ATRI IDs Best Practices for State Freight Plans

Texas was the highest ranked freight plan in ATRI's research based in part on the state's use of detailed commodity and freight flow data. Photo: ATRI

The American Transportation Research Institute on Feb. 27 released a report that presents best practices for freight planning at the state level. ATRI said the report aims to help state Departments of Transportation and their consultants “better address those freight planning components that are viewed as most critical by Federal Highway Administration, state DOTs and state trucking association leaders.”

The genesis of the report was ATRI's call for innovative state freight plans from state DOT personnel and freight stakeholders nationwide. The top 12 plans selected formed the basis for an Ideal Attributes Checklist, by which the other state freight plans were assessed.

The report compares state plans against FAST Act-required and recommended components. The upshot is that ATRI “synthesized minimum freight planning requirements along with innovative practices and mapped nearly 50 different freight plans against the model freight plan framework.”

The research group said its Ideal Attributes Checklist, along with lessons learned and the various innovative practices highlighted within, will allow freight planners to consider a broad continuum of freight planning techniques for their next updates.

“The highest ranked plans utilize a variety of tools, including quantitative industry data, visualizations, project prioritization tools and strong reliance on Freight Advisory Committees, among other approaches.”

Texas was the highest ranked freight plan in ATRI's research based in part on the state's use of detailed commodity and freight flow data in developing its plan, as well as active engagement of its Freight Advisory Committee throughout the planning process.

"We are excited to be able to contribute our knowledge base to this important effort, and even more flattered that we were chosen by our peers as a model freight plan," said Caroline ...Read the rest of this story

Flexible Lighting Comes in Different Lengths

Maxxima's Hybrid Auxiliary Combination Dual Color STT/ BU Flexible Strip lighting is available in 48- and 60-inch lengths.

The self adhesive hybrid strips can be applied to the rear of any vehicle to increase visibility and safety.

Lights come with a standard 4-pin flat trailer connector with an extra led for back-up light circuit.

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DTNA Predicts Year of High Truck Sales, Technology Advancements

DTNA President and CEO Roger Nielsen talks to reporters about meeting customer demands for trucks, uptime, and technology. (Video call screen capture.)

Coming off of a record year for North American Class 6-8 market share in 2017, Daimler Trucks North America is looking forward to a busy year as it keeps on top of its supply chain to meet high customer demand and readies for some big new-technology announcements.

In a video conference call for reporters, DTNA President and CEO Roger Nielsen teased upcoming announcements about predictive maintenance, electric trucks, and further advanced driver assistance systems that can lead to autonomous technologies.

The Truck Sales Challenge: Staying on Top of Demand

Around the world, Daimler Trucks last year sold more than 470,000 trucks last year. In North America, Daimler Trucks North America posted record Class 6-8 market share of 39.8%, or about 151,000 trucks, buses and chassis.

Driving that success, Nielsen said, were:

• more than 46,000 orders for the new Cascadia
• increasing popularity of the integrated Detroit powertrain, with 96% of all Cascadias spec'ed with Detroit engines. The DT12 automated manual transmission goes into 75% of all Cascadias and Western Star 5700 (93% in the new-generation Cascadia).
• Detroit Assurance 4.0, the latest version of DTNA's active safety system suite, which uses a camera system and radar to provide adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane departure warning, etc. “The penetration rate far exceeds what we expected,” Nielsen noted, saying it's spec'ed in nearly 90% of Cascadias.
• Western Star was at an all-time high for order intake.
• Aftermarket parts sales; 2017 saw another parts distribution center open in Indianapolis, and Daimler expanded with its acquisition of the Mascot driveline reman business.

For 2018, DTNA expects a “significant increase in overall sales,” to levels seen in 2015, if market conditions remain sustainable. January and February order intakes so far ...Read the rest of this story

Amazon is acquiring doorbell videocamera startup Ring, a 'Shark Tank' reject that turned into a massive success story (AMZN)

Amazon is acquiring smart doorbell maker Ring. Ring got its start on the TV show "Shark Tank" in 2013. Amazon is acquiring Ring, a startup that makes a popular line of video camera doorbells, in a deal that could help Amazon enmesh itself further into consumer homes and lay the framework for a high-tech pipeline that delivers retail goods and groceries straight to consumers.

Pirelli brand to Launch H89 Series Tires at TMC

The Pirelli branded H89-series tire from Prometeon Tyre Group is a dedicated line of tires for steer, drive, and trailer axles designed for regional and long-haul applications.

The H89 has been designed for extended mileage and comes equipped for traction in all road conditions, according to Prometeon.

The H89 series tires will be offered alongside the company's Pentathlon D, Pentathlon Coach and G Series tire offerings and will be launched in March.

“We are very proud to present the latest tires of our range offer for the North American market. Our products perform at high levels in mileage and traction in all conditions,” said Alex Vitale, CEO North America for Prometeon Tyre Group Commercial Solutions. “The tires represent everything the Pirelli brand stands for – high performance, premium quality, innovative technology and industry leadership.”

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Omnitracs Celebrates Platform’s 30th Anniversary

NASHVILLE. Omnitracs is holding its fourth annual user conference here this week. The event marks the telematics platform's debut in the trucking industry 30 years ago and features an array of training sessions, workshops, industry briefings and exhibits.

Ray Greer, Omnitracs CEO noted that it was 30 years ago that Omnitracs (then a part of Qualcomm) installed its first unit and it was 35 years ago that Omnitracs business unit RoadNet installed its first routing system. He also said that 30 years ago, only about 30,000 computers were connected to the Internet.

Omnitracs CEO Ray Greer, speaking in Nashville. Photo: Jim Beach

He also commented on the changes in the industry brought about by e-commerce and talked about the so called, “uberization” of trucking.

“For many years, we've been doing that – matching up trucks and customers,” he said. And while the industry has seen tremendous change over the last 30 years, Greer said he felt the industry is “in a period of great change,” and that Omnitracs is well positioned to capitalize on these changes.

“It's my belief this industry is undergoing the greatest transformation since deregulation due to the rapid advancement of technology,” he said. With the ELD mandate, every truck cab will have a computer in it, which will lead to even more connected things.

He described the company's new platform, Omnitracs 1, as a secure, open, hardware-agnostic software system that “addresses what the industry has been moving toward – greater integration” and said it addresses the convergence of the first, middle and last miles in truck movement.

“The industry grew up thinking about those things differently,” he said. It ...Read the rest of this story

Cross-Border Freight Value Increases for 14th Straight Month

U.S.-NAFTA Freight Value Percent Change from Previous Year, December 2017

The value of freight moving between the U.S. and next door neighbors Canada and Mexico posted its 14th straight year-over-year gain in December, according to new Transportation Department figures.

The value totaled $93.5 billion as all five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners as it posted an overall 7.4% rise.

The value of commodities moving by vessel increased 37.8%, pipeline by 14.2%, truck by 5.4%, air by 4.1%, and rail by 2.8%.

The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by vessel was due in part to a 11.4% year-over-year crude oil price increase, according to the report, and a 22.2% increase in the tonnage of mineral fuels transported by vessel.

Trucks carried 60.7% of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $29 billion of the $50.5 billion of imports, or 57.4%, and $27.8 billion of the $43 billion of exports, or 64.6%.

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 14.5% of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 8.4%; pipeline, 6.5%; and air, 4.1%. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 81.7% of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.

U.S.-Canada Freight Value Jumps Nearly 10%

Comparing December 2016 to December 2017, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 9.5% to $48.7 billion as the value of freight on all five major modes increased from a year earlier.

The value of freight carried by vessel increased by 61.1% due in part to an increase in the unit value and an 42.8% increase in the tonnage of mineral fuels traded. Pipeline increased by 15.3%, rail by 10.1%, air by 7.2%, and truck by 6.4%.

Trucks ...Read the rest of this story