PIT Group to verify electronic logging devices are up to snuff

Time for a few video updates …

There's a lot going on in the world of trucking at the moment – with the sluggish start to what's generally considered to be the “peak season” for freight volumes one of the more worrisome items.

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Post Earnings Coverage as JB Hunt Revenue up 8.4%

NHTSA Official Talks Autonomous Vehicles, Safety Tech at FTX

Photo by Thi Dao

Tim Johnson, director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Research and Test Center, gave the keynote address at the Fleet Technology Expo in Schaumburg, Ill. Johnson provided an overview of vehicle safety technologies, covering systems that have recently been introduced to the market as well as technologies currently being developed, such as autonomous vehicles.

NHTSA conducts research on safety systems, offers grants, and sets policy related to traffic safety. Its Vehicle Research and Test Center evaluates safety systems from a variety of sources.

"We're testing whatever we can get our hands on at the test facility," Johnson said.

The main focus of the presentation was autonomous vehicles, and Johnson provided details of five levels of autonomous vehicle technology. Driver alert systems, such as crash warnings and electronic stability control, are considered Level 0 because they alert the driver but do not offer any sustained control of the vehicle. Level 1 features, which offer sustained lateral or longitudinal control, are being incorporated in many safety systems today, including adaptive cruise control and truck platooning.

Level 2 features offer sustained lateral and longitudinal control, in which the driver is responsible for monitoring the driving environment and retaking control. An example of this level is the Tesla autopilot. At the moment, no available vehicles have reached Levels 3-5, though Johnson noted that it's the next step. The agency issued a federal policy on autonomous vehicles in September.

The agency's ultimate vision is implementing onboard sensors and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems for 360-degree awareness around the vehicle. Johnson believes that more safety technologies will cut down on accidents significantly.

Johnson also took questions from conference attendees, addressing the importance of keeping vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems secure and government's role in promoting safety technologies.

Related: Feds Release Autonomous Vehicle Policy

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Eco Flaps gains SmartWay verification

Is Video as a Safety Strategy in Your Future?

SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS -- If you're not using some form of forward-facing video system in your trucks, you should be. And the sooner the better. That's the feeling of Mike Nalepka, CEO of VideoProtects.com, a consulting and advocacy company focused on transportation video technologies. Nalepka, speaking at the Bobit Business Media Fleet Technology Expo yesterday, told attendees that video may be an emerging technology but it's here to stay because it offers so many advantages for fleets.

"Current penetration of video technology is superficial at best," he says. "Our estimates suggest only about 6% of fleets have fully integrated video cameras and recording systems into their safety infrastructure management systems. That means 94% of fleets are not there at all or are just starting to investigate the possibilities. They are kicking the tires, doing their due diligence, talking to other carriers and trying to determine where the value lies."

Mike Nalepka, CEO of VideoProtects.com. Photo by Jim Park

"The penetration rates in those countries are in the 70-80% range because the technology is proven and is widely adopted," says Nalepka. "The story we usually get from insurers is the rate reductions will come when the claims go down. One way to reduce claims is to eliminate the frivolous claims at the source. Cameras do not lie."

Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administrations statistics tell us that somewhere around 60-70% of all the crashes involving heavy trucks are not the truck's fault. But carriers continue to shell ...Read the rest of this story

Mini Strobe LED Fits Several Applications

The Super Bright LEDs Low Profile Vehicle LED Mini Strobe Light is a multi-purpose SAE Class 1 LED strobe light that can be used in a variety of applications.

The 18-watt lights use 6 LEDs to emit bright amber, blue, red, green, white, alternating amber/white, amber/green, amber/blue, amber/red, blue/red, blue/white, or red/white illumination. They feature 19 flash patterns that can be synchronized between 4 light heads and controlled with a compatible switch.

A weatherproof aluminum housing and polycarbonate lens are built to withstand impact with road debris and exposure to wet conditions. Installation hardware is included along with foam anti-scratch pads for vehicle surface mounting. The LED lights operate within a wide 12-24 VDC range for vehicle compatibility.

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