Fifth-wheel lock sensors

Forged-aluminum wheel

Ram Truck at the 2017 Washington Auto Show

Ram Truck, a division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), brought an assortment of its pickup trucks and vans to the 2017 Washington Auto Show - including several specialty models sporting performance packages. (All photos by Sean Kilcarr for Fleet Owner)

Schönes Auto, Mein Freund

Saying "nice car, my friend" to someone piloting the new 2018 Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Cabriolet would be something of an understatement, especially as only 300 of these luxury cars are going to be made this year, at $300,000 a pop, with only 75 slated to be sold in the U.S. Fleet Owner got a chance to get up close and personal with one of these soon-to-be-produced limited edition models at the 2017 Washington Auto Show and found that it could serve as the definition of "high-end" luxury as each car comes with its own custom-made leather luggage set.

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ATA Seeks to Quantify Trucking’s Charitable Efforts

ATA's Chris Spear Photo: Evan Lockridge

The American Trucking Associations has commissioned the American Transportation Research Institute to examine and quantify the trucking industry's various charitable efforts.

During his first State of the Industry address back in October, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear announced that the organization would be launching a charitable foundation aimed at the industry's "top priority." But to accomplish this task, ATA first needs to identify which charities the industry is already involved in. The results from the survey will help ATA to launch a focused campaign and foundation.

“From disaster relief efforts to community programs and from disease awareness to schools and youth organizations, we know trucking already supports a vast array of worthy causes,” said Spear. “This survey will helps us narrow that list down so we can focus our soon-to-be-launched foundation's efforts.”

The survey can be taken online at www.atri-online.org or by clicking here. It asks respondents to break down their charitable efforts by individual or corporate, state, and value of contributions.

“As I said in October, I am certain our total charitable giving is in the billions of dollars, but in order to effectively tell the story of our industry's generosity, we need to really understand all that trucking does to make our community better,” said Spear. “I'm looking forward to the results of ATRI's survey and to the launch of our Foundation later this year.”

Related: Truckers Among Volunteers for Wreaths Across America

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TCA Announces 2017 Best Fleets to Drive For

Past representatives of the Best Fleets to Drive For. Photo: Deborah Lockridge

The Truckload Carriers Association and CarriesEdge have announced the 2017 Best Fleets to Drive For, made up of 20 North American for-hire trucking companies recognized for providing exemplary work environments for drivers and other employees.

Two fleets, FTC Transportation and Halvor Lines, achieved the milestone of five consecutive years on the Best Fleets list. Impressively, Motor Carrier Service, Fremont Contract Carriers, Landstar System, and Grand Island Express have appeared on the list consecutively more than five times.

“These companies represent the best of the best in truckload,” said TCA President John Lyboldt. “As industry innovators, they bring fresh ideas that not only create a desirable workplace for employees, but also propel trucking to exciting new terrains.”

To be considered for the program, companies operating 10 trucks or more must receive a nomination from at least one of their company drivers or owner-operators.

Once nominated, CarriersEdge interviewed human resources representatives and executives of the nominated fleets regarding their corporate direction, policies, and programs. It then evaluated the fleets against a scoring matrix covering a variety of categories, such as total compensation package, health benefits, pension plans, professional development opportunities, and career path/advancement opportunities.

Driver feedback from each fleet was then compared with management's and incorporated into the final score, resulting in the selection of this year's winners and honorable mentions.

From the list of the 20 Best Fleets to Drive For, TCA will divide the highest scoring fleets into small and large fleet categories from which two overall winners will be selected.

The overall winners will be announced during TCA's Annual Convention, slated for March 26-29 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

Here are the 2017 Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For:

ArcBest Declares an $0.08/Share Quarterly Dividend