PeopleNet, a provider of fleet mobility technology, last week announced it will sell ISE Fleet Services' eFleetSuite electronic logging devices (ELDs). The ELDs would help small fleets meet the nearing federal ELD mandate in December.
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...Read the rest of this storyHornady Transportation, a Daseke company, recently increased its weekly minimum pay guarantee for its drivers to $1,000. The company already offers up 52 cents per mile to experienced drivers, it noted, in a press release last week.
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...Read the rest of this storyNew Mac aluminum end-dumps gleam in the lights of the Mid-America Trucking Show earlier this year. Many lose their luster in day-to-day work, but are still are valued for their light weight and corrosion resistance. Photo: Tom Berg
">New Mac aluminum end-dumps gleam in the lights of the Mid-America Trucking Show earlier this year. Many lose their luster in day-to-day work, but are still are valued for their light weight and corrosion resistance. Photo: Tom Berg
">Think you're seeing a lot of aluminum end-dump trailers in recent years? You are. Aluminum's light weight and resistance to corrosion means they now account for eight out of 10 new dump trailers in the United States, builders say. In addition, there has been a trend toward smooth-sided double-wall dumps and away from the outside-braced, sheet-and-post type. Meanwhile, hardened steel has become the chosen material for steel dump trailers and bodies, which are preferred for loading and hauling of rough materials.
“The market is somewhat regional and industry-specific, where industries transporting rock and demolition debris will use steel, and industries transporting processed materials will go with aluminum,” says Bill Riggs, president of J&J Truck Bodies and Trailers in Somerset, Pennsylvania. “Aluminum has been the material of choice for at least 20 years. Only recently has thin, very strong steel become available.” That makes it usable in some weight-sensitive operations formerly limited to more expensive aluminum. But “due to corrosion of steel, aluminum should continue to be popular for years to come.”
Smooth-sided aluminum dumps are now widely available, notes Charlie Wells, vice president, sales and marketing, at East Manufacturing in Randolph, Ohio. “We were the first, with our Genesis in 2001,” he claims, “and now everybody's pretty much copied it.” Genesis uses square-tube aluminum extrusions that are welded in a line to form the double-sided walls. The main advantages are inherent strength and confining of dings, dents and bulges to the inside surfaces. Lessons learned from early models required engineers to revise the types of alloys employed and certain structural details – an “expensive learning ...Read the rest of this story
In a move to expand its port drayage, transloading, deconsolidation, customs examination, and warehousing solutions, NFI has acquired California Cartage and its affiliated companies, the supply chain solutions provider announced.
CalCartageis a port logistics provider serving several large companies in the U.S. With its roots in Long Beach, Calif., near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the company has operated at the country's busiest ports for more than 70 years.
The acquisition creates a family-owned, vertically integrated 3PL in North America with service offerings in dedicated transportation, distribution, and drayage. With a presence at nearly every major U.S. port, the acquisition enables NFI to service shippers in the transition of goods from import to port to final destination in North America.
The combined company is expected to generate approximately $2 billion in annual revenue in 2018.
The acquisition expands NFI's North American distribution footprint to 41.5 million square feet with a portfolio that consists of warehousing, e-commerce, automated, cross-dock, transloading, and customs examination facilities. In addition, NFI's dedicated transportation and drayage network grows to nearly 4,000 tractors and its brokerage and transportation management capacity to nearly 30,000 carrier partners.
With CalCartage's expertise, NFI says it can provide heightened specialization in the retail, e-commerce, footwear, and apparel sectors. NFI now employs nearly 10,000 associates throughout its more than 250 offices, warehouses, and transportation locations.
Related: NFI Acquires Canadian 3PL Dominion Warehouse & Distribution
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: México Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes
">Photo: México Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes
">In no uncertain terms, the American Trucking Associations has made it clear it continues to support the provision within the North American Free Trade Agreement that allows approved Mexico-based motor carriers to operate in the U.S.
ATA Chief Economist and Senior Vice President Robert Costello stated in a Sept. 29 letter to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer that the trucking lobby supports the Mexican truck program because it has helped reduce congestion at U.S.-Mexico ports of entry.
“Congestion increases without NAFTA's trucking provisions because trailers often return empty after delivering freight across the border,” he wrote. “Sometimes ‘Bobtails' (tractors without trailers) deliver a trailer only one-way across the border and return solo; and, bobtails and empties are also required to be inspected at the port of entry just like loaded trailers.
“The additional unnecessary equipment increases congestion, delays, ‘overhandling' of shipments, costs, and the potential for lost and damaged freight,” he added. “As the industry looks well into the future, this provision will be more important as trade increases. It would be shortsighted to end the program now.”
Costello indicated that ATA was stressing its support for the program now because “there are groups fearmongering about Mexican trucks driving beyond the commercial border zone.” He said this is “not an open door policy” as Mexican carriers undergo a case-by-case review before the U.S Department of Transportation grants them authority to operate here.
He also advised out that “the largest Mexican-domiciled carrier in the program, representing over half of all the Mexican drivers permitted to drive beyond the commercial trade zone, is actually owned by an American trucking company.”
Costello added that Mexican carriers operating beyond the commercial border zones have an excellent safety record. “They are operating equipment similar to U.S. motor carriers and must adhere to all ...Read the rest of this story
The Celadon Group continues to restructure its assets in an attempt to create more liquidity, while it is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The company, which owns Celadon Trucking and Celadon Logistics, as well as other subsidiaries, announced this morning that it has refinanced its revolving credit and extended equipment leases that were maturing in 2018.
Celadon's short-term revolving credit restructuring was done through Bank of America, and has a maturity date at the end of fiscal 2017. In addition they received US $22.6 million in equipment term loans secured by existing tractors and trailers used in their Hyndman subsidiary.
Chief Executive Officer Paul Svindland said the company is making significant progress toward their goals, while acknowledging their financial results will continue to be uneven for the time being.
Other parts of the strategic plan have included selling off its flatbed division and flatbed assets in September, and focusing on the company's irregular route truckload business.
Celadon also said it has identified excess truckload assets and real estate it will be selling.
“In terms of non-core assets, we exited the flatbed business and our driver-training academy in September, and we plan to exit three additional small businesses, including our Quality Companies lease servicing business, in coming quarters,” said Svindland.
Celadon has also disclosed it is the target of an SEC investigation. The SEC issued a subpoena to the company and is currently in the process of obtaining documents from Celadon. No further details of the investigation were released.
This article by the staff of award-winning Canadian publication Today's Trucking appears here via a cooperative editorial-sharing agreement between HDT and TT.
Related: Celadon Sells Off Flatbed Division to PS Logistics
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...Read the rest of this storyTechnicians check out the new Cascadia Simulator (image courtesy of Fyda Freightliner)
">Technicians check out the new Cascadia Simulator (image courtesy of Fyda Freightliner)
">Fyda Freightliner took delivery of a New Cascadia simulator to be used as a core piece of training for the company's approximately 106 service technicians that work at its seven locations in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The simulator was supplied by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) and includes a fully-functioning dashboard which can be connected to and run the Detroit Diesel GHG17 training engine, allowing the technician in training to see the interaction between the tractor and the engine.
“I am so excited to begin using the New Cascadia simulator for our service technician training sessions. It allows much more interactive training without needing to use an actual tractor,” said Rick Higinbotham, Fyda Freightliner company trainer. "It's a great training aide for me as well as our student technicians. During our training sessions, the student technicians will be able to see and do much more on the simulator as compared to a truck tractor, such as component removal and testing that wouldn't normally be able to occur when using an actual truck tractor.”
Higinbotham has been Fyda's company trainer for almost 19 years and works closely with the service managers to keep Fyda's service technicians certified and optimized for the highest level of productivity possible.
The New Cascadia simulator is a fully-functioning training aide. It includes the vehicle ECU (electronic control unit), interactive ICU (instrumental control unit), all switches, motors, door control modules, lighting, adjustable mirrors, blend air (HVAC), and etc. DiagnosticLink 8, computer-based diagnostic program, connects to the simulator and is fully functional.
Fyda Freightliner is always looking to hire quality service technicians at all dealership locations and provides training and certification. Interested parties may apply online at www.fydafreightliner.com.
Related: Fyda Freightliner Offers Mobile Diagnosis of Repairs
