Women In Trucking Partners with TransConnect for Fuel Discounts

Photo via TransConnect Services

Women In Trucking has partnered with discount fuel card company TransConnect Services, offering savings for member companies.

The exact details of the partnership were not disclosed, however, a representative for TCS told HDT that the discount would be off of the cash price and an owner-operator or carrier could save $300-$500 each month per truck on diesel fuel.

TCS serves the over-the-road trucking industry, offering smaller trucking companies discounts on diesel fuel that are typically only available to large fleets.

Carriers and owner-operators can receive discounts on diesel fuel at more than 1,800 participating TCS discount locations including Pilot Flying J, AMBEST, Speedway, TA and Petro, Sapp Bros, Roady's, Petroleum Wholesale, and other truck stop locations nationwide.

“We are excited about our partnership with Women In Trucking and fully support their mission,” said Chris Courts, president and managing director of TCS. “We believe that each client, no matter their gender or the size of their fleet, should expect exceptional customer service, and get the best savings possible on fuel.”

TCS said it offers competitive transaction fee structures with no hidden or monthly fees, a free website, and mobile app tools designed to help clients manage their day-to-day needs. It also provides discounted fuel price information along any route.

“Partnering with TCS supports our mission to address obstacles for women employed in the trucking industry,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO of Women In Trucking. “By offering a fuel card that provides discounts on fuel for owner operators and small carriers, we can help our members save money and increase their profits."

Related: Nominations Open for Influential Woman in Trucking Award

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Increased Costs Could Mean Less Favorable Trucking Conditions

Source: FTR

FTR's Trucking Conditions Index fell by more than two points in June as a result of increased costs for labor, fuel, and equipment, reflecting less favorable conditions for trucking.

The June TCI dropped to a reading of 4.54 for the month. Market tightness is seen as likely shorter than expected due to a possible drag on capacity caused by upcoming regulations, according to FTR.

“Despite the monthly drop from May to June, the TCI has stayed in a relatively stable range since this time last year,” said Jonathan Starks, FTR's COO. “It remains positive, but does not yet indicate that a significant change in operations is occurring.”

FTR is maintaining a favorable freight forecast for the rest of the year, but does not expect as strong of a result for 2018. It is projecting around half of the growth for next year with an increased risk of recession toward the end of 2018.

“The potential for such a change increases as we move through 2018, with ELD implementation and continued freight growth hindering truck capacity,” said Starks. “We are also beginning to hear stories of increased difficulty in hiring as the economy begins approaching full employment.”

The spot market has shown strong increases in recent weeks it could be an indicator as to how rates in the contract market are likely to move, according to Starks.

“Spot data in early August shows that the rate increases have hit the double-digit mark and are still moving up,” said Starks. “Market participants need to continue evaluating conditions ahead of the ELD implementation in December to make sure that they are prepared for the possible disruptions that could occur.”

Related: Controlling Creeping Fleet Costs

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Out-of-Service Violation Rates Jumps in 2017 CVSA Roadcheck

Photo via CVSA

The rate of out-of-service violations for both vehicles and drivers increased in this year's Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance International Roadcheck, according to the recently released results.

During the 30th annual International Roadcheck, which took place on June 6-8, 23% of vehicles and 4.2% of drivers that received Level I inspections were placed out of service.

This represents an upswing compared to last year's Roadcheck when only 21.5% of vehicles and 3.4% of drivers were placed out of service in Level I inspections.

During an inspection, if an inspector identifies critical violations, he or she will render the driver or vehicle out of service, which means the driver cannot operate the vehicle until the critical vehicle mechanical conditions or defects, and/or driver qualifications, are corrected.

In fairness, last year's rates were the lowest that CVSA had seen since 1991 when it began tracking data on violations. However, it was also significantly higher than in 2015, which were just a few ticks higher than in 2016.

In total, 62,013 Level I, II, and III inspections were conducted this year, slightly down from the 62,796 conducted in 2016. Level I inspections made up 40,944 of the total number of inspections. Because the number of inspections fluctuates year to year, comparing rates is a better metric for comparing years.

Brake system violations were once again the leading reason for vehicles being placed out of service at 26.9%, followed by cargo securement and tires/wheels at 15.7% and 15.1%, respectively.

Drivers were placed out of service most often through violations of hours of service, wrong class license, and false log books. There were 710 safety belt violations.

Each International Roadcheck has a specific focus and this year's emphasis was placed on cargo securement, finding 3,282 violations in total. While checking for compliance with safe cargo securement regulations is always part of roadside ...Read the rest of this story

NACFE: Study fleets chisel out another 1% fuel efficiency gain

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Tonnage flattened out in July

Truck tonnage dipped 0.1% in July, according to the for-hire truck tonnage index compiled by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), which followed a revised 4.4% drop in June.

Compared to the same month last year, though, the index jumped up 2.3% in July, with June sporting a year-over-year index increase of 1.2%. Year-to-date, compared with the first seven months in 2016, the index is up 1.2%, ATA noted.

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Ford and DHL Preview Transit-Based Electric Van

The StreetScooter Work XL Photo: Ford

Ford and Deutsche Post Group subsidiary StreetScooter GmbH have rolled out the first of their jointly produced electric delivery vans, the StreetScooter Work XL.

The Work XL is based on a Ford Transit chassis fitted with a battery-electric drivetrain and a body designed and built to Deutsche Post's DHL specifications. The company plans to build 150 of the e-vans at the StreetScooter plant in Aachen, Germany, which DHL will run to support its urban parcel service in Germany.

The two companies plan to build 2,500 e-vans by the end of 2018 and they could be sold to third-party customers like StreetScooter's other electric models, the Work and Work'L. The new e-van will have stowage space for more than 200 packages, and a range of 50 to 125 miles.

“The new StreetScooter Work XL expands our e-fleet in the commercial vehicle segment. It is the perfect vehicle for parcel deliveries in major cities and large urban areas, and will enable us to cope with the rising parcel volumes in an even more environmentally friendly and quieter manner,” said Jürgen Gerdes, member of the board of management post, eCommerce, parcel, at Deutsche Post DHL Group. "With this commitment, we are also underlining our claim of being the market leader in green logistics.”

Work XL's load area is fitted with shelves and is accessible from the driver's cab. The vehicle can be loaded via the tailgate and a curbside sliding door. With a charging capacity of up to 22 kW, the average charging time is three hours.

“We're really proud of this ambitious project, and of the strong partnership, we've developed with Deutsche Post DHL Group and StreetScooter. This joint project will be Europe's largest manufacturer of emission-free, medium-sized e-vans, and it doesn't come a moment too soon,” said Steven Armstrong, group vice president ...Read the rest of this story

Paccar Unveils Automated Transmission

The new Paccar Automated Manual Transmission was designed from the ground up as an AMT. Photo: Paccar

Paccar introduced the new Paccar Automated Transmission, giving it a complete proprietary and integrated powertrain. Developed with Eaton, it's designed from the ground up as an AMT, and the company says it is the lightest heavy-duty transmission on the market for on-highway commercial vehicles.

Kenworth and Peterbilt will begin offering the new AMT to North American customers in October.

The 12-speed, twin countershaft design completes Paccar's goal of a fully integrated proprietary powertrain. Landon Sproull, Paccar vice president, said the all-new, clean-sheet design is optimized for Paccar MX diesel engines.

“The Paccar Automated Transmission is engineered to work seamlessly with Paccar MX engines and Paccar axles and provide industry-leading performance,” he said. “Together, Paccar Powertrain components deliver superior fuel economy, uptime, and driver satisfaction — top priorities for our customers.”

The Paccar Automated Transmission is designed for line-haul applications up to 110,000 lbs. GVW. It is available for engine ratings up to 510 hp and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque and features tightly integrated electronic communications with the Paccar MX engine.

Company officials said the transmission offers the best overall gear ratio coverage available, providing excellent low-speed maneuverability, and that the transmission is up to 105 lbs. lighter than comparable transmissions.

A new column-mounted shifter puts gear selection and engine brake controls at the driver's fingertips for better ergonomics and improved performance.

Kyle Quinn, general manager at Peterbilt, noted that altogether, the Paccar integrated powertrain offers customers 399 lbs. of total vehicle weight savings and 7% total fuel economy savings. The transmission can be spec'd with the Predictive Cruise Control option for maximum fuel efficiency.

Mike Dozier, Kenworth general manager, said the Paccar AMT will be the standard spec for the T680 Advantage fuel economy-optimized tractor. Already, he noted, 70% of all new ...Read the rest of this story