From Mexico to the U.S., a Nafta Tale of Two Truckers

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Vehicle Tracking Solutions, Bestpass Partner for Toll Management Platform

Photo: VXLA/Flickr

Vehicle Tracking Solutions and Bestpass have partnered to form a fleet management and toll management reconciliation platform, the companies announced.

Within one platform, this partnership will offer companies full visibility nationwide into all fleet, driver, and toll management operations.

This partnership combines VTS' fleet management platform, Silent Passenger, and Bestpass, a nationwide toll coverage and streamlined toll management system.

With this fully integrated telematics and fleet management insights platform, commercial fleets will now also have access to the Bestpass national toll coverage network, including all major U.S. toll roads and more than 40 tolling groups.

Within the fully integrated platform, the consolidated data sets allow fleet managers to manage overall fleet operations efficiently, while matching key geographic information on drivers, vehicles, and other critical fleet operations data, with toll usage for a total toll management reconciliation.

This reduces the number of platforms necessary for daily fleet operations, consolidates nationwide toll management into single source billing, and creates cost savings on monthly toll expenses through volume discounts.

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Daimler Trucks Updates Vehicle Repair App

Express WriteUp now offers several new features to enhance the driver experience and improve efficiency. Photo: Daimler

Daimler Trucks North America has made enhancements to its Express WriteUp mobile app, the company announced.

The app allows service advisors at Freightliner and Western Star dealerships to create repair orders with a mobile device.

When a vehicle arrives at a repair facility, the service advisor can access warranty repair coverage, repair history, and fault code information via Bluetooth adaptor or by scanning the VIN or QR code affixed to the door pillar.

Express WriteUp now offers several new features to enhance the driver experience and improve efficiency.

Digital interview forms allow for the collection of typical service issues such as air conditioning and overheating. It also has the ability for drivers upload photographs to include in the RO and capture signatures digitally.

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Mercedes-Benz Report Record Van Sales; Teases Rollout of Next Sprinter

European-model Mercedes-Benz Vito electric van. The Vito is sold on this side of the Atlantic as the Metris. Photo: Mercedes-Benz Vans

Stuttgart, Germany-based Mercedes-Benz Vans has announced it set a new record for unit sales in 2017 and for the first time passed the 40,000-vehicles sold mark. The division also again gave a taste of what its next-generation Sprinter will offer.

In addition, the division has now grown continuously for five consecutive years. On the basis of initial December results, the division increased its overall wholesale unit sales by around 12% percent to a total of some 401,000 vehicles.

While all models contributed to this growth with best-ever figures, Mercedes-Benz Vans also stated that it sold more of its “van icon,” the Sprinter, than ever before in its last full year before the launch of the next-generation model.

However, M-B Vans reported that its ‘”strongest growth driver – in addition to the very successful fleet business – was once again the strong demand for the Vito van [which is sold in North America as the Metris] and the V-Class multipurpose vehicle. In 2017, both of those models were fully available for the first time in China, which is now the world's biggest vehicle market.

“Our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global' growth strategy was very successful once again in 2017,” said Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans Volker Mornhinweg, “Four consecutive record years represent an outstanding performance by our global team…We have great plans also for 2018; with the new Sprinter, the most important market launch in the van segment from our perspective is coming up soon.”

Mornhinweg said Mercedes-Benz will “open up the digital era in this segment” with the next-generation Sprinter, which it will roll out to the media next month. “With the new Sprinter, we will provide exactly those solutions in the vehicle that will help ...Read the rest of this story

Intel recalled a major chip in 1995 and turned them into keychains inscribed by the CEO — and the message speaks to Intel's current crisis

Intel recalled the Pentium P5 chip in 1995 that produced errors for certain calculations. The recalled chips were turned into keychains for Intel employees. The keychains had an inscription from former Intel CEO Andy Grove that became the company's mantra, and also applies to Intel's current chip crisis.