Detroit Adds Analytics to Suite of Connected Vehicle Services

"Detroit Connect Circle of Connectivity" Image: Detroit

Detroit has introduced Detroit Connect Analytics as part of its Detroit Connect suite of connected vehicle services, to give customers “important insights about their vehicles to help them make critical business decisions.”

Analytics will be available through the connectivity platform launching with the next-generation Freightliner Cascadia, which was rolled out on Sept. 1 in Colorado Springs.

Detroit said Analytics, accessed via a dedicated section of the new Detroit Connect portal, will provide users with on-demand automated fuel-efficiency and safety analysis and reports featuring key insights from Detroit and Daimler Trucks North America engineers.

“Analytics uses that expertise to quickly identify behaviors, trends, root causes and key insights on fuel consumption and safety performance data across the fleet,” stated the company.

Detroit said the data provides easy-to-read analysis and recommendations for improving vehicle and fleet performance and fleet managers can view the data for a single trip, single vehicle or their entire fleet over different periods of time.

Fuel-efficiency performance data analyzed includes engine speed, idle time, cruise control, engine power, integrated powertrain performance and driver interaction. The safety data is collected from all available safety systems, including the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems, and includes collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, distance violations and speed violations.

“The combination of Detroit Connect Analytics and the new Cascadia enhances the truck's performance potential by using data to deepen the connection between the fleet's management, the driver and the vehicle,” said Matt Pfaffenbach, director, connectivity for DTNA.

“The ability to unlock and understand what's happening with the truck and use that knowledge to make adjustments is a significant time and performance advantage for our customers,” he added. “Customers can spend less time crunching data and more time optimizing vehicle performance.”

The system will be included in different service option packages with ...Read the rest of this story

Next-Generation Freightliner Cascadia Emphasizes Fuel Economy, Connectivity, Drivers

New Freightliner Cascadia 126” BBC 72” Raised Roof Sleeper Cab shown with AeroX and Elite exterior appearance package. Photo courtesy Freightliner.

Every aspect of the next-generation Freightliner Cascadia unveiled Sept. 1 “has been re-imagined,” said Richard Howard, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Daimler Trucks North America. It's a "completely brand new truck"... not Cascadia 2.0.

“We are raising fuel efficiency, connectivity, safety, quality and uptime performance to even greater levels, and also introducing a premium driver experience as a powerful customer benefit and driver retention tool," Howard said Sept. 1 during the introduction of the new truck in Colorado Springs.

The new truck, which will be designated a Model Year 2018, will begin production in January, ramping up to full production by March. Production of the current Cascade will continue for two years.

The next-generation Cascadia combines a new aerodynamic shape with the newest Detroit integrated powertrain for superior fuel economy. According to DTNA CEO Martin Daum, it ”is a mind-boggling 8% more efficient than the Cascadia Evolution, the current most efficient truck on the road."

Standard aerodynamic enhancements such as an upper door seal, elliptical-shaped mirrors, sloped hood, bumper with integrated air deflector and integrated antennas all minimize drag. The optional Aero and AeroX packages provide additional aerodynamic benefits to manage airflow, including longer side extenders, lower chassis fairings, drive wheel covers and proprietary-designed wheel fairings.

The new Cascadia is available with the integrated Detroit Powertrain, which combines the fuel-efficient downsped 400 hp/1,750 lb/ft. of torque Detroit DD15 or DD13® engines with the Detroit DT12 automated manual transmission, Intelligent Powertrain Management (IPM4) and corresponding Detroit steer and rear tandem axles. The new Detroit rear axles have features such as lower sump volume, gear-set coating, friction reducing gear cutting and optional Axle ...Read the rest of this story

Driver Turnover at Truckload Fleets Plummets

Image: FMCSA

According to the American Trucking Associations, the driver churn rate at truckload fleets with annual revenues over $30 million dropped six points to 83% in Q2— reaching its lowest point since Q2 of 2011. And the rate for smaller truckload fleets fell nine points to 79%, marking its lowest level since Q3 of 2015. On the other hand, turnover at less-than-truckload carriers went up four points to 12%.

“The continued decline in the [truckload] turnover rate reflects the continued choppiness in the freight economy,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “As we hopefully approach the end of this period of elevated inventories later this year, freight demand will pick back up, leading to increased demand for drivers and higher turnover rates in the future.”

Commenting on Aug. 23 on July's truck tonnage figures, Costello pointed out that the “prolonged softness is consistent with a supply chain that is clearing out elevated inventories. Looking ahead, expect a softer and uneven truck freight environment until the inventory correction is complete,” he said. “With moderate economic growth expected, truck freight will improve the further along the inventory cycle we progress.”

Regarding the latest turnover rates, Costello noted on Sept.1 that even as churn continues to fall at truckload carriers, “finding enough qualified drivers remains a concern for many carriers.”

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Economic Watch: New Manufacturing Orders Stagger, Construction Up

There is slight disagreement when it comes to the health of the nation's manufacturing industry in the wake of two reports issued on Thursday, but not when it comes to what pulled two gauges lower for August.

According to the monthly survey of purchasing managers by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), economic activity in the sector contracted in August following five months of growth. Its Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) registered 49.4%, a decrease of 3.2 percentage points from the July reading of 52.6% with the latest performance coming in far worse than Wall Street expectations.

A reading above 50% indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50% is a sign it's generally contracting, according to the industry group.

Only six of the 18 manufacturing industries reported an increase in new orders in August, down from 12 in July, while only eight of the 18 reported an increase in August production, down from nine in July.

"The past relationship between the PMI and the overall economy indicates that the average PMI for January through August (50.9%) corresponds to a 2.4% increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis,” said Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. “In addition, if the PMI for August is annualized, it corresponds to a 2% increase in real GDP annually."

For comparison, the nation's GDP expanded at a revised annual rate of just 1.1% in the second quarter of the year.

According to the survey, the New Orders Index registered 49.1%, a decrease of 7.8 percentage points from the July reading of 56.9%. The Production Index registered 49.6%, 5.8 percentage points lower than the July reading of 55.4%. The Employment Index registered 48.3%, a decrease of 1.1 percentage points from the July reading of 49.4%.

The drop in new orders is the first ...Read the rest of this story

First Look at the Freightliner Cascadia Evolution

Freightliner Trucks revealed its long-awaited Cascadia Evolution on Aug. 31, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The official launch date is Sept. 1, but Freightliner threw back the curtain a few hours early with 12 trucks in fleet colors as a tribute to the largest customers in the Cascadia stable. Jim Park was there and has these photos.

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Sneak Peek at New Freightliner Cascadia

At the unveiling of the newest Cascadia. Photo: Jim Park.

As of this moment, we still don't know much about Freightliner's next-generation Cascadia model for 2017. The images and video were captured at Wednesday night's unveiling in Colorado Springs, Colo. The formal announcement comes later today with a press release from Daimler Trucks.

During the unveiling, Daimler Trucks North America President and CEO Martin Daum described some of the attributes that go into a good truck, and he spoke of the consultation and design phases of the project being a collaborative effort between the customer and the designers. He spoke of the thousands of Daimler employees involved in the project, and four years of work that has gone into the new truck.

He did leave the audience with this tantalizing bit. "It delivers fuel efficiency far beyond what we thought was possible."

We'll have more throughout the day as additional information emerges from Colorado Springs.

In the meantime, click here for a photo gallery from the sneak peak.

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Ford shows off new F-150 EcoBoost/10-speed combo

Ford Motor Co. rolled out its new second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 gasoline engine and new 10-speed automatic transmission for test drives during a media event held this week at its 4,000-acre Michigan Proving Grounds about an hour north of Detroit.

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