Equipment & Tech

SOLANA BEACH, Calif. — Alvys has released a new feature to aid trucking companies in calculating International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) taxes. “Most trucking companies use a third-party app to calculate IFTA tax,” Reuben Sheyko, a former dispatcher, said. “With Alvys, it’s included with the Transportation Management System (TMS), and it’s easier to use because all of the data you need is already there.” Alvys is a new TMS designed for small to midsize trucking companies. “The cloud-based platform eliminates friction between sourcing, fulfilling and managing loads through powerful integrations and cross department communication,” a news release stated. Alvys’ new IFTA feature is available for all existing and new customers at no extra cost. For more information, visit https://alvys.com.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Volvo Trucks North America will deploy eight Volvo VNR Electric trucks with two Bronx-based community groups as part of a $10 million award through the New York Clean Transportation Prizes program. The Bronx is Breathing: Reimagining a Cleaner Hunts Point plan was one of three award winners in the program’s Clean Neighborhoods Challenge, with the goal of spurring local economic development, creating new job opportunities and reducing air pollution in underserved communities, a news release stated. According to officials at the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, the New York Clean Transportation Prizes program “supports the state’s nation-leading goal of an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. As New York State transitions to a more sustainable transportation future, it is committed to directing a minimum of 35% of its clean energy investments to underserved communities, including the South Bronx.” The project’s goal is to launch a supportive ecosystem for zero-tailpipe emission freight in the state’s busiest trucking destination, the Hunts Point peninsula in the South Bronx, according to the news release. As home to the nation’s largest wholesale food hub, nine waste transfer facilities, several large recycling yards and a wastewater treatment plant, the Hunts Point peninsula sees 15,000 truck trips each workday — a continual source of noise and air pollution that negatively impacts its residential community of nearly 13,000. “Volvo Trucks recognizes that the higher upfront costs of acquiring battery-electric trucks and installing charging infrastructure can be a barrier to adoption for some organizations, particularly smaller fleets and independent-owner operators,” Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America, said. “Through the Bronx is Breathing: Reimagining a Cleaner Hunts Point project, our team will create a replicable, scalable, and sustainable strategy for developing freight-focused public charging hubs and new battery-electric fleet deployment models in underserved communities across the U.S, helping to reduce emissions in frontline communities while also creating new job opportunities.” To support battery-electric truck adoption, the Bronx is Breathing: Reimagining a Cleaner Hunts Point project includes: Development of a public, multi-user freight charging hub at a former 3.2-acre brownfield site in the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center, which will support the Volvo VNR Electric trucks deployed through the project. Deployment of four Class 7 Volvo VNR Electric trucks with electric transport refrigeration units to City Harvest, a local food rescue organization, which will provide true zero-tailpipe emissions deliveries in a refrigerated fleet while addressing food insecurity in the Bronx. Deployment of four Class 7 Volvo VNR Electric trucks to the Electric Truckers Cooperative, the “first-in-the-nation” worker-owned cooperative for zero-tailpipe emission freight, which will be utilized in a “vehicle-as-a-service” model to overcome historic barriers to clean technology adoption by undercapitalized South Bronx fleets and independent owner-operators.​ The award was announced at a showcase event in New York City on Nov. 16. The Bronx is Breathing: Reimagining a Cleaner Hunts Point project kicks off in January 2023, with the first Volvo VNR Electric truck deliveries expected by Q4 2023. The New York Clean Transportation Prizes program — administered by the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority, in partnership with the New York State Department of Public Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — is funded by investor-owned utilities through New York State’s $701 million Electric Vehicle Make Ready program to boost access to charging stations, EV infrastructure and other clean transportation options, as well as to support equitable access and benefits for lower-socioeconomic and disadvantaged communities. To learn more about Volvo Trucks North America and the Volvo VNR Electric, visit the company website.  

SAN DIEGO, Calif. and DE PERE, Wis. — Platform Science and Paper Transport have announced a new collaboration to bring Platform Science’s technology to Paper Transport’s entire fleet. Each Paper Transport truck will be equipped with a tablet to access Platform Science’s technology platform and catalog of apps, providing tools to enhance driver experience and allowing Paper Transport’s back office to tap into and capture real-time data to optimize operations. “The team at Paper Transport is known for their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to innovation,” Luke Wachtel, senior vice president of transportation and logistics at Platform Science, said. “We are proud to collaborate with Paper Transport to deliver the superior driver experience, efficiency boost, and flexibility they are striving for. Our unified, customizable platform will allow them to tailor the solutions they utilize as their needs evolve.” Platform Science is expected to roll out to all of Paper Transport’s trucks by the end of 2022. “We are excited to deploy Platform Science’s innovative technology in our fleet,” Dan Deppeler, vice president of maintenance at Paper Transport, said. “Platform Science provides us an in-truck operating system that will prove to be more flexible and responsive to changing business needs and OEM integration. A critical path forward for PTI is one that is focused on driver workflow. Our singular goal is to utilize Platform Science connections with third-party developers to offer unique driver-based solutions. Life on the road demands a high degree of focus and attention, so making the tablet interaction frictionless will make a hard job a little bit easier.”  

STUTTGART, Germany – A Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck prototype successfully completed its first high-altitude tests on public roads. A major point on the checklist of the test program: crossing the Brenner Pass, one of the main arteries of European freight traffic, according to a news release. “In 2019 alone, around 40 million tons of freight were transported by truck via the four-lane transit route located at an altitude of up to 1,370 meter at the border between Austria and Italy,” the news release stated. “That corresponds to almost 2.5 million trucks per year. During the week-long test drives, the Daimler Truck engineers repeatedly crossed the Brenner Pass with the fuel-cell semi-trailer truck carrying a typical load, on the 120 km highway stretch between Bolzano and Innsbruck. The only emission on the trip: water vapor.” Bolzano, Italy, served as the base for the test drives, as it hosts a hydrogen filling station operated by H2 South Tyrol. “Moreover, the topography of the surrounding area is ideal for thorough performance tests of the fuel-cell system at various altitude levels,” according to the news release. “One of the highlights of the tests was driving the tractor unit up the Penser Joch Mountain to an altitude of 2,211 meters. The findings of this first altitude test program with regards to the interaction of fuel-cell and battery in demanding topography, as well as the forward-looking operating strategy on the Brenner route, are now being incorporated into the further development towards the series vehicle. More test drives in mountainous terrain are planned for the coming year.” On its path towards a CO2-neutral future, Daimler Truck “has clearly set its strategic course and is consistently pursuing a dual-track strategy in the electrification of its portfolio with both battery-electric and hydrogen-based drives,” company officials said. The Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck is being developed particularly for flexible and demanding applications in the important segment of heavy-duty transport and long-haul applications. The development goal is a range of 621 miles and more. Start of series production is planned for the second half of the decade.

TORONTO — Waabi has released the Waabi Driver, which it deems as “the next generation of autonomous trucking technology.” The Waabi Driver combines Waabi’s AI-first autonomy stack as software, along with sensors and compute as hardware. “Together, they form a complete solution designed for factory-level OEM integration, large-scale commercialization and safe deployment,” a news release stated. The Waabi Driver is a trainable system that automatically learns from data, “speeding up development dramatically and enabling it to learn the complex decision-making needed for operating on the road safely,” according to the news release. “Waabi’s AI-first approach is empowered by Waabi World, which exposes the Waabi Driver to the vast diversity of scenarios needed to hone its driving skills, including both common situations and safety-critical edge cases,” the news release stated. “It would otherwise take thousands of self-driving vehicles driving millions of miles each to experience these situations on the road.” The Waabi Driver’s generalization capabilities can apply learned skills to unseen scenarios and brand-new geographies without ever having driven there before. “These capabilities lay the foundation for safe and scalable operations by unlocking new autonomous trucking routes with unprecedented speed,” the news release stated. “Waabi Driver is adaptable to multiple redundant truck platforms and easily integrated on the assembly line with no disruption. The hardware solution is plug-and-play, lightweight, simple to maintain and aerodynamic to maximize fuel savings.” \

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Tire blowouts are sudden and dangerous events that can happen when driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that tire problems were responsible for approximately 15% of truck-related crashes. Autonomous commercial vehicle company Kodiak has become the first self-driving trucking company to demonstrate that its vehicles can maintain complete control of the truck after suffering a catastrophic tire blowout, according to a news release. Its autonomous driver — kodiakDriver — can stay in control of a truck and bring it to a safe and complete stop even when rolling over a giant spike and instantaneously popping a steer tire, according to the company. A demonstration showed kodiakDriver was able to maintain such precise control that the vehicle never left the lane, stopping in the planned path. See video of the maneuver below this article. Kodiak developed and executed tests to ensure that the kodiakDriver could manage the challenge of a blowout. Kodiak started by testing the steering controller’s performance at different tire pressures to understand the system’s control performance at low tire pressures. “With this data, Kodiak optimized the kodiakDriver for the changes that occur after a tire blowout,” company officials said. Once incorporated, the findings from the low-tire pressure tests were entered into the kodiakDriver’s control algorithms. It was then tested with a completely deflated tire flopping off the rim. This test confirmed that the controller can still steer the truck with a completely deflated tire, laying the groundwork for a spontaneous blowout. After deliberate testing at different tire pressures, the vehicle raced down a test track hit a puncture rig, which is a spike mounted to a metal plate Finally, the kodiakDriver on a test track with a trailer, rolled over the puncture rig, and popped the steer tire. If the kodiakDriver suffered a blowout while operating on highways its fallback plan would bring the truck to a stop on the shoulder. “Preparing an autonomous truck for real-world deployment means being ready to manage the rigors of real-world trucking,” Kodiak said in a news release. “We can’t control the hazards trucks will face on the open road, but we can control how the trucks behave when a critical situation occurs. Demonstrating the safety of an autonomous vehicle is about building confidence in how the system behaves in the most complex scenarios and ensuring that the system can always maintain safety and control over a vehicle, even in scenarios where a human may lose control. By demonstrating that the kodiakDriver can consistently maintain complete control even after a major tire blowout, we’re showing the world just how safe a driver the kodiakDriver is.”  

SEATTLE — Zonar officials say a Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) app will be available for free download on all Samsung in-cab tablets before the end of the year. The free app, developed by TAT, will help truckers identify and quickly report instances of labor and sex trafficking observed while on their routes. There are an estimated 50 million victims of human trafficking worldwide, with approximately 24.9 million men, women and children trafficked and sold globally each year. Still, a lack of identification and reporting resources for human trafficking issues has historically underrepresented the size and scale of the issue. The TAT app encourages fleet dispatchers and drivers to educate themselves on the tell-tale signs – and the subtler indicators – of human trafficking, while providing an in-cab resource to quickly report incidents. “The adage ‘see something, say something’ works,” Laura Cyrus, senior director of industry training and outreach at TAT, said. “Since 2009, TAT has trained over 1.3 million industry professionals on human trafficking and drivers have now made thousands of calls to the hotline and law enforcement, resulting in the recovery of victims and the arrest of perpetrators. Given the nature of this crime and that it is often hiding in plain sight, professional drivers are uniquely positioned to be the eyes and ears of the roadways as critical points of safety and recovery for victims of human trafficking.” The TAT app trains truckers to identify signs of victimization, particularly in areas that members of the transportation industry frequent such as truck stops, rest areas, city streets, and warehouses. The platform encourages tips be made to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, where all reports are confidential. After tips are reported, law enforcement and emergency workers are contacted by the hotline. Additionally, the app and the hotline may encourage tips be made directly to 911. “It is imperative that truckers understand the proactive steps they can take to recognize and report suspicious activity,” Jill Snyder, compliance and safety director at Zonar, said. “From local government up to the federal level, law enforcement and advocacy groups are stepping up to lead anti-trafficking efforts. At Zonar, we’re working to be part of the solution too.” To learn more about the partnership between Truckers Against Trafficking and Zonar and the TAT app, visit Zonar’s website.  

HOUSTON and PORTLAND, Ore. —Sysco Corporation received its first series-produced battery electric Freightliner eCascadia on Nov. 11. Sysco’s first zero-emission Class 8 truck was presented to Marie Robinson, the company’s executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at the Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) Manufacturing Plant in Portland, according to a news release. The rig is expected to operate in Sysco’s Riverside, California, site, which will receive additional eCascadias in the coming months. “The Daimler Truck team has been a great partner to Sysco as we have worked to electrify our fleet and we’re thrilled to receive our first battery electric Freightliner eCascadia truck,” Robinson said. “This zero-emission tractor is powerful, quiet and — importantly – very comfortable to drive. That means it’s not only good for the planet, but it will improve the driving experience for thousands of our delivery partners.” Earlier this year, Sysco and DTNA, the leading North American heavy-duty truck manufacturer, announced plans to deploy up to 800 battery electric Freightliner eCascadias by 2026. The deployment of Freightliner eCascadias along with electric refrigerated trailers will play a significant role in achieving Sysco’s science-based climate goal. “Sysco is proud to be leading the industry with our science-based climate goal to significantly reduce our direct emissions by 27.5%,” Neil Russell, Sysco’s senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief communications officer, said. “Today is a major milestone in our climate journey as we work toward electrifying 35% of our U.S. fleet by 2030. Sharing the vision and responsibility with similarly-minded companies like Daimler Truck North America is crucial in moving toward a sustainable future.” Sysco Riverside continues to build its charging infrastructure to support additional battery electric truck deployments, including adding additional solar capacity, the news release stated. “Thanks to customers like Sysco, we are delivering a purpose-built, zero-emission vehicle to the heavy-duty truck market that offers the durability, reliability and capability to meet our customers’ business and sustainability goals,” David Carson, senior vice president, sales and marketing at DTNA, said. “The scalability of these trucks and the deep understanding of the integration into fleets will move the industry forward to a cleaner future and make the transformation of transportation a reality,”. “The Freightliner eCascadia now rolling off the production line and into customers’ hands represents a historic moment for the entire industry.” In pre-series production and real-world testing, prototypes of the eCascadia accumulated over 1.5 million miles of use in customer fleets since 2018. Revealed in May of 2022, the eCascadia debuts the Detroit ePowertrain, in addition to new safety and connectivity features from Detroit Assurance and Detroit Connect. “The in-house developed and fully integrated Detroit ePowertrain maximizes efficiency and driver comfort,” according to the news release. “Detroit Connect eServices offer customers features like the Charger Management System with eRange prediction and battery health monitoring that enable fleets to strategically save money and increase their productivity. The eCascadia comes standard with Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 and debuts the new Detroit Assurance safety feature, Active Side Guard Assist.” Learn more about Sysco’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, including Sysco’s by clicking here 2021 CSR Report.

KIRKLAND, Wash.  – Kenworth has introduced a new way for fleets and truck operators to manage their Kenworth TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics subscriptions online through the PACCAR Solutions web portal. By logging into PACCAR Solutions, customers can renew their Kenworth TruckTech+ subscriptions, manage payment options and monitor subscription expiration dates for all their trucks, according to a news release. They also can manage subscriptions for trucks that will be added to their fleet in the future. Renewals may be made for individual units or an entire fleet. An automatic renewal option is available for added convenience. Kenworth TruckTech+ is standard on Class 8 Kenworth trucks equipped with PACCAR MX engines and Cummins diesel and natural gas engines. The system is optional when purchasing new Kenworth T180, T280, T380 and T480 medium duty conventional models equipped with a PACCAR PX-7 or PACCAR PX-9 engine. The T280, T380 and T480 also offer the remote diagnostics system when specified with a Cummins Westport L9N natural gas engine. “Kenworth TruckTech+ enhances vehicle diagnostics by providing real-time engine health information to fleet managers and Kenworth dealers to help optimize truck uptime and productivity and enables fleets to track the location of their Kenworth trucks,” the news release stated. “Kenworth TruckTech+ notifications provide relevant guidance to the driver and fleet manager on how to proceed. Notifications include options to keep driving and address the alert code during the next service interval, go immediately to a dealer for service, or pull over to prevent possible damage.” If the customer needs to take the truck in for service, the system maps out the locations of the three closest repair facilities. The data is sent to the secure PACCAR Solutions portal where the fleet manager can review the truck’s location, status, identified issue and recommended solution. When the truck arrives, the dealer’s service team can move to remedy the problem. There are currently more than 130,000 trucks in the U.S. and Canada enrolled in Kenworth TruckTech+.

PHOENIX – Trucker Path has announced the addition of Geotab ELD and telematics technologies to its suite of products and services. “We are excited to be adding ELD and telematics capabilities from Geotab to our ever-expanding set of offerings at Trucker Path,” Chris Oliver, CMO of Trucker Path, said. “With a growing combination of strategically aligned and integrated products, we now offer a comprehensive set of solutions that includes all the essential technologies and services trucking companies need for successful, profitable operations.” The company currently has over 3 million devices in operation and processes more than 55 billion data points per day. Branded as Trucker Path ELD Powered by Geotab, the solution’s ELD technology provides hours of service and DVIR compliance while the telematics adds vehicle utilization, performance and health assessments along with a wealth of other telematics-driven capabilities. The new offering is available in conjunction with other well-known services from Trucker Path, including: The Trucker Path app. TruckLoads, a digital freight exchange that connects drivers, carriers and brokers. COMMAND, an Operations & Driver Relationship platform that provides small to mid-size fleets with TMS technologies. DISPATCH, a full-service dispatch service designed specifically for small carriers and owner-operators. “With this new, affordable offering, Trucker Path customers can get everything they need to run their trucking company all in one place,” Oliver said. “Our “business-in-a-box” approach now includes regulatory compliance, load sourcing, operations management, truck navigation, parking availability, weigh station statuses, dock insights, fuel savings, document scanning, customer invoicing, factoring and even a Dispatch service that combines it all to manage all the back-office work for owner operators and small fleets.” Carriers and fleet operators can visit www.truckerpath.com/eld to learn more about Trucker Path ELD Powered by Geotab.  

HOUSTON — Shell Lubricants has introduced Shell Rotella T6 10W-30 full synthetic heavy duty engine oil. According to a news release, the oil “provides the benefits of a full synthetic engine oil in the fastest growing viscosity grade for diesel-powered vehicles. The versatile oil offers fuel economy benefits and excellent engine protection for hard working trucks.” Shell Rotella T6 10W-30’s formulation is designed to provide better wear performance compared to conventional and synthetic blend Shell Rotella 15W-40 and 10W-30 products while also delivering improved fuel economy capability of 2% compared to SAE 15W-40 heavy duty engine oils, Shell officials said. “Shell Rotella T6 10W-30 full synthetic is a high-performance engine oil that provides drivers with added fuel economy and the confidence that their engine has the protection required for challenging workplace and leisure environments,” Annie Peter, North American brand manager at Shell Rotella, said. “It is also important to strengthen our portfolio of full synthetic engine oils in a viscosity grade that is becoming more widely used in modern diesel engines.” “This can save money in fuel consumption, without compromising engine protection or durability,” the news release stated. “The oil also helps ensure enhanced engine protection and can help to reduce maintenance costs.” Shell Rotella T6 10W-30 will be available for sale on Amazon.com beginning first quarter of 2023.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Peterbilt is enhancing its SmartLINQ suite of connected services with a new process for customers to manage their SmartLINQ subscription online through the PACCAR Solutions web portal. Using their existing PACCAR Solutions Portal access, customers can monitor, manage and renew their SmartLINQ subscriptions, according to a news release. Payments can now be made directly via credit card or ACH draft within the portal. “SmartLINQ improves fleet uptime and performance 24/7 through Remote Diagnostics technology that monitors over 800 diagnostic codes and provides real-time service alerts and recommendations,” the news release stated. “The system automatically sends email warning notifications, as well as the location of the nearest three Peterbilt dealership locations. SmartLINQ also helps streamline service and maintenance and ensures every truck is operating at peak performance. SmartLINQ is standard on all Peterbilt Class 8 trucks and optional on Peterbilt’s line of new medium duty trucks.” Peterbilt has more than 100,000 trucks on the road today currently enrolled with an active SmartLINQ subscription.  

HERNDON, Va. — SkyBitz has announced the release of Kuantum to replace the GXT5002C trailer telematics solution with a purpose-built platform for maximizing fleet capacity. According to SkyBitz, this will allow for increased revenue profitability using the same number of trailer and intermodal container assets. “In the current environment, fleets of all sizes are looking to fully utilize drivers, trailers and container assets to protect their margins from sliding rates and runaway inflation,” Henry Popplewell, division vice president of SkyBitz, said. “Kuantum delivers essential, real-time information and insights for turning trailers faster to maximize revenue, cost savings, and driver satisfaction.” Kuantum devices have an integrated ultrasonic cargo sensor, harness solar energy to recharge an internal battery and use a power management system to deliver high frequency, event-driven reporting of trailer locations and empty/loaded status, a news release stated. With Kuantum, fleets with mixed assets can optimize their dry vans and intermodal containers by: Turning assets faster to increase driver productivity and revenue. Detecting misuse of assets by customers and other third parties. Decreasing reliance on customer notifications to schedule pickups. Automating yard checks and other manual tasks. Verifying detention events with arrival, load/unload, and departure data SkyBitz Kuantum is Bluetooth-enabled and operates on the 4G LTE Network with 5G compatibility. The device mounts on the front of a trailer and functions as a single gateway to support multiple wireless sensors in the SkyBitz SmartTrailer ecosystem. Configurable reporting options and over-the-air programmable capabilities ensure a future-proof investment. The SkyBitz Insight web portal delivers a single dashboard that unifies management of mixed trailer assets and provides instant visibility of trailer and cargo status from data captured by Kuantum and other SkyBitz devices. All data in the SkyBitz Insight web portal is available for real-time integration with transportation management systems.