Average Diesel Prices Drop by 1 Cent

Source: EIA

The price of diesel fuel fell by a small amount for the fourth straight week, maintaining a downward trending, but nearly-flat pattern for the past month, according to the Energy Department.

The national average price of on-highway diesel fuel fell by 1 cent last week, settling at 2.389 per gallon at the pump. The price is a little more than 10 cents cheaper than it was in the same week in 2015.

Prices were down in all major regions with the largest price drops coming to the West Coast and Gulf Coast at 1.4 cents. The smallest drop in prices was in New England where diesel prices dropped by 0.5 cents.

Average prices for regular gasoline increased this week, jumping 2.3 cents to a per gallon price of 2.225 at the pump. Despite the increase, the price is still 10.2 cents cheaper than it was in the same week a year ago.

The largest price increase was in the Lower Atlantic region at 7.7 cents per gallon. The largest decrease in prices was in the Rocky Mountain region at 0.9 cents per gallon.

The rumored deal to freeze oil production between oil producing countries continues to affect the crude oil market with a slight increase in prices on Sept. 19, according to a MarketWatch report.

Venezuela recently indicated that a deal was likely to happen between oil producing nations, both in and out of OPEC that could have the effect of stabilizing the oil market. Venezuela has been hit hard by low crude oil prices in the past year. There are also conflicting reports that a firm deal was unlikely to happen soon. Prices were also affected by fighting in Libya which is delaying an expected increase in oil production for that country.

Related: Alternative Fuels in the Age of ...Read the rest of this story

Daimler Trucks Taps NorthStar for Pure Lead AGM Batteries

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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Mack to Develop Fleet Management Offerings for Concrete Mixer Fleets

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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OWL Detects Overhead Obstacles for Oversize Loads

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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Crete Carrier Chairman Duane Acklie Passes Away at 84

Duane Acklie Photo via Crete Carrier

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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Hyliion’s Powered Trailer Axle Goes to Europe

Like the North American version, the powered axle for Europe would replace a "passive" axle. Image: Hyliion Inc.  

Hyliion, the designer of a hybrid electric-powered axle for trailers, is taking its concept to Europe by exhibiting at the giant IAA truck show in Hannover, Germany this week. The company's business development director, RF Culbertson, says it is sharing a booth with its battery supplier, Gentherm, in Building 16.

Meanwhile, the company has coined a name — Intelligent Electric Axle — for the product.

As we've written before, the Hyliion (HIGH-lee-on) axle includes a motor-generator that runs through a standard differential. It captures kinetic energy as the truck coasts or brakes, converts it to electricity that's stored in lithium-ion batteries, then sends the energy back to the axle to help launch a truck or push it up a hill. Electronic controls -- the intelligence in the system -- run the process.

The system is independent of the tractor (and thus will work with any type, new or old), and the driver does nothing to make it operate except making sure it's switched on, says Thomas Healy, Hyliion's founder and CEO.

The powered axle replaces a “passive” axle on a standard trailer tandem, and promises big fuel savings – 10 to 20% from hybrid-powered operation alone. Healy says another 10% or more in fuel can be saved if the batteries are used as an auxiliary power unit to run heating, cooling and other accessories in a tractor sleeper during rest breaks, or by running the reefer unit, lift gate or other equipment on a trailer.

The European version would also replace a passive axle in a trailer's tridem or tandem, and/or the dead axle on a 6x2 truck commonly operated there. Many configurations are possible, he and Culbertson point out.

The Hyliion people are introducing their ...Read the rest of this story

PPG introduces AdjustRite commercial parts listing

PPG announced it has expanded the capabilities of its AdjustRite commercial estimating system, the only program of its type designed especially for heavy-duty truck repairs, with the introduction of a commercial parts listing component.

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