CCJ 0819 by dwatson

AUGUST 2019

BEFORE YOU PLUG IN ...

Let's talk about infrastructure page 76

AOBRD ANXIETY?

Two-year grace period ending Page 80

NOT YOUR DAD'S AXLES

Think electrification, adaptive load specs page 38

A bountiful 2018 leads to record revenues for the CCJ Top 250 BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

n PA R T N E R S O L U T I O N S / T H E R M O K I N G

Driven by data

Thermo Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telematics solutions offer increased operational efficiency

Operating a data-driven fleet in today’s on-demand world requires telematics partners with the most cutting edge technology for maximum efficiency and profitability. To stay competitive, you juggle complex issues such as driver recruiting and retention, regulations, customer relations and the challenges of achieving optimal uptime.

dedicated to continuously making improvements on the products, in addition to the equipment being backed by a warranty, so you can rest easy knowing your business is covered day in and day out. With that relentless focus on quality, Precedent warranty claims are at the lowest rate ever seen on Thermo King trailer platforms. If you are concerned about being Evergreen CARB and EPA emissions compliant, the Precedent S Series was developed for just that purpose. “We’ve spent a lot of money through the years to stay CARB compliant and as efficient as possible so when we had the opportunity to add to our fleet in 2018, Thermo King’s Precedent S-600RR unit was a no-brainer. We knew we wanted an Evergreen solution that would be with us for the long haul,” says Christopher Brach, vice president of operations at Radiant Clipper.

DATA IS KEY: INSIGHTS ON EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE AND INCREASING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY Is your unit on? What’s the temperature set-point? Where are the assets located? The need for immediate answers shows that it is time for fleets to fully embrace data-driven operations. Choosing your telematics solutions partner is crucial to your fleet’s success. Telematics solutions open a window into operations in real time and OPERATING COSTS AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT provide critical visibility for items such as temperature-sensitive products, Managing rapidly growing business costs is not easy and uptime is essencargo traceability and asset monitoring. This can provide a more compretial. So what can you do to address this problem? Solar power. It’s an ideal hensive assessment of the fleet. solution to meet your power needs and save you money. Thermo King’s TracKing® telematics, a GPRS/GPS temperature and asset ThermoLite® solar panels by management system, can offer you Thermo King help lower operational real-time visibility into the location costs by reducing diesel APU run time and status of all your assets. The data by 20% to 30%, extending battery can help you increase fleet efficiency life to five or more years, and helping by detecting potential issues and dematch APU and tractor preventive termining timely maintenance pracmaintenance. With APUs, solar power tices and delivering the information offsets daytime heat loads, helps mayour customers demand. intain peak performance and provides Today’s fleets are under increasing a full battery bank. pressure to improve productivity, and Solar power offers a host of benefits many rely on data from their transport for fleets running without APUs, such management systems to direct their as reducing jump starts, cutting down operations. on expensive road calls and reducing “TracKing telematics allows our replacement frequency for costly batemployees to monitor the current teries. Solar panels can also power dieand past temperature history of a KEVIN JOHNSON, VICE PRESIDENT, CPx sel-fired heaters, keep tractor batteries load, trailer location, fuel levels, door healthy, and ensure electronics stay openings and reefer operation data in powered up even over the weekend. real time and across our organization. Martin Brower Brampton Canada knows firsthand the benefits of solar This has enabled us to improve our asset utilization, reduce fuel consumppower. “With the solar panel, we can leave the reefer on cycle-sentry mode all tion and better manage maintenance,” says Kevin Johnson, vice president, year long, including winter, without the worry of a dead battery. Previously, CPx. “We recognized the importance that our customers place on cold we’d run in continuous mode, burning fuel for no reason, just to ensure the chain security, and the Thermo King TracKing system gives us real-time battery would stay charged,” says Fleet and Warehouse Engineering Manager temperature monitoring now, and a traceability solution ready for those Chris Chua. “We are also recording fewer engine hours on the reefer, which who will be needing it in the future.” stretches out the warranty time — it takes longer to reach the 15,000-hour mark. Both translate to financial savings and reduced emissions.” FOOD SAFETY, EQUIPMENT RELIABILITY One final note regarding solar: If you want to prevent midday liftgate AND EMISSION CONTROLS battery failures and help reduce fuel consumption and delivery delays, Refrigerated transportation is changing as consumers demand fresher then solar power is the way to go. food. This adds pressure on your business to deliver a fresh product in a timelier manner with top quality controls in place. A STRONG PARTNER You rely on equipment that will not only perform to your customers’ Founded in 1938, Thermo King has long been known as a dedicated busihigh expectations but is reliable, safe and efficient. Thermo King’s first ness partner offering a wide variety of products and services that help you priority is protecting perishable products, which is why units such as the deliver peace of mind to your customers by ensuring temperature-sensitiPrecedent® are factory programmed to run with tighter temperature ve goods make it to their destinations safely and efficiently. In addition to ranges and shorter null cycle times than the competitor, to ensure the safe understanding what keeps you up at night, Thermo King is a leader in the delivery of your customers’ products. transportation industry and can help you run a more profitable business. Thermo King also takes your equipment quality and reliability concerns seriously. They have invested heavily in the resources and technology to make capable units so you can increase asset use within your fleet and Learn more at ThermoKing.com/Driven. maximize your bottom line. The quality and reliability engineering team is

“We recognized the importance that our customers place on cold chain security, and the Thermo King TracKing system gives us real-time temperature monitoring now, and a traceability solution ready for those who will be needing it in the future.”

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AUGUST 2019 | VOL 176 | NO. 8

JOURNAL LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

COVER STORY

The CCJ Top 250: Reaping the rewards

While carriers in the 2019 CCJ Top 250 ranking turned in significant revenue gains across most industry segments, those same companies added little capacity to the system. The expansion of North America’s largest carriers was held in check by equipment and driver shortages as companies tried to cash in on near-perfect business conditions in 2018. Cover design by David Watson

FEATURES

Ready to plug in? Not so fast

The electrification of trucking focuses mostly on potential cost savings at the fuel island and the elimination of downtime caused by legacy driveline failures. But the potential to slash truck emissions is an added benefit. Experts say the most effective plan for OEMs to implement electrification is to completely rethink the entire truck and not simply install an electric powertrain into a longtime product.

Final ELD deadline approaches

The final major deadline in implementing the electronic logging device mandate isn’t causing quite the stir as did the mandate’s initial effective date. Nevertheless, for those grandfathered in to continue using automatic onboard recording devices, the impending sunset of their two-year grace period on Dec. 17 means adjusting to a device with a more rigidly detailed set of specifications that require some operational changes.

Innovators: C.R. England

The Salt Lake City-based refrigerated carrier reduces driver turnover by listening to their concerns and documenting those interactions for continuous back-office improvement.

News Interests at odds over hours reform … Senate bill would require DOT to pursue speed limiters … California legislation endangers owneroperator model, WSTA says … House bills target insurance, brakes … Rule would allow CDL skills test trainer to provide testing for same applicants … UPS seeks reprieve from two driver training rule provisions … Trucking Alliance questions driver drug testing protocols … Prime, Inc. takes Amazon to court over branding … FMCSA denies request to exempt small carriers from ELD mandate … Human trafficking would earn lifetime CDL ban … Processes to verify driver training compliance delayed until 2022

16 InBrief 22 Perspectives Rising insurance costs explained?

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| AUGUST 2019 3

DEPARTMENTS

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Editorial

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QuikQ gets Love’s, TA investments

Starsky seeking experienced drivers for ‘unique’ fleet

Anthem, GuardDog Connect lead Mack’s surge

64 InBrief

Art Director: David Watson Graphic Designer: Kenneth Stubbs Quality Assurance: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Leah Boyd

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Volvo updating active safety suite

Volvo developing AI for autonomous trucks

Volvo explores predicting human intent, awareness

ZF expands E-Mobility division with new headquarters, more locations

Petro-Canada: Duron lineup helps fleets push drain intervals

38 InFocus:

Wex, ChargePoint to expand fleet EV charging options Mobile payment platform tailored for non-fuel expenses

Verizon adds platform for government fleets, agencies New Stay Metrics research identifies driver retention priorities for fleets Zebra adds software toolkit to mobile hardware offerings Azuga data show 10 safest states for fleet drivers Verizon Connect data show riskiest states for truckers Lanehub touts backhaul assist benefits

70 Test Drive: ZF ADAS

Unconventional axles

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

82 4

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

Starsky Robotics wraps nearly 10-mile ‘unmanned’ run

30 InBrief 32

Canadian ELD mandate will require third-party certification

Products

Upfront

Preventable or Not?

Pillows, tire, filters, more

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

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Editor Jason Cannon’s column

John Doe was preparing to make a wide right turn when a fast-moving pickup truck behind his rig was unaware of Doe’s plans and unsuccessfully tried to squeeze past on the right side. Was this a preventable accident?

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Commercial Carrier Journal (ISSN 1533-7502) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Single copy price U.S., $6; Canada/ Mexico, $9; Foreign, $12. Subscription rates, payable in U.S. dollars, $48 per year (in Canada $78 U.S. currency). For subscription information/inquiries, please email commercialcarrierjournal@omeda.com. Customer service: 1-800-517-4979. Periodicals Postage-Paid at Tuscaloosa, AL, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTERS: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Commercial Carrier Journal, PO Box 2029, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403. Unsolicited letters, manuscripts, stories, materials or photographs cannot be returned except where the sender provides a postagepaid, addressed, stamped envelope. Address all mail to Commercial Carrier Journal Editorial Dept., P.O. Box 3187, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403. All advertisers for Commercial Carrier Journal are accepted and published by Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC on the representation that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC harmless from and against any loss, expenses or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel violations of right of privacy or publicity, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark, infringement and any other claims or suits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Copyright © 2019, Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Commercial Carrier Journal. is a registered trademark of Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC. Randall-Reilly Publishing Co. LLC neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee regarding the quality of goods and services advertised herein.

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Safety

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Trending up

Oil Change 21 miles to go

UPFRONT

Respect the tech You’ve got to hold the steering wheel anyway BY JASON CANNON

o some degree, hazing the new guy is a time-honored tradition. When I was a kid, freshmen who came out for varsity ball used to have to carry all the equipment, and there’s all kinds of nicknames for the new kid on the block. “Fresh meat” and “rook” are about the only two I can print here, but y’all know the others. I get the sense this is less common with the current generation across most walks of life, with the exception of a couple of corners of the universe, including trucking. “Steering wheel holder.” I hear that term just about everywhere, generally to describe anyone who’s new to the industry and not driving a chromedout pre-EPA brick equipped with an 18-speed manual. There are a host of tools and technology available today that make truck driving easier than it was 35 years ago, and I don’t think embracing them is a testament to your inability to otherwise properly operate a vehicle. I took my CDL test on a 13-speed, and I don’t think I’ve driven one since. I’ve had to back into more truck stop parking spots than I can count, and I’ve managed to do that each time without taking part of someone else’s truck or trailer for a ride — something I’ve personally witnessed career drivers do. Twice. My GPS has taken me into some pretty hairy residential conditions, and I’ve managed to get out without causing damage to the truck or private property. I can and have safely operated a heavy truck in just about every real-world condition, but I’m still probably the urban dictionary’s definition of a steering wheel holder. I love adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist platforms, and I’m all about an AMT. Collision mitigation, namely automatic emergency braking, has saved my bacon more than once — coincidently, once in a Mack and another in a Volvo. Each time, I was cut off by a four-wheeler that missed its freeway exit and decided to right that wrong from the wrong lane and across the hood of my tractor. In June, I was able to drive ZF’s electrically assisted hydraulic steering system — another techie driver aid that I have fallen for. When equipped with ReAX, the truck’s steering wheel requires as much as 70 percent less effort to turn in a static state, boosting ergonomics and reducing driver stress and fatigue.

I was able to drive ZF’s ReAX electrically assisted hydraulic steering system – another techie driver aid that I have fallen for.

That’s all well and good – and true, I guess – but I had driven this setup before. On this particular drive, I made a special request. I wanted to back the truck and trailer. The ReAX unit self-centers, so you never have to guess when the wheels are straight. If you’ve ever closely monitored a rest stop truck parking lot or a receiver’s loading dock, oversteer (or over-correction) is a major problem for many people in reverse. ReAX enhances maneuverability by controlling the response of the steering system, providing better positional control, and the ease of steering makes it easier to maneuver in tight spaces. That kind of finesse control, when coupled with self-center capabilities, really shines in reverse. I pulled my Pete out of its parking spot and angled it slightly before dropping it into reverse. It took only a couple of twitches of the wheel with a couple of fingers – remember, 70 percent less effort input – to slide it right back. The self-centering took the sketchiest part of backing up off my plate. I don’t believe this kind of technology turns people who can’t drive into good drivers, and I know there are a lot of bad ones out there. I’ve seen the YouTube videos. If you can’t back a 53-feet long box into a parking spot without ripping down a light pole, ReAX can’t help you. Just like if you don’t understand off-tracking and the finer points of speed’s effect on braking distance, no amount of hardware or innumerable radar sensors will change the inevitable outcome. These aren’t magic talent wands, and it’s not the dumbing down of a profession. New tech makes parts of driving easier and safer, but you still have to be skillful. You can have a lot of respect for your fellow drivers and the legacy and romance of the open road but still appreciate the technologies that make a hard job a little less hard. Maybe that makes you “new school,” or maybe that’s how you earn the fresh meat tag, but I don’t think that makes you a steering wheel holder.

JASON CANNON is Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail jasoncannon@randallreilly.com.

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

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*Claims apply to Exxon and Mobil Synergy Diesel Efficient-branded fuel compared to diesel fuel without detergent additive. Actual benefits will vary depending on factors such as vehicle/engine type, driving style and diesel fuel previously used. ÂŠ 2019 ExxonMobil. All trademarks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

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

Interests at odds after-hours over hours reform FMCSA allows

T T

he U.S. House in late June advanced a bill that would protect the 30-minute move to park while loaded break within drivers’ hours of service regulations. The move could set up a

clash he Federal betweenMotor House Carrier lawmakers Safety and the Administration U.S. Department finalized of Transportation, changes to which guidance is close around to proposing the 150-air-mile-radius an overhaul to the HOS agriculture regulations. hours-of-service The bill also exemption would require and use the Federal of the personal Motor Carrier conveyance Safety Administration provision. to make carriers’ Safety Measurement Both proposedSystem changes (SMS) were scores put forward within the ahead Compliance, of the Dec. Safety, 18 compliance Accountability deadline for program the agency’s publiclyelectronic available once logging again. device mandate and pitched as providing The measure clarity and containing additional the flexibility HOS and CSA for drivers. provisions is a Transportation, Housing and Urban The Development new interpretation (THUD) of appropriations when it is legalbill tofor usefiscal a truck 2020.for It would personal prohibit conveyFMCSA ance from “eliminating allows use whether the 30-minute the truck break,” is loaded according or not. to itsPerhaps text. more significantly, the guidance FMCSAanswers listed July a common 31 in its latest question rulemakings of whether update it’s appropriate as its projected to use publicapersonal conveyance tion date forstatus its proposal to to reform HOS regulations. The agency’s proposal remains get under to areview safe parking by the White House Office of Management and Budget, which must approve spot or rest the locarule before FMCSA can publish it in the tionFederal after hours Register. are exhausted Once published, by a shipindustry stakeholders can review per agency’s or receiver. the proposed changes and file public com“TheFMCSA movement ments. at press time listed a 47-day comment period from afor shipper the HOS notice of proposed rulemaking, FMCSA listed July 31 in its latest starting or receiver Julyto 31the and ending Sept. 16. In the agency’s rulemakings update as its projectprior nearest rulemakings safe resting update in April, it listed June 6 as ed publication date for its proposal to reform HOS regulations. the areaHOS mayproposal’s be identi-target publication date — a date fied was as personal that missed. conveyance,” DOT has nottext said whether it intends to alter the 30-minute break, which took effect in of 2013, the clarification but the break requirement was a key topic of consideration in last year’s public debate on HOS regulations. reads, “regardless of The new interpretation of when it is legal to use a truck for personal conveyance allows use whether truck is loaded not.FAST Act Carriers’ scores were pulled from public view inthe December 2015 byorthe whether theCSA driver highway exhausted billhis due ortoher concerns about the data’s efficacy and whether the system accurately portrayed hours of service, carriers’assafety longperformance as the CMVand is being risk. moved solely to enable the driver to obtain In 2017, the the required National restAcademies at a safe location.” of SciencePersonal issued a report conveyance recommending used thischanges way should to CSA be annotated and the SMS. in the FMCSA log. was scheduled to begin testing those recommendations via a pilot programconveyance last year.Thealso agency issuedallowed a 10-pagewhen reporta saying plannedrequires to replace Personal is newly safetyitofficial a the existing CSA SMSduring with a new scoring system. also said it hoped to be improve the quality driver to move an off-duty period.ItSuch a use should “no farther than of used to score carriers, wellarea as make it easier for to calculate thedata nearest reasonable andassafe to complete thecarriers rest period,” thetheir textscores. reads. The agencythe said150-air-mile-radius it also might add anexemption, absolute scoring system instead relying solely on Regarding FMCSA clarified theofdefinition of the relative radius as scores extending that compare from the carriers commodity’s to their peers. source. Haulers using the exemption but who Theextend Housebeyond THUDthe appropriations radius wouldpackage not need seemingly to start would hours allow recording thoseuntil reform they efforts reach to thecontinue, edge of the though radius, it the would agencyrequire said. Such CSAdrivers scores to Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsbe made public returning emptyagain can within stop letters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, six months of theupon bill’s pashours recording rea daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, sage. entering the radius. analysis, blogs and market condition articles. – James Todd Jaillet Dills

Registry Senate bill hack delaysrequire medical would DOT to pursue certificate rule speed limiters he Federal Motor Carrier

T A

Safety Administration bill introduced in latesaid June

last month it intends towould postpone in the U.S. Senate

the implementation of a system require the U.S. Department of meant to streamline its communiTransportation to resume work cations state licensing agenon a rulewith to require heavy-duty cies regarding drivers’ medical trucks to be equipped with speed certification status. a limited limiters and require Theofmultifaceted speed 65 mph. rule, part of which took effect in January Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)2015, requires FMCSA to electronically filed the bill June 27 with the transmitCommerce, to state licensing Senate’s Scienceagenand cies the resultsCommittee. of drivers’ medical Transportation It would certifications; FMCSA receives that require new trucks to be equipped information from medical with speed limiters set at 65examinmph ers.for State agencies then will send and existing trucks with speed the results to the limiting to have theCommercial same cap. Driver’s Information Due toLicense executive orders signed System to make other states by President Trump in his first days of drivers’ exam results. inaware office, the Federal Motor Carrier However, due in part to the Safety Administration tabled a ruleongoing outage of to theinstitute Nationala making that sought Registry of Certified Medical speed limiter mandate. The agency Examiners following an attempted was scheduled to publish a prohack, rule FMCSA says it will postpone posed in September 2017 but the requirement thatrulemaking it submit to since has moved the to stateitem. agencies for ainformation long-term agenda three years,legislation until Junealso 2021. Isakson’s could – Matt be attached to the annual DOT Cole appropriations package or a separate highway bill.

– CCJ Staff

AFMCSA Senatesaid bill would “an incident require that all new occurred trucksintoearly be equipped December with speed 2017”limiters led to interruptions set at 65 mph and in developing for existingthe trucks electronic to have the transmission same cap. process.

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | august | july 2018 2019

JOURNAL NEWS

California legislation endangers owner-operator model, WSTA says

awmakers in California are pressing forward with a bill that its opponents say threatens the traditional owner-operator model in the state, despite ongoing challenges against its root court decision. The legislation, AB-5, passed the state’s General Assembly in late June and last month was sent to the California Senate, where lawmakers were expected to take up the bill this month after returning from recess. The legislation would, in effect, bar companies from hiring independent contractors to perform tasks that are part of the business’ core function. For trucking, this means motor carriers would be blocked from leasing with owner-operators as independent contractors. If made law, the bill would amend the state’s labor laws to essentially codify the April 2018 decision made by the state’s Supreme Court in the case of Dynamex Operations vs. Superior Court of Los Angeles, which used the ABC test unfavorable to current leasing models in trucking for independent contractor classification. The bill, if passed, “would affirm the horrible outcome of the Dynamex case” for companies using independent contractors in core business functions, said Jason Geller, an attorney for firm Fischer and Phillips and the company’s manager at its San Francisco office. The firm represents employers, including motor carriers. What’s more, Geller said, the bill also The Western States Trucking Aswould affirm that the Dynamex decision applies retroactively, meaning car- sociation said AB-5 would cause “annihilation of the owner-operriers could face lawsuits for violations ator business model” and urged that occurred within four years prior to lawmakers to alter the bill. the Dynamex decision. Employers across various industries have been successful in convincing legislators to grant them exemptions to AB-5 should it become law. Those include white-collar professions such as financial advisers, real estate licensees, healthcare workers, accountants, lawyers and engineers, Geller said. Absent from the list are motor carriers and trucking, where Geller said there may not be much hope for such an exemption, as use of independent contractors by the trucking industry is at the legislation’s core. The Western States Trucking Association, which is challenging the Dynamex decision in federal court, last month sent an alert to its members, many of them small carriers, attempting to mobilize them against AB-5. WSTA argues that the Dynamex decision has quashed single-truck owner-operators and their ability to lease on to carriers in California. The group also argues it disrupts carriers’ ability to move freight. “WSTA members are already experiencing the real-world ramifications of this overreaching Dynamex decision,” the group wrote in a letter to Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez, the legislation’s sponsor, in advocating for an exemption for “legitimate owner-operators.” Swift (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) has abandoned the use of owner-operators in California. – James Jaillet 10

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

House bills target insurance, brakes

wo truckingfocused bills were filed last month with the U.S. House’s Committee on Transportation and InfrastrucOne House bill would boost minimum liabilture. One aims to ity insurance coverage, boost the liability while the other would insurance coverage mandate automatic emergency braking. required of trucking companies, while the other would mandate that new trucks come equipped with automatic emergency braking. U.S. Reps. Jesus Garcia (D-Ill.) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.) introduced the INSURANCE Act (H.B. 3781), which would not only raise the minimum liability insurance requirements but also tie the minimum to the inflation rate of medical costs as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Garcia said the insurance minimum “should be nearly 6.5 times higher to account for today’s inflation and healthcare costs.” That would make the new minimum $4.8 million, up from the current $750,000 minimum. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration explored the possibility of raising the liability minimum with an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking in 2014, but the agency withdrew the ANPRM in 2017 due to “a lack of data from key stakeholders.” A 2014 FMCSA report stated that had the liability minimum kept pace with the consumer price index, the minimum required insurance would have been $1.62 million in 2014. However, if the minimum had kept up with the medical consumer price index, which measures annual increases in medical costs, carriers would have been required to have $3.18 million in liability insurance in 2014. The Safe Roads Act of 2019 (H.B. 3773) introduced by U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) would require truck makers to equip all new commercial vehicles with an automatic emergency braking system. The bill would require OEMs to make the systems standard one year after its enactment. – Matt Cole

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JOURNAL NEWS

Rule would allow CDL skills trainer to provide testing for same applicants

proposed rule would allow states greater flexibility in conducting skill tests for individuals seeking a commercial driver’s license to streamline the process for trucking workforce applicants. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s proposal is meant to alleviate testing delays and inconvenience and expense to the CDL applicant. Federal rules currently do not allow a CDL skills instructor who also is authorized by the state to administer a CDL skills test to perform both the instruction and the qualifying testing for the same CDL applicant, a measure meant to prevent fraud when issuing CDLs. FMCSA’s proposal published last month in the Federal Register would eliminate that restriction and permit states the discretion to allow qualified third-party skills trainers to also

conduct the skills testing for the same individual. The agency said it has other means of detecting and preventing CDL skills testing fraud and that the rule would not require states to allow third-party examiners to test their own students. “We continue to examine opportunities to provide common-sense regulatory relief to states and to individuals seeking to obtain a CDL,” said FMCSA Administrator Raymond Martinez. “This proposal will provide states more flexibility while maintaining safety on our roadways. I encourage all interested parties to review the proposal and to offer their comments to the docket.” The U.S. Department of Transportation said the proposal, if adopted, would be a deregulatory action as defined by President

Federal rules currently do not allow a CDL skills instructor to perform both the instruction and qualifying testing for the same CDL applicant.

Trump’s Executive Order 13771, “Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs.” “The Department is committed to reducing unnecessary barriers to employment for men and women interested in obtaining jobs in the trucking industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Comments can be made through Sept. 9. To make and view comments, go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2018-0292. – CCJ Staff

UPS seeks reprieve from two driver training rule provisions

PS (CCJ Top 250, No. 1) is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from certain provisions in the entry-level driver training rule that goes into effect Feb. 7, 2020. In its request, UPS asks for exemptions from the requirement that a driver training instructor has two years of experience and has held a commercial driver’s license for two years, and the requirement to register each training location for a unique Training Provider Registry (TPR) number. The entry-level driver training rule was published in December 2016 and sets minimum standards for truck driver training and curriculum. The UPS driver training school is an eight-week program that trains supervisors and managers to provide training 12

commercial carrier journal

to drivers at their home locations, and the curriculum in the school covers all topics required by the new driver training rule, the Atlanta-based company says. UPS also says the instructors at the school have, on average, 20 years of company experience, hold a CDL with the necessary endorsements and have maintained their instructor certification through quarterly training. UPS requests it be exempted from the trainer experience requirement because “no one could be an instructor at the time these regulations go into effect unless he/she had obtained a CDL and had begun driving by Feb. 7, 2018.” The company adds that if it is required to comply with the instructor qualification requirements in the rule, it will not be able to use 25% of its current certified driver instructors.

| august 2019

UPS is seeking an exemption from the requirement that a driver training instructor has two years of experience and has held a CDL for two years.

For the second part of the exemption request, to register each training location for a TPR number, UPS says its training for new drivers takes place in many locations. The company says it needs the exemption from the requirement “due to the significant administrative burden that would result if it had to register every UPS location at which a new driver could be trained.” UPS says its new driver training can occur at as many as 1,800 separate locations each year. – Matt Cole

JOURNAL NEWS

Trucking Alliance questions driver drug testing protocols

he Trucking Alliance, a coalition of some of the country’s largest trucking companies, last month again called for stricter drug testing for driving applicants. The Alliance said that urine tests, required by the U.S. Department of Transportation for driver applicants, fail to screen applicants properly for drug use. The group’s written comments were filed to the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as it began preliminary work on the next federal highway bill. The Alliance presented results from testing of 151,662 driver applicants. Whereas 949 of them failed a urine sample drug test, hair sample tests yielded positive tests for 8,878 applicants, the group said. “The survey results are compelling evidence that thousands of habitual drug users are skirting a system designed to prohibit drug use in transportation,” the Alliance contends. The group said the results imply that about 300,000 drivers industrywide possibly would have failed a hair sample drug test. The Alliance has pressed for stricter drug testing protocol for drivers, including calling on the U.S. Department of

The Trucking Alliance said that a survey, in which truck driving applicants were screened for drug use via both a urine analysis test and a hair sample test, showed that urine tests missed nearly nine out of 10 drug users.

Health and Human Services – and subsequently, DOT – to comply with a congressional statute in the 2015 FAST Act that requires DOT to accept hair sample tests as a recognized drug screening method. Currently, DOT accepts only urine analysis. Carriers are free to perform both tests, though it’s often costly and inefficient. Congress said HHS must develop guidelines for hair testing protocol before DOT can recognize the tests. HHS still has not complied with that statute. – James Jaillet

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commercial carrier journal

Date: 04/04/19

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| august 2019 Job #: 2821

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Part 2 of 2: Drug recognition evaluations

ast month, I described an incident in which a truck driver was placed out of service for 24 hours for an alleged violation 392.4(a), a code of federal regulation pertaining to driving while under the influence. On April 20, several states conducted drug recognition evaluations at various locations. This particular driver was flagged while at a weigh station and underwent a drug recognition evaluation; all tests resulted in negative indication of drugs. He was regardless cited as violating 392.4(a), and This is not the first time a drug recognition evaluation has been used. However, this is the first time I have seen one being used to evaluate a commercial motor vehicle driver. The drug recognition evaluation program was created by a couple of Los Angeles police officers who felt that medical doctors did not receive sufficient training in the sign of drug impairment for street drugs and therefore could not offer judgment about a suspect’s condition. In order to become qualified to perform a DRE an officer must attend a 2 day Preliminary Training Course. Upon completion of the course the office may take the 7 day DRE course. The course covers the 12 steps of the DRE procedure and the seven categories of drugs covered in the manual. Due to limited space, I am not going to list all of the 12 steps of the evaluation or the seven categories covered (if you really want to know, shoot me an email.). However, the evaluation does include a breath alcohol test, eye exams, divided attention tests, dark room examination of pupils, muscle tone, potential injection sites, opinion of the evaluator and a toxicology examination. All of these test are conducted by an officer, not a medical professional, with 9 days of training. For what it is worth, most medical doctors believe that without formal medical training the person conducting the evaluation is not qualified to make the determination that a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In addition, factors other than drug or alcohol use can impact the outcome of the tests being performed. I don’t think anyone would dispute that the stress of the evaluation environment would be enough to elevate a person’s heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and can even impact a person’s muscle tone (under stress muscles tend to be firmer). The point I am trying to make is the person conducting the Drug Recognition Evaluation may lack the scientific and medical training required for the DRE to be relevant and reliable enough to be admitted under Rule of Evidence 702. In fact, several state courts have case law concerning the admissibility of DRE evidence. These include Texas, Minnesota, Florida, Oregon and Washington. Again, I am opposed to anyone operating any type of vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol; however, I am also a big believer in due process. While I think the DRE can have value I think that it is not reliable enough to be solely relied upon in the face of evidence to the contrary.

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 8/19 • The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week is scheduled for Sept. 15-22. Roadside inspections will focus on brake hoses and tubing. During last year’s event, law enforcement conducted more than 35,000 inspections and placed nearly 5,000 trucks or drivers out of service. • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s request for comments to define which drivers are allowed to run under hours of service exemptions for agriculture commodities was approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, paving the way for its publication in the Federal Register. The advanced notice of proposed rulemaking is a solicitation for comments from industry stakeholders about the definition of an agricultural commodity. • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that when 2018 driving fatality numbers are finalized, fatalities in accidents involving large trucks will see a 3% increase over 2017. Last year’s data showed a 9% increase in truck-involved fatalities from 2016 to 2017. • Green Bay, Wis.-based Schneider (CCJ Top 250, No. 7) offers intermodal services at the CSX Indianapolis ramp, providing shippers in the central/ southern Indiana, Cincinnati and Louisville, Ky. markets with transportation to eastern markets in North Bergen, N.J., and Worcester, Mass. • Baltimore-based Cowan Systems (No. 57), a privately held truckload carrier with 2,500 trucks, acquired Carlisle Carrier Corp., a Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based regional truckload carrier that specializes in grocery warehouse and direct store deliveries in the Northeast. Terms were not released. Carlisle has about 250 drivers and more than 100 active customers in the retail, paper, plastics, grocery and beverage industries. • MVT Solutions, a division of Las Cruces, N.M.-based Mesilla Valley Transportation (No. 77) and a provider of fuel economy testing, design and development services for the trucking industry, is collaborating with two emissions-testing organizations – the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and MeasureMission – to develop a fuel efficiency and emissions evaluation package. • A&R Logistics (No. 114) acquired Blue Water Plastic Transport, a St. Clair, Mich.-based provider of specialty bulk transportation and logistics of plastic resin to plastics manufacturers, distributors and recyclers throughout Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. A&R, based in Morris, Ill., said the acquisition, terms of which were not released, further expands its geographic presence in the Midwest and increases its asset capacity. • Premium Transportation Logistics, a Toledo, Ohio-based provider of ground expedite services throughout North America, announced the company’s acquisition by its senior management team from Magnate Worldwide. Terms were not released. • DHL Supply Chain announced a $150 million expansion of its pharmaceutical and medical device distribution network to bring healthcare products closer to trade partners and patients. Nine new sites are planned by yearend for a total of 30, with new buildings and technology and new and expanded operations in Indianapolis; Raleigh, N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; South Central, Pa., and sites in California and Virginia. • Next Trucking opened an 18-acre drayage facility in Long Beach, Calif., to help relieve congestion for customers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Next said it will combine its physical assets and proprietary technology to increase container capacity for its Relay program, which currently uses an 8-acre facility in Gardena, Calif.

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

JOURNAL NEWS

Prime, Inc. takes Amazon to court over branding

Prime is seeking to recoup what it claims are monetary damages over Amazon’s “Prime”marked trailers.

rime, Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 13) last month filed a lawsuit in federal court against Amazon, alleging the online retailer infringed Prime’s trademarked use of the word “Prime” on trucks and trailers. Prime is seeking to recoup what it claims are monetary damages over Amazon’s “Prime”-marked trailers and an injunction against Amazon continuing to run trailers with its Amazon Prime logo. The Springfield, Mo.-based carrier, which operates about 7,500 trucks, said in a lawsuit filed July 3 that it has used its own name and logo on trucks and trailers for more than 40 years and that “Amazon has used June AutoDeck Ad.pdf 1 4/8/19 and continues to use confusingly

similar marks in connection” with its trucking services, causing “irreparable injury to [Prime, Inc.’s] business, reputation and goodwill,” the lawsuit states. The online retailer launched its Amazon Prime membership service, in which users pay a monthly or annual subscription fee for faster delivery services, in 2005. According to Prime’s lawsuit against Amazon, in 2015 the online 8:33 AM retailer began using the Amazon

CMY

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

Prime logo on its trailers, using solely the word “Prime.” In more recent years, Amazon has forayed into larger transportation services, both for its own freight and by acting as a broker with access to other shipper freight and its network of carriers. Prime, however, claims it owns all uses of the word “Prime” that covers “transportation services by truck” in patents and trademarks filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. – CCJ Staff

JOURNAL NEWS

FMCSA denies request to exempt small carriers from ELD mandate

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month denied a request from the Small Business in Transportation Coalition that sought to exempt trucking companies with 50 or fewer employees from the electronic logging device mandate. In its request, SBTC contended the rule isn’t a safety regulation and only facilitates confirmation of compliance with hours of service regulations.

In its decision to deny the request, FMCSA said SBTC’s application did not meet regulatory standards for an exemption because it failed to provide “the name of the individual or motor carrier that would be responsible for the use or operation of CMVs” under the exemption and did not provide an estimate for the total number of drivers and commercial vehicles that would operate under the exemption.

Human trafficking would earn lifetime CDL ban

ruck drivers who are convicted of human trafficking crimes An individual would be soon will be banned banned from operating a from holding or ob- commercial vehicle after using one in committing taining a commera felony involving severe cial driver’s license, human trafficking. the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced. Following the enactment of the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act in January 2018, FMCSA’s new rule prohibits an individual from operating a commercial vehicle for life if that person uses one in committing a felony involving severe human trafficking. The agency’s new rule adds the lifetime disqualification without reinstatement for a severe human trafficking conviction to the list of offenses in 49 CFR 383.51(b), Table 1, that permanently disqualify individuals from operating a CMV for which a CDL or commercial learner’s permit is required. The rule gives states three years to comply with the rule. FMCSA said some states “may need to conform their licensing statutes and regulations to include this new disqualifying offense.” – CCJ Staff 20

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

SBTC stated the ELD rule “is merely a tool to determine compliance” with hours of service and isn’t a safety regulation.

The agency said it received more than 1,900 comments on the request and that over 95% of the comments were in favor of the exemption. – Matt Cole

Processes to verify driver training compliance delayed until 2022

he compliance date for two key provisions in a looming federal rule that sets training standards for entry-level truck drivers will be delayed. In a proposal published last month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration intends to delay by two years – from Feb. 7, 2020, to Feb. 7, 2022 – the requirements that trainers upload new drivers’ certifica- The rule requires entry-level driver trainees to show behind-the-wheel tion information into the agency’s proficiency before taking a stateissued CDL skills test. database and that states confirm that commercial driver’s license applicants have complied with the new training standards before allowing them to take a CDL skills or knowledge test. However, FMCSA said the new curriculum and the required behind-the-wheel training established by the rule – Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators – will take effect Feb. 7, 2020, despite the delay in the methods meant to verify compliance with the regulations. Likewise, the agency said that training providers – which include carriers with in-house CDL applicant training – still must be registered in the agency’s Training Provider Registry. The two-year extension is due to a lag in IT infrastructure needed to allow training providers to upload and transmit drivers’ records, FMCSA said. The extension also will allow states to ensure their systems are in place to receive CDL applicant information, the agency said. To view comments, go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2007-27748. – James Jaillet

JOURNAL PERSPECTIVES

Rising insurance costs explained? Court cases reveal secret litigation networks for trucking accidents BY AARON HUFF

n September 2017, an office runner from Spine Center Atlanta delivered a box of donuts with a letter to the break room of Atlanta-based law firm McMickle, Kurey

& Branch. While the delivery was made by accident, the contents of the letter may help explain why insurance claims and premiums for motor carriers have been rising drastically. “To Our Valued Attorney Business Associates,” the letter began. It was immediately obvious to law partners Kevin Branch and Mike Johnson that the delivery was intended for someone else. At the time, Zach Matthews, another partner in the firm, was defending a real estate company in a slip-and-fall injury case. He was in the midst of a heated discovery battle with Spine Center Atlanta and its co-founder, Dr. James Chappuis. The plaintiff received medical treatment from the clinic following the incident. The letter mentioned a cloud-based software that the clinic uses to maintain secret communications with plaintiff attorneys and other doctors in the area. Matthews soon discovered that a litigation finance company was involved in the business network. The same network, it turned out, also was being used for litigating truck accidents. Matthews subsequently provided legal counsel to trucking fleet insurance companies, which are the big targets with policies that typically have liability coverages of between $1 million and $10 million per accident. It is not unusual for attorneys and doctors to be lien holders in accident claims, since they do not get paid until settlements are reached, but the involvement of litigation finance companies has been a recent discovery. “Anytime you add an interested third-party to the mix, injury claims can get more expensive,” said Nathan Lundquist, vice president of commercial auto claims for Protective Insurance, a fleet trucking insurance provider. “In the case of medical finance companies, that increase can be significant. The more you peel back the covers, the more you understand the pervasiveness of medical finance involvement.” Bundling claims Matthews was able to gain access to the database of Spine Center Atlanta by order of a federal court. He found a log of activity between Dr. Chappuis, plaintiff attorneys and a medical funding company, ProMed Capital. 22

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

As a rule of thumb for rewarding verdicts, juries will triple the cost of the medical bills. The doctor takes one third, the plaintiff lawyers take one third, and the plaintiff gets the remainder.

This and other recent court cases have exposed what legal experts say is an unethical practice. Non-lawyers – namely doctors and finance companies – are steering the litigation for accident claims. In the past, plaintiff attorneys were the only ones behind the wheel and put money aside in a “war chest” to fund the risk of their contingency cases, said Ben Dyches, an attorney in Utah who specializes in defending doctors from malpractice suits. “Now there’s a whole industry built around third-party case evaluation and actuarial appraisals,” Dyches said. “If the odds are good, but the war chest is a little short, they bring on an investor and roll the dice together.” Medical funding companies traditionally have advanced funds to plaintiffs while cases are in litigation to cover medical bills and lost wages. The companies collect on those receivables when the cases are settled. In the lawsuit with Spine Center Atlanta, Matthews discovered that Dr. Chappuis was billing at 2.5 to 3.5 times more than average market rates for medical procedures. More alarming was that the clinic had a marketing program to other doctors in the area and plaintiff lawyers to bundle their claims. The clinic presented the bundles in packages of 10 to ProMed Capital to finance as accounts receivables. The finance company was advancing payments to the doctors for a discount fee on the receivables. It stands to reason, Matthews said, that the money Dr. Chappuis was receiv-

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JOURNAL PERSPECTIVES being asked to pay creates a huge profit margin.” In the Spine Center Atlanta case, a deposition revealed that Dr. Chappuis was collecting 60% of the medical bill, on average, at the settlement of an accident claim. This left ProMed with plenty of margin to extract its fees. Even if plaintiff attorneys settled with the defense at a lower rate than the verdict amount, the doctor and finance company still are making a very large profit margin, Matthews said.

Is the world of litigation funding big enough to explain the rising cost of truck insurance?

ing upfront covered all the costs of the medical procedure, including overhead. The clinic’s legal team vetted the claims as part of this bundling process. Questions on the “intake sheets” for claims asked about the presence or absence of cameras and video event recorders and insurance policy limits. The clinic and its legal team were deciding whether or not to work with patients based on the strength of their legal cases, Matthews said. Matthews also found evidence that the clinic had bundled 700 cases in the Atlanta area in one year. On average, each claim had a projected settlement of $100,000, he said, which equated to approximately $70 million in annual revenue. The Collateral Source Rule As a rule of thumb for rewarding verdicts, juries will triple the cost of the medical bills, Matthews said. The doctor takes one third, the plaintiff lawyers take one third, and the plaintiff gets the remainder. In many states, juries are permitted to only see what the doctor billed, not what a plaintiff’s medical insurance paid as part of a negotiated rate. This practice is an application of the Collateral Source Rule, Matthews said. “In Georgia, for example, that rule prevents the jury from learning that an individual had medical insurance — or what the insurance rate would have been for a given procedure if they did not happen to have insurance,” Matthews said. Medical finance companies have become a more pervasive influencer of civil suits because of this rule. As the litigation financiers, they have “figured out that they can fund these cases, which will be presented to the jury at an exceptionally inflated ‘uninsured’ billing rate that is far higher than anyone is ever actually asked to pay,” he said. “The difference between the fictitious charges being black-boarded to the jury and the actual, much lower charges the funder is actually 24

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

Quarterbacking litigation What is happening in Georgia with litigation funding is no less prevalent in other places in the United States, Matthews said. Litigation funders often are involved in quarterbacking litigation by offering “legal referral services” to plaintiffs and helping them find doctors who will “play ball,” he said. “These so-called ‘legal referral services’ often have databases of communications flowing back and forth, which [medical finance companies] are very loathe to reveal in discovery,” he said. “In some prominent cases, the doctors themselves are becoming the nexus of the relationship and are keeping those communications in special firewalled sections of their medical records software.” Lundquist and Protective Insurance have been working with Matthews. The company has had favorable rulings when it is successful in bringing medical finance companies into the mediation process. “Our goal is to have fair and reasonable settlements,” Lundquist said. “The goal is not to save money on a claimant’s injury. Protective Insurance does not need to fund a finance company’s lifestyle.” Medical finance companies will go to great lengths to conceal their business dealings with doctors and attorneys, Lundquist said. “Some finance companies are very well funded and represented,” he said. “We expect aggressive opposition during the discovery process. It can be an uphill battle, but we know what we are signing up for when we dig in.” Matthews said the legal strategy for exposing the connection between doctors, lawyers and litigation finance companies is to show juries that doctors have a bias, intent and motive to perform procedures that the patient may not even need. If a truck driver has a rear-end collision, the injured party may go to a doctor who is connected to the litigation-funded world to get treatment they do not really need. The result is an inflated claim. “It happens all the time,” Matthews said. Is the world of litigation funding big enough to explain the rising cost of truck insurance? “Absolutely,” Matthews said. “There is no question whatsoever. It is hard to believe this stuff is really happening.”

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

Starsky Robotics became the first company to test a completely unmanned vehicle at highway speed on a public road alongside traffic.

One small step Starsky Robotics wraps nearly 10-mile ‘unmanned’ run

rivers along the Florida Turnpike near Yeehaw Junction the morning of June 16 were witnesses to history, and most probably didn’t even know it. Early that morning – for 9.4 miles – Starsky Robotics became the first company to test a completely unmanned vehicle at highway speed on a public road alongside traffic when a remote driver sitting behind a bank of screens 200 miles away navigated a Volvo VNL, dragging an unloaded trailer, onto the highway from a rest stop before ceding control of the rig to an onboard suite of sensors and software. “We beat Waymo, we beat all the big OEMs, we’ve beat just about the whole industry,” said Stefan Seltz-Ax26

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

macher, founder and chief executive officer for the San Francisco-based company. Starsky’s strategy for autonomous trucking includes a human driver that handles the first and last mile from a remote location, while letting technology – software and a combination of radar and camera sensors – handle the miles in between.

"We've beat just about the whole industry." – Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, Starsky Robotics founder and CEO

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

Nikola to showcase hydrogen tractor

ikola Motor Co.’s hydrogen-electric semi-truck will take center stage early next year as the cornerstone of a three-day a fleet’s “We’ve recipe been for wholly failure: The focused expectation on getting that a the newsafety hire should driverhit the shop event the company will use to showcase its floor out of with thea level truck,” of expertise said Seltz-Axmacher, comparable to employees noting allwith prior several years of capabilities and technologies. Starsky Robotics’ autonomous platform reduces the seniority; autonomous a lacktruck of a mentoring testing had program; included and a management driver onboard team that doesn’tdriver’s role for “Nikola World” is set for mid-April 2019 in highway driving but retains the driver’s understand to monitortoday’s the truck generation. and its systems and ready to assume Phoenix, city serves as the company’s expertise for the firstthe and lastthat mile. control at any given moment. On average, it costs more than $8,000 to find and hire headquarters. The first two days, April 16 and In the case of the aJune technician. test run, Having the remote a persondriver dedicated startto onboarding 17, are invitation-only for Nikola reservation ed the truck from a that stopped employee position – ingraining at a restthem areainand your culture – is holders, suppliers, media and investors. The navigated onto the feeder critical.road toward the highway. Once final day, April 18, will be open to the public. the truck reached 30 mph “Does– that andkid flanked not know by lead whatand he’s doing, fol- or does he A pre-production version of the company’s lowing spotter vehicles just do – the it different rig piloted than itself, the wayrelying you doon it?” Arrants said. hydrogen-electric Nikola Two will share day a lane keep assist platform New technicians and adaptive often closely cruisefollow control. a manufacturer’s one with the unveiling of a 2.3-megawatt Once traffic next recommendation to the truck passed, or procedure the remote — the optextbook way. hydrogen stationdeveloper and the Nikola NZT 4X4. utonomous trucking Starsky Robotics erator initiated rightHowever, lane change in theand “realsimply world” monitored – where speed and uptime is launching Demonstration drives hydrogen filling a program thatand offers long-term the truck for the next are9ofmiles moreat emphasis 55 mphthan before process slowing – the perception may career opportunities will take place for experienced the next day. drivers On Aprilto18, join the the unit and havingbe it that exit the thenew highway. employee He isthen slowmade or lacking a skill. the San Francisco-based public is invitedcompany’s to see the zero-emissions 36-truck fleet of U-turn and brought the Baptizing truck to new a stop. hires in “your way” is an ongoing part human-powered trucks units. and NZT in action. Seltz-Axmacher said of their Starsky careerhas development spent the and lastan year important part of Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, Registration to founder the freeand event chief willexecutive open onconducting similar trials reducing to set turnover, the June Arrants 16 test said.up “with officer for Starsky, line Dec.said 3. his company uses – Jason its growing Cannon an incredibly high level Tabbed of statistical as the “participation certainty that trophy” everygeneration, Miltraditional trucking business as a captive source of thing would go smoothly.” lennials The have company’s gotten a bumtest rapteam in thehad workplace, Arrants safe, experienced and well-trained drivers to staff its been driving the route said,heavily adding for thatthe it takes lastatwo willingness monthsof the employersafety to and remote driver team. with a safety driver learn onboard, how to hemanage said. the group. “Driving trucks is extremely tough, and so is finding “The only thing we “They really only learned wantistwo that basic ourthings, truck” he realsaid. “They want the right drivers to be a part of this unique opportuniuSimple, self-driving provider, alyclean, works safewithout work environment, a person inbut it,”more Seltz-Axmacher than anything said. else, they want to feel ty,” he said. “We’re able toa get to knowsystems our drivers over has months been testing its Level Class what 8 autonlikeThe they’re early partmorning of the family. trip They’re was conducted very talented, under andnear-perthey are loyal, but they the course of a few to see if they4 have it omousinto trucks in Arizona moreand thaneventua year expect fect weather a few things conditions from you. and ” in light traffic. In the coming takes to advance being a safetyfor driver and recently began hauling freight for-profit months, Unlike the Starsky generations will kick before offthem, a hardware most Millennials revision value and personal timeally into a tele-op driver. ” more plansthan to replicate money and the astest suchwith may the be unmotivated new and more by overtime robust pay, Arrants The goal with commercial the state. overof the program iscarriers to hireintraditional said. system Incentives beforesuch focusing as compensation on similar,time more in lieu frequent of overtime tests pay may become Earlier year, TuSimple the-road drivers andthis move them alongexpanded to becomeitsa an over increasingly longer runs important that include benefit in hauling attracting paying youngfreight. talent, he said. facilitiesthe in Tucson from 6,800 to safety drivertesting that ensures safe operation of autonoNext Competition up will be among navigating fleets forinnew more technician challenging talent weather is fierce, and simply mous driving. 50,000 next year,lead the comThesquare careerfeet, pathand also could to a job showing and denser up attraffic. a career day isn’t going to cut it, Arrants said. plans to grow its footprint further. To as a remotepany driver. “Recruit “This was in the thebeginning first of a[of number the school of unmanned year], not thetests,” end,” he said. “Don’t Seltz-Axmacher support said its development program, TuSimple the hiring campaign's slogan, wait Seltz-Axmacher for a career fairsaid. where“There’s you’ll bealways one of 45 going others. to Go be the to the rate school when“The futureprojects it will trucking create 500isjobs a variety of driverless notacross driverless, ” school of continuous starts.” improvement.” of fields rangingcombination from engineering to autonois a reference to Starsky’s of human Starsky currently hauls Getting for-pay involved freight earlierusing in the36 student’s stan- education also mous truck driving and office management. decision-making and automation. Starsky’s platform dard human-drivenhelps units shape andtheir three potential autonomous-capable career path, Arrants said. reduces theThe Tucson has a autonomous projected total driver’s roleexpansion by perfecting trucks such as the one The used deeper in the youJune can imbed pilot run. your operation in a localtechnologyeconomic impact of $1.1 over next for highway driving butbillion retains thethe driver’s The company completed technicalits program, longestthe end-to-end more likelyautonothat school will pro-expertise for five years. remote-controlled driving on the first mous trip on recordduce in September the skillset you 2017, need, hauling and the Hurricane more likely you’ll beand last mile. The company also plans to expand its U.S. Irma recovery aid 68 able miles to hang through on to Florida its graduates. with a person autonomous fleetprovides to 200 trucks in 2019. Starsky said its approach drivers with Tua in the cab but without intervention. Two months later, the Simple said that with 500 trucks worldwide, better work-life balance, fair wages and rewarding company made a 7-mile low-speed bobtailEditor runofdown a Carrier Journal. E-mail it will have the world’s largest autonomous promotional opportunities. JASON CANNON is Equipment Commercial jcannon@randallreilly.com 248-1175. Florida road without a safety driver. or call–(205) Jason Cannon truck fleet. ––Jason JasonCannon Cannon

Starsky seeking experienced drivers for 'unique' fleet

Self-driving truck maker expanding

commercial commercialcarrier carrierjournal journal| |october august 2018 2019

21 27

Anthem, GuardDog Connect lead Mack's surge

ack Trucks debuted the Anthem in 2017 with hopes the tractor would become the on-highway spearhead that the Pinnacle struggled to become. To-date, Anthem sales have pushed Mack’s long-haul marketshare upward and over 2% year-to-date. The company has delivered more than 12,000 Anthems since the tractor’s debut nearly two years ago. Roy Horton, director of product strategy for the truck maker, said Anthem sales are outpacing levels seen by Pinnacle models in practically every conceivable fashion. “We’ve sold more sleepers than we ever have with the release for Anthem,” Horton said at last month’s Mack Trucks Western Event in Portland, Ore. All cab configurations have outsold prior similar specifications for the Pinnacle Axle-Back model that Anthem replaced, he said. Mack is one of two truck OEMs with engagement in all three truck segments – low COE, on-highway and straight trucks – but on-highway trucks are nearly 75% of the total truck industry, and Anthem has become Mack’s flashpoint in unlocking marketshare. Horton attributes much of those gains to a lower total cost of ownership driven largely by fuel economy gains. A 1% fuel economy improvement can be as much as $500 a year depending on annual mileage. With Anthem’s launch, a 6% reduction in aerodynamic drag yielded a 3% boost in fuel economy, Horton said. Coupled with Mack’s ultra-efficient MP8HE engine, the HE+, drivers can see up to a 9.5% improvement, he said. What gains Horton can’t attribute to the truck itself, he lays at the feet of the company’s truck dealers. The company’s network is comprised of 440 Mack dealers, 345 of which are in the United States. “Our dealers have invested over $700 28

million in the network since 2010,” Horton said, including investments in additional service bays, technicians and sales force. Across that network, there are 142 Mack Certified Uptime dealers. Horton said shop efficiency is up 24%, diagnostics and repair times are down 70 and 21% respectively, and check-in times have been reduced by more than 40 minutes. Truck market remains ‘hot’ Truck orders, while down sizably this year from a banner 2018, remain driven by order books and 2019 build slots that were filled before the close of last year. “We’re in a hot market,” said Jonathan Randall, senior vice president of North American sales and marketing for Mack Trucks. “You almost get the sense that people are just standing on the ledge looking over trying to talk themselves into a downturn. We’re not seeing it. The overall truck market continues to perform extremely well for us.” Mack forecasts 310,000 Class 8 orders for North America this year, with some “upward pressure” on that number. Randall said he expects that pace to slow as truck orders approach 1.3 million units over the last five years. “But production is still going very, very well, and that continues to climb,” he said, adding that Mack’s 2020 order book is already open. “Demand is there, because fleets are already starting to plan next year’s orders.” Long-haul tractors made up 44% of total registrations in 2018, and that’s up to 50% this year. “The big sleeper business is really driving this growth,” said Randall, who expects that pace to soften slightly into 2020 as he forecasts straight truck and day cab orders to grow. “We are up in every market segment we participate in.” Mack Granite is the leader in the

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

Roy Horton, director of product strategy for Mack, said Anthem sales are outpacing levels seen by Pinnacle models in practically every conceivable fashion.

straight truck segment for trucks equipped with big-bore power, he said. ‘Connected truck’ milestone This month, Mack Trucks reached a milestone in its connected truck strategy, building the 100,000th truck equipped with the company’s GuardDog Connect integrated telematics system. First launched in 2014, GuardDog Connect is a proactive diagnostics and repair planning package that monitors a truck’s critical fault codes that could lead to unplanned downtime. The technology also enables Mack Over The Air remote software and parameter updates. If a potential issue is detected, GuardDog Connect sends a notification to Mack OneCall agents at the Mack Uptime Center. In many cases, this action takes place before a driver realizes there is a potential problem. OneCall experts quickly diagnose the issue and, based on its severity, determine the best plan of action. “We’ve never experienced a de-rate event out in the field,” said Kevin McCann, vice president of operations for Maple Valley, Wash.-based Silver Streak Inc. Should a repair be required, proactive service scheduling and parts confirmation are initiated, all while the truck remains on the road. – Jason Cannon

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INBRIEF • Michelin North America announced a price increase of up to 6% for its commercial Uniroyal tire line and select off-highway products in the United States and Canada effective July 1. The company said it would provide additional details directly to customers. • Cummins agreed to acquire Hydrogenics Corp., a developer and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell modules and hydrogen generation equipment. As a part of the transaction, The Hydrogen Co., a subsidiary of L’Air Liquide, S.A., and Hydrogenics’ largest equity shareholder, will maintain an ownership stake in the company. • ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a supplier of mobility systems, announced that Wabco shareholders approved ZF’s acquisition of all outstanding shares of Wabco for $136.50 per share in cash. Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO for ZF, said the Wabco purchase allows ZF to form an integrated systems provider for commercial vehicle technology and allows it and Wabco’s management to shape“the future of technologies and services for efficiency, safety, automation and connectivity in the commercial vehicle sector.”ZF expects to close the transaction in early 2020. • Kenworth’s T880S with a set-forward front axle now is available for order with the company’s 52- and 76-inch mid-roof sleepers. Kenworth said the T880S sleeper configurations are suited for heavy-haul and severe highway applications and allow the truck to meet U.S. and Canadian combination length and weight distribution needs. • Spartan Motors purchased assets of General Truck Body to expand in California and increase its product portfolio for Spartan and Utilimaster products. Spartan said the acquisition, terms of which were not announced, also will provide customers more efficient build-and-ship capabilities nationwide. • McCarthy Tire Service is purchasing 13 GCR Tires & Service stores and three GCR retread plants from Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. McCarthy Tire is a family-owned and -operated company that operates more than 50 service locations and seven Bandag retread manufacturing facilities spanning from Georgia to New York. McCarthy Tire said the GCR acquisition, terms of which were not released, allows it to expand its service network in the Carolinas and Virginia.

Volvo updating active safety suite

olvo Trucks North America announced plans to roll out an updated version of its Volvo Active Driver Assist (VADA) platform 2.0. The collision mitigation system will be standard on new VNR and VNL models and available on VNX models. Updates are slated for later this summer, with improveVolvo’s updated VADA 2.0 system ments scheduled to roll out through late 2020. is designed to enhance the original The updated system is designed to platform by integrating radar and camera capabilities to help drivers enhance the original VADA platform by maintain a safe following distance. integrating radar and camera capabilities to help drivers maintain a safe following distance through alerts, improved traffic awareness and emergency braking to help reduce the risk of collisions. VADA made its debut two years ago and uses camera and radar technologies to detect motorized vehicles within the vehicle’s proximity. The technology enables a series of features to activate driver alerts and foundation braking according to information detected by advanced sensors. “The Volvo Active Driver Assist technology we first introduced with Bendix Wingman Fusion in 2017 was a groundbreaking achievement for increased efficiency and safety through automation,” said Johan Agebrand, product marketing director for Volvo Trucks North America. “Continuing that partnership, we have improved the capabilities of this collision mitigation technology across the board and are confident that VADA 2.0 will further enhance safety for all motorists.” According to the company, VADA 2.0 offers enhancements to many features: • Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) uses camera and radar sensors to determine how traffic is behaving around the truck. When a vehicle is detected, audible and visual warnings alert the driver to take action. If the driver does not respond, AEB engages to mitigate potential collisions. VADA 2.0 expands the capability of AEB beyond the current VADA, allowing it to operate across multiple lanes of traffic. • Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts the driver when an unintentional lane departure occurs. VADA 2.0 allows for adjustable volume and audio mute override options and enables drivers to turn off the system momentarily (10 minutes) for select functions. • Highway Departure Warning and Braking (HDB) automatically activates if the driver does not take corrective action after a Lane Departure Warning and the system detects that the vehicle may have left the drivable roadway, slowing the vehicle by a predefined mph. • Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Cruise Auto Resume (also known as “Slow & Go”) enables the truck to revert back to cruising speed at speeds above 10 mph, an improved feature in VADA 2.0. • Driver Awareness Support offers an in-cab windshield-mounted camera with data-capture support to enhance driver coaching and data availability. Future planned updates to VADA 2.0 include Adaptive Cruise Control with Traffic Stop & Driver Go, Lane Change Support with audible alert adjustment, and standalone data-capture options without the need for Lane Departure Warning. – Jason Cannon

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

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INBRIEF • Navistar announced plans to invest $125 million in new and expanded manufacturing capabilities at its engine plant in Huntsville, Ala., over the next three years and expects to add 145 jobs. The North Alabama plant currently manufactures International-branded diesel engines, including the 12.4-liter big-bore A26 engine offered in International’s Class 8 on-highway truck lineup. The additional capabilities will allow the plant to produce Navistar’s next-generation large-bore powertrains developed with global alliance partner and stakeholder Traton. • Hino Trucks now offers a five-year unlimited-miles standard transmission warranty for its 2020 model year trucks equipped with an Allison Transmission. The updated standard gives customers up to two additional years of coverage and does away with mileage limits at no additional cost. • Truck-Lite Co., a provider of LED lighting, telematics, engine protection, safety and visibility systems, integrated Stemco’s wireless suite of products with its Road Ready system via its SmartBridge Integrator that bridges OE trailer systems with the Road Ready network to communicate trailer data to a fleet dispatcher and provide greater insight into trailer assets. Truck-Lite said the integration allows fleets to access information from their Stemco wireless products, such as tire pressure, inflation and mileage events. • Inland Truck Parts and Service, a full-service truck repair provider, acquired Fast & Easy Services, an independent service provider based in Grand Junction, Colo., and relocated to the larger 14-bay Fast & Easy facility to expand and upgrade its component shop and truck repair offerings. The new driveline and component shops offer onsite repair and remanufacturing of transmissions and differentials, drivelines, power-takeoffs, hydraulics, suspensions and more. • CIMC Intermodal Equipment opened a new facility that expands the company’s headquarters in South Gate, Calif., adding over 50,000 square feet under roof and another 50,000-plus square feet of additional parking space to accommodate the company’s growing North American intermodal business. The new building houses offices, an educational training center, a chassis showroom, a parts department now doubled in size and redesigned production lines that now can produce about a hundred 53foot chassis and another hundred marine and various other stock chassis per shift.

Volvo developing AI for autonomous trucks

he Volvo Group last month signed an agreement with graphics processing company NVIDIA to jointly develop a decision-making system for autonomous comVolvo said its partnership with mercial vehicles and machines. Using NVIDNVIDIA will focus on the development of a flexible, scalable IA’s end-to-end artificial intelligence platform autonomous driving system. for training, simulation and in-vehicle computing, the resulting system is designed to safely handle fully autonomous driving on public roads and highways. The system will be built on NVIDIA’s full software stack for sensor processing, perception, map localization and path planning, enabling a wide range of possible autonomous driving applications such as freight transport, refuse and recycling collection, public transport, construction, mining, forestry and more. The agreement spans several years, with personnel from the two companies working together in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Santa Clara, Calif. The strategic partnership includes accelerated computing technology in the data center for training deep neural networks; large-scale simulation for hardware-in-the-loop testing and validation of autonomous vehicle systems; and deployment of the NVIDIA DRIVE platform in the vehicle to run the full software stack for 360-degree sensor processing, mapping and path planning. – Jason Cannon

Volvo explores predicting human intent, awareness

olvo Trucks North America and automated vehicle software provider Perceptive AutomPerceptive Automata’s AI ata recently partnered with Dependable Hightracks and signals the likely way Express to showcase a project designed to real-time intentions of two pedestrians to cross in front strengthen the trucking industry’s safety capabiliof a Volvo VNR 300. ties through automation. The project leverages human intuition artificial intelligence (AI) that reads the intention and awareness of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to enhance the situational awareness of truck drivers, supported by the truck’s automated systems, to reduce the likelihood of accidents and to help modulate braking and acceleration. Volvo Trucks said it developed a proof-of-concept alongside Perceptive Automata and DHE over the last eight months. During a demonstration at DHE headquarters in Ontario, Calif., attendees experienced Perceptive Automata’s AI software on a Volvo VNR 300 regional-haul model. The software ingests data from on-vehicle sensors and, like humans, assesses in real time the likely intention and awareness of pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers by reading visual cues such as eye contact, posture, physical orientation and head movement. “Automation and driver support enhancements that help predict and prevent potential incidents will be essential to improving road safety,” said Aravind Kailas, research and innovation manager for Volvo Group. – Jason Cannon

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

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INBRIEF • Stoughton Trailers added Pace Transportation to its dealer network. Pace, based in Byron Center, Mich., sells dry van and refrigerated trailers, offers financing and 24/7 mobile repair and has a paint booth and service center for full collision tractor and trailer repair for customers in Western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. • Johnson & Towers Inc. and Western Branch Diesel, both distributors of Detroit Diesel and MTU engines and Allison transmissions, announced a merger. Both companies, along with Johnson Truck Center and Dovell & Williams, will operate as Indel Power Group and will continue to go to market with their existing brands. Johnson Truck Center, based in Landover, Md., and Manassas, Va., is a dealer for Freightliner, Western Star and Autocar. Dovell & Williams is an Isuzu truck dealer in Glen Burnie and Frederick, Md. Both also are Fuso dealers. • MHC Truck Leasing added the Ford Transit to its rental lineup for third-party logistics businesses and final-mile customers needing delivery vans. • Mitchell 1 announced that all new subscriptions to its truck repair software suite now include its 1Search Plus interface designed to streamline searches and navigation for vehicle-specific diagnostics and repair information. When a technician selects the vehicle being serviced and enters a search term for the type of repair required, 1Search Plus brings together all the relevant information in a user-friendly layout. • Accuride International, a designer and manufacturer of sliding hardware, launched an online store at Accuride.com/products/ shop to expand access for both OEM and aftermarket customers to its products. • Weather Guard, a provider of truck and van equipment, introduced its online Custom Van Configurator, an interactive online tool designed to allow contractors and tradesmen to visually build out customized van upfits for Ford Transit and Ford Transit Connect models using Weather Guard products such as storage modules, bulkheads, shelving and other accessories. • A Kenworth T270 was recognized as the milestone 200,000th medium-duty truck produced at the Paccar plant in Ste-Thérèse, Quebec. Miller Industries of Ooltewah, Tenn., took delivery of the T270 equipped with a Paccar PX-7 engine rated at 300 hp and an Allison automatic transmission.

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

ZF expands E-Mobility division with new headquarters, more locations

F Friedrichshafen AG announced the expansion of its E-Mobility division with new buildings and locations. In late June, the technology company opened a new building for administration, research and development and sales at its divisional headquarters in Schweinfurt, Germany. In Pančevo near the Serbian capital of Belgrade, a new plant for electric drives went into operation. “The demand for electric driveline solutions has grown enormously,” said Michael Hankel, a member of ZF’s Board of Management with responsibility for E-Mobility and corporate production. “This is why we have invested heavily in this division, creating attractive employment opportunities and increased production

capacity. With electromobility, ZF is paving the way for next-generation mobility solutions and contributing to a reduction in worldwide vehicle emissions.” With its new building in Schweinfurt, ZF has created space for around 520 additional employees, joining 9,400 already working there. At its Pančevo plant, ZF will produce primarily electric motors, generators for hybrid and electric drives, transmission selectors and microswitches. Around 1,000 employees are set to work at the site in the future. Another production location for electric drives is currently under construction in Hangzhou, south of Shanghai, China. This plant is set to go into operation next year.

At its plant in Pančevo, Serbia, ZF will produce primarily electric motors, generators for hybrid and electric drives, transmission selectors and microswitches.

“We want to offer our customers outstanding technology solutions,” Hankel said. “Being successful in the long term requires cost leadership as well as technology leadership. We can achieve these targets through the high degree of commitment shown by our employees and with our global production network. This gives us a balanced presence in different regions, which in turn allows us to be close to our customers and create competitive cost structures.” – Jason Cannon

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august 2019

Petro-Canada: Duron lineup helps fleets push drain intervals

wo and a half years into the industry’s transition to a new generation of engine lubricants, Petro-Canada says it has fully phased-in the most current CK-4 and FA-4 products and that its customers are seeing benefits such as longer oil drain intervals and the potential for better fuel economy. The company’s updated Duron lineup of heavy-duty engine oils has “proven to be very successful,” said Barnaby Ngai, category manager for Petro-Canada’s heavy-duty products, during a media event held adjacent to the Honda Indy Toronto Indycar series race. The CK-4 and FA-4 products, which replace the prior CJ-4 lubricants, offer better protection against shearing and oxidation, which helps lead to the extended drain intervals. Ngai said the company has transitioned its entire customer base to either CK-4 or FA-4 lubricants. As expected, CK-4 oils, which are backwards-compatible and more of a direct replacement for CJ-4 products, have been more predominant. Petro-Canada provides CK-4 oils in its Duron line in grades such as 15W-40 and 5W-40. Offering a lower viscosity – that is, thinner grades such as 10W-30s – FA-4 products are meant to help boost fuel economy, in addition to offering improved resilience against oxidation and shearing. However, FA-4 oils are intended for use in newer engines, and because of fleet makeup and OEM recommendations, FA-4’s adoption rate has been slower. Nonetheless, Ngai said, fleets that have switched to Duron FA-4 products are “absolutely seeing the performance we expect” in terms of fuel economy and extended drain intervals. He said “the fear or concern” that the tradeoff for fuel economy comes at the expense of engine wear is “100% not the case,” adding that FA-4 products offer the same protection as CK-4 oils. The company pointed to oil analysis testing of its products performed with partner fleets. In tests of an FA-4 oil with a fleet running Freightliner tractors with Detroit DD16 engines, Petro-Canada was able to push drain intervals from 75,000 kilometers to 100,000 — about 15,000 miles. Even at those extended drains, measurements of oil acidity and wear metals remained well below condemnable limits. In another test involving Navistar’s MaxxForce engines running loads at 140,000 pounds, Petro-Canada and its fleet partner saw similar results. The company offers oil diagnostics to all its customers via its Lube360 platform. Fleets running Petro-Canada products can see oil analysis, get information on whether they can extend drain intervals and more. Ron LeBlanc, senior technical services adviser for 36

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

Petro-Canada’s updated Duron lineup of CK-4 and FA-4 heavy-duty engine oils has “proven to be very successful,” said Barnaby Ngai, the company’s category manager for heavy-duty products.

Petro-Canada, said the company also can perform onsite fleet analysis to help guide customers toward the right products and the proper drain intervals. “This is a complex business,” LeBlanc said. “It’s not just about lubricants. It’s about support after the sale. Our technical service team adds that value.” Going forward, the company has begun work on formulating and testing even lower-viscosity oils such as 0W-20 grades to see if it can push fuel economy further without sacrificing engine wear. The company is testing two products in conjunction with OEMs. “Thinner is better,” said John Pettingill, product specialist for Petro-Canada, referring to the oils is “prototypes.” Thinner oils offer less flow resistance and, therefore, better fuel economy, Pettingill said. Ngai said once the company has accumulated enough test miles of the products, it can share more details. “It’s exciting, because you don’t see this type of product in the market today,” he said. “0W-20 is kind of ‘passenger car motor oil’ language. But we’re talking about in heavy duty.” – James Jaillet

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Rolling to the future

Fuel efficiency, power demands prompt axle innovations BY JASON CANNON

hoosing an axle configuration used to be as simple as determining how many wheels you wanted on the ground and if you wanted power to all of them. Today, there’s a myriad of options that blend some of the best parts of a traditional 6x2 or 6x4 into something entirely new. Flexible drive axle Designed for segments with high payload diversity, Volvo’s Adaptive Loading Axle uses an electronic control module and a hydraulic actuation system to create a fully automatic drive axle capable of adjusting weight and downforce as the unit’s load changes, providing maximum traction and fuel economy without driver input. “98% of the time, the system will take care of itself, especially when it comes to lifting and lowering the axle for the payload support,” said Chris Stadler, product marketing manager of regional haul applications for Volvo Trucks North America. When the truck is loaded, the system uses pressure input from the suspension to balance weight between the two axles. As the load lightens, more weight is shifted automatically onto the drive axle. Once the truck is empty, the non-drive front axle automatically lifts off the road and tucks out of the way, allowing the truck to operate in a 4x2 configuration. The driver also has the ability to raise and lower the axle and balance the payload as conditions dictate. “We have a traction mode where [the driver] can force the axle down to protect the chassis if they were at a dock getting loaded up,” Stadler said. “Or if they’re going down the road with a payload and both axles are down and the weather conditions change – maybe in the wintertime in a snowstorm – and they need some additional traction support, they can actually put it in Enhanced Traction mode and load up the drive axle to put extra pressure down to give them extra traction support. Similar to your difflock but not to that extreme, and they can actually operate at a higher speed as well.” Electric options As technology continues to plod along, electrification has become a more appealing and realistic option. Hyliion’s 6x4HE “kind of” converts a 6x2 configuration into an ultra-fuel-efficient 6x4 with its electrically powered axle. Thomas Healy, founder and chief executive officer for Hyliion, said the hybrid system can deliver upward of 15% in fuel savings 38

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

Hyliion’s 6x4HE – consisting of an axle, a motor-generator, a lithium-ion battery pack and electronic controls – can replace the second axle in a live tandem or be added to a 6×2 to effectively turn the truck into a 6×4.

across hilly terrain, which is where the system was engineered to do its best work by providing a boost of supplemental The Spicer Electrified eS9000R power when engine loads leverages the architecture of Dana's are high. single-reduction S110 and S130 Descent down a hill aldrive axles but integrates the motor, transmission and axle power system. lows a regenerative brake to pump charge back into the batteries, so no solar panels or plug-ins are needed. The 6X4HE acts automatically, using sophisticated learning algorithms to maximize fuel economy. For segments ready to go all-in on electric power, options on the heavy-duty side are few. Lighter commercial vehicle segments are leading this innovation. Harry Trost, senior manager of product planning for Dana Commercial Vehicle, said his company has focused much of its early development work on lighter commercial applications that require fewer and smaller batteries to “manage the cost of an electric vehicle as the market was developing.” Dana’s Spicer Electrified eS9000R for Class 4-6 applications leverages the architecture of the company's single-reduction S110 and S130 drive axles already on the market but integrates the motor, transmission and axle power system. Since many Class 4 and 5 trucks don’t feature pneumatic brakes, an electronic parking mechanism also is integrated. “It goes up to 237 kW peak power, and it is also intended for higher voltage ranges,” Trost said.

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Expansion of North America’s largest carriers held in check by equipment and driver shortages as companies try to cash in on near-perfect business conditions in 2018

BY JEFF CRISSEY

hile carriers in the 2019 CCJ Top 250 ranking turned in significant revenue gains across most industry segments, those same companies added little capacity to the system. Year-overyear revenue growth of the carriers that disclosed revenue for the last two years was 9.9%. Excluding package giants UPS and FedEx, that same group turned in a 13.0% increase in revenues. In a year that saw five of the nine industry segments post double-digit revenue increases, dedicated contract carriage and flatbed/specialized/heavy-haul carriers led the way at 19.8% each, followed by intermodal (14.9%), refrigerated (13.2%) and general freight (12.8%) carriers. Only the household goods segment failed to gain ground in fiscal year 2018. Notable standouts include Ruan (CCJ Top 250, No. 32), whose 35.9% revenue increase buoyed the dedicated contract carriage group’s numbers; Penske Logistics (No. 20), which posted a 35.3% revenue increase after fully absorbing Epes Transport System; and Evans Network of Companies (No. 25), which posted revenue gains of 28.4% on the heels of its acquisitions of Greatwide Truckload Management and Packard Transport. Other high-achieving fleets include Landstar System (No. 8, 26.6%), Covenant Transportation Group (No. 35, 25.6%), RoadOne Intermodalogistics (No. 68, 33.3%) and Cypress Truck Lines (No. 175, 36.6%). Trucking bankruptcies were few and far between in 2018, but two carriers are conspicuously absent from this year’s rankings after closing this year. Following two years of losses, New England Motor Freight (formerly No. 67) shut its doors in February, citing rising overhead costs and the driver shortage. NEMF soon was joined by Falcon Transport (formerly No. 146). The 719-tractor fleet lost a major customer and abruptly ceased operations in April, stranding drivers and trailer loads at truck stops across the country. Both carriers were heavily unionized.

No room to expand Despite solid revenue performance up and down this year’s CCJ Top 250 ranking, the total number of trucks and tractors increased only 3.0% from 679,822 to 699,110. (UPS and FedEx combined account for nearly 40

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

half of the increase with 9,158 additional power units.) The 238 carriers that appear in both this year’s and last year’s rankings only grew their tractor count at a 2.5% clip, from 480,384 to 492,381 units, and their overall power unit count grew just 3.3%. CCJ Top 250 equipment counts reflect fleet size at the time of data collection conducted annually in late June and early July. Due to extensive order backlogs across all major OEMs and the lag time between order and placing power units into service during the last reporting cycle, the equipment counts in the 2019 CCJ Top 250 ranking may not yet reflect much of the unprecedented stretch of Class 8 activity from July through October 2018 that saw OEMs rake in orders for 189,605 units, as reported by FTR Transportation Intelligence. The driver shortage undoubtedly hindered carrier expansion in the last year, as 2019 CCJ Top 250 carriers account for a total of 810,762 drivers. Unlike last year’s ranking that saw driver growth eclipse power unit growth by a three-to-one margin, a closer look at this year’s metrics reveals driver growth is largely in line with power unit increases across the board. Carriers appearing in the rankings for both 2018 and 2019 added 24,384 drivers, a 3.1% increase from 781,438 to 805,822. As a group, dedicated contract carriage carriers appearing in both this year’s and last year’s CCJ Top 250 rankings led all other industry segments in percentage growth for both power units and drivers. The segment increased its power unit count by 11.4% and driver count by a whopping 17.4%, thanks in large part to Ryder reporting 3,158 more drivers in its integrated logistics division. Even without Ryder’s growth, driver ranks among dedicated contract carriage companies grew 9.2%. The second-best performing group was intermodal carriers, which turned in a power unit increase of 6.7% and a driver increase of 8.3%. The flatbed/heavy-haul/specialized carrier group also grew its equipment counts by 6.7%, while carriers in the refrigerated segment that appeared in both the 2018 and 2019 CCJ Top 250 rankings grew their driver base by 8.3%. The household goods segment was the only category that shrunk its power unit counts year-over-year, losing 1,241 pieces of equipment for an 8.2% decrease. The motor vehicles group turned in the lowest driver growth of any

CCJ TOP 250 BREAKDOWN BY SEGMENT Segment

Dedicated contract carriage Flatbed/specialized/heavy haul General freight Household goods Intermodal Motor vehicles Packages/small shipments Refrigerated Tank/bulk commodities

Carriers

% of total

Power units

19 25 116 7 8 8 4 22 41

7.6% 10.0% 46.4% 2.8% 3.2% 3.2% 1.6% 8.8% 16.4%

35,759 34,918 265,313 13,871 19,392 9,577 249,857 32,520 37,903

% of total

Estimated revenue change 2016 to 2017**

Revenue per power unit*

Revenue per driver*

5.1% 5.0% 37.9% 2.0% 2.8% 1.4% 35.7% 4.7% 5.4%

19.8% 19.8% 12.8% 0.0% 14.9% 4.2% 5.5% 13.2% 9.4%

$244,979 $234,591 $281,334 $274,772 $190,584 $263,983 $353,752 $272,098 $236,633

$211,537 $234,512 $252,766 $242,031 $190,055 $288,232 $375,718 $244,139 $217,572

* Excludes outlying operations that likely would skew a segment’s figures for various reasons, such as an unusual scope or operating profile or the inclusion of revenues beyond either North America or transportation by truck. ** Based on companies that self-reported revenue data for both 2016 and 2017.

segment, with seven carriers that appear in both this year’s and last year’s rankings totaling a 0.7% increase. Getting together While this year lacks the blockbuster get-together the industry saw when Knight Transportation and Swift Transportation joined forces, there were several notable mergers and acquisitions that helped change trucking’s landscape. In the motor vehicles segment, United Road Services (No. 55) purchased Fleet Car Carriers (formerly No. 143) and its 620 leased tractors and drivers. The move solidifies United Road’s hold on the No. 1 spot in the segment group ahead of Jack Cooper Transport, and the Michigan-based hauler expects to transport more than 4.5 million vehicles in 2019. Indianapolis-based Wheaton Van Lines (No. 71) jumps 30 spots in the CCJ Top 250 ranking with the acquisition of fellow household goods hauler Stevens Worldwide Van Lines (formerly No. 203). The tank/bulk commodities segment saw two major acquisitions in 2018. Enid, Okla.-based Groendyke Transport (No. 101) purchased the tank truck assets of McKenzie Tank Lines in a move that grows Groendyke’s terminal count from 30 to 40 and adds an expected $40 million in revenue this year. Heniff

Transportation Systems (No. 104) makes its CCJ Top 250 debut after acquiring Miller Transporters (formerly No. 196), creating a new player in tank/bulk commodities. Wilson Logistics (No. 109) continues its recent history of acquisitions with the addition of Market Transport (formerly No. 233), a Portland, Ore.-based asset-light carrier with roughly 400 tractors and drivers. The move expands Wilson Logistics’ lane density in the Northwest and brings the Springfield, Mo.-based carrier’s equipment count well past 1,000 power units. Refrigerated hauler J&R Schugel (No. 119) acquired Super Service (formerly No. 142) in mid-2018. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based dry van fleet adds nearly 700 tractors and drivers to J&R Schugel’s operations and sends the New Ulm, Minn.-based and employee-owned company rocketing up this year’s list. Canadian carrier Day & Ross Transportation Group (No. 143) purchased the A&S Kinard and Buckler Transport subsidiaries of Celadon Trucking Services (No. 41) as the company continues to shed non-core business units. The acquisition provides Day & Ross with dedicated and specialized services in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions and moves the carrier up 23 spots overall and seven spots in the general freight segment rankings.

Go to CCJTop250.com for more detailed information! The 2019 CCJ Top 250 rankings are comprised from a large data set used to calculate the annual list, including revenues and counts on power units, trailers, drivers and other company information. You can view the detailed information at CCJTop250.com and sort by primary segment type to get a closer look at a carrier’s

performance in relation to its peers. You also can view carriers by rank in several other variables. In the pages that follow, you will see where the trucking companies rank and learn more about some of the fleets in the CCJ Top 250 as chosen by our editors.

Turn the page for the CCJ Top 250® foldout commercial carrier journal

| august 2019 41

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1-25

For detailed and sortable rankings, visit www.ccjtop250.com. 2019

Company

2018 Rank

UPS/United Parcel Service Inc. Atlanta, GA

FedEx Corp. Memphis, TN

J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. Lowell, AR

Knight-Swift Holdings Phoenix, AZ

YRC Worldwide Inc. Overland Park, KS

XPO Logistics Inc. Greenwich, CT

Schneider Green Bay, WI

Landstar System Inc. Jacksonville, FL

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. Thomasville, NC

TFI International St.-Laurent, QC

Werner Enterprises Inc. Omaha, NE

Estes Express Lines Richmond, VA

Prime Inc. Springfield, MO

Ryder Supply Chain Solutions Miami, FL

U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. Chattanooga, TN

ArcBest Corp. Ft. Smith, AR

Kenan Advantage Group N. Canton, OH

CRST International Inc. Cedar Rapids, IA

Daseke Addison, TX

Penske Logistics Reading, PA

R+L Carriers Wilmington, OH

Hub Group Oak Brook, IL

C.R. England Inc. Salt Lake City, UT

Saia Inc. Johns Creek, GA

Evans Network of Cos. Schuylkill Haven, PA

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

20 PENSKE LOGISTICS

CUSTOM-FIT SOLUTIONS FOR ANY CUSTOMER enske Logistics believes Industry segment: that transportation Dedicated contract carriage solutions do more than Straight trucks: 576 move freight at the lowest cost. The Tractors: 4,450 Reading, Pa.-based company tells its Trailers: 16,462 shipper customers that to stay comDrivers: 6,797 petitive in today’s marketplace, they 2018 revenue: $2.3 billion need solutions tailored to their businesses. Penske says it has continued to make headway in the CCJ Top 250 by offering the optimal blend of transportation services to meet its customers’ needs, with cost, service and punctuality always at the forefront. No doubt that its acquisition of Epes Transport also propelled Penske’s growth in this year’s CCJ Top 250 from No. 29 to No. 20. Penske said the purchase of the Greensboro, N.C.-based company enhanced its portfolio of transportation and logistics operations while providing more growth opportunities. Penske’s two main transportation services are Dedicated Contract Carriage, which offers operational scale and scope to fit customer needs; and Transportation Management Solutions that help customers plan, source, coordinate and track shipments throughout their networks. The company says both transportation solutions provide visibility and control over their shippers’ networks, map the most efficient routes to move product and help them negotiate effectively with carriers. Penske says its transportation management services also help promote efficiency across all transportation modes and help shipper clients get more from transportation partners. Penske lets clients outsource to a dedicated team, track third-party shipments through their network, move freight via a third-party carrier or use a hybrid offering — all to get the lowest-cost/highest-service combination. On-time delivery also is critical, which Penske says is just as important to its own business as it is to its customers. To meet timesensitive requirements consistently, the company identifies the best freight modes, consolidates shipments, manages carriers and optimizes ground, air and sea routes. It says it does all this while reducing waste, which provides customers with reduced costs, improved labor productivity, better asset utilization and superior service.

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26-50 For detailed and sortable rankings, visit www.ccjtop250.com.

2019

Company

2018 Rank

UniGroup Fenton, MO

Averitt Express Cookeville, TN

NFI Camden, NJ

Crete Carrier Corp. Lincoln, NE

Southeastern Freight Lines Lexington, SC

Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc. Downers Grove, IL

Ruan Des Moines, IA

Quality Distribution Inc. Tampa, FL

Forward Air Corp./FAF Inc. Greeneville, TN

Covenant Transportation Group Inc. Chattanooga, TN

Universal Logistics Holdings Inc. Warren, MI

KLLM Transport Services LLC Richland, MS

Stevens Transport Inc. Dallas, TX

Central Transport International Inc. Warren, MI

Cardinal Logistics Management Corp. Concord, NC

Celadon Group Indianapolis, IN

Sirva Inc. Westmont, IL

Pitt Ohio Express LLC Pittsburgh, PA

DHL Express Americas Plantation, FL

P&S Logistics Birmingham, AL

Western Express Inc. Nashville, TN

Anderson Trucking Service Inc. St. Cloud, MN

AAA Cooper Transportation Dothan, AL

Heartland Express Inc. N. Liberty, IA

Marten Transport Ltd. Mondovi, WI

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

46 WESTERN EXPRESS INC.

A PLAN FOR GROWTH ennessee is a hotbed of trucking activIndustry segment: ity. Sixteen carriers in the CCJ Top 250 General freight call the Volunteer State home, and it is Tractors: 3,100 host to more than 16,000 distribution and logisTrailers: 7,300 tics facilities. In a state thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home to so many Drivers: 3,350 large trucking companies, it can be hard to 2018 revenue: stand out. For Nashville-based Western Express, $695.1 million thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a bad thing. The carrier got its start in Music City in 1991, and in just 25 years it grew to become one of the top 50 fleets in North America. Western Express has remained steady through the ups and downs of recent freight cycles, but this year it jumped five spots in the CCJ Top 250 to No. 46 thanks in large part to a 22.7% revenue increase in 2018. Western Express also grew its fleet by 15%, adding 400 tractors in the last year, and hired another 650 drivers in the process. Going forward, company officials say that growth trend will be the new norm and announced a goal to grow revenue to more than $800 million in 2019 and hire 350 new drivers per year over the next five years. To start its new growth phase, Western Express last April announced a five-year $88 million investment in new technology, back-office support and business services, with plans to hire 225 employees at its headquarters in the next five years. The company also will continue to invest in new tractors and trailers, GPS systems and other truck technologies. Today, Western Express specializes in dry-van truckload service east of the Mississippi River and west of the Rocky Mountains. It also offers flatbed service across North America as well as dedicated transportation services to customers in several locations from the Southwest to the Northeast.

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51-75

For detailed and sortable rankings, visit www.ccjtop250.com. 2019

Company

2018 Rank

FirstFleet Inc. Murfreesboro, TN

Atlas Van Lines Inc. Evansville, IN

Mercer Transportation Co. Inc. Louisville, KY

TMC Transportation/Annett Holdings Inc. Des Moines, IA

United Road Services Inc. Romulus, MI

Bison Transport Inc. Winnipeg, MB

Cowan Systems LLC Baltimore, MD

P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. Tontitown, AR

Dayton Freight Lines Inc. Dayton, OH

Black Horse Carriers Inc. Carol Stream, IL

Bennett International Group McDonough, GA

Dart Transit Co. Eagan, MN

USA Truck Inc. Van Buren, AR

Roehl Transport Inc. Marshfield, WI

Hirschbach Motor Lines Inc. Dubuque, IA

Trimac Transportation Calgary, AB

Hogan Transports Inc. St. Louis, MO

RoadOne IntermodaLogistics Randolph, MA

Jack Cooper Transport Co. Inc. Kansas City, MO

U.S. 1 Industries Valparaiso, IN

Wheaton Van Lines Inc. Indianapolis, IN

101

Salmon Cos. N. Little Rock, AR

Eagle Express Lines Inc. S. Holland, IL

IMC Cos. Memphis, TN

Maverick USA Inc. Little Rock, AR

71 WHEATON VAN LINES INC.

MAKING A MOVE heaton Van Lines has demonIndustry segment: strated an appetite for growth Household goods the past several years. In 2012 the Straight trucks: 535 household goods mover purchased Bekins Tractors: 1,300 Van Lines, followed by its 2013 acquisition of Trailers: 1,609 Clark & Reid. Drivers: 1,537 Earlier this year, Wheaton again continued to consolidate its market segment with the acquisition of Stevens Worldwide Van Lines (formerly No. 203), a mostly owner-operator fleet that reported 409 power units and 408 drivers last year. The Stevens transaction vaulted Wheaton 30 spots in this year’s CCJ Top 250 ranking from 101 to 71. Although it wasn’t enough to reorder the carrier rankings within the seven-member household goods segment, the Indianapolis-based company significantly closed the gap between itself and Atlas Van Lines, which is the No. 3 carrier in the household goods segment and No. 52 overall. “Stevens and the agents in the Stevens network are a stellar fit for our growing company,” said Mark Kirschner, chief executive officer for Wheaton, at the time of the announcement in February. “It’s clear that our philosophies align and that we both see this as an opportunity to bring more to our drivers, agents and customers. I’m excited for our partnership moving forward.” The move means Wheaton now has more than 400 agents that cover 95% of the U.S. market. The company said the Stevens family will continue to own and operate Stevens International Forwarding and Focused Logistics. The three Stevens local agencies in Saginaw, Mich., and Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio, will continue to work under the Stevens Worldwide Van Lines brand and will maintain a significant hauling fleet within the new network.

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019 45

THE TOP 250 FLEETS ARE EXEMPLARY COMPANIES. TOGETHER THEY DRIVE PROGRESS ACROSS OUR NATION.

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101-125 For detailed and sortable rankings, visit www.ccjtop250.com.

2019

Company

2018 Rank

101

Groendyke Transport Inc. Enid, OK

110

102

Trans-System Inc. Spokane, WA

100

103

Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport Los Alamitos, CA

104

Heniff Transportation Systems Oak Brook, IL

196

105

Martin Transportation Systems Inc. Byron Center, MI

106

Paladin Captal Inc. Nashville, TN

106

107

May Trucking Co. Salem, OR

107

108

Midwest Logistics Systems LTD Celina, OH

112

109

Wilson Logistics Springfield, MO

124

110

Coleman World Group Midland City, AL

105

111

Carter Express Inc. Anderson, IN

118

112

PGT Trucking Inc. Aliquippa, PA

111

113

John Christner Trucking LLC Sapulpa, OK

116

114

A&R Logistics Inc. Morris, IL

113

115

Navajo Express Inc. Denver, CO

109

116

New Legend Inc. Phoenix, AZ

114

117

B&W Cartage Co. Taylor, MI

117

118

C&K Trucking LLC Chicago Ridge, IL

122

119

J&R Schugel Trucking Inc. New Ulm, MN

162

120

K.L. Breeden & Sons LLC Terrell, TX

123

121

Paper Transport Inc. De Pere, WI

133

122

Dupre' Logistics LLC Lafayette, LA

126

123

Smith Transport Inc. Roaring Spring, PA

138

124

Beelman Truck Co. E. St. Louis, IL

121

125

The Dependable Cos. Los Angeles, CA

127

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

104 HENIFF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

MAKING A SPLASH fter falling just outside of last Industry segment: year’s CCJ Top 250 ranking, Tank/bulk commodities Heniff Transportation Systems Tractors: 1,039 makes its debut in this year’s list all the way Trailers: 2,843 up at No. 104. Last August, the Oak Brook, Drivers: 912 Ill.-based liquid bulk carrier purchased 2018 revenue: $293 million Jackson, Miss.-based Miller Transporters (formerly No. 196). The transaction created a network of one of the largest liquid bulk chemical fleets in the industry, and Heniff now ranks No. 11 in the tank/bulk commodities segment. Going forward, Heniff and Miller will operate as separate entities while Heniff enhances the ability to leverage the resources of both organizations. The new network includes 40 locations, 1,100 tractors and nearly 3,000 trailers with terminal locations in 18 states. Heniff previously had acquired Horizon Tank Lines in 2015 to expand its footprint in the Southeast, and in 2016 the company purchased EZ Alternative Transport to grow its tractor count in the Gulf Coast region. As the company has grown, so have its capabilities to serve its customers by developing new technologies. In 2017, Heniff was recognized as a CCJ Innovator for the creation of its Freight Portal, a tool that gives customers full transparency of orders from initial tender to final delivery using data from tractor- and trailer-tracking systems to provide location updates every five minutes. The system also updates bills of lading, scale tickets and other documents in real time as drivers scan the forms using a scanner built into a smartphone app. Heniff also has leveraged its business intelligence skills to develop a driver incentive plan that has shown savings of six times compared to its driver bonuses. The incentive plan also has helped reduce the fleet’s turnover rate.

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126-150 For detailed and sortable rankings, visit www.ccjtop250.com.

2019

Company

2018 Rank

126

Brown Integrated Logistics Inc. Lithonia, GA

119

127

National Retail Systems Inc. N. Bergen, NJ

120

128

Oak Harbor Freight Lines Inc. Auburn, WA

132

129

Millis Transfer Inc. Black River Falls, WI

125

130

TransWood Carriers Inc. Omaha, NE

128

131

Action Enterprise Holdings LLC Birmingham, AL

140

132

K&B Transportation Inc. S. Sioux City, NE

131

133

Venture Express Inc. La Vergne, TN

130

134

Oakley Trucking N. Little Rock, AR

139

135

Benore Logistic Systems Inc. Erie, MI

163

136

C.A.T. Inc. Coteau Du Lac, QC

134

137

Ozark Motor Lines Inc. Memphis, TN

129

138

National Carriers Irving, TX

135

139

JBS Carriers Inc. Greeley, CO

147

140

The Decker Cos. Ft. Dodge, IA

136

141

Williams Brothers Trucking Inc. Hazlehurst, GA

141

142

Star Fleet Trucking Inc. Middlebury, IN

102

143

Day & Ross Transportation Group Hartland, NB

166

144

American Eagle Logistics LLC Lafayette, LA

151

145

American Bulk Commodities Boardman, OH

155

146

Venture Logistics Inc. Indianapolis, IN

156

147

Spee Dee Delivery Service Inc. St. Cloud, MN

148

Tri-National Inc. Earth City, MO

144

149

M&M Transport Services Inc. Putnam, CT

195

150

Saddle Creek Transportation Inc. Lakeland, FL

149

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

149 M&M TRANSPORT SERVICES INC.

CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROPELS GROWTH &M Transport Services Inc. was Industry segment: founded in 1990 by Mark WarsofDedicated contract carriage sky and has grown steadily into a Straight trucks: 35 nationwide dedicated transportation provider Tractors: 610 for some of the biggest retail, manufacturing, Trailers: 3,000 distribution and logistics companies in the Drivers: 630 country. M&M’s modern fleet serves a diverse customer base, and its scope of operations consists of multiple terminal locations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland and Arizona. The privately-held corporation is family-owned and -operated by Warsofsky, who serves as president, and his son, Adam. The Putnam, Conn.based company boasts a team of experienced freight professionals and drivers and says its primary objectives are to create lasting customer loyalty, one customer at a time, for controlled and continued growth, as proven by this year’s leap in the CCJ Top 250 to No. 149 from No. 195. M&M says its diversity and strong management team enable flexibility and creativity in addressing customer needs in an ever-changing world of operational and logistical dynamics. The company offers: • Dedicated fleet services to help shippers by giving a commitment to specific amounts of volume and equipment, with tailored contracts, onsite management and new and used equipment; • Truckload services throughout the United States using companyowned equipment and drivers at competitive rates; • Yard services throughout the U.S. for a wide range of applications, with long- and short-term contracts and yard management software; • Contract maintenance to its dedicated customers for their companyowned equipment, with 11 onsite service trucks, a shop staff of 50 mechanics and the latest diagnostics software; • Onboard satellite-based communications, the latest dispatch software for real-time communications and electronic maintenance tracking; and • Satellite tracking for better utilization of over 1,500 trailers in its system, with customer access available. M&M also says it is sharply focused on safety on the road, in its distribution hubs and at customer facilities. The company says its safety professionals have extensive experience in all matters of transportation safety, security and compliance and that its mission is to be the industry’s benchmark for safe transportation and a leader that other companies strive to duplicate.

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About the

ommercial Carrier Journal has ranked the top for-hire trucking companies since the late 1960s. The CCJ Top 250 is the most comprehensive ranking of active carriers. Our ranking takes into account not only the revenues posted by a trucking company but also its fleet size and employment base. Rankings based strictly on revenues often capture activities that have only an indirect relationship to transportation. Blending revenue, equipment and drivers also allows for a reasonable way to capture carriers that decline to disclose revenue. The CCJ Top 250 ranking treats all carriers under one umbrella as a single entity. Carriers with significant ownership by an individual, family or company but not organized under a single management team are treated separately. Also, carriers that went out of business or were acquired by other companies in 2018 aren’t listed. Instead, only active carriers are displayed. For a detailed explanation of the CCJ Top 250 ranking methodology, see “Ranking Methodology” to the right. The print version of the CCJ Top 250 provides only basic information on the carriers we rank. For a more comprehensive breakdown, including revenues, power units and drivers, go to CCJTop250.com. The CCJ Top 250 begins with data provided by RandallReilly’s RigDig Business Intelligence (www.rigdig.com/bi) based on data supplied by carriers to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on their required Form MCS150 filings. Because this data can be – although rarely is – as much as a couple of years old and because the MCS-150 does not include information on revenues, all carriers included in the ranking were given an opportunity to review FMCSA data for freshness and to supply information not included on the form. In some cases, CCJ supplements its data with other official sources, such as reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If a carrier declines to verify or update the data that we 60

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

provide it for review, we presume the publicly available data is valid and use it for ranking purposes. Carriers are never allowed to opt out of the ranking. Ranking methodology CCJ’s ranking of companies is a blended scale based on a combination of revenue, total power units and number of drivers rather than a ranking simply by revenue. Companies considered for inclusion in the CCJ Top 250 were ranked from high to low by revenue, power units (weighted based on the type of power unit as discussed below) and drivers and assigned a rank in each category. The numerical rank stored in each of the three fields was added together (revenue rank + vehicle rank + driver rank) to provide a rank sum. This sum then was ordered to provide the overall ranking assigned to each carrier, with the lowest sum receiving the highest rank. A number of carriers failed to report actual 2018 revenue. In order to be included in the blended ranking, they were assigned – for blended ranking purposes only – a calculated revenue figure determined by multiplying the carrier’s total number of power units by the average of the bottom 50% of revenue per power unit performers for the companies in that carrier’s primary segment. Calculated revenue is discounted by using the average of the bottom 50% of performers so that carriers failing to report revenue are not given an undue advantage in the ranking. Calculated revenue almost always will differ from actual revenue, of course, but the effect on the blended ranking likely is slight. The power unit ranking, which represents an investment as much as a physical-count measure of trucking assets, takes into account the difference between tractors and trucks. The assumption is that a for-hire carrier with 1,000 tractors has a greater investment in equipment than one with 1,000 straight trucks. For the purpose of the blended rank only, a truck was weighted at half the value of a tractor.

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

Another layer of scrutiny

Canadian ELD mandate will require third-party certification

he recently published Canadian electronic logging device rule could test the credibility of some devices listed in the online ELD registry of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA registry currently has more than 430 devices listed. Each is self-certified by the developer as compliant with the ELD ruleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specifications. Some ELD providers have registered multiple devices for different market segments of the trucking industry. At present, the market share of ELD providers in the United States is concentrated among 14 companies, according to research by CCJ and sister publication Overdrive. To date, FMCSA has not decertified any ELD device. That may change when the Canadian rules take effect in June 2021 and require all ELD devices to be certified by a third party. An ELD provider that chooses not to be certified in Canada, or fails a certification, will face scrutiny as to U.S. PRESSURE: An ELD provider that chooses not to be certified in Canada will face scrutiny. ELD EXPENSE: The cost for a third party to test a product for Canadian use could be significant.

PONYING UP: ELD providers could be on the hook for paying for their own certification.

commercial carrier journal

Motor carriers in Canada and possibly the United States could have a more limited selection of ELD devices in the near future, experts say.

whether or not their products comply with the U.S. mandate, because the Canadian rule has similar technical requirements, said Mike Ahart, vice president of regulatory affairs forÂ Omnitracs. Before listing their devices in the FMCSA registry, some of the larger technology companies hired third-party firms to test their products to ensure they comply with the rule and to not expose themselves or their customers to risk. But some ELD providers may not go through the process of certifying their devices in Canada.

august 2019

INTERESTED INTRUCKING TRUCKINGTECHNOLOGY? TECHNOLOGY? INTERESTED IN Go ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters Scantothe barcode or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK to to subscribe to the CCJ Technology Weekly e-mail newsletter.

system Transport may show Canada, that at the midnight, equivalent theof unit FMCSA, is still ahas quarter-mile requestedaway informafrom the tionunloading from companies spot. that may be interested in certifying ELD devices. The “We Canadian are very agency carefullycurrently watchingishow gathering it is unloaded” feedback to determine to understand whenwhat certification process look Ahart delivery said. appointcontainersits actually are available for will pickup to like, set realistic the challenges third-party firms will ments, PrinceOne said.of“Our job as an intermodal provider is to have makewhen sure a great devices is toand get correctly.” a consistent flat file of data from number ofcertifying little thingsELD happen on time each provider, he said. Also, the third-party firms may not all follow a uniform Predicting trailer capacitytesting procedure. Will they be testing ELD devices and software or bytime installing themor in When making deliveries, driversusing oftensimulators lose productive unloading andtrailers drivingtoaround? searching trucks for empty take to their next load appointments. If no If are the available testing isonsite, done via simulation, they ensure that empty trailers office personnelhow maywill begin cold-calling interfaces properly with a vehicle? “The largest area for customersan in ELD the area to locate empty trailers. malfunctions is theNo. connection the ECM, ” Ahart U.S. Xpress (CCJ Top 250, 16) equipstoits trailer fleet withsaid. SkyBitz’s Theembedded deadline for ELD compliance in Canada is June 2021. tracking system with cargo sensors. One of the nation’s largest estimated that Transport Canadacompany will needuses between 12 truckload Ahart carriers, the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based the inforand 24 months from now to come standards for testing mation it receives to predict when trailers willup bewith unloaded and ready for and for ELD providers to complete the new third-party certipickup, said Aaron Wood, the company’s manager of trailer management. fication process. The costwith for aU.S. third partycustom to develop, test and The SkyBitz system is integrated Xpress’ transportation commercialize a certification product could be significant. management system and with ESRI’s mapping software that Wood uses to “If the is to get down toturnaround the ability to test and these set up geofences forrequirement tracking arrivals, departures, times devices to level that one would expect to find any malfunctrailer inventories bythe customer location and geographical planning regions. orthat the ability tamper with oris modify “The bigtion, thing bites ustoand any carrier when weinformation, have loadedittrailcould literallywhere be millions of dollars to getfreight it all done, Ahart ers going into markets we do not have loaded out,”” he said. said.is“There is notrailer indication gets paid for.”to U.S. Xpress managing countsofinhow eachthat planning region predicted thatacross ELD providers be on hook for maintain theAhart balance of capacity its freight could network. Thethe company paying forcarriers the certification of their own devices. also uses secondary and railroads to reposition its trailers in its network. “I think that is going to be part of the limitation for a small ELDyears provider get involved, he said. such, trailer motor tracking carriers In the three U.S. to Xpress has been” using theAs SkyBitz Canada andhas possibly the United States could have more system, itsin trailer count gone from 17,000 to about 14,000 byaincreasing selection ELD devices in the near future.Wood said. efficiency limited and managing theofavailable capacity in its network, “I guarantee [thealso Canadian market] is not going to get With SkyBitz, U.S. Xpress can identify trailers at locations that have ” said AndyThese Oleson, a senior engineer not movedoversaturated, for an extended period. events couldsolutions signal possible meat Platform Science, and drivers telematics provider. “What we chanical defects on trailers thatan areELD causing to not hook up. will also end increases up seeingtrailer is fewer vendors Canada, and U.S. Xpress capacity by in monitoring theirthat usewill by also have some downfall intoshippers the United States. ” third-party carriers and through interchange On the other vendor be surprised agreements. “Wehand, know“no when one ofshould our trailers starts this mandate is around, ” Oleson said. “Awhere drafttrailers has moving,” Wood said. The system tracks been out there fordropped more than are picked up and anda year how now. manyAny milesvendor they should so have paying attention and for developing moved thebeen company can bill carriers the authoragainst the standards.”use of its trailers. ized or nonauthorized AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296.

Obstacle detection QuikQ gets Love’s, system for big trucks TA investments

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ear uikQ, Viewa fuel Safety payment debutsysed tems its provider RVS-125 with Sensestat a networkWireless of more Obstacle than 3,400 Detection chain and QuikQ provides SmartQ, an RFIDSystem independent designed merbased cardless to chant warn locations, truck an- Rearsystem, and Start View Safety’s RVSa cardless drivers nounced of investments potential 125Code, Sensestat Wireless payment system. Detection obstacles by Love’s behind Travel Stops Obstacle System is designed their and TravelCenters vehicle with of for easy installation aAmerica detection torange support itsoncontinued heavy-dutygrowth trucks, of and upexpansion. to 8 feet. The with no need to install excess cabling. system In addition is engi-to QuikQ’s own fuel payment neered card, the tocompany provide also supports other cothe branded driverand both private-label audible andcards, visualincluding warning indicators cards for Love’s to avoid andbacking TA. accidents. The For fleets wireless andECU drivers, is engineered QuikQ offers to beQwaterproof Checks, cashand advances includes and multiple payrollantenna cards. installation The company’s options. technology A user also can connect is integrated to awith Sensestat-equipped select transportation trailer management by pressing the monitor’s software systems. sync button. – Aaron Huff – Aaron Huff

In-motion scale Wex, ChargePoint weighs each axle to lliance expand Scale de- fleet EV A buted a truck scale charging options engineered to weigh

each axle ex,and a financial print a receipt without technol-requiring ogyaservice driver provider, to stop. The Alliance and ChargePoint, AxleWeigh a In The Alliance Motion providerTruck of an Scale electric is AxleWeigh In built vehicle to charging weigh individunetWex said the EV Motion Truck FleetCharge system al work, axlessigned by driving a dealover to Scale is preconwill expand the arfor easy the expand scaleEV at 3charging mph re-to rayfigured of fuels available installation and gardless U.S. fleets. of truck length and make it easier can be installed to acquire and pay or Under configuration. the agreeon a gravel for EV charges. ment, Wex and Designed for easy driveway, eliminating the need use, ChargePoint a driver stops will at for ramps. the develop controller and deploy and the EV FleetCharge enters payment hissystem truck’s that I.D. will allow up to 11 number, million WexFleet and the controller card holders willto calculate pay forthe gross, charges tare at and morenet than values. 66,000 TheChargePoint scale features factory-calibrated network charging load locations. cells and a preprogrammed indicator. – Aaron – Aaron Huff Huff commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | september | august 2019 2018

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technology

INBRIEF • Mix Telematics, a provider of Softwareas-a-Service fleet and mobile asset management systems, opened an office in Mexico to help the company capitalize on growing opportunity within the region due to the NOM-087 regulation, Mexico’s equivalent of the U.S. electronic logging device rule. MiX has been serving customers in Mexico indirectly through a long-term channel partner and said that relationship will remain in place while it establishes a more direct market presence. • SambaSafety enhanced its Qorta risk monitoring platform to incorporate Compliance Safety Accountability and motor vehicle record data into a single driver monitoring system, Q Transportation, designed to monitor drivers continuously for violations, license status, medical certifications and endorsements while onand off-duty and in company or personal vehicles. Qorta summarizes near-real-time information on roadside inspections and violations via carrier and driver scorecards. • Comdata, an electronic payment provider, rolled out new app enhancements for its dual-sided OnRoad Card and mobile app. The OnRoad dual-purpose card facilitates company and driver purchases and is powered by the OnRoad app, a digital platform designed to allow drivers to manage their funds and make bank transfers while on the road. Updated features include enhanced login credentials, Touch ID/Face ID and instant bank transfers and peer-to-peer payments. • Kuebix, a transportation management software system provider, announced a suite of packaged enterprise resource planning integration products intended to provide shipment accuracy by avoiding manual entry, reduce time related to keying in orders and provide access to analytics that allow users to understand cost down to the line item. ERPs with Kuebix integrations include NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, Oracle, Infor, SAP, Sage, JD Edwards, Sage 100 and QuickBooks. • J.J. Keller has made its 2020 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) available for pre-order at 2016 prices. The ERG is the primary source for information needed by transporters to identify hazardous materials and get response information to protect themselves and the general public. The ERG will be available in early 2020 in five formats. Go to JJKeller.com/ERG.

commercial carrier journal

Mobile payment platform tailored for non-fuel expenses

uel transactions may be as easy as swiping a card or using RFID signals to automatically identify a truck and activate a pump. Other over-the-road transactions continue to require phone calls, paperwork and trips to the bank to deposit checks. Approving and paying for mobile repairs and towing services, freight handling (lumpers), late fees and other accessorial charges for loads are a few examples. RoadSync has established itself in the transportation industry as a mobile payment In 2016, Robin Gregg left FleetCor to platform used by road service providers. become chief executive for RoadSync, a startup that was developing a mobile payment system for the transportation industry. The company launched the platform in 2017. Gregg has more than 15 years of experience working for electronic payment providers, including seven years with FleetCor, which acquired Comdata in 2014. “I was definitely drawn to doing more in this space,” she said. “There are lots of problems to be solved. I am excited about what can be done. We want to help businesses reduce paper and phone calls.” Gregg describes RoadSync as a cloud-based point-of-sale platform that has invoice generation and workflow tools designed for people and businesses to request and accept payments digitally. Think of it as a version of Square that was built specifically for handling payments in the transportation industry. “We figured out how to create an experience that works for logistics and transportation by using industry-specific forms and workflows,” she said. Gregg said the company is off to a fast start by helping people and businesses collect payments from owner-operators and company drivers for common over-theroad services and expenses. Warehouses use RoadSync to collect accessorial fees for loading and unloading trailers. The company also counts truck repair and towing companies among its customers. “Companies that do repairs and tow merchants are able to send out digital work authorizations to the company with clarity about what is going to be charged,” she said. The driver can pay for a transaction using any debit card, credit card or fleet check on the spot. The platform also allows the merchant to text or email the invoice to a motor carrier for real-time payment. RoadSync is not currently being used by carriers and owner-operators to receive freight payments from shippers and brokers, but that is a future possibility, Gregg said. “We are interested in servicing anyone that does not have a tool to invoice and collect payments,” she said. Funds received through the app for payment are deposited directly into the bank account that the user chooses. RoadSync plans to release a new feature for smaller customers that will enable them to have funds transferred directly to a debit card, Gregg said. – Aaron Huff

august 2019

LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY Verizon Connect Government includes tools for vehicle inspection automation and asset visibility and management.

Verizon adds platform for government fleets, agencies

erizon Connect debuted Verizon Connect Government, a platform with features designed for federal, state and local agencies to run safe fleets, gain insight into operations and maintenance and communicate with field workers. The platform includes tools to simplify, streamline and improve processes for field workers, the company said. For fleet maintenance, it has automated vehicle fault code notifications and service schedule reminders, with dashboards and driver scorecards that target safety improvements. The Verizon Connect Spotlight mobile companion application can be used to monitor vehicles, assets and worker activity remotely. Customers can opt for key enhancements for high-precision tracking and law enforcement light bar alerts that enable law enforcement agencies to avoid driver penalties for driving behavior while the light bar is on. A Driver Vehicle Inspection Report with verified walkaround tracking can help eliminate paperwork and improve compliance. Also, Verizon Connect Share allows agencies to share near-real-time vehicle locations with third parties to help first responders and emergency response teams operate beyond the boundaries of their own fleets and workers. Verizon Connect Government also has online automatic programming interfaces to import Verizon Connect data into existing software systems, including AssetWorks. – Aaron Huff

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commercial carrier journal

august 2019

technology

New Stay Metrics research identifies driver retention priorities for fleets

tay Metrics, a provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers, released a research report that identifies the top 20 priorities for carriers to improve driver retention, according to the company’s Stay Index. The index combines measurements of drivers’ average level of satisfaction with each area of their jobs and how closely their answers relate to their commitment to stay. Stay Metrics said the index gives fleet executives and managers a resource for focusing on areas that both need improvement and affect turnover. To create the Top 20 Stay Index report, Stay Metrics analyzed a sample of 15,709 Annual Driver Satisfaction Surveys completed by drivers between May 31, 2018, and June 1, 2019, representing 67 diverse carriers from sectors such as dry van, tanker, intermodal, flatbed,

refrigerated and expedite. The report ranks the top 20 questions from the survey with the highest mix of dissatisfaction and correlation to turnover intent. Stay Metrics said the questions highlight the key areas of opportunity for improvement and fall into three categories: • Pay/compensation accounts for seven of the top 20 questions. • Trust between drivers and carriers is the theme of another seven questions. • Work issues fill the other six spots. Stay Metrics discovered that although pay has a higher level of dissatisfaction in the current set of surveys, the actual issues seem to be less about the “total amount” and more related to perceived fairness, wait time pay and accessorial pay. “Drivers’ attitude towards the trust-

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WITH

Stay Metrics said the pay-related questions with the highest Stay Index have less to do with the amount and more to do with transparency and fairness.

worthiness of their carriers seems just as important,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and chief executive for Stay Metrics. “In situations where pay increases are not possible and drivers are dissatisfied, we recommend carriers focus on strategies to build back driver trust.” Regarding work issues, Stay Metrics recommends carriers look at how they can think creatively about scheduling and honoring home time requests, reducing maintenance delays and examining parking, congestion and wait-time challenges. – Aaron Huff

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technology

Zebra adds software toolkit to mobile hardware offerings

ebra Technologies Corp., a manufacturer of rugged mobile computers and tablets for transportation and other industries with edge computing needs, has a new cloud-based capability that supports custom software development. Zebra said it added Savanna Data Services, a new capability, to its Zebra Savanna data intelligence platform that enables its customers and software development partners to build more intelligent and productive applications. With Savanna Data Services, Zebra’s real-time data collection and third-party data services now are available via application programming interfaces for use by software developers and businesses using Zebra’s mobile hardware. The new API tools can be accessed at any time for integrating existing hardware, software and data ecosystems. Zebra said the cloud capability will shorten development cycles and reduce maintenance, access and management costs. “Our new developer experience allows users to exclusively leverage intelligent edge device data along with third-party data services via APIs through the Savanna platform to completely transform workflows, identify supply chain bottlenecks and produce outstanding business outcomes,” said Drew Ehlers,

With Savanna Data Services, Zebra’s data now are available via APIs for use by software developers and businesses using Zebra’s mobile hardware.

global director of portfolio marketing, Enterprise Software, for Zebra Technologies. Savanna Data Services will be sold via a web-based selfservice model. Zebra also recently announced a plan to acquire Profitect to expand its software capabilities; terms were not released. Zebra plans to combine real-time data captured by its hardware and cloud platform with Profitect’s access to operational data, machine learning and prescriptive analytics. – Aaron Huff

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commercial carrier journal

august 2019

technology

INBRIEF • Drivewyze added its weigh station bypass service to four new locations in Pennsylvania as part of a 12-month pilot program. The sites are Interstate 83 northbound and southbound in Newberry and I-79 northbound and southbound near Hadley. • Glostone Trucking Solutions has developed Permit Book, a driver app and cloud-based fleet management tool designed to allow documents to be loaded electronically into the system and assigned to a driver, truck or trailer to be accessed and viewed anywhere while the driver is on the road. Permit Book stores documents assigned to the driver based on driver login and the truck and trailer they select. The documents are downloaded, updated and cached on a mobile device while in a cell phone service or wi-fi area. In addition to showing Permit Book documents on the screen to inspectors, documents also can be attached and emailed to them. • GPS Insight, a provider of fleet software, announced a rebranding intended to embody the company’s research and development in telematics and efforts to enhance the customer experience. The rebranding includes a redesign of the company’s website at GPSInsight.com, logo, graphics and corporate messaging. • 3Gtms Inc., a provider of transportation management software, is partnering with Trimble for commercial routing offerings. Trimble MAPS (Maps and Applications for Professional Solutions) brings together the company’s former ALK Technologies and TMW Appian Final Mile businesses, creating an integrated platform built to deliver ALK’s mileage, mapping, routing and navigation technology along with Appian’s fleet routing, scheduling and fuel optimization products. As a complementary offering to 3Gtms’ TMS, Trimble MAPS’data and map-centric technology can be leveraged by 3Gtms customers. • Trucker Tools, a provider of cloud-based shipment visibility applications and tools, announced that Salt Lake City-based England Logistics selected its platform for added freight visibility, carrier capacity management and predictive freight matching. England Logistics said Trucker Tools will streamline its brokerage business processes and enhance capacity management, decision-making and the delivery of timely information to customers.

commercial carrier journal

Azuga data show 10 safest states for fleet drivers

zuga, a provider of connected vehicle and fleet technologies, Azuga’s data science team aggregated over shared data that show the nation’s 3.6 million driver behavior datasets from its top 10 safest states for fleet drivGPS fleet tracking devices nationwide from Jan. 1 to May 31. ers. The company said the ranking leverages six months of its Driver Score data, a component of its technology for monitoring and improving driver behavior. According to Azuga’s findings, the three safest states for fleet drivers are Iowa, Hawaii and Wyoming, which all earned an average Driver Score of 86 or above out of 100. The top 10 states and their cumulative Driver Scores include Iowa (86.11), Hawaii (86.09), Wyoming (86.08), Delaware (84.91), West Virginia (84.25), Washington (83.96), Vermont (83.75), Oregon (83.57), Louisiana (83.43) and New Hampshire (83.24). Azuga said that when its Driver Scores are combined with its other offerings such as its Driver Rewards program and FleetMobile app, fleet-based businesses have been able to reduce accident rates by up to 70%. To determine the safest states in America, Azuga’s data were converted into Driver Scores using a weighted average of speed limit violations, speeding, sudden acceleration, hard braking, idling, seatbelt usage and other driving behaviors for 51,134 drivers across the country using Azuga’s telematics offerings. – Aaron Huff

Verizon Connect data show riskiest states for truckers

ationwide data and analysis from Verizon Connect found that harsh drivVerizon Connect show the safest ing – harsh braking, acceleration and and riskiest states to drive commercial cornering – by commercial vehicle drivers vehicles within the United States. decreased 22% from 2017 to 2018. Verizon Connect conducted the analysis using U.S. Department of Transportation and Census statistics as well as data from nearly 824,000 vehicles equipped with Verizon Connect fleet management software between January 2017 and April 2019. The analysis developed a ranking of states from safest to riskiest based on average fatalities per vehicle miles traveled, fatalities per capita, average speeding events per day and average speeding events per mile. The top 10 riskiest states to drive for commercial vehicles are North Dakota, New Mexico, Montana, Mississippi, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina, South Dakota and Louisiana. The top 10 safest states to drive in are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Minnesota, Hawaii, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. – Aaron Huff

august 2019

technology

Lanehub touts backhaul assist benefits

anehub, a collaborative transportation network built to enable shippers and carriers to match recurring freight lanes based on long-term direct partnerships, announced Backhaul Assist Benefit Sharing, a capability designed to give shippers the ability to earn a benefit sharing credit when they help their contract carriers connect with other shippers in the Lanehub network that have return freight that fills imbalances in the carriers’ networks. “Backhaul Assist already helps private and dedicated fleets find consistent well-matched backhaul freight,” said Mark Hackl, chief executive officer and founder for Lanehub. “With the addition of Backhaul Assist Benefit Sharing, shippers now have the ability to also help their contract carriers connect directly with new shippers and win recurring business on matched backhaul lanes.” Benefit Sharing is available to all shippers in the Lanehub Collaborative Transportation Network. Any carrier currently contracted to haul freight for an existing member of the Lanehub network is eligible. The program allocates a benefit sharing credit to shippers that help carriers discover new opportunities with other shippers that need capacity. Those opportunities help the carriers provide more reliable service to the headhaul shippers by getting the trucks back to them. Once a carrier is registered and visible in the software, shippers will share new lanes that match with lanes the carrier currently is hauling. When a carrier starts hauling the new matched freight, Lanehub collects a service fee from the shipper that obtained the capacity. The benefit sharing credit is allocated back to the shipper that helped provide the capacity by sharing their carrier. “Securing direct contract freight lanes with shippers can be more difficult for smaller and midsize carriers,

especially for complementary lanes running in both directions,” Hackl said. “Participating in our Collaborative Transportation Network is a way for shippers to collaborate and carriers to compete on their own terms for the long run.” – Aaron Huff

Lanehub’s Backhaul Assist Benefit Sharing allocates a benefit sharing credit to shippers that help carriers discover new opportunities with other shippers.

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august 2019

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technology

INBRIEF

TEST DRIVE: ZF ADAS

• SmartDrive Systems, a provider of video-based safety and transportation intelligence, announced that Salt Lake City-based refrigerated carrier C.R. England (CCJ Top 250, No. 23) is deploying its SmartDrive safety program across its entire fleet. C.R. England’s selection was based on SmartDrive’s flexibility for customization, easy integration into the fleet’s enterprise resource planning systems and ability to capture risky driving maneuvers such as U-turns, hard braking and speeding. • Lytx, a provider of video-based fleet safety technologies, announced that Boyd Bros. Transportation renewed and expanded its contract for the Lytx Driver Safety Program. The Clayton, Ala.-based flatbed company signed a three-year renewal of its current 565-unit deployment, as well as a 200-unit expansion to complete the implementation of DriveCam Event Recorders across its fleet of 650 tractor-trailers. Boyd Bros. plans to increase operational efficiencies and safety behavior with the Lytx Video Platform that gives users access to video to review specific incidents and obtain critical facts in near-real time to improve driver behavior and generate insight reports. • Descartes Systems Group, a provider of Software-as-a-Service logistics offerings, announced that Wesco International, a global distribution and supply chain company, selected its on-demand Route Planner system to help customers enhance delivery services and supply chain performance. Part of Descartes’ routing, mobile and telematics suite, Route Planner is designed to help users optimize route plans, manage dispatch operations and track trucks and drivers in real time, increasing operational efficiency and visibility to enhance delivery performance and customer service. • Nolan Transportation Group, an Atlanta-based third-party logistics company, deployed Descartes MacroPoint’s freight tracking system across its North American distribution network to provide carriers, brokers, shippers and 3PLs with near-real-time visibility of the location and status of all shipments. NTG integrated the Descartes system with its transportation management software system to help improve the efficiency of operations and communication of in-transit freight status.

commercial carrier journal

ZF’s Lane Change Assist, which is still a few years from production, offers a burst of haptic warnings in the steering wheel if a driver initiates a lane change when the system has detected a vehicle is already there.

Updated e-steering system reacts, doesn’t distract drivers BY JASON CANNON

ntil trucks can fully drive themselves – in stardate whatever number you think that will be – the near-term “self-driving” solution remains automated driver assist systems (ADAS). Radar, lidar and camera sensors have been implemented on tractors nationwide, enabling technologies that help avoid collisions and make driving a tractor safer, easier and less fatiguing. Several years ago, ZF made a splash in the driver assist segment with the debut of its ReAX electronic steering control system. Next year, the company plans to branch out into a higher level of ADAS using ReAX as a springboard.

august 2019

ReAX works in conjunction with the truck’s hydraulic steering, allowing drivers to fine-tune steering input, improving safety and making the vehicle easier to drive. The updated system will use a network of cameras and radar to collect information about the truck’s surroundings to enable safe lane-keeping and lane-changing maneuvers. OnTraX Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) uses a forward-facing camera to find lane markings. Once the system determines the truck is within its lane and traveling 40-plus mph, the system activates. If the truck begins to drift out of its lane without the turn signal activated, the system offers a gentle counter-steer input –

technology a series of light nudges – to inch the truck back into the appropriate lane. Activating the turn signal bypasses the warning. Dan Williams, ZF’s director of ADAS and autonomy, called it a “hint or suggestion,” and that’s about what it feels like. I tested the feature on a 7.5-mile loop in Columbus, Ohio, by bringing my truck up to speed, letting the system activate and beginning a slow drift left from the right-hand lane. As I approach the left lane marker, the wheel twitched itself slightly and jostled the unit back into the appropriate lane. If the driver is making an evasive maneuver or has a reason to drift from their lane, the system still will allow it as long as the driver continues to initiate the lane change actively. You still can feel the warning nudges, but it won’t overpower, or even offset, manual input. Set for production next year, OnTraX LKA is designed only to reengage a potentially distracted driver and warn them that the truck is leaving its lane without signaling, as it lacks the capability to center the truck within its lane. The next phase of ZF’s ADAS initiative includes tacking radar sensors on the tractor’s sides for an added layer of blind spot protection that stretches back to the trailer’s rear bumper. Lane Change Assist, which is still a few years from production, offers a burst of haptic warnings in the steering wheel if a driver initiates a lane change when the system has detected a vehicle is already there. William Sanchez, ZF systems engineer, said the company opted not to include an audible warning such as those found on similar platforms because there’s already enough buzzers, hums and dings going off

inside the cab. “That (noise) itself can be distracting, because you have to think for a second about what it’s telling you,” Sanchez said. The feedback in the steering wheel is instantaneous and noticeable. The sensors, each mounted to the chassis

skirt, picked up our pilot car at every interval along the trailer. That sensor will be moved behind the skirt when production-ready. Overall, the upgraded ReAX ADAS system does an excellent job of balancing effectiveness without being an annoyance.

commercial carrier journal

august 2019

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C.R. England creates new processes, technology for call center that supports drivers in training BY AARON HUFF

n Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, the chief executive of C.R. England (CCJ Top 250, No. 23) secretly hired a new vice president. At the time, the Salt Lake City-based refrigerated carrier had been shopping around for a new business intelligence system for its office staff to “better support our drivers, particularly our new drivers,” says Chad England, chief executive. England hired Pam Wilson as vice president of process development to lead this effort. Her first few months on the job were not spent in the office, however. First, Wilson called driver recruiting and registered for C.R. England’s driving school. She entered the classroom the next Monday at 6 a.m. and was known only as “Pam” to the instructors, trainers and other drivers she met. She explained to those who asked that her purpose for getting a commercial driver’s license and driving experience was to start a trucking company. “Chad had not told me what to expect,” Wilson says. “He gave me no frame of reference so it would be as authentic as possible.” Putting executives through CDL training is not a new practice at C.R. England, but Wilson was its first undercover agent. “I feel very strongly that our top leadership needs to be in touch with what is going on,” says England, a fourth-generation owner of the family business. “All of our executives have CDLs and get out on the road regularly. The unique thing about Pam is she was new to the company. This was an opportunity to get a fresh viewpoint.” Learning empathy C.R. England’s CDL schools and training program are a gateway for drivers to enter the trucking industry from all walks of life. The company’s over-the-road division accounts for about 80 percent of drivers in its fleet, and the large majority of its OTR drivers are in the process of completing the company’s 90-day training program after

they have earned a CDL. “If we can retain that group [of drivers], it dramatically affects the whole company,” Wilson says. Wilson went through the entire training process. The most difficult period was her first week after earning a CDL. She was paired with a trainer on a 2,500mile round trip to the East. Driving 10 hours straight and trying to sleep in motion, day after day, were among the experiences that teach executives empathy for drivers. When talking to drivers, Wilson also learned that many lack support systems outside of work. “The majority of people do not have any safety nets,” she says. “I found a love for people who sacrificed so much to come here and live their last hope. They put all their trust into C.R. England or whatever trucking company they choose.” Each week, Wilson snuck into the office to meet with Chad England and report on her findings. One day on the driving range, she called him to confess that she had backed into an object. “I had to call Chad England and tell him I wrecked his truck,” she jokes. A tasking problem Last January, Wilson came off the road and entered the office. She went to work on the front lines fielding calls from drivers in training.

The refrigerated carrier reduces driver turnover by listening to their concerns and documenting those interactions for continuous back-office improvement.

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

C.R. England’s call center processes have a defined flow chart for making “exceptional” human connections with drivers, says Pam Wilson, vice president of process development.

That same month, C.R. England had set a goal to reduce its driver turnover by half before yearend. The goal was set within the management program the company uses from Franklin Covey called the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX). To accomplish this goal, C.R. England needed a better way to manage tasks that impact driver retention. Employees who interact with drivers had been writing tasks on random pieces of paper to organize their work, Wilson says. “We had no way to organize our tasks,” she says. “This is how you fail drivers. They call and are upset, and then we escalate that. We have to start resolving the core issue.” Wilson says her experience as a mother and a career in sales, managing call centers and training business executives all came into play for creating new processes to better support C.R. England’s drivers. She previously had developed a program to manage the qualitative factors of human interactions in a call center environment. She adapted this program to the trucking industry. On a basic level, the program involves the use of metrics, a feedback loop and training people how to treat drivers, she says. C.R. England began to implement the new business intelligence system it had selected, but the project was large in 74

scope. In the meantime, Wilson created a tasking system using Microsoft Teams with various add-ons to bring visibility to the new call center process. Employees benefited from using the tasking system before the company’s new BI software from Pega Systems automated a lot of the work, she says. “When you have a more holistic view, you are actually much better at the job,” she says. “They are going to have an understanding that makes them so much more well-rounded and suited for other positions since they have been trained this way.” The feedback loop C.R. England’s call center processes have a defined flow chart for connecting with drivers and making “exceptional” human connections, Wilson says. Empathy is the main cog in the workflow. One of the most important steps that employees are trained on is how to “clear the path” to determine the core problem by asking unearthing questions. Employees are graded on their call performances through a feedback loop with relevant and accurate data that contributes to their job success, Wilson says. “We don’t pull any number unless they have control over it,” she says. Each data point has specific actions and consequences. As part of the feedback loop, employees view reports that detail the number of calls that came in and went out, and how many of the tasks that came in were completed. They also see how they scored on calls. Wilson grades three random calls per week for each employee. The scores for all employees are updated every morning, and on a weekly basis the daily numbers are reviewed individually with employees. “They have to tell me how they are being exceptional in each one of those steps,” she says. One degree exceptional Being exceptional in each step of the workflow is not as difficult as it might

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

seem. Wilson says the difference between average and exceptional does not need to be much — only by one degree. She cites a study that found businesses will retain a customer 80 percent or more of the time if the customer has an emotional exchange. The 80 percent retention rate stays constant regardless if the exchange is one degree or 100 degrees better than average. If a customer is merely satisfied with a product or service, they will return 14 percent of the time, but “if you go one step beyond to create an exceptional emotional exchange and did something they didn’t expect, they will stay with your company 80 percent or more of the time,” she says. “If there is no emotional exchange, there is no loyalty.” Before working in the trucking industry, Wilson believed the “one degree exceptional” rule was the same for any type of business. She’s changed her mind. “We have an advantage in trucking,” she says. “We serve people who aren’t serviced very well. I’m always amazed by what the smallest amount of empathy shown to drivers does.” On the other hand, if you create trust with a driver and then break it, “that could swing just as far the other way, because they have 10 hours a day to think about it,” Wilson says. The driver call center processes and technology that C.R. England put in place in January showed immediate results. By April – after only three months – the company already had reached its annual 4DX goal to reduce driver turnover by half. “If you support your people, and you make sure you go to extra lengths to find ways to make them happy and productive, it will pay off,” England says. CCJ INNOVATORS profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact Jason Cannon at jasoncannon@randallreilly.com.

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The Nikola Two, shown at its launch with company CEO Trevor Milton, will be available with hydrogen-electric or battery-electric power and will offer upwards of 1,000 hp and 2,000 lb.-ft. of torque. The truck will be built with Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving-capable hardware.

Before going electric, OEMs, parts and service suppliers, truck stop chains need long-term plan, infrastructure BY JASON CANNON

he electrification of trucking focuses mostly on potential cost savings at the fuel island and the elimination of downtime caused by legacy driveline failures. But the potential to slash truck emissions is certainly an added benefit. The good news is that, according to Byeronie Epstein, e-mobility lead for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, 95% of the global population already is breathing air that exceeds World Health Organization standards. The bad news, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is that the transportation sector accounts for 28% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the largest portion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with medium-and heavy-duty truck segments accounting for 23% of those emissions. 76

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Research compiled by GreenBiz, in conjunction with UPS, cites the principle motivators for electrifying fleets as achieving sustainability goals (citing 83% of respondents) and lowering total cost of ownership (64%). Electrification strategy Most truck OEMs have an electric truck program underway. However, Aditya Ramji, manager economist at Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., said the most effective plan for OEMs to implement electrification is to completely rethink the entire truck and not simply install an electric powertrain into a legacy product. Such an attack has led various OEMs to forge partnerships to leverage their varying degrees of expertise. Mahindra is working with Ford on electric vehicle projects in India.

EQUIPMENT: ELECTRIFICATION “It’s not just about products — it’s rethinking the way we exist,” Ramji said. “At the end of the day, mobility is a business.” “Invention is coming up with an idea, but innovation is really monetizing on that new idea and technology,” said Igor Stamenkovic, director of global technology for Eaton. “The critical thing is developing an ecosystem that supports the technologies and developing a business model that is sustainable.” That ecosystem eventually will filter down to the truck dealership level and could further evolve how sales and services are performed. A high-voltage truck system will require service providers to dedicate bays to electric service. “You will actually take a couple of service bays and fence those off because of the high-voltage components,” said Keith Brandis, vice president of partnerships and strategic solutions for Volvo Group Trucks Technology. “You can’t have just anybody wandering through there.” Going green also means spending some green, and high upfront costs are among the largest barriers to entry for electrification. “In many cases, when you talk about the site changes that have to be made, the utility company has to be involved,” Brandis said. “You’re probably looking at a facility, like a warehouse or a terminal, that’s only a couple hundred watts. Now, we’re taking about [charging] several trucks at once. You may need a one-megawatt line.” Will customers actually pay a premium for clean technology? “When we are creating products for the mass market, that is one of our biggest challenges,” Ramji said. “We keep wondering how service providers will optimize these technologies. Most of the developing world struggles with the cost of technology.” Infrastructure issues Cost may be a tall hurdle, but carriers that can make a strong business case from proposed maintenance savings and reduced fuel costs can clear it. A complete lack of a commercial truck charging infrastructure poses a more complex challenge. “It’s more than just the truck,” Brandis said. “It’s more than just putting batteries and drive motors and sensors and controllers and inverters on the truck. You have to have the power. It’s taking diesel and replacing it with the electricity. It’s where do you get that from, and how does that charge the truck, and where are the infrastructure points?” With so few electric units on the highway – and the expectation that the commercial EV population will grow at the pace of a slow simmer well into the next decade – infrastruc-

ZF now offers electric drives for all sizes of commercial vehicles.

Meritor is supplying electric drivetrain systems for 38 terminal trucks in a partnership with TransPower. The trucks will be spec’d with Meritor’s brakes and its Blue Horizon eAxles, which will work in tandem with TransPower’s electric powertrain.

Thor Trucks co-founders Dakota Semler (left) and Giordano Sordoni showcase the company’s T-1, a battery-electric Class 8 day cab they say will have a 100-mile range and cost $150,000. Thor also is planning another Class 8 priced at $250,000 with a 300-mile range.

ture buildout has yet to crack trucking’s top priorities list. A guidance report issued earlier this year by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), “Amping Up: Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles,” indicated early developments in the electric charging network would be privately funded and held. commercial carrier journal

| august 2019 77

EQUIPMENT: ELECTRIFICATION

Julie Furber, Cummins’ Electrification Business Development executive director, unveiled the company’s Aeos electric powertrain concept truck.

The Freightliner eCascadia features up to 730 peak horsepower, and its batteries provide 550 kilowatt hours (kWh) of usable capacity, which translates to a range of up to 250 miles. The Class 8 tractor is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage.

Mack’s electric LR refuse model is powered by two 130-kW motors, a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission and Mack’s proprietary S522R 52,000-lb. rear axle.

Jessie Lund, Rocky Mountain Institute associate and author of the NACFE report, said there are tentative plans for public fast-charging networks across main corridors throughout the country that would be capable of charging commercial vehicle batteries quickly. “But we don’t see that 78

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as a reality for the immediate future,” Lund said. However, Jason Skoog, general manager for Peterbilt, said the need to tweak trucking’s infrastructure isn’t exactly unchartered waters. “When I think of charging infrastructure for electric trucks, I think back 10-plus years ago and think about discussions on DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) infrastructure as we transitioned to 2010 EPA emissions,” he said. “The bottom line is that the industry figured it out and put it where it was necessary based on the needs of the industry and the business case.” While DEF is required in the majority of on-highway vehicles today, electric trucks won’t be as ubiquitous as their diesel counterparts 10 years from now, Skoog said. “Looking at it today, and in the near term, it makes the most sense that charging infrastructure is installed at the fleet depots that are testing the technology, as these are the business cases that make the most sense,” he said. “When greater scale is achieved, and if the case can be made for longer hauls with electric powertrains where the truck doesn’t return to the same place each night, then truck dealerships and truck stops will naturally install them.” Fuel on the go Jim Reed, vice president for TA Truck Service, said the proliferation of electric trucks would prompt truck stops to evolve their business. “We adapted and began to offer natural gas when that’s what the market demanded, and we’ll make the same shift when it comes to powering electric vehicles in the future,” he said. “Our goal is always to take care of our customers and supply them with the fuel they need, whether it’s diesel, natural gas or, one day, an electric charge.” Pilot Flying J already has dabbled in electrification, having installed Tesla charging stations at select locations between Dallas and Los Angeles. “We’re committed to doing everything we can to contribute to the future growth of the industry, and our team is always looking at new services and offerings to make life easier for drivers on the road,” said David Hughes, senior vice president of sales for Pilot Flying J. “With professional drivers being our core customers, if and when this technology comes to trucks, Pilot Flying J will be ready to explore and support these vehicles.” Reed said there currently are no plans to deploy a charging network at the truck stop chain, but he noted it has been discussed. “Advancements in battery technology have made it possible for electric trucks to perform in short-haul applications, but range is still a concern when it comes to the long-haul

EQUIPMENT: ELECTRIFICATION space,” he said. “If electric long-haul trucks can eventually complete 500- to 600-mile runs and need convenient fastcharging stations along their routes, we feel we’ll play a key role in supplying that.” How soon TA makes the shift will depend largely on customer demand and how quickly the market moves, Reed said. “It will also depend on future improvements in battery technology, the development of charging system standards in the industry, as well as what kind of demand or impact future charging systems will have on our current electrical infrastructure,” he said. New ways to think It’s possible legacy truck makers could follow Tesla’s lead in deploying their own network of power stations modeled after Tesla’s Supercharger. “I don’t think Volvo is unique in looking at the business model to see what parts of the total value chain we want to play in going forward,” Brandis said. “We’ve grown up in an industry where OEMs have made money by building and supporting trucks after the sale, and that’s going to change dramatically, I think, when we’re no longer building diesel engines and selling filters and typical maintenance repairs.” Roger Nielsen, president and chief executive officer for Daimler Trucks North America, called on the industry as a whole to tackle the infrastructure issue rather than relying on solutions to bubble up at the fleet level. “Today, there’s not a standard for charging infrastructure,” Nielsen said. “We all need to work together toward this.” To help reach that goal, trucking stakeholders such as Cummins, Daimler, Penske, Tesla and Volvo Trucks have taken on roles with the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIn) to help roll out standardized charging stations for heavyduty trucks. Cities themselves also will play an important role in the electric truck and infrastructure rollout, Ramji said. “They are the regulator at the ground level,” he said. “The city as a unit really needs to rethink urban planning, because that’s when you can really do this [infrastructure] effectively.” Smart urban planning could be the only thing keeping a tidal wave of EVs from crashing electric grids across the country. “If 100% of the vehicles were electric tomorrow, it would be a big problem,” said Mariana Bleck, head of Smart Mobility Business Development & Partnerships for EDP Commercial. “The grids are not prepared for 100% electrification. The problem isn’t only production. That’s a smaller problem compared to the capacity of the grid.” Bleck said that with energy demands growing so fast, the

Kenworth and Toyota are collaborating to build 10 fuel-cell electric trucks as part of a grant program from the California Air Resources Board.

Peterbilt’s fully electric Model 579 demonstration unit is equipped with eight 44-kW battery packs and has a range of up to 250 miles.

Volvo’s two-axle FL Electric is paired with a 185-kW motor capable of producing 248 hp and 313 lb.-ft. torque. The electric motor is powered by 50-kWh lithium-ion batteries weighing 236 pounds each. The FL and its FE sibling can be equipped with up to six batteries for a range of 186 miles depending on the duty cycle.

ways people consume energy is going to have to change when more EVs plug in. “It’s going to be a question of leveling the demand instead of just increasing production,” she said. “If we’re thinking about decarbonization, we can’t think about building more coal plants and still be greener.” commercial carrier journal

| august 2019 79

Fleets still using AOBRDs face substantial changes BY TODD DILLS AND AARON HUFF

he final major deadline in implementing the electronic logging device mandate isn’t causing quite the stir as did the mandate’s initial effective date, Dec. 18, 2017. Nevertheless, for those grandfathered in to continue using automatic onboard recording devices, the impending sunset of their two-year grace period on Dec. 17 means adjusting to a device with a more rigidly detailed set of specifications that require some operational changes. A spring survey of fleets and independent owner-operators by Commercial Carrier Journal and sister publication Overdrive found 30% of respondents continuing to use legacy AOBRD systems

and 11% being in transition, using both. The AOBRD percentages totaled 65% for those two categories among fleets of more than 100 trucks. In some ways, that’s no surprise, given larger fleets were most likely to have implemented an e-log system before they were required. The tendency to hold on to AOBRDs as long as possible, however, isn’t just a matter of avoiding the cost and trouble of adopting new technology. The most commonly reported reasons for postponing the transition illuminate the differences between AOBRDs and ELDs, from the data recorded and transmitted to the roadside officer to added driver control of all e-log edits.

Reasons fleets stayed with AOBRDs Flexibility in speed/time/distance threshold setting for drive-line status switch Less information required Administrator-account edits generally Administrator account edits can occur w/o driver approval Current devices required substantial investment, not easily upgraded Haven’t bothered with it or thought much about it yet device or software upgrade 0%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

AOBRD users among the survey’s fleet and owner-operator respondents were free to indicate up to three reasons for continuing to use grandfathered devices as late as June of this year. Source: CCJ/Overdrive 2019 AOBRD-to-ELD survey of fleets and independent owner-operators

commercial carrier journal

| august 2019

5-mph drive line switch With previous-generation e-logs, automatic duty status shifts from off duty or on duty/not driving generally were customizable, depending on the needs of the fleet and the e-log provider’s technical capabilities. At Nussbaum Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 216), AOBRDs did not record vehicle movement less than 20 mph on the drive line within customer facilities. When drivers arrived at a customer location and switched from driving status to on duty/not driving status, “that was that,” said Jeremy Stickling, vice president of safety and human resources for the Hudson, Ill.-based company. Drivers there grew accustomed to the AOBRD automatically kicking them onto the drive line when they hit 20 mph. The only times they had to change their duty status was to go off duty or to enter the sleeper berth, Stickling said. The ELD specification mandated automatic recording of drive time at speeds above 5 mph. It will be incumbent on drivers to use new driving categories created by the ELD rule and that ELD suppliers were required to enable: • Yard moves functionality was specified as a way for carriers to move vehicles around company terminals or within facilities without automatically triggering an on-duty driving status. Yard-moves mode for drivers will be enabled as an option from the administrator account and then selected by the driver when making

TECHNOLOGY: THE AOBRD-ELD TRANSITION a yard move — the default status for a yard move is Line 4, on duty/not driving. • Personal conveyance uses of the truck while off duty also are enabled as an option from the administrator account for drivers. The personal conveyance mode then can be selected by the driver using the truck for personal reasons during off-duty periods. Once selected, the default duty status is off duty for the ELD for as long as it’s selected, including when in motion. GPS refinement is widened from a one-mile radius to 10 miles during PC moves. FMCSA guidance has allowed the use of personal conveyance to get to the nearest parking place in two newly specified situations of note: 1) After hours are exhausted by a shipper/receiver during load or unload, or: 2) When off-duty periods are interrupted by law enforcement. Overall, “drivers are hitting buttons more frequently” with an ELD, Stickling said, and “that requires training.”

Roadside data/edits visibility All vehicle movement above 5 mph with an ELD has to be explained. A related difference is the visibility of all that time, and any edits, at roadside. Under the ELD specification, however, data transmittal at roadside by one of the four new data-transfer methods specified in the rule includes those edits. It also includes detailed records of the truck’s GPS positions, engine on-off records and engine hours. Concern over the wealth of data capable of being cherry-picked by an officer having a bad day was the second most prominent reason survey respondents chose for sticking with AOBRDs through the two-year grandfather period, followed closely by back-office edits being visible at roadside. A further burden for fleets is the need to build profiles for maintenance

Drivers control ELD hours edits

s AOBRD operators move to the ELD specification, drivers will find they command log control (with an electronic assist) analogous to the paper environment. “Edits made by the back office” to a log, unlike with many AOBRD systems, will “go to the driver for final approval,” said Mark Spicer, vice president of sales for e-log/telematics systems provider Orbcomm. Some carriers and drivers clearly appreciate the ability with many AOBRDs Preferred AOBRD to bypass any driver-approval step in the feature: Bypassing log-edit chain of custody. Twenty percent driver approval of edits of survey respondents among fleets and 30% owner-operators with authority named this aspect of AOBRDs a key reason they’d not yet made the switch. 25% The old idea of “catching up the log book” becomes a thing of the past for 20% most drivers under the ELD specification. Getting it right the first time is the best way to avoid such annoyance. For com15% pany drivers or leased owner-operators, potential conflicts and lost time over edits 10% in consult with management also are best avoided this way. 5% For drivers whose fleet managers would use the edit capability to offer a bit of “extra time” beyond the hours 0% Independent Fleets, Fleet Fleets, Fleet Fleets, Fleet of service limits as a means of pushing 10-100 more than owner2-9 trucks 100 trucks operators trucks them, the new driver-approval functions offer drivers an easy way to refuse such Percentages here indicate the share of dispatch. Or, should a driver accept that each group still using AOBRDs that sees the ability for administrators to edit “extra time,” it also would come with clear drivers’ logs without driver approval as culpability in the subterfuge within the an attractive AOBRD feature. chain of responsibility, should the logs be Source: CCJ/Overdrive 2019 AOBRD-to-ELD survey of fleets and independent owner-operators examined down the line.

personnel who make in-house yard moves. Otherwise, unassigned miles can pile up, causing issues at roadside or during an audit. If shop personnel forget to log in, reassigning that drive time around the yard to them has to be approved by the driver as a change to his log. Training on how to operate e-logs when it comes to roadside inspection

procedures also is likely for company drivers and owner-operators with carriers still using AOBRDs. With ELDs, in addition to the ability (depending on officer discretion) to hand over your device to see the display, full data transfer can occur in four new ways. These depend largely on the device and what the jurisdiction is capable of receiving: email, website, local Bluetooth or USB stick.

NEXT MONTH: A GUIDE TO E-LOG SYSTEMS THAT CCJ RESEARCH SHOWS CARRIERS AND OWNER-OPERATORS ARE USING. ALSO, AOBRD-TO-ELD TRANSITION LESSONS LEARNED BY COMPANIES THAT HAVE MADE THE SWITCH. commercial carrier journal

august 2019

Pillows for long-haul sleeper cabs Lippert’s Somnum Sleeper Series Pillows for long-haul drivers are machine-washable and are made with hypoallergenic down-alternative fill. Designed to endure the fluctuating temperatures and persistent moisture commonly found in sleeper cab environments, the pillows feature both soft and firm options and come in two sizes, jumbo and king. The covers are 100% cotton with a 350-thread count and are double-stitched to help increase the pillow’s lifespan. Lippert Components Inc., www.lippertcomponents.com, 574-535-1125

Shop roll cab

Snap-on’s 73-inch KCP1423 15-Drawer Double Bank Classic Series Roll Cab is built to offer both professional and weekend technicians added height and storage for use in all types of repair and maintenance settings, especially compact workplaces where floor space is limited. The tall roll cab features Snap-on’s SpeeDrawer designed for organizing loose fasteners, parts and tools; the company’s PowerDrawer engineered for charging power tools and handheld devices with five outlets and two USB ports; a drawer with a 12-inch Power Tool Rack built to hold cordless and pneumatic tools; three spacious extra-wide top drawers designed for easy access to tools used most often; and heavy-duty drawer slides, each capable of holding up to 227 pounds. The welded reinforced corners help maintain the cabinet’s tough structure, while vibration-absorbing casters facilitate smooth, stable transport. The roll cab is available in 11 color packages. Snap-on, www.snapon.com, 877-762-7664

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

Super Duty air compressor VMAC’s DTM70 PTO-driven rotary-screw air compressor is available for Ford’s F-250-550 Super Duty 6.7L Power Stroke diesel 4x2 and 4x4 work trucks equipped with a TorqShift automatic transmission. The direct-transmission-mounted system is engineered to produce up to 70 cfm and features easy-to-use controls. For cold climates, a built-in heater is designed to warm the compressor automatically. VMAC Global Technology Inc., www.wmacair.com, 800-738-8622

PRODUCTS

Two-channel DVR

Trimble’s two-channel digital video recorder is built to record high-definition video from up to two cameras as part of the company’s Video Intelligence system. Intended for small fleets, the two-channel DVR has a smaller footprint and a simplified installation process with accessory power cables for auxiliary outlet and OBDII connections. It is engineered to store more than 72 hours of video and has two SD card slots for expandable storage. Trimble Video Intelligence is designed to provide fleets with a neutral eyewitness perspective in and around their vehicles through a combination of forward-, side- and rear-facing cameras. Videos are triggered by user-controlled settings, including sudden acceleration and hard braking, to increase safety and help drivers and small fleets protect themselves in the event of an accident. Trimble, www.trimble.com, 866-913-2511

DEF filter line

Solar kits

Xantrex’s Solar Kits are available in rigid- and flexible-panel roof-mounted models, and expansion kits are available to accommodate future upgrades or expansion. The kits include a 30A charge controller and all the hardware designed for fast, easy installation, including PV and battery cables with built-in fuse and mounting brackets. The company’s Solar Max flexible panels achieve added durability from a highly protective ETFE (Ethylene-Tetra-Fluoro-Ethylene) top layer engineered for better light transmittance and to resist corrosion, stains and weather, allowing for improved performance over a wide temperature range while withstanding a variety of environmental conditions. A mesh-grid technology helps make the panels more efficient, allowing them to harvest more energy in low-light and shaded conditions, and a peel-and-stick adhesive backing eliminates the need to glue or drill mounting holes, facilitating faster installation. Xantrex, www.xantrex.com, 800-670-0707

PetroClear’s DEF Dispenser Filter Housing and Elements are engineered to help prevent contaminated diesel exhaust fluid. The housing is constructed of heavy-duty 316L stainless steel for added durability and comes with a mounting bracket kit and wrench. Also included are 1-inch NPT and 1-inch BSPT inlet/outlet connections, a ring nut closure to facilitate quick cartridge changeouts and a spring-loaded knife-edge seal that helps provide positive sealing for the element line that includes 5- and 10-micron particulate-removing filters. PetroClear, www.petroclear.com, 800-851-5990

Fuel filters

Mahle Aftermarket’s CleanLine spin-on fuel filters for injection nozzles and fuel pumps are made to be changed easily and cleanly and to offer added water-separation efficiency with high dust-retention capacity. Two variants are available, with single- or twostage separation. The single-stage variant is engineered to filter dirt particles and water in one step, while the two-stage variant filters in two separate steps: first the dirt, and then the water via a water-repellent synthetic fabric. The filters are designed to remove more than 93% of contaminants when new. Mahle Aftermarket, www.us.mahle.com, 800-223-9152 commercial carrier journal | august 2019

PRODUCTS

Paint system

Trailer tire

Bridgestone’s R123 Ecopia trailer tire is engineered for low rolling resistance and added wear in long-haul and regional applications. The SmartWay-verified retreadable tire features the company’s IntelliShape sidewall that reduces weight and minimizes rolling resistance, while its patented NanoPro-Tech polymer technology limits energy loss and improves fuel economy. A fuel-efficient tread design helps lower rolling resistance and improve fuel economy, while the tread’s pattern is designed to increase traction and grip on wet roads while absorbing the tread’s edge stress to promote long, even wear. An optimized tread volume facilitates longer removal mileage, while a specialized defense groove structure helps establish even pressure along the shoulder while minimizing tread edge wear. Bridgestone Americas Inc., www.bridgestoneamericas.com, 615-937-1000

PPG’s DelFleet One paint system features advanced coatings formulated for maximum color matching, ease of use and low volatile organic compound emissions. The system includes undercoats, topcoats and clearcoats and the latest aluminum and pearl pigments to provide full color capability for direct gloss, basecoat and matte colors, all of which have a VOC of 1.5 pounds per gallon. The system’s clearcoats and primers have a VOC of 2.0 or less pounds per gallon. The compact paint system has 42 toners, four binders and four paint additives to help reduce on-hand inventory requirements and is supported by PPG’s color-matching database. It also is designed for ease of use using traditional application techniques, and the system’s toner stability and consistent ready-to-spray viscosities across color families help eliminate the need for painters to adjust each color before application or to change spray-gun settings. PPG Commercial Coatings, www.delfleetone.com, 800-647-6050

Slow-speed weigh system

Fairbanks’ AxleSurance Weigh System is a slow-speed axle scale system engineered for easy installation and operation. The scale is 11 feet wide and arrives precast and ready to be installed, and a backhoe can both prepare the installation site and be used to set the scale in place. Installation and calibration takes about four hours. The system provides axle and gross truck weights that can be displayed, printed and saved for recordkeeping. The unattended console provides a self-contained control unit that drivers can operate independently and allows transaction records to be saved and transmitted or incorporated into the user’s enterprise resource planning systems. The system is engineered to calculate, display and capture each individual axle as it rolls over the scale. It then adds the weights and prints individual axle and gross weights on the tickets. Fairbanks Scales, www.fairbanks.com, 800-451-4107

Stacking dolly

Faultless Caster’s Morgan Stacking Dolly is designed to make moving and storage easier by moving as a unit and taking up less space by allowing as many as 35 dollies to be stacked in one 40-inch column. Each dolly weighs 14 pounds and is fitted with hard-rubber wheel casters for added mobility and to handle loads as heavy as 800 pounds. The dolly is constructed of 1-inch plywood and carpeted legs and can stack wheels-down for moving and wheels-up for trucking, while its built-in hand grip is designed for easier carrying and stacking. Faultless Caster, www.faultlesscaster.com, 866-316-2163

commercial carrier journal | august 2019

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 CCJ Solutions Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccjsolutionssummit .com/register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Citgo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . citgo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Clean Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cleanenergyfuels .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 CMA Double Coin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . doublecointires .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Direct Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . directequipmentsupply .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Driver of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckload .org/driver-of-the-year/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Drivers Legal Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . driverslegalplan .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 17 Etcom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . etcominc .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Exxon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . exxon .com/diesel-efficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 EZ Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ezoildrain .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Firestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firestoneip .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Fleetpride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleetpride .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Fleetworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleetworthy .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Howes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . howeslube .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Idelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . idelic .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Instructional Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . instructiontech .net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 IPA Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ipatools .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Isuzu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . isuzucv .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Kiene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kienediesel .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 LKQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lkqheavytruck .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Mack Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . macktrucks .com/fulltilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 McLeod Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . mcleodsoftware .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 NACV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nacvshow .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Napa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . napatruckservice .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firstcallonline .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 PCS Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pcssoft .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FC Peterbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . peterbilt .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC PPG Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . delfleetone .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 PrePass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . prepass .com/ccj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 ProMiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . promiles .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shell .us/transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 47 Shell Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shell .us/services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Site Development Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sitedevgroup .com/norde-tech/ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 TA Petro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ta-petro .com/citizendriver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Thermo King Partner Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . thermoking .com/driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-1 TRP Paccar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . trp25th .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 TruckPro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckpro .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Veeboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . veeboards .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Verizon Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . verizonconnect .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Vipar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vipar .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Volvo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dexheavydutyparts .com/drivetrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Wheel-Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . wheel-check .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Xtra Lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xtralease .com/sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Zamzow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . zamzow-tarp .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 commercial carrier journal | august 2019

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PREVENTABLE or NOT?

Doe picks off pickup’s poor passing attempt

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commercial carrier journal | august 2019

reakfast at Union 76 had been especially amusing, thanks to tank trucker Billy Joe Pollanskiwitzana, who, with a perfectly straight face, had tried to convince everyone that his load of Mr. Tasty Salad Oil was hazardous material. “Billy Joe’s always good for a tall tale,” John Doe mused as he approached Polecat, Tenn., with a trailer full of produce and a giant bag of Gummy Bears riding shotgun. Doe arrived at the Route 440 turnoff for Polecat, a right turn, and realized a sharp angle would require him to move toward the left side of the roadway, so he activated his right-turn signal and took his time to make sure there was no oncoming traffic. Out of nowhere, a blue Ford pickup truck driven by teenager Dude Dorfmeyer materialized from behind on his right, halfway off the road and moving fast. Dorfmeyer saw that Doe’s rig was headed toward the middle John Doe was preparing to make of the road and quickly made a wide right turn when a fasta poor spur-of-the-moment moving pickup truck behind decision to pass on the right. his rig was unaware of Doe’s Doe immediately hit the plans and unsuccessfully tried brakes hard, and the pickup’s to squeeze past on the right side. driver, suddenly realizing that Was this a preventable accident? he couldn’t squeak past the 18-wheeler, also attempted to stop. Dorfmeyer found himself in an uncontrollable slide and – WHAMMO!!! – slammed into the right front of Doe’s tractor and tore the big rig’s bumper clean off ! Doe’s safety director charged him with a preventable accident, which he contested. Asked to settle the dispute, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee quickly voted in Doe’s favor, concluding that there had been no way for him to avoid Dorfmeyer’s destruction.

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