Driver Declared Imminent Hazard After 2 Alcohol-Related Arrests

After Tennessee truck driver Eric Ronald Scott was arrested in for two alcohol-related events, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered him to not operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce.

After receiving his commercial driver's license from the state of Tennessee in late October 2016, Scott was arrested in two separate alcohol-involved events spanning a four-day period.

On Dec. 31, 2016, the Berlin, Vt., Police Department responded to a call at a local hotel parking lot when Scott was found asleep in the cab of his tractor-trailer. Following a breath test that detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for domestic assault.

He was released from police custody on Jan. 2, and the following evening the Berlin Police Department responded to a multi-vehicle crash that involved Scott in his truck. Scott was on his way out of Burlington, Vt., en route to Memphis, Tenn., when he jackknifed his tractor-trailer, striking a stop sign and causing three passenger vehicles to be forced off the road. After another alcohol breath test detected the presence of alcohol, Scott was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Scott was declared an imminent hazard to public safety. FMCSA's order stated that Scott's continued operation of a CMV in interstate commerce “… substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death to you and/or the motoring public if not discontinued immediately.”

Civil penalties of up to $3,100 may be assessed for each violation of operating a commercial motor vehicle in violation of the order. Knowing and/or willful violation of the order may also result in criminal penalties.

Scott also may be subject to a civil penalty enforcement proceeding brought by FMCSA for his violation of the agency's safety regulations.

Related: Banned Driver Crashed Truck a Day After Failing Drug Test

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Kenworth Predictive Cruise Update Ups Fuel Economy

Photo: Kenworth

Kenworth has updated its Predictive Cruise Control functionality for T680 and T880 trucks equipped with the 2017 Paccar MX-11, MX-13, and Cummins X15 engines to improve fuel economy.

The update was made with the launch of 2017 emission engines and provides up to a 1% improvement in fuel economy over the current versions with Predictive Cruise Control, according to Patrick Dean, Kenworth chief engineer.

Kenworth's Predictive Cruise Control combines GPS with cruise control to deliver the best fuel economy for the situation. The system optimizes cruising speed based on topographical GPS data inputs. As the truck encounters certain types of terrain, such as rolling hills, the system modulated cruising speed to improve performance.

If, for example, a truck ascends and crests a hill, Predictive Cruise Control will allow the vehicle speed to drop slightly below the set cruise speed. This can improve fuel economy since the truck is using momentum instead of fuel to maintain the set cruise speed.

“While the driver interface remains unchanged, drivers who have driven Kenworth trucks with Predictive Cruise Control will notice an improvement in drivability, as well as fuel economy,” said Dean. “Improved drivability and fuel economy were made possible by fine-tuning how the engine modulates speed and torque over a wide variety of actual driving conditions.”

Related: Kenworth Makes Bendix ESP Standard on T680, T880

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Orders for New Big-Rigs Jump in January

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Truck Orders Hit 13-Month High in January

With the preliminary numbers rolling in from ACT Research and FTR, it is looking like January was a banner month for both heavy- and medium-duty truck orders.

The early numbers on Class 5-8 truck orders for January hit a 13-month high of 45,300 units total, a 27% improvement from the same month in 2016, according to ACT Research. Class 8 truck orders are projected to reach a 14-month high, with 22,200 units for the month.

FTR expects the strong fourth quarter truck order increase to help boost first quarter build rates.

“It is unusual for January orders to be higher than any of the preceding Q4 months. This indicates fleets are more confident in market conditions than they were four months ago,” said Don Ake, vice president of commercial vehicles at FTR. “OEMs should begin to fill in their production schedules and now February builds look to be much better than previous months.”

Class 5-7 orders hit an 11-month high in January with 23,000 units, rising 32% year-over-year, according to ACT Research.

“As the year's opening stanza is typically one of the weakest in terms of order activity, seasonal adjustment provides a strong boost, pushing the adjusted net order volume to 24,450 units,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT's president and senior analyst. “To put that number into context, January's seasonally adjusted MD net order total was the best monthly reading in nine years, or since February 2008.”

Related: What Will the Class 8 Market Look Like in 2017?

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Deal signed to support BYD

Texas Fuel Provider Adds Beaumont Location

Photo courtesy of O'Rourke Petroleum.

Texas fuel and lubricant provider O'Rourke Petroleum has expanded its operations in southeast Texas by adding a facility and seven delivery trucks in Beaumont, the company announced.

O'Rourke Petroleum is adding a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and lubricant storage area that will enhance its capability to deliver fuel and lubricants to fleet customers in the area known as the Golden Triangle.

The company sells all grades of gasoline and diesel to fleets for use in larger trucks, vans, and buses. The company has a fleet fuel management program supported by fleet cards. The company also provides lubricants such as passenger car motor oil, heavy-duty engine oil, greases, hydraulic fluid, and transmission oil. The company has distributed Shell lubricants since 1998.

O'Rourke Petroleum is based in Houston and operates facilities in Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Tyler, and Victoria.

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