Schneider: More than half of tractor fleet now has automated transmissions

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NFL Season May Bring Increased Drowsy Driving Risk

Photo via Seeing Machines.

A spike in drowsy driving incidents among waste drivers seemed to correspond with the return of the the NFL season, according to video-based technology safety company Lytx.

From 2012 to 2016, the August-to-November time frame saw a 53% increase in incidents involving drowsy driving or falling asleep at the wheel, compared to the rest of the year. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the risk was up 78% compared to the rest of the year, according to Lytx.

November of 2016 showed a 112% increase in drowsy driving or falling asleep driving events among waste drivers over the rest of the year, while Mondays and Tuesdays during those four months saw an average 170% spike.

"This study tells us that waste companies would benefit from encouraging their drivers to get more sleep on football nights," said Dave Riordan, Lytx chief client officer. "Since the start of football season coincides with the onset of back-to-school schedules, drivers are doubly challenged to get a good night's rest."

Lytx made these findings by analyzing behaviors among drivers of 33,000 private waste vehicles from 2012 to 2016. Lytx says its DriveCam video-based telematics system is used by many of the major national waste companies as well as dozens of municipal waste fleets in the U.S.

"Waste drivers have one of the toughest jobs in America, and on top of a strenuous work day, they tend to have very early shifts, heading out to make their rounds before the sun's come up," said Darrell Smith, president and CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Association. "Combine that with a late night of watching football, and the risk of drowsy driving is predictable but solvable."

Related: Report Sounds Wakeup Call on Dangers of Drowsy Driving

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Fuso, Morgan, Daimler Financial Team on Lease and Purchase Program

Image: Mitsubishi Fuso

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America Inc. is partnering with body builder Morgan Corp. and Daimler Truck Financial to offer special lease and purchase programs on 2017 Fuso FE160 Class 4 cabover trucks ordered with a 151˝ wheelbase and 16´ Morgan aluminum dry van body.

Under the program, customers can attain a Fuso FE160 truck with 15,995-lb. GVWR and 10,490-lb. estimated body/payload via either a 36- or 48-month lease, or through a direct, no-down-payment purchase with “very attractive “36- or 48-month financing terms.

“This new FusoComplete program gives our customers an opportunity to purchase a truck in the most popular configuration we offer, with minimum hassle and at a very attractive cost,” said Bill Lyons, Fuso's vice president, sales operations. “We're really happy that both Daimler Truck Financial and Morgan Corp. are partnering with us to provide such value to our customers.”

The Morgan body included as part of the program features hardwood floors, a roll-up rear door, an aluminum roof, and a dome light. Body-selection options include 85˝ or 91˝ inside-height, plywood or slat lining, one or two rows of recessed e-track, and a Maxon TE-20 or Waltco CW20 liftgate.

The FusoComplete offer expires December 30, 2017, and some terms and restrictions apply.

For more information, speak with a local Fuso dealer or click here.

Related: 2017 Work Truck Show in Pictures

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Return of football season linked to rise in drowsy driving

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Partnership set to improve truck driver safety

Securitas announced it has partnered with GreenRoad to improve driver safety among its 11,000 employees.

According to the company, GreenRoad technology will allow Securitas to track the movements of its fleet, monitoring driver behavior, such as harsh braking, cornering, lane handling, acceleration and speeding.

Each vehicle will be fitted with technology providing real-time data, cascaded to an online reporting and analytics platform. This will enable Securitas to track its entire fleet, while monitoring driver behavior.

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Trucking industry, drivers prepare for solar eclipse

American Trucking Assns., along with millions of travelers and 3.5 million American truck drivers, will watch the solar eclipse on Aug. 21. The trucking industry is responsible for moving the nation's goods during the eclipse and asks for the public's assistance in ensuring safety on the country's roads and bridges.

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The Race to 10 MPG

Sharp Transport driver James Thorne is trying to get 10 mpg with Cumberland International's C10 demo truck. Photo: Sharp Transport

Last year, our annual special June fuel issue focused on the question of how feasible it was to hit 10 mpg in real-world operations, not a million-dollar concept SuperTruck. This summer, a couple of initiatives are putting that to the test.

This week, Cumberland International has teamed up with Sharp Transport in a drive campaign to hit 10 mpg with its C10 demo truck. We've written about the C10 program before, where the Tennessee dealership specs out a truck with all the best fuel-saving options they have to offer and let fleets try it out for free to see how the specs work in their operations.

Sharp Transport is sending two drivers out in Cumberland's C10 LT demo truck. The drivers will complete the same route to see who can average 10 mpg through several states and back to Middle Tennessee. Over the next four weeks follow udpates for the Race to 10 mpg by following Cumberland and Sharp Transport on Facebook. They will be sharing pictures, route updates, mpg stats and video along the way.

The race started Friday with the first driver, James Thorne. A professional driver for nearly 17 years and with Sharp for almost 11, over the last 2 years, he has sustained an impressive 8.5 mpg average with 3% idle and 53% cruise control utilization.

“The plan here is to push the fuel efficiency envelope,” explains Jarit Cornelius, Sharp VP of maintenance and compliance (and an HDT 2016 Emerging Leader), hoping to break the 10 mpg barrier for the first time. “There is a friendly competition between our drivers to see who is able to sustain a 10 mpg ...Read the rest of this story