Military trucks deploy for the inauguration

Part of the security measures for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States, National Guard units from 44 states, three territories and Washington D.C. deployed to support traffic control, crowd management and logistics. Those duties also included using military trucks to create “blocking stations” at many key locations in Washington D.C., as well as emergency towing service to remove civilian vehicles parked in areas temporarily closed off by the inauguration festivities.

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Canada Cartage helps homeless survive winter

New DriverTech Device Supports Video Capture

DriverTech has launched the DT4000 Rev 7, a new mobile communications device with electronic logging device capabilities and a front-facing dash camera.

“Our brand new 7th generation DT4000 is a truly revolutionary device and a remarkable value for fleets,” said Mark Haslam, CEO of DriverTech. “We've created our most powerful system ever – it's packed with new capabilities such as 100% more computing capacity, installs in under twenty minutes and includes a front facing critical event camera.”

Beyond the new hardware, DriverTech has made multiple recent additions to its software including:

Other features include the ability to interface with Cummins Connected Diagnostics, and Meritor Tire Inflation System products.

The design team for the DT4000 put a special emphasis on distracted driving and has carefully followed the SAE J2571 standard for ‘Mode Control' which sets standards for truck and bus user interfaces and stipulates that certain functions are restricted while driving.

“Preventing the driver from using distracting elements of the smartphone is nearly impossible when you make the smartphone the primary driver interface for HOS or other applications,” said Steve Sanderson, director of sales for DriverTech. “Following SAE J2571 is the first and best method to limit distracting.”

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SAF-Holland to Close Michigan Plants, Consolidate Elsewhere

Manufacturing under way at SAF-Holland plant in  Bessenbach Germany. Photo: SAF-Holland S.A.

Luxembourg-based SAF-Holland S.A. has announced that an anticipated decline in the North American truck market will cause it to reduce production capacity by closing two plants in Michigan and consolidating its component manufacturing in five remaining factories.

The change will also move production closer to its truck and trailer customer base, the company announced from its European headquarters.

“This decision will align the organizational structure with the changes in the market situation and secure the long-term competitiveness of the North American plant network,” the announcement said. “The internal logistic processes will also be optimized to improve delivery times.”

Central to the plans is the closing of the plants in Muskegon and Holland, Mich., and transitioning to locations in Dumas, Ark., Cincinnati, Ohio, and Wylie, Tex., SAF-Holland said. It will invest about $3 million at those facilities.

The company did not mention how many workers will be affected by the closings, or by possible production increases at the remaining plants. Production of individual product groups, which until now was dispersed over various locations, will each be centralized at one location.

“The remaining locations are closer geographically to the major truck and trailer customers so that lead time responsiveness can be improved and customer requests for locations with shorter delivery times can be met,” the statement said. Testing centers and administrative offices of the Muskegon and Holland locations will be centralized at the facility in Muskegon.

“This will enable us to build a new state-of-the-art engineering and technology center at the Muskegon location,” the company said. “In addition, the headquarters and corporate functions of the Americas region will be centralized in Muskegon.”

The transition, which is expected to be implemented over 18 months, will lead to one-time restructuring costs of as much as $10 million this ...Read the rest of this story

Trucks Block Possible Terrorism in D.C., New York City

DSNY Mack Granite dump trucks, loaded with sand, were positioned at Trump Tower following now-President Donald Trump's election in November. Security was expensive. TV screen shots by Tom Berg

The inauguration is over and Donald Trump is now our president. But before we see how his administration plays out, let's acknowledge that trucks played a role in keeping him and everyone else there safe during the inauguration ceremonies, as they did from the time of his election on Nov. 8. TV news shows certainly did, and reporters repeatedly noted the presence of trucks as part of security measures surrounding the events.

Authorities placed heavy vehicles in blocking positions at many intersections in The District (as Washingtonians call their city), sealing off streets leading to the front of the Capitol building. In New York City, police got Sanitation Department trucks parked in front of Trump Tower in New York City (not to mention those and others blocking vehicular access to Times Square on New Year's Eve).

In Washington, military and civilian trucks helped close a large swath of the city, according to news reports I've seen. In NYC, they were DSNY Mack Granites with dump bodies filled with sand to add mass. Reporters began referring to them as “sand trucks.” Later, DSNY added more massive-looking trash collection trucks — Mack LEs toting Heil packer bodies, as most NYC garbage trucks are. But I doubt they carried sand.

Trucks as barriers to terrorism – specifically, against other trucks used as “weapons of mass destruction” – seem a great idea to me. A terrorist (a.k.a. ISIS “soldier”) is not going to drive a medium-duty delivery truck into a crowd, as the guy did in Nice, France, last summer, if there are big, heavy trucks in his way. And he won't get past hulking rigs even with a tractor-trailer, ...Read the rest of this story

Trump vows “America first” approach to trade

Landstar Opens Large Facility to Support U.S./Mexico Services

Landstar System has opened a new, larger U.S./Mexico logistics service center in Laredo, Texas.

The 31,000-square-foot logistics facility is located on a 50-acre site that accommodates 450 trailers and provides room for future expansion. It features a secured C-TPAT certified site, including a 30-bay cross-dock and transload facility, along with a dedicated platform and heavy/specialized freight area with a custom 120-ton, stand-alone bridge crane.

“Landstar is known for its high level of service and extensive geographic coverage, servicing the Mexico market using more than 1,000 van and platform trailers to accommodate the broad range of commodities that comprise cross-border trade,” said Landstar Transportation Logistics Executive Vice President of Operations Eric Meyer. “The facility will better serve Landstar's customers, capacity providers and agents, and we believe it will position Landstar as the premier freight transport provider of cross-border operations.”

The 30-door cross dock is comprised of more than 20,000 square feet of space designed to bring efficiencies to Landstar's less-than-truckload and transload services. This will complement the company's LTL business by allowing the consolidation of several LTL shipments into one truckload before crossing the border into Mexico.

Landstar's Mexico service offerings include truckload, rail, LTL, transload and customs brokerage.

The new yard is capable of holding more than 450 trailers, which is 2.5 times the capacity of Landstar's previous facility, and has a dedicated heavy-haul section that includes a custom designed, 120-ton stand-alone bridge crane. The crane has a clearance area of 35 feet high and 37 feet wide to allow transloading many of the largest "super loads."

The Landstar center also features conference rooms and meeting space for customers and agents, and a state-of-the-art area for Landstar business capacity owners, the company's term for truck owner-operators leased to Landstar. The BCO area includes a lounge, media center, computer room, laundry and much more, all designed with ...Read the rest of this story