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Trucking company, jobs headed to CordeleMore than 100 new jobs are coming to Cordele. The Cordele-Crisp County Industrial Development Council said the Indian River Transport company is building a new terminal. The facility will be along I-75 at Exit 102. The company is a privately owned food grade tank carrier providing transportation services throughout the U.S. Officials said the trucking jobs will be high paying gigs and the trucking company expects to hire about 125 people. “Truck drivers are in demand right now and those wages are going up. And so I suspect we’ll, we’ll have probably about a hundred truck drivers that’ll be living in a 45 mile radius of here and that certainly helps not only our community, but others around us,” said Grant Buckley, with the Cordele-Crisp Co. Industrial Development Council. The terminal will have offices, truck bays, washout facilities and an asphalt pad. Officials said construction should begin mid 2019. Paccar, Daimler, Autocar recall some 15,000 trucksNearly 15,000 trucks are being recalled by their manufacturers for various defects, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Daimler is recalling some 6,795 Freightliner and Western Star tractors and chassis equipped with certain Eaton Electronic Clutch Actuation heavy-duty truck clutches. The company says an internal component in the clutch assemblies could fail, possibly resulting in unintended vehicle movement. Affected models include:
Daimler will notify affected truck owners, and dealers will update the software and repair any physical components for free. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712 with recall number FL-803. NHTSA’s recall number is 18V-903. Paccar is recalling approximately 6,857 Kenworth and Peterbilt tractors for an issue with the seat belt assemblies. The company says seat belt buckle assemblies in the affected trucks may have been glued and not sewn during manufacturing, possibly causing the assembly to come apart in the event of a crash. Affected trucks include model year 2018 Kenworth T680 and T880, and model year 2018 Peterbilt 567 and 579. Paccar is notifying affected truck owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assemblies that weren’t sewn for free. Owners can contact Paccar customer service at 1-918-259-3258 with recall numbers 18KWG and 18PBD. NHTSA’s recall number is 18V-870. Autocar announced it is recalling about 1,003 2019 model year Xpeditor trucks due to an issue where the universal joint strap bolts at the transmission output yoke may not be properly tightened. If these bolts are loose, the strap may disconnect from the truck, and the drive shaft could detach. Autocar has notified owners, and dealers will properly tighten the bolts for free. Owners can contact Autocar customer service at 1-888-218-3611 or 1-877-973-3486 with recall number ACX-1901. NHTSA’s recall number is 18V-889. Truck Drivers Idle During Travel BanKIRKWOOD, N.Y. -- A ban on commercial vehicles on interstates was enforced throughout the day Tuesday. State troopers pulled over truck drivers violating the ban. For those following it, there was nothing to do but wait. Love's Travel Stop near Binghamton is the last stop for truckers before entering Pennsylvania from New York, so a travel ban on all commercial vehicles on Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania means a crowded parking lot full of tractor-trailers in New York. "Nowhere near as much as we do when we're hauling. It's half pay. It's better than nothing. I'd rather that than being out there risking my life or someone else's," said driver Andy Blythe from Ontario. Truck drivers explain to Newswatch 16 that it varies from company to company as to whether drivers get paid during a travel ban. Some drivers will get paid half. "So, it's something. It pays for a motel if you're going to get it, or food or whatever. Other companies don't. Drivers are only paid when the wheels are turning," said driver Stephen Smith from Ontario. Drivers tell Newswatch 16 if they have perishable items in their trucks, a travel ban can be a little more stressful. "They're only going to be good for a couple days, so if we do get stuck in a situation like this, we hope it's something quick where they can get the highways done so we can make this delivery. After a couple days, people more than likely won't receive it," said Virginia driver Finny Cureton. We found several refrigerated trailers at the rest stop near Binghamton. Drivers say their loads should stay fresh despite the one-day delay. "It can be anywhere from 10 degrees to 70 degrees depends on what the product is that's in there." RVs were also included in the travel ban, so a cross-country road trip for one family will take a bit longer than expected. "Probably do it in seven days, but 10 to 12 is probably reasonable." Traveling from Canada to Seattle, Washington to visit their daughter, the Laforest family made the best of making the time pass. "Internet is a wonderful thing. We have this huge Wi-Fi thing so we can get internet anywhere. We can do the Netflix and catch up on whatever we want to. We said what would we do without it? We'd have to read a book, which is actually kind of nice. I brought one, so I'll probably do a little of that, too," said Stephen Laforest. The commercial vehicle travel ban in parts of Pennsylvania went into effect at 6 a.m. Tuesday, and despite the frustration, drivers say they understand. "The state's doing the right thing. Keep everyone safe then clean the roads." New England Motor Freight Files for Bankruptcy, Plans to Wind Down Trucking OperationsIn a move sure to shake up the regional less-than-truckload freight market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, New England Motor Freight filed for bankruptcy Feb. 11 and said it intends to wind down all of its trucking operations. The Elizabeth, N.J.-based company announced the move on its website after absorbing losses over the past two years, according to a statement by Vincent Colistra, described as the company’s chief restructuring officer. “We have worked hard to explore options for New England Motor Freight,” Colistra wrote, “but the macroeconomic factors confronting this industry are significant.” “Following two years of losses, and with continuing and unsustainable rises in overhead as well as a severe shortage of drivers,” Colistra said, “we have concluded that the company has no choice but to proceed with an orderly wind down of operations.” Established in 1977, NEMF is part of the Shevell Group of Cos. and was a major provider of less-than-truckload freight service in the metropolitan New York and New Jersey region, although its service extended throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic corridor and into Canada. In a letter to customers in January, Zachary Cohen, director of yield management for NEMF, described a 5.4% general rate increase, plus a $3 increase in the minimum shipment charge, effective Feb. 4. “While NEMF remains committed to our customer’s expectations,” Cohen wrote, “we are faced with increased costs associated with regulatory mandates, insurance premiums, new equipment and technology advancements.” In filing for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Act in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Newark, N.J., the company listed assets of $100 million to $500 million and debts between $50 million and $100 million and $59 million owed to four banks as the company’s largest unsecured creditors, the Wall Street Journal reported. A Chapter 11 proceeding “is the best mechanism to maximize the value of its assets for the benefit of its employees and various creditor constituencies,” the company said in the statement posted online. Shevell Group ranks No. 70 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of largest for-hire carriers in North America with consolidated revenue of $439.5 million in 2017. NEMF ranks No. 18 on the TT list of top for-hire carriers in the less-than-truckload sector with revenue of $400.5 million in 2017. NEMF employees were represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The Shevell Group employed 3,745 people and operated a total of 1,500 company-owned tractors, 247 owner-operator tractors and 5,596 trailers. 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. Sen. Brackett introduces possible solution to Idaho's truck fee problemBOISE — 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. |
First Robo-Trucking Unicorn? TuSimple Delivers $95 Million Funding RoundTuSimple, a U.S.-Chinese tech startup racing to commercialize self-driving capability for long-haul semi-trucks, just raised a further $95 million in a funding round that the company estimates moves it to unicorn status with a valuation now reaching $1 billion. The funds will help the company – with technology designed by Caltech-trained neuroscientist Xiaodi Hou, who’s also TuSimple’s founder, president and CTO – expand its fleet of robot semi-trucks to 50 by June from 12 currently, as well as its team of developers, the company told Forbes. The Series D round closed at the end of 2018, led by Chinese tech firm Sina Corp. and included investment from Hong Kong-based Composite Capital, boosting TuSimple’s total funding to date to about $180 million. Sina also invested in earlier rounds, as did Nvidia and U.K.-based ZP Capital.
Based in San Diego and with an engineering facility and truck depot in Tucson, Arizona, TuSimple has been hauling revenue-generating loads since last year. And while self-driving passenger vehicle programs, such as the service Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo launched in Phoenix in December 2018, have drawn the most public attention, use of the technology for autonomous trucking and delivery could be on a faster path to commercialization. VIDEO Source of article and more great articles click here Oversized load breaks down in NebraskaA 233,000-pound load came to an unexpected halt Saturday, Feb. 9 on Highway 34 in Grand Island, Nebraska. The Nebraska State Patrol said the trailer carrying the load broke. Highway 34 was closed for more than 24 hours. EARLIER POST: Crews are making progress on the 233,000 lbs load that became stuck with a broken trailer yesterday on Highway 34 in Grand Island. Thanks for your patience. When you are 233,000 lbs and your trailer breaks it doesnt leave many travel options available. This is causing a westbound Highway 34 travel disruption between Stuhr & Shady Bend Road in GI. #heavy #stuck @NebraskaDOT
Local program fights truck driver shortageROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) ---- "We're just one step in trying to get people prepared to go into that work," said Dave Willis, Coordinator Pro Tem. ![]() Facing a decline in new truck drivers, Rock Valley College's training program gives potential conductors the skills they need to join a dwindling force. "There's something on a 60,000 driver shortage in the country right now and companies are really scrambling to try to fill that void, and we're part of that by teaching people how to drive so that they can qualify for it," said Stark. For instructor Larry Stark, working on an individual level with the drivers gives him a new sense of purpose after his years on the highway. "I drove over the road. The last company I worked for, I did all 48 states and 5 provinces in Canada in the first three years with them," said Stark. "I spent 35 years in computers and IBM laid me off in 2002, and I opened up the Chicago Tribune and there were 5 pages of drivers wanted, so I said, well, I think I can do that. So I went and got my license, and now I teach, I've been here for about 8 years now," ....which he says makes it all worthwhile. "Being able to watch these folks get their license and the smile on their face and know you had something to do with that is the reward," said Stark. Report highlights Top 10 truck bottlenecks in U.S.ARLINGTON, VA. – Atlanta has the dubious distinction of being home to three of the 10 worst bottlenecks for trucks on American highways, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) reports. The institute’s annual list identifies the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 in Fort Lee, N.J., as the worst freight bottleneck in the country. It last held that spot in 2014. The remainder of the Top 10 list includes:
Year-over-year truck speeds across the 10 locations dropped by an average of 9%. The annual list assesses truck-oriented congestion at 300 locations, pulling GPS data from nearly 1 million heavy-duty trucks. “For UPS, if all our vehicles are delayed just five minutes a day, every day, it costs our company $114 million a year,” said Rich McArdle, president of UPS Freight. “In order to combat congestion, many companies must plan operational redundancies to meet their customer needs.” “This report should be a wakeup call for elected leaders at all levels of government that we must act quickly to address our increasingly congested highway system,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. “Without meaningful investment in our nation’s infrastructure, carriers will continue to endure billions of dollars in congestion-related costs – which results in a self-inflicted drag on our economy.” Truck with $500,000 in airplane parts stolen, recoveredAn 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 4PISCATAWAY - 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. |
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