The Trucker News Staff

BOISE, Idaho – Carriers can keep their business running no matter where they are with the launch of Truckstop Go™, a next-generation mobile app from Truckstop.com. Users can find loads in real time, book loads instantly, locate competitive rates and get paid quickly, all through a mobile app. New Truckstop Go features will include: Live Loads – provide notifications in real time when a new load matching search criteria is posted. Book it Now – books loads instantly from trusted brokers with competitive rates. Factoring* – eliminates paperwork and get quickly paid all through the mobile app. “Mobile apps give carriers the freedom and flexibility they need to conduct business on their own terms, whether they are on the road or at home,” Brett Webb, chief product officer of Truckstop.com, said. “We have listened to our customers and created an intuitive and comprehensive app full of the features and functionality they want to organize their businesses and become more competitive.” Available next month, Truckstop Go will enable carriers to get more done in more places with key features that provide critical tools that keep their businesses moving forward. Carriers can check daily rate information for loads to help them negotiate with confidence and swipe in app to save, compare and hide loads so they can focus on what’s important, staying on the road and in the money. For carriers, mobilizing their operations is crucial and mobile apps have become table stakes, especially in the freight transportation industry. According to a survey from Truckstop.com, nearly half (46%) of respondents use a mobile app daily to do their jobs. Sixty percent of respondents use mobile features for freight matching or to find loads, with 59% checking spot rates. Apps are also helping with back-end operations: 58% of carriers use mobile features to get paid faster and 54% use them to eliminate the paperwork. According to the survey, carriers polled use mobile apps daily for: Freight matching/finding loads – 60% Checking spot rates – 59% Getting paid quickly – 58% Eliminating paperwork – 54% Ensuring compliance – 48% Forty-six percent also say they use a mobile app for load planning every single day – 93% use an app at least once a month.

LAS VEGAS – Drivewyze has partnered with Samsara to streamline the driver onboarding experience. By having an administrator enter their Samsara credentials, vehicle and driver data from Samsara will automatically sync to Drivewyze PreClear and Drivewyze Safety+ applications to simplify the driver onboarding process. “Activation is very easy and simple with no transponders required,” Gavin Henry, Drivewyze vice president of business development & channel management, said. “Samsara customers can immediately begin taking advantage of weigh station bypass at more than 800 locations, in 49 states and provinces.” Samsara’s Connected Operations Cloud allows businesses that depend on physical operations to harness IoT (Internet of Things) data to develop actionable business insights. With Samsara’s open API, users can connect their most important third-party applications to the platform and unlock a more holistic view of this data in real-time. “We’re excited to add Drivewyze as our latest partner integration on the Samsara App Marketplace,” said Chris Mozzocchi, senior director of product management for ecosystem integrations at Samsara. “In today’s landscape, we know operational efficiency is more important than ever. A huge part of that efficiency lies in the driver experience and making sure they have the technology they need to remain productive. By integrating with Drivewyze, we aim to automate the onboarding experience so that drivers can focus on what matters most to their business.” “Samsara offers an easy-to-use platform and fleets see the value – it’s why their customer base is growing rapidly,” Henry said. “We’re excited to be partnering with Samsara to make the driver onboarding experience as easy as possible for our customers.” Once activated, driver and vehicle data from Samsara are automatically synced to Drivewyze and consolidated with additional data points, like safety scores and registration, and transmitted to the weigh station.  This information is then calculated against the bypass criteria established by the state or province. If the carrier and vehicle pass the criteria, at one mile out, the driver receives permission to bypass the site on their mobile device. The better the fleet’s safety score, the more bypasses typically granted. Drivewyze is now available for customers on the Samsara App Marketplace. Subscribers to Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass can also activate Drivewyze Safety Notifications, a free service that provides safety notifications for high rollover areas, mountain corridors, and low bridges. In addition, fleets can subscribe to Drivewyze Safety+, an extension of Drivewyze Safety Notifications. The service provides fleets and drivers with additional safety notifications and back-office tools for fleets to create their own customized driver alerts, plus offers safety analytics to monitor driver behavior and driver coaching.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Volvo Trucks North America’s customer WattEV has ordered 50 Class 8 Volvo VNR Electric trucks to launch its unique Truck-as-a-Service model in California. WattEV’s TaaS model provides shippers and carriers access to battery-electric trucks at a per-mile rate, including charging, that is on par with the total cost of operating diesel trucks. Over the next several months, the Volvo VNR Electric trucks will begin operating on routes between California’s San Joaquin Valley, Inland Empire, and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. “Volvo Trucks applauds WattEV’s unique approach to accelerating fleet electrification through its TaaS model, which aims to remove potential barriers to adoption so that fleets of all sizes can get access to electric Class 8 trucks and perform local and regional delivery with zero-tailpipe emissions,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said. “This type of innovative thinking is necessary to transform how the industry transports freight, and we look forward to collaborating with WattEV as they scale their TaaS fleet across California and the nation.” To support its TaaS model, WattEV is building a public network of heavy-duty battery-electric truck charging depots to service major transportation corridors, connecting shipping ports with freight distribution centers and warehouse locations. WattEV’s first public truck charging depots will be in Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and near the Port of Long Beach, and will feature 250 kW CCS chargers that will provide the Volvo VNR Electric trucks an 80% charge in 90 minutes for the six-battery packs. As WattEV’s public charging network expands nationwide, the company plans to scale its depots to provide 1.2 MW charging capability for ultra-fast charging. “WattEV is thrilled to purchase our first battery-electric Class 8 trucks from Volvo Trucks as they quickly scale their electric truck supply and dealer support network across the nation,” Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV, said. “We are grateful to partner with an OEM that shares the same commitment to freight electrification throughout North America.” Volvo Trucks is focused on supporting customers in their electromobility transition by expanding its network of Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle Dealerships, where service teams are trained and equipped to safely perform battery-electric truck maintenance and repairs, and key VNR Electric parts are stocked to minimize downtime. Volvo Trucks currently has certified dealers in the U.S. in California, New York, and Virginia, as well as in Quebec, Canada, with dealerships in several additional states finalizing their certifications throughout 2022. WattEV’s Volvo VNR Electric order was facilitated by TEC Equipment Fontana, which was the first Volvo Certified EV Dealer in the nation and offers onsite charging for its customers. “It is rewarding to see the momentum building for battery-electric truck adoption, and TEC Equipment is committed to continue supporting fleets like WattEV with their electric truck procurement plans, including identifying and securing incentive funding,” David Thompson, founder and CEO of TEC Equipment, said in reference to his team’s support helping WattEV secure vouchers from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). The Volvo VNR Electric model is designed as a sustainable transportation solution for local and regional distribution, pickup and delivery, and food and beverage distribution. The models ordered by WattEV are based on its six-battery package option featuring increased energy storage of 565 kWh and an operational range of up to 275 miles. To learn more about the Volvo VNR Electric, visit the company website.  

BOISE, Idaho – Customers can negotiate rates and stay competitive in the spot market with Truckstop.com Rate Insights, a spot market rate tool using machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide accurate, same-day rate estimates at the load level. Rate Insights comes standard with Load Board Pro and Premium subscriptions, providing standalone accessibility for shippers, and API access for all customers. This more advanced rate tool feature is available within the freight matching web and mobile experiences. Carriers, brokers and shippers can access daily market rates specific to load attributes, including equipment type, location and dates. New Truckstop.com Rate Insights features include: Rate estimate – See specific rates based on unique load attributes. Rate comparison – Benchmark the posted rate against a data-driven estimated rate. 4-week trend – See spot rate trends over four weeks. 36-month trend – See spot rate trends over 36 months. “Accurate and timely spot rates give brokers, shippers and carriers alike the power of negotiation and the ability to stay competitive in the market,” Pete Lunenfeld, chief product officer at Truckstop.com said. “We are the first in the industry to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to provide customers with same-day spot rate estimates at the load level—a game changer, considering the industry standard uses 30-day lane-level rates using broad region averages. We are leveling the playing field for our customers, further enabling them to continue to move their freight and business forward.” Rate Insights will enable customers to post and negotiate competitive rates and is available on desktop and in the Truckstop.com mobile app, Truckstop Go™ as both a load rate estimate and general rate insight tool for lane analysis. For more information, visit https://truckstop.com/product/rate-insights.  

AUSTIN, Texas – SH 130 Concession Company, the private entity that operates and maintains the 41-mile southern section of State Highway 130, is utilizing satellite technology to evaluate roadway conditions with millimeter accuracy in order to identify and address potential problems before they impact safety or ride quality. The company has partnered with EO59, a U.S.-based technology startup that provides remote monitoring services to measure ground and structural movement. Satellites pass over the SH 130 toll road between Austin and San Antonio every six days and provide measurements on more than 30,000 points along the roadway, according to a news release. SH 130 Concession Company is one of the first private companies or public agencies in Texas to use satellite technology to monitor major roadway maintenance conditions on an ongoing basis. “Limited use of satellite monitoring in the transportation industry nationwide has typically been on much smaller structures such as bridges and retaining walls,” the news release stated. The company is the satellite to monitor the full 41-mile length of the state-owned toll road facility that it operates and maintains. Company officials said they can assess the performance of past maintenance projects, as well as predict and mitigate potential future issues. “We needed an independent, data-driven analysis of our previous roadway repair projects, as well as a tool for looking at future needs and performance,” SH 130 Concession Company Chief Operating Officer Jeff Billows said. “There will always be a need for in-person visual inspections, but the satellite monitoring allows us to identify areas to concentrate on long before they would be noticed through visual assessment.” EO59 focuses on using satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to track subtle movements as slight as one millimeter. The project with SH 130 is the company’s first in Texas. SH 130 Concession Company CEO Doug Wilson said he believes that incorporating technologies like InSAR is critical for the company’s predictive approach to keeping SH 130 among the safest highways in the state. “By utilizing this innovative technology, SH 130 Concession Company is taking a proactive approach to maintenance that uses incredibly detailed data to accurately predict potential problems so that we can address those issues well before they begin to impact the driving experience of our customers,” Wilson said. “The Austin-San Antonio corridor is booming, and SH 130 will be increasingly important as more people and goods move through the region. It’s imperative that we continue to implement innovative solutions that keep SH 130 a safe and predictable route for many years to come.”