Kenworth Offers ISL G Natural Gas Engine on T680, T880

Photo: Cummins Westport

Kenworth's T680 on-highway flagship and T880 and T880S vocational trucks are now available for order with the Cummins Westport ISL G Near Zero NOx emissions natural-gas engine.

The 8.9 liter Cummins Westport ISL G Near Zero is rated at 320 horsepower and 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque. Emissions of the ISL G NZ are 90% lower than the current Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board NOx limit of 0.2 g/bhp-hr and also meet the 2017 EPA greenhouse gas emission requirements, according to Cummins Westport.

The engine makes use of advanced engine calibration, a three-way catalyst aftertreatment system, and a closed crankcase ventilation system to help achieve lower emissions.

The ISL G NZ can operate on either compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas and is also compatible with renewable natural gas.

“The Kenworth T680 and T880 specified with the ISL G Near Zero emissions engine are ideal for regional haul, vocational, and refuse fleets focused on decreasing their environmental impact and reducing operating costs,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director.

Related: Cummins Westport 'Playbook' Offers Guidance on Natural Gas for Fleets

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Turnover Increases; Still Historically Low

The turnover rate at U.S. truckload fleets increased during the first three months of 2017 while remaining at historically low levels, according to the American Trucking Associations.

In the first quarter of 2017, the annualized turnover rate at large truckload fleets, defined as those with revenues greater than $30 million, rose three percentage points to 74%. Despite the increase, turnover is still at a very low level and is 15 percentage points lower than at the same time last year.

“The slight uptick in turnover, despite weak freight volumes in the first quarter, may be indicative of a tightening in the driver market,” said Bob Costello, ATA chief economist. “The situation bears watching because if the freight economy picks up significantly, turnover will surely accelerate – as will concerns about the driver shortage.”

At small truckload fleets, turnover increased two points to 66%, 22 points lower than it was a year ago. The turnover rate at less-than-truckload carriers is typically very low and has increased two points to 10% in the first quarter.

Related: Women and Men Leave Truck Driving Jobs for Different Reasons

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Part of the Problem? Or Part of the Solution?

USA Today says major retailers “benefited from California port trucking companies that forced their drivers into debt, made them work up to 20 hours a day and sometimes paid them pennies per hour.” Photo: U.S. Dept. of Transportation

I didn't mean to – but I ended up ignoring the news over the long, four-day, July 4th weekend. Which was nice. For a lot of reasons. But anyway, this little gem right here was the first story to catch my eye this morning while perusing my IPad and waiting for the Red Bull to kick in. (I don't do coffee.)

Now, there's a lot going on in this piece, which is essentially USA Today's Part II look at alleged unfair labor practices in trucking today. And I'm not going to focus on the labor issue here – although after 30-plus years in the workforce, trust me when I tell you I have very definite, and strong opinions about the relationship between labor and business owners today, “trickle-down” economics, and wealth/income inequality today.

Maybe we'll get into that some other time.

For me, the more immediate takeaway from this story is a new reality that some retailers don't seem to grasp yet. And that leads directly to a lesson that smart fleet managers will take to heart: If you're a retailer – particularly a “retail giant” – it matters more than ever which companies you partner with to serve your customers.

Let's put it this way: If you're a holistic retailer marketing goods to urban customers with a New Age, sustainable vibe, you cannot afford to have even a hint of slave labor anywhere in your business chain – from the Chinese companies making the goods you sell to the trucking fleets hauling your products to your customers' doorsteps. And it doesn't matter how many YouTube ...Read the rest of this story

DVIRs play an essential role in reducing service costs

Federal regulations stipulate that drivers preform pre- and post-trip inspections and file Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs) when they find a problem on a truck. What you do with the information you get from DVIRS can have an impact on your service costs.

The DVIR covers a variety of items on a truck including brakes, lights, tires, windshield wipers, mirrors, wheels and rims, and more. It can be completed with pen and paper or via an electronic device.

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Buying fleet vehicles part 2: The “Aha!” Moment

When something that seems complex suddenly becomes simple, you might experience an “Aha!” moment. Making decisions regarding which fleet vehicles to buy can involve layers of complexity. Understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO) of vehicles can help you cut through those layers with ease and confidence.

The cost of fueling infrastructure is one part of determining TCO for a fleet vehicle. Environmental and emissions costs, if they are a fleet requirement, must be accounted for as well.

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Economic Watch: No Consensus on Factory Activity; Construction Flat

There are conflicting reports on activity in the nation's manufacturing sector. One report says it moved into high gear in June, hitting a near three-year high, while a separate one indicated conditions were the weakest since last September.

The Purchasing Managers' Index from the Institute for Supply Management moved up 2.9 percentage points last month to 57.8%, its highest level since August 2014, and better than analysts' expectations. This also marked the 10th consecutive month it has been above 50%, which indicates expanding manufacturing activity.

The New Orders Index registered 63.5%, an increase of 4 percentage points from the May reading, while the Production Index registered 62.4%, a 5.3 percentage point increase compared to the May level.

Of the 18 manufacturing industries surveyed by the Institute for Supply Management for the index, 15 reported growth in June.

However, the report stands in sharp contrast to a similar one from IHS Markit, which showed manufacturing growth weakened in June.

The IHS Markit Purchasing Managers' Index registered 52, down from 52.7 in May. While still above the no-growth level of 50, it signaled the least marked improvement in manufacturing business conditions in nine months.

IHS Markit said slower rates of output and new business growth were the main factors weighing on the headline PMI in June, which more than offset a stronger contribution from the stocks of purchases component.

Unlike the ISM survey, which is more closely watched by economists, the IHS Markit report has been sliding lower since the peak seen in January. The June reading points to a stagnation, at best, in the manufacturing output data.

So which survey is best to believe?

“I guess the truth lies somewhere in the middle, but it is quite bizarre reading…. it seems like they measured two different countries, said Peter Boockvar, chief market analyst with The Lindsey Group, on his website, ...Read the rest of this story

Case study: How one carrier reduced its work-related injury, accident rates

Over the past three years, LTL, truckload and logistics provider A. Duie Pyle has improved its work-related injury rate by 52% and accident rate by 23%. According to Pete Dannecker, vice president of risk and integrated resources, those improvements are driven by the company's employees.

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