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Our Forum is the all year around meeting place, where drivers and owners come for Information or discuss trucking and expediting related questions. Whether you drive a Tractor/Trailer, Expediter Straight Truck or Van, you are very welcome here in Expediter World. We bring you Expediting and Trucking News on a regular basis. Trucking Professionals as well as Newbie's enjoy our Photo Gallery and NEW Free Classifieds. You can also find the right job with our new website, please visit us at www.expediterjobsonline.com. You can also check diesel fuel prices with our National Truckstop fuel price locator. Join us in relaxing, having fun and playing games.
Truck with $500,000 in airplane parts stolen, recovered |  | 
An unidentified truck driver’s new job got off to a rocky start when the $500,000 worth of airplane parts he was hauling was reportedly stolen on his first day. The tractor and trailer were recovered separately. None of the cargo was missing. The truck driver, driving for Rabbit Inc., and his wife stopped at a Petro truck stop on the morning of Jan. 26 in Ocala, Florida, and went inside to eat. When the trucker returned to the lot he saw that the tractor-trailer was missing and reported the theft to the Marion County Sheriffs Office. The truck driver told officers he had the keys to the truck with him and that the semi had been locked. The trucker said his wallet and his wife’s credit cards, as well as their other belongings and work documents, were in the stolen truck. Both the truck and trailer were quickly recovered that same day, however. According to the MCSO police report, the trailer was recovered by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at a Pilot truck stop in Wildwood, Florida. A deputy involved in finding the trailer said that the expensive cargo was untouched and that the seal on the doors had not been tampered with. The tractor, a Volvo, was recovered at Cafe Risqué in Micanopy, Florida, after being found with an onboard tracking device. According to the police report, the suspect(s) gained entry into the truck by drilling out the locks. The truck driver told police that all of his and his wife’s belongings were accounted for inside the truck. According to the report, the fleet sent a second tractor out so that the driver could carry on with his route. No suspects have been formally identified in this case. Piscataway: River Road commercial truck ban expected to take effect March 4 | |
PISCATAWAY - The township is gearing up for next month's ban on commercial trucks weighing more than 10 tons on River Road between the Route 18 bridge and Centennial Avenue. March 4 is the targeted date for full implementation, Mayor Brian Wahler said. "We have a four-week notification process where we have variable message signs on River Road, so the trucking folks know about it as a courtesy, so there won't be any excuses on March 4," he said. The county and township will be placing signs in the River Road area. "The county roads department will be putting up permanent signs along River Road along the county stretch and the township will be putting up signs on some local streets," Wahler said. The ban will not impact local businesses, the mayor said. "If a truck is making a local delivery and has a bill of lading they will be able to travel the roadway," Wahler said. All other heavy trucks will have to use Route 18, he said. "Police officers will use their discretion out there," the mayor said. "They are going to enforce it, but in the same breathe a lot of these businesses out there have scheduled deliveries on a weekly basis and the department knows pretty much the time frames when deliveries are made or supplies are dropped off." While the fine is currently $108, raising it to $250 for the River Road commercial truck ban is presently under consideration, township officials said. The township council would have to approve the change. Since the 1960s, township officials have been working with federal, state and county officials to ban truck traffic on River Road, the mayor said. Long a source of frustration for local residents, for many years the township had no previous legal ability to restrict truck traffic on River Road under state regulations. Once Route 18 and its easy connection to Interstate 287 was accepted by transportation officials as an acceptable alternative way of access for trucks, the township was able to move forward in an effort to seek approval from the county and state to move truck traffic onto Hoes Lane and off River Road. In January of 2018, Piscataway Ward 3 Councilmember Steven D. Cahn successfully sponsored a resolution passed by the Township Council, which was the important first step to eliminate commercial trucks from River Road, specifically between the Route 18 bridge and Centennial Avenue. In May, Wahler, state Sen. Bob Smith Smith,D-Piscataway, and Cahn met in person with the state Department of Transportation Commissioner to plead the township’s case. In November of 2018, the township announced that it had received New Jersey Department of Transportation's (NJDOT) permission to take ban commercial trucks off of River Road. "I didn't think I'd be around long enough to see this happen," Wahler said. Indiana rest areas get temporary reprieve | |
Two rest area on Interstate 64 in southern Indiana will remain open longer than planned. The Indiana Department of Transportation last month said it would soon close the Nancy Hanks rest areas on east and westbound I-64 because of low usage and it would take as much as $2 million to make necessary repairs. They were to close by the end of this month. Now, IDOT says it will keep the rest stops open until two rest area near the state’s east and west borders can be expanded. The Dubois County Herald reports the state will spend between $20 million and $30 million to expand each of those locations. Truck parking will be increased at each rest area. No timeline for the projects has been announced. Still, the state plans to close about 30 rest areas in the interior of the state and have just larger ones along its borders. Zur Quelle dieses Artikels und anderen großartigen Artikeln klick hier I-59/20 bridge is no more; see it fall | |
Ever driven over the ramp bridge of the I-59/20 interchange with the Red Mountain Expressway in Birmingham, Alabama?
Well, you can’t anymore. Crews used explosives Sunday morning to drop the bridge 50 feet to the ground as part of a $475 million highway improvement project on the interstate. Al.com was there to record the action.
It must be the season for demolition as crews in New York dropped part of the old Tappan Zee Bridge into the Hudson River last month.
Large ice chunk falls off transport truck, smashes vehicle's windshield | |
No one was injured but the transport truck's driver has been charged
It had to have been quite the scare for one driver on Highway 401 in Chatham-Kent. Ontario Provincial Police say a large piece of ice fell off a transport truck, smashing a westbound vehicle's windshield on the passenger side. Officers responded around 11 a.m. Feb. 2 to the area of the highway close to the Highway 40 exit.
OPP say no one was injured but the vehicle was deemed inoperable and needed to be towed from the scene. The driver of the transport — a 43-year-old Mississauga man — has been charged with having an insecure load. Police are warning all motorists that failing to remove ice and snow from their vehicle can result in a fine or potentially serious injury. 'I'm 80,000 pounds, there's no way I'm stopping that truck | |
EUGENE, Ore .- Icy, slippery conditions are adding to an already dangerous drive with a wave of recent crashes along Interstate 5, partly due to wintry conditions.
“It's slick, it's icy in spots," said Rick Arres, a Truck Driver for JR's Freight Services. "Most other trucks are doing 35-40, cars are going along 50, 65 and they spin out and cause major accidents."
Oregon State Police report responding to 372 crashes statewide on Monday and Tuesday, with 93 on I-5 alone. “They're going way too fast for the conditions," said Matthew Riverman, another truck driver. "They never learn and this happens every year." Some of the most dangerous winter driving has been north of Eugene. Truck drivers at Travel Centers of AmericaTruck Stop in Coburg say years behind the wheel have taught them that being aware of the roads and the drivers around you are key to staying safe. “We live in these things, we're in these weather conditions all the time," said Arres. "They pay attention to what the trucks are doing, they wouldn't have so many problems." From January 27th through the 29th, there wasn’t a single crash along I-5 from Albany to Salem. However, in the last few days from February 3rd-5th, there have been three. “You know I'm 80,000 pounds, there's no way I'm stopping that truck and people just don't get it," said Riverman. "They think to save two seconds they're going to risk their lives and I see it everyday." Oregon Department of Transportation Public Information Officer, Angela Beers Seydel, says bridges and overpasses are some of the more risky spots along the corridor. Both areas are more likely to have ice buildup causing slippery conditions. “Slow down, you know you don't need to be doing 65 mph when it's 32 degrees,” said Riverman. Safety tips from longtime drivers who are on the road every day. |
Sen. Brackett introduces possible solution to Idaho's truck fee problem | |
BOISE — Senate Transportation Chairman Bert Brackett on Tuesday introduced two bills to create a new tax on commercial trucks, replacing the current system to address the ongoing battle to implement a new strategy for trucking fees. The Senate Transportation Committee voted unanimously to introduce both bills proposed by Brackett, R-Rogerson, clearing the way for full hearings. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, moved to vote before Brackett could even speak on the bills. The bills wouldn't increase Idaho's revenue from truck fees; that's because under the Idaho Constitution, bills that raise revenue must start in the House of Representatives, not the Senate. Brackett said the bills are merely intended to open up the conversation about improving the system, and should the House decide to amend the bill in the process, it could become a revenue-raising measure. “It’s fairly complex,” Brackett said. “Now the discussion will begin ... It doesn't mean that there can't be some increase in revenue, but that's not the primary purpose of doing this. The primary purpose is to get the new fee schedule, and incidental to that, if it raises more, than that's OK." The bills would put a cost-per-mile tax on heavy trucks, striking the current five-tier system of registering all commercial and farm vehicles weighing over 60,000 pounds and charging them by total miles driven. The bills come after two interim committees were created over the last several years to come up with legislation to fix the problem, which existing law said should already have been done, but neither committee recommended any changes. Last summer, House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer blocked an interim committee from considering the issue by never calling a meeting. The bills would change the way Idaho gets revenue from commercial and farm trucks and come after years of financial challenges that stemmed from Idaho’s trucking registration laws, including a lawsuit that overturned the state's previous ton-mile tax. The controversy deepened following a 2010 state-commissioned highway cost allocation study that showed truckers are underpaying for their vehicles’ impacts on Idaho roads, and motorists are overpaying. In 2015, Idaho lawmakers implemented a seven-cent gas tax hike, increases in vehicle registration fees and several other changes to raise an additional $94 million a year for road maintenance across the state. That was after a 2011 state task force report concluded Idaho needed to spend $262 million more a year just to preserve its roads and bridges as-is, and $543 million more a year if it also wanted to make needed improvements for safety and capacity. The legislation, HB 312, also declared that it was the “intent of the Legislature” to impose a new registration fee on commercial trucks to take into account their weight and the distance they travel. The new weight-distance tax would be imposed, the bill said, “on or before Jan. 1, 2019." "This simply fulfills the intent that we had," Brackett said. "It says we would do it, and we haven't done it." KEY BILL CHANGES Under current law, commercial and farm vehicles register at a weight over 60,000 pounds and are charged by total miles driven. The amount taken at registration on the current tier system for total miles driven was originally intended for International Registration Plan purposes, according to Brackett. The IRP, which Idaho is a member of, is a registration reciprocity agreement among U.S. states, which apportions funds to states based on total distance operated by a truck in each state. The registration fees under current law are subject to apportionment, so not as much revenue is generated in to maintain Idaho roads. Under the new system proposed by Brackett, only a $280 set registration fee is subject to IRP apportionment, thus leaving the entire cost-per-mile tax revenue to Idaho. Today’s Pickup: freight futures begin, dollar advances, Amazon announces logistics intentions | |
The Trucking Freight Futures tour began yesterday on Wall Street in New York City. The roadshow will broadcast live as it passes through Chicago on Thursday, then on to Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Chattanooga and Detroit. Trucking Freight Futures, like all futures, are designed to offer market participants a chance to offset their risk in the trucking market. Taking a long or short position in the market can help offset unanticipated changes in the price of freight, giving businesses a path toward a more stable, predictable source of income. “For the first time in the history of trucking, we’re empowering everyone who participates in the freight market, from carriers and brokers to shippers and speculators, to de-risk their business in an unprecedented way,” said Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of FreightWaves. “A freight futures market helps take the pain out of wild price swings while rewarding participants who use data to drive decision-making.” New technology has finally provided the means for aggregating transactions, making data-driven decisions and increasing market transparency. Recent price shocks have demonstrated to the whole industry – and to anyone who pays attention to the economy– that spot rate volatility can be deeply damaging to all participants, including shippers, 3PLs and carriers. Beginning on March 29, by hedging against their natural exposure to price, shippers and carriers will be able to smooth out their expenses and revenues, making their businesses more predictable and sustainable and creating shareholder value. Hammer down everyone! Truck air systems are under pressure in cold temperatures | |
 As compressors age, they spew more oil, which when mixed with water in the dead of winter, creates oily slush that can jam air lines and brake valves.
TORONTO, Ont. — Cold temperatures and water can lead to only one outcome, and ice has no place in a truck’s air system. Frozen moisture can disable compressors, along with any of the multitude of air valves in the system. Plunging temperatures, like we have seen across much of the Lower 48 states in recent weeks, will be put air systems to the test. Hopefully your systems are not found wanting. Compressed air always contains moisture, and the air leaving the compressor is hot. But as the air travels through the line from the compressor to the air dryer, it cools, and that’s when the moisture in the compressed air condenses to liquid. If it’s cold enough, that liquid will freeze, threatening the air supply to various systems including transmissions, suspensions, and of course, brakes. A heavy truck’s air compressor puts out four to six U.S. ounces of water during an average day’s operation — more when operating in regions of high relative humidity, and less when air is cold and dry. If all that water is sloshing around in your air reservoirs or some other spot further downstream, you could be in trouble when temperatures plummet.  A chunk of ice the size of a pinhead can jam the tiny passages inside air valves, rendering them useless.
Air Compressors and Air Dryers
Your first line of defense is the air dryer, but there’s potential for trouble even before that. While it’s unlikely under normal circumstances, water vapor can freeze in the line from the compressor to the air dryer. If you have a particularly long line, or if the line has any restrictions or 90-degree-angle fittings, you’ve got a potential spot for problems. As well, any low points in the line can provide a point for water to collect and freeze, cutting off the air supply to the air dryer and thus the rest of the air system. If the compressor discharge line becomes plugged, you’ll probably hear the compressor banging away as the pressure builds up in the discharge line. Or, if you hear a loud rush of air, it could indicate that the safety valve on the discharge line has opened to relieve the pressure in the line. Either of those symptoms would indicate a blockage or restriction somewhere between the compressor and the air dryer. If you know anything about the venturi effect, an older and carbon-choked discharge line can be especially susceptible to ice formation. As the warm, moist air leaves the compressor and encounters a restriction in the discharge line (in effect, a venturi), the change in pressure on the downwind side of the restriction causes a rapid and dramatic drop in temperature — sometimes as much as 70 degrees Fahrenheit — that will turn moisture to ice almost instantly. That ice can build up in the discharge line, eventually choking it completely. Air compressors almost always pass a small amount of oil, which usually collects harmlessly in the air dryer or the wet tank. Older compressors can pass much more oil, which can prematurely foul the desiccant material in the air dryer, reducing theability to remove moisture from the air. The mucky mixture of oil and water from a slobbery compressor also increases the risk of a blockage in the air line as the ice and oil bind together. “It’s normal for most compressors to pass a little oil, but if you constantly have to replace your air-dryer desiccant cartridge you may have excessive oil passage,” says Jonathan Adams, product manager at Tectran. “Air dryer effectiveness and air system performance decline quickly as oil is passed into the desiccant cartridge. Check your wet tank for moisture and other contaminants.” If you see sludge in your wet tank, oil is getting through the air dryer and passing into the downstream air system. Most air dryers are equipped with heaters to prevent the collected waste from freezing in the purge valve reservoir, but these heater elements can fail, too. It’s possible that air could leak past the purge valve if it doesn’t seat properly due to ice after a purge cycle, causing a loss of air through the open valve. Air won’t escape from the tractor reservoirs because of the one-way check valves, but the air used in brake applications and by the suspension won’t be replaced. Drivers can check the condition of their air dryers by observing how much water and oily sludge comes from the wet tank when it’s drained, says Abe Aon, director of sales – Wabco North American Aftermarket. “We don’t recommend completely draining all reservoirs every day,” he says. “Pulling on the drain cord or opening the drain cock for just a few seconds is a good indicator of the overall health of the air system.” For linehaul applications, most OEMs and air dryer manufacturers recommend replacing the air dryer cartridge every two to three years. The air dryer cartridge on vocational vehicles such as garbage trucks should be changed much more frequently. Some fleets can go longer or shorter between cartridge changes than others due to the climate they run in, the amount of air that they use, or the age of the vehicle, Aon says. “Older vehicles tend to have more air leaks and compressors that pass more oil.”
Since there will always be some oil in the compressor discharge air, and moisture, the idea is to trap it before it gets downstream where it might do some damage. “The first place it goes is into the air dryer contaminating the desiccant material,” says Richard Nagel, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions – air charging. “That’s why air dryers lose efficiency. The desiccant does not expire or get used up, but it can become saturated with oil and it will no longer be capable of removing moisture.” Even though the compressor might be the problem, fleets are more likely to change the cartridge and service the air drier more frequently because that’s much less expensive than replacing the compressor — which can be a six-to-eight-hour job, plus the cost of the compressor. “It might be cheaper to replace the desiccant cartridge more often, but the desiccant won’t remove oil from the air,” warns Nagel. “Air dryers are available with oil coalescing cartridges designed to remove oil from air systems, but they will need to be changed more often if you have an oily compressor.” While most brake valves are fairly tolerant of oil contamination, equipment like automated transmissions often have air-operated solenoid valves, which are very sensitive to both oil and water contamination. Brake valves are more sensitive to moisture. Typically, these valves contain tiny little passages that can easily ice up and close off partially or completely. Depending on the effectiveness of the air dryer, a significant amount of moisture can get into the system and cause problems in these valves. That’s why it’s so important to drain the air tanks frequently. Moisture accumulated during the summer stays in the system like a time bomb, waiting for a minus-40 cold snap. If your trucks are out in the wild with poorly maintained air systems, it’s probably just a matter of time until sub-zero temperatures sideline the truck. 5 tips to keep truck drivers safe in the deep freeze | |
TORONTO, Ont. — Winter can be very unforgiving. Every year we read about drivers who perish in their trucks during extended road closures where the driver goes off the road or runs into impassable conditions. It can be hours or sometimes days before help arrives. Would you or your drivers be able to stay warm and safe if you were caught in such a situation? Here are five tips that will help keep drivers alive if the worst should happen. 1. Keep Fuel Tanks Full Your engine is your only reliable source of heat, so you need to keep it running. You stand a much better chance of surviving if you have enough fuel to last a day or two stranded at roadside. Tanks that are less than half full also have greater risk of gelling or freezing, because the water that is always in diesel fuel has less fuel in which to disperse. That means there’s more water present per gallon, and that increases the possibility of freezing up. You can prevent fuel from gelling by using anti-gel additives, or even a cupful of basic rubbing alcohol (alcohol absorbs water) if you’re in a pinch, but you can’t un-gel your fuel with an additive. The idea is to prevent it from happening in the first place. 2. Keep Emergency Rations in the Cab Most of us would not starve to death if we went without food for a day or two, but it can get pretty uncomfortable. In addition, eating generates body heat, so it’s important that you consume some food, and especially water, if you’re storm stayed. It’s a good idea to stock a small supply of high-calorie snacks for emergency use, such as candy bars, granola bars, easy-to-heat meals, and dried fruits and nuts (such as trail mix). A couple of cans of soup or ready-to-eat canned food is useful if you have a means to heat it (don’t forget to buy pop-top cans or include a can opener in your emergency kit), but you can always use some alternate source of heat such as the defroster, the engine exhaust manifold, or a can of Sterno. Put a small stash aside and leave it alone until you need it. 3. Be prepared to stay warm A winter survival kit is a must for any driver on an irregular route where you don’t know where you might be going next. Don’t lull yourself into thinking that because you run the same busy four-lane highway all the time that you might not need it. That kind of thinking kills people. Driver who run remote, less-traveled roads in winter carry winter kits, but it’s usually not those folks we read about after a storm. Winter coats, boots, etc. can be purchased cheap at Goodwill stores and used clothing shops. Don’t go without because of the high cost of new winter clothing. Warm clothing is a must. It’s far better to have and not use it than need it and be without: – A good winter coat, mitts and a hat, at the very least – A pair of thermal underwear or several T-shirts you can layer on – Several pairs of heavy socks in case one pair gets wet – Insulated coveralls for working outside the truck in winter – A quality pair of winter boots. 4. Pack a Winter Tool Kit One can easily go overboard prepping for a winter emergency, but no tool is more important than the one you don’t have. These would be the essentials, and perhaps surprisingly, not all drivers equip themselves with even these basics. – Several small cans of Sterno (gelled alcohol used to keep food warm) or candles (good for a little heat and light), butane lighter, plug-in rechargeable flashlight (flashlight batteries are always dead when you really need them). – Sleeping bag for additional warmth – Spare fuel filter and a filter wrench to change filter, and written instructions on how to change a fuel filter if you’re not sure how it’s done – Anti-gel fuel additive – Air-line antifreeze with instruction from the shop supervisor on how to use it – Windshield ice scraper – A large bag of road salt or cat litter for traction 5. Have a Survival Strategy If you find yourself stranded and isolated and not going anywhere because of foul winter weather, don’t panic. Take stock of the situation and assess your options – which are usually limited to waiting it out until the road is cleared or help arrives to get you going again. – Try to alert someone to your situation so they know where you are – Consider your fuel supply and how long you might be able to leave the engine idling to keep warm. Engines burn one to two gallons per hour at high idle, so roughly speaking you’ll need 30-40 gallons of fuel to idle for 24 hours – If your fuel is low, idle sparingly; run it long enough to warm the cab and then shut it off again – If you have a downdraft exhaust, dig out any snow around it so you aren’t overcome by carbon monoxide fuels, and always crack open a window when the engine is running – If you’re gelled up and the engine won’t run, use your batteries sparingly. The cold will limit their effectiveness too at some point – Don’t leave the truck in search of shelter. Inside you have some protection from the elements, and body heat will help warm the inside of the cab – Dress warmly even when inside – If you sleep, set an alarm to wake you periodically so you don’t slip into hypothermia. Winter survival begins with preparedness, so if you or your drivers don’t currently have any of the supplies we mentioned, consider finding them as soon as you can. Come springtime, pack it all up in a box and stow it for next winter – except the food. More Private Parking Spaces on the Way as Natso, FHWA Count Spots | |
 Love’s Travel Stops plans to add 40 new locations and more than 3,500 parking spaces in 2019.
Some of the nation’s largest travel-stop companies are adding parking spaces and expanding operations in 2019, as national demand for truck parking continues to rise. Availability of parking has been the second-most important issue facing truck drivers for two years running, according to those polled in an annual survey of industry challenges conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute. According to ATRI Vice President Dan Murray, truck parking ranked fifth industrywide in last year’s survey. Natso — formerly the National Association of Truck Stop Operators — set a Feb. 8 deadline for responses to a member survey seeking information about nationwide availability of truck parking spaces, an effort to assist the Federal Highway Administration in a new round of assessments under Jason’s Law. That law, part of a transportation reauthorization package in 2012, seeks to study and address the shortage of long-term parking for trucks. The law is named for Jason Rivenburg, a truck driver killed in 2009 while parked at an abandoned gas station. He was attacked as he slept and robbed of $7. The latest survey is part of a second effort to quantify truck parking spaces in the nation. Helping 18 state governments compile the numbers is ATRI, which monitors almost 1 million trucks in real time, according to Murray. Getting the numbers right will be crucial because of the legislative timing. If the trucking industry and policymakers can divine how much parking is needed and where, it could be addressed in future federal legislation, perhaps within 2019. “We’re on the cusp, we hope, of a new infrastructure package,” said Murray. The demand is an opportunity for truck stop operators, even though most privately run companies do not charge for parking. Love’s Travel Stops plans to add 40 new locations and more than 3,500 parking spaces in 2019, according to a news release. The Oklahoma City-based company asked fleet customers about where to locate new stops, and was able to plan 40 new locations, according to Jon Archard, Love’s vice president of sales. He noted that it’s not always easy to plan a truck stop, despite the demand. “Sometimes the land is not always available, sometimes the price is prohibitive,” Archard told Transport Topics. Plus, zoning restrictions and congestion in cities can prevent Love’s from finding a site suitable for a location, Archard said. The typical Love’s stop is between 12 and 15 acres. In the past, Love’s needed less land, but as demand for tire repair and oil maintenance rose, the company began accommodating truck services, Archard said. Love’s plans to expand its on-site truck and tire care services and to grow its location count to more than 500 nationwide. As of Jan. 23, Love’s has 482 locations in 41 states, with more than 32,800 truck parking spaces, according to Love’s spokeswoman Tara Carr. Archard said Love’s is also studying whether it can expand the acreage of existing truck stops to add parking spaces. That type of “organic” growth is something TravelCenters of America is also doing, said Tom Liutkus, senior vice president of marketing for the Westlake, Ohio-based company. TravelCenters just added 82 parking spaces to its facility in Wheeler Ridge, Calif., south of Bakersfield, Liutkus told TT. Liutkus declined to say how many locations the company might open this year, citing its status as a publicly traded company. He noted that there are currently 250 TravelCenters locations with 47,000 parking spots in 43 states. The company has one Canadian stop as well. “We’re looking at all options,” said Liutkus. “We expect to add where we can.” But since TravelCenters already has large stop-centers, expanding them to adjacent land has been difficult, said Liutkus. The company allows paid reservations for 13.7% of its parking spots, on average, Liutkus said. Pilot Flying J said the company will expand in 2019, according to a statement from company vice president Brian Ferguson. The Knoxville, Tenn.-based company said it will open more than 15 travel centers across the United States and Canada, with more than 900 new parking spots. The company will also seek more parking spaces from existing locations, with a goal of completing more than 10 facility enhancement projects, according to the statement. “With only 300,000 parking spots available for more than 3 million drivers, parking is needed across the country, especially in locations near or on major transportation arteries,” Ferguson said in an e-mail to TT. “Because of this, at Pilot Flying J, we continue to increase our presence and bring more parking to these areas, such as in Texas.” Fergsuon said the company is also looking for ways to leverage technology, like its mobile application, to address the parking problem. The company’s website said it has 750 locations in 44 states, with 72,000 truck-parking spaces. Velvac combines mirror and camera | |
Velvac’s LaneOptics Mirror Cam integrates a color camera to help enhance visibility in traditional blind spots. The 50-square-inch mirror incorporates the camera in the upper corner, delivering a 73.7-degree field of view. The lens is also pre-positioned. Once the mirror head is adjusted for the best viewing angle, the camera is aligned. The unit comes with a five-pin (B) type cable connector. The mirror’s overall head measures 9×7 inches, and is attached with one-inch stainless steel arms. The black powder-coated four-stud universal mounting base uses the same hole patterns as Velvac Pod or Mod Pod mirrors, and will mount to almost any truck hood, the company says. The unit is also offered with a monitor and backup camera. |
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