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Kentucky police announce year-long interstate enforcement for cars and trucksThe federally funded enforcement effort starts next week. ![]() Multiple law enforcement agencies in Kentucky will be kicking off a year-long driver-focused enforcement campaign. The campaign is scheduled to start on October 1, 2019, and will target I-75 from the Ohio River in Covington to the I-275 interchange in Erlanger, Kentucky. The campaign will run through September 30, 2020. Police say that the enhanced enforcement is meant to combat an “unacceptable high rate of crashes per year” on the interstate. From the press release: “The region is experiencing substantial growth with the increased volume of global commercial businesses expanding their footprint near the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. Too many people have been killed and injured in traffic crashes.” Officers participating in the increased patrols will be on the lookout for aggressive or dangerous driving violations committed by both passenger and commercial vehicle drivers. These violations include speeding, unsafe lane changes, distracted driving, and following too closely. “We receive numerous complaints about too many motorists and truckers on I-75 driving recklessly and/or too fast for conditions,” Covington Police Chief Rob Nader said. “We can reduce these complaints – and the accidents they cause – through enforcement. Through this program from the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, Covington Police will work with its sister agencies to make sure our families get to where they’re going safely.” Officers with the Covington, Erlanger, Fort Mitchell, and Kenton County Police Departments will be teaming up with Kentucky State Police for the year-long effort. The campaign is funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Mexico reaches new record for truck production, exports during JulyMexican truck makers say Mexico's new clean diesel rules hurting economy
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Mexico’s national association of heavy duty truck and bus manufacturers (ANPACT), reported the manufacture of commercial trucks grew 6% in July, producing 20,006 units, when compared against 18,863 units in July 2018. Exports of trucks also increased 11.2% in July, with Mexican manufacturers sending 18,140 units abroad. For the first seven months of 2019, export of Mexican-made trucks increased 26.12%, compared to 2018. Truck and bus makers with major plants in Mexico include Navistar International, Kenworth, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Volkswagen, Volvo and Daimler. Officials with ANPACT said more than 95% of truck exports are destined for the United States and Canada. “Motor transport is a strategic sector in Mexico – it generates more than 2 million jobs and contributes more than 6% of gross domestic product,” according to a statement from Miguel Elizalde, president of Mexico City-based ANPACT, the country’s truck and bus manufacturing chamber. During the first seven months of the year, 124,220 heavy-duty vehicles were manufactured, an increase of 30.47% compared to the 95,209 units produced during the same period last year, according to ANPACT. Officials with ANPACT said 2019 is shaping up to be the best year for exports of Mexican-made trucks since 2015, when 117,239 units were produced. Elizalde said while exports of Mexican-made trucks remain positive, Mexico’s domestic truck market is faltering. “Although the accumulated figures are favorable, the production figures – have begun to be affected by the drop in sales in the domestic market,” Elizalde said in a release. Domestic sales of heavy-duty commercial trucks during August fell 61.2% to 1,668 units, compared with 4,301 units sold during August 2018, according to ANPACT. “The fall of the local market is mainly due to uncertainty regarding the availability of ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD), which is inhibiting the growth of domestic fleets,” Elizalde added. In July, the Mexican government implemented a new rule requiring pumping stations to sell ULSD. However, distribution of ULSD to gas stations has been slow as Pemex – Mexico’s state-run oil company – continues producing high-sulfur diesel. Another part of the new country-wide law requires truck manufacturers to only import, make and sell ULSD-run trucks starting in January 2021. However, according to a study from ANPACT, 20% of the pumping stations in Mexico still do not have ULSD. “There are regions where the fuel is nowhere to be found,” Elizalde said according to a report from Reuters. Elizalde said the government needs to extend the period where trucks may still use Euro VI and EPA07, the current fuel standards in Mexico. Truck and bus makers “would need 18-24 months to prepare factories, distribution chains, stores and sales forces for the change,” Elizalde said. Trucking bankruptcies rising as fleets fail to adjust to changing market placeIn the first half of this year there more than twice as many trucking cessations than all last year, and the size of companies has more than tripled
There’s a conundrum in the trucking industry that has leading executives asking themselves, “If the economy is so good, how come so many trucking companies are going out of business?” It’s a great question. Approximately 640 carriers went out of business in the first half of 2019, up from 175 for the same period last year and more than double the total number of trucking cessations all last year, according to Broughton Capital, a St. Louis-based transportation research firm that closely tracks the industry’s economic well-being. Those failures this year removed 2,075 total trucks from the market place. The average fleet size of those carriers closing was 30. By comparison, there were 310 trucking bankruptcies or closings all of last year, with an average fleet size of nine trucks. “The number of companies going out of business has gone up and size of fleets gone up as well,” said Donald Broughton, who compiled that data and closely follows the trucking industry. In other words, in the first half of this year there more than twice as many trucking cessations than all last year, and the size of companies has more than tripled. The list of significant closings began suddenly on Feb. 12 when 101-year-old LTL giant New England Motor Freight suddenly closed its doors. NEMF was part of the Shevell Group of 10 trucking and logistics units that also included Eastern Freightways, a major TL carrier. All told, NEMF controlled 1,472 trucks. That was fallowed by Youngstown, Ohio-based Falcon Transport, which closed on April 27 taking 585 trucks out of service. Smaller companies such as Falcon Transport, Williams Trucking, ALA Trucking, LME, Starlite Trucking, Terrill Transportation, Carney Trucking and HVH Transportation followed, shuttering their doors by Labor Day. “I expect more of same,” Broughton told LM. “As long as spot prices are weak, I suspect current issues to contain.’ The sudden drop in spot market prices for truckload services is the key to understanding this year’s failures, Broughton and other trucking experts explained. “Last year pricing power was extraordinarily strong for the trucking industry,” Broughton said. But that surge in spot TL rates has ended. Spot rates are off approximately 26 percent from a year ago, according to DAT Trendlines, which analyzes spot market rates historically. “In truckload, it depends entirely on what carriers did with pricing and how they reacted to market conditions in 2018,” Broughton explained. “If they paid down debt, invested in making their fleets more fuel efficient and in information technology, they’ll do fine. If they played spot market, then they have some real issues. "It’s a tale of two cities,” Broughton added. President Donald Trump’s tariff war with China and his disputes with Mexico have also been factors in trucking bankruptcies. “It is uncertainty over China and drops in volume and velocity of cross-border trade as well,” Broughton explained. Before a trade skirmish with Mexico in the spring, it often took U.S.-domiciled trucks 15 minutes or less to clear a load into Mexico at Laredo, Texas, or other major crossing points. That same route can now take a day or longer as Mexicans have retaliated against Trump over comments made regarding his border wall and immigration. “The delays are better than they were earlier this year, but they’re still not clearing trucks fast enough. “So it’s both the volume of cross-border trade and its velocity that have been affected.” More than 80 percent of Mexican exports come from the United States, and more than 70 percent of Mexican imports come from this year. “Yes, we’re their largest customers. But we’re also the largest source they have,” Broughton said. The trade war with China also may be playing a factor, though it’s more difficult to assess, experts said. But because trucking is so intertwined with world trade, they say it would be silly to assume the increase in China tariffs is not having some effect on the economic well-being of the trucking industry. “You hurt your own customers, you hurt your own economy as well,” Broughton said. U.S. truck tonnage dips, but trend still positiveARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. for-hire truck tonnage remained volatile in August, dropping 3.2% on the heels of a 6.2% gain in July, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA). The For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index was up 4.1% year-over-year and year-to-date was 4.3% stronger than the same period in 2018. “The large swings continued in August, but the good news is the trend line is still up,” said ATA chief economist Bob Costello. “While there is concern over economic growth, truck tonnage shows that it is unlikely that the economy is slipping into a recession. It is important to note that ATA’s tonnage data is dominated by contract freight, which is performing significantly better than the plunge in spot market freight this year.” How to reduce idling and keep drivers happy while saving fuelThe most efficient and effective idle-reduction solutions entail a combination of complementary technologies. A 10% annual reduction in idling is worth about 1% in fuel economy. That translates into about $500 to $700 annually at $3/gallon fuel prices and 100,000 miles/year. But given today’s driver shortage, fleets can’t just tell drivers not to idle their trucks during their mandated rest periods. Drivers expect to be comfortable in their trucks and to be able to use things like microwave ovens, refrigerators, computers, gaming systems — all the comforts of home. However, federal, state and local ordinances prohibit idling for long periods of time, and idling can add wear and tear to the engine. This means fleets have to find other ways to make sure drivers are comfortable while resting. As Mike Jeffress, vice president of maintenance at Maverick Transportation LLC, told us, “I don't think anyone wants to idle just to be idling; they do it because we have to provide those creature comforts.” Our recent Confidence Report on idle-reduction technologies found that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to idle reduction. The good news is that fleets can choose from a number of technologies to meet their idle-reduction goals. Fleets need to weigh the benefits and challenges of each of the technologies to determine which technology makes sense for their specific operation. The report found that the most efficient and effective idle-reduction solutions entail a combination of complementary technologies. The right combination will depend on a fleet’s routes, fuel costs, the climate in their area of operation, shop costs, maintenance costs, training methods, driver support, fleet policies, etc. We found that the industry is having the most success by choosing one of four anchor technologies and then adding other technologies that best complement or support the anchor. Here is what fleets told us works best:
Using these technologies along with things like setting electronic engine parameters, pre-cooling the truck prior to stopping for the day, adding extra insulation, parking in the shade, using bunk curtains, etc. means a 20% reduction in idle is not out of the question. Use our idle-reduction report to help you choose the technologies that make the most sense for you. FMCSA to start charging trucking companies a new fee for every driver they hire or employ![]() Starting early next year, trucking companies will be required to pay the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) a fee prior to hiring each driver — in addition to a once per year fee for already employed drivers — as part of the agency’s new Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse rule. Starting on January 6, 2020, carriers will be required to query an FMCSA database of drivers who have refused or failed drug and alcohol tests prior to hiring a new driver and at least once per year for drivers already employed by the company. The database will provide drug and alcohol testing information for the past five years. The FMCSA says that the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse database “will improve highway safety by helping employers, FMCSA, State Driver Licensing Agencies, and State law enforcement to quickly and efficiently identify drivers who are not legally permitted to operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) due to drug and alcohol program violations.” This month, the FMCSA announced the pricing to access the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse database. They agency says that they will charge carriers a $1.25 flat fee for each query. Carriers may also purchase bulk query plans, but they will still pay the $1.25 per query fee. The FMCSA will offer two types of queries — limited (which checks for the presence of information in the queried driver’s Clearinghouse record) and full (which will provide employers with detailed information about any resolved or unresolved violations in a driver’s Clearinghouse record). Driver consent must be obtained by the carrier for both types of queries. The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is designed to replace the process of calling a driver’s previous employer to obtain drug and alcohol testing records by 2023. Until then, carriers must both query the database and call previous employers. Though the fee is small, it could add up to big payouts to the FMCSA over time, given that there were about 3.5 million truck drivers working in the U.S.in 2018 coupled with the fact that the industry has chronically high turnover, according to ATA data. You can click here for more information on the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Source of this article and other great articles
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FBI believes wanted Russian immigrant could be ‘hiding’ as a truck driver or dispatcherThe FBI is offering a cash reward for information leading to his arrest ![]() The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has offered a cash reward for an Ohio man who they believe may be working in the trucking industry. A September 19 news release from the FBI is offering a reward of up to $5000 for information leading to the arrest of 34 year old Izmir Ali Koch. The FBI says that Koch was convicted on hate crime charges after beating a man he believed to be Jewish outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, restaurant in February 2017. Authorities say that Koch was ordered to self-surrender to a prison in West Virginia on August 16, 2019, but failed to report. After Koch failed to report to serve his prison sentence, the FBI says that an indictment was filed in the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio, Western Division, Cincinnati, Ohio, for failure to surrender for service of sentence as ordered by the court, and a federal arrest warrant was issued on September 4, 2019. Koch is described as 5’8? and weighing 143 to 160 pounds with brown eyes and brown hair. He speaks Russian, a dialect of Turkish, and English. Koch has dual U.S. and Russian citizenship and his previous residences include Huber Heights and Dayton, Ohio, as well as Holmsk, Krasnadar, Russia. The FBI says that Koch is “familiar” with the trucking industry and believe that he may be working as either a dispatcher or a truck driver. The FBI warns that Koch should be considered armed and dangerous. If you have information that could lead to Koch’s arrest, you’re asked to call FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office at (513) 421-4310.h Testing electric trucks today so we’re ready for tomorrowBy the end of this year, there are expected to be 20 fast-charging (DCFC) and Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations installed across Southern Alberta. The project, called Peaks to Prairies, is aimed at increasing what is being called “electric vehicle tourism,” and I’m wondering how an effort like this could possibly accelerate the use of electric heavy-duty trucking in the province, or at least testing of the new technology. Alberta is not the first province that would pop into mind when it comes to an electric vehicle initiative – it may even be the last. Despite the fact that the province gets about half of its electricity from coal and only around 13% from renewable clean energy sources, like wind, moving forward with the installation of these electric charging stations shows a lot of consideration for the future of vehicle travel. There are several hurdles electric vehicles must overcome in an Alberta climate to achieve success, and trucking would require even more. Cold weather, reliability, and the logistics around charging time (though recent news makes the claim of a battery from Echion Technologies that charges in six minutes) would be a few obvious examples. But once these 20 stations are up and running, one key challenge would seem to disappear – the lack of infrastructure for electric vehicle charging. One of the biggest issues blocking the reality of employing the use of electric trucks has been the absence of an adequate number of electric vehicle charging stations, especially in Western Canada. A map depicting the location of the DCFC and Level 2 charging stations shows several in Southern Alberta, with the longest stretch between stations being from Calgary’s east end to Medicine Hat – approximately 280 km. Even the Cummins AEOS, which is classified as a short-haul truck, has a range of 160 km. If we are to believe that the Tesla Semi could reach its claimed range of 480 km, it would appear Southern Alberta would be an ideal location for electric truck testing once these charging stations are all operational. In addition to four being in Calgary, DCFC stations will be set up in Claresholm, Nanton, Crowsnest Pass, Fort Macleod, and Taber, to name just a few. Atco is setting up and maintaining the electric corridor, and have completed charging stations in Canmore and Lethbridge thus far, with the rest expected to be up and running by the end of 2019. The province is slated to begin its zero-emissions, heavy-duty hydrogen project, which is testing trucks running on electricity powered by hydrogen, hauling between Calgary and Edmonton. The project is to continue until 2022. Perhaps it’s a good time to think about testing fully electric trucks using this new charging network. A lot has been said about the reliability of the batteries used to power electric vehicles in cold-weather climates. If these trucks work in Alberta, I’d venture to say they’d work almost anywhere. At the very least, trucks doing regional routes in Southern Alberta – even between Calgary and Edmonton, where there is a lot of truck activity – could tap into the electric movement. The day we see more electric vehicles – especially trucks – on the roads in North America is still a long way away, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be testing and improving this new technology now for when that time comes. After all, if 11% of drivers in Norway (including 49% of 2018 car sales) can use electric vehicles with an average annual temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, it should work in Canada. Autonomous Trends Drive New SAE Standards for Tractor-Trailer HookupsThe Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is developing new standards for tractor-trailer hookups that tackle two contentious issues: interconnection that let the two units communicate, and the best way to electronically couple them to reduce driver injury. According to a Freightwaves article, as the gaps between tractors and trailers shrink through aerodynamic design, making connections safer is only one concern for standards-writing engineers who must account for autonomous trucking in the near future. “There is little consensus on a common connector system for the future,” said Dave Engelbert, chair of the SAE Truck and Bus Brake and Tractor-Trailer Interconnect group. “It is very political.” “The amount of data is exploding and we need a system that can report back and forth,” said Wally Stegall, vice chairman of the future truck group of the Technology and Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations (ATA). Tire pressure monitoring systems, door sensors, solar panels, and wireless temperature sensors are just a few of the data sources. Engelbert, Fry and Stegall spoke at the recent SAE COMVEC Technology Connection meeting in Indianapolis. “Anytime you try to create standards, it’s hard to get everybody to agree,” said Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE). “But that’s not a reason not to do it.” Compatibility counts An SAE task force reviewing voltage systems used by North American heavy-duty truck manufacturers recommended in October 2018 that 12-volt direct current should be used with the interface governed by existing SAE standards. The task force said 24- or 48-volt DC connectors should be options based on demand. With many truck makers pledging to offer high-voltage battery-electric trucks for sale early in the next decade, a new standard probably will be needed. Truckers often are injured in slips, trips and falls when hooking or unhooking cables between tractor and trailer. As farings and other gap-closing technology become common to improve fuel efficiency, access to the space between the tractor and trailer is getting more difficult. More immediately, the makers of gap-closing equipment need to consider the rise of drop-and-hook operations as dry van freight moves shorter distances and is pushed into hub-and-spoke distribution, Roeth said. Truck driver protects co-workers from wrong way drunk driverA dump truck driver risked his own life to save his co-workers from a drunk driver who was going the wrong way down the interstate. William Honey says he heard a call come over his C-B radio that there was a police chase inside a construction zone on I-65 and Lafayette Road. That's when he decided to use his dump truck as a barricade to protect the workers. "When I saw he wasn't stopping at all, I just held on to the steering wheel as hard as I could and braced for impact," Honey said. "I don't consider myself a hero at all. I was just looking out for my friends and my co-workers. I'd just rather be a dump truck driver." The drunk driver smashed into Honey's truck, but fortunately, no one was hurt. Police say the driver was more than twice the legal limit, and he was arrested on multiple charges. In-cab alert system set up for Colorado RockiesPre-pass now alerts drivers of steep grades, runaway truck ramps and winter chain-up sites on I-70. PrePass, the weigh station bypass, electronic toll payments and safety services platform, wants to help drivers stay alert as they cross the Rockies. The company recently added new truck driver safety alerts for mountainous areas along Interstate 70 in Colorado. And PrePass hopes to expand the alerts to other mountainous states. PrePass Alerts are a feature of the Motion weigh station bypass mobile application. The alerts notify truck drivers when they are about five miles away from steep grades in the road and again alert them as they near any of the five runaway truck ramps along the route. Drivers also get alerts for seven sites along I-70 to perform brake checks and, during winter, complete truck tire chain-ups or removals. PrePass Safety Alliance developed the Colorado-specific alerts in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. The PrePass alerts are part of a broader truck safety campaign in Colorado called “The Mountain Rules,” reminding truck drivers about the dangers of steep mountain grades and the steps they need to take to safely navigate these stretches of highway. “These dynamic alerts will improve highway safety by notifying truck drivers well in advance of steep grades and sites where they can check their brakes,” said Terry Maple, regional director for PrePass Safety Alliance. Maple, former superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, said the additional alerts will minimize distractions because they require no interaction on the part of the driver. PrePass Safety Alliance provides other driver safety alerts across the country, including high wind locations, steep grades, traffic work zones and no commercial vehicle access roads. The company plans to expand the Colorado-type alerts to other states with similar terrain. The system is available as part of the Motion weigh station bypass app on Android and iOS phones, tablets and some in-cab telematics devices. AK-47 wielding cartel gunmen rob truckers near border![]() Startling new dash cam footage highlights a serious danger for truckers near the U.S./Mexico border. Dash cam video has surfaced that shows heavily armed gunmen allegedly working for the Gulf Cartel stopping truckers along a Mexican highway — and than robbing them of their wallets, phones, and other personal items before allowing them to continue along the road. According to local news sources, the video was captured on the South Loop in the city of Reynosa, Mexico, only about 10 miles from the U.S. border. In the dash cam clip, you can see cartel members armed with AK-47s or similar weapons approach both the dash cammer and another trucker, demanding that the drivers hand over their valuables. Nothing was taken from the trailers in the video clip. For more on how Mexican trucking is impacted by highway robbery, you can click here. |
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