Business

DUBUQUE, Iowa – Hirschbach Motor Lines announced Thursday the acquisition of Sapulpa, Oklahoma-based refrigerated carrier John Christner Trucking (JCT). The combined revenue of both companies will exceed $1 billion and will propel Hirschbach to one of the nation’s largest refrigerated carriers (from 6th to 2nd on the 2021 Transport Topics 2021 ranking). The organization will now operate over 3,000 trucks and 5,000 trailers, along with a $150 million 3PL operation. “These two organizations should be united and fit together like two puzzle pieces,” Brad Pinchuk, CEO and owner of Hirschbach, said. “JCT covers the map coast to coast along the southern tier of the U.S. while Hirschbach’s density is largely east of the Rocky Mountains.” Pinchuk said that in addition to adding JCT’s 800 trucks, the company will be able to offer its customers access to JCT’s logistics operation. The acquisition is bolstered by the close alignment of both companies’ cultures. “We’re both driver-centric organizations that focus on taking care of our people so they can take care of our customers,” Pinchuk said. “We’re proud to be truckers and the roles we play in servicing our customers and feeding this great country.” JCT was started in 1986 by the John Christner. Christner got his start in trucking in the 1960s hauling produce from California and returning to the coast with juice or meat, and this is still the core of what JCT does today. John handed the reins of JCT to his two sons – Danny and Darryl – who took the company to the next level by expanding the size of the trucking company and starting their logistics business. “It’s truly an honor to have been selected by the Christner family to be entrusted with their baby,” Pinchuk said. “He (John) built his company on the values of hard work and a relentless pursuit of excellence, always walking the walk and delivering what he promised.” While John and Darryl Christner will be retiring, Danny Christner will join Hirschbach as president of JCT. “We’ll run JCT as a separate company with Danny Christner (current JCT CEO) as the president,” Pinchuk said. “He and Dan Wallace (Hirschbach president) will be joined at the hip finding ways to service our combined customers, take care of our team members, and run as efficiently as possible.” “On behalf of myself and the Christner family, we are extremely excited and grateful to be partnering with Brad Pinchuk and the Hirschbach team,” Danny Christner, CEO of John Christner Trucking, said. “The ability to transition two of our owners was paramount to any agreement, but equally important was the desire to retain JCT’s identity and autonomy to continue delivering on the long-standing commitments we have to our customers, drivers and non-driving associates.” Christner said that both companies are healthy and profitable premium service providers with tremendous brand value, as well as strategic network synergies. The transaction is set to close in early April, but both teams are already starting the collaborative process. “The Hirschbach and JCT teams are having a lot of fun getting to know each other and already sharing best practices which will greatly benefit both organizations,” Pinchuk said.

IRVING, Texas — FleetPride, Inc. announced Tuesday that it has acquired the assets of MTR Fleet Services of Cumming, Georgia. “Our company is committed to the principle of operational readiness. That means investing in our customers, investing in our capabilities, and investing in our team,” Jason Martin, founder of MTR Fleet Services, said. “With FleetPride, we are teaming up to join a company that shares our philosophy. We’re excited to become a part of their new nationwide service organization.” The MTR team supports customers throughout metro Atlanta and northern Georgia with service, including heavy duty repairs, body work and on-site maintenance services. “It is a pleasure to welcome the MTR Fleet Services team to FleetPride,” Cory Anderson, FleetPride general manager and vice president of service, said. “Jason Martin has developed a first-class team that is focused on total customer satisfaction. We look forward to expanding the solutions offered to their customers, with several parts locations in the Atlanta market, including our regional Distribution Center for added support.” Recently, FleetPride launched a dedicated service business unit to manage the growing footprint of company-owned service centers, now encompassing more than 60 locations. “Today we take another important step in our commitment to deliver solutions to our customers in the heavy-duty aftermarket,” Mike Harris, FleetPride senior vice president of sales and operations, said. “I am very proud of what we are building here at FleetPride. Over the last 18 months, we’ve upgraded our supply chain, introduced FleetPride.com as the first click in heavy duty, and we have continued to partner with great businesses like MTR Fleet Services. All of this is possible because we have great people. Our team members are truly amazing – they work hard every day to help our customers be successful. We’re excited to welcome Jason Martin and his team to the family.”

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s president said Monday the U.S. suspension on avocado imports and recent environmental complaints are part of a conspiracy against his country by political or economic interests. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador put forward the conspiracy theory after the U.S. suspended imports of Mexican avocados on the eve of the Super Bowl following a threat against a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico. In fact, the U.S. measure was due to years of worries that drug cartel violence in the western Mexico state of Michoacan — where gangs extort money from avocado growers by threatening to kidnap and kill them — has spilled over to threats against U.S. inspectors. López Obrador on one hand downplayed the measure, saying avocados for game day itself had already been shipped north and consumed. “The truth, the Mexican avocados have already been exported,” he said at his daily news briefing. “They already enjoyed the avocados.” On the other hand, he said producers who wanted to compete with Mexican products, or political factors, played a role in the decision. “In all of this there are also a lot of political interests and political interests, there is competition; they don’t want Mexican avocados to get into the United States, right, because it would rule in the United States because of its quality,” López Obrador said. He did not explain what those interests were, but noted ominously, “There are other countries that are interested in selling avocados, as in the case of other farm products, so they lobby, they look for senators, professional public (relations) people and agencies, to put up obstacles.” In fact, the U.S. grows about half the avocados it consumes and to protect domestic orchards from pests, inspects imported avocados — nearly 90% of which came from Mexico in recent years. It was only in 1997 that the U.S. lifted a ban on Mexican avocados that had been in place since 1914 to prevent a range of weevils, scabs and pests from entering U.S. orchards. The inspectors work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. On Saturday, the U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after one of those inspectors in Mexico received a threatening message. Mexico’s Agriculture Department said in a statement that “U.S. health authorities … made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote. Avocado growers in Mexico have been the victims of drug cartel turf battles and extortion in the western state of Michoacan, the only state in Mexico fully authorized to export to the U.S. market. After a similar incident in 2019, the USDA warned Mexico it would suspend the program if the inspectors’ safety wasn’t guaranteed. But the avocado ban was just the latest of several actual or potential sanctions last week on Mexican exports stemming from the Mexican government’s inability to rein in illegal activities. On Thursday, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office filed an environmental complaint against Mexico for failing to stop illegal fishing to protect the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise. And on Monday, Mexican fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico were “prohibited from entering U.S. ports, will be denied port access and services,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, in response to years of Mexican boats illegally poaching red snapper in U.S. waters in the Gulf. López Obrador dismissed those moves as part of the same conspiracy. “If it isn’t this one thing (the threatened U.S. inspector), it’s another thing, the vaquita marina, or the dolphins,” López Obrador said. “But the truth is there is always something else behind it, an economic or commercial interest, or a political attitude.” López Obrador has been accused of a cavalier attitude toward environmental norms and has criticized foreign or nonprofit environmental or civic groups. “We don’t need foreigners telling us what to do or placing sanction on our country’s fishermen,” López Obrador said last year.

BOISE, Idaho — Paris Cole, chief executive officer for Truckstop.com, announced his retirement effective on April 1, 2022. Chief Operating Officer Kendra Tucker has been appointed as Cole’s successor. Cole will remain a member of the company’s board. Cole has spent nine years leading the company through tremendous growth by remaining committed to delivering best-in-class technology solutions to the freight transportation industry. “I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished during my tenure and while I am retiring from the business world, I plan to continue to actively serve in my community,” Cole said. “Under Kendra’s leadership, I know Truckstop.com will continue to thrive as she builds on our foundation and remains purposeful about our vision.” Tucker joined Truckstop.com as chief revenue officer in August 2020, and for more than 15 years, has grown and led teams across a variety of business models and industries. In September 2021, she was appointed COO for Truckstop.com and was responsible for sales, customer success, operations and corporate strategy. “To be able to continue to serve our customers and employees as CEO during this historic time in the industry is truly inspiring,” Tucker said. “As I step into this role, I believe we are well positioned to execute on our growth strategy while continuing to deliver best-in-class technology solutions to the freight transportation industry.” “We believe Truckstop.com has an extremely talented team of leaders and innovators with a well-established record of driving above-market growth,” Will Griffith, founding partner, ICONIQ Growth, said. “Kendra’s unwavering commitment to their customer’s success and track record for growth will help further evolve the company into its next chapter.”

RENTON, Wash. – TRP, PACCAR Parts’ brand of aftermarket parts for all makes and models of trucks, trailers and buses, celebrated the expansion of its retail store network with the grand opening of the 250th TRP store. Operated by Dobbs Truck Group – Peterbilt, TRP Jackson is the first TRP store location for the dealer group and the first TRP store to open in Tennessee. TRP Jackson offers customers a wide selection of quality parts supported by trained professionals with expertise in medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. In addition, the TRP Jackson store includes four service bays to maximize customer uptime. “Dobbs Truck Group is excited to expand our parts and service customer support with the opening of TRP Jackson,” Mike Clark, Dobbs Truck Group chief executive officer, said. “The new location dramatically improves our ability to provide parts and service support to all-makes customers. In addition, it is an honor to be the 250th worldwide TRP location. We value our partnership with PACCAR Parts as we expand capacity to support our customers.” Since the first TRP store opened in Europe in 2013, the store network has expanded to 40 countries to better serve customers worldwide. “We are proud to celebrate the milestone 250th global TRP store,” David Danforth, PACCAR Parts general manager and PACCAR vice president, said. “TRP stores are trusted in the industry to keep trucks on the road with trained service experts and offer a superior selection of quality all-makes replacement parts. Our products exceed customer expectations for quality and value and are backed by an industry-leading nationwide warranty.”

PARIS – Shippeo announced on Feb. 9 that it’s expanding its North American operations and U.S. executive team, as well as enhancing its multi-modal visibility platform. The systemwide enhancements will support global customers and the company’s growing North American customer base. Shippeo’s aim is to provide customers with the critical visibility data needed to increase operational agility and efficiency, strengthen their company’s supply chain execution and deliver a better experience for their customers. Joining Shippeo’s executive team are Christopher Mazza and Brian Shultz, who will head up Shippeo’s U.S.-based growth initiative. Christopher P. Mazza, Shippeo senior vice president of international growth, will lead Shippeo’s expansion in North America and new markets. Mazza has extensive experience with freight and logistics technology solutions having held senior leadership roles with ClearMetal, XVELA, and International Assets Systems. In addition, he has served in operational and executive management positions with major ocean carriers including, Maersk, DSR-Senator and Hanjin. Brian Shultz, vice president of sales and marketing of the Americas, has been working in the international supply chain technology space for more than 20 years. He’s created and managed large logistics networks comprising all modes of transportation for logistics service providers, beneficial cargo owner shippers, 3PLs and 4PLs. Brian has held senior leadership roles within ABB, International Assets Systems (acquired by Blume Global) and Navis, in addition to years of international supply chain consulting. “There is no better time than now to accelerate Shippeo’s position within the North American market,” Lucien Besse, COO at Shippeo, said. “Visibility data analytics is vital to helping companies proactively manage supply chain issues, especially now, as ongoing market and infrastructure challenges continue to disrupt transportation flows and reliable logistics processes. We’re excited to deliver enhanced, innovative Shippeo visibility solutions to support and strengthen our global customers and North American companies.”

COPENHAGEN, Denmark— A.P. Moller-Maersk announced on Feb. 9 its intended acquisition of Pilot Freight Services from ATL Partners. With the intended acquisition of Pilot, Maersk officials say their aim is to extend the company’s integrated logistics offering deeper into the supply chain of its customers, according to a news release. “In Maersk we continue our path to develop truly integrated logistics offering for our customers, offering them better visibility, more control and resilience in their supply chains, Vincent Clerc, CEO of Ocean & Logistics at A.P. Moller-Maersk said. “Adding the capabilities of Pilot is especially important because it will allow us to create more exciting solutions for our customers and support them through the acceleration of the migration towards e-commerce. Furthermore, it will open significant cost synergy opportunities by leveraging the capabilities we have already developed in the network.” Throughout the pandemic, macro trends in the supply chain accelerated, such as the increased shift towards e-commerce, especially for big and bulky items. This shift is expected to continue and necessitate the creation of new distribution networks and solutions to support companies adapting their supply chains to these new consumer demands. “We are looking forward to joining Maersk,” Zach Pollock, Pilot Freight Services CEO, said. “This is the ideal outcome for our customers, company and employees who will be able to tap into the ambitious transformation of simplifying and integrating global supply chains which will enable us to perform on a larger stage.” The transition goes for numerous B2C vertical segments, such as retail, home furnishings and consumer electronics, as well as B2B segments, such as aerospace, automotive and healthcare. Pilot operates a North American facilities-based transportation network of 87 stations and hubs through which freight is transported and distributed to end customers. The company uses mainly third party providers of trucking and has access to controlled capacity which facilitates a high-quality first, middle and last-mile service offering. The scope encompasses full truckload and less-than-truckload for both B2C and B2B distribution including heavy and bulky shipments with white-glove service with a focus on expedited and time-definite services. The combined Pilot and Maersk scale will offer customers approximately 150 facilities in the U.S., including distribution centers, hubs and stations. “By investing in first mile, middle mile and last middle and integrating them we meet a clear customer demand, Narin Phol, regional managing director at Maersk North America, said. “This acquisition will add even more expertise and supply chain capacity to customers facing capacity constraints and multiple handoffs with providers in the B2C and B2B space. After completion of this transaction, we will be able to help them install stronger, more integrated supply chains with better visibility and better outcomes for consumers. We look forward to welcoming the Pilot team aboard the A. P. Moller-Maersk family.”

MEXICO CITY — Mexico has acknowledged that the U.S. government has suspended all imports of Mexican avocados after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threat. The surprise suspension was confirmed late Saturday on the eve of the Super Bowl, the biggest sales opportunity of the year for Mexican avocado growers — though it would not affect game-day consumption since those avocados had already been shipped. Avocado exports are the latest victim of the drug cartel turf battles and extortion of avocado growers in the western state of Michoacan, the only state in Mexico fully authorized to export to the U.S. market. The U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threatening message, Mexico’s Agriculture Department said in a statement. “U.S. health authorities … made the decision after one of their officials, who was carrying out inspections in Uruapan, Michoacan, received a threatening message on his official cellphone,” the department wrote. The import ban came on the day that the Mexican avocado growers and packers association unveiled its Super Bowl ad for this year. Mexican exporters have taken out the pricey ads for almost a decade in a bid to associate guacamole as a Super Bowl tradition. This year’s ad shows Julius Caesar and a rough bunch of gladiator fans outside what appears to be the Colosseum, soothing their apparently violent differences by enjoying guacamole and avocados. The association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ban, which hits an industry with almost $3 billion in annual exports. However, avocados for this year’s Super Bowl had already been exported in the weeks prior to the event. Because the United States also grows avocados, U.S. inspectors work in Mexico to ensure exported avocados don’t carry diseases that could hurt U.S. crops. It was only in 1997 that the U.S. lifted a ban on Mexican avocados that had been in place since 1914 to prevent a range of weevils, scabs and pests from entering U.S. orchards. The inspectors work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services. It is not the first time that the violence in Michoacan — where the Jalisco cartel is fighting turf wars against a collection of local gangs known as the United Cartels — has threatened avocados, the state’s most lucrative crop. After a previous incident in 2019, the USDA had warned about the possible consequences of attacking or threatening U.S. inspectors. In August 2019, a U.S. Department of Agriculture team of inspectors was “directly threatened” in Ziracuaretiro, a town just west of Uruapan. While the agency didn’t specify what happened, local authorities say a gang robbed the truck the inspectors were traveling in at gunpoint. The USDA wrote in a letter at the time that, “For future situations that result in a security breach or demonstrate an imminent physical threat to the well-being of APHIS personnel, we will immediately suspend program activities.” Many avocado growers in Michoacan say drug gangs threaten them or their family members with kidnapping or death unless they pay protection money, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars per acre. On September 30, 2020, a Mexican employee of APHIS was killed near the northern border city of Tijuana. Mexican prosecutors said Edgar Flores Santos was killed by drug traffickers who may have mistaken him for a policeman and a suspect was arrested. The U.S. State Department said investigations “concluded this unfortunate incident was a case of Mr. Flores being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The avocado ban was just the latest threat to Mexico’s export trade stemming from the government’s inability to rein in illegal activities. On Thursday, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office filed an environmental complaint against Mexico for failing to stop illegal fishing to protect the critically endangered vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise. The office said it had asked for “environment consultations” with Mexico, the first such case it has filed under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade pact. Consultations are the first step in the dispute resolution process under the trade agreement, which entered into force in 2020. If not resolved, it could eventually lead to trade sanctions. Mexico’s government has largely abandoned attempts to enforce a fishing-free zone around an area where the last few vaquitas are believed to live in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. Nets set illegally for another fish, the totoaba, drown vaquitas. And on Monday, Mexican fishing boats in the Gulf of Mexico were “prohibited from entering U.S. ports, will be denied port access and services,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, in response to years of Mexican boats illegally poaching red snapper in U.S. waters in the Gulf.

CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline spiked 15 cents over the past three weeks to $3.55 per gallon. According to the survey, the average price of diesel is $3.91 a gallon, up 21 cents over three weeks. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that the price jump came after a rise in crude oil costs. Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco Bay Area, at $4.75 per gallon. The lowest average is in Houston, at $3.05 per gallon.  

DENTON, Texas ­— Peterbilt Motors Company announced has announced Allstate Peterbilt Group as the 2021 North American Dealer of the Year at their annual dealer meeting in Phoenix. Dealer of the Year is the most prestigious award given at the annual awards ceremony and is bestowed upon the dealer group that “best represents Peterbilt’s commitment to excellence and the never-ending pursuit of driving customer uptime,” according to a company news release. The announcement came on Feb. 9. “It’s my pleasure to present Allstate Peterbilt Group the 2021 North American Dealer Group of the Year award and recognize them for their 50 years of excellence,” Jason Skoog, PACCAR vice president and Peterbilt general manager, said. “Since joining the Peterbilt family in 1971 with a single location in South St. Paul, Minnesota, Allstate Peterbilt Group has grown to 23 locations across five states. Their commitment to providing their customers the very best experience represents the level of class Peterbilt customers have come to expect,” In addition to the 2021 Dealer Group of the Year award, Allstate Peterbilt Group also received the 2021 PACCAR MX Engine Dealer Group of the Year award, which “honors the dealer organization that provides exceptional sales effort, strong aftermarket support and has ingrained the MX Engine into their culture and organization’s structure,” the news release stated. This is the third consecutive year they have taken home this award. Eleven Allstate locations earned Platinum Oval awards, which are given “to elite Peterbilt dealership locations that have demonstrated outstanding performance,” the company stated. Fifteen of their locations earned Platinum Service Center recognition due to their dedication and commitment to customer uptime. “What we have accomplished over the last 50 years has exceeded my wildest expectations, and it’s a direct reflection of the amazing group of individuals at Allstate Peterbilt Group that strive every day to provide our customers the highest level of excellence,” Don Larson, owner and dealer principal of Allstate Peterbilt Group, said. “I’m honored to accept the 2021 Dealer Group of the Year award on their behalf and look forward to what’s to come in the future.” This is Allstate Peterbilt Group’s third Dealer Group of the Year award, having also received the honor in 2017 and 2012. In 2021, Allstate Peterbilt Group saw strong increases in retail market share in both the Class 8 and Medium Duty segments. Their focus on after-sales saw double-digit growth in both parts and service retail sales. They also expanded their service capacity with the opening of a new parts and service location and added to their fleet of 35 mobile service vehicles to further expand market coverage and increase uptime for their customers. “We are very proud of the growth Allstate Peterbilt Group experienced in 2021, and we expect to continue gaining market share in the years to come with the strong lineup of trucks Peterbilt has on the road today,” Jeff Vanthournout, president of Allstate Peterbilt Group, said.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Yellow Corporation is adding two new driving academies to its stable of 14 schools to prepare the next generation of professional truck drivers for careers in transportation. The new academies are in Marietta, Georgia, and Cincinnati, both of which are considered gateways to the South and Midwest. “We’re pleased to offer additional driver training locations,” Darren Hawkins, Yellow chief executive officer, said. “Our goal is to train 1,000 new drivers through our academies this year. Our drivers are top shelf and trained by the best.” Yellow’s Driving Academies are owned and operated by the company. Its driving professionals provide student instruction and peer-to-peer mentorship. “Everything we teach emphasizes safety: safety of our drivers, colleagues, customers and the driving public. That remains our top priority,” Hawkins said. Students enrolled in the academies are provided classroom training combined with hands-on, behind-the-wheel instruction with experienced safety professionals. The program is tuition-free for all participants. At the completion of their instruction, trainees sit for the commercial driver’s license test and, upon passage, complete their initial apprenticeship training with veteran Yellow drivers. When all driving qualifications are met, graduates will join Yellow’s team of 14,000 professional drivers. “For anyone aspiring to a career that provides a good salary and full benefits that gets them on the open road and not behind a desk, trucking is a smart choice,” Hawkins said. “Many of our drivers spend their entire careers with Yellow.” Some in the U.S. trucking industry say there is a shortage of drivers needed to keep pace with the high demand of goods ordered by consumers and manufacturers. According to the American Trucking Associations, the industry is currently 80,000 drivers short and will need another one million drivers over the next decade to replace those drivers who retire or exit the industry. Yellow has 16 established Driving Academies nationwide: Marietta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Denver; Fort Worth, Texas; Hagerstown, Maryland; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Kansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville; Pico Rivera, California; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City; and South Bend, Indiana. The Company plans to open additional locations in 2022. Yellow’s 16 Driving Academies are certified as Department of Labor apprenticeship programs. The Department of Labor apprenticeship program is designed to provide paid on the job training while workers train for a highly skilled job. Learn more about the Yellow Driving Academy: https://www.myyellow.com/us/en/careers/driving-academy.

SAN FRANCISCO and PHOENIX — Autonomous trucking technology developer Embark Trucks, Inc. and Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc. announced Tuesday the launch of the Truck Transfer Program, which is intended to give Knight-Swift and its drivers direct access to Embark’s technology. The Truck Transfer Program marks the first public initiative through which a U.S. carrier will directly own and maintain an Embark-equipped truck and is a major step on the path to eventual purchase and ownership of Embark-equipped trucks by carriers. To date, Embark and other autonomous developers have operated a testing model in which they own, maintain and dispatch autonomous trucks, placing their own drivers behind the wheel during hauls for shipper and carrier partners. This configuration has generated valuable early insights into real-world technology performance and how best to integrate Embark-equipped trucks within existing supply chain operations. The Truck Transfer Program is an industry-first testing configuration that aims to unlock the next level of development necessary for commercialization. It marks the first time that the carrier – Knight-Swift – will own an autonomous truck, maintain and deploy the truck, and place their own driver behind the wheel. This will allow Embark and Knight-Swift to collect detailed driver feedback on the technology’s performance, define how the system will improve driver jobs and develop procedures and tools that enable Knight-Swift to maintain, inspect, dispatch and remotely monitor Embark-equipped trucks. Currently, Knight-Swift and Embark are preparing the truck technology and carrier process flows necessary for the launch of this industry-first program. Embark plans to equip a set of Knight-Swift trucks from the carrier’s slated 2022 OEM deliveries with the Embark Universal Interface. The two companies are also developing workflows to account for truck maintenance, dispatching and IT integration points, among other things. Embark plans to deliver the first Embark-equipped trucks to Knight-Swift for use in daily operations by the end of 2022.. The program will help Knight-Swift determine how best to utilize its limited driver workforce to address the growing demands of the national supply chain, such as when to have drivers haul loads alongside autonomous capacity when to have drivers team-drive with the Embark Driver, or under what circumstances to have drivers move local hauls to fulfill the last mile. Overall, the program will help define the proper blend of models to apply across the network over time.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (PRNewswire) — West Side Transport has announced its expansion into the South with the opening of a new logistics hub in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This expansion into the southeastern region of the U.S. will allow the asset-based trucking, logistics and warehousing provider to continue its strategic growth across North America. The Chattanooga facility is West Side’s eighth location. “The Chattanooga service center strengthens West Side’s truckload asset network and the new warehousing opportunities provide a solid foundation for us to deliver the premium service our customers expect and deserve,” Jim Russo, vice president of sales, said. The full-service facility will create terminal and warehousing job opportunities to further support West Side Transport’s customer base. With the opening of the Chattanooga logistics hub, West Side will be offering a variety of new driving positions with a range of home time options. “At West Side, drivers come first,” Ron Joseph, chief operating officer, said. “The Chattanooga facility not only gives us an opportunity to provide a home daily position but allows West Side the ability to connect with our drivers domiciled in Chattanooga and surrounding areas. Our main concerns are providing a quality paycheck, getting the driver home, treating every driver with the respect they deserve, and having a terminal located near our driver base. This facility will help us in accomplishing these goals.” West Side Transport, headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a dry-van carrier operating a fleet of 550 late-model power units, 2,100 dry-van trailers, and multiple warehouses. West Side Transport has been in operation for over 45 and has terminals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; South St. Paul, Minnesota; Glenwood, Illinois; Canton, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

NEW YORK — Late last year, autonomous vehicle startup Gatik announced a big step: it eliminated the safety operator from behind the wheel of two self-driving trucks as part of its partnership with discounter Walmart. Now, the Mountain View, California firm is looking to speed up the process of fully driverless truck operations in the next few years. The company stands apart from other autonomous delivery companies because it doesn’t haul goods directly to shoppers. Rather, its autonomous trucks deliver groceries and other goods from big distribution centers to retail locations on fixed, repetitive, short distances, a critical link to the delivery system. For example, Gatik’s two fully autonomous driving vehicles for Walmart haul goods on a fixed 7.1 mile-route in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart’s headquarters is based. Gatik, which operates a fleet of 25 autonomous trucks, has pilot programs with Walmart in Louisiana and Arkansas as well as Loblaw Cos. in Ontario, Canada. Last year, it expanded into Texas with fresh sources of capital. It has developed proprietary software that is a hybrid between classic robotics and machine learning-based algorithms, and its trucks feature sensors with a 360-degree view. Among its rivals is TuSimple, which did a fully autonomous test of a semi-truck on a freeway in Arizona last year. There’s also Aurora, which is working with Volvo on an autonomous truck, and Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, which is working with UPS. The pandemic-induced online spending surge only accelerated interest in autonomous trucking. It’s put more pressure on retailers to deliver goods in a few hours and has pushed more stores to place small distribution hubs around its stores, instead of relying on one big distribution center located several hours away. Autonomous trucking can also help ease the trucking shortage made worse by the pandemic and cut logistic costs by up to 35%, says Gatik CEO and co-founder Gautam Narang. The Associated Press recently interviewed Narang about the future of autonomous driving and the regulatory environment. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. How’s it going? Over the last few months, we have been operating these trucks seven days a week, multiple times daily. A lot of learnings. Obviously, over the last few months, the algorithms have gotten even better. In the early days, we did have a safety passenger and a chase vehicle. We still are operating in that fashion today. But we are now even more confident that in the next few months, we will be able to operate these trucks without anyone in the passenger seat and without a chase vehicle as well. How much has the trucking shortage spurred interest in autonomous trucks? There’s a need for over 60,000 drivers in the local trucking space. That was last year. That number is expected to grow north of 160,000 by the end of this decade. And these are conservative estimates. We can address this growing shortage by adopting automation. What we have seen is all the big companies are now very open to adopting a solution. So this is inevitable. The biggest question that we’re trying to answer is how quickly can we get the solution out at scale in a safe manner and what applications of autonomy would be automated first. So how fast can you scale it? In Arkansas, we started our commercial operations in the summer of 2019. It took us about 24 months to get to a point where we could take the driver out from behind the steering wheel and operate in a repeated fashion. That time to learn is reducing as we get more data, more experience and our technology gets better. So that window where the driver can be taken out safely is shrinking. Will you concentrate on short-haul delivery in the future? This is going to be the focus for the next few years, but it’s easier for us to move upstream and handle longer routes. So today as a company, we can handle routes that are anywhere from single-digit miles all the way up to 300 miles. We do drive in complex urban scenarios and the new highway driving as well. So doing driving in a highway scenario is very much possible. How do you address safety concerns? When you talk about connecting point A to point B, we do take the safest possible routes. We avoid making multiple lane changes. We can avoid schools, hospitals, fire stations. So all of that is fair game. As long as we move those orders from point A to point B within that delivery window. And that has been our focus from day one. Safety is front and center to everything that we do. We’re not rushing to anything. It’s important for us to do it right. What’s the regulatory landscape look like? There are 21 states in the U.S. that allow for driverless operation. That means we can take a driver out in 21 states in the U.S. and commercialize ourselves. But for long-haul trucking, they have to work with multiple states to make that long-haul trip possible because today all the policies are still very much at the state level. There’s no federal policy today. Obviously, there are bills that are being voted upon that we expect to come through in the next few years. But for now, all the policies in the space are still very much at the state level. So it benefits us a lot.

MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada — Volvo Trucks North America has designated two dealerships in Québec, as the first two Volvo Trucks Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) Dealers in Canada. The sales and service teams at both Camions Volvo Montreal and Paré Centre du Camion have completed Volvo Trucks’ training program requirements to ensure they are prepared to support the commercial deployment of Class 8 battery-electric trucks in the region. “Expanding our Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer network into Canada is an important milestone in our efforts to deploy our zero-tailpipe emissions Volvo VNR Electric trucks across all corners of North America,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said. The Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer program was designed to ensure that sales representatives are fully trained to consult with customers that are considering deploying Volvo VNR Electric to ensure they are selecting a model configuration that is technically viable based on their operating requirements. On the aftermarket side, the dealership certification ensures technicians have the proper technical training required to maintain electric drivetrains and components, as well as understand all safety procedures to follow when working with high-voltage systems. The certification also includes investments in the necessary vehicle diagnostics tools and requires the dealership to maintain a stock of key parts and components for the VNR Electric model to minimize service times and quickly get customers back on the road. Paré Centre du Camion was founded in 1987 and has two locations in Quebec — Québec City and Lévis. Its Quebec City facility is equipped to service the Volvo VNR Electric trucks, including procuring an electric truck charger. Paré Centre du Camion has already trained and certified three technicians to perform maintenance and repairs on customers’ Volvo VNR Electric trucks. “We are thrilled to be one of the first two dealerships in Canada to complete the Volvo Trucks Certified EV Dealer designation and look forward to helping our fleet customers in the region transition to Volvo VNR Electric trucks to improve supply chain sustainability,” Marie-Claude Paré, dealer principal of Paré Centre du Camion, said. Camions Volvo Montreal was founded in 2014 and is part of a network of eight Volvo Trucks dealerships. Its flagship Dorval location, the first location to receive the Volvo Trucks EV Certified dealership designation. Six of Camions Volvo Montreal’s 30 technicians have completed Volvo Trucks’ required training program. “We are having weekly conversations with our customers who are very interested in the Volvo VNR Electric technology, including discussing which routes might be ideal to start with when integrating battery-electric trucks into their fleet,” Jean-Francois Bibeau, vice-president of sales at Camions Volvo Montreal, said. “We believe electromobility is the future of the global transport sector and look forward to partnering with Volvo Trucks to support electromobility projects as customer demand continues to grow.”

RESTON, Va. — Trucker Tools and Simple Truck have reached an agreement that will enable access to real-time truck data for Simple Truck ELD units within the Trucker Tools Smart Capacity carrier and capacity management platform. Trucker tools announced the agreement with Simple Truck on Tuesday. Simple Truck has over 4,000 of its devices installed and operating with independent owner-operators and small truckload fleets. Simple Truck joins more than 70 ELD and telematics technology providers who have established links with Trucker Tools to capture location information from truck-based ELDs, Prasad Gollapalli, the company’s founder and chief executive, said. The companies have implemented a secure Application Programming Interface (API) supporting the integration, which went live last week. “We’re pleased to welcome Simple Truck to the Trucker Tools platform as another resource for accurate, real-time data supporting timely shipment visibility that brokers and shippers require to manage their supply chains,” Gollapalli said. He added that the two companies were exploring additional collaboration opportunities, potentially adding a Simple Truck button to the Trucker Tools mobile driver app, making Simple Truck’s online tax and regulatory filing services available to the community of Trucker Tools independent owner-operator and small fleet users. Importantly, Gollapalli emphasized that the provision of ELD data is permission-based. The truck owner and/or driver controls access to their ELD. Once activated, in-transit data from the ELD moves into the Trucker Tools platform, accessible through the Trucker Tools Smart Capacity app on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. The platform’s strict controls and permission-based access ensure no other ELD data outside of location updates is shared. “Truckers can choose between automating tracking through the Trucker Tools mobile driver app or their ELD,” Gollapalli said. “It helps brokers and carriers further streamline operations, improve carrier engagement and respond to shippers promptly with timely in-transit location data.” Trucker Tools has nearly 190,000 small-fleet truckload operators active on its carrier engagement platform, with more than 90% of those running 10 trucks or less, as well as single-truck owner-operators. The Trucker Tools Mobile Driver App, which was launched in 2013 and to date has been downloaded by more than 1.6 million truckers, is among the most popular apps with truckload operators, consistently ranking as the most downloaded app in transportation each month. The Trucker Tools mobile app is available for both Android- and Apple-powered smartphones and is provided free of charge to independent truckers and small fleets.

SAN DIEGO — TuSimple, a global autonomous driving technology company, announced Wednesday that Union Pacific Railroad will become the first customer to move freight on TuSimple’s fully-automated trucking route between the Tucson, Arizona, and Phoenix metro areas. Union Pacific, the largest Class I railroad in the U.S., is leveraging Loup Logistics to coordinate the freight shipment and support movement between rail and the critical first and last mile. Starting this spring, TuSimple plans to carry freight for Union Pacific, utilizing autonomous vehicle technology to deliver goods to their destination. “Partnering with TuSimple allows us to extend our operations beyond our rail hubs and serve our customers faster and more efficiently,” Kenny Rocker, executive vice president of marketing and sales for Union Pacific, said. “This groundbreaking autonomous driving technology and our partnership provide us a significant opportunity to scale the technology in our network, proactively reducing global supply chain congestion.” Building on its accomplishment of the world’s first driver out semi-truck run on Dec. 22, TuSimple is reporting Wednesday an additional six successful fully autonomous runs. The seven total runs covered over 550 cumulative miles on open public roads without a human in the vehicle, teleoperation or traffic intervention. Runs were conducted in various roadway conditions, including dense early-evening traffic and back-to-back runs on the same night. Going forward, TuSimple plans to continue its “Driver Out” program and progressively expand its scope to incorporate daytime runs and new routes while making regular improvements to its proprietary AV technology. By the end of 2023, TuSimple plans to achieve commercial viability by initiating continuous Driver Out paid freight operations in a significant shipping area such as the Texas Triangle. “Our repeatable and scalable Driver Out operations marks a significant inflection point in our company’s history,” Cheng Lu, president and CEO of TuSimple, said. “We are the world’s first to complete all of the features of AV trucking technology. We are proud of our on-time delivery of this historic milestone and are excited to shift our full focus to commercializing our ground-breaking technology on an accelerated timeline.” To scale its operations in preparation for a nationwide expansion, the company recently provided technical specifications to commercial real-estate developers to prepare for future autonomous trucking operations, including a million square foot state-of-the-art facility within a 27,000-square-acre development as part of the AllianceTexas. To date, TuSimple has over 11,000 unique mapped miles in its Autonomous Freight Network and plans to continue to scale its operations to support its distribution partners.

COLUMBUS, Ind. – Orders for commercial vehicles dropped in January, according to preliminary data. Preliminary North American Class 8 net orders in January were 21,300 units, while N.A. Classes 5-7 net orders dropped to 16,500 units. Complete industry data for January, including final order numbers, will be published by ACT Research in mid-February. “Constrained production capabilities and long backlogs continue to hamper new order activity. Order weakness continues to be primarily, if not entirely, due to supply-side shortages that continue to restrict production,” Kenny Vieth, ACT president and senior analyst, said. “As has been the case for months, we reiterate that with critical economic and industry demand drivers at, or near, record levels, industry strength should be measured by long backlog lead times, rather than tepid new order activity.” Vieth concluded that for Class 8, with backlogs stretching through 2022 there’s still no clear visibility on the easing of the everything shortage. He said that January’s net order haul reflects the ongoing conservative approach by original equipment manufacturers looking to limit the risk of overbooking and underbuilding that plagued the industry in 2021.