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Monthly Archives: May 2015
Cummins Westport Introduces 6.7L Natural Gas Engine
Cummins Westport will begin producing the ISB6.7 G, a 6.7-liter dedicated natural gas engine for medium-duty trucks, shuttle buses, and vocational vehicles by the middle of 2016.
The ISB6.7 G is based on the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel engine platform and will operate exclusively on natural gas – either compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas. The engine is currently in field trials and will have a range of ratings of up to 260 hp and 660 lb.-ft. of torque and automatic transmission capability that can be specified to customer and OEM requirements.
The engine uses Cummins Westport’s proprietary spark-ignited, stoichiometric combustion with cooled exhaust gas recirculation technology. The SEGR technology was first used on the 8.9-liter ISL G engine.
To see the entire announcement, click here
Perry: Economy Improving, But Volatile
Jim Beach with HDT is reporting
The economy is in a “particularly volatile state,” with some saying it is going up while others think it is going down, according to Noel Perry, founder of Transport Economics.
Speaking at the ALK Transportation Technology Summit held in Princeton, N.J., this week, Perry said he agrees with both sentiments. The recovery period from the most recent recession is taking longer than what has historically been the case, Perry added, noting that since the 1990s, we have been in a long cycle economy and that we could still be in recovery for three or four years.
To see the entirety of the article, please click here.
Senate Bill Would Create Infrastructure Tax Credit
HDT reports
New bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate could help bridge the highway funding gap by expanding the use of tax-exempt bonds and implementing a new tax credit to help state and local governments pay for infrastructure projects.
Co-sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and Sen, John Hoeven (R-ND), the “Move America Act of 2015” is designed to leverage additional private investment in public infrastructure.
The bill seeks to create Move America Bonds, to expand tax-exempt financing for public-private partnerships, and Move America Credits, to leverage additional private equity investment at a lower cost for States.
According to the bill’s sponsors, passage of Move America would provide the “cheaper and more flexible access to debt and equity” that states and local governments need to expand their investments in roads, bridges, ports and other transportation infrastructure.
To read the entire article and see the photos please click here.
Happy Mothers Day
A happy Mothers Day to all Mothers, Grand Mothers and Mothers-To-Be. As well as to all the Mom’s that are no longer with us. RIP mom.
Supreme Court Upholds California Driver Break Rules
David Cullen with HDT reports
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied motions filed by trucking companies seeking to overturn the lower court ruling that upheld a California statute requiring a paid 10-minute rest break every four hours and a paid 30-minute meal period every five hours for truck drivers.
Please go to the link provided in order to read the full article, please click here.
Retractable Tarping Mechanisms Quick, Safe
Is there any more difficult job in trucking than throwing a tarpaulin over a big load on a flatbed trailer, especially on a cold, snowy and windy day? A tarp is bulky and, depending on size and material type, weighs 40 to 90 pounds, says Bernie Carpenter, president and owner of Tarpco Inc. in Kent, Ohio. The risk of injuries is high in such work, and slips and falls constitute the single biggest category in worker’s compensation claims in the trucking industry, according to insurance sources.
“Materials sensitive to the elements that need to be covered — they need to be wrapped and the tarp tucked under on both sides and at both ends,” he says. “You tie the load down and throw the tarps. It’s hard on the back, shoulders and arms, and it’s especially hard on older drivers, and that’s why lots of them are retiring. It’s hard to get younger guys to take jobs like that. Frankly, they don’t want to work that hard.”
Carpenter will gladly sell you a tarp and custom-sew it to your specifications, and that’s a big part of his company’s business. But there are a couple alternatives: a side kit that costs $2,800 to $3,800, and a retractable mechanism that’s priced from $12,000 to $15,000. His company sells both types.
A side kit consists of plastic side panels, wood or metal stakes, and overhead metal bows covered by sections of tarp. The result is a trailer that looks vaguely like an old covered wagon. A retractable product is semi-permanently attached to a flatbed and forms a van-like enclosure for a load. The roof and sides fold up like an accordion to bare the trailer’s platform for loading and unloading, then rolls back into position on side tracks to cover the load.
A side kit takes maybe 20 minutes to take out the panels, undo straps and fold back part of the tarp to load, he says. Then the driver replaces the pieces and secures them. It’s easier and faster than dealing with a large foldable tarp, but either way the driver’s out in the elements, unless a hospitable shipper allows him to work inside a warehouse or plant.
But Carpenter’s high on the retractable mechanisms because they are fast to fold back and deploy, taking less than 10 minutes each way. In most cases the driver can operate one from the ground, limiting the time aboard the trailer – and his chances of falling off it. For some loads he’d have to get up on the deck to tie them down, but many can be secured from the ground.
“Steel producers love ‘em because they’re quick,” he says of the retractables. “And fleet managers like ‘em because the truck spends more time on the road earning money,” he says, “particularly if you’re loading and unloading three or four times a day. Then the return on investment is quick. In a fleet, experienced drivers who take care of their equipment get the new retractables. It’s actually extending their careers.
“We’re the number one Quick Draw dealer in the U.S.,” Carpenter continues. “Usually there are six fabric sections in a 48-foot trailer, and each of them is replaceable, versus patching with a damaged single-section cover. They will last six to nine years if you take care of them. And all Quick Draw parts are replaceable. Van Gogh, Arrow, ShurTight, and Roll Rite – we install them all. I’ve got very talented people.
“We see ‘em all but we choose to stay with Quick Draw because it’s the simplest and the best. It’s simple to use, quick to repair and boom – you’re back on the road.” He adds that some situations might not allow use of the retractable, and many fleets prefer to stay with regular tarps.
Manual, folding tarps remain widely used because they’re relatively cheap and, with care and proper training, drivers can deal with them safely and expeditiously, fleet sources say. And they’re almost always paid extra for the work. On longer hauls, loading, unloading and tarping is a relatively short amount of the total time spent, and the savings from a retractable product would take a long time to pay back. Also, some loads are too wide to be covered by retractables or side kits, but tarps are flexible and can do the job.
Tarpaulin material is usually vinyl that comes in varying weights: 14, 18 and 22 ounces per square yard, with 18 being the most popular, Carpenter explains. Two or three separate tarps would be used to cover loads on a 48-foot trailer.
“We buy the material and make the tarps. We lay out, cut, and sew or heat-form the edges, and install grommets. Owner-operators, fleets, whoever’s hauling the loads — everybody wants something different.” Tarpco supplies custom colors and stencils on lettering and other graphics. Some look really sharp, he says — even tarps made by competitors. ‘Nuff said.
Autonomous Truck Licensed for U.S. Highways
Freightliner Autonomous Truck First Licensed for U.S. Highways
“Thank you for looking at the impossible and finding a safe way to make it possible.”
That’s what Nevada Gov. Brian Sondoval said to Daimler Trucks North America officials when he officially granted the first license for an autonomous commercial truck to operate on an open public highway in the United States. “Today we come together to celebrate innovation, safety and the future.”
Reporters from around the world were shown the new license plate with great fanfare. However, they got only a glimpse of the new autonomous truck, dubbed the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, before it drove away at the event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Tuesday, its nose still camouflaged. A special event in the evening will bring more details.
“Never has there been such a truck on public roads until today,” said DTNA President and CEO Martin Daum.
The truck left the Speedway with Gov. Sandoval as a passenger in the inaugural trip in autonomous mode, with Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, head of Daimler Trucks & Buses, at the controls.
“Nevada is proud to be making transportation history today by hosting the first U.S. public highway drive for a licensed autonomous commercial truck,” said Gov. Sandoval. “The application of this innovative technology to one of America’s most important industries will have a lasting impact on our state and help shape the New Nevada economy.
To see pictures of it and to read the full article open this link.
Swift To Put Driver-Facing Cameras In All Trucks
Swift, the third largest commercial carrier in the United States, has announced that it will be outfitting all 6,000+ company vehicles with driver-facing cameras.
Lytx DriveCams are the systems Swift has decided to install. They work by using both forward-facing and driver-facing cameras to record constantly. Then, when the system detects a “safety critical event” such as a hard stop or an accident, it stores the 10 seconds of footage gathered before and the 10 seconds after that event occurred.
While Swift stresses that the cameras will not be used to watch or monitor truck drivers in real time, many drivers have voiced concern in the past about a camera that is constantly recording – even if it doesn’t store that data unless there’s a “safety critical event.”
In their announcement video sent to drivers, the president and COO of Swift, Richard Stocking, claimed that the cameras would be used as an “in-cab coach,” to help correct bad habits and make drivers safer. In the event that an accident does occur, the footage from the system can be used to help exonerate drivers of blame when the crash is not their fault.
Stocking says that Swift’s trucks will start being outfitted with the system next month, but that they won’t be present in every truck until the end of next year.
The link: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/swift-to-put-driver-facing-cameras-in-all-trucks/
Carrier Owner Jailed For Poor Truck Maintenance
A carrier owner has been sentenced to jail time after one of his trucks was involved in an 4 vehicle accident that paralyzed an elderly man.
As a result of the accident, 63 year-old Richard Shaw fell into a coma and, once he regained consciousness, realized that he had lost the use of his legs. Now wheelchair bound, Shaw and his wife claim they continue to suffer and that “Our lives are no longer the same.”
The vehicle allegedly had a hazardous brake system, but had passed an inspection only four days prior to the accident. The driver of the vehicle also claimed that the rig didn’t have any problems when he did his pre-trip inspection the day of the crash.
Joshua Kovaschetz, the carrier owner, pled guilty to two counts of misdemeanor recklessly endangering another person and as part of the plea deal will pay a fine of $675 plus costs and serve 6 to 23 months in prison.
During sentencing, Kovaschetz stated that “I didn’t want to cause harm in any way and I take responsibility for what happened because I owned the truck.”
The driver of the truck was charged with careless driving, an out-of-service offense, and operating unsafe equipment. He pled guilty to the latter charge, the others were dropped, and he was issued a fine of $127.50.
Here’s the link: http://www.thetruckersreport.com/carrier-owner-jailed-for-poor-truck-maintenance/
Dennis Etheridge Freight Rates 