Kenworth and PACCAR Financial have partnered to introduce a cargo van lease program in the United States. The new program is for fleets and truck operators that purchase Kenworth T270 Class 6 conventional models in a cargo van specification equipped with a 26-foot Morgan van body and a liftgate.
The Kenworth program offers a 60-month term on a fair market value (FMV) lease with monthly payments of $885.
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...Read the rest of this storyThere are obviously similar yet very different circumstances when operating heavy-duty vehicles for the U.S. military compared to the civilian truck driving world; the biggest one being operating such equipment while being shot at. Thus to ensure its motor transport personnel can deal effectively with such situations, the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) uses motorized fire and movement exercises (MFMEs) to keep the combat skills of its truckers sharp. (All photos by Sgt. Kassie McDole/USMC)
...Read the rest of this storyCarriersEdge announced that one of its online training courses for keeping truck drivers safe is now available in Spanish.
The Defensive Driving training suite includes one full two-hour course covering the traffic, road and weather challenges that truck drivers face every day, as well as seven refresher modules on specific topics.
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...Read the rest of this storyDrivewyze announced it is continuing to expand its weigh station bypass service in existing states with Ohio activating Drivewyze PreClear at six additional weigh stations recently. Drivewyze now offers bypasses at 10 active locations in the Buckeye state.
The Ohio expansion comes a week after Drivewyze announced it would be expanding service in North Carolina in August to a total of 16 active sites.
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...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: Carrier Transicold
">Photo: Carrier Transicold
">Carrier Transicold has announced that it will be offering the more environmentally friendly refrigerant R-452A as an alternative for use in its truck and trailer refrigeration systems later this year.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently approved the refrigerant for transport refrigeration applications. Developed to reduce environmental impact, R-452A reduces emissions compared to R-404A, the hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant used in most land-based transport refrigeration applications.
“As a near drop-in substitute, R-452A offers similar levels of refrigeration performance, fuel efficiency, reliability, and refrigerant charge in new equipment as R 404A, and we are pleased to be able to make it available to refrigerated transport operators seeking a lower global warming potential option to advance environmental sustainability,” said David Brondum, director, product management and sustainability, North America truck, trailer, rail, Carrier Transicold.
EPA has not banned R-404A for transport refrigeration applications, enabling refrigerated haulers to choose the option best suited for their operations. This allows for considerations of price and availability, fleet size and maintenance budgets, according to Brondum.
“Going forward, fleets may want to consult with their Carrier Transicold dealers to determine which refrigerant solution is appropriate,” said Brondum.
While Carrier Transicold will continue to offer R-404A, it will also provide R-452A as an option for new model Vector and X4 Series trailer refrigeration units, Supra truck units and direct-drive truck units that currently use R 404A. The refrigerant can also be used as a drop-in replacement for Carrier Transicold units already in service, although certain older models may require component retrofits or software updates, which can be accommodated through Carrier Transicold's network of authorized dealers, the company says.
“Carrier Transicold's larger goal of reducing the GWP of its transport refrigeration equipment goes well beyond the benefits of R-452A,” said Brondum. “We are committed to pursuing the commercialization of HFC-free refrigerants in road transportation refrigeration by ...Read the rest of this story
Covenant Transportation Group, Inc. (NASDAQ/GS: CVTI) reported on July 25 second quarter earnings of $0.08 per share, marking. That's down 60% year over year, but according to analysis by Stifel, that result is “right in line with the Street consensus of $0.06.”
A Stifel post-earnings report on Covenant observed that while the company “saw some headwinds related to their dedicated operations, demand and revenue have been sequentially stronger each month, and we expect the company to have a larger boost from e-commerce in the 4Q this year than last year.”
“Freight demand built throughout the quarter and continues to be favorable in July on a seasonally adjusted basis,” Covenant Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Parker said in a statement.
Parker noted that the company “assisted customers in our dedicated service offering to re-engineer improved efficiency of their freight network,” which cut the number of dedicated trucks they required. “The loss of volume led to a 2.8% year-over-year reduction in average miles per tractor for the month. Freight demand improved gradually in May as we replaced the lost freight with new high-quality freight. In June, capacity tightened resulting in a 0.5% year-over-year increase in average miles per tractor despite our Star subsidiary experiencing a 6% reduction due to automotive plant shutdowns in its network as automotive manufacturers managed new vehicle inventories. Consistent with the monthly improvement in utilization, we experienced sequential monthly growth in our average rate per total mile as we replaced the freight demand we had lost during April.”
Parker added that Covenant is now looking forward to “a more favorable supply-demand relationship in the second half of 2017 and beyond. From a cost perspective, our margins were pressured across nearly all fronts other than net fuel expense, as we continued to invest in our people, equipment, and technologies."
Covenant said highlights ...Read the rest of this story
Photo via C.H. Robinson
">Photo via C.H. Robinson
">C.H. Robinson and One20 have announced an electronic logging device solution designed to help small contract carriers comply with the electronic logging mandate.
C.H. Robinson is collaborating with One20, a truck driver based membership community, to offer discounted ELD hardware for carriers with no subscription fees and additional value-added services offered only to C.H. Robinson contract carriers.
“We recognize that many small carriers are concerned with the compliance costs associated with the ELD mandate,” said Kevin Abbott, vice president of North American surface transportation at C.H. Robinson. “We also understand that shippers have concerns with potential impacts on capacity levels following the mandate deadline. With this collaboration, we are supporting both our contract carriers and shipper customers by providing an option for carriers to be in compliance.”
The One20 ELD solution will support carriers of all sizes, but is aimed at owner-operators and small carriers with 10 or fewer trucks, looking to simplify ELD compliance. The One20 ELD solution will be available throughout the C.H. Robinson North America network. For more information, contract carriers should contact their C.H. Robinson representative.
C.H. Robinson is a third-party logistics provider offing logistics services, fresh produce sourcing, and managed services for more than 113,000 customers and 71,000 contract carriers through its integrated network.
Related: One20 Offers Roadside Assistance via RoadsideMasters.com
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