www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
1
2
March & April 2022
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
GOLDEN STATE PETERBILT
EPIQ Aerodynamic Performance OUR
High Efficiency PACCAR Engine
L O C AT I O N S
FRESNO
PORTERVILLE
BAKERSFIELD
4390 South Bagley Ave. Fresno, CA 93725 Tel (559) 442-1590 Fax (559) 237-1621
15243 Road 192 Porterville, CA 93257 Tel (559) 782-5800 Fax (559) 784-5672
1450 South Union Avenue Bakersfield, CA 93307 Tel (661) 833-1700 Fax (661) 833-2788
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.emtharp.com/peterbilt/
March & April 2022
3
FROM THE EDITOR Raman S. Dhillon
The trucking and transportation industry is not only a profession but it is a community as well. Any individual action can make a huge impact on this community, good or bad. We are human beings and we always think our own benefits first, it is natural. We have right to think about ourselves first but let’s not make such individual decisions that might be beneficial to you but harm this trucking community as a whole. There is a problem of undercutting of prices and although this is an issue in almost every industry, it is very prevalent in trucking. Remember that if there is a problem, there is a solution and our priority should be to keep our head calm and find the right solution to solve the problem. Punjabi Trucking Magazine will continue to provide an in depth and meaning full analysis of the industry
and market. It’s not enough to know how regulations and economic factors are changing the market, it’s more important to know the why behind the change. Many great things can be accomplished when we work together for a common goal. Strength comes in unity and I believe our new administration will bring the change we need in the trucking industry. After Covid hit world in 2020, we have not seen any gatherings until this year and The 2022 American Trucking Show is just around the corner, slated for April 15th and 16th at The Fresno Fairgrounds in Fresno, CA. This year, The American Trucking Show promises to be a packed, fun-filled and a memorable event. Stay safe on the road, share the roads, and keep on trucking!
EDITOR Raman S. Dhillon
Official Magazine for: North America Punjabi Trucking Association
Published Bi-monthly by Primetime Multimedia Company LLC 4709 North El Capitan #104, Fresno, CA 93722 Tel: 001 877 806 2525 | Email: info@punjabitruckingusa.com
press@punjabitruckingusa.com
GRAPHIC DESIGN Maxx Printing, LLC Harshpal Brar
ASSOCIATE-EDITOR Sunny Vraitch
TRANSLATIONS Harjinder Dhesi
CONTENT MANAGER Rhea Randhawa
CONTRIBUTORS Rhea Randhawa Harkiran Sidhu Harjit Kaur Ruchika Kashyap Pash Brar Raman Singh Ravi Dhillon Michael Smith
OFFICE MANAGER Melissa Nolasco info@punjabitruckingusa.com
All Rights Reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be printed without the written consent of the publisher. DISCLAIMER: Primetime Multimedia Company LLC assumes all advertisers to be reliable and responsible for any and all liability for their claims. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertisement it may find unfit for publication. The opinions expressed in articles and features are of the writers and may not be those of the publisher. THE PUBLISHER ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY OF ANY KIND.
4
March & April 2022
ADVERTISING SALES Raman S. Dhillon sales@punjabitruckingusa.com
CIRCULATION MANAGER Jessie Dhillon
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
LOAD NE NE TTLOAD 5
March & April 2022
A Product A Product of of
INDUSTRY NEWS
CONTENTS
Connect with Us
American Trucking Show ....................... 24-25
ARTICLES
Apex (Nextload) .......................................... 05
09
Automann ....................................................... 45
ibfyn pRSwsn dy iblf bYk bYtr plwn nwl rYgUlytrI gqIivDIAW iv`c AweI iF`l
Big Rig Tires & Alignment ............................. 27 BP Lab Services ............................................ 28
16
Flat Rate Dispatching ................................. 21
10
Gillson Trucking Inc. ..................................... 15
v`D rhI mihMgweI kwrn Coty kYrIArW Aqy kwrobwrW 'qy pvygw vDyry pRBwv
20
Golden State Peterbilt ................................... 03 Golden Land Trans. Insurance .................... 20 Jagdeep Singh Insurance Agency ................ 37 Jumbo Logistics ............................................ 22 Kal Trailers ................................................... 47 Kam-Way Transportation Inc .................... 41 Legend Transportation Inc. ......................... 46
26
Load Stop ..................................................... 11 Lotus Benefits Corp ..................................... 35 Maxx Printing ............................................... 38 NAPTA .................................................... 29, 36
39
Punjabi Trucking 360 .............................. 07, 44 Punjabi Trucking App ................................... 33 Primelink Express ........................................ 02 Revolution Capital ................................. 13, 39
43
12 nvyN ienPrwstRkcr ib`l pws hox dy bwvjUd vI tr`k frweIvrW leI pwrikMg iv`c koeI suDwr nhIN AwieAw
15 ip`Cly swl dy tr`k inrIKxW iv`c mùK doSI dI pCwx
30 klIAirMg hwaUs dy fwtw Anuswr fr`g tYst dI aulMGxw 10 pRqISq v`D geI hY
34 ApRYl q`k id`qIAW jwxgIAW nvyN buinAwdI FWcy leI ArzIAW
Speedy Truck Wash Inc. ............................... 43 The Driver Services ....................................... 23 Timex Inc ...................................................... 19 Volvo Trucks ................................................. 48 6
March & April 2022
44
42 lMby smyN 'qoN aufIky jWdy tRyinMg stYNfrfz PrvrI ivc kIqy gey lwgU www.punjabitruckingusa.com
NEW EPISODES, EVERY WEEK
For Advertisement and Sponsorships Send inquiries to
info@ramandhillonshow.com
(559) 701-8000
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
7
INDUSTRY NEWS
Regulatory activity dormant as Biden administration pushes Build Back Better Plan;
Joshi out, Hutcheson in at FMCSA
W
"
The new acting administrator is Robin Hutcheson, who has both public and private expertise in managing fleets and lobbying for transport issues. She has held posts in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City.
8
March & April 2022
hile the Biden administration has been busy for the last year working on its ambitious domestic agenda, including the recently passed $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and the yet to be passed $3 trillion Build Back Better plan, there has been little time to consider transportation related regulations, although new regulatory activity will certainly accompany the money that comes from the infrastructure bill. Biden’s time, however, may be running out as midterm elections loom and the party that holds the White House has historically lost seats in these contests. In fact, the Democrats hold the House of Representatives because of the 41 seats they gained in 2018. Most of what the Department of Transportation (DOT) has done so far under Biden is to address supply chain issues and look at ways to improve highway safety, with fatalities up 18% in 2021. To that end, DOT recently unveiled a National Roadway Safety Strategy to deal with the increased danger on the nation’s roadways. According to the DOT website, the “National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) outlines the Department’s comprehensive approach to significantly reducing serious injuries and deaths on our Nation’s highways, roads, and streets. This is the first step in working toward an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.” While analysts believe a zero-fatality goal is unreachable, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg cited Hoboken, New Jersey, a city of 60,000, which “has seen multiple years with zero deaths.” Hoboken’s Vision Zero plan includes ways to reduce speeding and protect pedestrians and bikers. Meanwhile, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has seen more turnover. Meera Joshi, who had been on the threshold of becoming the agency’s first Senate-confirmed administrator since Ray Martinez, resigned recently to become the deputy mayor of New York City. The new acting administrator is Robin Hutcheson, who has both public and private expertise in managing fleets and lobbying for transport issues. She has held posts in Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. Rulemaking at FMCSA continues despite the topsy-turvy nature of the top spot. One such rule would move forward the ability of under-21 age drivers to get commercial driver’s licenses to operate on interstate roadways.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
ieMfstrI inaUz
ibfyn pRSwsn dy iblf bYk bYtr plwn nwl rYgUlytrI gqIivDIAW iv`c AweI iF`l;
joSI dI QW AY&.AYm.sI.AYs.ey. iv`c Awey hcsn ibfyn pRSwsn ipCly swl qoN Awpxy GrylU eyjMfy 'qy kMm krn iv~c ru~iJAw hoieAw hY ijs iv~c hwl hI iv~c pws kIqw igAw $1.2 itRlIAn do-p~KI buinAwdI FWcw ib~l Aqy Ajy pws hox vwlw $3 itRlIAn iblf bYk bYtr plwn Swiml hn[ hwlWik nvIN rYgUlytrI gqIivDI XkInI qOr 'qy buinAwdI FWcy dy ib~l qoN Awaux vwly pYsy 'qy pRBwv pwvygI pr dUjy eyjMfy iv~c ru~Jy hox kwrn ibfyn pRSwsn ƒ AwvwjweI sMbMDI inXmW 'qy ivcwr krn leI bhuq G~t smW imilAw[ m~DkwlI coxW dy Awaux kwrn Aqy vweIt hwaUs ƒ sMBwlx vwlI pwrtI dy sItW guAw dyx kwrn hux ibfyn kol G~t smW hY[ Asl iv~c 2018 iv~c pRwpq kIqIAW 41 sItW kwrn fYmokryts ny 'hwaUs Aw& irpRISntYitvs' 'qy kbzw kIqw hY[ ibfyn dy ADIn fIpwrtmYNt Aw& tRWsportySn ny hux q~k mu~K qOr 'qy splweI cyn mu~idAW ƒ h~l krn Aqy hweIvy sur~iKAw ƒ ibhqr krn dy qrIikAW 'qy hI kMm kIqw hY ikauNik 2021 iv~c 18%
"
mOqW iv~c vwDw hoieAw sI[ ies leI, fI.E.tI. duAwrw ie~k rwStrI rofvyA syPtI rxnIqI swhmxy ilAweI geI hY ijs nwl hwl hI iv~c dyS dy rofvyz 'qy v~Ddy ^qry dw h~l kIqw jwvygw[ fI.E.tI. vY~bsweIt dy Anuswr, "rwStrI rofvyA syPtI stRYtjI (AYn. Awr.AYs.AYs.) swfy rwStr dy rwjmwrgW, sVkW Aqy glIAW iv~c hwdsy Aqy mOqW ƒ mh~qvpUrn qOr 'qy Gtwaux leI ivBwg dIAW rxnIqIAW dI jwxkwrI idMdI hY[ lMby smyN q~k ies 'qy kMm krky hweIvy 'qy mOqW dI igxqI ƒ ^qm krn leI ieh ie~k pihlw mh~qvpUrn kdm hovygw[ ivSlySkW dw mMnxw hY ik hweIvy 'qy mOqW dI igxqI ƒ pUrw ^qm kr dyxw sMBv nhIN hY pr tRWsportySn sYktrI pIt butIgIg ny 60,000 dy ie~k Sihr hobokyn, inaU jrsI dw hvwlw id~qw, ijs iv~c hweIvy 'qy hoeIAW mOqW dI igxqI keI swl zIro hI rhI hY[ hobokyn dy ies ivzn zIro Xojnw
iv~c qyz r&qwr ƒ Gtwaux leI Aqy pYdl c~lx vwilAW, bweIkrW dI sur~iKAw krn dy keI qrIky Swml hn[ ies dOrwn &Yfrl motr kYrIAr syPtI AYfiminstRySn (AY&.AYm.sI.AYs.ey.) ny vDyry trnEvr dyiKAw hY[ mIrw joSI, jo ry mwrtInyz qoN bwAd eyjMsI dI pihlI sYnytpuStI pRSwsk bxn vwlI sI, aus ny hwl hI iv~c inaUXwrk istI dI ifptI myAr bxn leI AsqIPw dy id~qw hY[ rOibn hcsn hux nvyN kwrjkwrI pRSwsk hn, ijnHW ƒ PlItW dy pRbMDn Aqy tRWsport mu~idAW leI lwibMg krn dy kMm dw cMgw AnuBv hY[ auhnW ny imnIAwpoils Aqy swlt lyk istI iv~c ies Ahudy 'qy kMm kIqw hoieAw hY[ ies sB dy bwvjUd vI AY&.AYm.sI.AYs. ey. ivc inXm bxwauxy jwrI hn[ Aijhy ie~k inXm Anuswr hux AMqrrwjI rofvyz 'qy kMm krn leI 21 qoN G~t aumr dy frweIvrW ƒ kmrSIAl fRweIvrz lwiesYNs id~qy jwxgy[
rOibn hcsn hux nvyN kwrjkwrI pRSwsk hn, ijnHW ƒ PlItW dy pRbMDn Aqy tRWsport mu~idAW leI lwibMg krn dy kMm dw cMgw AnuBv hY[ auhnW ny imnIAwpoils Aqy swlt lyk istI iv~c ies Ahudy 'qy kMm kIqw hoieAw hY[
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
9
ieMfstrI inaUz
v`D rhI mihMgweI kwrn Coty kYrIArW Aqy kwrobwrW 'qy pvygw vDyry pRBwv ey.sI.tI. dI Koj Anuswr, klws 8 (XU.tI. 3) dy 3 swl purwxy vrqy gey tr~kW dI kImq ipCly swl nwloN 70% vD geI hY jd ik kMtrYktf vYn Pryt (vI.sI.Awr.pI.AYm.1) kyvl 20% pRqI mIl dy ihswb nwl vDI hY[ sMcwln kImq Aqy tr~k lof smr~Qw leI ivkrI dI kImq ivc vwDw Awaux nwl lMby smyN iv~c Coty kwrobwr dy ivkws iv~c Gwtw vyKx ƒ imlygw ijs nwl hor bhuq kwrobwr As&lqw dy ^qry iv~c hn[ hwlWik ies smyN izAwdwqr kYrIArW leI sB kuJ TIk idKweI dy irhw hY, pr Aijhy mihMgweI vwly mwhOl dy nqIjy vjoN bhuq swrIAW sm~isAwvW Awaux vwly smyN ivc swhmxy Aw skdIAW hn, Aqy Coty kwrobwrI mwfl iv~c AYkspojr dw au~c p~Dr hY[ pihlW, swƒ mOjUdw mwrkIt ƒ ie~k smwn vwqwvrx iv~c r~Kx dI zrUrq hY[ BwrI mMg kwrn lgBg 18 mhIinAW qoN AwvwjweI dy buinAwdI FWcy iv~c bhuq qMgI vyKx ƒ imlI Aqy bhuq swry lokW leI ieh g~l smJxI muSkl ho geI ik AijhI siQqI nwl vI ieh hux qk ikvyN kwiem hn[ ieh iek bhuq hI AsDwrn g~l hY ik trWsportySn smr~Qw iv~c lMby smyN leI ibnw iksy suDwr dy splweI iv~c Gwt vyKx ƒ imlI[ 2017-2018 ivc v~DdI mMg kwrn 2019 10
March & April 2022
ivc mwrkIt EvrsplweIf sI[ ieh siQqI lgBg 10-12 mhIinAW q~k rhI pr hux dy mukwbly ies 'qy mihMgweI dw bhuq G~t Asr vyKx ƒ imilAw sI[ hwlWik 2018 iv~c AweIAW mMgW Aqy hux qwzw mMgW iv~c bhuq AMqr hY pr AMq iv~c nqIjy vjoN bhuq swrIAW smwn sm~isAwvW swhmxy Aw skdIAW hn[ 2018 -19 iv~c mMg ƒ pUrw krn leI smr~Qw ƒ vDwieAw igAw sI[ audXoigk gqIvDIAW 'coN bhuq izAwdw auqSwihq pUMjI invyS vwqwvrx ƒ GtwieAw igAw pr ies lMby smyN ny bhuq swry PlItW ƒ ibnW iksy rok dy qyzI nwl A~gy vDx leI pRyirq vI kIqw sI jo ik hux dI siQqI nwloN iblkul ault hY ijs iv~c swmwn dy auqpwdn leI Aqy hor BrqIAW krn leI splweI cyn rukwvtW lgw ky ies ƒ sIimq kIqw igAw hY[ 2019 dI PRyt mwrkIt bhuq izAwdw Gwty ivc rhI ijs ivc iekrwrnwmy dI kImq qoN Cot dy ky smwn ƒ bhuq G~t ryt 'qy k~iFAw igAw[ AYkitv spwt mwrkIt Coty kYrIArW leI bhuq izAwdw mh~qvpUrn hn ikauNik auhnW kol ^rIddwr izAwdw nhIN hn Aqy auhnW leI v~fy iS~pr Aqy nY~tvrkW nwl sMquln bxwauxw bhuq muSkl hY[ jdoN mwrkIt iv~c loVH qoN v~D splweI kIqI jWdI hY qW spwt
mwrkIt G~t BrosymMd vOlXUm pRdwn krdw hY ijs nwl Coty kYrIAr gYr-lwBkwrI lof dw swhmxw krdy hn[ mwrkIt ivc AweI igrwvt swry kYrIArW ƒ nkwrwqmk qOr 'qy pRBwvq krdI hY pr iPr vI Coty PlItW mukwbly v~fy PlItW kol Awpxw bcwA krn dy bhuq vDIAw mOky huMdy hn[ ieh spSt hY ik ieh Biv~K iv~c Awaux vwlw iek mu~K ^qrw hY pr Awaux vwly kuJ smyN ivc qyzI nwl v~D rhI mihMgweI kwrn ivkws 'qy ies dw bhuq pRBwv pvygw[ v~fy PlItW vWg Coty kYrIArW kol nvyN tr~k KrIdx dI smrQw nhIN hY ijs kwrn ivkws vjoN auh pihlW qoN vrqy gey tr~k KrIdxgy Aqy ies smyN iv~c kIqI geI AijhI koeI vI ^rIddwrI dw pRBwv Awaux vwly keI swlW dI bYlyNs SIt 'qy pvygw[ cwhy hux tr~k kImqW iv~c igrwvt AwauNdI hY pr i&r vI ies kwrn krzy Aqy Gwty dw swhmxw krnw pY skdw hY[ jykr tr~k lof spwt mwrkIt ryt Aqy vOlXUm iv~c igrwvt AwauNdI hY qW iPr vI iehnW vDIAW kImqW iv~c koeI igrwvt nhIN AwvygI[ bhuq swry v~fy kYrIArW ny vrqy gey tr~k mwrkIt dw Pwiedw auTwieAw Aqy kuJ smwn Anlof kIqw ijs nwl auh nkd iek~Tw krn jW hor cIjW iv~c pYsy lgwaux ivc kwmXwb rhy[ www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
11
ieMfstrI inaUz
nvyN ienPrwstRkcr ib`l pws hox dy bwvjUd vI tr`k frweIvrW leI pwrikMg dI sm`isAw iv`c koeI suDwr nhIN AwieAw tr~ikMg audXog leI v~fy irgs leI FukvIN pwrikMg lMby smyN qoN ie~k icMqwjnk mu~dw irhw hY[ hwl hI iv~c pws kIqy gey bweIpwrtIsn ienPrwstRkcr ib~l qoN bwAd ieh mu~dw hux vDyry icMqwjnk bx cu~kw hY ikauNik ies nvyN ib~l Anuswr nvIN pwrikMg leI hux ie~k vI pYsw PMf muh~eIAw nhIN krvwieAw igAw[ Asl ib~l iv~c $1 iblIAn rkm pwrikMg leI r~KI geI sI, pr bwAd iv~c iesƒ g~lbwq dOrwn k~t id~qw igAw[ kuJ "AKiqAwrI PMifMg" imlx dI sMBwvnw hY, hwlWik ieh nvIAW sVkW Aqy pulW nwl vI juVI hovygI[ eI-kwmrs iv~c hoey vwDy nwl hux tr~ikMg dyS dI AwriQkqw dw ie~k mu~K AMg hY Aqy ies leI pwrikMg dI sm~isAw dw h~l l~Bxw iek cuxOqI bx geI hY ijs leI bhuq v~K v~K qrIikAW dI loV hY[ AmrIkn trWsportySn irsrc ieMstIitaUt duAwrw ipCly swl iek Koj kIqI geI ijs iv~c auhnW ny 1100 'qoN v~D 12
March & April 2022
tr~k frweIvrW koloN, pwrikMg jwxkwrI vMfx dy qrIikAW 'qy auhnW dy ivcwr pu~Cy Aqy nwl hI ies g~l dI jwxkwrI vI leI ik auh tr~k pwrikMg dI vrqoN ikvyN krdy hn[ "tr~k pwrikMg sUcnw pRxwlIAW: tr~k frweIvr vrqoN Aqy DwrnwvW," irport dy Anuswr, mOjUdw tr~k pwrikMg dI Gwt ƒ lgwqwr cotI dy pMj audXoigk icMqwvW vjoN drswieAw igAw hY[ dUjy tr~ikMg ivSlySkW dI irport Aqy ivSlySx ny auhnW KyqrW dI pCwx kIqI hY ijnHW ƒ sMboiDq krn dI loV hY, ijs Anuswr jnqk Aqy in~jI invyS auplbD hoxy cwhIdy hn[ ies qoN ielwvw qknwlojI dI vrqoN Aqy BweIvwlI ƒ vDwaux dI loV hY ijs nwl swry ih~sydwr iek~Ty ho ky ies mu~dy dw koeI h~l l~Bxgy[ invyS hwlWik nvyN &Yfrl buinAwdI FWcy dy pYkyj ny pwrikMg leI is~Dy qOr 'qy koeI vI PMf
nhIN r~Ky hn, pr rwj ieh PYslw kr skdw hY ik auh &Yfrl pYsw ik~Qy Aqy ikvyN Krcxw cwhuMdw hY[ imnIsotw rwj ƒ ies swl 30% hor PMf pRwpq hoxgy[ imnIsotw tr~ikMg AYsosIeySn (AYm.tI.ey.) dy pRDwn jOn hwauslwfyn ny ikhw ik auh aumId krdy sn ik kMm krn leI G~to G~t kuJ pYsy qW id~qy gey hn[ auh ^ws qOr 'qy icMqq hn ik imnIAwpoils vWg bhuq swry SihrI KyqrW ny irhwieSI ielwikAW iv~c tr~k pwrikMg 'qy pwbMdI lgw id~qI hY[ ausny ikhw, "ie~k bhuq izAwdw AwbwdI vwly Sihr iv~c tr~k pwrikMg bxwaux leI bhuq swrI zmIn auplbD nhIN huMdI Aqy ibnW iksy pRyrxw jW srkwrI shwieqw dy ies kMm ƒ A~gy nhIN vDwieAw jw skdw[" frweIvrW dI BrqI dI sm~isAw iv~c irhwieSI ielwikAW iv~c pwrikMg dI qMgI hoxw vI iek mu~K kwrn hY[ bhuq swry frweIvr kMm qoN Cu~tI hox dy bwAd tr~k Awpxy GrW dy nyVy pwrk krnw cwhuMdy hn[ www.punjabitruckingusa.com
ivskwnisn-ADwrq rohl tRWsport dy frweIvr ruzgwr dy aup pRDwn, itm nOriln ny ikhw ik ie~Qy keI lok Aijhy hn jo tr~k frweIvr bxnw cwhuMdy hn pr pwrikMg dI koeI shI jgHw nw imlx kwrn auh frweIvr nhIN bx pwauNdy hn[ vpwrk frweIvrW iv~coN 7% frweIvr AOrqW hn jo sur~iKAw sMbMDI keI prySwnIAW dw swhmxw kr rhIAW hn Aqy sur~iKAq pwrikMg dI mMg krdIAW hn ijs iv~c rOSnI, vwV Aqy rYstrUm Swiml hox[ qknwlojI hwlWik nvIN qknIk dy ifvYlpr tr~k frweIvrW leI mddgwr tUl bxw skdy hn, pr auh sQwnk srkwrW ƒ vDyry tr~k pwrikMg dI jgHw dyx leI nhIN kih skdy hn ijsdI ies smyN sB qoN v~D loV hY[ ^ws qOr 'qy tr~k stwpW, Aqy tRYvl plwizAW ƒ pwrikMg leI hor QW bxwaux leI, vwqwvrx pRBwv irportW, zoinMg primtW Aqy hor keI cIjW dI loV hY[ tr~kr pwQ jo ik ie~k qknIkI tUl hY, ies iv~c swfI mdd kr skdw hY[ auh ies g~l 'qy mwx kridAW d~sdw hY ik auh "mwrkIt iv~c ie~ko ie~k tr~k pwrikMg mwhr hY ijs iv~c 6,00,000 'qoN v~D tr~kr, tr~k pwrikMg sQwnW ƒ A~pfyt kr rhy hn[" tr~kr pwQ ieh inrDwrq krn leI kRwaUfsorisMg dI vrqoN krdw hY ik pwrikMg leI QW ik~Qy l~BI jw skdI hY[ ieh frweIvrW ƒ AYp 'qy pOp-A~p svwlW dy jvwb dyx leI kihMdw hY, ijvyN ik AijhIAW QwvW ijQy pwrikMg bxweI jw skdI hY Aqy nwl hI AijhIAW QwvW vI jo pUrI qrHW BrIAW hoeIAW hn[ tr~kr pwQ dy mu~K mwrkIitMg APsr, ikRs ElIvr, ny ikhw, "ieh cIz jIEPYNs duAwrw sMBv hoeI hY jo ik auhnW swry jwxy-pCwxy pwrikMg sQwnW dy Awly-duAwly sQwipq kIqy sn[" tr~kr pwQ ivSlySx dI vrqoN krky ieh Anumwn lgwauNdw hY ik KwlI QWvW ik~Qy auplbD hoxgIAW[ tr~kr pwQ AwpxI vY~bsweIt 'qy kihMdw hY, "swfI nvIN tr~k pwrikMg pUrv-Anumwn ivSySqw nwl tr~k pwrikMg l~Bx dw AMdwzw lgwE[ 8,000 qoN v~D sQwnW 'qy nzdIkI tr~k pwrikMg dI auplbDI dyKo[” BweIvwlI dI loV kYrIArW, irsIvrW Aqy vyArhwaUsW ƒ frweIvrW ƒ FukvIN pwrikMg l~Bx iv~c mdd krn leI vDyry sihXog dI loV huMdI hY[ audwhrn leI, vyArhwaUsW ƒ frweIvrW dI mdd krn dI loV huMdI www.punjabitruckingusa.com
hY[ ies qoN ielwvw, frweIvrW ƒ nw isr& pwrikMg QWvW dI zrUrq huMdI hY, sgoN hor shUlqW ijvyN ik rYstrUm Aqy Swvr dI vI loV huMdI hY[ AYm.tI.ey. dy hOslwfyn ny ikhw, “slIpr brQ smyq tr~k clwaux nwl quhwfIAW jIvn dIAW swrIAW buinAwdI loVW dIAW sm~isAwvW ^qm nhIN huMdIAW [ jykr qusIN ifaUtI 'qy nhIN ho, qW dUijAW nwl g~lbwq krn leI quhwƒ Bojn, rYstrUm Aqy Swvr dI vI loV huMdI hY[" kuJ kMpnIAW iSipMg dOrwn imlx vwlIAW shUlqW Aqy pwrikMg ivklpW bwry pihlW hI frweIvrW nwl g~lbwq kr lYNdIAW hn[
sI.Awr. ieMglYNf ivKy auh iPaUl dI shUlq vI pRdwn krdy hn[ rohl noriln dw kihxw hY ik frweIvrW ƒ Xwqrw dI Xojnw bxwaux l~igAW pwrikMg ƒ ie~k mh~qvpUrn ih~sw mMnxw cwhIdw hY[ ausny ikhw, “iksy QW 'qy jWdy hoey ibnHW iksy Xojnw dy pwrikMg l~Bx dI aumId nw kro sgoN Awpxy AnuBv qoN pihlW hI pwrikMg dI QW bwry pqw kro[ swƒ frweIvrW leI tr~k pwrk krn leI gyt l~gI hoeI iksy sur~iKAq QW dI zrUrq huMdI hY, Aqy frweIvrW leI iehnW ƒ l~Bxw AOKw huMdw jw irhw hY["
Your Growth. Our Growth We’re already helping thousands of businesses grow with transparent & flexible factoring. We support over 1,000 businesses with invoice management, credit underwriting, and collection services. By offering dedicated support and transparent access to the factoring process, we help our clients grow their operations, maintain their competitive edge, and become leaders in their industries.
INVOICE FACTORING
Trusted by our clients
Bobby Dhillon SVP (855) 879-1511 ext 550 (559) 900-9001 BDhillon@revinc.com 2941 Larkin Avenue Clovis, CA, 93612
March & April 2022
13
INDUSTRY NEWS
Lighting the key culprit in last year’s truck inspections
O
ut of nearly 250,000 North American roadside inspections conducted by highway safety officials in 2021, the most common violation involved broken lights, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Nearly 12% of the total violations found by inspectors involved inoperable lamps, with signal lights the second highest violation. Lamp violations made up a total of 344,225 violations with more than 400 types recorded. Obviously, lights are the easiest violation for inspectors to spot in a roadside inspection. U.S. trucks had 300,433 violations out of 212,256 inspections, Mexican trucks had 40,235 violations in 27,963 violations and Canadian trucks accounted for 3,269 violations in 2,768 inspections. 14
March & April 2022
“It’s important to note, commercial motor vehicles coming in from Mexico are checked regularly as they cross the border and generally have better lighting compliance,” said Ericka Miller, press secretary for the Texas Department of Public Safety. In fact, most commercial truck owners, especially highway fleets, use LED headlamps, tail lamps and marker lights even though there is a higher upfront cost than using incandescent lamps. LED diodes can last up to ten years, require less voltage, run at lower temperatures and are more resistant to shock and vibration. Of the U.S. truck inspections, California led the way with 21%, Texas followed with 15%, then New York with 4%, Maryland with 4% and North
Carolina and Florida with 3%. States with the least violations were Wyoming, Vermont, Alaska, Rhode Island and Hawaii.
One of the main reasons for so many lighting violations is that most big rigs today use LED lights, which include clusters of diodes. The cluster doesn’t need to be changed if only a few diodes are out. Unfortunately, many drivers and maintenance lots wait too long to replace individual diodes, leading to an entire panel of lights failing.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
ieMfstrI inaUz
ip`Cly swl dy tr`k inrIKxW iv`c mùK doSI dI pCwx tYksws dy pbilk syPtI ivBwg dI pRYs sk~qr AYirkw imlr ny d~isAw "ie~Qy ieh not krnw mh~qvpUrn hY ik mYksIko qoN Awaux vwly vpwrk motr vwhnW dI inXmq qOr qy jWc kIqI jWdI hY ikauNik auh srh~d pwr krdy hn Aqy Awm qOr qy roSnI dI ibhqr pwlxw krdy hn[" ieMnIAW swrIAW AijhIAW aulMGxwvW dw ie~k mu~K kwrn ieh hY ik A~j izAwdwqr v~fIAW irgz AYl.eI.fI. lweItW dI vrqoN krdIAW hn, ijs iv~c fwieEfz dy kl~str Swiml huMdy hn[ kl~str ƒ bdlx dI loV nhIN hY jykr isrP kuJ fwief bwhr hn[ bdiksmqI nwl bhuq swry frweIvr Aqy sWB sMBwl krn vwly lok ivAkqIgq fwieEfz ƒ bdlx leI bhuq izAwdw ieMqzwr krdy hn ijs nwl lweItW dw pUrw pYnl AsPl ho jWdw hY[ XU.AYs tr~k inrIKxW iv~coN, nqIjy kuJ ies qrHW sn - kYlIPornIAw iv~c 21%, tYksws iv~c 15%, iPr inaUXwrk iv~c
4%, mYrIlYNf iv~c 4% Aqy au~qrI kYrolInw Aqy PlorIfw iv~c 3%[ sB qoN G~t aulMGxw krn vwly rwjW iv~c vwieimMg, vrmONt, Alwskw, rHof twpU Aqy hvweI rwj Swiml sn[
vwsqv iv~c izAwdwqr vpwrk tr~k mwlk, ^ws qOr qy hweIvy PlIt, AYl. eI.fI. hY~flYNp, tyl lYNp Aqy mwrkr lweItW dI vrqoN krdy hn BwvyN ik cmkdwr ienkYNfIsYNt lYNpW dI vrqoN krn nwloN iehnW dI kImq v~D hY[ AYl.eI.fI. fwief ds swlW q~k c~l skdy hn[ iehnW ƒ G~t voltyj dI loV huMdI hY, ieh G~t qwpmwn qy c~ldy hn Aqy JtikAW ƒ sihx dI smrQw r~Kdy hn[
P
K I
G
SOCIATIO AS N
R TH NO
N
N
408-386-0913
UD MEMB P R OUNJABI TRUC E R A ME R IC A
&Yfrl motr kYrIAr syPtI AYfiminstRySn dy Anuswr, 2021 iv~c hweIvy sur~iKAw AiDkwrIAW duAwrw kIqy gey lgBg 2,50,000 au~qrI AmrIkw dy sVk iknwry inrIKxW iv~coN, sB qoN Awm aulMGxw iv~c tu~tIAW lweItW Swiml sn[ ieMspYktrW duAwrw pweIAW geIAW ku~l aulMGxwvW iv~coN lgBg 12% iv~c nw c~lxXog lweIt lYNp Swiml sn jo ik isgnl lweItW nwloN dUjI sB qoN v~D aulMGxw sI[ jykr lYNp SRyxI dI g~l krIey qW ies iv~c ku~l 3,44,225 aulMGxw kIqIAW geIAW hn ijnHW iv~c 400 qoN v~D iksmW drj kIqIAW geIAW hn[ sp~St qOr qy ieMspYktrW leI sVk dy iknwry inrIKx dOrwn lweItW dI aulMGxw dw pqw lgwauxw sB qoN Awswn hY[ XU.AYs tr~kW ny 2,12,256 inrIKxW iv~coN 3,00,433 aulMGxw kIqIAW, mYksIkn tr~kW ny 27,963 inrIKxW iv~c 40,235 aulMGxw kIqIAW Aqy kYnyfIAn tr~kW ny 2,768 inrIKxW iv~c 3,269 aulMGxw kIqIAW[
NAPTA Education - Service - Support
GOOD PAY - FAMILY ENVIRONMENT BENEFITS - DEDICATED & TEAM LOADS
HIRING DRIVERS & OWNER OPERATORS www.punjabitruckingusa.com
January March & February & April 2022
15
INDUSTRY NEWS
Lack of affordable used trucks could put drayage companies out of business as CARB deadline looms
C
onsistently ranked as one of the busiest ports in the nation, the Port of Oakland may see changes as drayage truckers that serve the port are put under pressure by the impending deadline from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to upgrade their trucks to meet new emissions regulations. Some are finding it difficult to upgrade because they simply cannot afford brand new trucks and with supply chain and semiconductor issues still a problem, used trucks are at a premium and are also very expensive. With high demand and low supply, used truck prices are up nearly 100% from pre-pandemic levels and that is for trucks with higher average miles and age. Trucking companies that cannot upgrade right now are hoping for an extension from CARB. The deadline is still Dec. 31. A provision in the Truck and Bus rule allows an extension for new 16
March & April 2022
truck purchases if there are manufacturer delays. This, however, does not help those who planned on upgrading to newer used trucks. Truck fleet budgets that used to be able to buy two or three used trucks for $100,000 now can only afford one. This reality has led to estimates that over 40,000 trucks could be put out of service in California after the deadline. Bill Aboudi, president of AB Trucking in Oakland said, “Port truckers are under a lot of stress already and we need an extension to the CARB rule by a year or two to let prices of trucks drop a little and we can rest a little easier.” For some truckers, however, the soaring prices for used trucks have led them to sell their trucks and retire or move to other jobs. Meanwhile, solutions to supply chain problems at the port have been slow to mitigate continuing slowdowns. Drayage companies and agricultural
product exporters blame steamship lines and terminal operators for appointment cancellations and delays. In response, the Department of Agriculture announced that it is partnering with the port to fund a 25-acre container staging area for farm exports. The USDA failed to mention that more than a dozen trucking companies were evicted from the Howard Terminal to make this space available. One drayage company owner said the cost of moving his company to the Howard Terminal last year was about $10,000, including moving his trucks and office trailers and hooking up to utilities. Now he may be forced to move and pay those costs once again.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Funds raised for Freedom Convoy are blocked amid violence on U.S.-Canada border
D
ue to reports of “violence and other unlawful activities,” the American crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has shut down the Freedom Convoy 2022 fund which had been helping support truck drivers during their protests at the U.S.-Canada border over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. On its website, GoFundMe said, “We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation. Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in violation of our terms of service (Term 8, which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment) and has been removed from our platform.” The Freedom Convoy originally consisted of owner-operators who staged a peaceful protest in Ottawa, Ontario against
mandates by the U.S. and Canada which required drivers crossing the border to provide proof of vaccination. The truckers’ protest, however, soon became a gathering place for a variety of protesters, including extremists and secessionists. Swastikas and inverted Canadian flags were seen among these groups while some protesters danced on the Canadian Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The fund had already released CA$1 million to organizers with about CA$4.7 million of the funds that were raised now frozen and expected to be returned to donors. The platform said, “To simplify the process for our users, we will be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser. This refund will happen automatically—you do not need to submit a request. Donors can expect to see refunds within 7-10 business days.”
Canadian officials have grown increasingly frustrated with the protest and the trucks which are blocking portions of downtown Ottawa. Canadian President Trudeau, however, has ruled out any use of the military in breaking up the protest.
Punjabi Trucking Magazine delivered FREE to your home or office.
Subscribe today Just pay shipping & handling and get it via US Mail anywhere in USA
Only $10.00 per year
Email: info@punjabitruckingusa.com or call 877.806.2525 www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
17
INDUSTRY NEWS
Infrastructure Law has provision for task force to examine truck leasing agreements
A
s part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last November, a task force of stakeholders will examine the fairness of lease and lease-option agreements involving carriers, lease companies, owneroperators and drayage drivers. A ten-person panel will be convened by mid-May and assigned with looking at truck leasing to develop a long-term plan to solve any equity problems within the system. They are expected to produce a report for the Department of Transportation, Department of Labor and Congress. The panel will include representatives from labor groups, owner-operators, shippers, consumer protection groups, consumer finance lawyers and leasing businesses. “The availability of owner-operators and their equipment is critical to the supply chain, but the ability of hard-working men and women choosing to own their own 18
March & April 2022
business is even more critical to the country and our industry,” said Nick Geale, vice president for workforce policy at American Trucking Associations (ATA), in a recent press release.
“We look forward to working with FMCSA [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration] on ensuring a balanced task force that looks at the issue in an objective manner to make recommendations that maintain that opportunity with appropriate safeguards.” The Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has complained about predatory leasing for many years, according to spokeswoman
Norita Taylor. She said, “While the supposed goal is for the driver to eventually own the truck and become a full-fledged owner-operator at the end of the lease, the agreements rarely end that way. The lack of oversight often leads to disastrous results for the truck driver.” The task force will examine common truck leasing practices that involve commercial drivers, looking for agreements that are skewed toward the lessor and against the driver. The law gives the task force the ability to determine if truck leasing agreements properly incentivize safety, including driver compliance with hours-of-service (HOS) regulations and laws governing speed. The law also asks the task force to explore whether lease agreements allow drivers to earn the same rate as other drivers performing the same task.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
More indictments made in staged accident investigation involving commercial trucks in Louisiana
F
ederal prosecutors have handed down more indictments in the investigation of a series of staged accidents in Louisiana, bringing the number of defendants charged to 47. Filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, these are the first indictments since last September. The defendants, who range in age from 30-70, were charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud. According to court documents, three of the defendants served as intermediaries who directed passengers to participate in staged automobile accidents. One of the defendants helped to arrange collisions that took place in the spring of 2017. Two others helped to coordinate the collisions.
Four of them falsely claimed they were passengers in a car that was hit by a tractor-trailer. In reality, the defendants conspired with others to collide with the tractor-trailer in the New Orleans area. The defendants made a false police report, lied in their depositions and filed fraudulent lawsuits against the owner of the tractor-trailer. Those indicted were Joseph Brewton of Houma, Louisiana, David Brown and Gilda Henderson of Morgan City, Louisiana, Latrell Johnson of New Orleans, Larry Picou and Florence Randle of Gibson, Louisiana and Stacie Wheaten of Atlanta. Since 2020, there have been 30 convictions of individuals involved in
the staged accidents with some now in jail and others on home detention. Prison sentences have ranged from 10 months to four years. Trucking companies which were targeted by the hoaxes include Covenant Transportation, Southern Refrigerated Transportation, B.A.H. Express, Tennessee Commercial Warehouse, HMNG Trucking and Stevie B’s Trucking. Attorneys, who allegedly carried out the lawsuits and doctors, who allegedly performed unnecessary surgeries on supposed victims have yet to be charged. Only attorney Danny Keating has been prosecuted so far. He pleaded guilty last June.
Your Trust. Our Commitment.
JOIN OUR FAMILY,
WE ARE HIRING!
www.timexinc.net
team@timexinc.net
916.758.8469
8989 Elder Creek Road, Sacramento CA 95829 www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
19
INDUSTRY NEWS
FreightVana adds trailers, strives for transparency
F
ounded by two former executives from Knight-Swift Transportation, Phoenix-based third-party logistics company FrieghtVana announced plans in February to purchase 1,250 53-ft. dry van trailers in an expansion of its power-only brokerage firm, FreightVana x. After leaving Knight-Swift early last year, Shannon Breen
20
March & April 2022
and John Gamero, who grew up in Phoenix, formed Freightvana which they envisioned would bring “greater transparency to the world of freight.” A power-only brokerage relies on pre-loaded trailers which a carrier leases from a third-party, such as FreightVana x in order to haul to a destination. The arrangement is excellent for carriers who simply arrive at a facility and hook-up a pre-loaded trailer without having to endure endless detention time. The “x” in the company’s name stands for collaboration. Breen, who is also FreightVana’s CEO, said, "Shippers are typically forced to work with large asset-based Carriers to establish drop trailer programs, while most small to mediumsized truckload providers are unable to operationalize these offerings because of equipment availability and financing constraints.” Breen added, “We started FreightVana x, in collaboration with our supply chain partners, to help alleviate this specific issue so that Shippers can now enjoy a scalable and strategic drop trailer program, backed by smaller trucking fleets, who represent most of the available capacity in the market." FrightVana began operating last year between California, Nevada and Arizona. They will make 250 trailers available to carriers by the end of May, with another 1,000 trailers expected to be on the road by the end of the year. While one stated goal is transparency, FreightVana is also hoping to provide a larger share for carriers without overcharging the shipper. FreightVana’s model of providing pre-loaded trailers to its customers comes at a time when capacity is tight, yet new equipment costs have soared during the pandemic and subsequent supply chain chaos. “Fleets with fewer than 100 trucks struggled to buy new equipment,” said Breen. “They’re trying to keep what they do have on the road and rolling.” Other companies that are now operating drop trailer networks include Convoy, Uber Freight, J.B Hunt and Schneider. www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Drug test violations up 10% according to data from Clearinghouse
I
n its first comparison of yearto-year data, the federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse found that drug violations for truck drivers increased over 10% from 2020 to 2021. Positive tests were up only 3.1% while the remaining increase in violations were for drivers who refused to be tested. The year-to-year comparison included 15 drug categories. Cocaine accounted for the largest increase, up 10.4% to more than 8,700 individuals. Marijuana was second with an increase of 5.3% to 31,000. MDA, a synthetic hallucinogen, was the only other drug to show an increase, going up about 10%. In contrast, alcohol violations were way up, soaring over 26%. While not all drivers are yet part of the Clearinghouse, full employment queries rose by 42% in 2021. 77% of drivers who have at least one violation have not yet completed the return-to-duty process and are blocked from driving commercially. Not surprisingly, marijuana accounts for the largest increase in drug violations, 25% higher than any other substance. Marijuana is legal in 18 states, but the federal government has yet to legalize it nationwide. Clearinghouse data indicates there were 60,596 marijuana violations, 16,705 cocaine violations, 10,269 methamphetamine violations, 9,857 amphetamine violations. Other categories had less than 3,000 violations. A new study, backed by The Trucking Alliance (board members include J.B. Hunt, Knight Transportation and Swift) concluded that the number of cocaine violations is far higher, because hair testing is not an accepted test by the Department of Transportation. While most employers would like to see hair testing included in the Clearinghouse, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association disputed the study, saying “it found no reason to believe that crashes would be reduced” if hair testing was federally www.punjabitruckingusa.com
sanctioned. “What the Trucking Alliance is claiming cannot possibly be extrapolated to the entire industry,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “They really should be
taking a closer look at why their carriers are so attractive to potential employees that use illegal drugs. And, any shipper that uses those companies might also take note.”
March & April 2022
21
INDUSTRY NEWS
Inflation reaches 40-year high; interest rate hike on the horizon
B
ecause of increases in the price of consumer items, including food and electricity, inflation soared to its highest rate in 40 years in January. The main inflation measurement, the consumer price index, shows that prices have gone up 7.5% in the previous 12 months. Experts have consistently underestimated the rate of inflation over the last year, with prices rising faster than any time since the early 1980’s. The persistent increases should lead the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, which it could do during its next meeting in March. Higher prices on everything from gas to groceries has wiped out much of the gain in the average American’s wealth, even at a time when wages have risen, and many Americans have received benefits from
22
March & April 2022
the federal government because of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Joe Biden, however, believes that inflation will drop in 2022. In a recent press release, he said, “While today’s report is elevated, forecasters continue to project inflation easing substantially by the end of 2022. And fortunately, we saw positive real wage growth last month, and moderation in auto prices, which have made up about a quarter of headline inflation over the last year.” Inflation occurs when supply does not meet demand, and since Americans had more money in their pockets last year, they wanted to make household purchases, straining factories and global supply chains. And, at the same time as factories were attempting to produce more, they found themselves with a smaller labor pool.
Unemployment is currently at just 4%, which most economists usually refer to as “full employment.” With this tight labor pool comes the inevitable higher wages. In fact, wages grew higher than they had since 2000. Unfortunately, inflation rates have outstripped wage gains over the last year. Food prices continued their rise in January, up 0.9% with similar rises in energy costs with electricity increasing higher than any time since 2006. The continued rise of inflation could mean the end of any hopes that Biden might pass his Build Back Better Plan, which would pump another $3.2 trillion into the economy over the next 10 years. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) has cited inflation as a reason why he won’t vote for the plan.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
23
TITLE SPONSORS
REGISTRATION LOBBY SPONSOR
BAG SPONSOR
LANYARD SPONSOR
ENDORSEMENT SPONSORS
24
March & April 2022
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INSPIRE
INNOVATE
APRIL 15 & 16
2022
ENGAGE
TRADE SHOW RECRUITING CENTER SHOW & SHINE ENTERTAINMENT
VENUE
The Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno CA VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE CURRENT AMERICAN TRUCKING SHOW FLOOR PLAN
www.americantruckingshow.com ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR
SUPPORTED BY
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
DINNER SPONSOR
DRINK STATION SPONSOR
MEDIA SPONSORS
March & April 2022
25
TRUCK PARKING ARTICLE
Parking remains problematic for truck drivers despite passage of new infrastructure bill
A
dequate parking for big rigs has long been a thorny issue for the trucking industry, especially after the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill didn’t provide a penny of funding for new parking. The original bill had provided $1 billion in parking money, but it was cut during negotiations. Some “discretionary funding” may be available, although it will have to compete with money for new roads and bridges. Trucking is an even more integral part of the nation’s economy with the rise of e-commerce, making parking a challenge that will need a variety of solutions. 26
March & April 2022
Last year, the American Transportation Research Institute released research on how truckers use parking and their opinions on how truck parking information is distributed. The research relied on surveys of more than 1,100 drivers. According to the report, “Truck Parking Information Systems: Truck Driver Use and Perceptions,” the lack of available truck parking has been consistently rated as a top- five industry concern. The report and analysis from other trucking analysts have identified areas that need to be addressed, including the availability of public and private
investments, an increased use of technology and more partnerships that will bring all stakeholders together to find solutions. Investments While the new federal infrastructure package did not earmark funds directly for parking, states can decide how they want to spend the federal money. In Minnesota, the state will get 30% more funding this year. John Hausladen, president of the Minnesota Trucking Association (MTA) said he was “hopeful that at least there is a pool [of money] to work with.” He is particularly concerned that many www.punjabitruckingusa.com
TRUCK PARKING ARTICLE
urban areas, such as Minneapolis, have banned truck parking in residential areas. He said, “As a highly populated urban center, there isn’t a lot of available land to just create truck parking without some sort of incentives or government support that move it forward.” Parking in residential areas is also a problem in the recruitment of drivers. Many drivers would like to park near their homes when they are off work. “There are people who want to be truck drivers, but sometimes they can’t become drivers because they don’t know where to park,” said Tim Norlin, vice president of driver employment for Wisconsin-based Roehl Transport. The recruitment of women, who make up only about 7% of commercial drivers, also hinges on the availability of safe and secure parking spaces which include lighting, fences and restrooms. Technology Although developers of new technology can create helpful tools for truck drivers, they cannot get local governments to allow more truck parking where it is
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
most needed. In particular, truck stops, and travel plazas need environmental impact reports, zoning permits and other requirements to build more spaces. One tech tool can help. Trucker Path boasts that it “is the only truck parking expert on the market. With over 600K truckers updating truck parking spots.” Trucker Path uses crowdsourcing to determine where parking availability can be found. It asks drivers to answer pop-up questions on the app, such as whether a lot has open spaces or where a lot is full. Chris Oliver, chief marketing officer for Trucker Path, said, “This is made possible via geofences we’ve established around all of the known parking locations.” Trucker Path also uses analytics to predict where empty spaces will be available. On its website, Trucker Path says, “Take the guesswork out of finding truck parking with our new Truck Parking Prediction feature. Know when there is nearby truck parking at over 8,000 locations.” Need for Partnerships Carriers, receivers and warehouses
need more cooperation to help drivers find suitable parking. For example, warehouses need to help drivers. In addition, drivers not only need parking spaces but also other amenities, such as restrooms and showers. “Just because you drive a truck with a sleeper berth, it doesn’t solve your problems for all of life’s basic necessities. You need access to food, restrooms and showers. If you’re not on duty, being able to interact with others,” said MTA’s Hausladen. Some companies communicate with drivers in advance about parking options at shipping and receiving facilities. At C.R. England they also provide fueling options. Roehl’s Norlin says drivers should make parking an important part of trip planning. He said, “Don’t just drive to an area and hope to park. Plan or know from experience where to park.” He added, “We need gated, secured locations for drivers to park, and it is getting harder and harder for drivers to find these.”
March & April 2022
27
INDUSTRY NEWS
Delivery platform Lula helps put brick and mortar stores back in the driver’s seat
W
ith the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in the spring of 2020, retail stores throughout the nation shuttered. Out of this catastrophe came an innovative new way to help brick and mortar stores get their goods into the hands of customers who could not shop because of lockdowns. Philadelphia-based Lula, the brainchild of two Drexel University students, Adit Gupta and Tom Falzani, provides an app for convenience stores to provide last-mile delivery of online orders. Partnered with a wholesale distributor of fresh sandwiches, salads, snacks, cigarettes, frozen and
refrigerated goods and a variety of other perishable items, Lula has more than 14,000 retail customers in eleven states. Recently, the e-commerce delivery technology company announced a new round of seed funding that netted $5.5 million from Ripple Ventures, Outlander VC and Up Partners. Lula now has $6.5 million in total funding. Seed money is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup in exchange for an equity stake in the company. “I’m excited to see Lula ramping up to make delivery services accessible to
6725 Fleming Ave, Sacramento, CA 95828
28
March & April 2022
local businesses. The pandemic has hit Main Street hard, and Lula is a great way for local merchants to access the rapidly growing delivery space. Adit and Tom have identified a huge opportunity and I’m extremely proud of Adit’s journey through Ripple X,” said Matt Cohen, managing partner of Ripple Ventures. On its website, Lula claims it “empowers stores to modernize, serve, and thrive in order to delight their customers locally and beyond.” Gupta and Falzani concluded that small stores needed help after they witnessed Gupta’s grandparents’ store in New Jersey close because of COVID. “There are over 150,000 convenience stores across the United States, and over 90% of the population lives within 1 mile of a store. It’s baffling how hard it is for stores to take advantage of online delivery. Lula aims to make convenience stores just a little more convenient by helping them deliver on every delivery platform online in the easiest way possible,” said Gupta. Lula helps convenience stores digitize their entire inventory in one location. It then uses third-party delivery companies, such as Uber Eats, to provide on-demand delivery of goods from any convenience store in Lula’s network. Not only that, but it also offers a zero-commission platform that does everything, including customer service, account management, marketing and delivery. www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
29
ieMfstrI inaUz
klIAirMg hwaUs dy fwtw Anuswr fr`g tYst dI aulMGxw 10 pRqISq v`D geI hY swl-dr-swl dy AMkiVAW dI pihlI qulnw iv~c &Yfrl fr~g AYNf Alkohl klIAirMghwaUs ny pwieAw ik swl 2020 qoN 2021 q~k tr~k frweIvrW leI nSIly pdwrQW dI aulMGxw iv~c 10% qoN v~D vwDw hoieAw hY[ skwrwqmk tYst isrP 3.1 pRqISq v~D sn jdoN ik aulMGxw iv~c bwkI vwDw auhnw frweIvrW leI sI ijnHW ny tYst krvwaux qoN ienkwr kr id~qw sI[ swl-dr-swl dI qulnw iv~c 15 fr~g dIAW SRyxIAW Swiml sn[ sB qoN mh~qvpUrn vwDw kokIn iv~c sI, jo 10.4 pRqISq vD ky 8,700 qoN v~D lokW q~k phuMc igAw[ mwirjuAwnw dUjy nMbr qy irhw Aqy 5.3 PIsdI dy vwDy nwl 31,000 XUintW dI ivkrI hoeI[ AYm.fI.ey., ie~k isMQYitk hYlusInojn vwDw drswaux vwlI ie~k hor fr~g sI jo lgBg 10 pRqISq v~D geI[ ies dy ault Alkohl dIAW aulMGxw iv~c 26 pRqISq qoN v~D vwDw hoieAw[ hwlWik swry fRweIvr Ajy klIAirMghwaUs 30
March & April April 2022 2022
dw ih~sw nhIN hn Aqy 2021 iv~c pUry ruzgwr svwlW iv~c 42 pRqISq dw vwDw hoieAw hY[ G~to-G~t ie~k aulMGxw krn vwly 77 pRqISq frweIvrW ny Ajy q~k ifaUtI qoN vwpsI dI pRikirAw pUrI nhIN kIqI hY Aqy vpwrk qOr qy frweIivMg krn qoN roikAw igAw hY[ hYrwnI dI g~l nhIN ik, mwirjuAwnw nSy dI aulMGxw iv~c sB qoN v~D vwDw hY, jo ik iksy vI hor pdwrQ nwloN 25 pRqISq v~D hY[ mwirjuAwnw 18 rwjW iv~c kwƒnI hY, pr &Yfrl srkwr ny Ajy q~k iesƒ dyS Br iv~c kwƒnI rUp dyxw hY[ klIAirMg hwaUs fwtw drswauNdw hY ik 60,596 mwirjuAwnw aulMGxw, 16,705 kokIn dI aulMGxw, 10,269 mYQwmPytwmweIn aulMGxw, 9,857 AYmPytwmweIn aulMGxw sn[ hor SRyxIAW iv~c 3,000 qoN G~t aulMGxw sn[ tr~ikMg AlwieMs (borf dy mYNbrW iv~c jy.bI. hMt, nweIt tRWsportySn Aqy sivPt Swiml hn) duAwrw ie~k nvyN AiDAYn ny is~tw k~iFAw hY ik kokIn dI
aulMGxw dI sMiKAw ikqy v~D hY ikauNik vwlW dI jWc AwvwjweI ivBwg duAwrw ie~k pRvwinq tYst nhIN hY[ jdoN ik izAwdwqr mwlk klIAirMg hwaUs iv~c vwlW dI jWc ƒ Swiml krnw cwhuMdy hn, Enr Aprytr ieMifpYNfYNt frweIvr AYsosIASn ny AiDAYn ƒ ivvwidq krdy hoey ibAwn id~qw hY Aqy ikhw, "ies qy ivSvws krn dw koeI kwrn nhIN imilAw ik kRYSW ƒ GtwieAw jw skdw hY" jykr vwlW dI jWc ƒ sMGI qOr qy mnzUrI id~qI jWdI hY[ E.E.AweI.fI.ey. dy pRDwn tOf spYNsr ny ikhw, “tr~ikMg AlwieMs duAwrw kIqy gey dwAvy smu~cy sYktr qy lwgU nhIN kIqy jw skdy hn" “aunHW ƒ Asl iv~c ies g~l qy fUMGweI nwl ivcwr krnw cwhIdw hY ik aunHW dy kYrIAr sMBwvI krmcwrIAW leI ieMny AwkrSk ikauN hn jo gYr-kwƒnI dvweIAW dI vrqoN krdy hn[ koeI vI iSpr jo auhnW PrmW dI vrqoN krdw hY, ies bwry sucyq hoxw cwhIdw hY[” www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Refrigerated carrier Hirshbach gets bigger with acquisition of John Christner Trucking
W
ith its recent acquisition of John Christner Trucking (JCT), Dubuque, Iowabased Hirschbach is now one of the largest refrigerated carriers in the U.S. Hirschbach adds 3,200 units to its fleet which will now have over 3,000 trucks and 5,000 trailers. It will also have revenue of more than $1 billion. While the financial specifics have not yet been announced, the deal will close in April. JCT was estimated to be worth nearly $350 million with a brokerage platform that brings in $150 million in revenue annually. The brokerage component of JCT will be run separately and retain the Christner name. It will look to combine revenue and operations wherever possible with Hirschbach.
The purchase of JCT will expand Hirschbach operations into the West and South. Currently, Hirschbach operates east of the Rocky Mountains. The fleets service many of the same customers and, according to company officials, nothing will change as far as service. “These two organizations should be united and fit together like two puzzle pieces,” said Brad Pinchuk, CEO and owner of Hirschbach. “Culturally, these two organizations are in perfect alignment. We’re both driver-centric organizations that focus on taking care of our people so they can take care of our customers.” JCT founder John Christner started hauling produce on the West Coast in the 1960’s. Along with his two sons, Christner formed the logistics unit about 15 years
ago. Danny Christner will still be in charge of the brokerage platform. Hirschbach also recently purchased Minnesota-based temperature-controlled operator Lessors Inc., absorbing 200 drivers and 300 units into its fold. More than 80% of those drivers stayed with Hirschbach along with many of Lessors’ customers. “It’s truly an honor to have been selected by the Christner family to be entrusted with their baby,” said Pinchuk. “JCT has a proud history.” “We’re excited and honored that [Hirschbach] had the belief in us,” said Danny Christner. “At the same time, I wanted to retain our identity and our brand value in the marketplace. The deal that Brad [Pinchuk] and I put together allows us to do both of those things.”
APRIL 15 & 16
SHOW & SHINE 2022
VENUE:
The Fresno Fairgrounds, Fresno CA
REGISTER YOUR TRUCK TODAY AT
www.AmericanTruckingShow.com/show-shine www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
31
INDUSTRY NEWS
Pilot program would allow younger truck drivers go interstate
W
hile some may hesitate to turn our nation’s roads over to teenage truck drivers, a new federal program which would do precisely that could make those roads safer in the long run. The Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program would train a group of 18–20-year-old drivers to operate commercial trucks across state lines. Currently, most states allow these younger drivers to carry freight only within state lines. The three-year program will have about 3,000 students with a training regimen more difficult and safety technology better than current standards. Apprentice drivers will need to complete two probationary periods—one for 120 hours and the other for 280 hours. During that time, these young drivers may transport goods across state lines but only with an experienced driver in the
passenger seat. This supervisor needs to be at least 26 years old, with a minimum of five years of interstate driving experience. Apprentices will also be required to have specific vehicle safety technologies installed on their trucks, such as added incab cameras to monitor driver behavior. While the requirement for added technology may keep smaller companies from hiring 18-20-year-old drivers, analysts believe these costs will decline over time. Companies participating in the SDAP Program must submit monthly data on their apprentice’s driver activity and notify the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration within 24 hours of any injury or fatal crash involving an apprentice. These apprentices will also have to be registered with the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. The program comes at a time when the U.S. has a serious driver shortage. Some
analysts estimate 80,000 new drivers are needed and that both younger drivers and women could fill these roles in the future, especially if safety is made a high priority during training. In the federal register announcement of the pilot program, nearly 200 comments were generated with more than two to one favoring the program. Support also came from trucking groups such as the American Trucking Associations, Commercial Vehicle Training Association, National Grocer Association and several more. Those that voiced opposition to allowing 18-20-year-olds to participate in interstate commerce included Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, the National Safety Council, National Transportation Safety Board, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Parents Against Tired Truckers, and the Truck Safety Coalition.
Ohio bill to give $25,000 in tax credits for training new drivers, now heads to the State Senate
A
mid a chronic driver’s shortage, the Ohio House of Representatives has unanimously passed legislation offering trucking companies a $25,000 tax credit for training new drivers. The bill now goes to the Ohio Senate for final passage. The credit would cap out at $1.5 million. I would also mean the state’s general fund would lose $1.45 million and local jurisdictions would lose $50,000 from their funding. “I am a small business owner, and the hardest position to fill in my company has always been a CDL truck driver because 32
March & April 2022
they are in such great demand,” said Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Paris Township) in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee. “After getting frustrated because I could not find drivers, I started training current employees to be drivers on my own dime. Having trained several employees of my own, I know what a huge expense this can be to a company.” Trucking analysts have estimated that the U.S. faces a shortage of about 80,000 drivers as many older drivers retired during the pandemic and younger workers and
women have been slow to take up driving as a profession. “This is a problem sweeping the nation, yet, unfortunately, many states, including Ohio, do not have adequate support established for individuals to overcome the financial barriers when trying to become a commercial vehicle driver,” said Edwin Nagle, chair of the Ohio Trucking Association and president of Nagle Companies in Walbridge, Ohio. The bill has major support from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and several trucking and business organizations. www.punjabitruckingusa.com
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
33
ieMfstrI inaUz
ApRYl q`k id`qIAW jwxgIAW nvyN buinAwdI FWcy leI ArzIAW; hwaUs duAwrw splweI cyn leI kIqw jw irhw hY kMm jdoN mihMgy pRojYktW dI g~l AwauNdI hY ijs iv~c mwl Aqy XwqrIAW dI AwvwjweI Swml huMdI hY qW AmrIkI BweIcwry ƒ Awr. ey. AweI. AYs. eI. dI loV mihsUs huMdI hY[ XU.AYs. ifpwrtmYNt Aw& tRWsportySn (fI.E.tI.) hux $1.5 iblIAn pYisAW dy pUl leI ArzIAW lY irhw hY ijsƒ rIiblifMg AmrIkn ienPrwstrkcr sstynibiltI Aqy iekutI (Awr. ey. AweI. AYs. eI.) dw nwm id~qw igAw hY[ ieh ArzIAW 14 ApRYl q~k drj kIqIAW jwxgIAW Aqy jyqUAW dI GoSxw Agsq q~k kr id~qI jwvygI[ Awr. ey.AweI. AYs. eI. gRWtW ƒ pihlW tI. AweI. jI. eI. Awr. gRWtw dy nwm vjoN jwixAw jWdw sI[ iek PMifMg noits iv~c, fI.E.tI. ny ikhw, "AY&. vwey. 2022 Awr. ey. AweI. AYs. eI. gRWt pRogrwm leI PMf, sqh AwvwjweI buinAwdI FWcy dy pRojYktW leI ie~k mukwbly dy AwDwr 'qy id~qy jwxgy ijs nwl mh~qvpUrn sQwnk Aqy ^yqrI pRBwv vyKx ƒ imlxgy[ fI.E.tI. sk~qr pIt butIgIg ny ikhw, “Awr. ey. AweI. AYs. eI. pRogrwm nwl v~fy Aqy Coty BweIcwirAW ƒ auhnW dy buinAwdI FWcy ƒ TIk krn Aqy AwDuink bxwaux iv~c mdd imlygI[ rwStrpqI 34
March & April 2022
dy do-p~KI buinAwdI FWcy dy kwƒn leI DMnvwd kridAW auhnW ny ieh vI d~isAw ik ies nwl hux AsIN pihlW nwloN vDyry pRojYktW dw smrQn kr skdy hW, Aqy dyS Br dy lokW leI swfI AwvwjweI pRxwlI ƒ sur~iKAq, izAwdw phuMcXog Aqy vDyry itkwaU bxwaux iv~c mdd kr skdy hW[" fI.E.tI. Anuswr Awr. ey. AweI. AYs. eI. dIAW AYplIkySnW dI "sKq jWc" kIqI jwvygI ijs iv~c "gqISIlqw Aqy kimaUintI knYktIivtI" ƒ mu~K ADwr mMinAw jwvygw[ "ifpwrtmYNt XUnIvrsl ifzweIn Aqy XwqrIAW leI phuMcXogqw leI pRojYktW dI jWc krygw Aqy ies dy nwl hI ieh ivcwr vI krygw ik mwl Aqy splweI cyn dI kuSlqw 'qy ieh ikvyN pRBwv pwauNdy hn[” ies dOrwn, kWgrs duAwrw rwStrpqI joA ibfyn dI splweI cyn rwhq aupwA Aqy rwStrpqI dI iblf bYkbYtr Xojnw dy hor ih~isAW ƒ pws krn 'qy kMm kIqw jw irhw hY[ pRqIinD sdn iv~c iek nvW kwƒn jykr pws kIqw jWdw hY qW aus nwl $45 iblIAn gRWtW Aqy krizAW ƒ AiDkwrq kIqw jwvygw ijs nwl splweI cyn dIAW sm~isAwvW ƒ h~l krn iv~c AwswnI
hovygI[ AmrIkw sI.E.AYm.pI.eI.tI.eI. AYs. AYkt nw kyvl AmrIkw iv~c sYmIkMfktr inrmwx ƒ vDwaux iv~c mdd krygw sgoN splweI cyn dI ingrwnI leI ie~k &Yfrl post vI sQwipq krygw[ sdn dy bhuigxqI nyqw, stYnI hoier (fI-mYrIlYNf) ny ikhw hwaUs fYmokryts, cIn Aqy hor pRqIXogIAW ƒ 21vIN sdI iv~c Koj krn Aqy nvInqw ilAwaux leI mOkw dy ky auh Awp ip~Cy h~t ky nhIN bYTygw ijs kwrn 2022 dy AmrIkw sI.E.AYm.pI.eI. tI.eI.AYs. AYkt ƒ A~gy ilAwauxw bhuq zrUrI hY[
ies ib~l nwl splweI cynW dI sur~iKAw iv~c vwDw hovygw Aqy nwl hI ieh XkIn krwaux iv~c vI mdd imlygI ik ifzItl sMswr iv~c mh~qvpUrn Xogdwn pwaux vwly mweIkRoicps Aqy sYmIkMfktr AmrIkw iv~c bxwey gey hn[ ieh lokW iv~c kMm, nvIAW KojW leI auqSwh pYdw krygw Aqy nwl hI kwimAW ƒ nvIAW nOkrIAW leI iqAwr krygw[
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Canadian logistics company expands with acquisition of Texas-based Arnold Transportation
O
ntario, Canada-based Pride Group Logistics (PGL) recently announced the purchase of Grand Prairie, Texas-based Arnold Transportation Services. Arnold has a fleet of more than 400 tractors and 1,400 dry vans. On its website, PGL said, “Our strategy of operating only ‘current year’ equipment gives us the most fuel-efficient fleet on the road today. The new technology significantly reduces our carbon footprint.” "The acquisition of Arnold Transportation Services will allow us to expand our U.S. domestic transportation offering to new and existing customers. We look forward to providing Arnold with many additional resources that will help grow the fleet and continue to provide safe and high-quality transportation services
to customers,” said PGL Vice President Aman Johal. “I am also happy to announce that Michael DelBovo will remain President of Arnold Transportation Services.” Arnold is a full-service asset-based carrier which was originally established in the 1930’s when it put, according to a press release, a premium on safety and regional service. The company’s operation is based in the south central and Midwest portion of the U.S. DelBovo said, “Arnold operates in regional markets for customers who require a flexible, performance-driven carrier." PGL will add new equipment to Arnold’s fleet with plans to add refrigerated units in the near future. As a result of the acquisition, PGL will now have 805 trucks
and 2,600 trailers. "We understand the growing needs of the industry and the need to continue to grow and scale up our business to do our part to keep the supply chain moving for our customers. This acquisition is an exciting step in our company’s history; however, it is just one of the many steps that we will be taking to ensure the longevity and ongoing high-quality service our clients have come to expect,” said Johal. On its website, PGL boasts that it “invests heavily in the use of technology within its operations to achieve industryleading safety performance, customer satisfaction and driver retention. [PGL] is a leader in sustainable transportation with heavy investments in electric vehicles and infrastructure.”
Lotus Benefits is a proud sponsor of NAPTA and with the help from the professionals at Lotus Benefits you can discover employee benefits packages that will retain your top talent. Lotus Benefits has a network of licensed health insurance experts who specialize in customizing packages to fit your employees' demographic needs. Benefits are available to vendors and other NAPTA sponsors with employers of any size.
In 2018, the North American Punjabi Trucking Association partnered with Lotus Benefits Corp to offer their members a comprehensive benefits package that can't be found anywhere else.
Talk with us about our custom benefit solutions to attract and then retain your employees
Discuss your company, budget and your employee's specific healthcare needs with an expert in the field. Review a personalized report for your company with different provider plans and network types. Communicate your plan selection and we take care of the rest. 1(855) GoLotus (465-6887) | 805-915-4770 2655 First Street, ste 250 Simi Valley CA 93065
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
CA LICENSE # OM73517 info@lotusbenefits.com www.lotusbenefits.com March & April 2022
35
INDUSTRY NEWS
Battery power is the future for Navistar
W
hether sooner or later, battery-electric trucks are the future of the commercial trucking industry, according to Navistar CEO Mathias Carlbaum. Although the company continues progress on fuel cell projects it started before being acquired by Volkswagen’s Traton Group, it has now come down firmly on the side of batteries like its parent company. “There is a window there, but over time because of the better energy efficiency, batteries will prevail,” Carlbaum told a virtual press conference recently in his first public comments since becoming CEO last September. In a study done in 2020 by the management consultancy group Horváth & Partners, battery power outperformed fuel cells. The study showed that 70-80% of electricity generated by batteries goes
36
March & April 2022
toward propulsion, while only about 2535% of the energy makes it to the wheels of a fuel cell vehicle. Nevertheless, Navistar still has two fuel cell projects underway. One is with Cummins Inc. to build a Class 8 fuel cell truck for Werner Enterprises. The other is with General Motors to use fuel cells on Navistar LT tractors for J.B. Hunt Transport. “We do believe there is a user case for hydrogen for certain very long distances,” Carlbaum said. “We are working our partnerships to have our solutions in the market to cover that period of time that hydrogen is going to be a part of the longhaul market.” While Daimler and Volvo are working on a joint fuel cell partnership to build hydrogen-powered trucks, Volkswagen has gone full throttle into battery power,
investing in startup QuantumScape, which promises to build a battery with greater range than current technology. Navistar, however, is in no rush to build a Class 8 battery-electric truck. The company is now engaged with building electric school buses and a medium-duty battery powered eMV Class 6 Truck. The eMV will be the first truck to be assembled at the company’s new facility in San Antonio, Texas. A Class 8 LT tractor waits in the wings and could soon be developed for regional hauling, like trucks made by Daimler, Volvo and Paccar. A long-haul battery powered (400-500 miles on a single charge) Class 8 truck is not in the immediate future. “We won’t be late when it’s the moment for it,” Carlbaum said. “But we don’t really see the need for trying that tech before there’s a user case for it.”
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
With $5 billion in federal money, states can start building charging stations along highways
E
nvisioning a future where electric cars will have no problem traveling up and down the nation’s roadways, states are gearing up to build thousands of electric vehicle charging stations as part of the Biden administration’s investment in battling climate change. In February, the administration announced that $5 billion in federal money will be made available to states over the next five years. The money would pay for a network of stations every 50 miles along interstate highways. States can begin construction as early as this fall if they build on highways rather than in residential areas. Each station would be required to have fast charging ports which would allow for full recharging within an hour. Biden had originally promised $15 billion in funding and 500,000 charging stations built by 2030. Now it looks as though private investment will have to be used to meet that goal. “A century ago, America ushered in the modern automotive era; now America must lead the electric vehicle revolution,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who oversees the funding. An additional $2.5 billion, which will be made available later this year, is earmarked for building stations in rural areas and disadvantaged communities. The administration hopes the added stations will spur drivers in those areas to purchase electric vehicles, though this will be difficult because these new cars and trucks are still far more expensive than gaspowered vehicles. To that end, Biden has set a goal of 50% electric vehicle sales by 2030. The ultimate goal is to become a totally zero emission economy by 2050. In the president’s Build Back Better plan, a $7,500 tax credit would be available for those who purchase an electric vehicle. That plan, however, has stalled in Congress. In recent comments, Biden said, “China has been leading the race up to now, but this is about to change. Because America is building convenient, reliable, equitable national public charging networks. So, wherever you live, charging an electric vehicle will be quick and easy.” Under the Transportation Department plan, states would be eligible to build charging stations in neighborhoods and cities as soon as the agency is able to certify they have built a network of stations on major highways, referred to as alternative fuel corridors. Fast charging stations which can provide an 80% charge within 20-40 minutes are expensive, costing as much as $100,000 per unit. Currently, Tesla operates over 1,200 www.punjabitruckingusa.com
stations across the nation with the ability to charge a Tesla electric car in about 15 minutes.
March & April 2022
37
INDUSTRY NEWS
California oil distributor files bankruptcy, leaves debts of up to $100 million
O
nce hailed as a hero because of its production of hand sanitizer at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington, California-based RPP Products Inc., a distributor for oil, lubricants and other automotive products, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, leaving millions of dollars of debt to a variety of creditors. Eric Zwigart is the owner and president of RPP (also known as RacePro Products). In the filing by Zwigart’s attorney Michael G. Spector with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, RPP listed assets of just $50,000 with liabilities of $50 to $100 million. It claims that no funds will be available for creditors after court administrative fees are paid. Among RPP’s creditors includes
38
March & April 2022
Gibraltar Business Capital LLC which is owed more than $9.6 million. Several trucking and logistics companies are also owed millions by RPP. FedEx Freight of Palatine, Illinois is owed more than $4.4 million, NW Logistics LLC of Newport Beach, California is also owed about $4.4 million while Nationwide Logistics of Ontario, California is owed nearly $3.2 million. Not surprisingly, at least three breach-of-contract lawsuits were filed against RPP last year. In October, RPP was ordered to pay Illinoisbased Old World Industries, which manufactures automotive and chemical
products, nearly $1.1 million. In addition, RPP was ordered to pay Ontario, Canada-based Servco Solid Surfaces $147,000 last September. Servco filed its suit in California. A creditors’ meeting is scheduled for March 15.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Milwaukee-based fuel company owner to plead guilty for wire fraud
A
dmitting he bilked investors out of more than $6 million, the CEO of a Milwaukee-based company that offered fuel and maintenance services to trucking companies has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Acting as CEO for Exit7c, 35-year-old Blessing K. Egbon used fake profit numbers and forged bank statements to lure investors into giving him money, which he used for chartering private jets, visiting “luxury nightclubs” and renting private villas.
Formerly CoOp Fuel, Exit7c provided onsite fuel and maintenance for truckers and rental car agencies. Egbon changed the name of the company when he moved from Colorado to Wisconsin in 2015 to take advantage of support from gener8tor,
a startup accelerator in the Milwaukee area that helped new businesses. Egbon consistently used fake documents to deal with potential investors, claiming his company’s total sales revenue topped $91 million in 2018-2019. The actual number was under $400,000. Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed the lawsuit against Egbon. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the three counts, a $250,000 fine. Egbon has also agreed to pay restitution to several of the investors.
WWW.REVINC.US INFO@REVINC.US
888-360-1511 Trust score: 4.9/5
INVOICE FACTORING YOUR GROWTH. OUR GROWTH. www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
39
INDUSTRY NEWS
CALSTART report anticipates immediate growth of zero-emission vehicles
I
n a new report from CALSTART and funded by the California Air Resources Board, the trucking industry should see “significant increases” in the use of zero-emission trucks or vans (ZETs) in the near future. The report said, “Key factors, such as model availability, technical capability, and vehicle cost, are changing rapidly and show that ZETs are ready to deploy across multiple commercial vehicle market segments.” Currently, however, there are only about 1,200 ZETs in work settings, although some of these may already be out of service, according to the report. The number represents a tiny fraction (0.005%) of medium- and heavy-duty trucks on the nation’s roads with 75% of these in the medium-duty variety. 20% of ZETs are yard-based tractors, meaning that only about 4% of the nation’s heavyduty long-haul trucks are zero-emissions. Most heavy-duty zero-emission trucks are part of pilot projects to demonstrate their efficiency. The report does indicate that another 140,000 ZETs are now on order by both public and private fleets. Many of these orders are for heavy-duty models. Of these orders, delivery times fluctuate from one to 10 years.
40
March & April 2022
The report’s optimism anticipates the influx of federal dollars on charging infrastructure and the implementation across the nation of new clean truck regulations. In California, commercial fleets will be getting $873 million in zeroemission purchase incentives. While manufacturers such as Daimler, Navistar and Volvo continue to experiment with hydrogen fuel cell trucks, the broad majority of ZETs currently on the road are battery electric. The industry hopes that fuel cells will be the answer for longerhaul and regional trucking since batteries sill have limited range. More than 30 manufacturers are offering a variety of different ZET models, a rapid increase over just two years ago. Unfortunately, several manufacturers have gone out of business because of inability to develop its technology, leaving fleets to reconsider large purchases.
“The actual number of deployed vehicles is still quite low, and we do expect to see shifts in delivery dates and actual delivery of those on order as the market players continue to evolve,” said Kevin
Walkowicz, senior director of truck programs at CALSTART, in a press release. “However, the numbers demonstrate that there is demand that will support significant growth in the industry.” ZET deployments are currently centered in states with supportive state officials such as California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois, but other states who have received federal funding are purchasing ZETs. California is the leader with 61% of all ZETs now on the nation’s roads. The market for ZETs should grow rapidly in coming years, because of three factors. First, batteries are becoming cheaper and will continue to slide in price as they become more in demand. Second, fuel cell technology is improving and will allow for longer range vehicles. Finally, “transportation-as-a-service model” takes into account that operators don’t have to pay the full upfront cost of a vehicle or the charging equipment it needs because of government grants and incentives.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Cummins continues growth in natural gas engines with buyout of Westport
A
fter a ten-year partnership, Indiana-based heavy duty truck engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. has bought out Westport Fuel Systems from its share in a natural gas engine joint venture between the two companies which ended last December. Cummins compensated Westport $20 million and will let them retain their share of the intellectual property from the venture. While not totally zero-emission, natural gas-powered engines can reduce pollutants by 90%. Last year, Cummins and Westport introduced the ISX12N+Endurant HD N engine with a fully integrated natural gas powertrain. At the time, Cummins-Westport President Thomas Hodek said, “The ultra-low emissions of the ISX12N combined with the Endurant HD N transmission provides the optimal powertrain solution for customers working to lower their carbon footprint. The deep powertrain integration delivers improved launch, low speed maneuverability, and smoother shifts that drivers will appreciate.”
Cummins is also introducing a 15-liter natural gas engine it sells in China. The engine offers ratings of up to 500 horsepower and 1,850-pound feet of torque. It will be up to 500 pounds less than comparable diesel engines. Natural gas-powered engines are one way that Cummins is looking to address climate change. In 2019 they introduced their Planet 2050 Strategy. Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger said, “Our communities and our business depend on our collective response to improve the health of the planet while creating prosperity for all. It’s clear that government, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and communities must unite behind swift, decisive action to address the environmental threats we face.” Cummins has also set up other partnerships with work on hydrogen fuel cell capabilities. Linebarger said his company is “trying to create increased availability for systems that can actually store and transport fuel on vehicles.”
WE ARE LOOKING FOR
SMALL FLEETS POWER ONLY OWNER OPERATORS WITH THEIR OWN AUTHORITY FOR OUR PULLER PROGRAM DROP & HOOK FUEL DISCOUNTS QUICK-PAY REEFER & DRY VAN WEST COAST FREIGHT FLEET OF 500+ TRAILERS TO PULL
CONTACT US TODAY 1-833-JOINKWT (564-6598) COMPLIANCE: 360-332-1444 x455 JOINKAMWAY@KAM-WAY.COM
WE ARE LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED DRIVERS TO JOIN OUR FLEET!
APPLY TODAY! www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
41
ieMfstrI inaUz
eI.AYl.fI.tI. leI nvIAW byslweInW keI swlW dI dyrI qoN bwAd 7 PrvrI ƒ pRBwvI hoeIAW hn[ isKlweI skUlW ƒ nvIAW loVW dy nwl qyzI nwl A~gy Awaux leI kw&I smW cwhIdw sI[ ieh swrI jwxkwrI &Yfrl motr kYrIAr syPtI AYfiminstRySn (AY&.AYm.sI.AYs.ey.) eI.AYl.fI.tI. vY~bpyj Aqy kmrSIAl vhIkl tRyinMg AYsosIeySn qoN l~BI jw skdI hY[ nvyN inXm swƒ ipCWh ilAwaux vwly nhIN hn, ijs Anuswr jykr iksy frweIvr ny AwpxI tRyinMg pUrI kr leI hY Aqy smW sImw qoN pihlW aus ƒ kmrSIAl fRweIvrz lwiesYNs (sI. fI.AYl.) jW kmrSIAl lrinMg primt (sI.AYl.pI.) iml igAw hY, qW auh tRyinMg iv~c Swiml inXmW hoey nvyN leI izMmyvwr nhIN hn[ tRyinMg loVW iv~c mu~K pMj ^yqrW iv~c bdlwv Awey hn: pwTkRm AYP.AYm.sI.AYs.ey. dI tRyinMg pRovweIfr rijstrI (tI. pI.Awr) iv~c sUcIb~D ie~k skUl duAwrw pRdwn kIqy gey sI.fI.AYl. sikl tYst iv~c ArzI dyx qoN pihlW swry pRvySp~Dr dy frweIvr nvyN inrDwrq pRogrwm Aqy ibhweINf-dIvIlz tRyinMg iv~c mwihr hoxy cwhIdy hn[ tI.pI.Awr. iv~c rijstRySn frweIvr isKlweI pRogrwmW ƒ hux tI.pI.Awr. iv~c sUcIb~D krnw hovygw[ iehnW skUlW dw dwAvw hY ik auh eI.AYl.fI.tI. dy nvyN stYNfrfz dI pwlxw krdy hn[ lwiesYNs eyjMsIAW duAwrw hux gYr-rijstrf sMsQwvW 'qy isKlweI ƒ r~d kr id~qw jwvygw[ ijhVy skUlW dw ieh dwAvw JUTw inkldw hY qW auhnW ƒ &Yfrl muk~dmy dw swhmxw krnw pY skdw hY[
lMby smyN 'qoN aufIky jWdy tRyinMg stYNfrfz PrvrI ivc kIqy gey lwgU 42
March & April 2022
Xogqw pRwpq ieMstRktr ieMstRktrW kol kmrSIAl fRweIvrz lwiesYNs (sI. fI.AYl.) dw hoxw lwzmI hY Aqy auhnW kol G~to-G~t do swlW dw vpwrk frweIivMg jW ibhweINf-dI-vIlz ieMstRktr vjoN qjrbw hoxw cwhIdw hY[ ividAwrQI dI muhwrq 'qy PYslw ieMstRktr ƒ idMdy hoey, eI.AYl.fI.tI. ny ibhweINf-dI-vIlz leI koeI vI inrDwirq GMty lwzmI nhIN kIqy hn[ loVINdw shUlqW Aqy aupkrnW dI vrqoN ie~k tRyinMg skUl ƒ Aijhy tr~k qwienwq krny cwhIdy hn jo &Yfrl Aqy rwj sur~iKAw loVW dI pwlxw krdy hn[ tRyinMg iv~c vI auhnW tr~kW dI hI vrqoN krnI cwhIdI hY jo ik nOkrI imlx qoN bwAd auhnW duAwrw clwey jwxy hn[ skUl dy klwsrUm Aqy tRyinMg Xwrf srkwrI loVW Anuswr hoxy cwhIdy hn[ irkwrf dsqwvyjW dw irkwrf G~to-G~t iqMn swlW leI ie~k fytwbys iv~c r~iKAw jwxw cwhIdw hY ijs iv~c frweIvrtRynI dsqwvyz, pwlxw dy svY-pRmwxIkrn Aqy sI.AYl.pI. dI kwpI Swml hn[ rijstRySn dI kwpI dy nwl nwl ieMstRktr Xogqw dy dsqwvyz vI tI.pI.Awr. ƒ jmHw krwauxy cwhIdy hn[ ies 'qoN ielwvw tRyinMg Aqy ibhweINf-dI-vIlz dy isKlweI dsqwvyj vI nwl r~Ky jwxy cwhIdy hn[ www.punjabitruckingusa.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Long awaited training standards became effective in February
N
ew baselines for entry-level truck driver training (ELDT) became effective on Feb. 7, after years of delay. Training schools should have had plenty of time to come up to speed with the new requirements.
have to be listed in the TPR. These schools certify that they comply with new ELDT standards. Training at nonregistered entities will be rejected by licensing agencies. Schools that falsely claim they are using updated curriculum
Information can be found on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) ELDT webpage and from the Commercial Vehicle Training Association. The new regulations are not retroactive, so if a driver completed their training requirements and was issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) before the deadline, they are not responsible for the new requirements. Training requirements have changed in five areas: Curriculum Entry-level drivers are responsible for mastering a new prescribed program of theory and behind-the-wheel lessons before taking the CDL skills test provided by a school listed on the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry (TPR). Registration in the TPR Driver training programs will now
could face federal prosecution. Use of qualified instructors Instructors should hold an appropriate
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
CDL and have at least two years of commercial driving experience or two years of experience as a behind-thewheel instructor. ELDT does not mandate a certain number of hours behind-thewheel, giving the instructor the decision on student proficiency. Use of proper equipment and facilities A training school must deploy trucks which comply with federal and state safety requirements. They must also have trucks in the same class as the driver intends to operate when they are employed. School classrooms and training yards must also be up to government requirements. Records Training documents must be held in a database for at least three years. This includes driver-trainee documentation, self-certifications of compliance and copy of CLP. Instructor qualification documents should also be kept along with a copy of the registration submitted to the TPR. Finally, lesson plans for theory and behind-the-wheel instruction.
March & April 2022
43
INDUSTRY NEWS
New infrastructure grant applications due in April;
House gets to work on supply chain solutions
A
merican communities deserve a RAISE when it comes to expensive projects that involve the movement of freight and passengers. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is now taking applications for a $1.5 billion pool of money which is labeled Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE). The deadline for applications is April 14 with winners announced no later than August. RAISE grants were previously known as TIGER (Transportation Generating Economic Recovery) grants. In its Notice of Funding Opportunity, DOT said, “Funds for the FY 2022 RAISE grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for surface transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant local or regional impact.” DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, “The RAISE program helps communities large and small fix and modernize their infrastructure. This year, thanks to the 44
March & April 2022
president’s bipartisan infrastructure law, we can support more projects than ever, and help make our transportation system safer, more accessible and more sustainable for people across the country.” RAISE applications will be “rigorously reviewed” and “evaluated on the criteria of mobility and community connectivity,” according to DOT. “The department will assess projects for universal design and accessibility for travelers, as well as consider how proposals increase mobility for freight and supply chain efficiency.” Meanwhile, Congress is back at work trying to pass President Joe Biden’s supply chain relief measure and other parts of the president’s Build Back Better plan. New legislation in the House of Representatives would authorize $45 billion in grants and loans that would help solve supply chain problems if passed. The America COMPETES Act would not only assist in increased
semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. but would also establish a federal post in charge of monitoring the supply chain.
“House Democrats will not sit back and let China and other competitors out-research, out-innovate and outbuild us in the 21st century, which is why we are putting forward the America COMPETES Act of 2022,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland.). “This bill will help secure our supply chains, ensure the microchips and semiconductors that have become vital in an increasingly digital world are made here in America, promote the advanced research to fuel an entrepreneurial spirit that is the envy of the world, and expand career apprenticeships to prepare our workers for jobs they will create.” www.punjabitruckingusa.com
Over 30,000 Parts
For The Most Popular Trucks
Freightliner | Kenworth | International | Volvo | Peterbilt
USA DISTRIBUTION CENTERS Monroe Twp, New Jersey Ontario, California Duncanville, Texas New Lenox, Illinois CANADA DISTRIBUTION CENTERS www.punjabitruckingusa.com Brampton, Ontario Edmonton, Alberta
March & April 2022
45
$10,000
Retention Bonus
HIRING DRIVERS California to Texas & Oklahoma team up to .74 CPM Sold up to .64 CPM Intra California (Los Angeles to Sacramento Area) .70 CPM CA to Nevada & Utah up to .74 CPM Woodland to Bay Area 100% Hook & Drop $26 / hour
100 Brand new trucks are coming in December 2021
Call or Text 46
March & April 2022
Since 2008, Legend Transportation has been able to achieve double-digit growth consecutively, year after year. With that growth, we continue to reinvest back into the company. We partner with strategic customers while providing seamless solutions for our drivers.
Dry Van 80% Drop & Hook
Paul Bal: 530-788-2588
www.punjabitruckingusa.com
Financing Available
KAL TRAILERS & LEASING, INC.
www.kaltrailersandleasing.com
NICE SELECTION OF LOW MILE LATE MODEL TRUCKS!
NEW VANGUARD 53’ REEFERS Thermo King & Carrier call to place your order!
2014 FL CASCADIA 125 Detroit, DD15 455 HP, Autoshift, 591, 350 mi, We also finance. Stk# 2326
NEW VANGUARD 53’ DRY VANS Swing Doors, Call for Details!
2019 FL CASCADIA
2022 PETE 567
2018 VOLVO VNL760
113 Detroit 505 HP, DT12, Aluminum Wheels, 235” WB, 411, 228 mi, Stk# 2332
WEST COAST’S NEWEST VANGUARD DEALER!
2022 PETERBILT 567 DUMP Paccar, MX11, 430 HP, Allison RDS, 2,300mi, lift axle Call for details! - Stk# KLD11001
2018 KENWORTH T680
Volvo D13, 450 HP, Ultrashift, 226” WB, 365,990 mi. Stk# 2207
Bakersfield, CA 3401 Sillect Ave. 559-262-7199
MX11, 430 HP, Allison Trans, Near New Condition! Lift Axle. Call for details!
MX-13, 405 HP, Autoshift, Aluminum Wheels, 366,643 mi, excellent condition. We also Finance. Stk# 2300.
Fontana, CA 11184 Almond Ave. (909) 284-1120
YOUR 1-STOP SHOP! WE SPEAK PUNJABI, SPANISH & CHINESE
TRUCK & TRAILER SALES & LEASING · KAL TIRES · KAL PARTZ www.punjabitruckingusa.com
March & April 2022
47
ieMfstrI dw sB qoN v`D knYkt`f tr`k volvo knYkt krdw hY irmot poRgrwimMg dy nwl
sOPtvyAr Aqy pYrwmItr A~pfyt krn leI vwhn ƒ rotysæn qoN bwhr lY jwx nwl auqpwdkqw GtdI hY[ irmot pRogrwimµg quhwƒ AmrIkw Aqy kYnyfw iv~c lgBg iksy vI QW qoN volvo A~ptweIm sYNtr nwl juVn idµdI hY[ A~pfyt tr~k pwrk krky 20 imµtW iv~c kIqI jw skdI hY[ au~qrI AmrIkw iv~c sB qoN v~D knYktf Awn-borf tYlImYitks isstm hox dw ieh ie~k hor Pwiedw hY[ Learn more at volvotrucks.us/volvoconnect
48
March & April 2022
Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress.
www.punjabitruckingusa.com