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

Trucking worries CARB may step into GHG gap

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA) are two industry trade groups worried that the intent announced by the Environmental Protection Agency last week to “re-evaluate” parts the Phase 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) and fuel efficiency rule

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Class 8 Truck Production Increased in July

Photo: Mack

North American Class 8 and medium-duty vehicle production increased in the month of July, boosted by strong order numbers, according to a report from ACT Research.

“After cutting 3,000 units from the Class 8 build plan last month, the OEMs added back nearly 6,000 units in July,” said Steve Tam, ACT Research's vice president. “This brings the OEMs' full-year expectations to over 252,000 units.”

Despite a lower build rate in July compared to earlier months, the medium-duty Class 5-7 truck market saw 15% greater production for the month.

“With orders below build, the medium-duty backlog declined to about 54,000 units of unbuilt vehicles,” said Tam. “Similarly, medium-duty inventories declined as July retail sales outpaced production.”

Related: Class 8 Truck Orders Rebound in July

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GHG Rule Review Pleases Trailer Makers, Concerns Some Stakeholders

Trailer skirts like this one benefit some carriers, but not enough fleets so they should be mandated, contend trailer makers. Photo: Utility Trailer Mfg.

The Trump administration's announcement that it will revisit parts of the Phase 2 greenhouse gas/fuel economy rules were greeted with cautious optimism by the trailer makers who pushed for the review, but with concern by other parties.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Aug. 17 that it will revisit provisions of the Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards, following concerns raised by stakeholders in the trailer and glider industry. The rules were issued jointly by the EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2016 and are the first time trailers have been covered by a federal emissions regulation.

The Truck Trailer Manufacturers Association, which petitioned the agency to reconsider the rules, says it's pleased with the agencies announcement, but it hopes the agencies will stay the implementation date while they complete their review.

The rules are still scheduled to begin with January 2018 trailer production, just a few short months away, the association noted in a press release.

“Most heavy-duty trailers are custom-ordered, and the required lead time for scheduling production means that trailer manufacturers are having to quote orders for 2018 delivery that will force customers to purchase equipment they do not want and that will not produce any fuel efficiencies in the customers' operations," TTMA said.

“Moreover, much of this equipment is still not certified by EPA, so trailer manufacturers are not certain if they can incorporate the equipment into future orders and still comply with the regulations. This is disrupting the normal ordering process and is frustrating both customers and manufacturers.”

TTMA confirmed that on August 17, it received letters from both EPA and NHTSA stating that they have reviewed its petitions for reconsideration ...Read the rest of this story

Nominations Open for Influential Woman in Trucking Award

Women In Trucking Association and Freightliner Trucks are seeking candidates for the 2017 Influential Woman in Trucking award.

Created in 2010, the award recognizes women who make or influence key decisions in a corporate, manufacturing, supplier, owner-operator, driver, sales or dealership setting. The winner must have a proven record of responsibility and have mentored or served as a role model to other women in the industry.

Past recipients include Marcia Taylor, CEO of Bennett International Group; Rebecca Brewster, president and COO, American Transportation Research Institute; Joyce Brenny, president of Brenny Transportation/Brenny Specialized; Rochelle Bartholomew, CEO of CalArk International; Kari Rihm, president of Rihm Kenworth; and Ramona Hood, vice president of Customer Operations, Transportation Logistics at Genco, a FedEx company.

“Women In Trucking plays a critical role in pushing the envelope to diversify our industry, and Freightliner is proud of our ongoing involvement with this important organization and our sponsorship of this award,” said Kary Schaefer, general manager, marketing and strategy, Freightliner Trucks.

The winner will be announced at the WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo held in Kansas City, Missouri, Nov. 6-8. Each finalist will be asked to serve as panelist for the “Influential Women in Trucking” panel discussion. Mary Aufdemberg, director of acquisitions and operations, Daimler Trucks Remarketing and WIT chairwoman, will moderate the panel. Those nominating a candidate need to ask the nominee to save the date for this event if she is named a finalist.

“The Influential Woman in Trucking Award recognizes female leaders who have been advocates and role models to others,” said Ellen Voie, president and CEO, Women In Trucking. “Over the past seven years we have seen phenomenal women both nominated and recognized. We look forward to honoring the next influential woman in trucking and her success in the industry.”

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, Sept. 1; click ...Read the rest of this story

All-Electric Refuse Trucks Headed to Los Angeles

Image courtsy of Motiv

Motiv Power Systems announced an order for two all-electric refuse trucks by the City of Los Angeles' Sanitation Department. According to the manufacturer, this marks the third metropolitan area in the United States that will utilize and benefit from Motiv-Powered, all-electric, zero-emission refuse trucks in their communities.

Los Angeles has followed the lead of their counterparts in the state capitol, Sacramento, offering their residents refuse trucks that not only eliminate carbon emissions but also noise. These refuse trucks will ensure quieter mornings for the residents of Los Angeles.

According to Motiv, refuse trucks are ideal candidates (economically and environmentally) for electrification due to their fixed pickup routes and predictable range requirements. The application of Motiv's All-Electric Powertrain results in a high quality, zero-emission electric vehicle with the same capability as traditional diesel-powered vehicles without the noise or pollution typically associated with refuse trucks.

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Commentary: The Fleets Role in Strengthening the Repair Chain

Denise Rondini

Recently industrial distributor Grainger announced a new e-commerce initiative it is calling Gamut. Company officials said they did it in part to stem competition from Amazon Business, which is increasingly becoming a source for all sorts of things — including truck parts.

A quick search will demonstrate that you indeed can purchase parts for your trucks on the Amazon website. Of course, a closer look shows that you can't buy all your truck parts there. Amazon is very adept at handling quick-moving, smaller parts that can be easily shipped.

You still need to rely on a local distributor for those slower-moving parts and large parts. While the slower-moving parts provide higher margins for distributors, they come with higher inventory holding costs.

So why should a fleet care about this? Because distributors cannot survive on the slow-moving parts alone. If Amazon continues to take an increasingly larger share of the A and B items, it is likely that distributors are going to find themselves facing serious financial pressure that may force them to close their doors.

Where will that leave a fleet when the part fails on the road? Without support from a local distributor to provide parts in emergency and breakdown situations, the fleet could find itself accruing more downtime until a part can be secured.

The point is, supply chain health matters to a fleet's success. The supply chain is not just from supplier to distributor; it must include supplier to distributor and distributor to fleet.

The way things are in the truck parts business today, only two-thirds of the supply chain is involved in keeping it healthy. Going forward, everyone needs to take on that responsibility.

That means fleets need to sit down with their best distributors and say, “How can we work better together so that we both benefit?”

If you are ...Read the rest of this story