Driving trucks on pavement is very different compared to piloting them across off-road, hard-scrabble, even sandy landscapes while under fire. That's why the U.S. military devotes serious training time to those soldiers and sailors tasked with operating big rigs – and we do mean “big” – in often unforgiving environments all over planet. (Photos courtesy of the U.S. Department of Defense)
...Read the rest of this storyPhoto: Tom Berg
">Photo: Tom Berg
">Mack Trucks has reached an agreement with WheresMyConcrete to develop future service options for Mack Fleet Management Services.
WheresMyConcrete's additions to Mack's fleet management offerings are designed to help improve asset visibility and dispatch efficiency for concrete mixer fleets. WheresMyConcrete provides real-time data for concrete mixer fleet dispatchers to improve transparency and service to customers and analytics designed to improve operations.
“With the ability to view critical fleet information in real-time, WheresMyConcrete gives our concrete mixer customers the tools they need to be successful,” said David Pardue, Mack vice president of connected vehicle and uptime services.
Mack Fleet Management Services connects proprietary data from Mack's integrated telematics hardware with third-party solutions to help customers manage operations. Mack's GuardDog Connect telematics serves as the enabling platform for Mack Fleet Management Services and is standard on Mack Pinnacle, Granite, Titan and TerraPro concrete pumper models.
Related: Connectivity Step by Step
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Daimler Trucks North America has chosen the Swedish-American energy storage manufacturer NorthStar Battery Company as the supplier of Ultra High Performance Pure Lead AGM batteries on its next generation Cascadia truck.
NorthStar underwent Daimler's comprehensive audit and testing process in competition with other well-known brands to gain approval, according to DTNA. NorthStar puts its own batteries through rigorous testing to ensure a consistent product.
In addition to its inclusion in new Cascadia models, the NorthStar battery is also available as an extended life option on the majority of DTNA platforms.
“Effective today, NorthStar is available as a replacement battery through the DTNA dealer network across North America,” said John Semeniuk, president, Transportation Products, NorthStar Battery Group. “NorthStar is also the primary supplier of batteries on the ParkSmart truck platform, and can be ordered as a factory option upgrade on most other models, providing DTNA customers the most powerful performance today.”
For more information on NorthStar, click here.
Related: Next-Gen Cascadia Emphasizes Fuel Economy, Connectivity, Drivers
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LSA Autonomy's Overhead Wire Laser-Detector, the OWL, is a 3D LiDAR sensor-based technology and software system designed to detect overhead obstacles for oversize transports.
By applying LSA Autonomy's sensor processing software to Velodyne's LiDAR's HDL-32E real-time 3D LiDAR sensor, the Owl detects any overhanging obstacles that might interfere with special transports of oversize objects.
When the system detects that a clearance is insufficient it alerts the operator in real-time with audible and visual warnings while providing photographic imaging for clarity. The system is designed to replace measured poles that are in common use for detecting obstacles for oversized loads. Some companies have cars with telescopic poles attached to the front bumpers while others poles are carried by employees on foot.
The OWL is magnetically mounted to the roof of a vehicle and plugged into a laptop on the passenger side. A threshold is keyed into the system based on the height of the object being transported to set parameters for the system. The OWL then takes 32 measurements across the road 10 times per second to provide precise height measurements of any potentially threatening clearances.
The system works at highway speeds, making it a useful tool for pre-transport route surveys. However, when in use for real-time alerting, the driver must drive at 25 miles per hour or slower to allow for sufficient stopping times.
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...Read the rest of this storyDuane Acklie Photo via Crete Carrier
" >Duane Acklie Photo via Crete Carrier
" width="251" height="238">Duane Acklie, chairman of Crete Carrier has passed away at the age of 84 due to complications related to a number of health problems, according to a report in the Omaha World-Herald.
Acklie was noted for helping Crete Carrier founder Ken Norton incorporate the company and later acquired the business, investing in acquisitions and expanding the company. Acklie was chosen as one of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine's first Truck Fleet Innovators in 2006.
He served as the ATA chairman for many years and also served with several other transportation groups including the Nebraska State Highway Commission and the American Transportation Research Institute.
Acklie was also known for his work within the Republican Party, serving as the vice chairman of the Republican National Committee. He played a role as an adviser to President George H.W. Bush and later George W. Bush. He received the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest civilian award given for public service.
His funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Neb.
Related: Duane Acklie, HDT Fleet Innovator
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Measures of both truckload and intermodal rates posted another rounds of declines, according to new figures released by freight payment processor Cass Information Systems.
The Cass Truckload Linehaul Index fell another 2.8% year-over-year in August following decreases of 1.8% and 1.6% in June and July, respectively. This represents six consecutive months of year-over year-declines in truckload linehaul costs.
The reading of 121.5 is also down 0.9% in August from July but is up slightly from June, when it hit a reading of 121.2, it lowest level so far in 2016.
Analysts at the investment firm Avondale Partners have adjusted their pricing forecasts further downward to a range between -3% and 1% over the next four quarters, saying that demand continues to soften while truckload capacity has become more available. “While we have been predicting negative pricing, even we were surprised at how weak the August data point was.”
The index is an indicator of market fluctuations in per-mile truckload pricing, isolating the linehaul component of full truckload costs from other components, such as fuel and accessorials, providing a reflection of trends in baseline truckload prices.
Meantime, the Cass Intermodal Index continued its downward slide, falling another 2% year-over-year in August after declines of 1.5% and 2.4% in June and July, respectively.
Despite the drop, the reading of 125.5 in August is up 1.6% from July's level and marks the second straight month-over-month improvement.
Even with this, Avondale Partners still expects intermodal rates to continue their decline through the remainder of 2016 as the dramatic drop in oil prices continues to negatively impact U.S. domestic demand.
"The greater than 30 cents a mile decline in fuel surcharges collected by truckers in the last two years has to challenge demand and pricing power for domestic intermodal, especially in shorter lengths of haul,” said Avondale. “However, the current year-over-year decline in ...Read the rest of this story
