ATRI develops tool to ease freight bottlenecks

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Blue Bloodhound Gives Carriers Quick Access to Independent Drivers

Blue Bloodhound, an online marketplace connecting qualified truck drivers with motor carriers, has successfully enrolled more than 20,000 independent CDL truck drivers and owner-operators looking for additional work in the U.S.

Through Blue Bloodhound, motor carriers have access to qualified, road-ready drivers operating as 1099 independent contractors. With access to complete driver files, carriers can quickly lock in open runs when and where needed.

"Traditional recruiting methods often take weeks or months to translate into full time drivers and at very high costs," said Chris Davy, executive vice president, Blue Bloodhound Sales. "Our new marketplace gives motor carriers immediate access to thousands of qualified drivers across the country who are actively looking for extra work.”

The system also benefits truck drivers by giving them an opportunity to fill downtime with clearly defined jobs directly from a smartphone. With the app, drivers can achieve consistent weekly pay and do so on their terms.

“Whether local or over-the-road, motor carriers with an urgent driver need can simply post a run on Blue Bloodhound's website and hire a qualified CDL truck driver the same day,” said Davy.

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Dealership Tool Allows Mack Buyers to Spec for Fuel Efficiency

Image courtesy of Mack Trucks

Mack Trucks has created a new online fuel economy tool that allows Mack customers to configure Pinnacle trucks and evaluate fuel efficiency potential on specific routes.

The online tool is available at Mack dealerships. It enables customers to input and modify a number of variables on Mack Pinnacle highway models, select a route and see fuel savings potential compared to a baseline version of the vehicle.

“Even with today's low fuel prices, fuel remains the single largest expense for the vast majority of our highway customers,” said Scott Barraclough, Mack technology product manager. “With this new tool, customers can quickly see the fuel efficiency impacts of different truck configurations, enabling them to optimize the spec of their Mack Pinnacle models to save fuel and help boost their bottom lines.”

Users can choose from a number of Mack Pinnacle model component and application options that affect fuel efficiency, including weight, speed, engine size and rating, transmission, axle ratios, tires and aerodynamic enhancements. Specs for the customer's current Pinnacle model are used as a baseline and can be compared with up to four alternative configurations.

The tool features an interactive map that allows customers to choose from several major interstate highway routes, providing a breakdown of flat, rolling hills and hilly terrain. Topographical information is used in the fuel efficiency comparison.

Once all components and variables are chosen and submitted, the results are calculated and emailed to the dealer salesperson for review and discussion with the customers. If additional information is requested, the tool can also monetize the comparison based on a customer's average miles traveled per year and cost of fuel.

The fuel economy tool uses a proprietary simulation program to analyze each chassis spec entered and develops comparative results based on data attained from field and simulation testing.

“The Mack fuel economy tool not only helps our highway customers make better decisions for their business, it also helps them see the benefits of our fully integrated powertrain,” said Barraclough. “It demonstrates how our fuel-efficient technologies, like Mack Super Econodyne and Mack Load Logic, deliver fuel savings.”

Related: Mack Uses Virtual Reality to Show Off Vehicles, Technologies

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Trucking Conditions Did Not Improve Much in June

Source: FTR

FTR's Trucking Conditions Index reveals that trucking conditions in June showed few signs of improvement due to slow freight and a lull in new regulations.

June's TCS showed a reading of 2.92 for the month, indicating that trucking operators were doing OK but not great. FTR said that any reading above zero is still somewhat positive because zero is the break point between good and bad conditions.

June's reading is up from May's abysmal 1.69 reading, which was the lowest level since 2011. The TCI is currently forecast to rise into next year as the capacity constraining effects of new regulations are calculated in.

Trucking rates, in the dry van segment in particular, have moved lower over the past year but Jonathan Starks, chief operating officer at FTR, said that both contract and spot rates may have bottomed out, considering recent data. This combined with the incoming ELD mandate could have the effect of reducing capacity and changing conditions.

“We are hearing that many shippers and fleets are looking to implement [ELD] technology well in advance of the due date in order to have time to mitigate any issues that arise from its deployment,” said Starks. “We are also seeing that the extra capacity that was in the system following the 2014 reversion of the HOS rules has been mostly eliminated, and that any change in HOS or in improving economics could quickly tighten up the market like we saw in 2014.”

Related: Q&A Wth J.J. Keller's Tom Reader on Educating Fleets About ELDs

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Electrical Tool Kit Includes All Necessary Tools

The Purkeys Electrical Tool Kit has tools that a technician needs to test and diagnose a variety of electrical issues on commercial vehicles.

“We put a lot thought into this and made a good kit that will give a technician all the tools they need to do their job properly,” said Larry Rambeaux, Purkeys national truck and fleet representative.

The kit is an all-in-one package that comes with a heavy-duty industrial multimeter, a wide-range mini IR thermometer, a bead wire type K temperature probe, a mini DC clamp-on ammeter and general purpose test leads.

The multimeter is a voltmeter, ammeter and ohmmeter that can be used for applications like continuity checks, diode checks and capacity checks.

Purkeys' Clip-on Ammeter was designed for accuracy and dependability featuring a 40-amp scale and 400-amp scale. It is suited for any measurements being taken from a truck or trailer.

The infrared thermometer gun is useful for load tests on batteries because modern battery testers require temperature input, according to Purkeys. The gun allows technicians to precisely know the temperature to ensure accurate measurements.

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FMCSA Medical Board to Review Comments on Sleep Apnea Pre-Rule

With the extended comment period on the impact a sleep-apnea rule might have on CMV drivers closed for several weeks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced its Medical Review Board will meet on August 22 and 23 in a public session to make recommendations on comments submitted regarding its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking “on safety-sensitive rail and commercial motor vehicle drivers with moderate to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.”

That APRN— also known as a “pre rule”—was issued jointly with the Federal Railroad Administration back in March. At that time, the agencies described the pre rule as “the first step” in considering whether to propose specific requirements around OSA.”

The pre-rule (RIN 2126-AB88) is titled “Evaluation of Safety Sensitive Personnel for OSA.” It specifically sought “data and information concerning the prevalence of moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea among individuals occupying safety sensitive positions in rail and highway transportation.”

Since March, almost 600 comments were filed in the APRN's docket and three “listening sessions” were held at several locations across the country to further elicit public comments on moving forward with such a rulemaking.

The current pre-rule activity is in line with legislation passed by Congress in 2013 that instructs FMCSA on the regulatory approach it must take regarding OSA. That law does not require the agency to issue any sleep-apnea policy or regulation. Rather, the bill states that no policy can be issued without the agency first conducting a thorough analysis of the prevalence of OSA among commercial drivers; the range of possible actions to address the problem; and the costs and benefits that may result.

In its August 9 Federal Register notice of the upcoming meeting, FMCSA said that the MRB will also review its previously issued report on OSA from 2012 to determine whether the report should be updated based on any changes to medical standards and practice or on any pre-rule comments placed in the docket or received at the listening sessions.

The MRB is composed of five medical experts who each serve 2-year terms. The board is charged with establishing, reviewing and revising “medical standards for operators of commercial motor vehicles that will ensure that the physical condition of operators of commercial motor vehicles is adequate to enable them to operate the vehicles safely.”

The MRB will meet on Monday and Tuesday, August 22-23, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT, at the FMCSA National Training Center, 1310 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington, Vir., 6th floor. Copies of the task statement and a meeting agenda will be made available online in advance.

Oral comments from the public will be heard during the meeting, subject to the discretion of the chairman, FMCSA noted. Members of the public may also submit written comments on the topics to be considered during the meeting. Those are due by Wednesday, August 17, and should be directed to the Federal Docket Management System Docket Number FMCSA-2008-0362 and FMCSA-2015-0419 for the MRB using any of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments
• Fax. 202-493-2251
• Mail. Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590
• Hand Delivery. U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room W12-140, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays

Related: How Not to Lose Sleep Over Apnea

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Mack offers new online spec’ing tool

Mack Trucks is rolling out a new online tool to help customers craft the most fuel efficient Pinnacle highway tractor specifications for specific applications.

“Even with today's low fuel prices, fuel remains the single largest expense for the vast majority of our highway customers,” noted Scott Barraclough, Mack's technology product manager, in a statement.

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