Using technology to gain leverage for truckers

Chinese self-driving truck firm to widen testing efforts

CarriersEdge course helps drivers operate at slow speeds, in tight conditions

NCI recognizes drivers for exceptional work

Tire Maintenance: It’s Not Just Checking Tire Pressure

This truck demonstrates uneven treads on dual tires. Photo by Les Smart.

Have you read articles on tires until you are blue in the face? Perhaps there will be a nugget or two in this article that you haven't thought of. Or maybe you are putting off tire maintenance because it's too costly, too much trouble, or any number of excuses.

I will go into some of the usual topics like tire pressure and tread wear, but first …

You have built a $3 to $30 million business over one or more generations, and you are making an appropriate profit most years. Do you think about liability? I bet you do, but do you relate that to tire failures and more specifically to catastrophic tire failures? What happens to your business if a worn, damaged tire fails at speed — it doesn't even have to be high speed — and your driver loses control of your fleet vehicle and it plows into another vehicle?

If one or more of the occupants is a young to middle-aged passenger, especially a working mother or father, your liability skyrockets. I like to call this the $5 million accident. You don't want to lose your business in the event of one of these failures just because you were lax in making sure that your tires were in good condition. Let's see what you can do to avoid this type of situation where your tires are concerned.

This one seems obvious, but do you (or your supervisor) check each tire's pressure periodically? Or do you leave it up to your maintenance provider? Buy a decent tire gauge and use it. There are two types of gauges. Make sure that the tire gauges read truck tire pressures and aren't only for passenger car tires, which operate at lower pressures. If ...Read the rest of this story

Camera-Based Safety System Slashes Kroger’s Collision Rate in Half

The Kroger fleet operates 1,200 tractors and 1,800 trailers in 35 states to supply the Cincinnati-based company's network of some 12,000 grocery/retail stores, which operate under nearly two dozen brand names including Kroger, Ralphs, Smith's Food and Drug, and Harris Teeter. Photos: Lytx

A continuing upswing in the liability risk profile of a major grocery/retail fleet led management to look for a way to rapidly reverse the troubling trend. John Lobenberg, safety manager for the private fleet operated by Kroger, says that with the retailer's recognition that “liability spending was increasing year over year” with up to five “catastrophic” driving events being recorded each year, it determined that the best way to turn things around was to “proactively manage driver behavior.”

The fleet of 1,200 tractors and 1,800 trailers operates in 35 states to supply the Cincinnati-based company's network of some 12,000 grocery/retail stores, which operate under nearly two dozen brand names, including Kroger, Ralphs, Smith's Food and Drug, and Harris Teeter.

Last year, Kroger's company drivers drove 382 million miles to complete an average of 1,300 deliveries daily. They typically go out and are back home every night. Out on the road, Lobenberg says, the drivers also serve as “Kroger brand ambassadors, each and every day.” He notes that a Kroger driver out on the road “probably interacts with 5,000 people per day. That's compared with associates in stores, who may talk to 500 to 1,000 people per day.”

After looking into various safety-enhancement programs, Kroger opted to adopt the Lytx DriveCam program. According to Lytx, this exception-based video telematics program combines the video capture of road incidents, such as hard braking or sudden swerving, with data analysis of those incidents that generates “personalized coaching insights” to help improve driving behavior out on the road.

Kroger's logistics experts prioritized two cities that were incurring the ...Read the rest of this story

Bridgestone Names New Bandag Marketing Director

LaTres Jarrett Photo: Bridgestone

Bridgestone Americas has named LaTres Jarrett as the director, marketing for Bandag, the Bridgestone business dedicated to the research, development, and manufacturing of premium retreads.

In her new role, Jarrett will lead the strategic marketing efforts at Bandag to revitalize and grow the brand among customers and dealers.

Prior to joining Bandag, Jarrett managed marketing campaigns for leading brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade, Cap'n Crunch and Dole, among others. She also facilitated licensing partnerships on behalf of CSM Bakery Solutions with brands such as Hershey, Cinnabon, Oreo, and Welch's. Jarrett earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville.

“We are excited to welcome LaTres to the Bandag team,” said Eric Higgs, vice president, marketing, commercial tire group, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “LaTres brings more than 16 years of valuable experience in brand-building and customer strategies. She is a natural team leader and creative thinker who is well-suited to take Bandag marketing initiatives to the next level.”

Related: Bridgestone Names New GCR President

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter