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Zonar has successfully completed testing with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to confirm that data transfer works between its Zonar Logs electronic logging solution and an authorized safety official's laptop.
The successful test meets the ELD mandate requirement for drivers to be able to transmit log data electronically while roadside to FMCSA's ELD monitoring software (eRODS) that state and federal law enforcement will use to check hours of service compliance when the mandate goes into effect on Dec. 18.
Zonar's ELD was able to transfer eight days of electronic logs successfully to the roadside inspector while roadside, with the data populating automatically in the monitoring system.
The testing took place on Dec. 5. Zonar participated with FMCSA on an ELD Data Transfer Demo Training exercise at the Dumfries, Va., Motor Carrier Service Center weigh station. The purpose of the exercise was to test a carrier's capability, while in a controlled environment, to electronically transmit ELD data wirelessly to law enforcement.
"Zonar is ELD self-certified and third-party validated by industry veteran and former FMCSA Administrator Annette Sandberg, and has successfully tested its ELD with FMCSA," said Fred Fakkema, vice president of compliance at Zonar. "With this end to end testing with federal regulators and a staff of compliance experts available, our customers and prospects can select our ELD solution with the utmost confidence."
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: Tesla
">PepsiCo is the latest large fleet to make a significant investment in the recently announced Tesla Semi electric heavy-duty truck, reportedly ordering 100 vehicles.
This tops the 40-truck order from Anheuser-Busch, which had been the most substantial pre-order of the yet-to-be-released electric truck. Other high profile pre-orders have coem from such well-known companies as J.B. Hunt and Walmart.
It will be awhile before PepsiCo receives the Teslas -- the trucks are expected to go into production in 2019 – and the final price will depend on the model and spec of the trucks received by the beverage maker.
The base model Tesla Semi is priced at $150,000 while a version with advertised 500-mile range begins at $180,000. It costs $20,000 to pre-order either model of Tesla Semi --- unless a buyer opts to splurge on a special edition Founders Series Tesla Semi, which costs $200,000 to reserve and buy.
In a Reuters report, PepsiCo executives said they were evaluating which routes would be best suited for the Tesla's maximum range of 500 miles, but declined to say how much it paid for the pre-orders or if the company would be buying or leasing the trucks.
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...Read the rest of this storyFMCSA has granted a TRALA request to provide a 90-day waiver of the ELD rule to trucks rented for 30 days or less.
">A 90-day waiver from the electronic logging device mandate will soon be issued for carriers operating short-term rental trucks (defined as 30 days or less) by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The upshot is that these trucking operations will be exempt from the new rule until March 18, 2018 and firms that rent or trucks will have three more months in which to get their trucks in compliance with the ELD mandate.
The Truck Renting and Leasing Association announced on Dec. 12— less than a week before the ELD rule takes effect-- that FMCSA had agreed to grant the special 90-day exemption in a Dec. 8 letter to the association by Deputy Administrator Cathy Gautreaux. In her message, she noted that official notice of the waiver will be published in the Federal Register “as soon as practicable and will include the complete list of terms and conditions applicable to the waiver.”
In a news release, TRALA called the agency's action “welcome news to truck rental companies that have been spending the past few months trying to put together strategies and plans to address the fact that FMCSA only granted part of TRALA's original request for a five-year exemption for short-term rental trucks.”
Back on Oct. 24, FMCSA granted a waiver only for rentals of eight days or less— rather than the 30-day period sought by TRALA. The association said that left most of its members with “very little time to respond to ensure their customers continued to receive the best possible equipment and service designed to comply with the ELD rule set to take effect on December 18, 2017.”
TRALA said that in the wake ...Read the rest of this story
Toyo Tires has introduced the Toyo M588 on/off-road drive tire built for severe service applications including oil, gas, mining, and logging operations.
A 33/32-inch tread depth and special cut and chip resistant compound combined with a competitive acquisition point make the M588 a solid alternative for severe-use vehicles, according to Toyo Tires.
Built to be durable, the M588 handles harsh elements such as scoria and caliche roads, snow, and mud. Aggressive side protectors are molded into the sidewall of the tire protecting the tire from cut damage by rocks, and from the continued use of snow chains in severe winter regions.
The M588 unique tread block arrangement is a high-void design which provides improved mud and snow traction. Aiding in the traction is special siping on top of the tread blocks. Between the blocks and inside the grooves, several features such as stone ejectors and mud breakers add to the performance of this on/off-road drive tire. Angled inline lateral grooves, also between the tread blocks, help evacuate packed mud and prevent snow chains from dropping into the grooves.
Toyo's e-balance technology contributes to tire longevity, tread profile retention, and fuel efficiency, according to the company, while its durable casing design improves retreadability. Two 16-ply sizes are available with the new M588, an 11R22.5, and an 11R24.5.
“The M588 is an ideal solution for customers operating in tough and unforgiving conditions,” said Mike Graber, senior product manager for commercial tires, Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corp. “It is designed to take the abuse experienced in on/off road conditions such as oil fields and forestry applications.”
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