YRC Worldwide to Present at Cowen Transportation Conference

Share the Road Rolls Out Comprehensive Truck Safety Video

The American Trucking Associations and its Share the Road highway-safety program has launched the Share the Road Instructional Video to demonstrate safe-driving techniques ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend.

ATA said the video addresses today's most prevalent dangerous driving habit– distracted driving– and explains the various ways that drivers may become distracted while driving. According to Share the Road professional truck drivers, eating, drinking or watching videos are activities that can be just as hazardous as texting and are done by motorists of all ages.

“This video will be shown in schools and drivers' education classes throughout the country,” said ATA COO and Executive Vice President of Industry Affairs Elisabeth Barna. "It's one of the tools that ATA and ATA's Share the Road program are using to save lives. The most highly-trained professionals on the road, truck drivers, have a lot of knowledge and experience with safety and they are all willing to share that advice if it means an accident can be prevented.”

The primary focus of the Share the Road safety campaign is to share information about blind spots and the Share the Road Instructional Video takes viewers through each of the four truck blind spots, explaining what a truck driver can and cannot see from the cab of his or her truck.

Incorporating seamless motion graphics and high-definition footage from various angles, the video aims to appeal to a younger, more technologically savvy audience to “equip future generations of drivers with strong safe-driving practices,” ATA noted.

“Making our nation's roads safer through targeted highway safety information is the reason Share the Road exists,” said John Walsh, vice president of global marketing and brand management for Mack Trucks. “We at Mack want every student in the U.S. to have the chance to see this video, and learn from it. ...Read the rest of this story

TomTom Launches Trucker GPS Device

TomTom has introduced a GPS device designed specifically for truck drivers. The company said the new Trucker 600 provides accurate, vehicle-relevant navigation, map updates and traffic analysis – for the lifetime of the device – all in one package.

According to TomTom, the device allows truckers to now plan a journey before leaving, and when they climb into their cab the navigation device will be programmed, ready and waiting. Planning a journey from the office, the truck stop, or a stayover, can be done using the MyDrive web app. The company said this even takes into account truck weight, type, size and cargo to find the perfect route.

“We are excited to be able to deliver a GPS designed specifically for truckers, giving them all the relevant truck-specific information such as bridge heights, relevant truck routes and road restrictions they need to complete their routes in a timely and hassle free manner,” said TomTom Inc. President Jocelyn Vigreux.

The device has a 6-inch touchscreen with tablet style pinch, zoom and swipe controls. It can be docked and undocked easily with its Click & Go magnetic mount, increasing security.

The company noted the Trucker 600 can also be used in a driver's personal vehicle and will be available in September on tomtom.com.

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter

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

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

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.”

Follow @HDTrucking on Twitter