Heartland Express acquires Interstate Distributor Co.

Heartland Express, Inc. announced it has acquired 100% of the outstanding stock of Interstate Distributer Co. (IDC) from Saltchuk Resources, Inc.

The enterprise value of the transaction was approximately $113 million. The transaction was funded through $94 million of Heartland's existing cash, plus assumption of approximately $23 million of IDC's debt, and acquisition of $4 million in cash on IDC's balance sheet. Heartland said it expects to pay off all of IDC's debt after closing.

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TomTom develops technology to support autonomous driving

TomTom announced it is developing “ultra-fast lane level” traffic technology supporting autonomous driving and mobility.

Research will be done in cooperation with Cisco to leverage roadside data captured by Cisco's array of sensors, routers and controllers to create the next generation of traffic information technology. The research combines Cisco's data with TomTom's traffic fusion technology and expertise, supported by Cisco's Internet of Things platform.

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Class 8 orders climb in June

Orders for new Class 8 trucks rebounded in June after a falloff in May, and though they are lower quarter-over-quarter, year-over-year Class 8 order comparisons are “positive by a wide margin,” noted Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research.

“While orders are weak relative to year-to-date activity, June's orders were up 39% compared to last year,” he explained in a statement.

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NTSB Hosting Driver Assistance Tech Roundtable at Fleet Safety Conference

Image: National Transportation Safety Board

The National Transportation Safety Board will host a roundtable at this year's Fleet Safety Conference. To be discussed will be strategies for and challenges of advanced driver-assistance systems implementation in heavy-duty trucks and fleets.

The Fleet Safety Conference will take place from July 24-26 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg, Ill.

NTSB's roundtable on advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) will start at 1 p.m. local time on July 24 and will last through 5:30 p.m.

The discussion will begin with welcoming remarks by National Safety Council president and CEO Deborah Hersman before moving into an overview of ADAS by NTSB Office of Highway Safety Director Rob Molloy and National Safety Council Senior Director of Digital Strategy and Content Alex Epstein. Experts from government, industry, advocacy, and media will answer questions in an informal format and provide insights on the topic.

Discussion points will include available technologies for commercial vehicles, focusing on heavy-duty trucks, and delve into ADAS benefits and return on investment. Driver interaction and acceptance will also be discussed and will cover education and training options. Another section will cover regulation and voluntary adoption, including government initiatives and incentives to accelerate ADAS deployment. Lastly, speakers will discuss challenges to implementation of the technology for commercial fleets and potential solutions.

The event is free to attend with a limit of 55 audience members. It will also be viewable as a webcast. To reserve a spot, click here.

For more information on the upcoming Fleet Safety Conference, including the schedule, sponsors, hotel, and travel info, click here.

Related: Seeing Safe Driving and Self-Driving as Going Hand in Hand

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Hino Trucks Crowns Master Elite Technician

Billy Stanley of Rush Truck Center - Houston raises the cup as the winner of Hino Truck's 2017 National Master Elite Service Skills Competition. (Photo: Hino Trucks)

Hino Trucks' Service Skills Competition is now in its ninth year and took place live at the Suburban Showplace in Novi, Mich. This intense competition celebrates the hard work and dedication of Hino's Master Elite Technicians from across the country.

Hino's Master Elite Technicians, a designation reserved for the highest certified Hino truck technician, complete one of the industry's most comprehensive training programs, according to the truckmaker. The Competition takes this training to the next level and brings the best-of-the-best of this highly skilled group for varying simulated service-related situations.

After a qualification round to establish 24 finalists, and a final day of strong competition, the diligence of seven-time finalist Billy Stanley, Rush Truck Center - Houston finally paid off as he won the title. Rounding out the top six were:

John Musial, senior director of service operations for Hino Trucks commented, "This competitive platform challenges our technicians and is a driving force behind improving diagnostic skills to deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction and ownership experience. This group of technicians continues to grow and are leaders in their field. Exceptional talent is about hard work and we commend their dedication to becoming the top technicians in the industry."

This year's champion, Bill Stanley had this to share, "I would like to thank Hino for this amazing opportunity. I have been at Rush Truck Center for over 12 years, and this was my seventh time in this ...Read the rest of this story

Daseke Continues North American Expansion with Latest Merger

The Steelman Companies, which specializes in flatbed and heavy-haul freight, has joined the Daseke family of companies. Photo: Daseke

Daseke has announced a merger with The Steelman Companies, the third such deal in the past two months, continuing the company's North American expansion.

The Steelman Companies is a diverse specialized transportation company that operates throughout the Midwest offering flatbed and heavy-haul service as well as specializing in transporting roll-on powersports, industrial warehousing, and 10-wheel drive-away services.

“A key objective of our decision to go public in February was to enhance our ability to build North America's premier flatbed and specialized transportation company,” said Don Daseke, president and CEO of Daseke. “We are the largest owner of equipment with over 3,600 trucks and over 7,500 flatbed and specialized trailers, yet Daseke still accounts for less than one percent of our $133 billion market segment. We have now completed three mergers in just over two months and we're proud to be executing as promised.”

In May, Daseke announced mergers with The Schilli Companies and Big Freight Systems, growing its presence in the open deck equipment market.

“An important aspect of the Daseke philosophy is not just consolidating companies and purchasing equipment but investing in people,” said Daseke. “We're seeking companies that share our values about people and running a top-tier operation. The Steelman Companies have a terrific reputation and will bring their expertise to our family as we build Daseke together.”

Related:

Q&A: Don Daseke on Going Public

Two Flatbed Carriers Merge With Daseke

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Eaton begins aftermarket deliveries for Advantage Series clutches

Power management company Eaton has begun production and shipping of its recently upgraded line of aftermarket Advantage Self-Adjust and Eaton Easy Pedal Advantage heavy-duty clutches. Twenty-eight part numbers with a wide range of torque ratings up to 2,250 lbs.-ft. are now available for replacement service for all makes and models of heavy-duty trucks in North America.

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