Dart Ups Long-Haul Driver Pay

Photo: Dart Transit

Dart Transit has rolled out a pay increase for its over-the-road company truck drivers, the carrier announced.

Dart is raising its starting pay for long-haul company drivers along its main freight lanes by 5 cents per mile. The company said that top-performing drivers could earn over $60,000 in the first year with the company.

Dar is also rolling out anniversary pay increases for each year a driver is with the company and a 3.5-cent per mile monthly performance bonus. It also introduced a bonus called “Sign-on Plus” that it is paid in increments from the sign-on through the first year-and-a-half with Dart.

“We are thrilled to offer truck drivers a large increase in pay,” said Russ Moore, Dart vice president of safety and fleet services. “The higher pay, combined with anniversary increases, the Sign-on Plus, and performance bonus, make Dart's pay package one of the best in the industry.”

Drivers interested in a career with Dart can visit DartTruckingJobs.com for more information.

Related: How Important is Driver Pay?

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Nissan Adds Extended King Cab for Titan Pickups

The 2017 Nissan Titan King Cab offers available 6-person seating, wide-opening rear doors and a “rear seat delete” option for commercial use with its flat floor and secure in-cab storage space. Photo courtesy of Nissan.

Nissan will offer King Cab versions of its 2017 Titan and Titan XD pickups, which allows Nissan to offer three cab options to buyers, along with the previously announced Single Cab and Crew Cab TItan models.

The King Cab Titan and Titan XD debuted during a media event at the Chicago Auto Show, which runs from Feb. 11 to 20. Nissan also brought a specially built Nissan NV Cargo X and two specially modified Titan PRO-4X models.

The King Cab arrives with two traditional doors and two wide-opening rear latching doors. It offers available six-person seating and an available rear seat delete option for commercial use with its flat floor and secure in-cab storage space. The seat delete option also removes the rear heater duct and rear roof-mounted assist grips and adds a flat rear load floor and rear wall finisher with tie-down hooks.

The new King Cab body features a roomy cab with a choice of front split bench seat or front bucket seats (standard on PRO-4X, optional on SV grade). A 60/40-split fold-down rear seat is also standard. Heated front seats are available with PRO-4X and SV grade, along with optional heated and cooled front seats on PRO-4X.

The Titan King Cab will be offered in 4x4 and rear-wheel drive and three grade levels – S, SV, and PRO-4X – with a standard 390-hp 5.6L Endurance V-8 engine and 7-speed automatic transmission. Titan King Cab offers an available maximum towing capacity of 9,420 pounds and maximum payload capacity of 1,640 pounds when properly equipped.

The Titan XD King Cab will be available in 4x4 and rear-wheel drive and three ...Read the rest of this story

FTR, CKCVR Issue Maintenance Benchmarking Study

FTR and CK Commercial Vehicle Research have released a comprehensive benchmarking study that examines fleet maintenance practices in heavy- and medium-duty fleets.

The study covers preventive maintenance intervals, maintenance and repair part and tire costs, preferences for maintenance providers, and replacement part purchases.

The report also contains information on the average age of vehicles, typical replacement cycles, and other details to be used as benchmarking tools by commercial truck fleets.

Fleets can use the 18-page report to determine how they measure up to other fleets with regard to their maintenance practices and to see how other similar operations handle these duties and contain the costs.

The report separates data on Class 8 trucks, commercial trailers by segment, and Class 6-7 trucks.

Data was collected by surveying 83 fleet maintenance executives from small, medium, and large for-hire and private fleets. In total, the respondents are responsible for 64,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks and 120,000 trailers. All duty cycles, vehicle brands, types of trailers, and age of equipment were represented in the survey results.

FTR collects and analyzes data on North American freight transportation, issuing reports and forecasts for trucking, rail, and intermodal transportation. CK Commercial Vehicle Research surveys fleet advisors representing a mix of large, medium, and small for-hire, private, and government fleet operations.

The report is being offered at a discounted price to eligible North American fleet operations. For questions on the report, contact Don Ake by phoning 888-988-1699 x47 or emailing to [email protected]. To order a copy for your fleet, click here.

Related: The Modern Maintenance Manager

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Trucking-Futures Exchange Startup TransVix Sets up Shop in Chattanooga

Image: TransVix

TransVix LLC, a startup aimed at launching the first futures exchange based on trucking capacity, has moved its headquarters from Fort Worth to Chattanooga, Tenn., to leverage the city's emerging reputation as an entrepreneurial hive and transportation hub.

According to the company, its game plan is to create a trucking-capacity futures exchange to address rate volatility, which it regards as “one of the most significant challenges in freight transportation today.”

As TransVix sees it, currently shippers, carriers and freight brokers have no effective way to protect their market exposure on the volatility of trucking spot market pricing. But by leveraging advanced technology to create an exchange to help mitigate the pricing risks associated with the $726B trucking industry, TransVix will “enhance the way participants currently buy and sell trucking capacity.”

The company noted that freight futures have been traded in the maritime market and listed on exchanges around the world in London, Shanghai, and Singapore. TransVix would be the first exchange in the world to focus on trucking freight.

Given that the U.S. trucking and logistics market accounts for 81.5% of all freight transportation spend, per TransVix, the futures contract market potential is “an estimated 4x multiple of the underlying market revenue, creating a $2.8-trillion market opportunity for U.S. trucking futures.”

TransVix CEO Craig Fuller said the move to Chattanooga was driven by the firm's significant growth and desire to capitalize on the strengths “Gig City” offers. “Over the past decade Chattanooga has transformed into an entrepreneurial hotspot and the city is on its way to becoming the nation's capital of supply chain, logistics and transportation technology,” he said.

“Talking with business leaders, both here and across the country, it's clear that assets like our fiber-optic Gig infrastructure and Innovation District make Chattanooga a leader and global competitor in ...Read the rest of this story

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Truck Body Maker Morgan Celebrates 65th Anniversary

Photo: Morgan Corporation

Morgan Corporation, a designer and producer of light- and medium-duty truck and van bodies, is celebrating the company's 65th anniversary this year.

Morgan was started in Morgantown, Penn., as a truck repair and welding shop in 1952. Today, the company has 12 manufacturing and service facilities located across the U.S. and Canada.

Recently, Morgan announced plans to open new manufacturing and service facilities in the Midwest and New England in 2017 and 2018.

Morgan specializes in manufacturing Class 3 -7 straight truck bodies for dry-freight and refrigerated freight transportation.

“The evolution of our products is evidence of our ability and commitment to meet the unique and ever-changing needs of our customers,” said Paul Jarossy, director of marketing at Morgan. “With the launch of new products and designs, as well as the introduction of breakthrough technologies, Morgan continues to set new standards.”

To find out more about Morgan, click here.

Related: Truck Body Aimed at Landscaping Fleets

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