AI’s effect on trucking often exaggerated, researchers say Hardly a day goes by without someone suggesting that technologies like artificial intelligences (AI), machine learning, and robotics will transform the 21st century labor market. A prominent example of this has been in truck driving – an occupation that spans multiples industries and moves over 70 percent of U.S. freight by weight – which many speculate will see a widespread loss of jobs with the rise of self-driving technology. Some have forecast that autonomous vehicles will eliminate 2 to 3 million handle this essential job. trucking jobs over the next several years. But in looking at the data, we believe that, while the risk of job loss from automation is very real, the projections that often get touted are overstated. In a study in the Industrial and Labor Relations Review, we argue that there are three key reasons why: 1. Reason No. 1: Truck drivers do more than drive trucks. Let’s say autonomous technology could take care of all the driving – an assumption we’ll return to shortly – is that all truck drivers do? Clearly, no. Truck drivers perform all kinds of tasks, from checking vehicles and securing cargo, to maintaining logs and providing customer service. Many of these tasks are nowhere close to being automatable. For example, there is currently no technology available (or being widely tested) to automate the loading or unloading of trucks. The equipment that tends to be used for this (such as pallet jacks) merely helps reduce the physical burden. It’s still up to truck drivers to Next, consider customer service. While loading and unloading freight, truck drivers also typically engage in on-the-ground customer service, complementing the work of official customer service representatives. These customer service activities could be taken over by customer service reps or replaced by technology, as they have been in other industries, but until this happens, companies are going to rely on truck drivers to carry them out. And while some tasks are closer to automation – for example, checking for unbalanced loads, low tires, and other safety problems can be performed The National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industry www.TankTransport.com [email protected] 1-800-537-1320 Fax: 817-348-0289 www.twitter.com/tanktransporter www.facebook.com/transporttrader http://www.tanktransport-digital.com/tanktransport/2017_product_service_directory_and_buyers_guide Since 1986 AUGUST 2017 COMING IN SEPTEMBER ACIDS / CHEMICALS ADVERTISING DEADLINE: AUG 21st VIEW AND DOWNLOAD OUR 2017 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE\" PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Dallas, TX PERMIT No. 2874 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving Tank Transport Trader, please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. BLUFF ST. FORT WORTH, TX 76102-1810 FAX:817-348-0289 / EMAIL: [email protected] Yes! Continue sending me Tank Transport Trader . No. Discontinue sending Tank Transport Trader. I am interested in the Liquid Waste market place . Please send me your Waste pumper information. (Tech tools continued on page 17) (AI’s effect continued on page 16) For truckers, tech tools reducing errors Trailiner, a U.S refrigerated goods carrier, recently announced that it is employing radio frequency identification (RFID) to prevent loading and transportation errors, while saving the cost of manning its yard gate 24 hours a day. The RFID system, provided by QuikQ, lets Trailiner manage yard access and prevent trailer loading and transportation errors using the same QuikQ RFID tags that its drivers The National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industry Since 1986 COMING IN FEBRUARY 2020 SEPTIC AND LIQUID HAZARDOUS WASTE Vacuum equipment manufacturers and transporters of liquid sewage and liquid hazardous waste transported in the oilfield and industrial waste producing industries. www.twitter.com/tanktransporter www.facebook.com/transporttrader ADVERTISING DEADLINE: JAN 24TH TANK TRUCK SERVICE FACILITIES • TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • TANK TRUCK BUYERS GUIDE WASTE PUMPER BUYERS GUIDE www.TankTransport.com [email protected] 1-800-537-1320 Fax: 817-348-0289 JANUARY 2020 2020 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE–COMING FEBRUARY 2020! FMCSA doubling drug testing The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is doubling the minimum annual percentage rate for random controlled substance testing for commercial motor vehicle drivers, from 25 percent to 50 percent. The move is a result of rising positive drug-testing rates, the agency said. In a Dec. 27 Federal Register Notice, the agency explained that the 2018 FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Testing Survey showed the positive rate for controlled substances random (Drug tests continued on page 19) For truckers, technology bringing critical savings The days of asking a trucker “What’s your 20?’’ are gone. While truckers are still well known for their CB radios, slang and stamina for long hauls, today’s trucking companies are much more technologically advanced than in the days of Smokey and the Bandit. They’re still hauling goods across the country and across international borders, but trucking firms today can instantly pinpoint where their rigs are, (Savings continued on page 20) Truckers still find value in CB radios Citizens band (CB) radios… remember them? While the popularity of CBs has declined dramatically since the era of disco and bell bottom jeans, a dedicated group of CB users and enthusiasts is still keeping the dream alive. In 2019, there are numerous options to CB radios available, including cell phones and family walkie talkies, but CB radios have advantages that still make them a popular choice in certain circumstances. (CB radios continued on page 17)
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Trucking firms need technology to compete Trucking companies and fleet managers must incorporate emergent technologies and process innovations to stay relevant and retain their competitive edge. Traditionally, business models, processes and operations in the transportation and logistics industry have been defined by infrastructure and trucks. However, tech innovations have had a tremendous impact on the industry. The enormous amount of data generated by sensors and tracking devices and the technology to leverage them are pushing the trucking and logistics business to transform for competitive advantage. Since technology will determine the present and future of trucking, stakeholders in the transportation and logistics industry should stay up-to- speed with new technological developments, including: 1. Ability to Leverage Data The software products and systems (e.g. transportation management, order management, asset and fleet management systems, etc.) that run day-to-day trucking operations generate and store a tremendous amount of data. While older proprietary systems had this data locked in, advancements in technology have made it possible to access this raw data. APIs, web services, advanced data mapping and data streaming from the back door enable real-time data access for further processing. 2. Analytics and Optimization Given the dynamic nature of businesses and complex business rules, products that leverage a one-size-fits-all approach are unable to deliver an optimal solution. Cost is one of the largest barriers of entry to customized optimization solutions. Advancements in solver technology like Gurobi, Frontline and Google optimizer have placed the world's best optimization algorithms within reach. Running complex analytics to identify what to optimize and then optimizing operations in real-time are no longer subject to prohibitive license costs. 3. Machine Learning Although a machine can be trained to handle many mundane tasks that humans do today, training the machine would require access to a tremendous amount of data. Fortunately, reams of data are now readily available and accessible. This unlocks enormous potential for trucking companies to automate tasks and auto-heal or prevent problems. AI can be used to correlate data from multiple sources, such as shippers, drivers, consignees, routes, dwell time, idle time, etc. – almost in real-time. Machines can now deliver automated decision-making capabilities on driver allocation, truck breakdown and optimal fuel stops. Chatbots can improve customer service by analyzing data from your TMS and GPS. 4. Cloud Computing Availability of cutting-edge technology and access to infrastructure are some of the biggest barriers that small and mid-size companies face when embarking on complex technological initiatives. With the advent of cloud computing, all this has become both accessible and affordable. Leading cloud providers like AWS, Azure and GCP provide out-of-the-box machine learning capability and compelling analytics and visualization solutions. Moving to the cloud helps eliminate the cost of infrastructure and computing power. 5. Takeaways • Always ensure you have access to your raw data while working with products and solutions. Not having access to your own data limits your capability to leverage these technologies. • Don't shy away from a hybrid solution where you can plug and play or bolt-on best-of-breed solutions. You will never have a strategic technological advantage over your competitor if you both use the exact same product. • Stop investing in upgrading old archaic legacy systems and relying on their product road maps. Take advantage of current fast-paced technological advancements. The impact and benefits of emergent technologies can no longer be ignored. With technology driving the trucking industry into the future, trucking companies and fleet managers must incorporate emergent tech and process innovations to stay relevant and retain their competitive edge. Advanced technologies are no longer out of reach for any carriers striving to capture maximum profit from limited resources. (from Inbound Logistics) www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 9
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New Trailking dry bulk trailers, 1033 cu ft., air ride, aluminum frames. New 7000 gallon DOT 407, spring ride suspension, aluminum frames. New Polar Fertilizer Trailers 5600 gallon, air ride aluminum wheels. 2015 Tremcar 6500 gallon Food Grade transport, air ride aluminum wheels disc brakes. 2013 Tremcar Food Grade trailer, 6500 gallon. 2015 Tremcar 1000 cu. ft., aluminum air ride, aluminum wheels, sand ready. 2014 Walker 6500 gallon, air ride aluminum wheels front axle lift disc brakes. New Bulk Fertilizer Trailers 5600 gallon, air ride. New Tremcar dry bulk trailers, 1000 cu. ft., air ride, aluminum wheels. Nearly 800 trucking firms failed in ‘19 Two trucking companies abruptly closed down in the past several weeks, leaving truckers stranded on the road. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time, just before Christmas. The economy is usually blamed for a business shuttering. But in these cases the cause may be more about mismanagement. G.D.S. Express, an Akron, Ohio-based trucking company, shut down without warning on Dec. 17. G.D.S.’s recruiting manager, Mike Cady, notified truckers, “It is with heavy heart, fighting anger and tears that I send this message. Unfortunately, through mismanagement from ownership, GDS is closing our doors.” Another manager is quoted as saying that the company president had briefed them but gave no rational explanation for closing abruptly. “We were blindsided,” said Jacob Keaton, eastern operations manager at G.D.S, which runs 75 trucks, according to FMCSA data. “We’ve heard no rational explanation in the last 48 hours.’’ Truckers had to scramble and begin looking for new jobs. It’s a familiar sad story of company closures. But with trucking companies closing, the impact goes beyond people out of jobs with no severance pay and worried how they will make ends meet – as bad as that is. Trucking company closures are worse. They can literally leave workers stranded on the road far away. Fuel cards no longer work. Some drivers end up paying out of pocket to buy fuel to drop off their loads and return home. G.D.S.’s situation came just two weeks after another trucking company, Celadon Group Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and shuttered. The closure came after two former senior executives were indicted for financial fraud. Celadon had been reeling since 2017 when news of financial wrongdoing first surfaced. The company, at one time listed on the New York Stock Exchange, was relegated to penny stock status. Both cases show little regard for the truckers or back office employees involved, analysts said. Celadon, for instance, was recruiting people right up to the bankruptcy filing. Committed managers and back office employees stayed on to try to help stranded truckers. There are a lot of trucking companies out there. Small businesses dominate the industry. Statistics from American Trucking Associations (ATA) show that 91 percent of trucking companies operate six or fewer trucks, and 97 percent operate 20 trucks or fewer. The trucking industry saw record revenues in 2018. Revenues topped $796.7 billion, an increase of roughly 14 percent over the $700.1 billion the previous year, according to ATA. Yet that changed abruptly. For example, in 2019 almost 800 trucking companies failed – more than double the rate of 2018. Why did 2019 see so many trucking companies closing, despite the booming U.S. economy? According to Frank Holmes, chief executive of US Global Investors, it’s because of over-expansion, high costs and reduced prices. “Flush with cash, managements did what some other industries have been guilty of doing in boom years – they began to expand aggressively. Capacity growth exploded, and spending on drivers’ pay surged. Among the things they didn’t anticipate in 2019 were escalating insurance costs and oversupply, which drove shipping rates down at the fastest pace since 2016. The U.S. trade war with China didn’t help either,’’ Holmes said. He suggested the trucking industry take a page from the airline industry’s playbook by making fundamental changes, including those that lead to greater fuel efficiency and additional revenue sources. The industry should also be more disciplined when it comes to growth, Holmes said. And what about the drivers and owner-operators who are out of work? A bit of good news is that other trucking companies were using the comments section of news articles to recruit truckers of the failed G.D.S. Somehow, those other trucking companies seem to have figured out the secret to doing well. There’s also a Facebook group for former Celadon workers. Everyone has an opinion, from over-expansion to over-regulation. But one industry official, who requested anonymity, said online “it’s mismanagement, inside theft and embezzlement that causes a lot of the companies to shut down and strand their great drivers.” (from Small Business Trends) Diesel technology will remain key, group says In comments submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) outlined the leading role played by diesel engines in global commerce across all sectors. Thanks to a fundamental transformation in environmental performance, the forum further outlined how the technology achieves levels of near zero emissions, and how it will continue to be a dominant technology in the future for moving freight. “Our goods movement industry can’t move without diesel technology,’’ said Allen Schaeffer, executive director of DTF. “The fleet of trucks, trains, marine vessels and cargo handling equipment rely largely on diesel engines to move goods from factory floors, to warehouses and our doorsteps. The latest generation diesel technologies are now far more efficient and fundamentally cleaner while the manufacture and maintenance of diesel engines, and the vehicles and equipment they power, are drivers of employment and economic growth.’’ DTF is a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of diesel engines and the latest generations of advanced diesel technologies and fuels. Over the last two decades, investments in the newest generation of advanced diesel engines and cleaner, low-sulfur diesel fuels have “enabled our economy to expand, while also dramatically reducing emissions from highway freight transport,’’ Schaeffer said. “In long-haul trucking, diesel technology dominates, powering 97 percent of Class 8 big-rig trucks in the United States. New technology diesel engines, in everything from the smallest commercial trucks to railroad locomotives to the largest marine workboats, now achieve near-zero emissions performance. Coupled with the ability to utilize a wide range of renewable low-carbon biodiesel fuels as well as suitability for hybridization and electrified components, diesel technology is ensured a key role in the future of moving goods.’’ As the committee examines the economic, environmental and societal impacts of freight transport, DTF highlighted the following considerations: • Diesel is an Economic Driver: Diesel engines and the vehicles and equipment they power are directly responsible for supporting $12 billion 14 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
in economic activity in the first quarter of this year, or about 12 percent of all private sector economic activity. Without diesel trucks and equipment, “we could not generate the $1.2 billion in economic activity provided by the warehousing and logistics sector,’’ Schaeffer said. According to research commissioned by DTF, industries that produce diesel technology and use these technologies generate $275 billion in economic activity. • Diesel is a U.S. Manufacturing and Skilled Workforce Success Story: More than 1 million heavy-duty diesel engines were manufactured in facilities in 13 states across the U.S last year. It takes a highly skilled workforce to produce these engines and an even larger workforce to keep these engines running, according to DTF. The Department of Labor estimates that more than 265,000 Americans are employed as truck, bus and diesel engine specialists. Diesel mechanics are employed in a growth industry, as the Department of Labor predicts that the industry will expand by five percent each year. • The U.S. is a Global Leader in the Production of High-Quality, Low- Sulfur Diesel Fuels: Since 2010, all diesel engines in the U.S., both on-road and off, have been utilizing low-sulfur diesel fuels that enable the use of advanced emissions control technology systems (selective catalytic reduction utilizing diesel exhaust fluid) and particulate filters that working together, virtually eliminate emissions from diesel engines. Thanks to newfound sources of domestic energy, diesel fuel is the leading finished petroleum product exported abroad. U.S. refiners sent 470 million barrels of diesel fuel abroad in 2018 helping to fulfill overseas demand. • New Technology Diesel Engines Deliver Clean Air Benefits Today: According to the latest information, 43 percent of the U.S. commercial truck fleet in operation on our roads today is of the newest generation clean diesel power that achieves near-zero emissions. These new technology diesel engines have eliminated more than 26 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) already since 2010. to pushing thermal efficiency boundaries, to advanced waste-heat recovery New diesel trucks are so clean that it would take more than 60 new-generation diesel trucks to equal the emissions from one truck sold in 1988, Schaeffer said. • New Technology Efficient Diesel Engines Are Delivering Major Greenhouse Gas (CO2) Reductions Today: More efficient diesel trucks now on the road since 2010 have already saved 12 billion gallons of fuel and eliminated 126 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions between 2011 and 2018, according to DTA. This is equivalent to taking 26 million cars off the road for a year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that the Commercial Vehicle Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Standards Phase 1 rules saved 270 million tons of CO2 and 530 million barrels of oil between 2014 and 2018, and that the Phase 2 rules will save another one billion tons of CO2 and nearly two billion barrels of oil between 2021 and 2027. • Use of Advanced Renewable low-carbon Biodiesel Fuels Enhances Diesel: More and more fleets are making the switch to advanced biofuels including renewable diesel fuel and biodiesel fuel. These fuels are considered advanced biofuels by U.S. EPA capable of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent. In California, where the use of these fuels is growing quickly, biodiesel and renewable diesel fuel have provided the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board. These significant benefits could not be realized without the diesel engine. While new fuels and technologies for freight movement are emerging, diesel engines, particularly in the largest trucks, are expected to continue to dominate the sector well beyond the 2030 time-frame. Truck and engine manufacturers are continuing now to reduce emissions from diesel engines. Further progress for lower emissions is on the horizon, as truck and engine manufacturers are engaged with the U.S. EPA and the California Air Resources Board on the Clean Truck Initiative, developing tomorrow’s generation of diesel engines. From coupling with hybrid-electric technology and battery-storage systems, systems, to utilizing high-quality advanced renewable biodiesel fuels, new- generation advanced diesel technology will continue to be a dominant technology for commercial trucking and other goods movement sectors, DTF said.. (from Fuels Market News) www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 15
by sensors – dealing with any issues still requires human intervention. Even if a sensor spots a flat tire, a driver will have to fix it. And other tasks that have been automated in many trucking companies, such as updating logbooks, invoices, and other paperwork, are ones that never took up that much time for truck drivers, so complete automation likely wouldn’t have substantial impact on the demand for their labor. 2. Reason No. 2: Full automation of truck driving is far into the future. Now let’s look at the task of driving itself. Is truck driving soon to be automated? First you need to know what automated driving means. The Society of Automotive Engineers has developed the current standards, which defines automation with a range of 5 levels – from level 0, no automation, to level 5, full automation. The amount of human interaction with the vehicle decreases as you go up a level and depending on who/what controls driving functions, such as acceleration and steering. While headlines tout the rise of self-driving trucks, these accounts tend to conflate very controlled demonstrations of level 5 (full) automation, which are rare, and adoption of technologies that are largely focused on level 2 or level 3 (partial or conditional automation), which are more common. In our study, we based our employment projections on the introduction of level 4 automation, a high don’t expect any big moves, certainly automation environment that assumes the system controls driving and monitoring in some, but not all, operating conditions. We used level 4 as our benchmark, because level 5 automation, which requires the system to perform all driving and monitoring activities in all conditions, is not currently being tested in practice, and level 3 automation, which requires human intervention as the system backup, does not really threaten drivers’ jobs. We’ve found that several companies are developing level 4 automation for autonomous trucks, seeking to demonstrate cost effectiveness by reducing the need for labor. As this technology advances, it increases the risk that some drivers will be displaced. But how many? Most of this development is focused on automating the long-haul/interstate portion of a truck trip, not short haul or local truck moves. We estimated the proportion of trucks in the U.S. that are used for long hauls, using the Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS), last updated in 2002. According to our computations, roughly one-quarter of all heavy trucks are used in long hauls of 201 miles or more, compared to roughly half of all heavy trucks used in relatively short ranges of operation (50 miles or less). Given that truck automation is currently targeted at these longer hauls, we are looking at potential job losses for roughly one-quarter of heavy truck drivers, or about 450,000 drivers, as the technology becomes more sophisticated and reliable over time and as regulatory obstacles are overcome. going to mean,” Vise said. Although it’s far from the millions, this of course is still a significant number of people at risk of being displaced. It is also likely that trucking fleet operators in certain sectors will adopt automation technology earlier than others. For example, for-hire carriers and private carriers in warehousing and transportation historically have been earlier adopters of truck technology, such as on-board computers, than those who carry their own freight in other industries. If we only focus on long haul tractor trailers in for-hire transportation and warehousing, the initial potential effects of automation would be on roughly 19 percent of trucks, or about 342,000 drivers. (from HBR) Freight was ‘steady’ in 2019, analysts say “Steady as she goes” was how Avery Vise, FTR’s vice-president of trucking characterized 2019 in a “Year of Freight in Review’’ webinar in December. Based in Bloomington, Ind., FTR is a transportation industry forecasting and consulting firm. A rise in carrier bankruptcies “doesn’t reflect worsening freight volumes, but rather a rise in insurance costs and decrease in spot market prices,’’ according to Vise. Contract rates have fallen only slightly companies broker work for them. this year, coming off sharp increases in 2017-2018. Contract rates have fallen about 1 percent this year, and Vise expects them to remain fairly steady going forward. Overall rates, including the spot market, were down about 6.5 percent, according to FTR. “The general outlook we have, is for making sure they have right permits, insurances, get very gradual firming in the trucking industry,” Vise said of rates. “We nothing remotely like what we saw in 2017-2018.” Smaller carriers that are more dependent on the spot market may continue to struggle, Vise predicted. Carrier profitability took a hit in 2019, as rising insurance and driver compensation costs could not be unwound as rates decreased. The metrics that affect trucking demand are mostly flat, and expected to stay that way well into 2020. The bankruptcy of Celadon will have a temporary effect, if any, on capacity, Vise said. While the industrial sector has been weak, consumer sentiment and spending has remained strong. But changes in how consumers spend, namely the shift towards e-commerce, is changing shipping patterns. Retail jobs are disappearing while courier jobs are soaring. “There is an ongoing change in distribution patterns and we have only just begun to understand what that’s Trade tensions are also having an effect on shipping patterns, according to FTR. Trade with Europe increased this year, while trade with Asia decreased. There’s less freight coming through the west coast ports as a result, which is having a negative effect on rail volumes. But while 2019 may not have felt like a great year coming off a banner 2018, Vise said “2019 was still a pretty robust market in terms of volumes.” (from trucknews.com) (AI’s effect continued from page 1) California law threatens port truckers The hard-fought battle for the employment law California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed could convert hundreds of thousands of independent gig workers into full-blown employees. That is already having some unintended consequences. It could very well have a devastating impact on one of the state’s most basic and necessary industries, analysts say. Come New Year’s, the law to transform Uber drivers from independent contractors to employees, may wreck the entire port trucking system. Of the 9,000 truckers serving the Port of Oakland, about 8,000 are independent truckers. Some 437 port trucking “We can’t use them at the beginning of the year and they have no home. They have no way to get work. They have no way to communicate with anybody because we’re the ones that give them the work and we coordinate all the communication for them,’’ said AB Trucking owner Bill Aboudi. That includes port and Homeland Security registry, paid, pay taxes and have loads to haul. On really busy days, AB Trucking may hire as many as 50 drivers who own or lease their own trucks. Come January, the law forbids AB Trucking from using any trucker it does not directly employ. “I think it’s gonna be mass confusion and the system will collapse,’’ Aboudi said. Manufacturers, shipping companies, terminal operators, railroads, and those who order the goods all depend on truckers. They all count on each other in a worldwide supply chain. None of these firms are likely to hire thousands of drivers. “And, once you take that link of owner-operator out, everything falls apart,’’ Aboudi said. If this was just a port trucking problem, that would be bad enough. But the fact is, it spreads over the entire trucking industry in California and nobody can live without trucks. “It’s gonna drive up pricing. The jobs, you know, come Jan. 1, it’s gonna be a real problem,’’ said Greg Menna’s, owner of a construction hauling company who also uses many independent truckers. “We’re really busy from April through December and then we’re slow for two or three months.’’ So, could Menna keep them busy as employees? “No, they’d get all laid off in the wintertime,’’ he said Many independents like their situation. “We have a lot more opportunity to make a lot of money than being an employee,’’ said independent trucker Thomas Thivouvot. UC Davis graduate Thien Tran gave up a career setting up computer networks to become an independent trucker. “I don’t think I’d be doing trucking if I wasn’t owner- operator,’’ he said. “Maybe my company will last through May and then I’ll be forced out of business with all these owner-operators. They’ll be done,’’ Menna added. Powerful trucking unions like the change and a chance for many new members. But, at least four independent truckers said that even though they pay the expenses for owning and maintaining their vehicles, they make twice as much as employees driving company-owned trucks. 16 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
The History of CB Radios The CB radio service was created in 1945 by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which designated a portion of the radio spectrum for use by average citizens for personal communication. According to the FCC, “the Citizens Band Radio Service (CB) is a private, two-way, short-distance voice communications service for personal or business activities. The CB Radio Service may also be used for voice paging.” (Although the definition cites “private” communications, during their heyday CB conversations were anything but private, which for many was either a blessing or a curse…) The CB frequencies originally designated by the FCC in the 1940s were hard to reach for most casual users. Subsequently, the frequencies around 27 megahertz (MHz) were designated for CB use by the FCC in 1958. That same year, the FCC designated 23 channels for CB use. This was expanded later to the 40 channels in use now. One channel is legally reserved for the same specific purpose that 9-1-1 is used for on telephones. Channel 9 (27.065 MHz) can legally only be used to call for help in emergencies or “traveler assistance.” Until 1982, operation of a CB radio required an FCC license. That requirement was discontinued, and anyone can use a CB radio -- as long as they are using FCC-approved equipment. CB radios became immensely popular in the mid- to late-1970s because of a combination of cheaper equipment and pop-culture exposure through songs, movies and television programs. The film White Line Fever was released in 1975. The number one hit on the Billboard chart in 1976 was “Convoy,” a song about a convoy of truck drivers who evade speed traps and toll booths across the country. Smokey and the Bandit was released in 1977, and it became the third-highest grossing movie of the year, bested only by Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jerry Reed starred in Smokey and the Bandit, but CB radios were their co-stars. CBs were everywhere at that time; they were not just used by truck drivers, but many others who wanted to listen in to what was happening on the highways and byways of the United States. Alternatives to CB Radios CB radios’ popularity waned, largely due to new technologies that provide different features and improvements. Of course, cellular telephones are CBs’ biggest competitor. Cell phones can be used to talk coast-to-coast, compared with CB radios, which have a limited range (local communication). Cell phones also allow you to have a private conversation, while CB conversations can be heard by anyone within range who is listening in on the particular channel/frequency. Cell phones with traffic and weather apps provide information about road conditions. Cell phones’ with GPS navigation (or separate, stand-alone GPS systems) provide that critical information. Radar detectors (or apps) warn of law enforcement use of radar nearby. Nonetheless, despite their widespread use and popularity, cell phones and other technological improvements have not completely replaced CB radios. Who Uses CB Radios and Why? CB radios have been used by truckers for decades, but they are also used by off-roaders, RV owners, those who ride motorcycles and all types of hobbyists. CBs can be used to keep groups organized and in contact during events. In fact, CBs are required for most trail rides, because cell phone reception is unreliable (or unavailable) in remote areas. Some drivers (of both trucks and cars) use CBs to identify speed traps, even though dash-mounted radar detectors are more extensively used than in past decades (although these may be illegal in some states). Although most truckers have moved most of their conversations to cellular telephones, they still use CB radios to relay important road-related information. Moreover, truckers have specialized words and phrases to discuss or inform others about certain information. According to CB World, among the words and phrases used are: “Brake checks” -- any slowdowns or delays, including accidents, construction zones and congestion “Bear reports” (think “Smokey and the Bandit”) – police activity, especially situations in which police are stopped on the side of the road, requiring traffic to slow down or move over Truckers also use their CB radios (instead of cell phones) to provide information relevant to other truckers in their area. Examples of this include: when it’s safe to pass or merge; how to avoid confusion at intersections or tight traffic areas; and the status of weigh stations and scales. In these instances, CBs are preferable to cell phones, because information is local, immediate and up-to-date. Even the best apps may not have specific traffic conditions; truckers listening to their CB radios will get the information as soon as the first trucker hits the condition, and even though the range of CB radios is limited, the information will be relayed onward. On the road, most truckers use channel 19 to relay general information. In some locales (particularly California) truckers use channel 19 for east-west travel-related issues and channel 17 for north-south travel-related issues. And despite the many technological advances referenced in this article, CB radios are heavily utilized during disasters and emergencies; there is a wealth of empirical data that they have saved lives. Law enforcement agencies, emergency and first responders, volunteers and many others use CBs to communicate when infrastructure is damaged or literally nonexistent. So while the heyday of CB radios has passed, they are certainly not passé. (CB radios continued from page 1) (Tech tools continued from page 1) utilize to refuel their trucks at stations owned by Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores, an Oklahoma-based company that operates a chain of more than 370 truck stops and convenience stores located in 40 states. Trailiner provides refrigerated shipping services in 48 states. Its fleet of 200 tractors and 300 trailers hauls commodities ranging from produce and groceries to pharmaceuticals and retail goods. The company operates an active storage yard in Springfield, Mo., at which tractors come and go seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to pick up or drop off reefer units (refrigerated trailers). Around 2005, Trailiner began seeking technology that would provide security at its entry and exit gates, after a trailer loaded with goods was stolen from a nearby company’s yard. Trailiner has staff on-site at all times, but did not want to hire an individual to sit at the gate 24 hours a day, so it turned to a solution dependent on active RFID tags to provide gate security. That system, installed in 2006, consisted of an active RFID tag attached to the interior of each truck’s windshield, as well as readers at the entrance and exit gates to read those tags and, when appropriate, open the gate to allow a tractor to enter or leave. Trailiner also attached active tags to the tops of its trailers, so the company knew which goods were being removed from the yard at any given time. In addition, active tag were attached to the vehicles of all other logistics providers that visited its trailer yard. In 2013, Love’s began installing QuikQ’s RFID-enabled Fuel Purchase System (FPS)at its stations to automate truck drivers’ access to fuel pumps. Around that same time, Trailiner was experiencing the failure of many of its active RFID security gate tags due to batteries running out of power. The tags were fully sealed and, therefore, had to be discarded once their batteries died. Determining which tags had dead batteries and then replacing those tags was a major undertaking, said Amber Edmondson, Trailiner’s president. In addition, she said, replacing active tags, cost $24 to $30 apiece, was expensive, whereas a passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tag costs about a dollar. Many trucks’ windshields already had a large number of stickers and other RFID tags on then, including those used for toll collection, and Trailiner preferred not to add to that clutter any more than necessary. So the company approached QuikQ to ascertain whether the existing passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tags used for fuel-dispensing could also be utilized for gate access as well. With its Fuel Purchase System, QuikQ installs a single Impini Speedway Revolution reader, along with two Invengo reader antennas, under the canopy of a fueling station at a Love’s truck stop. As a truck pulls into the fuel lane, the reader antennas capture the unique ID number encoded to a QuikQ UHF RFID tag attached to the vehicle’s windshield tag, then forwards that information to the Love’s point-of- sale system. Once that truck is authorized, the FPS software activates the fuel pump. QuikQ was able to leverage the same RFID technology used in QuikQ’s fueling system for a solution know as Q-Gate, according to Vince Peschio, QuikQ’s vice president. For Trailiner’s yard-management deployment, QuikQ installed a single Speedway Revolution reader with two Invengo reader antennas at Trailiner’s front gates. QuikQ provided its own UHF RFID tags, which Trailiner mounted to the windshields of its trucks and to the tops of its trailers. When a tractor and trailer arrive at the gate, the reader captures their tag ID numbers. (Tech tools continued on page 25) www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 17
Cummins to lay off 2,000 workers Cummins Inc. is planning to lay off about 2,000 workers due to the downturn in the market, the company announced recently. “As we communicated to our employees last week, demand has deteriorated even faster than expected, and we need to adjust to reduce costs,” said Jon Mills, the engine maker’s director of external communications. The company expects to complete the cuts in next year’s first quarter. As Cummins employs some 62,600 persons, the reduction will amount to slightly less than 3 percent of its global workforce. The worldwide engine builder has already taken “several actions” in response to declining revenues, Mills said. These include “reduced discretionary spending across the company, several global efforts to optimize our operations, and voluntary headcount reductions,’’ he said “Cummins will continue to align production with demand at our manufacturing facilities. “Unfortunately,” Mills added, “we must do more to reduce costs because the downturn is happening at a sharper pace than we experienced in the previous two cycles. We understand this is incredibly difficult for those directly impacted and for all employees across the company.’’ Cummins did not specify where the job cuts may land, either in terms of types of positions or location of operations. Word of the layoffs came less than two weeks after Cummins rolled out an ambitious environmental-sustainability strategy. Under its Planet 2050 plan, the company aims to set quantifiable sustainability goals for 2030 along with longer-term aspirations out to 2050. Cummins described its new environmental strategy as science-based and intended to meet or exceed the goals of the United Nations Paris agreement on climate change. Cummins’ products range from diesel and natural gas engines to hybrid and electric platforms, as well as related technologies, including battery systems, fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. The company operates in about 190 countries and territories. NEW PRODUCTS - MANUFACTURING- INDUSTRY NEWS Novae acquires Trailerman Trailers Novae Corp. recently finalized the acquisition of Trailerman Trailers of Louisiana Mo. The company did not disclose financial terms of the private transaction. Based in Markle, Ind., Novae is a North American manufacturer of utility, dump, equipment and enclosed trailers marketed under the brands of Sure-Trac, H and H Trailers and CAM Superline. The manufacturer operates 11 facilities in Northeast Indiana, Western Iowa and Eastern Pennsylvania, and distributes all three brands through a network of independent dealers across the country. Trailerman will continue to operate independently in Missouri under the Novae group of companies, Novae said. The company plans to retain the Trailerman brand, facilities and employees, and build upon its 20-year history as a respected brand. “Trailerman’s great company culture and solid dealer network align extremely well with the Novae Corp value proposition of providing quality products and superior customer service,” said Mark Yde, director of business development for Novae. “There is a tremendous opportunity to expand upon the current attractive product offering and to increase the brand’s geographical reach.” Volvo Trucks laying off 700 Volvo Trucks North American is scaling back its truck manufacturing operations at its New River Valley plant in Dublin, Va., with company officials citing declining heavy truck orders for a pending layoff of 700 assembly line workers. The layoffs were scheduled to begin this month. The news comes on the heels of a recent strike at the Mack Trucks assembly plant in Macungie, Pa., early last fall, which forced parent company Volvo to idle the New River Valley production line during the 12-day negotiating period. “We regret having to take this action, but we operate in a cyclical market, and after two years of extremely high volumes, we have to adapt to reduced market demand,” a Volvo spokesperson said, noting that in June of last year, the company announced its $400 million investment in the New River Valley plant. At the time, Volvo executives said they expected the company would have to lay people off around year-end due to decreased demand in North America for heavy-duty trucks. “We expect the total North American truck market to be down nearly 30 percent, or about 100,000 trucks, in 2020,” the Volvo spokesperson added. “And we expect one of Volvo’s core segments, the long-haul truck market, to represent a significant part of that reduction. The reduction in production will unfortunately mean the layoff of about 700 people, beginning the week of January 20.” The spokesperson said that outplacement support meetings led by the company and UAW representatives will be provided for all affected employees. Volvo also will provide laid-off employees with information about the support available through the Virginia Employment Commission and the regional Rapid Response team, the company said. Transcourt adds salesman Warren Mcdonell has joined the western Canada sales team of Transcourt Tank Leasing, company officials announced recently. Mcdonell will be based in the company’s Edmonton office and provide sales and leasing support in northern British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. “Warren comes to us with more than 20 years of tank experience and will add tremendous knowledge and value to our team. His appointment solidifies our position as the leader in tank sales, leasing and finance across North America,” said Shawn Rogers, vice president of sales and marketing. Mcdonell can reached at [email protected] or by phone at 780-913-2700 Uber Freight expanding across U.S. Uber’s path to profitability may not come from personal transportation at all. Instead, trucks might be the answer. The trucking industry drew in revenues of $796 billion in 2018, with trucks moving 71 percent of the nation’s freight, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), a trade group. Compare that to the global ride- hailing market, which according to Allied Market Research, was valued at just $36 billion in 2017. Uber is now a player in this market with Uber Freight. Uber Freight launched in 2017, and the program has since expanded to 48 U.S. states, as well as the Netherlands and Germany. Uber says thousands of shippers and almost half a million truck drivers currently use the platform. “I think Uber senses that the logistics industry has a lot of growth potential. It already has grown quite significantly since the dawn of the package delivery boom with Amazon at its heart,’’ said Michael Ramsey, a senior research director at Gartner who covers the automotive and smart mobility segment. Typically, shipping companies would use freight brokers as a middle man to match them with available truckers, taking a commission in the process. Uber Freight removes the need for a middle man by allowing truckers to choose from a list of available jobs and the routes that they would need to take to complete them. Drivers also get information on what they are hauling as well as how much they’ll be paid. Once they make their delivery, the truckers can find their next job right from the app. Earlier this year, Uber Freight also launched a desktop portal for larger fleet operators. “People who are on the supply side, if they’re truckers who want to operate their own business or want to get outside, have more flexibility in the same way that Uber drivers do as cab drivers,’’ Ramsey said. “They can use that platform to have a lot of flexibility and run their own business. And then on the demand side, the people who wouldn’t otherwise ship things have access into that market a little bit more easily.’’ Rockwell buys Fenders N’ More Rockwell American, a part of DexKo Global and Dexter, a manufacturer of trailer components, recently acquired Fenders N’ More from Wolfe Industries of Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Fenders N’ More serves utility, horse, cargo and boat trailer manufacturers. Rockwell American, headquartered in Azle Texas, operates five manufacturing facilities and 14 distribution locations across the U.S., providing axles, fenders, leaf springs and trailer parts to a wide range of trailer and trucking markets. “Bringing the Fenders N’ More business into our product offering strengthens our ability to serve our combined customers,” said Chuck Vaughn, president Rockwell American. “Our goal is to offer the best portfolio of products, satisfying each of our customer’s needs. “We are excited to have the opportunity to service Fenders N’ More’s customers and we are confident that this will be a smooth transition for all.” DexKo Global, parent company of Dexter, specializes in trailer running gear, chassis assemblies and related components. Dexter, based in Elkhart Ind., employs more than 2,700 people and operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada. “By adding Fenders N’ More to Rockwell’s portfolio, we continue to improve our industry-leading product offering and commitment to meeting our customers’ diverse needs. The DexKo and Rockwell teams are focused on building our company and supporting our ‘Together is Better’ culture,” said Fred Bentley, chief executive of DexKo Global. 18 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
testing increased to 1 percent. DOT regulations require FMCSA to increase the random-testing rate when the data for any calendar year shows a reported positive of 1 percent or more. For 2016 and 2017, the positive rate was estimated to be 0.7 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively. The minimum drug-testing rate was 50 percent from the start of the DOT testing program in 1995 until 2015. FMCSA reduced it to 25 percent starting Jan. 1, 2016, based on two consecutive years of testing data (2013-2014) that showed a positive rate of less than 1 percent. The minimum annual percentage rate for random alcohol testing will remain at 10 percent. FMCSA estimates there are 3.2 million CDL holders operating in interstate commerce and 1 million CDL holders operating in intrastate commerce. That means that the minimum number of random drug tests performed will increase from 1.05 million at the previous 25-percent rate to about 2.1 million in calendar year 2020. The agency estimates it will cost the trucking industry an estimated $50 million to $70 million to conduct the additional tests. Calling the move “a financial hit to the industry that no one was expecting,” Dave Osiecki, president of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, said that although this drug testing data was collected in the first quarter of 2019, “until now, there has been no indication from FMCSA about the increase in positive tests that has led to random testing rate change.” He noted that this random testing rate increase is likely to have a small productivity impact as well, because the process of taking the driver off the road and directing him/ her to a testing site takes up time that would otherwise be productive working time. More importantly, Osiecki added, “it’s disappointing to learn that more drivers are testing positive for drugs,” Osiecki added. “This is a clear safety concern. Perhaps this is a result of greater marijuana use due to changing state laws.’’ In fact, some in the trucking industry are concerned that the actual number of drivers using prohibited substances is higher than the official drug-testing program indicates. Last summer, the Alliance for Driver Safety and Security, commonly known as the Trucking Alliance, released the results of a study comparing hair-testing results to the FMCSA’s mandated urine-testing results. The results showed “compelling evidence that thousands of habitual drug users are skirting a system designed to prohibit drug use in transportation.” That study, the Alliance said, found that urinalysis missed nine out of 10 illicit drug users in pre-employment testing. When asked for the association’s response to this latest news, Lane Kidd, managing director of the Alliance, called it “clear evidence that a higher percentage of employed truck drivers are masking their drug use on the front end when applying for a job. “Public policy makers can do much more to keep drug users out of commercial trucks,’’ Kidd said. “For instance, we know that hair testing is more effective at identifying illicit drug use, before they get a truck driving job.’’ Another problem, Kidd said, is that no clear statistics are available to know how many drug-impaired truck drivers are involved in serious accidents, “because post-accident drug testing protocols are not effectively enforced.’’ (from HDT) (Drug tests continued from page 1) Telematics reshaping the trucking industry Drivers love to loathe electronic logging devices. But these onboard data collection and transmission devices, recently mandated by the federal government for commercial drivers, aren’t going anywhere. And they have opened up a whole new frontier in vehicle telematics, because now — in theory, anyway — the vast majority of commercial trucks are now connected trucks, collecting data about virtually every aspect of their working day. The timing of the mandate could not be better for the burgeoning science and technology of telematics, which essentially uses sensors on vehicles to monitor and record various component life and performance, and relay information about those connected systems back to fleets and original equipment manufacturers (OEM)s. In 2014, Navistar announced what it said was the first telematics system available from a truck maker. Early telematics were essentially reactive systems. In addition to amber or red warning lights flashing on a dashboard, these systems sent an electronic warning to fleet executives and OEMs, alerting them of problems on the vehicle in real time. As they got more sophisticated, they were integrated into systems that could set up a sequence of events confirming parts availability and scheduling a repair. The power of telematics as an up-time enhancer was obvious to Rush Truck Centers, the nation’s largest network of commercial vehicle dealers, which started putting together its own telematics network several years ago. Today, Rush maintains a state-of-the-art response center outside its San Antonio, Texas, headquarters. The company is looking to expand its telematics offerings extensively as systems become more powerful and customers become more comfortable with them. “I’ve been in telematics for 10 years now,” said Cindy Hunter, technology sales director for Rush Truck Centers. “In the beginning, the majority of our customers didn’t have a clue what we were talking about. Now, I think the adoption rate among Rush customers for telematics systems is between 65 percent and 70 percent. And the ELD mandate is really driving that trend. So we feel that this is a technology that is going to continue to grow and expand as more fleets begin to start using telematics systems and applying the information they provide. And I still don’t think we all really see what’s possible yet with this technology. Fleets that are adopting telematics solutions solely for ELD compliance will likely see that they can use this technology to go beyond hours-of-service applications to improve route effectiveness, dispatch efficiency, and the overall performance of their drivers and vehicles.’’ Fleet executives are a lot more open to telematics now than they were just two or three years ago, said Adam Bruttell, vice president, sales and marketing, Mix Telematics. Telematics Increasing Productivity “Back then, we were hearing a lot of concerns about Big Brother watching over our every move. And you just don’t hear that anymore. The idea that telematics are somehow punitive for drivers or a micromanagement system has largely gone by the wayside. Now, the prevalent understanding is that these systems are about making employees more productive, drivers safer, and fleets more profitable,’’ Bruttell said.” Mix Telematics is a company that is using data generated by telematics systems on vehicles to focus on driver safety and fuel efficiency — just two of the ways this technology is moving out of the maintenance realm. “ELDs have by far been the biggest factor in super-powering both the amount and type of data coming into fleets now,” Bruttell said. “All arrows now point to the vehicle. The vehicle is at the epicenter of everything a fleet is doing. And telematics is the tool that connects the vehicle to the worker, and the worker to the work.” Sanjiv Khurana, general manager, digital vehicle solutions, Daimler Trucks North America, says the global truck manufacturer is thinking about telematics in three ways. First, he says, in terms of providing insights about the truck itself. Second, gaining new insights about the driver, and, third, insights about the load and the fleet operations. At the same time, Khurana says, Daimler sees the truck and its architecture evolving to allow for additional information and data elements that help fleets run their business. The real inhibitor for telematics currently is not so much a technical piece of getting the data from the truck as it is a challenge for the consumer to use data in more parts of their operation, said Conal Deedy, director of connected vehicle services, Volvo Trucks North America. “Each company has to figure out where telematics data can help improve efficiencies,’’ he said. As the power of telematics grows, so does the need to make the various systems that support the technology more user-friendly. “Making the data actionable has been a major priority for us,” said Rush’s Hunter. “Any ping that comes off a truck has tons of data in it. So it’s important for us to create some sort of filter that allows fleets to set up what issues they want alerts for.” To help, Hunter says Rush has developed its own, customizable dashboard that allows customers to set up the inflow of data in a way that helps them be most effective at responding to issues. More Data Being Exchanged As more and more data is being exchanged across different telematics providers to different offices inside fleets, OEMs and dealers, the need for some sort of basic level of connection and integration is obvious. And this, experts say, will likely be the next advance in telematics technology. (Telematics continued on page 25) www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 19
Celadon can pay drivers, court rules The court overseeing bankruptcy proceedings of now- defunct Celadon Group has said it will allow the fleet to pay $5.4 million in owed compensation to its drivers ahead of finalizing what Celadon owes to its creditors. U.S. bankruptcy judge Karen Owens stamped approval on the fleet’s legal motion, saying she is authorizing -- but not directing -- Celadon to pay $3.9 million in owed compensation to drivers (including payroll tax obligations) and $528,000 to its independent contractor drivers. The fleet has also been granted approval to pay just over $1 million to a so-called “termination bonus program,” but it’s not explained whether that’s for company management or other employees. The documents do not say when Celadon intends to issue any compensation payments to drivers or owner-operators. The court set a Jan. 3 hearing to finalize Celadon’s bankruptcy proceedings. Celadon halted operations Dec. 9, at midnight, and filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy the next day. The court will now judge how fast they’re driving, how much fuel they’re using, and even how much time they’re spending at a rest stop or duty-free shop. Not every firm has all the latest bells and whistles, but those that do say it’s a new world. “Trucking has changed tremendously. Everything today is done over the Internet,’’ said Joe Brainard, operations manager for Double Down Transport, a logistics and trucking firm that uses global positioning system technology in drivers’ cell phones to track its 17 vehicles. “Everything used to work on a handshake, and that’s changed.’’ Technology isn’t entirely new to trucking, as various kinds of data and information have been recorded and downloaded from commercial trucks for more than two decades using tachographs, trip recorders, engine controls, on-board computers, wireless communications equipment, collision warning devices and instrument clusters, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. That’s similar to most cars. The information, including speed history, engine performance, hours driven, fast accelerations and heavy breaking, idle time, fuel consumption and other factors, is used to diagnose problems, improve safety and efficiency, and reduce operating costs. It can also help alert a driver to collisions or reconstruct accidents after the fact. But aside from cell phones, satellite communications, and what is mandated, many small firms haven’t had much other technology on their trucks until recently because it was just too expensive for their narrow profit margins, said Brendan Staub, president of Turnpike Global Technologies, a Buffalo, N.Y.- based trucking technology firm. Such small carriers make up 90 percent of the industry. Only about 10 percent of the 8 million commercial trucks nationwide now have any kind of GPS, tracking or other technologies that combine tracking and engine data, said Staub, whose firm sells such systems. Truck manufacturers are only this year making GPS systems part of their original equipment options for new vehicles. GPS allows pinpoint tracking of a truck’s location, which is valuable for knowing when shipments will arrive, and whether they are delayed. Today, however, the price, size and sophistication of new technology is bringing it within reach of small firms. Turnpike Global last March introduced RouteTracker, a device the size of an EZPass unit that plugs directly into the engine computer. The onboard recording system, which includes GPS and Bluetooth wireless technology, tracks and scores each driver on speed, fuel economy, hard braking, and other performance and safety factors, and transmits the information using either the client’s computer system or a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. Price Trucking Corp. recently installed Turnpike’s system in its 30 company-owned trucks. Now owner Jonathon Price knows what time a driver leaves, and how long it takes him to get there. He can easily track routes, calculate fuel costs, and monitor idle times. And that allows him to offer incentives like gift certificates to cut fuel costs. RouteTracker costs $450 to $675 each, depending on how many trucks, plus a monthly rate of $15 per truck. Or a client can lease it and pay $35 per truck per month. Turnpike Global has more than 20 clients locally for RouteTracker, including an 87-year-old company owned by Staub’s brothers. It has 25,000 devices on trucks. Federal regulators are now proposing to mandate onboard recorders for firms that repeatedly violate U.S. rules governing truckers’ hours in service. And Staub hopes to sell 200,000 units within two years. The firm has a contract with the Peace Bridge Authority and Transport Canada to provide real- time border crossing reports for commercial traffic, showing bridge delays and tracking how much time trucks spend at duty-free as opposed to sitting on the bridge. As many as 5 percent of all trucks that cross the local international bridges are Turnpike clients. In addition, new technology in the central office allows even small firms in Buffalo to plan a pickup in New Mexico and a delivery in Oregon. “Every tool that we have today makes us competitive with everyone out there,’’ Brainard said. It also means being able to see where there are loads to be picked up, ensuring that trucks sent long distances with loads don’t return empty. “It’s been a real help,’’ Price said. It allows for automated accounting, dispatching and electronic billing of customers. And it means being able to check fuel prices across the country instantly to adjust rates daily. Such cost-saving technology is becoming critical in the hotly competitive trucking industry, where profit margins have shrunk over the years because of rising insurance, fuel and regulatory costs. Price Trucking, for example, pays $22,000 each week to put 7,500 gallons of diesel fuel in the tank in its Buffalo yard, versus $9,000 a decade ago. Liability insurance has risen about 40 percent over five years, while workers compensation insurance has more than doubled in three years. And the company now employs a full-time compliance manager and a mechanic manager. “We’re just hanging on,’’ said Price, whose grandfather founded the South Buffalo firm in the 1930s. “Everything’s gone up, but the rates have stayed the same. There’s so many companies closing every day, companies that have been around for years that just can’t handle it anymore.’’ (from the Buffalo News) (Savings continued from page 1) Freight was ‘steady’ in 2019, analysts say “Steady as she goes” was how Avery Vise, FTR’s vice-president of trucking characterized 2019 in a “Year of Freight in Review’’ webinar in December. Based in Bloomington, Ind., FTR is a transportation industry forecasting and consulting firm. A rise in carrier bankruptcies “doesn’t reflect worsening freight volumes, but rather a rise in insurance costs and decrease in spot market prices,’’ according to Vise. Contract rates have fallen only slightly this year, coming off sharp increases in 2017-2018. Contract rates have fallen about 1 percent this year, and Vise expects them to remain fairly steady going forward. Overall rates, including the spot market, were down about 6.5 percent, according to FTR. “The general outlook we have, is for very gradual firming in the trucking industry,” Vise said of rates. “We don’t expect any big moves, certainly nothing remotely like what we saw in 2017-2018.” Smaller carriers that are more dependent on the spot market may continue to struggle, Vise predicted. Carrier profitability took a hit in 2019, as rising insurance and driver compensation costs could not be unwound as rates decreased. The metrics that affect trucking demand are mostly flat, and expected to stay that way well into 2020. The bankruptcy of Celadon will have a temporary effect, if any, on capacity, Vise said. While the industrial sector has been weak, consumer sentiment and spending has remained strong. But changes in how consumers spend, namely the shift towards e-commerce, is changing shipping patterns. Retail jobs are disappearing while courier jobs are soaring. “There is an ongoing change in distribution patterns and we have only just begun to understand what that’s going to mean,” Vise said. Trade tensions are also having an effect on shipping patterns, according to FTR. Trade with Europe increased this year, while trade with Asia decreased. There’s less freight coming through the west coast ports as a result, which is having a negative effect on rail volumes. But while 2019 may not have felt like a great year coming off a banner 2018, Vise said “2019 was still a pretty robust market in terms of volumes.” (from trucknews.com) (Celadon continued on page 25) 20 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
www.TankTransport.com The National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industryhe National Newspaper of the Liquid and Dry Bulk Transportation Industry www.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com.TankTransport.com sales@tanktransport.comansport.comansport.comansport.comansport.comansport.comansport.comansport.com 1-800-537-1320 Fax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289ax: 817-348-0289 www.twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter .twitter.com/tanktransporter www.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader.facebook.com/transporttrader Since 1986198619861986 NOVEMBER 2017 COMING IN DECEMBER TANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANINGANK CLEANING ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NOV 21ST 2018 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE COMING FEBRUARY 2018 FEATURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OFTURING: A DIRECTORY OF MAINTENANCE & REPAIR AND TANK CLEANING FACILITIES • A BUYERS GUIDE OF SUPPLIERS TO THE LIQUID AND DRY BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY! Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY!Y BULK INDUSTRY • OUR NEW WASTEPUMPER DIRECTORY! PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Dallas, TX PERMIT No. 2874 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving Tank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, ank Transport Trader, please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: TANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADERANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST.. BLUFF ST. 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Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving T please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: 1011 W FORT WORTH, TX 76102-1810 Continue sending me T No. Discontinue sending T I am interested in the Liquid W Please send me your W Directory! www sales@tanktr 1-800-537-1320 www www Since NOVEMBER 2017 COMING IN DECEMBER ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NOV 21ST 2018 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE COMING FEBRUARY 2018 FEA PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Dallas, TX PERMIT No. 2874 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving T please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: 1011 W FORT WORTH, TX 76102-1810 Continue sending me T No. Discontinue sending T I am interested in the Liquid W Please send me your W Directory! www sales@tanktr 1-800-537-1320 www www Since NOVEMBER 2017 COMING IN DECEMBER ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NOV 21ST 2018 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE COMING FEBRUARY 2018 FEA PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Dallas, TX PERMIT No. 2874 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving T please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: 1011 W FORT WORTH, TX 76102-1810 Continue sending me T No. Discontinue sending T I am interested in the Liquid W Please send me your W Directory! www sales@tanktr 1-800-537-1320 www www Since NOVEMBER 2017 COMING IN DECEMBER ADVERTISING DEADLINE: NOV 21ST 2018 PRODUCT SERVICE DIRECTORY AND BUYERS GUIDE COMING FEBRUARY 2018 FEA PRST STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Dallas, TX PERMIT No. 2874 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 1011 W. Bluff St. Fort Worth, TX 76102-1810 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED FREE SUBSCRIPTION UPDATE FORM In order to continue receiving T please check a box in the boxes below and mail, fax or email this form to: 1011 W FORT WORTH, TX 76102-1810 Continue sending me T No. Discontinue sending T I am interested in the Liquid W Please send me your W Directory! SEPTIC AND LIQUID W Distribution at WWETT www.twitter.com/tanktransporter www.facebook.com/transporttrader ADVERTISING DEADLINE: JAN 15TH SUPPLIERS TO THE LIQUID AND DR www sales@tanktr 1-800-537-1320 F JANUARY 2018 LIQUID AND DRY BULK DIGITAL MARKETING GARY HIGHTOWER I [email protected] Phone: 1-800-537-1320 Cell: 817-845-6301 I I Target potential buyers when they visit http://tanktransport.com/ 97% of the first time visitorsto a website will NOT take action. 92% Programatic Retargeting performs the same as or better then search. BRING 70% BACK with site retargeting. They are also more likely to convert. SITE RE-TARGETING KEYWORD/SEARCH RETARGETING People looking on Google can be retargeted at a very specific keyword level for a fraction of the cost of adwords. 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MILK & LIQUID FOOD LIQUID & DRY BULK FOOD GRADE CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Call 1-800-537-1320 / [email protected] Snapshot Ads: Picture with 36 words $130.00 (includes one month website adv.) / Classifieds: $1.50 per word (paper only) / Bold Type: $5 line / Logo insertion: $30 Do you have excess equipment , parts or services you wish to sell? Advertise it here! All snapshot and classified ads run for one month. Advertise unlimited listings on www.TankTransport.com along with (2) two snapshot ads per month in the classified marketplace for only $320.00 per month. 2013 Tremcar food grade 6500 Gal, Air ride, Alum wheels. 1-800-826-5377. [email protected]. Superior Tank. Bryon Kovalaske. (2) used 2002 Polar “FOOD GRADE” 5500 Gal., SS 4 x 3 piping, bfly valves, Viking pump & hose tube in rear cabinet, Air ride, 22.5LP, Alum wheels. Phil Klein. Stuart Tank Sales Corp. Cell: (815) 751-6431. www.stuarttank.com. 1998 Walker 6200 Gal., Air ride, Alum Wheels, Great Water Tanker. Semo Tank/Baker Equipment Co. 800-264-8348. [email protected]. 2008 Walker 6,200 Gal. / 1 Comp. Sanitary Transport – In Stock Air Ride, Alum. Wheels, Electric Pump, Stainless Rear Cabinet Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com (1) 2020 Polar 8,400 Gal. / 1 Comp. – In Stock Disc Brakes, “Standfast” Fall Protection, Tire Inflation, CIP System. Ready To Go To Work! Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com Fleetwood Transportation closes Fleetwood Transportation, a Texas-based flatbed and oil-field truckload carrier, closed its operations Jan. 2. The company cited rising insurance costs as the primary reason for the closure. The carrier had 252 trucks, 673 trailers and employed 240 drivers, according to industry reports. The fleet, based in Diboll, Texas, about 100 mile north of Houston, primarily hauled building materials and oil-field equipment. The company had been operating for 63 years, having commenced operations in 1956. The Lufkin Daily News first reported the news on Dec. 17, having received an email tip that the carrier planned to shutter. On the same day, the chairman of the board sent a letter to owner-operators of the carrier, citing the inability of the fleet to secure insurance as the primary reason for deciding to cease operations. Carriers that have had questionable safety records are struggling to find insurance. Chad Eichelberger, founder of Reliance Partners, a leading provider of insurance services to the trucking industry, said carriers could see insurance rates double or triple in 2020 if they had any accidents with fatalities in the past year. Eichelberger saids a carrier being faulted as the cause isn’t a requirement for rates to jump if there was a fatality in an accident involving the carrier. “Insurance carriers know that if there is a fatality involving a truck, juries will be sympathetic towards the non-trucking injured party and may reward damages in the nuclear category regardless of fault,’’ Eichelberger said. A small carrier with a clean history will pay $5,000 to $7,000 in insurance per truck, according to Eichelberger. If a carrier is based in a high-risk jurisdiction, the rate could be 25 percent to 30 percent higher. He listed Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Florida and California as the highest-risk states. He also suggested that rates in Georgia and Texas are increasing dramatically as payout levels accelerate. The Truckload Carrier Association’s (TCA) profitability benchmark platform (TPP) reports that truckload fleets are currently paying $6,800 per truck for insurance. The information is the most reliable fleet costing data in the trucking market, providing performance and financial benchmarking of nearly 500 data points per month. TPP fleets feed their monthly operating and financial data into a benchmarking platform that allows them to compare costs between fleets. In the past two years, the TPP fleets have seen 11 percent increases in their insurance premiums. According to Chris Henry, who runs the TPP platform on behalf of TCA, the reason the TPP fleets have not seen as dramatic an increase versus the rest of the market is their use of captives. Captives are effectively insurance companies owned by the companies they insure. A captive lets a fleet self-insure or group insure up to $100,000 per claim. Anything above that is covered by an umbrella policy. The risk is pooled between other carriers in the group. Fleetwood Transportation was involved in two fatal accidents in 2018, according to industry reports. According to transportation attorney Cassandra Gaines, two fatalities for a 260-truck carrier over two years would not be exceptionally high. In her view, other circumstances likely played a role in the carrier’s demise. The company had two primary lines of business: hauling sand to oil fields and flatbed trucking. Both markets have been decimated in 2019. Sand is used in oil-field fracking operations to blast rocks in hydraulic drilling. Over the past decade, oil drillers hauled sand from hundreds of miles and paid top dollar to get the commodity moved. In the past two years, this business has changed. Oil drillers found local sources of sand and didn’t require it to be trucked from other places. There has also been a shift in investor sentiment toward exploratory oil drilling. A number of large fleets that were involved in hauling fracking sand and oil field work shuttered or downsized in 2019, including Stevens Tanker Division, Halliburton and Schlumberger. The other core part of their operations involved flatbed truckload services. Flatbed trucking has been struggling for most of 2019, after enjoying a red-hot market in 2018. According to TPP data, the average flatbed operator has been operating in the red all year. Operating ratios (OR), or a measurement of operating profitability, have hovered above 97 for most of 2019. For most truckload carriers, a carrier should generate below a 97 to generate a profit. For the flatbed industry, this happened only one month in 2019, June. 22 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 23
ASPHALT New Polar Aluminum Asphalt Tank, 7500 Gal.., Aluminum Subframe, Front Pump off line, Lightweight, Aluminum 22.5 wheels, Intraxx AANT23K A/R Suspension. Joe Frankenfield. 800-232-6535 [email protected] New Polar Asphalt Trailers, 7500 Gal., Aluminum tank, Air ride suspension, Aluminum wheels. 1-800-826-5377. [email protected]. Superior Tank. Bryon Kovalaske. CHEMICAL 2000 Nova, 6000 Gallon, 2 Compt, DOT-407, 16lb product rated Semo Tank/Baker Equipment Co. 800-264-8348. [email protected]. (3) New 2020 BRENNER “CHEMICAL” DOT 407, 7000 Gal., Insulated, Straight round, T316SS, Steam/Intransit, Air ride, 11R22.5, Aluminum wheels. Phil Klein. Stuart Tank Sales Corp. Cell: (815) 751-6431. www.stuarttank.com. CHEMICAL New Brenner DOT 407 trailers 7000 Gal., Air ride suspension rear discharge Aluminum wheels. 1-800-826-5377. [email protected]. Superior Tank. Bryon Kovalaske. New Polar Stainless Steel Tank. 7000 Gal., DOT 407, HEAT 150 PSI. 1 Compartment, Dump Valve, Aluminum 22.5 wheels, Auto lift axle, Stainless Steel to ground, W-3 Weld Finish inside, Intraxx AANT23K A/R Suspension. Joe Frankenfield. 800-232-6535. [email protected]. FERTILIZER New 2021 POLAR “FERTILIZER” Tanks, 5600 Gal., 30” Drop, T304SS, Air ride, 11R22.5 tires, Alum wheels. COMING IN FEBRUARY 2021 – ORDER YOURS NOW!! Phil Klein. Stuart Tank Sales Corp. Cell: (815) 751-6431. www.stuarttank.com.. PETROLUEM New Polar Stainless Tank, 8000 Gal., One compartment, 22.5 wheels, Tri-axle suspension set, Hendrickson Intraax AAL25K. Joe Frankenfield. 800-232-6535. [email protected]. PETROLUEM 2014 Mueller 6260 Gal. Transport, Air ride, Alum. wheels, (Great for DEF). Randy Cissell. Semo Tank/Baker Equipment Co. 800-264-8348. [email protected].. 2006 Bulk, 7000 Gal., D/C, 316 S/S, DOT 407. Unit 4416, Leaf spring susp, Aluminum disc wheels.1-800-826-5377. [email protected]. Superior Tank. Bryon Kovalaske. (1) 2020 Heil 12,500 Gal., / 5 Comp., Petroleums, Disc brakes, Tri axle, Lift axle kit available. In Stock, Ready to Go! Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113. [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com 1999 Heil 9,550 Gal.. / 5 Comp. Petroleum – In Stock, Air ride, Aluminum. wheels, Pump-off Line, New Paint. Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com (1) 2007 LBT 9,200 Gal. / 4 Comp. Petroleum Air Ride, Aluminum Wheels, Double Taper Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com PETROLUEM (2) 2020 LBT 9,500 Gal. / 3 Comp. Petroleum Disc Brakes, Lots of Extra Options! In Stock, Ready to Go! Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com (1) 2012 Heil 9,500 Gal. / 4 Comp. Petroleum Still In 5 Year Test, Air ride, Alum. wheels, GREAT SHAPE! In Stock, Ready to Go! Tri Tank Corp. Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com (1) 2020 Heil 1040 Pneumatic – January 2020 3 Hopper, 25 PSI, Alum. Frame, 23K Axles *Not Actual Photo, Stock Image Kurt Neidlinger Jr. (315) 558-1398 or Mark Richardson (315) 345-6113 [email protected] Full Inventory: www.tritank.com (2)-2021 Model Heil 9500 4 Compartment Double taper, DBH 3 & 4, Full Tray. Plenty of Options. Coming August. Call or Email For Full Specs. 513-874-4880. Walter Gowsell. [email protected]. Visit our website for our complete inventory. www.tristatetrailer.com. Trailer Sales, Cincinnati, OH PNEUMATIC (3) 2020 model 1040L lightweight for cement and (6) 2020 model Super Sanders. Call or email for full specs. Walter Gowsell. [email protected]. Visit our website for a full listing of our inventory, www.tristatetrailer.com Tri-State Trailer Sales, Inc. IV Cincinnati, OH. 513-874-4880 TRANSPORTS CLASSIFIED MARKETPLACE Ads run in both the printed version, digital version and as a separate listing on www.TankTransport.com Call 1-800-537-1320 / [email protected] Snapshot Ads: Picture with 36 words $130.00 (includes one month website adv.) / Classifieds: $1.50 per word (paper only) / Bold Type: $5 line / Logo insertion: $30 Do you have excess equipment , parts or services you wish to sell? Advertise it here! All snapshot and classified ads run for one month. Advertise unlimited listings on www.TankTransport.com along with (2) two snapshot ads per month in the classified marketplace for only $320.00 per month. PNEUMATIC New 2021 HEIL “CEMENT” Tanks, 1040cu, 25psi, 3-manholes, 5 x 4 tee’s, Hose tube, Air ride, 11R22.5 tire, Alum. wheels. COMING IN SPRING OF 2021 – ORDER YOURS NOW!! Phil Klein. Stuart Tank Sales Corp. Cell: (815) 751-6431. www.stuarttank.com VACUUM 2010 Acro 412 Alunimum Vac, S/S Sub-frame, Quad Axle, NVE pump Incl., Pres Vane Pump Inc, 10,500 Gal. Cap., Air ride Susp. $89,000 United Tank Trailer. www.unitedtanktrailer.com [email protected] Contact Chad 734-552-2805 TANK TRUCKS 2008 Volvo, New Refurbished. 4200 Gal. Cap. New NVE 607 pump, Air Ride Suspension., New Paint. Polished Rims. Under 250k Miles, Motor Warranty. $69,000. United Tank Trailer. www.unitedtanktrailer.com [email protected] Contact Chad 734-552-2805 2006 KW T300, ISC Cummins, 6 spd, 2,300 gal Progress 5 comp. 58,781 miles. $34,900.00. 701-843-7272, [email protected], www. pedigreesales.net. MISCELLANEOUS 2015 Timpte Hopper Bottom, Alum/Steel Wheels, 11R 22.5. Randy Cissell. Semo Tank/Baker Equipment Co. 800-264-8348. [email protected]. 24 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
PNEUMATIC New 2021 HEIL “CEMENT” Tanks, 1040cu, 25psi, 3-manholes, 5 x 4 tee’s, Hose tube, Air ride, 11R22.5 tire, Alum. wheels. COMING IN SPRING OF 2021 – ORDER YOURS NOW!! Phil Klein. Stuart Tank Sales Corp. Cell: (815) 751-6431. www.stuarttank.com VACUUM 2010 Acro 412 Alunimum Vac, S/S Sub-frame, Quad Axle, NVE pump Incl., Pres Vane Pump Inc, 10,500 Gal. Cap., Air ride Susp. $89,000 United Tank Trailer. www.unitedtanktrailer.com [email protected] Contact Chad 734-552-2805 TANK TRUCKS 2008 Volvo, New Refurbished. 4200 Gal. Cap. New NVE 607 pump, Air Ride Suspension., New Paint. Polished Rims. Under 250k Miles, Motor Warranty. $69,000. United Tank Trailer. www.unitedtanktrailer.com [email protected] Contact Chad 734-552-2805 2006 KW T300, ISC Cummins, 6 spd, 2,300 gal Progress 5 comp. 58,781 miles. $34,900.00. 701-843-7272, [email protected], www. pedigreesales.net. MISCELLANEOUS 2015 Timpte Hopper Bottom, Alum/Steel Wheels, 11R 22.5. Randy Cissell. Semo Tank/Baker Equipment Co. 800-264-8348. [email protected]. INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Allegheny Coupling ........................ Page 7 Classifieds ............................ Page 24 & 25 Classifieds (food grade) .............. Page 22 Dixon Bayco ................................... Page 12 E.D. Etnyre .................................... Page 12 Girard Equipment Inc. ................. Page 3 Hale Trailer ...................................... Page 8 Imperial Industries Inc ................. Page 4 Jikoh .................................................. Page 8 Kerley & Sears ................................ Page 6 LBT .................................................... Page 5 Midwest Meter ................................ Page 7 Northland Captial ......................... Page 13 Polar Tank Trailer .......................... Page 2 PT Coupling ................................... Page 11 R.A. Ross .......................................... Page 4 Ridewell Suspensions .................. Page 13 RMC Engineeering ........................ Page 9 R.W. McCollum .............................. Page 15 Semo Tank........................................ Page 6 Southeastern Pneu ...................... Page 10 Stuart Tank .................................... Page 26 Subscription Form........................ Page 23 Superior Tank ................................ Page 14 Stephens Tank Products ............. Page 26 STS Tank Leasing ........................ Page 27 Transcourt ...................................... Page 23 Tremcar .......................................... Page 27 Unibloc ............................................ Page 10 Werts ....................................... Back Cover Youngs Tank..................................... Page 9 Each tractor and trailer tag ID, as well as any related dispatch orders, are linked together in the Q-Gate software, which is integrated with Trailiner’s own transportation-management system (TMS) software. The Q-Gate software then determines whether that particular truck and trailer are authorized to enter or leave, Peschio explained – and, if it is, the gate opens. When a driver arrives to pick up a specific trailer, yard personnel tell the driver which trailer to take. Then, as he or she leaves with that trailer, the gate’s RFID reader captures the tag IDs of both the tractor and the trailer, and the Q-Gate software captures and interprets the data and transmits it to Trailiner’s own dispatch-management software, in order to determine whether the correct trailer has been collected. If the system captures the wrong trailer ID, the gate will not open and the driver will be directed to seek assistance from the yard staff on-site. If a truck without an RFID tag were to sneak into the yard by following another vehicle equipped with a tag, Edmondson said, the driver would have a problem when it came time to exit, since he or she would be unable to open the gate to escape the yard. The technology, Edmondson said, “gives us peace of mind.’’ Although installing the new RFID reader at the gate was an expense the company had to incur, she notes, the cost of buying new passive tags was less than that of replacing the active tags it had previously been using. (Tech tools continued from page 17) (Celadon continued from page 20) its assets and its list of creditors and finalize a deal to pay its debts. In its Chapter 11 filing, the company estimated its total assets to be $427 million and its debts at $391 million. Celadon said in its filings it owes $33 million to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of its settlement with the department for fraudulently overstating its profits in public earnings reports between 2014 and 2016. Other Celadon creditors include brokerages and leasing firms, fuel providers like Comdata and Pilot Flying J, its lawyers (to whom it owes nearly $1.5 million), Goodyear and Paccar, among a long list of others. “As we move beyond ELDs and fleets start to fine-tune their data, we’re going to see a whole host of providers in the telematics field,” Bruttell explained. “Like with anything else, you’re not going to have one provider be the best at everything. The OEMs and dealers will have the best maintenance information and power-train upgrades. Fleets will have a favorite provider for asset tracking, route optimization, back office documentation… safety and driver modification. And the need to be able to integrate all the information from these experts in their respective fields will be vital for fleets.” This supports the broader industry trend around data democratization, Williams said: Customers want easier access to data and the tools that make data more consumable. The future of telematics will likely include giving fleets actionable data through customized reports and dashboards, as well as other business intelligence tools, to help them make more informed decisions about their drivers and equipment, he said. That’s a goal the OEMs are onboard with, too. “I think the first point of interconnectivity will be between the truck and the cloud and between our cloud and our partners’ clouds,” DTNA’s Khurana said. “There are a variety of different sensors and different telematics providers of different services, and as we start to develop what we call Detroit Connect Direct and cloud connectivity, that will drive some standardization in how those APIs are structured. That becomes the first point of interconnectivity and standardization between the truck OEM, third-party service provider and a fleet customer. It won’t happen overnight, but that’s where it’s going.” “I think 5G will be a complete game-changer for telematics in the future,” Bruttell says. “As fast as telematics are becoming accepted, we still can’t get all the information coming off a truck downloaded efficiently in our current broadcast format. That’s why I think expanded network capabilities will really drive this whole thing to a whole new level of efficiency.” (from HDT) (Telematics continued from page 19) www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 25
STEPHENS 147 CR 4840 Haslet, TX 76052 TEL: 800-353-1033 FAX: 817-636-9023 [email protected] www.stephenstankproducts.com • • • • • • MANUFACTURING DRY BULK PNEUMATIC, DOT 407, DOT 406, ALUMINUM VACUUM & TRANSPORT SEMI TANK TRAILERS VACUUM TRAILERS PNEUMATIC DRY BULK TRAILERS PNEUMATIC FRAC SAND TRAILERS CRUDE OIL TRAILERS GASOLINE TRAILERS 26 TANK TRANSPORT TRADER I JANUARY 2020 www.TankTransport.com
SALES l PARTS l SERVICE The specialists in CUSTOM MADE & MULTI-AXLE 1.800.363.2158 l www.tremcar.com 978 989-3450 Boston Steel l Sales Manager 1-888-873-6227 Get free quote online Check out our new SUPER LIGHT WEIGHT DOT 406 unit! Rob, Cumberland Petroleum tank Driver loves the Tremcar tank unit because it unloads quickly. He likes the big can box, a lot of space to store equipment and likes the way the trays are set up. Find your sales manager near you ! Cumberland Farms have been serving American homes since 1939. This year they are celebrating their 80th year! The company first started as a dairy farm, in the town of Cumberland, Rhode Island. The first of its kind to the region, they revolutionized how New England got its milk in the 1960s. Cumberland Farms “milk stores” quickly popped up throughout the Northeast. In 1972 Cumberland farms evolved by offering self-serve gas pumps, they began springing up outside their stores. Today Cumberland farms has over 600 C – Stores across New England, New York and Florida. They deliver over 3 million gallons of gas daily! Tremcar is proud to equip Cumberland farms with DOT 406 petroleum tanks that can deliver gas safely and efficiently. Congratulations to this successful company’s 80 years! 16903 East Freeway Channelview, Texas 77530 www.ststankleasing.com For Service, email [email protected] For Leasing, email [email protected] 832-694-3983 DOT CERTIFIED ASME “R STAMP” CERTIFIED HM 183 TESTING & REPAIRS NATIONAL BOARD “R STAMP” CERTIFIED CARGO TANK FACILITY www.TankTransport.com JANUARY 2020 I TANK TRANSPORT TRADER 27
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