Fleets looking to connect more data: Chevin
ATA names Drake senior vice president of legislative affairs
American Trucking Assns. President and CEO Chris Spear announced the trucking group has hired transportation veteran John Drake as its newest senior vice president of legislative affairs.
“ATA's members deserve the very best representation on Capitol Hill, advocating on their behalf,” Spear said. “I'm pleased that John will be joining our team, further elevating our talent pool and helping advance the trucking industry's agenda.”
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Scandit case for iPod Touch to replace dedicated barcode scanners
Scandit announced the Scandit Case for iPod touch. “The new Scandit Case for iPod touch is the next-generation version of the Scandit Case for iPhone 6/6s and features improved materials that increase ruggedness and grip,” according to the company. “The Scandit Case works with all of Scandit's mobile scanning solutions, provides protection during everyday activities, and offers a scanning experience equivalent to handheld scanners and mobile computers at a fraction of the cost.”
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Spot Market Freight Rates Retreat as Truck Capacity Jumps
While truckload volumes increased 18% on the spot freight market a 34% hike in available truck capacity sent both rates and load-to-truck ratios lower for the week ending Jan. 14, according to DAT Solutions and its network of load boards.
With more trucks in the marketplace during the first full week of the year, rates fell for all three equipment types. Vans posted the biggest drop, down 5 cents from the week before for a national average of $1.72 per mile. Reefers and flatbeds each fell 3 cents, coming in at an average of $2 per mile and $1.89 per mile, respectively.
Those rates include a fuel surcharge. The average price of on-highway diesel slipped 1 cent to $2.59 per gallon during the period.
The number of available vans was up 36% compared to the previous week while van load posts rose more gradually at 14%. The van load-to-truck ratio slipped from 4.7 to 3.9 loads per truck, which is still unseasonably high for vans, according to DAT.
Spot van rates declined in many van markets, includes key regional hubs:
Chicago, $2.10 per mile, down 1 centDallas, $1.57 per mile, down 1 centAtlanta, $1.90 per mile, down 6 centsPhiladelphia, $1.75 per mile, unchangedLos Angeles, $1.99 per mile, down 6 centsReefer load posts increased 8% but the number of available reefers rose 27%. This helped push the reefer load-to-truck ratio down 15% to 9.1 reefer loads per truck. Despite the decline in the national average reefer rate, DAT said its current level is still strong for mid-January, though prices were mixed along some key produce lanes
Reefer rates were down in all major markets in California last week as the state was hit by heavy rains in the lower elevations and heavy snow in the mountains. The average outbound rate from Los Angeles slipped 3 cents ...Read the rest of this story
Big fleets ask FMCSA for waiver to use only hair testing in drug screens
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Military trucks deploy to deal with snow
As winter storms dumped heavy snow across many parts of the U.S. this month, National Guard units from Idaho to North Carolina deployed in a variety of motor vehicles to help clear everything from roadways to runways of the white stuff.
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Mack donates Granite to educational fundraiser