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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15 DHL Drivers Compete in Safe Driving Competition

DHL's top 15 couriers competed for the company's safest driver award in Dallas earlier this month in the second Safe-Driving Rodeo competition, the company announced.

The 15 finalists were chosen among 640 full- and part-time drivers who volunteered to participate in the test of defensive driving skills on Aug. 17. DHL used Geotab's GPS-based telematics system to monitor the competitors, who drove on freeways and city streets. Drivers also took a written exam and underwent a vehicle inspection.

Driving safety organization, Smith System, judged the competitors. The event was the follow-up to the initial safe-driving competition hosted in October.

"Rather than making this a one-day, one-off affair, our rodeo measures safety over an extended period of time, because at DHL, we view safety as an everyday event," said Cain Moodie, senior vice president of network operations for DHL Express. "By monitoring and assessing couriers' driving performances for nearly half a year through this competition, we are able to further commit ourselves to the safety of both our employees and the many communities where we conduct business."

Smith System's "5 Keys to Space Cushion Driving" figure prominently in the competition and include Aim High in Steering, Get the Big Picture, Keep Your Eyes Moving, Leave Yourself an Out, and Make Sure They See You.

Related: Chicago Courier Wins DHL's Safe Driving Rodeo

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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

Test Drive: Paccar’s New Automated Transmission

The transmission control is well-positioned and very intuitive. It's easy to grip and manipulate and won't require a steep learning curve. Photo: Jim Park

Paccar is the latest North American truck manufacturer to bring a proprietary automated transmission to market. Called the Paccar Automated Transmission, it's a 12-speed, twin countershaft design that was designed from the ground up as an automated transmission. It's not a manual box fitted with add-on shift-actuators. Paccar says it's the lightest automated transmission currently in production. At just 657 pounds, it is nearly 200 pounds lighter than Eaton's Advantage AMT.

The new transmission completes Paccar's goal of a fully integrated proprietary powertrain. Paccar says it has been performance-optimized for MX-series engines and the new 40,000-lb drive axles that were unveiled in October 2016.

“Last year's launch of the Paccar axle was certainly a statement to our customers that we were moving toward our own integrated powertrain,” says Kenworth Marketing Director Kurt Swihart. “We have spent a lot of time over the past few years working on proprietary calibrations for the transmission and the MX engines. The result is a deeply integrated powertrain that will deliver everything customers would expect from such a design.”

Swihart says the AMT take rate for the T680 has more than doubled since its introduction, going from 25-30% in 2013, to currently more than 70% of T680 on-highway builds. He calls that a rapid and dramatic change in customer preference, and he believes this new transmission will push the take rate even higher. “We think moving from the Eaton Fuller Advantage series transmission to the Paccar automated transmission will be a game-changer.”

Let's dispense with the big question right up front: Eaton designed and will manufacture the transmission, but the calibrations and features are proprietary to Paccar and its truck brands Kenworth and Peterbilt.

Production is set ...Read the rest of this story