Tailgating Driver Not a Complete Idiot

Out-of-control car has bumped the semi and now veers to the left and will mangle itself on the rock wall, then.... Photo: Tom Berg from ADPS video.

Maybe you saw it on the news late last week: A motorist doing some high-speed tailgating on an Interstate highway in Arizona lost control and crashed big time. She lost it when she swerved to avoid a matress that she didn't see in enough time because she was too close to the pickup just ahead.

And what did she hit when she swerved to the right? A semitrailer, which wavered a bit from the impact but stabilized quickly. It was enough to cause her to lose control again, and.... Well, watch the Arizona Department of Public Safety video here.

Incredibly, the motorist was not injured at all when her car hit a rock wall to the left, rolled onto its roof and skidded to the right shoulder, because she was wearing her seat-and-shoulder belt. So she wasn't a complete idiot. An ABC News version of the video identifies her as a 23-year-old from Texas, and offers tips on tailgating vs. safe following.

Aside from her altering her brainless behavior, how could the accident have been avoided? The pickup's driver should've seen her coming and pulled over to let her pass. Or he could've sped up, gotten around the semi and pulled to the right, or slowed down and then pulled in behind the semi and watch her zoom by. That's what I do.

Or the semi's driver could've slowed down and let both cars go by. But in no way am I blaming that guy. He pulled over as required and probably ran back to help. That's what truckers do.

And ya know what? If either of the other drivers had done something different, this lady would've missed out on a life's lesson.

Related: NTSB Confirms Tesla Was Speeding When It Hit That Trailer

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Port trucking in South Carolina

The port of Charleston, South Carolina, ranks as one of the fastest-growing major U.S. seaports over the last five years, growing 10% in 2015 alone. Last year, the port handled 1.12 million containers, moved 1 million tons of non-containerized cargo, served 2,066 vessels, and had time to get 189,050 cruise passengers on their way to a vacation on the high seas. To get all of that done, though, takes a lot of trucks, as the photos in this gallery indicate. (All photos by Sean Kilcarr/Fleet Owner)

Poll: 79% of Americans want tougher fuel economy standards

Three in four Americans agree that cars and trucks are a leading source of carbon pollution in the U.S., and a new poll by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) shows that respondents of all political views “overwhelmingly” endorse two Obama Administration initiatives to "put the brakes on" that climate pollutant, according to the non-profit environmental organization.

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Webinar: Nine things to know about the new rules for transporting food

The rules of the game changed this spring for carriers, shippers and receivers involved in the transportation of food. It happened with the publication of the final Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food, which establishes requirements for transportation equipment, operations, and the training and certification of carrier personnel.

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Expedited Carrier V3 Transportation Aiming for More Growth

Expedited carrier V3 Transportation has bveen enjoying rapid growth since launching in the first quarter of 2013.

V3 Transportation held an open house on Aug. 5 to inaugarate its new headquarters facility in Seville, Ohio. The expedited carrier has enjoyed rapid growth since launching its operations with “two laptops and two cell phones” in the first quarter of 2013. Now, according to founding partners Bob Poulos, CEO, and John Sliter, president, the company ranks among the fastest-growing operations in its field and is poised for further growth.

The carrier, which was named an HDT Truck Fleet Innovator earlier this year, currently employs 48 in operational, customer service and other office positions to support a fleet of 153 trucks. Those are piloted by 192 owner-operator expedited drivers. By the end of 2016, the fleet of straight trucks, truckload tractor-trailers and Sprinter vans will number some 200, said Poulos in a media conference call held ahead of the open house.

V3's previous headquarters' location, in Brunswick, Ohio, was limited to 3,500 square feet. The new facility boasts 10,000 square feet of office space and more than 6,000 of shop space.

The Seville HQ was designed to be large enough to support the company's growth over roughly the next three years, said Sliter.

Indeed, the company is looking to add 38 office employees in that time. “Based on our current growth, we'll outgrow this building in three years,” said Poulos. “We're already making plans to move into another building” at that point. “We plan to be a major player [in expedited] in the next three years,” he added.

According to Poulos, V3 has been growing “100% every year” since its launch. “Revenue is running at a rate of about $25 million this year compared to $12 million last year,” said Sliter.

Poulos said that it was “also a milestone year for us as former Panther II Transportation CEO Craig Amato has joined us as a partner.” Serving as senior advisor, Amato is involved primarily in V3's growth initiatives.

“Our growth ahead will be organic as well as cold-start and will potentially include some acquisitions,” said Poulos. He noted that “in an industry dominated by [hauling for] auto manufacturers, we have been successful as well in some other markets, including the chemical and haz-mat space.”

Poulos said that V3 is not engaged with e-commerce now, but is “carefully looking” at that sector for the future. “Inventory levels are high right now. But any bump in the road leads to instant demand for our service. Demand for expedited trucking is going to be high.”

“People are getting fed up with freight ending up on a truck with no insurance,” Amato remarked. “We're guaranteeing quality service.”

As for acquisitions, Amato said they are investigating three such deals right now as well as looking into expanding with services for Canada and Mexico freight. “We want the ability to be more of a one-stop solution to our clients. That will definitely help our growth.”

The new V3 facility was built with drivers in mind. It boasts a driver lounge, showers, and 24-hour access to a kitchen. “It's got everything needed to attract and retain owner-operators,” said Sliter, who noted that V3's driver turnover rate is running at just about 36% this year.

Sliter said fleet growth for the balance of the year will focus on V3's “bread and butter” straight trucks, especially those team-driven. “And we'll be adding more haz-mat certified drivers. We pay for that certification. A lot of our competitors don't have hazmat drivers. Offering that service benefits our growth plans.”

Related: Smarter is Faster

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Trucking by the Numbers 2016: Fuel

The cost of fuel is a necessary evil for the trucking industry. Fleet Owner looks at what diesel and other fuels are costing trucking, how much fuel is actually being consumed, and where prices have gone and where they may be going.

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Spot Freight Market Could Be Looking Up

The collapse of oil prices and the resulting pullback from hydraulic fracturing
operations had a major effect on the spot market.

If you've given up on the truckload spot freight market or have been using it less because of the past year's depressed rates, it might be time to give it a second look. External pressures that pushed rates down appear to be easing and rates are finally starting to improve — although they still have a way to go before returning to last year's levels or the record-setting highs of 2014.

That's according to Mark Montague, industry-pricing analyst with the freight matching and load board services provider DAT Services. In an interview, he said the spot market went to pot in March 2015, with things not showing any real improvement until this spring.

The reasons are some of the same that have caused the economy to sputter along, with one of the biggest being lower oil prices. While cheap crude has led to lower fuel prices, those savings have come with consequences.

“The main driving cause was the oil industry collapse with the end of fracking, the end of moving pipe or steel and all other related commodities, which spilled over into the spot market,” he says. “It took a bite out of flatbed freight first of all, then the next bites were in van freight. On top of that, you had the produce market driven by California going to flop because of the drought.”

With the oil industry throttling back, workers in that sector lost jobs and cut their retail spending, which drives so much of the economy. Energy companies also cut their business investment. Even consumers who were saving money on fuel purchases didn't see a big enough dividend to go out and spend wildly.

However, something happened in April. Retail sales increased by their largest amount in just over a year, with another solid increase in May. Also in May and extending into June, oil and fuel prices started heading higher. And in early June parts of California even saw improvements in drought conditions.

Coincidentally or not, the DAT North American Freight Index came back to life in the spring. The May level was still below that of the previous four years, but higher than it was in the latter part of 2015.

Montague says flatbed rates have “really stabilized over the last few months,” and at the beginning of May “we began to see an increase in freight on the spot market for van and reefer freight” which can help bump up rates.

However, there are still factors at work that will keep them from going as high as the industry might like. Linehaul rates, the portion of the spot rate that does not include the fuel surcharge, remains lower than a year earlier for a variety of reasons, including a “race to cut rates in the first half of the year” and truck capacity added by large fleets in 2015. Also manufacturing remains weak, despite some recent improvements in total activity.

Despite these challenges, even one mega-fleet that traditionally relies little on the spot market is turning to it. Swift Transportation announced in June its “spot market participation has increased somewhat” due to the lack of available freight in certain markets.

The benefit, according to Richard Stocking, president and chief operating officer, is it will “keep our trucks moving”.

So while the spot market may not be your favorite place to get freight, it's better than it has been. More importantly, it beats the alternative of having your trucks sit, generating zero revenue.

Related: The Inventory Thorn in Trucking's Side

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