Commentary: Cutting to the Chase

Deborah Lockridge

“How much will it cost?”

At any press conference Tom Berg attends, you can count on that question being asked. If not that one, then another equally likely to make the OE or supplier representatives squirm.

“He has forever focused on digging for details he feels his readers need. He's a master at asking questions — sometimes prickly ones — that don't occur to most reporters,” says Doug Condra, former president of Newport Communications, at that time publishers of HDT, who hired Tom.

But it will soon be up to others to carry on that legacy. After nearly 40 years covering the trucking industry, Tom will retire as a full-time senior editor of HDT at the end of this month.

Tom worked in television news and public relations before becoming a trucking reporter and was editor of Road King and American Trucker before coming to work for HDT. He got his introduction to trucks working his way through Marquette University's College of Journalism by driving newspaper delivery trucks, graduating in 1965. He served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, and remains an active member of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Westerville, Ohio. A founder of the Truck Writers of North America, he has been awarded 10 Jesse H. Neal honors for business journalism.

“Years ago, Tom brought our publications a strong background in both journalism and trucking,” Condra says. “His inquisitive nature, a penchant for accurate reporting and crisp, concise writing style quickly became his trademark.”

One of the people who was on the receiving end of some of those questions was Don Alles, a longtime PR professional for a major component manufacturer. “In many ways, Tom was both the conscience and subconscious of the trucking press corps,” he says. “He would ask the tough questions, like ‘how ...Read the rest of this story

The Not-So-New Capitol Hill Players…

Photo: Architect of the Capitol

While professional pundits and coffee klatschers still debate whether Donald Trump's election was an historic upset or merely inevitable, his tenure in the Oval Office will be markedly different—in tone, style and substance— than has been that of President Obama.

How the Trump Presidency ultimately pans out, of course, remains to be seen. But a key influence on how well the 45th President might succeed as an agent of change is as clear as the electoral-college vote— the GOP establishment still holds sway on Capitol Hill.

The Democratic Party gained only six House seats in 2016, giving the GOP a 241-194 majority.

In the Senate, only two seats were gained by Democrats. When you count the two Independent senators who caucus with the Democrats, the Republicans end up with a 52-48 edge. So, as of Inauguration Day, it will be the first time since 2011 that one party has occupied the White House and controlled both the House and Senate.

The newly seated 115th Congress (Jan. 2017 to Jan. 2019) is virtually a mirror image of the preceding body. That's reflected in the return of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and their chief lieutenants to their leadership posts.

Not surprisingly, then, key transportation leaders on Capitol Hill will again be taking up their prior committee and subcommittee chairmanships to play major roles in passing infrastructure spending bills, safety regulations and other legislation that may impact trucking specifically and U.S. business generally over the next four years.

Let's start with arguably the most prominent face of transportation in Congress, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA). He is again serving as Chairman of the pivotal Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The committee handles legislation affecting all modes of transportation and is also tasked with oversight ...Read the rest of this story

TFI Int. (TransForce) gets into medical last-mile biz

Volvo recalls 6,000 trucks

XPO Scores Cummins Supply Chain Contract

Transportation and logistics solutions provider XPO Logistics has been awarded a supply chain contract from Cummins to support its global customer base with parts distribution.

XPO will operate Cummins' primary parts distribution center starting this month, managing approximately 800 workers and over 2,700 orders shipped daily.

The one-million square foot facility in Memphis, Tenn., distributes component parts, rebuild kits and remanufactured engines as the principal restock hub for North American and global Cummins warehouses.

XPO will provide custom-designed technology for parts stocking and control, fulfillment, shipping, and returns management. The Cummins facility in Memphis employs more than 1,600 across its remanufacturing and distribution operations.

“The employees and the important work they do each day at our distribution center is critical to the success of our customers and to Cummins,” said Clarence Carr, director, Memphis Distribution Center, Cummins. “We will work with XPO to ensure that the operations and the work environment continue to be of the highest quality and something we can all take pride in. We will continue to look for new and innovative ways to improve our work and our services.”

Related: XPO Logistics Sells Truckload Operations to TransForce

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Volvo Recalls Over 6,000 Trucks Due to Potential Brake Issue

Volvo Trucks North America has issued a recall of certain VNL, VNM and VNX truck models to addess incorrect software for controlling the electronic air dryer that may result in oil and water contaminating the brake system.

The recall affects 6,127 vehicles manufactured from April 11, 2012 through September 30, 2016 with an electronic air dryer. These trucks include VNL and VNM of model years 2013-2017 and the 2017 VNX.

The defect stems from incorrect parameters used to control the cycling of the electronic air dryer. The parameters were set to low at 1/3 of the required volume of air to purge the desiccant. As a result, more condensation may occur and be passed through the air system.

That can allow oil and water to contaminate the brake system, which would affect brake performance over time and in certain conditions, such as cold weather. The repair involves reprogramming the vehicle control module with the correct parameters for the air dryer and may also include replacement of the air dryer filter.

There have been no reports of accidents related to the defect, which was discovered in Oct. 216. After an investigation, Volvo informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that a voluntary safety recall would be conducted to address the issue.

Volvo has already notified dealers of the issue and will mail notifications to owners on or before Feb. 17, 2017. Repair instructions are also tentatively scheduled for release by Feb. 17.

Related: DOT Declares Volvo Steering Defect Recall 100% Complete

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Werner Enterprises Transports New Sandhill Crane Viewing Blinds