Money, happiness and truck driver pay

It's National Truck Driver Appreciation Week and my colleague Kevin Jones offers up some great insight on how to treat drivers in his most recent blog post.

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U.S. fuel prices dip down for the week

National average retail pump prices for diesel and gasoline declined this week, according to data tracked by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), though price increases did occur on a regional basis though mainly on the West Coast.

Diesel dipped 8/10ths of a penny to $2.399 per gallon this week, the agency noted, which is 11.8 cents per gallon cheaper com[pared to the same week last year.

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Diesel Prices Stay Mostly Flat for Third Week Straight

Source: EIA

The price of diesel fuel dropped less than a cent last week and has remained relatively unchanged for the past three weeks, according to the latest numbers from the Energy Department.

The national average price of on-highway diesel fuel dropped 0.8 cents and settled at $2.399 per gallon at the pump. The average price is only slightly cheaper than it was in the same week a year ago with the gap now equaling 11.8 cents.

Prices were down in most locations by region with the largest drop in prices coming to the Lower Atlantic region 1.1 cents per gallon. The loan regional increase in prices was a barely registering 0.2 cent jump on the West Coast.

Gas prices were also down last week with the average price of regular gasoline dropping by 2.1 cents and settling to $2.202 per gallon. The price is still 17.3 cents cheaper than it was in the same week a year ago.

The largest drop in prices graced the Midwest region at 4.5 cents while the largest increase in prices hit the West Coast at 3.8 cents.

Crude oil prices were up to start the week as the market is still trying to figure out of oil producing countries will agree to freeze production, according to a MarketWatch report.

In the latest of what has so far been phantom rumors about a freeze in crude oil production, Russia and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement to meet about the issue but a more recent OPEC report claimed that non-OPEC oil production could increase to end the year making a deal less likely.

Related: Trailer Aerodynamics Not Overly Popular, Study Shows

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GHG Phase 2: Weighing the Devil in the Details

Phase 2 of the federal government's greenhouse gas and fuel economy regulations for medium- and heavy-duty trucks arrived last month.

Released jointly by The White House, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they present the North American trucking industry with an environmental and technological to-do list that will keep OEMs, technology suppliers, and fleets busy for the next decade.

The GHG Phase 1 rules were finalized in 2007, hard on the heels of the implementation of EPA diesel exhaust emissions regulations that drastically reduced the amount of nitrous oxides (NOx) and particulate matter emitted by diesel engines. The threat of global climate change (see box on page 50) prompted a shift in focus at the federal level to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in trucks by improving fuel economy.

California, however, still wants to cut more NOx emissions from diesel exhaust, something truck and engine makers say will be difficult to do while improving fuel economy. The EPA announced it will work with the California Air Resources Board to evaluate future emissions standards with an eye toward further reducing NOx.

Building on Phase 1, EPA says the GHG Phase 2 final rules are designed to promote a new generation of cleaner, more fuel-efficient trucks by “encouraging the wider application of currently available technologies and the development of new and advanced cost-effective technologies through model year 2027.”

The final vehicle and engine performance standards were developed with input from the automotive and trucking industries, environmental groups, labor unions and other concerned parties. They will cover semi-trucks, large pickups and vans, and all types of buses and work trucks for model years 2021-2027.

According to government officials, the new standards will result in significant GHG emissions reductions and fuel efficiency improvements across all of these vehicle types. For example, when the standards are fully ...Read the rest of this story

IronPlanet introduces online bidding for live auctions

IronPlanet introduced IronPlanet LiveStream, the next generation in online bidding for live on-site auctions. IronPlanet LiveStream builds on IronPlanet's online technology with new live on-site auction features for buyers who need to stay in the field, on the job, or who prefer the convenience of buying online, the company explained.

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Stifel: rates won’t get any better until mid-2017

Trucking companies hoping for a bump-up in rates this holiday season may be disappointed by the latest analysis Stifel Capital Markets, as the firm doesn't expect rates to improve for carriers until the second quarter of next year – if at all.

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Progressive Partners with ‘Fittest Trucker in America’

Photo of Siphiwe Baleka, the "fittest truck driver in America, courtesy of Baleka.

Long hours on the road can take its toll on a trucker's health and wellness. Progressive is once again dedicating the month of September to raise awareness of the importance of trucker health.

Through a newly formed partnership with Siphiwe Baleka, the "fittest truck driver in America," and healthy living tips and tricks on Progressive's TruckerTerritory.com, Progressive Commercial Auto Insurance is expanding its commitment to truckers in the third year of its wellness initiative.

Recent studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that long-haul truck drivers in the U.S. have high rates of chronic diseases due to long days spent on the road and limited access to exercise facilities and healthy food options.

After working just two months as an over-the-road driver, Siphiwe, a former Olympic swimming hopeful, had gained 10% of his previous body weight and realized how difficult it was for truckers to stay healthy on the road. He made it his mission to put an end to the trucker health epidemic.

In celebration of Trucker Health Awareness Month, Progressive is giving away 1,000 promo codes for Siphiwe's Active Trucker fitness program, a $29.99 retail value. The app features a 28-day fitness program with simple exercises tailored for truckers and led by Siphiwe.

"We are excited to work with Siphiwe. Being a trucker himself, he understands a trucker's struggle to achieve their health and fitness goals while on the job," said Brett Stalnaker, commercial auto product manager for Progressive. "Siphiwe's dedication to improving the health of truckers is completely in line with Progressive's commitment, which is why we think this will be such a successful partnership."

In addition to providing free ...Read the rest of this story