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Mar 31, 2017

THE END OF THE TRUCKERS ? * USA - Cause: Driverless vehicles ?

* California - Out of road: New self-driving technology threatens an American way of life

... The United States has more than three million truck drivers, many of whom drive long-haul, or “over the road” as it’s known in the business. As one of the highest paying jobs available that does not require a college degree, trucking can be an economic lifeline. But its future is increasingly uncertain... As the sun sets, the parking lot starts to fill up with drivers stopping for the night. Sleeping in the truck is an integral part of the job... Patrick Spicer, a 20-year veteran of the industry, comment: "There is no future in trucking. In 10 or 15 years, these will all be autonomous trucks. There is no way to stop it"... The drivers wondered how robotic vehicles would be regulated, since human drivers are limited to 11 hours’ driving a day under federal law. “It doesn’t get tired, it doesn’t sleep,” Ramona Saucedo, coming from a family of truck drivers says: “Will the rules change? That’s our curiosity ... And who will wash out the truck, if it gets dirty?” ... 
(Photo: Future watchdogs for autonomous trucks?)  --   Los Angeles, CAL, USA - Financial Times, by Leslie Hook - 31 March 2017

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TRUCKERS' TURNOVER * USA: Showing signs of paying off more so than usual

* Virginia - ATA reports: Driver turnover at large truck carriers drops to 71 percent
--- While motor carriers continue to work hard to fill driver seats, data issued today by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) is showing that the efforts are showing signs of paying off more so than usual... Even with an increased onus on augmenting driver training, retention, and compensation packages, many carriers are still struggling with how to fill the empty seats... The ongoing driver shortage still serves as a major factor for tight over the road capacity, which has been burdensome for shippers in that they need to pay higher rates in order to get their freight moved in a timely and efficient manner...
(Photo: U.Va. graduate student examines the flexibility of truck drivers)   --  Arlington, VIR, USA - Logistics Management, by Jeff Berman - March 29, 2017

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TRUCKS BORDER CROSSING * Thailand: Alloweds with "temporary admission document"

* Bangkok - Govt okays cargo truck border deal

 --- The cabinet approved the Greater Mekong Sub-region Cross-Border Transport Agreement (GMS CBTA) on Tuesday, which grants all members a quota of 500 cargo trucks to cross a border to another country... Once approved, the pact must be put into action within 12 months, he said. Under the terms of the deal, cargo trucks from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and China will be able to cross borders... Under the terms of the deal, cargo trucks from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and China will be able to cross borders into other member countries using a so-called "temporary admission document"... 
(Photo: Overland Crossing Into Myanmar from Thailand)   --  Bangkok, Thailand - The Bangkok Post, by AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK - 30 Mar 2017

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Mar 30, 2017

RATES WILL RAISE * USA: Report

* Indiana- Capacity is tight, but rates will rise: FTR

--- Analysts at FTR are reporting a tighter freight capacity for shippers this year, but believe that “regulatory drag” will likely be slowed under the Trump Administration and a Republican-controlled US Congress... Even with that, shipping costs are expected to increase against a backdrop of 2.5% economic growth this year, it says... “The economy is beginning to show signs of some acceleration. Manufacturing is attempting to shrug off its inventory woes, and business confidence has certainly improved, although it hasn't translated into direct investment yet,” says Jonathan Starks, Chief Operating Officer of FTR. “If sustained, this would raise the outlook for freight demand this year and into next year. While that would cause capacity to tighten, the tailwind is that the regulatory environment isn't expected to have as dramatic an impact as initially thought. Costs, especially rates, are still expected to see increases this year after a relatively weak rate environment in 2016" ... 
Bloomington, IND, USA - Today's Trucking - Mar 28, 2017

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VELOCITY & VISIBILITY * USA: SHIPPERS DEMAND TO TRUCKING INDUSTRY

* New York - Report: US shipper demand for velocity, visibility reshaping trucking


--- Shippers' desire for a bird's eye view of shipments at all times helped increase demand for dedicated trucking services in 2016... Trucking is a changing business, driven by shipper demands. A new report on the largest 50 US motor carriers gives some indication of how trucking is changing and where, and how fast... Start with a look at the top: of the five largest companies in this year’s ranking of the Top 50 US Trucking Companies, prepared for JOC.com by SJ Consulting Group, only two are a straightforward freight-hauling trucking companies — J.B. Hunt Transportation Services and YRC Worldwide... The three largest companies are UPS and FedEx, express package and logistics giants with industrial trucking subsidiaries, and XPO Logistics, a global logistics operator with LTL and last-mile trucking assets... Shipper demand for greater supply chain control, velocity, and visibility drove growth in dedicated trucking in 2016, and that also accounted for the increase in Top 50 revenue. J.B. Hunt and other trucking operators have been shifting more assets into dedicated service... In 2017 and beyond, shippers can expect the largest trucking operators to increasingly shift drivers, trucks and other resources toward integrated and specialized services that provide a pricing premium... 
NY, USA - JOC, by William B. Cassidy - Mar 29, 2017

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TRUMP'S DEREGULATION * USA: TO TRUCKING INDUSTRY

* DC - Trucking company CEO: EPA regulations are creating safety issues

--- Trucking company leaders met with President Trump at the White House to lend their support in reforming the Affordable Care Act and rolling back regulations... During an interview on FOX Business Network’s Varney & Co.,  Trucking Company CEO, Jim Burg, said his company has taken quite a hit due to the rising cost of Obamacare... Berg says regulations enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit the trucking industry’s ability to stay competitive with modern equipment... Berg said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is the lead federal government agency responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles, has been “out of control” under the Obama administration... 
(Photo: Trumps' "I love trucks": He says pins are 'IN' for spring) -- Washington, DC, USA - FOXBusiness - March 28, 2017

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ELECTRIC TRUCKS & DRONES * USA: The future of the trucking industry ?

* Ohio - How drones and electric trucks will change the package delivery business

--- "Innovation is something that we tend to recognize only in hindsight, after – sometimes long after – it has occurred. But it’s hard not to acknowledge that we are living in a period of dramatic change for how packages get delivered. Just picture the fleets of delivery trucks driving around our neighborhoods throughout the Christmas season. How many of us have bought an item from an online retailer in the afternoon only to see it arrive at our doorstep the next day?" ... "Thank the innovators in Silicon Valley and at Amazon.com as well as the rise of e-commerce for developing a better way for finding, purchasing and receiving goods from our homes..."
(Photo: Jerry Hirsch/Trucks.com - Burns, Workhorse Group chief executive holds the company's HorsesFly package delivery drone) -- Loveland, OH, USA - Trucks.com, written by Stephen Burns, founder and chief executive of Workhorse Group - 29 March 2017

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Mar 28, 2017

"Car drivers need better skills" * Australia: Says TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

* ACT - In 80% of truck smashes, cars are either directly responsible for the crash

--- While much of the focus of heavy vehicle crashes automatically falls on the truck and the truck driver, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) says more often than not car drivers are the cause... The ATA has today called for a rethink on heavy vehicle driver training, but the association also wants governments to put more focus on training car drivers on how to better share the roads with heavy vehicles... Statistics have shown that in more than 80% of truck smashes, cars are either directly responsible for the crash, or have contributed to the incident... ATA Chair, Noelene Watson, tells us it only makes sense then that car driver education also become a priority: “Despite the statistics, educating light vehicle (car) drivers about how to share the road safely with trucks has only received sporadic policy attention... 
Canberra, ACT, Australia - Behind the wheel, by Joel Helmes - March 27, 2017

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ANOTHER UBER CRASH * USA: Dangerous autonomous cars

* Arizona - Uber resumes self-driving program three days after crash

 (Video from america today - Mar 25, 2017 - A self-driven Volvo SUV owned and operated by Uber flipped on its side after a collision in Tempe, Arizona) 

 --- Uber Technologies Inc put its self-driving cars back on the road on Monday, voicing confidence in its autonomous vehicle program three days after one of its cars was involved in a crash in Tempe, Arizona... Uber wrapped up a brief investigation and cleared its autonomous cars to resume driving in the three cities where it operates a self-driving pilot program - Tempe, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - an Uber spokeswoman, who declined to be named, told Reuters... A driver and an engineer were in the front seats of the Uber Volvo SUV at the time, a standard requirement for the self-driving cars. The back seat was unoccupied... Experts in autonomous vehicles say crashes involving such cars will happen, but as autonomous technology improves so too will the safety of everyone on the road... 
Tempe, AZ, USA - Reuters, by BHeather Somerville and Gina Cherelus - 27 March 2017

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CICLONE DEBBIE * Australia: TIPS FOR DRIVING IN STORMS

* Canberra - ATA Safety Alert: Hurricane Debbie

--- The ATA is urging everyone on the roads, travelling within and to Queensland to drive carefully... As there are additional dangers and difficulties created during a storm, a responsible driver should plan their driving time and route to ensure they are not on the road during a storm event... Due to the unpredictable road conditions that Cyclone Debbie may generate, Transport and Main Roads, (TMR) and Queensland Police Service (QPS) have restricted heavy vehicle movement. 

 * TIPS FOR DRIVING IN STORMS 
- Plan the time and route of travel to avoid threatening storms 
- If you cannot avoid the storm; consider stopping 
- Remember it is better to arrive late than not arrive at all! 
- Be prepared for the reckless actions of other drivers 
- Turn your headlights on, see and be seen 
- Hold the steering wheel in both hands ready for aquaplaning 
- Leave room to manoeuvre 
- Drive to the prevailing conditions 
- Be ready for the unexpected 
- Never drive through flood waters 

 The ATA wishes everyone and their families all the best in this difficult time and to stay safe... 
(Photo: Cyclone Debbie, a monster category 4 storm, is currently barrelling its way towards the Queensland coast)   --  Canberra, Australia Capitol Territory - Australia Trucking Associations - 27 March 2017

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Mar 27, 2017

ULTRA-LOW EMISSIONS TRUCK ENGINE * USA:

* California - L.A. Port trucking firm using Cummins’ Ultra-Low Emissions natural gas engines

--- Cummins is starting to gain traction with its new line of ultra-low emissions compressed natural gas truck engines... Total Transportation Services Inc., a large drayage trucking company working the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has started to use one of the first Cummins Westport ISX12 G low natural gas engines in one of its trucks to shuttle shipping containers around the port complex... The ultra-clean compressed natural gas (CNG) engine was developed by the Cummins Westport Inc. joint venture. It can lower the three key types of tailpipe pollutants – nitrates of oxygen or NOx, smog-causing particulates and greenhouse gases – well below the maximum levels now set by federal and state regulation... 
 (Photo from California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition - Total Transportation Services drayage truck uses a ultra-low emission natural gas engine from Cummins Westport)   --   Los Angeles, CAL, USA - Trucks.com, by JERRY HIRSCH - March 23, 2017

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TRUCKERS' SHORTAGE * USA

* Indiana - Truck drivers remain in high demand in region

--- Trucking companies seeking drivers posted online the most help-wanted advertisements in northeast Indiana last year, which came as no surprise to professionals who work with the industry... “There’s still a major driver shortage not only in the state of Indiana, but around the country. It’s probably been going on now for at least three or four years, if not longer,” said Barry Miller, director of safety and membership for the Indiana Motor Truck Association... The most recent data available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show last May 1.7 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers were hauling goods nationwide, earning a median wage of $40,260. The median wage of all occupations at the time was $36,200... Last year, 6,425 northeast Indiana residents were employed driving tractor-trailer rigs... 
(Photo: Indiana hit by trucker shortage)  --   Indianapolis, IND, USA - KPC Media, by Doug LeDuc - March 25, 2017

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TRUCKS FAILED INSPECTIONS * Canada: More than half, Durham police say

* Ontario - Durham Regional Police laid 57 charges for safety violations in commercial trucks

--- Police say more than half of the trucks inspected in a safety blitz this week had to be taken off the road... Durham regional police officers and Ministry of Transportation officials inspected 20 trucks and took 13 of them out of service for safety violations... They laid 57 charges. The violations included improper brakes and insecure loads... The loads trucks can carry are restricted on many roads in the region at this time of year and police say they found many of the trucks in violation of that rule... 
 (Photo thanks to Durham Regional Police: North Durham truck blitz)   --   Durham, ONT, CAN - The Canadian Press - March 24, 2017

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"BLACKBUCK" * India: Digitizing logistics and freighting in

* Bangalore - BlackBuck closes $70M to digitize freight and logistics across India


--- BlackBuck, a startup that is digitizing logistics and cross-country freighting in India, has closed out a $70 million Series C round... Bangalore-based BlackBuck, which was founded in April 2015, takes two routes to digitizing the logistics space. It operates a marketplace that connects organizations needing to move goods across India with truckers seeking work, or to maximize their loads with additional capacity... Right now, BlackBuck claims to work with more than 100,000 trucks across 300 locations, while its client roster includes some big names like Asian Paints, Unilever, Coke and Britannia... Citing research from Novonous, BlackBuck estimates that road-based options account for 63 percent of all freight in India, with a current spend of around $140 billion per year. Yet, still the process remains disjointed as “nothing much has changed” in decades, Yabaji said...
 (Photo: Trucks with freight for Bangalore)  --  Bangalore, Karnakata, India - TechCrunch, by Jon Russell - Mar 21, 2017

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TRUCKER BLOCKADE * Brazil - Are demanding higher pay from ports terminals

* SC - Trucker blockade adds to Brazilian meat shippers' woes

--- Truckers are demanding higher pay from terminals in the ports of Itapoa and Itajai. Brazilian meat shippers reeling from the shock of bans on their products in key markets have suffered another blow as truckers blockaded Porto Itapoa, an important gateway for chicken exports... Independent truck drivers blocked the entrance to the port with 40 trucks for several hours on Wednesday, and Itajai — some 50 nautical miles away — was also affected by demonstrations, although not as much. The ports of Itapoa and Itajai handled around 115,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) of chicken in 2016... A spokesperson for Porto Itapoa confirmed to JOC.com that the truckers’ blockade had affected operations for “between four and five hours on Wednesday,” but everything was back to normal Thursday... The truck drivers are demanding a 30 percent pay increase, but the three box terminals in the ports have only offered 15 percent increases. Inflation in Brazil currently runs at around 5 percent after hovering around 9 percent for most of last year, and fuel prices have been rising steadily, adding to the truckers’ ire... 
(Photo: Port Itapua, SC, Brazil)   --  Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brazil - JOC, by Rob Ward - Mar 23, 2017

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A TRIBUTE TO TRUCKERS * USA: Trucks continue to be everywhere on our roads and highways

* Oregon - The drivers of those big rigs want to arrive safely, just like you do
--- Here’s an observation after a recent 2,700-mile trip down through California and Arizona with a side excursion into Nevada, and then back to Oregon... Trucks continue to be everywhere on our roads and highways... So this is a tribute to those drivers and the big rigs they steer over many miles. Depending on the terrain, it’s not unusual to see eight to 10 trucks moving along at 60 to 65 mph out in front of your own vehicle and just as many in the rear-view mirror... The decades-old saying of “If you bought it, a truck probably brought it” continues to be absolutely true... The American Trucking Association calls the industry the “lifeblood of the U.S. economy.” That association reports that more than 70 percent of the freight tonnage moved in the U.S. goes on trucks. To move close to 11 billion tons of freight annually takes about 3.4 million heavy-duty trucks and 3.5 million drivers... 

... The conditions drivers face can range from rough, steep, tight-cornered roads in the woods for log trucks to fast, busy freeways to bumper-to-bumper city traffic for long-haul trucks. Of course, the weather can be a factor, whether it is snow and ice making roadways slick or hot temperatures heating up equipment... The drivers deal with these conditions many months of the year to bring everything from ice cream bars and pretzels to grocery store shelves to logs to sawmills... Now, with the billions of miles trucks and their drivers roll over annually come accidents. Whether operator error or mechanical problems, accidents do happen. The U.S. Department of Transportation has reported that 60-some percent of all fatal collisions involving automobiles and large trucks were caused by the automobile operator rather than by the truck driver... So in order to arrive safely at your destination, and for the products carried by trucks to also arrive in one piece, have some extra patience while sharing the roads and highways with trucks. The drivers of those big rigs want to arrive safely, just like you do... 
 Roseburg, OR, USA - The News Review, by Craig Reed - Mar 24, 2017

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TRUCKING COSTS * USA: Reducing the burdens of the Affordable Care Act

* DC - Trump greets truckers in effort to rewrite health-care law

(President Donald Trump: I've forgot my CDL !!! and ... where h.... it's the ELD in this cart ... ??? - Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo / European Pressphoto Agency)  

--- The industry group, American Trucking Associations, says the Affordable Care Act has saddled trucking companies with extra costs and burdens... President Donald Trump met with trucking executives and drivers at the White House, as he sought to rally support for the House Republican effort to replace the Affordable Care Act, which he said had “inflicted great pain on American truckers” ... Mr. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence greeted members of the American Trucking Associations, an industry group that supports replacing the law, in a sun-splashed gathering alongside two colorful big rigs parked outside the White House... The ATA says the Affordable Care Act has saddled trucking companies, especially smaller firms, with extra costs, liabilities and administrative burdens. Replacing the law would lower insurance premiums and reduce those burdens... Truck driving is a dangerous profession. In 2015, 745 drivers of heavy trucks were killed on the job, the most of any single occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Drivers also contend with many health problems that result from spending long hours behind the wheel... Norita Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents smaller truckers, said health-care costs are just one of many expenses the group’s members face...
Washington, DC, USA - The WSJ, by JENNIFER SMITH - March 23, 2017

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Mar 25, 2017

TELEMATIC on NAVISTAR's TRUCKS * USA:

* Kentucky - Navistar to launch own ELD, telematics hardware
--- Truck maker Navistar Inc. said it will launch its own aftermarket telematics device and electronic logging application in midsummer. The hardware plugs into the truck’s service port and will be available for all Classes 6-8 makes and models from 2007 and newer... The system, named OnCommand Connection Telematics, will include Navistar’s OnCommand Connection open-architecture remote diagnostics system, which relies on integrations with third-party telematics systems from more than two dozen technology vendors... The first application available on that open marketplace will be Navistar’s own OnCommand Connection Electronic Driver Log, designed to help carriers comply with the federal electronic logging mandate, which goes into effect Dec. 18... Navistar’s ELD will pair with Android and Apple devices, Kline said... 
(Photo: Fleets adopt new tools to take advantage of the data “fire hose.”) -- Louisville, KY, USA - Transport Topics, by y Seth Clevenger - 23/2017

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TELEMATIC MACKS * USA: Fully conected trucks

* Kentucky - Mack adds telematics, brake and transmission options

--- Emphasizing the growing role of truck connectivity, Mack Trucks said it was extending its telematics hardware as an option for its model year 2011 and newer trucks equipped with Mack engines... It also discussed a new fuel efficiency option for its Super Econodyne transmission, plus new niche axle and brake options during a press conference at the Mid-America Trucking show... The announcements came as Mack Vice President of Global Marketing and Brand Management John Walsh said they expects North American Class 8 sales in 2017 to be 215,000 units, down from 243,000 in 2016... On the older trucks, telematics company Geotab is providing the same hardware to monitor vehicle codes as it does for Mack’s GuardDog Connect system on new trucks, said Roy Horton, director of product strategy at Mack... At the same time, the device is fully transferable from truck to truck, Horton said... 
(Photo: Mack Trucks Fleet Management software) -- Louisville, KY, USA - Transport Topics, by Roger W. Gilroy - 23 March 2017

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MERCEDES VANS RECALLED * USA

* Georgia - Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner Sprinter vans recalled for drive shaft defect
--- Daimler Vans USA is recalling 1,248 Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner vehicles because a piece supporting the drive shaft could become loose... The recall affects 2016 Sprinter 2500 and 3500 models manufactured from Aug. 2, 2016 and Nov. 14, 2016... Poor welding of a support bracket for the drive shaft may cause the piece to become loose during a collision. If this happens, the drive shaft could damage the fuel system and cause fuel to leak. This situation increases the risk of a fire... No crashes or injuries related to this defect have been reported... 
(Photo: A Mercedes Benz Sprinter van)  --  Atlanta, GA, USA - Trucks.com, by CARINA OCKEDAHL - MARCH 21, 2017

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ARTIFICIAL DAYLIGHT on Daimler truck cabins * Germany: Experiment

* Stuttgart - Daimler finds artificial sunlight could make for brighter truckers

--- Truck drivers spend a long time sitting in small space, with variable sleeping hours and long stints driving through the night. This is amplified for truckers working during winter in Northern Europe, where daylight is in short supply. A research team at Daimler has looked into the effects of "artificial daylight" in truck cabins, finding light at the right wavelength can have a huge positive impact on drivers while they work... Although we don't often think about it, light plays a big role in maintaining our mental wellbeing... Having discovered that the shape of truck cabins limits the amount of natural daylight in the cabin, Daimler undertook a two-week study in Rovaniemi, Finland. Drivers were subjected to steady light while driving, an intense blast of light before/after driving, and light at maximum intensity while they reclined in their seats and napped. Testing took place over a two-week period, and drivers drove the same routes without the artificial light to form a baseline... "Sunlight" came from a Mercedes Daylight+ module in the cabin, which emits light with a wavelength between 460 and 490 nanometers. Data was collected using electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG) and electrooculography (EOG) measurements. Drivers also gave saliva samples, their mental state was measured with standardized psychological tests, and driving performance was mapped using the on-board telematics system... Not only did drivers report a significant improvement into their mood when using the new light, but on-board data showed drivers with more "daylight" in the cabin drove more economically than their sun-deprived selves. Drivers also said they found the space in the interior more pleasing with the special Daylight+ unit fitted... 
(Credit: Daimler - Daimler has been testing the impact of sunlight on the mental state of drivers. Drivers were wired up for the testing) -- Stuttgart, Germany - New Atlas, by Scott Collie - March 22nd, 2017

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VOLVO TRUCKS * Sweden: Commercial vehicles with infotainment system

* Stockholm - Volvo chases better truck safety with a touch of car technology


--- Volvo Trucks has been pushing technology previously reserved for cars into its range of semis, with a smart new navigation system designed to make life easier and safer for long-haul drivers... The new truck setup allows nav inputs using addresses, coordinates and touching a specific point on the map, while drivers can also access fleet-management detail like internal messages, coaching and deadline info. It even shares information about driving performance and fuel economy, something that will make any cost-conscious trucking boss happy...  The new unit integrates it into the one setup, which can be controlled using the touchscreen, voice controls and steering-wheel buttons... The new infotainment system isn't the first high-tech touch to make its way into Volvo Trucks. A dual-clutch gearbox has been optional since 2014, designed to deliver better fuel economy and smoother shifts on the move. Its capability was put to the test with a huge load-pulling stunt last year... 
(Credit: Volvo - Volvo has borrowed from the world of cars for its latest in-truck tech)   --   Stockholm, Sweden - New Atlas, by Scott Collie - March 21st, 2017

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Mar 24, 2017

PETERBILT & KENWORTH news * USA

* Texas - Paccar makes Collison Avoidance systems standard on some Peterbilt, Kenworth trucks

--- Truck maker Paccar is making automated safety systems standard on some of its Peterbilt and Kenworth big rigs, the company announced Wednesday at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville... The Peterbilt Model 579 will come standard with the Bendix Wingman Advanced system in mid-2017, which includes in-lane object recognition and adaptive cruise control with braking and collision mitigation technology... Along with the Wingman Advanced, Peterbilt started offering the Bendix Wingman Fusion automated safety systems on its 2016 trucks... Kenworth, another Paccar company, will offer the Wingman Fusion on its T680 Advantage commercial trucks... The systems help drivers reduce the incidents of rear-end collisions, Peterbilt said in a statement... 
(Photo: Peterbilt - Kenworth T680 heavy-duty truck, which will offer standard Wingman Fusion safety technology)   -- Denton, TXS, USA -  Trucks.com, by CLARISSA HAWES - MARCH 22, 2017

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PICKUP TRUCK PRICES * USA: After NAFTA's withdraw

* DC - Potential Trump Tariffs could shake up U.S. pickup truck Market

--- President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement and place a 35 percent tariff on goods imported from Mexico could roil the market for pickup trucks – the most American of vehicles... U.S. consumers purchased 2.7 million pickup trucks last year. Encouraged by low gas prices, buyers continue to gravitate to the large vehicles for their high profile, ample space and particularly American styling... Levying a 35 percent tariff on Mexican goods could cost the American auto industry annual sales of 450,000 vehicles, according to a recent report by CAR. The same study estimated that withdrawing from NAFTA would also cause vehicle prices to increase... Truck sales are vital to U.S. automakers because they deliver greater profit than other types of vehicles. General Motors generated 100 percent of its profits from trucks and large SUVs in 2016, Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley Research, wrote in a recent investor report... The average price of a light-duty full-size pickup truck has already increased more than 20 percent between 2012 and 2016, to over $39,000, according to industry research firm J.D. Power. The price of heavy-duty full-size pickup trucks has risen 14.4 percent to more than $50,000 during that time... 
(Photo: Reuters - Factory employees building trucks at General Motors factory in the city of Silao, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico)   --  Washington, DC, USA - Trucks.com, by RYAN ZUMMALLEN - MARCH 21, 2017

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TRUCKING FEDERATIONS * Europe - Taken steps to obtain compensation

* Berlin - Agreement between truck manufacturers: the European federations are mobilizing

--- Nearly eight months after the European Commission's € 2.93 billion record fine for six carmakers (DAF, Daimler, Iveco, MAN, Scania and Volvo / Renault) for illegal cartels on prices, federations European authorities have approved the procedures on behalf of their members. "We record a success with European federations carriers", notes Laurent Geelhand, partner with the international law firm Hausfeld, specializing in competition law and actions for damages. "This momentum is expected to find amicable solutions to The members" ... The Swedish, Dutch and German federations have taken steps to obtain compensation. Other actors are approaching the leaders of SMEs... Achieving an economic solution that makes sense for European carriers who are victims of anti-competitive practices. This is the lengthy and titanic work of law firms specializing in competition law and funds specialized in the financing of litigation... Laurent Geelhand, said "We record to date 250 000 vehicles in Europe, including 100 000 in France. In total, an estimated 7.5 million people heavyweights ( PL) of + 6t, purchased or leased, affected by the agreement between the manufacturers over the period 1997-2011" ... According to estimates of the firm Hausfeld, if a company has purchased 100 PL (+ 6 t) at a price of 80 000 € in the 1997/2011 period and if it is established that prices are artificially increased 10 %, the company could potentially recoat 8 000 € per PL, 800 000 € for the fleet... As for the investigation already concluded in July 2016, DG Competition is working to publish a non-confidential version as soon as possible... 
 (Photo: "We can estimate at 7.5 million, the number of heavy trucks of +6 t, bought or leased, affected by the agreement between the manufacturers over the period 1997-2011," Laurent Geelhand, associate lawyer at Hausfeld)   --  Berlin, Germany - ACTU, by LOUIS GUARINO - 24 March 2017

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PIRATE ELECTRONIS UNITS * Belgium: Modifyng emissions from diesel trucks

* Brussels - Emissions of diesels: engine rigging software flourishes on canvas


--- Pirate electronics units intended to modify the emissions of nitrogen oxides from diesel trucks have been available on the Internet since the application of Euro 5... In order to contain nitrogen oxide emissions from truck diesel engines within Euro 6, all manufacturers use an AdBlue injection in the exhaust gases (SCR process). The device that controls its operation can be neutralized by pirate software for sale on the Internet... Cheating involves providing permanent false information to the central management unit: "everything goes well on the side of catalytic reduction" while the AdBlue tank is empty... The pirated electronic boxes called "AdBlue emulators" are available on the Internet since the application of Euro 5 at derisory prices (a few tens of euros) with sometimes a certificate of quality awarded ... in China! Some professionals propose the installation of pirate boxes in a more ambiguous way, with a temporary activation to reach an AdBlue refueling point... The after-sales networks have observed cases of use of AdBlue emulator on vehicles coming mainly from countries of the East... But in the case of a system with switch, is detection possible? Yes, because the AdBlue injection device does not adequately support prolonged inactivity while the engine is running, which will result in high costs during a refurbishment... DAF and Scania sent a circular to their network stating the legal consequences of any reprogramming of the engine and the depollution devices: loss of the manufacturer's warranty, loss of the right of movement (non-conformity with the homologation of origin) therefore, loss of insurance... On 13 January 2017 a European motion for a resolution concerning the standards governing the motor vehicle industry, and in particular their control, was drafted, inter alia, with an explicit request to prohibit any device for invalidation and to make the homologation mandatory softwares... 
(Photo by DR - A European motion for a resolution calls for the banning of any "AdBlue Emulator" device) -- Brussels, Belgium - ACTU (France), by ETIENNE CADET - 24 March 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 12:29 PM  0 comments

FRAUD * Europe: In detachment of drivers

* Brussels - Fraud in the organized detachment: a Frenchman at the head of a dismantled network


--- A French national, a manager of a Slovak company, orchestrated a fraud in the detachment of drivers between France, Belgium, Portugal and Slovakia. The offense for concealed advertising is characterized... A massive strike, conducted simultaneously on 14 March in France, Belgium, Slovakia and Portugal, enabled the dismantling of a group of Belgian and French road haulage companies headed by a French national... Zealous proponent? False carrier? It is clear that this sponsor has orchestrated since 2014 the fraudulent detachment of Roumanian, Polish, Slovakian and Portuguese road drivers to the detriment of these and of the French and Belgian public finances... The social damage identified for only six companies targeted among dozens of customers of the Slovakian company is around 9 M €. The four protagonists are suspected of complicity of work concealed in organized gangs with several French or Belgian companies of road transport of goods. At the request of the Belgian authorities, two persons should be detained. A hundred companies could be involved in this transnational network... 
 (Photo: The hidden labor advertising survey is conducted by the Central Office for Combating Illegal Labor -OCLTI-, under the authority of the Colmar prosecutor's office)   -- Brussels, Belgium - ACTU - 20 March 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:10 AM  0 comments

TRUCKERS & DRUGS * Australia: Police blitz nabs

* Victoria - 'Alarming' number of truck drivers under influence of drugs
--- One in 37 Victorian truck drivers tested positive to drug-driving, almost double the national figure, in a police blitz this week... A National Day of Drug Testing, held on Monday as part of Operation Austrans, focused on truck and other heavy-vehicle drivers across the state, and targeted drugs, alcohol, fatigue, and traffic and compliance offences... Acting superintendent of road policing operations Stuart McGregor said the results from Monday painted an alarming picture of drug culture within the trucking industry, adding there was a core group of heavy-vehicle drivers putting the Victorian community at risk despite efforts to eradicate drug use among drivers... Nationally, one in every 68 truck drivers tested positive to drug-driving, almost half of Victoria's figure... The blitz nabbed a B-double driver who was speeding 20km/h over the limit on the Calder Freeway. The driver also failed an oral fluid drug test... Victorian Transport Association chief executive Peter Anderson said the results demonstrated the need for ongoing co-operation between law enforcement agencies and heavy-vehicle operators... 
(Photo by Rob Homer)  --  Melbourne, VIC, Australia - The Age, by Emily Woods - MARCH 22 2017


* NSW - Hundreds of trucks checked in Police operation

--- Hundreds of trucks have been stopped by New South Wales Police as part of Operation Impact, a state wide operation focused on the heavy vehicle industry. The Joint Traffic Task Force officers continue to regularly pull over and inspect heavy vehicles, drivers and operators. Since the beginning of the year the Joint Traffic Taskforce have stopped over 400 heavy vehicles. The taskforce has downloaded over 240 trucks, and conducted over 4500 random breath tests. To date the taskforce has issued 55 heavy vehicle speeding infringements and taken action against 38 unregistered vehicles. Officers from Operation Impact have stated they will continue to target fatigue, speeding, drink and drug-driving and vehicle compliance in the heavy vehicle industry, to ensure the safety of all road users...
(Photo - HIGHWAY PATROL: Police have defected a truck and fined the driver as a part of Operation Impact) -- Sidney, NSA, Australia - Big Rigs - 20th Mar 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 5:39 AM  0 comments

ROAD TRAFFIC CONTROL * France: One third of the LGV checked in violation

* Paris - Road traffic control of light commercial vehicles: 73 violations detected in 6 hours

--- In Île-de-France, the State services carried out a roadside inspection operation targeting light commercial vehicles. Balance sheet: 73 offenses, of which 47 related to unfair competition... Successful road control operation in Île-de-France. On 16 March, from 6 am to 12 noon, in a the coordinated checking operation alongside the security forces, Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne and Seine-Saint-Denis. They specifically targeted light commercial vehicles, in particular breaches of competition rules... The result is convincing. "Of 89 light commercial vehicles (LCVs) of less than 3.5 tonnes that were checked, 46 of which were registered outside France, 28 were in violation," said a prefecture of Ile-de-France. Of these 28, 14 vehicles were French (11 overloaded) and 14 non-residents, the prefecture said... The operation it's part of one of the eleven weeks of cabotage observation programmed by the European Commission to control specifically light commercial vehicles used for road transport on behalf of others and in particular The non-residents, which we have observed in recent years a rapid growth, specifies the Prefecture... 
(Photo: An LGV on the road)  --  Paris, IdF, France - ActuTransport-Logistique - 22 March 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 5:24 AM  0 comments

Mar 22, 2017

CUMMINS & PETERBILT TRUCKS * USA: Near-zero emissions

* Texas - Peterbilt near-zero emissions trucks get California Incentive Approval

--- Regulators have approved a trio of Peterbilt trucks outfitted with a Cummins near-zero emissions natural gas engine for California’s green truck purchase assistance incentive program... Qualified buyers under the state’s Hybrid Vehicle Incentive Program can receive vouchers to offset the price of the 2017 Peterbilt Model 320, the 2017 Model 520 and the 2018 Model 567. All the trucks must have Cummins’ ISL-G engine... Cummins introduced the near-zero engine last year and Peterbilt was one of the first truck makers to add it to its lineup... The incentive will help California-based buyers interested in the natural gas engine’s cleaner emissions defray the additional cost of the advanced technology... 
 Denton, Texas, USA - Trucks.com, by JOHN O'DELL - MARCH 20, 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:35 AM  0 comments

FORD's ALL ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCKS * USA: They're coming

* Michigan - A plug-in hybrid Ford F-150 and all-electric commercial trucks are coming as Ford approves new eQVMs

--- Ford announced that it qualified 3 companies making electric powertrains for its chassis through its Electric Qualified Vehicle Modifier (eQVM) program. Its entire lineup of commercial trucks will offer some form of electric powertrains, either hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and even all-electric... One company was even qualified to make a F-150 pickup truck with a plug-in hybrid powertrain... This new eQVM manufacturer, XL Hybrids, would use Ford F-150 chassis to make a plug-in powertrain, which will be a first for Ford’s pickup trucks... XL Hybrids: offering a hybrid electric drive system for Ford Transit, E-350 and E-450 chassis, and F-59 stripped chassis; as well as a plug-in hybrid upfit for the F-150 pickup. Lightning Hybrids: offering a non-electric hydraulic hybrid energy recovery system for the Ford E-350, E-450, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-750 and F-59 chassis... 
 Dearborn, MICH, USA - Electrek, by Fred Lambert - Mar. 20th 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:18 AM  0 comments