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ANNAPOLIS, Md.  — Gov. Larry Hogan directed state transportation officials on Friday to seek a new contract for a multimillion highway expansion after a news report raised questions about ties between Maryland’s transportation secretary and the winning bidder. Hogan said the $68.5 million deal that was supposed to go before a board this week “lacked the clarity needed to ensure full faith in this process.” In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn, Hogan wrote that the department used a waiver process made possible by procurement reform approved last year by the General Assembly relating to public-private partnerships to create a more flexible and efficient process. “However, a focus on speed cannot and should not ever come at the expense of the full and complete transparency that the taxpayers of Maryland expect and deserve,” Hogan wrote. The governor also wrote he has been committed to the highest level of transparency from the beginning of his administration. “I am not satisfied that our threshold for transparency has been met in this case,” Hogan wrote. “However unintentionally, the department’s communications with the state’s chief fiscal officers on the Board of Public Works, upon which I sit, as well as the public, have lacked the clarity need to ensure full faith in this process.” The contract was pulled from the Board of Public Works agenda after The Daily Record reported on questions about ties between Rahn and the winning bidder. Rahn was employed by the consortium leader in the contract, HNTB Corp., before he joined Hogan’s administration. Rahn told the newspaper Monday that the Maryland State Ethics Commission cleared his involvement two weeks ago. He said his dinner with an HNTB executive was a get-together with a friend that he paid for himself. He also said he doesn’t currently have stock or financial ties to the company. The interview was the first time he had disclosed he previously did own stock in the company. The Daily Record reported Wednesday that Rahn will amend his state financial disclosure filings after failing to disclose the ownership and later sale of HNTB stock. Rahn said in a statement Friday he will not be involved in the new procurement process. “While all of our actions during this process were consistent with state law, policies and procedures governing this type of procurement, I nevertheless should have been more aware that this complicated process would give rise to questions,” Rahn said. The contract would have paid a consortium of companies to oversee part of Hogan’s $7.6 billion highway expansion plan to relieve traffic congestion in the Baltimore-Washington corridor. HTNB was to be the leader of the consortium. Hogan directed the transportation department to work closely with legislative leaders, stakeholders and members of the Board of Public Works, which is comprised of Hogan, Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp. “The State Highway Administration will be conducting the procurement as quickly as possible to keep the Traffic Relief Plan moving forward,” said Erin Henson, a spokeswoman for the transportation department.          

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index declined 1.1 percent in March after easing downward by 0.8 percent in February. In March, the index equaled 110 (2015=100), down from 111.2 in February. ATA revised the February decline from the originally reported 2.6 percent to 0.8 percent. Compared with March 2017, the SA index jumped 6.3 percent, which was below February’s 7.7 percent year-over-year gain, but still well above 2017’s annual increase. For all of 2017, the index increased 3.8 percent over 2016. In the first quarter of this year, tonnage rose 0.9 percent and 7.4 percent from the previous quarter and a year earlier, respectively. The not seasonally adjusted index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by the fleets before any seasonal adjustment, equaled 114.6 in March, which was 12.9 percent above the previous month (101.5). “Despite a softer March and February, truck freight tonnage remains solid as exhibited in the year-over-year increase of 6.3 percent,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “While I expect the pace of growth to continue moderating in the months ahead, if for no other reason than year-over-year comparisons will become more difficult as tonnage snapped back in May of 2017, the levels of freight will remain good going forward.” Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing 70.6 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Trucks hauled nearly 10.5 billion tons of freight in 2016. Motor carriers collected $676.2 billion, or 79.8 percent of total revenue earned by all transport modes. ATA calculates the tonnage index based on surveys from its membership and has been doing so since the 1970s. This is a preliminary figure and subject to change in the final report issued around the 10th day of the month. The report includes month-to-month and year-over-year results, relevant economic comparisons and key financial indicators.      

2018 marks the 35th anniversary of Volvo’s 1983 introduction of the Integral Sleeper, the first North American truck model to offer a modern, streamlined design and integrated sleeper compartment. With the 1983 introduction, Volvo set a new North American design standard since followed by all heavy-duty manufacturers. (Courtesy: VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA) GREENSBORO, N.C. — This year marks the 35th anniversary of Volvo’s introduction of the Integral Sleeper, the first North American conventional truck model to offer a modern, streamlined design and a fully integrated sleeper compartment. “Pioneering innovations in design, fuel efficiency, driver productivity and safety have defined Volvo Trucks throughout our 90-year history,” said Magnus Koeck, Volvo Trucks North America vice president, marketing and brand management. “We’re proud of our heritage and celebrate 35 years of aerodynamic design. With the Integral Sleeper model we truly introduced a new standard and all manufacturers quickly followed suit, a trend we continue to see today with automated manual transmissions, greater integration of connectivity services to help maximize uptime, and right-sizing of engines for improved fuel efficiency and weight savings.” Koeck  said the Integral Sleeper was the first modern conventional model to unite the cab and sleeper compartments for improved aerodynamics with seamless body-in-white construction that also allowed easy pass-through from the driving environment to the living space. The redefined truck design further defied industry-wide design conventions of the time, introducing a hood that was six inches narrower and six inches lower at the front than at the cowl, to help reduce wind resistance, he said, adding that the Integral Sleeper aerodynamics were further boosted through a full-height roof fairing, cab side extenders, chassis fairings and trim tabs that helped air flow smoothly from the tractor to the trailer. “Over the past year we’ve introduced the new Volvo VNR regional haul, Volvo VNL long-haul, and Volvo VNL heavy-haul tractors under the theme ‘The Shape of Trucks to Come,’ which also would have been very appropriate during the 1983 introduction of the Integral Sleeper, a model that inspired a design revolution for conventional model trucks,” Koeck said. “Each of our on-highway models, the new VNR, VNL, and VNX, bring efficiency through their streamlined shapes. Even regional haul and heavy-haul trucks spend time at highway speeds when aerodynamics become increasingly important.” Koeck sais to complement its legendary cabs, made with high strength steel, Volvo, inventors of the three-point safety belt, became the first Class 8 truck brand in North America to designate a steering wheel-mounted driver’s side airbag as standard equipment. As active safety technologies mature Volvo has maintained a leadership role, introducing Volvo Enhanced Stability Technology (VEST), an enhanced stability system, as standard equipment for its on-highway lineup in 2007. “Volvo aspires to zero crashes and zero injuries, helping protect drivers and all road users,” said Johan Agebrand, director of product marketing for Volvo Trucks North America. “Our global Zero Accident Vision is about helping improve safety, and mitigating these events also presents a tremendous cost savings to truck owners.” Volvo’s July 2017 introduction of the new VNL model also brought Volvo Active Driver Assist featuring Bendix Wingman Fusion as a standard offering, making Volvo Trucks the first heavy-duty truck OEM to offer the active safety system as standard equipment, a designation also applied to the new Volvo VNR series. The system is also integrated with VEST to help drivers avoid rollover, jackknife, and loss-of-control situations on dry, wet, snow- and ice-covered roadways. Like the conventional model design change sparked by the Integral Sleeper, Volvo also ushered in a shift in transmission preference in North America, Agebrand said. First to market in North America with a proprietary automated manual transmission (AMT), Volvo paved the way for AMTs to receive wide acceptance. In just over a decade since its North American introduction the Volvo I-Shift is now spec’d in more than 90 percent of  all trucks built for the market and is standard across the Volvo VNR, VNL, VNX, VHD and VAH product range. “While we still offer manual transmissions, it’s increasingly difficult to justify their use, even for the most demanding jobs,” said John Moore, Volvo Trucks North America product marketing manager – powertrain. “We truly have an I-Shift for every application, whether it’s regional, long-haul, or even heavy loads with our 14-speed I-Shift with Crawler Gears supporting gross weights up to 225,000 lbs. Regardless of the application, the I-Shift consistently performs at its best, whether it is two hours or ten hours into a job.” An industry innovator in factory-installed connectivity, Volvo Trucks today includes its connectivity hardware as standard equipment across its entire North American product range. The connectivity hardware provides access to Remote Diagnostics, which provides proactive diagnostics and monitoring of critical engine, transmission and aftertreatment trouble codes. Volvo also uses the standard onboard connectivity hardware in partnership with best-in-class fleet management providers. Volvo’s standard, factory-installed hardware allows customers to perform software and parameter updates over-the-air with Remote Programming, which helps improve uptime and vehicle efficiency, while reducing downtime costs. “We’re in an exciting period when it comes to truck technology, and the speed of change is only accelerating,” said Agebrand. “It’s easy to get caught up in the technology revolution, but we must keep in mind the industry’s journey and the transformative designs and innovations that will continue to sculpt the shape of trucks to come.”            

Every region in the country showed an increase for the week ending April 23. WASHINGTON — In a trend that’s not likely to end soon, the average on-highway price of a gallon of diesel increased 2.9 cents to $3.133 for the week ending April 23, according to the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy. The price was the highest since the week ending January 5, 2015, when the average was $3.137, and with oil approaching $70 a barrel, the fifth consecutive week of increases was not a surprise. The price for the week ending April 23 is 53.8 cents a gallon higher than one year ago. Every region in the country showed an increased, led by the Rocky Mountain states (up 4.4 cents) and the West Coast less California (up 4.4 cents). For a complete list of prices by region for the past three weeks click here. https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/  

The system closes the TrailerTail when the truck goes in reverse or stops. LONGVIEW, Texas — STEMCO Products Inc. has announced a new aerodynamic product, the TrailerTail Automatic fuel-saving system. This newest version of the signature TrailerTail deploys automatically when the trailer reaches 35 mph, ensuring fuel savings on every trip and removing the need for the driver to get out of the cab to open it manually, spokesmen said. The Automatic system also closes the TrailerTail when the truck stops or goes in reverse, preventing damage to the TrailerTail, trailer or dock doors. Closing the TrailerTail only when the vehicle comes to a full stop reduces the number of cycles the unit has to go through, minimizing component wear and tear. Also, if the trailer loses power, the TrailerTail will automatically close, allowing access to the cargo. TrailerTail, acquired by STEMCO in 2015, has become a staple of the roadways across the United States and Canada, with more than 55,000 units currently in use. TrailerTail Trident provides a proven and SmartWay certified 5% fuel savings, and has also been EPA certified as a Bin 3 device. The STEMCO TrailerTail improves fuel economy by streamlining airflow at the back of the trailer to reduce rear drag and increase fuel efficiency. It also improves safety by helping to stabilize trailers and increase visibility for drivers. The TrailerTail Automatic receives reliable speed and direction signals from STEMCO’s wheel-mounted TracBat Aero speed sensor. The TracBat Aero is based on the existing STEMCO DataTrac & TracBat electronic hubodometers which are used extensively by fleets. The accuracy, reliability and durability of the TracBat has been proven by thousands of units on the roads covering millions of miles over the last 10 years. “Every trip is an opportunity for the TrailerTail Automatic to deliver fuel savings. We know that truck drivers have many responsibilities, and TrailerTail Automatic eliminates the need for drivers to open or close the TrailerTail,” said Prashanth Kamath, segment business leader for ITMS at STEMCO. “It also ensures that fleets realize an average of 5 percent fuel savings, and maintenance managers don’t have to deal with damage to TrailerTail or dock doors due to drivers forgetting to close the TrailerTail. The new TrailerTail Automatic showcases our commitment to making the driver’s job easier, improving fuel economy, reducing damage, and—above all else—making the roadways safer.” The new TrailerTail Automatic will be available in the third quarter of 2018. It will be compatible with new trailers and also as a retrofit for existing TrailerTail Trident models. For more information on STEMCO and TrailerTail, visit http://www.stemco.com/trailertail. With offices and manufacturing facilities in Texas, California, Georgia, Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Canada, Australia, China and Mexico, STEMCO is a leader in the technology and manufacture of commercial vehicle wheel end, braking and suspension components, as well as innovative tire and mileage solutions. STEMCO is an EnPro Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NPO) company. EnPro Industries, Inc. is a leader in sealing products, metal polymer and filament wound bearings, components and service for reciprocating compressors, diesel and dual-fuel engines, and other engineered products for use in critical applications by industries worldwide.  

Bendix spokesman says air dryer has “legacy of reliability.”     ELYRIA, Ohio — A funny thing happens when some people lay eyes on the Bendix AD-9 air dryer at trucking industry events like trade shows or distributor gatherings. “They’ll come up, grin, and pat it like you would a faithful dog, and say, ‘Man, I love this thing,’” says Richard Nagel, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions, Air Charging. “They’ll talk about how many years and how many miles, and how it’s never let them down.” And on that legacy of reliability, durability, and customer loyalty, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC proudly celebrates the 5-million-unit production milestone of the AD-9. Launched in 1989 – an ironic tie in with the sound of the product’s name – the AD-9 has garnered a reputation for toughness, ease of maintenance, and longevity. With almost four pounds of Bendix’s premium desiccant inside a replaceable cartridge, the AD-9 can capture a significant amount of contamination and still perform at a level that keeps air-dependent systems like brakes operating safely and effectively. And in specific, gritty applications such as municipal work trucks or gravel haulers, more than one customer has told Bendix the AD-9 “eats rocks” and can take just about anything thrown its way. But it’s more than just a resilient road veteran: The AD-9’s design supports uptime by offering straightforward troubleshooting and simple maintenance, and is suitable for protecting complex air-dependent technologies like full stability and collision mitigation systems with the use of oil-coalescing cartridges like Bendix’s PuraGuard. “It’s no surprise we’ve sold 5 million AD-9s, and that it’s bred a generation of clones and all-makes competitors,” Nagel said. “It’s trusted, it’s dependable, and people have come to know that nothing performs like a genuine Bendix dryer from the company that invented the technology. It’s also worth noting that this milestone for new-production AD-9s doesn’t include the sizable number of remanufactured dryers we’ve put back on the road over the years.” More than 40 years ago, Bendix, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of leading-edge active safety and braking system technologies for commercial vehicles, developed the air dryer to provide clean, dry air to reservoirs, valves, and other components. Installed between the compressor and reservoirs, the air dryer revolutionized commercial vehicles with the capability to collect and remove moisture, small particles, and oil aerosols before they enter the air brake system and jeopardize efficient operation. And the quality of a truck’s compressed air supply is more important than ever: As commercial vehicles adopt higher levels of automation, trucks are equipped with multiple solenoid valves that provide precise control but require cleaner air than traditional manual brake valves. Some Automated Manual Transmissions (AMTs) also rely on pneumatic controls, as do emissions controls and other systems that enhance driver safety and improve driver comfort. “As dynamic as things are in the trucking technology landscape, the AD-9 remains a constant,” Nagel said. “While production has slowed a bit as we’ve engineered newer air dryers for OEM production, the popularity of this stalwart means it’s not going anywhere in the foreseeable future – and we look forward to making even more fans of the product every chance we get.” For more information about Bendix air management systems, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE or visit foundationbrakes.com. Additional insight can be found at the Knowledge Dock (knowledge-dock.com), which features videos, blog posts, podcasts, and white papers, as well as an archive of the Bendix Tech Tips series.

Recently, Western Star collaborated with WTFC to create a promotional wrap on a 5700XE model featuring the organization’s name and pictures of its members.   PORTLAND, Ore. — Western Star today announced a new rebate program for the members of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC). WTFC members qualify for the rebate when they purchase any new Western Star 4700, 4900 or 5700XE model truck or tractor. To be eligible for a rebate from Western Star, customers must be a verified WTFC member for at least 90 days prior to purchase. All trucks must be new and never sold at retail prior to purchase, and there is a maximum of five rebates per customer/company in a calendar year. “Western Star is dedicated to promoting diversity in the trucking industry, and our ongoing partnership with the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada is part of that commitment,” said Samantha Parlier, vice president, Western Star marketing and strategy. “We are pleased to offer this special rebate to the members of this important organization.” Western Star has been a corporate member of WTFC for several years. Recently, Western Star collaborated with WTFC to create a promotional wrap on a 5700XE model featuring the organization’s name and pictures of its members. Since its founding in 2014, WTFC has grown to more than 300 members. It’s active on many fronts, from mentoring women in driving school and hosting career events at high schools to giving interviews to polish the public image of truckers. The federation also is involved in several charitable causes and appears at industry events to gain visibility and recruit women drivers, managers, dispatchers and technicians. To learn more about this offer, visit a Western Star dealership. For more information about Western Star, go to WesternStarTrucks.com. Western Star Truck Sales Inc., headquartered in Portland, Oregon, produces tough custom trucks for highway and vocational applications. Western Star is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 5-8 vehicles and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer.      

Melissa Allen says she got her CDL because truck drivers will always be needed.   Melissa Allen was recently named Women In Trucking’s April Member of the Month. She has been serving her country as an over-the-road truck driver for the past four years — but driving isn’t the only thing she does. Melissa was raised in “Smoketown” or the West End slum of Louisville, Kentucky. She moved away as soon as she could and began to have a positive impact on the world around her. After spending several years in the Army Reserve, Melissa went into active duty and spent a short time overseas where she improved the way information was communicated about casualties. Upon returning stateside, she continued her education and started her own Web design company. Melissa built websites for companies all over the United States for seven years before she got her CDL. Why the drastic career change? She says, “The economy forced me to find a recession-proof career.” Melissa has been serving her country as an over-the-road truck driver for the past four years, she currently is a professional driver for Schneider. However, driving isn’t the only thing she does. She has recently invented a product to solve a problem in the trucking industry. Melissa repeatedly became frustrated when the fuel nozzle kept falling out of the tanks during fueling. She asked around and realized other drivers had the same problem. So, she came up with a solution. Melissa invented a fueling brace that holds the nozzle secure in the tank during fueling. She has already made prototypes and began the patent process for a brace that fits the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution. More information about the fueling brace can be found at www.FuelingBrace.com Melissa urges women to not only live their lives to the fullest, but also make a positive impact on the world around them.    

On-highway diesel prices spiked this week after a brief hiccup last week in their upward trajectory.    As so often happens, oil prices were falling Monday as diesel prices were surging — the national average running up 6.1 cents a gallon from last week — the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported.The average is now $3.104 compared with $3.043 a gallon a week ago on April 9. Oil prices had spiked last week on fears over an escalation of strife in the Middle East, The Associated Press reported. Gasoline prices have been escalating and diesel totals had as well until last week, when several of the EIA’s 10 reporting regions showed slight slides in diesel prices and some stayed the same. The West Coast Less California sector showed the largest boost Monday — 10 cents a gallon to $3.326 — followed by the West Coast at 8.3 cents a gallon more to $3.583. California has the highest diesel prices at $3.787, after surging 7 cents a gallon. Only two sectors, the Lower Atlantic ($2.998) and the Gulf Coast ($2.910) have prices below $3 a gallon. For more details on EIA prices by region click here. Benchmark U.S. crude declined $1.17, or 1.7 percent Monday to settle at $66.22 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, which is used to price international oils, slid $1.16, or 1.6 percent, to close at $71.42 per barrel. In other energy futures trading, heating oil dropped 3 cents to $2.07 a gallon, while wholesale gasoline slid 3 cents to $2.04 a gallon. Natural gas rose 2 cents to $2.75 per 1,000 cubic feet, The Associated Press reported.

Texas saw the most freight coming through its ports, $24.8 billion in truck freight — 14.3 percent more than last year — while Michigan followed with $13.3 billion. New York saw $7.4 billion, up 3.2 percent over 2017. U.S.-NAFTA truck freight rose 10.2 percent this past January compared with the same month a year ago, reports the Bureau of Transportation Statistics or BTS. Trucks hauled $60.6 billion in freight in January. Slightly more freight value — $33.3 billion compared with $$27.1 billion — was moved across the Mexican border than the Canadian border. And compared to last year, U.S.-Mexico truck freight rose 13.6 percent while Canadian freight rose 6.2 percent. Texas saw the most freight coming through its ports, $24.8 billion in truck freight — 14.3 percent more than last year — while Michigan followed with $13.3 billion. New York saw $7.4 billion, up 3.2 percent over 2017. Rail moved freight valued at $13.3 billion, up 0.6 percent over January 2017 and moved more freight across the Canadian border ($7.5 billion), than it did across the Mexican border ($5.8 billion). Texas again saw the highest value of rail freight ($5.2 billion), but that was down 3.3 percent from 2017, BTS reported. Not surprisingly, Laredo, Texas, was the busiest border crossing for rail and truck freight. The top freight designation for truck was computers and parts, followed by electrical machinery, motor vehicles and parts, plastics and measuring and testing instruments. Rail, on the other hand, carried more motor vehicles and parts that any other product designation. All modes of transport were up 9.9 percent for January of this year compared with January 2017, while truck was up 10.2 percent month-over-month and rail was up 0.6.  

By the time oil has gone through the refining process to get to diesel and by the time diesel gets to distribution centers and the local truck stop, it takes a week or two or more to catch up to the price of oil and whether the price direction is up or down. Average on-highway diesel prices increased by 3.8 cents a gallon Monday to right above the $3-a-gallon mark at $3.010. Last week made the sixth week in a row that the national average had dropped, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Analysts kept saying oil [and therefore diesel] were headed back up. They just took their own sweet time doing it. In fact, The Associated Press reported Monday that benchmark U.S. crude fell 33 cents to settle at $65.55 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and that Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 33 cents to close at $70.12 in London. But it was about time for the old seesaw trick that oil and diesel perform. Oil goes one way as diesel goes the other way. That happens because by the time oil has gone through the refining process to get to diesel and by the time diesel gets to distribution centers and the local truck stop, it takes a week or two or more to catch up to the price of oil and whether the price direction is up or down. A few of the EIA’s reporting regions saw hefty price hikes in diesel Monday. For example, the West Coast Less California sector saw prices go up 8.7 cents a gallon to $3.147 from $3.060 the week prior. The Rocky Mountain sector experienced a diesel price increase of 6.6 cents a gallon. Truckers there are paying $2.991 a gallon today compared with $2.925 last week. And truckers in the West Coast region today are paying 5.4 cents more for a gallon for diesel — $3.438 — compared with $3.384 a gallon a week ago. In EIA’s Lower Atlantic reporting region truckers are paying 4 cents a gallon more at $2.898 compared with $2.858 the week of March 19. To see more diesel prices by region, click here. After taking a slide Friday on fears surrounding President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was taking China to task for their copyright and other infringements against U.S. businesses, the stock market went back up Monday, though, and oil prices along with it. China said it is ready to deal. In other energy futures trading, heating oil was little changed at $2.02 a gallon. Wholesale gasoline lost 2 cents to $2.01 a gallon. And finally, natural gas added 3 cents to $2.62 per 1,000 cubic feet. So, if the price of crude continues to slide for days or even a few weeks, diesel prices will probably follow the leader and slide again, too. If, however, Monday was just an oil hiccup and oil prices go back up, look for diesel prices to go back up again eventually. But of course, so many things beyond our control make oil go up and down, it seems, from presidential announcements to political unrest in oil-rich countries to news on the U.S. interest rate. So, stay tuned. Just like the weather, the prices of oil and diesel are always changing.

Trucks accounted for $720.8 billion of the $1.1 trillion in freight with Canada and Mexico, BTS reported. (The Trucker file photo) All five of the U.S. major transportation modes carried more freight by value in trade with NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico in 2017 than in 2016, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported Friday. Trucks continued to be the most utilized mode of moving cargo into and out of Canada and Mexico, carrying 63.3 percent of the freight transported. In fact, trucks accounted for $720.8 billion of the $1.1 trillion in freight with Canada and Mexico, BTS reported. A 17.3 percent increase in the year-over-year price of crude oil in 2017 played a key role in the annual increases in the dollar value of goods shipped by pipeline, up 31.3 percent, and vessel, up 29.6 percent. As a result, the share of freight moved by other modes decreased: air by 0.1 percent; rail by 0.2 percent and truck by 2.2 percent. Trucks carried 60.2 percent of the $614.0 billion of goods imported from Canada and Mexico in 2017 at 18.5 percent; pipeline at 8.4 percent; vessel by 6.4 percent and air, 3.1 percent. The value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 7.1 percent to $582.4 billion, with trucks carrying 57.7 percent. And although trucks carried the largest share of U.S.-Canada freight by value in 2017, its share of the total decreased by 2.4 percentage points, BTS noted. Trucks hauled 50.1 percent of the $300 billion in goods imported from Canada in 2017, followed by rail at 20.6 percent; pipeline at 17.2 percent; vessel at 5.0 percent and air at 3.8 percent. The top category of freight transported between the U.S. and Canada in 2017 was vehicle parts worth $107.4 billion. BTS said $60.7 billion or 56.7 percent, moved by truck and $43.7 billion or 40.7 percent moved by rail. In trade with Mexico, the value of goods transported increased 6.1 percent to $557 billion, with trucks carrying 69.1 percent followed by rail at 14.4 percent; vessel, 9.5 percent; air, 3 percent and pipeline .7 percent. Trucks carried the largest share of U.S.-Mexico freight in 2017 at 69.1 percent, although year-over-year, that was down 1.9 percent from 2016. Trucks carried 69.9 percent of the $314 billion in goods imported from Mexico in 2017, followed by rail at 16.5 percent; vessel at 7.8 percent; air at 2.4 percent and pipeline at 0.1 percent. In goods exported to Mexico in 2017, trucks carried 68 percent of the total $243 billion, followed by vessel, 11.6 percent; rail, 11.5 percent; air, 3.8 percent; and pipeline, 1.4 percent. The top commodity hauled between the U.S. and Mexico last year was vehicles and parts totaling $104.8 billion, with $48.9 billion or 46.7 percent moved by truck and $44.7 billion or 42.7 percent moved by rail.

With sales of 4,403 year-to-date compared with 2,599 for the same period last year, International sales are up 69.4 percent this year. Pictured is the International LT series. (Courtesy: NAVISTAR)   Tuesday, March 13, 2018 by THE TRUCKER STAFF   Class 8 truck sales in the United States continued a strong upward trend in February. According to WardsAuto, 16,687 Class 8 units were sold in February compared with 14,458 in January, an increase of 15.4 percent. More impressive, however, is the fact that year-to-date, sales are up a whopping 40.6 percent over the same two months of 2017. A total of 31,145 units were sold during the first two months of 2018 compared with 22,144 during the same period last year. Volvo showed the biggest gain in February over January, selling 1,973 units in February compared with 1,266 in January, a gain of 55 percent. Kenworth had a 24 percent gain, selling 2,100 units in February compared with 1,693 in January. All OEMs are showing gains when comparing year-to-date 2018 to the same timeframe last year. International showed the largest gain, having sold 4,403 units in 2018 compared with 2,599 during the same period in 2017, an increase of 69.4 percent. The chart below shows 2018 over 2017 gains for all OEMs.   YTD YTD 2017 YTD 2018 % chg. Freightliner 8,387 11,538 37.6% Mack 2,175 2,422 11.4% International 2,599 4,403 69.4% Kenworth 2,519 3,793 50.6% Peterbilt 3,678 4,990 35.7% Volvo 2,226 3,239 45.5% Western Star 553 751 35.8% Other 7 9 28.6% Total 22,144 31,145 40.6% Change 9,001

An FTR official said the Class 8 market remains “red-hot” and that the capacity crunch is transforming into a capacity crisis and many fleets of all sizes, in all markets, across the country are scrambling to add trucks as fast as they can. Pictured is the Volvo VNL 760. (Courtesy: VOLVO TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA) Orders for Class 8 truck continues to be strong, according to the two companies that analyze sales in the commercial vehicle market. ACT Research said preliminary North America Class 8 net order data show the industry booked 40,600 units in February. “Robust Class 8 order placements continued in February,” said Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research. “For the month, Class 8 orders totaled 40,600 units – the eighth-best order month on record and the ninth time in history in which orders eclipsed the 40,000-unit mark. Seasonal adjustment reduces the month’s order largess to 37,600 units, up 63 percent compared to last February’s order intake.” FTR reported preliminary North American Class 8 orders for February at 40,200 units. Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR, said the February volume was much above expectations and exceeded the 40,000 level for the second consecutive month, something that has not happened since November and December 2014. February order activity was down 15 percent month-over-month but up 76 percent year-over-year. Fleets are striving to add hauling capacity in response to strong freight growth, Ake said, adding that OEM orders were sturdy across the board for all markets and truck types. North American Class 8 orders for the past 12 months have now totaled 333,000 units. “The Class 8 market remains red-hot,” Ake said. “The capacity crunch is transforming into a capacity crisis and many fleets of all sizes in all markets across the country are scrambling to add trucks as fast as they can.  Robust freight growth is the primary driver, and ELD implementation is just exacerbating a tough situation. “It looks like fleets held back some orders from the fourth quarter to see if freight growth would continue and if ELDs were final.  Now that the environment is more certain, the orders have been pouring in. This upturn looks strikingly similar to 2015, but is now expected to exceed it.  Production is ramping up and should remain vibrant into next year.” ACT Research said preliminary North America Classes 5-8 net order data show the industry booked 67,700 units in February, making it the third-strongest order month since the EPA’07 pre-buy-fueled March 2006 order volume and the fifth-best order month of the millennium. February’s volume makes it the third-strongest order month since the EPA’07 pre-buy-fueled March 2006 order volume and the fifth-best order month of the millennium. ACT noted that these numbers are preliminary. Complete industry data for February, including final order numbers, will be published in mid-March. “Despite falling 17 percent below January’s best-in-12-years order intake, February’s industry order volume still makes it into the pantheon of all-time great months, with both the medium-duty and heavy-duty markets contributing generously to the final order tally,” Vieth said. “On a seasonally adjusted basis, net orders rose 42 percent year-over-year to 63,000 units – also the fifth-best all-time reading.” After an uninspired rate of order placement in the fourth quarter of 2017, medium duty Classes 5-7 orders have come on strong at the start of 2018. “In February, Classes 5-7 orders fell 15 percent from January to a still-strong 26,700 units – the second-best month since July 2006 and the third-best month on record,” Vieth said.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 by THE TRUCKER NEWS SERVICES Photo: CRST CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — CRST International Inc., one of the largest privately-held transportation companies in the United States, has named Kimberly Maes president of CRST’s Logistics Inc. Maes’ hire is aligned with CRST’s growth strategy for its logistics operating company, according to CRST International COO Hugh Ekberg. Maes brings 20 years of transportation leadership experience to CRST. Prior to joining CRST, Maes most recently served as president of Swift Logistics LLC. She has held progressive roles in various leadership capacities, including global logistics, network planning and finance for Schneider Inc. and Gateway Inc. A graduate of West Virginia University with a bachelor of science in business administration, Maes majored in accounting and finance. She started her career as an auditor for KPMG, gaining 10 years experience in audit accounting for various organizations and industries. “Kimberly’s experience with multiple large customers in several industries honed her financial acumen and created a foundation for a successful transition into transportation leadership,” Ekberg said. “She has built successful logistics and brokerage businesses within large asset-based companies. Kimberly has the proven results and know-how to leverage business analytics to generate profitable growth. We look forward to the positive impact Kimberly’s leadership and experience will bring to our customers and our team.” CRST International Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified transportation companies in the United States, with projected 2017 annual revenues in excess of $1.4 billion. Through its eight operating companies, Ekberg said CRST provides a broad array of transportation solutions, including expedited van, flatbed, dedicated services, brokerage, transportation management, high-value product white glove moving services and drayage and warehouse services. CRST’s operating companies include CRST Expedited Inc., CRST Malone Inc., CRST Dedicated Services Inc., CRST Logistics Inc., CRST Specialized Transportation Inc., BESL Transfer Company, Pegasus Transportation and Gardner Trucking Inc. It employs more than 8,000 company drivers, independent contractors and office personnel across the nation.