What You Don’t Know About Your Wheels Can Hurt You

If you don't use the proper tools, you'll never know how much – or how little – clamping force you have on the wheels. Photo: Jim Park

Wheel installation is pretty simple, right? Bolt 'em on, torque 'em down and you're good to go. If that's what you believe, then perhaps you've had more than your share of wheel separation incidents. I wouldn't go so far as to call wheel installation rocket science, but there's much more to doing it right — and many more pitfalls to taking shortcuts — than you may think. If you haven't reviewed your wheel installation procedures lately, what follows will give you something to think about.

When technicians work on wheels, they often refer to the wheel nut tightening process as torquing the nuts, but that doesn't really tell the whole story. Instead of torque, wheel-end manufacturers use the term clamping force. Clamping force is caused by the tension in the stud. Tension is a function of torque and friction. A brand new Grade 8 M22-1.5 wheel bolt and nut can provide approximately 50,000 pounds of clamping force, so when you apply 500 lb-ft of torque to the entire 10-bolt wheel end, you have 500,000 pounds of clamping force holding the wheel in place. That, however, is only under optimum conditions, like when the assembly is brand new or when all the necessary installation steps have been followed and the hardware is in very good condition.

Let's start with the hardware. This process begins when the wheel is removed from the truck. First, ensure the wheel isn't cracked or broken and the stud holes are perfectly round. Elongated holes are indications that the wheel was at one time loose on the hub. Obviously, if the wheel is damaged it should be pulled from service.

Next, check the ...Read the rest of this story

Testimony Describes Openness of Fuel Rebate Fraud within Pilot Flying J

In the ongoing trial of four former Pilot Flying J executives for their participation in a fuel rebate scam, recent witness testimony suggests a culture of openness existed within the company about the fraud that appeared to be encouraged by top-level executives, according to numerous published reports.

The alleged fuel rebate fraud involved promising trucking companies certain amounts of money as a rebate for using Pilot Flying J fuel, but reducing the amount without the trucking companies' knowledge.

This week, Brian Mosher, a former sales director at Pilot Flying J, gave testimony in court that described conversations with top executives about withholding the full rebates and his work to train sales staff on how to do that, according to a report in the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Mosher told jurors he was so good at it that he had maxed out his commission as a salesman. At one point he said he spoke to Mark Hazelwood, former Pilot Flying J president and one of the four executives on trial, and threatened to stop defrauding customers because it no longer benefitted him personally. Hazelwood allegedly told him that it wasn't a good idea, and Mosher was later given a promotion to director of national accounts.

Mosher has pleaded guilty for his role in the fraud scam, one of 14 former Pilot Flying J employees who have done so. His testimony directly implicated his former supervisor Hazelwood, who is one of the four employees and the highest-ranking one on trial. The other fomer employees on trial are Scott Wombold, former vice president of national accounts, and two former sales representatives, Karen Mann and Heather Jones.

Mosher also testified specifically about his dealings with Pilot Flying J customer Ryder, saying he created fake spreadsheets to show Ryder personnel, which allowed him to short the company more than ...Read the rest of this story

Spot Reefer Rate Hits 3-Year High, Van Lanes Surge

While the short Thanksgiving workweek meant fewer loads and trucks posted on the spot truckload freight market demand for capacity boosted van and refrigerated freight rates, according to DAT Solutions and its network of load boards.

It reported there were 33% fewer loads and 26% fewer trucks for the week ending Nov. 25 compared to the week before as spot rates continued to hover at below seasonal norms.

All reported rates include fuel surcharges.

In the reefer market, the number of load posts fell 38% while truck posts dropped 16%, causing the reefer ratio to decline 26% to 9.6 loads per truck. Several outbound reefer markets experienced double-digit average rate increases including:

Van load post activity fell 26% and truck posts dropped 27% but the van ratio increased slightly to 6.8 loads per truck. Heading into December, the spot van outlook is strong and rates from key markets are surging compared to the week before:

Several van lanes spiked as well compared to the previous week:

Flatbed load and truck posts ...Read the rest of this story

No longer 'if' but 'when' for electric trucks

Blockchain Group Expands to Include All Transportation Types

The group formerly known as the Blockchain in Trucking Alliance has expanded its mission and been renamed the Blockchain in Transport Alliance, reflecting its widened focus on all forms of transportation.

BiTA is dedicated to setting standards for blockchain applications developed for transportation. The alliance was formed by tech and transportation executives to create a forum for promotion and education, and to encourage development and adaptation of blockchain applications within the transportation and logistics industries.

While initially focused on bringing blockchain technologies to trucking, the group includes several members that have business interests in several transportation modes, including air, maritime, intermodal, pipeline, and rail.

“Since BiTA launched this past fall, we have seen overwhelming interest from all forms of transportation companies, not exclusively trucking,” said Chris Burruss, president of BiTA. “These organizations wanted an organization to further their interests in blockchain standards, working on the same framework, regardless of mode.”

BiTA has also opened offices in London and Singapore because of their importance in global transportation and commerce.

Blockchain is a digital database using blocks of secure data that can be used to keep records of information or assets. The database can be accessed by companies tied into a system to see and use the same data on these transactions, creating efficiency throughout a logistics chain.

“Expanding our focus and footprint is a reflection of a broader mission, but blockchain standards in trucking and road freight are still enormously important,” said Burruss. “Seventy-five percent of all goods in North America are moved by truck, but as we focus on cross border and global trade, other modes such as maritime are far more prevalent. We are growing our team rapidly and expanded our infrastructure to focus on the evolution of the freight market.”

Related: Blockchain Explained, Part I

...Read the rest of this story

Economic Watch: Cyber Monday Sets Online Shopping Records

The Monday after Thanksgiving, nicknamed Cyber Monday, was the largest online shopping day in history for U.S. retailers, with $6.59 billion worth of goods sold – a 16.8% increase from the year before.

Adobe Analytics, which measures 80% of the online transactions from 100 of the largest major U.S. retailers, also reported overall web traffic to retail sites increased by 11.9% on Cyber Monday, with the season average at 5.7%.

Mobile device use for shopping set a new record, representing 47.4% of visits (39.9% smartphones, 7.6% tablets) and 33.1% of revenue (24.1% smartphones, 9% tablets). .Smartphone traffic grew 22.2% year-over-year. Revenue coming from smartphones, which totaled $1.59 billion, saw 39.2% growth year-over-year, a new all-time high.

Mobile transactions are closing at a 12% higher rate than Cyber Monday 2016. For purchases made on smartphones, Apple iOS led with an average order value of $123, in comparison to Google Android at $110.

Shopping and buying on smartphones is becoming the new norm and can be attributed to continued optimization in the retail experience on mobile devices and platforms, according to Mickey Mericle, vice president of marketing and customer insights at Adobe.

“Consumers are also becoming more savvy and efficient online shoppers. People increasingly know where to find the best deals and what they want to purchase, which results in less price-matching behavior typically done on desktops,” Mericle said. “Millennials were likely another reason for the dramatic growth in mobile, with 75% expecting to shop via their smartphone."

The holiday shopping season so far, from Nov. 1 through Nov. 27, has driven a total of $50 billion in online revenue. Adobe predicts this will be the first-ever holiday season to break $100 billion in online sales.

The figures were released the same day as ...Read the rest of this story

Mercedes-Benz Considers Drone Test Program a Success

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz recently concluded a three-week test program in Zurich, Switzerland, that used drones and Mercedes Benz vans to make on-demand deliveries, calling the pilot a success according to a recent Bloomberg report.

The program was conducted with U.S. drone developer Matternet and a Swiss online marketplace called Siroop. Customers who ordered certain items from a local coffee roasting company were given the option to use same-day delivery by drone. Mercedes-Benz says it made 100 deliveries to 50 customers with a 100% success rate, delivering packages as far as 11 miles.

The drones delivered the packages, not directly to the consumer, but to Mercedes-Benz vans at four pre-determined locations around the city. The packages were then taken a short distance by van to each address. The Vans and Drones program is aimed at speeding up delivery times by bypassing traffic in densely populated areas. The goal is to eventually sync up the drones and van fleet so that they will not have to travel to pre-determined rendezvous points and can meet the vans while they are already on a regular route.

More tests of the Vans and Drones program are planned for next year.

Related: Mercedes-Benz Vans Tests Drone-Delivery Program

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