Three States Agree to Collaborate on Autonomous Vehicles

Photo: Deborah Lockridge

Transportation agencies in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan have formed the Smart Belt Coalition that will focus on automated and connected vehicle initiatives.

Among the coalition's aims is to look at "commercial freight opportunities in testing, including platooning (connecting more than one vehicle) and potential coordination on interstates."

The coalition, which includes transportation and academic partners, seeks to support research, testing, policy, funding pursuits and deployment of technologies. The partnership will also share data and provide opportunities for private-sector testers.

"I'm excited for us to continue our efforts in fostering safe and effective development of this technology," said Leslie S. Richards, PennDOT secretary. "This multi-state partnership not only offers fantastic collaboration opportunities, but will also bring some consistency to testing scenarios that will help the private sector as they develop these technologies."

With similar climates, truck traffic, and active work on these technologies going in the three participating states, the coalition is designed to act as a resource for both government and the private sector.

The coalition is developing a strategic plan that will initially focus on connected and automated work zones, the aforementiocommercial freight opportunities in testing, and incident management.

Moving forward, the coalition will finalize a strategic plan outlining the framework for participants and opportunities for private-sector testers.

The coalition membership may expand in the future, but for now the participating agencies and universities include:

“This new coalition recognizes that automated and connected vehicle initiatives transcend state boundaries and spur emerging technologies," said Mark Compton, CEO of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. "Working together, we will be able to more effectively advance these emerging technologies for all motorists."

Related: Trucking in the ...Read the rest of this story

Volvo, Mack, to discontinue 16-liter diesel immediately

Volvo Trucks North America announced to its dealers on Jan. 20 that effective immediately, the OEM would cease production and distribution of its 16-liter D16 diesel engine. Aftermarket service and support for all D16s currently in the field will continue unimpeded.

The decision to cease 16-liter engine production will also affect Mack Trucks, which is owned by Volvo. Therefore, Mack will stop offering its MP10 16-liter engine, which shares major design and production attributes with the D16.

According to a company spokesperson, Volvo made the decision based on limited demand for the large-displacement diesel and the long-term investment that would be required to keep it in the market.

Additionally, Volvo noted that general trends in the North American trucking industry toward smaller-displacement diesels, which are lighter and more fuel efficient, also bolstered the determination to cease D16 production. Production of Volvo's 13-liter D13 diesel will not be effected.

The D16 engine was an option on Volvo VNL and VNX models. The VNL will continue to be available with the Volvo D11, Volvo D13 and Cummins X15 engines.

Volvo said the heavy-duty VNX model will remain in its product lineup. The company is currently evaluating engine solutions that will allow it to keep offering it in the future.

In the interim, Volvo intends to offer an “X-package” for the VNL model, which will provide the ride height and heavy-haul attributes of the VNX with 500-hp versions of either the Volvo D13 or Cummins X15 engine.

Volvo said the package will include a 20,000-lb front axle, dual steering gears, heavy-duty bumper, chrome grille, and high ride height for improved ground clearance. The Volvo I-Shift AMT is standard on trucks equipped with a D11 or D13 engine and manual transmissions are available as an option. The X15 engine is available with a manual transmission or with the Eaton Ultrashift transmission.

...Read the rest of this story

CARB Proposes Plan Reducing Emissions to 40% Below 1990 Levels

Photo: Tom Berg

The California Air Resources Board has released a Proposed Scoping Plan that sets new goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

CARB is calling the plan the most ambitious carbon emissions reduction target in North America, building on the state's current and planned efforts to reduce emissions. The plan outlines the most effective ways to reach the 2030 goal, including a continuation of California's Cap-and-Trade Program. The plan puts the state on the trajectory of achieving an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

"Climate change is impacting California now, and we need to continue to take bold and effective action to address it head on to protect and improve the quality of life in California,” said Mary D. Nichols, CARB chair. “The plan will help us meet both our climate and our clean air goals in the coming decades and provide billions of dollars in investments to cut greenhouse gasses, smog and toxic pollution in disadvantaged communities throughout the state. It is also designed to continue to drive creative innovation, generating good new jobs in the growing clean technology sector.”

For the transportation sector, the plan seeks to accelerate the use of clean vehicle and equipment technologies and fuels through targeted introduction of zero emission and near-zero emission technologies and renewable fuels. The policy will encourage the use of clean technologies along primary freight corridors.

Examples of some incentives include a separate zero emissions or near-zero emissions freight lane, employing market mechanisms to offer favorable pricing of clean vehicles and developing fuel storage and distribution infrastructure along those freight corridors.

Many of the non- transportation industry related solutions that CARB has proposed involve an increase in public transportation options for residents to reduce the number of vehicular trips needed, and a goal of ...Read the rest of this story

NOx reductions and fuel economy

Looks like NOx reduction may once again be the target of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agency is responding to petitions from state and local governmental agencies and other organizations that want to see further reductions in NOx in commercial vehicles.

NOx standards for trucks were last set 16 years ago and agencies such as the California Air Resources Board say there are new technologies available to reduce NOx emissions further.

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Class 8 sales off 19.7% through November

Drivewyze Bypass Now at 2 Busy Ohio Weigh Stations

Image via Drivewyze

Drivewyze weigh station bypass service is now offered at two busy permanent weigh stations in Ohio, located on U.S. Interstates 70 and 71.

Through an agreement between Drivewyze and the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the state began offering weigh station bypasses at the Guernsey weigh station on Interstate 70 and the Clinton weigh station on Interstate 71.

“The delivery of the bypass service in Ohio is an important step forward in the continued expansion of North America's largest bypass service network,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of Drivewyze.

These two sties represent some of the busiest weigh station operations in Ohio, according to Drivewyze, and the service will provide benefits to both the state and carriers that use Drivewyze. The bypass service will help reduce congestion in and around the two weigh stations and improve freight efficiency throughout the state.

“Truck fleets and drivers traveling westbound on Interstate 70 between the Penn. - Ohio state border and Columbus or northbound on Interstate 71 between Cincinnati and Columbus can now receive bypasses so long as they meet the state's criteria,” said Heath. “Interstate 70 is a major transportation corridor for long-haul fleets and regional operators traveling through the state from Pennsylvania to Indiana. Meanwhile, Interstate 71 is more of a workhorse connection for fleets and operators moving Ohio-based freight among Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland.”

Drivewyze software integrates with existing in-cab fleet management devices instead of requiring a transponder for weigh station bypass service. Per the company, the service is also more secure than transponder-based variants that use open-radio protocols, preventing unauthorized identification or tracking of a vehicle.

The Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass application comes pre-loaded on in-cab telematics and ELD electronic logging devices from Omnitracs, PeopleNet, Rand McNally, and Zonar.

Fleets can turn on a free analytics weigh-station loss reporting tool to ...Read the rest of this story

Volvo cancels D16, puts VNX tractor on hold

In a mid-day memo to its dealer network last Friday, Volvo Trucks announced that it will no longer be selling its 16-liter D16 engine in the North American market anymore, citing “diminishing demand” as the reason for the cancellation.

Introduced into the U.S. back in 2005, the D16 offered displacement of 550 to 625 hp – mainly at heavy haul applications.

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