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The Trucker News Staff

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About The Trucker News Staff
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Posts by The Trucker News Staff

Decisiv drives intelligent service management with fleet focused solutions

By The Trucker News Staff -

GLEN ALLEN, Va. and ORLANDO, Fla. — Decisiv, Inc. announced earlier this month at the TMC Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition a series of new fleet-focused asset service management solutions integrated into the Decisiv SRM platform they already have in operation. “These new, connected service management solutions will be of immediate value to the thousands of fleets that are already using the Decisiv SRM platform,” Dick Hyatt, president and CEO at Decisiv, said. “With these new solutions and data driven insights, guided by our focus on Intelligent Service Management, fleets can complement and extend their ability to proactively manage internal and external maintenance and repair activities.” Decisiv SRM serves major commercial vehicle manufacturers, service networks and fleets. Last year, more than 74,000 fleets used the SRM platform under privately branded OEM-provided service management systems. Those SRM management systems for fleets operating across North America are in use by Volvo, Mack, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Freightliner, Western Star, Hino, Isuzu, and Michelin service networks. New fleet-focused solutions introduced by Decisiv include: SRM Discovery Service Priorities Monitor provides an actionable real-time asset service status and fleet performance dashboard. Based on a powerful analytics framework, Decisiv delivers insights into internal and external service operations. This solution provides fleets with a single point of control to better understand the service status of their assets at every service provider. Understanding asset availability and proactively managing service events improves uptime, generates additional revenue, and lowers costs. SRM Intelligent Maintenance gives fleets a solution to completely manage their maintenance needs. Fleets will streamline PM and repair processes by using this solution to build service calendars, create inspections, define standard repair operations, send service requests, and schedule work with outside service providers. Its connectivity with OEM-provided SRM platforms provides immediate access to all asset build, warranty, recall and diagnostic information. This new solution automates and clarifies the maintenance process and provides visibility into event status for PM currency and compliance. SRM Total Service Management enables fleets performing their own internal maintenance and repairs to take advantage of their integrated, OEM-provided service management platform that they currently use to manage external service events. It enables fleets to incorporate asset, diagnostics, warranty, recall and telematics information into every service event case and to automate communication between maintenance and operations personnel. In-context information streamlines processes, improves shop productivity, reduces downtime and costs, and enables fleets to prioritize and act on critical work in progress. “Decisiv SRM already provides measurable value for fleets, including a 25% reduction in downtime, a 71% reduction in triage time and a 90% fix it right the first-time rate,” according to a news release. “Fleets using the platform collectively realize more than 32 million hours of reduced downtime annually by saving more than 8 hours per service event, resulting in more than $3 billion in additional revenue due to improved asset availability.” The Decisiv SRM platform is the largest asset service management system in the industry. Ongoing adoption of the technology pushed platform use to a weekly average of 70,000 service events in 2021. “In the coming year fleets and service providers will manage more than 4 million service events on the Decisiv SRM platform,” Hyatt said. “Our commitment is to build on that foundation by delivering a broad range of fleet and service provider applications.”  

Berylls Strategy Advisors examines the impact of electrified trucks for decarbonizing the U.S. trucking industry

By The Trucker News Staff -

DETROIT — Trucking is a sector that is difficult to decarbonize, and 40% of global road transportation emissions comes from trucking. The average carbon footprint per truck is 50 times higher compared to passenger vehicles, and as C02 taxes rise and bans on diesel trucks in urban areas continue, Berylls Strategy Advisors, a global management consulting firm fully focused on the automobility industry, has investigated the U.S. trucking market and today issued a Berylls Insights Report, “Zero-Emission Trucking in the U.S. – Will Batteries do the Job?” The paper investigates the U.S. truck market, vehicle deployment, applications and technologies to determine if battery electric trucks are the universal solution for decarbonization of the trucking sector. While current manufacturers have been sluggish to introduce zero-emission trucks, investors are bullish about electrified commercial vehicles and funding for startups is readily available (the number of zero-emission truck models available in the U.S. jumped from 20 in 2019 to 145 today). While the number of products available coupled with government incentives impacts adaptation, vehicle range and annual mileage continue to be the main factors that determine the technical and economic feasibility of battery electric trucks compared to other powertrain technology for fleets. All manufacturers have announced electric truck ranges between 150 and 200 miles, and according to the North American Council on Freight Efficiency (NACFE), 98 percent of Class 3 – 6 trucks do not travel more than 150 miles daily. Consequently, these lighter segments can be electrified more easily and without the need for public fast charging infrastructure. Class 3 promises the highest overall market volumes – between 300,000-350,000 annually. Comparatively, the heavy-duty truck market is more volatile with a volume of 200,000-300,000 units annually. These vehicles require high payloads and range requirements, meaning heavier and more expensive batteries. One-hundred miles of extra vehicle range cost 2,500 pounds of payload and an additional $20,000 for the battery, making the investment cost and payload penalty of a larger battery simply too high to justify the total cost of ownership. “Our insight shows that battery electric trucks can be competitive, but not for all use cases,” said Martin French, Berylls U.S. managing director. “There will be a pluralism of powertrain solutions and any truck purchase will be preceded by carefully weighing the importance of technical fit as well as capital and operational expenditures.”

OLIMP Freight launches mobile app providing on-demand warehouse solutions

By The Trucker News Staff -

CHICAGO (PRNewswire) — OLIMP Freight, a Chicago based technology startup, announced the official launch of their mobile application. The online platform connects carriers and brokers with on-demand warehouses for cross docking, daily warehousing, pallet reworks and last-mile delivery – eliminating time consuming searches and costly delays when freight is rejected. Carriers, brokers and dispatchers can quickly search OLIMP’s nationwide network of trusted warehouses based on their location and services needed — comparing pricing, location and reviews to determine which warehouse best fits their immediate need. Users select a warehouse to book and pay online in just a few clicks. OLIMP has partnerships with over 1,400 warehouses across the United States and Canada. The warehouses offer no minimum storage requirements and can be scheduled on-demand for as little as one day, storing loads as small as one pallet. A variety of services can be selected including short term warehousing, pallet rework, local delivery, cold and frozen storage, food grade storage, hazardous materials storage and bonded warehouses. “For a variety of reasons, 5 to 12% of loads are rejected or delayed at the receiver. Brokers and truckers lose valuable time looking for a place where they can take the freight,” Igor Volchenko, OLIMP Freight founder, said. “Our mobile app simplifies the search and booking of real time warehouse services, saving time and money while letting truckers get on to the next job.”  

REPOWR raises $4.2M seed round to advance shared-asset visibility technology

By The Trucker News Staff -

Birmingham, Ala. – REPOWR announced March 15 it closed a $4.2 million Seed round. The round was led by Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), the growth and venture arm of Koch Industries, Inc., with participation from Perot Jain Alliance, Plug and Play Venture Group, and several strategic angel investors. The transportation equipment market has virtually dissipated over the last two years and fleets of all sizes are desperate for additional equipment, specifically trailers. The REPOWR marketplace allows users to book underutilized trucks and trailers within minutes. “The amount of underutilized trailers in the supply chain is just mind-blowing and we recognized the opportunity and need to address this problem, which has ramifications across the entire supply chain,” Patrick Visintainer, CEO of REPOWR, said. “Our job at REPOWR is to bring visibility and value to this ‘invisible trailer capacity’ so the assets keep generating revenue for owners and borrowers. These are valuable assets that all fleets – but especially smaller fleets – need, so we set out to introduce a network marketplace with book-it-now capabilities.” REPOWR is currently working with some of the largest truckload fleets in America to pioneer the world’s first collaborative asset-sharing platform. These early adopters have been equipped with the technology necessary to seamlessly share assets among both internal teams and 3rd-party networks. Users can deploy underutilized assets to the book-it-now marketplace, where asset owners can optimize trailer pools and reduce supply chain costs. “Koch Industries is a global company with significant operations across the entire supply chain, and we appreciate the unique value proposition that REPOWR brings,” Byron Knight, COO and managing director at Koch Disruptive Technologies, said. “Our investment in REPOWR is a vote of confidence in the company’s vision to develop collaborative tools that offer shared visibility and secure chains of custody, giving operators the upper-hand in over-the-road transportation.” REPOWR sees networks as crucial to the successes of future supply chains. During the peak of the 2020 supply chain crunch, REPOWR’s founding team recognized the insensible amount of waste caused by the lack of visibility and collaboration in the commercial equipment space. In fact, REPOWR estimates that there is more than $45 billion in underutilized trucks and trailers within the world’s supply chain. “Traditional methods for sourcing equipment capacity are failing trucking companies, which ripples throughout the supply chain and ultimately affects the economy and consumers,” Spencer Ware, COO of REPOWR, said. “As an industry, we’re overlooking at least $45 billion in underutilized trucks and trailers alone. Collaboration unlocks transparency and visibility, so marketplace users are empowered to connect with 3rd parties to seamlessly share latent asset capacity.”  

ORBCOMM launches next-generation IoT solution for data-driven refrigerated container operations

By The Trucker News Staff -

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. (Globe Newswire) — ORBCOMM Inc. announced Tuesday the launch of its CT 3500 IoT telematics device, the next evolution in smart management of refrigerated containers and their cargoes, enabling end-to-end, remote visibility and control of containerized assets and shipments on land, rail and sea. ORBCOMM’s data-driven refrigerated container solution features enhanced functionality, analytics capabilities, connectivity options and interoperability with third-party telematics devices to help shippers and carriers around the world drive efficiencies in reefer container logistics. ORBCOMM’s solution provides customers with remote, two-way control of reefers to monitor critical parameters and take quick, corrective action to adjust temperature, humidity, Controlled Atmosphere settings, cold treatment and more, all from a centralized location. Customers can set customizable alerts that notify excursions to specified reefer temperature, humidity and Controlled Atmosphere levels, equipment malfunctions, route deviations and unauthorized door opening, helping to ensure cargo quality and compliance and mitigate costly claims. ORBCOMM’s new reefer container monitoring solution also helps reduce delays, save costs and optimize turn times by allowing carriers to run virtual pre-trip inspections of reefer containers. The device integrates seamlessly with ORBCOMM’s ReeferConnect and VesselConnect platforms to show real-time reefer location, status, alerts and other critical data insights through a single view for better decision making, business planning and service levels. The state-of-the-art device features ORBCOMM’s Global SIM for unmatched LTE coverage and supports a wide range of wireless technologies, including LoRa, Bluetooth 5 and NFC in alignment with DCSA standards. It has optional satellite IoT connectivity through ORBCOMM’s external satellite modem for uninterrupted, cost-effective communications. The device supports a variety of wireless sensors, which deliver additional actionable insights, including door, temperature and cargo status. The device’s powerful battery enables remote download of data logs even when the reefer is not on power. It can be installed quickly, either permanently or temporarily for monitoring guest reefers and single trips on a vessel, at a port or in the yard. In addition, customers have access to a user-friendly app to simplify installation, troubleshooting and provisioning of the device and additional sensors. “ORBCOMM’s latest innovation in reefer container telematics demonstrates our leadership in developing feature-rich technology solutions that meet the evolving needs of the shipping industry’s complex supply chains,” Al Tama, ORBCOMM’s vice president of container and port solutions, said. “The enhancements we’ve made to our refrigerated container solution deliver advanced temperature management capabilities and streamlined container operations to help customers make data-driven business decisions, while improving profitability and the customer experience.”

Noodoe EV charging stations now CALeVIP compliant/rebate ready

By The Trucker News Staff -

IRVINE, Calif. — Noodoe EV is now a qualified and certified vendor of operating software and AC and DC charging hardware for the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP). CALeVIP is the agency that provides rebate incentives for EV charger installations throughout California. The announcement was made by Noodoe CEO Jennifer Chang. CALeVIP’s objective is to provide drivers of plug-in EVs with convenient access to chargers while striving to encourage more Californians to consider purchasing EVs. “Noodoe is thrilled that both our Level 2 and DC Fast Chargers now qualify for rebates,” Chang said. “Our diversity of DC chargers brings customers benefits when applying for incentives, because CALeVIP offers an extra $20,000 in incentives for any Fast Charger over 100kW. Noodoe, along with CALeVIP, share a common goal: to provide a streamlined process for getting the EV chargers installed ASAP to fill the gaps in charging availability. The result for Californians is improved air quality, while helping to ward off climate change and reduce the use of fossil fuels.” Qualified Noodoe EV charging products include Level 2 AC7L/AC7LC and DC Fast Charging units, including Noodoe’s Exceed series DC60P, DC120P, DC150P and DC180P charging stations.  

Trucker Tools to implement full stack integration with Turvo

By The Trucker News Staff -

RESTON, Va. and SAN MATEO, Calif. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trucker Tools announced Monday that it is implementing a full-stack integration with Turvo. Underway this month, the integration will enable Turvo customers to utilize the full suite of Trucker Tools Smart Capacity® broker productivity, truckload capacity planning and execution, visibility and carrier relationship management tools. Turvo offers the world’s first modern, cloud-based TMS with a collaboration layer built-in to connect brokers, 3PLs, carriers, and shippers in a single social-media like network. Turvo helps unify systems, people, and processes to more efficiently plan, execute and settle, as well as provide complete visibility down to the end customer. On average, Turvo customers gain the ability to manage three times the freight, with a third of the headcount. With the integration of Trucker Tools, Turvo will be able to offer its customers access to three digital freight management offerings, focused on streamlining interactions and business processes for brokers with truckload freight providers. Those include: Predictive Freight Matching: Provides real-time capacity visibility and streamlined workflows to analyze, present and secure optimal load matches for participating carriers, dramatically reducing broker time and effort to cover a load. The software considers real-time factors and historical data to rank and present loads, considering the carrier’s profile and preferences, current or soon-to-arrive location and proximity to nearby loads. It also considers where the carrier is going next, using that intelligence combined with powerful algorithms to identify and rank future available reloads, enabling brokers to efficiently set up and manage multiple leg moves for carriers. Book it Now®: Automates the process by which a load is offered and accepted between carrier and broker. Carriers can view accurate, real-time available loads on their smartphone, including pricing, and if it’s a match for the trucker, do one-click load acceptance and confirmation. Manual booking, phone calls, emails, and texts with brokers are eliminated. Real-time Shipment Visibility:  Provides an automated, real-time feed of shipment tracking data to Turvo’s TMS via the Trucker Tools mobile app on the driver’s smartphone. Utilizing the phone’s embedded GPS capability, accurate location updates are sent as frequently as every five minutes. Turvo users see the information presented as a graphic, visual ‘bread crumb’ display, mapping the shipment in real-time from pickup to delivery, providing a continually updated estimated time of arrival. “In today’s digital freight environment, seamless integrations to best-of-breed technologies is critical to rapidly and immediately demonstrate value to brokers and 3PLs,” Ron Richardson, chief revenue officer of Turvo, said. “That is the power of Turvo, we offer point-and-click integrations to the industry’s most innovative software providers, and we’re excited to partner with Trucker Tools to offer our users modern, cloud-based TMS coupled with Trucker Tools real-time load tracking and predictive freight matching capabilities.” Richardson emphasized that incorporating Trucker Tools app-based visibility data provides a real-time visibility component “that is capable of meeting or surpassing the visibility consistency requirements of even the largest shippers and brokers.” “Users won’t have to toggle among screens to access and use them, customers can view the real-time location of trucks directly in the Turvo interface,” Prasad Gollapalli, founder and chief executive of Trucker Tools, said. Improving tracking compliance – how consistently and regularly truckers update in-transit location and delivery ETAs – is a recurring sore point with shippers and brokers, Gollapalli note. “Our experience, over hundreds of participating brokers and thousands of carriers, is that once a trucker activates our tracking feature, it’s like ‘fire and forget’; updates happen automatically, the trucker is removed of the burden of check calls and other manual work.” Gollapalli said. Gollapalli said that Trucker Tools research shows that once its tracking app is activated, brokers see trucker tracking compliance increase significantly, “from less than 50 percent, to over 90 percent. It’s a huge time-saver for both the broker and trucker.” Lastly, Richardson cited the benefit of Trucker Tools’ large user community. The mobile driver app, which has 17 of the most sought-after features truckers want for managing their business, has been downloaded by more than 1.7 million truckers. It is actively used as an engagement and business management platform by over 190,000 small truckload fleets operating 10 trucks or less. “Turvo customers gain visibility and access into an entirely new resource for capacity, already trained-on and familiar with a common app for doing business,” Richardson said. “In today’s capacity-constrained market that’s a major advantage. Offering carriers convenience and digital tools for finding the next load, booking it, and providing freight visibility only strengthens engagement with drivers.” The Trucker Tools mobile app is one of the top-downloaded apps in transportation every month. Some 90 percent of truckload market carriers are independent owner-operators and small fleets of 10 trucks or less.  

ACT Research: Despite downside risks, still much to like about U.S. economy & CV markets

By The Trucker News Staff -

COLUMBUS, Ind. – In the release of its Commercial Vehicle Dealer Digest, ACT Research reported that despite materially higher downside risks to the outlook, there is still much to like about the U.S. economic setup, with jobs continuing to outstrip the supply of labor, corporate profits coming off record performance in 2021, and consumers’ balance sheets remaining well positioned – if less well positioned than before the recent market correction. The report, which combines ACT’s proprietary data analysis from a wide variety of industry sources, paints a comprehensive picture of trends impacting transportation and commercial vehicle markets. This monthly report includes a relevant but high-level forecast summary, complete with transportation insights for use by commercial vehicle dealer executives, reviewing top-level considerations such as for-hire indices, freight, heavy and medium duty segments, the total US trailer market, used truck sales information and a review of the U.S. macro economy. “For the guys who buy commercial vehicles, the virus continued to bend consumer spending to goods and away from services in early 2022,” Kenny Vieth, ACT president and senior analyst, said. “Port backlogs and inventory restocking should support freight volumes through the first half of this year, but the longer oil prices remain elevated, the more business and consumer dollars will be diverted. In addition to significant lingering port congestion, pent-up demand in the manufacturing sector broadly remains elevated and corporate profits continue their record-setting run, allowing businesses to invest in productivity enhancing equipment.” Veith said sed commercial vehicle prices are at record levels across Class 8 age and mileage nodes. “Data indicate record valuations for medium-duty and trailer assets as well.” He said. “As 2022 progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that any victory in the form of higher production and sales is going to be hard fought. Be it inflation, supply chain, or now heightened geopolitical concerns, makers and buyers of commercial vehicles will face more challenges in discharging their duties this year.”  

Shell Rotella SuperRigs event rolling into Branson Landing

By The Trucker News Staff -

BRANSON, Mo. — The 40th Annual Shell Rotella® SuperRigs®, a truck beauty contest, will be held June 9-11 at Branson Landing in Branson, Missouri. Branson Landing is a 95-acre waterfront development that holds more than 100 specialty stores, restaurants, and show venues. There are numerous events and activities being planned that will honor 40 years of SuperRigs and the significance truck drivers play in people’s lives. Shell Rotella SuperRigs competitors compete for 24 awards including Best Chrome, Best Lights, and of course, Best of Show. Events are still being planned for the 40th celebration, leveraging the activities that Branson has to offer. Twelve drivers will be selected to have their truck featured in the 2023 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Calendar which will also feature the surrounding area of Branson. Highlights include: Truck Parade at Branson Landing Contestant dinner Truck lights competition Angler, Jimmy Houston offering fishing tips and tricks Musical entertainment The Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition is the premier truck beauty contest for actively working trucks. Owner/operator truckers from across the U.S. and Canada compete annually for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. There is no fee to enter SuperRigs and the weekend is designed to be fun for the whole family.

STG Logistics Acquires the Intermodal Division of XPO Logistics

By The Trucker News Staff -

CHICAGO – STG Logistics announced Friday that it has expanded its leading position in containerized logistics through the acquisition of the intermodal division of XPO Logistics, one of the largest providers of container transportation services in North America. The combined business will go to market as STG Logistics. As part of this transaction, STG, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners since 2016, was recapitalized by Wind Point as well as funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., including Oaktree’s Transportation Infrastructure Investing and Global Opportunities Group. STG CEO Paul Svindland and STG President and CFO Geoff Anderman will continue to lead the company. Current STG COO Todd Larson will lead the legacy STG operations as EVP of STG and COO of STG’s Distribution segment, and Paul Smith, formerly president of XPO’s intermodal division, will lead STG’s intermodal operations as EVP of STG and COO of STG Intermodal. “I could not be more excited about this game-changing acquisition,” Svindland said. “We are combining STG’s leading position in facility-based container logistics with XPO Intermodal’s leading position in container transport, creating a platform with unparalleled capabilities. Once combined, the STG network will be able to handle a container from the instant it’s ready at a port or customer facility to the moment each individual shipment arrives at its final destination, all the while providing customers full visibility and a single source of accountability.” STG is a leading provider of facilities-based containerized logistics services including container deconsolidation, reconsolidation, transloading, warehousing, and outsourced transportation solutions including final mile delivery. STG operates a nationwide facility network comprised of 28 port locations totaling more than five million square feet and maintains relationships with more than 65 inland partners who enable final mile access to all major metro areas. Since Wind Point’s investment in 2016, STG has more than quadrupled in size through organic growth and 10 add-on acquisitions. The XPO intermodal division acquired by STG is North America’s third largest provider of containerized transportation services, providing intermodal drayage and rail brokerage services for retailers, manufacturers, third party logistics providers, and other types of customers. The network features 48 locations, 11,000 containers, 2,200 tractors, and 5,200 chassis. The division was formed through XPO’s purchase of Pacer in 2014 and Bridge Terminal Transport in 2015. “We are thrilled to complete this initial stage of our journey with the team at STG and excited to have the opportunity to reinvest in the combined business as it embarks on its next phase of growth,” Konrad Salaber, managing director at Wind Point, said. “STG is expected to exceed $1.7 billion in 2022 revenue and maintains an aggressive strategy for growth focused on transloading, warehouse solutions, fulfillment, and domestic intermodal services. We’re also excited to be partnering with Oaktree, a group we know well with a highly successful track record investing in a variety of port, rail, and related logistics infrastructure assets.” Financing for the transaction was led by Antares Capital and included Deutsche Bank Direct Lending, Stifel, Citizens, and MUFG. Kirkland & Ellis provided transaction counsel to Wind Point and Oaktree and McCarter & English provided transportation counsel to STG, Wind Point and Oaktree. KPMG and PWC provided transaction advisory services on the transaction. Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. acted as M&A adviser to STG Logistics and Oaktree on STG’s acquisition of XPO’s intermodal division. Harris Williams acted as M&A adviser to STG Logistics and Wind Point on the recapitalization of STG. Raymond James acted M&A adviser to XPO Logistics.

Highway in Leavenworth reopened after perceived bomb threat

By The Trucker News Staff -

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. — Part of a highway in Washington state has reopened after it was closed Thursday in both directions because of a bomb threat, authorities said. Chelan County emergency officials said dispatchers received the threat at 4:53 p.m. Thursday, prompting the partial closure of U.S. Highway 2 in the central Washington mountain town of Leavenworth. At about 8:15 p.m. responders from multiple local agencies secured the perimeter. No devices were found, authorities said. No further information about the threat was released. Leavenworth is in the Cascade Mountains east of Seattle. The incident began when a threat was made sometime after 5 p.m., according to Wenatchee World. A public safety alert was issued at 7:04 p.m., advising the public to shelter in place and avoid areas of downtown. Traffic was also diverted, with a command post being established by the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office at a fire station on Chumstick Highway. A bomb-sniffing dog was brought in and authorities searched the area. No bombs or suspicious devices were found. “This is the second time in the last 15 months that downtown Leavenworth has evacuated due to a bomb threat,” according to the Wenatchee World. “In December 2020, an unidentified man called RiverCom Dispatch and said there was a bomb in an unspecified location in Leavenworth. No bomb was found.” — The Associated Press and Wenatchee World contributed to this report.

Mackinac Bridge closed due to falling ice

By The Trucker News Staff -

SAINT IGNACE, Mich. — The Mackinac Bridge remains closed to all traffic because of ice falling from the bridge’s cables and towers. While closing the bridge at any time creates an inconvenience, these falling chunks create an unacceptable danger to traffic crossing the 5-mile span between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The bridge closed at 11 a.m. Thursday. It is not known how long this closure will last. For updates, check the bridge’s Twitter page and the Mackinac Bridge Authority website. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) posts information on closures on Twitter and Facebook, as well as on freeway dynamic message signs. Mackinac County 911, using its RAVE Alert System, will send updates and information from the MBA to users’ cell phones any time the bridge has a partial or full closure due to weather or other conditions. Messages also will be sent when a full closure is reduced to a partial closure or when the bridge reopens to all traffic. To sign up, text “MacBridge” to 67283. Each winter, ice forms on the cables and towers of the Mackinac Bridge, usually from freezing rain. When winds increase or temperatures rise, that ice can dislodge suddenly, sending sheets or spears of ice cascading down to the bridge deck below. Ice can drop more than 300 feet before hitting the bridge deck and the pieces are sometimes large enough to damage vehicles or cause injuries. The bridge has closed at least 21 times total according to MBA records. Over the last few years, freezing rain and mid-winter warm-ups have been more frequent, and the bridge has seen had more closures for falling ice. Bridge officials cannot reliably predict when the ice will form, or how long these closures will last.

Tractor-trailer hits storm chaser during tornado

By The Trucker News Staff -

ROUND ROCK, Texas — A storm chaser’s vehicle was hit by tractor-trailer that was blown off the road by winds from a tornado crossing a highway east of Round Rock, Texas, on Monday. The incident was caught on video by a storm chaser, as vehicle was pulled and stopped off the highway. The video shows the tractor trailer come from behind the vehicle, falling on its side and skidding as a man’s voice says, “holy crap” and then an expletive. The truck would skid on its side and eventually stop with the driver’s side facing toward the sky. The video then cuts to good Samaritans around the vehicle assisting a man climbing out of the driver’s side window. It then cuts to a similarly dressed man lying on the ground, conscious. According to the video’s description on YouTube, there was a driver and a passenger. The driver of the tractor trailer appeared to be “OK” according to the description, but the passenger “suffered injuries and was transported to a hospital.” The storm chaser, Brandon Clement, was not reported to be injured nor were any passengers in the vehicle if there were any.

USDOT announces $2.9B for major infrastructure projects

By The Trucker News Staff -

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced that $2.9 billion in funding is now available for major infrastructure projects through a combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. According to a DOT news release, “combining three major discretionary grant programs into one Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant opportunity reduces the burden for state and local applicants and increases the pipeline of ‘shovel-worthy’ projects that are now possible because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.” The DOT says the investments will create good-paying jobs, grow the economy, reduce emissions, improve safety, make the nation’s transportation more sustainable and resilient and expand transportation options in rural America and other underserved communities. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix our outdated infrastructure and invest in major projects for the future of our economy,” Buttigieg said. “Until now, we had limited ability to make awards beyond a certain level, or to support projects with funding from multiple federal grant programs. Under this approach and with a major infusion of new funding, we have the capacity to green-light more transformational projects that will create good-paying union jobs, grow the economy, and make our transportation system safer and more resilient.” The National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program was created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund major projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs. The program will provide grants on a competitive basis to support multijurisdictional or regional projects of significance that may also cut across multiple modes of transportation. Eligible projects could include highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail and public transportation projects of national and regional significance. These could be bridges or tunnels connecting two states; new rail and transit lines that improve equity and reduce emissions; and freight hubs integrating ship, train and truck traffic while improving environmental justice. DOT will award 50 percent of funding to projects greater than $500 million in cost, and 50 percent to projects greater than $100 million but less than $500 million in cost. The program will receive up to $1 billion this year alone and be able to provide multi-year funding to projects. The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program is an existing competitive program that will see a more than 50 percent increase in this year’s funding due to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Projects will improve safety, generate economic benefits, reduce congestion, enhance resiliency and hold the greatest promise to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements, according to the DOT. Last year, DOT received more than $10 billion of project applications but could only fund around $1 billion of projects. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides approximately $8 billion for INFRA over 5 years, of which approximately $1.55 billion will be made available through this NOFO. The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (RURAL) was created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will support projects to improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life. Eligible projects for Rural grants include highway, bridge and tunnel projects that help improve freight, safety, and provide or increase access to an agricultural, commercial, energy or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area. This year alone, DOT will award up to $300 million in grants through the rural program — part of the $2 billion included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law over five years. “Putting these three programs under a single NOFO makes it easier for communities to apply to one, two or three major discretionary grant programs with a single application and common set of criteria,” according to the DOT. The DOT will make awards under the three grant programs consistent with each grant program’s statutory language and will focus on supporting projects that improve safety, economic competitiveness, equity, and climate and sustainability. Also, a single solicitation will also help the DOT get a more comprehensive view of projects in development nationwide. The three programs under this combined NOFO will continue to receive support from the DOT, including the rural-focused ROUTES program team as well as the Build America Bureau.

ACT Research: U.S. trailer OEMs continue to carefully control tight orders

By The Trucker News Staff -

COLUMBUS, Ind. – February net US trailer orders of 27,041 units increased about 1% from the previous month and were 6% higher compared to February of 2021. Before accounting for cancellations, new orders of 28.1k units were virtually unchanged versus January, but up almost 3% from the previous February, according to this month’s issue of ACT Research’s State of the Industry: U.S. Trailer Report. “Tight order control, bordering on order allocation, continues to be the norm for the industry,” Frank Maly, director of CV transportation analysis and research at ACT Research, said. While demand for equipment continues at a torrid pace, OEMs are carefully metering orders to production levels,”. He said small fleets and dealers continue to struggle to obtain equipment, as discussions point toward larger players willing to make large volume commitments. “Some reports indicate that fleets are willing to make sizeable commitments that would extend well into 2023, but it seems OEMs are not particularly willing to push the order board to those extremes,” Maly said. “Support from the supply chain, as OEMs attempt to ramp output, will be the controlling factor on any order surge.” He said that OEMs have kept this metric in a tight range between 7.4 months and 8.4 months since June. “However, February’s 8.1-month level commits the industry into early November, and we will soon be approaching a backlog-to-build ratio that will extend into the new year, where new model years and new pricing commitments could complicate order acceptance,” Maly said  

Ohio State Highway Patrol unveils new Safety Belt Dashboard

By The Trucker News Staff -

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Highway Patrol released a new dashboard devoted to safety belt enforcement and education, furthering its emphasis that the use of safety belts by the motoring public continues to be a top priority for troopers. The Safety Belt Dashboard is a detailed view of unbelted crashes across Ohio, and the important work that troopers around the state are doing to ensure motorists are buckled up. The Safety Belt Dashboard can be viewed by clicking here. “One of the easiest and most effective ways for motorists to avoid serious injuries or death in a crash is by wearing their safety belt,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “This new dashboard highlights those who have been saved by wearing a safety belt and raises awareness on the importance of buckling up every time you travel.” Law enforcement officials say that a safety belt is one of the most important things a motorist can do to prevent life-threatening injuries resulting from a crash. Safety belt compliance in Ohio has averaged 84% since 2016, but when compared to the national average of over 90%, troopers know there is much more work to be done. The new Safety Belt Dashboard is a part of the Ohio Statistics and Analytics for Traffic Safety (OSTATS), which is a series of internal and public-facing dashboards dedicated to exploration, analysis, and visualization of crash data across Ohio. Users of the public-facing Safety Belt Dashboard have the ability to filter data, find specific county and route statistics and see the life-saving results of buckling up. In addition, an interactive map shows photos of recipients of the Patrol’s “Saved by the Belt” award, which recognizes motorists who avoided life-threatening injuries by making the decision to wear their safety belt. The interactive map also shows the location and description of the crash, as well as photos of their vehicles. “Troopers see the devastating results of unbelted crashes firsthand, which is why safety belt usage remains a top concern,” said Colonel Richard S. Fambro, Patrol superintendent. “This dashboard furthers the Patrol’s prioritization of saving lives. The new Safety Belt Dashboard is a tool for the public, media, and policymakers to see how important it is for motorists to buckle up – every trip, every time.” Since 2017, there have been over 254,000 unbelted crashes in Ohio, with over 2,500 of those crashes resulting in fatalities. During the same timeframe, troopers have issued over 516,000 safety belt citations. Motorists are reminded to follow speed limits, always buckle up, and never drive impaired or distracted. If you see dangerous driving, safely call #677 to contact a local patrol post.  

Solo chooses Unique Electric Solutions to electrify its Class 8 autonomous test truck

By The Trucker News Staff -

HOLBROOK, N.Y.  — Solo Advanced Vehicle Technologies has selected the uniqueEV® battery electric drive system from Unique Electric Solutions to power its first test trucks. To ensure Solo meets its goal of closed road testing in 2022, Unique Electric Solutions has repowered a Class 8 chassis, which is now powered by a high torque motor, 600volt lithium-ion phosphate batteries, and all associated drive electronics and software. This ground-up heavy truck platform will be compatible with any autonomous driving software, thereby solving the inefficiency of retrofitting today’s human-centric diesel trucks for autonomous driving. “Our test trucks are an essential component of our development process,” Graham Doorley, CEO of Solo, said. “The design and engineering of our earliest test vehicles will inform every choice we hone in on for our alpha truck, the SD1 Heavy. When we went about identifying partners to get us to testing in short order, UES delivered with a fast, cost-effective, and low risk method of repowering our chassis. We look forward to all that we’ll learn together and ultimately how that will determine the parameters for Solo’s production powertrain.” Unique Electric Solutions has seen dramatic growth in demand of electric conversions, also known as repowers. Repowering is the process of taking existing, in-service gas or diesel-powered vehicles and converting – or retrofitting – them to battery-electric powertrains. This provides all the benefits of a new, electric truck including zero tailpipe emissions, quiet operation, and dramatic reduction in operating costs. Repowering to electric is a faster, cheaper and easier way to go electric with commercial trucks and buses. “Solo is leading the way not only in building the world’s most advanced truck platform, but in the matter they are developed, designed, and tested,” Joe Ambrosio, CEO of Unique Electric Solutions, said. “We are pleased they have chosen us to partner on this initial test vehicle.”  

FleetPride acquires Portville Truck & Auto Repair of Portville, New York

By The Trucker News Staff -

IRVING, Texas — FleetPride, Inc. announced Tuesday that it has acquired the assets of Portville Truck & Auto Repair. Along with their two main locations in Portville, New York., the company also operates Fat Cat’s Recovery and Repair in Steamburg, New York; I-86 Repair and Towing in Belmont, New York; and Big Dog Heavy Duty Recovery and Repair in Kane, Pennsylvania. Chris Travis, founder of Portville Truck & Auto Repair, will serve as general manager of the new FleetPride locations. “I am very proud of all the hard work our team has done over the last 38 years to build our business and take care of our customers,” Travis said. “We are excited for this new venture, which allows us to significantly grow our parts business while bolstering our existing service capabilities, giving even greater support to our customers in the area. We know our team will add value to the FleetPride organization as well, bringing decades of truck towing, recovery, and repair expertise.” This acquisition is the third for FleetPride this year. With the recent launch of their dedicated service business unit, FleetPride’s strategy has been a key enabler to integrating businesses better and faster, and to scaling their capabilities for customers nationwide. “Chris Travis has built an outstanding company,” Cory Anderson, FleetPride’s vice president and general manager of service, said. “We are thrilled to welcome everyone at Portville Truck & Auto Repair, including their Fat Cat’s, I86, and Big Dog locations, to FleetPride and expand our nationwide parts and service network into new territory in the Southern Tier of New York and northern Pennsylvania.” Mike Harris, FleetPride’s senior vice president of sales and operations, said the company looks forward to working with Travis and the Portville Truck & Auto team. “I also want to thank and acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our FleetPride team members who put in endless hours to support our robust Mergers and Acquisitions engine,” Harris said. “Because of their efforts, we are building the best parts and service solutions provider in the heavy-duty aftermarket.”

ACT Research For-Hire Trucking Index: Capacity tight, but improving

By The Trucker News Staff -

COLUMBUS, Ind. — The latest release of ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index, with February 2022 data, showed decreases in the Volume and Pricing Indices, as the Capacity Index grew. The ACT For-Hire Trucking Index is a monthly survey of for-hire trucking service providers. ACT Research converts responses into diffusion indexes, where the neutral or flat activity level is 50. “The Volume Index fell 1.7 points in February, in line with our revised GDP forecasts for 2022, as inflation weighs on consumers’ wallets,” Carter Vieth, research associate at ACT Research, said. “The freight volume outlook remains positive, but COVID variants and the inflationary effects of war cast some uncertainty.” He said the Capacity Index rose from January to February, ticking to 52.4. “The improvement was driven by more drivers returning to seats, after Omicron increased absenteeism in January, and truck manufacturers still building at slightly above-replacement rates in February,” Vieth said. “With equipment production still challenged, the improvement in recent months is likely largely about drivers, and the sustainability of the gains will be important to the 2022 rate trajectory.” He added that equipment may soon surpass drivers as the top constraint on trucking capacity, particularly if Ukrainian neon-related production issues further strain the Class 8 tractor fleet. “The pandemic continues to pressure driver availability, but with labor force participation gradually and pro-cyclically picking up, as more people respond to higher pay, the trend in driver availability should continue to gradually recover,” Veith said. The ACT Freight Forecast provides forecasts for spot truckload rates by trailer type for four to six quarters and truck volumes and contract rates for three years for the truckload, less-than-truckload and intermodal segments of the transportation industry. In 2019, the average accuracy of the report’s truckload spot rate forecasts was 98%. The ACT Research Freight Forecast uses equipment capacity modeling and the firm’s economics expertise to provide unprecedented visibility for the future of freight rates, helping businesses in transportation and logistics management plan with confidence.

Connecticut Truck Driving Championship returns after 2-year hiatus

By The Trucker News Staff -

WINDSORT LOCKS, Conn. — After a two-year hiatus, the Motor Transport Association of Connecticut will hold the 71st Annual Connecticut Truck Driving Championship. This year’s family-friendly event will be held on June 11 at the FedEx Freight facility at 130 Old County Circle in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The Truck Driving Championship will be followed by the awards ceremony and catered barbecue from Bears BBQ. This year’s field competition starts at 10 a.m. with the awards program and barbecue scheduled to start around 3 p.m. The driver roll call is set for 7:30 a.m. sharp. The registration fee is $100 per driver and includes one ticket to the BBQ dinner. Register by May 16 to receive a commemorative polo shirt. Those drivers who win their class at the state level will have the chance to compete at the national level. This year’s ATA Nationals will be held in Indianapolis on Aug. 16-20.