ONE20 launches commercial tire program

ONE20 announced plans at the recent Great American Trucking Show in Dallas to launch ONE20 Tire, a program that will be available in Q4 2017.

According to the company, ONE20 Tire will leverage more than 200 wholesale warehouses in addition to 75,000 service centers across the country. With the direct warehouse-to-consumer program, drivers and carriers will be able to save on their tire purchases. From purchase to delivery, installation will take four days or less, the company added.

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Webinar: Roadside inspections in the digital age

A range of new technologies, from electronic logging devices (ELDs) to driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs), are changing how roadside inspections are being conducted now and into the future.

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Hurricane Harvey may sideline 7% of the trucking industry

Hurricane Harvey will “strongly affect” over 7% of U.S. trucking during the next two weeks, with some portion of that fraction out of operation entirely, according to analysis by freight research firm FTR Transportation Intelligence.

During the first week, almost 10% of all U.S. trucking will be affected, the firm said; a number that jumps near 100% for the Gulf Coast region west of the Mississippi.

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Dealing with the devastation of Hurricane Harvey

The entire 12,000 member Texas National Guard deployed to deal with the destruction wreaked by Hurricane Harvey; a storm some suggest could destroy up to $20 billion in insured property largely due to heavy flooding, which would make it one of the costliest storms in U.S. history. (Photos: Texas Military Department)

Safety Sammy is Official Name of TMAF Mascot

Trucking Moves America officially named its new mascot Safety Sammy after fierce competition from over 2,000 other possible entries. Photo: TMAF

After a months' long contest to name its official mascot, Trucking Moves America Forward has finally announced that the bug-eyed cartoon truck will henceforth be known as Safety Sammy.

TMAF co-chair and American Trucking Associations chariman Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express, revealed the name of TMAF's mascot, who was first shown off at the Pilot Travel Center in Knoxville, Tenn.

Over a four-month stretch, the mascot's naming included public participation from TMAF's grassroots support network.

TMAF received nearly 2,000 entries from the public and 2,000 people voted for their favorite option. Safety Sammy beat out four other finalist names: Axle, Bob Tail, Seymour S. Miles, and Wheels.

"Our mascot brings to life the great aspects of trucking, offering the more human aspect of the trucking industry," said Burch. "Safety Sammy represents the safety we strive for each and every day on the road. We're looking forward to taking Sammy coast to coast, to tell the vital trucking story.”

For companies and organizations interest in promoting Safety Sammy at an event, email [email protected]

Trucking Moves America Forward is an industry group aimed at creating a positive image for trucking. It seesk to ensure that policymakers and the public understand the trucking industry's importance to the nation's economy and aims to build the political grassroots necessary to strengthen and grow it in the future.

Related: Trucking Moves America Forward Celebrates Third Year

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UK Announces Series of Truck Platoon Tests

The British government has awarded a grant of €8.1 million to test truck platooning on public roadways. Photo: Scania

The government of the United Kingdom announced on August 25th that it will grant €8.1 million in funding for a series of truck platooning trials on public roads next year.

The Transport Research Laboratory will carry out the trials, with funding provided by the Department for Transport and Highways England. The decision follows a government-funded feasibility study that recommended a trial to examine the benefits and viability of platooning.

According to Jim O'Sullivan, Highways England's chief executive, the platooning trials will focus on three-truck convoys with the goal of demonstrating how greater automation of vehicles – in this instance, heavy commercial vehicles – can deliver improvements in safety, better journeys for road users, and reductions in vehicle emissions.

The tests will be carried out in three phases, with the first focusing on the potential for platooning on Great Britain's major roads. Initial test track-based research will help decide details such as distance between vehicles and on which roads the tests could take place. Each phase of testing will only begin after there is “robust” evidence it can be carried out safety, O'Sullivan added.

The British government anticipates that the initial three test phases will be complete by the end of next year.

Rob Wallis, chief executive of The Transport Research Laboratory, said in a statement, “The UK has an unprecedented opportunity to lead the world in [testing] connected vehicle platoons in a real-world environment. TRL and its consortium of leading international partners, have the practical and technical knowledge gained from previous projects to understand what is required to put a connected vehicle platoon on to UK roads safely.”

Related: Scania Tests Truck Platooning Technology in Singapore

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FMCSA Slates Public Meeting on CSA-Scoring Action Plan

Image: FMCSA

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has scheduled a public meeting for Sept. 8 to solicit comments on recommendations on reforming the agency's Carrier, Safety, Accountability enforcement regime made by the National Academies of Science.

The NAS review, which had been mandated by Congress, was released back on June 27.

FMCSA is now required by the FAST Act highway bill to develop and implement an action plan “to address any identified deficiencies [by NSA] and submit it to Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office of Inspector General.”

The National Academies recommended replacing the CSA;s current Safety Measurement System over the next two years with a method using "item response theory," also known as latent trait theory.

FMCSA should develop a “more statistically principled approach” for the task, NAS said, based on an item response theory (IRT) model. Also known as latent trait theory, it's an approach that has been used for policy decisions in other areas such as hospital rankings.

The public meeting will take place on Friday, September 8, 2017, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., EDT, at the FMCSA National Training Center, 1310 N. Courthouse Road, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201–2508.

Those interested in attending the public meeting must register at: https:// www.regonline.com/FMCSA_ Correlation_Study_Action_ PlanPublicMeeting. Participants have the option of registering to attend in person, or via webinar.

A copy of the agenda for the meeting will be available in advance of the meeting at https:// www.regonline.com/FMCSA_ Correlation_Study_Action_ PlanPublicMeeting. The agency noted that “If all interested participants have had an opportunity to comment, the meeting may conclude early.”

Comments on the action plan to be driven by the NSA report-- in any form-- must be received by September 27, 2017.

Besides attending the publci meeting, comments may be submitted under Docket Number FMCSA–2017–0226 using any of the following methods: