ELDs, safety technology and the effect on fleet insurance costs

ATLANTA. As a fleet owner, you've installed electronic logging devices (ELDs) and other safety technologies throughout your entire fleet. Now your insurance premiums will automatically decrease, right?

Not necessarily, explained Harry Storck, global fleet technical specialist at AIG.

Storck, speaking to attendees at TU-Automotive's Connected Fleets conference here in Atlanta, discussed the insurance carrier's perspective on how connectivity is changing the landscape of commercial fleets.

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Meritor Launches Mach Aftermarket Line

Rob Speed, president – aftermarket and trailer, talks about Meritor's new lower-cost aftermarket brand.

ATLANTA – Meritor has introduced a value-priced product line for the aftermarket that will be branded as Mach.

Initial offerings will include brakes, drivelines, drive axles, suspensions, transmissions and springs, but there are plans to expand as well.

“Mach is a global aftermarket value brand that we're launching today for North America, but we're going to introduce it here and all over the world,” said Rob Speed, president – aftermarket and trailer and chief procurement officer, during an unveiling at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show.

“The time is right, we believe, to launch a value lineup brand for aftermarket parts. In North America and around the world we're seeing a rise in low-cost competitors and brands that don't necessarily have the same quality focus as Meritor.”

Buyers are rolling the dice when they buy products from companies they don't know, he said. In contrast, Meritor is a proven company. “We're not offering parts that won't fit or won't work well. Mach is different.”

The products will be engineered to meet “industry standards” and be backed up by one-year warranties like those available through the company's other aftermarket brands, he added.

It is the latest in a series of investments in Meritor's aftermarket arm to improve speeds and ease of business transactions. One of the most recent examples came with the launch of the www.meritorpartsexpress.com website.

There are more changes to come, too.

“We're going to make a significant change that we believe will dramatically improve our ability to deliver products to our customers on the west coast of the U.S.,” he added.

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Meritor Offers Improved Version of Air Disc Brake

Meritor's optimized EX+ air disc brake

ATLANTA – Meritor announced its EX+ air disc brake for tractors and trailers has been optimized to reduce product weight and total cost of ownership. The optimized EX+ will be available to OEMs in 2018.

"We're focused on product development to make air disc brake sytems more lightweight and cost effective," explained T.J. Reed, vice president, front drivetrain, North America, at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show. He pointed out that Meritor has been designing and manufacturing brakes for more than 100 years. "You may think of Meritor as a drivetrain or axle company, but ... we had first axle brake integration program right before WWI."

Meritor engineers reduced the weight of the caliper by 10 pounds without offsetting any brake performance, Reed said. "We are so confident that we improved the warranty to 5 years/500,000 miles for linehaul applications."

The gear-synchronized, twin-piston design of the new EX+ delivers even force across the brake pads simultaneously, resulting in better performance and uniform pad wear. The EX+ optimized ADB offers shorter and smoother stopping distances and reduced brake fade. A patented double-sealing technology minimizes water exposure to seal the EX+ for life. It simplifies pad service steps – including 30-minute pad changes – and lowers maintenance costs with faster inspection and repair times.

"Fleets are beginning to see the benefits of air disc brakes, especially in safety and performance," said Chris Villavarayan, president, Americas for Meritor. "We have validated the EX+ in the most severe conditions to deliver superior performance and lower lifecycle costs."

Reed also noted that Meritor air disc brakes are compatible with most collision mitigation systems currently on the market. Fleets can also specify drum brakes on rear axles and ADBs on the front.

Meritor's improved standard warranty now offers coverage of five years and 500,000 miles for ...Read the rest of this story

Meritor to Start Testing Electric Drivetrain Next Year

Meritor's Cheri Lantz explains that the e-carrier is an electric motor designed into a differential carrier. Photo: Deborah Lockridge

ATLANTA – As Meritor works to stay ahead in an industry facing the most rapid change CEO Jay Craig says he's ever seen, the company announced it's developing a new portfolio of electric drivetrains.

Meritor announced at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show that it is developing a platform of electric drive axles and suspensions as well as supporting systems “to position Meritor as a leader in electric solutions for the commercial vehicle market.”

It also announced an improved air disc brake and a new low-cost aftermarket brand.

“You're seeing part of the Renaissance of Meritor,” Craig said. About a year into its three-year M2019 plan focusing on revenue growth, the company continues to press forward with its goal to roll out at least 20 new products during that three-year time frame.

“We're also committed to electrification,” Craig said. “We've had a lot of interest from OEs on how we can start to work with them to launch demonstrator and production vehicles as well. We have a product for every category of the commercial vehicle market,” he said, including trucks, buses, and delivery vans. “We offer the complete portfolio and our plan is to continue to be the drivetrains leader – no matter where the industry evolves.”

The electric drivetrains address several trends in the industry, said Cheri Lantz, vice president and chief strategy officer: the increasing quest for efficiency, global emissions regulations, and the advancement of electrification as technology improves and battery costs come down.

Essentially, Meritor is focusing on integrating an electric motor into the differential carrier. The flexible e-carrier design will be the foundation for various drivetrain configurations, including full electric, hybrid, single or tandem axles with various options based on application. ...Read the rest of this story

Azuga Offers ELD Mandate Solution

Photo courtesy of Azuga

Azuga has launched and electronic logging device (ELD) solution that provides commercial fleets with a compliance solution for the upcoming ELD mandate, and also helps boost fleet visibility and operational efficiency.

The Azuga eLogs solution offers two interfaces designed to help managers and drivers efficiently gather and analyze information based on drivers' HOS and Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIR), according to Azuga.

For drivers, the eLogs solution comes with an intuitive in-vehicle dash-mounted 8” tablet to capture all required information for the driver's log and post-trip DVIR reports. As for the connected fleet manager interface, it is powered by a web application, which offers comprehensive back-office reporting to avoid HOS violations, and focuses on resource optimization.

This solution offers an intuitive means for fleets to avoid potential citation and fines that may result from the upcoming mandate, according to Azuga.

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FMCSA Awards Over $70M in Grants For Commercial Vehicle Safety

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has awarded more than $70 million in grants and educational institutions to enhance commercial motor vehicle safety.

Most of the grant money was given out through the FMCSA's High Priority grant program and Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation grant program .The HP grant program consists of high priority commercial motor vehicle grants and innovative technology deployment grants. HP-CMV grants are designed to provide financial assistance to state commercial vehicle safety efforts, while HP-ITD grants provide financial assistance to advance the technological capability and promote the deployment of intelligent transportation system applications for CMV operations.

The goal of the national CDL program is to reduce the number and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes in the United States by requiring states to conduct knowledge and skills testing before issuing a CDL, maintain a complete and accurate driver history record for anyone who obtains a CDL, and impose appropriate disqualifications against any driver who violates certain offenses. The program is part of the FMCSA's efforts to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

“Our shared goal of a safer transportation system is a top priority,” said Elaine Chao, U.S. Transportation Secretary. “These grants will further assist state and local officials in their efforts to prevent commercial motor vehicle crashes and injuries each year, and have the potential to save hundreds of lives.”

FMCSA announced:

Focus on advanced tech, facelift for next-gen ‘Benz Sprinter

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