News

BLOOMFIELD, CT – Jacobs Vehicle Systems®, the world’s leading manufacturer of diesel and natural gas engine retarding systems and valve actuation mechanisms, has signed a long-term supply agreement with Hino Motors, Ltd. which will last through 2025.

With this long-term supply agreement, Jacobs Vehicle Systems (Jacobs®) and Hino Motors, Ltd. (Hino) continue their long-standing relationship which began in the early 1990s when engine brakes were first installed on Hino E13C engines. Since that time, Jacobs has continued to deliver high-performing braking technologies as seen on the A09 and A05 engine platforms.

“Jacobs is excited about extending our nearly 30-year relationship with Hino through 2025. Over the years, our engine brakes have aided Hino in providing its customers with improved safety, productivity, and drivability while reducing their total cost of ownership,” said Steve Ernest, Vice President of Engineering and Business Development, Jacobs Vehicle Systems. 

This contract allows Jacobs and Hino to expand their working relationship and bring new technologies to the market.

The new Volvo VNL 300 daycab is now available with the latest version of the Cummins ISX12N “Near Zero” natural gas engine, providing an alternative fuel solution for pick-up and delivery and regional-haul operations.

 

“The Cummins ISX12N represents best-in-class gas engine technology for local pick-up and delivery and regional haul operations,” said John Moore, Volvo Trucks North America product marketing manager – powertrain. “The low carbon footprint, expanded delivery and distribution, abundant supply and stable pricing of natural gas offer substantial benefits to fleet operators looking to utilize the fuel as a clean, quiet and cost effective alternative to diesel without the need for a DPF or SCR system.”

 

With available engine ratings of 350 horsepower with 1,450 lb-ft torque up to 400 horsepower with 1,450 lb-ft torque, the ISX12N natural gas-powered engine is approved for gross combination weights of up to 80,000 lbs, making it well suited for heavy-duty regional-haul truck and tractor applications, port drayage, vocational, refuse and conventional straight truck applications.

 

The natural gas power plant can be operated on compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or renewable natural gas. The ISX12N engine is OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) compliant and U.S. EPA and CARB certified. 

Daimler also intends to open new retail shops to sell the parts along with a 10th distribution center in Phoenix.

The unit is found several Alliance-branded components shops within dealerships, as well as several stand-alone stores. Alliance can be modernizing its site and mobile app, offering more photos and detailed information to make the purchase process simpler.

Maintenance issues are sure to arise over the life span of any truck,'' stated Stefan Kurschner, DTNA's senior vice president of the aftermarket division. What makes the service gap is how fast that automobile gets back on the road.

Daimler Trucks North America declared plans to continue speeding repairs and upgraded its attempts to obtain a larger slice of the parts section.

Ten brand new product lines have found in 2018, including steel wheel and steering gears. An estimated 80 more will be available in the following 12-18 months.

FleetPride Inc., which does not create trucksis the country's largest retailer of heavy-duty trailer and truck parts. Navistar International Corp.'s Fleetrite manufacturer is also a significant provider of aftermarket automobile parts.

The company will greatly extend its supply of so-called value replacement parts below the Alliance Truck Parts brandnew. These include belts, hoses, brakes, transmission components, fluid along with a large number of other parts.

These are truck components that sell for less than original gear and have a shorter lifetime. They're made for trucks that might just have another 300,000 to 400,000 miles on the road as well as the 1 million miles expected of a new vehicle, according to Daimler executives. They will be universal parts for all makes and models. They won't be unique to Daimler's brands.

Parts for Class 6-8 trucks, trailers, and school buses constitute a $31 billion yearly retail market, according to trucking industry consulting firm MacKay & Co.. Truck manufacturers accounts for approximately 49% of the earnings.

Now the Portland, Or., proprietor of the Freightliner and Western Star brands, plans to enlarge its footprint from the aftermarket parts business with various initiatives.

Rival truck manufacturer Paccar estimates that about 40 percent of the components on a vehicle are propriety to this specific vehicle make and model. That leaves most of what is required to keep the truck running open to suppliers from other producers and third-party parts suppliers.

IRVINE, CA, July 9, 2018,—Spireon, Inc., the vehicle intelligence company, introduced a new FleetLocate Cargo Sensor with breakthrough IntelliScan® sensing technology, providing unprecedented accuracy in visualizing cargo load status. The patent-pending IntelliScan technology uses a unique combination of sensing methods, including optical imaging and laser time of flight, to provide trailer fleet managers with a more precise picture of what is inside every trailer.

“The accuracy of IntelliScan technology is vastly superior to anything on the market today, and the industry has been in dire need of a better solution for cargo monitoring,” said Rick Gruenhagen, chief technology officer at Spireon. “Our new cargo sensor can deliver the precise readings trailer managers need, saving time, reducing detention and maximizing resources to drive bottom line results.”

Ultrasonic detection—the current industry standard in cargo sensors—is heavily impacted by conditions inside the trailer, such as temperature, humidity, cargo type and distance between the sensor and cargo. For example, cargo that includes soft materials like foam or cotton absorb sonic waves, affecting accuracy of readings. Any material that is placed directly against an ultrasonic sensor blocks sonic waves, potentially indicating a full cargo load by mistake.

Spireon’s new FleetLocate Cargo Sensor with IntelliScan technology is designed to resolve these issues by combining multiple sensors within a single device, and adding sophisticated processing power to the sensors themselves. IntelliScan uses lasers for time of flight measurement, eliminating problems associated with cargo type and proximity. Laser technology is highly reliable and widely used in other industries, such as for pre-crash sensors in automobiles where it detects pedestrians or other objects in the way of the vehicle.  However, lasers alone have range limitations, so Spireon also incorporated a camera in the device, making the new cargo sensor the first to combine time of flight and optical imaging with advanced algorithms to accurately detect cargo load.  As a result, the Spireon solution will capture the entire 53-foot trailer, regardless of environmental conditions or varying cargo types.

“All other cargo sensors use only one type of technology and very limited processing capability. Our new IntelliScan-based cargo sensor is a powerful computer in itself, utilizing advanced algorithms to perform analysis of laser and optical readings in real-time,” said Reza Hemati, senior director of product management at Spireon.  “By combining data from the device with the power of our NSpire platform for additional analysis, we can deliver the most accurate information to customers, which allows them to make the best business decisions as quickly as possible.”

With IntelliScan technology and FleetLocate’s advanced reporting and alerts, trailer operators will be able to better monitor cargo, manage detention and improve service to shippers, maximizing trailer utilization and accelerating turns. Even carriers that operate in humid climates or carry soft goods will have a reliable sensor that can accurately monitor cargo loads. Further, the use of optical imaging paves the way for potential future enhancements that support photo capture or real-time visualization of trailer contents.

“Inefficient cargo management kills profitability for all fleet managers—truckload, LTL and private fleets alike,” said Roni Taylor, vice president of strategy and business development at Spireon. “We are thrilled to offer our customers ground-breaking IntelliScan technology that will give them a virtual eye inside the trailer to improve detention management and trip planning, both critical for competitiveness in the market.”

FleetLocate Cargo Sensors with IntelliScan are already installed with a select group of Spireon customers, and will be generally available in Q3-2018. For more information about FleetLocate IntelliScan technology, visit: https://www.spireon.com/fleetlocate-intelliscan-trailer-management/.

Trucking security was in the spotlight as April 6 if 16 individuals with all the Humboldt Broncos died and 13 others were wounded following a transportation truck and also the hockey team bus collided.

Saskatchewan NDP critic Carla Beck stated she believes it is sensible to support instruction for tractor-trailer motorists.

Alberta declared earlier this week that it is making driver instruction for new industrial truckers required as early as January.

"We all welcome this. I have spoke to a few parents in the Humboldt bus accident and that I think they could be supportive of this too in most instances"

Moe stated he supports the movement and thinks that some parents out of the Broncos are very most likely to feel exactly the exact same.

Hargrave stated the western states are planning to have a statement by early autumn.

The Broncos bus accident happened where Highway 35 matches a secondary road in a place called Armley Corner. The tractor trailer included was possessed by a Calgary business.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said talks were underway prior to the wreck, during Saskatchewan Government Insurance, and he expects some modifications which are agreed upon would probably be drawn in soon.

"We believe it is really important we now have a consistent strategy for it from Western Canada, since our trucks do not remain in Saskatchewan and Alberta trucks do not remain in Alberta," he explained. "They come throughout our state."

"Looking in proper practice and meeting industry to make sure there is a fundamental degree or training which men and women in the state can make sure that all motorists have attained," she explained.

Ontario is the only state which has compulsory truck driver instruction comprising 103.5 hours.

Government officials in Canada's four western states plan to maintain a teleconference next week to go over standardized contingency regulations.

Class A or Class B permit applicants would need to complete 15 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction, of which 10 hours must have been on a public road.

Especially, the Department of Motor Vehicles will be asked to adopt regulations to abide by the federal rule by June 5, 2020. The bill, SB1236, would also establish minimal behind-the-wheel training requirements to be performed as part of CDL training.

The Assembly Transportation Committee voted to Change the hour demand. The panel decided to cut from 30 hours to 15 hours that the mandatory behind-the-wheel prep for Class A permit applicants. The minimum number of hours public roads for Class B permit applicants also was raised in seven to 10 hours.

The Assembly Transportation Committee voted to advance an amended bill to implement a federal rule that requires people looking for a commercial driver's license to complete a certified course of instruction from a commercial driving firm or program provided by an employer prior to being issued a license.

Each 50 minutes of driving could be regarded as one hour of training.

The bill host has emphasized data in the California Highway Patrol which shows 10,062 at-fault commercial automobile collisions reported from 2014, where 2,432 led to injury and 68 were deadly.

Senate lawmakers approved the bill a year ago but it died in the Assembly without getting a floor vote. Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, brought back the bill for consideration in an effort to find the state to act to ensure that commercial truck and bus drivers are being held to the maximum safety standards.

"While the final rule would improve driver training and road security, it does not include a requirement which CDL applicants get a minimum amount of hours of behind-the-wheel instruction."

He's described the legislation as"a sensible measure which will save lives by requiring drivers of big rigs and other large commercial vehicles to have driving experience before being accredited in California."

A final rule on entry-level training standards published in December 2016 by the feds doesn't include a minimal amount of hours of behind-the-wheel education.

Public Comments can be submitted via the regulations.gov portal site at this hyperlink , before 11:59 p.m. on July 16.

The Business at Transportation Coalition registered the petition. It had been printed by FMCSA June 5, initially offering a 30-day comment period, during July 5. But, FMCSA extended the comment period to July 16, as a result of technical problems with the remark portal during the initial comment period.

Carriers have until Monday, July 16, to record public comments in an application registered using the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration site asking that the bureau exempt carriers together with 50 workers or fewer.

DALLAS, July 11, 2018 – Intelligence Transportation Systems Society of Canada (ITS Canada) recently recognized the Alberta Partners in Compliance (PIC) with a national award for its use of smart transponders to expand weigh station bypass opportunities for the Alberta trucking industry.

 

ITS Canada presented Alberta PIC with its top award for projects at three levels, including the larger metropolitan/provincial/federal level, at its annual conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in mid-June. Alberta PIC earned the top award at the larger metropolitan/provincial/federal level.

 

“This award honors the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch (CVEB), Alberta Transportation, and the Alberta Motor Transport Association for their forethought in adopting a smart transponder-based system, which allows them to sustainably grow the Alberta PIC program bypass,” said Janneke van der Zee, general manager of ITS Canada. “It’s clear from the results that provincial officials made a good decision in choosing this technology for providing weigh station bypasses. It fulfills ITS Canada’s objective in achieving the highest and best possible use of the latest technology to improve efficiency of the Canadian highway transportation system and the safety of the motoring public.”

 

Brian Heath, president and CEO of Drivewyze, said as a result of adding Drivewyze, the number of sites offering weigh station bypass in Alberta has nearly tripled from 23 to 56. In the month of May alone, nearly 56,000 participating PIC member trucks received weigh station bypasses from Drivewyze in Alberta. Based on his company’s own studies of average weigh station pull ins, Heath estimates that those bypasses returned 1,134 hours of driving time to the drivers of participating Alberta fleets and saved their companies more than $126,000 in avoided fuel and operational costs.

 

“Our technology can stand on its own or as an addition to the existing technology commercial vehicle enforcement agencies use in offering weigh station bypass,” Heath said. “By utilizing the cellular network and the GPS-based geo-fencing capabilities Drivewyze offers, the Alberta PIC program not only delivers more bypass opportunities at more locations for members, but also opens the door to other future freight mobility and safety initiatives.

 

“We’re working on providing Alberta PIC members access to driver safety notifications and to electronic inspections in the near future,” Heath added.

 

Alberta PIC Director Andrew Barnes said members are excited to hear drivers may soon receive safety notifications alerting them to upcoming hazards such as curves in the road where high incidences of rollovers have occurred in the past. And electronic inspections will be a great opportunity for members to improve their safety scores without having to instruct drivers to pull into the weigh stations and ask for them, Barnes said.

 

“I think this award confirms and reinforces the belief we held 18 months ago that partnering with Drivewyze would provide our members a great opportunity to leverage the work they do in meeting the program requirements,” he added. The Alberta PIC program is operated by the Alberta Motor Transport Association under a partnership agreement with Alberta Transportation and the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General CVEB. To achieve PIC membership, carriers must undergo a successful national safety code audit, achieve certification, and complete quarterly safety reports.

 

“With all of the additional technology truck fleets have had to install with recent changes in HOS compliance, it’s good to see how Drivewyze can help PIC members and their drivers further leverage that technology as they work to maintain Alberta’s highest roadway safety ranking,” Barnes said.

 

While Drivewyze helps safe motor carriers save time and money, Jacquie Daumont, acting chief of the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch, said it also helps her enforcement officers be more efficient. This greater efficiency allows them to focus their attention on those carriers needing it, Daumont said.

 

“The addition of Drivewyze will help our commercial vehicle inspection officers automate the processing of PIC members, so they can conduct inspections while still lowering the volume of trucks entering and exiting weigh stations,” she added. “As a result, they’ll be better able to deal with ever-increasing truck traffic in the province.”

 

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week will take place July 15-21, 2018. Traffic safety personnel will be on the lookout for unsafe driving behaviors by commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers and passenger vehicle drivers as we work toward zero deaths on our roadways.

Unsafe driver behaviors by CMV drivers and passenger vehicle drivers continue to be the leading cause of crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) “Large Truck Crash Causation Study” cites driver behavior as the critical reason for more than 88 percent of large truck crashes and 93 percent of passenger vehicle crashes.

Examples of dangerous driver behaviors that enforcement personnel will be tracking throughout Operation Safe Driver Week are speeding, distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seatbelt while operating a CMV or in a passenger vehicle, following too closely, improper lane change, failure to obey traffic control devices, etc.

CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Program was created to help to reduce the number of crashes, deaths and injuries involving large trucks, buses and passenger vehicles due to unsafe driving behaviors. During Operation Safe Driver Week, there will be increased CMV and passenger vehicle traffic enforcement.

Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by CVSA, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, and aims to help improve the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner – either in or around CMVs – through educational and traffic enforcement strategies to address individuals exhibiting high-risk driving behaviors.

To find out about Operation Safe Driver Week enforcement events going on in your area, contact the agency/department responsible for overseeing CMV safety within your jurisdiction.

Volvo Trucks North America is expanding its focus on training skilled professional vehicle service technicians through expansion of the Diesel Advanced Technology Education (DATE) program. Beginning in early 2019, Volvo will partner with three colleges in Florida, Ohio and Texas.

 

The DATE for Volvo Trucks curriculum will be taught by dedicated Volvo-certified instructors at Jones Technical Institute in Jacksonville, Florida; the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio; and  Western Technical College in El Paso, Texas. DATE program graduates will receive an associate’s degree in diesel mechanics and a certification from the DATE program. They will be prepared for immediate employment at any of more than 400 Volvo dealerships across Volvo’s North American dealer network. 

 

The 500-hour DATE program will train students to work on Volvo trucks, including electrical and electronic systems, software and engine diagnosis and repair, chassis components, and Volvo powertrains.

 

“The DATE program provides students with the education and skills needed to excel in a career that’s increasingly in demand,” said Matt Flynn, director of Volvo Trucks Academy. “Graduates of the program will be ready for a technician career in our dealer network, equipped with hands-on maintenance and repair training to service the advanced modern truck technologies delivering unprecedented efficiency, performance and safety benefits.”

 

The American Trucking Associations’ American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reported in October 2017 that the trucking industry will require an estimated 67,000 new technicians and 75,000 new diesel engine specialists by 2022.