Nominations Are Open for FTX Sustainability and Efficiency Awards

Nominations are open until Friday, Aug 12 for the all-new Fleet Technology Expo awards, which will recognize fleets for their sustainability and efficiency practices.

The awards will be presented at the Fleet Technology Expo at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill., prior to the closing reception on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

The Fleet Technology Expo is looking for nominees who have made significant contributions to environmental sustainability and fleet efficiencies in the light- to medium-duty and heavy-duty industries.

Nominees mayhave focused on either alternative fuels to improve sustainability and/or the use of technology, software and training to gain efficiency. However it happens, the contribution to austainability and efficiency is what matters.

Categories are broken down by vehicle size into Light & Medium Duty Fleets and Heavy Duty Fleets. Within those categories, fleets are separated into two subcategories, depending on the fleet's focus and methods used to increase sustainability and efficiency.

The top 10 fleets in the four categories will receive awards, with extra recognition given to the top three fleets in each category.

The winners will be recognized at the 2016 Fleet Technology Expo, hosted by Automotive Fleet, Green Fleet and Heavy Duty Trucking magazines. The second annual FTX runs from Oct. 17-19.

All nominees must work as a fleet professional — supplier nominees will not be accepted. (Note: Suppliers may nominatet fleet customers). To submit your nomination, simply fill out the form here.

For more information on the Fleet Technology Expo please visit the FTX website. You can check out the schedule here.

If you have any questions about the awards please contact Stephane Babcock at [email protected].

Related: 2015 Fleet Technology Awards Winners Announced

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Department of Commerce Recommends Tariffs on Chinese Tires

Photo by Jim Park

Commercial truck and bus tires imported from China are benefitting from subsidies from the Chinese government, and as a result the U.S. Department of Commerce says those tires should be subject to tariffs up to 23.38%.

The DOC issued its preliminary determination June 28. It studied data from two importers: Double Coin Holdings and Guizhou Tyre Co. Data from those companies then is used to calculate one tariff rate for all the other companies that ship products from China to the U.S.

For Double Coin the DOC is levying a tariff of 17.06%. The rate is 23.38% for Guizhou. All other importers will be assessed a rate of 20.22%.

These figures represent only one half of the overall tariff equation. The DOC also is investigating whether the imported products are being dumped in the U.S. at prices below the cost of manufacturing. The dumping investigation continues, and ultimately an anti-dumping tariff will be added to these preliminary countervailing rates. A preliminary decision in the anti-dumping case is due Aug. 26.

Final rulings in both the countervailing and anti-dumping investigations are due Nov. 10, 2016.

The DOC also found that critical circumstances exist “with respect to one exporter of truck and bus tires from China.” As a result, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will collect the duties retroactively for Guizhou dating back to 90 days prior to the publication of this ruling in the Federal Register.

Related: SmartWay List Swells with Cheap Chinese Tires

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Kenworth adds Allison 4700 to T880 short hood

Kenworth has announced the availability of the 7-speed Allison 4700 Rugged Duty Series fully automatic transmission with the 116.5-in. BBC Kenworth T880 short hood.

The Allison 4700 RDS is available with the PACCAR MX-13 engine as well as the PACCAR MX-11, which provides a 400-lb. weight savings over 13-liter engines. According to the company, the transmission improves drivability, allowing truck operators to creep slowly and perform other low-speed maneuvers.

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TMW Launches Cloud-Based Business Intelligence Solutions

TMW Systems has launched software-as-a-service versions of its Data Warehouse, Data Warehouse Explorer and Visual Analytics solutions that offer business intelligence and analytics for for-hire and private fleets.

The cloud-based solutions are now available on a subscription basis to businesses using select TMW transportation management software and will be available to new customers in the coming months, according to TMW.

Data Warehouse and Data Warehouse Explorer were previously available as on-premises solutions only. These allow fleets to access operational data and answer critical questions regarding multiple areas of a business. The solutions can blend and analyze data from multiple areas such as operations, maintenance, finance and mobile communications to uncover actionable intelligence.

TMW's Visual Analytics allows for drag-and-drop creation of useful visuals and dashboards as well as preconfigured dashboard displays for better visibility and enhanced understanding of the interdependent factors that drive business performance. Users can then drill down to isolate specific issues and identify appropriate corrective actions.

“Big Data can help virtually any transportation business identify and eliminate deeply hidden operational constraints and other issues,” said David W. Wangler, TMW Systems president. “Our new and growing portfolio of SaaS products brings these capabilities to a much larger audience of transportation businesses, including those that might not have the internal IT resources or budget to support an on-premise model.”

TMW is a transportation software provider to fleets, brokerage and 3PL organizations in North America.

For more information, click here.

Related: TMW Report: Carriers Face Declining Utilization

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Geotab Telematics Device Designed for Harsh Environments

Geotab has announced the availability of Go Rugged, a ruggedized telematics device designed for harsh outdoor environments common in industrial heavy-duty and service vehicle applications.

Go Rugged is aimed use in construction, engineering, agriculture, utilities, oil and gas, and mining applications, providing users with increased visibility of location and status of equipment, improved maintenance planning and reduced fuel costs.

The Go Rugged features a rugged exterior enclosure that allows for installation outside of the vehicle and is designed to the IP67 standard, protecting against intrusion of solid objects, dust, accidental contact and water. The device also provides engine data reporting on the Primary Cam Bus.

Additional features of the Go Rugged, which are also found in the Geotab GO7 device, include:

• IOX expandability, which allows users to expand the capability of their fleet management solution
• Intelligent in-vehicle driver coaching via IOX-BUZZ or the Geotab GO TALK
• Accident detection and notification
• Built-in auto-calibrating accelerometer
• Engine and battery health assessment
• G-force monitoring
• Real-time vehicle data and fast GPS acquisition time

Geotab is a telematics provider offering an open platform fleet management solution to fleets.

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Photos: The 2017 New Models

This year, fuel economy is a theme you'll hear often. How truck manufacturers will comply with 2017
fuel efficiency requirements—it's the tail end of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Phase 1 rules before the impending GHG Phase 2 regs arrive—plays a big role in Fleet Owner's New Models Preview.

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Class 8 Truck Demand Hits 4-Year Low

Class 8 truck order numbers have hit a 4-year low, with demand remaining depressed so far in 2016, according to preliminary numbers released by ACT Research and FTR.

“The Class 8 market is stuck in a holding pattern, at the bottom end of this cycle. Fleets are cautious as freight demand has cooled off this year,” said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR. “There are enough trucks to handle freight right now with carriers in a wait-and-see mode, before adding trucks or replacing older units.”

FTR projects Class 8 truck orders for the month of 13,000 units. That represents an 8% drop compared to May and a 34% decline compared to last June.

This month's order activity was the lowest monthly total since July 2012 and the worst June since 2009.

“This is what the summer looks like in a market down cycle, so we can expect this level of activity for a couple more months,” said Ake. “We do anticipate higher orders later this year. However, the volume of orders will be determined by the strength of the economy and freight activity at that time.”

Class 5-7 medium-duty vehicle orders also fell in June and are projected to hit 15,200 orders for the month, according to ACT Research. Unlike Class 8, which has struggled to get going in 2016, the drop in medium-duty orders was attributed to the strength of the market in previous months.

“The pull-back of the past two months follows a three-month stretch from February to April in which medium duty orders were booked at a volume well ahead of demand,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT's president and senior analyst.

Related: It's Wait and See for Fleets in 2016

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