Business

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops is now serving customers in Mansfield, Louisiana, and Harlingen, Texas, with new locations that opened today. The Mansfield store, located off Interstate 49 at exit 172, adds 80 jobs and 67 truck parking spaces to DeSoto Parish. The location in Harlingen, along Interstate 69 East at exit 30, adds 50 jobs and 62 truck parking spaces to Cameron County. “In adding a 19th location in Louisiana, and a 79th in Texas, Love’s is strengthening our commitment to bringing Highway Hospitality to well-traveled roads where customers need fast, friendly service,” said Shane Wharton, president of Love’s. “These new locations will give our customers the amenities they want in the safe, clean environments they expect from Love’s.” The locations are open 24/7 and offer bean-to-cup gourmet coffee, brand-name snacks, Love’s Mobile to Go Zone with today’s latest technologies and a dog park. The locations also include: Mansfield More than 12,500 square feet. Godfather’s Pizza and Subway (opening April 24). 67 truck parking spaces. 62 car parking spaces. 21 RV Hookups (opening soon). Five diesel bays. Six showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. Harlingen More than 9,400 square feet. Godfather’s Pizza (opening April 24). 60 truck parking spaces. 48 car parking spaces. Four RV parking spaces. Five diesel bays. Four showers. Laundry facilities. CAT scale. In honor of the grand openings, Love’s will donate $2,000 to the Mansfield High School athletics department and $1,000 each to Harlingen High School and the City of Combes, Texas.

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — The Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) recently honored Tom Fleming of Aim NationaLease with the Steve Lawrence Legacy Award during the association’s 2023 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida. “Tom Fleming is equal parts leader, mentor, visionary, philanthropist and provider” said President of NationaLease Dean Vicha. “The amount of lives Tom has positively influenced is immeasurable and he does it with such a combination of self-confidence and humility that he is truly someone we should all aspire to be more like. NationaLease and the entire Truck Leasing Industry are truly blessed to have him on our side.” Fleming, chairman and CEO of Aim Transportation Solutions, began his company in 1982 when he purchased McNicholas Transportation, a company with only 29 trucks and five employees, according to a news release. Today, Aim NationaLease operates or maintains nearly 11,000 vehicles with approximately 1,200 employees at over 100 facilities. Fleming is an active member of many charitable and civic organizations in his home state of Ohio and in the transportation industry. He has served on TRALA’s Board of Directors, the National Truck Leasing system (past chairman), Youngstown State University Foundation Board (past chairman), YMCA of Youngstown (past chairman), and Community Foundation of Mahoning Valley (past chairman). Fleming is now the fifth NationaLease Member to be recognized for the Steve Lawrence Legacy Award. Past recipients of this noble award are Steve Lawrence of Lawrence NationaLease, Paul DeCarolis of DeCarolis NationaLease, Doug Clark of Corcentric and Tom Brown of Brown NationaLease. The Steve Lawrence Legacy Award was named after one of the eight original founding TRALA Board Members in 1978. TRALA created the award to recognize Lawrence’s more than four decades of service to the industry and subsequently to recognize individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact on TRALA.

FORT SMITH, Ark. — National supply chain logistics company ArcBest has received a VETS Indexes Employer Award, earning a 4 Star Employer designation. According to a news release, the award recognizes 200 of the nation’s top veteran employers. ArcBest LTL carrier ABF Freight was also highlighted in the 2023 Task Force Movement (TFM): Life-Cycle Pathway for Military and Veterans into Trucking report for its Teamsters Military Assistance Program (TMAP), which assists active-duty service members transitioning to a career in the private sector. “ArcBest is a strong advocate of military recruiting, and we strive to be a leader in providing career opportunities that enable veterans to utilize their unique skill sets,” said Judy R. McReynolds, ArcBest chairman, president and CEO. “In a highly competitive environment, ArcBest has distinguished itself among others as one of the best employers nationwide for military members, and I am proud of our team’s efforts to welcome these individuals and their families into our organization.” The VETS Indexes Employer Award recognizes the organizations that do the most to hire, retain, promote and support veterans, the news release noted. This year, a record number of 239 organizations submitted applications and 200 received awards, which are designated as 5 star, 4 star, 3 star and recognized employers. Recipients are selected based on their responses to VETS Indexes’ in-depth survey, which examines an employer’s policies, practices and outcomes across five categories: veteran job candidate recruiting and hiring; veteran employee development and retention; veteran-inclusive policies and culture; support for members of the National Guard and Reserves; and military spouse/family support. The TFM launched at the White House in 2022 in support of the Biden-Harris Trucking Action Plan. The TFM’s recently published report highlights the challenges and opportunities to connect military-adjacent personnel to career opportunities in trucking to help combat a critical labor shortage. TFM has made progress over the last year, engaging with more than 100 stakeholders and assisting hundreds of veterans and military-connected individuals with finding well-paying jobs in trucking. The TFM report highlights the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge and Army Career Skills Programs, including ABF’s partnership with TMAP — a joint training program between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the U.S. Army that helps service members from all branches of the military transition to careers as professional truck drivers. As part of the program, participants, during their final weeks of enlistment, receive classroom instruction and hands-on training behind the wheel from experienced ABF drivers. Since the program’s inception in 2015, ABF has hired 775 veterans through TMAP, and the company currently employs 1,300 veterans in various roles. “We are proud to support our nation’s heroes through several military partnerships and programs, specifically TMAP,” said Seth Runser, ABF president. “The Task Force Movement’s recognition of this program is encouraging as we continue building on our military-focused initiatives and supporting those transitioning from the military into civilian logistics careers.”

BOISE, Idaho — A new survey commissioned by Truckstop shows that freight brokers spend significant time and resources to prevent fraud. Timed with the Transport Intermediaries Association (TIA) 2023 Capital Ideas Conference in Orlando from April 19-22, the survey “reinforces that fraud prevention must remain a top priority for the transportation industry,” according to a news release. “TIA is an annual opportunity for North America’s brokerage-based logistics professionals to connect and learn.” Truckstop CEO Kendra Tucker said that bad actors are becoming much savvier about how they obtain information to defraud brokers. “Bringing attention to this issue is our focus during the TIA conference,” she said. “It is vital for brokers to have accurate, current data so they can operate efficiently and profitably and not lose time and revenue resolving fraud-related issues.” Fraud impact on brokers Fraud can have a significant impact and result in the loss of customers and revenue. Even for those that are vigilant, lost time and productivity can occur more frequently than the actual loss of revenue. As an industry issue, brokers experienced: Lost time resolving fraud-related issues (78%). .Lost productivity resolving fraud-related issues (65%). Dealing with legal implications (24%).  

ATLANTA — Transportation Insight (TI) and Nolan Transportation Group (NTG), a leading provider of non-asset tech-enabled enterprise logistics and freight brokerage solutions in North America, have named Mark Vale as chief financial officer (CFO). According to a news release, Vale will oversee financial strategy and management. Vale has expertise in logistics and transportation, serving more than 30 years at UPS in a variety of roles. He served as president of the UK, Ireland and the Nordics, as well as president of high growth and emerging markets, corporate controller, international and supply chain services CFO and vice president of finance and accounting for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The news release noted that his leadership “contributed to the success of UPS as an enabler of commerce between emerging and developed economies, capitalizing on global trade patterns.” Vale most recently served as CFO for ScentAir Technology LLC, a private equity held global provider of scent marketing and indoor air quality products. “We are fortunate to have a leader with Mark’s credentials join the company as we scale our platform,” said Ken Beyer, CEO at TI Holding Company. “Mark not only understands the nuance of the shipping and logistics industry, he knows what it takes to build a world-class, operational finance organization. He’s an exceptional addition to our leadership team and we welcome his contributions.” Vale holds a bachelor’s of science degree from Swansea University in the UK as well as executive education and leadership programs at the Wharton School of Business and University of Limerick, Ireland. He is also a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. “Supply chains are still recovering from years of challenges but as markets continue to bounce back, Transportation Insight has a rare opportunity to carve out its position as one of the country’s most trusted and recognized logistics companies,” Vale said. “I’m honored to join the company and its incredibly talented team at such a pivotal time.” TI Holding Company is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management.

HEBRON, Ky. — Automated truck unloading systems company Ancra Systems plans to consolidate its operations under Ancra Cargo to expand their North American infrastructure, as well as improve awareness of their product lines and cargo technologies in Europe. Both are sister companies owned by The Heico Companies LLC. The overall organization will be led by Ancra Cargo, a load securement company, with existing Ancra Systems leadership running their strategy and operations, according to a news release. The consolidation is expected to occur on May 1. “Each company will continue to maintain focus on its product line and leverage each other’s infrastructure to deliver excellent solutions to local markets,” the news release stated. “Customers will continue to work through their existing contacts at each company. Ancra Systems will continue to leverage its goodwill in the market and do business under its brand, Ancra Systems BV.” Larry Bethel, Ancra Cargo president, said he is “very excited to consolidate with Ancra Systems BV and for the opportunities that it will provide for each company. This diversification of products and services will benefit customers long-term and offer new distribution channels to the industry.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Transflo and Comdata have teamed up to create the Transflo Wallet, a mobile-app-based cardless fuel payment system. According to a news release, the system will enable freight brokers to send digital fuel advances to carriers and drivers through a secure and mobile app, streamlining fuel transactions. “As we assessed long-standing issues in the industry, fuel payments emerged as the natural next step in extending our broker and carrier automation capabilities,” explains Renee Krug, Transflo’s CEO. “Our fuel solution builds on our connected digital ecosystem to empower our customers to overcome these challenges.” Eric Dowdell, president of Comdata’s North American Trucking division, said that Comdata “has a deep commitment to reducing friction for the transportation industry. We’re excited to partner with Transflo to deploy our cardless payment APIs to bring brokers more transparency, control, and a more simplified driver experience.” The advanced security features of Transflo Wallet protect carriers from fraud and unauthorized access. “We’re committed to building deep relationships and enabling our carriers to maximize profitability and we’re excited to beta test Transflo Wallet as another tool to help us do that.” said Mark Yeager, CEO at Redwood Logistics.

RICHMOND, Va. — Estes Express Lines has announced two promotions within its executive team. Sara Graf, now vice president of sustainability, culture and communications, previously worked as vice president of culture and communications. She will lead sustainability initiatives and oversee Estes’ communications and employee engagement efforts, according to a news release. Carrie Johnstone, now vice president of customer experience and innovation, previously worked as the director of customer engagement and will oversee corporate customer care, Estes’ corporate website, marketing and investor relations. She will also lead the business side of the Customer Hub for information technology. “The women uphold Estes’ longstanding reputation as a company built on trust and focused on creating strong relationships with the people they serve,” the news release stated.

CHICAGO — Supply chain services company Echo Global Logistics Inc. has been named to Newsweek’s Most Trustworthy Companies in America 2023 in the Transport, Logistics and Packaging category. Out of a pool of 3,100 U.S. companies, 700 were selected for this year’s second annual listing, named across 23 industries, according to a news release. Echo was selected as one of just a few non-asset-based logistics companies. “We’re very proud to see Echo recognized as one of the most trustworthy companies in our industry as well as America,” said Doug Waggoner, chief executive officer at Echo. “It’s rewarding to see our shipper and carrier partners place their trust in our cutting-edge technology and knowledgeable employees in order to simplify their transportation needs.” Dave Menzel, president and chief operating officer at Echo, called winning the award gratifying. “Earning the trust of our stakeholders means a lot to us,” he said. “Establishing partnerships on a foundation of trust allows us to provide exceptional service to our clients and carriers as well as a positive place to work for our employees.” This year’s rankings were determined by an independent survey sample of roughly 25,000 people made up of customers, employees and investors.  

SUNNYVALE, Calif. And GREEN BAY, Wis. –Workers at Schneider National’s Green Bay headquarters can now get a tasty treat served to them by a robot. Blendid, a robotic food service solutions leader, has announced the opening of its first location in the Midwest, which will also be the first Blendid kiosk in a corporate office environment, a news release noted. “We consistently evaluate amenities we can offer to our associates and identified additional, healthy quick-serve food options as a priority,” said Schneider Senior Director of Facilities Glenn Buntin. “We believe the Blendid kiosk will help meet this need in a unique way.” While the kiosk at Schneider marks a strategic move into the Midwest market for Blendid, it also serves as a launching point for its expansion into more office parks and corporate campuses, according to the news release. “Our robotic kiosks provide an innovative way to deliver exceptional food service amenities for employees and guests. Working with one of the largest transportation companies in the United States to bring a Blendid kiosk to their lobby has been a fantastic process, and we are thrilled to be able to deliver a kiosk that not only will serve delicious smoothies, but also complements their atmosphere by adhering to brand colors,” said Vipin Jain, CEO and co-founder of Blendid. “As we continue to prove our service model in non-traditional, quick-serve locations around the country, we are looking forward to employees across the United States enjoying our robot-curated delights in the years ahead.” Blendid operates kiosk locations in a variety of non-traditional venue types including shopping centers, colleges and university campuses, travel centers, hospitals and now corporate campuses/office parks. Customized orders can be made directly at kiosk touch screens or through the Blendid App and scheduled for a pick-up time. The robot can make nine smoothies simultaneously and up to 45 custom blends in a single hour — ensuring smoothie orders can typically be ready in under three minutes.  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State and local grants have provided 36 new Tesla Semi electric tractors to PepsiCo at essentially no cost to the company. The Sacramento Bee reports that the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District paid for 18 of the 21 trucks to be used at the South Sacramento bottling plant with $4.5 million in grants. The cost of a Tesla Semi is around $250,000. PepsiCo has ordered 100 Tesla Semis, some of which will be used for long-haul deliveries in California. The trucks are reported to have a range of around 400 miles before they need to be charged.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Ray West has been named as the new chief operating officer at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). A veteran of the trucking industry with more than three decades of experience, West most recently served as chief executive officer of Charlotte, North Carolina-based NASCENT Technologies, according to a news release. In his new role with NMFTA, West “will work to ensure operational excellence for the trade association representing less-than-load (LTL) carriers and the trucking industry as a whole, with critical emphasis on digital operations, cybersecurity, freight classifications and the effective administration of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes,” the news release noted. “This new position presents an excellent chance for me to contribute to the transportation sector that has treated me so well throughout all these years,” West said. Prior to his most recent role with Nascent, he served as vice president of development with Atlas Van Lines and as senior vice president and general manager of TMS at Trimble (who acquired TMW Systems). West worked with Atlas to modernize their LTL, truckload and household goods divisions by contracting with TMW Systems to augment their system with LTL capability. He also oversaw the TruckMate division of TMW, which provided LTL and intermodal capabilities to many carriers in North America and Australia. West said he looks forward to applying his unique combination of experience — both in LTL industry executive leadership and information technology. Debbie Ruane Sparks, executive director of NMFTA, called West “an ideal choice to lead NMFTA operations at a time when the association is growing and pursuing critical goals for its members.” “As a long-time industry professional, Ray complements our ever-growing association,” Sparks continued. “His solid background in LTL transport and in technology, along with his impressive reputation for execution and achieving results, makes him the right choice to lead our operations.” West served in the United States Marine Corps from 1976 through 1989, achieving the rank of staff sergeant before being honorably discharged. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville, along with a master of manufacturing management degree from Kettering University.

PLANO, Texas — Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) has partnered with Schneider National Inc. to complete its first-ever third-party shipment using an electric vehicle. According to a news release, the shipment was made using Schneider’s electric truck fleet of Freightliner eCascadias. “Today’s milestone shipment underscores the importance of cross-industry collaboration in building a more sustainable food system and achieving Frito-Lay and PepsiCo Positive’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2040,” said David Allen, vice president and chief sustainability officer, PepsiCo Foods North America. PepsiCo is FLNA’s parent company. “As a company with massive scale, Frito-Lay looks for opportunities to create positive change, but we can’t do it alone,” Allen added. “By working with Schneider, we are taking an important step forward in our efforts to reduce value chain emissions and move our snack products in a more sustainable way.” An emissions reduction of more than 70% is expected this year from the initial EV routes, versus the same shipments on diesel trucks, which is equivalent to eliminating more than 180,000 miles driven by gasoline-powered passenger vehicles from the road, the news release noted. Initial shipments on Schneider’s growing Freightliner eCascadia fleet will be intermodal inbound and outbound dray moves in southern California, including service to Frito-Lay’s Rancho Cucamonga distribution center. “As we roll out our fleet of almost 100 new battery electric trucks, we’re thrilled to offer a cleaner mode of freight transportation to valued customers like Frito-Lay, who share our goal of operating in ways that are environmentally responsible,” said Rob Reich, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Schneider. “For decades, we have been committed to improving sustainability at Schneider, and we’re proud to now be able to positively impact our customers’ operations as well. Working together, we are decreasing the carbon footprint of shipments in southern California and making a positive difference.”

NEW YORK — Commercial trucking insurance provider Cover Whale Insurance Solutions Inc. has begun a new loss prevention initiative. According to a news release, the Driver Safety Program is “proven to reduce the frequency and severity of claims and improve road safety for America’s truckers and motorists.” “Strategic partnerships with telematics and dash cam providers Nexar, Netradyne and Orion Fleet Intelligence, including its ongoing partnership with Waylens, combine to further strengthen its data collection and machine-learning capabilities,” the news release stated. “These enhancements continue to bolster the company’s ability to accurately price risk and offer discounts to its safest policyholders.” Cover Whale recently welcomed Tony Beirne to its executive team as chief data officer and chief actuary to lead the initiative. “As a testament to the Driver Safety Program’s success, and to continue encouraging safe driving practices, Cover Whale now offers a Safe Driver Discount of up to 15% in support of its safest policyholders when they renew their auto liability policy,” the news release stated. Cover Whale officials say their Driver Safety Program is at the heart of the company’s achievements within the industry. It aims to make roads safer for America’s professional drivers and for those with whom they share the road. The program consists of three components that work together to help assess and address risk: cameras, coaching and coverage. The dashcams and associated telematics capture certain unsafe driving events, such as speeding, hard turning, and thousands of other data points, while providing important AI-driven situational context to the data. Based on that data, Cover Whale also sends coaching communications to drivers to positively reinforce safe driving practices, reduce unsafe driving events and help them avoid claims in the future. Dash cam footage can also support claims settlement, including protecting and exonerating drivers in the event of an accident if they are not at fault. Most importantly, the data enables Cover Whale to offer the most competitive insurance rates in the trucking industry and keep drivers on the road earning, all while maintaining sub-60 loss ratios. “Our Driver Safety Program and its integrated components have proven effective at improving the safe driving of our policyholders while enabling us to manage industry-leading loss ratios,” said Dan Abrahamsen, CEO of Cover Whale. “When it comes to road safety, we’ll never be satisfied. Making America’s roads safer is a never-ending pursuit for Cover Whale.” Abrahamsen and members of Cover Whale’s leadership team have been selected to speak on panels at upcoming industry conferences to discuss the Driver Safety Program and telematics in insurance. The company is presenting at the Reuters Insurance AI and Innovative Tech (April 12-13), Insurance Innovators (April 17-18) and Digital Insurance Summit (May 1-2).

IRVING, Texas — FleetPride Inc., the nation’s largest distributor of truck and trailer parts and service provider in the independent heavy duty aftermarket, has appointment of Kevin Weadick as its new chief executive officer. In a planned transition, Weadick will succeed Mike Duffy, who will serve as executive chairman and lead the Board of Directors, according to a news release. Both appointments became effective April 10. “I am honored to have the opportunity to join the team at FleetPride and look forward to helping the business execute its long-term growth strategy and achieve its aspiration to keep the country running,” Weadick said. Weadick has more than two decades of experience leading digital transformations, industrial product management and marketing teams, large-scale legacy system replacements, supply chains and M&A integrations, the news release noted. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Kevin to FleetPride as we enter the next phase of the company’s evolution and growth,” Duffy said. “As we continue to accelerate our digital transformation, Kevin’s strong track record of success leading technology and operations functions will be critical in driving innovation, and executing our long-term growth strategy for FleetPride as we continue to lead as the nation’s largest distributor of truck and trailer parts and service in the independent heavy duty aftermarket.” Weadick boasts a long-standing professional career. Most recently he served as president of Zoro.com, a subsidiary of W.W. Grainger Inc., “where he more than doubled the eCommerce business to more than $1 billion in revenue, developed an outstanding customer-focused team and drove Zoro’s culture, which has been recognized with multiple workplace awards,” the news release stated. Weadick previously served as vice president of supply chain and marketing for Grainger Europe, where he was responsible for leading both functions. Weadick also served vice president for the Americas and vice president of product management for Grainger Canada. Earlier in his career, Weadick held several roles of increasing responsibility across Grainger’s North American supply chain.

CHICAGO — northAmerican Van Lines Inc., one of the world’s largest moving companies and a subsidiary of Sirva Inc., has added Springfield, Virginia-based Interstate Moving & Storage to its national moving agent network. “Interstate Moving embodies the dedication to quality and service excellence northAmerican was founded on 90 years ago,” Kevin Murphy, vice president and general manager of northAmerican Van Lines said. “We are honored to welcome them into the northAmerican agent family.” Bud Morrissette, chief executive officer with Interstate Moving & Storage, said that northAmerican and Sirva/BGRS are among the strongest names in the moving and relocation industry. “Quality service delivery means everything to our customers,” he said. “Prior experience working with northAmerican and Sirva/BGRS allowed us to experience first-hand their execution and dedication. We look forward to becoming a member of their network family.”