Program, which the agency expects to be ongoing until June. The program hopes to test the feasibility of reviewing crashes in which truck drivers are not at fault to remove them from carriers’ and operators’ Compliance Safety Accountability scores if they are deemed nonpreventable. Submissions can be made at https://dataqs. fmcsa.dot.gov/. • The U.S. DOT published an updated Jason’s Law truck parking survey that is intended to update the progress of work completed since the first study was released in 2015. The latest survey can be found at https://tti.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eOMh1HWadr3dHyB. The first survey found that most states lacked truck parking capacity, especially states along major corridors with high truck volumes. • Updated policy guidance from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance issued in September establishes that inspectors should not disrupt drivers’ off-duty or sleeper berth time, when they’re legally parked, for a random inspection. Though the policy is not law, CVSA guidelines are intended to create uniform inspection policies. Collin Mooney, CVSA executive director, said inspectors still can interrupt drivers when they’re parked illegally and need to move their truck. • The New York State DOT is changing its Interstate 84 exit numbers to mileage-based rather than consecutive numbers. The exit numbers will be based on the distance from the Pennsylvania state line to Connecticut. The project is expected to begin this spring and be completed by yearend.

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

Case to save California owneroperator status goes to court

federal court in California heard oral arguments in the Western States Trucking Association’s lawsuit against a California Supreme Court ruling that WSTA believes could effectively block owner-operators from operating in the state. The California Supreme Court applied the ABC test in its WSTA filed its lawsuit Dynamex decision for classifying employment under the in July, seeking to overturn state’s wage order for transportation workers. an April ruling issued by California’s high court that instituted strict criteria for what constitutes an owneroperator or an employee. That case, Dynamex Operations West vs. Superior Court, sought to challenge a ruling that classified owner-operators as employees instead of independent contractors. The California Trucking Association also filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s Supreme Court. Joe Rajkovacz, director of government affairs for WSTA, said the new criteria states that “you can’t engage an independent contractor – an owner-operator, in the case of trucking – where you’re engaged in the same business,” meaning a “trucking company can’t contract with an owner-operator.” As in other cases involving California labor disputes, WSTA argues that the ruling violates a stipulation in the 1994 Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act that says that states cannot enact laws that interfere with motor carriers’ prices, routes and services. However, the judge hearing the case, Judge Morrison England in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, must navigate existing court precedents, including the 2014 Dilts vs. Penske Logistics decision in which the federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that carriers must comply with California’s meal and rest break laws. California and the Teamsters, which intervened in the Dynamex case on the side of the state, argued in federal court in early November that the Penske case is precedent for England to uphold the state Supreme Court’s Dynamex ruling. Meanwhile, some carriers are setting up brokerages separate from their trucking operations, while some leased owner-operators are converting to independents, but such workarounds aren’t ideal, Rajkovacz said. WSTA hopes long-term for the California Legislature to act and correct the court’s interpretation, he said. Legislation filed Dec. 3 in the state’s General Assembly would codify the court’s decision into state law. Another bill filed the same day would do the opposite by nullifying the court’s ruling and scrapping its criteria for determining whether a driver is an employee or an independent contractor. Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation is expected to decide soon on a petition from the American Trucking Associations that seeks to exempt carriers from California’s break laws based on F4A. DOT’s decision in the Penske case could have an impact in the Dynamex case, said Rajkovacz. – James Jaillet

JOURNAL NEWS

FMCSA announces denial of 10 ELD exemption requests

n a Federal Register notice published Dec. 7, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration publicly announced the denial of 10 electronic logging device exemption requests from various trade organizations and associations. The agency informed the petitioners of the denials in June and July, but it was required to publish them. In most cases, FMCSA said it couldn’t determine if the same levels of safety would be achieved with the exemptions as with ELDs. The ELD exemption requests were made by: • Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association: OOIDA asked the agency for a five-year exemption for small trucking businesses that do not have an “unsatisfactory” safety rating and have no at-fault crashes. FMCSA said in its denial that the association’s request challenged the basis of the ELD rule itself rather than justifying an exemption and provided no consideration “of the significant difficulty that would be encountered in trying to identify and validate drivers who meet the proposed exemption criteria, especially during roadside inspections.” OOIDA announced the denial in July but did not go into specifics about why the request was denied. • Power and Communication Contractors Association: PCCA requested that carriers and drivers operating trucks in the power and communications construction industry be allowed to use paper logs instead of ELDs. The group said these drivers spend considerable time off-road on varying jobsites, and a single truck may have multiple drivers each day, moving the truck short distances around a jobsite. The group added that the drivers spend a limited time driving on public roads. • Western Equipment Dealers Association: WEDA requested an ELD exemption on behalf of several organizations and their members that would eliminate the requirement for agricultural equipment dealers to install ELDs in their trucks. • Association of Energy Service Companies: The requested exemption would have, if granted, allowed drivers of well service rigs who spend little time on public roads to use paper logs instead of ELDs when exceeding the short-haul exemption requirements. • Cudd Energy Services: Cudd’s exemption request was for its trained drivers of specially constructed trucks used in oilfield operations. It would have, if granted, allowed the drivers to use paper logs instead of ELDs. • SikhsPAC and North American Punjabi Trucker Association: These groups sought an ELD exemption on behalf of their fresh produce shippers and small truck

FMCSA officially denied the ELD exemption requests in June and July but was required to publish them in the Federal Register.

business members. The exemption would have allowed members to delay using ELDs for one year from the Dec. 18, 2017, compliance date. The groups said the exemption would give the marketplace time to develop cost-effective and practical solutions for ELDs. • American Disposal Service: The trash hauling and recycling company sought an exemption from both ELDs and paper logs because it doesn’t believe ELDs can record accurate driving time when the truck makes constant short movements with the driver often exiting the truck. The company normally operates under the multiple stop rule, treating all stops in a town as one, and the 100 air-mile radius short-haul exemption. However, its drivers sometimes exceed the 12-hour driving limit eight days out of 30, which would require the company to install ELDs. • Towing and Recovery Association of America: TRAA requested a five-year exemption for drivers of trucks owned or leased to providers of towing, recovery and roadside repair services while performing those services. The group said it planned to continue using paper logs and would review them to verify their accuracy. • National Electrical Contractors Association: This group requested an ELD exemption for those who install, repair and maintain the infrastructure of electrical utilities. The group said in its request that it believes ELDs would burden its members unnecessarily, and it proposed to continue using paper logs. • Agricultural Retailers Association: ARA requested the exemption for its members who are retailers and distributors of farm-related products and services. It said in its request its members rely on commercial vehicles to deliver products and services to farms, and that its members were not prepared to meet the Dec. 18, 2017, deadline and sought postponement of the ELD mandate. – Matt Cole commercial carrier journal

| january 2019 11

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 1/19 • FMCSA renewed an exemption from the 30-minute rest break provision for the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association. SC&RA has held the exemption since October 2016 for carriers and drivers operating mobile cranes with a rated lifting capacity of more than 30 tons. SC&RA requested the exemption for about 65,000 mobile crane operators because of the difficulty of finding parking due to the equipment’s size when crane operators were required to go off-duty. The renewal is effective through Nov. 1, 2023. • The Professional Truck Driver Institute released “E-Z Guide to the Entry-Level Driver Regulation,” a publication that addresses entry-level commercial driver’s license training requirements, including Class A, Class B, passenger, school bus and hazardous materials endorsements. The guide is intended for trainers, safety directors, administrators, instructors and organizations listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. Driver candidates now must use a registered training provider. Go to www.ptdi.org/materials. • USA Truck Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 70) rebranded as USAT Capacity Solutions to reflect the Van Buren, Ark.-based company’s focus on capacity offerings beyond its own 2,000-plus tractor fleet. USAT Capacity Solutions offers dedicated, intermodal and logistics services with over 15,000 trucking partners specializing in dry van, refrigerated, flatbed, heavy haul and other modes. • Southern California Gas Co. launched a “try before you buy” Truck Loan Program that allows qualified fleet owners to haul loads with a 12-liter near-zero-emissions heavy-duty natural gas truck for up to two weeks. As part of the rental program – a partnership between SoCalGas and Rush Truck Centers – customers will participate in a pre- and post-rental survey of their NG vehicle experience. • Penske Truck Leasing announced a collaboration with the TechForce Foundation, which works to raise awareness with schoolage students about career opportunities as professional technicians. Penske will take part in the foundation’s FutureTech Success campaign marketing materials and advertising campaigns, share campaign content on social media and join the foundation in speaking events at schools nationwide.

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

Denham, favored by trucking campaign donors, loses re-election

or the 2018 midterm cycle, trucking industry campaign contributions again heavily favored Republican candidates, this year by a more than four-to-one margin, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. However, the top recipients of trucking’s campaign donations who were fighting for re-election fared poorly. U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), the top recipient of U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham trucking industry political campaign contributions for (R-Calif.) had been a the 2018 midterms, lost his 10th District House seat to strong House ally of Democratic challenger Josh Harder. some trucking-backed Denham had been a strong ally in the House of initiatives. some trucking-backed initiatives, particularly a measure intended to block California state laws requiring meal and rest breaks for employees from applying to carriers. His Denham Amendment would have exempted carriers from having to provide those breaks to drivers. The American Trucking Associations was a strong advocate of the measure. Among other top trucking-backed candidates, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) lost his seat to challenger Jacky Rosen, and Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) lost his seat to challenger Bob Casey. Arizona Republican Martha McSally lost a close election in her Senate race to Democrat Krysten Sinema. Some trucking-backed candidates were victorious. Republican Josh Hawley, attorney general in Missouri, won his race for a Senate seat. Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn won her election to the Senate, as did Rick Scott, Florida’s Republican governor, who also sought a Senate seat. Montana Democrat Jon Tester won his Senate re-election bid. – James Jaillet

Connecticut governor may pursue trucks-only tolls

onnecticut could be the next state to pursue a trucks-only tolling plan to drum up revenue. Democrat Gov. Ned Lamont said during his campaign he intends to propose trucks-only tolls to curb what is projected to be a multi- Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont supports tolling of out-of-state trucks because billion-dollar budget deficit by 2021. they ‘use our roads toll-free and create However, the state’s trucking associa- significant wear-and-tear.’ tion, with backing from the American Trucking Associations, said it intends to fight trucks-only tolls. Joe Sculley, president of the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut, said additional truck tolling “could double our tax burden overnight if it raises the money he’s talking about.” Targeting out-of-state carriers “is going to be a clear violation of the Constitution’s commerce clause,” he added. Rhode Island this year enacted a broad trucks-only toll system. However, the state is facing a legal challenge by the Rhode Island Trucking Association and ATA, who’ve sued to have the plan overruled by the courts. – Matt Cole

JOURNAL NEWS

Mobile shower, catering group seeks hours relief when assisting firefighters

group representing carriers that provide catering and shower services to firefighters and other first responders to natural disasters and other events is seeking a reprieve for drivers from several federal hours-of-service regulations. The National Mobile Shower and Catering Association requested the regulations relief for its member companies’ drivers who are responding under a Resource Order issued by a federal agency directing firefighters and supporting personnel to respond to forest fires and similar emergencies. NMSCA requests that these drivers: • Be allowed to extend the 14-hour on-duty period to no more than 16 hours; • Not be required to include waiting time while performing duties as part of the 16-hour on-duty period;

• Be exempt from the 30-minute break provision; • Be allowed to extend the maximum 60 hours on-duty in seven days to 80 hours on-duty in seven days; • Be allowed to extend the 11 hours of drive time to 12 hours; and • Be allowed to extend the eight days in 30 electronic logging device exemption to 12 days in 30. The exemption from these regulations would apply to about 30 companies positioned in the western United States. The group says to fight wildfires, the National Forest Service and other federal agencies call upon federally-contracted private firefighting companies that are exempt from a majority of regulations when they respond. When the firefighters arrive, they set up a base camp and quickly

The National Mobile Shower and Catering Association is seeking hours relief when operating under a Resource Order from a federal agency.

require food and water, which is when a Resource Order is issued to the nearest mobile shower and catering company. The group adds that most of this work is seasonal and that the equipment used by these companies generally travels less than 5,000 miles per year. To view comments, go to Regulations. gov and search Docket No. FMCSA2018-0331-0001. – Matt Cole

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019 13

JOURNAL | PERSPECTIVES

2018: A year of ‘Wows’ Strength, optimism prevailed in benchmark year for trucking BY MACKAY AND COMPANY

s my family sat around the Thanksgiving table on a blustery November afternoon, we reflected on the year thus far. All were grateful, having enjoyed many blessings with our family. Even so, many insights often were followed with a “But.” “It has been a tough year,” “ready for this year to end” and “too many negative events” were oftstated endings. While tempered optimism might have been the rule around our holiday table, such was not the case in the truck world. This has been a year of “Wows.” From day one in 2018, the atmosphere was buzzing in all segments of the trucking economy. Coming off a year of robust retail sales for both tractors and trailers, the outlook for 2018 was one of strength and optimism. Our friends who track truck orders were reporting healthy volumes at the beginning of the year and an even faster pace by midsummer. Suppliers also were full steam ahead and struggled to keep up with demand. Even so, demand often outpaced supply, causing mounting backlogs and some supply chain disruption. The final numbers are not available yet, but based on what we know to date, it would appear that orders and sales finished the year on a strong note. Retail sales pushed up continually throughout the year, and some would say if production had been able to keep up with orders, retail sales may have climbed even higher. Sales gains such as those seen in 2018 previously have been associated with a pending change in regulation, the most recent instances of this being the rise in new truck sales associated with the implementation of several versions of clean engine technology. Not so this time; currently, strong retail sales speak to the confidence of truck operators who are reaping the benefits of high freight volumes and rising prices. The resulting profitability throughout the year has allowed operators some financial flexibility as they address the issues of driver recruitment and retention. Activity in the aftermarket channels has shown the same vigorous pace as that of truck orders and retail sales. Rising prices and volumes have been reflected in positive returns for most of the year. Nonetheless, the aftermarket has seen some hiccups. MacKay & Company’s Component Supplier Index

MacKay and Company’s Truckable Economic Activity (TEA®)* proprietary measure of the trucking economy reflected a variety of factors ranging from the effects of income tax cuts on consumer spending to the impact of the reduction in corporate taxes on capital spending. These figures corroborated statistics on freight volumes and validated the reports that all parts of the economy had been involved in the expansion.

has been climbing steadily since this past March, with strength concentrated in the OES channel. Our monthly surveys of dealers and distributors in the independent channel reveal that the lack of supply of some components has resulted in lost sales. Furthermore, concerns are mounting in the independent channel that the current supply problems could persist and imperil future sales. As we all know, you have to have the part to sell it. We also saw significant strength in all the components of Truckable Economic Activity (TEA®)*, MacKay and Company’s proprietary measure of the trucking economy. This reflected a variety of factors ranging from the effects of income tax cuts on consumer spending to the impact of the reduction in corporate taxes on capital spending. These figures corroborated what we had been hearing about freight volumes and validated the reports that all parts of the economy had been involved in the expansion. As was the case with the sales and orders figures we mentioned earlier, TEA outperformed our expectations over the course of 2018. As we pushed back from the table at Thanksgiving, we all agreed that 2018 had been a good year and that many of the items to which we had added a “But” were things to be thankful for. Such, we think, is the case with the trucking economy. 2018 is the year against which future “Wows” will be benchmarked. * TEA®, Truckable Economic Activity, is a measure of goods that move by truck. TEA® is published quarterly and includes an array of pertinent economic factors impacting our industry. Please visit MacKayCo.com to learn more.

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

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

BY JASON CANNON

Do you believe in miracles? U.S. team doesn’t disappoint at Isuzu tech competition

erb Brooks was the coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and the architect behind the “Miracle on Ice,” America's stunning upset over a heavily favored Russian team. I got to spend part of December with another much smaller group of Americans in search of their own miracle moment on an international stage. I was a guest of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America – or, as they were known during the competition, Team USA – at Isuzu’s plant in Fujisawa, Japan, for the company’s global technician competition. With contestants from 32 countries, Isuzu’s I-1 Grand Prix World Technical Competition is the Olympics for medium-duty mechanics. Kiel Trout, of RWC Isuzu Truck-Seattle, and Matthew Bertagnoli, of Lynch Isuzu Truck in Waterford, Wis., represented Old Glory honorably, taking home a silver medal — the second consecutive year the States have landed in the Top 2. That’s an incredible feat considering in the event’s 13-year history, Team USA has medaled only twice: This year and last. The one constant over that run is Justin Ridings, the team’s coach and ICTA technical training specialist. Trout and Bertagnoli reap much of the glory MEDIUM-DUTY OLYMPICS: Isuzu’s I-1 Grand Prix World Technical Competition celebrates technicians.

SECOND-PLACE PROOF: Isuzu Commercial Truck of America has made investments in excellence.

GOING FOR THE GOLD: I believe the makings of something special is bubbling at ICTA.

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

From left, Kiel Trout, Justin Ridings and Matthew Bertagnoli celebrate their second-place finish at Isuzu’s I-1 Grand Prix World Technical Competition in Fujisawa, Japan.

– they’re kind of the Mark Johnson and Mike Eruzione of this story – but Ridings’ job was to put the whole thing together, keep the whole thing organized and make the whole thing work. He’s ICTA’s Herb Brooks. Ridings attributes the team’s success to ICTA’s investment in state-ofthe-art Center of Excellence training facilities in Pittston, Pa., and Anaheim, Calif., as well as the development of a North American version of the contest, which identifies the top three technicians in the company’s dealer network and then hones their skills in preparation for the Isuzu worldwide competition. He’ll undersell how important he is to this entire process if you let him, but I won’t let him. Ridings had to pick which tech was assigned to which task. He had roughly three weeks to learn what made these guys tick, what their

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a fleet’s recipe strengths wereforand failure: where Thetoexpectation put them so that allatheir new hire talents should complemented hit the shop one another. floor with a level of expertise comparable to employees with several years of seniority; Ridingsa had lack three of a mentoring weeks to program; train andand drilla the management team andteam alternate that doesn’t Josiah Carr on a Japanese understand today’s generation. commercial truck platform that is mostly unlike the ones they see every day.On Theaverage, numberit of costs Isuzu more trucks than these $8,000guys to find work andon hire in a year: hundreds. Theanumber technician. of Japanese Having aversions person dedicated they’d seen to onboarding up to that point: Zero. that employee – ingraining them in your culture – is In a span of two years critical. with Ridings at the helm, Team USA has gone from also-ran to consistent “Does contender. that kid not know what he’s doing, or does he By virtue of finishing justindo the it different Top 3, both thanTrout the way and Bertagnoli you do it?” Arrants are said. required to retire fromNew competition, techniciansand often Ridings closelyisfollow one more a manufacturer’s medal away from having to find another recommendation role for himself. or procedure — the textbook way. Herb Brooks also left However, the sport in the with“real three world” medals. – where speed and uptime Team USA’s “Miracle areon of Ice” moremoment emphasismay thanhave process fallen – the a little perception short with may a silver, but there werebeimportant that the new victories employee along is slow the way. or lacking skill. In the written test, theBaptizing scores ofnew eachhires team’s in “your two members way” is anwere ongoing compart bined. For the practical of exam, their career each development team had 45 and minutes an important to find and part of repair a fault in an engine reducing using turnover, the correct Arrants toolssaid. and methods. Team USA notched the best writtenTabbed test score as the in “participation their division.trophy” Team Japan generation, – a sixMiltime winner of the Grand lennials Prixhave – needed gotten a bum win in rapthe in practical the workplace, exercise Arrants to eek out first place overall. said, adding that it takes a willingness of the employer to “We are so proud oflearn our how team,to ” says manage ICTA thePresident group. Shaun Skinner. “Matt’s and Kiel’s diagnostic “Theyand only repair wantskills two basic represented things,” he ICTA said.beautifully “They want and a clean, demonstrated safe work environment, that Isuzu service but more technicians than anything in the else, United they want Statestocan feel go liketoe-to-toe they’re partwith of the thefamily. best technicians They’re veryintalented, the world. and”they are loyal, but they expect In our a few Isuzu things “Miracle fromon you. Ice” ” story, Shaun Skinner is Jimmy Carter with one important Unlike the distinction: generations Hebefore traveled them, withmost the team Millennials to Japan, value cheered personal themtime on and was morepart than ofmoney their gallery. and asThere such may was no be postgame unmotivated phone by overtime call frompay, the president. Arrants There said. Incentives were hugs,such handshakes, as compensation high-fives time andincellphone lieu of overtime selfies. pay may become anTeam increasingly USA’s ride important in thebenefit I-1 Grand in attracting Prix is no young miracle, talent,and he it’s said.no fluke. It’s built Competition on the backs among of people fleets for likenew Ridings technician and Skinner, talent is fierce, who made and simply commitments showing toup and at investments a career day isn’t in excellence. going to cutAnd it, Arrants peoplesaid. like Carr, Bertagnoli and “Recruit Trout –inand the beginning last year’s second-place [of the school year], team not of Tim the end, McCarty, ” he said. of Rush “Don’t Truck wait forCenter a careeroffair Atlanta, whereand you’ll Trevor be oneShrader, of 45 others. of CIT GoTrucks to the school in Rockford, when Ill. school – who starts. sacrificed ” nearly a month of time with their friends and family to bring Getting some involved glory toearlier the boys in the and student’s girls back education home.also helps Maybe shapeyou their don’t potential believe career in miracles, path, Arrants but it’ssaid. easy to believe The deeper in a group you can of people imbed your who operation relentlessly in pursue a local greatness, technical program, and I believe the more the likely makings thatof school something will prospecial duceisthe bubbling skillset you at ICTA. need, And and the I believe more likely that will you’ll lead be to gold able to sooner hang on rather to itsthan graduates. later. JASON CANNON is Equipment Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jcannon@randallreilly.com or call (205) 248-1175.

Nikola to showcase FedEx ordering 1,000 hydrogen tractor electric delivery vans

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edEx Top 250, ikola(CCJ Motor Co. ’s hydrogen-electric No. 2) announced semi-truck will take center stage early it would its next yearexpand as the cornerstone of a three-day zero-emissions fleetwill use to showcase its event the company FedEx’s electric with 1,000 Chanje capabilities and technologies. delivery fleet V8100 electric delivery will be deployed “Nikola World” is set for mid-April 2019 in throughout vehicles. package Phoenix,The the city that serves as the company’s California over delivery company headquarters. The first two days, April the next two16 and intends to purchase 100for Nikola 17, are invitation-only years.reservation Ryder will provide support of the vehicles frommedia and holders, suppliers, investors. The services. Chanje andwill be open to the public. final day,Energy April 18, lease 900 from Ryderversion of the company’s A pre-production System for its FedEx Express which hydrogen-electric Nikola Twodivision, will share day will for commercial and residential one use withthem the unveiling of a 2.3-megawatt pickup-and-delivery hydrogen station andservices. the Nikola NZT 4X4. The Chanje EVs have range of more Demonstration drives andahydrogen filling than 150place milesthe and have will take next day.the Onpotential April 18, to the help saveto2,000 gallons of fuel while publicFedEx is invited see the zero-emissions avoiding tonsinofaction. emissions per vehicle trucks and20NZT each year. The to maximum cargo capacity is Registration the free event will open onaround JasonCannon Cannon line Dec.6,000 3. pounds. – –Jason

Self-driving truck XPO orders 100 e-trucks maker expanding from CityFreighter

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ityFreighter, uSimple, a self-driving a systems provider, developer has been testing of its Level 4 Class 8 autonomous smart medium-duty trucks in Arizona for more than a year and final-mile recently commerbegan hauling freight for-profit with cial electric commercial vehicles, carriers in The the state. fully electric 4 front-its announced Earlier this that year, XPO TuSimpleClass expanded drive6,800 CF1 has testing Logistics facilities (CCJ Top in Tucson 250, from to a 100-mile range 50,000 No. 5) subsidiary square feet,XPO and nextand year,a payload the company Sales ordered plans to grow 100 ofitsitsfootprint capacity further. of 2.5 To tons and 706 support CF1 trucks. its development The CF1 program, TuSimple cubic feet. It projects prototype it will be create pre-500 jobs across a variety can be charged of sented fieldslater ranging this year, from engineering to overnight,autonowith fastmanagement. charging mous with delivery truck driving of the 100 and office The unitsTucson planned expansion for 2020.has aavailable. projected total economic The CF1impact has a lowof $1.1 billion over the next five flooryears. cargo access design, and its rear axle features The company an electric also airplans suspension to expand to avoid its U.S. autonomous the need for an fleet electric to 200lift trucks system, in 2019. reducing TuSimple loadingsaid andthat unloading with 500 times trucks andworldwide, lessening it driver will have strain. theItworld’s also haslargest digitalautonomous mirrors and a truck keylessfleet. operating system. ––Jason JasonCannon Cannon

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal || october january 2018 2019

21 17

INBRIEF • Volvo Trucks debuted its Payload Plus packages designed to shave up to 540 pounds from VNR regional-haul models and remove more than 335 pounds from VNL long-haul models to help maximize payload and fuel efficiency in tanker, bulk-haul and certain dry van and refrigerated applications. Lightweight components include the horizontal exhaust, aluminum wheels, lightweight chassis components and optimized wheelbases and frame rail thicknesses. • Kenworth announced a new two-year 250,000-mile factory-backed Class 8 Paccar Engines Pre-Owned Warranty option available through its Kenworth Certified Pre-Owned Program, allowing customers to add extended coverage on top of the standard one-year 125,000mile warranty. Both warranty options cover 105 engine and aftertreatment components. • Meritor announced that several products were selected as standard position and preferred options on all Wabash National dry and refrigerated vans. Meritor’s loose axles now are standard, while options include the company’s Meritor Tire Inflation System, air disc brakes, trailing-arm suspension, hubs, drums, slack adjusters and MTec6 large-diameter axle. • Utility Trailer announced its 20K Duct Floor System as the new standard floor on its 3000R refrigerated trailer. The company said the floor’s design keeps the 3000R at a lighter weight because the floor requires no other structural enhancements. It features a 20,000-pound rating capacity for fork trucks with 12-inch-wide front tires, and its aluminum duct floor planks have 30 percent more upper-wear thickness than Utility’s prior 16K standard floor. • Jacobs Vehicle Systems introduced its proprietary Active Decompression Technology, an engine stop-start system for heavy-duty vehicles designed to improve fuel economy and lower emissions by switching off the engine automatically in idling situations. ADT is activated automatically by the engine control unit whenever the engine shuts down or starts up and works by keeping the engine’s valves open and cylinders decompressed.

commercial carrier journal

Daimler sees fertile ground for growth in Mexico

s Mexico welcomes a new presidential administration, the country’s transportation industry remains cautiously optimistic for growth potential in 2019. Transportation accounted for 5.5 percent of Mexican Gross Domestic Product in 2017, and Flavio Rivera, president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks Mexico, said the country’s economy should Daimler Trucks Mexico President Flavio continue its 2018 GDP growth trend of Rivera said the company is poised to 2 to 2.5 percent into 2019. Last year, 86 expand on its market share lead with the new Cascadia and two recent cabover percent of Mexico’s transportation goods models launched in the Mexican market. moved by truck, including 76 percent of goods traded with the United States. “2018 was a special year for the transport industry,” said Rivera. The market remained flat the first six months leading up to the presidential election in July, after which “the industry took on new dynamics” with Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s victory. The Mexican transportation market is comprised of 145,000 trucking companies, 80 percent of which are owner-operators and small operations with up to five power units. There are 530,000 "In 2014, we were the market Class 4-8 trucks in leader in eight Mexican states. the market with an average age of 17 Now we are leaders in 26 states.” years. Not surpris– Flavio Rivera, president, Daimler Trucks Mexico ingly, 69 percent of trucks in Mexico do not comply with current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2004 emissions regulations. Next year, Mexico moves to EPA 2010/Euro V standards, raising a new set of challenges for fleets purchasing new equipment in sourcing low-sulfur fuels, diesel exhaust fluid and other systems. In the last six years, diesel prices have soared 92 percent in Mexico. Fuel spend equates to roughly 57 percent of a truck’s operation costs. Daimler Trucks Mexico is poised to seize on additional sales opportunities as Mexican carriers begin to modernize their equipment fleets. The company boasts a 39.9 percent market share in Class 6-8 and 38.5 percent in Class 8, up from just 24 percent in 2014. “In 2014, we were the market leader in eight Mexican states,” said Rivera. “Now we are leaders in 26 states.” Rivera said the introductions of Freightliner’s new Cascadia last month and two cabovers last year – the Class 8 2528 and Class 6 1217 – demonstrate the company’s commitment to the Mexican market. All Freightliner trucks in Mexico are serviced by a network of 80 service centers, and Rivera said the dealer network should have 110 service points by 2020. – Jeff Crissey

| january 2019

Volvo’s VNR regional tractor going electric

roviding more clarity on its game plan toward an electric truck solution for the North American market, Volvo Trucks North America last month announced it is moving forward with an electric version of its 2017-launched VNR regional tractor originally developed for and produced in North America. The VNR Electric tractor will be put into test operations this year with 23 units at fleet customers NFI (CCJ Top 250, No. 28) and Dependable Highway Express (No. 127) as part of the Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solution project involving the Volvo Group, California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District and other transportation and electrical charging infrastructure participants. The California Air Resources Board provided more than $44 million in funding for the LIGHTS project. “We appreciate that the California Air Resources Board and the SCAQMD have recognized our leadership and trusted us to oversee this project that will ultimately result in the commercialization of fully electric heavy-duty trucks,” said Peter Voorhoeve, newly appointed president of Volvo Trucks North America. Voorhoeve said the VNR Electric will be commercially available beginning in 2020 after the completion of the LIGHTS project. As of now, vehicle details are light other than a 113-inch BBC length and a 50-degree wheel cut, but company executives said it will rely on fully-electric powertrain technology developed for Volvo's FE and FL Electric cabovers introduced in Europe last year and available for sale in 2019. The tractor also will feature a “driver-centric work environment” and a stamped steel bumper to protect the lights and grille. The VNR Electric’s development also will build on experience gained from Volvo Buses’ electric vehicle. The group has put more than 4,000 electric buses into operation since 2010. “We have decided in the group not to use the cabover from Europe, but to electrify the VNR,” said Voorhoeve at a press roundtable at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C. “We believe that for electric truck applications that the VNR is the electric truck for North America. We will showcase it in the LIGHTS project, and then right after that, we will commercialize it.” The $90.7 million LIGHTS project is Volvo’s way of differentiating itself from other truck OEMs and startups in the electric truck space by developing an end-to-end solution that addresses the tractor as well as the charging infrastructure that will be required by fleets at terminals and customer locations. “Electric trucks bring many unknowns, and our holistic focus through the LIGHTS project will help our fleet part-

Volvo Trucks North America is developing an electric version of its VNR regional tractor originally developed for and produced in North America.

ners transition securely and smoothly based on their individual needs regarding driving cycles, load capacity, uptime, range and other parameters,” said Johan Agebrand, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. “Within the project, we’ll look at everything from route Newly appointed Volvo Trucks North analysis and battery optimization to America President servicing and financing.” Peter Voorhoeve The buzz around electric vehidiscusses the company’s vision for the cles created by companies such as VNR Electric tractor. Tesla, Thor and Chanje have helped accelerate the conversation around electromobility in North America, said Magnus Koeck, vice president of marketing and brand management for Volvo Trucks North America, but he added Volvo Trucks has a built-in advantage of scalability of a global company that builds in excess of 200,000 trucks per year. “Anyone can build one or two or 10 [electric trucks], but to have an entire global supply chain to build 200,000 trucks that are correctly spec’d for a particular customer in a particular market or region around the world, that shouldn’t be underestimated,” said Koeck. Along with the addition of Voorhoeve in North America, Volvo Trucks also is ringing in the new year with a new global company president. Roger Alm was appointed as a new member of Volvo’s Group Executive Board and president of Volvo Trucks, replacing Claes Nilsson, who retired from his position Jan. 1. Alm previously served as president of the European Division at Volvo Trucks and began his career with the company in 1989. He has held many senior positions at the company, including head of operations in Latin America and Europe. – Jeff Crissey commercial carrier journal

january 2019

INBRIEF • Marangoni Spa and Borrachas Vipal SA announced a partnership of their industrial and commercial organizations aimed at increasing the synergies and productivity of their tire retreading operations. The companies said the first phase of the project will involve activities in the Americas. • Meritor announced a new strategic supply agreement with Manitowoc, a provider of lifting equipment for the construction industry, to deliver multiple drivetrain products and systems, including planetary axles, to the manufacturer. Meritor products will be featured on several crane types across Manitowoc’s portfolio. • Specialty powertrain manufacturer AxleTech and electric truck company Thor Trucks announced a partnership to develop a fully electric commercial vehicle powertrain system. The two companies plan to integrate AxleTech’s e-axle technology with Thor’s proprietary battery technology. • Eberspaecher, a provider of thermal management systems, acquired all the shares of Kalori SAS, a climate control specialist based in Lyon, France. Kalori develops and produces air-conditioning and ventilation systems for manufacturers of commercial and specialized vehicles. Eberspaecher said the acquisition, terms of which were not announced, boosts its strategic focus on vehicle climate control for special markets. • Mission Critical Electronics, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of electronic power products, acquired Xantrex, a developer, manufacturer and marketer of advanced power electronic products and systems for mobile power markets; terms were not disclosed. Xantrex had been part of Schneider Electric’s Solar activity division. • Tramec Engineered Components Group, a manufacturer and distributor of specialty engineered products such as general-purpose metal, rubber and plastics, launched Termico Technologies, a new business unit specializing in the design, development and manufacturing of self-regulating heater systems for commercial transportation and other markets.

commercial carrier journal

Dallas-based tech Brain tops at Rush’s annual Tech Skills Rodeo

teven Brain, a medium-duty technician at Rush Truck Centers’ Dallas facility, was awarded the top prize at last month’s 13th annual Rush Enterprises Tech Skills Rodeo in San Antonio. Brain grew up working on cars with his father, who was an automotive enthusiast and electrical engineer. He said it was those experiences that led him into a career working as a commercial truck technician and probably helped push him all the way to winning his first overall Rush Enterprises’ Tech Skills Rodeo grand championship. Brain earned first prize in the company’s Hino Medium Duty Division and was named the 2018 Rodeo Medium Duty Champion before being honored with the overall title. “I’ve been very fortunate in what I do for a living comes very natural to me,” Brain said after his win. “I think it’s a God-given gift, and I’ve done well because of that.” Now in his 19th year with Rush Enterprises and 14th year as a technician, Steven Brain, a medium-duty technician at Rush Truck this was the seventh time Centers’ Dallas facility, is awarded the top prize by Rusty Rush and NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer at the 13th annual Brain had competed Rush Enterprises Tech Skills Rodeo in San Antonio. at the Rodeo. Previous experiences in the Hino division, which he called his “bread and butter,” had netted category wins but no overall honors. Brain said after solving the final bug “in the last 30 seconds” of the hands-on competition, he felt good entering the final round but acknowledged “I didn’t realize I had done this well.” In winning the Rush Truck Centers top honor, Brain earned $18,470 in cash and prizes. Overall, nearly four dozen Rush technicians, parts professionals, aftermarket parts sales representatives and new truck sales representatives took home more than $285,000 in cash and prizes at the 2018 Tech Skills Rodeo, an all-time event record. Previous overall grand champion Jason Swann, also of Dallas, earned the top Heavy Duty Technician honor, netting $14,470, while Quintin Likely of the Rush Truck Centers – Columbus, Ga., store was named the company’s top parts man. Michael Box from the Lubbock, Texas, store earned the top aftermarket sales representative honor. Reserve champions were Gary Gates (Rush Truck Centers – Houston) in Aftermarket, Eric Hauser (Rush Truck Centers – Fontana, Calif.) in Parts, Johnny Mendez (Rush Truck Centers – San Antonio) in Medium Duty and Nicholas Misch (Rush Truck Centers – San Antonio) in Heavy Duty. – Lucas Deal

| january 2019

Rule to repeal glider cap removed from EPA agenda

rule that would have repealed Obama-era production limits placed on glider kit manufacturers was removed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory calendar, casting doubt on whether the rule would be finalized. Proposed by EPA in November 2017, the rule sought to remove the 300-truck annual glider production cap established by 2016’s Phase 2 tractor-trailer emissions regulations. It would allow glider kit manufacturers such as Fitzgerald Glider Kits and Harrison Truck Centers to return to business as usual. The cap took effect in January 2018. Also, Tennessee Tech University said that conclusions reached in a 2017 study conducted by the school into emissions of glider kit trucks are “inaccurate.” The study, funded by Fitzgerald, erroneously concluded that glider kits “perform equally as well and in some instances outperform OEM engines” in terms of emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter, according to a letter from Trudy Harper, TTU vice chair of the board of trustees. Harper’s letter did not address Fitzgerald’s financial relationship with the school, but she said the methodology of the research was “sound.” However, after reviewing the research, the school “determined that the data does not support the statement that” the remanufactured engines used by Fitzgerald in its glider builds produce the same or fewer emissions than new engines, Harper wrote.

CARB to require trucks to store emissions, fuel data

he California Air Resources Board last month announced that, starting with model-year 2022 vehicles, heavy-duty engines will need to store data related to nitrogen oxide emissions and fuel consumption. The data will be used by regulators to “identify vehicles with excess smog-related and greenhouse gas emissions,” the board said. The measure is intended to ensure that emissions control systems continue to perform properly throughout the vehicle’s life, said Richard Corey, CARB executive officer. CARB said the new rule will not require any new equipment or technology and will not apply to older vehicles. Modern onboard diagnostics systems already detect emissions malfunctions and are designed to monitor emissions controls systems. When they detect a malfunction, an indicator is illuminated on the truck’s dash, and the engine stores the fault to allow technicians to address it. Data is retrieved

The rule would allow glider kit manufacturers such as Fitzgerald Glider Kits and Harrison Truck Centers to return to business as usual.

EPA spokesperson Molly Block said that while the agency is working “on providing certainty to the glider industry,” it could not clarify whether it will continue to pursue the rule to repeal the production cap. EPA is investigating the TTU study and also is looking into a competing study on glider kits amid allegations of improper contact between agency staffers and Volvo Trucks. That study found that glider kits do produce higher emissions of GHG and PM. Volvo is a proponent of limiting production of glider kit trucks, as are Daimler Trucks and Cummins. Block also would not say whether the controversies surrounding the two studies on glider kit emissions played a role in EPA’s decision to remove the rule from its regulatory calendar. – James Jaillet

CARB said the new rule will not require any new equipment or technology and will not apply to older vehicles.

via the engine by plugging in a scanning tool or data reader. CARB’s new Real Emissions Assessment Logging, however, would require more than that of trucks that operate in the state. It would require model-year 2022 and later engines to collect and store data on NOx output and fuel consumption “that would be used to characterize [carbon dioxide] emissions on all heavy-duty vehicles in use,” the board said. – Matt Cole commercial carrier journal

january 2019

INBRIEF • Mitsubishi Fuso of America announced that J.B. Hunt Transport Services (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) took delivery of five Fuso eCanter all-electric medium-duty box trucks that will be added to the Lowell, Ark.-based fleet’s Final Mile Services division and used for home delivery in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and the greater Houston area. • Cummins’ lightweight 11.8-liter X12 engine now is available for order on Freightliner’s 114SD chassis and is suited for weight-sensitive vocational applications such as concrete mixers and dump trucks to maximize payload. The engine is capable of up to 500 horsepower and 1,700 lb.-ft. of torque. • Love’s Travel Stops launched its own private-label diesel exhaust fluid for automotive diesel and professional driver customers. The DEF is available at all the company’s locations and is available in a 2.5-gallon container for $15.99. Love’s said it worked with its sister company, Musket, to develop a DEF product that performs as well as the bulk product available at its diesel island pumps. • Continental opened its new Employee Training Center at the tire maker’s new $1.45 billion manufacturing site in Clinton, Miss. The facility is equipped with classrooms, computer laboratories and technical equipment that will be used for job interviews, new employee orientation and training for workers in Clinton. • Yokohama Tire redesigned its Exceed online dealer training program with updated content and an improved user experience, including streamlined access to a series of interactive training modules. The program’s structure is designed for dealers to prioritize training that is most relevant to their market. • Western Star debuted a new roof fairing for its 5700XE 82-inch ultrahigh-roof sleeper model, the company’s largest. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay-certified fairing is designed to maximize aerodynamics and fuel efficiency without sacrificing comfort and space and was tested in Daimler Trucks North America’s wind tunnel to ensure airflow was optimized across the trailer gap and sides to help reduce drag.

commercial carrier journal

P.S.I. announces TireView pressure monitoring system

ressure Systems International, a provider of automatic tire inflation systems, announced TireView, a tire pressure monitoring system designed for commercial vehicles available early next year. P.S.I. acquired TPMS product provider TST in April 2017 and adapted its designs. P.S.I. said adding TPMS to its product line represents a key expansion of its portfolio to provide a bumper-to-bumper tire P.S.I.’s first phase of the TireView launch management solution. The first phase of the TireView launch will include a standwill include a standalone solution for the truck and tractor alone solution for market, followed by products for trailers as an enhancement the truck and tractor market, followed by to P.S.I.’s ATIS for trailers or as a standalone. products for trailers. P.S.I. said TireView also will offer an optional flow-through kit designed to enable the TPMS sensors to remain mounted to the axle during routine tire maintenance while still providing damage protection and theft resistance. “We see TPMS and ATIS as complementary solutions, not competitive,” said Jonathan Gravell, vice president of business development for P.S.I. “Both approaches bring their own set of benefits. Automatic inflation is always the most desired approach. However, adding TireView will provide fleets with enhanced tire data, allowing them to identify the specific tire that requires attention, which no other system can do today.” P.S.I. also is working with telematics providers to give fleets the capability of viewing tire status remotely for proactive maintenance. – Jason Cannon

Another Run on Less in the planning stages

he North American Council for Freight Efficiency announced plans for a second Run on Less that will focus on trucks in regional applications — those in which Class 8 trucks operate within about 300 miles of a base locaThe first Run on Less was a tion. NACFE plans to identify the technologies cross-country trek that demonand vehicle specifications that help fleets achieve strated the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks in over-the-road operations. best-in-class fuel economy and share those with the industry. The first Run on Less was a cross-country trek that demonstrated the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks in over-the-road operations. Seven participating trucks averaged 10.1 mpg throughout the three-week event. Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director, said regional operations are a growing part of the trucking industry as fleets try to meet drivers’ needs to return home more frequently. Roeth said details of the second Run on Less need to be worked out and that NACFE is looking for input from trucking industry stakeholders on what the event should look like, what duty cycles should be included and what should be measured. “The purpose of this new Run will be to define and measure the best of the best efficiency when it comes to regional haul,” he said. – Jason Cannon

| january 2019

in focus: SPEED LIMITERS

Less time, still less speed

Most fleets aren’t driving faster due to ELDs BY JASON CANNON

ours-of-service rules didn’t change with the electronic logging device mandate’s national rollout a year ago, but the ELD removed a driver’s ability to fudge a paper logbook, often resulting in fewer miles driven and the addition of a day to what might have been a long one-day job. With hopes of reducing on-highway crashes, the ELD was a safety tool of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, just as the speed limiter was a tool for fleets with the same endgame. Becca Brown, J.J. Keller marketing and communications specialist, says e-logs also have been a valuable tool in providing data around many areas, “allowing for efficiencies in many operational areas that weren’t possible before.” Brown says that even with losses in efficiency, she’s not seen fleets widely bumping up their speed limiters to meet deadlines now complicated by an ELD. Survey says … Nearly half (48 percent) of KeepTruckin users surveyed by the company in December in cooperation with CCJ said they noticed a drop in driver productivity as a direct result of the ELD mandate, yet more than 81 percent say they did not adjust their speed limiters in 2018. Don Digby Jr., president of Denver-based Navajo Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 109), whose company implemented ELDs in July 2008, says there are better ways of getting more work done than simply trying to do it faster. “Safety is paramount, and a couple miles an hour isn’t really going to make up a lot of time,” he says. Half of the 18.5 percent of KeepTruckin respondents who opted to speed up last year seemingly agree that it doesn’t make

a lot of difference. Fifty percent of the fleets that said they sped up in 2018 said they noticed an improvement in driver productivity, while another 50 percent said there was no impact. A majority (67 percent) of those that sped up last year said they added between 3 and 7 mph.

The majority of KeepTruckin respondents plan to enter this year at the same speed as last, with nearly 60 percent saying they are not likely to raise limited speeds in 2019, and 22 percent say they are not even considering it. Only 4 percent say they “definitely will.”

Leaving the cab “Where you make up a lot of time is coaching your drivers to keep the lefthand door closed,” Digby adds. Joe Bennett, senior director of delivery for Sysco, says an internal scanning system allows Sysco to see that drivers are arriving and unloading promptly and minimizing dwell time, which can mount when multiplied across the company’s 9,000 food delivery tractors. “You might have four or five minutes of dead time from the time the ignition turns off to the time the driver brings the first case of product into the customer,” Bennett says. “You have the same on the back end — from the time he finishes scanning the last case versus when you turn the ignition back on to leave.”

Playing catchup Shoaib Makani, KeepTruckin co-founder and CEO, says his company has observed that drivers tend to drive faster after an extended detention event – more than two hours at a shipper/receiver – to try to maximize available driving hours. Complicating matters is that states have various speed laws. Forty-seven percent of surveyed KeepTruckin users report a governed speed between 70 and 74 mph — higher than the average posted speed limits in 30 states, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. “The problem is not the speed,” noted one respondent to the anonymous KeepTruckin survey. “It’s the time we lose in in traffic, and then I have to speed to try to recover the time.”

KeepTruckin speed limiter usage survey Does your operation use speed limiters?

Yes: 46.05%

No: 53.95%

What is your current limited speed?

60-64 (7%)

65-69 (32%)

Have you noticed a drop in driver productivity under the mandate?

Yes: 48.15%

No: 51.85%

Have you adjusted speed limiters higher in the last 12 months?

Yes: 18.52%

No: 81.48%

If you answered yes, how many mph have you raised the limiter?

0-9 mph (67%)

10-75 mph (33%)

After the increase, have you seen improved driver productivity?

Yes: 50%

No: 50%

How likely are you to raise your Definitely will: 4% speed limiter in the next 12 months?

Likely: 15%

70-74 (47%)

75-79 (7%)

Not Likely: 59%

Not Considering It: 22%

80-84 (7%)

Nearly half (48 percent) of KeepTruckin users surveyed by the company in December said they noticed a drop in driver productivity as a direct result of the ELD mandate. commercial carrier journal

january 2019

TEST DRIVE: INTERNATIONAL CV SERIES

Not for Average Joes Refreshed medium-duty vocational workhorse stands out BY JASON CANNON

nternational bowed out of the medium-duty vocational segment in 2015 when it mothballed its TerraStar model. But the Lisle, Ill.-based truck maker is taking a curtain call with its new Class 4/5 CV Series truck. The final piece of International’s revamped truck lineup, the CV Series is not a consumer-grade vehicle and was not designed for “Average Joe.” I took a collection of CVs for a spin around Chicago’s Soldier Field – home of “Da Bears” – to get a feel for just how International plans to separate itself from the likes of Ford’s Super Duty lineup and Ram’s 4500/5500 series pickups. Part of that plan doesn’t have anything to do with the truck itself. International said it will lean heavily on the expertise of its dealership network, banking on the industry’s largest commercial dealer network and more than 7,600 service bays. “[Commercial truck] customers don’t want to do business with dealers who just dabble in commercial trucks,” said Michael Cancelliere, Navistar’s president of Truck and Parts. “They want a true commercial partner that will take their business from startup to scale-up.” Part of scaling up is having tools that offer flexibility. Vocational customers often operate a small number of trucks that need to do multiple jobs, and with that flexibility, there has to be some guarantee of reliability. Three years ago – as Navistar was winding down TerraStar and its MaxxForce engine – the company joined forces with General Motors, reaching a long-term agreement to develop and 24

commercial carrier journal

International’s new Class 4/5 CV Series – the company’s refreshed entry for the mediumduty vocational segment – has all the requisite worksite tools of the trade.

assemble a medium-duty conventional cab Class 4/5 commercial truck. The move allowed Navistar to strengthen its product lineup and GM to expand its Chevrolet commercial truck portfolio beyond the Silverado flag. The end result of that marriage is a truck that lets each company put their best foot forward: a GM cab with an International chassis. The CV Series’ powertrain – a GM-engineered 6.6-liter diesel matched with an Allison 6-speed transmission – is a familiar face on a jobsite, and its 350 hp and 700 lb.-ft. of torque is more than enough to drag around a trailer full of lawn equipment or several cubic yards of dirt and aggregate. The new driveline is a power upgrade over the outgoing TerraStar’s 6.4-liter MaxxForce 7 and its 300 hp and 660 lb.-ft. of torque. I drove a mixture of chassis cab, bucket, flat deck and dump trucks with both two- and four-wheel drive. Throttle response was fantastic in all the units regardless of body upfit. Among the things that lift the CV Series over some of its Detroit-based

| january 2019

competitors is one seemingly small detail that you might glance over unless you study the spec sheet closely. Four-wheel-drive units have a gear-driven transfer case, which are known for durability and simplicity. They’re also known to be noisy in the low end of the range and making shifting on the fly the equivalent of sinking a basketball with a full-court shot. That’s why on the consumer side, they’ve largely been replaced by lighter and more user-friendly chain-drive units. But in this vocational truck, which is designed to be a workforce powerhouse, a gear-driven transfer case makes a lot of sense. Chain-drive transfer cases are more sensitive to inadequate lubrication, and chains can stretch over time thanks to heavy power demand. International’s strategy with the CV Series is to understand this truck almost always will be under heavy power demand. The truck was designed to be a blank canvas for body upfitters. With seven wheelbases available for regular cab models and three for crew cab models, it has a rivetless frame rail top flange

that provides a clean area from cab to axle, making it easier to mount a variety of bodies. To provide added flexibility for the many available upfit options, the CV Series offers a dual battery box mounted under the cab and includes multiple fuel tank options and optional exhaust outlets. Standard self-cleaning high-grip steps are placed ideally, allowing better egress and ingress. A forward-tilting hood provides easy access to the engine and routine service points. The diesel exhaust fluid tank refill is mounted by the passenger side door to help avoid mixing the wrong fluids and also allows the tank to be filled without opening the hood. The truck’s backbone may be its ruggedness, but its interior isn’t lacking for finesse. Just because it’s not a consumer-grade truck doesn’t mean it can’t offer consumer-grade comfort. Given that the CV is attempting to supplant consumer-friendly pickups, creature comforts practically are mandatory. David Majors, Navistar’s vice president of Product Development, said the interior builds on the refinements that debuted in the company’s LT and RH trucks. A 50-degree wheel cut offers excellent maneuverability for such a large vehicle and lessens the likelihood a driver will smack something on a crowded jobsite. A rearview camera is available as an option. The inside features supportive highwear cloth seats, and inlaid triple-seal doors help reduce outside road noise. All controls are designed to be easy to operate while wearing gloves. One to four auxiliary switches are available for specific needs depending on trim level. Plenty of storage options help keep drivers organized, including an available center console with hanging-file-folder capability. The CV Series offers comfortable

three-across seating, and the center seat back can be lowered and used as an armrest and beverage holder. In crew cab modes, a floor-mounted center console is available with movable cup holders, cell phone storage, a 12-volt charger, two USB ports and hanging-file-folder capability.

From behind the wheel, it’s easy to forget that the CV Series is a new model. Its powertrain has been proven for millions of miles over the past 17 years, and through its partnership with GM, International has managed to reintroduce a truck that has a generation of baked-in legacy and reliability.

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commercial carrier journal Untitled-12 1

january 2019

25 2/27/18 9:43 AM

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

California labor laws spreading nationwide Illinois becomes latest state to scrutinize driver expenses

ecent changes to state labor laws, especially in California, are challenging the business practices of motor carriers and other companies with mobile workers. The trucking industry has been hit by a 2014 decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled Penske Logistics and other carriers must provide California-required meal breaks and paid rest breaks for their drivers. A number of carriers have been ordered by courts to pay large settlements. Another California labor law, Section 2802, requires employers to reimburse their employees for all necessary expenses or losses they incur for the job. Reimbursing employees for their use of personal vehicles for work is where the law gets even more complicated. Salespeople, mechanics, fleet executives and managers as well as drivers who travel for business often use personal vehicles. These and other employees cannot simply turn in receipts LABOR LAW: Employees must be reimbursed for their use of personal vehicles for work.

BACKUP DATA: Workers cannot simply turn in receipts for mileage, fuel and depreciation.

COMPLIANCE HELP: Software automates data capture for vehicle mileage reimbursement.

commercial carrier journal

for vehicle mileage, depreciation and fuel. Illinois on Jan. 1 adopted a labor law that is nearly identical to California Section 2802. The law sets penalties for noncompliance at 2 percent of the underpayment to employees per month. The period for underpayment could go back months, even years, to when employees were hired. Massachusetts and Montana also have statutes in their labor laws that are similar to California, said Danielle Lackey, chief legal officer for Motus, a cloudbased vehicle management and reimbursement platform. A safe harbor One option for reimbursing employees is to use the standard IRS mileage rate, which currently is 54.5 cents. The problem with this approach is “you could potentially be overpaying for certain populations and underpaying for others,” The Motus platform helps companies automate the Lackey said. process of tracking mileage and reimbursing employees A fleet salesperson may for business use of their personal vehicles. travel 40,000 miles a year for work, and the IRS rate would be far above the employee’s actual costs. Meanwhile, a different type of employee might be able to prove his or her vehicle costs were higher than the IRS rate used for reimbursement. This could be true in certain geographic areas such as California that have high gas prices.

january 2019

Obstacle detection INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? Vector Back INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? Scan or go to system for big trucks Scanthe thebarcode barcode or togowww.goo.gl/Ph9JK to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to Office turns subscribe CCJCCJ Technology Weekly e-maile-mail newsletter. subscribetotothethe Technology Weekly newsletter. ear Viewfield documents

Safety debuted its RVS-125 Sensestat Wirelessector, formerly LoadDocs, system may show that at midnight, the unit is still a quarter-mile away from Obstacle Detectionannounced Vector Back “You could potentially be overpaying for certain the unloading spot. System designed Office, an intelligent processing populations and for when others.” to warn truckfeature designed “We are very carefully watching howunderpaying it is unloaded” to determine toSafety’s auto- RVSRear View drivers of potential containers actually are available for pickup to set realistic delivery appointmatically transcribe data from 125 Sensestat Wireless – Danielle Lackey, chief legal officer, Motus Obstacle Detection obstacles behind ments, Prince said. “Our job as an intermodal provider is to make sure a great documents that drivers capture System is designed their vehicle with number of little things happen on time and correctly.” in the fieldfor using the vendor’s easy installation The IRS rate is therefore not a safe harbor for labor laws, Lackey said. a detection range smartphone scanning app. on heavy-duty trucks, with no need install An alternate option is to pay employees a monthly flat allowance for use of perof up to 8 feet. The Predicting trailer capacity The automated datatocapture excess cabling. sonal This practice alsooften is unsafe since companies would not system is engiWhenvehicles. making deliveries, drivers lose productive time unloading or have defensiis set to read information from ble proof for thatempty they reimbursed employees fairly forappointments. their actual costs. neered to provide searching trailers to take to their next load If no printed documents, handwritWhattrailers these are labor laws do not say is that employers have to reimburse for the the driver both and visualand warning empty available onsite, office personnel may begin cold-calling tenaudible notes, barcodes data exact vehicle expense for each employee; they allow for some flexibilityindicators to totables avoid and backing accidents. customers in the area toamounts locate empty trailers. is suited for rendiuseU.S. cost inputs for Top the type that its is reasonable job. That means that The wireless ECU is engineered to be Xpress (CCJ 250, of No.vehicle 16) equips trailer fleet for withthe SkyBitz’s tion billing. while a salesperson may drive Chevy Suburban forthe work, a company includes multiple antenna tracking system embedded withacargo sensors. One of nation’s largest can reim-waterproof and“This combination of a burse for the equivalent rate of a Ford Focus since that type sedan is reasonable installation options. A app userbuilt can connect to truckload carriers, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based company usesofthe inforscanning specifically for the job. a Sensestat-equipped trailer byindustry, pressingand the mation it receives to predict when trailers will be unloaded and ready for for the trucking Motussaid is one of several companies that have software automating the datamonitor’s sync – Aaron Huff pickup, Aaron Wood, the company’s manager of trailerfor management. anbutton. intelligent, automatic docucapture for vehicle mileage reimbursement. Motuscustom uses thetransportation Fixed And Variable The SkyBitz system is integrated with U.S. Xpress’ ment management system, Rate method system to calculate a mileage-based ratesoftware based on the lifecycle management and with ESRI’s mapping that Wood uses costs to for a type provides a highway-to-backof vehicle that isfor reasonable for the job, not the turnaround actual vehicle a worker set up geofences tracking arrivals, departures, times and uses. office solution that’s fast, simThe inventories method breaks down fixed and variable costs for planning a chosenregions. vehicle into six trailer by customer location and geographical ple to use and customizable,” components thatthat include maintenance and fuelloaded costs.trailThe cost of fuel “The big thing bitesdepreciation, us and any carrier is when we have said Brian Belcher, Vector’s lliance Scale is based the ZIP code of where the employee is freight located. ers goingon into markets where we do not have loaded out,” he said. chiefdeoperating officer and cotruck scale The reimbursement doesn’t have to be in cash;region employers can pay for fuel buted afounder. U.S. Xpress is managing trailer counts inentirely each planning to engineered to weigh costs directly via a prepaid debitacross card that can be loaded The based on the employee’s maintain the balance of capacity its freight network. company The driver app provides a each axle andlist print a previous month of carriers activity.and Motus has antointegration with fuel card also uses secondary railroads reposition its trailers in itsprovider Fleetof document types as part receipt without Cor to simplify this process. network. of arequircustom workflow process Businesses a mileage reimbursement the FAVR mething a driver toforstop. The and freight broIn the three that yearsuse U.S. Xpress has been using thesystem SkyBitzbased traileron tracking carriers Alliance AxleWeigh od system, are protected its trailer count in court, has because gone from they 17,000 havetothe about data14,000 to prove by increasing they paid fairly for kers. InInaddition to capturing The Alliance Motion Truck Scale isthe workflow vehicle expenses, Lackeythe said. efficiency and managing available capacity in its network, Wood said. images, also is AxleWeigh In built to weighformatted individu-to prompt Motus has an U.S. app Xpress that employees use on their smartphones or tablets With SkyBitz, also can identify trailers at locations that have to capture drivers Motion Truck mileage by for delineating when they These use their personal vehiclepossible for work. overdelivery not moved an extended period. events could signal me-They can al axles by driving to enter information Scale is preconfigured for easy start anddefects stop each business and make adjustments the scale at 3 and mphcapture rechanical on trailers thattrip aremanually causing drivers to not hook up. between business a signature. installationwith and and personal use of their vehicle needed; app and their the GPS on their devices gardless of truck length integration U.S. Xpress also increases trailer as capacity by the monitoring use by Through can be installed do the rest. carriers and shippers through interchange or configuration. third-party third-party software, the on a gravel Cost savings another mobile apps and the Designed for easy app also agreements. “Weare know whenreason one of to ouruse trailers starts Vector can incordriveway, eliminating need FAVR reimbursement method. have trailers shown that expensuse, a driver stops at mileages moving,” Wood said. The system Studies tracks where porate and the load for ramps. es reported by employees for business use of their vehicles drop the controllerinformation and are picked up and dropped and how many miles they to give drivers by 15 toso20thepercent when mobilefor technology I.D. feedback on what moved company canusing bill carriers the author-to track enters his truck’s immediate mileage, Lackey said. use of its trailers. number, andhe theorcontroller calculate the ized or nonauthorized she will will be paid for the gross, tare and net values. TheChu, scalechief features load, said Will factory-calibrated load cells and a preproexecutive for Vector. AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296. grammed indicator. ––Aaron AaronHuff Huff

into invoices

In-motion scale weighs each axle

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | september | january 2018 2019

35 27

technology

High-tech help Apps set realistic fuel targets, coach drivers for savings BY AARON HUFF

amie Hagen, owner of and driver for Hell Bent Express, has a fleet of three trucks — and soon to be four — leased to Viessman Trucking, a liquid bulk hauler based in Gary, S.D. To help the business grow, Hagen decided to use PedalCoach, a realtime driver fuel efficiency training application from LinkeDrive. The app has helped Hell Bent’s drivers maximize fuel savings. The app runs on smart devices attached to the trucks’ dashes with a wired connection to the diagnostics ports below. Using PedalCoach’s interface, drivers know the optimal amount of fuel input at any given moment. A digital gauge has a needle that represents the fuel’s flow rate. The bottom third of the gauge’s arc is a fuel target, a green zone, with yellow and red zones in the upper two-thirds. Drivers quickly learn how to keep the needle in the green by applying throttle judiciously and shifting progressively. At the end of their trip, drivers receive a fuel efficiency score on a 100-point scale. Hagen uses a web portal every day to monitor how the other drivers in the fleet are performing. Fleets in the food tanker industry typically average between 6 and 7 mpg, he says. Hell Bent averages more than 8 and sometimes crests 9 mpg. Hagen estimates the annual fuel savings are thousands of dollars per vehicle. “Fuel savings are everything to me,” he says. “They have allowed me to expand.” In addition to the PedalCoach score, LinkeDrive has daily and monthly reports that it emails to driv-

commercial carrier journal

ers automatically. The company uses machine learning to create the reports to communicate to drivers the right things to do at the right times to help improve fuel efficiency, says Jeff Baer, chief executive for LinkeDrive. “We’ve built some automations and done a lot of research in behavioral psychology,” Baer says. Extra incentive Vnomics offers the TrueFuel in-cab platform that provides drivers with audible tones when they exceed thresholds for fuel-efficient behaviors for speeding, idling and engine control. TrueFuel calculates the fuel potential of each vehicle, which is the optimal amount of fuel required to do the work at any given time. By knowing the fuel potential, TrueFuel scores drivers with a fair and transparent measure of individual fuel efficiency that is independent of vehicle, load and route, says Bob Magnant, vice president of product management and strategy for Vnomics. After every trip, the system shows drivers a fuel efficiency score on a 100-point scale. Vnomics also has

Drivers can use the TrueFuel mobile app from Vnomics to chart their progress toward a fuel incentive.

january 2019

LinkeDrive creates daily email reports that show drivers a summary of their fuel performance.

a mobile app that visually conveys feedback to drivers. The app provides a detailed trip-by-trip log to show drivers if they are on pace to hit the fleet’s fuel efficiency target. When tying fuel savings to an incentive program, “drivers want more insight than by memory,” Magnant says. The TrueFuel app allows drivers to track their progress toward a fleet fuel incentive, he says. To help fleets create fuel efficiency targets and incentives, Vnomics can establish a baseline by measuring the fuel efficiency of a group of drivers before and after they receive in-cab coaching from TrueFuel. A fleet with 5 percent fuel waste before coaching and 2 percent waste after coaching might decide to set aside a portion of its projected 3 percent fuel savings for an incentive, Magnant says.

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The

BEST B DE DEFENSE ...is a good offense.

technology

INBRIEF • Netradyne, a developer of artificial intelligence technology designed to monitor driver and fleet safety, announced a global partnership with Hyundai MNSoft, a Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary that specializes in location-based services, cloud-based connected navigation software and future high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles. Hyundai said it plans to leverage Netradyne’s vision technologies to collaborate on HD maps for future vehicle technologies. • Descartes Systems Group, a provider of on-demand Software-as-a-Service transportation management technologies, announced that foodservice distributor Merchants Foodservice selected its Descartes Perform for Food mobile system to streamline the delivery of wholesale food, beverages and restaurant kitchen supplies throughout 12 southeastern states. The web-based platform helps drivers capture proof-of-delivery information more efficiently and eliminate paper to facilitate accurate orders and invoices while minimizing overages, shortages and damages. • Estes Express Lines (CCJ Top 250, No. 12) installed a solar-power system at its 162-door terminal in West Middlesex, Pa., the Richmond, Va.-based less-thantruckload company’s fourth solar-powered facility. The 2,150 roof-mounted panels will produce 777,400 kilowatt-hours of power annually and, along with an upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting, account for more than 90 percent of the terminal’s annual consumption. • Trillium, a provider of alternative fuel systems and renewable fuels, installed an onsite solar power system at the Love’s Travel Stop in Santa Nella, Calif. The system was Trillium’s first solar installation and offsets a large percentage of the travel stop’s electricity consumption. • Meritor Inc. enhanced its MeritorPartsXpress.com website to help improve search functionality for more than 100,000 aftermarket products. Customers can use the e-commerce platform to search for specific parts and check their inventory status at Meritor’s four North America distribution facilities in Florence, Ky.; Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Edmonton, Alberta; and Mississauga, Ontario.

commercial carrier journal

Stay Metrics: Women drivers less likely to leave carriers

tay Metrics last month published a research paper that attributes critical areas of driver job satisfaction and turnover intent to gender. Stay Metrics assesses driver opinions and satisfaction levels on a wide range of areas According to Stay Metrics’ research, that correlate with driver retention. The com- female drivers tend to be more satisfied in most areas with their carriers. pany administers an in-depth standardized annual driver satisfaction survey to drivers on behalf of its motor carrier clients. Using its research database, Stay Metrics analyzed responses from nearly 16,000 drivers who completed the survey from Jan. 1, 2017, to July 31, 2018. The company said the study found key differences between male and female drivers’ responses: • Job satisfaction. Female drivers tend to be more satisfied in most areas with their carriers. Women feel less bored by their work. They feel more fairly compensated and satisfied with their home time. • Pre-turnover thoughts. Female drivers score significantly higher in this area, which indicates they are less likely to be thinking of leaving their present carriers than male drivers. “To preserve this retention advantage, carriers should use a survey and feedback system that gives all their drivers a safe and secure platform to anonymously share their feelings, opinions and concerns to make sure they are addressed,” said Tim Hindes, cofounder and chief executive officer of Stay Metrics. – Aaron Huff

SmartDrive petitions FMCSA over camera positioning

martDrive, a provider of fleet telematics, is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow it to mount its Advanced Driver Assistance System-based camera on truck windshields lower than curSmartDrive said its ADAS-based camera would be mounted outside drivers’ rent regulations allow. normal sight lines to the road, highway In its petition, SmartDrive said in its signs, signals and mirrors. petition that its camera would be mounted outside drivers’ normal sight lines to the road, highway signs, signals and mirrors for “optimal functionality.” Regulations require vehicle safety technologies to be mounted not more than four inches below the upper edge of the area swept by the windshield wipers and not more than seven inches above the lower edge, and outside the driver’s sight lines to the road, signs and signals. SmartDrive said its ADAS – which offers forward collision warnings, short following distance warnings, lane detection and departure warnings and active monitoring with real-time driver feedback – would be mounted with the bottom edge of the camera housing about eight inches below the upper edge of the area swept by wipers. Go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0321-0001.– Matt Cole

january 2019

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technology

Orbcomm updates monitors for refrigerated containers

rbcomm, a provider of machine-to-machine and Internet of Things products, launched its next-generation system for remote Orbcomm’s CT 3000 container monitormonitoring and control of refrigerated ing device is built to containers traveling by land, rail or sea connect directly to for uninterrupted visibility of operathe TRU to enable real-time alerts and tions and improved efficiency. two-way control. Orbcomm’s CT 3000 series is designed to provide wireless connectivity through its ruggedized hardware and a cloud-based analytics platform and information management engine to help optimize asset management and utilization. Craig Malone, Orbcomm’s executive vice president of product development, said the CT 3000 series supports builtin and external sensors, cellular connectivity and wireless technologies to deliver actionable data on asset location, status, performance, cargo area temperature and more. The series comes in two variants: The CT 3100 can be installed temporarily to monitor assets for a specific duration; while the CT 3000 is installed permanently on an asset for continuous tracking. The container monitoring device is built to allow operators to react quickly to discrepancies and adjust temperature and humidity levels remotely to facilitate temperature compliance and minimize spoilage. Malone said that by leveraging data logs to allocate assets, operators can eliminate unnecessary moves, improve turn times and streamline deliveries and routes. Also, the system automates pre-trip inspections to facilitate quicker turn times, lower operational expenses and reduce safety risks to personnel, he said. – Aaron Huff

Trimble enhances analytics, business intelligence tools

rimble announced that its business intelligence and analytics offering, Trimble Reveal, now can aggregate more data from a wider variety of business systems – transportation management, asset management, mobile communications and more – to provide added insight into how a company operates. Reveal is designed to enable customers to spot opportunities and support continuous improvement. Users can build custom integrations with other internal systems, such as human resources and costing, to obtain a detailed all-inclusive profitand-margin analysis. Reveal now allows users to collect data from all Trimble Reveal is designed to aspects of their business, enable customers to access whereas before, the custransportation-specific pre-built tomer would have to choose calculations, reports, scorecards, dashboards, geographic maps specific BI and analytics and more. silos. Trimble said that Reveal can allow users to see improved profit margins, greater utilization, better customer satisfaction levels, enhanced on-time performance and steady driver retention numbers. “Data wrangling typically requires significant investment in software, hardware and people,” said Monica McCool, big data product manager for Trimble Transportation Enterprise. “We’ve created a one-stop data shop to enable customers to focus on improving their business using evidence rather than anecdotes and get them out of the business of data wrangling.” – Aaron Huff

Project 44 signs J.B. Hunt integration, announces GateHouse acquisition

roject 44, a visibility platform provider, announced an integration with J.B. Hunt Transport Services’ (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) J.B. Hunt 360 system to provide the Lowell, Ark.based fleet’s customers with real-time access to shipment information regardless of the carrier, eliminating the need for multiple carrier data integrations. The companies say the integration 32

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will let J.B. Hunt 360 users view and manage multicarrier freight from a single platform, helping them streamline operations, generate cost savings, increase efficiency, improve service levels and meet their shipping goals. Project 44 also announced its acquisition of GateHouse Logistics, a Denmark-based visibility provider, to merge their respective North American and European operations and

january 2019

J.B. Hunt 360 is designed to allow businesses and carriers to engage in a marketplace for freight matching, gain visibility into their operations within the supply chain and automate day-to-day efforts.

accelerate the development of future global visibility offerings; terms were not announced. – Aaron Huff

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• 3Gtms., a provider of transportation management software, released Quick Ship Portal, the first in a suite of products designed to give third-party logistics providers more options and flexibility for engaging their customers while keeping the user experience intuitive. The company also released 3G-TM version 17.4, an update to its TMS designed to add flexibility for assigning and managing carrier commitments; provide faster and broader access to load visibility to drive more informed decisions; and provide more choices around freight settlement and document management.

Case study, feedback show how fleets address driver concerns

• Mitchell 1 completed model-year 2018 updates to its TruckSeries truck repair software suite that provides labor-estimating diagnostics trouble code procedures and repair information for all makes of medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The company also added a MessageCenter option with integrated two-way texting to its Manager SE Truck Edition shop management system for Class 4-8 trucks, providing shops with the option of building their own text templates for orders, appointments and revisions or writing “on-the-fly” text messages to customers when needed. • Trimble, a provider of transportation mobility systems, and Intelligent Audit, a provider of freight audit and transportation spend optimization, announced a collaboration to integrate their offerings to enable users to access both visibility and tracking through Trimble’s supply chain system and Intelligent Audit’s spend and audit analytics. • Rolling Strong, a provider of truck driver health and wellness programs, announced a partnership with eTrueNorth to help provide drivers easy access to healthcare screenings through eTrueNorth’s network of independent laboratories located in retail pharmacies nationwide. • SimpleTire launched a new website feature to help users search specifically for tires verified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Program. Truckers can go to SimpleTire.com/Heavy-Truck and use the SmartWay filter.

commercial carrier journal

Surveys help identify, resolve problems earlier

tay Metrics, a provider of evidence-based driver feedback, engagement, training and retention products, released a case study about its partnership with Load One. In 2012, John Elliott, chief executive officer of the Taylor, Mich.-based expedite hauler, made a decision to invest in driver retention to sustain growth. “It just seemed like money better spent and more logical in the long run to retain what you have and grow that way versus constantly pushing to recruit what you don’t know,” Elliott said. Load One began using Stay Metrics’ annual Driver Survey to gather driver feedback and opinions. It also focused on the experiences of newer drivers using the orientation survey, typically given after one week on the job, and the early driver experience survey, most often taken between six to eight weeks after orientation. The data-driven surveys led Load One to make numerous changes that ultimately resulted in a decrease in early-stage turnover (first 90 days) from 51.3 percent to 39.4 percent during the program’s first year. “In many instances, Expedite hauler Load One reported that between September 2016 and September 2018, its trailing 12-month annual the reasons why drivturnover dropped from 74.3 percent to 25.8 percent. ers leave are based on simple misunderstandings,” Elliott said. “Our experiences show that drivers will open up to surveys administered by a neutral party. We have been able to identify problems early on and improve driver retention. Showing the driver they have a voice and that a company listens is what drivers want.” Load One also launched an online Gold Rewards program using a platform from Stay Metrics that allows drivers to redeem points earned from a myriad of categories that include job performance and tenure. The rewards website also serves as a hub for Load One to share company news and for drivers to access training resources. Early driver turnover for Load One continued to improve, reaching 36.4 percent in the fifth year of the partnership. In 2017, Load One further improved the work experience of drivers with Drive First, an onboarding platform from Stay Metrics with digital employment forms, driver training modules and assessments. Between September 2016 and September 2018, the company’s trailing 12-month annual turnover dropped from 74.3 percent to 25.8 percent. In contrast, the average annualized turnover of large carriers reported by the American Trucking Associations increased to 98 percent in the second quarter of 2018. “Retaining drivers in the expedite market is an especially formidable challenge due

january 2019

technology to unpredictable schedules and other factors,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and CEO of Stay Metrics. “We commend Load One for its ongoing commitment and success at delivering an industry-leading work experience for drivers.” Anonymous feedback As one of the largest privately held transportation companies in North America, CRST International (CCJ Top 250, No. 17) has several different mechanisms to obtain feedback from drivers. The company surveys drivers across its operating companies, but it recently started using a direct active feedback platform from WorkHound. The first of CRST’s operating companies to use the tool is Pegasus Transportation, a 325truck carrier based in Louisville, Ky. The WorkHound platform sends drivers automated text messages every week. The text contains a link to a mobilefriendly website. In about 90 seconds, drivers can submit anonymous comments to open-ended questions about their work experience. The cloud-based platform aggregates the feedback data and uses keyword analysis to deliver insights that help companies manage and retain drivers.

“The cool part is we get feedback actively, every day,” said Chris Thomas, CRST’s director of enterprise marketing for recruiting. WorkHound helps CRST and its other fleet customers craft a weekly broadcast message to discuss the action items the fleet is taking based on driver feedback, says Max Farrell, WorkHound co-founder. If drivers share something that is tied directly to their own job satisfaction, CRST can text the driver through WorkHound. The sender will ask the driver if he or she is willing to reveal their identity and have a direct conversation with management. “We have members of leadership who are very active in the platform,” Thomas says. “(Drivers) know their concern is going up to the highest level.” The “overwhelming majority” of drivers are willing to share their identity upon request, he says. “If we are reaching back out, that is what (drivers) want.” In the period that WorkHound has been used by Pegasus, “we have been able to see it really effect change,” Thomas says. “We’ve gotten feedback from drivers for everything like increasing truck speed, repaving the parking lot and refreshing – Aaron Huff the driver lounge.”

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ith record new truck orders filling build slots well into 2019, fleets are finding different ways to increase their truck count and take advantage of strong freight rates. Mike McMahon, director of strategic accounts for transportation for Ritchie Bros., says the truck order backlog has forced some fleets to hold on to equipment longer since newer trucks aren’t arriving as expected. The auction market – historically the buying domain of owner-operators – saw an uptick in the number of fleet buyers due to the immediate availability of tractors, McMahon says. Steve Oliver, national director of sales

for Taylor and Martin Auctioneers, says owner-operators make up about 70 percent of his firm’s purchasing customer base because of the ability to inspect and potentially leave with a piece of equipment that day. With more late-model equipment coming available, an increasing number of fleets have entered the auction segment in search of trucks for similar reasons, Oliver says. “That’s because they can put them to work right now,” he says. The ability to put trucks on the highway quickly isn’t the auction segment’s only draw. In some cases, auctions offer greater flexibility in purchasing and looking at equipment because of online and inperson outlets, McMahon says.

“Some customers may only be looking in a certain geographical area but may be able to find something through our online platform that they might never have considered beforehand,” he says. “With our frequency of sales and how we transact, we can pretty much sell everything almost every day. We offer our buyers and sellers the opportunity to buy and sell all the time.” Also, transaction prices on the used truck auction channel routinely are less than those on the retail side. “There’s definitely a hope for gain,” Oliver says. “If you’re talking about comparing buying equipment at an auction versus buying from a dealer, the dealer is going to charge a retail price, while at

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE FOLLOWING STORY IS PART 1 OF A THREE-PART SERIES ON “OUT-OF-WARRANTY TRUCKS.” FEBRUARY’S INSTALLMENT WILL ADDRESS BUYING VS. LEASING. MARCH’S COVERAGE WILL FOCUS ON OVER-THE-AIR ENGINE UPDATES. 40

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

With more late-model equipment coming available, an increasing number of fleets have entered the auction segment in search of trucks. Photos by Tom Quimby

an auction, especially an open-to-thepublic no-reserve auction, you will have an opportunity to buy something for less money than you might at the retail level.” A different type of year It may be easier to find a good deal on trucks at auction, but 2018 was not the time to buy cheap. Chris Visser, J.D. Power senior analyst and product manager of Commercial Vehicles Valuation Services, says auction volumes were down through much of the year because of fleets holding on to more trucks to capture and move more freight. The electronic logging device mandate also played a role in decreased used truck volumes early in the year because “it reduced efficiency and required more trucks to move the same amount of freight,” he says.

With equipment volume down, pricing was stable, Visser says. “Essentially no depreciation for four- to six-year-old trucks in the auction market in 2018,” he says. “Obviously, that’s an unusual situation. We expect trucks to lose one-and-a-half to two percent of their value per month, and they didn’t lost any in 2018 for the most part.” That kind of pricing was attractive to fleets that otherwise wouldn’t have been inclined to dispose of units, Oliver says. “I can’t think of a better time to sell fleet-type tractors,” he says. “There’s really an opportunity for anybody with fleet tractors to maximize the value right now.” Pricing was strong throughout 2018, McMahon adds. “On a supply side, it’s been a challenge to get equipment at times from the customer base because of how strong sales have been,” he says.

What can you find at auction? Visser says auctions traditionally have been seen as a wholesale channel, even though comparable equipment can be found on the retail and auction markets. “There are also some volume buyers — some fleets who buy trucks at auction and do their own reconditioning,” he says. Truck dealers also use the auction segment to buy rigs to fill their lots, he says. McMahon says more than half of Ritchie Bros.’ buyers are end users — “the people who will be putting this equipment to work and not necessarily remarketing,” he says. “The meat” of the auction market, Visser says, is mostly four- to sixyear-old trucks, but it’s not impossible to find newer and older units at any given time. McMahon says the current

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019 41

EQUIPMENT: TRUCK AUCTIONS

Auctions appear to be fast-paced quick-and-the-dead-type environments, and that can be intimidating for newcomers, but experts say that doesn’t have to be the case.

challenge is finding late-model lowermileage equipment. “That equipment on the used truck side is in high demand, and it’s hard to get,” he says. “It’s bringing a premium in the marketplace.” Oliver says trucks can be found at auction with a remaining balance on their OEM warranty, as historically high new truck orders and strong freight rates have brought more late-model trucks to the used market. “There’s been more of that simply because late-model trucks have been more difficult to find,” he says. “People that have any reason to remarket a late-model truck with any remaining warranty have definitely been participating in the auction channel.” How to buy trucks Auctions appear to be fast-paced quickand-the-dead-type environments, and that can be intimidating for newcomers, but McMahon says that doesn’t have to be the case. “There’s people there to basically walk you through how to bid and what to look out for [and] explain how the auction works,” he says, adding that similar resources are available for online users. “It’s fairly easy. It’s just a matter of being 42

commercial carrier journal

confident in what you’re doing.” Oliver says getting involved in an auction is as simple as contacting a representative from the auction house and letting them know of your interest. They will guide you through the rest of the process. “The easiest way to get involved would be one of two things,” he says, “Either contact a sales representative, or contact the corporate office.” Equipment lists generally are available for all upcoming auctions, including photos and specification information on consigned equipment. Registration gener-

ally isn’t required to review equipment online or for onsite inspections. “The point where you need to have a registration process would be if you register to bid and purchase at an auction, which is a very simple process of either a deposit or a bank letter of credit,” Oliver says. Visser suggests fleets interested in purchasing trucks at auction check with each auction house and ask what kind of reconditioning they perform on the units and what kind of guarantee they offer. “Obviously, you have to do you own due diligence as far as whether you think the truck meets trade terms or what you’re willing to put up with if it doesn’t,” he says. “Definitely check what fleet the truck came from. Some fleets have better maintenance reputations than others.” How to sell trucks Selling trucks is an interesting proposition in that it pits buyer and seller directly against one another at opposite ends of the spectrum: selling for the most dollars possible while buying for the least. “[Selling a truck] starts with one of our people looking at a piece of equipment either in-person or evaluating via specs and photos,” Oliver says. From

Equipment lists generally are available for all upcoming auctions, including photos and specification information on consigned equipment.

| january 2019

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EQUIPMENT: TRUCK AUCTIONS

Experts expect strong demand for limited supplies of low-mile late-model equipment at least through the first half of 2019, with potentially some “softening” to follow in the second half.

there, the auction house will determine “an educated auction value” on the piece of equipment. “We would give somebody a reasonable expectation of what they could hope to monetize out of any given asset,” he says. The next step would be entering into a consignment agreement, assuming the consigner is comfortable with the terms, “and we would sell it at our next live auction,” Oliver says. Armed with little more than a bestguess price estimate prompts some sellers to place a reserve on their units, meaning if the truck doesn’t sell at or above a given price, it doesn’t sell at all. The drawback to placing a reserve is that it can be off-putting to potential buyers since that amount is not disclosed to them upfront, Oliver says. “They might not put the effort into traveling, inspecting and going through the process of registering to buy if they felt for some reason somebody might have an unrealistic reserve number that wouldn’t allow it to get sold at a true market price,” he says. Taylor and Martin does not offer reserve auctions. Having an in-demand piece of equipment helps ensure a strong transaction 44

commercial carrier journal

price. As the used truck market has tightened and freight rates have improved, buying preferences have started to evolve. Big-bore power matched to an 18-speed manual transmission remains sought-after by owner-operators, but Oliver says he’s seen an increased openness to more fuel-friendly specifications. “There’s some definite demand on more fleet-spec trucks as opposed to owner-operator specs,” he says. “I think that there are very open minds right now. Maybe a guy who previously was just a Detroit guy might look at something different in order to put it to work.” After years of hesitation, used truck buyers finally are beginning to embrace the automated transmission, McMahon says. “We are starting to see people really looking for those automated manuals more so than they have been,” he says. “I would not call it a [price] deduct anymore.” What’s ahead? Last year was a good one for sellers of used trucks, and the early part of 2019 is forecast to continue that trend, but

| january 2019

Visser sees a return to normal conditions in the second half of the year. “That’s when we see the economic acceleration rolling back a little bit, and also used truck volume hitting more of a critical mass to meet demand,” he says. “With [new truck] orders above 40,000 [per month], we still have quite a few months where deliveries should be elevated. A lot of these trucks are for dealer stock, and a lot of them won’t even be built until late 2019 and even 2020 in some cases. The orders we see now are more at risk of being canceled as 2019 goes on because they are so monumental right now.” Visser says one reason there was so much freight to move in 2017 and 2018 is that manufacturing companies were taking advantage of tax incentives to build up inventories, resulting in some pull-ahead freight in 2018. As that freight environment softens this year, it will push used truck prices down and normalize depreciation. “The second half of 2019, we do see a return to depreciation both at auction and retail dealers back to a normal 1.5 to 2 percent per month,” Visser says. Oliver says the auction value of equipment moved through Taylor and Martin last year was about 10 percent higher year over year. “There is less equipment available, because more of it is in use, but the values are higher,” he says. “There’s definitely a supply-and-demand situation in play. The historically high level of new truck orders, once that catches up, there may be more of a downslope where some of the fleet truck values might soften, but we don’t expect that to happen until at the very least halfway through 2019 and maybe [later]. We expect values to remain strong.” McMahon says he expects strong demand for limited supplies of low-mile late-model equipment at least through the first half of 2019, with potentially some “softening” to follow.

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Machine vision advances driver safety with self-help tools BY AARON HUFF

n 2016, driver distraction was a factor in 6 percent of the 4,564 lives lost in fatal crashes that involved large trucks or buses. The same crash data, from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, show cell phone use was related to 16 percent of the fatalities, while speeding was a factor in 17 percent. Fleets can identify these and other symptoms of risky driving behaviors with event data reported by telematics systems connected to a vehicle’s electronic control units and sensors. However, this event data may be inadequate to find the root causes of risky driver behaviors. Advancements in vision-based safety systems can see where the behaviors start and alert drivers the moment they surface. More importantly, new tools can provide instant feedback and coaching to create positive change.

Instant feedback Several companies have vision-based safety systems that identify risk by combining event data with live video from inward- and outward-facing cameras. These systems use algorithms to find patterns in complex data sets. How fleets and drivers want these technologies to interact in a live environment is a subject of debate. SmartDrive’s vision-based safety platform has a network device that connects with a vehicle’s cameras, ECUs, sensors and various OEM and third-party advanced driver assistance systems. The software algorithms onboard the device instantly detect patterns of risky behaviors known as trigger events. These events trigger the capture of video and event data for review by SmartDrive’s managed service. The company’s SmartSense products use machine vision to detect complex behaviors in real time. One product monitors eye movements and head positions of drivers to detect inattention, distraction and drowsy driving. 46

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| january 2019

Nauto’s dual-camera computer vision system, Nauto Coach, uses a device that mounts near the rearview mirror that captures video and data of risky driving events and transmits it to a web portal for review by fleet management.

For these and other types of risky behaviors, SmartDrive can help fleets provide drivers real-time feedback using green-, yellow- and red-light notifications on the camera. “It’s important to strike a balance between the value of alerting drivers immediately and what can be addressed later so as not to overwhelm them,” says Jason Palmer, SmartDrive’s chief operating officer. Nauto’s dual-camera computer vision system, Nauto Coach, uses a device that mounts near the rearview mirror that captures video and data of risky driving events and transmits it to a web portal for review by fleet management. Nauto Prevent is an optional product for Nauto Coach that uses the inward-facing camera and algorithms to identify distracted driving behaviors while the vehicle is moving. The web portal shows risk profiles of drivers based on Nauto’s Visually Enhanced Risk Assessment scoring method that focuses on attentive driving, speed and smooth driving. Attentiveness is the most heavily weighted factor, with Nauto analysis showing distraction is a factor in 70 percent of collisions. Nauto Prevent’s algorithms monitor a driver’s head, eyes

TECHNOLOGY: REAL-TIME DRIVER COACHING and torso to determine if eyes are on the road, says Sanket Akerkar, senior vice president of Nauto’s fleet and insurance lines of business. Drivers get progressive in-cab alerts if they are distracted while a vehicle is moving; a driver is not alerted for looking at a cell phone at a stop light. The severity of risk is based on the vehicle’s speed and the length of time a driver is not looking at the road. Drivers hear a beep at the first sign of distraction. If they continue the behavior, the device will say “distracted.” After four seconds, the tone becomes more severe to command their attention.

Building trust Companies that develop vision-based safety technologies say one of the challenges of alerting drivers to risks in their environment is the possibility that the warnings may be counterproductive. Nauto has tuned its algorithms to limit “false positives” for distracted driving. Akerkar says these events are as close to zero as possible to build trust with drivers. But limiting false positives has tradeoffs, since the system may bypass distracted behaviors that are not as obvious to maintain that trust, he says. A vision-based system needs to incorporate multiple sensors to have an effective algorithm and prevent false positives, Palmer says. “When testing SmartSense against standalone solutions, we found that if a driver is going around a curve, he or she is looking at the curve and not straight ahead,” he says. “A dual camera configuration is necessary to show that the lines in the road are paired to the driver’s eyes and to eliminate the false positive that another system is measuring.” Bendix’s Wingman Fusion system adds a camera to work with Wingman Advanced’s radar for collision mitigation. The combination delivers more information to the system, which enables an earlier read on situations to have fewer false alerts and unnecessary interventions, says Fred Andersky, director of marketing and customer solutions for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. The safety systems can be adjusted to fit a fleet’s need for specific alert strategies. Some want a more conservative approach with following distance alerts at three seconds, two seconds and one second at highway speeds, while others may want a more aggressive approach, Andersky says. Bendix’s SafetyDirect web portal provides fleet operators with videos of severe events along with feedback on fleet and driver performance. The system wirelessly transmits real-time video data and event-based information to fleets for analysis by safety personnel.

Self-coaching Fleets also are using technologies that allow drivers to coach

SmartDrive’s vision-based safety platform has a network device that connects with a vehicle’s cameras, ECUs, sensors and various OEM and third-party advanced driver assistance systems.

themselves, a strategy applicable for safety infractions that fleets believe drivers can correct simply by being aware of the problem. Lytx’s DriveCam managed service includes review of event video by company analysts who look for driver behaviors such as distraction. Drivers also are alerted to risky in-cab behaviors by Lytx’s ActiveVision platform that gives real-time feedback while capturing video of risky events for DriveCam to review. ActiveVision monitors lane markings and surrounding vehicles to identify patterns of risk and issues real-time audible alerts for distracted and fatigued driving. A “rumble strip” sound is produced for patterns indicative of unintentional lane departures. For short following distances, ActiveVision gives a sequence of beeping noises, says Kristin Costas, Lytx’s director of product management. Fleets that use DriveCam can decide to have certain event videos sent automatically to drivers, who can login and review curated event records and a 90-day score. Lytx’s DriveCam managed service includes review of event video by company analysts. Drivers also are alerted to risky in-cab behaviors by Lytx’s ActiveVision platform that gives real-time feedback while capturing video of risky events for DriveCam review. commercial carrier journal

january 2019

TECHNOLOGY: REAL-TIME DRIVER COACHING

The types of behaviors fleets typically assign for self-coaching are low-risk and more frequent, such as for not using a seatbelt or close following distances, Costas says. DriveCam gives drivers four days to coach themselves before an event is flagged as overdue. Drivers can use SmartDrive’s app to retrieve performance scores, video and any safety observations. The app allows drivers to manage bad habits and work to improve skills and provides greater visibility into their progress, Palmer says. “When management and drivers are equally engaged in identifying strengths and weaknesses while acknowledging improvement, self-coaching begins to operate as a supporting asset to the training programs the company has in place,” he says. A Bendix app allows for information from the SafetyDirect portal to be downloaded directly to a phone to send information quickly to fleet managers and drivers.

super-high,” says Adam Kahn, the company’s vice president of fleet business. The DriverI Mobile Coach app gives drivers a “GreenZone” safety score at the end of each trip. Drivers can review videos of recorded events for training, which are selected and curated by fleet managers. The app also shows drivers what behaviors they can change, such as speeding, to increase their scores, Kahn says. Mentor, a smartphone- and telematics-based Software-as-aService platform from eDriving, can be used by fleets as part of a closed-loop risk management program that includes online driver training courses. The Mentor app runs on smartphones or tablets and tracks driver behaviors for acceleration, braking and speeding, and also distraction by detecting if drivers pick up their phones while driving. An audible alert warns drivers when they exceed a maximum speed. When not in motion, drivers can use the app to view their scores. A first-level summary shows the number of risk events for each category. Clicking on summary data opens a heat map that shows where the events occurred. Driver managers cannot view the event map, an approach that ensures drivers have privacy of their own information, says Ed Dubens, chief executive for eDriving. Fleet managers can view the number of risk events for each driver and their Mentor scores for coaching those most at risk. Mentor’s online training modules are delivered through the app. Fleets typically assign quarterly training that takes 20 to 30 minutes for drivers to complete. Drivers with high-risk behaviors can be assigned additional weekly courses that take three to five minutes to complete, Dubens says. Mentor has integrations with Nauto and Geotab, an ELD and telematics platform, to use additional data captured by those systems for scoring driver risk, he says.

Automated training

Assisting with autonomy

Coaching and training drivers based on video and event records can be difficult, especially if drivers are on the road for days and even weeks at a time. New developments can lighten the burden on fleet managers by giving drivers immediate notifications and reminders before the events are recorded and sent to their fleets for review. Netradyne’s DriverI vision system uses a suite of in-cab alerts for following distance, speeding, rolling stops and yawning. The system also can alert for distraction by monitoring drivers’ eye and head movements. Netradyne currently is working with early-adopter customers to have real-time alerts activated on their units before finalizing the products for broader commercial release. “We spent a lot of time ensuring the precision and accuracy is

Autonomous trucks are on the horizon as vehicle safety systems continue to advance. Machine vision technology will continue to play an active role in monitoring the environment to ensure drivers are ready to take control at a moment’s notice, Palmer says. “The backup driver for an autonomous vehicle must be as attentive as if they were behind the wheel of a nonautonomous vehicle,” he says. Fleet managers will have information to understand how and why the driver got into a situation where a vehicle’s braking and steering systems had to take control to prevent collisions. “Our job is to deliver the technology that guarantees drivers are using newer technologies in a safer manner as we progress up the ladder to full autonomy,” Palmer says.

Netradyne’s DriverI vision system uses a suite of in-cab alerts for following distance, speeding, rolling stops and yawning. The system also can alert for distraction by monitoring drivers’ eye and head movements.

commercial carrier journal

| january 2019

AUGUST 22-24, 2019 DALLAS, TX www.TruckShow.com

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Van step

Ranger Design’s Max Step is designed to be attached to a van’s frame in the back, giving tradesmen easy access to the cargo space or roof rack. Made with anti-slip tread plates, the step is engineered to provide a rugged grip in any type of climate, and a sleek line of reflective tape across each step helps add visibility. The step is built with a 300-pound weight capacity and is protected by an anti-corrosive finish to guard against weathering and early deterioration. It is designed to easy installation on the Mercedes Sprinter, Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster. Ranger Design, www.rangerdesign.com, 800-565-5321

Brake friction and rotors

Raybestos’ line of Specialty Friction and Rotors offers full coverage for several markets and is designed to deliver added stopping power in extreme-use situations. The disc pads and rotors are engineered with application-specific formulas for several critical target categories, including heavy- and medium-duty truck and bus applications. Raybestos, www.raybestos.com, 800-323-0354

Belt tensioner

AFA’s Belt Tensioner for Cummins’ B/ ISB/QSB Series engines is engineered with a high-quality bearing assembly and casting. The tensioner uses a high-tension spring coupled with an idler pulley designed to provide the engine with the optimal amount of tension on the serpentine belt, resulting in noisefree operation. AFA Industries, www.afaindustries.com,

commercial carrier journal | january 2019

Intermodal landing gear SAF-Holland’s Saturn 62 iM internal gearbox landing gear is engineered for intermodal operations and is designed for ease of use and durability in container chassis trailer applications. Standard features include the company’s NoLube Lubrication Tube that surrounds the elevating screw, eliminating the need for manual greasing; Black Armour metal treatment that provides corrosion protection and rust-creep prevention; a 10-bolt formed mounting plate that helps keep the leg square and attached securely to the trailer; 80-ksi high-strength steel leg tube material with a robust lightweight tube housing; a removable rubber cushion foot under the lower leg that helps protect the landing leg and internal mechanisms from impact shock due to repetitive container loading; a robust cast-steel cap with a premium gasket seal; and the company’s FloatingNut with a reinforced twin-bulkhead design for added strength. SAF-Holland, www.safholland.com, 616-396-6501

PRODUCTS

Rear sensor system

ASA Electronics’ CVPS18 Four-Channel Sensor System is built to aid in backing up or parking. The system has four ultrasonic weatherproof sensors engineered to detect objects within a five-foot range of the rear bumper without requiring any calibration. When the vehicle is in reverse, the sensors are engineered to trigger a speaker in the cab to emit an audible alert if an object becomes too close. As the vehicle continues to back up or as the object moves closer, the beeping will get more frequent, and if the object comes within 16 inches of the bumper, a solid tone will sound. The audio speaker has three volume levels – low, high and off – to suit driver preferences. The system is designed for aftermarket applications, and the sensors are made for easy installation and can be painted to match the vehicle’s color. ASA Electronics, www.asaelectronics.com, 877-305-0445

Seized wheel tool

Textile-cover traction device

AME’s RimWit and RimWit Junior are designed to remove locked rims on seized wheels without damaging the tire’s sidewalls or rims. The portable tire demounting tool is built to fit most aluminum and steel semi-truck rims and is suited for use in a shop or in the field with an electric or air-impact wrench. The junior model accommodates size 19.5 tires. AME International, www.ameintl.net, 877-755-4263

Mixed-service drive tire

Cooper’s Severe Series Mixed Service Drive tire has a 32/32nds tread depth to facilitate extended life in both on- and off-road applications while delivering long, even wear. Triangular tie-bars in the outside shoulder are designed to promote traction while also mitigating heel-toe wear. The company’s proprietary Chip Guard Technology includes compounds and tread designs engineered to perform in harsh environments, and stone ejectors within the tread’s lateral grooves help preserve the casing for retreads. The MSD is available in sizes 11R22.5 (LRH) and 11R24.5 (LRH).

AutoSock’s textile-cover Alternative Traction Device product line now includes four models in a range of sizes for wide-base single tires to provide an alternative to chains when traction devices are required. High-performance fibers and a specially designed surface pattern help maximize the total contact area exposed to dry friction on snow- and ice-covered roads without damaging fenders and exposed brake lines. The covers are engineered to be compatible with anti-lock braking and traction control systems and can be stored inside a cab or tool compartment. They are designed to be installed in five to eight minutes per vehicle, and at less than 5 pounds per pair, they also provide a weight savings compared to a set of chains.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.,

McGee Co., www.autosock.us,

www.coopertrucktires.com, 419-423-1321

888-288-6063 commercial carrier journal | january 2019

PRODUCTS

Aluminum slide

Accuride’s AL4160 Super Heavy-Duty Aluminum Slide combines a full aluminum body with stainless-steel components for added strength to support heavy loads and perform in harsh environments. The lightweight low-profile (1.04 inches of side space) slide has a load rating of up to 661 pounds and is engineered to resist corrosion. Accuride International, www.accuride.com, 562-222-3294

Multitemperature TRU Carrier Transicold’s Vector 8611MT multitemperature trailer refrigeration unit is designed to enable a trailer to be divided lengthwise into two refrigerated compartments. The Vector 8611MT incorporates two evaporators and fans for two-zone cooling for center-divide trailers where the perishable and frozen compartments are side by side, making is suitable for foodservice and grocery distribution operations. The split evaporator design creates a 15-inch-wide area for center-wall placement to help accommodate pallets. The unit features the company’s E-Drive all-electric technology, in which the diesel engine runs a 21-kVA electric generator that powers the refrigeration system. The unit can be operated via an electric power source while parked for loading, unloading or staging. Its electric heating capability helps reduce system complexity and enables the unit to shut down the compressor and other refrigeration components when heating is required, reducing the power load on the engine; the reduced system complexity also helps simplify diagnostics and maintenance requirements. Carrier Transicold, www.transicold. carrier.com, 800-227-7437 commercial carrier journal | january 2019

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commercial carrier journal | january 2019

PREVENTABLE or NOT? ’Vette veers back into Doe’s vector

nder a bright blue sky, straight-truck driver John Doe was rolling westward at the 55-mph posted speed limit on two-lane lightly-traveled Swinesville Road with the cab air on “Max.” Doe was listening to country superstation WBLT and happily munching some of the celery sticks he’d acquired at the Iowa 80 truck stop near Walcott. Far ahead, Doe saw an eastbound bright-purple 1997 top-down Corvette convertible turn across his lane and stop in someone’s driveway. As he drove closer, Doe noted that the sports car’s arrival had motivated the young attractive resident of the house, Muffy Matlack, to rush out, gleefully Straight-truck driver John greet the elderly male driver of the Doe saw a sports car turn ’Vette and immediately cram herself into a driveway ahead, but into the passenger seat. he wasn’t fast enough to react when the car suddenly As this slice of life was unfolding backed into his path. Was before his bemused eyes, Doe mainthis a preventable accident? tained a steady 55 mph. A moment later, the ’Vette’s driver, Horst Homburg, shifted into reverse and hit the gas, ending up … Holy Horned Catfish!! … right in the path of Doe’s truck! Doe attempted a last-second panic stop but … BLAMMO! Horst, Muffy and the ill-fated ’Vette received a glancing but devastating blow. The ’Vette was totaled, Horst lost his toupee, Muffy suffered a major case of whiplash, and Doe eventually got a preventable-accident warning letter from his safety director, which he contested. Crazy ol’ Horst hadn’t even looked before backing into traffic, Doe complained. Asked to resolve the issue, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee upheld the “preventable” ruling, noting that Doe should have braked and sounded his air horn as a warning when, while still a block away, he initially saw Mr. Homburg start to back up.

commercial carrier journal | january 2019

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit MLB.com. ÂŠ2018 Hankook Tire America Corp.

TREAD B R A V E LY .

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

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

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

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