Align the Truck Before the Need Arises

Misaligned tires increase vehicle rolling resistance and waste fuel -- that's on top of chewing up tires. Photo by Jim Park

Only a small percentage of truck fleets regularly perform alignments on their tractor and trailers. Many prefer to wait until the need arises, such as when they get a handling complaint from a driver or a set of steer tires gets chewed up much sooner than expected.

If the alignment had been done before the expensive steer tires were installed they might still be out there earning their keep.

"You can't shove a tire down the road at any kind of an angle other than straight ahead and not get some kind of wear pattern that will indicate the truck is not going straight down the road," says Fred Staugh, vice president of maintenance at CRST.

Your tires will tell you whether or not the vehicle is running straight and true. Staugh says tires should be examined at every PM interval for tell-tale signs of alignment-related wear, such as feathering, or excess wear on opposite shoulders of the steer tires.

Many tire problems can be traced to mechanical conditions on the vehicle, and not necessarily the obvious ones.

"Alignment refers not only to the various angles of the steer axle geometry but also to the tracking of all axles on a vehicle, including the trailer," notes Sharon Cowart, director of product marketing, Michelin Heavy Truck Tires.

Improper steer axle geometry can do its share of damage to steer tires, but drive axle misalignment and even trailer axle problems can affect steer tires. For example when the two drive axles are not running exactly parallel to each other and a precisely 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the truck, they will push the truck to the right of to the left. You counter that by ...Read the rest of this story

Gorilla Safety Adds OBD-II Integration to ELD Solution

Gorilla Safety announced On-Board Diagnostic integration with its Electronic Logging Device, providing customers with OBD-II connections.

With the OBD-II functionality, Gorilla Safety's app is now compatible with light and medium-duty trucks. The OBD-II connection, combined with oil well waiting time exemption allows Gorilla safety to offer, among others, oilfield services companies a solution to prepare for and manage the impending ELD mandate. The solution is also aimed at utility companies, contractors, and other smaller operations.

OBD systems are in most cars and light trucks, providing complete engine control and monitoring of parts of the chassis, body and accessory devices, as well as the diagnostic control network of the car.

Adding OBD-II integration to Gorilla Safety's Electronic Logging Devices will add compatibility with these light and medium duty vehicles that use the OBDII standard.

Gorilla Safety's advanced fleet and safety technology platform can be accessed from iOS and Android smartphones and tablets as well as from an online dashboard. Using the solution, users can record hours of service, manage accidents through real-time reporting, perform electronic daily vehicle inspection reports, track fuel use and vehicle maintenance and other fleet management activities.

“Rather than only providing a solution for heavy and extra-heavy trucks, buses and equipment, Gorilla Safety is now able to help blended fleets,” said Mark Walton, Gorilla Safety co-founder and chief executive officer. “By providing the OBD-II solution in conjunction with a fleet's ability to choose between short- and long-haul, Gorilla Safety is now amongst the most flexible ELD provider on the market, well positioned to help any fleet, regardless of operational requirements.”

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Uber Fires Self-Driving Head at Center of Legal Battle

Anthony Levandowski speaking about the future of self-driving trucks at last year's ATA Managment Conference & Exhibition. Photo: Evan Lockridge

In the latest fallout from the legal battle between Waymo and Uber, Anthony Levandowski, who headed Uber's self-driving technology group, has been fired, according to a report in the New York Times.

Levandowski was the central figure in Waymo's lawsuit against Uber. That suit alleged that former Google employee Levandowski stole trade secrets related to lidar (light detection and ranging) technology when he left to form the self-driving truck company, Otto. Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet, the parent company of Google.

Otto was later purchased by Uber and Levandowski was made the head of its Advanced Technologies Group.

This latest news came out of an internal memo at Uber. The writing was on the wall for Levandowski who stepped down from his position as the self-driving head at Uber as a result of the lawsuit. This was seen as a preemptive move to protect Uber's self-driving technology development by diminishing Levandowski's role.

Levandowski pled the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination when a court ordered him to testify in the case. Uber was unable to convince Levandowski to cooperate with the investigation.

Waymo filed the suit against Uber in February of this year, accusing Levandowski of stealing files from a computer about Google's proprietary lidar radar sensors – a key component of self-driving technology. Lidar allows a vehicle to see the road and objects around it. However, a judge recently decided that Waymo was overreaching in its claims that the stolen information violated 120 patent claims.

In another related development, Uber quietly discontinued the Otto brand name, consolidating the company's activities under its Advanced Technologies Group.

Related: Uber Freight Launches for Owner-Operators, Small Fleets

...Read the rest of this story

DOT Formalizes Regulatory Reform Effort

Image: Whitehouse.gov

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on May 26 that Deputy Secretary Jeffrey Rosen will serve as DOT's Regulatory Reform Officer and chairman of the department's Regulatory Reform Task Force.

RRTF was formed earlier this year in accordance with President Trump's Executive Order 13777, which directs each federal agency to establish such a task force to make recommendations to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens.

According to DOT, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao has “directed the RRTF to consider ways to accomplish DOT's primary safety objectives in less burdensome ways and to further review ‘midnight rules' that were issued at the end of the last administration.”

DOT has provided no details as to which rules might fall under that description or even which subordinate agencies, such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, might be home to such rules.

It should be noted that while the text of Executive Order 13777 indicates the president seeks reforms “regarding offsetting the number and cost of new regulations,” the directive also plainly states that, “Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency…”

In other words, it would appear that the work of the Regulatory Reform Task Force is not to be directed at regulations that have been mandated by Act of Congress.

Asked to comment on the RRTF marching orders, Lane Kidd, managing director of the Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, a trucking-safety lobby backed by a group of major carriers, told HDT that he is “not aware of any so-called midnight rules that FMCSA adopted before the Trump administration took office.

“Congress required that all interstate trucks install electronic logging devices later this year and Congress also required the creation of the drug and alcohol clearinghouse and guidance regarding ...Read the rest of this story

Daimler recalls nearly 700 Freightliner, Western Star trucks

Daimler Trucks North America is recalling approximately 698 model year 2017 Freightliner Cascadia and 2017 Western Star 5700 trucks equipped with NFD tandem rear axles.

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Choptank Transport Expands Training and Development Department

Photo: Choptank Transport

Choptank Transport, a Preston, Mayrland-based 3PL, has announced it is expanding its training and development department, promoting Christina Parent and Kaitlyn Mister to top training roles at the company.

Choptank employees must go through a seven-week onboarding process that involves going through a program that covers basic information about the industry, as well as detailed protocols, processes, and software training. The curriculum also covers important government regulatory changes.

Parent has been promoted to People Development Manager, a position that oversees the company-wide training and education programs. She joined Choptank in 2015 as part of sales, before later taking on a corporate trainer position.

Mister is taking on an in-house corporate trainer position after working as a logistics coordinator with Choptank since 2016. Her former position equired finding qualified carriers to move freight for customers.

“With technology rapidly changing and new compliance regulations becoming mandatory, it is imperative that our training and development be at the highest level possible,” said Paul Wood, Choptank's director of carrier development. “The new program gives our team members opportunities to launch and advance their careers while helping Choptank be a top broker that provides excellent customer service.”

Related: Is Your Fleet Ready for the New Food Transport Rules?

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Hardy Hands Cleaner Contains Natural Ingredients

E-Zoil's Hardy Hands is a hand cleaner for professional technicians that features a high-performance formula with natural ingredients.

Hardy Hands contains walnut shell scrubbers designed to remove dirt and grime. It also contains six different lotions to clean and soften hands while leaving behind a citrus aroma.

“Most hand cleaners on the market utilize solvents to remove dirt and grime,” said Christopher Miller, E-Zoil vice president. “We formulated Hardy Hands from natural ingredients to be environmentally friendly. Technicians will notice right away that their hands feel different because there is no greasy residue left behind."

Hardy Hands feature a highly concentrated formula aimed at being more effective while using less cleaner than comparable products. E-Zoil has also introduced Hardy Wipes, a combined hand, tool, and surface towel. The companion product uses the same formula in Hardy Hands for removing dirt, grime, grease, oil and tar. The two-sided towel has an abrasive side to cut through soils and the smooth side is designed to wipe surfaces clean.

Hardy Hands is available in 3- and 18-ounce bottles and an 85-ounce jug. A dispenser for the jug is also available that is ideal for shop environments. Hardy Wipes are 9 inches x 12 inches and available in a 70–count container.

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