Commercial Carrier Journal 1220 by Richard Street

DECEMBER 2020

MANAGING DRIVER RELATIONS

EVERYTHING IN AN INSTANT

Technology helps with recruiting, retention page 25

How to gather, understand, make use of all the data from todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trucks, drivers

WHAT DO ANALYTICS TELL YOU ABOUT TIRES? Data keeps track of retreads, casings page 34

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR TRUCKING PROFESSIONALS

TAKING THE COPPER OUT OF STOPPING Brake pads, drums see new formulations page 19

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DECEMBER 2020 | VOL 177 | NO. 12

COVER STORY

JOURNAL

Channeling data

The options for fleets to channel an abundance of driver and safety compliance data include using technology to unite it in a common database for real-time analysis and workflow automation, as well as using managed services to lighten the burden. More fleets are using a combination of both.

LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Cover design by Richard Street

FEATURES

Don’t cause a bridge to collapse

6 News

No carrier wants the embarrassing headlines caused by truckers following GPS navigation into areas where Class 8 trucks simply don’t belong. Though a driver might blame GPS for an embarrassing and costly mistake, ultimately it’s not technology that’s at fault.

Insurance costs become Top 10 industry issue … Navistar, Traton sign off on $3.7B merger agreement …

The other type of fleet insurance

During a time when fleets are looking to cut costs to help offset the impacts of COVID-19, one area that often gets overlooked is employee healthcare insurance. Plans are available for businesses to save money by picking and choosing benefits that best meet the needs of their employees.

Digital tire analytics

Amazon’s truckload capacity push stumbles, analysts say

Implementing a digital tire program poses many challenges for fleets, but the benefits and impacts to their bottom lines, including the impact on retreads and casings, can prove rewarding.

Innovators: Southeastern Freight Lines

The Lexington, South Carolina-based less-than-truckload company’s software platform allows it to identify final-mile deliveries more accurately while meeting customer expectations for timeliness.

… Clock’s ticking to run Drug Clearinghouse self-check

8 InBrief COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL

| DECEMBER 2020 1

DEPARTMENTS

ccjdigital.com

technology

20 21

12 13

22 International updating HX Series truck

Tech startup matches ‘gig’ drivers to fleets Netradyne helps Stewart Transport improve driver safety, satisfaction Lytx creates new risk detection alerts without video recordings

22 InBrief

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

Editorial

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

Mack ups MP8 fuel efficiency, adds factory FlowBelow option

Design & Production

Art Director: Richard Street Quality Assurance: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Leah Boyd production@ccjdigital.com

Corporate

14 14

Ford to build E-Transit in Kansas City Nissan shuttering NV commercial van production

14 InBrief 15 Cummins, Navistar to

collaborate on fuel-cell Class 8

Volvo launches e-truck lineup in Europe

16 Test drive: Western Star 49X

Werner Enterprises sees cost savings, safety gains from Microsoft Azure Decisiv’s Telematics API helps cut service costs, downtime Orbcomm device lets IoT providers add satellite connectivity

25 InFocus:

19 InFocus:

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Upfront Editor Jason Cannon’s column

48 Preventable or Not? Trucker John Doe was navigating his tractor-trailer underneath several low concrete beams over a mall entrance when he approached a road segment where the pavement was slightly higher, causing his trailer to hit one of the beams. Was this a preventable accident?

42 Products

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47 Ad Index | DECEMBER 2020

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UPFRONT

After nearly 110 years, it’s time for a change BY JASON CANNON

doubt there is a need for me to dedicate a lot of space to the remembrance of 2020 – a year many of us are unlikely to forget – so let’s focus on what lies ahead. We’re less than a month from starting a new year and new beginnings. Throughout my nearly 20-plus-year career as a journalist – a tour of duty that has taken me from weekly newspapers to dailies, from the obituaries column to the news desk, and eventually to the trucking industry – I have always written for a printed product. The moment you lay down this December 2020 edition of CCJ, that streak ends, and my new beginning begins. This is the final printed edition of Commercial Carrier Journal. Sunsetting a product that began publishing the same year crews broke ground on Fenway Park, the storied home of the Boston Red Sox, was not a decision made hastily or lightly. In fact, it was quite the opposite: a measured and informed decision several years in the making. Our readers have consistently displayed a preference for having their trucking news delivered digitally — namely, via CCJ’s email newsletters and its website, ccjdigital.com. In our most recent connectivity survey, which was conducted late this summer, email newsletters and websites were cited as CCJ readers’ two most frequently used sources to find information about the trucking industry. I came into this business at the turn of the millennium when most media companies

saw their website as a necessary evil — a digital place to dump articles well after they’d published in print, almost as punishment for the people who dared read online versus visiting a newsstand. Or, worse yet, a place to stash content not good enough to run on printed pages.

Over time, the world’s taste for news went full Veruca Salt – “I want it now” – and websites and newsletters have become the most efficient way to deliver Wonka’s golden goose. That’s never been the case here. CCJ’s website has long been complementary to its print edition, serving as a daily real-time news companion to a monthly hard copy. Rigid print, production and mail distribution cycles can stretch several weeks, which made ccjdigital.com the premier place for trucking’s breaking news. But it was also the home of the rich in-depth features that filled print editions. Over time, the world’s taste for news went full Veruca Salt – “I want it now” – and websites and newsletters

have become the most efficient way to deliver Wonka’s golden goose. Not bound by the confines of page count and available space online, we were able to deliver more of them more often. Our full migration to digitally-delivered news allows us more flexibility and resources to provide all the news you’ve grown accustomed to reading, and it unlocks a lot of time to do more of it, along with the ability to produce it in other forms such as podcasts and webcasts — multimedia our readers have consistently told us they want. We also are investing heavily in redesigns of our newsletters and websites beginning next year and will launch several new topic-specific newsletters. I’m an old soul. I’ve long told myself that I prefer the feel of a real newspaper or magazine in my hands, but if you asked me when was the last time I bought a copy of my hometown newspaper, The Birmingham News, I couldn’t tell you. It’s been many years. How often do I read their website? I check it multiple times daily. If yours has not yet taken place, I expect your digital migration will be just as seamless as mine. If you’ve not yet subscribed to CCJ’s newsletter, I hope this will prompt you to do so. Simply visit our website, ccjdigital.com, and there’s a signup box to the right. CCJ’s nearly 110-year print publication run (more than 1,300 editions) is pretty remarkable and is a testament to generations of journalists who have etched their names in this space and their dedication to excellence. That commitment carries forward with us into 2021 and beyond, even if the print product won’t.

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

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| december 2020

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LEADING NEWS, TRUCKING MARKET CONDITIONS AND INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

Insurance costs become Top 10 industry issue

espite the numerous challenges faced by the trucking industry during COVID-19 in 2020, the driver shortage remains the top fleet issue, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual Top 10 Trucking Industry Issues survey. A perceived shortage of available drivers has been ranked as the top industry issue for four consecutive years. Rebecca Brewster, ATRI president and chief operating officer, said a number of drivers have left the industry due to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse taking effect this year, along with drivers retiring or leaving the industry due to pandemic-related health concerns. While the driver shortage was ranked as the top issue overall based on all responses, it was not in the top 10 issues as ranked by truck drivers. For the second year in a row, driver compensation ranked in the Top 10 among drivers, moving up one spot to

No. 2, based on responses from more than 3,100 industry stakeholders. According to ATRI, many drivers believe the driver shortage and compensation are linked and that the solution for recruiting and retaining drivers is to increase pay or modify pay models. However, as with the driver shortage and how it’s viewed by drivers, fleets did not rank compensation as a top issue. Reaching its highest rank since first appearing on ATRI’s top 10 list in 2012 is truck parking, which ranked No. 1 among drivers in 2020. According to a joint study by ATRI and the OwnerOperator Independent Drivers Association Foundation earlier this year, 44% of truck drivers indicated that parking was “somewhat harder” or “much harder” to find during the pandemic due to some states shuttering rest areas. However, the issue did not appear in the top 10 for carriers. Other issues in the combined top 10 as ranked by carriers and drivers are

There was a stark difference in what truck drivers perceive as the top issues facing the industry compared to what fleets see, with only three issues appearing in both groups’ lists.

Compliance, Safety, Accountability; insurance cost/availability; driver retention; tort reform; the economy; detention/delay at customer facilities; and hours of service. Insurance cost/availability appeared for the first time since 2005, ranking fourth in the carrier concern list. Also, tort reform made the top 10 for the first time since 2011, ranking fifth on the – Matt Cole carrier concern list.

Navistar, Traton sign off on $3.7B merger agreement

olkswagen’s commercial truck unit, Traton, and Navistar, the maker of International-brand trucks, last month entered into a definitive $3.7 billion merger agreement under which Traton will become the owner of all outstanding common shares of Navistar that it Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit ccjdigital.com/news/ subscribe-to-newsletters to sign up for the CCJ Daily Report, a daily e-mail newsletter filled with news,analysis, blogs and market condition articles.

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already does not own. Traton previously held 16.7% of Navistar, which it acquired via a procurement joint venture and strategic technology and supply collaboration in 2016, and in October agreed in principle on the terms of a $44.50-per-share buyout. Matthias Gründler, chief executive officer for Traton, said the closing of the buyout, which had been on the table in some form since January, will combine Traton’s European position and South American presence with Navistar’s complementary North American footprint and will form a global company.

| december 2020

“The agreement underpins our strong strategic commitment to continue driving growth during the ongoing challenging economic climate,” said Gunnar Kilian, member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, with responsibility for the Truck & Bus division. “The acquisition of Navistar will significantly leverage Traton’s positioning in North America, one of the biggest and most profitable markets for heavy trucks.” The transaction is set to close midnext year and is subject to Navistar shareholder approval. – CCJ Staff

JOURNAL NEWS

Amazon’s truckload capacity push stumbles, analysts say

mazon’s truckload brokerage operation, which rolled out nationwide in May after a yearlong pilot test in a five-state Northeast area, appears to be off to a sluggish start. With the freight market upended by the COVID economy, Amazon appears to be struggling to find capacity for its own freight, let alone build up a network of truckload capacity to sell to other shippers. The online retailer reportedly is offering top-dollar rates to lock in needed capacity. “Amazon used to call the shots,” said Chris Wolfe, chief executive officer for Powerfleet, an asset management platform. “Now they realized they have to fit into this ecosystem and use the carrier base and not abuse them.” Largely seen as a means to potentially control locked-in truckload capacity during peak seasons and sell it to other shippers, the freight.amazon.com hub is

geared toward small- and mid-sized fleets and puts Amazon in competition in the digital brokerage space with companies such as Convoy, Loadsmart and Uber Freight. Amazon has posted record profits and revenues in recent quarters as pandem- The freight.amazon.com hub is geared toward small- and mid-sized fleets and makes Amazon a player in the digital ic-fueled e-commerce has brokerage space. helped drive retail spending. But with spot market rates surging to near-record levels, when the spot market is so favorable.” owner-operators and smaller carriers That’s obviously a dynamic that could have had their pick of well-paying loads. change, Wolfe said. “They’re still a force “When Amazon started its freight to be reckoned with, but $70 billion brokerage push, [they thought] there a year in annual spend doesn’t equal would always be capacity available and the $15 trillion in freight movement in drivers looking for loads,” said Carson the system,” he said. Even as Amazon Kreig, CEO for supply chain visibility attempts to grow its brokerage, “the firm Convey. Now, “drivers don’t want system will be self-correcting around to dive into a contract rate for Amazon them.” – James Jaillet

Clock’s ticking to run Drug Clearinghouse self-check

leets have until Jan. 5, 2021, to run their first required annual query under the CDL Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse rule that took effect this year. If they don’t, it could mean an easily flagged violation in an inspection audit or a compliance review and a fine for noncompliance. What’s more, with many fleets still needing to run their required annual checks, the Clearinghouse’s technical system once again likely will be tested by a flood of users hitting the platform for the first time. A surge of first-time users caused the system to crash in January just after the regulations took effect, causing fleets and drivers to experience hurdles in registering and using the system. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration since has beefed up the system with updates, but those fixes “will get their first true test by January,” said Lukas Kibby, marketing director for Compliance Navigation Solutions. Motor carriers of all sizes are required to run a limited Clearinghouse query on all their drivers at least once every 12 months. The regulation doesn’t go by calendar year but rather by a rolling 12-month period. As of the end of September, some 145,000 employer

accounts had been created in the Clearinghouse, according to monthly reports distributed by FMCSA. That’s well shy of the roughly half-million carriers registered with operating authority that presumably will need to run a required annual The CDL Drug & Alcohol query by Jan. 5. Clearinghouse’s technical Owner-operators can perform system once again likely this check one of two ways: They will be tested by a flood of can run their own CDL number first-time users hitting the platform. in the Clearinghouse platform, or they can have their consortium or third-party drug testing administrator (TPA) run the $1.25 query for them. Either way, owner-operators will need to be registered within the Clearinghouse platform for the required annual query to be performed. When registering, Kibby said, owner-operators are prompted to set up their account as a dual account — one as an employer and one as a driver. – James Jaillet commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 7

SPONSORED INFORMATION

MOVIE QUOTES AND TREASON

t seems that not every generation loves movie quotes as much as my generation does. Now, I am in my 50s and not quite sure which “group” I fall under. Am I a boomer? Am I a member of Gen X? Beats me, but I don’t really lose much sleep over it to be honest. What I do know is that everybody my age loves a good movie quote! In fact, I use some quotes so often that I don’t even think of them as movie quotes. They have just become shorthand and part of how I communicate. For example: • “You’re killing me Smalls!” From the movie “Sandlot.” To express frustration. • “ … On my deathbed I will I will receive total consciousness. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.” From “Caddyshack.” For when things may not be going my way. • “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” From “The Princess Bride.” For when I am questioning a statement of concept. It is the last quote that has really taken root at my house. The other day, my son and I were discussing a tweet from the president in which he accused another person or organization of treason. My son looked at me and said, “You keep using that word. I don’t think you know what it means.” It warmed my heart — not because of politics but because he recognized the issue at hand was something other than treason. In today’s society, we tend to throw the words “treason” and “treasonous” around willy-nilly. It is being used not to actually describe treason but instead as shorthand for disloyalty. This is not what treason means. From a legal perspective, treason has a very specific meaning under Article 3, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution. Quite simply, treason is betraying the U.S. by waging war against it or by consciously acting to aid its enemies. Furthermore, treason can only be brought as a criminal charge against an individual in a time of war and when at least two witnesses can attest to the overt act. When the founding fathers drafted the constitution, they deliberately narrowly defined treason. By including the definition in the constitution, they removed from Congress’ ability to define treason. They also created a high burden of proof that must be met in order for the criminal offense to be pursued legally. Accordingly, cases of treason are rare. However, the narrow legal interpretation set forth above was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1945 in Cramer v. United States. In this case a German-born, naturalized U.S. citizen was seen with two German spies by two FBI agents. Charges were brought even though the FBI could not assert what was said between the parties. The Supreme Court rejected the argument that all that was required was a “little imagination” to determine what had been said. “A citizen intellectually or emotionally may favor the enemy and harbor sympathies or convictions disloyal to this country’s policy or interest, but, so long as he commits no act of aid and comfort to the enemy, there is no treason.” Justice Jackson stated in his majority opinion. “on the other hand, a citizen may take actions which do aid and comfort the enemy – making a speech critical of the government or opposing its measures, profiteering, striking in defense plants or essential work, and the hundred other things which impair our cohesion and diminish our strength – but if there is no (commitment) to the enemy in this, if there is no intent to betray, there is no Treason.” As you can see, claims of disloyalty do not rise to the occasion of treason. So to paraphrase “The Princess Bride”: Vizzini: “Treason!” Inigo Montoya: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

JOURNAL NEWS

INBRIEF 12/20 • More than 5,100 trucks were sidelined for brakes-related violations during Brake Safety Week Aug. 23-29. Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance inspectors placed 5,156 trucks out of service, accounting for 12% of the 43,565 trucks inspected during the annual weeklong blitz. Hose chafing, a key focus for inspectors, accounted for 6,697 violations, with 1,012 of those leading to out-of-service orders. • The Transportation Security Administration extended the renewal exemption through Dec. 31 for hazardous materials endorsements that expired on or after March 1 to assist truckers having difficulty with renewals due to state licensing offices closing because of COVID-19. • The Truckload Carriers Association postponed and moved the site of its 2021 Annual Convention due to COVID-19 concerns. The event originally was scheduled for Jan. 23-26 in Nashville, Tennessee. It now is set for April 17-20 at the Wynn Las Vegas. • NTEA, the association representing the work truck industry, announced it will not hold Work Truck Week in 2021 due to COVID-19. The group said a virtual format wouldn’t be adequate, but it is looking at opportunities for educational sessions. Work Truck Week 2022 is scheduled for March 8–11, 2022, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. • A survey asks dispatchers to provide input on parking challenges and issues along Interstate 10 from California to Texas. The I-10 Corridor Coalition – made up of transportation departments in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas – will use input from the survey for the creation of a truck parking availability system that will monitor, collect and communicate real-time information. Dispatchers can take the 27-question survey at SurveyMonkey.com/r/ I10TPAS2020. • YRC Worldwide (CCJ Top 250, No. 5) announced that it will move forward under its former name, Yellow. The Overland Park, Kansas-based company anticipates that its less-than-truckload brands Holland, New Penn, Reddaway and YRC Freight, as well as HNRY Logistics, will continue operating under their current names. • Penske Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 19) was awarded a contract with BMW Manufacturing Co. for its Lead Logistics Provider services at BMW’s South Carolina plant. Penske’s Lead Logistics Provider services focus on the optimization of freight via inbound and outbound transportation of parts to and from the factory. • Volvo Trucks North America was awarded $21.7 million in grants to deploy 70 VNR Electric trucks in Southern California for regional freight distribution and drayage starting in 2021. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing $20 million, supplemented by $1.7 million from the South Coast Air Quality Management District for charging infrastructure. • Ryder System launched its mobile-friendly used vehicle sales website, ryder. com/used-trucks, that includes an expanded inventory of used vehicles, enhanced search tools and features to help make it easier for customers to locate a preowned vehicle near their location that best meets their needs. • The Transportation Intermediaries Association, representing brokers and other third-party logistics providers, named Anne Reinke president and chief executive officer in the wake of longtime head Robert Voltmann stepping aside in early June and Douglas Clark filling in on an interim basis. Reinke joins TIA following two years as deputy assistant secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corp. • Jim Mullen, former acting administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, joined self-driving technology company TuSimple to serve as its chief legal and risk management officer. Mullen resigned from FMCSA in August after serving as the agency’s acting administrator since October 2019. • Jens Holtinger was appointed head of Volvo’s global truck production organization and as a member of the Volvo executive board. Holtinger most recently served as senior vice president of Europe and Brazil truck manufacturing. He replaces Jan Ohlsson, who retired.

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Over the past decade, Green APU has built a reputation on its reliable, durable, easy-to-maintain, cost-effective auxiliary power units. The leaders at Art Logistics needed dependable APUs for its trucks and took matters into its own hands when they founded Green APU 2010. Within a year, the first Green APU unit was rolling off the assembly line, delivering low cost of ownership, easy and inexpensive maintenance, and readily available parts. Most importantly, it was an APU that was durable and dependable in all types of conditions. COMPLEMENTARY RELATIONSHIP Art Logistics relies on Green APU to this day, and the companies have a significant complementary relationship. All Green APU units are first tested on Art Logisticsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 100-plus trucks in the field to make sure they meet the durable, reliable standards established

Edition, which incorporates a single serpentine belt system with spring tensioner. This innovation builds on the success by retaining the proven 3-cylinder Kubota engine used in the fourth-generation units. The new single belt system not only has a useful life that is more than three times that of a traditional V belt setup, but also reduces costs and maintenance; improving lifecycle costs and return on investment. The new unit eliminates the need to adjust belts. Routine maintenance is simplified, because the belt and tensioner can be purchased at local auto parts stores. As with all of the previous generations of the Green APU, extensive testing was performed in the company’s lab and in the field. All 120 trucks in Art Logistics’ fleet were equipped with the fifth-generation model prior to it going to market. The Star Edition is manufactured and assembled at Green APU’s Chicago area plant. And even in the midst of the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it continues to add to its skilled employee force, a sign of the company’s strength and ability to stand behind its product.

Green APU offers reliable auxiliary power units that keeps drivers comfortable in extreme winter weather.

with the first-generation Green APU a decade ago. In addition to this onthe-road testing, Green APU conducts extensive laboratory testing. The company has been successfully innovative from its inception by conducting extensive research and development, analyzing service data to determine the most effective areas of improvement, as well as bringing in additional talent with years of industry experience. The result has been an ever-increasing refinement and improvement of its signature APU. LAUNCHING THE STAR EDITION The fourth-generation unit, which featured a 3-cylinder Kubota engine, was a significant market success — but Green APU continued looking ahead, finding ways to steadily improve performance. The result is the company’s fifth generation APU, the Green APU Star

MEETING THE COVID CHALLENGE COVID-19 has posed some of the biggest challenges for fleets and business in general. However, when business slowed, Art Gruszka — Art Logistics owner and Green APU founder — and Greg Ciszek—general manager— didn’t sit idly by hoping for the best. Instead they hit the road in a demo unit to meet with potential customers and distributors. Their 35-state journey throughout the South and Northeast was a success, solidifying and increasing Green APU’s distribution network in 15 additional states. Through a significant new partnership with RC Trailer Sales and Service, R.B. Humphrey’s in New York and Capital City Leasing in Nashville, Tennessee, Green APU has added installation and service in Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Michigan, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio and New York. And, of course, Green APU’s Chicago-area headquarters. In addition to the new partnership with RC, Green APU has an existing partnership with Pilot Flying J and is the only APU officially serviced by Pilot. Taken together, Green APU is entering its second decade with an improved product and increased sales from an expanded marketplace. To learn more about Green APU and to find out if it is the right APU for your operation, contact us at CTA.

PRODUCT REVIEWS, OEM & SUPPLIER NEWS AND EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT TRENDS

Severe makeover International updating HX Series truck BY JASON CANNON

lmost five years following its initial launch, International Trucks plans to refresh and beef up its HX Series as part of its ongoing search for marketshare in the construction segment. Available in either set-forward (HX520) or setback (HX620) front-axle models, the severe-duty HX was International’s first new vehicle since 2010 when it debuted in 2016 and now becomes the In its transition to a newer model, International Trucks will drop the 115-inchfirst truck launched under Navistar’s 4.0 strategy BBC option from its refreshed HX Series. and its Project Compass initiative, a program that All marker lights have been replaced with LEDs for better focuses on flexible, modular designs that streamline the cusnighttime visibility and safety while reducing repair frequency. tomer experience and deliver improved support and service. The new HX Series is customizable with optional stainless“The new HX is born directly from Project Compass and steel visors, bright-finish mirrors and additional stainless-steel this new way of working,” said Mark Stasell, Navistar’s vice president of Vocational Truck. options. Outside the cab The new 120-inch-BBC HX Series features a redesigned and more rugged high-strength steel cab that includes a threepiece crack-resistant hood engineered for front-forward visibility. The extreme-duty cab – similar to the cab on the company’s on-highway LT Series – is structurally reinforced in key locations, including the floor, b-pillar and cab mounts in sleeper applications. The cab is protected by ChemGuard anticorrosives, LineX and International’s own top-coat process, making it nearly impenetrable to salt. Dual external air cleaners offer increased filtration for dusty operating environments, and David Hillman, general manager of Navistar’s vocational product line, said they also harken back to classic work truck styling.

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commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

Inside the cab While more ruggedized than prior generations, the new extreme-duty cab gets improvements in driver safety, comfort and productivity. The overall cab size has been increased and, with a focus on comfort, now features best-in-class HVAC and larger power windows that also improve visibility. The expanded cab also comes decked-out Diamond Elitestyle – International’s newest and highest trim package – which includes a new line of premium heated and ventilated seats. Integrated driver-assist technology from Bendix also helps improve driver awareness and safety. All interior lights also have been upgraded to LEDs. Available are 56-inch-high- and low-roof sleepers and a 73-inch-high roof. Improved performance The new HX Series can be spec’d with dual steering gears and advanced anti-lock brake systems that result in better turning, maneuverability, traction and control. The HX620 comes standard with the International A26 engine with up to 500 horsepower and rear-mount PTO capability.

Both the HX520 and HX620 can be ordered with the Cummins X15 engine, delivering a variety of ratings up to 605 hp and 2,050 lb.-ft. of torque. The new HX Series features the Eaton Fuller manual transmission, Eaton Ultrashift automated manual transmissions or the Allison 4000 Series Transmissions, all PTO-capable. The automated manual and automatic transmissions are operated through a stalk shifter control that allows the driver to keep their eyes on the job. The HX Series continues to offer a high-strength 12.5-by-0.5-inch single rail frame option delivering 3.5M RBM, meaning it is capable of withstanding even the heaviest loads. International also includes a huck-bolted frame and crossmembers on the chassis that minimize movement and wear. For the rare occasions a driver does get stuck, a front tow pin option is rated up to 150,000 pounds. It also features the new Hendrickson Haulmaax HMX-EX Suspension. A wide range of factory-fit steerable lift axles also are offered for the new HX Series, enabling the option for all controls to be placed in the dashboard’s wing panel for improved ergonomics and quality appearance. In its transition to a newer model, International will drop the 115-inch-BBC option from the HX Series. Stasell said customers drawn to a shorter BBC and lighter-weight engines, such as the Cummins L9, likely would find the International HV Series a better fit for their vocation. Connectivity International has integrated its programmable and customizable Diamond Logic electrical system into the new HX Series. The system operates directly from the dash and decreases body installation labor and increases uptime and safety. The new HX Series is supported through International’s real-time remote diagnostics system, OnCommand Connection, providing fleets with visibility into fleet health and making it easier to manage maintenance and repair. The technology allows International and its service network to predict parts needs so that dealers have inventory on shelves where and when it’s needed. The new HX Series also is backed by International 360, a service communications and fleet management platform that makes it easier to seamlessly communicate with International’s service network for fleets of all makes. Production of the reimagined HX Series kicks off in mid-January.

Mack ups MP8 fuel efficiency, adds factory FlowBelow option

new version of Mack’s 13-liter MP8HE engine unveiled in late October comes with a fuel efficiency improvement of up to 3% compared to the engine’s current design. The next-generation MP8HE will continue to be offered in 415- and 445-hp ratMack’s next-generation MP8HE ings with 1,760 and 1,860 lb.-ft. will continue to be offered in of torque, respectively. 415- and 445-hp ratings with 1,760 and 1,860 lb.-ft. of torque, The new engine platform, respectively. which Mack Trucks Highway Product Manager Stu Russoli said has been “thoroughly revised,” features an updated wave piston design that distributes the air and fuel mixture within the cylinder more evenly to burn fuel more completely and consistently. Mack’s Energy Recovery Technology captures waste energy from the engine’s exhaust and converts it back into mechanical energy delivered to the engine crankshaft as additional torque. Additional efficiency gains come by increasing the MP8HE’s compression ratio from 17:1 to 18:1 and adding an improved turbocharger and wastegate. Anthem models spec’d with extended chassis fairings and the HE+ efficiency package, which includes the revised MP8HE engine, now deliver up to a 13% improvement in fuel efficiency compared with a baseline Anthem model, the company said. Mack’s HE+ efficiency package bundles the MP8HE engine, the mDrive automated manual transmission, Predictive Cruise and other aerodynamic enhancements and also can be combined with extended chassis fairings designed to smooth airflow around the rear axles to deliver an additional 0.5% fuel efficiency improvement. Factory-optional FlowBelow Mack also announced the availability of the FlowBelow Tractor AeroKit system factory-installed on its Anthem highway models. Mack said the system improves fuel efficiency by up to 2.23%. The FlowBelow system is designed to reduce turbulence as air passes over the tractor’s rear axles by combining center and rear fairings with aerodynamic wheel covers. The system is available in black or white on Anthem 6×4 and 6×2 tag configurations. Wheel covers are available in black, white and chrome. – CCJ Staff commercial carrier journal

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INBRIEF • Daimler Trucks North America and Waymo, Google’s autonomous-driving division, announced a global strategic partnership to develop autonomous SAE Level 4 technology. The initial effort will combine Waymo Driver, the company’s automated driver technology, with a version of Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia that is planned to be available to U.S. customers in the coming years. • Traton, Volkswagen’s commercial vehicle unit, signed a joint venture agreement with Hino Motors to develop electric vehicles, including battery-electric vehicles, fuel-cell vehicles and their components. • Daimler Truck AG and Volvo Group are forming a joint venture to develop, produce and commercialize hydrogen fuel-cell systems for heavy-duty trucks and other applications. As part of the venture, Volvo will acquire a 50% stake in Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH for more than $698 million. • The Volvo Group and Isuzu Motors signed binding agreements for their commercial vehicle strategic alliance announced in December 2019. The agreements include Isuzu’s acquisition of UD Trucks from the Volvo Group for an enterprise value of $2.3 billion, as well as collaboration between the two companies on connectivity and autonomous and battery-electric trucks. • Daimler Truck AG acquired a minority stake in Luminar Technologies, a provider of automotive lidar hardware and software technology. Luminar will work with Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and Torc Robotics, part of DTNA’s Autonomous Technology Group, to enhance lidar sensing, perception and system-level performance for autonomous trucks at highway speeds. • Locomation, an autonomous trucking developer, completed an on-road pilot program that showcased its technology for the SmartBelt Coalition, a collaboration of transportation agencies in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Over the course of one week, two Locomation trucks traveled three separate interstate routes under observation by the agencies. • TuSimple, an autonomous trucking developer, secured property in AllianceTexas’Mobility Innovation Zone in north Fort Worth, allowing the company to add new autonomous trucking operations within the Texas Triangle between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Completion is set for March 2021.

commercial carrier journal

Ford to build E-Transit in Kansas City

ord Motor Co. announced that its Kansas City Assembly Plant will build its all-electric 2022 E-Transit van, part of a $3.2 billion investment in the company’s North American manufacturing facilities to produce electric vehicles for A 67-kilowatt-hour battery will provide commercial and retail customers. Ford’s E-Transit with a 126-mile range in the The E-Transit will start at less low-roof cargo van variant. than $45,000 and will boast a 3,800-pound maximum payload with up to 487.3 cubic feet of cargo space, with batteries placed under the vehicle to maintain the same cargo capacity as the gaspowered version. It will be available in three roof heights and three body lengths, as well as cargo, cutaway and chassis cab versions. The cutaway will feature a maximum payload of up to 4,290 pounds. The E-Transit will feature both AC and DC fast charging and will come with a mobile charger that can plug into a 120-volt outlet for slow and steady charging or into a 240-volt outlet for faster charging. An optional Pro Power Onboard generator will provide up to 2.4 kilowatts of power. The E-Transit will arrive in late 2021 and will join Ford’s all-electric F-150 set to arrive in mid-2022 and the Mustang Mach-E planned for this month. – CCJ Staff

Nissan shuttering NV commercial van production

issan announced that it will end production of its NV commercial van lineup next summer as it retools its commercial offerings. Sales of vans in Sales of Nissan NV Cargo and Passenger vans in the United States will continue the United States through established through calendar year 2021 or until Business Certified Dealers for NV supply is exhausted. Cargo and Passenger will continue through calendar year 2021 or until supply is exhausted. Nissan is in the middle of an aggressive product offensive in the United States, revealing 10 new products in 20 months. Nissan’s Business Advantage is the company’s new commercial vehicle-facing business push. “Success in North America is critical to the Nissan Next transformation plan, and we are concentrating on our core business and products,” said Michael Colleran, senior vice president of Nissan U.S. marketing and sales. Dropping the NV, which was introduced in 2011, would seem to remove Nissan from the pickup-and-delivery, final-mile and light construction segments, spaces currently dominated by Ford’s Transit commercial van. However, Colleran said, “from three Nissan Frontier pickups for a pest-control business to several Nissan Rogues for pharmaceutical representatives to make doctor calls, Nissan provides customized vehicle solutions for nearly anyone.” – CCJ Staff

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INBRIEF

Cummins, Navistar to collaborate on fuel-cell Class 8

ummins and Navistar last month announced a collaboration to develop a Class 8 truck powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The project will be funded in part through an award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy as part of DOE’s “H2@ Scale” initiative to develop affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution and use. The Cummins fuel-cell “This vehicle will feature our next-generation fuelpowertrain will be cell configuration and provides a springboard for integrated into a prototype International RH Series us to advance our hydrogen technology for linehaul truck. trucks,” said Amy Davis, vice president and president, New Power for Cummins. “We are also excited to work with Navistar to lower costs and make hydrogen-powered vehicles more accessible for fleets to adopt.” The Cummins powertrain uses two HyPM HD90 power modules made up of HD45 fuel-cell stacks connected in a series. Instead of having a single large fuel cell operate at an inefficient partial load, individual HD45 power modules can be turned on and off to provide adequate power at an efficient full load. The prototype International RH Series truck will have a range of 300 miles or more and will see a yearlong field test as part of Werner Enterprises’ (CCJ Top 250, No. 11) fleet, where it will be operated in a real-world local and regional delivery operation in Fontana, California. – CCJ Staff

Volvo launches e-truck lineup in Europe

olvo Trucks now is running tests of its electric heavy-duty FH, FM and FMX trucks, which will be used for regional transport and urban construction operations in Europe. Depending on the battery configuration, the range Volvo Trucks’ objective is for its entire could be up to 300 km, the company product range, including the electric heavy-duty FM, to be fossil-free by said. Sales will begin next year, and vol2040. ume production will start in 2022. “By rapidly increasing the number of heavy-duty electric trucks, we want to help our customers and transport buyers to achieve their ambitious sustainability goals,” said Roger Alm, president for Volvo Trucks. “We’re determined to continue driving our industry toward a sustainable future.” In 2019, Volvo Trucks started manufacturing the FL Electric and FE Electric for city distribution and refuse operations, primarily in Europe. In North America, sales of the VNR Electric regional truck are set to begin this month. Battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric vehicles with a longer range for demanding and heavy long-haul operations are slated for this decade, and Volvo Trucks also aims to start selling electric trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells in the second half of this decade. – CCJ Staff

• Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies announced its 1,850-lb.-ft.-capable Endurant HD 12-speed automated transmission now is available through all major North American truck manufacturers, including Freightliner, International, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo. • Eaton’s Vehicle Group is implementing a 3D metal printing program as a part of its Industry 4.0 strategy to reduce development time and improve efficiency. The first metal printer system was installed at the company’s facility in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, with a global deployment of 3D technology set to be completed during the first quarter of 2021. • Peterbilt’s Model 579EV and Model 520EV both are now available for order. Customers can use the truck maker’s SmartSpec sales tool at any dealer location, with production on both models expected to start by the second quarter of 2021. • Dana acquired a noncontrolling stake in Pi Innovo, a provider of embedded software and electronic control units for the commercial vehicle and off-highway markets. Dana also announced plans to purchase a portion of the thermal management business of Modine Manufacturing Co.’s automotive segment. • Continental shipped its first commercial truck and bus tires from its plant in Clinton, Mississippi. The new plant employs 500 and is Continental’s second U.S. location producing truck tires in the United States, along with Mount Vernon, Illinois. • TRP added heavy-duty truck hoods to its line of all-makes collision parts, covering a wide range of makes and models with over 70 different part numbers available. • Shell extended its E-Fluids portfolio to support battery-electric (BEV) and fuel-cell electric (FCEV) powertrains for commercial light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The lineup consists of e-transmission fluids, e-greases and battery thermal fluids. • Whiting Systems, a provider of cleaning solutions, cleaning equipment and disinfectants, opened a new distribution fulfillment center in Roberta, Georgia, to enhance delivery times for the Southern and Eastern parts of the United States. The company said the 10,000-square-foot service center also allows it to blend proprietary chemicals onsite and house more than 800 SKUs of product.

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TEST DRIVE:WESTERN STAR 49X

A lot of work and a little play BY JASON CANNON

ork trucks traditionally have been all about function over form, rarely getting the focus and attention to detail of their on-highway counterparts. A vocational tractor is a tool like any other, and tools don’t have to be pretty to be effective. You rarely grab the hammer you want — you get the one you need. The vocational market represents about 30% of all Class 8 truck sales, but about 70% of Western Star’s truck sales are vocational trucks. With the introduction of its newest model – the 49X in September – the company included a little ball gown with its ball-peen. Western Star spent five years designing and engineering the 49X from the ground up, agreeing that the new model had to meet seven benchmarks established from the start: Operator comfort, maximum uptime, best-in-class safety, a proven powertrain, purpose-built, durability and ease of upfit. I was able to test those benchmarks on a test drive last month in Madras, Oregon, putting a few models through some very real-world paces: navigating loaded and unloaded dump trucks through a working quarry, and a heavyhaul tractor through about 50 miles of mountain passes. Operator comfort. Driver comfort and ergonomics don’t get the same level of attention with work trucks as they do on their over-the-road counterparts, but Western Star went all-in on it. The 49X’s dash is pulled forward and wings around the driver’s right, a fairly 16

commercial carrier journal

The Western Star 49X’s mid-chassis packaging includes features that deliver a clear back-of-cab to ensure more efficient body integration.

common long-haul design feature that allows operators to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. All my switches – PTO, traction control, diff lock and a host of others – where within easy reach. Western Star also beefed up the HVAC unit, which easily knocked off the upper 30-degree chill in the Madras stone quarry. The backlit controls enable improved visibility in the dark. If you’re in for an overnight stay, you’ll find sleeper options in 36-, 48-, 60- and 72-inch low-, mid- and high-roof options. The trench-style composite low roof features a lowered center section for optimized packaging of overcab equipment, minimizing overall vehicle height while maximizing interior headroom and door openings. The new Idle-Free Dual HVAC system can pump out up to 10 hours of cooling or 34 hours of heat when parked. The high-roof Stratosphere features a large insulated sidewall sleeper window that can be tilted out for venting. There’s ample cabinet space available – including large passenger- and

| december 2020

driver-side storage cabinets and a wardrobe that features four inches of additional hanging length – and cabinetry for a refrigerator and a microwave. An optional operator’s loft features a dinette/work table that can be folded flat to accommodate a mattress. The 49X sleeper also is available with a new rear window option for added natural light. While not exactly a comfort benchmark (but it certainly doesn’t hurt), the 49X is also just a good-looking truck. There’s just something about that boxy, angular body and its wide stance that’s really striking for a vehicle that will spend the majority of its useful life caked in mud. Uptime. The 49X unlocks access to Detroit Connect, which translates the performance data of any type of truck – log trucks, mixers, dump trucks, heavy haul and more – into real-time information that can drive decision-making that keeps those assets rolling. When equipped with a Detroit engine, the Detroit Connect Virtual Technician remote diagnostics service

The 49X’s dash is pulled forward and wings around the driver’s right, a fairly common long-haul design feature that allows operators to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

will send an alert if a truck experiences a fault, notifying the back office of the fault’s severity and when, where and how it can best be fixed. Virtual Technician also tracks fault code trends, providing advance warning of a failure and allowing fleets to plan service before the issue becomes critical. It also sends dealers email notifications, allowing them to order parts and have them onhand when the truck arrives. Safety. Practically every contact point inside the door – traditional grab handles, door pockets and even the steering column – can be used to slingshot the driver into the seat. Many drivers I know will use these spots anyway, but Western Star accounted for that and designed them to handle the weight. For the first time, Detroit Assurance tags along for the ride in a Western Star. The driver assist platform features Side Guard Assist (SGA), Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA5), Tailgate Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to 0 mph, Lane Departure Warning, Video Capture, Intelligent High-Beam and Automatic Wipers/Headlamps. Lane Centering, Lane Keeping and

other features that can automate steering aren’t available on the 49X due to the size of the steering gears needed on the 16K, 20K or 23K axles, but these trucks don’t spend all their life on the highway, and it’s not a feature that I missed on the drive. It’s not like the quarry had lane markers anyway. Detroit Assurance not only can tell when a driver is getting too close to an object, it also can detect pedestrians. Western Star Training Manager Tim Norton said the system looks for hip movement and body mass to determine that the object in the driver’s blind spot is a person. I tested this feature, and it’s clear just how critical a safety layer this can be in places such as a rock quarry or a crowded construction site, where people are shuffling from place to place. A dual-stage LED headlight system features an internally printed heat grid and ambient air temperature sensor that can melt three millimeters of ice in less than 10 minutes at -40 degrees Fahrenheit or burn through condensation in warm, humid environments. Combined with a 45-degree light pattern, the headlight system provides uniform long and

wide illumination. One of the 49X’s less technologically sophisticated safety features is a onepiece impact-resistant windshield that is 28% larger than the prior generation and is currently one of the largest windshields in its class. Powertrain. Four engine options are available for the 49X, providing power output ranges from 350 to 605 horsepower and torque from 1,250 to 2,050 lb.-ft. Available are a Gen5 Detroit DD15, Detroit DD16, Cummins X12 and Cummins X15. The fifth-generation DD15 features a new piston design with increased compression and improved swirl combustion for greater fuel economy, while a new ball bearing turbocharger reduces friction to not only improve performance but also boost fuel efficiency. A new aftertreatment system is smaller and lighter but provides greater performance, while an improved EGR design reduces emissions system complexity. Four transmission options also are available, all with PTO capability: An Allison, an Eaton Fuller and two vocationalspec Detroit DT12 automated manuals. The DT12-V and DT12-VX each feature large robust gears, allowing for improved startability and low-speed maneuverability. A new planetary gear set design for greater input torque increases gross combination weight (GCW), with the DT12-VX GCW rated for up to 330,000 pounds. Either can be mated to either the Gen 5 DD15 or the DD16. A handy feature of the PTO is that its parameters are customizable through the Driver Information Display, allowing the user to set the RMP range needed to handle whatever is being asked of the unit. In my case, it was dumping two buckets of gravel at 1,050 RPM. On the highway, the combination of the DD15 (560 hp, 1850 lb.-ft. of torque) and the DT12-V plodded forward through the peaks and valleys of Central

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Straight frame sections begin directly behind the cab and feature a constant flange-to-flange dimension, making upfit easier. Frame rail stand-offs keep the wiring and air lines separated and away from the chassis to reduce corrosion, debris damage and diagnosis time. Constructed from aerospace-grade aluminum and enhanced with steel reinforcements, the cab – the largest in its segment, offering 10%-13% more space than competitors and 8% lighter – was safety-tested in multiple crush tests to ensure integrity in the event of a rollover. A “Quiet Steel” engine tunnel reduces engine noise intrusion into the cab, and the cab was one of the quietest of any truck I’ve driven in a long time. The new molded resin hood is nearly 100 pounds lighter than the 4900’s fiberglass hood and is stronger than steel and fiberglass in direct impact. Its suspension system keeps it from jostling violently while off-roading. An expansive door opening area features a wide 70-degree opening angle to ease ingress and egress for the largest operators, and the grab handles have been relocated for safer and more comfortable entry and exit. The steps are made from corrosion-resistant aluminum with a lower step-in height and an improved volcano tread for safety. Ease of upfit. The 49X’s chassis was designed to make it easier to mount bodies for any application. The midchassis packaging includes features that deliver a clear back-of-cab to ensure more efficient body integration. Key features include 8-, 13-, and 23-gallon DEF tanks mounted in the most forward position for consistent fill and fender gaps, as well as standard battery box mounting inside the cab and under the passenger seat to optimize open frame space. The 49X’s heavy-duty vocational frame was designed for severe-service applications, but it weighs in Battery boxes also can be about 350 pounds lighter than the current 4900. mounted between the rails or

Oregon’s highway system, handling many long and aggressive grades with ease, and with a belly dump of gravel in tow. The DT12-V has different gear sets compared to the standard DT12, and the vocational spec is geared with deeper reduction, especially in the earlier gear ranges — first, second and third. The VX’s planetary gear set features five gears instead of the four found in the V. An off-road mode manipulates how fast the clutch engages, precisely controlling the shift mechanism (to speed up the shift) and the shift duration and to finely control it under load. Offroad mode allows the engine to rev to a higher RPM to minimize the overall number of gear shifts, because you want to shift as little as possible in sloppy terrain. I found that the DT12-V holds gears longer, and when it does have to shift, it does it faster so that I didn’t lose torque when the shift happens. Purpose-built and durability. The 49X was engineered to be a bruiser. Its heavy-duty vocational frame was designed for severe-service applications, but it weighs in about 350 pounds lighter than the current 4900. The industry’s first high-strength single-channel rail is splayed at the front, allowing for a lower engine and radiator packaging that optimizes the hood slope for better visibility and safety, as well as improved engine serviceability. All midship and suspension crossmembers are bolted, not welded, for greater durability and easier maintenance.

commercial carrier journal

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The 49X’s combination of the Gen 5 Detroit DD15 engine and the vocationalspec Detroit DT12-V automated manual transmission handled many long and aggressive grades with ease, and with a belly dump of gravel in tow.

frame-mounted. Air tanks can be mounted below the battery box, inside or below the frame rail or perpendicular to the frame. Aluminum air tanks are available for additional weight savings. Fuel tanks with a 25-inch diameter – with capacities from 60 to 150 gallons – can be mounted on either side, fore or aft. Fuel/Hydraulic Combo tanks are offered if frame space is critical. An all-new QuickFit Interface System makes it easier to integrate truck equipment to the vehicle’s electrical power sources and features an advanced multiplexed electrical system designed for easy Truck Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs) interface, programming and power access. Western Star’s proprietary CHEC Tool is the interface to the 49X’s programmable controllers, enabling TEMs and dealers to view and modify electrical configurations. The CHEC Tool reduces upfit time and makes the customization process more user-friendly by allowing customers to customize inputs and outputs and change parameters in minutes. The 49X is a sophisticated and comfortable truck in a segment where those characteristics previously didn’t get a lot of consideration. Flush with tech-rich features and driver amenities, Western Star has not only reinvented the work truck, but also raised the game for hammers everywhere.

in focus: REDUCED-COPPER BRAKES

Looming mandate will impact brake friction material BY JASON CANNON

ffective with the coming year, brake manufacturers will be required to reduce the amount of copper used in their friction material to meet the copper-free brake pad agreement reached in 2015 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California and Washington State, and industry representatives. The agreement calls for reducing the amount of copper used in brake pads to less than 5% by weight (B-Level) on Jan. 1, 2021, and 0.5% (N-Level) by Jan. 1, 2025. The initiative also reduces mercury, lead, cadmium, asbestiform fibers and chromium-six salts in brake pads. “Copper provides good thermal conductivity and heat dissipation to brake pads,” said Dhawal Dharaiya, engineering supervisor for Hendrickson Wheel End and Braking Systems. “In addition, copper plays an important role as a solid lubricant that helps generate a friction film during braking application to provide good wear characteristics. Materials that will eventually replace copper in brake pads must fulfill the complex properties that copper demonstrates in current formulations.” Because copper generally is softer, it impacts rotor wear to a lesser degree than other metals, said Keith McComsey, director of Air Disc Brake & Systems for Bendix. “The reduction in copper for future pad formulations will have to be replaced with other materials that do a similar job without adversely affecting the pad friction performance,” he said. The one constant that all manufacturers face is that stopping distance laws have not changed. New materials with reduced or no copper must meet current laws, and those updates will need to come without sacrificing component life. “Wear and life of new pad materials

will be dictated by new ingredients replacing copper,” Dharaiya said. “Apart from formulations, wear life is always subject to a variety of factors, such as driving habits, environmental conditions, duty cycle and tractortrailer brake combination, among others.” On the customer side, ZF Group’s Director of Engineering Dirk Wohltmann said he is seeing brake system wear indicators and monitoring systems “becoming increasingly important features in air disc brakes, in part due to this switch to low- and no-copper brake pads.” Joe Kay, director of Brake Engineering for Meritor, said the company spent more than two years conducting comprehensive laboratory testing and more than 2.4 million miles of field testing. “In the end, the MA9300 friction demonstrated superior pad wear and similar rotor life compared to Meritor’s current offering,” he said. Many commercial vehicle OEM formulations for drum brakes already meet 2025 requirements for reduced copper, Dharaiya said, adding that all Hendrickson drum brake offerings are copper-free. “Drum brakes absorb and dissipate a much smaller amount of heat energy per unit area of available friction patch, which makes it more feasible for drum brake linings to be produced with little to no copper,” he said. Kay said Meritor’s drum brake friction formulas already meet N-Level compliance, as drum brakes tend to operate at lower temperatures, which allowed non-copper formulas to be used. “Drum frictions typically were classified as non-asbestos organic frictions (NAO), which came at a reduced copper

Bendix’s BX276 ADB pad for new and aftermarket tractor and trailer applications meets EPA’s 2021 B-Level requirements for reduced copper in brake friction.

level,” McComsey added. “There are some semi-metallic frictions used to meet current levels, but [they] might need to be reformulated to meet the NLevel friction compliance for 2025.” Even though only two West Coast states are tied to the agreement, brake manufacturers will have to roll out compliant friction material nationwide to avoid having brakes that are compliant only in select states. McComsey said Bendix air disc brake (ADB) pad offerings that meet the current mandate for B-Level friction will be used in all ADB configurations in North America, adding that “we will also support the aftermarket in the same manner.” The A-Level frictions that once were available prior to Jan. 1, 2021, will be replaced with B-Level equivalent pads for both OES and AM replacement pad kits. The company also is actively developing friction material for its ADBs to meet N-Level friction by its implementation date four years from now. Randy Petresh, vice president of technical services for Haldex, said the company will similarly introduce its revised material formulations on a national basis, not state-specific, and would meet both B- and N-Level deadlines. “Meritor will convert to N-Level formulas as the only offering,” Kay added. “Formulas meeting the N-Level friction make it simpler for the vehicle OEMs and also aftermarket parts. We prefer to make it easier for our customers to keep them compliant no matter where their vehicle is purchased, used and service conducted on them.”

commercial carrier journal

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technology

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

Drivers on demand

Tech startup matches ‘gig’ drivers to fleets

otor carriers are in a relentless cycle of recruiting and hiring drivers from the same commercial driver’s license (CDL) labor pool. This cycle soon may end, said the founder of a technology startup who envisions the transportation industry using a shared workforce of drivers on demand. “The direct hire is becoming a thing of the past, in my opinion,” said Tim Henry, chief executive for Haul. “That is a big bold bet we are making.” Haul is not betting on autonomous vehicle technology but an employment platform it has developed to connect trucking fleets to CDL drivers. Haul is the employer of record for drivers using the platform, which it sublets to fleet customers on a short-term basis. Henry sees a technology-enabled driver leasing model as an opportunity to lower turnover costs for fleets, which industry estimates peg at between $10,000 and $15,000 each time a replacement driver is recruited, trained and onboarded. He also sees an opportunity to help fleets more effectively manage their labor supply. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many fleets had to make labor adjustments for market conditions. Some went on a hiring spree, while others implemented layoffs, but each has additional costs and liabilities. Fleets also could eliminate their costs for “sharing” drivers whenever they win or lose a dedicated shipper account. Drivers who are leased to a carrier can stay with the freight and continue hauling for a different company as a Haul employee rather than getting laid off and going through a new carrier’s hiring and onboarding process and losing their previous HR benefits and technology tools.

INTERESTED IN TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY? Go to ccjdigital.com/news/subscribe-to-newsletters to subscribe to the CCJ Technology Weekly e-mail newsletter. 20

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

Clearing legal hurdles In March, Haul co-founders Henry and Toan Nguyen Le closed on an initial financing round led by GFC with participation from Hack VC and angel investors to build the first version of Haul’s platform. The startup had to navigate a labyrinth of employment laws and U.S. Department of Transportation regulations to manage Drivers use Haul’s mobile driver driver qualifications app to look for their next work and hours of service assignment. compliance. As a technology company, it also had an operational challenge to solve for dispatching drivers to various fleets and sharing information. “On the legal side, we spent lot of time with lawyers,” Henry said. “We are aware how trucking has been a target for employment misclassification.” Starting the business in California could help it steer clear of legal landmines, since the Golden State already has the toughest employment laws in the nation. “Everything else would be easier,” he said. Drivers interested in working for Haul complete an online application and then are “rigorously vetted” for qualifications and how they fit with the company, Henry said. Once a hiring decision is made, drivers become full-time W-2 employees of Haul and earn competitive pay and benefits. Haul onboards drivers remotely by assigning them four hours of training courses from Instructional Technologies Inc. Drivers complete the training with Haul’s mobile driver app. They use

technology the app from day one to clock in and out and track their earnings. Haul pays an hourly rate with weekly settlements. Two weeks before a work assignment ends, the driver app highlights other opportunities to continue with full-time employment throughout the year. Focusing on drivers Henry and Nguyen Le met at Uber Freight in 2017 when the company’s focus was on creating a digital freight matching platform and combining it with autonomous vehicles to revolutionize the over-the-road trucking market. Nguyen Le came from Uber’s rideshare business and joined Uber Freight as a software engineer to develop online tools for booking loads and dispatching carriers. Henry worked in Uber Freight’s carrier marketing team after a career that included stints as an adviser to technology companies in the transportation industry. In summer 2018, Uber Freight cancelled its autonomous truck business, while the brokerage side continued to focus on optimizing the shipper-to-carrier relationship. The Haul founders are taking a completely different approach by emphasizing the value of drivers and creating technology to optimize the fleet-to-driver relationship. “The idea for Haul was inspired by the thought that we could take all the best parts of the ‘gig’ economy – like flexibility and transparent pay – and build a new employment model that created stability for the drivers,” said Nguyen Le, the company’s chief technology officer. “Through full-time employment, drivercentric products and training opportunities, we want to inspire drivers to look at their job as a skilled trade with a huge upside.” Finding the right fit A centerpiece of Haul’s technology platform is the Fleet Portal. Henry describes this as a managed marketplace for fleets to create orders and view drivers that have matching qualifications. When a customer creates an order, they immediately can review “shadow files” of drivers that match and then get visibility to the full qualifications of drivers it wants to pursue. Once fleets accept drivers, they use a dispatching feature in the Fleet Portal, and drivers use the mobile app to look for assignments and choose their schedules. At the moment, Haul is focused on working with fleets such as food distributors that have local and regional operations for “stitching together driver demand for a tight localized market,” Henry said. The company now is operating in California, Texas and Georgia with plans to expand operations nationally. Henry said Haul now has more than 600 driver applicants, of which nearly 200 have been completed and fully vetted. The company has seven active customers with a heavy concentration in dedicated transportation, he said. – Aaron Huff

Netradyne helps Stewart Transport improve driver safety, satisfaction

side from digital workflow tools, perhaps no technology has been growing faster Netradyne’s DriverI than cameras. Stewart Transhas edge computing to capture and port, a family-owned refrigeranalyze data to ated carrier based in Phoenix, give drivers instant recently shared its experience feedback and upload relevant video to the with using the latest advanceportal. ments in camera technology for its fleet of 150 trucks. The company has been using camera systems in its vehicles for more than 10 years as the technology has evolved from flash cards to edge computing. Stewart Transport now is using Netradyne’s DriverI that uses edge computing to capture and analyze data to give drivers instant feedback and immediately upload relevant video to the portal. The system also has artificial intelligence that visually captures items that contribute to risky driving, such as stop signs, signals, pedestrians and speed-limit signs. “Technology changes so fast, and we wanted to be two steps ahead in that regard,” said Amanda Gallegos, director of risk management for Stewart Transport. “The peripheral cameras and the depth of vision were impressive. And the real-time data was key — both the immediate access to video and the driver scoring.” Having a better, faster defense against claims was the most notable result. Stewart Transport also had been experiencing thefts of tires and parts from its yard in Redlands, California. After putting DriverI cameras in two trucks that were parked in the yard, the fleet captured the video and sent it to the local police department, and they matched it to a suspect, Gallegos said. “We never would have been able to do that with our former camera solution,” she said. Stewart Transport also has found that exonerations helped with driver retention. “When a driver has a notat-fault incident, we share it in our safety meetings, and it helps with the driver buy-in,” Gallegos said. She admits that adding internal cameras was not an easy transition, but the fleet’s current turnover rate is at 40% with a goal of 25% or less. Before using cameras, its turnover was above 90%. – Aaron Huff commercial carrier journal

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technology

INBRIEF • Rand McNally, a provider of fleet management and commercial transportation offerings, was acquired by Teleo Capital and announced a three-year product plan fed by organic and acquisitive investments. Terms were not disclosed. • Verizon Connect launched a driver-facing dashcam as an option for its Integrated Video for Reveal platform that already has a road-facing camera. The dual video platform is designed to unite video, telematics and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide more details of specific driving events. AI-based notifications are sent to managers within minutes of harsh driving events, and the driver-facing video can be reviewed alongside the road-facing footage in Reveal’s event log. • Teletrac Navman, a Software-as-a-Service provider for fleets and mobile assets, added a new web-based automated artificial intelligence (AI) tool to its suite of software offerings aimed at supporting fleet operators researching electric vehicles. The Electric Vehicle Readiness Tool combines AI with historical telematics data to evaluate average number of trips overall and per vehicle, distance, regularity, usage times, usage patterns and time moving versus idle. • Carrier Transicold enhanced its eSolutions telematics platform for remote monitoring of refrigerated trucks and trailers. A new dashboard comprises widgets that provide an at-a-glance fleetwide and individual unit overview based on fuel levels, movement and reefer system operating mode. Geofencing capabilities also have been improved, while an upgraded live map mode offers filter buttons to isolate and view units by selected criteria. • Cooltrax, a provider of cold-chain trailer telematics, integrated its platform with Advanced Energy Machines’ electric transportation refrigeration unit (eTRU) to give fleets real-time visibility of eTRU temperatures, battery levels, power state, compartment temperatures and door events. • Cargo Chief, a technology provider that helps third-party logistics providers more effectively and efficiently buy trucking capacity, released LaneMaster, which the company describes as a real-time full-truckload rating engine designed to gather true freight pricing data through a consortium of transportation management software (TMS) and technology providers.

commercial carrier journal

Lytx creates new risk detection alerts without video recordings

ytx’s DriveCam Event Recorder has a new configurable option for fleets that can give drivers real-time safety alerts to self-correct risky behaviors without the recording of in-cab video. Lytx developed the technology using its proprietary machine vision and artificial intelligence (MV+AI) to detect patterns of New management reports are available distracted or unwanted driving through Lytx’ portal for fleets to track the duration and the percentage of drive time behaviors. a driver was engaged in each type of risky The company said the option driving behavior. lets fleets disable or limit incab video recording for driver privacy yet still benefit from greater risk detection. Lytx said real-time alerts also help drivers be more proactive and accountable for their improvement while giving management visibility to intervene if needed. The company also has added new risk detection capabilities. Its DriveCam Event Recorder now has an “inattentive” trigger that detects when the driver’s attention may be unfocused, such as rummaging through paperwork, or when the driver may be experiencing fatigue or drowsiness. Other new real-time alerts detect cell phone use, eating and drinking, smoking, no seatbelt, speeding and inattentiveness. Depending on the behavior, drivers get an alert that includes a light and/or a spoken phrase such as “distraction.” “We’ve done a lot of research into what really works with in-cab alerts,” said Kristin Costas, director of product management for Lytx. “Intuitiveness is really important.” New management reports are available through Lytx’ portal for fleets to track the duration and the percentage of drive time a driver was engaged in each type of risky driving behavior. The data can be coupled with video of the behaviors. Drivers also have the ability to log in to a web portal or app to watch their own videos, review performance metrics and see how their risk is changing over time. “We want to help drivers self-correct in real time,” Costas said. “We also want to help them better understand their habits and be part of that solution for reducing risk.” Lytx already had real-time alerts that used the forward-facing camera in the DriveCam system for following distance, lane departure and rolling stops, as well as speeding above the posted speed limit. Altogether, Lytx said the DriveCam system now has the ability to detect more than 60 driving behaviors with greater than 95% accuracy using its proprietary MV+AI. “Fleets today are looking for reliable technology that allows drivers to quickly improve in the moment and with little or no manager intervention,” said Doron Lurie, president for Lytx. “A driver-powered approach to safety empowers drivers to take charge of their own safety while freeing up precious manager time that can be redirected to other areas of the business.” – Aaron Huff

| december 2020

technology

INBRIEF

Werner Enterprises sees cost savings, safety gains from Microsoft Azure

erner Enterprises (CCJ Top 250, No. 11) is rolling out new capabilities to its own cloudbased technology platform to create a single source of fleet management data from connectivity with various proprietary and third-party systems. The Omaha, NebraskaWerner Enterprises created features in its CEM system, based carrier orders new built with Microsoft, to recognize drivers for positive trucks equipped with a safety events and not just to identify exceptions. factory-installed Bendix Wingman Fusion safety system that uses radar and camera technologies to detect risky events such as lane departures and following distances. When high-risk events are detected, the system transmits video and event data to Werner’s Edge cloud computing system built in partnership with Microsoft’s Azure. Werner developed its own Critical Event Management (CEM) system in partnership with Microsoft to parse through video event data to save time and money. When a rapid deceleration, a swerve or another noteworthy on-road event occurs, a 10-second video clip with five seconds before and after the event – together with a full packet of vehicle and sensor data – is transmitted to Werner Edge. The CEM system analyzes the event data and presents a visual workflow to fleet managers with the video clip and a timeline of event data that includes a map view of the location, speed and other data from Werner’s telematics system. The visualization also brings in weather and other external data sources to show contributing factors. Before developing CEM, Werner’s fleet managers had to coach drivers for safety events that were captured by its video and telematics systems that used separate web portals. The company has more than 9,500 drivers and on a weekly basis was managing 6,000 camera and telematics safety events. Danny Lilley, vice president of fleet systems and technology for Werner, said most of these events overlapped, and the video review process took 48 hours after events occurred before a team could evaluate and assign critical safety events to fleet managers to coach drivers. After connecting the camera and telematics systems to Werner Edge, the 6,000 weekly events dropped immediately to 3,000. The fleet also worked further with Microsoft to apply machine learning to the events and train its models to parse out false positives, such as events triggered by a weather event or a roadside hazard. The weekly events fell to 1,500, and Werner now is able to appraise event data in less than four hours, which makes it possible for fleet managers to coach drivers on the same day events occurred. “The goal of all of these events is to coach a driver to change behavior and increase our overall safety,” Lilley said. “We’re able to give a much more modern experience to our team members and build our additional data capabilities on top of it as well.” – Aaron Huff

• Mix Telematics, a Software-as-a-Service provider of connected fleet management offerings, launched a customizable driver scoring add-on for customers that subscribe to MiX Fleet Manager. The add-on is designed to provide fleets flexibility and advanced algorithms to enhance driver education and incentive programs with scoring methodologies that can incorporate driver performance indicators, risky driving events, hours of service violations and productivity metrics such as departure, arrival and detention times. • Carrier Logistics Inc., a provider of freight management software for less-than-truckload fleets, announced an enhanced Dock Management Board designed to improve freight visibility, worker productivity and loading accuracy. The updated offering helps support dynamic routing and photo capture and can be integrated with pallet dimensioning products. • PrePass Safety Alliance completed work extending its Alerts system across all 48 contiguous states, allowing motor carriers and commercial vehicle compliance agencies to access more than 2,800 Alerts that appear in-cab on the PrePass Motion weigh station bypass application. Drivers receive Alerts as they approach known high-risk areas such as steep grades and traffic congestion. • Fleetworthy Solutions, a provider of fleet compliance services, announced a partnership with Predictive Safety, a provider of risk mitigation technologies, to provide Fleetworthy customers access to Predictive Safety’s AlertMeter, a predictive and proactive risk and safety management offering designed to allow shift leaders and safety managers to assess the alertness levels of safety-sensitive employees at any point, including prior to starting their work shifts. • Ryder System partnered with PowerFleet, a provider of fleet tracking systems, to embed telematics into more than 1,000 forklifts and other material handling equipment within its warehouses to help enhance safety and regulatory compliance. • Hendrickson launched a new MotorWheel-intl.com website following its acquisition of the Motor Wheel brake drum and Crewson slack adjuster business segments from Stemco and parent company EnPro Industries.

commercial carrier journal

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technology

INBRIEF • Aperia Technologies selected Fontaine Modification to serve as the preferred installer of its Halo Tire Inflator and Halo Connect technologies. All 10 of Fontaine’s modification centers across the country are located near truck OEM manufacturing facilities, which enables the company to install Aperia’s Halo systems before trucks are shipped to dealers. • Redwood Logistics, a logistics platform for shippers, announced a partnership with Loadsure, an on-demand all-risk cargo load insurance platform. Powered by automation and machine learning, Loadsure’s end-to-end digital insurance offering can be made available to shippers through RedwoodConnect, Redwood’s supply chain integration Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering. • GlobalTranz, a third-party multimodal logistics provider, upgraded its app to support its independent agents and network of more than 34,000 truckload carriers through enhanced access to freight opportunities, real-time visibility and 24/7 support. • Tyrata, a tire sensor and data management company, raised $2.9 million in financing from global investors to complete customer qualification of its IntelliTread Drive-Over System (DOS), establish high-volume manufacturing in global markets and speed development of its Internal Tread Sensor (ITS) product line. • Stoneridge announced that Tyson Foods is rolling out its MirrorEye Camera Monitor System initially on 55 trucks with plans to add more systems. The MirrorEye system replaces a truck’s sideview mirrors with integrated cameras and interior monitors to help eliminate blind spots. • Orbcomm, a provider of Internet of Things (IoT) offerings, and Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications, announced they will extend their agreement through at least 2035 and enhance their strategic partnership by collaborating on joint product innovation and distribution of next-generation IoT satellite services. Orbcomm also announced that Queen Transportation, an asset-based truckload carrier based in Hickory, North Carolina, selected its truck telematics system to maximize savings and operational improvements.

commercial carrier journal

Decisiv’s Telematics API helps cut service costs, downtime

ecisiv, a provider of service relationship management (SRM) offerings, announced a Telematics API (application programming interface) built to facilitate the ability Decisiv’s Telematics API uses real-time to deliver actionable commercial vehicle data to its SRM fault information platform, resulting in lower costs and downtime. to dynamically The connectivity offering is designed to increase the create service ability of Decisiv SRM Ecosystem users to bring in-context event cases and streamline information to the point of service by using real-time fault communication. information to dynamically create service event cases and streamline communication and collaboration across the entire service management process. Telematics providers that receive information directly from hardware devices on assets can use the Telematics API to automatically populate data into the Decisiv SRM platform. Available data includes: • Fault codes from a range of connected components and systems; • Diagnostics information from a variety of onboard sensors; and • Meter data, such as fuel consumed, mileage, engine hours and location. “Our new Telematics API enhances asset service management capabilities by providing fleets and service providers with vehicle, system, component and parts performance and diagnostics information at the critical point of repair,” said Ronnie Shaw, senior director of product portfolio management for Decisiv. “The Telematics API easily enables Decisiv SRM Ecosystem partners, including telematics system and component suppliers and OEMs, to make diagnostics data from connected vehicles readily accessible to the – CCJ Staff right people at the right time and place.”

Orbcomm device lets IoT providers add satellite connectivity

rbcomm, a provider of Internet of Things (IoT) offerings, launched the ST 2100, a satellite communications device Orbcomm’s designed to enable technology vendors to add backup satellite rugged, sealed ST 2100 is connectivity to their IoT applications and expand to dual-mode built for easy connectivity in remote areas with limited cellular coverage, inintegration cluding areas with high network congestion. with a The rugged, sealed ST 2100 is built for easy integration and is variety of IoT engineered for added reliability and security by allowing messages applications with minimal to be sent during a temporary power loss. The device also indevelopment. cludes a built-in navigation module that enables global reporting of location data. In addition, over-the-air satellite updates allow the ST 2100 to receive updated firmware versions. “Our ST 2100 for solution providers cost-effectively adds satellite connectivity to their IoT applications and quickly expands their market reach,” said Craig Malone, executive vice president of product development for Orbcomm. “By leveraging Orbcomm’s strength in satellite IoT, we’ve created a robust, satellite communications device that enhances the reliability, performance and longevity of asset tracking and monitoring solutions nearly anywhere.” – CCJ Staff

| december 2020

technology

in focus: DRIVER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

From the beginning

Fleets can manage the full driver lifecycle BY AARON HUFF

rom chasing down leads to managing early contacts and relationships with driver applicants, the work doesn’t stop with recruiting. Software developers that traditionally have focused their efforts on recruiting alone have come up with new features that extend their expertise in process automation to driver orientation and onboarding. With these new developments, motor carriers have new options that can support their efforts to bring automation to their hiring, training and retention programs and policies for drivers. EBE Technologies’ Ships driver recruiting platform has an optional Applicant Relationship Management System (ARMS) module that fleet recruiters can use to automate their plans for communicating with driver recruits by using texts and emails based on applicant statuses. The statuses of applicants can include drivers who may not meet certain qualifications and those who are not ready to change jobs, among many other possibilities that might prompt fleets to follow up with a candidate at a later date. EBE said ARMS can be used to automate communications after drivers are hired. Examples of predefined messages that fleets can set up to improve driver retention are: • Emails, texts and surveys to drivers at their first 30, 60 and 90 days to gauge satisfaction and preempt potential turnover issues; • Hire date anniversary and birthday messages to drivers; and • Company updates and messages. Tenstreet, a driver recruiting software and workflow provider, recently acquired Stay Metrics to offer a full recruiting and retention platform. Stay Metrics is known for its driver retention platform and metrics, and Tenstreet has a mobile app, Driver Pulse, that soon will have new features. Besides using the Driver Pulse app to find jobs and onboard and manage their career, drivers soon will have access to new features offered through their carriers, such as Stay Metrics satisfaction surveys, rewards programs and driver wellness training, according to the companies. Work Optima offers process automation software for the transportation industry with a focus on driver management that starts at the date of hire, said Colin Ruskin, chief executive. Work Optima can be used by fleets to manage their orientation and training processes and can include the carrier’s documents, policies and training programs.

The system allows fleets to digitize their written policies, proceFleet recruiters can use EBE dural steps and records Technologies’ Ships driver recruiting platform to automate to ensure compliance their plans for communicating with and minimize risk. “We driver recruits by using texts and are very involved in emails based on applicant statuses. making sure that company policy is implemented and being followed,” Ruskin said. Work Optima also has developed features to manage ongoing driver relationships and interactions. A company might use the software to enforce a policy of contacting every driver at 30 and 60 days to make sure they are getting their expected mileage and pay. These and other recent technology developments can help create alignment between fleet policies and what actually gets done to manage compliance and driver satisfaction.

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commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 25

INNOVATORS SEFL rolled out its finalmile service across all the company’s 89 service centers in September via a fleet of more than 400 last-mile trucks.

E-COMMERCE ADVANTAGE

Digitization helps SEFL meet online shopping boom head-on BY JASON CANNON

ccelerating an already booming consumer trend to buy online, COVID-19 put an increasing number of less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers on homedelivery duties, and online shoppers – spoiled by Amazon’s near real-time visibility into its supply chain – posed a challenge for a trucking industry that largely was beholden to ink and paper and manual bills of lading (BOLs). Having first launched its own shipment processing system technology almost 30 years ago, Southeastern Freight Lines (SEFL) upgrades it on an ongoing basis to meet market demands. And in the throes of a pandemic, the market was demanding more digitization. SEFL (CCJ Top 250, No. 30) as of this year digitally scans its BOLs, said Woody Lovelace, the company’s senior vice president and chief information officer. “Not only does that gather more information about the details of that shipment earlier, [but also] the sooner that we know all the parties of that freight bill, the sooner we can start providing customers with visibility,” he said. That data is fed automatically to the carrier’s dock operations, and “as drivers come back off the street, based on the details of that load,” Lovelace said, “we can make door suggestions that limits the space or reduces the distances between the unload door and the load door.” The platform also has enabled 99.6% invoice accuracy, as all that data feeds back

SOUTHEASTERN FREIGHT LINES Lexington, South Carolina into a centralized billing location. Lovelace said the electronic pickup (ePup) and delivery (ePod) process has removed more than 10 million pieces of paper out of SEFL’s operations. “Not only are you printing them, but you’re handling them, you’re filing them and you’re scanning them, and all the things that go along with that,” he said. “With moving into COVID, it positioned us perfectly to do a contactless delivery. The customer doesn’t have to touch a piece of paper. They don’t have to touch a handheld. In fact, they don’t even have to be there. We take a photo of where we leave the shipment. We automatically send that proof of delivery to them immediately.” The final-mile frontier The software platform also has enabled SEFL to identify final-mile deliveries more accurately while helping educate final-mile customers on what to expect from their delivery. It also allows customers to handle appointment and delivery requirements at their convenience online. SEFL rolled out its final-mile service across all the company’s 89 service centers in September via a fleet of more than 400 last-mile trucks, offering residential deliveries as well as deliveries to freestanding retail stores, places where a dock is not available and strip malls with limited access, among other locations. The Lexington, South Carolina-based carrier strategically built out its final-mile service over time, starting with a small number of trucks in select markets to test

The less-than-truckload company’s software platform allows it to identify final-mile deliveries more accurately while meeting customer expectations for timeliness.

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 27

INNOVATORS both efficiencies and market demand. Coupled with an increase in demand, final-mile residential shipments represented about 2.5% of the company’s shipments pre-COVID, but that since has ballooned to 4.5%, Lovelace said. Additional features include real-time tracking with 100% visibility; automatic delivery status updates; APIs that allow shippers to integrate their e-commerce shopping carts to the SEFL system (rate quotes, pickup requests, tracking, etc.); the ability to use emails and phone numbers of residential customers to send links for self-appointments, which allows the customer to request a contact before arrival and grant SEFL permission to deliver without being present; and the driver taking a picture to confirm delivery when the customer is not present. Technology affluence has enabled a 99.3% on-time service rate to-date in SEFL’s final-mile segment. Reach out (digitally) and don’t touch someone In its final-mile process, SEFL sends texts and emails to its residential customers, enabling them to schedule a delivery time and location while also offering them the option to pick the item up themselves at a SEFL terminal. Lovelace said digital communication has enabled SEFL to provide more information to the consumer on how an LTL shipment works, and it also has emerged as a preferred method as more end-consumers filter their phone calls. “We actually have an AI system where we were using voice calls to try and make those appointments, but they were marginally successful because people didn’t answer the phone,” he said. “Now, with the text and the email, they can consume that information the way they want to. They can process it in the evening at their convenience.” Customers get text and/or email notifications the afternoon the carrier first bills the shipment and recognizes 28

commercial carrier journal

the product is bound for a final-mile customer. “Historically, when you’re talking about the LTL business – and we’re a next-day regional specialist – the minute that a customer asks for an appointment at destination, they typically have inserted a delay in transit time,” Lovelace said. “We have to have an opportunity to reach them to make the appointment instead of that shipment flowing on to the street tomorrow. By notifying that customer that first evening and them making that appointment, we have a good chance of actually going straight out and delivering it tomorrow instead of staging it.” Texts and emails notify customers that SEFL has their shipment and include information about the shipment (such as the number of pieces and weight) and where it’s coming from, “and then you’re really responding to available appointments,” Lovelace said, adding that customized appointment windows can vary by location and destination. “If they were a good distance away from a destination service center, we may offer them the windows of appointment that would be later in the day.” As part of its two-way digital outreach to the customer, SEFL also asks for information that will be critical for the driver, such as how much access they will have to the delivery site. “Is it a gated community?” Lovelace said. “Are there any particular requirements there? And whether or not [the customers] need to be there when we deliver it, so we get permission from them to leave it if they can’t be there.” There is also the option to speak to a customer service representative, a team of experts who also will get involved if the customer doesn’t respond to text or email outreach. “Our customer service associates see the status of this appointment,” Lovelace

| december 2020

Digital communication has enabled SEFL to provide more information to the consumer on how an LTL shipment works, and it also has emerged as a preferred method as more end-consumers filter their phone calls.

said. “After a couple of days with nothing scheduled, our own people will start initiating contact with the customer.” Lovelace said it’s common to get a mobile number from e-commerce but noted it’s rare to receive email addresses from the shipper. However, he believes that is something that will shift over time as retailers better understand the value of providing more information to the carrier about the customer. “It’s one more point of contact, and the key there is an automated form of contact, not something that takes their time, takes our time playing telephone tag,” he said. “Another avenue by which we can interact with them electronically.” Enabling more seamless interaction, Lovelace said, has allowed the carrier to replicate – on some levels – the kind of experience consumers have become accustomed to when buying from online retailers. “More palletized, true LTL freight is finding itself in this private residence space,” he said. “[The use of technology is needed], really, to do it efficiently and to meet the needs and expectations of the e-commerce customer. They expect a similar experience for LTL as they would for a parcel or a mail package.” That layer of blockchain-like detail is something Lovelace believes only will increase as it ripples through the LTL segment, requiring carriers to leave more GPS breadcrumbs and add more visibility to their shipments. “Typically, the LTL driver is not like an Uber driver that you can see coming around the corner, but I can see it becoming just that,” he said. “Visibility is going to be key.”

BUSINESS | GPS ROUTING

DON’T CAUSE A BRIDGE TO COLLAPSE Learn to recognize, minimize GPS routing risks BY TOM QUIMBY

tuck trucks, lost trucks, collapsed bridges, mad homeowners, costly tickets and downtime. No carrier wants the embarrassing headlines caused by truckers following GPS navigation into areas where Class 8 trucks simply don’t belong. And whether they’re not quite high enough or strong enough, it’s bridges that usually bear the most dramatic evidence of truckers who unquestionably follow GPS. In August, an Iowa truck driver brought down a historic bridge in Westphalia, Missouri. The Pentecostal Bridge, with a posted five-ton limit, fell 30 feet to the Maries River under the weight of a 2020 Freightliner Cascadia. The 55-year-old driver who walked away from the twisted wreck told the Missouri State Highway Patrol that GPS had led him to the bridge. “It was quite a fall,” MSHP Sgt. Scott White said. “It was pretty destructive, and the fact that he wasn’t injured was miraculous or that the truck didn’t end up in the water or when it did land that it didn’t roll over into the water.” Forty thousand pounds of bagged animal feed spilled from the severed trailer onto the river bank below. A mobile crane removed the mangled 127-yearold bridge and what was left of the truck. The driver was charged with ignoring the bridge’s weight limit. In addition to losing the truck and trailer, there’s the cost of cleanup and 30

commercial carrier journal

bridge replacement. Osage County Commissioner Larry Kliethermes told his local paper, The Unterrified Democrat, that a county prosecutor had advised commissioners to “get as much information as possible about the trucking company and let our insurance know about the situation.” A similar bridge collapse occurred last year in Yell County, Arkansas, when a California man attempted to drive his tractor-trailer hauling a load of processed chicken over a historic bridge spanning the Petit Jean River. The 35-year-old driver who said he had been following his GPS survived the plunge and was ticketed for exceeding the bridge’s posted 6-ton weight limit. Other drivers have gotten headlines for following GPS through truckrestricted neighborhoods and for getting lost and stuck on routes not intended for truck traffic, such as New Jersey’s popular beachside boardwalk where a driver got stuck a few years ago after following his GPS. Staying on the right path Though a driver might blame GPS for an embarrassing and costly mistake, ultimately it’s not technology that’s at fault. “From an insurance standpoint, [the insurer] would be liable for whatever they do irrespective of the GPS,” said Tommy Ruke, founder for the Motor Carrier Insurance Education Foundation.

| december 2020

The driver of this 2020 Freightliner Cascadia, owned by Stutsman Transportation, said he had been following a GPS when he drove onto the historic Pentecostal Bridge in Westphalia, Missouri.

Garmin, which manufactures GPS devices for commercial trucking, said it’s up to the driver to choose which paths to take. “As we state in our on-screen warnings and in our written materials for trucking devices, it is ultimately the responsibility of the driver to defer to all posted road signs and road conditions and to ensure the vehicle is operated safely,” Garmin spokesperson Cesar Palacios told CCJ. To help ensure faster and safer driving conditions, commercial GPS devices can be programmed ahead of time based on truck size and weight. “Truck drivers who use the TomTom Trucker get customized routes based on their vehicle’s type, size, cargo and speed,” TomTom spokesperson Carol Hansen told CCJ. “This helps drivers get an accurate ETA and locate the most efficient route.” Rand McNally said that skipping out on inputting correct truck data into GPS

BUSINESS | GPS ROUTING

devices can lead to problems. “Commercial over-the-road trucking is complicated,” said Kendra Ensor, Rand McNally’s vice president of marketing. “There are quite a number of parameters that impact safe truck routing — tractortrailer weight, length, width and height, number of axles, load contents and more, all weighed against bridge heights, weight restrictions, load restrictions and local, state and federal laws. If drivers aren’t inputting truck and load details and getting truck-specific routing, they may find themselves in a situation friendly to cars but not to large trucks.” In addition to inputting truck data into a GPS, fleets can lean on geofencing to help ensure that their trucks stay on truck-approved paths. “Routes that are taken by the fleet can have certain roads or areas geofenced to report if a vehicle is about to enter a restricted road type, ensuring the vehicle does not try to attempt that low bridge route or the road with a weight restriction on it,” said Sean Maher, head of sales for Quartix. “This is a great tool for companies that operate agency drivers who may not know the route or new recruits getting use to their new routes.” Ruke advised that fleets make sure their rigs are equipped with commercial-grade GPS devices and event recorders.

Dwayne Lazarre, director of strategic accounts and enterprise solutions for Trimble Maps, said that using a navigation solution such as Trimble Maps V10 3D with commercial map data ensures that drivers are navigating on safe truck-legal roads based on their vehicle and load.

“This gets back to the control of the motor carrier and what their drivers have and/or operators, because we also have the same concern for cameras,” Ruke said. Buying a GPS or camera at a truck stop or online that is not commercial-grade and designed for trucking “can be very useless,” he said. Leaning on cell phones or passengercar GPS devices for navigation in tractor-trailers simply presents too much risk. “Typical consumer GPS devices or mobile navigation applications on cell phones do not have truck-specific routing information and therefore will route truck drivers just like they would for a typical passenger vehicle,” said Shad Churma, senior solutions manager for Here Technologies. Churma said Here’s most frequently used attributes are physical restrictions (height, weight, length), legal restrictions (trucks not allowed, trailers forbidden), hazardous material restrictions and warnings (lateral winds, risk of grounding). Using the right commercial technology also alleviates driver stress at a time when carriers are grappling with driver retention. “Using a navigation solution with commercial map data when routing and navigating is critical for driver safety by ensuring they are navigating on safe truck-legal roads based on their vehicle and load,” said Dwayne Lazarre, director of strategic accounts and enterprise solutions for Trimble Maps. “It reduces the risk of bridge strikes and unsafe driving maneuvers and alleviates stress for drivers by allowing them to do what they do best — drive. Operationally, it eliminates the risk of fines and provides more accurate mileage and drive times.” Striving for better data GPS devices, like other computers, can be updated regularly with information from various sources to get trucks to their destinations more effectively.

Quartix’s geofencing will alert fleets when trucks stray into areas where they don’t belong.

“In addition to Here’s fleet of True vehicles that are continuously driving the road network collecting and updating this type of data, Here processes troves of data sources, 8,000 globally, that also provide millions of updates to the map database, ensuring the freshest and broadest coverage,” Churma said. Some of the information used to update maps also comes from truckers who can pass along valuable firsthand information to GPS companies. “Rand McNally’s GIS [Geographic Information System] organization has a network of DOT and other sources across the country from whom we get the latest information,” Ensor said. “Additionally, our truck devices include a ‘Tell Rand’ function in which drivers on the road can notify us of any changes they may see in real time. We review, verify, and the changes make their way into the base map network. We provide map updates over-the-air.” Rand McNally told CCJ that the two historic bridges in Missouri and Arkansas showed up as weight-restricted in their database. Trimble showed them as closed. Here, which provides map data to Garmin, was not sure by deadline if it had “weight restrictions coded for those bridges.” As for TomTom, changes are coming. “We did look into our data for those specific bridges, and we do not have weight restriction information at this time,” Hansen told CCJ. “However, a request to add this information has been filed. We will see the restrictions added soon.”

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BUSINESS | HEALTH INSURANCE

THE OTHER TYPE OF FLEET INSURANCE As trucking costs rise, consider alternative healthcare for drivers and other personnel BY MATT COLE

uring a time when fleets of all sizes are looking to cut costs to help offset the impacts of the COVID-19 economic slowdown, one area that often gets overlooked is employee healthcare insurance. Healthcare typically is the second- or third-largest budget item for most companies, said Alex Dampf, president for Nashville-based health insurance brokerage Oakmont Benefits Group. Over the last 10-15 years, the cost of health insurance – including deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for employees – has climbed steadily, he said. Dave Chase, co-founder of the Health Rosetta blueprint for health benefits, said healthcare benefits typically account for about 20% of payroll expenses. The problem, Dampf said, is that employers and employees are conditioned to think about healthcare only in the traditional model of an insurance company offering set plans. Dampf uses Health Rosetta to build insurance plans for businesses to pick and choose benefits that best meet the needs of the company and its employees. “The main thing with Health Rosetta is putting transparency back in healthcare,” he said. “No one really knows what’s happening behind the scenes. The goal is to first bring that back to see exactly what’s going on. The goal is to make it simpler and provide the types of coverage they need by designing a plan to provide the highest level of value to the employee at a reasonable cost.” How fleets can benefit Ashland City, Tennessee-based carrier R.E. West, with the help of Dampf and his firm, broke the mold of using a traditional insurance company that offers certain packages without many options. 32

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| december 2020

Tennessee-based R.E. West switched to a nontraditional healthcare plan for its employees in 2019 and saved 15% on costs in the first year.

“We had shared the increase with our employees and wanted to try to do better,” said Jenny West, chief financial officer for R.E. West, a 130-truck van and flatbed/heavy-haul fleet. “We’re in a very competitive market in trucking and feel there’s a competitive advantage [with our benefits],” she said. “You lose out on new hires because of your costs, and we felt there was a better way. We just hadn’t found it yet.” The Health Rosetta-style plan was the answer for R.E. West, Dampf said. “They transitioned from fully insured to partially selffunded and eliminated the insurance company,” he said. “We hired an independent third-party administrator and hired an independent pharmacy benefits manager so that we have more control over that supply chain. Sometimes there are a lot of hands in the cookie jar. You start removing some of those members from the supply chain that don’t add a value, and your cost comes significantly down.” R.E. West switched to the new plan on Jan. 1, 2019, and had a 15% reduction in health insurance costs, saving around $102,000 that year, instead of a 25% increase that would have taken effect and put its healthcare spend around $270,000, Dampf said. “Trucking is a very low-margin industry,” West said. “We’re always counting our pennies, so this has been very important for us. It adds up. We still have quality insurance but at a lower cost.” West said that with rising insurance costs over the years, there wasn’t a lot of pushback from employees. One area where West has seen improvement since R.E. West switched healthcare plans has been in driver recruiting. “Potential employees are recognizing the lower healthcare costs,” she said.

BUSINESS | HEALTH INSURANCE

Dampf said that while R.E. West is a medium-sized carrier, alternative health insurance plans can work for fleets of all sizes. “I think most business owners think they can’t operate in this model without an insurance company or a traditional model,” he said. “Size isn’t as big of an issue as they think it is. Whether they go this far down the road or make small incremental changes, that can make a big difference to drivers and the bottom line without any real disruption.” The first step in moving toward an alternative health insurance plan is to work with a benefits broker, Chase said. “You really can’t get from here to there without working with the right person,” he said. The benefit to employees Dampf said in R.E. West’s first year with the new setup, employees were offered three plans. “After the first year, they had such a big reduction in costs, we eliminated the two base plans, and all employees got the richest plan at the lowest plan’s cost from the previous year,” he said. “They either got a better plan at a lower cost or the same plan at a lower cost.” West said she’s heard nothing but positive feedback from R.E. West employees – both drivers and office personnel – since the changes took effect nearly two years ago. “People here appreciate what they have and have taken

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ownership,” she said. “They have a buy-in to how they operate with their tools. That’s a big deal. You preached those things in the past, but for whatever reason, it really resonates now, and they see a result from it.” West said with the new plan, employees can use phone apps to access nearly everything involving their healthcare. “We are mobile,” she said. “We all have handheld devices and are used to apps. Our drivers can turn to apps to guide them on really anything. If they’re on the road and need a prescription refilled or are sick and need to see someone, it’s how we operate. I think it’s a lot better.” Many truck drivers don’t have primary care physicians at home, and West said that with R.E. West employees taking more ownership, they’ve been able to learn “how to care for themselves with this and recognize what they need. It’s led to better care overall.” West said prescription drug coverage was one of the areas where the fleet needed the most help before the switch. “We were very unhappy with that,” she said. Working with Dampf, R.E. West was able to choose coverage that offers about 250 medications that employees can access for free. According to Chase, the pharmacy benefit accounts for 20%-25% of an employer’s overall healthcare spend.

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| december 2020 33

COST-SAVING EQUIPMENT: DIGITAL TIRE ANALYTICS

DATA Digital analytics can help fleets keep a closer eye on their tires BY TOM QUIMBY

t stands out as a memorable showdown, a revealing “man vs. machine” moment in which a driver was one-upped by digital tire analytics. Micah Tindor, product manager, Connect Fleet, for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., recalled how a driver had conducted a pre-trip inspection and thought all was well with the truck’s tires. That wasn’t the case. “We had a predictive alert go out, and the driver was informed of the alert and said, ‘No. I did a pre-trip. I don’t have an inflation issue,’ ” Tindor said during a webinar on tire management held during the 2020 American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition in late October. Since the driver’s fleet manager recently had set a key performance indicator (KPI) of distinguishing actual tire alerts from false ones, the driver agreed to double-check the tire, hoping to outwit the computer. “The driver wanted to prove everybody wrong and wanted to show that the system wasn’t very successful, [but he] went out and actually checked, and 34

commercial carrier journal

it turned out that they did have a slow leak,” Tindor said during ATA’s virtual session on “Digital Best Practices for Tire Life Cycle Management.” With tires ranking as the secondhighest fleet expense behind fuel, catching an issue before it becomes a costly and potentially dangerous problem down the road makes digital tire analytics all the more appealing. Coupled with keeping a closer eye on tread life and tire casing KPIs, the process also can improve the bottom line. “A digital tire management program can help prolong casing life by providing an operational usage history of the respective tire asset,” said Karl Remec, Michelin’s business segment manager for long-distance transportation. “Knowing the historical load, pressure and temperature conditions in which a tire has operated over its life, as well as the number and type of repairs, both as a new tire and retread, can allow fleet managers to make more informed decisions about how to manage those tires during their service life.” Improving tire management means improving tire pull points, which is

| december 2020

Casing life and retread acceptance can get a leg up with digital tire analytics, said Phil Mosier, Cooper Tire’s manager of commercial tire development.

something that digital data can deliver. “Digital tire analytics can help a fleet track the tread depth of the tires when the tires are removed,” said Phil Mosier, Cooper Tire’s manager of commercial tire development. “You can then determine how well the fleet is doing at removing tires at their intended pull point. If, on average, the tires are being pulled too early with deeper tread than the pull point, then the fleet is leaving money on the table for more mileage they could have gotten out of that tire’s tread.” Shaun Hartoog, digital solutions specialist for Dana Inc., said during ATA’s webinar that a properly tooled digital analytics program also can communicate company policy and expectations to technicians “in a timely manner without having to communicate through fax and a paper record and sending it out to HQ and getting approval and involving many other team members.” Streamlining and improving tire maintenance through digital analytics

EQUIPMENT: DIGITAL TIRE ANALYTICS program can fit in nicely for a fleet and improve business for all concerned. First up is communicating how the program will benefit the entire company, said Donna Murphy, Michelin North America’s initiative lead for its connected pressure, services Real-time alerts can play a critical role in a tire maintenance program fueled by digital analytics. and solutions business line. Sunjay Dodani, CEO for Revvo, said his company’s “So you’ve made the decision technology can help fleets increase tire life. to make this change digitally, but does everybody in your oralso can cut back on costly tire infractions, which remain a top out-of-service ganization know about the opportunities you’ve identified and why it’s needed?” violation. Sunjay Dodani, chief executive officer Murphy asked during ATA’s webinar. “Knowing about it is great. We know for Revvo, said his company’s technolthere’s a change coming, and sometimes ogy “specifically helps fleets increase change is really a threat to people in our the life of each tire, reducing overall tire organization. spend, improving the safety of the tires “But the ‘why’ behind it — explain on the road with compliance and maintenance reporting and alerts, and reduc- what the benefit is to the organization ing technician time spent on tire-related and them,” she continued. “That may help us move forward in terms of getting maintenance and inspections.” to the success that we’re looking for. And In an increasingly competitive when you’re looking at that, what are the environment where data is king, sitting operations that need to change, and who on the sidelines is a risky gamble, tire will be impacted by it?” experts agree. Hartoog recommended that prior “We’re starting to get to the point to implementing a digital analytics where a lot of people are using technolprogram, fleets should identify their tire ogy, and the databases and algorithms program’s current strengths as well as that drive that funneling of data down areas for improvement. into actual insights have really im“Fleets should identify the matuproved,” Tindor said. “We’re moving into this phase where most data can produce rity of their current tire management process by taking into consideration an actual actionable insight for you. So now you can get onboard and see a lot of the individuals, the technicians, the productivity very rapidly.” managers — anyone who’s involved in the scope of tire management in the More actionable data is attracting entire organization,” he said. “And they more fleets, said Brian Cunningham, should evaluate the procedures that are vice president of fleet solutions for involved step-by-step. Does this current Bridgestone Commercial Solutions. state provide you with full visibility? Is it “It’s going fast,” Cunningham said. consistent every day? Is it consistent on “Adoption is happening quicker and every inspection? And is it consistent at quicker every day.” every location? And lastly, does it measure your progress or hold your team Getting started accountable if they’re not managing the Change at any level can be challengtires correctly?” ing, but with the right approach, a Cunningham said it’s important digital analytics-based tire management

that company leaders stay committed to the goals of the fleet’s new analytics program. “If there isn’t commitment from the top to continue following through on that and continue to discuss with the team how it’s working and what successes they are having, it slowly fades away, and it’s just another thing that someone’s being asked to follow,” Cunningham said. “The word ‘commitment’ is sometimes thrown around a little too easily. But if you have commitment from the top, and you have discussions from the top down, it normally sticks a lot better than if it’s just thrown out there.” Murphy said that beyond showing various departments how they stand to gain from an analytics program, fleet leaders should be cognizant and responsive to reluctance. “What’s the resistance level?” Murphy said. “How long does it take for them to buy into the idea of change? And that can be through different sorts of behavior. Maybe it’s a pizza party. Maybe it’s something as simple as a thank-you card. What are the ways that motivate your people to move toward that change? And be prepared to do that often to help move it through and to be aligned in the desire toward getting the devotion that we’re looking for.” Data management All the data in the world is no help unless the right data makes it to the right people. “First of all, is that data tire-related?” Cunningham said. “If it’s not tirerelated, then it’s not geared toward what you’re trying to do with your tire program, and it should be funneled out. That’s the first step with that. And the second step? How easy is it to get that data? Are your systems able to connect through an API (application program interface) easily to other systems? “The third point is very obvious,” he

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 35

EQUIPMENT: DIGITAL TIRE ANALYTICS continued. “Now that we have data from Retreads rolling on tires, what do we do with that? Can we Getting the most out of treadgrade action off that? Has what we’ve wear is one critical factor on created enabled us to take a look at what the tire performance checklist. we’re doing and lower the overall cost Casing life is another. of our tires? Those are three important “For most fleet managers, areas that, as you start to get into the the tread pattern and the cost data-funneling section, you need to take of the tire are the main focus,” As part of Michelin Tire Care, the company uses a look at.” Mosier said. “But the casing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology When it comes to making sense of should be a high consideration in its commercial truck tires and retreads, data, it’s best to keep pain points in as well. It’s the core of the tire enabling fleets to better manage tire assets mind, Tindor said. – the foundation – and what throughout the full lifecycle. “Remember, you’re solving a pain allows you to receive multiple point that really matters in your orgaretreads. It’s the true catalyst in lowersaid. “If a fleet chooses the right brand nization when you buy this technoling your overall cost of ownership. I and tread designs for their specific apogy,” he said. “Identify who needs to be always tell fleets to look at the tire, then plication and vocation, this can extend involved in solving that pain point, and look even closer at the foundation of tire and retread life. If a fleet implements then identify how they need to receive the tire — the casing.” a regular and thorough air pressure the information in order to activate that A tire management program based maintenance and tread depth manageservice. And once you know those two on digital analytics can pave the way for ment program, this can extend tire and steps, now it’s time to either buy a soluthat closer look. retread life. It will also result in fewer tion or build a solution that integrates “There is a very direct correlation casings being rejected for retreading, your tire management data and insights between sound tire management and which further reduces a fleet’s annual into that CCJ service activation system. ” improved retread performance, ” Remec tire spend.” AutoDeck 2020 Ad.pdf 1 9/1/20 8:59 AM

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commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

TECHNOLOGY: MANAGING COMPLIANCE DATA

CHANNELING

SAFETY Driver, fleet compliance data requires careful management BY AARON HUFF

leets have driver safety and compliance data pouring in from disparate systems. However, information from driver qualification files, electronic logging devices (ELDs), vehicle telematics and video event recorders rarely come through a single source. The options to channel this abundant data include using technology to unite it in a common database for real-time analysis and workflow automation, as well as using managed services to lighten the burden. More fleets are using a combination of both to free up resources and gain needed insights to be more proactive in managing risks. Events in 2020 have acted as a catalyst for fleets to revisit these strategies. Many have moved their offices to virtual work environments and have needed to provide workers better access to data and documents. During COVID-19, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has ramped up its offsite compliance reviews, which has made it

commercial carrier journal

necessary to respond to auditors’ requests more quickly to review records and safety practices.

Driving integration

Trimble Transportation said it is making a “real push” for its Video Safety Solutions products to provide drivers with the right coaching plan for safety and extend the plan to help them with trip planning.

Some technology suppliers have developed products that bring data together into a central database to provide fleet managers and frontline workers with a unified dashboard to manage the full driver employment lifecycle. EBE Technologies’ InfoStream starts with recruiting by gathering driver motor vehicle reports (MVRs), PreEmployment Screening Program (PSP) reports and other background records. Once a driver is hired, the software gives users a holistic view of compliance and safety from roadside inspections, ELDs and critical events captured by telematics, cameras and other sources. The InfoStream platform has a configurable scoring system for driver safety and compliance. Users can view scores and drill down to see the

| december 2020

individual elements. InfoStream also has artificial intelligence (AI) that alerts users to action items and an automated workflow that assigns and documents training, among other corrective actions, said Larry Kerr, chief executive for EBE. If a driver has a single hard-braking event, the fleet may not want to assign an action unless the event meets additional criteria. If a driver has two hard-braking events within one hour, this could be a threshold the fleet may use for an action item, Kerr said. The system can send a corrective action letter to drivers to sign by using their smartphone to acknowledge the type of event that occurred on a certain day, time and place. Once signed, the document is saved to the driver’s

TECHNOLOGY: MANAGING COMPLIANCE DATA personnel file. A corrective training module to accompany the event could be assigned automatically. InfoStream is able to detect more complicated risk patterns by monitoring data from cameras, roadside inspections, ELDs and other systems. If an accident occurs, fleets could use the software to instigate the forms and checklists they need to ensure a complete file to manage claims, Kerr said. As technology advances, fleets are able to provide automated coaching to drivers by using AI to analyze driving behaviors and give feedback. For driver feedback to be effective, the coaching has to be given before their next driving session, said Chris Orban, vice president of data science for Trimble Transportation. The coaching message should not just focus on singular negative events but also include positive reinforcement, he said. Trimble is making a “real push” for its Video Safety Solutions products to provide drivers with the right coaching plan for safety and extend the plan to help them with trip planning, Orban said. If the cameras detect a long wait at a fuel stop, the system could suggest an alternative fuel location. “Safety is the primary focus of video and the biggest bang for the buck, but why limit it there?” he said. “If you can save a driver 30 minutes of wait time, that is going to be a safer driver.”

EBE Technologies’ InfoStream platform has a configurable scoring system for driver safety and compliance. Users can view scores and drill down to see the individual elements.

Managed services Motor carriers that have multiple locations and operating companies are more likely to use technology in combination with managed services. UniGroup (CCJ Top 250, No. UniGroup, which owns United Van Lines and 25), a $1.6 billion transportation Mayflower, is using Lytx’s Compliance Services company that owns United Van program to collect and integrate data from Lines and Mayflower, recently multiple sources. began using Lytx’s Compliance Services program to collect and integrate Fleetworthy Solutions to lighten the data from multiple sources that include compliance workload of managing its ELDs, digital timesheets, paper logs, operating divisions with a combined driver qualification documents, roadside fleet of 6,000 drivers. “We had a lot of paper and filing inspections and vehicle records. cabinets, ” recalls Steven Garrish, vice Melissa Lawson, compliance director president of safety for the Cedar Rapids, for Fenton, Missouri-based UniGroup, Iowa-based company. “It was quite a said the Lytx program brings disparate data to a centralized location and makes challenge.” Hiring and transferring drivit easier to manage and submit records ers between CRST’s seven divisions, for U.S. Department of Transportation monitoring logbook data and other auditing purposes. routine processes were labor-intensive. While UniGroup’s local drivers use To complicate matters, the company work statements to record their time, has contractor drivers that use more some long-haul drivers use paper logs, and the majority use ELDs. Lytx consoli- than one ELD system for its Flatbed and dates and audits data from these records Specialized operations. The safety department also lacked to detect issues related to violations, clear visibility of the compliance for falsifications and noncompliance. each division and the organization as “If a driver’s vehicle or ELD breaks down mid-trip, we can now be confident a whole. “We felt we had a high level of compliance in CRST, but not having that their data will still synchronize clear visibility always made us wonder,” with our central compliance platform, whether they need to replace the ELD Garrish said. with a different provider or go to a paper Fleetworthy collects and audits log,” Lawson said. CRST’s driver qualification files and A Lytx dashboard shows users the hours of service (HOS) data. The HOS cause of violations to apply targeted data comes in electronically to Fleetworcoaching and training. A web-based thy through integrations with the fleet’s accident registry database and reportELD systems. CRST receives exceping system also records a fleet’s DOTtion reports and guidance to correct reportable crash history in a single violations. system, which allows fleets to add Working with Fleetworthy has nonreportable incidents or accidents to lightened the burden of compliance. As track damage and collision trends. a result, CRST no longer needed some employees, but their transition was aided by Fleetworthy hiring them. An extension of the team Those who changed jobs were “inAbout three years ago, CRST Internacredibly happy” about the new career, tional (CCJ Top 250, No. 20) engaged commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 39

TECHNOLOGY: MANAGING COMPLIANCE DATA Garrish said. “My team has gotten leaner and smaller but much more efficient,” he said, and CRST management is able to sharpen its focus and spend more time with drivers on “people-based safety initiatives.” As a Fleetworthy client, CRST is using the vendor’s customer-facing web portal, Comply 2.0, which Garrish describes as a “dashboard for compliance.” Every morning, he has a call with the fleet’s safety team to review metrics in the dashboard, such as the volume and error rates of driver job applications. Garrish said that moving forward, Comply 2.0 will enable CRST to bring data together from different systems for predictive risk modeling. The system could identify drivers with an elevated risk level by finding data patterns such as HOS violations, speeding events, roadside inspection violations, customer complaints and other possibilities. “We can build a picture of risk to

inform decisions before an accident happens,” he said. “My main goal is to retain drivers and keep them safe by getting ahead of those behaviors.” Garrish said Fleetworthy does more than store documents and data for CRST by acting as “an extension of our compliance team” by analyzing the quality Vertical Alliance’s Infinit-I LMS tracks drivers’ training completions and includes a separate of information and by “giving us “roll call” feature that fleets can use to ideas on how to get better.” document training. “I feel that Fleetworthy gives us 1,000 short training modules for its weba connection to the rest of the industry and what fleets are doing,” he said. based Infinit-I (pronounced “infinity”) LMS, which is available through a subCorrective training scription. Jay Wommack, chief executive Learning management systems (LMS) for Vertical Alliance, said that about can help fleets close the loop on driver 40% of the content is new, with informasafety and compliance. When a risktion that caters to the different learning related incident occurs, fleets can assign preferences of drivers, including kinetic, training to drivers and document their visual and auditory. completion. The Infinit-I LMS tracks drivers’ Vertical Alliance has developed nearly training completions and includes a

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INTELLIGENT COMPLIANCE PLATFORM TO HELP LESSEN YOUR WORKLOAD

Fleetworthy Solutions’ customer-facing web portal, Comply 2.0, will enable CRST Transportation to bring data together from different systems for predictive risk modeling.

separate “roll call” feature that fleets can use to document training done in person or through videoconference. Infiniti-i has application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide fleets the flexibility to link training completion records with employee files they keep in other systems, such as payroll. Vertical Alliance has expanded its courses beyond driver safety and compliance to include training for insurance, fuel usage and employees’ human resource issues “that pop up all the time,” Wommack said. For the HR courses, Vertical Alliance has contracted with a professor at Fort Worth’s Texas Christian University (TCU) to create more than 50 videos on the most common issues. It also has created 30 scripts that provide carriers with a quick reference guide on HR issues to save them money that they otherwise might spend on contacting attorneys for advice, Wommack said. “It is not just about driver training, but that is where we cut our teeth,” he said. By gaining better control of safety, compliance and training resources, motor carriers can not only reduce risk but also use their own resources more efficiently. Garrish said CRST now is able to quickly retrieve and share documents with FMCSA officials during offsite compliance reviews, helping the fleet know where it stands and where to focus its attention.

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| december 2020 41

Heated LED headlight

United Pacific’s 4-by-6-inch heated LED headlight is designed to automatically de-ice the lamp according to the ambient temperature. It is constructed of a heavy-duty aluminum housing and features a durable glass lens. The 12-24-VDC light is available in high beam and low beam, with a choice of either a chrome or a black inner liner. It has 1,000 lumens with the 20-watt low beam and 1,200 lumens with the 24-watt high beam. The light has a standard H4 style connector plug designed for easy plug-and-play installation. United Pacific Industries, www.upauto.com, 866-327-5288

Heavy-duty alternator

Denso’s heavy-duty J180 mount 24PE alternator expands coverage of the company’s PowerEdge aftermarket lineup and is engineered for added rpm output and efficiency. The 12-volt 170-amp alternator features the company’s patented rectangular segment conductor (SC) technology, a square wire copper stator that allows the compact, lightweight alternator to consistently deliver higher amps at both idle and cruising speeds. A remote sense function is designed to allow batteries to recharge faster after startup and help extend battery life. Denso Products and Services Americas, www.poweredgeproducts.com, 562-900-7353

3-in-1 truck-trailer multi-tool

Swisher’s Huckleberry’s Hammers 3-in-1 Truck-Trailer Multi-Tool is designed to help reduce and/or eliminate back and shoulder injuries caused by bending over at awkward angles. The tool is engineered to be compact, lightweight and virtually indestructible. Applications include trucks, trailers, tractors, tandems, tires, wheel drums, hitches, chains, pins, gladhands, flange locks, gaskets, fifth wheels, doors and tarps. Swisher, www.swisherinc.com, 660-422-6071

Trailer monitoring system

Super-wide trailer tire

Double Coin and CMA’s FT125+ Super-Wide Trailer-Position Tire is suited for tanker truck-trailer applications and is available in size 445/50R22.5. The 20-ply tire contains groove-bottom protection engineered to resist stone penetration and a durable casing design that helps provide added puncture resistance. It is made using the company’s compound engineered to maximize performance by providing added durability and optimal fuel and weight savings. Double Coin/CMA, www.doublecointires.com, 888-226-5250

Off-highway suspension Link’s TR50-HDT heavy-duty off-highway air-ride suspension is rated up to a 50,000-pound capacity. The suspension is designed to reduce trailer stress, overall weight and maintenance and to allow trailer manufacturers to attain a full 150,000-pound capacity with a tri-axle configuration while providing added capacity and articulation range. The TR50-HDT can be configured for Super B or two-axle configurations and is built with a 92.8-inch axle track. The suspension uses 18-by-7-inch drum brakes with 25-inch wheel ends and is engineered for a 17-inch ride height and a 60-inch maximum axle spread. Link Manufacturing, www.linkmfg.com, 800-222-6283

Drov’s AirBoxOne trailer monitoring system is designed to beam real-time diagnostics to both the driver and the home office by communicating alerts and notifications wirelessly to both the cab and the cloud. The system features integrated tire management engineered to inflate and deflate based on load, with additional sensors and cargo cameras that detect wheel end temperature, load weight, extreme g-forces and cargo security breaches. Drov, www.drovtechnologies.com, 405-463-6562

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

PRODUCTS

Diesel fuel additive

Hot Shot’s Secret Everyday Diesel Treatment diesel fuel additive is formulated to improve a diesel vehicle’s power and fuel economy while also improving the fuel’s lubricity for added protection. The formula is designed to boost cetane levels, clean fuel injectors, prevent rust and corrosion, neutralize acid, disperse moisture, prevent varnish and sludge formation, stabilize fuel for longterm storage and reduce the need for diesel particulate filter regeneration cycles. The ashless treatment complies with federal low-sulfur-content requirements for use in diesel motor vehicles. A 16-ounce bottle size treats 400 gallons of diesel fuel. Hot Shot’s Secret, www.hotshotsecret.com, 800-341-6516

EV coolant leak sensor

Amphenol’s Coolant Leak Detection Sensor is designed for electric/hybrid-electric vehicles to detect the presence of water and coolant in the vehicle’s battery pack enclosure, allowing the vehicle’s battery management system (BMS) to alert the operator. The sensor operates on standard 5-volt power and is engineered to detect as little as 2.8mm of standing water in the bottom of the battery pack enclosure. For diagnostics, the sensor includes a 510kΩ resistor in parallel with two plated contacts for open- and short-circuit detection, and its small footprint allows for various mounting positions, along with custom-length wire leads and connector options. Amphenol Advanced Sensors, www.amphenol-sensors.com, 800-246-7019

Drive retread

Bridgestone Americas’ FuelTech Drive Retread is the newest addition to the company’s Bandag MaxTread line. The SmartWay-verified closed-shoulder retread is engineered for over-the-road truckload and less-than-truckload applications. The California Air Resources Board-compliant retread is engineered to help reduce energy loss and lower rolling resistance for optimum fuel efficiency. It is designed for long, even tread wear with advanced technology that helps control the movement of the tire’s ribs and tread blocks during rotation. The drive tire also provides multiple gripping edges and a siped tread design for added traction on wet and dry surfaces. Bridgestone Americas Inc., www.bandag.com/en-us/maxtread-powerline, 844-748-7323

Folding rear entry step

Retrac’s HighRise folding rear entry step is designed for safe, easy and efficient access to trailers and cargo areas. The HighRise includes a corrosion-resistant auto-stowing roller mechanism that helps prevents damage when backing up, and the intuitive counterbalance design helps keep the step secured in a stowed position during travel. It attaches to the 4-inch bumper beam on most semi-trailers, box trucks and flat decks with a quick and easy 4-bolt installation. The high-strength, durable 7-gauge steel construction accommodates up to a 600-pound workload limit. The ergonomic design helps enhance safety and promote worker health by reducing strain, and the grated steps help provide added traction even when wet. Retrac, www.retracmirrors.com, 877-287-8634

LED strip light

Optronics’ modular LED strip light model ILL23CB is 17.25 inches long and 0.75 inches thick and can be mated together to form a solid linear light source measuring 6.939 feet in length. Each lamp comes with a power cap on one end and a trim finish cap on the other. Both caps are detachable, revealing modular connecting ports that enable up to six lamps to plug together. The 18-diode lamp packs 880 raw lumens and delivers 730 effective lumens and is suited for ceiling and corner-mount applications with a low profile that makes it less vulnerable to strikes by cargo and loading equipment. The multivolt lamp accommodates both 12- and 24-volt vehicle electrical systems. Optronics Inc., www.optronicsinc.com, 800-364-5483

Limited-slip differentials

Dana’s Spicer Trac-Lok limited-slip differentials (LSD) are built to deliver improved vehicle handling within a lightweight and compact design for maximum traction, durability and performance while placing less stress on the axle shafts, promoting longer part life and controlling tire wear. By limiting wheel slip rather than fully locking, Spicer Trac-Lok acts as an open differential and freely differentiates in normal operating mode. During a slip event, it is engineered to send more torque to the high-traction wheel end and automatically return to full differentiation as conditions change, transmitting engine power and enabling stable turns. Featuring a lightweight five-pinion pair design, Spicer Trac-Lok has no wiring or pneumatic connections, and no special lubricants or friction modifiers are required. Dana Inc., www.spicerparts.com/trac-lok, 800-621-8084 commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 43

PRODUCTS

Off-highway large-haulage tire

Goodyear’s RH-4A+ off-highway large-haulage tire is engineered to deliver higher productivity in hard-rock-underfoot conditions. The tire features an extra-deep E-4+ tread depth with a high net-to-gross tread pattern and an optimized footprint pressure to help provide long hours to removal. Other performance benefits include a tread and casing that together are designed to deliver long hours to removal, resistance to cutting and added traction in severe hard-rock-underfoot conditions. The RH-4A+ is available in sizes 59/80R63, 46/90R57 and 27.00R49. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., www.goodyear.com, 800-667-8138

Touchscreen display Havis’ TSD-201 capacitive touch screen display with integrated hub is designed to provide a fully rugged touchscreen display for all mobile office workers. Featuring 10-point capacitive touchscreen technology, the 12.5inch TSD-201 features Gorilla Glass with a 1,200-nit display built to provide maximum brightness and durability. Onboard port replication includes gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 1.4, SuperSpeed USB-C and multiple USB 3.1 Type-A ports. Two power delivery options via USB Type-C enable smart charging of connected devices. Havis, www.havis.com, 800-524-9900

Connector for extreme applications TE’s NTSeal 20-Position Connector is a high-density wire-to-wire connector that uses the company’s TE/Deutsch Size 16 and 20 Common Contact System for inline applications. The rugged, sealed compact connector system is IP67-, IP68- and IP6K9K-rated for use in applications exposed to extreme temperatures and engine-level vibrations. Its hybrid contact agreement provides design flexibility for power and signal applications, and its integrated tool-free mount design eliminates the need for additional parts or tools, providing quick, easy installation and repair. Back shells and mounting clips are available. TE Connectivity, www.te.com/ict, 800-522-6752 commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 45

TOTAL FLEET SHOPPER

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As ELD Provider list narrows, questions arise over accuracy of DOT registry. R&L Fleet Management’s HOS ELD System is ready for the new update to service rules coming in September.

commercial carrier journal

december 2020

1/26/15 11:48 AM

Connect CCJ MagazineCommercial Carrier Journal

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MORE Prospect Data | Market Share Data | New Prospects RigDig® has been helping truck equipment dealers increase their targeting and prospecting effectiveness with data insights on 1 million+ active trucking entities for nearly ten years: • Arming sales teams with invaluable prospect/client equipment data • Providing up-to-date market share data for your AOR • Identifying new prospect companies in your territories • Assessing growth trends/emerging markets • Guiding strategic planning

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To find out how Randall-Reilly’s RigDig® can power your marketing efforts, call us at (800) 633-5953, ext. 1132 to schedule a demo. commercial carrier journal

| december 2020 47

PREVENTABLE or NOT?

Beam bangs up Doe’s dry van

t that moment on a sunny midafternoon day, trucker John Doe’s CB was blaring forth the echo-and-linear-amp-enhanced superSouthern voice of doubles driver Barry “Slim” Boring, who was about three miles ahead. “Yessuh, Johnny, this here rig has six hundred hawses … and, lemmuh tell y’all, there ain’t nothin’ I can’t haul up a mountain rat fast, 10-foe?” Stifling a momentary twinge of jealousy, Doe dutifully complimented Barry on his

muscular new tractor and … whoa, there was the delivery road to the Knoxville Super Mall, dead ahead! Keeping an eagle-eye watch on his trailer’s clearance, Doe inched beneath the first of several low-slung decorative concrete beams that straddled the whole length of the delivery road. Determining that his clearance was minimal to OK, Doe turned his attention to finding the rear of a store marked “Hog’s Cycle City,” where he was to make his first-ever delivery to offload some Harley repair parts. Preoccupied with hunting for the right dock, Doe failed Trucker John Doe was navigating his to notice that a thick layer tractor-trailer underneath several low of fresh blacktop had been concrete beams over a mall entrance applied to the road ahead, when he approached a road segment where the pavement was slightly higher, where some of Pudley Paving’s causing his trailer to hit one of the equipment still sat. First, there beams. Was this a preventable accident? was a slight upward bump and … WHAMMO! That little

commercial carrier journal

| december 2020

difference in elevation was just enough to turn the front of Doe’s trailer into a mangled mess! Not only that, the concrete beam also was damaged. Since Doe contested the preventableaccident warning letter from his safety director, the National Safety Council’s (NSC) Accident Review Committee was asked to render a final decision. NSC upheld the “preventable” ruling, noting that the obvious decrease in clearance should have been an immediate cause for concern. Not only that, Doe should have confirmed the delivery location before driving his truck through unfamiliar surroundings.

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moment

LEADING THE CHARGE

Electric meets Class. The Model 220EV blends the efficiency and maneuverability of the cabover configuration with a zero emissions, low maintenance, fully electric powertrain. The latest-generation batteries and power management system combine to deliver up to 200 miles of quiet performance. The Model 220EV is the perfect solution for pickup and delivery in urban environments, and is now available for order at Peterbilt dealerships coast-to-coast.

For more information on Peterbilt Electric Vehicles, visit Peterbilt.com.