Do you Have a Will?

It's far easier to get your will in order than it will be for your family to figure out your wishes after your gone without a will. Photo by Jim Park

I hope this doesn't come across like an admonishment from a reformed smoker, but I just lost my father, and I'm happy to say he died with a will. That will make the next few months much easier on me and my sister. Dad had it all in place, right down to phone numbers, and email addresses for those that held his important papers. Unfortunately, statistics suggest that anywhere from one-half to two-thirds of Americans do not have a will or even any written instructions or last wishes to guide their next of kin.

Dad was in his mid-eighties and had terminal brain cancer, so he knew the end was inevitable. However, he put his affairs in order when he was in his thirties. That's just the kind of man he was. He didn't want my mother to have to deal with the problems associated with his passing while keeping the mortgage paid and food on the table. My grandfather, too, was pretty well organized in this regard. It took me a while longer to get my affairs in order. It was not until my daughter was nine that my wife finally convinced me to visit the lawyer and have something drawn up.

A story in USA Today from June 2015, notes that according to a 2015 Rocket Lawyer estate-planning survey by Harris Poll, 64% of Americans don't have a will. Of those without a plan, about 27% said there isn't an urgent need for them to make one — and 15% said they don't need one at all.

A poll conducted by Gallup in May of 2016, just ...Read the rest of this story

Mercedes-Benz Vans Unveils Concept Metris

To highlight its new “Master Solutions” work van program unveiled last summer, Mercedes-Benz Vans is unveiling a concept “Toolbox Van” at this year's Chicago Auto Show. Built by RENNtech, the Metris Master Solutions “Toolbox Van,” which is based on the Metris Worker cargo van platform, is touted as the “ultimate toolbox” for any number of jobs.

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How ‘Intelligent’ is Your Business?

Are you investing in “BI?” You undoubtedly recognize the acronym for “Business Intelligence” and, like most transportation professionals, agree it is a crucial strategic tool for any asset-, non-asset-based or blended operation.

But how you and your industry peers define and leverage BI might vary dramatically. For some, it represents little more than visual replications of an established set of KPIs. For many, BI remains largely a backend process through which data is aggregated and retrieved for reporting purposes. For a growing number of transportation enterprises, however, business intelligence represents an exciting new pathway to increased understanding of potentially thousands of variables that help determine an organization's competitiveness and profitability.

Even the industry's BI thought leaders would likely agree they are still in the very early stages of a journey that could ultimately revolutionize their businesses. In a sense, therefore, the progress made in this journey by any fleet, 3PL or broker can determine how “intelligent” they really are in an age of ever-rising data volume, variety and velocity.

“Like most transportation companies, we have access to tons of data that is not being analyzed in an interactive manner."

“Like most transportation companies, we have access to tons of data that is not being analyzed in an interactive manner,” says Kent Parkinson, chief information officer for Royal Trucking, West Point, Mississippi. “But we're now on a path to move beyond spreadsheets as we apply modern tools that will help provide a much deeper understanding of our business.”

Royal, like thousands of carriers, is still comparatively early in its BI journey, perhaps just two or three steps into what author and consultant James E. Cates calls the “Ladder of Business Intelligence.” Cates' BI maturity model comprises six levels of organizational resources and fluency in managing information:

Level 1 - Facts: Disorganized, largely irretrievable data points

Level 2 - ...Read the rest of this story

Analysis: Freight Rate Thaw May Be in the Works

The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index shows while freight rates weren't as good last year as they were in 2015, they were mostly better than in 2014 and appear to be heading higher this year. Source: Cass Information Systems Inc., and Avondale Partners

There are real hopes that freight rates for truckload linehaul and intermodal movements may finally be headed higher, after being frozen in lower territory the last couple of years.

The most recent Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, which tracks monthly changes in linehaul rates, fell 0.9% in December, marking 10 straight monthly declines. But analysts at the investment firm Avondale Partners said there is cause for optimism.

That's because the December reading improved 2.6% compared to the month before. That marked the index's biggest month-over-month gain of 2016 and its highest reading since December 2015.

“The current strength being reported in spot rates is leading us to believe that our current -3% to 1% truckload pricing forecast may need to be improved or moved to a slightly more positive outlook,” Avondale said.

The intermodal sector, which suffered much of last year and the year before, at least compared to 2014, is expected to see some improvements as well. The Cass Intermodal Price Index, which measures changes in total intermodal per-mile costs (including fuel), increased 1.5% in December compared to a year earlier. That's after rising 0.3% and 0.4% in November and October, respectively, while posting a 2.8% December hike from November. December marked the third consecutive year-over-year gain after 21 straight months of declines.

The good news is Avondale expects intermodal pricing to improve year-over-year until late into 2017. The bad news is pricing isn't expected to reach the high levels of three years earlier.

On top of this, the Cass Freight Index, which measures monthly expenditures for shipments across multiple modes, was down far less ...Read the rest of this story

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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