Today's Trucking January 2020

Driving Value

PG. 10 Investors in a fleet-buying mood

Shifting Priorities

PG. 38 Emissions and the MD transmission

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The Business Magazine of Canada’s Trucking Industry

10

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January 2020

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Contents

January 2020 | VOLUME 34, NO.1

7 9 22 25

John G. Smith Rolf Lockwood

28

32

35

42

James Manson Mike McCarron

NEWS & NOTES

Dispatches

12 DUAL Purpose Quebec program finds a balance in shop and class

By Eric Berard

16 17 18 19 20 21

Truck Sales Stat Pack Logbook Pulse Survey Heard on the Street Trending

In Gear

Features 28 Top 10 Tech The top 10 product launches that caught our eye in 2019 By John G. Smith

32 Gas Attack The fight against CO2 emissions will require small changes and radical thinking alike

By John G. Smith

35 Keeping Tabs Geotab is on track to secure 2 million subscribers.

Its advances in telematics won’t end there, either.

38 Shifting Priorities New emissions standards will focus more attention on medium-duty transmissions

By Jim Park

43 Product Watch

By John G. Smith

41 Review: A Great 8 ZF’s coming eight-speed automatic delivers performance and weight savings

By Jim Park

For more visit www.todaystrucking.com JANUARY 2020

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Letters The Business Magazine of Canada’s Trucking Industry

PUBLISHER Lou Smyrlis lou@newcom.ca • 416/510-6881 VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL Rolf Lockwood, MCILT rolf@newcom.ca • 416/614-5825 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, TRUCKING AND SUPPLY CHAIN John G. Smith johng@newcom.ca • 416/614-5812 CONTRIBUTORS: Eric Berard, Abdul Latheef, Mike McCarron, James Manson James Menzies, Jim Park DESIGN / LAYOUT Tim Norton, Frank Scatozza production@todaystrucking.com • 416/614-5818 SALES AND MARKETING CONSULTANT Anthony Buttino anthonyb@newcom.ca • 514/292-2297 SALES AND MARKETING CONSULTANT Nickisha Rashid nickisha@newcom.ca • 416/614-5824 QUÉBEC ACCOUNTS MANAGER Denis Arsenault denis@newcom.ca • 514/947-7228 CIRCULATION MANAGER Pat Glionna 416/614-2200 • 416/614-8861 (fax) PRODUCTION MANAGER Alicia Lerma alicia@newcom.ca • 416/510-6845

Kenneth R. Wilson Award Winner

There was plenty of activity on the Today’s Trucking Facebook page in recent weeks. The following are a few of the comments.

Mechanic pay needs to be addressed

Email: johng@newcom.ca

Re: DUAL program takes new approach What happened to dealers keeping 2/3 and a mechanic making 1/3? Most truck dealers in the GTA charge $150-plus an hour. The mechanics are not making $50 an hour.

I’ve been a truck mechanic for over 30 years, and the only reason is because I still love doing it. But for the amount I spent in tools, and the times I was hurt really bad, I would tell my younger self to go into computers and work on trucks as a hobby.

— Mark Waschke

How many more thefts go unreported?

SEND YOUR LETTERS TO: Newcom Media Inc., 5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6H8

Re: Canadian cargo theft surpasses the U.S. You neglected to include one very important work in this story – “reported”. How many cargo thefts go unreported because the carrier just writes the cheque, knowing the cops could care less about a victimless crime such as cargo theft?

— Michael Gower

Making the case for camera-based monitors MEDIA INC.

5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6H8 416/614-2200 • 416/614-8861 (fax) CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER Jim Glionna

Re: Rearview Review (December 2019) Your brakes are electronically controlled, and your air bags. Your phone is electronically controlled.

Mirrors can’t be cameras? Come on.

— Marc-Andre Lefebvre

PRESIDENT Joe Glionna VICE PRESIDENT, PUBLISHING Melissa Summerfield CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Peter Fryters DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Pat Glionna

Today’s Trucking is published monthly by NEWCOM MEDIA INC., 5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M9B 6H8. It is produced expressly for owners and/or operators of one or more straight trucks or tractor-trailers with gross weights of at least 19,500 pounds, and for truck/trailer dealers and heavy-duty parts distributors. Subscriptions are free to those who meet the criteria. For others: single-copy price: $5 plus applicable taxes; one-year subscription: $50 plus applicable taxes; one-year subscription in U.S: $90 US; one-year subscription foreign: $180 US. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements, unauthorized use of photographs, or other material in connection with advertisements placed in Today’s Trucking. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that in his opinion is misleading or in poor taste. Postmaster: Address changes to Today’s Trucking, 5353 Dundas Street West, Suite 400, Toronto, Ont., M9B 6H8.

Postage paid Canadian Publications Mail Sales Agreement No.40063170.

ISSN No. 0837-1512. Printed in Canada.

Member

… and arguing for mirrors You can still look into a broken mirror. When electronics go down, you’re screwed.

Just leave the mirrors alone. Stop letting electronics drive the truck.

— Ted Williams

Toll route delivers a safe path There is only one thing that can enhance productivity in trucking in the Greater Toronto Area. It is technology. It is in the cab, but it’s not an ELD. It’s a transponder.

I drive for a company that started using the 407 (electronic toll route) a few years ago. As a driver, along with my fellow drivers, our productivity went way up. Good for me, being on piece work. And good for the company’s bottom line, too!

Hard braking, distance alerts, lane departures, etc. all took a dramatic fall. As a driver, the statistics show the 407 is safe to drive. Other 400-series highways are no longer.

ELDs will create a more accurate picture of how much time is wasted on the perpetually gridlocked 400 Series highways in Ontario, day and night. I think a lot of companies are going to be shocked at the now-documented waste of time, high cost of fuel, and wear and tear on their fleet.

— Steve Del Brocco JANUARY 2020

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Editorial

By John G. Smith

Ontario’s Failing Grade Province’s auditor general identifies big gaps in truck safety initiatives

T

he impending report by a provincial auditor general must fill bureaucrats and politicians with dread. It’s something akin to being called into the principal’s office, or being told that a camera crew from 60 Minutes is in the lobby.

This year, Ontario’s oversight of commercial vehicles was in the crosshairs.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has delivered a scathing rebuke of the province’s inspection and licensing procedures – and in the process called into question the Ontario trucking industry’s own performance.

Ontario may perform favorably when comparing the number of fatalities and injuries per registered motor vehicle, but the commercial vehicles among them recorded fatality and injury rates higher than those seen elsewhere in Canada or the U.S., the report concludes. Such vehicles were involved in 182,000 collisions, 44,000 injuries and 1,180 fatalities between 2008 and 2017.

In the midst of it all, the number of truck inspections has dropped. There were more than 113,000 commercial vehicle inspections in 2014, and fewer than 89,000 in 2018. Some of the drop was linked to unfilled job openings, but the 230 officers on the job failed to meet annual “productivity targets” when it came to the number of completed inspections. (I guess we can’t call them quotas.)

To compound matters, the inspections were inconsistent. Yes, officers are all trained in the same Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) standards that have been embraced across North America. But one district laid charges in more than 30% of its inspections; another laid charges 8% of the time, despite recording violations in more than 40% of the trucks. It’s hard to believe that one region would be that much more troublesome than the next.

Not surprising to anyone in trucking, local haulers were the least likely to be exposed to a roadside inspection at all, even though 68% of the collisions involving Ontario trucks occur on municipal roads.

There is not always a direct link between a roadside violation and a fleet’s commitment to safety. It would be difficult to find any operation with a truly spotless Commercial Vehicle Operators Registration (CVOR) score. Mechanical systems break down when equipment is being used. But a well-designed regulatory model would shine the brightest light on those that are at the highest risk of causing highway havoc.

In the language of a report card, there’s room for improvement.

Ontario’s cash-strapped government is unlikely to pour new resources into inspection programs, but many gains could be realized by refocusing money that is already there. And that’s part of the goal of a new two-year project that was launched just a few weeks before Lysyk officially released her findings.

“Our government is listening to the Ontario trucking industry, and we are taking action to ensure we support a safe, productive and competitive industry for years to come,” Associate Minister of Transportation Kinga Surma said at the time.

The goals of easing the regulatory burden on compliant fleets while cracking down on the unsafe operations are not mutually exclusive.

Pre-screening programs such as the Drivewyze service currently being tested in Ontario offer a great way to identify carriers and owner-operators that have stellar safety records, so that hands-on enforcement efforts can be focused on those who raise red flags. (We’re looking at you, ‘Driver Inc.’ fleets.)

A closer look may also be required for the equipment inspected by garages that are ordering more inspection stickers than they can realistically use. About 211 shops ordered 528 stickers per mechanic – about 10 times the provincial average. It would be interesting to see the results of facility audits for fleets which frequent such shops.

Stephen Laskowski, president of the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), referred to the province’s two-year consultation as “ground-breaking”. A related association press release used words like “visionary”, “comprehensive”, and “holistic”.

“Never before have we seen a regulatory regime so aligned – from a competitiveness, safety and productivity standpoint – with the needs and behaviors of the many compliant and safe trucking businesses in Ontario,” said OTA’s Geoff Wood.

But the proof of that alignment will emerge in the months to come, as the study begins to produce actual recommendations and changes.

Let’s hope the regulators can graduate from this process with a passing grade. TT

“Many gains could be realized by refocusing the money that is there.”

John G. Smith is the editorial director of Today’s Trucking.

You can reach him at 416-614-5812 or johng@newcom.ca.

JANUARY 2020

7

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Lockwood

By Rolf Lockwood

Air Brakes and Red Tape An Ontario MPP wants to do away with air-brake re-testing. Pure idiocy.

S

o here we are at the start of a new year, and it’s full of unresolved trucking issues right off the bat, especially on the driver training front. I won’t apologize for writing on this subject yet again, as I have in my last two columns, because I’ve had a zillion responses to those two opinion pieces.

Nobody’s happy.

Every time I turn around, there’s another reason to be angry.

Mostly about how governments just don’t get it. Surprise.

The latest one comes out of Ontario, where a recent private member’s bill proposes that the province do away with mandatory air-brake re-testing for drivers as they renew their AZ licences every five years.

Amarjot Sandhu, Progressive Conservative MPP for Brampton West, is the man behind this silly bill. Note that this is not a proposal by his party. In fact, Doug Ford’s Conservatives purport to be serious about trucking road safety after the release of a scathing report by the provincial auditor general that said not enough was being done to ensure road safety. It also said that the Ministry of Transportation had missed the opportunity to remove thousands of unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers from Ontario’s roads.

I guess Mr. Singh didn’t get the memo. He said his motivation was to reduce red tape, which is indeed a Doug Ford promise, but the demand for air-brake knowledge is hardly “red tape”. His bill is ridiculous.

As one commenter on our website aptly wrote, “We can’t complain about the shitty quality of drivers and then make it easier to get or renew a licence.”

The auditor general’s report found that between 2014 and 2018, the number of inspections by the ministry decreased by 22%, from over 113,000 in 2014 to fewer than 89,000 in 2018. Why? Because the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) couldn’t “...fill enforcement officer vacancies, and because the majority of enforcement officers did not meet their individual annual productivity targets for the number of inspections to complete.”

In 2014 Ontario had just under 300 enforcement officers, only about 230 in 2018.

Despite those issues, the report called for increased oversight and effective enforcement of regulations on non-compliant

operators. The MTO has initiated “a consultative process” that it believes will conclude with the creation of a truck safety plan. So, yet another round of talking.

The other thing that readers have been calling and e-mailing me about is mandatory entry-level training (MELT), and pretty much nobody thinks it offers much hope on the driver training scene. At least not the way things are presently constructed in the four provinces where entry-level instruction has been instituted – Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Quebec doesn’t need the help because it has a training/licensing system that puts other provinces to shame.

In B.C., where better training is arguably most critical, the province has been slow to react. Trying to change that is a lobby group organized on Facebook, led by Victoria-based veteran of the trucking wars Larry Hall. The group is called ADEPT – Assembly of Drivers, Educators and Professional Truckers – and it’s pretty active with ideas. Hall has met with government folk, as have two lobbying women who formed an advocacy group known as Safer Roads Canada. Both Pattie Fair and Ginny Hunter lost loved ones to truck accidents, one of them by way of the notorious Humboldt crash, the other by an inexperienced truck driver in the mountains. I couldn’t tell you why the B.C. government is dragging its heels here.

If it’s any consolation, our American friends are pretty much nowhere on entry-level training. A rulemaking was established three years ago, but action has been delayed yet again. Due in February 2020, it won’t see the light of day ‘til 2022. And worse, while it originally included a minimum number training hours, that somehow disappeared in the final rulemaking. A plan without teeth? Looks like it. TT

“In B.C., where better training is arguably most critical, the province has been slow to react.”

Rolf Lockwood is vice-president, editorial, at Newcom Media Inc. You can reach him at 416-614-5825 or rolf@todaystrucking.com.

JANUARY 2020

9

Driving Value Investors are searching for trucking companies, but some fleets are more coveted than others

By John G. Smith Last year would have been a great time to sell a truck fleet.

Peter Stefanovich, managing partner and general manager at Left Lane Associates, refers to several factors that created a seller’s market in 2018. Potential investors were rich with cash, interest rates were low, and freight rates were up dramatically.

Two of those market conditions remain a reality today.

But while many of the rate increases were sacrificed during the tighter market conditions of 2019, investors – particularly private equity groups – continue to search for Canadian fleets that are willing to sell. “There’s more capital out there, and capital is cheap,” Stefanovich says.

PwC Canada reported a significant jump in transportation-related deals in the first quarter of this year. The nine deals it tracked in the trucking and freight logistics sector represented a 69.2% increase over the same period in 2018. It also counted 32

10

TODAY’S TRUCKING

transportation and logistics transactions in the second quarter of the year, and 24 in the third quarter.

The number of sales is likely higher than that. Most Canadian truck fleets are privately held, and deals don’t need to be publicly disclosed.

“U.S. private equity [firms are] starting to look up here because they think some of the organizations are undervalued,” says Scott Collinson, national transportation and logistics lead at PwC Canada.

In contrast, some analysts have characterized activity south of the border as a “bubble”, he adds.

The timing is also right for buyers who expect an economic downturn late in 2020 and early 2021, when there would be a good opportunity to integrate purchased fleets into existing operations, Stefanovich says, noting that an M&A process will typically last about 18 months.

Securing a third-party-logistics operation in the midst of a downturn could prove to be a valuable tool when looking to fill trucks with freight, too.

“Everybody [with] over $50 million in revenue, you can rest assure they’ve had their doors knocked on by a private equity group,” says Mark Borkowski of Mercantile Mergers and Acquisitions Corporation, referring to investors such as ATL and Greenbrier Equity Group. Interest from investors like that began to emerge about five years ago, he says.

In 2019, “there’s lots of money chasing very few projects.”

But buyers are also interested in smaller operations, Borkowski says. He illustrates the point by forwarding an email from investors looking for non-asset-based 3PLs involved in freight brokering, freight forwarding, and inter-

There’s lots of money chasing few projects, says Mark Borkowski.

DUAL Purpose PG. 12

AOBRDs in the U.S. PG. 13

Hyndman’s End PG. 15

modal transportation, with annual sales anywhere from $3-50 million.

Then there are established fleets that are securing deals of their own. In Canada, that activity is led by TFI International, which continues to knock on doors in the search for fleets that would be a fit under its business umbrella.

“They can get a deal done, honestly, in a week,” Borkowski says, noting how Canada’s largest trucking operation has plenty of cash in reserve.

The question is, who’s selling?

Some truck fleet owners might be looking to sell because of uncertainty around trade deals, like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement that will replace NAFTA, Collinson says. But many operations, particularly smaller ones, simply wonder if they can keep up with ongoing regulatory changes and the need to invest in technology.

“The consolidation is not simply around fleets.

It’s around technology. It’s around creating marketplaces,” Collinson says. “The way that shippers want to buy is not the way that a lot of smaller firms are able to interact with a shipment.”

That reality fits well into the way private equity firms make their money. Existing businesses could be consolidated, refined using technology, and then sold off again.

Collinson expects the interest in deals like these to accelerate, especially against the backdrop of rising e-commerce activity.

“If you look at that whole coast-to-coast intermodal piece, it’s only as good as its weakest link,” he says. The railways and ports are digitizing their business activities. It needs to happen in trucking as well.

Matey Nedkov, president of Toronto-based International Corporate Expansion (ICE), believes other Canadian fleets remain the most active buyers, particularly when a purchased company can tuck into an existing business model.

“The industry is aging.

Some people have to sell,” he says, suggesting that about ¾ of those businesses tend to be sold to a third party rather than trading hands through an inheritance, family members, or management buyout.

Buyers are especially interested in specialized carriers, Stefanovich says, referring to reefer, flatbed and bulk operations that can effectively defend their market niches

4 TIPS TO CLOSE A FLEET SALE Thinking of selling your fleet? Peter Stefanovich, managing partner and general manager at Left Lane Associates, has a few tips: Ensure proper systems are in place for the business. These will show a potential buyer how seamlessly a transition can take place.

Integrate telematics and electronic logging devices (ELDs) to identify pinch points in a network and where efficiencies can be realized.

Clean up any outstanding lawsuits, to mitigate a buyer’s potential exposure.

Prepare the documentation buyers will likely want to see, and provide it as soon as possible. This helps to establish a level of confidence about the company being sold. “You’re going to pay more on the sale of a company that’s organized and put together,” he adds.

from competitors. “There’s a lot of people looking at those right now, and they’re paying more for them.”

A lot more.

Buyers might value dry van operations at multiples at between two and five times the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), depending on the nature of the business, he says. Liquid bulk operations are commanding multiples of 5-7.5 times; third-party logistics providers collect 4-7 times EBITDA, and agricultural bulk operations are collecting 4-6 times.

Part of the reason is that the equipment used by a bulk operation is simply worth

more, he explains.

Looking to the near future, fleet owners might also need to decide if they want to run businesses through the next economic downturn. A recession will typically last about two years, but it can take another two to three years to rebuild a business after that, Stefanovich says. If someone is approaching retirement age, they’ll need to ask themselves if they’re interested in running things for another five years, or if they’re willing to slash the fleet’s purchase price in the midst of that timeline.

“The length of [time it takes to close] the deal,” he adds, “is always longer than people expect.” TT

JANUARY 2020

11

Dispatches

Jonathan Ouellet-Carrier, 22, was looking at training programs to become a truck driver when he discovered that fixing trucks would be a better fit for his interests.

DUAL Purpose Quebec training program combines paid internships with evenly-split shop and classroom time

By Eric Berard A Quebec-based training program designed to attract future heavy vehicle mechanics has been renewed after a successful one-year pilot project that evenly splits classroom time and in-shop training.

The DUAL training model requires participating students to complete 900 hours of hands-on training at a truck dealership, trucking company or independent shop, in segments that last days or weeks at a time. That is matched by a corresponding 900 hours of time in a classroom.

When successfully completed, it gives graduates a diploma of vocational studies (DVS) that can lead the way to a journeyman status.

It’s a significant shift from the traditional vocational training model that involved a 120-hour internship at the very end of an 1,800-hour academic program.

The interns are also paid $15 per hour for 1,000 hours of work, through subsidies from the Quebec Ministry of Labor, and that’s 20% higher than Quebec’s minimum wage.

Paying students $15,000 during the program is meant to help people already in the workforce to explore a new career path while still paying the rent and meet-

12

TODAY’S TRUCKING

ing other living expenses.

The guaranteed revenue helps to ensure the students don’t abandon the program in favor of a job flipping burgers, says Patrice Lemire, general manager of the Québec City area automobile service joint committee.

“We need to find solutions to the workforce shortage, and short-term, alternating internships are one of those solutions,” Lemire adds. Besides, many of the students also work for the employers in their spare time, increasing pay, experience and knowledge along the way.

Winning conditions Such an approach provides “winning conditions” to attract future employees, says Daniel-Étienne Vachon, principal at the Centre de Formation en Mécanique de Véhicules Lourds (CFMVL) in Lévis, Qué.

But building the work/study program from scratch was no easy task.

“Slashing 50% of [the classroom] training program is no little matter. We needed to decide what we would leave to the companies offering the internships and what we would keep at the centre,” says François Renaud, an advisor and teacher at CFMVL.

Under the DUAL formula, employers need to be actively involved in the education process if they want to access the free workforce and potential recruits. The tasks assigned to an intern need to match the level of skill established in the classroom. An intern beginning a chapter on wheel bearings, for example, wouldn’t be asked to rebuild an engine. Neither would they be expected to simply sweep the floor and watch others work.

When returning to the classroom, students are also more inclined to participate in open discussions with teachers rather than simply taking notes.

“We sometimes get challenged,” Renaud says. “We get questions we normally wouldn’t have from the students because they’ve been in contact with the component or system we’re discussing – and they’re able to make their own opinion.” Topics that students once considered to be “dry” suddenly generate interest after related exposure in a shop.

Teachers broaden their own horizons in the process. They all require some sort of background in trucking, but now the educators are exposed to different dealerships and carriers when assessing student progress. They secure access to the proprietary diagnostic software used by today’s technicians, too.

Practice makes perfect Karen Lapierre, shop manager at Transport Gilmyr in Montmagny, Qué., has seen a difference in students who are gradually integrated into the shops rather than completing their internships in a single block of time.

“A mechanic in a DUAL program evolves more rapidly than another one following the regular DVS path,” she says, offering the example of one student who completed the program and is now considered one of Transport Gilmyr’s top technicians.

The fleet invests more effort into an intern’s academic progress, she admits.

But the results are “absolutely worth it”.

Kenworth Québec, a multi-store dealership, also embraced the work/ study model. Human resources manager Isabelle Langlois says the company already had a close relationship with the training center because of the technician

Dispatches shortage, but it’s also seen benefits of the DUAL training formula. “It allowed us to add a string to our bow and attract more people to the potential truck technician pool,� she says, referring to the related pay for trainees. “The main difference is that the students first become familiar with the learning content at school and then get to apply it in real life in our shop for two or three weeks at a time.�

Jonathan Ouellet-Carrier, 22, was looking at training programs to become a truck driver when he discovered that fixing trucks would be a better fit for his interests.

Now that he’s completed the DUAL mechanic internship, he is working at Kenworth Quebec as a full-time technical advisor, receiving customers, listening to them, and gathering the information needed to guide technicians in their diagnostics.

He also appreciated the gradual integration to the trade. “We learn as time goes on,� OuelletCarrier says, referring to the in-shop training periods that helped him apply academic content at his own pace.

He encourages others to enter the same program, too. “You mustn’t be scared of starting from scratch. Even if you never touched a ratchet before in your life,� OuelletCarrier says. TT

News Briefs

AOBRDs phased out across the border Automatic On-Board Recording Devices (AOBRDs) were set to become a thing of the past in the U.S. on Dec. 17, as this edition went to press. And that meant the final shift to requiring electronic logging devices (ELDs).

If a truck traveling in the U.S. is not equipped with a registered and compliant ELD, the driver will now be considered to have no record of duty status. Truck drivers without such a status would be placed out of service for 10 hours, as per North American out-of-service criteria.

Ventures West ceasing operations Alberta-based Ventures West Transport is selling off all its assets, as the company’s majority owner cuts its losses.

Ventures West – which served the western provinces, Yukon, and Northwest Territories – was doomed after an unsuccessful bid to continue hauling fuel to a diamond mining operation.

The Tlicho government was the fleet’s primary owner.

It was estimated Ventures West would lose approximately $9.3 million for the year ending March 31, 2020, after its failure to secure the contract to transport fuel to the diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. The Tlicho government, a First Nations organization, first invested in Ventures West in 2009, and had advanced about $37.6 million to support the fleet’s operations over the years.

ARW expanding across the West ARW Truck Equipment is expanding across Western Canada to cover Saskatchewan and the eastern section of B.C. Launched in 1895, ARW Truck specializes in the sale and support of truckmounted equipment, and since 1942 has been the exclusive factory-authorized sales and service dealer for HIAB cranes, Moffett forklifts, and Multilift hooklifts.

The company will now partner with Cervus Equipment at locations in Regina and Saskatoon. It will also stretch into areas in B.C., including Golden, Cranbrook, Fernie, Dawson Creek, and Fort St. John.

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©2019 Meritor, Inc.

Dispatches

Hyndman shuttered with Celadon closure Trevor Jefferson had been a driver for Celadon Canada, which took on the Hyndman Transport name in 2015, for 12 years, and was thinking of making a change.

“This last month has been brutal,” he told Today’s Trucking. “I had a paycheck for $165. I went to Ohio and back this past week and it took four days.”

Loads were becoming scarce and wait times extended. But before he had a chance to change carriers, he received a text from a friend on Dec. 7. It was a link to an article that said Hyndman’s U.S.based parent company Celadon was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Jefferson didn’t wait for it to become official – he spent that Saturday cleaning out his truck.

In the early morning hours of Monday, Dec. 9, Celadon announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and immediately shuttering its operations, including Hyndman.

In a press release, Celadon CEO Paul Svindland said the company “has faced significant costs associated with a multi-year investigation into the actions of former management, including the restatement of financial statements. When combined with the enormous challenges in the industry, and our significant debt obligations, Celadon was unable to address our significant liquidity constraints through asset sales or other restructuring strategies.”

Drivers were instructed via telematics to deliver their loads and assured they’d be paid for the work. Jefferson said he and others at the company had hoped Hyndman would remain operational, but realized it was a longshot, since the trailers were owned by Celadon. He was grateful he was home when it happened.

Other drivers were on the road – one posted on a Facebook page for Hyndman drivers he was bobtailing home from Laredo, Texas – with fuel cards that were temporarily frozen.

Jefferson is anxiously awaiting payday to see if he’ll be paid for his final week on

the job. He doesn’t expect to see severance pay for his 12 years of service.

When we caught up with him Dec. 11, he was just finishing his day in

orientation with Ryder. He’d been offered a dedicated run to Texas. While it’ll keep him away from home for long stretches, he sees it as a chance to make up some of the money he lost in recent weeks.

With about 300 Hyndman drivers out of a job, Jefferson said he’s hopeful they will all be as fortunate as he was in finding new work. TT

JANUARY 2020

15

Dispatches

Medium-duty truck demand dips Preliminary net orders for medium-duty trucks were down in October, dropping to their lowest levels since July 2016.

“The drop appears to be a signal that medium-duty vehicle buyers are stepping back from the torrid pace of demand the space has enjoyed over the past year and a half,” said Steve Tam of ACT Research, referring to the North American trend.

In terms of retail truck sales, Canada accounted for 2,642 Class 8 trucks in October, WardsAuto reported. While Freightliner was the marketshare leader during the month, with 30.2% of sales, International secured 25.7% of the sales on its own.

Year-to-date, Freightliner accounted for the largest share of the Class 8 and Class 6 sales, with a respective 30.8% and 33.9% of the market. International held the top spot in Class 7 with 40.1% of sales, while Ford accounted for 51.6% of Class 5 units.

Canada – October 2019 SALES CLASS 8

16

U.S. – October 2019

MARKET SHARES

SALES

Oct.

YTD

Oct. %

YTD %

CLASS 8

Freightliner Kenworth International Volvo Truck Peterbilt Western Star Mack Hino Total CLASS 7

799 281 679 259 281 218 125 0 2,642 Oct.

8,537 4,246 3,931 3,696 3,162 2,423 1,759 0 27,754 YTD

30.2 10.6 25.7 9.8 10.6 8.3 4.7 0.0 100.0 Oct. %

30.8 15.3 14.2 13.3 11.4 8.7 6.3 0.0 100.0 YTD %

International Peterbilt Freightliner Hino Kenworth Ford Total CLASS 6

283 29 155 55 40 6 568 Oct.

2,723 1,397 1,337 826 453 61 6,797 YTD

49.8 5.1 27.3 9.7 7.0 1.1 100.0 Oct. %

Freightliner Hino International Ford Peterbilt Isuzu Kenworth GM Total CLASS 5

23 40 57 7 0 4 2 0 133 Oct.

461 433 315 66 49 19 18 0 1,361 YTD

Ford Hino Dodge/Ram Isuzu International Freightliner Mitsubishi Fuso GM Kenworth Peterbilt Total

444 97 249 60 9 2 0 0 0 1 862

3,730 1,347 1,253 799 65 24 0 0 1 3 7,222

TODAY’S TRUCKING

www.total-canada.ca

MARKET SHARES

Oct.

YTD

Oct. %

YTD %

Freightliner International Peterbilt Kenworth Volvo Truck Mack Western Star Hino Total CLASS 7

7,673 4,609 3,444 3,332 2,248 1,224 471 0 23,001 Oct.

86,264 34,834 34,781 34,402 21,986 16,942 5,510 2 234,721 YTD

33.4 20.0 15.0 14.5 9.8 5.3 2.0 0.0 100.0 Oct. %

36.8 14.8 14.8 14.7 9.4 7.2 2.3 0.0 100.0 YTD %

40.1 20.6 19.7 12.2 6.7 0.9 100.0 YTD %

Freightliner International Peterbilt Kenworth Ford Hino Total CLASS 6

2,475 2,324 839 621 205 203 6,667 Oct.

23,820 17,387 6,652 4,723 2,298 1,838 56,718 YTD

37.1 34.9 12.6 9.3 3.1 3.0 100.0 Oct. %

42.0 30.7 11.7 8.3 4.1 3.2 100.0 YTD %

17.3 30.1 42.9 5.3 0.0 3.0 1.5 0.0 100.0 Oct. %

33.9 31.8 23.1 4.8 3.6 1.4 1.3 0.0 100.0 YTD %

Ford International Freightliner Hino Kenworth Isuzu Peterbilt GM Total CLASS 5

2,601 1,863 1,971 720 301 141 10 196 7,803 Oct.

19,654 18,567 17,666 6,406 2,547 1,010 61 1,351 67,262 YTD

33.3 23.9 25.3 9.2 3.9 1.8 0.1 0.0 100.0 Oct. %

29.2 27.6 26.3 9.5 3.8 1.5 0.1 0.0 100.0 YTD %

51.5 11.3 28.9 7.0 1.0 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

51.6 18.7 17.3 11.1 0.9 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

Ford Dodge/Ram Isuzu Freightliner Hino GM International Kenworth Peterbilt Mitsubishi Fuso Total

4,102 1,221 479 344 286 404 136 2 0 0 6,974

42,593 13,527 4,516 3,591 2,411 2,009 480 28 7 0 69,162

58.8 17.5 6.9 4.9 4.1 5.8 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

61.6 19.6 6.5 5.2 3.5 2.9 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0

Source: WardsAuto

Dispatches

StatPack

$750,000 donation to Horizon Mexuscan Cargo has donated $750,000 to the Horizon Multifunctional Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping adults with disabilities. The money will be used to acquire a building that will be named the Robert Goyette Pavilion, recognizing the fleet’s president.

30 seconds from the highway Zero-emission beer Nikola Motor Company and BYD Motors completed Anheuser-Busch’s first-ever “zero-emission beer delivery” on Nov. 21 in St. Louis, Mo. A hydrogen-electric Nikola tractor delivered the load to a local wholesaler, while Lohr Distributors used a battery-electric BYD truck to complete the journey to Enterprise Center.

Anheuser-Busch has ordered 800 hydrogen-electric power units from Nikola.

Davy Truck Sales has relocated from Shawson Drive in Mississauga, Ont., to a two-acre location at Hwy. 401 and Courtice Road. “We are literally 30 seconds off the highway,” said owner Adam Davy.

“Our intention is to construct a new building for our truck sales, parts and service, along with a new truck wash facility.”

42,000 lb. of sorted food Members of the Trucks for Change network sorted 42,000 lb. of food for Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank during an annual charity challenge this year, and raised $36,000 to help purchase a new truck to extend the food bank’s reach. About 120 industry employees representing more than 20 different carriers and related groups came together for the event on Nov. 20. Kriska Transportation Group and the Toronto Trucking Association emerged as joint champions.

62,000 sq.ft. of research and innovation Manac has opened a 62,000 sq.-ft. research and innovation center that will support the trailer manufacturer’s design work, manufacturing processes, and business information systems. “This collaborative space consolidates the jobs of engineers, technicians, designers, analysts and consultants, and creates a technologically elite community of which we are very proud,” said Rodrick Levesque, director of product engineering.

22,000 sq.ft. of Kenworths Kenworth Ontario – Peterborough has relocated to a new 22,000-sq.ft. facility that features10 service bays. It also features an indoor truck showroom, 2,000-sq.ft. parts department, and 5,100-sq.ft. parts warehouse. There’s a driver’s lounge, too. It’s all located at 1874 Technology Drive in Peterborough, Ont., adjacent to its previous location.

JANUARY 2020

17

Dispatches

L gbook2020 JANUARY 13-16

National Private Truck Council’s Private Fleet Management Institute Omni Jacksonville Hotel Jacksonville, Fla. www.nptc.org

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

October 14, 2020 International Centre, Mississauga, ON www.nationalsupplychainsummit.ca

Dispatches

Pu se Reader Survey Tell us your thoughts on ... Economic Conditions A new year is upon us. The question is what 2020 has in store. In this month’s Pulse Survey, Today’s Trucking asked you about projections for the year to come.

How will trucking-related economic conditions of 2020 compare to 2019?

How optimistic are you about the economic conditions to come in 2020?

9% 23% 37% 23% 8%

3.0

5% 15% 46% 26%

AVERAGE

8%

What factor will have the biggest impact on trucking rates in 2020?

42% 9% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 4% 3% 2% 1%

General economic conditions Driver shortage Insurance costs Electronic logging devices (ELDs) Fuel costs Other Increase in truck capacity Demands of individual shippers Tariffs Lack of truck capacity Driver wages Equipment renewals/purchases

2.8

AVERAGE

Do you believe your personal compensation in 2020 will:

64 %

Compared to 2019, how do you expect trucking rates to change?

Increase 10%+ .......... 4% Increase 5-10% .......... 11% Increase 1-5% ............. 27% Stay the same ............. 36% Decrease 1-5% ........... 7% Decrease 5-10% ......... 7% Decrease 10%+ .......... 7%

Today’s Trucking Pulse surveys are conducted once per month, covering a variety of industry issues. To share your voice in future surveys, email johng@newcom.ca.

STAY THE SAME

18 %

18 %

INCREASE

DECREASE

Next month:

Enforcement JANUARY 2020

19

Dispatches

Heard Street on the

East names Cooler as sales VP Chris Cooler is the new vice-president of sales and marketing at East Manufacturing, replacing Charlie Wells, who retired last year. Cooler will be responsible for trailer sales in his new position, but will also continue as the product manager for dump trailers. East Manufacturing produces aluminum flatbed, drop deck, dump and refuse trailers, as well as aluminum truck bodies and steel dump trailers.

Winston Goold

OTA honors service, heroism

Cail drives distance to moon and back – 8 times Bruce Cail, a driver with New Brunswick-based Armour Transportation, passed a threshold of 6.4 million collision-free kilometers this November. “It’s a lot of good luck, and some good management,” said the 63-yearold, who was honored by his fleet for the accomplishment. “[It] is like driving to the moon and back eight times – an accomplishment that most of us may find hard to really comprehend,” said Dave Miller, Armour’s vice-president of human resources, loss prevention, safety and compliance.

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) has handed out its top annual honors to a long-time driver, a pair of heroes, and a fleet executive known for service to the industry. Winston Goold of Double D Transport – a 40-year veteran who has covered 6.4 million km without a collision – was named the Volvo Trucks Canada OTA Driver of the Year. Thomson Terminals CEO Jim Thomson secured the Omnitracs – OTA Service to Industry Award. And Bison Transport drivers Craig “Flipper” Sutherland and Laurie “Crusty” Clifford earned the Bridgestone OTA Truck Hero Award for their action after witnessing an accident in Dryden, Ont. The pair of coworkers and friends stepped forward to help victims after they saw a minivan veer into oncoming traffic and slam head-on into a car.

Three Payne drivers earn fleet honors Payne Transportation held its annual awards gala Nov. 28, recognizing drivers who exemplify the best when it comes to safety, service and community. In the open deck division,

Abraham Bissessar took home the top spot. For the van division, Nigel Burgess led the pack, while William Schroeder took the top prize in the specialized category.

Warren Mcdonell joins Transcourt team Transcourt Tank Leasing has added Warren Mcdonell – a 20-year industry veteran – to its western Canadian sales team. Mcdonell will be based out of Transcourt’s Edmonton office and will provide sales and leasing support in Alberta, Northern B.C., and Saskatchewan.

20

TODAY’S TRUCKING

Obituary: Charles Gunn, 90 Charles Gunn, a former winner of the Ontario Trucking Association’s Service to Industry Award, passed away on Nov. 7 at the age of 90. The one-time owner-operator became a truck salesman before rising through the executive ranks at Kenworth Canada. A celebration of life was held in Mono, Ont.

Dispatches

Trendingg on Uber Freight comes to Canada … via Europe Uber Freight’s launch of a dedicated freight app for Europe left many Canadian firms scratching their head earlier this year, wondering why the U.S.-based digital freight matching service would bypass this market.

It turns out that it was only a matter of time. On Oct. 14, the service supported a food shipment from Mississauga, Ont. to Montreal, including a backhaul and day move in between.

Montreal-based Transport DSquare moved the first load with Uber Freight a week before the official launch, and everything went off without a hitch, according to Transport DSquare director Corey Darbyson.

“We’d been talking to Uber Freight since last year and we really wanted to be the first to move a load in Canada,” he said. “Uber gives us access to clients that we otherwise couldn’t get. Now we can compete with the larger carriers on service, and that’s a game-changer.”

That’s music to the ears of Bill Driegert, Uber Freight’s head of operations.

“Part of our mission is to make the market more sustainable for

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small carriers and drivers, and the way we do that is by making freight more accessible.”

As for its European detour, Driegert explained that going there first allowed Uber Freight to solve challenges around currency, regulations and language.

“We knew if we built the technology that would work in Europe in multiple languages and currencies and with different types of addresses, that we would have a tech platform that we could then take to Canada.”

In addition to Transport DSquare, Uber Freight also announced that it has partnered with larger logistics firms such as Martin-Brower, which delivers for McDonald’s and other restaurant brands.

Driegert said Uber Freight’s early customer base in Canada is similar to the U.S., with a focus on food and beverage and consumer packaged goods.

The technology also differs from other load boards when it comes to getting paid, said Darbyson. “Uber is the one that pays us, and not only that, they pay us within five to seven days, which is unheard of. We’re used to 45 to 60 days.”

Uber Freight division reported a US$100 million increase in gross bookings in the third quarter, to $223 million. However, the actual number of loads was not disclosed.

— John Tenpenny

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Nov. 25

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Can you improve #maintenance efficiency in a #truck shop without sacrificing quality? Many fleets have found a way – by taking a step back and looking at broader processes.

Jim Park reports. Todaystrucking.com/ can-you-improv…

Dr. Jason Brown of @ShellRotella: “We’re definitely going to have #ElectricVehicles. They’re going to be there.” But there will be other solutions tackling CO2 emissions as well.

We continue to profile 10 Canadians who are challenging the status quo in #trucking. Meet the latest in our #PioneersOfChange series: David Coletto of @abacusdataca todaystrucking.com/ the-millennial…

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JANUARY 2020

21

Legal

False promises of security could expose you to a lawsuit

By James Manson, Fernandes Hearn LLP

A

recent article published by Today’s Trucking reported that last year there were more cargo thefts in Canada than the entire United States.

Ontario’s Peel Region was the second-busiest jurisdiction for thieves, only behind California.

That’s a dubious honor, to be sure.

With so much theft going on in the Greater Toronto Area, shippers are obviously going to continue to be very interested in the kinds of security measures that carriers implement at their yards, or the yards where they conduct business. Carriers should not be surprised when shippers or freight brokers inquire about such measures.

However, carriers should also be very careful with their answers. If a shipper can show that it entered a deal with a carrier on the strength of information that later turned out to be false, there’s a chance that the shipper could successfully sue the carrier. The damages might even surpass the familiar $2/ lb. limitation of liability that motor carriers enjoy in most Canadian jurisdictions.

Consider the following scenario. A shipper calls and asks whether a carrier is able to move a shipment of goods from Toronto to Ottawa on a given day. The carrier replies that it is, and that it will arrive on the preceding day to pick up the goods and

22

TODAY’S TRUCKING

take them to a yard where the freight will remain overnight before departing the following morning.

The shipper then advises the carrier that the goods are very valuable and asks whether the load will be stored overnight in a secure facility. The carrier replies that the load will be stored in a yard with a fence, a security gate with 24-hour guards, and other such measures.

On the basis of this advice, the shipper proceeds to engage the carrier. But what if the carrier takes the goods to an unsecured yard and leaves the cargo there overnight?

The goods might be stolen and never seen again.

In this example, there is definitely an argument that the shipper only agreed to enter into the contract with the carrier on the basis of the representation that the cargo would be kept in a secure facility. This turned out to be false.

Thus, it may be argued that the shipper and carrier were in a relationship other than the contract alone. In other words, because of the carrier’s representations to the shipper, the carrier might also find itself liable in tort to the shipper – whether on the basis or negligence, fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation, or similar grounds.

In cases like this, the tort – or carrier’s “wrongdoing” – must be independent of the contractual relationship between the parties, so that

any legal obligations or duties owed by one party to the other must not arise out of the contractual obligations.

In our example, the shipper can argue that it never would have entered into the contract with the carrier in the first place if the carrier had been forthcoming and advised that its facilities were not secure. Since the representations at issue took place before the contract was formed, this could arguably result in a finding of liability against the carrier.

The kicker? If the court agrees that the carrier is liable to the shipper on the basis of an independent tort as opposed to just the contract of carriage, then the $2/lb. limitation of liability would not apply. The carrier could potentially be on the hook for

the full measure of the shipper’s damages.

The bottom line is that both carriers and shippers need to be careful about the things they say to each other at the outset of a contractual relationship. Carriers should be sure they are answering the shipper’s questions honestly and openly. Shippers should be sure they get required information from a carrier before committing. In every case, putting things in writing is a good idea.

If in doubt, always ask a friendly transportation lawyer. TT James Manson of Fernandes Hearn LLP can be reached 416-203-9820, or jmanson@fernandeshearn.com.

This column is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

©2020 Hendrickson USA, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks shown are owned by Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., or one of its affiliates, in one or more countries.

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Open Mike

How to prepare a truck fleet for sale

By Mike McCarron

I

t was 2007 when I bumped into an industry crony who was helping a large Canadian fleet make acquisitions.

I was 47, and like many entrepreneurs of my vintage, most of my net worth was tied up in my trucking company, MSM Transportation.

I was starting to think about how to turn that equity into long-term financial security for my family.

Four weeks after that chance meeting in the Air Canada lounge, an offer to buy MSM rolled off the fax machine. My head was spinning!

Unfortunately, there was no fairy tale ending. The price was sickeningly low and there were onerous conditions that gave me zero chance of retiring and no options to remain a transportation entrepreneur. The thought of staying on as an employee who had to ask for permission to play hooky at the lake every Friday wasn’t appealing to me.

Over the next few years at MSM I learned a lot about what buyers look for in a trucking company. I’ve learned even more during round two of my career in the M&A racket. Here’s what stands out.

Whose freight are you hauling?

The accepted thinking in M&A circles is that it’s not good to have too many eggs in one basket. Customer con-

centration – too much freight with too few customers – is common at small and midsized fleets. But that doesn’t scare buyers in transportation as much as it does in other sectors.

A more important factor for truckers is customer quality. Buyers value growth industries, the ability to scale, and pricing discipline. It also helps when the company owner owns the customer relationship. Sales reps pose a flight risk during a sale, and buyers want to make sure the customers stick around.

Expect any buyer to want a customer meet-and-greet before writing a cheque.

pany and property separately, while being prepared to make the land part of the deal. Real estate is all about location, and there’s a high demand for properly zoned strategic footprints because they are so hard to find.

Renters have to be strategic. Leases are binding contracts that must be paid out when the buyer is not interested in assuming the deal. It’s wise to keep leases shorter as you get closer to packing it in.

Power to say no

No monkey business When I sold MSM in 2012, paper logs were the only game in town. Everyone “kinda” bent the rules. Put a husband-and-wife team in the truck and run forever.

Today, breaking the rules can break a deal. Driver Inc., over-writable ELDs, and the removal of emissions systems are some of the no-no’s if you’re thinking of selling.

Strategic buyers are the crème de la crème and have zippo interest in fleets they think are cheating. Almost everything is negotiable at the time of sale. Monkey business is not one of them.

ical considerations to buyers – and valuable assets for sellers. Even the best carriers are struggling with insane premium spikes. Solid safety and compliance programs translate to lower risk for insurers and a better reputation with employees and customers.

Nobody wants to write a cheque for a company knowing they’ll have to spend even more to fix the compliance program, improve hiring, and face insurance premiums that may never come down.

Dish on dirt Safety pays In today’s hard insurance market, a carrier’s safety and compliance practices are crit-

Carriers that own their property have more flexibility than the ones renting dirt. Sellers should plan to sell the com-

The one intangible that drives valuation in the best deals is being “sell-ready.” Having all the ducks in a row gives sellers the ability to take unsolicited offers and the power to say “no” during negotiations.

Fast-forward to 2012 when I bumped into another industry crony at my neighborhood coffee shop. His transportation company had just gone public and wanted to buy MSM. Four weeks after that chance meeting at Second Cup, an unsolicited offer to buy my company rolled off the fax machine. It was better than the first one. TT Mike McCarron is the president of Left Lane Associates, a firm that creates total enterprise value for transportation companies and their owners. He can be reached at mike@ leftlaneassociates.ca, 416-551-6651, or @AceMcC on Twitter.

JANUARY 2020

25

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DETROIT ASSURANCE 5.0 www.freightliner.com

Daimler Trucks North America planted a flag earlier in the year when it became the first OEM to introduce a truck with Level 2 autonomous controls. The new Detroit Assurance 5.0 suite of safety systems can adjust and resume cruise control in stop-and-go traffic, apply full brakes when detecting moving pedestrians, warn drivers about vehicles sitting in their blind spots, and even help a Freightliner Cascadia track down the middle of its lane. That’s right. The steering wheel will nudge back and forth on its own. These are merely a few examples of what the underlying technology can do. The decisions are based on the readings from radar-based sensors and a windshield-mounted camera. Don’t mistake this for a truck that drives itself, though.

A driver continues to sit behind the wheel. But it’s fair to describe Detroit Assurance 5.0 as a driver’s co-pilot.

28

TODAY’S TRUCKING

TOP TECH

10 new products that stood out from the pack in 2019 Picking favorites is not a task to be taken lightly.

No matter who you include in a related list, someone will feel slighted because they were left behind. But as a new year comes upon us, it’s a tradition at Today’s Trucking to identify 10 new products that stood apart from the rest during a given year.

New trucks are excluded from consideration, simply because they all incorporate a wide array of individual products, but everything else is fair game. My chosen few represent advanced technology, creative thinking, and updates to solve practical challenges.

Given these rules of engagement, here is my list of the top trucking products of 2019.

By John G. Smith

SAF-HOLLAND SMAR-TE TIRE PILOT www.safholland.ca

The air within your tires is responsible for supporting the load above them, but what if one load is heavier than the next? SAF-Holland has come forward with a system that dynamically adjusts tire pressure based on the axle weight. In other words, a tire on a loaded trailer could be run at 100 psi, and drop to 70 psi when the trailer is empty. By combining AKTV8’s electro-pneumatic controls and SAF’s Tire Pilot Plus wheel-ends, the system can inflate, deflate and equalize tire pressures; optimize tire pressure based on axle loads to extend sidewall and tread life; notify drivers about overweight loads; and better cushion the vehicle and cargo, especially when equipment is lightly loaded. There’s a promise of marginally better fuel economy, too.

Top Tech

ROCKETAIL WING

www.rocketail.com Aerodynamic fairings can make a measurable difference in fuel economy when mounted at the rear of a trailer. But they have to be deployed to make a difference, and be protected from damage. The Rocketail Wing promises to save 8.42 liters of fuel per 1,000 km by smoothing out the rearward flow of air behind the trailer, while also producing lift like the wing on an aircraft. The wings sit an inch from the trailer wall to support a uniform air flow, and extend just 14 inches behind the barn doors.

When the doors are open, these wings also sit flush at the side of the trailer, so the doors can swing a full 270 degrees without being blocked. Close the doors and everything is ready to flow.

VOLVO DYNAMIC STEERING www.volvotrucks.ca

LINK ROI CABMATE

www.linkmfg.com

Link Mfg. has introduced its own way to smooth out your ride with a semi-active cab suspension that responds to everything from rough roads to harsh crosswinds.

The electronic control unit at the heart of the system draws data from an accelerometer that monitors cab motion, and a position sensor that tracks the cab’s position and velocity relative to the frame. The suspension’s shock absorbers are adjusted by filling or exhausting the air springs. It means there’s a soft shock when traveling a smooth highway, and a stiff shock for uneven terrain. Adjustments to offset things like potholes are made in real time.

I was first exposed to Volvo’s Dynamic Steering system on a test track in Europe, and was quite impressed with the way it smoothed out the jarring sensation of a rough road surface. With some tweaks to accommodate the difference between European cabovers and North American conventional designs, it is now available here. The electric-over-hydraulic steering support will lessen steering effort by up to 85% at low speeds, but maintain a stiffer feel on the open highway. It all draws on an electric motor on top of the hydraulic steering gear to deliver extra torque as needed, and absorbs steering wheel torque originating at the wheels. A “zero return” feature will even return the steering wheel to the center position when a truck is in motion, making it easier to reverse, while a lead/pull compensation offers the torque to compensate for crowned roads and steady crosswinds.

JANUARY 2020

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Top Tech

INTEGRATED FILTER GLADHANDS www.tramecsloan.com

I’ve seen some strange things pulled out of air lines over the years – from grass clippings to bee hives. But what can be done when equipment is parked for an extended period of time? Tramec Sloan has unveiled a gladhand with a protective filter and cover to keep things clean. It’s an elegant solution that doesn’t require separate line filters, fittings or mounting hardware. When a vehicle is uncoupled, the color-coded swivel simply covers the gladhand’s seal.

VANGRIPPER RESTRAINT SYSTEM www.vangripper.com

A new personal restraint system offers a portable option to secure workers as they walk on top of trailers. The Van Gripper from Deneigement Toitures Excel attaches to opposing edges of a trailer or van rooftop, and workers attach their safety lines to it. The related grips then slide along with the personnel as they remove snow or complete other repairs. It all helps to comply with rules that require people to be restrained while working more than three meters above the ground, and also to meet the regulations that require snow to be removed from trailer rooftops.

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

TOP

Top Tech

CONTINENTAL’S “INTELLIGENT” TIRES www.continental-truck.com

Every tire can tell a story if you know how to read the patterns in tread wear. But Continental has developed a steer tire and line of construction tires that will deliver exact information about temperatures and pressures thanks to an integrated sensor. The sensor itself is mounted to the tire’s inner liner, while the data can be monitored through a ContiConnect Yard Reader or the in-cab ContiPressureCheck. The capabilities currently come in the Conti HSC 3 steer tire, HAC 3 all-position tire, HDC 3 drive tire, and HS3 regional haul steer tire.

TECH

PURKEY’S STEADYCHARGE www.purkeys.net

Trailer refrigeration and heating units rely on accessory batteries, but inactive batteries will naturally discharge over time. To compound matters, emerging trailer telematics systems can steadily drain power from starter batteries. The Purkey’s SteadyCharge will maintain such batteries for months on end, without the risk of overcharging, and will run whenever the tractor is connected to the trailer. No extra charging cables are needed, either. The system automatically recharges over the seven-way connector without interfering with other devices that rely on the auxiliary circuit.

ANCRA’S AUTODECK

www.ancracargo.com Ancra Cargo has automated its integrated decking system, making it possible to adjust trailer deck heights at the touch of a button. Deck heights are controlled using a panel at the rear of the trailer, and a manual override option is also available in the case of lost power. The company believes it can reduce loading times by 20%, in part because forklift operators can stay in their seats as adjustments are made.

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David Tsui (center), Kline and Company’s project manager – energy, believes about one in four of Canada’s commercial vehicles will be electric by 2040.

GAS ATTACK Small changes and radical thinking all have a role in slashing CO2 emissions

By John G. Smith Chris Guerrero, the global transport marketing director at Shell Lubricants, shares some startling statistics about the world’s thirst for energy.

Global energy demand is expected to more than double by 2050 as the overall population grows to 9 billion people, he observed during a briefing at Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute.

Transportation alone is expected to require 70% more energy during the same timeframe. “It’s the big trucks that tend to over index in terms of CO2 emissions,” he adds, noting that they equal 40% of road

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

transportation emissions overall.

“All of these things we see now as a challenge will only become more pronounced in the future.”

But there’s no single solution. That has Shell exploring a wide portfolio of fuel sources, and even the role it will play in emerging electric trucks that run on batteries or fuel cells.

Rather than waiting for a “perfect future”, many gains can be realized through relatively small changes, Guerrero stressed. If every on-highway truck in the U.S. improved fuel economy

by just 1%, the industry would save 8.23 billion pounds of CO2 in a year. Burning a US gallon of diesel, after all, equates to 22.38 pounds of CO2.

Still, some emissions-related gains will involve radical thinking – pushing the trucking industry in the direction of fuels like natural gas, as well as battery-electric vehicles and fuel cells.

Battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles Regulators will have a role in the journey as well, said David Tsui, Kline and Company’s project manager – energy.

He points to governments around the world that are demanding lower CO2 emissions. In addition to the rules in place in Canada and the U.S., Europe is about to shift to its next generation of Euro 6 targets, while China is preparing for China 6. Germany itself wants 1 million electric vehicles on the road by next year, and China has plans of its own to promote “new-energy” vehicles, he said.

While cleaner-running options include everything from natural gas to synthetic fuels and hydrogen, battery-electric vehicles appear to have an undeniable edge.

“The various global governments are

Gas Attack very strongly driving this. They’re all behind battery-electric vehicles,” Tsui said, citing things like available incentives.

Canada could see one of the most rapid shifts in this direction. Kline research predicts that one in four Canadian commercial vehicles – particularly those on the lighter sided of the spectrum – will run on electric power by 2040.

“Once the infrastructure comes in, you’ll start to see it growing,” Tsui says, referencing ranges that will extend over the next couple of decades.

Will fuel cells ‘fizzle?’

Fuel cells look promising, but the hydrogen-based equipment is not widely championed by governments, Tsui said.

Battery-electric vehicles can also tap into an existing electric grid. Hydrogenelectric systems would have to build fueling infrastructure from scratch.

“It may or may not catch on,” he said.

“It may actually fizzle.”

Hydrogen offers quicker refueling times and can store energy for longer trips, said Mike Roeth of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.

But he also recognized the inefficiency of using electricity to create hydrogen, which is stored as a fuel and loaded on a truck to create, well, electricity.

His organization reports that medium-duty trucks will be the first to electrify, and he also believes that vehicle range may not be the problem that some people think.

While company startups tend to oversell what their technologies can do, established OEMs might under promise and over deliver on their electric plans. NFI was equipped with an eCascadia that had a reported range of about 240 km, he says as an example. The fleet pushed it on two return trips to a port, covering 354 km on a charge. Plenty of warnings were flashing on the dash, but it made it back.

“That’s one data point,” Roeth said, “but it makes you wonder.”

Fuel economy and the CO2 fight The fight against CO2 emissions will include internal combustion engines as well, particularly as those vehicle designs evolve.

“Diesel’s not done,” Roeth said of the efficiencies to come.

Fleets are not yet squeezing the full potential out of every drop of fuel, in part because diesel costs less than it did in 2013 – when it cost more to fill a typical truck’s tanks than pay the driver.

But the prices are rising. Roeth points to the fact that 2018 fuel costs were up 20% over last year. The average cost per mile, however, was up 18%. “That would say the efficiency of the trucks year over year didn’t really get any better.”

At today’s U.S. fuel prices, a truck that runs 177,000 km in a year would burn US$47,000 in fuel. At 10 mpg (23.52 L/100 km), the cost drops to $31,000.

“Run the numbers,” Roeth said. “That $16,000 per truck adds up.

“Why not save fuel if you can?” he asked.

Infrastructure and automation

Rather than waiting for a “perfect future”, many gains can be realized through small changes.

Chris Guerrero, global transport marketing director at Shell Lubricants

The race to slash CO2 goes beyond vehicle energy sources, too. The Texas A&M Transportation Institute is working with Transport Canada to study “freight fluidity”, measuring the efficiency of specific corridors when it comes to moving freight, said Allan Rutter, the institute’s division head – freight and investment analysis.

Higher level of automation could also improve the productivity of trucks that travel such roads, helping in its own way to lower global GHG emissions.

But Rutter recognizes that such a shift

may be more challenging than some people realize.

“It turns out that humans are incredibly smart, and it’s really hard to automate what a human does in a vehicle,” he said, referring to the way motorists can drive through an urban area at about 30 km/h while simultaneously tracking a variety of threats. Early proponents of autonomous vehicles may have overestimated how much artificial intelligence can do.

“Urban environments are probably the last space this is going to be adopted, if at all,” he said. Look no further than the threat of interactions between pedestrians and small autonomous vehicles on sidewalks. “There’s an awful lot of city folks that are trying to figure out how this complicates their lives.”

Still, technology providers like Embark, TuSimple, Starsky, and Kodiak are demonstrating the promise of autonomous equipment on open highways. And at a truly local level, fifty autonomous and mobile coolers are delivering food around the University of Houston campus.

Rutter believes that trucks will ultimately adopt autonomous technologies before cars. It’s because there are fewer trucks than cars to address, and fleets are eager to find ways to address economic pressures such as a driver shortage or hours-of-service constraints.

The drive toward autonomous vehicles has admittedly slowed somewhat, following a series of high-profile crashes like the one involving an Uber prototype in 2018.

“We live in an environment in which it will be a lot tougher to test this kind of innovation,” he said. But the researcher believes that careful testing at the front end of the development process will make a difference.

On top of it all, the race for any GHGsaving technologies – whether in the form of productivity changes through automation, battery-electric vehicles, hydrogen or something else – doesn’t seem to be limited to the largest fleets.

Five years ago, publicly facing brands like UPS and Pepsi accounted for most of the fleets talking about corporate responsibility, Roeth said. “We now see that literally across all fleets.

“Will they pay more money [for the technology] or not? I don’t know.” TT JANUARY 2020

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Geotab’s ongoing progress is displayed in real time.

KEEPING

TABS Geotab is on track to secure 2 million subscribers, and the promise of fleet telematics doesn’t end there

By John G. Smith The signs of the progress are written on the Geotab walls. To be precise, they’re tracked and measured on massive monitors that hang above work areas in the head office. The screens offer real-time insights into the number of connected vehicles, subscribers, and an array of internal metrics.

The numbers are all trending higher, too.

What began as a small family business in 2000 – just a few years after GPS units were first able to locate equipment within a 10-meter range – is now a vehicle telematics powerhouse.

The Oakville, Ontario company now counts 1.93 million subscribers, processing more than 40 billion data points per day.

It’s on track to have 2 million subscribers around the world by this January.

The Geotab Marketplace, an open platform for software and hardware providers that leverage vehicle data, supports no fewer than 150 connected options. And included among them are tools such as electronic logging devices (ELDs) that every federally regulated fleet will have to use no later than June 2021.

Certifying ELDs Geotab ELDs are already used on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border, of course. But like every other supplier it will need to have devices certified by a third party, under a framework that has yet to be finalized by federal regulators.

CEO Neil Cawse admits he’s traditionally in favor of self-certification, but recognizes that approach has been abused when it comes to some of the ELDs registered for sale in the U.S. “We believe that many of the American products, some of the ones that are very, very large, are not compliant,” he says.

Some competing devices include electronic “back doors” that allow users to alter log entries. “It’s just completely against what is specified in the legislation, and yet companies are not being held to task on doing it.”

While more than 500 ELD systems are currently registered with the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), he expects only a few of those to ultimately be cleared for use in Canada. “The Mickey Mouse guys, fine, they’ll do whatever they want to do,” Cawse says, “but the guys that are serious enough will have to have Canadian compliance.”

He remains equally at ease about a change in the U.S. regulations to officially phase out automatic on-board recording devices (AOBRDs). “People have had so much warning.”

Granted, he expects some diehard AOBRD users to struggle when they first flip the switch and find out that a chosen ELD doesn’t work as planned.

Those rules were scheduled to change Dec. 17.

And while Cawse believes that ELDs enhance highway safety through an unblinking focus on hours of service, he also recognizes challenges with the hours of service rules themselves.

“I feel for the truckers, I really do,” he says, suggesting there’s a need for more flexibility in the regulations. “You could easily have had a bad night the night before, not be feeling well, or on medication or whatever, and be a way worse driver than some guy who’s driven half an hour longer than he should.”

Small owner-operators will face the heaviest burden, he adds.

“Sometimes it’s pushed down onto these little ownerJANUARY 2020

35

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Keeping Tabs operators who end up taking risks because they’re using non-compliant systems.”

The promise of telematics Geotab’s offerings are hardly limited to ELDs. The company is not even limiting itself to ideas developed and supported by internal employees. It recently invested in a business accelerator known as Torque Labs, which offers access to engineering, marketing and sales support, as well as the Geotab Marketplace sales channel.

“In the past what we were doing is just turning all these folks away with great ideas, when we knew that these ideas were good,” Cawse says. “I really do think this is going to yield some very positive results.”

There are still many challenges that telematics systems could help to solve, after all.

Smartphones have contributed to the problem of distracted driving, for example, but it might be possible to combine a phone’s camera and machine learning to tell when someone holds a phone to their face or begins to text, he says.

New Bluetooth 5.2 standards, meanwhile, make it possible to locate items to within a centimeter inside a building, depending on where sensors are mounted. It’s a detail that could be vital in a manufacturing environment that has to track tools and parts as they’re moved throughout a facility.

Some of the most important gains of all could be in the name of highway safety.

“We know that certain things predetermine you for accident risks, like driving late at night, or harsh braking, or dangerous lane changes,” Cawse explains. “We need to be able to record that data, analyze when people do have accidents, look at what led up to the accident, and then help be more proactive about fixing that.”

The information doesn’t even need to be limited to fleet managers. Drivers could be warned if they are applying brakes a little later than they usually do, or if they’re approaching an intersection known to be particularly dangerous. Safe actions could be rewarded and encouraged through gamification.

Tracking and measuring could play a role in the fight to reduce emissions, too, measuring levels of particulate matter at a “hyper-local” level, or using a Geotab device as a transponder to monitor trips in the areas that restrict commercial traffic to zero-emission vehicles.

The limitations of legacy technology The possibilities seem endless. But one of the ongoing challenges is that many fleets are still married to legacy technologies.

“The trucking world is full of AS/400 stuff that has been around a very, very long time,” he says, referring to fleet offices that continue to conduct business over the glow of green computer monitors. Emerging options and refined user interfaces are passing them by.

As new options emerge, there’s also the ongoing issue of ensuring they can better integrate with the back end of traditional transportation management systems, informing drivers

where they need to go, what they carry, and the time to get to their destinations.

“If you ran them on their own, the world would be very painful,” Cawse says. “I have my invoicing system over here. I have the system that runs HR, so I have all my trucking guys’ information in here. [There’s] my ELD system over here, my customer systems over here. I have all these maintenance systems over here.

“If they’re all separate systems and they don’t talk to one another, everything has to be recaptured 25 times. The data is inconsistent, I can’t pull reports to get a consolidated view of what’s happening in the organization.”

Neil Cawse, Geotab CEO The good news is that modern systems use open application programming interfaces (APIs), which make it easier for systems to communicate with one another, he explains.

“Somebody can write some stuff. It pulls from this system and pushes into that system.”

In the midst of it all, Geotab is also investing in other suppliers as it expands its platform.

This April it acquired BSM Technologies, which specializes in telematics and asset management for government and private fleets. Picture systems that can manage individual plows, and measure exactly how much salt is spread on the road.

Other specialized offerings include systems for trucks that can shift from roads to railway tracks, and shift between the different hours of service rules that apply to concrete and iron highways.

With the acquisition of Waterloo, Ontario-based FleetCarma, Geotab picked up software needed to support electric vehicles and manage batteries. Last month it also acquired a Spanish engineering firm known as Intendia, which has expertise in tachographs and reefers.

But the open approach to the Geotab Marketplace, available to apply technologies developed inside and outside the business, remains central to the company’s plans.

“Marketplace is incredibly important to the future of the company,” Cawse says. He describes it as one of the “cogs” in a business machine that supports everything from invoicing to maintenance activities and the all-important tracking of vehicles.

“Some companies believe in proprietary and closed. We think that the more open you can be – the more you standardize on open standards and protocols and APIs – the better it is universally in the long run.” TT

“Many of the American products – some of the ones that are very, very large – are not compliant.”

JANUARY 2020

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In Gear

41 Great 8 Review 43 Product Watch

EQUIPMENT NEWS, REVIEWS, AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

Many medium-duty truck owners are concerned with low cost and reliability more than fuel economy, but that often comes in the bargain.

Shifting Priorities Transmissions are often treated like commodities in medium-duty trucks.

Emissions standards will change that.

By Jim Park It’s easy for gray-haired folk to make fun of the kid next door who doesn’t know anything about cars. We all grew up tinkering with stuff under various hoods.

Young people today are more likely to be fascinated by the electronics onboard a car than the gears – if they are interested in cars at all.

That’s why most medium-duty trucks, especially in the lighter classes, come with automatic transmissions.

Look through vehicle spec’ sheets for the lower weight classes on various OEM websites – GMC, Ford, Isuzu, Hino and others – and you find the transmission described simply as, say, a six-speed automatic. That’s just fine with a significant majority of medium-duty truck buyers.

They don’t even think about the transmission when choosing a truck.

“End users want a reliable product

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

that performs like a truck and drives like a car,” says Andre Kohl, ZF’s North American business development manager. “Value attributes combined with the latest technology will make a difference at the time of the decision.”

If it gets good fuel economy, all the better. But even that probably isn’t high on their list of must-haves in a truck.

The customer profile for medium-duty trucks is interesting. On one end, you have the bakers and landscapers who need trucks to get goods to market or tote tools around. These are the buyers who don’t think too much about what’s under the hood. On the other end you have the leasing and rental fleets who buy 30,000-40,000 such trucks each year. They want a product that’s bulletproof, to keep maintenance and lifecycle costs as low as possible for 48 to 72 months.

“The lease/rental company is less concerned about fuel economy because they are not paying for the fuel,” says Branden Harbin, Allison’s manager of global marketing. “They want a reasonable upfront price, but they are more concerned about lifecycle costs. What they really don’t want is their customer calling in with complaints.”

Of course, there’s another subset of customers – commercial fleets that want fuel economy on top of reliability and durability. There may not be more transmission options available to such customers who buy the higher weight-class medium-duty trucks, but the transmissions they spec’ are a bit more sophisticated.

Fuel economy and beyond In 2014, Allison introduced its FuelSense fuel-efficiency package that automatically adapts shift schedules and torque to maximize transmission efficiency based on load, grade and duty cycle.

Allison upgraded it in 2017 to FuelSense 2.0, introducing DynActive Shifting. The company says that feature delivers up to 6% additional fuel savings beyond the original FuelSense software.

One of the selling features of Eaton’s Procision transmission was the fuelsaving dual-clutch technology. We never saw many reports from the field indicating how well that transmission did with fuel saving, and since it has been discontinued we’ll probably never know.

Back in 2010, Fuso released a “double-clutch” transmission called the Fuso Duonic. At the time it was declared the world’s first dual-clutch transmission for commercial vehicles. While it’s technically an automated manual transmission as opposed to a torque-convertor automatic, it was and still is offered as standard equipment on most dieselpowered Fuso trucks. The OEM uses the Allison 1000-series automatics with the FuelSense 2.0 option on its gasolinepowered trucks.

In Gear Over on the heavy-duty side, transmissions have become both the heart and brain of the vehicle’s drivetrain. In many instances, engines take their throttling cues from the transmission as often as the other way around. The transmission has also become a key enabler of downspeeding and other advanced fuel-saving features like adaptive cruise control and predictive cruise control.

That’s not yet the case in most of the medium-duty sector, but some advanced features are creeping into the higher weights of Class 6 and 7. We’ll see more of that as we near the dawn of the GHG Phase 2 fuel efficiency regulations ratchet up between 2021, 2024 and 2027.

The rules that apply to medium-duty trucks and heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans call for reductions in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of about 16% beyond Phase 1 when fully phased in by 2027. The Phase 2 standards for medium-duty vocational vehicles (Class 4-6) call for reductions in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of up to 24% relative to Phase 1.

Those are significant jumps for vehicles that won’t see the benefit of improved vehicle aerodynamics. In the on-highway sector, a high percentage of the overall reduction in tailpipe CO2 emissions will come from enhanced aerodynamics. In the medium-duty and vocational sectors, improvements will come from lightweighting, the use of low-rolling-resistance tires, tire pressure management, and improvements in engine and powertrain efficiency.

Some gains in efficiency will have to come from the transmission.

ZF will soon launch its Powerline 8, eight-speed torque-convertor automatic – early in 2021, we’re told – with a number of features OEMs will be looking for to meet GHG Phase 2. These include an integrated stop/start assist feature that shuts off and starts the engine while at traffic lights, skip-shifting, and a coasting feature where it slips into neutral on slight downgrades.

The eight gears provide more latitude for optimizing engine speed, and with a final ratio of 0.64:1 in top gear, downspeeding becomes possible in the right conditions.

WHO’S WHO IN TRANSMISSIONS

O

f the transmissions identified in medium-duty spec’ sheets, Allison has the market nearly cornered with 70% of the market share in Class 4-7. The remaining 30% is split across Ford with its proprietary TorqShift HD six-speed automatic, Hino’s third-party Aisin A465 six-speed, and a smattering of products from Mercedes including the M038S6 Duonic six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Eaton’s Procision dual-clutch automated manual has some share of the mediumduty market in North America, but Today’s Trucking learned in December that the product would be discontinued at the end of 2019.

“Fuel economy, product differentiation, torque ratings are not the sort of thing medium-duty customers are looking for in a transmission,” says Allison’s manager of global marketing, Brandon Harbin. “They want an automatic transmission. Period.

Allison’s market share reflects the reliability and customer satisfaction with the product.”

Allison may be sitting on top of the heap for now, but the ZF will soon be challenging the market leader with its yet-to-released PowerLine 8, eight-speed torque-convertor automatic. ZF has not disclosed which OEMs will get this transmission. It will be new to North America when the announcement finally comes, but about 15 million copies of the transmission have been running in Europe and Asia for years.

Meanwhile Dana, working with Quebec-based TM4, is already a big player in the medium-duty electric vehicle space. Eaton offers a two-speed and a four-speed EV transmission, and Meritor is offering axle and motor combinations to the EV market.

Allison also recently introduced its AXE electric axle series, featuring integrated electric motors and a multi-speed gearbox.

Meanwhile, Allison has just unveiled the 3414 Regional Haul Series (RHS) transmission – an up-rated version of the established 3000 Series. It has a dual personality of sorts, with shift schedules suited to the mixed duty cycles of fleets that cover city routes on one shift and turn to regional use during a second shift.

“Our food and beverage customers expressed a need for this product, and our response is partnering with Allison to bring the 3414 RHS transmission to market in the second half of 2020,” said Kary Schaefer, Daimler Trucks North America’s general manager – product marketing and strategy.

On top of that, Allison plans to release a nine-speed transmission in 2022.

“As you look to 2024 and 2027, emissions standards are getting stricter, even for medium-duty trucks,” says Harbin.

“The OEMs are asking for help meeting those standards, and the new transmission will do that.”

Harbin wasn’t willing to share too much more about the transmission, so we’ll have to wait and see what additional

tricks Allison has up its sleeve.

And not too far over the next hill is the prospect of electrification. Mediumduty trucks appear so far to be the most likely candidates for full conversion to battery-electric drivetrains, and those trucks probably won’t even have transmissions, at least in the traditional sense. Some will need two- or perhaps three-speed gearboxes for greater efficiency at high speeds and a range of torque capacities that allows for the use of smaller electric motors. Dana, working with Quebec-based TM4, is already a big player in the medium-duty EV space, and Eaton offers a two-speed and a four-speed EV transmission. Allison also recently introduced its AXE electric axle series, featuring integrated electric motors and a multi-speed gearbox.

Whether you’re a baker buying a truck to haul your buns to market, or a lastmile delivery fleet conscious of every nickel you spend on fuel, the transmission may not be a huge factor in your vehicle spec’. But it’s certainly something to consider. TT JANUARY 2020

39

FLEET SUMMIT

Practical strategies for fleet maintenance managers FRIDAY, APRIL 17 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

International Centre Toronto, Ontario

Learn how your fleet can: Q Tackle corrosion Q Avoid aftertreatment challenges Q Harness trailer telematics Q Prepare shops for electric vehicles

www.trucksummit.ca New event at

www.truckworld.ca

In Gear

A truck equipped with a PowerLine 8 and loaded to about 37,000 lb. had no trouble at all when launching from a dead stop on a 23% grade. It even managed to shift from first to second gear. (ZF photo)

A Great 8 ZF’s coming eight-speed automatic delivers performance and weight savings

By Jim Park Medium-duty truck builders will soon have a new transmission to add to their data books.

In early 2021, German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichschafen AG will launch the PowerLine 8AP, an eight-speed torque-convertor automatic transmission for medium-duty and vocational applications with gross vehicle weights up to 26,000 kg (57,000 lb).

The PowerLine 8AP was officially introduced to the North American market in mid-2018, and then demonstrated to trade press editors a year later at an event at the Transportation Research Center near East Liberty, Ohio. It’s new to us, but more than 15 million copies of this transmission have been operating in passenger cars (fitted with the scaled-down 8HP version) across Europe and Asia.

The 8AP is a “muscled-up” version of that same platform. ZF says little of the transmission’s basic design was changed in scaling it up for service in Class 3 through 8 trucks, except to build in some extra durability.

ZF still hasn’t said which truck maker(s) will be first to market with the PowerLine 8AP. The transmission boasts some impressive spec’s and features, but performance will likely be its biggest selling feature. ZF says the transmission offers 30% better acceleration than other automatic transmissions and a 45% weight advantage.

The PowerLine 8 weighs a paltry 328 lb.

(149 kg).

“The PowerLine is at least – not up to – at least 10% better on fuel than any competitive product in [the] same

application,” said Andre Kohl, ZF’s North American business development manager, while introducing the product.

Kohl also pointed out that the transmission is ready for what the OEMs will be asking for in terms of meeting the pending GHG Phase 2 emissions regulations. For example, it has an integrated stop/start assist feature that shuts off and starts the engine while at traffic lights.

“We incorporate an accumulator inside the transmission to help with restarting,” he said.

Starting out, it will launch in first or second gear, depending on the load, and it will skip shift when the opportunity presents itself. It has a neutral idle feature that disengages the torque convertor to take the load off the engine when the truck isn’t moving. Gear ratios range from 4.89 in first to 0.64 in eighth, which is like a double or maybe triple overdrive.

There’s plenty of latitude in the eight cogs for any driving condition, and ZF did say that fuel economy was a prime driver in the engineering process.

It also features twin torsional dampers, JANUARY 2020

41

In Gear which will help with downsped powertrains. These are more common to on-highway Class 8s, but Kohl says downspeeding is coming to medium-duty thanks to GHG Phase 2 emission standards. There’s also a lock-up clutch in first gear for improved energy-efficiency. With the PowerLine 8, the torque convertor is used only to launch and stop the truck.

On the maintenance side you get “best in class” extended oil-change intervals, and Kohl said the oil filter is good “for life”. It also features a fully integrated control unit inside the casing, with no external sensors or harnesses. That should help with durability.

During the showcase event in June, I drove two trucks equipped with the PowerLine 8, and one “baseline” truck for comparative purposes. It was impressive.

A few laps around the track Driving the PowerLine 8 proved pretty well everything Kohl said during his presentation.

Sitting at a stop in first gear, the transmission goes into a false neutral of sorts.

The shifter interface indicates it’s in gear, but the engine idles freely. The torque convertor engages only when you apply the throttle, so you don’t have to stand on the brake pedal to keep it from rolling away. The launch is spectacularly smooth, and the upshifts are almost imperceptible. You cannot feel the transmission shifting gears. You can tell the shifts are happening based on the sound of the engine, but they are very quick and really smooth, and there’s never a lag in torque as you accelerate.

The downshifts were a little more noticeable. But because of the closer ratios between the eight gears on the PowerLine transmission compared to the baseline six-speed transmission, the shifts weren’t quite so jarring. Drivers will certainly appreciate that at the end of a long day. Many of the people who will be operating this transmission will be nonCDL holders, and more accustomed to the automotive-like feel that it delivers.

I did a few laps on the track and got the trucks up to speed. One truck was loaded to a 37,000 lb. gross vehicle weight, while the other was empty. The lighter one naturally got up to speed more

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

ADDITIONAL POWERLINE FEATURES Q

Up to 1,000 lb-ft input torque

Q

485 lb-ft engine-driven dual side PTO interface

Q

Patented eight-speed gear set and intelligent skip shift to improve acceleration performance by up to 30%

Q

Smart software features such as Adaptive Starting Gear, Neutral Idle Control, Multi Skip Shift, Maneuvering Mode, Stop/Start, and more

Q

Fuel efficiency provides significant savings of more than 10% over available automatic transmissions

Q

45% lighter than comparable products

Q

328 lb. (149 kg) dry weight

The PowerLine 8 transmission from ZF is new to North America, but more than 15 million copies are currently running all over Europe and Asia. (ZF photo)

quickly, but the loaded truck wasn’t far behind. The acceleration was as Kohl promised. In top gear the driving environment was pretty quiet because the engine was revving so low.

The PowerLine transmission did a great job of selecting the right gear in transient driving conditions and stopand-go operation. I noticed virtually no hunting, pecking, or second-guessing its choices. It always seemed to be in the right gear for the moment.

The transmission’s stop-start feature is particularly interesting, as the unit automatically and seamlessly shifts out of Drive to Neutral after three seconds – when stopped at a traffic light, for example. This reduces the amount of torque the transmission produces, and as a result, the amount of fuel an engine has to burn to maintain those torque levels. ZF engineers say an average vocational fleet engaged in city and urban delivery applications can see up to a 5% boost in fuel economy thanks to this single feature.

Additionally, with optional predictive shifting, sailing, and stop-start capabilities, the Powerline is ready for the vocational operations of today and prepared

for electric-hybrid transmissions in future zero- and near-zero emission trucks.

“Sailing” is ZF’s term for when the transmission automatically shifts into Neutral on downgrades to save fuel.

The most remarkable part of the demonstration ride came during an offroad loop at the TRC site, featuring a hill with a 23% grade. The loaded truck walked right up that grade from a full stop at the bottom. It also competently managed a launch from a full stop when midway up the grade. It even managed an upshift from first to second on one of my runs up the hill, with full throttle applied right from the start.

Drivers won’t see many such hills in the real world, but it’s nice to know that the transmission could handle one with very little effort.

I had driven the PowerLine transmission three years ago in a Dodge Ram halfton pickup truck while on a press junket in Germany. I wasn’t aware at the time that the transmission could be scaled up to medium-duty weight ranges of up to 57,000 lb.

The transmission performed remarkably well in both the pickup truck back in 2016 and the Peterbilt in 2019. TT

PRODUCTWATCH WHAT’S NEW AND NEWS FROM SUPPLIERS

For more new product items, visit PRODUCT WATCH on the web at todaystrucking.com

LUBRICANTS

Shell Rotella greases come to Canada Shell Rotella is bringing a portfolio of greases to Canada, in the form of HD, SD, MP and ET formulations.

The HD is a premium heavy-duty grease for wheel bearings and general chassis lubrication for on- and off-road vehicles and general equipment. It is mechanically stable over long periods of severe vibration, and offers enhanced extreme-pressure properties as well as lasting protection in the face of water contamination. It also offers shear stability in high-speed wheel bearings.

A special-duty moly grease, known as the SD, supports applications such as power take-off linkages, trailers and hitches. The ET is an extreme-temperature tacky grease for lubricating industrial, farm, construction and yard equipment. Its lithium complex formula offers better retention on exposed surfaces like fifth-wheel plate pivots, wheel bearings, springs, open pivot joints, and equipment exposed to weather.

Rounding out the portfolio is a multi-purpose lithium grease known as MP. It’s for general chassis, springs, pivot points, low-speed bearings, and equipment like mowers, trailers, lifts, and loader buckets.

www.rotella.shell.com

5th Annual

TTSAO CONFERE NCE AGENDA

FEBRUARY 26 & 27, 2020 Centre for Health and Safety Innovation (CHSI) SI) 5110 Creekbank Road, Mississauga, Ontario

A full 2-day conference for the industry Master of Ceremonies: John G. Smith, Today’s Trucking

X TTSAO AGM

X The Foreign Workers Pilot Program

X Carrier Group Meeting

X Technology from a Schools Perspective Panel

X Insurance Group Meeting X Changing Faces & Trends (featuring Lou Smyrlis)

X Provincial Government Update X Females in the Trucking Industry Panel

Official Media dia Sponsor

TTSAO MEMBER: $275 + HST NON MEMBER: $299 + HST

X Recruiting & Training Programs Panel X Recruiting & Focusing on Youth n Trucking

COCKTAIL RECEPTION ONLY: $75 + HST

X Transportation Recent Revelations (featuring Audra Thompson)

trucknews.com

Platinum Sponsor

Revolution Staffing

For more information please visit ttsao.com email: ttsao@ttsao.com 705-280-5577 SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

JANUARY 2020

43

Product Watch ELECTRICAL

SOFTWARE

LoadHandler starter for Class 6/7

Diesel Laptops offers repair labor times Diesel Laptops’ new web-based Truck Labor Times application taps into a database of thousands of ordinary labor times, offering a tool to build accurate estimates.

Free plans let users look up three truck labor times per month, while premium plans available through monthly or annual billing will offer unlimited access. www.trucklabortimes.com

LoadHandler’s Power Products starter and alternator lineup now includes two new L29 starters that can be dropped in as replacements in popular Class 6 and 7 vehicles including school buses and emergency vehicles.

Each LoadHandler 29 starter comes with application-specific features to support durability and performance. Nineand 12-tooth models are available for 12-volt applications, while the sealed nose design is in place to protect internal components. The planetary gear reduction design, meanwhile, promises fast cranks and an efficient power source.

The components are ideal for 5.9-liter, 6-liter, and VT365 engines. The starters weigh in at 18 lb., and come with a oneyear parts-only warranty. www.loadhandlerproducts.com LIGHTING

Truck-Lite headlamp comes with plow kit Truck-Lite has added heated 5×7-inch rectangular LED headlights to its LED forward lighting product line.

Like its round counterpart, the headlight consistently warms the lens when temperatures dip below 10 Celsius.

It’s also available as part of a snow plow kit.

The light is made of a military-grade, die-cast aluminum with a non-yellowing polycarbonate lens to protect against damage from impact, roadside debris and other hazards, and comes equipped with a threeyear limited warranty. www.truck-lite.com

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

makes and models are to roll out over the next 18 months. The OEM-specific designs leverage OEM mounting points and holes to minimize the need for drilling, too. www.weatherguard.com REEFERS

Thermo King SLXi sheds unwanted pounds

REEFER

Thermo King T-90 integrates TracKing The new Thermo King T-90 Series of truck transport refrigeration units (TRUs) comes with standard integrated TracKing telematics hardware to better connect fleets and cargo.

The T-90 will burn less fuel as the unit cools, reducing the required engine run time, the company adds. When compared to competitive equipment, the units promise to pull down temperatures 50% more quickly and using up to 48% less fuel when pulling down to a set point.

The company says it will also offer up to 30% faster recovery times after a door is opened, and consume up to 35% less fuel throughout a full day of use.

At the heart of the T-90 is a reciprocating compressor, improved coil design, and optimized engine management to increase cooling capacity by up to 35%. The T-90 Max models feature larger coils and heat exchangers as well as an optimized compressor and sound-reduction kit. www.thermoking.com CABS

Weather Guard CabMax quiets ride Weather Guard’s new CabMax composite bulkhead weighs 55 lb., and promises to reduce noise and improve climate control.

The new bump-out design allows a driver’s seat to recline up to 35 degrees, and the single-piece design is customized to the model of van to ensure a tight fit and reduce noise from the cargo area.

The first product in the lineup is for mid- and high-roof Ford Transits. Other

Thermo King’s SLXi local transport refrigeration unit (TRU) is 200 lb. lighter than competing options, and supports single-temperature distribution fleets.

The unit’s slim profile also reduces the required tractor-trailer gap by seven inches, helping to protect the TRU when turning corners on tight city streets.

The Thermo King Whisper kit is standard on all the SLXi Local units, ensuring they are three decibels quieter than similar units.

The TRU also runs on R452A refrigerant. www.thermoking.com COMMUNICATIONS

Trimble Duo combines in-cab display, 4G-LTE The Android-based Trimble Duo now combines an in-cab display and a 4G-LTE vehicle gateway.

The units mount directly to the dashboard, eliminating the need to run cables through the headliner or remove older onboard equipment as well.

Fleets can load the device with a mixture of proprietary and third-party apps to improve driver productivity. www.transportation.trimble.com

National Advertisers CITT citt.ca/cclp2020 Canadian Shipper www.canadianshipper.com Careers 416-510-6892 East Manufacturing Corp. www.EastMfg.com Eberspächer www.eberspaecher-na.com Hendrickson www.hendrickson-intl.com

13 18 36 8 15 23

Highway Star of the Year 24 todaystrucking.com/highwaystar Marketplace 34 416-614-5800 Meritor 2 meritor.com/brakes Meritor 14 MeritorPartsXpress.com Omnitracs 47 www.omnitracs.com/one Peterbilt back cover www.peterbilt.com

Stoughton Trailers 4 StoughtonTrailers.com/PureBlue Total Canada 16 www.total-canada.ca Truck Tech Fleet Summit 40 www.trucksummit.ca Truck World 26-27 www.truckworld.ca TTSAO 43 www.ttsao.com Volvo Trucks North America 6 www.volvotrucks.ca

COMPANIES IN THE NEWS A ACT Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Allison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Ancra Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Armour Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 ARW Truck Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 B Bison Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Bridgestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 BYD Motors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 C Celadon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Cervus Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Continental. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 D Daimler Trucks North America . . . . . . .28 Dana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Davy Truck Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Deneigement Toitures Excel . . . . . . . . .30 Diesel Laptops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Double D Transport. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 E East Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Eaton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 F Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Freightliner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 G Geotab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 GMC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

H HIAB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Hino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Hyndman Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 I International Corporate Expansion . . .10 Isuzu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 K Kenworth Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Kenworth Ontario - Peterborough . . .17 Kenworth Quebec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Kline and Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Kriska Transportation Group . . . . . . . . .17 L Left Lane Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Link Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 LoadHandler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 M Manac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Martin-Brower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Mercantile Mergers and Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Mercedes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Meritor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Mexuscan Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Moffett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Multilift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 N Nikola Motor Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 North American Council for Freight Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

P Payne Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Purkey’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 PWC Canada. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 R Rocketail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 S Shell Rotella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 43 T Thermo King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Thomson Terminals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Tramec Sloan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Transcourt Tank Leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Transport Dsquare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Transport Gilmyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Trimble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Truck-Lite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Trucks for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 U Uber Freight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 V Ventures West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Volvo Trucks Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Volvo Trucks North America . . . . . . . . .29 W WardsAuto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Weather Guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Z ZF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38, 41

JANUARY 2020

45

Faces Victor Malins left school to be a truck driver like his dad, but he still found a path back to his studies.

Driving to a Doctorate Long-time driver pursuing PhD as “intellectual passion”

By Abdul Latheef Victor Malins has covered plenty of ground over his 50-year career as a truck driver, but now he even finds himself on the road to a doctoral degree in history.

It’s been a long journey. Malins left school in England at the age of 15 when he decided to follow his father’s footsteps and become a truck driver. That meant working for two years as a “van boy” before earning the licence.

“A van boy is a lorry [truck] driver’s helper,” he explains.

His high school education didn’t re-start until after he and his wife of five years moved to Canada in 1978. That led to a Grade 12 through correspondence

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TODAY’S TRUCKING

school. Other courses followed, all focusing on history, mostly at Toronto’s York University.

Now he finds himself half way through a six-year doctoral program, with a thesis of Crime, Justice and Mayhem in the 18th-Century Southern England. That builds on a master’s thesis of Tea and Smuggling in the 18th Century.

In those days, anything taxed was smuggled, and people could be hanged for no reason, Malins said during a chat in the cab of his 2009 Hino, discussing his fascination with the time period.

“History always repeats itself. We don’t learn enough from history.”

He sees a parallel in the current situation in his homeland to what was happening then. The recent collapse of the iconic Thomas Cook travel group was just the latest example. The world’s oldest travel company crashed under a mountain of debt in late September, sending ripples across the globe.

Businesses are folding in the run-up to Britain’s chaotic exit from the European Union, the government is mired in crisis, and people are searching for direction, he said.

The path from truck driver to a doctorate is admittedly unusual. But Malins says he realized his true potential after his school supervisors told him that he was pretty good at learning.

“Then I started getting straight A’s.”

While he followed in his father’s footsteps as a driver, however, he spent just two years as a longhaul trucker.

Malins opted for city routes because he didn’t want to endure the difficulties his father did.

“He would be gone for weeks,” he says.

“I was determined not to do that.”

Now, even his own driving career will soon come to an end.

A father of three grown children and a grandchild, Malins plans to retire from his job as an independent distributor at pastrymaker Vachon in November, and dedicate his full attention to the PhD course.

He hopes to wrap up a doctoral degree in 2022, and his professor is thrilled to have him as a student.

“It is heartening that someone close to retirement, as Vic is, should pursue the highest degree available to a historian,” Prof. Nicholas Rogers said in an email.

“This is a purely intellectual passion.

There will be no financial returns, just an abiding sense of achievement.”

Malins said he had nothing but encouragement from his family along the way.

“I couldn’t have done it without them,” he says. TT

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Learn more at www.omnitracs.com/one ©2019 Omnitracs, LLC. All rights reserved.

Peterbilt’s distinctive Model 579 combines class-leading performance and unparalleled comfort. The 579 Day Cab is available with the fuel-efficient, dependable PACCAR Powertrain in a wide range of applications. It features a shorter wheelbase for greater maneuverability. The 579 is equipped with numerous driver assistance safety systems including lane departure warning, collision mitigation and object detection. Inside, the 579’s spacious cab surrounds the driver in comfort while providing amenities that improve productivity. The Peterbilt 579 delivers day after day.

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