It’s not too soon to prepare for Roadcheck 2017

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced that its annual International Roadcheck inspection blitz will be held June 6-8.

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Taxes and fuel economy

Most people don't normally think of taxes and fuel economy in the same sentence. But Kenny Vieth, president and senior analyst at ACT Research, offered an interesting connection when speaking at a recent NACFE workshop during the Green Truck Summit in Indianapolis.

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TMC’s New Chairman on Trucking’s Race to the Future

TMC's new chairman, Glen McDonald says keeping the organization's recent energy going is one of his main priorities.

With technology transforming trucking, TMC's new chairman wants to bring young faces and fresh ideas to the industry he loves.

Glen McDonald says assuming the chairmanship of the American Trucking Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council at the influential group's Nashville meeting earlier this month is, in many ways, a pinnacle moment in his long career in trucking.

McDonald has been an active TMC member since 2003, and credits Ozark Motor Lines, Memphis, Tennessee, where he is director of maintenance, for supporting his work with the group. “I came to my current position from the operations side, as opposed to the maintenance side,” McDonald told HDT, “and for the first time I was responsible for hiring technicians and keeping trucks running. And I felt like I needed some help.”

McDonald credits Randy Patterson, who was his Bridgestone-Bandag tire vendor at the time, with pointing him toward TMC for that help. “My first meeting was in Fort Lauderdale,” McDonald said. “And I was really impressed. And I came home and told my bosses what I'd seen and learned and asked them to support my involvement with TMC. And to their credit, they did exactly that.”

In his new role as chairman, McDonald said he most wants to “build a bridge” to the trucking's younger generation just now coming into the industry and work to keep the organization on the cutting edge of all the new technology coming on line today.

"We're just now beginning to scratch the surface of all the changes that will be coming our way. And we've got to make sure that TMC stays relevant as those changes happen."

“I'm really thinking a lot about the ‘TMC of Tomorrow,'” McDonald said. “This is an aging industry, ...Read the rest of this story

Wrap-up: Were you at Omnitracs Outlook 2017?

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Alkane to License Assembly Operations in North America

Photo: Alkane Truck Company

Alkane Truck Company, a South Carolina-based assembler of alternative fuel vehicles, has announced plans to establish more than a dozen assembly facilities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico over the next three years.

The company said it is rolling out the expansion plan to accelerate its production timeline in response to orders from its dealership network. This is the first time that Alkane has offered its business model to independent entrepreneurs.

“We will provide training for their employees and deliver all components required to assemble Alkane vehicles for direct shipment to our existing and ever-expanding dealership network," said Bob Smith, CEO of Alkane Truck Company. These business partners will own 100% of their associated assembly facility, so profits generated would be entirely their own; and as owners, they'll also be the recipients of any state and local incentives offered to new business startups in their respective regions."

Alkane is currently working with economic development offices to identify potential business partners interested in becoming contract assemblers.

"Proximity to shipping ports, transportation hubs and easy highway access would be ideal," said Smith. "We are looking for a facility of around 20,000 square feet under one roof with about a 30,000 square foot outside staging area and at least one truck-level dock for use loading and unloading with a forklift."

For an initial licensing fee and a monthly charge, each owner or operator will be allowed to use the Alkane brand name, Alkane's EPA, CARB, and DOT certificates, and the company's supply chain to assemble and deliver its Class 7 and 8 trucks as well as the Humvee-style Dominator vehicle.

Assembly facilities will be required to pay for and maintain an inventory of parts while Alkane will provide ongoing support and replacement parts.

"Not a 'franchise' agreement but rather a simple contract, this is an excellent ...Read the rest of this story

Phillips Collaborates on Trailer-to-Tractor Connectivity Tool

Phillips Industries and Velvac are collaborating on the TrailerLink connected vehicle solution designed to support trailer-to-tractor video and data communications and connectivity.

The two companies developed TrailerLink which augments the traditional tractor-trailer 7-pin electrical connection with an additional ISO 15-pin cable connection. The 15-pin connection, when combined with Phillips' trailer-mounted dual-nose box and additional tractor-mounted tail box, provides a real-time video and data connection between the tractor and trailer.

The system is immune to noise, interference and latency concerns associated with wireless or PLC data transmission approaches. TrailerLink can support intelligent devices mounted on trailers such as multiple video cameras and CAN communications.

Phillips worked with Velvac subsidiary company Road-iQ which offers video based telematics and safety technologies for commercial vehicles.

“We saw that there was a growing need for simple, reliable, high-speed data connectivity between tractors and trailers that was not being met by various wireless or PLC solutions on the market” said Jeff Porter, CEO of Velvac, “there is an explosion of video and CAN data being generated on commercial vehicles today, and the inability to cleanly move that data off the trailer to the tractor is a growing problem that TrailerLink is designed to address”.

The initial release of TrailerLink will support the connection of up to four exterior or interior trailer-mounted cameras to displays and recording devices in the tractor. Future TrailerLink releases will additionally support a J1939 gateway between the tractor and the trailer.

The TrailerLink open systems architecture is designed to support all industry standard data and video signals, so it will support the vast majority of mobile cameras, standard displays, and recording devices, on the market today, according to Phillips. It can also be integrated into Road iQ's VideoData Server system for surround vision viewing, recording, and connected vehicle applications.

Phillips also recently announced the launch of its newest division, ...Read the rest of this story

Ancra Canada appoints Lou Campoli