Senior editor of Commercial Carrier Journal with a flair for trucking technology
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Articles by Aaron Huff
Green Path Tech Announces New Book by CEO Andy Hedrick, The 2V 2R Rapid Sales Growth System
Green Path Tech Announces New Book by CEO Andy Hedrick, The 2V 2R Rapid Sales Growth System Book Release - The 2V 2R Rapid Sales Growth System Framework helps B2B organizations generate more sales opportunities, improve close rates, and shorten sales cycles in today’s buying environment. ...executives dramatically changed their purchasing behaviors.
#ecommerce #economics #markets #freight #trucking
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Liquid Trucking opens transloading service for chemical shippers
The chemical supply chain has been substantially upgraded in the heart of America's agricultural belt. With decades of experience hauling agricultural, food-grade, and hazmat products nationwide, Liquid Trucking opened Siouxland Transloading in August to set new industry standards for efficiency and safety. Liquid Trucking, based in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, operates 225 tractors and 415 tanker trailers.
Appreciating the Role of School Counselors
With the start of National School Counseling Week, I want to express my appreciation for the vital role counselors play in our schools. As a principal and former school counselor, I can say without question that if you don’t have counselors in your building who develop lasting relationships with students, it’s hard to be a successful school.
Innovator: DapeCon trying to digitize, electrify intermodal
CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at jasoncannon@randallreilly.com or 800-633-5953. More than 60 freighters and 500,000 containers are waiting offshore to be unloaded at California’s primary ports. Container backlogs are also peaking on the East Coast. The New York and New Jersey ports have a record number of anchored ships.
Large fleets see productivity drop after increasing driver pay
Shifting the driver paradigm: Winning with equipment, technology and culture Join us in person at the the 2021 CCJ Solutions Summit, Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, in Chandler, Arizona. CCJ Summit assembles fleet executives, thought leaders, industry analysts and leading suppliers to explore ways equipment, technology and corporate culture can shift the driver paradigm and overcome your No. 1 challenge: Cultivating a qualified workforce.
New cloud-based TMS, driver workflow tools enter truckload market
Trucking and logistics management service company Magnus Technologies announced a new enterprise SaaS-based transportation management system (TMS) for truckload carriers. Magnus said that analysis of existing TMS products in the truckload market shows pent-up demand for a scalable, enterprise SaaS-based platform that can replace outdated client-server architectures and meet complex and evolving business needs.
Are owner-operators a legal landmine? Attorney weighs in
Being an owner-operator is an appealing career option for many drivers, but motor carriers that create opportunities through lease-purchase agreements face mounting legal challenges. Motor carriers were hoping for the Trump administration to change the Federal Labor Standards Act to strengthen their defense. Changes were scheduled to take effect on March 8, 2021, but were quickly nullified when the Biden administration took over control of the Department of Labor.
New video safety systems doing more for less
Just as the ELD mandate led to an expansion of fleet telematics and mobility platforms, motor carriers have seen a new wave of products enter the market in response to the insurance crisis to better protect their companies from accident risks. Three of the latest developments from KeepTruckin, VideoProtects by J.J. Keller and CameraMatics show major improvements in computing power and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect a wide spectrum of risky driving behaviors at economical price points.
Secret Service agents warn fleets about 'fuel skimming'
Two Secret Service agents came to the Comdata user conference in Orlando on Sept. 13 to warn fleet managers about fuel skimming, an illegal activity that costs the trucking industry millions every month. Long before the Secret Service was tasked with protecting U.S. presidents, the agency was founded in 1865 to suppress counterfeiting. That mission continues today with investigating credit card fraud.
McLeod sees 58% sales increase, Transflo expands suite
Technology news and briefs for the week ending Sept. 18: McLeod Software having banner 2021 At the McLeod Software user conference, Sept. 12-15 in Grapevine, Texas, the company reported a record number of new customers in 2020. In 2021, sales for its transportation management software used by carriers and freight brokers rose 58%, year over year. McLeod currently has more than 1,100 customers and 550 employees.
Experts say these steps can prevent legal risks in truck crashes
Fleet safety managers are always on standby. On Aug. 25, Andrea Adeyanju received an urgent message while she was at an offsite meeting. She had to quickly gather her belongings and leave. It was bound to happen to someone during the meeting, a “boot camp” hosted by Vertical Alliance. Adeyanju and other safety managers at the meeting had been learning how to better protect their companies and drivers by using a web-based training platform, among other strategies.
Truck, trailer shortages fuel need for predictive maintenance
Vehicle manufacturers are backlogged into next year for truck and trailer orders. A bottleneck of high demand, a global shortage of microchips and other materials has made it difficult for many fleets to part with existing assets through trade-ins or selling used equipment. Holding onto used equipment longer could lead to unplanned maintenance events that steamroll budgets.
How technology is helping freight brokers find capacity
Truck capacity is stretched tight and motor carriers are heading into peak retail season with a full head of steam. Just how tight is it? A leading indicator, Truckstop.com’s outbound tender rejection index (OTRI), currently stands at 22.48. The normal market rate is 5%. Truckstop.com’s market data also shows that spot rates have gone up an average of 20%, year-over-year, for all freight sectors.
New products decrease inspections, expand shipment tracking
Technology news briefs for the week of Aug. 29: PrePass now available on Omnitracs One Omnitracs has made the PrePass application for weigh station bypass available on the Omnitracs One platform. PrePass notifies drivers of upcoming weigh stations on trips, verifies carrier credentials and vehicle weights in advance for drivers to skip inspections. The PrePass Safety Alliance service is currently used by more than 650,000 trucks from more than 77,000 trucking fleets.
HDVI offers Shift program for monthly insurance discounts
Venture capital firms have poured money into startup “InsureTech” companies with user-friendly insurance products for consumers' homeowners, auto and speciality lines. Money has also flowed into InsureTech companies that specialize in commercial auto during the latest insurance crisis for motor carriers. In the past few years, traditional insurance companies have been raising premiums by double digits to make up for past losses and future payouts.
How fleets are clearing hurdles to reach zero emissions
Most people over the age of 40 remember a time when cell phones were not prevalent. “In retrospect, it didn’t seem like that long ago,” said Darren Epps, Aug. 10, at the CCJ Symposium in Birmingham, Alabama. One day, the trucking industry will remember the time when battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen powertrains and renewable fuels were entering the market. That time is now.
CCJ Symposium: fleets clearing hurdles to reach zero emissions
Most people over the age of 40 remember a time when cell phones were not prevalent. “In retrospect, it didn’t seem like that long ago,” said Darren Epps, Aug. 10, at the CCJ Symposium in Birmingham, Alabama. One day, the trucking industry will remember the time when battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hydrogen powertrains and renewable fuels were entering the market. That time is now.
CCJ 2021 Innovator of the Year: USA Truck gives drivers self-dispatch authority
James Reed became chief executive of USA Truck in January 2017 and applied the same type of financial discipline he had used while working for technology companies like T-Mobile, Intel and Dell. With a new cadence and governance, the publicly traded carrier reversed a decade-long stretch of subpar financial results. The company’s profitability returned in 2018 under a new name, USAT Capacity Solutions, and a broadened suite of transportation and logistics services.
New software helps fleets compare, diagnose fuel efficiency
Most ELD and fleet management systems are able to report the fuel efficiency data of tractors and the impact of certain driver behaviors like speeding and throttle usage. The data comes directly from the engine’s electronic control module (ECM), but may not be enough to assess the before-and-after results of fuel-saving technologies.
Flatbed carrier puts load planning in drivers' hands
CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at jasoncannon@randallreilly.com or 800-633-5953. Evan Pohaski and a team of investment partners in 2014 started a flatbed carrier in Pittsburg. Besides purchasing new trucks and trailers, the fledgling JLE Industries acquired fleet management technology from established vendors in the industry.
Fleets reaping rewards of self-dispatching drivers
Intense competition for drivers has a few motor carriers trying out an idea they might have dismissed in the past as foolhardy: what if we let drivers chose their own loads? Companies with owner-operators have been doing this already, but some are now giving company drivers the same freedom and removing a friction point with management. By all accounts, drivers respond positively when granted more control and predictability over their work schedules.
Innovator: flatbed carrier puts load planning in drivers' hands
CCJ Innovators profiles carriers and fleets that have found innovative ways to overcome trucking’s challenges. If you know a carrier that has displayed innovation, contact CCJ Chief Editor Jason Cannon at jasoncannon@randallreilly.com or 800-633-5953. Evan Pohaski and a team of investment partners in 2014 started a flatbed carrier in Pittsburg. Besides purchasing new trucks and trailers, the fledgling JLE Industries acquired fleet management technology from established vendors in the industry.
Driver shortage leading to full-scale autonomy by 2024
The trucking industry being mired in a driver shortage has raised the level of interest in artificial intelligence-enabled trucks with autonomous capabilities. Owners and executives of motor carriers see untapped potential to improve operating efficiencies, safety and productivity. Several technology companies have been testing self-driving trucks in real-world conditions for several years.
Panasonic's new S1 tablet product review
September will be 25 years since the first Panasonic Toughbook entered the market and a new lineup of enterprise rugged mobile devices emerged. Most of the change to the lineup has happened during the past year, it seems. Panasonic Systems Solutions Company of North America has developed a new spectrum of Android tablets that meet specific customer needs or “use cases” in transportation and other industries. The most recent product launch was in May with the S1 Toughbook.
Tech update: New EROAD acquisition and Tenstreet driver survey
Fleet management technology news briefs for the week of July 26 EROAD to grow telematics presence with Coretex acquisition EROAD has a conditional agreement with Coretex to acquire the telematics provider and expand its market presence in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The acquisition, said EROAD, will accelerate the company’s growth metrics by two years in North America and Australia by adding 64,177 connected units.
A trucking target: are you ready for a cyberattack?
The recent shutdown of America’s largest gasoline pipeline recently resulted in a shock to the U.S.'s infrastructure topped off with a $5 million payout to hackers while serving as another warning that cyberattacks pose ever-present risks. As of early May 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates a nearly threefold increase in ransomware attacks during the past year. A majority of these attacks targeted smaller businesses.
Fleets, drivers benefitting from per diem programs
In Feb. 2016, David Broyles was settling into a new role as Averitt Express' director of driver services when he attended an Omnitracs user conference in Nashville. He was intrigued by a service he discussed with an exhibitor, Atlantic HR Solutions, for managing per diem driver pay. When Broyles mentioned the benefits of per diem pay to Averitt’s chief financial officer, the response was “we’re not getting into that mess. That will not help anybody,” he said.
Estes first major LTL carrier to deploy trailer tracking
Sales of trailer tracking and monitoring systems have been healthy among truckload carriers. This year has seen a record high with fleets upgrading to 4G and 5G devices with expanded functionality to avoid service disruptions from sunsetting 3G CDMA cellular networks. Use of the technology has been far less common in the less-than-truckload industry sector.
EROAD brings trailer telematics, Fleet Complete adds dashcam
CCJ’s technology news and briefs for the week of July 5 EROAD brings in trailer telematics from Phillips Connect EROAD is offering smart trailer devices, sensors and dashboards from Phillips Connect to its fleet customers that already use EROAD’s telematics, safety and compliance platform. With the addition of EROAD Asset Tracker powered by Phillips Connect, the company says its fleet management platform has end-to-end visibility.
Three states automate Level 3 inspections at weigh stations
Whenever enforcement officers conduct Level 3 inspections at weigh stations, drivers and officers have to complete some manual steps to transfer data between the electronic logging device (ELDs) in the truck and the computers at inspection sites. The transfer process takes time and is prone to data input errors. If manual steps cause disruptions in the transfer of hours-of-service (HOS) data, ultimately drivers could receive violations.
Why the first movers in autonomous trucking have the edge
Several of the nation’s largest fleets are investing in self-driving trucks. Ordering the trucks from a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is not an option at present, but carriers are now contracting with TuSimple, Plus, Locomation, Waymo and other companies that have developed self-driving technology. Some OEMs are in the process of integrating the technology.
How do trucking safety execs combat 'Reptile' litigation?
The term “nuclear” joined the lexicon of the transportation industry in the last decade as insurance costs have been rising from runaway jury verdicts. In a June 2020 report, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) counted a 967% increase in the average size of verdicts, from $2,305,736 in 2010 to $22,288,000 in 2018.
Digital technologies help carriers automate lumper payments
This is the second installment of a two-part series on carriers paying for unloading services. The first installment explored the makeup of “lumper” fees. This article covers new and emerging trends in payment systems that remove headaches for carriers. Motor carriers, especially in the refrigerated sector, are accustomed to managing payments between drivers and “lumper” services at receiving locations.
A higher purpose leads Bettaway Supply Chain Services to new labor
Transportation and warehousing is not the type of workplace environment normally associated with feelings of empathy between managers and employees. The margins are tight, the work is fast paced and nothing seems to follow plan. Empathy is front and center at Bettaway Supply Chain Services, however, one of the largest providers of warehousing, distribution and supply chain services for beverage producers in the Northeast with a fleet of 150 power units.
Can fleets escape the ‘last stronghold of dirty trucking’?
Lamar Quinn doesn’t know exactly when motor carriers started paying receivers for unloading trailers, though he never encountered “lumper” services before the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated transportation pricing. He anticipates that motor carriers will not be paying lumpers much longer, however. Quinn, general manager of refrigerated truckload carrier R.E. Garrison, based in Vinemont, Ala.
Can fleets escape the ‘last stronghold of dirty trucking’?
Lamar Quinn doesn’t know exactly when motor carriers started paying receivers for unloading trailers, though he never encountered “lumper” services before the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulated transportation pricing. He anticipates that motor carriers will not be paying lumpers much longer, however.
Fleets prepare for arrival of electric trucks in 2022
Darren Epps (Ryder), Michael McDonald (Benore Logistic) and Keith Wilson (Titan Freight) will be presenting during a CCJ Symposium session, "Finding Profitability in Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources.” Click here to register, or here to see the full agenda. Environmental initiatives by shippers and fleet executives, along with coming regulations, are steering fleets towards zero-emission replacements for diesel-powered trucks.
Tech update: Ossia brings wireless charging to trailer trackers
Technology news briefs and updates for the week of June 6, 2021: Ossia and Xirgo develop trailer trackers that charge wirelessly Ossia, creator of an over-the-air charging technology, Cota Real Wireless Power, has developed a new Cota-powered Trailer Tracking Yard Management Solution in partnership with IoT device supplier Xirgo Technologies. The companies say the new technology is ideal for large distribution centers (DCs) to solve the problem of misplaced trailers.
Trucking technology news updates from Ossia, Verizon and more
Technology news briefs and updates for the week of June 6, 2021: Ossia and Xirgo develop trailer trackers that charge wirelessly Ossia, creator of an over-the-air charging technology, Cota Real Wireless Power, has developed a new Cota-powered Trailer Tracking Yard Management Solution in partnership with IoT device supplier Xirgo Technologies. The companies say the new technology is ideal for large distribution centers (DCs) to solve the problem of misplaced trailers.
Load boards start new chapter on freight visibility
Hours-of-service compliance was the original intent of the electronic logging device (ELD) rule but shipment visibility could be the most valuable outcome, at least for shippers and freight brokers. From the outset of the ELD mandate, freight visibility startups like FourKites and project44 have been working on integrations with vendors that provide ELD and back-office software systems used by carriers. These integrations started at the top end of the market with large and mid-size carriers.
What drives the driver? Fleet recruiting specialist explains
Note: Rachel Lovell will be presenting at the CCJ Symposium, August 9-11, in Birmingham, Alabama, as part of an expert panel that will discuss the future of driver pay. Click here to register, or here to see the full agenda. Labor shortages in the post-pandemic recovery have put a chokehold on many industries, especially transportation, where the demand for capacity is tighter than ever.
Velociti opens 'technology playground' for fleets
Motor carriers with aging telematics devices using 3G CDMA chipsets on tractors or trailers will need to plan an extra maintenance event for each of these assets, and time is running out. Beginning next February, all wireless networks will begin widespread 3G network shutdowns ahead of flipping off the switch completely in December 2022. Rather than merely replace 3G devices with new 4G or 5G hardware, some carriers will give each asset a pitstop service.
How do carrier behaviors change in hot freight markets?
Elephants or goldfish? Shippers and carriers both say “we have long memories” when the power dynamics change in freight markets. When capacity gets tight, however, it is carriers who most resemble goldfish. They tend to have short memories and behave opportunistically, according to research by the MIT Center for Technology & Logistics (MIT CTL). In November 2020 an MIT CTL research team published a paper based on analysis of a large dataset of freight transactions.
Infrastructure spending 'has got to change this year'
An infrastructure funding bill making its way through Congress could add even more fuel to an already hot freight market. The current highway spending bill, the FAST Act, is set to expire Sept. 30. President Joe Biden outlined plans for a $2.25 trillion version that immediately drew criticism from Republican lawmakers for putting only 6% toward roads and bridges. Last week Rep.
Zero-emission rules accelerate fleet buying decisions
Environmental regulations are prodding fleets that operate medium-duty trucks with transport refrigeration units (TRUs) to more quickly transition to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) compared to other industry sectors. Effective January 2024, 15% of all TRUs sold in California have to be zero-emission units.
Bluewire
Hollywood action movies follow a predictable script for disarming bombs. Seconds before the ticker reaches zero, a protagonist cuts the blue wire and saves the day. Solving legal problems is not so simple, especially for motor carriers who over the last decade have seen the litigation environment turn “nuclear.” In a June 2020 report, the American Transportation Research Institute charted a 967% increase in the average size of verdicts from $2,305,736 to $22,288,000 between 2010 and 2018.
Bluewire helps defend fleets against 'reptile' litigation
Hollywood action movies follow a predictable script for disarming bombs. Seconds before the ticker reaches zero, a protagonist cuts the blue wire and saves the day. Solving legal problems is not so simple, especially for motor carriers who over the last decade have seen the litigation environment turn “nuclear.” In a June 2020 report, the American Transportation Research Institute charted a 967% increase in the average size of verdicts from $2,305,736 to $22,288,000 between 2010 and 2018.
Freight brokers want carrier selection data
The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) is making a legislative push to establish a safety standard for motor carrier selection. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) introduced HR3042 in Congress, which seeks to establish a national motor carrier safety selection standard for entities that contract with certain motor carriers to transport goods, and for other purposes. The bill was referred to to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit earlier this week.
Fleetworthy consolidates market for compliance
Fleet technology news and briefs for Wednesday, May 5 Fleetworthy hits a triple acquisition Fleetworthy Solutions has been on an acquisition spree. In the past 24 months it has purchased and integrated software from three companies into its cloud-based compliance and risk mitigation software platform for commercial fleets. The first two acquisitions were RapidLog and TivaCloud.
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