The Trucker News Staff

MONROE, La. — Dobbs Peterbilt-Monroe will officially open its doors with a grand opening celebration from 11-2 p.m. June 9. The event will be held at the dealership, 7410 Frontage Road, Monroe, Louisiana, and will include live music, free lunch and dessert, raffles and business specials. “We look forward to serving the commercial parts and service needs in the Monroe, Louisiana market,” said Andrew Wedeberg, general manager of Dobbs Peterbilt-Monroe. “We continue to strive to serve the #DobbsValue experience every day.” Dobbs Peterbilt-Monroe joins the portfolio of 16 other Dobbs Peterbilt locations located in Washington State, California, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. Dobbs Peterbilt, formerly known as Western Peterbilt or Peterbilt Truck Centers, merged and rebranded in August 2020. According to a company statement, with the rebrand came a reenergized focus on the development of the mission, vision, and values of the company — specifically focusing on customer service.  

GREENSBORO, N.C. —  Volvo Trucks North America has upgraded its I-Shift transmission. I-Shift now offers a dual power take-off (PTO) that expands the efficiency benefits, transmission functionality and overall cost savings, according to a manufacturer’s statement. The new dual PTO allows I-Shift to incorporate two independently clutched DIN 5462 drives, or one SAE 1410 flange and one DIN 5462 drive, separated by the vehicle’s centerline. By separating the two drives, space is created to allow for the installation of two pumps, simplifying installations and serviceability in the field. The output drives are independently clutched, enabling the vehicle to serve applications either separately or simultaneously. “Leveraging the new capabilities of a dual PTO in Volvo’s I-Shift transmission increases the truck’s operational versatility, a customer can haul portland cement one day and aggregate material the next,” said Andy Hanson, product marketing manager for Volvo Trucks North America. “Volvo’s factory installed PTOs and pumps make the up-fitting process easier, increasing first-time quality and overall reliability for our customers.” The I-Shift transmission complements the existing single, double and triple PTO suite of offerings, according to Volvo. The PTO’s factory supplied DIN 5462 ports and SAE 1410 flanges are interchangeable with the SAE 1310 flange and SAE-C and SAE-BB ports, which are all offered through Volvo’s parts distribution network. The factory-installed dual PTO, which carry the same warranty as the I-Shift transmission, also includes dash switches to provide independent left and right-side control. Volvo installed PTOs can also receive factory installed Parker gear and piston pumps. The I-Shift transmission is available in 12-, 13- and 14-speed configurations. I-Shift is also available with an overdrive gear and crawler gears of either 17.5:1 or 32:1, providing the ability to cruise at highway speeds while still allowing for excellent efficiency, “startability” and slow-speed maneuverability, Volvo said. “For more than 15 years, Volvo Trucks’ I-Shift intelligent automated manual transmission has set industry benchmarks for fuel efficiency, vehicle performance, safety and driver comfort. With expanded capabilities thanks to the dual PTO, the Volvo Trucks customer will see more benefits in functionality and cost savings as well,” Hanson said.

LOS ANGELES — Xos, Inc. has unveiled two new commercial electric trucks, along with a connected vehicle ecosystem. The company boasts in a news release that “these new fleet vehicles make Xos the leading provider of battery-electric fleet solutions for commercial fleets. Xos is the only solutions provider to enable electrification from start to finish with durable commercial vehicles, flexible charging infrastructure technology and a cohesive cloud management platform enabling remote tracking, monitoring, and control of fleet assets across a fleet operator’s portfolio.” The Xos HDXT is a Class 8 heavy-duty electric tractor designed for regional-haul fleets and can travel up to 230 miles on a single charge. It offers 36,583 foot-pounds of torque, along with a 56,000-pound payload capability and 798 horsepower. The vehicle’s gross combined vehicle weight, the maximum weight of a vehicle and its attached trailer, is 82,000 pounds. McLane Company, a supply chain services and distribution company, has agreed to a pilot program with 10 Xos HDXT vehicles to explore environmentally friendly alternatives to its current fleet, the news release stated. “We’re excited to collaborate with Xos and pilot their heavy-duty vehicles,” Mark Bachman, corporate fleet manager of McLane, said. “Xos stood out to us based on their successful track record of implementing innovative mobility solutions for other commercial fleets, so we look forward to exploring how they will help us reduce total cost of ownership while offering increased environmental sustainability.” The Xos MDXT is a Class 6 or 7 medium-duty electric vehicle that can travel up to 270 miles on a single charge. It offers 16,000 foot-pounds of max torque and a gross vehicle weight range of 23,000 pounds to 33,000 pounds. The MDXT is available in a variety of body configurations, including a box truck, refrigerated unit and flatbed. Republic National Distributing Company, a wholesale beverage distributor, has already ordered an initial five MDXT vehicles. These will be the first battery-electric fleet vehicles in their fleet and represent RNDC’s commitment to sustainability. “We are building the fleet of the future. The new vehicle platforms go farther, last longer, and cost less for all types of fleets,” Dakota Semler, chief executive officer of Xos, said. “We will continue to bring innovative fleet solutions to market in an effort to provide customers with safer, more sustainable and more cost-efficient products.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Medium-and heavy-duty trucks contribute nearly a quarter of those transport-related emissions, the EPA says. “As an organization, we are dedicated to reducing our environmental impact throughout our distribution network and Xos’ MDXT is an excellent zero-emissions vehicle for us because it allows us to efficiently serve the needs of our suppliers, customers, and community,” Steve Feldman, executive vice president of operations at Republic National Distributing Company, said. In addition to the new electric trucks, Xos is also touting its new software, Xosphere, a fleet intelligence platform built on top of Xos’ proprietary connected vehicle technology and is purpose-built to minimize the total cost of ownership of an electric fleet. According to the news release, the platform allows fleet managers to: Monitor real-time performance and receive alerts and over-the-air updates to improve their fleet’s efficiency; Measure and minimize their fleet’s total energy cost; and Access service and support at the click of a button. UniFirst, which supplies and services uniform and workwear programs, is an existing Xos customer and is already using the Xosphere software to track the health of its fleet in real-time, according to the news release. “The cutting-edge fleet management platform that Xos has introduced to the market will not only help us monitor the health of our fleet in real-time, but this solution will also allow us to track our service history and alert us when preventative maintenance is suggested which will optimize our energy usage,” Michael Croatti, executive vice president of operations for UniFirst, said. Giordano Sordoni, Xos’ chief executive officers and co-founder, said that his company’s new offerings “position Xos as a leading end-to-end fleet services provider, which is a monumental milestone for us. Xos’ approach to scaling and production design allows the company to move with agility and use capital more effectively than traditional OEMs.These trucks are not merely concepts, they are a reality and can be ordered today to advance fleet electrification efforts across the country.”

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Software-as-a-service company FleetUp has introduced a way for fleets to better manage dashcam footage without having to comb through hours and hours of unwanted moving images. “Annotation labeling slashes through all of the recordings that fleets don’t need to review and highlights fleets’ most important footage,” a company news release stated. “It optimizes video analysis, helping fleets efficiently manage risk, coach drivers and reduce everything from accidents to insurance costs to vehicle wear and tear.” Annotation labeling sorts dashcam footage into four categories: High Risk, Medium Risk, Low Risk and False Events. Users can also search videos by vehicle type, event type, risk type and more. “Annotation labeling goes beyond the current industry standard, AI flagging,” according to the news release. “Annotation labeling separates high-risk from low-risk events. For example, it labels a driver going over a speed bump ‘low risk’ and a driver jumping over a curb ‘high risk.’ It provides fast access to the footage fleets absolutely need to review. Other flagging technologies can’t do this with the same degree of accuracy.” According to FleetUp CEO Ezra Kwak, “Without annotation labeling, it’s difficult if not impossible to identify the specific footage needed to pinpoint drivers’ worst mistakes. With annotation labeling, fleets have their most important footage at their fingertips.” Managers can use the annotated footage to see what mistakes their drivers are making – as well as why and when they’re making those mistakes. Then, they can use that footage to coach drivers, showing individual employees the bad choices they made and giving them the information they need to make better choices. The user experience is simple. Managers visit their FleetUp platform and sort dashcam footage by risk level. They also have the option to search videos by vehicle type, event type and more. “It’s a powerful way to manage the safety and liability risks that all fleets face,” the news release stated. “Managers won’t have to waste time reviewing videos of truckers safely braking, looking at their phone while they’re still in park, hitting speed bumps etc.” Annotation labeling includes a number of additional features that simplify fleet management. For example, users can send specific videos directly to their drivers, showing them the exact behavior they shouldn’t repeat. Customizable graphs show the types of risky driving events that are most often putting users’ fleets at risk. “Dashcams have always been a valuable tool,” according to the news release. “But their full potential hasn’t been unlocked until now. FleetUp’s annotation labeling will help managers reduce accidents and all the costs that accidents entail.”    

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Mack Trucks has announced two new safety offerings for customers of the Mack LR® Electric model. The company made the announcement at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, held May 9-12 at the Long Beach Convention Center. First, the Electrify My Refuse Route Program is a unique-to-Mack campaign that rewards customers for sharing their refuse routes to prepare the fleet’s readiness for the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle, according to a news release. Second, Mack announced the availability of Sensta Technologies PreView collision warning technology on several Mack models, including the Mack LR Electric. “Mack continues to invest in programs and technology to improve the total cost of ownership for customers,” Jonathan Randall, Mack Trucks senior vice president of sales and commercial operations, said. “Helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals, the Electrify My Refuse Route Program mitigates costs associated with electrification infrastructure. Along with sustainability, safety remains a priority for the refuse industry and Mack. PreView improves safety for drivers and others on the road, alerting operators when an object is in a blind spot and helping customers, and the industry, maintain enhanced levels of operating safety.” Through the Electrify My Refuse Route program, customers download the Mack Route Recorder app to receive up to $750 in Mack parts gift cards for sharing valid refuse collection routes, the news release stated. Customers who then purchase or lease the Mack LR Electric refuse vehicle can receive $25,000 for charging hardware reimbursement and $10,000 in additional charging reimbursements for each further vehicle purchased. To qualify for parts gift cards and the additional incentives, customers email Mack their recorded collection routes. The customer is then rewarded $250 in gift cards for each submitted qualified route, with a limit of three per customer. Those who receive charging hardware reimbursement following a purchase or lease are limited to specific charger models and manufacturers. PreView is available on the Mack LR Electric, diesel-powered Mack LR and Mack TerraPro models. Utilizing four radar sensors, one on each side of the vehicle, the PreView radar system detects objects and Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) that may be located in a driver’s blind spot. Vulnerable Road Users are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, according to the news release. Indicators in the A-Pillars flash lights and audible alerts are sounded when the system detects a metallic object or a VRU in a blind spot. Available as an option and factory-installed on new builds, customers may also retrofit their trucks with PreView by contacting their local Mack dealer. The next generation LR Electric, launched in March 2022, features 42 percent more energy and a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity offering an increased range, according to Mack. Featuring twin electric motors, the Mack LR Electric offers 448 continuous horsepower and 4,051 pound-feet of peak output torque from zero RPM. The LR Electric has a two-speed Mack Powershift transmission, Mack mRIDE™ suspension and Mack’s proprietary S462R 46,000-pound rear axles. “Easily identifiable by a copper-colored bulldog on the cab denoting the electric drivetrain, the LR Electric’s vehicle propulsion is offered through four NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide) lithium-ion batteries that are charged though a 150 kW, SAE J1772-compliant charging system,” the news release stated. The four batteries also provide all power for every onboard accessory, driven through 12V, 24V and 600V circuits. The two-stage regenerative braking system helps recapture energy from the hundreds of stops the vehicle makes each day with an increasing load. Mack began serial production of the LR Electric in 2021 at its Lehigh Valley Operations facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Class 8 Mack vehicles for North America and export are assembled.