CCJ 1019 by dwatson

OCTOBER 2019

OPTIMIZING YOUR LOADS Make the most of your assets page 54

DOES IT PAY TO GO GREEN? Fleets can make money recycling page 59

LAST ELD DEADLINE Vendor, 3G service are top concerns page 67

KEEPING IT COOL

Reefer trailer models, specs page 75

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

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OCTOBER 2019 | VOL 176 | NO. 10

COVER STORY

JOURNAL

What do drivers want?

Last year was a banner year for trucking by almost every meaningful metric. But despite trends that indicate most drivers made more money in 2018, the results of a survey conducted by CCJ this summer indicate drivers don’t feel remarkably different about their jobs than they did two years earlier.

LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Cover design by David Watson

FEATURES

Load in.sight

Judging by the torrent of news at this year’s Trimble in.sight user conference, rebranding and reorganizing were the easy parts for Trimble Transportation. In the last year, the company has been developing software on an unprecedented scale as a combined organization.

Going green

per query … FMCSA proposes decrease in UCR fees for 2020, beyond … ATRI: Drivers report longer, more frequent detention … 34-hour restart regs officially nixed from

Two tech hurdles for ELD shoppers

FMCSA rulebook … Fleet to appeal overruled Navistar engine

As the final deadline nears for migrating from previous-generation AOBRD equipment to ELDs, the quality of ELD provider customer service and the sunset of cellular 3G networks pose potential problems.

decision … Nomination period opens for “Best Fleets to Drive For” annual contest

… Indiana warns of

Trailer Focus: Refrigerated

Trailer manufacturers are offering improved insulation and heat isolation on their refrigerated products, resulting in lower TRU operating costs and greater savings for carriers.

Driver clearinghouse will cost drivers $1.25

Fleets generate several recycling streams that can prove advantageous for both their business and the environment. Tires, batteries, fluids and various metals come to mind when considering recycling options, but you can expand your green footprint by also going into the office.

10 News

delays in oversize/ overweight permitting … HVH Transportation abruptly shutters operations

Innovators: Polaris Transportation

The Canadian LTL carrier is automating the customs process while developing its employees and offering its technologies to other customers.

14 InBrief COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| OCTOBER 2019 3

DEPARTMENTS

ccjdigital.com

technology

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

Editorial

26 27

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

Pronto’s safety tech still on target, CEO says

editorial@ccjdigital.com

UPS invests in autonomous developer TuSimple

28 InFocus:

30 Test Drive: Peterbilt

Seasonal maintenance

Blackout Model 579

31 32 32

Volvo launches enhanced turbo compounding engine

Mack, Volvo expand Noregon connectivity partnership

Lytx: Data show clients reducing drowsy driving Transflo bundles offerings in single streamlined package Trimble adds TMT module for outsourced fleet maintenance Uber Freight rolls out carrier admin portal

38 InBrief 40 Transflo touts solar-powered

Daimler puts automated trucks on public roads

Trailer Tracking platform

Cummins adds to X15 engine line for MY 2020

32 InBrief 34

McLeod warns of private equity bubble in trucking tech

Volvo offers Dynamic Steering for VNL, VNR

Volvo readies delivery of first electric VNR

Stay Metrics launches Stay Ahead platform targeting driver retention ITI offers Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse course Transfix offers load factoring at 0.99% rate

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Upfront Editor Jason Cannon’s column

88 Preventable or Not? Trucker John Doe was backing his tractor-trailer down a narrow road toward a loading dock, but he didn’t check his mirrors and hit a car that entered from a side street behind his rig. Was this a preventable accident?

82 Products Headset, alternator, pliers, more 4

COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| OCTOBER 2019

87 Ad Index

Design & Production

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

Corporate

Chairman Emeritus: Mike Reilly President/CEO: Brent Reilly Chief Operating Officer: Shane Elmore Chief Financial Officer: Kim Fieldbinder Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller Senior Vice President, Audience: Linda Longton Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Business Development: Robert Lake Senior Vice President, Data: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault

A 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E. Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com

Publication

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.

MANEUVER YOUR WAY INTO AN ISUZU TRUCK

Three Finance Options to Fit Your Needs

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Visit your local Isuzu dealer and take advantage of these finance options and low interest rates before year’s end. WWW.ISUZUCV.COM or WWW.ISUZUFIN.COM Vehicles shown with optional equipment; some equipment is dealer installed. Finance terms are limited. Participating dealers only. Credit approval required. Please see your authorized Isuzu dealer for qualifying information and additional details. *Customer responsible for residual at lease end. © 2019 ISUZU COMMERCIAL TRUCK OF AMERICA, INC.

UPFRONT

Black eye for industry Number of OOS violations during Roadcheck is mind-boggling BY JASON CANNON

he number of trucks placed out of service during annual blitzes and inspection-focused weeks continues to astound me, if for no other reason that the vast majority of them are preventable. Of 67,072 inspections during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 72-hour International Roadcheck inspection blitz in June, more than 12,000 trucks were placed out of service — an alarming 17.9% vehicle OOS rate. Think about that for a second. Nearly 18% of all the trucks inspected just four months ago were unfit to be on the road — in 2019, a day and age where technology and access to information have hardly ever been better. The focus of June’s inspection was steering and suspension systems, but during a Level I inspection, everything is in play. Case in point: CVSA says inspectors found 408 steering and 703 suspension OOS violations during Roadcheck, compared to 4,578 braking system OOS violations. More than four times the amount of brake violations were discovered than the combined violations of the focus of the blitz. The top violations were brakes (28% of the total), tires and wheels (3,156 OOS violations, 19.3%), brake adjustment (2,801, 17.1%) and cargo securement (1,991, 12.2%). Practically every one of those could have been prevented with better pre- and post-trip inspections. I’ll concede things can happen over the road, unbeknownst to the driver, that could cause an OOS violation. Vibration causes bulbs to blow. Potholes can damage a suspension or wheel. Life happens, but not to the tune of an 18% OOS rate, and such widespread carelessness already has hit home. Michael Nischan, vice president of transportation and logistics risk control for Epic Insurance brokers, says some fleets are seeing insurance premium renewals jump 20% or more thanks to large truck-crash settlements, and it’s likely they’ll climb again next year. We’ve already seen an uptick this year in trucking bankruptcies, and insurance premiums jumping 20% per truck is a hard financial hurdle to clear. Some insurers have left commercial trucking altogether, and the ones that remain are scrutinizing would-be customers like never before. Strapping on a collision mitigation

CVSA inspectors placed more than 12,000 trucks out of service during International Roadcheck in June.

platform and video recorder system previously meant a carrier could expect a nice discount for deploying safety technology, but those are becoming the rule, not the exception. The low-hanging fruit has all been picked, so it now falls to making sure the truck is roadworthy before it ever leaves the yard. Electronic stability, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping and all that — none of it makes a truck with a serious maintenance failure any safer to drive. But it can provide a false sense of security. There’s clearly a skills gap when it comes to vehicle inspection, as evidenced by the fact the U.S. Department of Transportation is flagging violation after violation in what amounts to a mid-trip inspection. They aren’t doing anything a driver or technician couldn’t have done earlier that day. They’re simply doing it better. Low-quality inspections have been enabled by the rush to get new drivers trained and out on the road, but a driver’s ability to inspect their rig is just as important as their ability to drive and back it. Yet, in June, nearly 60% of drivers placed OOS weren’t checking their wheels, brakes or load securement, and that’s a black eye for the industry as a whole. If intensive bootcamp-style pre-and post-trip inspections aren’t part of your onboarding practices, they should be. If spot-checking behind a driver inspection to ensure it’s a quality one isn’t a regular thing, it needs to be. And if you’re not incentivizing drivers who perform excellent inspections, you ought to be. Considering the downtime associated with being placed out of service – combined with any fines and associated repairs – can reach several thousands of dollars, investing those dollars into bonuses and training seems like money better spent.

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

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

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LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Driver clearinghouse will cost carriers $1.25 per query

arriers will have to pay the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration $1.25 per query into the looming Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which will compile records of all drivers who have failed or refused a drug or alcohol test. Fleets also can buy bulk query packages to streamline the process. Though the bundles don’t cut costs, they don’t expire. For the largest of fleets, unlimited packages are available. The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will Starting Jan. 6, show whether a driver has completed the 2020, carriers will be return to duty status after failing a drug test. required to query the database for all driver hires, as well as once a year for existing drivers. Joe DeLorenzo, FMCSA’s director of enforcement and compliance, said the clearinghouse will end the manual process of carriers having to call drivers’ previous employers to inquire about drug and alcohol tests. However, carriers will need to continue that practice until 2023. The clearinghouse will show driver records dating back five years, as well as whether a driver has completed the return to duty status after failing a drug test. If a driver does not complete the return to duty status, the record against him or her will remain in the clearinghouse, DeLorenzo said. Carriers will need to create accounts in the clearinghouse, which will open for registration in November. Drivers also will need to register as users so they can consent to carrier queries within the database. To view the full fee schedule, go to https://clearinghouse.fmcsa. dot.gov/Documents/Query-Plan-Factsheet.pdf – James Jaillet

Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, a daily e-mail newsletter filled with news, analysis, blogs and market condition articles.

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

FMCSA proposes decrease in UCR fees for 2020, beyond

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed a decrease in Unified Carrier Registration

fees in 2020 and beyond for trucking companies, brokers and freight forwarders. In a notice of proposed rulemaking published Aug. 27, FMCSA proposed a fee reduction of 12.82% below the 2018 registration fee levels for 2020 “to ensure that fee revenues do not exceed the statutory maximum, and to reduce the excess funds held in the depository.” In 2021, fees would increase from 2020’s proposed level but would be reduced from the 2018 level by approximately 4.19%, the agency stated. Carriers with one or two trucks paid $69 in 2018 and $62 in 2019. Under the new UCR fee proposal, these companies would pay $60 in 2020. Fees graduate higher for carriers with more trucks. Carriers with 3-5 trucks would pay $180; those with 6-20 trucks would pay $357; fleets with 21-100 trucks would pay $1,248; while trucking companies with between 101 and 1,000 trucks would pay $5,946. Carriers with more than 1,000 trucks would pay $58,060. Under the UCR Plan and Agreement, the maximum amount of revenues that can be collected from carriers is established at $107.78 million. Fees collected in 2017 exceeded this maximum by $7.3 million for registration year 2018 and are expected to exceed the statutory maximum by $9.17 million for 2019. The fee reductions for 2020 and 2021 are to ensure registration fees don’t exceed the maximum in the next two years. To view FMCSA’s UCR fee changes and comments, go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA2019-0066.

– Matt Cole

The chart shows proposed UCR fees for the next two years. In 2021, fees will increase from 2020’s proposed level but stay below levels from 2018.

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JOURNAL NEWS

ATRI: Drivers report longer, more frequent detention

Refrigerated drivers experienced the longest delays, with more than a third of drivers having delays longer than four hours.

etention times at shippers and receivers have grown longer, and long detention times have become more frequent, according to a report from the American Transportation Research Institute. The study was first conducted in 2014, and last month’s report was updated with 2018 information regarding electronic logs’ impacts on detention. The full study can be found at TruckingResearch.org. Respondents to the study indicated that more than a quarter (25.8%) of their dwell times lasted two or more hours, with 9.3% of delays lasting six or more hours. Both of these are increases from 2014, according to ATRI’s numbers. Refrigerated and bulk/food haulers were detained for the longest durations, according to the report, with reefer haulers being delayed six or more hours 36.5% of the time. Of note in ATRI’s findings is that women truckers were 83.3% more likely than men to be delayed six or more hours. The firm says this could be attributed to the fact that a higher percentage of women haul reefer freight than men. A number of women told ATRI they tend to be more patient than men, whereas men are more likely to demand action from shippers and receivers. The majority of drivers responding to the survey (79% in the 2018 survey) indicated they had run out of available hours of service while waiting at a customer facility. However, despite ELDs electronically recording wait times, only 17% of drivers reported sharing their ELD data with customers to document and validate how long they had been detained. Respondents to the survey in both 2014 and 2018 provided a number of negative comments to describe dock workers at shippers and receivers, in addition to the facilities being understaffed. Additionally, nearly 20% of drivers complained that their preloaded trucks were not ready at the appointment time and that products were not ready or still being manufactured. The third most common complaint in both surveys pertained to facilities overbooking appointments. ATRI says the similarity between the 2014 and 2018 ATRI’s 2018 data on detention time found that more drivers experienced longer detention delays at shippers and receivers than in 2014.

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

responses from drivers show that “customer facilities have not made real improvements to their staffing, processes, accuracy or efficiency across the four-year time period.” The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in June began collecting public comments on detention time and its impact on the trucking industry. To view comments, go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA-2019-0054-0001. – Matt Cole

34-hour restart regs officially nixed from FMCSA rulebook

he Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration last month officially removed limitations for the use of a 34-hour restart that were enacted in 2013. The regulations, which had not been enforced since December 2014, limited truck drivers to one restart per week and required the restart to include two 1-5 a.m. periods. Those regulations were suspended by Congress in December 2014, though they technically remained on the books. FMCSA last month published a notice in the Federal Register to formally terminate the provisions. When Congress suspended the regulations, it also called for FMCSA to conduct a field study to determine whether the regulations should go back into effect. In March 2017, the agency published the results of that study, concluding that the regulations provided no real safety benefit. While FMCSA updated its website in March 2017 to reflect that the regulations would remain suspended, the language still remained in the Code of Federal Regulations. The final rule officially restores the CFR Section 395.3(c) to the pre-2013 provisions. FMCSA says the changes are technical only and have no legal effect since the provisions haven’t been in effect since December 2014. The 34-hour restart regulations now simply will read, “Any period of seven (or eight) consecutive days may end with the beginning of an off-duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours.” – Matt Cole

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MONEY, PATIENCE AND PRINCIPLES M

ost lawyers won’t readily admit it, but the best clients are those who have the money, patience and desire to pursue a legal matter on principle. I was browsing through legal cases and came across one that made me smile. The case involved Alison Taylor in Saginaw, Michigan, and the practice of tire chalking. For those of you unfamiliar with it, tire chalking is when a parking enforcement officer uses a piece of chalk to mark your tire where it comes in contact with the ground. The officer will then note the time and come back later. If the mark on the tire and ground no longer line up the officer knows that the car has been moved. If the marks still line up, the officer knows that the car has not been moved and will write a parking ticket for exceeding the time limit. This practice has been around for decades and I have seen it used on both CMVs and 4-wheelers as justification for parking citations. Traffic enforcement officers in Saginaw used this to issue Taylor 15 parking tickets. Interestingly, all of the tickets were issued by the same officer. Apparently, Taylor was fed up and instead of paying the fines, took the City of Saginaw to court in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. She argued that tire chalking without a warrant constituted an unreasonable search of her property and thus violated her Fourth Amendment rights. Any time you turn a parking ticket into a constitutional rights issue, you have my attention. The city argued that its actions were allowed because it was serving a community-caretaking function and thus fell under an exception to the warrant requirement. The city also argued that it has long been held that personal vehicles have a lower expectation of privacy. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan agreed with the city and dismissed Taylor’s case. Here is where the money and patience come into play. Taylor didn’t give up. Despite the substantial costs to fight the case in district court, Taylor appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court’s decision. While the court did not hold that chalking violated Taylor’s constitutional rights it held that a car is private property and that marking the tire constituted a search. The court compared it to attaching a GPS device to a car as both monitor a car’s whereabouts. The court further stated that chalking a car when it is legally parked is like searching someone before they commit a crime. In other words, no probable cause exists to support chalking. Just because a car may stay parked longer than allowed does not necessarily mean it will. The court also said that the city failed to show how tire chalking of a car parked in a public place, for the purpose of revenue generation, qualified under the community-caretaking function exception to warrant requirement. While the court did not expressly state that chalking was a constitutional violation, it did state that the justifications set forth by the city do not apply. The court noted that the matter will now return to the lower court and the city will need to find other justifications to support the practice of chalking. Consider these points: First, the city needs better justification to continue this practice. Second, dependent upon how this all finally plays out, the states under the 6th Circuits jurisdiction (Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee) will need to look at their justification for chalking. Finally, we learned that if you have money and patience and are willing to fight for your principles, you can make a difference.

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 10/19 • The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration extended the comment period on its proposal to revamp hours of service regulations from Oct. 7 to Oct. 21. The two-week extension followed requests by the American Trucking Associations, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and International Brotherhood of Teamsters to extend the comment period. ATA requested a 30-day extension, while CVSA and the Teamsters both requested an additional 45 days. The 14-day extension effectively gave the hours proposal a 60-day comment period from the time it was published Aug. 22. Go to Regulations.gov and search Docket No. FMCSA_FRDOC_0001-2998. • Pennsylvania Turnpike toll prices will increase for the 12th consecutive year in 2020. The Turnpike Commission announced a 6% toll increase will take effect on Jan. 5, 2020, for both E-ZPass and cash customers on all sections and extensions of the turnpike except for three western Pennsylvania cashless toll facilities. The most common toll for a Class 8 truck will increase to $23.32 for E-ZPass and $32.65 for cash. The annual 3%-6% increases are expected to continue through 2044. • The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Department of Motor Vehicles Motor Carrier Services Section last month warned fleets of an email scam asking them to pay to file their USDOT biennial update. WisDOT said companies and websites that want fleets to pay are not associated with USDOT or WisDOT and that filing can be done for free at fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration. The scam emails also include threats of fines for failure to pay as well as links that lead to websites not connected with USDOT and WisDOT. • Daseke Inc. (No. 23), an Addison, Texas-based flatbed and specialized conglomerate, announced that founder Don Daseke was retiring as chairman and chief executive officer and that Chris Easter, current chief operating officer, would take over as interim CEO and that Brian Bonner had been appointed chairman. Daseke, 79, who founded the company in 2008, will remain a board member, serving as chairman emeritus. • Heartland Express (No. 37) acquired Millis Transfer (No. 125) and related entities for approximately $150 million. Millis, based in Black River Falls, Wis., is a dry van truckload carrier with about 850 trucks and 840 drivers. Heartland, based in North Liberty, Iowa, said the Millis management team will remain with the company in their current roles. • Rich Freeland, Cummins president and chief operating officer, is retiring after 40 years with the Columbus, Ind.-based engine maker effective Oct. 15. Freeland will be succeeded by Tony Satterthwaite, Distribution Business president. Tracy Embree, Components president, will succeed Satterthwaite, and Jennifer Rumsey, chief technical officer, will succeed Embree. Jim Fier will succeed Rumsey as CTO. • Scott Woodrome, an Ohio-based FedEx Freight driver, was named the Bendix Grand Champion at the 2019 National Truck Driving Championships for the second consecutive year. Woodrome, who competed in the Twins division, has been in trucking for 25 years, 13 of those with FedEx Freight. Last year, he won the Grand Champion trophy after competing in the Tanker class. Woodrome also won the 2017 National Champion Award in the Tanker class and six Ohio state championships. • The California Trucking Association launched a Trucking Proud Insurance Agency (TPIA) initiative in partnership with C3 Risk & Insurance Services. TPIA products include workers compensation, automobile liability and employee benefits insurance. Support services include a truck inspection app for smartphones and a digital client interface that eliminates paper and PDF applications.

THE SPACIOUS PETERBILT MODEL 579 ULTRALOFT THE PERFECT FIT FOR COVENANT TRANSPORTATION

he Covenant Transportation Group, now at more than 3,000 trucks, had long been in the business of running what are commonly referred to as fleet trucks. No frills. Basic amenities. Minimal purchase price. “It used to be price,” says Scott Flerl, director of equipment procurement for the diversified Chattanooga, Tennessee-based carrier. “Price, price, price, price.” But when Peterbilt introduced its new Model 579 UltraLoft, the entire concept of fleet truck was turned on its

ear, at least for Covenant. Today, the Model 579 UltraLoft has Covenant growing the presence of Peterbilt equipment in the company fleet to new levels. And it’s changed the perception of what a fleet truck should be for Flerl. No frills? Basic amenities? The UltraLoft is the roomiest and most comfortable production cab and sleeper on the market. And price is now simply a data point in a larger cost-of-ownership formula that strongly favors UltraLoft ownership, according to Flerl. “We have to look at maintenance,

fuel economy, residual value, driver acceptance, all those things together to see what really is the best value proposition in a piece of equipment,” he says. For Flerl, the journey to discover the best fit for the demands of his fleet started with a push to satisfy the needs of some of the firm’s most important employees: the team drivers, who are on the road for up to three weeks at a time and fill more than 700 seats in Covenant Transport’s fleet. Flerl had had some experience with Peterbilt products in recent years and was pleased with performance metrics such as fuel economy and driver satisfaction, but still hoped to see expanded space in cab and sleeper designs to fit the needs of Covenant’s teams. As development of the Model 579 UltraLoft progressed in 2017, Flerl and company became highly interested observers and contributors. And in July 2018, the company took delivery of its first Model 579 UltraLoft. “Gossip spreads so fast in trucking,” Flerl says. “One driver heard they were coming in the summer, and he

ADVERTISEMENT DRIVERS SHAPED ULTRALOFT DESIGN

The Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft appeals to the Covenant Transportation Group’s team drivers, who cite the spacious cab and upper bunk space (below right) as key design features of the new cab-sleeper.

started telling other drivers. We had a fair number of drivers who were due for a new truck a couple months prior, but they were refusing to take one because it wasn’t going to be the Peterbilt UltraLoft.” Flerl was immediately impressed by what he saw once the first UltraLoft arrived. “The cabinet configuration was well thought out and it was obvious they had asked for a lot of driver input,” he says. “And the top bunk was actually functional and usable. A lot of times, even in a raisedroof condo, the bunk is up there but it ends up just being a fancy shelf. Immediately, you could tell this was a usable spaceup there.” Flerl ended up taking delivery of 170 Model 579 UltraLofts. He already has 100 more on order, spec’d with the PACCAR Powertrain and many aerody-

The Peterbilt Model 579 UltraLoft is the result of countless truck-stop interviews, focus group meetings and various other sitdowns with the very people who will most benefit from the UltraLoft design: drivers. The result is a product with driver-friendly features such as best-in-class interior storage (70 cu. ft.), improved headroom throughout the integral cab and sleeper as well as a bunk design that promotes its use as a comfortable sleeping space. “The benchmark question that guided us throughout the design process was, ‘What will help our customers work efficiently and live comfortably?’” says Peterbilt Chief Engineer Scott Newhouse. “We believe we’ve delivered a powerful response.”

namic performance enhancers from the Peterbilt EPIQ package. “The Peterbilt is the most fuel-efficient in our fleet,” he says. “You start getting up there, two-tenths better, three-tenths better consistently, you know it’s the real deal.” But most important is how the Model 579 UltraLoft resonates with the current team driver pool. “The equipment side of it is something we stress,” he says. “And we like to differentiate ourselves culturally and just treat our people with a level of respect. Those drivers are faced with – Scott Flerl a lot more frustrations than we probably are sitting in the office, so you never know what’s going to be the difference keeping them on board.” For Flerl, the Model 579 UltraLoft could be that difference maker.

“It was obvious Peterbilt had asked for a lot of driver input.”

JOURNAL NEWS

Fleet to appeal overruled Navistar engine decision

wo years after a jury ruled that Navistar owed Milan Express (CCJ Top 250, No. 206) more than $30 million over alleged defects of the com- Milan Express, based in pany’s MaxxForce engine Milan, Tenn., purchased 243 International ProStar line, an appellate court tractors equipped with has tossed the decision. MaxxForce engines in 2011 and 2012. However, the Milan, Tenn.-based fleet intends to appeal the decision to the Tennessee Supreme Court, said attorney Clay Miller of the firm Miller Weisbrod, which represents Milan in the case. A jury in 2017 sided with Milan in the case, awarding the carrier $10.8 million for compensatory damages related to repairs for the engines and $20 million in punitive damages. However, a three-judge panel on Tennessee’s Court of Appeals in Jackson issued an order Aug. 14 reversing that decision. – CCJ Staff

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commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

Nomination period opens for 'Best Fleets to Drive For' annual contest

he Truckload Carrier Association and CarriersEdge are seeking nominations for their Nussbaum Transportation annual “Best Fleets to Drive For” was chosen as one of the contest, now in its 12th year, which two 'Best Fleets to Drive For' in 2019, along with evaluates and identifies trucking Prime. Nominations are companies that provide the best open through Oct. 31 for working environments for drivers the 2020 contest. and other employees. Nominations are being accepted at BestFleetsToDriveFor.com through Oct. 31. To be eligible, a trucking company must operate 10 or more tractor-trailers in the United States or Canada. TCA membership is not required. The top 20 finishers will be identified as “Best Fleets to Drive For” and will be announced in January. From the top 20, companies will be divided into small and large categories, and two overall winners will be selected. The winners will be announced at the TCA Annual Convention in Kissimmee, Fla., on March 1-3. – CCJ Staff

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commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

Permits with complex routes or routes that require Indiana DOT approval or a State Police escort will take more time to process.

Indiana warns of delays in oversize/ overweight permitting

leets and owner-operators are being asked by the Indiana Department of Revenue to allow extra time for oversize/overweight permits to be reviewed and issued. The department said demand and Indiana road construction are causing higher levels of permit volume and complexity. DOR said most basic permits are issued within three business days. Permits with complex routes or routes that require Indiana Department of Transportation district approval or an Indiana State Police escort take additional time to process. “Standard routes can be used for only about 40% of OSW permit applications,” said Randal Boone, director for Indiana Motor Carrier Services. “Complex routes, including when a route is under construction, requires MCS permitting specialists to utilize physical maps and other resources to manually analyze the load and route to develop a safe alternative. In some cases, this takes up to three times longer than our normal process.” To reduce the chances of a permit being delayed or rejected, the department encourages applicants to plan or check their route by going to http://intr.carsprogram.org/. A new permitting system is in the works that will improve service and speed, the department said. It is expected to launch this winter. – CCJ Staff

JOURNAL NEWS

HVH Transportation abruptly shutters operations

VH Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 231), a Denver-based truckload fleet, ceased operations in late August. A senior executive with HVH knowledgeable of the situation said rising liability insurance premiums

were costing the company up to 11% of revenue per month, which caused HVH to dip below the minimum liquidity threshold on a loan. The bank took over and froze the company’s accounts Aug. 26 and was set to put the company into Chapter 7

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bankruptcy and liquidate the business, the official said. The executive said the bank would pay drivers and employees what they are due for their final two weeks of work. The company official said fuel card operators froze HVH’s account, despite it being current. The company had planned to prefund fuel cards so that loads already dispatched could be delivered and drivers on the road could return home. HVH was cash-strapped in 2018, losing $13 million from “poor operational decisions,” the company official said, but this year a new management team had returned the company to cash-flow neutral in June and cashflow positive at the time of closing. HVH, at the time of closing, had 380 drivers — 120 owner-operators, 150 lease-purchase operators and 110 company drivers. The company started in 1977 when Robert L. Holder purchased Thacker Brothers Transportation and renamed it Holder Valley Holdings Transportation. HVH acquired Star Motor Freight in 1993 and later purchased Platte Valley Transportation and Miller Brothers Transportation. Private equity firm HCI Equity Partners purchased HVH in October 2012 and had owned it since. The HVH official said HCI had been “all-in” with the fleet and had invested a lot in the company along the way. – Matt Cole

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commercial carrier journal

| october 2019

HVH Transportation, at the time of closing, had 380 drivers — 120 owner-operators, 150 lease-purchase operators and 110 company drivers.

Save on maintenance by renting or leasing trailers with air disc brakes.

Talk about reliability Break the cycle of regular drum brake jobs. With air disc brakes you get longer pad life, reducing maintenance on your rented and leased trailers. They also lower the risk of out-of-adjustment violations and shorten stopping distances. Work with XTRA Lease, because the little extras make a big difference. www.xtralease.com/brakes

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

STEERING MADE EASY The state-of-the-art Volvo Dynamic Steering system promises to enhance maneuverability and increase driver comfort America’s roads can work a driver out. Which is exactly why Volvo is bringing Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS) to North America in 2020. Despite active steering systems being in passenger cars for years, adapting to trucks created distinct challenges, according to Jan-Inge Svensson, Volvo senior engineer and technology specialist for Active Steering Controls. One drive is all it took Svensson and his team in Sweden began looking at active steering controls as far back as 2009. “What kicked it off was a gimmick we did,” Svensson says. “We installed a dynamic steering prototype in a truck and invited managers and

decision-makers to drive it. After they did, they all saw the potential of the system. It’s difficult to explain the benefits of a system like this but when you drive it yourself, you can immediately feel it and understand it.” “If you’re a truck driver and drive very long distances your whole life, it will cause a lot of strain on the body over time,” Svensson says. “From the beginning, we wanted to reduce the disturbances coming up in the steering wheel and reduce the strain on the drivers.” Volvo also saw a chance to further a core principle—safety. VDS would leave drivers less stressed and more able to focus on the road. But it also could serve as a precursor to other types of safety improvements—like lane departure correction—that Volvo Trucks is trying to develop.

The VDS electric motor monitors sensor input 2,000 times per second. ILLUSTR ATION: ANDRIY V YNOGR ADAV

The angle controller takes into account feedback from road disturbance and ensures the steering wheel returns to center. This device is capable of correcting for large disturbances, even something as dramatic as a tire explosion on the front wheels.

TE XT: JEFF HULL PHOTO: JOHN STERLING RUTH

Correction by code Svensson and his team started by building a highly responsive electric motor that sat on top of the hydraulic steering gear. The challenge was in creating a system that would overcome low steering forces at low speeds, while also correcting itself to not oversteer at high speeds—and provide good disturbance reaction at all speeds. The engineers developed an algorithmic set called an angle reference generator, which detects the torque the driver is requesting through the steering wheel, but also calculates vehicle speed and cargo load. The angle reference generator then calculates the ideal torque to apply on a moment-by-moment basis. This output is sent to another software-driven device, the angle controller.

Coming to America By 2013, Svensson and his team had developed a VDS robust enough that they introduced it in Volvo Truck’s European models. But for VDS, the North American road still had some bumps in it. The task of adapting the system to North America fell to Joshua Dawson, lead engineer for steering and suspension for Volvo Trucks North America. “Europe gave us a great baseline to work with,” Dawson says, “But we had to get a lot more driver feedback here. We did over 100 driving samples here and kept tuning and testing until we found what felt most comfortable for North American drivers.” Once they adapted the motor for 12 volt-systems and worked out the feel for joint angles, they had to smooth out the steering inputs throughout the entire speed range of North American trucks. The result is a system that works equally well across the speed spectrum most noticeably at the high and low ends. “Sitting still is the hardest time to turn a wheel because of static forces on the ground against the tires,” Dawson says. “With VDS, we can give you five or six millimeters of force to turn the wheel while you’re maybe using about half a millimeter with your hands to do it. A lot of drivers have to use two hands at low speeds. While we do not advise that you do this, in a parking lot our VDS system gives so much assistance that you can you turn the wheel with two fingers.” At high speeds, the VDS system borrows input from yaw sensors already built into Volvo’s active safety equipment—they’re what help in rollover stability systems. Yaw sensors detect tilt as a truck turns. When that rate gets too high, the system slows the truck. VDS uses that sensor to help adapt the rate of return on the steering wheel at high speeds. “You don’t want too easy a steering feel if you’re going around a corner too fast,” Dawson said. “You want kind of a stiff feeling. As you move through speed ranges, VDS will increase stiffness. Generally, drivers told us they wanted a little more stiffness at high speeds, so that it would be easier to stay in a lane.” More information on VDS is available at volvotrucks.us/dynamicsteering.

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

Ognen Stojanovski (left), chief operating officer for Pronto, co-founded the company with Anthony Levandowski (middle). Robbie Miller (right) recently took over for Levandowski as CEO.

Full self-driving speed ahead Pronto’s safety tech still on target, new CEO says

ollowing the recent legal entanglements of autonomous truck pioneer Anthony Levandowski, the company he co-founded, Pronto, has appointed his replacement as chief executive officer. During an interview with CCJ on Aug. 29, new Pronto CEO Robbie Miller said the company remains committed to hitting its delivery targets for CoPilot, a Level II self-driving system for Class 8 tractors. Pronto currently is focused on delivering the first version to a select group of trucking industry customers who are early adopters. “We are still developing the technology and making it as robust as possible,” he said. “We are moving forward quickly.”

Miller said he will continue to serve as Pronto’s chief safety officer while he takes over the reins as CEO to keep the company “focused on delivering a product that is making the roads safer and to make sure we execute.” The CoPilot system features adaptive cruise, collision avoidance and lane centering capabilities that rival the suite of autonomous features now available in luxury passenger vehicles. “We’ve got aggressive deadlines, and we’ve got amazing technology,” Miller said. “We are just really focused on making sure we are meeting deadlines and delivering the technology we have, and allowing drivers to do their job.” Miller declined to comment on whether or not Levandowski will return to Pronto at a future date. “Right now, we are not sharing investor information, WANT MORE EQUIPMENT NEWS? just like any startup,” he said. “Anthony [Levandowski] is a WANT MORE EQUIPMENT NEWS? friend. I care about him a lot. Right now, his priorities are Scan the barcode to receive the CCJ Scan the barcode to sign up for the CCJ Equipment Weekly somewhere else. We need to give him as much time and Equipment Weekly or go to ccjdigital.com/ space as he needs.” e-mail newsletter or go to www.goo.gl/Ph9JK. news/subscribe-to-newsletters ikola Motor Co.’s hydrogen-electric Levandowski, a former Google executive, led that comsemi-truck will take center stage early next year as the cornerstone of a three-day 26 commercial carrier journal | october 2019 a fleet’s recipe for failure: The expectation that a new hire should hit the shop event the company will use to showcase its

Nikola to showcase hydrogen tractor

Pronto CoPilot uses one forward-looking camera but can be fitted with three cameras to collect additional data for future developments.

pany’s autonomous vehicle efforts. He left Google in 2016 to found autonomous truck company Otto, which later was acquired by Uber. He recently was indicted on 33 counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets related to LiDAR, a technology that was used during his time at Google. Otto also used LiDAR truck technology, and its acquisition by Uber set off a multimillion-dollar intellectual property lawsuit by Google. The case settled a few days into trial in early 2018. Pronto has not deployed LiDAR technology. Instead, the company has developed a proprietary camera vision system that for redundancy can be supplemented with data from a

vehicle’s third-party radar-based safety systems. “We are listening to customers and will go where they want us to go,” Miller said. With CoPilot, Pronto has a technology foundation to build on in “lots of ways,” he said. “We want to make a vehicle safer, where even if a driver has a serious lapse of judgment, it is not going to result in a crash or incident,” said Ognen Stojanovski, chief operating officer for Pronto, who joined Miller on the call with CCJ. In addition to keeping a vehicle centered in the lane, protecting drivers from road or lane departures and preventing front-end collisions, Pronto eventually may be able to use anonymous data collected by its system for other purposes, such as identifying road maintenance needs for state transportation departments, Stojanovski said. The data could identify stretches of road that have bad lane markings and road surfaces, he said. Pronto is not developing fleet management capabilities for CoPilot, such as capturing telematics and video event records or scoring driver risk. “We are focused more on actively insuring that a driver is alert and attentive, and to let the system provide the safest driving experience possible,” Miller said. “With that said, we would encourage our customers to use those [fleet management] systems in conjunction with ours.” – Aaron Huff

UPS invests in autonomous developer TuSimple

PS Ventures, the venture capital arm of UPS (CCJ Top 250, No. 1), announced it had made a minority investment in autonomous truck driving company TuSimple. UPS and TuSimple, which currently hauls cargo on the road for 17 customers, are jointly testing self-driving tractor-trailers on an Arizona route between Phoenix and Tucson. The company initiated self-driving service in May with a driver and engineer in the vehicle. TuSimple and UPS monitor distance and time the trucks travel autonomously, safety data and transport time. The package delivery company is seeking to better understand the requirements for Level 4 autonomous trucking and the benefits of employing the technology for its Global Smart Logistics Network.

Throughout ongoing Arizona tests, UPS has provided truckloads of goods for TuSimple’s self-driving tractor-trailers to carry between Phoenix and Tucson.

“While fully autonomous, driverless vehicles still have development and regulatory work ahead, we are excited by the advances in braking and other technologies that companies like TuSimple are mastering,” said Scott Price, chief strategy and

transformation officer for UPS. In May, the U.S. Postal Service contracted with TuSimple for a series of 1,000-mile trips hauling mail between USPS’ Phoenix and Dallas distribution centers. – CCJ Staff

commercial carrier journal

october 2019

in focus: SEASONAL MAINTENANCE

Time to prep for Old Man Winter

Keep your trucks rolling smoothly as temperatures dip BY JASON CANNON

eaves have started to turn in many parts of the country – the first visual indicator that cooler temperatures are on the way – and it won’t be long before the crisp autumn air gives way to Old Man Winter. Seasonal changes bring with them changes in driving conditions, placing a different emphasis on truck maintenance. Coolant, air system care For at least the last six months, the primary function of the truck’s coolant system has been to keep engine temperatures down, but soon its anti-freeze properties will be just as important. A properly maintained coolant system also has a positive impact on the truck’s heating system. Similarly, the health of the truck’s air system – which is used for non-braking functions such as automated manual transmissions, advanced driver assistance systems and other safety systems and emissions controls – can impact the functionality of a broad range of components. Keeping the pneumatic system’s air clean and dry has taken on greater importance, said Rich Nagel, Bendix’s director of Marketing and Customer Solutions-Air Charging. “It’s that ‘dry’ part that becomes even more crucial in lower temperatures,” Nagel said. When the compressor is charging, moisture in the outside air is drawn in. The air dryer’s job is to prevent that moisture and other contaminants from getting into the system. “If the dryer fails to do this, moisture can condense inside the air tanks and find its way even deeper into the system,” Nagel said. “This presents problems at any temperature, but when it’s cold out, that condensation can freeze, increasing the odds of malfunctions in brakes and valves throughout the vehicle.” Nagel said annually replacing the air dryer cartridge in the fall, as temperatures start to drop, is good preventive maintenance, especially in cold climates or on trucks that use higher volumes of air, such as vocational trucks. “It is also a good opportunity to inspect the purge valve and heater/wiring harness, as well as a visual inspection for excess corrosion on the dryer,” he said. Bendix also recommends using OE cartridges. “There are a lot of aftermarket products available, and not all are made with the most effective moisture-removing desiccant, and you don’t want to risk compromising the system’s ability to provide adequate winter protection,” Nagel said. 28

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

Fleets that routinely run in cold weather should consider lowviscosity engine oils such as SAE 0W-40, 0W-30 or 5W-40. Also, proper coolant maintenance – including checking levels and concentration – is recommended to keep frost out of a radiator.

Bendix also advises the use of oil-coalescing cartridges, he said, since the oil aerosols passed into the system by the compressor can be particularly harmful to air systems, deteriorating seals and contributing to premature damage of other components.

Hot Shot’s Secret’s Diesel Winter Rescue is formulated to reliquify gelled fuel and de-ice frozen fuel filters. It contains a de-icer and a lubricity additive to help disperse moisture throughout the fuel system, including the tank, lines, pumps and filters.

Lubricant concerns Coolant and water aren’t the only fluids that need consideration. The lubrication of engine components is crucial throughout the year, but in colder weather, trucking operations are exposed to conditions that put equipment under more stress. This can have a detrimental impact on the engine’s wear rate, said Ron LeBlanc, Petro-Canada Lubricants’ senior technical services adviser. “In cold conditions, the lubricant’s viscosity is affected, as it takes longer to warm up, and when temperatures drop into the ‘critical’ zone of the lubricant’s operating range, the lubricant can stiffen or become overly viscous,” he said. “This can have a significant impact on engine hardware, and if lubrication flow is negatively impacted, the engine could seize up or fail.” For fleet owners and operators working in colder environments, LeBlanc recommends a lower-viscosity oil that can maintain its flow in lower temperatures.

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TEST DRIVE: PETERBILT BLACKOUT MODEL 579

Peterbilt’s Model 579 back in black BY JASON CANNON

“C

olorway” has been a buzzword in professional sports for years. The NBA’s uniform partner, Nike, has been an innovator when it comes to mixing fabrics, fonts, colors and design to churn out creative team colorways. Oregon’s football team has five this season — with near-limitless combinations. But cool colorways aren’t generally hot topics at the fuel island. Until now. Peterbilt this year debuted its Blackout Exterior Package for the Model 579, featuring an exclusive black-effect exterior paint for the cab and sleeper, Alcoa’s Dura-Black matte aluminum wheels and a black-finish grille crown. Peterbilt has long been embraced by owner-operators and small fleets. One reason is their ease of customization, but that usually means stockpiling and hanging aftermarket chrome from headlight to taillight — or spec’ing a Model 567 Heritage, which isn’t short on factory shine. But this new murdered-out truck goes in the opposite direction, trading in bling for a striking package that’s more Batman than Bandit. “One of the cornerstones of Peterbilt is our ability to provide individualized solutions to match our customer’s need,” said Wes Slavin, manager for Peterbilt’s On-Highway Market Segment. Slavin foresees the Blackout Exterior Package, with its distinguishing features, being popular with the owner-operator community, as well as being used as a reward truck for larger customers. I took a blacked-out model – spec’d with an UltraLoft sleeper and upgraded with Pete’s Epiq package – for a nearly 200-mile jog from Denton to Henrietta, Texas. While the all-black finish basked in the 100-plus degree heat, it looked cool doing it. My fuel economy was about 8.5 mpg, pretty good for dragging a 77,000-lb. gross across Texas hill country. Fuel efficiency is supported by the truck’s Epiq technologies, which tie together its MX13 engine (455 hp and 1,650 lb.-ft.), Paccar 12-speed automated transmission and Paccar rear axle to squeeze more fuel bang for the buck. Take rates for Paccar’s MX engines continue rising, with more than 60% of Model 579 customers spec’ing one. The trailer was outfitted with tandem wheel covers, skirts and a tail to make the combo extra-slippery, but Pete’s 579 Epiq goes allin on aero by itself. It includes a three-piece bumper with an aero bumper dam, an aerodynamic hood with wheel closeouts, a sun visor and side extenders with a rubber guard. Optimized fairings include a pulled-forward roof fairing, a roof fairing close-out and trailer bridge, side skirts above and below the chassis fairing and extended chassis fairings. The setup does an excellent job at tossing air down the sides of the truck to reduce 30

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

Peterbilt’s Blackout Exterior Package for its Model 579 takes a simple approach to color to get big results in style. The aerodynamic features inherent to the Model 579 Epiq achieve notable fuel savings.

drag and wind noise, making for an exceptionally quiet ride. A flat floor, additional headroom, more storage and a spacious living area are a few of the slew of driver-friendly benefits UltraLoft offers over prior discrete large sleepers. UltraLoft’s integral design also improves aerodynamics by 2%, resulting in a 1% improvement to fuel economy. Total orders for the 579 UltraLoft exceeded 11,000 through August. Alcoa’s Dura-Black wheels not only do an excellent job of tying the package together, they also contribute to fuel economy by providing the same strength and light weight as all the company’s lightweight forged aluminum wheels. Both sides are treated for flexibility of mounting in the steer or drive position. In ideal traffic conditions, I’m a big fan of cruise control, especially advanced ones such as Peterbilt’s Predictive Cruise. It integrates the Paccar powertrain, cruise control and satellite mapping to read the road ahead and automatically adjusts the engine and transmission while in cruise to save fuel. Adding Neutral Coast, a fuel-saving feature that disengages the driveline on slight downhill grades, kicks its fuel friendliness up another notch. The Blackout Model 579 UltraLoft offers plenty of show-truck splash with the kind of fuel efficiency that hits right to the bottom line. The old saying may be “Chrome won’t get you home,” but Pete’s black certainly will bring you back — in high style.

Volvo launches enhanced turbo compounding engine

olvo Trucks North America debuted the next generation of its turbo compound engine technology, an evolution that the company said led to an additional 3% improvement in Volvo Trucks North fuel efficiency over the current D13TC America’s new D13TC 13-liter turbo compound engine. The turbo compound engine technology new engine delivers up to 11% fuel will be available for savings overall compared with model order later this year year 2015 trucks, Volvo said. and enter production at the end of the first The new D13TC offers three indiquarter of 2020. vidual drive modes; Dynamic Torque, an incremental torque system designed to provide the right torque at the right time; an additional 405-horsepower rating; and a revised wave piston design. The company said these updates enable further-increased fuel efficiency over a wider range of loads, vehicle speeds and engine rpms, offering a broader use of applications compared with the first generation of the D13TC engine, which was designed specifically for over-the-road long-haul applications for trucks loaded atJune 80,000 pounds. – Jason Cannon AutoDeck Ad.pdf 1 4/8/19 8:33 AM

Mack, Volvo expand Noregon connectivity partnership

olvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks both introduced a connected vehicle service focused on proactive maintenance planning and fleet operations efficiency. Dynamic maintenance Noregon’s platform helps enhance the service further expands the truck makers’ partnerships with Noregon, dealer user interface and brings the a provider of connected vehicle decision-making offerings. Dynamic maintenance process closer to the customer uses existing connected technolothrough the dealer. gies and data analytics, combined with Noregon’s platform, to facilitate customized service plans to an individual-vehicle level. Dynamic maintenance leverages data intelligence from vehicle data analytics combined with enhanced software features from Volvo Trucks’ Remote Diagnostics and Mack GuardDog Connect telematics, the Noregon Trip Vision Interface and the truck makers’ ASIST service communications process to more accurately reflect planned maintenance needs. – Jason Cannon

CMY

commercial carrier journal

october 2019

INBRIEF • Nikola Corp. announced a $250 million investment by CNH Industrial as part of its $1 billion Series D fund-raising plan. Nikola also announced investments totaling $230 million from Bosch, its partner in the development of its fuel-cell system and battery technology, and Hanwha, a provider of renewable energy and solar panel manufacturing that is helping the Phoenix-based truck maker obtain clean energy for its hydrogen fueling network. • Hino held a grand-opening ceremony for its new $100 million manufacturing facility in Mineral Wells, W.Va. The company also announced an additional $40 million investment in the 1 million-square-foot plant to meet increased demand and product configurations, creating an additional 250 new jobs for a total of 800 employees. The new facility can produce 15,000 trucks annually on one shift. • Volvo Group subsidiary Dex Heavy Duty Parts – a supplier of recycled, renovated and surplus medium- and heavy-duty parts for second- and third-generation trucks – opened a new 153,000-squarefoot facility in Oklahoma City. Dex said the new facility’s centralized U.S. location close to major highways will help facilitate easier distribution and reduced delivery times. Located on 25 acres, Dex's Oklahoma City facility has 30 employees and joins the company's current facility in Advance, N.C. • Daimler Trucks North America announced that its Phoenix parts distribution center now is fully operational, allowing the company to offer dedicated parts delivery within 12 hours to 90% of its service network that includes 636 authorized service locations, 173 distributor locations and a 251-location service partnership with TravelCenters of America and Petro. DTNA also announced plans to open a second PDC in Canada to support its Calgary facility. • Michelin North America announced application and billing enhancements to its Michelin Advantage program to help support owner-operators and small fleets. The Advantage program provides competitive, consistent nationwide pricing on new Michelin heavy-truck dual and X One tires for fleets operating under 100 power units, as well as for those using Michelin Retread Technologies retreads, Michelin services and BFGoodrich heavy- and light-truck tires.

Daimler puts automated trucks on public roads

aimler Trucks announced that, following testing and safety validation on a closed loop track with Torc Robotics, the companies are moving developAll automated runs by Daimler Trucks and Torc ment and testing of trucks equipped with SAE Level 4 Robotics require both an technology onto public roads in Virginia. engineer overseeing the The initial routes are on highways in southwest system and a safety driver trained in vehicle dynamics Virginia, where Torc Robotics – part of the global and automated systems. development network within the Daimler Trucks Autonomous Technology Group – is headquartered. Daimler is consolidating all its expertise and activities in automated driving into its global organization, with locations in Blacksburg, Va., Portland, Ore., and Stuttgart, Germany. Torc said its Asimov automated driving system has been tested in urban and long-distance routes, as well as in rain, snow, fog and varying light conditions. Daimler Trucks North America’s team is working on a truck chassis suited for highly automated driving, particularly the redundancy of systems needed to provide reliability and safety. Within the Autonomous Technology Group, DTNA also is building an infrastructure that consists of a main control center and logistics hubs for operational testing of initial application cases. The hubs are located along high-density freight corridors within close proximity of interstates and highways. – Jason Cannon

Cummins adds to X15 engine line for MY 2020

ummins for the coming model year will expand its X15 portfolio with a new X15 Efficiency Series engine and new X15 Productivity Series ratings. Engine hardware enhancements to the 2020 X15 Efficiency Series engine are intended to provide better air handling and lower friction and deliver up to a 3.5% fuel economy improvement to the base engine offering. Cummins’ X15 portfolio includes a new X15 Lower oil consumption is expected with modified liner Efficiency Series engine geometry in the power cylinder, while valve adjustand new X15 Productivity ments have been made to help improve durability. Series ratings engineered to further optimize fuel Cummins has pushed its oil drain interval to up to economy and power. 75,000 miles for the 2020 X15 in 2020, and an interval of up to 80,000 miles is available to customers using Valvoline Premium Blue 15W-40. Customers using Cummins’ OilGuard program have the potential to increase to a 100,000-mile interval. The company said the new EX ratings can deliver up to an additional 1.5% fuel efficiency increase. These ratings contain new powertrain capabilities such as predictive gear shifting, predictive braking, on-ramp boost and dynamic power. The X15 Productivity Series ratings are designed for multipurpose, vocational and heavy-haul customers who seek to balance powertrain efficiency with response and performance. – Jason Cannon

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

• Minimizer, a provider of poly semi-truck fenders and other accessories, announced the company is planning a new facility in Owatonna, Minn., to accommodate current and future sales growth and new product introductions. The projected 13-acre building site will replace three separate buildings and house all the company’s 83 employees in one facility while increasing its operating space from 54,000 to 96,000 square feet.

keeps the skirt rigid until it strikes an obstacle. If that happens, the bracket toggles and allows the skirt to flex both inward and outward. • Daimler Trucks North America commemorated the production of the 750,000th vehicle built at its truck manufacturing plant in Cleveland, N.C. Keys to the milestone vehicle – a new Freightliner Cascadia – were presented to representatives from United Parcel Service (No.

1) during a ceremony at the facility. • Pressure Systems International announced sales of 1.5 million automatic tire inflation systems. The company made the announcement during the Meritor & PSI 2019 Annual Fleet Technology Event held at its San Antonio manufacturing plant. Meritor markets PSI’s auto inflator through the Meritor Tire Inflation System (MTIS).

• Thermo King announced the additions of two new offerings within its Connected Suite TracKing telematics service. The TK Notify mobile app is designed to deliver data-rich information and a detailed view of transportation refrigeration units so fleets can make decisions in real time. Connect & Share is a data-sharing service for fleets that use third-party telematics. • Yokohama Tire announced that the 712L, its new long-haul drive tire, meets the industry’s required performance criteria for severe snow service. All four sizes of the SmartWay-verified 712L – 295/75R22.5, 11R22.5, 285/75R24.5 and 11R24.5 – will carry the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall. • Kenworth expanded its online Body Builder Academy video library for its T880 vocational tractor with four new videos now available at Youtube.com/KenworthTruckCo. The new videos focus on remote power-takeoff features and functionality, remote throttle and hardwired PTO controls, remote presets and interlocks, and programming remote PTO features. • Peterbilt Motors Co. opened its fifth Peterbilt Technician Institute campus in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Each PTI student earns 12 Peterbilt certifications as well as certifications for both the Paccar MX-11 and MX-13 engines as they prepare for a career in the diesel industry. PTI is a collaborative program with Universal Technical Institute. • Strick Trailers, a manufacturer of aluminum sheet and post trailers, selected Kemlite’s Extended Weathering Translucent Roof, embossed with enhanced tear-resistant fabric, as its standard translucent roof choice. Strick also launched its newly designed StrickTrailers. com website designed with user-friendly navigation and improved menu functionality for all devices. • Mesilla Valley Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 77) announced that it is factory-installing its trailers with Michelin Energy Guard, a SmartWay-verified fuel-efficient aerodynamic trailer system that consists of end fairings and a skirt that uses a patent-pending bracket design that commercial carrier journal

october 2019

Volvo offers Dynamic Steering for VNL, VNR

olvo Trucks North America, during a press tour last month at the company's truck manufacturing plant in Dublin, Va., introduced Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS), an electrically assisted hydraulic steering system designed to lessen steering input, helping reduce driver fatigue and increase road safety. Volvo’s VDS, which debuted in Europe for the 2014 model year, will be offered as an option in VNL and VNR models in early 2020. It will be available for order this year, with production set for April 2020. According to a survey conducted by Volvo of 250 drivers, 82% of respondents reported being in pain on the road, with 63% reporting they regularly visit a doctor in order to cope. Chris Stadler, VTNA product marketing manager, said VDS compensates up to 9 feet of torque in the steering column – the equivalent of having an extra hand on the wheel – while also eliminating vibration and offering directional stability. The active steering system features an electric motor mounted on top of the hydraulic steering gear. Input from multiple vehicle sensors – at over 2,000 times per second – determines the appropriate steering response, “reacting before the driver can react,” Stadler said. The self-learning system monitors the driver’s actions, environmental factors and road conditions, providing additional torque when needed and supporting driver reaction with greater control and less abrupt maneuvering. At low speeds, the system requires 85% less effort from the driver to turn the wheel. Steering tightens at higher speeds, providing more directional stability. The system’s Vehicle Stability Control helps increase directional stability on the highway, which offers a more relaxed and safe driving experience with full control at all speeds. The Return-to-Center feature enables the steering wheel to return to the center position when the truck is in mo34

tion, making it easier to reverse the vehicle and maneuver in tight areas. Dampening allows the steering system to filter input from the road and, based on feedback from multiple onboard sensors, improves handling and vehicle stability. Lead/Pull Compensation offers a torque offset within the steering system to compensate for crowned roads, crosswinds and other short-term conditions that can have a negative effect on handling. Stadler said if there is a system failure, the driver is notified and can continue with conventional steering. Testing has shown that VDS has the potential to cut muscular strain up to 30%, he said, and for some specific motions, strain can be reduced up to 70%. Stadler said the system, which he called “a contributor to the future of autonomous development,” is also a tool for driver recruitment and retention in that it offers a more relaxed environment, is easier to maneuver at low speeds and offers full carlike steering support. Market share growth Volvo Trucks also is setting its sights on market share growth in the United States, which company President Roger Alm calls Volvo’s “second home market.” Through its 2,100 dealers and service points in more than 130 counties, Volvo Trucks delivered more than 127,000 units last year globally and has more than 1.2 million trucks on the road sold within the last decade. “That is driving a good service business for us and our dealers,” Alm said. Volvo market share climbed 2% in North America from 2017 to 2018. As of July, Volvo had 10% market share in North America and through August had 10.9% in the United States, which is Volvo’s largest market with 26,477 trucks delivered last year, more than twice the number delivered in its second-largest market, Brazil. “We are making major investments in serving our customers the best way,” Alm

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

Volvo’s active steering system features an electric motor (in silver) mounted on top of the standard hydraulic steering gear.

said. “If we are investing, it should have an impact on our customer.” Since Volvo introduced its VNR and refreshed VNL in 2017, truck sales have soared industrywide. About 325,000 trucks are forecast to be sold this year in North America, up from 311,000 the prior year. Peter Voorhoeve, president for Volvo Trucks North America, said strong style enhancements to Volvo’s two flagship on-highway trucks, coupled with driver comfort offerings, have brought new opportunities for growth. “Transporters are using Volvos to attract drivers,” said Voorhoeve, noting he sees more fleets using Volvo trucks in driver recruitment marketing. In the last 10 years, Volvo has invested $619 million in its 435 U.S. dealerships. Service bay capacity is up 64%, and its master technician population has soared nearly 300%. “I think we have a leading and competitive dealer network,” Voorhoeve said. Volvo also is investing $400 million over the next six years in its manufacturing facility in Dublin. The New River Valley site manufactures all Volvo trucks sold in North America. – Jason Cannon

Volvo readies delivery of first electric VNR

n partnership with California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and industry leaders in transportation and electrical charging infrastructure, Volvo Trucks will introduce all-electric truck demonstrators in California this year and will put them into commercial production in North America in 2020. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) awarded $44.8 million to SCAQMD for Volvo’s Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project, a green initiative involving 16 partners working to transform freight operations. Volvo’s first 113-inch BBC electric VNR models – chosen for their tight turning radius and driver comfort features – soon will be headed to the Port of Los Angeles and put into test operations with NFI (CCJ Top 250, No. 28) and Dependable Highway Express (No. 125). “The return-to-base and hub-to-hub operations are where it makes the most sense, where customers can invest in their own infrastructure,” said Chad Burchett, chief project manager for the electric VNR. “As energy storage systems improve over time, then we will move segment-by-segment until we eventually make it out into the long-haul segment.” Brett Pope, director of electric trucks for Volvo Trucks North America, foresees the electric truck potentially transforming transportation by eliminating tailpipe emissions, allowing for more nighttime operations and providing a more comfortable work environment thanks to the absence of diesel engine noise. “If you take a heavy-duty truck off the road during peak hours, that could help with traffic congestion,” Pope said. Volvo’s electric VNR features center-mounted dual electric motors with a 2-speed gearbox. Behind that is a

Four packs of batteries, each weighing about 1,150 pounds, supply onboard power.

mostly conventional driveline. Four packs of batteries, each weighing about 1,150 pounds, supply onboard power. The battery system is designed like a shelf, allowing them to be slid in and out for service. The electric VNR leans heavily on powertrain technology from the Volvo FE and FL electric cabovers introduced in Europe last year. Not only will the electric truck change shipping habits, it also likely will change how OEMs do business, said Pope, who suggested truck manufacturers such as Volvo initially could offer would-be electric customers several new options: 1. Truck as a service: A full-service lease with maintenance, insurance and uptime billed via monthly invoice. 2. Infrastructure as a service: The OEM helps a customer set up infrastructure and provides consulting services to evaluate a fleet’s energy needs. 3. Energy as a service: A fixed negotiated rate, including energy optimization and possibly onsite solar. “Preparation and teamwork between

the dealers and the customers will be critical,” Burchett said. “The electric product will be integrated into our existing tools and process,” Pope added. “[The dealership network] will have to be prepared and trained.” Initial sales of the electric VNR will be limited via regional rollout in California. The first offering, slated for late next year, will be straight trucks and tractors in 4×2, 6×2 lift-axle and 6×4 configurations with a GVW of 66,000 pounds. Pope hopes by the end of 2021 to boost GCW to 80,000 pounds with improvements made to the electric driveline and next-generation batteries. Pope also said the truck’s range would be impacted significantly by the driving habits of the person behind the wheel. “The characteristic of a very fuel-efficient driver will also affect an electric platform [range],” he said. Pope said it takes about an hour to charge a fully depleted truck, adding that the target cycle life of a battery is about eight years, given a variety of factors. – Jason Cannon

commercial carrier journal

october 2019

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

Shakeout coming?

McLeod warns of private equity bubble in trucking tech

n Aug. 26 at the 2019 McLeod Software user conference, more than 1,000 attendees were advised on how to take advantage of current economic conditions. “Set your sails in the direction the wind is blowing,” said Tom McLeod, president of the Birmingham, Ala.-based company that offers enterprise-wide transportation management software (TMS) for motor carriers and logistics companies. The economic winds blew favorably from all directions in 2018. Motor carriers and freight brokers had all the freight they could handle. “It was a year unlike any other,” McLeod said. Results in 2019 have been mixed, especially for companies that depend on the spot market to find loads, as volumes and pricing have fallen sharply. McLeod stressed that although freight patterns have shifted, the change is an opportunity for transportation companies to differentiate and transform themselves by using new and emerging technologies. FORTUNE HUNTERS: Many technologies have been developed by companies funded by private equity investors. DEAL DEADLINE: “If you don’t get whatever critical mass is defined as (by the deadline), then things blow apart.” PRIVATELY HELD: Not having out-

side investors has several advantages in today’s market, Tom McLeod said.

commercial carrier journal

Tom McLeod addresses the 1,000-plus attendees gathered at the Gaylord Rockies Resort in Denver for the 2019 McLeod Software user conference.

Private equity pop? Many technologies in the market have been developed by companies funded by private equity investors, and McLeod advised his customers to choose their vendors carefully. Some of the biggest investments in trucking technology have been flowing into companies that offer digital freight matching platforms. In the process of integrating these and other third-party software applications with McLeod Software’s TMS platforms, “we’re in a position of seeing companies with remarkably and starkly different strategies for solving the same problem,” he said. McLeod questioned if the level of private equity investment in transportation and other industries may have created an economic bubble in the market. Investors have been acquiring companies with high evaluations and loading them with debt, he said. This raises the likelihood that an economic slowdown could burst the private equity bubble in a fashion similar to what happened to the dot-com industry in the early 2000s and the housing industry in 2008. “If there is a bubble, this may be where it is,” McLeod said. “There may be a shakeout coming.” McLeod Software is a privately held company with “good profitability and no debt,” McLeod told CCJ during an interview following his keynote. Not having outside investors has several advantages in today’s market, he stressed. “It puts us in a position to really make long-term better decisions,” he said. “Taking investment is like placing a big bet. There is a timeframe involved, so it’s almost like you’ve lit a fuse. If you don’t get whatever critical mass is defined as (by the deadline), then things blow apart.”

october 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 McLeod maySoftware show thathas at added midnight, more the staff unit toishelp stillita sort quarter-mile out the applications away from the andunloading vendors forspot. its integrations, he said. “We “We’ve arelong veryhad carefully the philosophy watching how that we it iswant unloaded” to be open to determine and easy when to work with in terms of integration, ” McLeod said. to “We to make available concontainers actually are available for pickup setwant realistic delivery appointnectionsPrince to other thatasare viable in the marketplace. ” a great ments, said.services “Our job an proving intermodal provider is to make sure McLeod told the audience at on thetime Gaylord Resort in Denver what he number of little things happen and Rockies correctly.” thinks are safe bets for new and emerging technology. He is keen on machinelearning applications that can give users instant recommendations for pricing Predicting trailer capacity freight,making planning loads anddrivers hiring often and retaining drivers. time unloading or When deliveries, lose productive McLeodfor Software developed real-time loadload acceptance tool thatIfranks searching emptyhas trailers to takeato their next appointments. no load offers withare a five-star system and givespersonnel recommendations how to empty trailers available onsite, office may beginforcold-calling turn a two-star load into five-star load.trailers. “This real-time information can help customers in the area toalocate empty make more McLeod said. fleet with SkyBitz’s U.S.better, Xpress (CCJprofitable Top 250,decisions, No. 16) ”equips its trailer The company is usingwith machine improve driver largest work tracking system also embedded cargolearning sensors.toOne of thethe nation’s experience.carriers, “Whoever able to recruitTenn.-based and retain drivers will uses win in truckload theisChattanooga, company thetoday’s informarketplace, ” he said. mation it receives to predict when trailers will be unloaded and ready for pickup, said Aaron Wood, the company’s manager of trailer management. New Theproducts SkyBitz system is integrated with U.S. Xpress’ custom transportation At the conference, McLeod Software new Driver module management system and with ESRI’sintroduced mapping asoftware thatChoice Wood uses to thatup gives carriersfor an tracking automated processdepartures, for letting drivers have more in set geofences arrivals, turnaround timessay and the loads they are being assigned.location If a fleetand chooses, the module will allow trailer inventories by customer geographical planning regions. drivers self-dispatch their us next load those the carrier offers by using a “Thetobig thing that bites and anyfrom carrier is when we have loaded trailwebgoing portalinto or the McLeod Driver The offered loads are screened filters ers markets where we App. do not have loaded freight out,” heby said. setU.S. up by the carrier and checked feasibility based on available hours Xpress is managing trailerfor counts in each planning region to of service, location and estimated time of arrival. maintain the balance of capacity across its freight network. The company The company alsocarriers rolled out a new Trip Management thatinhelps also uses secondary and railroads to repositionmodule its trailers its drivers plan ahead to make better use of available time. The module accounts network. forInhours of service, patterns, stops andthe other routetrailer data. The prodthe three yearstraffic U.S. Xpress hasfuel been using SkyBitz tracking uct was developed with Trimble Maps, ALK Technologies. system, its trailer count has gone fromformerly 17,000 to about 14,000 by increasing For brokers, McLeod Software announced a new digital freightWood matching efficiency and managing the available capacity in its network, said. tool called Top Match that ranks in the trailers broker’satdatabase according to With SkyBitz, U.S. Xpress alsocarriers can identify locations that have which is most to take aperiod. load andThese automates offers to carriers. not moved forlikely an extended eventsload could signal possible meAlso new is a built-in feature thecausing load planning LoadMaster chanical defects on trailers thatinare drivers screen to not of hook up. TMS that allows carriers to tap a “backhaul” button that displays available U.S. Xpress also increases trailer capacity by monitoring their use by loads from McLeod logistics customers that third-party carriers Software’s and shippers through interchange use PowerBroker backhaul button performs agreements. “We TMS. know The when one of our trailers startsa search forWood loads that thesystem closesttracks to the where delivery point moving,” said.are The trailers of the carrier’s vehicle and displays the name and phone are picked up and dropped and how many miles they numberso ofthe thecompany broker, along the average rateauthoron the moved can with bill carriers for the load or to help make dispatchers negotiators. ized nonauthorized use of better its trailers. AARON HUFF is Senior Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail ahuff@ccjmagazine.com or call (801) 754-4296.

Obstacle detection Lytx: Data show system for big trucks clients reducing ear View drowsy RSafety debut-driving

ed itsytx, RVS-125 a provider Sensestat of video-based Wireless Obstacle safety telematics, Detection System shared designed new data into dicating warn truck that drowsy Rear View Safety’s RVSsaid its data drivers drivingofand potential falling 125Lytx Sensestat Wireless showed the morning Obstacle Detection obstacles asleep behind behind the hours between 5 System is designed and 8 a.m. had their wheelvehicle are declining with for easy installation the highest aamong detection commercial range on heavy-duty trucks, concentration of no need to install of drivers up towho 8 feet.use The its withevents related to cabling. system Lytx Driver is engiSafety excess drowsy driving and falling asleep neered Program. to provide behind the wheel. theFrom driverJune both 2018 audible to and visual warning indicators June 2019,to Lytx avoid saidbacking accidents. itsThe datawireless reflectedECU a 39ispercent reduction engineered to be in drowsy driving among its clients and waterproof and events includes multiple antenna installation a 66 percentoptions. reduction A user in drivers can connect falling to aasleep Sensestat-equipped behind the wheel. trailer by–pressing Aaron Huff the monitor’s sync button. – Aaron Huff

Transflo bundles In-motion scale offerings in weighs eachsingle axle streamlined package lliance Scale de-

A T

buted ransflo, a truck a pro-scale engineered vider of to moweigh each bile, axle telematics and print anda receipt business without process requiring automation a driver toofferstop. The Transflo Bundle+ includes several Alliance ings, now AxleWeigh offers allIn features that The Alliance Transflo’s Motion its products Truckunder Scale is leverage AxleWeigh In T-Series telematics built one banner, to weighTransflo individuMotion Truck and Geotab’s al Bundle+, axles by adriving suite of over GPS-based Scale is preconvehicle figured for easy the features scale at designed 3 mph reto tracking device. installation and gardless help fleets of truck and drivlength can be installed or ersconfiguration. manage compliance from mobile on atheir gravel devices Designed more forefficiently. easy driveway, elimithe need use, Transflo a driverBundle+ stops at unitesnating the company’s for ramps. the Transflo controller Mobile+ and platform with electronenters ic logging his truck’s deviceI.D. compliance, Drivewyze number, weigh station and the bypass, controller CoPilot will calculate Truck fleet the gross, navigation tare and with netPC values. MilerThe routing, scale features vehicle factory-calibrated inspections and document load cells and scanning. a preprogrammed indicator. – Aaron – Aaron Huff Huff

commercial commercial carrier carrier journal journal | september | october 2018 2019

35 37

technology

INBRIEF • Descartes Systems Group, a provider of technologies designed to unite logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, acquired BestTransport.com Inc., a cloud-based transportation management system (TMS) provider focused on flatbed-intensive manufacturers and distributors. Terms were not announced. • Loadsmart, a digital freight technology company, announced it raised $19 million from Ports America, a U.S.-based terminal operator and stevedore, and Maersk Growth, the container ship and supply vessel operator’s investment arm. The investment will be leveraged for Loadsmart’s Smart Drayage initiative for shipping containers through marine terminals and to develop a free-flow model to accelerate the transit of goods through American ports. The latest round follows Loadsmart’s series A round in late 2018, bringing total funding to $53.4 million. • C.H. Robinson, a third-party logistics provider, updated its Carrier Advantage program that provides carriers that do business with Robinson early access to freight opportunities in the broker’s network by performing well in areas such as on-time performance, providing visibility of each load through Robinson’s own tracking platform and more. The program’s internal metrics – on which participating carriers’scores are based – now are available and updated in real time rather than on a quarterly basis. • PrePass, a provider of weigh station bypass, electronic toll payment and safety-based platforms, added new safety alerts for mountainous areas along Interstate 70 in Colorado. PrePass Alerts, a feature of the company’s Motion app, notifies drivers of steep grades five miles away and when they approach any of five runaway truck ramps along the route. Drivewyze, a provider of connected truck products and the PreClear weigh station bypass service, also added Colorado-based mountainous alerts and runaway ramp notifications through its Drivewyze Safety Notifications service. • PrePass bypass services now are available at 11 weigh stations in British Columbia. No additional fees are required for carriers to participate in British Columbia’s Weigh2GoBC program, but service is available only through transponder-based bypassing and is not compatible with cellular bypass services.

commercial carrier journal

Trimble adds TMT module for outsourced fleet maintenance

rimble has added a new TMT Fleet Maintenance software module for third-party heavy-duty maintenance providers designed to better support the growing trend of outsourced fleet maintenance. Trimble said the new module supports defining and managing maintenance service Trimble’s Contract Maintenance module and leasing contracts for both monthly fixed for its TMT Fleet Maintenance package is built to serve outsourced maintenance and variable billing plans. The module also providers, fleets and leasing companies. can enable customers to track their service contracts and manage billing via direct accounting integrations to both Trimble products and outside accounting providers. “The Contract Maintenance module will substantially benefit companies who perform outside maintenance for other fleets, owner-operators or even for their own fleet,” said Renaldo Adler, industry principal, asset maintenance for Trimble’s Transportation Division. “By using Contract Maintenance, fleets will be able to streamline their monthly billing and invoicing process and expand their service offerings without additional administrative overhead.” Connectivity to the shop’s maintenance software, including repair orders, preventive maintenance and parts inventory, means services are tied closely to not only accounting but also customers’ service contracts. This enables technicians to receive real-time notifications of service coverages during maintenance visits and allows drivers to make quick decisions regarding services they need or may want. Customer invoices will reflect billing information based on their maintenance coverage. – Aaron Huff

Uber Freight rolls out carrier admin portal

ber Freight debuted a new web-booking portal designed to help dispatchers simplify workflow, as well as a new app interface built to provide a more Uber Freight rolled out a intuitive experience for carriers and drivers. web-booking portal designed The company said the web portal was a feature refor dispatchers and a new app interface to provide a more quested by larger fleets in the Uber Freight network, where company dispatchers depend more on desktop intuitive user experience. applications than mobile phones to manage their fleet. The new desktop capability is built to allow dispatchers to view and book loads, assign them to drivers and manage them from pickup to delivery. Dispatchers also can list truck availability, and ideal loads will be suggested to them and available to book directly within the web platform. Uber Freight said its retooled app interface features a more intuitive design based on driver feedback for a faster, more seamless load booking experience. Richer facility insights are fully integrated into the app, meaning that drivers and dispatchers can see all the information they need before booking a load. Redesigned load cards are clearer and contain more information such as upfront rate per mile and reload details to help carriers with booking decisions. – CCJ Staff

october 2019

technology

INBRIEF • 123Loadboard, a provider of freight matching technology, launched its next-generation adaptation of its load board mobile app designed for added flexibility, performance and stability. The company said customers will find loads as they appear on screen while searching, their filtered data will load faster, they will be able to post their trucks quickly and easily, and the enhanced map feature will enable them to pinpoint loads around their exact location.

CHOOSE YOUR PATH…

• Wex, a financial technology services provider, signed a multiyear extension to be the exclusive provider of private label and universal fleet card services for Phillips 66 to support fleet customers and independent marketers and dealers at more than 7,000 fueling locations. • GPS Insight, a provider of fleet telematics software, debuted its 360° AI Fleet Cameras option through a partnership with Netradyne. The Driveri by Netradyne camera uses a 360-degree view and machine-learning software to capture and review real-time following distance, traffic signals and speeding to identify driving violations. GPS Insight also plans to develop risk maps designed to identify locations with delivery issues and elevated accidents. • FleetUp, a mobile fleet management provider, announced a partnership with dashcam provider Waylens to provide video footage triggered by critical events such as crashes, break-ins, harsh accelerating, hard braking and sharp turns. The Waylens device can capture video from all angles to allow viewers to see both the road and the driver’s cabin. When accidents do occur, a quick replay of the footage will provide evidence as to what caused the incident. • BlackBerry Radar, which provides an Internet of Things-based asset-tracking system for trailers, chassis and containers, joined the Geotab Marketplace, an portfolio of partner add-ins, add-ons and mobile apps that help enable customers to better manage their fleet. BlackBerry Radar captures location, temperature, humidity, cargo load state and more to enable fleets to leverage near-real-time data to help improve asset utilization. By integrating with Geotab’s fleet management platform, Radar users will be able to transition to monitoring vehicle efficiencies such as fuel consumption and driver behavior.

SaaS

Managed Services

TO GO BEYOND COMPLIANT All Roads Lead to Excellence When it comes to partnering with a provider for compliance services and technology solutions, you need to make sure it’s a good fit. As the saying sometimes goes – “One Size DOES NOT Fit All!” Depending on your preference or business model, a hands-off approach to managing regulatory and safety compliance might be more desirable. Sometimes, a helpful tool is all you want to assist you. Thankfully, there is a partner you can turn to for your needs. Choosing a SaaS or fully managed approach to deploying technology, in tandem with your safety and compliance efforts, is now easier than ever. Fleetworthy Solutions is your one-stop-shop to help you gear up for your journey towards exceeding minimum requirements, no matter what path you take. We are the compliance partner for those who aim higher. Request a Demo!

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commercial carrier journal

october 2019

technology

Stay Metrics launches Stay Ahead platform targeting driver retention

tay Metrics, a provider of driver retention tools for motor carriers, announced the release of Stay Ahead, a platform for its suite of driver survey products designed to help carriers make the most of their data. “The Stay Ahead tool helps carriers stay ahead of turnover, stay ahead of driver satisfaction and stay ahead of growing their fleets,” said Mary Malone, vice president of business development for Stay Metrics. “It’s solidly focused on the future and making that future as successful for carriers as possible.” As the centerpiece of the new platform, Stay Metrics also introduced Intervention Opportunities, a new tool that targets early-stage driver turnover by using Stay Metrics’ onboarding surveys to point out exactly which drivers need more targeted attention to stay during their first year. The Stay Ahead portal works with Stay Metrics’ onboarding surveys to alert carriers any time a driver appears to be at risk of leaving. The at-risk status of drivers is determined based on a Stay Metrics proprietary model that identifies at-risk drivers based on previous research. Carriers also can filter drivers based on their alerts and willingness to recommend the carrier. Drivers ranked through Intervention Opportunities can be exported on a spreadsheet to create a checklist for driver calls. The Stay Ahead tool also brings to the forefront any questions drivers have after taking their surveys and lets carriers know what information drivers need right now. “At a certain size of carrier, you can’t realistically call everyone each week,” said Tim Hindes, co-founder and chief executive officer for Stay Metrics. “That’s why this feature is so helpful. It helps teams prioritize their calling time to reach the drivers that need it most and provides suggested topics for

those conversations. The combination of who to call and what to talk about makes this a highly actionable tool for driver engagement and satisfaction.” – Aaron Huff

Stay Ahead’s portal works with Stay Metrics’ onboarding surveys to alert carriers any time a driver appears to be at risk of leaving.

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october 2019

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technology

INBRIEF • MVT Solutions, a provider of fuel economy testing and design and development services for the trucking industry, announced that the test reports for its Certified Products now are available on a no-cost subscription basis to ensure that results are delivered automatically as soon as they are available, giving fleets the most up-to-date information. • Orbcomm, a provider of Machine-to-Machine and Internet of Things offerings, was selected by Texas Freight Services, a Houston-based dry van truckload hauler, and Alan Ritchey Inc. (ARI), a Valley View, Texas-based dry van carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, to provide in-cab wireless connectivity across their entire fleets. Orbcomm’s hardware and integrated cloud-based analytics platform and information engine provide fleets with added visibility, monitoring and management of their drivers and trucks. • Lytx, a provider of video-based safety telematics, announced that Jetco Delivery – a Houston-based fleet with more than 150 flatbed, heavy-haul, intermodal and dry van trucks – upgraded to the latest DriveCam SF-Series Event Recorders for its Lytx Driver Safety Program that combines video capture of risky driving behaviors with analytics based on a database of over 100 billion miles of driving data and event review by professional analysts. The Lytx DriveCam Event Recorder captures an event when its sensors are triggered by an action suggesting risky behavior, including a hard acceleration or brake. • Carrier Logistics, a provider of freight management software for less-thantruckload fleets, announced that Pace Motor Lines Inc., a Stratford, Conn.-based LTL and truckload hauler, implemented its Facts system to reduce operating costs, automate rating and improve its back-office processes and billing accuracy. • I.D. Systems, a provider of enterprise asset management and Internet of Things technologies, announced that Samuel Coraluzzo & Torrissi Transport, an East Coast oil hauler, is implementing its PowerFleet LV9000 asset-tracking in-cab technology fleetwide for a 360-degree real-time overview of business conditions to improve employee productivity and deepen customer relationships by reducing the amount of time needed to access data and solve problems before they occur.

commercial carrier journal

ITI offers Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse course

nstructional Technologies Inc., a provider of training for the transportation industry, announced ITI’s Drug & Alcohol a new Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse lesson. The Clearinghouse lesson explains latest addition to the company’s Pro-Tread library of why it is important for drivers training courses presents information about the new to complete prescribed treatment plans so they can Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s cleardrive safely and legally. inghouse regulations that go into effect Jan. 6, 2020. “Progressive fleets see that the clearinghouse will have a big impact on their HR operations, and they need to provide factual information for drivers and managers,” said Laura McMillan, vice president of training development for ITI. Drivers that complete the course should understand the purpose of the clearinghouse’s shared data, how they can access it and how to petition FMCSA to make corrections to the database. The lesson also explains why it is important for drivers to know that the clearinghouse provides transparency to drivers, employers and state licensing agencies concerning past violations and why they must complete prescribed treatment plans to ensure they can drive safely and legally. ITI also can customize the lesson to include any additional disclosures required by a fleet. Topics covered include: • What information will be in the clearinghouse; • Who can enter information into the clearinghouse; • Employer searches of the clearinghouse; • How drivers get access to the clearinghouse; • Notifying current employers of violations; • State licensing agency access to the clearinghouse; • What a driver does if they disagree with information in the clearinghouse; and • How owner-operators use the new clearinghouse. – Aaron Huff

Transfix offers load factoring at 0.99% rate

ransfix, a digital freight marketplace, expanded its product suite with the Transfix Factoring To power its factoring program, Program powered by BamFi. The program is dedigital freight marketplace signed to unlock money for carriers upfront at a rate Transfix partnered with BamFi, a provider of financial of 0.99% for loads completed with Transfix, along technology products. with access to an online cash flow management tool. To power the program, Transfix partnered with BamFi, a provider of financial technology products. Users will be able to access BamFi’s online platform to upload their invoice and receive immediate payment. Payments can be received the same day through a wire transfer or the following day through ACH. In addition to receiving faster payments at a factoring fee lower than the industry standard rate, Transfix’s carriers will have insights to their invoice status and cash flows as well as personalized service from an assigned BamFi account representative. – Aaron Huff

october 2019

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POLARIS TRANSPORTATION Mississauga, Ontario

Polaris Transportation develops tech to automate its cross-border freight BY AARON HUFF

ross-border freight is a highly transactional business, especially in the less-thantruckload sector. Each order has documents and data to process before a truck arrives at a border, from a bill of lading to load confirmations and the back-and-forth emails to gather product dimensions and descriptions from shippers to create a customs invoice. “Every order is its own life form,” says Dave Cox, chief executive officer for Polaris Transportation, a Canadian LTL carrier based in Mississauga, Ontario. Polaris decided to devise a way to automate the customs process and free office workers from clerical work to focus on more productive and rewarding activities. The effort began by researching a technology called robotic process automation (RPA) as the possible solution for reducing labor costs and increasing data accuracy. RPA uses software algorithms as self-learning “bots” that are programmed to fulfill tasks across multiple applications, just like humans. A digital foundation Each year, Polaris does business with up to 6,000 customers with its fleet of 120 tractors and approximately 280 trailers that move more than 300,000 orders a year to and from the United States. To grow the company, Cox doesn’t want to invest in back-office manpower to process more freight orders. He also is concerned about the human factor of spending a workday punching keys. “How enjoyable is that to an individual?” he says. Adding more manpower in a good economy also potentially could create human collateral in a downturn. “That didn’t make sense to me.” Polaris already had been using “nonintelligent” document processing technology with optical character recognition (OCR) to extract data from paper and electronic forms automatically, says Dave Brajkovich, chief technology officer. The technology worked

well but required significant intervention by staff to manage repetitive processing. Brajkovich had been serving as a board member for Polaris when he and Cox first discussed the possibility of using RPA technology about two years ago. Brajkovich was the applications developer at a Toronto-based financial firm that was using RPA. He saw firsthand the benefits of alleviating mundane labor-intensive processes. Cox invited Brajkovich to work full time at Polaris, and soon after that, the company selected a platform from WorkFusion as the RPA foundation to develop its own intellectual property for “intelligent process automation” of customs work, Brajkovich says. “It was a significant undertaking as far as having to lay the foundation of software and hardware, but that was probably the easiest part,” he says. Going through each layer of business logic and “tagging” data elements and processes for bots to manage was more difficult. It took about four months before a system was ready for the production environment. Carving out efficiency In September 2018, Polaris launched its new RPA platform for order entry. The company accepts many modes of orders from customers through its web portal, email and even faxes. “For anything coming through that has a person touch it, we

The Canadian LTL carrier is automating the customs process while developing its employees and offering its technologies to other customers.

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

Dave Cox, chief executive officer for Polaris, has overseen the Mississauga, Ontario-based company’s digital transformation.

are trying to put an automation piece in,” Brajkovich says. Office workers use a single screen, a WorkFusion-based application called a “control tower,” to manage data inputs and corrections that the bots identify as exceptions. From the control tower, any data that needs to be corrected is fed to internal and external business systems via application programming interfaces (APIs). Polaris has automated about 85% of the customs process flow by using robotics to decipher emails and read content and data from electronic paperwork. The data quality also has improved significantly. “We are not retouching the orders,” Brajkovich says, with data moving to its enterprise systems and packaged up for customers in an efficient and accurate manner. The overall time savings in order entry is two or three hours a day, he says. With the previous document management technology, the company started as early as 6 a.m. in order to clear orders through customs by 5 p.m. Now, all its daily processing is completed by 3 p.m. or earlier, and “we have time to manage exceptions,” Brajkovich says. The amount of overtime has decreased by

30% to 40%, and its bots are preventing quality issues that otherwise might cause freight to not be cleared at the border. Another benefit, Brajkovich says, is that Polaris has data analytics on every process. The bots report on everything they do, from how many orders they process to the error rates. “We never had that visibility before,” he says. “It is giving us real insights to be a better customer service provider.” Career opportunities Implementing technology to eliminate tasks done by humans can be unsettling to office workers. Polaris communicated with employees in advance to explain what the technology would do and that the company would provide new crosstraining opportunities, particularly in customer service, Cox says. Employees can develop their careers by moving into different departments from third-party logistics to warehousing and distribution. “We are trying to develop people and talent,” he says. Previously, up to eight office workers were touching orders on a full-time basis. Now only two people have the job function, as others have been repurposed and reskilled to fulfill roles with more humanto-human interaction. “When workers have their heads down and working on tasks, they are not seeing the full picture,” Cox says. “They have a tendency to get tunnel vision.” By freeing workers from doing mundane repetitive tasks, Polaris has more customer relationship management resources that are “picking up the phone and talking to people,” he says. “We are trying to do more of that, so our clients are getting the attention they need.”

Dave Brajkovich, chief technology officer for Polaris, leads a team of software developers in the company’s Digital Laboratory.

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

A digital lab Soon after Polaris started investing in RPA, the company

created a new space in its office to serve as a “think tank.” The Digital Laboratory is intended to bring together executives and technology workers to “digitize” Polaris, Cox says. Three-quarters of its office building focuses on moving goods to market through warehousing, distribution and cross-border assets. The Digital Laboratory takes up the other quarter, an area Cox describes as a “clean, positive space that would be something different than supply chain.” Polaris also created a new company housed in the new office wing called NorthStar Digital Solutions, which owns the intellectual property for RPAs used in Polaris’ customs process. The sister company serves Polaris by providing efficiencies not found in other software systems, Cox says. NorthStar, through its WorkFusion partnership, also is selling and supporting RPA technology to other transportation and logistics companies as a Software-as-a-Service. In addition to providing customs automation technology, NorthStar is developing systems to automate accounts receivables, payables and other areas. Cox says NorthStar also is working on RPA projects for Polaris in accounting and soon will turn its attention to load planning. NorthStar also has been working with IBM to develop a blockchain platform for transportation. The goal is to be first to market with a “distributed ledger” on a centralized hosted environment that will be easy to use and make Polaris and NorthStar’s other customers easy to do business with, Brajkovich says. “[Blockchain] will allow for the common sharing of business transactions between partners, shared services providers, competitors and clients and will be used by organizations and consumer-end users looking to receive fast, efficient, secure and cost-effective service,” Brajkovich 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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Saving for retirement was the No. 3 concern cited by company drivers in CCJ ’s 2019 What Drivers Want survey. Owner-operators ranked home time/family life No. 3, just ahead of retirement.

Pay, home time, stress remain top concerns

BY JASON CANNON ast year was a banner year for trucking by almost every meaningful metric. But despite trends that indicate most drivers made more money in 2018, the results of a survey conducted by CCJ this summer indicate drivers don’t feel remarkably different about their jobs than they did two years earlier. In CCJ’s 2017 What Drivers Want survey, slightly more than half (53.2%) of surveyed drivers were mostly satisfied with their jobs and their ability to pay the bills. Just more than 31% noted a “good” career path, indicating they expected to make more money each year. Another 15.5% were ready to get out of trucking altogether. Two years later, in our most recent survey, the percentage of fairly satisfied drivers was mostly unchanged (54%), but the number of drivers who felt good about their long-term prospects behind the wheel jumped to 35%, while drivers ready to find another job dropped to 11%. Getting paid The top end of the driver pay scale – those pulling in more than $100,000 annually – held firm at 12%, with leased owner-operators (27% of overall top earners) taking the lion’s share in

2018. The middle group of earners grew decidedly over the last two years, while the population of the lowest-earning drivers shrank by nearly a quarter. Only 4% of surveyed company drivers laid claim to earning six figures in 2018, but the drivers who earned $75,000 to $100,000 jumped 5% to 25%, up from 19.9% two years earlier. The $50,000 to $75,000 bracket grew nearly 6% to 45%, up from 39.1% in 2016. The number of drivers earning $35,001 to $50,000 shrank nearly 8% — down

from 27.8% in 2016 to 20% last year. Drivers who earned $35,000 or less dropped from 9.2% in 2016 to just 6% in 2018. Despite a year in trucking that saw more than half its industry segments post double-digit revenue increases, 44% of surveyed drivers expect to make about the same money this year as last, with another 27% expecting to make more. Meanwhile, 30% expect to see a drop in pay. Paying the bills However, even after considering all the

What would be the main reason you would consider changing jobs and driving for another ﬂeet? They offered me more money. They offered me more miles/loads. They offered a big sign-on bonus. They offered me a new/newer truck. They offered me more time at home. They offered me my choice of routes and hauls. They offered me a clear career path. They showed they appreciate the work I do and have a team atmosphere. 0%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Source: CCJ’s 2019 What Drivers Want survey

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019 49

COVER STORY | WHAT DRIVERS WANT

Which of the following truck/equipment features are important to you? Special seat that improves comfort for long hours of driving Mobile communication to stay in touch with my dispatcher (such as Qualcomm) Late-model truck Fuel economy features (aerodynamics, trailer skirts) that will help me achieve a fuel-saving bonus Automated transmission Good-looking paint job Larger sleeper Satellite TV Satellite radio Auxiliary power unit (APU) Other

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Source: CCJ’s 2019 What Drivers Want survey

What is the one thing you dislike most about your job today? Regulations make it harder to work and make a living.

40%

I'm not making enough money.

12%

I'm not getting enough miles/loads.

My family life is strained because I'm never home.

It's a thankless job nobody respects truckers or appreciates what we do.

20%

Driving has been bad for my health.

Complexity that comes with using new technology. Just let me drive.

Nothing. I like my job and have no complaints.

13%

Source: CCJ’s 2019 What Drivers Want survey

commercial carrier journal

positive pay trends, paying bills each month was the top concern (38%) for survey respondents. Stresses and challenges led 33% of respondents to indicate they would like to get out of trucking, while another 12% said they’d like to stay in the business but get out of the driver’s seat — the same percentage of drivers who said they would like to buy their own truck and become an owner-operator. “They give the older, more experienced drivers harder runs and the younger, more inexperienced drivers easier runs so they don’t quit,” said David Goberish Jr., a leased owner-operator with Supreme Auto Transport. He grew up in the business and added that after more than 20 years, he’s ready to move into a non-driving job with a carrier. “Why should I work harder for the same money?” Even though 34% of respondents indicated they were happy with their future in trucking as long as they see annual pay increases, drivers at the top end of the pay scale find there’s a delicate balance between maximum profits and minimum home time.

| october 2019

Darlean Hodges, a leased owner-operator with Hodges Transport, was always drawn to the open road and expects to make more than $100,000 this year. But money isn’t everything. “Dealing with stress, anger and loneliness” was noted as Hodges’ top concern, and after less than five years in the cab, Hodges was ready to stop trucking. “Not completely just doing something other than driving, but still in trucking,” he said. Adding to that level of stress were Hodges’ two other top concerns: home time and paying bills. “Nobody wants to live this lifestyle anymore,” Goberish added. “If you work only 40 or 50 hours a week and be home to have a life, that’s what would keep drivers. But it’s not economical for fleets to pay a wage that you could have a life on and still make a living.” Lack of respect, home time Drivers cited inadequate pay (72%) as the biggest reason carriers struggle to find drivers. Next, at 64%, is that drivers didn’t feel they had the respect of their employer and didn’t feel part of the team. Goberish notes narrowing drive-time windows have had a negative impact on trucking as a whole. “No respect, even between drivers, because of the clock that tells you what to do,” he said. Lack of home time was the third-mostcited reason carriers have a hard time finding drivers with 60%. Walt Sanders said a career in trucking was a job of last resort for him. “I had two boys to feed,” he said. But after more than 20 years OTR and 150,000 miles last year, he said he’d like to get out of trucking, citing more home time as the reason. No support, miles, career Lack of a support system in dealing with shippers and daily misadventures (58%) was the No. 4 reason cited by respondents as to why carriers have trouble finding drivers. Rounding out the Top 5, with a tie at 31% each, was a lack of

COVER STORY | WHAT DRIVERS WANT

miles/loads and absence of a career path. These also were the top reasons cited two years ago, in virtually the same order. The bulk of respondents drove between 75,001 to 100,000 miles (27%) and 100,001 to 125,000 miles (26%) last year — figures that are mostly consistent with 2016. Mileage across the board is fairly comparable between the two years with the exception of the number of drivers logging 25,000 miles or less, which dropped 2% from 2016 to 2018. The number of company drivers who have been in trucking more than 20 years jumped in 2018, up to 61% versus 57% two years prior. However, growth in the “20 Year Plus Club” came at the expense of drivers with between 16 and 20 years of experience, as that group slid from 13.2% in 2016 to 11% last year. Tenure at every other milestone retreated at least marginally over the two-year period. Virginia Harlow, a now-retired Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based company driver, noted trucking also was a job of last resort, and after retiring three years ago – concluding a 15-year career – it’s been difficult to return part time. “26 years experience in a machine shop meant nothing in 2001 here in Iowa,” Harlow said. “I retired in 2016 but still have a valid CDL-A. I can’t even get a part-time driving-locally job. Clean record doesn’t count?” When to retire? Despite the lack of a youth movement in trucking – and growth among the population of the industry’s oldest drivers – 52% of respondents didn’t know when they would retire. Only 10% planned to retire within the next year. Of those who don’t plan on retiring, 42% said they continue to drive because they need the money. Another 14% said they needed to maintain their benefits. “ESOP and 401(k) will be a big help,” said Craig Bailey, a driver for Advance Draining System (ADS). “I have it in my will to be buried in my

truck with a full tank of fuel so I’m ready to go to work on the other side,” joked Jordan Hutter, a driver for Power Source Transportation. “The way the government is going, there’s probably not going to be anything in Social Security.” Only 22% of respondents say they’ve saved enough money to retire. The other 78% either haven’t (64%) or don’t know (14%). “I worked for Teamster companies for 30 years and received 26-and-a-half years of retirement benefits,” said Steve Hearne, a retiree turned part-time SM Putnam driver. “I also put money in an IRA. I suggest everyone put some money in a retirement fund. Pay yourself first.” Among company drivers, 55% said their carrier offered a retirement program, while another 43% said one was not available. Perks and regulations For fleets that can’t pay top-dollar or fund a retirement package, there’s still a clear path to driver satisfaction: Driver comfort. A special, more comfortable driver’s seat (69%), an auxiliary power unit (60%) and a late-model truck (55%) with a large sleeper (53%) rated with the majority as features important to drivers. To little surprise, a clear majority (40%)

cited regulations as the thing they dislike most about their jobs, although it was a bigger problem for owner-operators (48%) than company drivers (35%). “The 30-minute break rule just makes my day longer,” ADS’ Bailey said. “It’s of no benefit.” “ELD logs have made drivers unsafe,” added Luis Gomes, a driver for El Paso, Texas-based Russell Transport. “Lying in bed three to four hours waiting for the 10-hour break to complete, then driving tired. Taking 30-minute breaks when I don’t need it. Drivers killing each other for truck stop parking locations.” Raised on a farm and with a high school education in-hand, 20-plus-year career trucker Gerald Sparacino, of Louisiana-based Sparacino Trucking, said he was drawn to the industry for its “decent salary back then” and its freedom, but regulations have changed all that. “I am too old to do anything else now,” he said. “If I had to do it over, I would definitely choose another career. Since I am an old-school driver, this electronic logging system is nothing but B.S. To me, it’s all about control. I am not a robot. There needs to be flexibility in how you can drive. Why are all the regulations aimed at big trucks, and cars can do anything?”

If you were in charge of a ﬂeet and could do ONE thing to attract and retain drivers, you would: Raise pay. Offer more miles/loads. Change to a more regional-haul model to get people home more often. Guarantee a certain amount of home time for drivers each month. Offer fuel economy, safety and other bonuses to boost driver pay. Update to new trucks and equipment to make drivers more comfortable when driving and at rest. Reward senior drivers with new trucks and route preferences. Offer excellent health benefits and 401(k) Guarantee a minimum pay, or mileage/loads

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Source: CCJ’s 2019 What Drivers Want survey

commercial carrier journal

| october 2019 51

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.”

Trimble tips the scale with new products BY AARON HUFF

“T

he power of together” themed the 2019 Trimble in.sight user conference last month in Houston, starting with a general session at the George R. Brown Convention Center that drew more than 2,000 attendees. A year ago at the same location, Trimble announced a unified branding for its PeopleNet and TMW Systems properties. Trimble acquired PeopleNet in 2011 and TMW the following year. Judging by the torrent of news at this year’s event, rebranding and reorganizing were the easy parts for Trimble Transportation. In the last year, the company has been developing software on an unprecedented scale as a combined organization. “The process has been positive and constructive,” said Steve Berglund, president and chief executive for Trimble, a publicly traded company. “I’m sure there are still some identity problems for ‘What is the meaning of Trimble?’ But by and large, we are beginning to demonstrate the full potential of the combination.” For more than 20 years, Trimble has been focused on the agriculture, construction, forestry and transportation industries. The company’s aspiration in these markets is “not to engage in positive impacts or change, but to have transformative impacts,” he said. The formula for success is to master each domain by understanding the users and delivering technological innovation, Berglund said. Trimble spends more than $400 million annually on 54

commercial carrier journal

Steve Berglund, president and chief executive for Trimble, announced new executive roles for Tom Fansler and James Langley.

Tom Fansler, chief technology and data officer for Trimble, discussed the company’s focus on creating new data-based products.

James Langley, senior vice president for Trimble Transportation, wants to help carriers maximize utilization of resources by using technology to solve common transportation challenges.

Mark Botticelli, chief technology officer for Trimble Transportation, announced a new ecosystem of applications that connect with the company’s products.

research and development, he said. Trimble increasingly is applying artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and data analytics to leverage big data within and across its industries. To magnify this effort, Berglund announced the appointment of Tom Fansler as the company’s chief technology and data officer. Fansler previously headed Trimble’s Transportation division. Filling his vacancy there is James Langley, who most recently was president of truckload carrier Dart Transit (CCJ Top 250, No. 62). He previously had worked at Trimble Transportation’s enterprise software division, formerly TMW, with career stops at U.S. Xpress (No. 15) and J.B. Hunt (No. 3).

| october 2019

“The expectations on James are not modest,” Berglund said. In Langley’s new role as senior vice president for Trimble Transportation, he will have access to Fansler to “utilize the full capabilities of Trimble.” The company has annual revenues of more than $3 billion and 11,000 employees.

Trimble’s data strategy During the in.sight conference, Langley said Trimble is positioned uniquely to help logistics companies and carriers provide solutions for shipper customers that go beyond capacity. He also said the company is focused on helping carriers achieve maximum utilization of resources by developing new data and optimization products. Trimble customers operate more than 1.3 million combined trucks and trailers. “Utilization is where every-

TECHNOLOGY: LOAD OPTIMIZATION thing is going,” Langley said. “We want to double-down on our data strategy. That is critically important with the things we are trying to accomplish.” Fansler took the stage to announce new products from Trimble that were developed this year by leveraging the company’s scale and expertise in big data and data analytics. • Trimble Dispatch Advisor gives load planners optimized planning choices. Keith Mader, vice president of analytics, discussed how the product’s advanced mathematics account for variables such as driver home time requests, hours of service availability, load preferences and equipment requirements. The system presents the best choices for each truck in the load and trip planning view of a carrier’s TMS system. Users can select assignment choices “with full knowledge of how they impact your plan,” Mader said. (See page 56.) • Connected Fleet Central replaces the previous web portal for the company’s fleet mobility platform to deliver a “seamless path to supporting telematics data,” Fansler said. • Inform Power BI gives transportation companies using Trimble’s enterprise transportation management software (TMS) the “ultimate in self-serve data” to query and access their data “any way you want to,” Fansler said. • Data Trust Center gives fleet and logistics customers a secure central hub to control when and how they allow third parties to access their data. The product has simple switches that allow for integration with freight visibility providers and other connections. To further address the need for data privacy, Fansler said, all Trimble telematics products in North America will comply with California Senate Bill 327 that goes into effect Jan 1, 2020. California is the first state to pass a law of this kind that regulates the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices that

contain information about its residents.

Free visibility offering Trimble executives stressed the unique capabilities the company has developed for freight visibility since acquiring 10-4 Systems in 2017 and rebranding it as Trimble Visibility. Data integration between Trimble Visibility and the company’s enterprise and mobility platforms give it a unique “ecosystem” for predicting shipment arrivals using dispatch and HOS data. Startup freight visibility companies “can’t match” these capabilities, said Zack Gibbs, senior product manager for Trimble Transportation. “We feel we have a competitive advantage in the marketplace.” Trimble now is providing visibility tools to its carrier and logistics customers for free. The visibility product’s basic version will give carriers and logistics companies tools to communicate shipment status with shippers proactively via email, text and hyperlinks, Gibbs said.

Trimble Transportation ecosystem Mark Botticelli, chief technology officer for Trimble Transportation, announced the launch of the Trimble Transportation ecosystem that consolidates and unifies data access for all third-party web applications and services that its customers use. As the Trimble ecosystem becomes larger and more diverse, “we needed a way for our technical teams to build with less hurdles,” Botticelli said. The ecosystem fulfills that need as a hub for documentation, code samples and development testing. The Trimble ecosystem at Transportation.Trimble.com also gives its customers the option to choose what data sources they want to make available for use by Trimble as anonymous data to aggregate and provide valuable market

information to them in return. If fleets and logistics providers opt in, they can supply deidentified data to Trimble’s new Market Insights product to view key industry indicators. Trimble is uniquely positioned to provide market intelligence in the transportation industry with its products for managing different parts of the supply chain, Botticelli said. With Market Insights, users can access accurate pricing data to use for booking the right freight, he said. Other possibilities for sharing data anonymously could include benchmarking fleet maintenance data. “We are providing value for whatever you opt into doing with us,” Botticelli says. Other products announced at the in.sight conference include: • Hosted TMS subscriptions with organized bundles that are “carefully curated with specific functionality, like customer service, accounting and dispatch,” said Jon Passman, chief product and marketing officer for Trimble Transportation. • Trimble Duo as an all-in-one vehicle gateway and Android display. Availability is expected within the next few months. • Trimble Instinct, the next-generation mobile technology platform scheduled for a beta release by yearend. The platform lets fleets use existing workflows and integrations and select apps from Trimble and third parties. • Risk and safety management module for the TMW Suite system that tracks details of important safety events, assigns tasks and tracks their completion. • Fatigue monitoring as an addon solution for the company’s Safety Analytics product. The add-on identifies when drivers are approaching a fatigued state by using raw HOS data. The product is powered by an integration with Pulsar Informatics.

commercial carrier journal

october 2019

TECHNOLOGY: LOAD OPTIMIZATION

New Trimble load planning tool optimizes human element

everal months ago, leadership of Trimble Transportation set a goal to have a new optimization tool ready to announce at the company’s annual in.sight user conference in Houston, Sept. 15-18. At last year’s event, Keith Mader, vice president of analytics, hinted at the possibility during an interview with CCJ, and this year he made it official on stage by launching the Trimble Dispatch Advisor on Sept. 16. The new product gives fleet customers that use Trimble’s enterprise transportation management software (TMS) platforms – TMW Suite, TruckMate or Innovative – a way to instantly see the best options for matching their loads with trucks. After the opening session, Mader and Chris Orban, vice president of data science, met with CCJ to explain the new product. Trimble Dispatch Advisor succeeds IDSC Match Advice, an application that TMW Systems acquired in 2007 with its purchase of IDSC. Trimble later acquired TMW Systems in 2012, the year after it purchased fleet mobility provider PeopleNet. The first version of Dispatch Advisor optimally matches loads with a single origin and destination to power units (a tractor with one or more drivers), Orban said. IDSC Match Advice did the same thing, but the latest product has a new algorithm and workflow process to help load planners account for human elements in their decisions, the two explained. The algorithm finds the minimum-cost combination of loads and trucks by using a cost matrix of time, distance, deadhead miles and other variables, where “cost” is not necessarily a dollar value. A load that gets a driver home for the weekend may have a lower cost value than a load that does not, Orban said. Orban described the optimal path through this cost matrix as a “diagonal” that connects the loads with the power units that deliver the lowest possible cost for the system. The optimal recommendations for loads and tractors are fed directly into the load planning screens of the TMS systems. Users also get recommendations for the second-, third- and fourth-best options (and more), with scores that show the reasons why. By showing the next-best recommendations, users can account for human factors. A load planner may choose to go with the optimal solution for the easiest choices and use the recommendations to simplify the more complex decisions.

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Keith Mader, vice president of analytics for Trimble Transportation, announced the new Dispatch Advisor tool at Trimble’s in.sight user conference.

“We order [the recommendations], so we show them which one we would like them to pick, but we also have all the other options right below it,” Mader said. Choosing a sub-optimal recommendation often is necessary to “help or address how you treat drivers,” Mader said, since drivers may have individual load and route preferences that the model can take into consideration. Trimble Dispatch Advisor is currently in the beta process and is being used by a number of early-adopter fleets within their planning processes. Trimble has integrated another data science product in the load planning process that predicts which drivers are most likely to quit. The model uses hours of service and other operational data to make its predictions. Users have a web-based portal for visibility to predictive driver retention scores. This information also is visible within Trimble’s TMS systems to give load planners information to use when making driver decisions, Mader said. An at-risk driver may have low miles, and with this information, a planner could make a more informed dispatch decision. Notes from driver interactions also are displayed in the load planning screen. If a planner is about to assign a load to a driver with lower mileage, the planner could contact the driver to explain the situation and promise to get the driver a higher-mileage load on the return trip, Orban said. Even with the latest developments, Trimble has a long way to go before artificial intelligence is ready to replace humans in the office for matching freight. “This is a recommendation engine,” Orban said. “This is not automated dispatch. This is not ‘Hey, we know everything there is to know, and we’re just going to tell you what to do.’ ” – Aaron Huff

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Tire retreads are another path of recycling. Not only do the tires cost less, they also require significantly less oil to make: 7 gallons versus 22 gallons required for a new tire.

How to properly dispose of tires, batteries, oils, fluids and filters BY TOM QUIMBY

leets generate several recycling streams that can prove advantageous for both their business and the environment. Tires, batteries, fluids and various metals come to mind when considering recycling options, but you can expand your green footprint by also going into the office, and that doesn’t necessarily mean having to deal with several different recycling companies. Quest Resource Management Group offers a full range of recycling services. Really, if there’s anything that can be recycled from a fleet, Quest is up for the challenge, from tire pressure monitors to fluids, metals, batteries, plastic, paper, pallets and more. “We can approach any business and know that we can handle all of their waste streams,” said Ray Hatch, chief executive

officer for Quest. Used motor oil ranks high on the list of recyclables, and according to Hatch, Quest’s national presence gives it advantages over its competitors. “One of the key advantages is that we can consolidate, and two, because we have a national scale, we’re able to leverage the cost of processing and picking up down,” Hatch said. “We’re also able to optimize the values of these commodities like used motor oil, because we handle millions of gallons of used motor oil every year. With that, you get to command a pretty significant market presence, and we’re able to do that, and our clients benefit from that from a price standpoint.” Quest meets with fleets to gauge their needs and develop a recycling plan. “Generally, we would set up the services based on the volcommercial carrier journal

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EQUIPMENT: GOING GREEN

Valvoline says its NextGen uses some of the highest-quality recycled oil and a breakthrough formula for performance, which meets or exceeds industry specifications.

ume that they generate,” said Vanessa Lepice, the company’s vice president of marketing and new business development. “We look at their business and historical volume, accounting for any fluctuation in the amount of waste they generate.” Quest keeps up with national, state and local waste regulations and works with local subcontractors when possible to pick up a fleet’s waste more quickly and get those products in for processing. Used batteries charging ahead When it comes to recycling, it’s hard to beat lead-acid batteries. It’s an impressive closed-loop system where companies produce their batteries, get them to fleets and recycle old ones so they can be transformed into new batteries. The lead, plastic and sulfuric acid all can be recycled. “We usually get a one-for-one exchange,” said Tod Lyons, sustainability program manager for Interstate Batteries. “For every new battery our company sells, we usually get a battery in exchange. Otherwise, you get a core charge. Scrap batteries that we receive are raw material for our new batteries.” Battery manufacturers have been going green with lead for years. The high recyclability rate makes it more cost-effective. “Just about every auto and truck battery out there is probably made with used lead,” Lyons said. “It’s such a sustainable material. You’ve got around a 99% recycling rate when it 60

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comes to lead-acid batteries. You can use that same lead over and over and over again.” The plastic and the acid also can be recycled. “The plastic covers and cases of spent batteries are crushed, melted and formed into pellets to make new battery covers and cases,” said Charles Giesige, vice president of recycling operations for Exide. “Spent acid is recycled for new battery use, neutralized into water or converted into sodium sulfate, an odorless powder used in laundry detergents, textiles and glass.” Giesige said modern closed-loop battery recycling keeps roughly 122 million batteries a year from landfills. “Our internal recycling centers, along with our network of external recycling partners, ensure that the products are handled in compliance with all environmental regulations,” he said. “By recycling batteries, fleets can contribute to the circular economy of lead batteries. Lead batteries have a 99.3% recycle rate, the highest of any consumer product in the U.S. Additionally, the industry reuses more than 80% recycled materials in new batteries. Exide uses 100% recycled secondary plastic in its batteries.” Battery recycling isn’t complicated. Often depending on fleet size, batteries can be arranged for pickup, or fleets can deliver them to a distribution center. Some fleets may benefit by delivering the batteries themselves. “Delivery will get you a little bit more value, but we do have the ability to pick up,” Lyons said. “In most cases, they’ll cut them a check right there on the spot based on whatever price per pound they offer. Lead is a commodity, so it is something that changes, but not significantly. Lead is a little bit different than your other commodities like gold and silver, but it’s still a commodity, and there is a market for it that’s impacted by supply and demand.” Depending on the arrangement, fleets may opt for a credit toward the purchase of new batteries. Battery suppliers such as Interstate and Exide work with their customers to determine an ideal recycling program. “We have a comprehensive logistics network that regularly handles the pickup of spent batteries and the transport of these spent batteries to an appropriate recycling center,” Giesige said. “This agreement is typically part of any customer contract.” Clarios, formerly Johnson Controls, said it recycles 8,000 batteries an hour daily at locations around the globe and that 99% of each battery is recycled. “The opportunities are clear,” said Scott Miller, U.S.-Canada sales manager for Clarios. “Battery recycling makes it easy to dispose of old batteries and recoup upfront core costs. And it’s a worry-free way to help the planet. This is a great example of a ‘circular economy,’ a closed system that mini-

EQUIPMENT: GOING GREEN

Battery suppliers such as Interstate and Exide work with their customers to determine an ideal recycling program.

mizes waste and makes continuing use of resources.” Typically, when Clarios delivers new batteries to a fleet, it pays them for their old cores and hauls them off. If spent batteries are piling up fast, fleets can email a request for an earlier pickup. Prior to delivery, take steps to stack batteries properly. According to Lyons, palletized batteries cannot be over three stacks high. Cardboard must separate each layer of batteries and also be placed on top of the stack prior to shrink-wrapping. A hazmat license is not required to haul used batteries, Lyons said. Be on the lookout for 12-volt lithium batteries that must be separated from lead-acid batteries that are bound for recycling. If a lithium battery is processed for recycling as a lead-acid battery, it can explode or catch fire. “It’s either going to shut down the machinery for several days or potentially injure or even kill someone,” Lyons said. “Beware of the lithium batteries that look like lead batteries, because you can’t ship those back. Beside it being illegal to ship them back on the same pallet, they can’t go through the same process as a lead battery. Lithium batteries will explode. They can create fires.” Regarding the recyclability of lithium batteries, Lyons said the value really isn’t there yet. Interstate recycles lithium and nickel metal hydride batteries found in power tools. “The difference between that and a lead battery is that your lithium batteries right now will cost you to recycle because they’re not currently quite as sustainable as lead batteries,” he said. Time will tell if the growing electric vehicle segment, which now includes a few medium- and heavy-duty trucks, will continue to pursue lithium batteries. 62

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“It depends on whether lithium’s going to be the chemistry of the future,” Lyons said. “There’s a real discussion as to whether lithium is really the value of what they’ve come out early to say. Certainly lithium batteries recharge a little quicker. They’re a lot lighter. They hold their charge a little bit longer, but the biggest thing is the recycling aspect.” China-based BYD, the world’s largest EV manufacturer, said as much after announcing the opening of its EV battery recycling plant in Shanghai. “Unfortunately, I’m sad to report that it’s not a very efficient process,” said George Miller, BYD’s electric truck senior sales manager for national fleets, before an audience at last year’s ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif. “Right now, they’re smelting these batteries, and they’re getting out anywhere from 40% to 60% of the cobalt, and the rest results in slag, a highly toxic output that is not very usable.” Still, Miller said the value of cobalt is paying for the recycling process and that improvements in recycling methods continue to develop. Tires keep it rolling Talk tires with Hatch, and he gets pretty excited. After all, Quest pioneered a solution to repurpose 19 million tires for a national retailer, using the tires to resurface its parking lots. But the list of products coming from used tires goes a lot longer than that. “Tires is a big one for your [truck fleet] group,” Hatch said. “Rubber is extracted and used in anything from floor mats to railroad ties, acoustic underlay — there are many things. But typically, tires is a big one.” As with other recyclables produced by fleets, Quest helps to streamline the process of getting used tires out of a shop and into a productive recycling stream. “We set up a service interval,” Lepice said. “For example, tires would be in a cage, and we show them how to lace the tires, and they’re picked up once a month, every six weeks, depending on the volume, so that they never have excess capacity. Should they need additional service, we have 24/7 support where they just call or email, and then the account management team schedules service, and then it’s picked up the day after.” Seeing the value in expanding its green footprint, Michelin announced in June at its Movin’ On Summit that the composition of its tires will jump from 28% to 80% sustainable materials by 2048. It also has an ambitious goal of expanding tire recycling from 50% to 100% within that same timeframe. Michelin currently does not have a tire recycling program for fleets, but that could change. “Michelin is also developing partnerships to identify new ways to recycle tires, or new outlets for recycled tires,” said

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EQUIPMENT: GOING GREEN

Motor oil and anti-freeze rank high among recycled truck fluids. Major oil manufacturers see the value in taking that filthy black crude and making it new again.

Mary Ann Kotlarich, Michelin spokesperson. Tire retreads are another path of recycling. Not only do the tires cost less, they also require significantly less oil to make: 7 gallons versus 22 gallons required for a new tire. Liquid gold While power steering and transmission fluid can be recycled, motor oil and anti-freeze also rank high among recycled truck fluids. Major oil manufacturers see the value in taking that filthy black crude and making it new again. “The new recycling techniques yield high-quality base oil that can match crude oil,” Valvoline reports on its website. “Valvoline NextGen uses some of the highest-quality recycled oil and a breakthrough formula for performance, which meets or exceeds industry specifications.” In addition to draining the oil pan, used motor oil also can be obtained through filters. Some shops have invested in oil filter crushers that not only extract additional oil but also render the filter into a crushed lump of recyclable metal. Oil also is a commodity, and KFM’s Coolant Purification System can its price flucrecycle 150 gallons of anti-freeze an hour. Corrosion inhibitors are added to restore tuations affect the coolant to its original specifications. used oil market. 64

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“Used motor oil is a big one,” Hatch said. “It fluctuates back and forth. We’ve gone through a cycle where it was very low. So instead of getting paid for it or having it be cost-neutral based on the value of the commodity during that period of time, clients had to pay to have it taken away. So if you picture whatever the commodity is that has a value which fluctuates but the service to pick it up and recycle it appropriately has a cost as well, when the value of the commodity is more than that, there’s more to share that way, and the client can actually get paid. A generator can actually get some money for that recycling point.” While the used anti-freeze market does not enjoy the same prominence as used oil, fleets still can enjoy some savings by having their coolant recycled onsite or by investing in their own anti-freeze recycler. KFM of Ohio manufactures the Coolant Purification System that can recycle 150 gallons of anti-freeze an hour. Corrosion inhibitors are added to restore coolant to its original specifications. “The only byproducts we have are spent resins and the filters,” said Lincoln Remmert, KFM owner. “The spent resins are typically a nonhazardous waste. One or two sets of filters could end up in hazardous waste if you put something that’s high in lead concentration in it to start with.” Recycling anti-freeze onsite also provides some regulatory benefits. “By recycling onsite, you enjoy certain exemptions from waste regulations,” Remmert said. “If you generate, recycle and reuse your material onsite, it will be exempted from some of the hazardous waste regulations. But you have to generate there, which means take it out of your trucks, recycle it there, run it through our machine, and then recharge the trucks — put it back into the trucks there onsite.” Brake check Bendix is synonymous with brakes and remains driven to increase its green profile. The Ohio-based company reports that more than 500,000 commercial vehicle air dryer spin-on cartridges containing about a million total pounds of desiccant are thrown out across North America each year. Bendix can recycle this desiccant and combine it with new desiccant for its GCTM Spin-On Air Dryer Cartridge. “The Bendix GC has a performance range that’s near the air-drying efficiency of our brand-new OEM-grade cartridges,” said Richard Nagel, Bendix’s director of marketing and customer solutions, Air Charging. Bendix’s sustainability efforts also include a program that diverts used brake linings from landfill disposal and increased recycling opportunities at all its facilities.

As the deadline nears for migrating from previous-generation AOBRD equipment to ELDs, the quality of ELD provider customer service and the sunset of cellular 3G networks pose potential problems BY AARON HUFF AND TODD DILLS

How poor customer service can cause noncompliance Bill Frerichs’ six-truck fleet first invested in an e-logs system, an automatic onboard recording device, as he was headed into the first late-2017 electronic logging device mandate deadline. Since then, the e-logs provider he used was bought out and consolidated under another company. Frerichs had been reasonably happy with the performance of the devices — but not with the delays in getting replacement units when problems arose on three occasions. The experience led him this summer to canvass for a potentially different supplier as he considered the transition to the ELD specification required by Dec. 18. Customer support “is missing a little something,” Frerichs said. “They cannot keep up with the eight-day rule.” He’s talking about the eight days the ELD mandate gives carriers and their drivers to use paper logs or logs software while attempting to repair or replace a malfunctioning device. In response to demands from carriers shortly after the ELD mandate’s 2017 enforcement date, FMCSA opened up ways to expedite requests for more time to deal with such delays, but the bedrock eight-day requirement remains. Frerichs sought an ELD provider that would consign two units to his Belleville, Ill.-based Frerichs Freight Lines – essentially for his parts shelf – in case some-

thing goes awry. “Three times, we have had issues that have taken anywhere from three to six weeks to get the replacement parts” to resolve, he said. With his contract with his original provider coming to an end this fall, Frerichs found a supplier whose ELD is distributed via the Volvo dealer through which he specs and orders his fleet’s tractors. “It’s a front-runner based on that,” he said. “I think I could go to them and [tell them] I want at least one or two systems down on my shelf, and I don’t want to be charged for it until I turn it on,” for replacement security. Customer service issues to consider when evaluating an ELD include the availability and quality of basic technical support when problems arise. Plenty of carriers are assigning more value to such

issues in the mandate’s wake. Among carriers and independent owner-operators who switched from AOBRDs to ELDs prior to the midyear CCJ/Overdrive survey about the shift, a fifth of them reported the early upgrade came “after experiencing customer service or equipment problems.” Some providers offer 24/7 support with offices both in the Western and Eastern hemispheres. In other cases, it can be difficult to get someone on the phone when you need them or get a problem resolved quickly when you can reach someone. Customer referrals from any vendor might go a long way toward giving you a sense of whether a vendor handles support effectively. It’s an important consideration. If you are unable to resolve a malfunctioning

How satisfied are you with your ELD/AOBRD provider? 12% 30%

Somewhat or a little satisfied 35%

23%

Not satisfied at all

Satisfied Very satisfied

More than half the fleets and independent owner-operators surveyed by CCJ and Overdrive in late 2018 showed scant to no satisfaction with their ELD provider company’s service.

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“We do a lot more than the hours of service on our tablets,” said Mike Degeneffe, Schneider’s vice president of IT solution delivery. “The tablet is an extension of our back office.” Software on the tablets for hours recording is by the Platform Science company. The tablets’ Android platform should position the Green Bay, Wis.-based carrier well for the 3G network’s sunset starting this year.

ELD promptly, as Frerichs emphasizes, and you or your driver spend a week on paper logs, you open yourself up to possible violations of the rule even as you request an extension from regulators. Reach out to FMCSA with the message that “ ‘my supplier’s behind’ on the seventh day in the eight-day grace period,” Frerichs said, and “it’s too late. They’re not going to accept that.” That’s what he was told by his contact in FMCSA’s Illinois division office, he said.

Keeping up with cellular networks upgrade In addition to the approaching final ELD deadline, a major factor influencing recent trucking technology decisions is the sunsetting of 3G CDMA cellular networks. Many fleets have been running AOBRDs with soon-to-be-outdated 3G technology to keep their offices connected to drivers 70

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and various mobile applications. As the final ELD deadline approaches, drivers and owner-operators with such fleets are likely to see not only changes in logging procedures but also hardware upgrades or wholesale provider changes. As for small fleets and independent owner-operators using ELD hardware dependent on 3G networks, Ken Evans, chief executive for ELD provider Konexial, believes many probably aren’t “even aware of the 3G sunsetting issue. If they were, then there would be a lot more market activity than there currently is. Most carriers will be in for a rude awakening when the 3G network dies or they cannot get 4G LTE hardware at the last minute.” Konexial’s ELD platform, My20 Fleet, integrates with its GoLoad dynamic load matching service for its customers to receive load opportunities directly from shippers based on their location, hours of

| october 2019

service and asking rates. Even though the software on most AOBRD devices with 3G cellular modems can be updated over-the-air to be ELD-compliant, fleets and owner-operators have to consider whether they want to keep using their existing hardware. “Eventually [3G coverage] will be a problem,” said Eric Witty, a vice president for Trimble Transportation Mobility. The U.S. market will be the first to experience a degradation in 3G service, while in Canada and Mexico, 3G is “going to probably be around longer,” said Flo Dougherty of Omnitracs. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all have announced they will be shutting down 3G service in the United States over the next couple of years. The companies will shift resources to expand 4G LTE and build out next-generation 5G networks. Verizon will be the first to shut down its 3G network, completing it this year, just

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SPECIAL REPORT | THE AOBRD-TO-ELD TRANSITION

in time for the ELD mandate’s final Dec. 18 deadline. The timetable is less certain for other wireless networks, but they can’t afford to lag too far behind, and the impending change already is influencing the mobile strategies of motor carriers. As one of the largest players in the fleet market, Omnitracs had been selling a 3G-enabled IVG mobile platform until the end of 2018. Prior to IVG, the company sold an in-cab MCP platform. Both systems used 3G from Sprint or AT&T. Since the start of 2019, all of Omnitracs’ products are 4G LTE-enabled. As a migration path to 4G, the company is rolling out the Omnitracs One platform that can run on tablets, smartphones and in-cab IVG devices. Customers can choose their own cellular network or have Omnitracs manage it for them. Truckload carrier Schneider (CCJ Top 250, No. 7) has some 3G devices – the Omnitracs MCP200 platform – in its fleet, and “we are going to use them until

they don’t work,” said Mike Degeneffe, a Schneider vice president. Since early 2018, the Green Bay, Wis.-based company has been running 4G LTE tablets. One advantage of using a consumer tablet device is that as 4G changes to 5G, Schneider does not have to worry about having outdated hardware that is exposed to network service disruptions. This is because the shelf life of tablets is so short that replacing and upgrading them will be a necessity before 4G networks become obsolete. For former driver and current safety director Doug Fry, who works for a fleet with terminals in Texas and Georgia, outdated 3G hardware influenced a decision

to switch to a new e-logs provider this year, one with an expandable architecture. Of the old system his fleet was using, Fry said, the onboard computers tethered to the truck’s ECM were “going obsolete, as better than 90% of the ones we had purchased and installed were not 4G LTE devices, and the shutdown of the older CDMA networks was going to leave enormous gaps in coverage where the vehicle would be unable to communicate. Even with volume discounts from our provider, we were still looking at nearly $1,000 worth [per truck] of new ELD equipment.” For a 200-truck fleet, he adds, “that’s a heck of a hit to the bottom line.”

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commercial carrier journal

| october 2019 73

Congratulations!

Winner Sponsored by: TM

uying a refrigerated trailer means considering a lot more specifications than with a dry van or flatbed. There’s duct design, UV-resistant roofs and the type and density of foam insulation, to name a few. Also, transportation refrigeration unit manufacturers are introducing greener models with higher operating

efficiencies and lower fuel consumption. Combined with trailer makers offering improved insulation and heat isolation on their reefer products, owners benefit from lower TRU operating costs. The following are standard or typical specifications for popular 53-foot refrigerated trailers.

Great Dane | GreatDaneTrailers.com EVEREST TL REFRIGERATED

FLOOR: TTMA-rated 18,000-

pound aluminum heavy-duty duct floor for maximum air return, automatically welded to seal out moisture; composite floor sills with corrosion-resistant fasteners; impact-resistant thermoplastic sub-pans CROSSMEMBER: Front, 4-inch aluminum hat style; bay area,

5-inch aluminum I-beam; slide area, 4-inch steel I-beam; all I-beams on 12-inch centers; allsteel crossmembers wax-coated for corrosion resistance SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K 40K air-ride tandem axle suspension BRAKES: Air discs SIDEWALLS: 1.13-inch aluminum

SPECS OF SELECT DRY VANS APPEARED IN THE APRIL ISSUE OF CCJ, WHILE SPECS FOR SELECT FLATBEDS WERE FEATURED IN JULY.

J-shaped upright on 12- and 24-inch centers; .04-inch corrugated aluminum side sheets; scuffbands for extra protection available in various heights and materials, including integral extruded aluminum, highdensity polyethylene plastic and proprietary fastener-free bonded PunctureGuard

LINING: Standard PunctureGuard lining for impact resistance, optional ThermoGuard lining with proprietary barrier layer to help maintain insulation performance; both linings come standard with Microban broad-spectrum antimicrobial protection to help fight bacteria growth, stains and odors REAR FRAME: Satin-finish stainless steel REAR DOORS: Aluminum swing doors with mirror-finish stainless-steel outer sheets sealed to impede moisture intrusion with internal lateral braces for added reinforcement, improved durability and maintaining flat, smooth exterior surface LIGHTING: Grote LED system with 10-year maintenance-free modular wiring harness WHEEL END: Stemco Platinum Performance Plus System ROOF: Lightweight system SAFETY SYSTEMS: ReserveAlert back-up alarm; RIG-30 rear impact guard; FleetPulse telematics; automatic tire inflation; ASA Electronics wireless rear-mounted camera

Trailer manufacturers are offering improved heat isolation and insulation on their refrigerated products, resulting in greater savings and lower TRU operating costs for carriers. commercial carrier journal

| october 2019 75

TRAILER FOCUS REFRIGERATED

Hyundai Translead | Translead.com HT THERMOTECH

FLOOR: Extruded aluminum 1.25-inch-high

duct type; rear gutter flush with floor; last 4 inches of floor reinforced for forklift use with extruded aluminum inserts and 43-by96-inch composite bearing sheet CROSSMEMBER: 5-inch-deep extruded alu-

minum I-beams on 12-inch centers from end of upper running gear rails to support gear; 3-inch-deep high-tensile aluminum I-beam on 12-inch centers between upper coupler and support gear; 4-inch-steel 80,000-pound-yield I-beams on 12-inch

Stoughton | StoughtonTrailers.com PUREBLUE

FLOOR: Extruded aluminum heavy-duty duct design that provides added support in highuse areas; fully-enclosed design with knurled-edge top surface for skid resistance CROSSMEMBER: 5.25-inch extruded aluminum for added support in bay area and strong,

commercial carrier journal

lightweight floor SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K lightweight slider axle system with optimized strengthto-weight ratio SIDE POSTS: Posts in intermediate area between 4-foot panel-topanel connections bonded to help increase thermal efficiency,

| october 2019

centers over support gear and upper running gear rails; two I-beams in rear 4 feet for impact resistance SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Vantraax HK ANT40K air-ride BRAKES: Nonasbestos lining; 16.5-by-7-inch quick-change type; S cam-operated automatic slack adjuster SIDEWALLS: .04-inch prepainted white aluminum side sheet LINING: .065-inch Versitex sides, front, rear doors and ceiling REAR FRAME: Stainless steel; hot-dipped galvanized high-tensile steel; bolt-on underride protection REAR DOORS: Extruded aluminum frametype swing doors with dual durometer seals and .04-inch prepainted white aluminum outer sheets; one anti-rack lock rod per door with rubber-grip handles and heavy-duty extruded aluminum hinges ROOF: One-piece .032-inch-thick aluminum; corrugated roof sheet design

ensure smoother wall surface, stabilize inner liner between panel-to-panel connections and reduce number of rivets, which inhibits heat flow, prevents water intrusion and provides better surface for graphics INSULATION: Platen foaming process for added thermal efficiency in sidewalls, ceiling, front wall and doors; each

subassembly insulated prior to trailer assembly, then all connections foamed separately to ensure airtight seal for consistent insulation process and flat, smooth surface less susceptible to damage SCUFF GUARDS: Rivet-free 6-inch aluminum band, 12-inch integral liner MOUNTING FRAME: Lightweight high-strength low-conductivity unit that accepts all TRUs; composite material inhibits TRUgenerated heat from transferring into trailer REAR DOOR: High-strength composite design that optimizes thermal efficiency and reduces weight; no fasteners; triple-wiper-seal gasket retains contact pressure for improved lifetime seal to maintain thermal efficiency, prevent water intrusion and minimize air loss; snap-lock design for easy gasket replacement REAR UNDERRIDE GUARD: Bolt-on design for easy repair

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TRAILER FOCUS REFRIGERATED Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. | UtilityTrailer.com 3000R REFRIGERATED VAN

FLOOR: 20K duct floor; 1.5-

inch extruded aluminum with 10-inch-high .1875-inch-thick

integrated wear band; hardwood floor fillers full length; 3-inch foam-in-place insulation

CROSSMEMBER: 5.5-inch-deep aluminum I-beam crossmembers on 12-inch centers in bay area; 4-inch 80,000-psi steel I-beams on 12-inch centers over legs and rear suspension subframe SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K ZMD 40,000-pound airride sliding tandem with heavyduty slider box and Quik-Draw air-operated pin release system BRAKES: Bendix TABS-6 Advanced with Bendix Trailer Roll Stability Program on standard base specification; 16.5-by-7-inch brakes with outboard cast-iron drums; 2S/1M ABS system SIDEWALLS: .04-inch prepainted white aluminum side skin with

1-inch-deep J-shaped aluminum side posts on 24-inch centers; extra posts over kingpin and support legs; 2-inch foamin-place insulation LINING: .065-inch Versitex-Utility VR2U high-impact lining on front wall, sidewalls, ceiling and rear doors REAR FRAME: Satin-finished stainless steel REAR DOORS: Rear Barrier Door with bonded foam design; 3-inch insulation ROOF: High-tensioned aluminum roof skin; 3-inch foam-inplace roof insulation SIDE SKIRT: USS-120A-4; Black FRP construction with UV protection, increased ground clearance, structural bend design at bottom

Wabash National | WabashNational.com ARCTICLITE REFRIGERATED

FLOOR: Heavy-duty smooth extruded alumi-

num duct with thermoplastic subpan rated at 16,000 pounds; options include flat floor with thermoplastic subpan, 18,000-pound rating, knurled floorboards CROSSMEMBER: Steel I-beams in bay and rear, composite no-rot floor stringers bolted along length of trailer; options include hat section behind coupler, aluminum SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Ultraa-K air-ride with P-spindle wheel ends, AAR-rated galvanized landing gear support and K-brace; options include mechanical suspension, wide-base rims and tires, semi-fluid grease package, synthetic oil lubrication package BRAKES: Meritor Wabco 2S-1M ABS, Hendrickson H20 HXS linings, Haldex Gold Seal chamber with S-ABA slack adjuster; options include lightweight hub and drum, discs EXTERIOR: Smooth or corrugated prepainted aluminum side sheets, heavy-duty aluminum Z-posts; options include heavy-duty aluminum sheets, corrugated stainless-steel sheets, upper and lower rub rails, side doors, TOFC lift pads INTERIOR: Versitex thermoplastic antimicrobial liner, integral scuff liner with no exposed

commercial carrier journal

fasteners; options include aluminum scuff, 18and 24-inch integral scuff, surface-mounted or recessed E-track and A-track, pallet stops, dome lights REAR FRAME: Brushed-finish stainless steel attached via bolts for repair; options include RIG-16, dock bumpers, grab handles, intermediate steps

| october 2019

REAR DOORS: Aluminum-framed insulated swing with aluminum hinges; options include overhead design, additional lock rods, variety of finishes, integral or aluminum scuff ROOF: Aluminum with heavy-duty impact plate at leading edge; options include SolarGuard system – Dean Smallwood

2-in-1 headphones/headset

Rand McNally’s ClearDryve 180 is designed to convert from stereo headphones to a mono headset once an ear cup is removed and the boom microphone is placed into position. The headset features sound equalizer presets for optimal listening, while the microphone boom features a bendable design with multiple encased microphones that suppress most external noise and, when not in use, can swing out of the way and be muted. The stereo headphones are powered by Qualcomm aptX HD Audio with five equalizer presets. The wireless cable-free headset has a built-in rechargeable battery offering more than 20 hours of talk or 20 hours of music playback time or more than 200 hours of standby time. Controls on the headphones enable drivers to take calls, skip songs and change the volume without having to touch their smartphones, and the Bluetooth connection allows drivers to wirelessly connect the headphones with their smartphones to enable use up to 50 feet away. Rand McNally, www.randmcnally.com, 877-446-4863

Cargo door alert system Two-Commas’ Truck Door Minder is designed to help ensure that cargo doors are secured before a truck departs. The device issues an alert via a warning system in the cab or through a Bluetooth-enabled device. The system is discreet and made for easy, fast installation.

Two-Commas Co., www.truckdoorminder.com, 916-640-3960

Fleet dashcam

Owlcam+ is a crash-detecting dashcam that offers real-time video protection. The artificial intelligence-powered device is designed for fleets that want video security integrated with fleet management and telematics such as driver metrics and reporting, geofencing and mapping, maintenance and diagnostics, asset tracking and electronic logging device-hours of service tracking and compliance. Owl Cameras, www.owlcam.com,

Noise-cancelling headset

BlueParrott’s B350-XT noise-cancelling Bluetooth headset is equipped with VoiceControl, a technology designed to allow users to answer or reject calls with their voice for a hands-free experience. The headset’s noise cancellation is engineered to block out 96% of background noise, and users can customize the headset for one-touch access to their favorite features and applications. An improved headband and a lightweight design add comfort, and an IP54-rating helps protect against dust and moisture in tough environments. The headset provides more than 24 hours of talk time, 500 hours of standby time and an expanded wireless range of 300 feet from Class 1 paired Bluetooth devices.

800-732-7131

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

BlueParrott, www.blueparrott.com, 800-742-8588

PRODUCTS

Tire pressure monitor caps Gel-infused foam truck mattress

Lippert’s Somnum Escape 10-inch gel-infused foam mattress is built to promote a comfortable and cool resting environment for truck drivers. Its Euro-top design features a 2-inch gel-infused foam top layer that rests upon a high-density 7-inch foam base to facilitate both support and cool comfort. The mattress’ quilted cover features a premium knit ticking with an added inch of luxury comfort foam quilted into the cover. It comes in four sizes: 35-by-79, 36-by-76, 38-by-80 and 42-by-80 inches. Lippert Components, www.lippertcomponents.com, 574-535-1125

Quick Pressure’s Tire Pressure Monitor Caps are designed to allow users to check tire pressure easily at a glance without a gauge. The monitors are sealed hermetically to be airtight and watertight and are available in chrome-plated brass. They are available for specific tire pressures from 26 to 165 psi. Quick Pressure, www.tireqp.com, 425-298-8452

Truck floor liners

LED warning and beacon lamps

Optronics’ LED warning and beacon lamps employ a solid-state surface-mount design that helps protect their electronics against moisture, shock and vibration. The multivolt lamps support both 12- and 24-volt vehicle electrical systems on work trucks, utility trucks and wreckers and are engineered to operate in a broad temperature range between -22 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The LED warning lamps have an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, while the LED beacon lamps have an IP65 rating. The warning lamps come in three sizes and are available in single-color, dual-color and tri-color models, offering 70 to 140 possible flash patterns in a thin low-profile design of 1/2- to ¾-inch in thickness with a durable aluminum housing and a tough polycarbonate lens. The rugged beacon lamps are available in 5.5- and 7-inch heights with 30 selectable flash pattern modes and come with 9-foot cords, a 12-volt power plug and switches. Optronics International, www.optronicsinc.com, 800-364-5483

Truck Gear by Line-X’s Floor Liners are made of specially engineered rubberized plastic to help protect truck interiors, clothing and shoes from messes. The plastic is made to be softer to the touch, be durable and comfortable on feet and eliminate deformation in extreme temperatures. The liners are laser-measured for specific truck models to facilitate a perfect fit, with precision contouring designed to allow the liner to automatically seal itself to the carpet to prevent dirt and moisture from getting near interior surfaces. An extra-deep channel pattern provides a rugged appearance and protects shoes and pants from dirt, mud, snow and liquids such as water, soda, coffee and other spills. Line-X, www.linex.com, 877-330-1331

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

PRODUCTS

Cleanup kits

New Pig’s Pig Cleanup Kits are compiled for quick grab-and-go responses to single-use small cleanups. The kits’ compact design makes them suitable to store in vehicles, and an easy-open resealable bag helps protect the Pig Absorbents from dirt and moisture. The kits are available for Universal/ Everyday Use, Garage and Workshops and Blood, Vomit and Urine, and all include absorbent mat pads and loose absorbent made to absorb 37 ounces. New Pig, www.newpig.com, 800-468-4647

Regional tire line

Pirelli’s R89 Series Tire Line is suited for regional applications and features drive (both open and closed shoulder), steer and trailer offerings, all in an extended range of sizes. The lineup is engineered to provide high mileage, fuel savings and added traction in all weather conditions. The tires’ construction and tread profile design deliver an optimized footprint to facilitate even wear and long tread life, while their tread compound helps withstand high scrub conditions. The tread patterns and profiles are designed to help prevent impact damage and allow a uniform distribution of load and torque (for drive) and precise handling (for steer). The company’s proprietary Spiral Advanced Technology for Truck (SATT) and Hexa Bead Wire both help enhance retreadability. Prometeon, www.prometeon.com, 706-368-5800

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

PRODUCTS

Pad-mount alternator

Denso’s PowerEdge 24PE heavy-duty pad-mount alternator is designed to cover nearly all Class 8 vehicles. The 12-volt 170-amp alternator is engineered to deliver higher amps at idle and cruise speeds, and its efficient design requires less engine power, which helps reduce fuel consumption. A remote sense function is designed to help batteries recharge faster after startup to prolong battery life, and the company’s proprietary rectangular segment conductor technology incorporates a square wire copper stator, which facilitates a compact lightweight alternator with longer life. Denso Products and Services Americas Inc.,

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Requester Publications Only)

PS Form 3526 1. Publication Title RANDALL-REILLY/COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

2. Publication Number 977860

ISSN 10994173

3. Filing Date 09/04/2019

4. Issue Frequency MONTHLY

5. Number of Issues Published Annually 6. Annual Subscription Price 12 $ 48.00

7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication 3200 RICE MINE RD NE TUSCALOOSA, TUSCALOOSA, AL 35406-1510

Contact Person JULIE PUCKETT Telephone (205) 349-2990

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher 3200 Rice Mine Rd Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor Publisher (Name and complete mailing address) Seth Becker 3200 Rice Mine Rd Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 Editor (Name and complete mailing address) Jeff Crissey 3200 Rice Mine Rd Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address) Dean Smallwood 3200 Rice Mine Rd Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address.) Full Name

Complete Mailing Address

Randall-Reilly Holding Co LLC

3200 Rice Mine Rd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35406-3540, 3200 Rice Mine Rd

11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Hoding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds. Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box Full Name Complete Mailing Address GE Capital

None

11175 Cicero Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30022-1167, 11175 Cicero Drive

www.poweredgeproducts.com, 310-513-7353 PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 1)

13. Publication Title

PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com

14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below

RANDALL-REILLY/COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL 15. Extend and Nature of Circulation

08/01/2019 Average No. Copies Each Issue No. Copies of Single Issue During Preceding 12 Months Published Nearest to Filing Date

a. Total Numbers of Copies (Net press run) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from telemarketing and Internet requests from (1) recipient, recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof copies, and exchange copies.) b. Legitimate In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on Paid PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from and/or recipient, telemarketing and Internet requests from Requested (2) recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate Distribution subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser's proof (By Mail copies, and exchange copies.) and Sales through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Outside (3) Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution the Mail) Outside USPS Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes (4) Requested Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), (4)) Outside County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk (1) 3 Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other soruces) d. NonreIn-County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form quested 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 Distribution years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk (2) Sales and Requests including Association Requests, (By Mail and Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, Outside the and other soruces) Mail) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS (3) by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit

Snap ring pliers

Snap-on’s SRPCR Series Snap Ring Pliers have a push-button convertible design that allows users to easily switch between internal and external rings, while longer 45- and 90-degree jaws provide easy access to hard-to-reach retaining rings on transmissions, clutches, starters and turbochargers. The pliers also are suited for installing and removing semi-floating rear axle bearings. A wide cushion grip offers added comfort and control, while the pliers’ cold-forged steel contains a higher alloy content that makes them stronger and more durable. A natural steel finish with a protective clear coating helps defend against corrosion. The pliers are available with the company’s SRPCR112 Master Kit, which includes a molded case with foam inserts and a full line of snap ring pliers. Snap-on, www.snapon.com, 877-762-7664

91998

92594

62861

63396

1268

1205

64129

64601

26852

26182

577

1796

e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), (4))

27429

27978

f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e)

91558

92579

Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (4) (include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources)

g. Copies not Distributed

442

650

92000

93229

70.04 %

69.78 %

a. Requested and Paid Electronic Copies(Sum of 15c and 15e)

Total Requested and Paid Print Copies(Line 15c) + Requested/Paid b. Electronic Copies

Total Requested Copy Distribution(Line 15f)+ Requested/Paid c. Electronic Copies

0.00 %

h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation ((15c / 15f) times 100) 16. If total circulation includes electronic copies, report that circulation on lines below.

Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Both print and Electronic d. Copies) I Certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (Electronic & Print) are legitimate requests.

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the 10/01/2019 issue of this publication.

18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Title Kelli Kitchens

Date Audience Dev Mgr

09/04/2019 09:49:16 AM

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). PS Form 3526-R, September 2007 (Page 2)

PRIVACY NOTICE: See our privacy policy on www.usps.com

commercial carrier journal | october 2019

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commercial carrier journal

october 2019

3/21/1

3/21/13 9:5

AD INDEX Ancra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ancracargo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Bestpass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bestpass .com/tollboss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Biberk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . biberk .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Castrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . castrol .com/vectonusa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CCJ Innovators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccjinnovators .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 CCJ Solutions Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ccjsolutionssummit .com/register . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Citgo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . citgo .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Clean Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . cleanenergyfuels .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Daimler Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . daimler-trucksnorthamerica .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Direct Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . directequipmentsupply .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Double Coin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . doublecointires .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Drivers Legal Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . driverslegalplan .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15 Eberspacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eberspaecher-na .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 ERoad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . eroad .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Exxon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . exxon .com/diesel-efficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 EZ Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ezoildrain .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Fleet Complete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bigroad .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 FleetPride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleetpride .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Fleetworthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fleetworthy .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Hankook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hankooktire .com/us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Howes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . howeslube .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Idelic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . idelic .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Instructional Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . instructiontech .net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 International Trucks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . internationaltrucks .com/loves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC-1 IPA Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ipatools .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78-79 Isuzu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . isuzucv .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Kenworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . kenworth .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Napa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . napatruckservice .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC NTEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . worktruckshow .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . firstcallonline .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Pedigree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pedigreetechnologies .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Penske . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gopenske .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Peterbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . peterbilt .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Peterbilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . peterbilt .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC ProMiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . promiles .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Renewable Energy Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . regi .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Silverback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . silverbackhd .com/seehow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Successful Dealer Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . successfuldealer .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 TCA Driver of the Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckload .org/doy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Thermo King Partner Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . thermoking .com/driven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52-53 Trimble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . transportation .trimble .com/evolve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Veeboards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . veeboards .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Verizon Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go .verizonconnect .com/get-eld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68-69 Vipar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vipar .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Vipar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . truckforceservice .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Volvo Partner Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . volvotrucks .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Xtra Lease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xtralease .com/brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Yokohama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . yokohamatruck .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Zamzow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . zamzow-tarp .com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 commercial carrier journal | october 2019

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PREVENTABLE or NOT? Music makes Doe miss Mustang

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commercial carrier journal | october 2019

or trucker John Doe, the day had started out quite nicely with a huge coffee and heart-healthy waffles at the Virginian Truck Center and some country-western jams streaming while piloting his tractor-trailer down I-81. At the moment, however, Doe was faced with the tedious task of backing his trailer between two stores in a shopping center down a long and extremely narrow road, which terminated at Frugal Food’s loading dock. With a fresh celery stick in his mouth, his four-ways flashing and his gaze riveted solely to the driver’s-side West Coast mirror, Doe backed slowly toward the distant dock while cranking a favorite tune at high volume. Suddenly, a green Mustang, recklessly and rapidly piloted by teenager Rebecca “Becker” Twigsniffle, entered the same road from a side street that was clearly visible in Doe’s shotgun-side mirror — had he bothered to glance at it! Confronted by the approaching ICC bar of Doe’s rig, bewildered Becker made a panic stop and desperately leaned on her horn, but … BLAMMO! CRUNCHEEE! Blissfully deafened by his downhome jam, Trucker John Doe was backing Doe had rammed the luckless his tractor-trailer down a narrow sports car and shoved it about road toward a loading dock, but 10 feet before the frantic waves he didn’t check his mirrors and of some shoppers caused him hit a car that entered from a side to stop and – Oh no! – discover street behind his rig. Was this a the battered Mustang, which preventable accident? was occupied by an enraged and loudly abusive but unscathed Twigsniffle. Because Doe contested the preventable-accident warning letter he received from his safety director, the National Safety Council’s Accident Review Committee was asked to settle the dispute. To Doe’s dismay, NSC immediately upheld the preventable ruling, noting his failure to monitor both mirrors.

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