Back before regulators became enamored with batteries, efficiency was the big green play: aerodynamic fairings, wheel covers, trailer skirts, trailer tail pieces and nose cones – trucking efficiency and chasing MPGs used to be an aftermarket bonanza. Now much if it is standard, at least some of the pieces that were able to hang around are. Then came light-weighting: tucking in aluminum wherever it made sense and spec'ing an 11-liter or 13-liter engine because they made sufficient power for most applications. Gone were the days of max power at all costs. I think they called that right-sizing. Light-weighting helped drive Volvo's 16-liter out of the North American market in 2017, but across the Atlantic Volvo this year unveiled an even larger engine. But make no mistake; it's all about efficiency. The D17 is the largest and most powerful diesel engine Volvo's ever put in a truck. That's fitting because I was able to drive the D17 diesel in Sweden recently and it was bolted to the largest, heaviest and longest rig I've driven in my life. Available in three versions (600 hp, 700 hp and 780 hp), these engines grip the asphalt with 2,200, 2,500 and 2,800 lb-ft of torque. This 17-liter diesel engine utilizes a dual-stage turbocharger and heavy-duty steel wave pistons to maximize power density, and a common rail injection system for high fuel efficiency and low exhaust emissions. So how is this monster an efficiency play? Sweden late last year implemented new length and weight restrictions for heavy trucks, allowing a combination of trailers totaling 113 feet in length and up to 74 tonnes (about 163,000 pounds) on select highways. The short version: one really huge truck can move twice the freight of a normal one, according to Volvo Trucks Director of Environment and Innovation Lars Mårtensson, while producing 27% fewer emissions. Fewer trucks means fewer accidents and less road congestion. Not only are there tailpipe benefits, there's backdoor benefits, too. In a world awestruck by zero emissions, where does fewer emissions fit in? Right here and right now, according to Mårtensson. While battery electric and hydrogen are very much the ways of the future (probably), more efficient diesel engines – and more efficient distribution methods like those unlocked in parts of Sweden totaling about 3,000 miles – can be deployed more immediately with little to no infrastructure buildout. The D17 engine is certified to run on vegetable-oil based biofuel and the 700 hp version is also certified to run on 100% biodiesel, Mårtensson said. The D17 for sure makes power. With 780 hp, I drug around 81.5 tons like it wasn't even back there, and that included climbing double-digit grades. Much like we've seen stateside with smaller displacement engines making comparable power to those with a larger bore, the D17 makes more power than the D16, and with fewer emissions. It's also incredibly quiet, especially considering that it's in Volvo's FH16 cabover. Will we ever see this engine in North America? Of course not. That's my guess/opinion, not anything Volvo told me. There's just no regulatory support for it. Off-interstate weight restrictions vary by a lot state-to-state, and it would take a harmonized effort at the state level to execute what Sweden has done. The ironic part is that many state roads couldn't support that kind of weight anyway. So what's the point of this huge engine? If nothing else, it clearly demonstrates there are options that get us closer to greener transportation, and those options include the use of more conventional means that use existing and mature infrastructure, and are supported by a traditional and tested business model. As Kermit sang, "It's not that easy being green," but it doesn't have to be painful and chaotic. Are zero emissions 30 years from now, and all the upheaval that comes with it, really better than a more stable progression of reduced emissions (and improved freight efficiency) over the next 30 years? Maybe if we pumped the billions of dollars currently earmarked for EVs into highway and interstate infrastructure (road and bridge) improvement, we could unlock a network for road trains like Sweden and many other countries have. The roughly 3,100 miles Sweden approved last year is slightly longer than the distance from Los Angeles to New York. Talk about some incredible potential. https://ift.tt/VyTE53z
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Owner-operator Dustin Ross runs this 2000 Sterling AT9522, which he calls "Stella." The truck is powered by a Cummins N14 Celect Plus with an Eaton-Fuller 13-speed. Ross says the truck is "one-of-a-kind" because it has multiple custom pieces, including a 20-inch stainless steel bumper from Valley Chrome; a grille surround that Ross made with aluminum flat-stock and hexagonal steel mesh; vocational-style headlights instead of the traditional aero headlights; front fenders from a newer-model 9522; 12 Ga. Customs Peterbilt tool boxes under the doors; custom 150-gallon tanks; 5-inch pipes mounted along the fuel tanks; Talladega Fiberglass full fenders; and more. Ross said his favorite feature on the rig is the 20-inch visor he built with his brother-in-law. Inside the truck, Ross has installed a fiberglass dash that's color-matched with wood-grain accents, a custom gauge panel, hardwood floors and fiberglass door skins. Stella has just over 2.5 million miles on the clock and continues to work daily. Ross is leased on with his father's company, and they run oversized/overlength concrete poles (the longest has been a 100-foot pole with a total length of 118 feet. Ross' specialty through the years, however, has been multi-stop furniture and other LTL freight. "I’ve my father to thank for getting into this industry and getting me started as an o/o," he said. [Related: Operator James Erickson's 'pure heavy-haul' 2018 Peterbilt 389] Click here to see more photos of reader uploads or to submit your own. For custom-equipment features delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive's weekly Custom Rigs newsletter via this link. https://ift.tt/VyTE53z In a tough trucking-business environment owner-operators must improve efficiency to compete5/10/2024 Every owner-operator knows today's trucking business environment is challenging, at best. Between global forces pulling on demand for goods and diesel, and a glut of trucking capacity outpacing demand, plenty forces are at work that no individual owner-operator has control over. Yet we do have 100% control of how we manage our business. Today, with relatively low freight rates coupled with high fuel costs, are you still running your business the same way you did during the good, booming years? If the answer is yes, it’s high time to change gears. To compete with large fleets that have an economy of scale advantage based on sheer size, owner-operators must leverage inherent operational efficiencies. By definition, owner-operators lack the scale advantage. Those without a durable competitive efficiency will inevitably find themselves with neither a scale advantage nor an operational advantage. In the booming good times mid-late 2020 through 2021, with high freight rates and relatively low fuel cost, it made perfect sense for owner-operators to focus on high productivity. The strategy was to run fast to maximize revenue. Back then, it was OK to run harder, even if less efficiently, as high rates more than offset the higher fuel costs of greater speed. Today, however, small trucking businesses need to shift gears to adjust to steeper terrain. The one-two punch of low rates and high fuel sets the foundation of a bust! Here, the ideal strategy shifts to reducing expenses. Though evidence exists that the opposite has taken place for many owner-operators now running more miles than during the pandemic boom years, running more miles should now be your last strategy. The aim is to work smarter, not harder! There are two ways to do this:
This way you attack the current bust market on two fronts by moving from high fuel costs to lower fuel cost per mile, and increase the freight rate per mile by improving the quality of the rate. (Ways toward the latter, some of which I'll expand on below: Expanding your niche market capabilities; transitioning from live load/unload loads to power-only drop and hook loads; moving from solo driver to team operations; addressing customer challenges with driver assist, after-hours driver unload, cross border, etc.; or another operational shift.) If you want to transition from the bottom-of-the-barrel freight rates offered in markets where price is virtually the only competitive consideration, the bread and butter of many large fleets, you’ve got to move out of their lane and leverage your own capabilities. Equipment can help, but that’s not the end of the storyOptimized vehicle specifications can help deliver maximum fuel economy. Spec’d as aerodynamically as possible, including the trailer in that calculation, our “Purple Haze” 2023 Volvo VNL 760 can pull 80,000 lbs. GCVW at 800 rpm at 55 mph. An efficient truck/trailer combo will turn high fuel prices into profit. At Alpha Drivers Transportation, we achieved 10.5 mpg in 2023 with “Purple Haze,” and we love high fuel prices! Generally speaking, fleets structure their fuel surcharges to leased owner-operators based on average fleet fuel economy. For independents with authority like us, average fuel costs are embedded in negotiated rates if not separated out in a contract with a fuel surcharge. For both leased owners and independents with authority, the higher your fuel economy the more you can turn fuel surcharges into a profit center, more than offsetting lower freight rates to stay profitable. Yet getting equipment specs in line isn’t the only answer to the question of how to improve efficiency. Goals there also require a mind-set for proper load selection and realistic dispatching that accounts for lower average speeds, speed management to reduce changes of inertia, and proper driver behavior during non-driving periods. (Use those APUs, eAPUs, bunk heaters, solar panels to charge the batteries, etc.) [Related: Paths to 10+ mpg in a Class 8 diesel tractor with aero, downspeeding, more] Based on years of experience, we consistently achieve hyper-fuel efficiency because we strategized, designed and implemented plans to attain that goal. Moreover, we routinely offer these keys to success to help others become more profitable in their business operations:
In essence, owner-operators absolutely must make or truly solidify the strategic shift from “steering wheel holding truck driver” to savvy business owner to succeed in down markets like that of the present. Otherwise, you’re better off remaining as or reverting back to being a company driver. For former owners, it could mean leveraging professional experience as a trainer for developing new drivers. Here are a few key elements of our 2023 Volvo’s success achieving the fuel economy we have from aftermarket suppliers worth investigating:
https://ift.tt/VyTE53z Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, May 9, 2024: Owner-ops optimistic about spot marketA new survey conducted by Bloomberg and the Truckstop load board, which polled owner-operators and small fleets, found sentiment among carriers operating in the truckload spot market has improved over the past three months, but some concerns still linger. "The industry is emerging from a challenging quarter, and the improved sentiment coupled with Truckstop's rising Market Demand Index suggest rates may move higher from here," said Lee Klaskow, senior freight transportation and logistics analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. "The direction of rates will be driven by supply-side factors as the industry remains flush with capacity." Despite 62% of carriers reporting lower freight volume in the first quarter, 33% predicted freight demand to increase in the next 3-6 months, the survey found. Only 19% predicted freight demand would decline in the same timeframe, which represents a 12-percentage-point decline compared to the fourth-quarter survey. The survey also revealed that a majority of carriers believe better times are around the corner with Truckstop's Market Demand Index up 9% in Q1 from last year, the first year-over-year gain after seven quarterly declines. Only 26% expect rates to decline over the next three to six months, six percentage points less than in the Q4 survey, while 28% see rates rising, which is six percentage points more than in Q4. [Related: Carrier failures declining but still elevated] Looking at their own businesses, however, 44% of respondents were unsure about their status in six months, and 9% said they wanted to leave the trucking industry. More than three-quarters of respondents (78%) said higher interest rates in Q1 affected their businesses. Elevated interest rates can have a significant impact on equipment-financing expenses, with 19% citing increased costs as the main reason they're not replacing or adding tractors. Though demand was challenging for carriers in Q1, with loads dropping an average of 10%, that was slightly better than the 13% decline in Q4. "We're all eagerly anticipating a more positive shift in the tide," said Kendra Tucker, chief executive officer, Truckstop. "Truckstop continues to be a trusted partner, committed to delivering innovative solutions to help carriers navigate this ever-evolving business landscape." The Bloomberg/Truckstop survey of owner-operators and small fleets provides timely channel checks into the health of the spot market. The sample size of the Q1 survey was 225, consisting of dry-van, flatbed, temperature-controlled and specialized/diversified, hot-shot and step-deck carriers. Of the respondents, 45% operate just one tractor. [Related: Trucking conditions improved to start 2024] NTP launches new warranty package covering electronic components, systemsNational Truck Protection (NTP/Premium 2000) is rolling out a new extended warranty package that covers critical electronics and systems on commercial trucks. NTP’s Electronix Package was introduced at a limited number of Class 8 dealerships as a warranty option in 2023. After strong interest from dealers and owner-operators buying trucks at those dealerships, NTP is now rolling the package out nationwide, as well as expanding it to include Class 2-7 light- and medium-duty vehicles. The Electronix Package covers systems such as adaptive braking, anti-roll sensor, collision avoidance, navigation, power windows/locks, turn signals, wiper motor and more. The package can be added to any NTP or Premium 2000 warranty. “Commercial truck OEMs include a growing list of high-tech electronics on all their new models that provide more efficient truck operation and driver assistance features common with the automotive industry,” said Geoff Stigler, Chief Commercial Officer at NTP. “As trucks age, we see an increasing failure rate of these electronics. So, our product development team created the industry’s most comprehensive electronics coverage plan available today.” [Related: Used-truck warranty evolution, coverage improvements, and what to consider when evaluating] Trucking company owner indicted for tax evasionThe owner of an Ohio-based trucking company has been charged with seven counts accusing her of attempting to evade taxes. A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Alice F. Martin, 59, of Louisville, Ohio, accusing her of attempting to evade the assessment of income taxes from 2013 through 2018. Martin is also accused of attempting to evade the payment of previous taxes, penalties and interest from 2011 through 2013, all tied to Martin Logistics, a trucking company which she owned and operated. According to the indictment, Martin allegedly set forth a plan to phase out Martin Logistics after it became burdened with tax debt in order to make herself, and Martin Logistics, uncollectable to the Internal Revenue Service. Martin allegedly directed one of her employees to open a new company, TSA Transportation, which would serve as Martin’s nominee trucking business. Beginning January 2013, contracts for trucking services were primarily bid under TSA Transportation’s name, but the income TSA Transportation received was directly deposited into a bank account for another entity that Martin owned and controlled, A.F. Martin. Additionally, Martin placed Martin Logistics’ assets, including trucks and trailers, into the name of yet another Martin-owned company, Martin Global. From around 2013 to 2018, Martin allegedly directed approximately $18 million in gross receipts associated with TSA Transportation contracts to be deposited into the A.F. Martin banking account. Despite this, Martin regularly failed to file individual and corporate tax returns related to her trucking entities and failed to pay the taxes on her income. Martin also made several misrepresentations to the IRS related to the finances of Martin Logistics. After her fraudulent scheme was discovered, Martin caused several more misrepresentations to be made to the IRS related to the filing status of her income tax returns. Martin allegedly received over $3.6 million in unreported taxable income resulting in her evading the IRS’s assessment of approximately $1.2 million in taxes due between 2013 and 2018. https://ift.tt/VyTE53z Just a week after President Joe Biden's administration began winding down a long road toward marijuana rescheduling, Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would deschedule it entirely. That is, the bill would remove marijuana's "controlled substance" status altogether. Needless to say, after five decades of the federal government treating marijuana like it was cocaine or heroin, things are rapidly evolving with America's favorite illicit drug. Evolving, but not changing. As anyone in trucking knows, the government moves slowly. Previous reporting on marijuana rescheduling highlighted attorney Brian Vicente's sobering commentary that, even if the feds reschedule marijuana, recognizing its medical value and creating a pathway for Food and Drug Administration approval of products derived from it, legitimate and approved prescriptions remain many years down the road. But descheduling it entirely? In light of the Senate's feint in that direction, what might something closer to federal legalization really mean for trucking? And how might required professional driver drug testing evolve to accommodate? Time will tell for certain, but evolution seems inevitable, according to closer watchers, who feel it's time for regulators and trucking companies to really engage with the substance of the national conversation around marijuana. National decriminalization going nowhere fastPaul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, has published extensively on marijuana law, and even its impact on the trucking world, a consistently hot topic. A 2023 American Transportation Research Institute report found 60% of carriers had seen an increase in positive drug tests and test refusals over the last five years, and that 62% of carriers thought new federal regulations were needed to deal with states increasingly legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana. Unfortunately, in Armentano's view, neither the Biden administration's rescheduling efforts nor the Senate Democrats' descheduling would really address the federal regulations that impact trucking. The Senate Democrats' "bill seeks to legalize marijuana, but I think that using that terminology causes undue confusion," he said. "Some people presume the federal government is going to make marijuana legal nationwide, but that's not what the Senate bill would do. That’s not what any proposed federal legislation would do." Instead, the bill would simply repeal the federal prohibition on marijuana, much like when it repealed the short-lived prohibition on alcohol nearly a century ago, he said. Armentano compared "legalized" weed under this bill to alcohol or tobacco. Neither substance is "scheduled" as a controlled substance by the feds, and instead they're each governed by a "50-state patchwork system," he said. Think of each state and/or locale's alcohol-law quirks. Some won't allow Sunday sales, some bar sales at a grocery store. Others, still, sales before a certain time of the morning. "The federal government still provides oversight, specifically involved in tax collection and enforcement of interstate commerce" and rules around labeling, Armentano said, but for the most part, states make the rules on alcohol. Rescheduling, according to Armentano, would not provide states the flexibility to administer cannabis as they see fit, but descheduling would. But he doesn't like the chances of that descheduling bill in the Senate. "It's not going anywhere," he added. "It's symbolic." In either case, he emphasized, marijuana is part of CDL holders' drug tests for other reasons entirely. The substance was "included among the drugs to be tested for" under the DOT's Revised Drug and Alcohol Testing Rule in 1988. Neither rescheduling nor descheduling would remove it from the test. "Those regulations would need to be revisited by either the DOT or by Congress, and a decision would have to be made," said Armentano, in order to change anything about treatment of marijuana there. Yet If rescheduling efforts detailed in the prior report succeed, change could be necessary. Within a decade it's not unlikely that some U.S. truck drivers could hold valid prescriptions for FDA-approved marijuana or CBD, much like today a truck driver can have a prescription for opioid-based pain killers, even test positive for opioids if it's properly documented, without career-killer fears. Driving impaired is an entirely different issue. Driving impaired in any way remains illegal, and no serious regulatory or legislative effort will seek to change that. The problem is that with suspected marijuana use, methods of measuring impairment where it's needed -- at the point of the suspicion of impairment -- aren't nearly where they need to be to ensure accuracy and efficacy at the roadside. Marijuana legalization and the future of drug testingThe state of Massachusetts has allowed recreational marijuana use since 2016, when Dr. Michael Milburn embarked on a quest to find a better way to test drivers for impairment by the substance. In trucking, the notion of a "weed breathalyzer" has been kicked around as a possible silver bullet to solve the thorny roadside testing problem. Instead of ruining a driver's career over mislabeled gas station CBD products, inspectors could test what actually matters: Is the driver impaired by substances while operating the vehicle? Yet both Milburn and Armentano stressed that measuring THC, the psychoactive molecule in marijuana, in breath doesn't prove intoxication, and that there's no effective roadside measuring tool like a breathalyzer. Furthermore, because THC dissolves in fat and not water, it stays in the body for weeks or months. That, combined with marijuana's widespread popularity and availability, makes it the easiest and most frequently spotted drug in urine tests required by DOT. A cocaine user, for example, might use the drug and test negative in three days. A marijuana user might test positive more than a month after using even a small amount. [Related: Does trucking have 'seriously' under-reported cocaine problem?] Almost three-quarters of all positive drug tests in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse are for marijuana. Positive urine tests do not prove that the driver ever stepped on the pedal impaired, according to Milburn. Milburn advocates for an approach to roadside impairment testing different than the seeming panacea of breathalyzers. "If you want to assess cognitive motor impairment, you should do that by measuring cognitive motor behavior," said Milburn, who has 40 years of experience in psychology and research methods. He did a "deep dive into driving impairment literature." There he located the main capacities necessary for driving that are impaired by alcohol and cannabis. He designed an app called Druid "to measure that. It integrates a bunch of different measures into a single impairment score that's highly reliable." The app prompts users to take a series of tests: Tapping little squares and circles that pop up on-screen to test reaction time and cognition, standing on one foot without shaking the phone too much, and others. Users of the app get an impairment score from around 25 to 75. Sober "fighter jet pilots might score around 25, or athletes like gymnasts or figure skaters, super balancers, get really low scores of maybe 28 or 29," he said. "Most people [score] in the high 30s and low 40s. A score of 55 or more generally indicates impairment." Likewise, a score 5 points higher than an individual's baseline can reliably indicate impairment, he added. News editors usually beat fighter jet pilots in terms of poise and dexterity, but this author took the tests and came in at 40. Druid has business customers and resellers of the product that test first responders, warehouse and other infrastructure workers, and Milburn said the tool has been effective so far. For roadside enforcement, the product could be reliable when dealing with someone who hasn't established a baseline previously, Milburn said, with repetition of the tests. (Impaired minds don't learn at the same clip as sober ones.) For maximum reliability, he suggested, drivers could establish their baseline score upon getting their CDL. Real impairment is a difficult nut to crack, including impairment from marijuana use. Milburn noted some big-time cannabis users don't see their scores go down at all when they're high. Furthermore, impairment can come from all kinds of activities, not just drug use. "Research shows actually that people’s reaction time can start slowing two or three days before onset of symptoms of a viral illness," he said. Of course, there's no law against operating a CMV when you're going to be sick the day after tomorrow. "A number of state that have legalized marijuana have wisely moved to also enact changes to state law that greatly change the way workplace drug testing is done," said Armentano. "In states like New York and California and several others, employers can no longer sanction or refuse to hire employees because they test positive for the past presence of marijuana." At the federal level for now, though, there's "not even a whole lot of conversations" around changing drug testing policy, Armentano said. In fact, the one current conversation centers around hair drug testing, which has even less connection to actual impairment. Yet the question of just how to approach the substance, he suggested, is coming for trucking companies and regulators sooner than later. https://ift.tt/VyTE53z As part of its ongoing research into the lifecycle emissions of diesel-powered trucks compared to alternative-fuel trucks, the American Transportation Research Institute last week released a new report on the viability of renewable diesel (RD) fuel as a way to cut carbon emissions in the industry with minimal impacts on operations. The new report looks at RD as an alternative to both traditional diesel fuel and battery-electric (BEV) trucks; the impacts of using RD on the environment, operations and its financial implications; and how the use of RD could be increased in trucking. Download the full report here. Jeff Short, ATRI vice president, said previous research conducted by the group found that renewable diesel “looked a lot better” than battery-electric when considering the full lifecycle emissions, which includes mining for minerals for batteries, production of the trucks, use of the trucks, and recycling/disposal of the trucks. That study found a potential 30% decrease in life-cycle CO2 emissions of a BEV compared to a internal combustion engine truck using diesel, and a 67.3% decrease using renewable diesel in existing Class 8 trucks. The great thing for truck owners about renewable diesel, Short said, is it’s chemically identical to petroleum diesel, so no engine or equipment modifications are needed to existing diesel trucks. This makes it viable for long-haul, over-the-road operations, while BEVs are limited by range, weight and more. “It’s absolutely identical to the diesel made out of crude oil that comes out of the ground,” he said. “It can be mixed in with petroleum diesel in any amount, or it can be used as a standalone.” Bill Aboudi, the owner of 10-truck AB Trucking based in Oakland, California, said he’s currently using renewable diesel in his operation at the ports. He said he’s seen no change in his trucks since going to renewable seven years ago. He also experimented with biodiesel in the past -- an alternative fuel that’s chemically different from petroleum diesel that can be blended to use in existing diesel engines. He said with biodiesel, “the only thing I experienced when switching from regular diesel to biodiesel was I had to be ready to change the filters out. It cleaned up the system really well," early on flushing out build-up caused by diesel fuel. Because of that, "the filters would clog up. As soon as [one] filled up with gunk, I replaced it. After a few months, we were fine.” Since his trucks had already been using biodiesel when he switched to renewable, he wasn’t able to tell if the same would happen with the filters on switching straight from petroleum diesel to RD. He did note, however, that he bought some used trucks recently “and didn’t experience any filter clogging” with RD. California, of course, is leading the charge toward “zero-emission” trucks, with a particular push toward battery-electric since it’s the most readily available truck with no tailpipe emissions. The state was planning to ban new diesel trucks from registering to operate at the ports at the beginning of 2024, butthat mandate is on hold, for now. [Related: Do fleets need to comply with California's now-halted diesel ban?] Aboudi said, however, that the state “is not taking steps up the ladder, they’re jumping straight to the top of the building.” With renewable diesel, “if it helps not only because it’s renewable but it cuts down on particulate matter, these are the baby steps we need,” he added. Short noted that fleets he’s talked to on the West Coast that use exclusively renewable diesel “have less soot, for instance. Thus, they have fewer maintenance requirements that they have to take care of because it’s burning cleaner.” RD vs. BEV: Environmental impactsATRI's analysis looked at both the environmental and operational impacts of RD compared to battery-electric trucks. Environmentally, ATRI’s research found that when comparing a 150- or 250-mile BEV -- which are currently available today -- to an internal combustion engine using renewable diesel, the RD truck has 29.9% lower life-cycle CO2 emissions than the 250-mile BEV, and 27.8% lower life-cycle emissions than the 150-mile BEV. “It’s a completely different level that RD is able to reach,” Short said. “Generally, when you look at everything, you can say RD has at least 50% lower emissions that BEV, assuming BEV could actually do the job today’s diesel truck could do. But they’re not doing that kind of distance.” ATRI also looked at a hypothetical fleet of three trucks, offering five scenarios for life-cycle emissions:
“The shift from RD to BEVs is going to create harm,” Short said. While CO2 is a big factor in emissions reduction, regulators are also looking to reduce air pollutants, such as particulate matter (PM) and NOx, which come from the tailpipe. This is often the biggest reason cited for moving to BEV trucks, because they have no tailpipe emissions. That is the case, yet ATRI noted that those pollutants are released during vehicle production along the supply chain, typically in other countries. Based on ATRI’s research, producing a BEV truck results in NOx emissions that are nearly 10 times higher than producing an diesel truck and PM emissions 7.5 times higher. RD vs. BEV: Operational considerationsLooking at the operational benefits, the results are clear-cut, Short said. “There is no change” with RD operations. “It does the same thing. It can go as far as it used to be able to go” with petroleum diesel. Mileage is one big limitation to BEVs currently, in addition to a lack of charging infrastructure nationwide. Currently-available Class 8 BEVs can go between 150-250 miles between charges, while a diesel truck, with or without RD, can go over 1,000 miles between fuel-ups. ATRI found that 77% of Class 8 trucks in the for-hire trucking industry drove more than 250 miles a day on average in 2022. Another use case for RD over BEV is in the weight of the trucks. ATRI’s report states that one Class 8 BEV currently on the market weights 4,000 pounds more than its diesel counterpart, yet can only travel 230 miles per charge. Even with the Federal Highway Administration’s 2,000-additional-pound allowance for BEV trucks, this truck is still losing 2,000 pounds of cargo capacity. In previous research, ATRI modeled a Class 8 BEV sleeper truck with trip ranges of 500 miles or more between charges, and that truck weighed 13,800 pounds more than a diesel truck. “The added weight, whether it is 4,000 pounds or 13,800 pounds, will impact the amount of revenue weight a BEV truck can haul,” ATRI said in its report. “The conundrum is that the heavier the truck battery, the longer and farther the truck can drive; but with larger batteries the truck can carry less revenue-generating cargo.” [Related: Analysis: California not ready for its own EV mandates] RD vs. BEV: Cost comparisonAccording to a Department of Energy analysis in 2022 looking at the cost differences between a BEV and ICE Class 8 long-haul truck, the BEV truck analyzed had an up-front purchase cost of $457,000, while a comparable diesel truck had a cost of $160,000 -- a nearly $300,000 difference. [Related: CARB's new small-fleet electric truck finance effort] Fuel costs are another consideration. Diesel prices depend on the price of crude oil globally, which are impacted by geopolitics and more. Electricity prices are generally regulated by public utility commissions, of which there are more than 3,000 across the country. Electricity prices have also been on the rise across the U.S. in recent years. In large cities, ATRI said electricity costs have increased 29.1% since January 2020. “Unlike diesel prices, electricity prices may vary considerably by time-of-day and day-of-week, adding further uncertainty to costs for trucking,” ATRI said. “For trucking, these prices may also have additional demand charges to cover the cost of extending electricity infrastructure.” Renewable diesel is still an emerging fuel type, but ATRI said feedstock prices will be the determining factor in RD prices. Subsidies currently play a role in RD prices. In California, RD prices are almost identical to petroleum diesel prices because the RD price is subsidized by California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard carbon credit program. [Related: Electric-truck purchase incentives present big challenges for small fleets, owner-operators] Renewable diesel is made from feedstocks of vegetable or animal products, such as vegetable oil, animal fat, and used cooking oil. ATRI’s research found that large trucks consumed about 36.12 billion gallons of petroleum diesel fuel in 2023. The U.S. as a whole consumed about 2.8 billion gallons of RD last year -- a 67% increase over 2022. The California Air Resources Board reported that 73% of RD consumed in the U.S. was sold in California. At the beginning of 2023, the U.S. had 17 RD plants in 11 states with a production capacity of 3 billion gallons per year. ATRI also found that U.S. production capacity of RD increased nearly 280% in the two years from January 2021, when there were only six plants in the U.S., to January 2023. The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that domestic RD capacity will again more than double between the end of 2022 and the end of 2025, from 2.6 billion gallons per year to 5.9 billion gallons per year. The University of Illinois has also forecasted that RD production capacity will increase to 7.4 billion gallons per year after 2025. ATRI’s report noted that some diesel refineries are converting to RD refineries, further increasing capacity. “This is happening today, not sometime in the future,” Short said. “This isn’t building new power plants,” like what will be needed for a full transition to battery-electric trucks. “There’s the conversion of refineries, but that’s a much lower barrier to moving forward with this compared to building new power plants, putting up new transmission lines, or installing hundreds of thousands of truck chargers across the country.” Short said that the 3 billion gallons of RD currently produced in the U.S., if it were all used in long-haul trucking, would be enough to power 296,000 trucks for an entire year. [Related: Will battery-electric trucks end up a ‘black eye’ on environmental benefits?] https://ift.tt/VyTE53z Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, May 8, 2024: New Jersey ups minimum liability insurance levelsLegislation in New Jersey signed into law in January by Gov. Phil Murphy will double the liability insurance minimum for truck owners to $1.5 million. The extent of the increase’s applicability is unclear, however. The bill, introduced in 2022, was passed by the state assembly and senate early in January and signed by Murphy shortly thereafter. It adds language to existing state liability insurance requirements to require for commercial motor vehicle owners to maintain "an amount or limit of $1,500,000, exclusive of interest and costs, on account of injury to or death of, one or more persons in any one accident or for damage to property in any one accident.” The law states the requirement can "be satisfied by a commercial automobile insurance policy, fleet insurance policy, commercial umbrella insurance policy, commercial excess insurance policy, similar insurance policy, or any combination thereof." The federal minimum for liability insurance for interstate motor carriers, of course, is $750,000, though that has been under fire in recent years as medical bills and other expenses have ballooned. A bill introduced in December in the U.S. House, after past similar legislative attempts, would increase the federal minimum from $750,000 to $5 million. As for New Jersey’s new law, the increase will take effect on July 1 and will apply to all liability insurance policies initiated or renewed on or after that date. The language of the law is unclear as to whether it applies only to New Jersey-based carriers, or if it also applies to out-of-state carriers operating in the state. The text of the law reads that the liability minimums apply to "owners or registered owners" of vehicles “registered or principally garaged” in the state. The International Registration Plan brings out-of-state carriers into question, as the IRP includes New Jersey. Transportation law firm Scopelitis noted when the bill was signed into law in January that there was “no indication in the legislation that it is intended to apply only to intrastate New Jersey operations,” adding that “[t]here appears to be indirect evidence that the intent is that the new higher minimum limits under this legislation will apply to all commercial vehicles within its scope, whether in interstate or intrastate operations.” In a March update, Scopelitis noted that it’s “unclear the extent to which it may apply to trucks in interstate operations with plates issued pursuant to the International Registration Plan. New Jersey has yet to offer clarification regarding the target of enforcement or how enforcement will occur.” Scopelitis told Overdrive Wednesday that the firm expects the New Jersey Department of Insurance to issue a bulletin to clarify how the new law will be enforced, but that has not yet been released. [Related: Congress again eyes massive trucking insurance hike] FMCSA denies fleet’s request to allow CLP holders to participate in under-21 pilotThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has denied a petition from Pitt Ohio Express that would allow it to use drivers under the age of 21 who hold a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) to participate in the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program. Currently, drivers under 21 who hold a CLP are limited to intrastate operations. The SDAP program allows registered motor carriers to use apprentice drivers between 18 and 20 years old with a CDL under certain circumstances. Pitt Ohio’s request sought to allow CLP holders to participate in the program. Under the requested exemption, the CLP holders would still need to meet all the remaining apprentice requirements, as well as the existing regulatory requirements for CLP holders (such as presence of a valid CDL holder in the passenger seat). Pitt Ohio estimated that 25 CLP holders would operate under the exemption each year. The company said it believes the exemption would relieve them of “difficulty locating and recruiting apprentice drivers into [the] SDAP Program.” [Related: Transportation spending bill aims to improve under-21 pilot participation] In denying the request, FMCSA said that it found “there is insufficient basis to conclude that the exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level achieved without the exemption.” The agency added that the “SDAP’s purpose is to determine whether there are conditions where safety data indicate younger drivers (18- to 20-year-olds) might be allowed to operate CMVs. Congress authorized SDAP, opening the pilot to those 18- to 20-year-olds who hold a CDL, not a CLP.” By granting the request to Pitt Ohio, FMCSA added it “could potentially put young and inexperienced drivers in a position of high responsibility, potentially exposing them and surrounding drivers to crashes and incidents involving CMVs. The agency therefore believes that Pitt Ohio’s prospective apprentice CLP drivers should not be legally permitted to operate CMVs in interstate commerce if less than 21 years of age.” [Related: Meet Will Dodson, among the first 'graduates' in the under-21 pilot program] Trailer telematics offering launches as independent companyFleetPulse, a trailer telematics offering started by Great Dane in 2019, is now launching as an independent company following $11 million in seed funding. The company also announced that former Uber Freight executive Carl-Christoph Reckers will serve as its CEO. FleetPulse’s OEM-agnostic telematics platform enables end-to-end visibility into trailer and cargo safety and security. Development on the platform started in 2017 to address Great Dane’s own need to improve trailer data insights. In working with fleet customers, many of whom operate trailers from multiple OEMs and need to digitize and leverage data across their entire trailer fleet, the need to build the technology platform as a standalone, independent company became clear. Reckers previously served as Vice President of Operations at Uber Freight, where he oversaw the cloud-based freight management for midmarket customers, temperature-controlled freight and flatbed freight, as well as the drop-trailer program “Powerloop.” Prior to Uber Freight, Reckers was co-founder and CEO of the logistics technology company FR8Star. “I’m excited to join FleetPulse at this inflection point as we scale to serve more fleet customers,” Reckers said. “We have a huge opportunity ahead of us to transform the trailer from a black box to a smart and strategic asset. Building on our incredibly deep roots in the trucking industry and strong tech talent, we are uniquely positioned to create visibility into this underserved area of the supply chain and help our customer unlock the safety and efficiency improvements needed to accelerate their business.'' FleetPulse’s trailer telematics platform digitizes and creates visibility on the trailer, allowing for many trailer-related improvements in safety, reliability, cargo security, and efficiency that are unattainable with traditional, tractor-focused telematics solutions, the company said. Its streamlined approach better informs operations, maintenance, and investment decisions, the FleetPulse added. [Related: Telematics beyond ELD systems: Promise, redundancy and real expense/uptime benefits] https://ift.tt/Vx7Dn41 The annual Roadcheck inspection event is less than a week away. Set to focus this year on drug/alcohol possession and the important tractor-protection systems to maintain braking capability in the event of an air loss, the event will feature plenty full Level 1 inspections all around North America. Our colleagues at CCJ last week hosted a rapid-fire Q&A with Roadside Inspection Specialist Jeremy Disbrow of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, putting (in many cases) your questions directly to him. There's a strong current in the results of that talk around just what to expect from the event's focus, and if you missed the Bestpass-sponsored online seminar last week, Overdrive readers can now access it on demand via this link. Or for a quick hit on some of the highlights, catch CCJ Editor Jason Cannon's distillation of some of Disbrow's answers here. ROADCHECK ARRIVES MAY 14-16. If you missed CCJ's AMA with CVSA Inspection Specialist Jeremy Disbrow, click below to receive a recorded version. We received almost 300 questions and this 60 minutes could be a powerful tool in getting and keeping your trucks compliant. As far as this year's focus areas, Disbrow sought to dispel the notion among some attendees that state and federal law enforcement might be conducting random drug and alcohol checks at roadside or at the scales during the event. "That's not part of the initiative," he said. "As far as random testing or anything, no. They're just looking for signs of impairment, just like they would on any traffic stop: slurred speech ... all the indicators that, whether you're in a car or a truck, they'd be looking for." That's Roadcheck generally, of course -- in many ways a routine matter for inspectors -- yet often with more scales open and fully staffed. At once, that's not always the case in all jurisdictions, as "Mustang" Mike Crawford's run from Missouri to Chicago clear down to Florida last year during Roadcheck revealed. Most scales he passed over the few days' worth of the event were "closed, locked up, nobody home," as he put it repeatedly in this audio diary of sorts: Disbrow elaborated on what to expect from impairment checks during Roadcheck this way: "They're going to be looking for signs and symptoms of impairment, just like they always do while they're talking to the driver. It's nothing different, they do that all the time, whether you realize it or not. While they're doing that, they're also looking for drugs and alcohol that are sitting there in plain view anywhere inside the cab. That's a great opportunity to see what's going on inside the truck. So it's more of a hypervigilance thing, but it's not really anything different, it's what they're always looking for." As Alex Lockie reported in conversation with Disbrow about Roadcheck early this year, too, though, Disbrow sought to emphasize relatively new federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse checks inspectors would be reminded and urged to run on every driver. "A large portion of the focus is, in the United States, on the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse," he said. "And in every inspection, inspectors are asked to query the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse" to "make sure that drivers aren't prohibited" from driving due to a positive drug or alcohol test. For those of you who employ drivers, he added, let that serve as a reminder to check drivers periodically in the Clearinghouse "to make sure that there's no prohibitions and they're not putting somebody behind the wheel that they shouldn't be." [Related: 'Fun' with safety and compliance? Low-hanging fruit to avoid drug/alcohol Clearinghouse violations] Find more detail on what you can do yourself to double-check viable operation of your tractor protection system in the on-demand seminar via the links above, but also in this story, where Disbrow outlined inspectors' way of testing the system. They're also detailed in this CVSA bulletin, and the checks have been routine parts of the Level 1 for years. Below, find resources on inspection trends and tips, likewise truck maintenance and more, from recent history in Overdrive.
https://ift.tt/Vx7Dn41 Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, May 7, 2024: Bill requiring accident reporting from USPS contractors passes U.S. HouseA bill that would require the United States Postal Service to increase its oversight of trucking contractors passed in the U.S. House last week. The bipartisan bill, dubbed the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act, would require USPS to collect, track, and publicly report information related to deaths and injuries resulting from traffic crashes involving vehicles transporting mail. It was introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) and co-sponsored by Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky). According to a press release from Connolly, over the last three years at least 79 people have been killed in crashes involving trucks contracted by the Postal Service. The Wall Street Journal has also reported that USPS did not track and report serious crashes involving its trucking contractors. “For too long, the Postal Service has taken an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to truck safety,” Connolly added. “This legislation is about saving lives and protecting families on our nation’s roads. I am thrilled we’ve taken this big step toward getting it to the President’s desk, and I want to thank Chairman Comer for his continued partnership on that front.” In May 2023, Connolly urged the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate the safety of freight contract trucking practices at the Postal Service. The OIG released a report in response to Connolly’s request, which found that the Postal Service doesn’t have a written policy requiring the tracking of trucking contractor accidents and fatalities. The OIG’s No. 1 recommendation was that USPS establish a method for tracking contractor accident and fatality data and establish corresponding written policies and procedures for such a tracking system. The Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act would codify that recommendation by requiring the tracking and reporting of serious crashes and fatalities related to the transport of U.S. postal mail. Under terms of the legislation, crash reports submitted to USPS would be required to include detailed information describing, at a minimum, the crash -- including the date, time, location, nature of the crash -- information identifying the contractor, number of injuries, fatalities, and any contributing factors to the crash. USPS would also be required to maintain an updated internal database that includes information related to injuries and deaths from crashes involving vehicles transporting mail, as well as release an annual public report summarizing fatal and injury crash data. Contractors who don’t report crashes within the deadlines outlined by the bill would be subject to “appropriate penalties,” including fines, suspension of contracts or termination of contracts. Notably, the federal government already collects much of the information the bill would require contractors to report for Department of Transportation-recordable crashes (those involving a tow from the scene, an injury, or a fatality). The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's CSA Safety Measurement contains a public record for such crashes incurred over the last two years for every interstate authorized trucking company in the nation, in fact. Rep. Connolly's office said USPS didn't know how many contract carrier accidents involved serious injuries or fatalities because it didn't track that information, even though it is often publicly available. The bill, his office said, would ensure USPS better oversees its contractors. [Related: ELDs and highway safety: Crashes, injuries, fatalities up post-mandate] FMCSA extends Key Bridge emergency declarationThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday extended the emergency declaration that was issued in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. The declaration was first issued by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on March 26, the day of the collapse. Due to FMCSA regulations, emergency declarations from state governors can only be effective for 14 days. As such, FMCSA extended the declaration on April 4 through May 8. Now, the agency is extending the declaration for another month, through June 8. As reported, the extension applies to operations providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts related to the collapse of the bridge and partial closure of the Port of Baltimore. Direct assistance does not include transportation related to long-term rehabilitation of damaged physical infrastructure or routine commercial deliveries, after the initial threat to life and property has passed, FMCSA noted, or mixed loads with a nominal quantity of qualifying emergency relief added to obtain the benefits of this emergency declaration. [Related: Port of Baltimore reopening timeline proposed] Direct assistance includes:
Carriers and drivers transporting equipment and supplies related to immediate repairs to the roadways and navigable waterways adjacent to the Port of Baltimore and transportation related to the removal of wreckage and debris from the navigable waterways providing access to the Port of Baltimore are granted emergency relief from the maximum driving time regs is 49 CFR Part 395.3. Drivers transporting re-routed commodities are allowed up to two additional hours on their daily maximum driving time, along with drivers transporting fuel in the areas specified above. The full declaration can be found here. “FMCSA intends to continually review the status of the emergency, including the status of the partial closure of the Port of Baltimore and adjacent navigable waterways and the relief granted under this Extension of Emergency Declaration,” the agency said. “As necessary, FMCSA may take action to modify this Extension of Emergency Declaration, including modification of the transportations and commodities covered by the Emergency Declaration, and to extend or terminate the Emergency Declaration if conditions warrant.” [Related: FMCSA explains the HOS waivers around Baltimore's bridge collapse] I-17 closures planned for this weekendDrivers hauling on southbound Interstate 17 in the north Phoenix and Anthem, Arizona, areas should plan for a closure of the freeway this coming weekend (May 10-13) as a pavement improvement project begins in the area. The Arizona Department of Transportation said the I-17 pavement project between State Route 74 and Happy Valley Road will require several closures and weeknight lane restrictions in the coming months. The first closure is scheduled for I-17 SB between SR 74/Carefree Highway and Loop 303 from 10 p.m. Friday, May 10, to 5 a.m. Monday, May 13. Southbound I-17 on-ramps at Daisy Mountain Drive and Pioneer Road also will be closed. The primary detour for the closure is for traffic to travel west on SR 74 to southbound Lake Pleasant Parkway and eastbound Loop 303 to access I-17. ADOT will provide additional information in the coming days about future closures along either north- or southbound I-17 in areas north of Happy Valley Road. Crews on the I-17 project will initially remove a top layer of older, worn asphalt pavement before beginning work to smooth the remaining concrete surface. https://ift.tt/Vx7Dn41 This 2018 Peterbilt 389, operated by James Erickson, is a "pure heavy-haul truck," he said, double-framed with twin steering boxes, 20,000-pound steer axle, 20,000-pound pusher axle and 46,000-pound rear axles. The rig, powered by a tuned 605-hp Cummins X15 with an 18-speed, sits on a 310-inch wheelbase with a 5-foot spread on the pusher and drive axles. The trailer, which belongs to Walters Transport out of Pipestone, Minnesota, is a custom-built, 80-ton Trail King with a 3-4-2 axle setup and a low transition for backing under different machinery. All stretched out, the length of tractor and trailer is 131.6 feet, Erickson said. [Related: Owner-op trucks for family in his custom 2015 T660] Click here to see more photos of reader uploads or to submit your own. For custom-equipment features delivered to your email inbox, subscribe to Overdrive's weekly Custom Rigs newsletter via this link. https://ift.tt/BNPUA3G |
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