Diesel Prices Increase For the First Time in Over 2 Months

Source: EIA

The price of diesel fuel increased for the first time in over 2 months after slowly falling from a high of 2.43 in mid-June, according to the latest numbers from the Energy Department.

The average price of on-highway diesel fuel increased by 6 cents last week, rising to $3.37 per gallon. With steadily rising prices, diesel fuel is still 19.1 cents cheaper than it was in the same week in 2015.

The largest increase in prices was in the Gulf Coast region with a 7-cent increase for the week. The New England region was the least affected by rising prices with a 2.3-cent increase last week.

Gasoline prices were also up for the week, increasing 4.4 cents to $2.183 per gallon. The price is still 44.4 cents cheaper than it was in the same week of 2015. The largest increase in prices by region was in the New England region at 6.2 cents while the smallest increase was in the Rocky Mountain region at 1.5 cents.

Global crude oil prices fell on Monday as a potential decrease in production by OPEC seems unlikely once again, according to a MarketWatch report. Demand for crude oil has been weak for the past year with economic problems in countries like China causing an oil supply glut.

When combined with an increase in oil production by the U.S. and OPEC, oil prices fell significantly over that period. The prospect of a production freeze had been bolstering the market in the past few weeks, causing prices to rise steadily. However it appears that a deal to reduce output is unlikely in the short term.

Related: It's Time to Look at Lower-Viscosity Oils for Fuel Savings

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ABF Freight, Panther Premium Logistics Earn Quest for Quality Awards

Peterbilt Offers New Equipment and Safety Tech on Models 579 and 567

Photo: Peterbilt

Peterbilt Motors Company is making available the Bendix Wingman Fusion driver assistance system and a new integrated suspension and axle system from Softek NXT on its Model 579 and 567 trucks.

Bendix Wingman Fusion incorporates such safety solutions as lane departure warning, enhanced colission mitigation and in-lane object recognition to the Peterbilt over-the-road and vocational truck models.

The Wingman Fusion system gathers input from radar, video, multiple sensors and the braking system to create a detailed in-cab picture of the vehicle's environment. Using the data from these active systems, the vehicle is able to alert drivers to potentially dangerous situations and can even react autonomously in certain situations.

The system is currently available for order through Peterbilt dealers.

“Peterbilt is a safety leader and we're pleased to strengthen that position by offering the most effective, comprehensive safety system available, Bendix Wingman Fusion,” said Robert Woodall, Peterbilt assistant general manager of sales and marketing. “Peterbilt trucks come standard with numerous safety features, including front disc brakes and electronic stability control. Additionally, we provide our customers with a strong portfolio of optional safety content and the Wingman Fusion system is a powerful addition to those offerings.”

Softek's integrated monoleaf suspension and steer axle system is designed to save weight compared to traditional two-leaf spring and I-beam axle systems, to benefit fuel-conscious applications such as tankers and bulk haulers.

The Softek NXT system combines the Steertek NXT 12,500-pound rated axle and the monoleaf spring technology with an integrated knuckle design. The design simplifies the kingpin bushing serviceability which can improve uptime.

The 12.5K-rated Hendrickson Softek NXT integrated monoleaf suspension and steer axle system is available now for order through Peterbilt dealers. The 13.2K-rated axle will become available for order by the end of the year.

"Peterbilt is pleased to strengthen our weight-saving leadership by offering this exclusive, lightweight suspension and axle system,” said Woodall. “This is an exciting addition to our portfolio of lightweight options for the vocational and long-haul segments.”

Related: QuickSpin: Peterbilt 567 SFFA

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Hino Trucks Recognizes Data Inc. for On-Time Delivery

Dana Incorporated announced that it was recognized by Hino Motors Manufacturing, Inc. for 100% on-time delivery at the annual Hino supplier conference in July.

Dana currently supplies driveshafts, companion flanges, and yokes to Hino from facilities in North America and Asia. These components are used on a range of Hino medium-duty trucks, as well as Toyota Tundra pickup trucks.

"As a global manufacturer of commercial vehicles, Hino requires the highest levels of quality, service, and reliability from the companies that supply it," said Mark Wallace, president of Dana Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies. "This award shows evidence of the operational excellence that Dana continuously drives throughout each of our global facilities and our demonstrated role as a trusted supplier."

Related: Hino Trucks Produces 50,000th Vehicle

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What A Week!

Last week was a big week to be involved in trucking efficiency. Really it was a great week to be in trucking. It feels weird to say that, since one of the big announcements was about more regulations and historically trucking and regulations have not always meshed well.

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