The trucking industry has a lot of variables, but none are more important than the financial ones. Here is a look at some key financial numbers every fleet should know.
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Frito-Lay's fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks and vans have logged more than 100 million miles in the past five years, the PepsiCo division has announced.
The delivery fleet began adding CNG vehicles in 2011 with the addition of 16 Class 8 trucks. The fleet now counts more than 500 CNG vehicles, which now makes up 35% of the company's long-haul fleet. CNG freight trucks emit 23% less greenhouse gas (GHG) tailpipe emissions than the diesel freight trucks they replace.
"Increasing the efficiency of our vehicle fleet is a key component of achieving PepsiCo's overall goal to reduce GHG emissions," said Michael O'Connell, senior director of supply chain. "Alternative fuel solutions like Frito-Lay's use of CNG freight trucks are an important piece of our overall strategy, helping us reduce our environmental footprint, meet changing consumer needs and thrive in today's economy."
Frito-Lay maintains a fleet of more than 22,000 vehicles for sales and delivery. That fleet includes 269 electric delivery trucks, 208 CNG trucks, and Sprinter cargo vans.
"At Frito-Lay, our goal is to be the most fuel-efficient fleet in the country," O'Connell has said. "Our comprehensive fleet sustainability strategy looks at everything from fuel sources to vehicle design."
Frito-Lay has reduced its diesel fuel use by more than 30% from 2008 to 2015, PepsiCo has announced.
Related: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo Expand Fleet Efficiency Efforts
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Graphic: IANA
">Graphic: IANA
">Overall intermodal traffic recorded its first volume decline in the second quarter of the year following 25 consecutive quarters of growth, according to new report from the industry group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA).
Intermodal trailer volumes dropped 28.6%, continuing a multi-year downward trend, while international shipments fell 9.3%. Domestic container loads gained 3.4%, tempering the overall loss to 6.1%. The total number of intermodal loads fell to 4.28 million from 4.55 million a year earlier.
"The second quarter intermodal volume numbers reflected current market conditions," said Joni Casey, president and CEO of IANA. "Year-end projections are still tracking for growth in both the domestic container and international volumes, however."
The seven highest-density trade corridors, accounting for nearly two-thirds of total intermodal volume, collectively dropped 5.9% year-over-year, with each corridor showing a loss. In the Southeast-Southwest and the Northeast- Midwest lanes, container performance offset the drop in trailer volumes, resulting in the smallest declines of all the corridors. Containers did the opposite in the South Central-Southwest corridor, which finished the quarter in negative territory by 17.6%.
Likewise, every region showed second quarter declines, ranging from 1.6% in Mexico to 14.9% in the South Central. The fall in international shipments between the Southwest and South Central regions was enough to pull down the overall international numbers for the quarter, according to IANA. Regional results also varied by exposure to trailers. Regions that saw the least trailer activity, including Mexico, the Northwest and Western Canada, came the closest to breaking even.
Intermodal service providers again demonstrated clear gains in the highway sector, up 17% from the previous year, thanks to excess trucking capacity. Intermodal loads fell 18.1% The net result was a total volume decrease of 3.2%.
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The DuraClass Yardbird is a dump body designed for contractors and municipalities with a double-wall body side for more durability.
The Yardbird features a continuous formed body sidewall and a fully enclosed top rail for better resistance to moisture and corrosion. The Yardbird, like other DuraClass dump bodies, uses high tensile steel and a fully welded construction for high strength and lighter weight.
Full-depth rear corner posts, enclosed front corner posts and an interlaced understructure give the Yardbird high strength and rigidity. Yardbirds also come standard with quick release upper tailgate pins, a cabshield with window and heavy-duty tailgate hardware.
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So, while leafing through the latest “yearbook of trucking” compiled annually by the American Trucking Associations (ATA), a certain thought occurred to me: what if the industry starts to shrink in size?
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Luber-finer introduced a new mobile app for identifying the right filtration technology for light commercial and heavy-duty applications – and locating where to obtain it. The new app can be downloaded for free on iOS- and Android-powered smart phones and tablets.
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