FMCSA Administrator Gets Glimpse of Life on the Road

Administrator Scott Darling and professional driver, Stephanie Klang. Photo courtesy Women in Trucking

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Scott Darling last week got a taste of life on the road when he went for a ride with Women In Trucking Association's Stephanie Klang, a professional driver for truckload carrier CFI based in Joplin, Missouri.

Administrator Darling met Klang, and WIT CEO, Ellen Voie, at a TA truck stop in Foristell, Missouri, where he embarked on a two-day trip ending in Oklahoma City. Darling rode with Klang to the CFI headquarters, where he was able to observe a truck inspection from the undercarriage. He was then given a tour of the facility, including the maintenance and repair facilities, customer service and operations areas as well as the recruiting areas.

“It was an honor to show FMCSA Administrator Darling that we are absolutely committed to safety on the highways and share with him that at CFI we walk the talk,” said Randy Cornell, CFI VP of maintenance.

Klang said she talked to Darling about discussed ELDs, speed limiters, safety techniques, and other everyday driver concerns.

“This ride-along was another fantastic opportunity to obtain first-hand, on-the-road perspective of some of the challenges facing today's professional drivers from an incredibly talented female driver with more than 3 million miles of accident-free experience,” Darling said, according to a WIT press release.

Klang has been driving since January 1980 and a professional driver for CFI for the past 29 years. She has more than 3 million safe driving miles with the company. She has been a captain on the ATA America's Road Team and currently serves on the Women In Trucking Image Team.

This isn't the first ride-along WIT has organized for government officials. Others have included U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), Congressman Reid Ribble (R-WI), and former NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman, as ...Read the rest of this story

Current 34-hour restart provision protected in approps bill

Q. Why does my inverter that I bought at a truck stop not able to power my induction cook top?

A. It is difficult to answer this question without having all the facts. Typically, the inverters sold at truck stops are not designed to handle demanding, heavy loads. A portable induction cooktop with a single burner consumes roughly 1500W of power. An induction cooktop with two burners will require 3000W of power. It may also demand true sine wave power. So you need an inverter with clean sine wave power capable of delivering continuous output of 1500W or 3000W or even more depending on the type of the induction cooktop. Some models of induction cooktop may need a power surge to start. So, there are a lot of factors that affect the choice of an inverter for this type of an application. Xantrex offers a 3000W pure sine wave inverter/charger solution with an extended surge power of 6000W for 5 seconds.

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Q. Can I set up battery discharge level or % using a Xantrex inverter?

A. Yes, many Xantrex models have adjustable low voltage disconnects to help protect your batteries from over-discharge. For example, typically in class 8 trucks, drivers use low voltage disconnects, rated at particular voltages, which enables them to power essential electronics while on the road without discharging the batteries to a point where the truck will not start. Set your Low Voltage Disconnect on the inverter to a level that makes sense for the load. Heavier loads may need a lower LVD than a lighter load.

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Lessons of Water Win Could Pave Way for Highway Victory

Leadership, willingness to negotiate, and dealing in hard facts helped steer a major water infrastructure bill through Congress. Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation

What it took for Congress to pass a major water-side infrastructure bill on Dec. 10 “may foreshadow the struggles lawmakers are likely to face” if they take up the massive highway-infrastructure package that President-elect Donald Trump has promised to send to Congress next year, contends transportation reporter Brianna Gurciullo, writing in Politico's Morning Transportation blog for Dec.12.

Trump made it known right after the election that he aims to spend big on infrastructure--- saying he would send a $1 trillion plan up to Capitol Hill in his first 100 days. “We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals,” he stated flat-out in his post-election victory speech.

The marine-transportation legislation, which started out titled the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and wound up being called the Water Infrastructure Improvements Act for the Nation (WIIN), authorizes navigation, flood control and drinking water projects, including funding to address the drinking water crisis in Flint, Mich.

WIIN authorizes more and deeper federal dredging of seaport harbors as well as some inland waterway projects that support barge freight operations, per an AASHTO Journal post. That report also noted that the included flood projects “often can help protect highways and other surface transportation infrastructure that state DOTs directly manage.”

In her post, Gurciullo capsulized what environmental reporter Annie Snider discerned in another Politico story to be the key elements that eventually secured passage of the extensive waterworks bill:

Leadership. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Ranking Member Barbara Boxer (D-CA) were “willing to work together on the issue of infrastructure.” However, come January, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) will take over as committee chairman ...Read the rest of this story

Navistar Centralizes Used-Truck Reconditioning

Navistar has officially opened its new Used Truck Reconditioning Center in Melrose Park, Illinois, designed to be the new home for the Diamond Renewed 180-plus point inspection and serving pre-owned truck reconditioning program for used International trucks.

With the closure and sale of the Used Equipment Reconditioning Center in Indianapolis, Navistar decided to co-locate with the Melrose Park prototype and testing facility, near Chicago.

“One of the greatest advantages of a centralized Reconditioning Center is the ability to work hand-in-hand with the on-site Product Engineering and Prototype Team in order to fully understand product durability and use this knowledge to provide the highest level of service to our customers.” said Jeff Heichel, vice president, Used Truck Operations, Navistar.

A centralized Reconditioning Center helps ensure a consistent product is available to all International Dealers and Navistar's own 15 Used Truck Sales Centers, says the company. It also will offer the ability to handle large transactions in a timely fashion.

The Reconditioning Center in Melrose Park includes a wash bay, detailing and paint booth, welding room and a parts storage area.

Navistar plans to relocate its nearby International Used Truck Sales Center to its Melrose Park facility in the new year, creating a flagship location that incorporates full range capabilities provided by the new Reconditioning Center.

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Coming to a truck stop near you: Solar power