Whether you agree with him or not, there is rarely a shade of doubt as to where Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) trade group, stands on a particular issue.
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...Read the rest of this storyWith over 2,000 attendees and 80-plus exhibitors gathered in Nashville, TN, for TMW and PeopleNet's 2017 in.sight user conference and exposition, talk quickly turned to discussing major technology trends such as the chances of an electronic logging device (ELD) mandate delay and how data analysis will usher in a new wave of transportation efficiency. (All photos: Sean Kilcarr/Fleet Owner)
...Read the rest of this storyThird party logistics provider (3PL) Transplace is being acquired by private equity firm TPG Capital for an undisclosed sum, buying out Greenbriar Equity Group LLC, which acquired the 3PL back in 2013.
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...Read the rest of this storyDavid Wangler (left) and Brian McLaughlin will head the two new Trimble divisions. Photo: Trimble
">David Wangler (left) and Brian McLaughlin will head the two new Trimble divisions. Photo: Trimble
">Trimble has created two divisions as part of its transportation segment, Trimble Transportation Mobility and Trimble Transportation Enterprise, to address the changing marketplace.
The creation of Trimble Transportation Mobility aims to address the complex business challenges such as driver shortages, reduced capacity, safety and compliance and regulations. The new division will be focused on developing solutions that connect, drivers, trucks, freight, and data to improve performance and return on investment.
Trimble Transportation Enterprise will serve for-hire and private fleets, freight brokers, third-party logistics providers and other businesses through a portfolio that includes transportation management systems; routing, scheduling, mileage, mapping and mobile navigation solutions; business intelligence and data analytics; asset maintenance software; cloud solutions; and a variety of other products and services.
Trimble announced the new divisions at the in.sight User Conference +Expo, a joint user conference between PeopleNet and TMW Systems. Trimble is a software, hardware and services company that builds enterprise solutions products for a broad range of industries, including transportation, logistics, and construction.
Brian McLaughlin, president of PeopleNet, has been appointed to president of Trimble Transportation Mobility. The newly-formed division will include several Trimble business units: PeopleNet, Innovative Software Engineering (ISE), Trimble Oil & Gas Services, Trimble Final Mile Mobility, Trimble Mobility Solutions India (TMSI), and several other mobile startup initiatives.
“The transportation marketplace is evolving at a rapid pace and we must develop technology that drives efficiency, precision and simplicity throughout the supply chain. Trimble Transportation Mobility brings together a comprehensive set of solutions and industry expertise,” said McLaughlin. “By improving collaboration across our respective businesses, we can ensure that Trimble continues to lead in delivering innovative products to our diverse set of customers and their drivers. We are positioning ourselves for continued growth through a market-centric approach ...Read the rest of this story
With the first total solar eclipse to reach the continental United States since 1979 taking place on Aug. 21, warnings in recent weeks have been going out warning of heavy traffic disruptions.
In reality, states in the path of the eclipse and companies that provide real-time routing have been preparing for this rare event for many months.
A total solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the Sun and Earth. The result is all sunlight being briefly blocked, turning day into darkness.
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...Read the rest of this storyDespite how easy it is to install electronic logging devices and having the ability to use an app to log time, “it still takes fleet management and drivers generally a couple of months to get comfortable with the technology,” advises Tom Reader of ELD supplier J.J. Keller. Photos: J.J. Keller
">Despite how easy it is to install electronic logging devices and having the ability to use an app to log time, “it still takes fleet management and drivers generally a couple of months to get comfortable with the technology,” advises Tom Reader of ELD supplier J.J. Keller. Photos: J.J. Keller
">To loosely paraphrase what John Wayne barked at the dawn of a long day in “The Cowboys,” if you haven't started gearing up to comply with the new ELD rule, you could end up burning more than daylight.
When it comes to complying with the electronic logging mandate, fleets and drivers alike are now well into the eleventh hour before the new rule kicks in. That will be just about four months from now, on Dec. 18.
Come that day, all carriers subject to the ELD rule will have to convert from using paper logs or logging software to a registered ELD if they do not have an automatic on-board recording device in use. And those using AOBRDs prior to the mandate will only be able to keep using them until Dec. 16, 2019.
The other key part of the rule applies to ELD suppliers, which must ensure their devices conform to technical specs set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, self-certify those devices, and register them with FMCSA.
FMCSA last year advised carriers and drivers that before buying an ELD, they “should confirm that the device is certified and registered with FMCSA...Devices not vendor-certified by manufacturers and registered with FMCSA may not be compliant with the FMCSRs.”
Something critical to grasp is that the rule will not be stopped or even delayed at this point. The last, best hope to stave off the mandate came on June 12 when the Supreme Court denied the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association's petition that it rule on whether ...Read the rest of this story
Robert L. Sumwalt III (left) sworn in as the National Transportation Safety Board's 14th Chairman during a brief ceremony held at NTSB headquarters on August 10, 2017. NTSB Board Member Bella T. Dinh-Zarr (center) NTSB Acting Managing Director Dennis Jones (right). Photo: NTSB
">Robert L. Sumwalt III (left) sworn in as the National Transportation Safety Board's 14th Chairman during a brief ceremony held at NTSB headquarters on August 10, 2017. NTSB Board Member Bella T. Dinh-Zarr (center) NTSB Acting Managing Director Dennis Jones (right). Photo: NTSB
">Robert L. Sumwalt III was sworn in as the National Transportation Safety Board's 14th chairman for a two-year term - a position nominated by President Trump.
Sumwalt has been serving as the acting chairman since March 31, 2017. He has been with the NTSB since 2006 when he was appointed as the 37th member of the board. President George W. Bush designated him as vice chairman for a two-year term, and President Obama reappointed him to an additional five-year term as a board member in 2011.
The NTSB is an independent federal agency charged with determining the probable cause of transportation accidents, promoting transportation safety and assisting victims of transportation accidents and their families.
“The NTSB is commemorating 50 years of making transportation safer yesterday, today and tomorrow and I am humbled and honored to have the privilege of guiding the dedicated men and women of the NTSB as we take on the challenges of transportation safety in the 21st century,” said Sumwalt. “Transportation technologies continue to advance and the NTSB must continue to increase the breadth and depth of our knowledge and understanding of transportation innovations such as autonomous vehicles, intelligent infrastructure, commercial space transportation, hyper-speed rail, solar-powered planes, and new recording technologies. That knowledge enables us to craft safety recommendations that leverage technology to prevent accidents and save lives.”
The NTSB has five board members, each nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve five-year terms. By statute, the President designates a chariman with Senate confirmation. The President also designates a board member as vice chairman without ...Read the rest of this story
