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DENVER, CO --  A provider of an alternative traction device (ATD) for passenger and commercial vehicles announced that its use has now been granted approval in British Columbia.

The news from AutoSock follows an amendment to the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act that changes the definition of “traction device” to include textile tire covers, such as the AutoSock including for Class 3-8 trucks.

“Now, any truck or passenger vehicle can be fitted with AutoSock when traction devices are required by the province,” said Bernt J. Rosli, CEO of AutoSock operations. “For U.S. and Canadian motor carriers that travel in British Columbia, this change in the act means AutoSock can be used as a legal and cost effective traction device.”

According to AutoSock, it is currently the only company providing a wide range of textile traction devices for trucks and is the only named approved product in Washington and Colorado. The ATD can also be used in states that have no specific device exclusions when chain requirements are in effect.

The AutoSock uses high-performance fibers and a specially designed surface pattern to maximize friction on snow and ice covered roads by making the total contact area exposed to dry friction as large as possible. It can be installed in less than five minutes per wheel, minimizing a driver’s exposure to weather and traffic, and at less than 5 lbs. per pair provides a weight savings compared to a 50-lb. set of traditional chains.

The ATD is fully compatible with ABS and traction control systems, and does not damage road surfaces, unlike metal chains, because its material is softer than concrete and asphalt, according to the company. It can be stored inside a cab or tool compartment, and unlike tire chains, will not damage a vehicle’s fenders and exposed brake lines while in use.

Source of article click here:  Today's Trucking

An image of a marijuana heist. Photo courtesy of Customs Border Protection

A 30-year-old man attempted to drive across the border at Otay Mesa with nearly 1,400 pounds of marijuana in the back of his truck, federal officials reported Wednesday.

Drug-sniffing dogs alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to the truck loaded with boxes and household goods as the driver was waiting in an inspection line at the Otay Mesa port of entry on Monday afternoon.

Upon further inspection, officers found 54 large packages containing 1,374 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the moving boxes, said Angelica De Cima, a spokeswoman for the federal agency.

The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $824,000, she said.

The driver, a U.S. citizen whose name was withheld, was taken into custody and turned over to special agents with Homeland Security Investigations, De Cima said. Customs and Border Protection officers seized the truck and its contents, including the marijuana.

Source of article click here: Times of San Diego

Werner Enterprises, the truckload transportation and logistics provider, has acquired the American Institute of Trucking (AIT) and Roadmaster Drivers School, saying these investments will further Werner’s commitment to securing the next generation of professional drivers for the entire trucking industry.

“Trucking is the backbone of our nation’s economy, and our future depends on making sure we have the best professional drivers in place to deliver this freight,” said Derek Leathers, Werner president and COO. “This was a long-term strategic investment to ensure a stable flow of highly trained student truck drivers in a time when the entire industry is facing a significant driver shortage.”

As a forward-thinking leader in the transportation industry, Werner saw an opportunity with school partners that would benefit the trucking industry as a whole. Working with both AIT and Roadmaster for many years, Werner has witnessed the solid management and quality output these companies produce in the commercial truck driver-training field, in addition to common business goals.

Werner completed its acquisition of AIT in August 2013, and the Roadmaster acquisition was completed in May 2014 for undisclosed amounts. AIT, based in Phoenix, has three southwest U.S. school locations. Roadmaster, based in Tampa, Fla., has 13 school locations throughout the U.S.

The acquisition announcements were delayed to allow for a full-system integration and to ensure that student employer of choice remained a priority, as Werner is committed to ensuring students maintain the ability to choose their preferred carrier to work for after graduation. The experienced and respected AIT and Roadmaster management teams both have remained unchanged following these acquisitions. Before and after the acquisitions, the percentage of graduates from these schools placed with Werner has remained relatively consistent.

“The industry as a whole needs diversity, flexibility and a good pool of quality individuals to hire from,” said John Kearney Sr., president and CEO of Roadmaster. “One key effect with this acquisition is it provides us with the financial security needed to invest and expand so we can continue to provide the entire industry with safe and road-ready professional drivers.”

AIT and Roadmaster continue to serve as two of the industry’s largest and top-ranked driving schools.

“Werner has been one of AIT’s key partners for many years,” said Chuck Wirth, president of AIT. “We couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of an organization that is a leader in the industry.”

Source of article click here: Trucking News

Nearly half the hires will be needed to replace retiring drivers in an aging workforce, the American Trucking Associations says

The trucking industry will need to hire 890,000 drivers in the next decade to replace retirees and meet rising demand, and companies are already pushing up pay to avoid falling short, according to a new study by the American Trucking Associations.

The industry group estimates that trucking companies will have to bring on an additional 47,500 drivers this year to smoothly handle customers’ orders, a figure that would grow to 73,500 next year if the economy picks up speed. The labor crunch is likely to worsen in coming years because drivers tend to be older—an average age of 49, compared with 42 in the wider workforce—and the industry will see more retirements.

Shippers could count on plenty of trucks to move their cargo in the years after the recession, when demand plunged and unemployment spiked, leaving a surplus of drivers available to haul freight. But an expanding U.S. economy since then and a steady increase in imports has soaked up much of that excess capacity.

Shipping costs are rising as companies raise driver pay and take other steps to make sure they have enough trucks available, though delays caused by a lack of capacity are still rare. The ATA warned of more severe problems if trucking companies aren’t able to recruit more drivers.

“If the trend stays on course, there will likely be severe supply chain disruptions resulting in significant shipping delays, higher inventory carrying costs, and perhaps shortages at stores,” the report said.

Trucking companies have raised pay sharply since the economic recovery gathered speed in 2011, with particularly large increases in the last two years. About half of for-hire truckload carriers—companies that fill a single truck with shipments from one customer for long-distance transport, typically to distribution centers or factories—offered sign-on bonuses averaging $1,500 each in 2014, the ATA said.

Those measures helped bring down driver turnover in that wing of the trucking industry from nearly 100% in 2012 to just over 90% last year, though that means a typical company still needs to replace nearly all of its drivers on a regular basis.

There are about 1.6 million tractor-trailers on the road today driven by professional drivers, according to the ATA. Of the 890,000 new hires needed by 2024, 45% would replace retiring drivers and about a third will be needed to handle growing demand, the report said, with the rest necessary to replace workers who leave the business for other reasons.

Covenant Transport, a truckload carrier based in Chattanooga, Tenn., needs to hire about 3,000 drivers a year, said Robert Hatchett, vice president of recruiting. The company began offering a guaranteed minimum salary to some drivers this summer, a bid to increase the appeal of jobs where income is often based on the number of miles driven.

Mr. Hatchett said Covenant also is considering installing satellite televisions and enabling wireless Internet in truck cabins.

“We know an even greater capacity crunch is coming, and we’ve got to make being a professional truck driver as attractive as possible,” he said.

Source of article click here: The Wallstreet Journal

The thief or thieves who stole a refrigerated truck loaded with tofu and organic juice from a Southeast Portland Safeway ditched the truck less than three miles from the store -- but took every last scrap of tofu and juice, officials say.

When this truck was driven away from a Southeast Portland Safeway, it was packed with tofu and organic drinks. When it was found four hours later, every morsel of tofu was missing, along with all the juice, Portland police say. Portland Police Bureau

Portland police say they have not solved the mystery of the missing flavorless soybean product.

A resident of Southeast Portland called police at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to report an abandoned, and very empty, truck. It was found near Southeast 85th Avenue and Lafayette Street. A witness told police he or she saw a man and a woman leave the truck.

A truck owned by R&K Foods, a Seattle natural foods wholesaler, was reported missing from the Safeway store at Southeast Powell Avenue and Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The driver told police he was inside the store for about 20 minutes and when he returned to where he parked the truck, it was gone.

Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson did not immediately respond to a question about the value of a truckload of tofu.

Source of article click here: Oregon Live