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Owner/Driver / November 6, 2015 Australia's transport ministers ignore calls to stop overtaxing trucking operators. The nation’s transport ministers have delivered a slap in the face to the trucking industry by agreeing to overcharge operators by more than $500 million in registration and fuel fees. Transport ministers met today as part of the Transport and Infrastructure Council to discuss heavy vehicle charges and decided to stick with the existing system despite knowing it has led to trucking operators paying too much. The trucking industry urged ministers to reduce fees to make up for years of overcharging, but they decided instead to freeze the revenue from charges at 2015-16 levels for the next two years. A communique from the meeting says registration and fuel fees "will be adjusted appropriately during this period". Trucking operators will be overcharged by about $200 million in 2015-16, meaning the decision to freeze revenue at current levels will ensure overcharging keeps occurring. "As a result of this decision, truck and bus operators will be overtaxed by $250.2 million in 2016-17 and $264.8 million in 2017-18 – in total, a $515 million hit on an industry filled with small businesses working on wafer thin margins," Australian Trucking Association (ATA) CEO Chris Melham says. The National Transport Commission (NTC) told ministers back in 2014 that overcharging was going on and reforms to the system were needed. However, ministers are clearly not satisfied with the NTC’s recommendations and have asked it to complete further work on the issue. "Ministers requested the National Transport Commission investigate and report back to it with options to advance the methodology to better balance heavy vehicle charges and government revenues," the communique from the ministerial meeting says. "This decision will ensure that governments can maintain the quality of roads and services that support the heavy vehicle industry." Melham, who was an observer at the ministerial meeting, says the ATA argued strongly against a freeze to government revenue. The ATA has also taken issue with a government plan for trucking operators to fund the future activities of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) through registration and fuel charges. "I also told ministers that any future increases in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s budget should be paid for by governments, not industry, given this half billion dollar hit to road transport," Melham says. During the meeting, transport ministers also discussed changes to chain of responsibility contained within the Heavy Vehicle National Law, such as adding primary duty of care provisions covering operators, prime contractors and employers. "The HVNL needs to be streamlined and safety prioritised through the introduction of a general duty that applies to trucking operators, consignors and all other chain parties. By doing this, governments could remove large numbers of prescriptive rules that impose high compliance costs and prevent businesses from innovating," Melham says. "I’m very pleased that ministers have agreed to a series of changes along these lines, including major improvements to the way roadworthiness is handled. The ATA looks forward to working closely with the National Transport Commission to develop the fine detail of the reforms." Ministers also agreed to continue work on a harmonised risk-based heavy vehicle inspection regime and to release expenditure plans to show how revenue from registration and fuel charges is being invested. "These measures provide transparency around the costs of services being delivered to heavy vehicle operators and are a key achievement along the path to reforming heavy vehicle investment and charging arrangements," the communique says. The council discussed the implementation of an online map of national key freight routes, a process that started two years ago. "The council agreed to Australia’s first ever national key freight routes map in November 2014 and the new online version brings transport mapping into the digital age," the communique says. Ministers discussed advances in transport technology systems and South Australia’s decision to conduct the country’s first on-road trials of driverless vehicles. "The council agreed it was important to share learnings across jurisdictions; have a view on future challenges; and work towards harmonised standards and regulation to ensure that Australia is well positioned to adopt new technologies," the communique says.

Driving the 2017 ISX15 with SmartAdvantage powertrain Truck News / November 6, 2015 Having recently completed a coast-to-coast tour in the US and Canada showcasing its prototype 2017 ISX15, Cummins joined Eaton this week in Michigan to allow the first editor test drives and to announce the launch of a new SmartAdvantage powertrain. Michael Taylor, general manager, global powertrain with Cummins, said the 2017 engine has already been well tested, even though it won’t launch until late next year. He said it has already accumulated more than nine million miles in real-world customer applications, which is equal to 4,000 trips from coast to coast. Early indications are that the engine will excel in the four key areas customers care about: uptime, fuel economy, driveability and maintenance. Taylor vowed the 2017 ISX15 will deliver the best fuel economy and lowest overall total cost of ownership in the industry, even when compared to 13L engines. Asked how a larger, heavier engine can compete with a more compact 13-litre in terms of fuel economy, Taylor said, “With a big bore engine like the 15-litre ISX, you are able to take advantage of the low-end torque and you’re able to lug the engine down to a lower speed. As you go lower in speed, you reduce frictional losses and improve your overall parasitics, so you’re actually operating in a more efficient range of the engine. With a big bore engine you have the opportunity to utilize that low-end torque and therefore get higher efficiency compared to a smaller engine, where you’re not capable of lugging down as far and therefore have to run at higher speeds, which generates higher friction.” Taylor also noted 15-litre engines tend to last longer and maintain a higher residual value than 13-litre engines. The truck I drove on some Interstate highway and secondary roads near Marshall was equipped with the 2017 ISX15 and SmartAdvantage powertrain. The SmartAdvantage combines the ISX with the Fuller Advantage Series automated manual transmission. The overdrive transmission features a small, 26% step between ninth and tenth gears, allowing for quick shifts and the ability to easily and efficiently pop back and forth between the top two gears so the transmission is always in its most efficient gear. “The small step between ninth and tenth gives us the opportunity to switch between ninth and tenth and keep the engine right in the sweet spot,” Taylor explained. “It’s okay to downshift. It’s switching gears fast enough and selects the most efficient gear based on all the data exchanged between the engine and the transmission.” Taylor said this is an ideal line-haul spec’, where engine cruise speeds would average 62 mph or higher. During my drive the transmission did change frequently between ninth and tenth gears. We were loaded to about 65,000 lbs and cruised at about 1,150-1,200 rpm. All SmartAdvantage powertrains are limited to gross combination weights of 80,000 lbs, making it an ideal spec’ for north-south runs into the US but posing some limitations for higher-payload domestic routes within Canada. The SmartAdvantage powertrain with small step technology can now be ordered with 400- and 420-hp ratings, in addition to the 450-hp initial offering. The 2017 ISX15 carries over all the latest features Cummins offers on its current product. These include: vehicle acceleration management, which limits power on acceleration to save fuel; SmartTorque2, which senses vehicle weight, grade and operating gear to slect the appropriate torque output; and SmartCoast, which disengages the driveline when coasting downhill to save fuel. Cummins officials were reluctant to divulge specific changes that have been built into the 2017 product, but those details will be available closer to the official launch date. The engines available to drive this week were prototypes, but fairly advanced in the development cycle. During their joint press event here this week, Cummins and Eaton also announced availability of a new SmartAdvantage powertrain featuring a 10-speed direct drive transmission. The new offering, intended for regional haul and LTL applications with average road speeds of less than 62 mph, gives the SmartAdvantage broader coverage of the industry. While the small-step overdrive SmartAdvantage readily jumps between the two top gears to ensure maximum efficiency, the 10-speed direct drive is inclined to grab and hold tenth gear to maximize the time spent in more efficient direct drive. The direct drive SmartAdvantage features faster rear axle ratios (2.26, 2.28 and 2.39 ratios are available, while the small step overdrive version offers rear axle ratios of 2.64 and 2.78). “One of the key enablers of this technology is the release of 2.26 and 2.28 axles, which gives us the opportunity to downspeed our direct drive transmission,” explained Ryan Trzybinski, product strategy manager, commercial powertrain, Eaton. “With those axle ratios, we can run our direct drive as low as 1,240 rpm at 65 mph – not quite to the overdrive level, but running in direct drive brings new features and opportunities to us…In regional haul applications with slower speeds and where you’re able to maintain and hold top gear, direct drive can give you an advantage over our SmartAdvantage small step.” Generally speaking, direct drive transmissions, with their ability to transmit power directly through the main shaft without parasitic losses, are more efficient than overdrive transmissions. But throw in some hills and higher average road speeds and an overdrive transmission could provide better performance, which is why Cummins and Eaton are now pleased to be able to offer both solutions. The two companies first announced their SmartAdvantage integrated powertrain in 2014, touting a 3-6% fuel economy advantage compared to their existing products at that time, which weren’t yet fully integrated. The addition this year of SmartCoast has added another 2% in fuel savings, the companies say. Having expanded the SmartAdvantage options available, Cummins and Eaton have also revamped their joint Web site. Customers can now access more tools and information at www.SmartAdvantagePowertrain.com to determine which configuration is best for their application.

Heavy Duty Trucking / November 6, 2015 Oakley Transport is adding Bendix collision-mitigation, full-stability, and side-object detection systems on around 300 new Volvo tractors, the carrier has announced. Specifically, the carrier will equip the new trucks with the Bendix Wingman Advanced collision-mitigation system along with the Bendix Electronic Stability Program system and the Bendix BlindSpotter Side Object Detection system. Around 250 of these trucks are already on the road with the majority being deployed by the end of the year. “Oakley Transport places a premium on safety,” said Peter Nativo, Oakley’s maintenance director. “Safety is the most important of the four service standards that guide our company, and it’s ingrained in everyone here. The Bendix technologies are another integral part of our safety offerings and they’ve already proven to be a wise investment.” Of the 250 trucks already equipped with Bendix Wingman Advanced, only one has been involved in a rear-end collision since late 2013 while 250 trucks without the system recorded eight such collisions. “In one example of how well Wingman Advanced works, the system helped one of our drivers avoid running into a set of tandems that were sitting on the highway in a low-light situation,” said Nativo. “Before our driver saw the wheels ahead, the system detected the hazard and gave the driver a three-second visual and audible stationary object warning, allowing him to take evasive action.” Based out of Lake Wales, Fla., Oakley is a liquid bulk food-grade carrier with 500 trucks and 770 trailers in its fleet. It serves the U.S., Canada and Mexico. To find out more about Bendix’s safety systems, click here.

Taking Cummins' 2017 ISX15 diesel for a drive Fleet Owner / November 6, 2015 Fleets and trucking companies have more options for integrated Cummins-Eaton ISX15 SmartAdvantage Powertrains, including a new direct drive ratio. To highlight that, the companies let reporters drive some tractor-trailers sporting different SmartAdvantage configurations Wednesday, Nov. 4 — two of them, for the first time, with Cummins' 2017 ISX15 diesel being readied for the market to meet new emissions standards. Some of the trucks came from Cummins' Redefining Tour fleet showcasing the capabilities of the current and upcoming ISX15 engines. The tour trucks together logged nearly 77,000 miles in the United States and Canada. Mario Sanchez-Lara, director of on-highway communications and technical sales at Cummins, said the tour made believers of the drivers involved — including one who he said found the new trucks' fuel economy, ease of operation and comfort so convincing it opened up the possibility of returning to a former career as an owner-operator. While the companies wouldn't yet talk specifics about fuel economy of the 2017 engine, Mike Taylor, Cummins' general manager of global powertrains, said Cummins expects the new ISX15 will provide "best-in-class uptime with best-in-class fuel economy." Also, "with maintenance — and I can't say a whole lot more about this — it's going to be game-changing," he said. SmartAdvantage portfolio expanded New SmartAdvantage Powertrain options include direct drive transmissions that optimize performance and fuel economy for regional and less-than-truckload carriers whose trucks cruise at speeds below 62 mph, according to Cummins and Eaton. SmartAdvantage small-step overdrive powertrains, which are aimed at line-haul applications with cruising speeds above 62 mph, are now available with additional horsepower ratings. When the SmartAdvantage Powertrains were released for 2014, the companies claimed they provided fuel economy gains of 3-5%, noted Ryan Trzybinski, Eaton's global product strategy manager for line haul commercial powertrains. "We keep saying how we're not done — this is a collaboration," he said. "Since then, we've added SmartCoast, which is a neutral-coasting feature, and we're up another 2% in fuel economy. We have done testing, and we're up to 7% [fuel economy advantage] over competitive integrated powertrains," Trzybinski contended. Cummins and Eaton have continued to refine the SmartAdvantage integrated powertrains by sharing more data between the engine and transmission, he explained, adding, "That's part of what enables us to increase fuel economy and give the performance we can; we're optimizing our shifting for each environment." The direct drive transmission options include 2.26 and 2.28 axle ratios with ISX15 engines rated at 400 and 450 HP and use engine down-speeding to maximize fuel efficiency. The original small-step overdrive powertrain also employs down-speeding technology and has a 2.64 axle ratio and ISX15 with a 450 HP rating; the small-step tranny configuration is now available with ISX15s with 400 and 420 HP ratings. With the small-step powertrain's 2.64 axle ratio, "that's going to cruise in the 1,140 [RPM] range," Trzybinski said. "And now with the direct drive with those axle ratios we mentioned, we can run a direct drive as low as about 1,240 RPM at 65 mph. So we're getting down not quite to the overdrive level in terms of down-speeding, but you're also running it in direct, which brings in some new opportunities. "We're the only integrated powertrain to offer both" the direct drive and small-step overdrive transmission options, he added. "If you're going to go faster, like your typical line haul, and spend more time in top gear, the small-step SmartAdvantage product that we've had available since 2014 is still going to be your best fuel economy option," Trzybinski said. "But if you're going to go a little slower, maybe with a cruise speed of 62 mph and below, our options with the SmartAdvantage direct drive transmission perform better from a fuel economy standpoint."

If the U.S. Navy wanted to conduct top secret operations allegedly involving the test firing of a Trident II missile from the ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky, given they have the entire Pacific Ocean to work with, or the Indian Ocean (the secretive Diego Garcia) for that matter, why would they instead force commercial aircraft flying in and out of LAX (one of the country’s busiest airports) to take alternative routes for a week and send the alleged missile over Orange County, California? What were they really doing? Was the object actually a U.S. missile? In a convoluted way, the event reminds one of when the government authorized the military to use the population of San Francisco as unsuspecting human guinea pigs for germ warfare experimentation in 1950 (and other US cities, from the 1940s thru the 1960s), a direct violation of the Nuremberg Code which stipulates that “voluntary, informed consent” is required for research participants, and that experiments which might lead to death or disabling injury are unacceptable. Of course, what they admitted to, and what they were actually doing, are quite possibly two different things. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB1003703226697496080 http://www.businessinsider.sg/the-military-tested-bacterial-weapons-in-san-francisco-2015-7/ .

Meanwhile, Germany has come to its senses about the nightmare that Merkel has created. Berlin has announced that the hundreds of thousands of Syrians entering Germany will NOT be granted asylum or refugee status. Syrians will only be allowed to enter Germany for ONE YEAR, are barred from having family members join them, and will only enjoy “subsidiary protection” which limits their rights as refugees. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/06/germany-imposes-surprise-curbs-on-syrian-refugees --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Year resolutions of the United States. 1. No to Middle Eastern refugees freely entering the US......they can apply to immigrate thru the normal process (they're actually from all over the place.......over half are not "refugees" at all) 2. All illegal aliens in the US must be immediately deported, and black-listed from legally immigrating to the US in the future, the penalty for their crime. Intentionally entering the U.S. illegally shows a character flaw that we don't need more of. 3. The U.S. citizenship of all birth tourism babies over the last 10 years must be revoked. The founding fathers did not intend for foreigners to fly to the US (and even US territories like Saipan) to give birth, so the child's family could use this means (loophole) to immigrate later.

John Q. Public, are your tax dollars being spent by your Washington employees as you intended? “Really ambitious goals” about increasing the number of U.S.-bound refugees??? I don’t recall discussing or approving any “really ambitious goals”. It's not up to the White House to decide how many, if any, Middle Eastern refugees may come to the US. The decision is up to the American people. You have to hand it to the State Department though. They are brilliant at keeping 90 percent of their work off the radar of their boss, the American people. They generally are clueless about the antics of the State Dept around the world, which have caused America's reputation to sink to an all-time low. One can't lead without being respected, and respect is earned by demonstrating a wide range of admired traits. --------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. to open new screening centers for Syrian refugees - State Department Reuters / November 6, 2015 The Obama administration is moving to increase and accelerate the number of Syrian refugees who might be admitted into the United States by opening new screening outposts in Iraq and Lebanon, administration officials told Reuters on Friday. The move comes after President Barack Obama pledged in September to admit an additional 10,000 refugees in 2016 from Syria, torn by four years of civil war and disorder. The U.S. State Department confirmed the plans to open a refugee settlement processing center in Erbil, Iraq, before the end of 2015, and to resume refugee processing in Lebanon in early 2016, said spokeswoman Danna Van Brandt. The White House would not say how many additional refugees it may take in beyond the 10,000, but two senior administration officials said they are seeking ways to increase the number. "We want to be in a place where we can push out really ambitious goals," said one of the officials, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity. The State Department runs nine screening centers worldwide that serve as meeting points for refugees and U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees who have to decide who is suitable for resettlement in the United States. The additional centers will double the number available to refugees in the Middle East. Most Syrians are now screened for potential U.S. resettlement at centers in Istanbul and Amman, Jordan. The new centers are designed to "increase the channels" the United States has for reaching Syrian refugees, the official said. Homeland Security workers stopped traveling to Lebanon to meet with refugees when the facility there closed over a year ago due to security concerns. That closure sparked outrage among refugee advocates who say Lebanon holds the largest number of Syrian refugees, most of whom live in poverty because it is illegal for them to work. Lebanon announced last month, however, that it would no longer accept Syrian refugees except in special cases. Amid a tide of refugees in Europe, some congressional Democrats and refugee advocates say the United States should do more for Syrians who often make dangerous journeys to lands where they have no home or means of employment. Some Republicans have raised concerns that allowing more Syrians into the United States jeopardizes national security. "We have little or no information about who these people are ... no ability to determine whether they are radicalized," Republican Senator Jeff Sessions said at a hearing on Oct. 2. Another senior administration official told Reuters that the United States is also encouraging other countries to contribute more money to the United Nations' effort to help refugees. The administration is also looking to increase aid to Syria's border countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey as they take in millions fleeing the war, the official said.

I apologize for making BC homesick but this is a smashing program. Hopefully those pills can help him through it. If he leaves a note under his wife's pillow this week and reappears at Maritime, I'm not responsible.

Eaton showcases low-speed tech, offers advanced service tool to more facilities Fleet Owner / Novermber 5, 2015 Eaton showed off new low-speed technologies and announced broader availability for its advanced-function service and diagnostics tool yesterday at its proving grounds facility in Marshall, Michigan. The low-speed maneuverability features — which allow for more precise, controlled incremental movements of heavy trucks — are optional on the power management company's UltraShift PLUS and Fuller Advantage automated manual transmissions. They're available at no additional charge and are "easily configurable" with Eaton's ServiceRanger 4 PC-based diagnostic and service tool, according to the company, and will be accessible in the Standard and Professional ServiceRanger packages by the end of the year. The new low-speed features are called Urge to Move and Blended Pedal. "This year, we really made push to enhance our low-speed performance," said Ryan Vigithakumara, product strategy manager for Eaton's heavy duty/vocational lineup. He added that the two features are "fundamentally different than what we've offered in the past targeted at low-speed maneuverability." Urge to Move This Eaton feature essentially can make a heavy truck with one of the applicable automated transmissions creep forward like a passenger car with automatic transmission would when the driver takes his or her foot off the brake pedal. It can make for better ease of use for the advanced driver, according to the company, but can be a particular help for less-experienced drivers and those "really anchored in that passenger car-style feel" — potentially a boon for fleets struggling with driver turnover and a limited pool of driver applicants. "In Urge to Move, when you release the brake pedal, the transmission will — as quickly as it can, safely — ramp the clutch to a lock position. So it's automatically entering what we would call 'creep mode' in the past," said Vigithakumara. "But there's a technical advantage," he added. "Because we are only starting to ramp that clutch when you release the service brake, there's no fighting the truck when you're on the brake pedal. When you're on that brake pedal, you can be assured that you're holding the truck and you're not having any untoward motion." Blended Pedal Vigithakumara contended that Blended Pedal allows a driver to manipulate the clutch in the automated manuals by positioning the accelerator. It may be a welcome addition especially for "that two-pedal driver who's moved to automation, but misses that clutch pedal and wants that manual-style control," he said. "The way it works is while you're going through the first portion of the pedal, we're able to hold the engine at idle and allow you to manipulate clutch slip. That allows you to move at speeds well below full lockup and gives you the ability to position [the truck] a half-inch, one inch, two inches at a time in forward and reverse, when enabled," he told reporters. With Blended Pedal enabled, drivers can accelerate out of that super-slow maneuverability mode because Eaton added a "dead pedal" band: the driver simply throttles the engine speed above idle to return to a normal drive mode. The feature comes in handy, according to Vigithakumara, in situations such as trying to precisely control the discharge rate out of a mixer chute without increasing the rotation of the truck's drum. "We can do that with clutch slip. It's something that manual drivers have always enjoyed, but you lose when you start moving to automation; that's what we've been able to change with the introduction of this feature," he said. ServiceRanger 4 expansion The Blended Pedal and Urge to Move features can be "unlocked," so to speak, using Eaton's proprietary service and maintenance tool, ServiceRanger 4. The company is deploying advanced functionality of the tool to fleets and aftermarket repair facilities that have the ServiceRanger 4 Standard and Professional packages, whereas previously this capability was available only to OEM dealerships and fleets. "Within the ServiceRanger packages, we have a transmission shift mode configuration that allows you to set any one of these features [blended Pedal and Urge to Move] in the drive modes you're comfortable selecting. You can choose to turn on a blended and manual or urging manual, for example," said Vigithakumara. The additional capability is available at no charge for ServiceRanger 4 users, but customers that have only the tool's Basic package or don't use it will need to go to a dealership location, which may charge a fee to update trucks' transmission configurations. "It really allows fleets to tailor their trucks individually, if they'd like to," pointed out Tony Truelove, global marketing communications manager at Eaton. Features of ServiceRanger 4 include the abilities to: ● View active and inactive fault codes; ● Create and review service activity reports; ● Run specialized tests for difficult-to-determine issues; ● View "real-time" vehicle data parameter values; ● Update vehicle product software; ● View service info for Eaton products; and ● Check for automatic updates on products and service information.

Fleet Owner / November 5, 2015 So Navistar announced this week that it’s rolling out a new “Diamond Edge” certification label for its dealership network – a network that encompasses 740 locations across the U.S. and Canada, according to Mark Reiter, the OEM’s VP of customer support. (News release: http://www.navistar.com/navistar/news/) The reason is pretty simple: much like every other truck maker out there, Navistar is turning over every rock it can to figure out ways to maximize vehicle uptime for its customers. And getting dealers to reconfigure their maintenance protocols in order to speed up repairs is critical to that uptime mantra. “The eyes of customer are on uptime; that’s where the rubber hits the road,” noted Michael Cancelliere, Navistar’s senior VP of global parts and customer service during a conference call with reporters. He said the rule of thumb among most customers is that it costs $1,000 a day to have a truck down in the shop and thus not running on the road. “And that’s on the low side,” Cancelliere stressed. “So while all our strategies are important – offering more fuel efficiency packages for our trucks, for example – uptime is the one we really need to be aligned around,” he added. Other OEMs are pursuing the very same goal: witness for example the efforts of Mack, Volvo, Peterbilt, and Kenworth in the uptime arena. Yet while Navistar’s uptime strategy is aimed at getting trucks serviced faster – aiming for a “virtual triage” on a vehicle to be completed no later than two hours after it enters the shop, noted Reiter, with an accurate diagnosis and estimated “fix time” provided to the customer – it’s also aimed at making dealerships truly “one stop shops.” Reiter pointed out, for example, that a key linchpin to the “Diamond Edge” certification program is that dealerships be linked into the OEM’s OnCommand Connection telematics system rolled out two years ago. “We’ve got 170,000 vehicles now linked to OnCommand, and more than half of them are our competitor’s trucks,” he said. “One critical point of this program is that we prevent customers from having to take their truck from shop to shop to shop to get repairs completed. So now if there is Cummins engine or an Eaton transmission issue, the diagnostic trees are available through OnCommand so our dealers can work on them.” Reiter also noted that all this focus on vehicle uptime applies equally to Navistar’s heavy- and medium-duty product portfolio alike. Interestingly, he added that the “Diamond Edge” effort isn’t really “new” either, as the OEM pilot tested the program among its Canadian dealerships two years ago and has, by now, put all of its 740 dealer locations through its training protocols. “By the end of the first quarter of next year we’ll be ready to publish the list of dealers certified under the program,” Reiter said. However, he stressed that such “certification” will only be granted to those dealerships that meet the programs service time metrics, not whether they’ve made all the required investments and procedural changes. “If it doesn’t all come together on the back end – if the repair isn’t performed according to the metrics we’ve established – then we’ve missed our customer expectations,” Reiter noted. “But so far the program is working; we’re seeing significant improvement in average dwell time and 24 hour repair cycles. We’re very pleased with collaboration we’ve received from dealers; it demonstrates that we’re all together in our commitment to uptime improvement.”

Owner/Driver / November 5, 2015 The R730 is given plenty of trailers and weight to handle in remote Western Australia. There are a few brands that come to mind when it comes to hauling road trains in some of the more far-flung corners of the Australian continent. However, the image of a bug-splattered, multi-trailer combination rumbling down an Aussie red dirt road typically features a square snouted prime mover and a North American badge on the radiator grille. So with the Western Australian (WA) harvest in full swing, we jumped behind the wheel of a Scania R730 recently to see how the most powerful on-highway truck on the Australian market performed with a king-sized load on its back. Are all those horses just pampered Euro ponies? And just how does a Euro prime mover handle dirt tracks, broken asphalt and country highways with three trailers behind it at a gross weight of over 115 tonnes (253,532 lb)? The answer was a surprise indeed. The R730 we drove belongs to Esperance Freight Lines (EFL) which is owned and operated by Michael Harding, who, having grown up around the business, is no stranger to trucking in southern WA. These days the EFL fleet numbers 73 prime movers and 300 trailers and half of those trucks wear the Scania chook on the front. The 8x4 Scania rides on airbags from front to back and this would also be the time that I’d driven a heavy duty truck with load sharing air-suspended steer axles. Behind the big Scania was a three trailer C-Train tipper combination, the WA interpretation of an AB-triple with the B-double set at the front and a tri-axle dolly and dog trailer at the back. With concessional loading for harvest this whole combination is good for an 80-tonne legal payload. This makes a gross weight of 121 tonnes which would no doubt would be a good test of the R730’s 16-litre V-8. This year’s harvest is a bumper one for the Esperance grain growing region with 3.3 million tonnes of grain expected to be stripped. EFL has 26 trucks dedicated to harvest work as well as using subbies over the season. Most of this grain will be trucked back to the CBH terminal at Esperance before being shipped from the port. We loaded on a property in the Wittenoom Hills area, 65km north east of Esperance. The truck and trailer combination was just two weeks old with the odometer showing just over 4,400km on the clock. With the load on board and the tarps rolled over I rumbled through the paddock toward the road to town. The C-train combination is relatively compact at 36.5m long and tracks very nicely. The 12-speed Opticruise AMT held the gear changes back as we rolled along the dirt tracks until we got some momentum up. But out on the country dirt road I gave it some more gas and let the big donk knuckle down and work. At this point I thought it might be interesting to play with the transmissions three different performance modes: standard, eco and power. The eco mode actually worked quite well even at this weight, jumping up a cog around 1,500rpm and dropping back to 1,050rpm. Even then the big bent eight had enough grunt to haul the tacho needle back up for the next gear change. Power mode held the gear changes for longer, giving about 1,900rpm before the next change. However, the middle of the road standard setting did the job just fine using rpm where needed but letting the momentum of the combination give it a helping hand where possible. The stability and handling of the air-suspended twin steer axles was superb, even on dirt and rough, broken blacktop. Where some twin steer set up can feel like you are hitting every bump twice, the Scania setup let larger bumps roll though the front end without a double impact. Given the short drawbar between the dog trailer and the rest of the combination I was expecting that rear trailer to be a little jittery at highway speeds. But, given the stability and ride provided by the front end, the dog trailer tracked along nicely with very little sway on the rough stuff. Getting up to speed brought out a hairy chested, if muted, exhaust note that I’d never heard from the big banger before. It really was hauling. However, the 3,500Nm of torque could be most felt once it was cruising on the highway at 95-100km/h. The Scania only gives you peak torque in the top two gears of the Opticruise gearbox. This meant the big V8 did a sensational job of highway hills, reducing transmission down changes. It simply rolled along, lugging down where needed but maintaining a good average speed. If the V8 was the star of the show, the Scania retarder wasn’t too far behind it. A bit of forethought on approaching an intersection meant I could pull up the rig, keep my foot off the brake pedal and keep the R730 rolling even at such a large weight. It really was impressive. I’ve been guilty in the past of saying the R730 is more an exercise in vanity rather than a serious heavy hauling contender. However, my drive in the big Swede really did open my eyes to the capabilities of the smooth performing Scania powerhouse. .

Note the American Coleman front drive axle on the B-75.

As the planetary population has grown to massive levels, there inherently are a massive number of vehicles and industries spewing pollution into the air. There is a very real global pollution problem. However having said that, I would be satisfied if every vehicle in the world today, actually and 100 percent of the time, met Euro-4 emissions (roughly EPA 2004), and all diesel fuel in the world didn't exceed 50 PPM sulfur content. It's impossible to describe how dirty India and Pakistan are......most of the trucks are Euro-1 or Euro-2, not to mention buses and cars. Countries in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, plus the Philippines, Indonesia and South Africa, are still Euro-2. Some countries are still Euro-1. .

Los Angeles Times / November 5, 2015 At a laboratory in downtown Los Angeles, a big rig spins its wheels on massive rollers as a metal tube funnels its exhaust into an array of air quality sensors. Engineers track the roaring truck's emissions from a bank of computer screens. The brand-new diesel truck is among the cleanest on the road, the engineers at the California Air Resources Board testing lab say. Even so, its 550-horsepower engine spews out more than 20 times the smog-forming nitrogen oxides of a typical gasoline-powered car — and that won't be good enough for the state to meet stricter federal smog limits adopted this month. Cutting ozone, the lung-damaging gas in smog, to federal health standards while meeting state targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions will require a radical transformation of California's transportation sector over the next two decades, air quality officials and experts say. Millions of new electric cars must replace gasoline-powered models. Buses will have to run on hydrogen fuel cells. New technologies and cleaner fuels need to proliferate quickly to slash pollution from trucks, cargo ships and trains. "We have to go to zero tailpipe emissions," said Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. "There's really no other solution." The changes will fall heavily on vehicles because they are the dominant source of air pollution in California. The largest reductions must come from the heavy-duty sector that transports goods through ports, freeways, rail yards and warehouses. The diesel-powered freight system emits 45% of the smog-forming pollution in the state and lags behind passenger vehicles, which have reduced tailpipe emissions dramatically over 50 years of smog-fighting regulations. The transition is beginning with automobiles. A 2012 Air Resources Board mandate aims to put 1.4 million zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2025 and requires them to account for one in seven new car sales by that year. In one scenario under consideration by the agency, the number of electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles would increase to 5 million and 40% of new car sales by 2030. About 160,000 zero-emissions vehicles are on the road today in California — just 0.5% of the passenger fleet. To reach air quality and climate change targets, technology being pioneered in cars must eventually be scaled up to trucks and other heavy vehicles. In July, Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to establish "clear targets" to transition California's freight system to "zero-emission technologies." That won't be easy, state regulators say. But one advantage for California is that it can lean on many of the same efforts needed to meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Those carbon-cutting policies should simultaneously reduce levels of ozone, fine-particle pollution and cancer-causing diesel soot. Some of those measures are outlined in a recent Air Resources Board report that projects California can reduce transportation-related pollution to meet air quality and climate change targets over the next 15 years with cleaner fuels, vehicles and energy sources. For heavy-duty vehicles, diesel engines will continue to dominate through 2030, the report says, but under even tougher emissions rules. "While today's trucks are significantly cleaner than their predecessors, we'll need new engine standards that are about 90% cleaner," said Karen Magliano, chief of the air quality planning and science division at the Air Resources Board. Chris Shimoda, policy director for the California Trucking Assn., acknowledged the industry "is way behind light-duty cars in terms of the introduction of zero-emissions technology." That's in part because the because the state Air Resources Board has not yet adopted zero-emissions requirements for freight, Shimoda said. But heavy-duty trucks also face higher technological hurdles and "the engineering challenges of trying to get a battery-electric or hydrogen fuel cell truck that can haul 80,000 pounds across the country." "It's going to take time to introduce that technology," Shimoda said. A key driver of the changes is the nation's worst ozone pollution in Southern California, which can reach over 100 parts per billion in inland valleys. Ozone, linked to asthma, heart disease and premature deaths, is formed when pollution from motor vehicles, power plants and other combustion sources cooks in the heat and sunlight. Though air quality has improved markedly in California, the smoggiest regions — the South Coast basin and the San Joaquin Valley — have so far failed to meet a series of federal ozone standards going back to 1979. Regional air quality regulators say they must cut smog-forming nitrogen oxides at least 75% beyond existing regulations to meet a 2037 deadline to clean the air to the new federal ozone limit of 70 parts per billion. Environmentalists say Southern California officials are not acting quickly enough. The obstacles are so great that air regulators and transportation planners "have to get a lot more aggressive," said Adrian Martinez, an attorney for the environmental nonprofit Earthjustice. Martinez wants to see zero-emissions lanes on freeways and electrified corridors for trucks hauling cargo in and out of the ports. "We need to get this stuff going now because these projects take decades," he said. Barry Wallerstein, executive officer of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, is optimistic that the region can meet ozone standards through improvements in diesel engines and new technology, such as hybrid trucks powered by overhead catenary wires. "We shouldn't underestimate ingenuity and ability to continue to further reduce emissions," Wallerstein said. When pressed on the Southland's failure to meet previous air quality standards, he said, "we need to pick up the pace." Wringing enough pollution out of trucks and other cargo-moving vehicles to get Southern California's ozone levels down to 70 ppb will require a "paradigm shift" to battery-electric and fuel cell technology, said Scott Samuelsen, an engineering professor who directs the Advanced Power and Energy Program at UC Irvine. The key question, he said, "is how to make an economically viable transition of a freight industry that's evolved with diesel engines." Some of those changes can be seen at the Port of Long Beach, where crews have finished building the first half of a $1.5-billion terminal that unloads, stacks and sorts shipping containers using electric cranes and driverless, battery-powered vehicles instead of diesel-burning yard tractors. "We're looking to expand use of electricity," said Art Wong, a spokesman for the port. "This terminal is going to be the first." Back in downtown L.A., where the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is testing heavy-duty trucks, lab manager Keshav Sahay put the difficult task ahead in simple terms: "We have to do more."

Commercial Motor TV - sponsored by DAF Trucks / November 2, 2015

Transport Engineer / November 5, 2015 Commercial vehicle recovery and heavy plant transport specialist CMG has taken delivery of three new Euro 6 DAF XF 460 FAS Super Space Cabs, the first of their kind in the UK, plated at 90-tonnes gtw. The Newport Pagnell-based firm’s new heavy recovery trucks have been supplied with Boniface Interstater Mark 6X under-lift recovery bodywork. DAF Trucks and Boniface pooled their engineering expertise to match what they describe as an exacting specification that included a 25-tonne rear bogie comprising two equal 12.5-tonne capacity axles (a hub-reduction drive axle and a rear lifting tag), and a fully-fitted, under-lift body equipped with high-pressure air-bags and all ancillaries. CMG operations director Mark Cowan explains that the new units – two replacements and one addition – join 20 existing Euro 5 DAF trucks in CMG’s 78 strong fleet, which also runs DAF Telematics fleet-wide. “We’ve always run DAFs,” he says. “Our past experience has instilled a high degree of trust in both the product and the aftersales support. “DAF’s premium-duty heavy chassis gives us the ‘big three’: durability, reliability and economy,” he adds. However, for Cowan, it’s the economy from the latest Euro 6 Paccar MX-13 engine that’s been outstanding: “8.5mpg, including an hour on tick-over with the PTO kicked-in, is phenomenal,” he says. The company, which also carries out plant and car transporter operations, has also ordered a new Euro 6 DAF XF 510 FT Low-Deck tractor unit and an accompanying Kässbohrer covered car-transporter trailer. “We’re very pleased indeed with the aftersales support from Brian Currie,” adds Cowan. “It’s a partnership we’ve nurtured together over many years, and it means we understand each other’s expectations.” The new trucks have been delivered with five-year DAF MultiSupport R&M contracts, managed through local DAF dealership Brian Currie, in Milton Keynes. .

Renault Trucks Press Release / November 5, 2015 Renault Trucks has a specific solution for customers carrying hazardous materials, perishable goods and chemical products. The Renault Trucks T tanker has been configured to meet these activities’ stringent demands in terms of payload and safety. Transporting hazardous materials or perishable goods is subject to specific requirements. To satisfy its customers’ needs in these areas, Renault Trucks has developed a Tanker version of its Renault Trucks T vehicle (International Truck of the Year 2015). This has been specially configured for light weight and enhanced safety features benefitting both payload and driver. In order to make unladen weight as low as possible, thereby increasing payload, the Renault Trucks T Tanker is fitted with aluminium rims, air and fuel tanks as well as a lightweight fifth wheel. Furthermore, a number of non-essential elements such as door extensions have been eliminated. Overall, this enables the payload of a Sleeper Cab version to be reduced by as much as 270 kg compared with a standard T vehicle. It features an obstacle-free right hand side member allowing complementary specific equipment to be fitted, according to these activities’ rfequirements. As far as safety for the load and the driver are concerned, the T Tanker also features a new Tyre Pressure Monitoring System as standard. This allows the driver to constantly monitor tyre pressure from the dashboard, thereby avoiding any risk of under-inflation which could result in burst tyres. This system also makes it possible to optimise fuel consumption and tyre durability. The tyres fitted as standard to the T Tanker boast the highest performance on the market in terms of braking distance. The Renault Trucks T Tanker is also equipped with the Protect pack as standard combining the speed regulator with the Adaptive Cruise Control (AAC) which maintains a safe distance between vehicles, the turning lights, automatic light activation, xenon headlights, headlight washers and tyre pressure monitoring. Finally, the T Tanker has earned ADR* certification allowing it to carry all types of hazardous materials and is therefore equipped with a bumper protecting the exhaust line, a battery cutout and an orange torch inside the cab. * European Agreement concerning international haulage of Hazardous Materials (http://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/adr/adr_e.html). .

State wants to prevent closure of Lehigh Valley Kraft plant The Morning Call / November 5, 2015 The news out of Kraft — then called Kraft Foods Group Inc. — in August 2013 was very different than the blow delivered by the company Wednesday, when it announced it will shutter its Upper Macungie Township plant and put 415 people out of work. At the time, then-Gov. Tom Corbett heralded Kraft's announcement of a $35 million investment in its Upper Macungie Township facility to add four production lines pumping out products for single-serve coffee-making equipment, saying Kraft was "helping to put Pennsylvanians back to work." The expansion, aided by a $200,000 Pennsylvania First Program grant, was expected to add at least 45 jobs. Now, the state could claw back some or all of that grant if it can't reverse the company's decision to close the plant. Lyndsay Kensinger, spokeswoman for the state Department of Community and Economic Development, said the company, now called Kraft Heinz, will undergo final monitoring for the $200,000 grant in March 2016, at which time the specific potential clawback amount will be determined. But first, Pennsylvania is hoping it can change the company's mind — or at least reach a compromise. After learning of the closure, Kensinger said, Gov. Tom Wolf instructed his Action Team, a team of economic development professionals, to meet with Kraft Heinz officials to explore opportunities to prevent the closure of the plant or establish a plan to market the facility and secure a new employer at the site. State Rep. Gary Day, R-Lehigh, echoed that sentiment in one of his own, hoping Kraft Heinz will reconsider the closure and give state officials an opportunity to address their concerns. "To ensure efficient and effective operations, it is my hope that they realize the strategic geographic location of Upper Macungie Township, which is located within an eight-hour drive of one-third of the country's population," said Day. Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said the company's goal is to identify a buyer for the facility over the next 12 to 24 months before the factory closes. According to Lehigh County property records, the roughly 1 million-square-foot facility on almost 92 acres at 7352 Industrial Blvd. in Upper Macungie has a total assessment of $12.8 million. The plant makes a variety of products, including condiments such as A.1. Steak Sauce and Grey Poupon mustard. It also makes on-demand coffee products for Keurig and Tassimo. Kraft Heinz brought bad news to more than just the Lehigh Valley community Wednesday. The Upper Macungie plant is one of seven manufacturing facilities in the United States and Canada that will close as part of a downsizing that will shed 2,600 jobs. The six other plants slated for closure are in Fullerton and San Leandro, Calif.; Federalsburg, Md.; Ontario, Canada; Campbell, N.Y.; and Madison, Wis. Production at those plants will shift to other factories in North America, Mullen said. Meanwhile, in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Sen. Charles Schumer on Wednesday announced an agreement with Kraft Heinz to save three of its upstate plants. The deal includes a matching capital investment from the company and the state in the three plants. Still, Kraft Heinz decided to close its Campbell plant but, according to New York state, will "work with state, federal and local officials to help find a strategic buyer for the facility that would keep the plant open and retain the 393 jobs." Kraft completed its merger with H.J. Heinz in July, creating the third-largest food and beverage company in North America. Since the acquisition closed, the combined Kraft Heinz Co. — co-headquartered in the Chicago area and Pittsburgh — hasn't wasted time in eliminating costs. Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, which engineered the deal with billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, has a reputation for deep cost-cutting measures, and executives have said they expect to save $1.5 billion in annual costs by 2017. In addition, shoppers are increasingly demanding fresher, less-processed food — putting additional financial pressure on food companies. In August, the cuts began with the company announcing it would eliminate about 2,500 salaried jobs, including 700 in Northfield, Ill. And on Wednesday, the cuts moved to manufacturing, chopping the Upper Macungie plant that benefited from $200,000 in state funds. Economic experts with Harrisburg think tanks such as the Commonwealth Foundation and the Keystone Research Center say subsidies to big companies like Kraft Heinz are wrong, especially when the business has no firm ties to the area. So when hearing that Kraft Heinz made the announcement to close a plant that had received state money just two years earlier, Bob Dick, policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, wasn't surprised. "It's the risk that you run when you hand out these special subsidies," Dick said. Even if the state recovers some or all of the $200,000 grant it dispersed to Kraft Heinz, it is still using resources trying to get back money it handed out in the first place. Stephen Herzenberg, executive director of the Keystone Research Center, said giving out subsidies to individual businesses is the wrong approach to economic development. That money, he said, could instead be spent on improving employees' skills. "The bottom line is industrial recruitment, handing out a check to a company, might have been cutting edge in Mississippi in 1953, but it's old and bad practice in Pennsylvania in 2015," Herzenberg said.

Fleet Owner / November 5, 2015 When asking truckers why they do what they do, a common theme emerges With all the changes in trucking regulations and their impact on small and micro-trucking companies, there are many pundits in the industry who are saying owner-operators and micro- and small trucking companies are coming to the end of their days. That’s as far from happening as saying the squabbling and finger-pointing between political parties in Washington is going to come to an end. Both are solid American institutions from which the principles of this nation are derived. Any student of American history knows that it took the Founding Fathers nearly 10 years of arguing, pointing accusatory fingers, debate, discussion, and disagreement to reach a compromise we call our Constitution. Ironically, regardless of their political ideology, each of these founding individuals was the epitome of what America still stands for today: innovators, inventors, creative entrepreneurs in their given trades and professions. Now, let’s jump ahead to 2015. As proof that the American entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well, we just need to look at the small independent trucking business person. For a series of articles in Fleet Owner’s sister publication American Trucker, we asked several small independent truckers what they liked best about trucking. Here are some of their responses: “I love this industry most because it’s an unspoken brother/sisterhood. The level of respect is at its highest OTR. I love the challenges this type of load presents, and there are always new challenges with just maneuvering roads and into job sites.” —Rebekah Meadows, O/O for JGR Inc “I enjoy meeting new customers, and being able to meet and exceed their expectations—and perform an excellent relocation for them.” —Roy Richards, Farley Brothers of Lancaster “It’s the freedom of hauling the loads I want, at the rate I need and the places I want to go.” —Randy Bellrose, BellaRosa Transport “It’s still about the people I meet. A lot of things have changed over the years; at one time, the camaraderie was disappearing, but it appears that it’s coming back. As with anything else, if you don’t have a solid foundation, you will not survive in my industry.” —Gilbert Archuleta, Archuleta Transport “I enjoy the customers and good old-school people with great values with which we deal.” —Jeremy Jansen, Triple C Express “The ability to get customers’ freight where and when they need it.” —Thomas J. Sisson, EAS Trucking “Household drivers deal with different customers every move, so it’s never the same job twice. Every move is unique in its own way, and you get to meet all kinds of wonderful people.” —Bob Hirchak, Nor-Cal Moving Services “I love the driving and being in a different place almost every day. Also, I enjoy meeting new people all the time.” —Keith “Palerider” Lawson, O/O Central Hauling “I feed America and keep her alive! There’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that goes along with that.” —Ben Lujin, O/O Ankle Pik Why do these people enjoy trucking? It’s about the people, the lifestyle and the service each of these professionals provide. It’s not about the money earned; it’s about providing a service that America needs. That’s never going away, as it is ingrained in the American Spirit that’s over 200 years old.

Fleet Owner / November 5, 2015 Better collaboration throughout the supply chain is leading to more driver-friendly freight and higher yields for all involved Collaboration is probably something many trucking companies don’t feel the need to engage in at the moment, especially with capacity getting so tight. And many of their customers and competitors freely admit as much. “We believe that the trucking industry—and the truckload segment specifically—is starting to experience a paradigm shift where carriers will increasingly be in a more favorable position to choose who they serve and who they provide capacity to,” Paul Newbourne, senior vice president of logistics operations for Armada Supply Chain Solutions, says. “In our view, it will be even more important than it has been in the past for shippers and receivers to make sure that they are doing everything they can to present themselves as customers of choice for their carriers,” he stresses. “At the core of this is shippers finding ways to help deliver improved efficiency to their carriers while at the same time generating value for themselves.” It’s not quite so one-sided, though, because many fleets are finding that just getting more money to haul freight might not be nearly enough to solve the myriad cost issues facing them. Jett McCandless, founder and CEO of CarrierDirect, an advisory firm to trucking and logistics providers, explains that there is little appreciation for the steep increase in motor carrier costs over the last six years. In percentage figures, he indicates that while trucking rates are up 9% since 2009, the cost of trailer and tractor parts is up 14%; the cost of tires is up 50%; the cost of trailers has increased 18%; the cost of tractors is up 11%; and driver compensation, broadly defined, has increased 16%. Erik Malin, executive vice president at CarrierDirect, adds that his firm projects the overarching theme for the freight industry is that truck capacity is not going to get better. “Driver pay, especially, is just not where it needs to be,” he says. “Some say it needs to be between $60,000 and $80,000 to recruit millennials.” Thus, in the view of some fleets, the potential magnitude of trucking rate increases required to address those cost issues may be too large for shippers to take all at once. As a result, that’s spurring the use of more collaborative initiatives, explains Derek Leathers, president and COO of TL carrier Werner Enterprises. “We lagged for a time [on rate increase] because we fixed shipment issues,” he explains. “We collaborated with shippers; we worked together to find yield for us and service and capacity for them.” Leathers stresses that from here on out, “we have to price for shipper practices” in terms of the impact they may have on Werner’s 9,000 drivers. “We recognize turnover at an account level now,” he says. “We cannot afford to put drivers in a situation where we’ll lose him or her over [shipper dock practices].” Safety with sharing Armada’s Newbourne adds that there is a safety aspect to such shipper practices as well. “All the carriers we talked to have a first priority on safety—safety for the public as well as for the safety of their driver,” he explains. “Yet apparently they are still routinely getting loads tendered to them and pressure by certain shippers to do things which would jeopardize safety.” That includes issues like requiring drivers to speed, exceed their hours-of-service limits, or even “run around scales” in order to meet the shipper’s delivery expectations. “This seems like a good opportunity to collaborate to find the right solution to meet that shipper’s needs without exposing a carrier or the public to additional risks,” Newbourne emphasizes. “Every carrier [Armada talked to] also expresses concerns about the treatment of the driver at shipping and receiving locations,” he notes. “They cite regular reports and feedback from their drivers of unprofessional and/or rude treatment by facility personnel as well as a lack of simple, basic necessities, such as access to restrooms or vending services.” To combat those and other issues negatively affecting carrier operations, Armada invested in what Newbourne calls a “field services team” that’s focused full-time on identifying trends and behaviors that add value to the supply chains of Armada’s clients. “They are also responsible for initiating followup to make the necessary improvements by engaging those stakeholders to change process and protocols in order to get better results,” Newbourne points out. For example, he says Armada’s field services team identified a situation where excessive Friday volume spikes created both service and cost issues for a shipper and contracted carriers alike. “They subsequently worked with our [partner] carriers and the shipper to develop a business case that resulted in the shipper opening for a half-day shift on Saturday to accommodate a portion of what had been the Friday volume surge,” Newbourne explains. “This resulted in net savings to our client in the low six figures, strictly as a result of identifying this problem, working together to resolve it, and being able to reduce spot market [capacity] buy in excess of reefer run time.” Newbourne cites another example as a personal favorite. There was an instance where Armada’s field services team identified an excessive loading time situation at origin and excessive trailer drop time at destination. On top of that, the receiver at the destination was actually running the reefer units dry. “By working with both the supplier and receiver, we were able to help the supplier identify some process improvements,” he says. “We not only helped reduce loading time, we were also able to work with the receiver to make them aware of the cost implications of their behavior.” The net result? Lower origin load time, heightened reefer turn time at destination, and a 15% reduction in the cost of servicing that one freight lane. “The key to this solution is the collaborative approach with all of the stakeholders,” Newbourne stresses. “It is critical that they always find a solution that is a win-win for everyone. Now, not all of the wins are equal and sometimes it appears one side might give a little bit more. But everyone needs to win.” Technology is king Certainly, cost savings shared between carriers and customers are a good thing. But can the same collaborative benefits be found for nominal competitors? CarrierDirect’s Malin believes so and cites the acquisition of Coyote Logistics by United Parcel Services earlier this year as an example. On the one hand, he explains that leveraging Coyote’s truckload density will help UPS to limit backhaul and deadhead miles within its own network, while in turn Coyote can now offer a higher service-level product at highly competitive rates to shippers. On the other hand, though, he says the existing relationships Coyote forged with primarily LTL carriers prior to its acquisition benefits UPS as well, as it now gains access to “surge” volumes Big Brown cannot handle during season freight peaks. “The transportation market is really agnostic. That’s why carriers will continue to do business with Coyote because of the value Coyote brings to them,” Malin points out. “Asset network optimization is a massive strategic initiative for LTL and TL carriers in the future because backhaul and deadhead miles are really huge [operating ratio] killers.” He says it also demonstrates that technology is king and will remain the key to unlocking the full value of collaboration. Winning carriers will be able leapfrog dated electronic data interchange systems that are plagued with stale and often misleading data and move in the direction of API or automated program interface technology. “API allows all parties—shippers, carriers, and brokers—access to real-time pricing, capacity, and availability data,” Malin explains. “Similarly, shippers, carriers, and brokers can adjust pricing and operating strategies, on the fly if you will, to maximize profitability by ‘intelligently reacting’ in an automated fashion to the freight market conditions that exist right now and not yesterday, last week, last month, or worse yet, last quarter.” Real-time access Access and reaction to real-time data will separate the winners from the losers in the carrier and broker worlds but will also enable both to maximize return on investment. “This can become a symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationship that can, in turn, help shippers reduce their freight transportation spend through what amounts to continuous supply chain optimization,” Malin argues. Armada’s Newbourne, though, cautions all the parties involved that collaboration is difficult and will remain so. “It reminds me of sustainability initiatives,” he says. “Inherently, it always seems to be the right thing to do. But it is difficult to do, and the biggest challenge is making sure it has an economic benefit.” From Newbourne’s perspective, it also means changing legacy behaviors via collaboration—moving to 24/7 shipping/receiving facilities or using more drop-and-hook operations to improve tractor and driver productivity, he explains. “Another thing that we do is work with our stakeholders to try to optimize what they are actually putting on the truck because we have found that in some lanes they are ordering 22 pallets, but they are not taking advantage of the full cube/weight capacity in the vehicle,” Newbourne points out. “The more efficient the truck, the better utilization you will get out of it and the more loads you get out of it,” he continues. “If you can get better utilization through better turns, you are in a potentially better position to pay your drivers more and buy more equipment without raising your rates.” Collaboration tip sheet Paul Newbourne, senior vice president of logistics operations for Armada Supply Chain Solutions, says there are seven key areas of carrier operation ripe in his estimation for positive change through collaboration with shippers and other supply chain participants. They are: - Carrier load/unload dwell time - Days of the week shipping volumes - Weekend shipping options - Holiday/severe weather planning - Order lead time and date changes - Accessorial cost management - Scheduled shipping programs He stresses, however, that those areas cannot be properly addressed via collaborative undertakings unless the following seven critical points are incorporated: - Safety needs to be a priority focus. - Operations must comply with the law. - Truck drivers need more consideration. - Two-way communication is essential. - Sustainability is everyone’s concern. - Carrier utilization must improve. - Customers must be willing to partner with carriers.

Today’s Trucking / November 4, 2015 When Volvo announced its new Adaptive Loading technology at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March, much was made of its seamless, no-driver-input-required ability to switch between 6x2 and 4x2 operating modes. That was then. Five months later, after having about 200 trucks equipped with Adaptive Loading in use across North America, fleets that employ the technology are reporting a wide variety of other welcome results, including improved fuel mileage; much faster drop-and-hook times; much longer tire wear; greater payload because the system itself weighs about 300 lb less than a standard 6x4 setup; increased traction on wet pavement; easier take offs on snow and ice; and even improved driver retention. In late August, Volvo demonstrated Adaptive Loading system to journalists from across North America and on hand to vouch for the technology were several small and mid-sized customers whose trucks had been equipped with the -technology and whose only gripe with the system seemed to be that it’s not being made available quickly enough. At its simplest, Adaptive Loading involves forward and drive axles and air-pressure sensors that measure the vehicle’s weight and adjust the axles and axle weights accordingly. When the trailer is empty or running very light, the system lifts the forward axle for better fuel economy (and less tire wear). Loaded, the forward axle drops and the system puts more pressure on the drive axle, for better traction. Adaptive Loading was initially aimed at fleets that return with much lighter loads than they go out with, such as bulk carriers. Also, when a driver finds that more traction is required, such as on snowy or wet pavement, the Adaptive Loading lets the rear axle do the heavy lifting. And while most of this is performed automatically, the driver can select “Enhanced Traction” via a dash-mounted switch. Another benefit: Safety when driving on a wet highway. With the front axle lifted, weight gets shifted to the steer axle, enhancing control. One of the fleet owners at the August demonstration said he found that this safety factor alone would convince him to equip his trucks with Adaptive Loading. Shane Law runs Blackfoot, Idaho-based Alpine Logistics. He described what it was like running an empty trailer in the rain with the forward axle raised and the weight on the steers: “It was just like dry roads.” Explains one of the Adaptive Loading architects and manager of product strategy for drivetrain systems at Volvo Trucks Peter Blonde: “When the truck is empty, you might have 2,500 to 3,000 pounds at each of the four wheel positions in a standard tandem axle. When we lift the front axle of the tandem the weight shifts to the steer axle and the rear drive axle, increasing the weight on the drive tires to 5,000 or 6,000 pounds per wheel position.” Volvo Truck’s Product Marketing Manager for regional haul Chris Stadler said fleets are reporting fuel-efficiency gains of between three and five percent; and because the lift axle tires are used far less, customers can expect both steer and lift axle tires to last far longer. Another of the customers on hand was Idaho Milk Transport of Burley, Idaho and one of the owners of the company, Gene Brice, said their trucks outfitted with the system are achieving more than nine miles per gallon. He said he will be replacing most of 150-truck fleet with trucks equipped with Adaptive Loading. (He runs mostly 6x4s). “We used to be happy with high sevens, but now we’re into the nine-plus mile-per-gallon range with 80,000 pounds one way and back empty. I no longer think 10 miles per gallon is out of the question.” “Most of our routes are loaded one way only,” Brice says. “We’re at a fleet average of 37-percent empty miles. When we can lift an axle and save that drag and wear and tear, we’re saving money.” As for fuel economy, Brice says one particular truck just ran a month with a fuel-pumped, miles-run average of 9.64 mpg. Currently, Adaptive Loading is only available with Volvo’s I-Shift transmission; a 405-hp D11 or 425-hp D13 engine and although Stadler says the package will cost “a little more,” he could not be more specific. Volvo expects the system to be in full production in January, 2016. There remains one problem with the system and that is — it’s restricted in some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. Volvo says they are working with officials in those jurisdictions to have the regulations adjusted. Video - Volvo Adaptive Loading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzFoUEqhH0A

Today’s Trucking / November 4, 2015 There are few ways of comparing air disc brakes to drum brakes that discs don’t come out on top. Still, fleet adoption rates in North America hover around 10 percent. That begs the question, are discs too good for their own good? Drum brakes get the job done, so is there any pressing need to look beyond our traditional and proven way of stopping trucks? The short answer to that question would be no—in most cases. The thing with brakes is you never really know how valuable they are until you really, really need them. And brakes never fail in any way that’s less than spectacular. So, if no great need has ever arisen, you can’t be blamed for dismissing the arguably more costly and heavier air disc brake systems as an expensive luxury. As of today, air disc brakes (ADB) carry a premium of about $3000, or about $500 per wheel end. Prices varies with the OE, the brand of ADB, size of the order, etc., but that figure is a good ball park. Fleets are right to ask why they should spend that much more on discs while drum brakes are still very much in the game. “The advanced drum brake technology that emerged to meet the U.S. DOT’s most recent stopping distance requirements is more than up to the task,” says Jon Morrison, president of Wabco Americas, suppliers of ADB systems to Hendrickson, Daimler Trucks and others. “If you need additional stopping power or you operate in a severe application, like hilly terrain with heavy loads or in an intense start/stop cycle, discs do provide an extra margin of safety as well as lower maintenance costs over the life of the vehicle.” Let’s break out some of the performance and operational attributes of each brake type. This might help you decide which is best for your operation. Maintenance & Repair Neither brake system is anything close to maintenance free, but both are getting close, at least for the vehicle’s first owner. The idea is to minimize the time, money and effort you spend keeping the brakes working. Discs do reportedly offer some advantage here, but as always, it depends on the application. According to Meritor’s Director of Brakes for North America, Gopi Krishnan, a typical linehaul application with lots of miles and little stop/start exposure brake linings can be expected to last between 300,000 and 350,000 miles and up to 600,000 for the drums. “The normal maintenance cycle for disc brakes is not quite double that of drum brakes in a typical application,” he says. “The pads in a disc brake system should go out to 500,000 or 600,000 miles. The rotors can be expected to last up to 1 million miles. As long as you don’t have to change the rotors, you will most likely see lower maintenance costs and therefore lower overall cost of ownership.” Routine service of drum brakes, such as a reline, can take an hour or more per wheel-end, while a pad change on a disc system can take as little as 20 minutes, in some cases without removing the wheel. Rotor or drum changes can both be somewhat more complicated, but it’s likely that the first owner of the truck would never need to do that. In fact, aside from a pad change, most disc brake systems in linehaul service would likely be traded in—following typical fleet trade cycles—without ever requiring any serious brake maintenance. The same could be said for the premium drum brake installations, but there are other parts to such systems that do require periodic inspection, such as lubricating brake adjusters, checking the clevis pins for free movement and inspecting the linings and drums for cracking, expansion of the linings, oil contamination, etc. One fleet we spoke with said they had seen some water intrusion around the piston seals, which prompted them to increase the frequency of inspections and consider replacing the seals at certain intervals. So, apparently they are not totally trouble free. Canada’s new Annual Inspection procedures (see Today’s Trucking, Oct. 2015) have specific requirements for both disc and drum brake inspections, and the drum brake inspection is more rigorous. Routine inspections for drum brakes can be more cumbersome than discs. With drums, there are several moving parts to inspect and there are more areas for potential wear, including the cam bushings, the return springs, the brake actuators and of course the slack adjusters. Meritor’s Director of Brake Engineering for North America, Joe Kay, says discs require much less in the way of inspection. “With our disc brakes everything is pre-lubed and sealed essentially for life,” he says. “You’ll have to visually inspect the caliper for free movement, but not much more is required and there are fewer moving parts to wear out.” So much for “typical” and “linehaul;” many applications are much tougher on brakes, and probably more frequent brake maintenance intervals. If relines and pad changes are required more frequently, the savings in labor, parts and even downtime over the life of the vehicle could be substantial with disc brakes. Concerns over repairs would follow similar lines until you take into account the reason for the repair. Drum brakes, for as reliable as they are, are still regularly put out of service at rates approaching 20%. Most of the OOS events are adjustment related. With disc brakes, that problem basically disappears. “Today there is not a good way to do a roadside inspection of a disc brake, although that could change in the future,” says Gary Ganaway, director of Original Equipment & Technical Sales at Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. “The disc brake adjustment mechanism is internal to the brake, and not as susceptible to manual adjustment. Provided the caliper is working as prescribed, there’s not much risk of a failed brake inspection.” With the heightened awareness of vehicle defects under the U.S. DOT’s Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) program, minimizing the chances of a failed inspection has greater value than it once did. That exposure is directly proportional to how aggressively a fleet inspects and maintains its brakes. Fleets with good attention to detail may never have a brake problem at a scale. Getting technicians up to speed on ADB is a bit of a hurdle, but it’s not impossible to overcome. “As with any new product, it’s important to conduct training and make sure there’s a thorough understanding of the maintenance practices, but disc brake maintenance is generally easier than that of a drum brake” says Ganaway. “Key maintenance items for disc brakes include inspection during regular PM intervals—looking for damage to boots, ensuring the caliper slides freely, and checking pad/rotor wear.” Performance Back in 2005, when the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to shorten the stopping distance of heavy trucks by between 20 and 30 percent, many people believed it would open the door to air disc brakes. It helped, but at the same time brake manufacturers came up with an advanced drum brake, engineered to develop the increased torque necessary for shorter stops using wider and longer brake lining blocks along with larger chambers. The result was a drum brake that met the stopping distance requirements without forcing the industry over to disc brakes. We’re at a point now where brakes are about as aggressive as they can be without compromising traction. Simply put, when brake torque is greater than road friction coefficient, wheel lock-up will occur. Hendrickson has produced an interesting White Paper called “Understanding Your Brakes: Considerations When Specifying Air Disc Brakes.” The first few pages discuss the dynamics of stopping, as a preface to a discussion about spec’ing ADB in potentially unsuitable applications. The essence of the discussion is no matter how “good’ you can make a brake, there are practical limits to how much you can ask it to do. If the brake causes the wheel to lock up and break traction you have a potential jackknife situation on your hands. With an Anti-Lock Brake intervention, these situations are nearly eliminated, but you’re asking another system to compensate for the overly aggressive brake. It’s to the point now where a disc-brake-equipped 5-axle tractor-trailer combination at 80,000 pounds can stop in about the same distance as a car. Try such a full application stop with an empty or lightly loaded truck, or on wet pavement, and you’ll have lots of ABS activity, which will actually increase stopping distance. Where disc brakes have real potential to outperform drums is in severe service—heavy loads, big hills—or in frequent stop/start applications such as P&D or regional applications. The refuse industry is probably the best-suited sector in the industry from a performance and ROI perspective. They are making hard stops hundreds of times a day with little opportunity for the brakes to cool. Lightly loaded truckload carriers would probably have the toughest case to make from a performance standpoint, although trailers that may not be seen for months at a time, being out there in some drop yard or another, might benefit from a brake that needs very little hands on maintenance. “Applications where brakes are used frequently can see an earlier ROI with disc brakes due to longer service intervals and shorter maintenance times,” says Ganaway. “And most fleets will also experience a reduction in brakes out of adjustment.” These days, when drivers are harder to find the customers, it’s harder to ignore driver preferences, and few would argue against disc brakes. The pedal feel is superior to drum brakes and there’s always plenty of stopping power under foot. That boosts driver confidence considerably, especially with newer drivers. “If I’m a driver and I’m getting out-of-service violations related to brakes, if I could drive a truck that wasn’t going to affect my score I’m certainly going to choose that truck,” says Morrison. “Driver retention has become critical and I see disc brakes as a very positive recruiting tool.” Brake Balance One question that often arises around disc brakes is that of balance. Do you equip tractors but not trailers? Trailers but not tractors? Which do you do first? When one vehicle in the combination has discs while the other does not, there can be balance concerns. The disc-equipped vehicle could do more of the stopping, that is, incur more brake wear, then the other. In a panic stop, ABS will level the playing field to where the more aggressive brakes get more ABS events to prevent wheel lock up. “Performance characteristics of discs and drums are bit different,” says Kay. “Due to their self-energizing capabilities, where the leading shoe grabs the drum first, drum brakes can feel more aggressive at low speeds. Disc brakes tend to apply in a more linear fashion, so they tend not to “grab.” Discs are also more effective at higher speeds and feel better through the pedal. The bottom line is, fleets should consider the balance implications when considering a switch to discs, especially if some larger portion of the trailer fleets is older and more prone to brake adjustment issues.” While each brake has its advantages, disc brakes have some advantages over drums that are definitely worth considering. On the other hand, disc brakes may be more than you really need, and therefore not worth the price premium. As we said from the beginning, the disc brake call is anything but a slam-dunk.

Fleet Owner / November 5, 2015 As North America recoups once-lost manufacturing, prepared fleets stand to gain Hardly an economist hasn’t mentioned it: After Americans watched manufacturing slip away for decades, particularly to cheaper laborers across the Pacific, there’s been a growing trend of it returning closer to home, if not all the way back to the United States. “Nearshoring” was added to the English language in recent years to describe the phenomenon. It continues to gain steam as the evolving demands and conditions of the modern, interconnected market drive opportunity. There were doubts this year that the world’s largest free-trade machine that is North America, still shaking off setbacks of the Great Recession, would be able to keep up with the growth and potential, especially in terms of cross-border transportation and trucking flows. But trucking hasn’t stumbled—and carriers are investing more resources in U.S. trade not only from, but also into, Mexico and Canada anticipating, as one trucking executive tells Fleet Owner, “a bright future” for North American cross-border freight. Where were the doubts? In late 2014, the top commerce officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico helped mark the 20th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with a joint statement of optimism and progress. “Our combined trade relationship is more than $1.4 trillion, and our economic output accounts for more than one-quarter of the world’s [gross domestic product]. The North American economy can out-compete any region in the world,” it reads. Then in January of this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that Mexican motor carriers would soon be able to apply for authority to conduct long-haul, cross-border trucking services in the United States, “increasing economic and export opportunities between the two countries and marking a significant milestone” in promised NAFTA compliance. The agency conducted a pilot program to test a border-crossing program for Mexican carriers but failed to garner enough participants to reach statistical significance, it said. The Teamsters Union—later supported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Assn.—sued to stop the program from moving forward, warning of safety risks. The suit is ongoing, but FMCSA notes that at the end of the pilot program, long-haul operating authority for the participating Mexican carriers expired, and carriers are now allowed to apply for standard/permanent operating authority. Nine were granted permanent authority and four were granted provisional authority; two of the former “voluntarily relinquished” that authority, the agency tells Fleet Owner, and decided to operate only in the commercial zone buffering the border on either side. Since then, only one additional carrier, which has three commercial vehicles transporting mainly textiles, was granted provisional operating authority in early September. Complicating matters, the rising strength of the dollar brought with it concern over whether this year’s available capacity could handle peak U.S.-Mexico seasonal trade demand, which runs from April or May through July and is driven in large part by equipment needed for perishable goods. “The [Mexican] peso has gone from 12.5 to 13 to over 17 to the [u.S.] dollar in a short period of time,” explains Troy Ryley, managing director of third-party logistics (3PL) and technology provider Transplace’s Mexico operation. “So whatever incentives you had to purchase or source out of Mexico, they just became between 25% and 30% more encouraging.” While that makes buying and producing goods in Mexico very enticing, he notes, it also likely makes for a tougher sell—and therefore less movement—of goods in the other direction. Less freight destined for Mexico means less U.S. equipment making its way south to receive and transport Mexican product back up north, creating a potentially large trade imbalance. Meanwhile, in the works since 2006, there’s been a slow transition to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) cross-border freight protocols. The system promises to streamline import and export reporting for clearing U.S. Customs, and while it may bring a learning curve, it’ll also mean more flexibility for cross-border freight’s port of entry and potentially faster rerouting in case of backups. Hecho en Mexico Despite those would-be barnacles on the ship, U.S.-Mexico trade is healthy, and Mexico is booming as a location for nearshoring manufacturing and the opportunities that come with it, according to trucking executives. In the post-recession years, several tell Fleet Owner their companies have seen—and expect to see again this year—growth near or into double digits in their Mexico-U.S. cross-border business. Further, it’s not only in trucking but in other forms of transport. Intermodal freight is also growing, Ryley says, and Mexico has experienced an uptick in freight entry via ocean as an alternative entry point for goods made in Asia as U.S. West Coast ports have been prone to holdups due to labor strikes and include some of the most problematic highway corridors in the country for trucks to navigate. But clearly, some of the most impactful growth is coming from manufacturing springing up in Mexico. There are a number of factors driving that, says Lance Dixon, senior vice president of Werner Enterprises’ Mexico and Canada divisions. There’s speed to market, or “how fast a product can be produced and put on a shelf,” he notes. It takes a matter of days to come into the United States from Mexico versus two weeks to a month or more via ocean from China, for example. Time zone differences within North America also are much easier to work with, Dixon adds. In the case of a U.S.-based company “you’re basically working on the same business day” instead of being half a day or more behind Pacific Rim countries. It’s often easier for companies to shuttle executives to and from a manufacturing plant in Mexico than to China, Malaysia, Indonesia, or other places production drifted to over the last few decades. There’s also less of a communication barrier, Dixon notes, since “almost everyone in Mexico’s business world speaks English as a second language.” Add to the mix that a big part of the advantage and appeal of businesses sending manufacturing overseas, particularly to China, was cheaper labor and that has been evaporating. Perhaps a quarter of a century ago, “the labor cost in China was really just a fraction of the labor cost in Mexico,” notes Eugenio Sevilla-Sacasa, vice president of international supply chain solutions at Ryder, “so many industries that were labor-intensive decided to open up manufacturing facilities in China.” Over time and as China’s economy grew, the standard of living and wages increased for many Chinese. That’s seen more on China’s eastern coast, Transplace’s Ryley points out, and companies have sought cheaper labor further inland, which can add time and costs to market. “If you look at your manufacturing costs and you’re in a very labor-intensive industry in China where the labor [costs] have skyrocketed, then your advantage to manufacture in China is no longer there when you compare it to Mexico because you also reduce the inventory that you require in the supply chain” due to the shorter transit times required, Sevilla-Sacasa says. Regarding what type of manufacturing is coming to Mexico, Bernardo Rodarte, vice president and general manager for Schneider’s Mexico division, says his company has seen quite a variety. “A lot of people, when they hear about investments in Mexico, think about the automotive industry, which has been very active recently,” he tells Fleet Owner. “Practically all of the major car manufacturers have opened up shop or are planning to in the next couple of years in Mexico, and that has driven a lot of volume” of freight, Rodarte says. That also includes a range of supporting parts suppliers and manufacturers. However, he notes, “we’re seeing companies from very different types of sectors opening in Mexico, and that is in great part also fueling increased demand for transportation that we’re seeing across the border.” For that reason, “Hecho en Mexico” (made in Mexico)stamps, stickers and tags are being seen more commonly on goods, “from toys to air conditioners to food,” Sevilla-Sacasa says. In addition, “there’s a lot of food that the U.S. exports into Mexico; there’s a lot of manufactured goods that are made in the U.S. or parts and raw materials to supply manufacturing that are being imported into Mexico,” he observes, “so there is growth in both directions.” What about the threat of capacity shortages or any barriers to Mexican trucking companies getting authority to operate in the U.S.? “I don’t really see a lot of carriers lined up to do a full line haul with a Mexican truck going into the interior of the U.S., or vice versa,” Rodarte says. “I believe a lot of this has to do with gaining efficiency. “In having a truck move from the interior of Mexico northbound direct all the way to final destinations in the U.S., there’s still a border in between. Oftentimes,that border could take hours or, in many cases, also days to clear,” he continues. “You don’t want a truck sitting at the border for two or three days. In order to avoid that, the best way of doing it is to relay [a trailer] between a U.S. carrier and a Mexican carrier, which really makes everybody’s lives a lot simpler.” Trucking finds a way Thus, what’s happening with much of the freight moving between Mexico and the United States is that trailers are being trucked across the border north or south a short distance—with the Laredo, TX-Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, corridor being one of the densest of various crossings—and transloaded at carriers’ facilities. And the companies that are getting ahead are working closely with U.S. and Mexican customs and maintaining certification under programs such as the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security’s Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism to expedite border crossing. “I strongly believe, and in fact we do this every day, if the shipper has all of his documentation in Mexico, and all the entry work is done on the U.S. side, you can get across the border in minutes,” Rodarte contends. “It tends to be a quick process.” Carriers are showing their faith in that process with continued investment. Werner, for instance, is upgrading its facilities in Laredo and El Paso, TX, and has also “moved to larger offices in Mexico in two of the four cities we have offices in,” the company’s Dixon says. “All of this is in preparation for continued growth.” Still, according to Sevilla-Sacasa, moving freight in Mexico is not without its pitfalls. Two limiting factors today are infrastructure, which has seen improvements but is at its limits for handling truck traffic in some areas, and telecommunications, which “you’ll have to bring with you in some remote locations.” Small-time and cartel-related theft and other crime risks also remain concerns requiring carriers’ diligence, he says. Canada doesn’t get all the fanfare Mexico has lately, but it is a critical part of the North America trade equation. Not surprisingly, America’s largest trading partner is still helping create new opportunities for freight and goods distribution. For one thing, Canada is also part of the raw materials and manufacturing supplies trade that’s fueling production in Mexico. “There’s parts moving into Mexico from Canada and from the U.S. and then back out,” notes John Costanzo, president of Purolator International, which hauls truckloads in Canada and operates as a 3PL in the United States. “So I think Mexico is going to present a tremendous opportunity for everybody in the next several years.” Freight crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada has been more of a constant, rather than the faster-paced growth seen with Mexico, Costanzo says. Mark Aurig, vice president and general manager for Schneider’s Canada division, agrees, noting that “trusted trader” programs and crossing the border in general similarly have long been very stable, and there are plenty of options for doing the latter. “But what we’re seeing with the Canada-U.S. trade as it relates to over-the-road and intermodal [freight transport] is that it’s really driven a lot by exchange rates,” Aurig says. “There tends to be a 12- to 18-month lag in that.” He notes that the U.S. and Canadian dollars were about even for about five or six years, up until September 2014 when the U.S. dollar pulled ahead, just as it did against other currencies. “Prior to that and in the earlier part of this year, we were seeing stronger northbound demand from the U.S. to Canada than southbound from Canada to the U.S. That had been a market dynamic that we’d gotten used to for some time,” Aurig adds. With the U.S. dollar now at $1.30 Canadian, U.S. goods headed northward have tapered off a bit since they’re more expensive for Canadians to buy. Aurig says that currency gap is expected to widen slightly and remain at least for the near future, which could bring an increase in southbound goods and freight coming from Canada thanks to the stronger purchasing power of the U.S. dollar. Costanzo says PuroPost, a service his company launched about two years ago, has thrived in this market dynamic. It’s a blend of Purolator and Canada Post delivery, he explains, and offers lower cost and “very consistent, reliable delivery time into Canada.” “Our growth in that [lower cost service] has been phenomenal over the last two years,” he tells Fleet Owner, noting that Purolator surveyed Canadian and U.S. consumers and found that most want low-cost yet reasonably quick shipping for online purchases. “It’s contrary to what the hype is now,” Costanzo adds. “It sounds sexy to say, ‘I’m going to deliver your product in two hours,’ but how many of us really need that?” Both he and Aurig point out, however, that there’s also a space for very fast, narrow-window freight movement between the U.S. and Canada, and the well-established border allows for that agility. “We have [u.S.-Canada] automotive moves where parts are going into an assembly plant, and we have literally four or five hours of leeway before a plant shuts down,” Aurig says. “You can’t build those kinds of networks unless you have a border that runs a lot more efficiently in terms of the time to cross.” And in terms of trucking and transportation business models, again, trade between Canada and the United States offers options. For example, Schneider uses some 400 Canadian nationals as the drivers doing its U.S.-Canada border crossing, and they relay loads to U.S. distribution centers. “It allows us a huge amount of density within Canada, much more so than you would normally get from 400 drivers,” Aurig contends. He says he expects continued growth in U.S.-Canada cross-border trade and potentially some manufacturing returning to Canada. “We’re going to see more pressure on southbound freight as more manufacturing expands into Canada, taking advantage of the exchange rate benefits. I think you’re going to see more retailers in the U.S. starting to source more of their goods from Canadian vendors, which will also drive more of that southbound volume,” he tells Fleet Owner. Cross-border truck volume should remain strong, Aurig says, but more freight volume could come via intermodal rail connections. “There are some new capabilities being brought to bear by the railroads that are going to make shorter-length-of-haul intermodal [transport] between eastern Canada and the eastern half of the U.S. more efficient and cost-effective, as well as just shorter transit times,” he notes. “So I think we’re going to see growth on more of these shorter-length-of-haul lanes between eastern Canada and the eastern part of the U.S. with intermodal.” Others likewise anticipate growth for North America. “At Ryder, we continue to invest in both Canada and Mexico, and we continue to see a bright future for trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada,” the company’s Sevilla-Sacasa says.

Fleet Owner / November 5, 2015 With two oil specs coming onboard, which one is right for you fleet? Fleet operators demand better and better fuel efficiency and, beginning with model year 2017 heavy-duty trucks, federal regulators will as well. For the first time in 10 years, OEMs, oil marketers, and standards organizations are coming out with a new category for heavy-duty diesel engine lubricants designed to maximize fuel efficiency from the latest in powertrain technology. The catch is this new category actually will include two lubricant standards, and it will be up to the end users—maintenance managers, shop staff, and truck drivers—to know and to use the correct engine oil for the variety of equipment in their fleet. But that decision might not be as simple as just following the engine makers’ recommendations. And that’s what has everyone’s attention. The good news, as this edition of Fleet Owner goes to press, is that the involved parties are expected to have settled the performance details and testing standards, and the official ballots are circulating with the aim of a year-end final approval. And it will be another 12 months before the current product category, CJ-4, will be phased out. In the meantime, engine oil producers will be perfecting their formulations, testing labs will have their heavy-duty engines humming 24/7, and, ultimately, engine makers will set their official recommendations. That’s essentially not much different from previous new-spec cycles. What’s different this time around is that the latest generation of engines—designed for low-rpm “downspeeding,” among other high-tech touches to maximize fuel efficiency and limit emissions—runs hot. To get every last fraction of mpg out of them requires a lubricant with lower viscosity and even a different way for consumers to consider viscosity called high-temperature/high-shear, or HTHS. Oil marketers, based on tests of preapproval formulations, report low-HTHS lubricants provide a 2-3% improvement in highway fuel economy. For truck fleet operators with older equipment, however, this PC-11B subcategory, to be named FA-4, likely will not be the best option. For those older diesels—certainly pre-EPA ’07 models and perhaps even EPA ’10—the new PC-11A standard, CK-4, will be an improved version of, and direct replacement for, the outgoing CJ-4. So far, so good. But an anticipated uncertainty in the marketplace will center first on which lubricants the engine manufacturers will recommend and, second, on maintenance shop management. Will fleets go along with a double-lubricant standard, at least for several years’ worth of drainage intervals as the older trucks are replaced? Or will they opt to sacrifice some of the performance benefits of FA-4 to keep the engine oil inventory simple? This round of new engine oil standards began with a request from the Truck & Engine Manufacturers Assn. (EMA) and its members, explains Roger Gault, EMA vice president for regulatory activities. Specifically, the CK-4 formulation is intended to be “fully backward-compatible,” meet enhanced oxidation requirements, and provide some benefit in aeration control. Essentially, CK-4 will be a new and much improved evolution of the tried-and-true CJ designation. FA-4, however, is “a different animal,” Gault points out. The engine makers wanted a standard that will bring lower HTHS oils into the heavy-duty market. The aim is to help meet increasingly stringent Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations. “There’s a body of evidence that says lower HTHS oils provide an incremental benefit in fuel efficiency and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,” Gault says. “It’s been kind of taken to the extreme on the light-duty side, but on the heavy-duty side, we’re putting a toe in the water a little bit.” Previously, whether in 10W-30 or 5W-30 HD oil, the HTHS measure has been 3.5, and CK-4 will retain that baseline. The FA-4 standard will allow HTHS to go as low as 2.9, but that’s still in line with the SAE 30 grade’s lower limit. “It’s kind of confusing in the marketplace because we’re going to end up with 5W-30s or 10W-30s that fall into both categories and they’re going to be different,” Gault adds. “This is new territory for us. Historically, all the heavy-duty diesel engine oils have been in the higher HTHS category. Part of the consumer education process that the industry will be undertaking is to help them understand that there are multiple oils that would carry the same viscosity grade.” On the user side, EMA expects the “traditional” transition discussions around which oil spec applies to which truck make and model. “That’s a challenge every time we change a category, but even more so this time,” Gault says, referring to how far back the compatibility will go. “There’s no simple answer, unfortunately.” Consumer confusion is one thing, but the engine makers that are leading this exploration into new territory aren’t quite sure what to expect either. “That lack of knowledge, or field experience, with those lower HTHS oils has given pause to engine manufacturers because they want to assure their customers that whatever oil they’re using in their engines will provide the historical performance and durability that they’re relied on in the past,” Gault explains. But once the standards are set, the OEMs will have to make the call on which engines can—and should—go low HTHS. ‘Donuts’ made fresh The American Petroleum Institute has been setting fuel and lubricant standards for 65 years, so the process is nothing new. But Kevin Ferrick, manager for API’s engine oil program, concedes this round is a little different. “Every new standard is essentially an improvement on the previous one,” Ferrick says. “Traditionally, the new category is backward-compatible: The newest oil can be used where the old oil is recommended. For CK-4, that’s more than likely going to be true. For FA-4, it may not be backward-compatible. From an in-cab perspective, we’re going to have to work very hard to make sure that fleets, drivers, and owner-operators are aware of the new standard and are very careful to use the oil that’s recommended for their engine. It’s just going to take some work on our part.” Ferrick anticipates that API will add some sort of additional wording to the certification seal, known as the service symbol donut, on each container to identify the oil. API will be running an educational campaign beginning early next year and will encourage the marketing companies to do the same. To get to this point with the new category initiative, API brought together a variety of stakeholder groups for a series of discussions as the proposed categories were conceived and developed. Following the late October gathering to finalize the spec, ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) will vote first on the standards, followed by API’s lubricants group. “The goal is to have the approvals done by the end of this year. We have to allow a waiting period for the oil marketing companies to get their products online,” Ferrick says. “Right now everything is on schedule, and we’ll be able to do licensing for Dec. 1, 2016. That’s the first day an oil bottle can show up on the shelf with CK-4 or FA-4 in the API donut.” Still, the transition will takes months before CK-4 becomes dominant in the marketplace—which is “pretty normal,” Ferrick notes. “The simplest thing is truck operators really have to follow the manufacturers’ recommendations on this,” he continues. “If you’re a fleet operator, you may have to have more than one diesel oil in your facility. There are two mantras that we follow: Always use API licensed oil, and don’t deviate from the owner’s manual Choice is good Shawn Whitacre is the Chevron senior staff engineer-engine oil technology for Chevron’s heavy-duty Delo brand engine oil. He’s also the chairman of ASTM’s heavy-duty engine oil classification panel, and he confirms that finalizing the standard is at a pivotal point in terms of crossing all the t’s and dotting the i’s to hit the December target requested by the engine manufacturers. “Not much in the big picture will change by December,” Whitacre says, although some of the precision on the new engine tests are still being refined, and work is being done with user groups to settle on the final labeling to minimize confusion over the two new oil versions. “We’re down to dealing with some of the nuances.” Of course, given the membership of the committee, competing interests do sometimes emerge. But the “very deliberate” ASTM bylaws, while resulting in “a lot of meetings,” also drive consensus, he explains. “We all kind of work together so that the user has the products that they expect,” Whitacre says. “At this point, the picture is still a bit unclear as to how far back the OEMs are going to allow the FA-4 to be used. One thing that is clear is they understand this new grade won’t be practical for the end user if it’s only allowed in new products. There’s got to be some flexibility for fleets to be able to use it in a meaningful fraction of their existing equipment.” Additionally, the new low-viscosity categories will require the most comprehensive testing and evaluation ever developed for heavy-duty engine oils, including nine “fired-engine tests,” with some tests running as long as 500 hours. The goals, along with the “drastic improvements” in thermal stability and fuel economy benefits, include longer oil drain intervals. “Even before the new category was conceived, we were no longer in a one-size-fits-all market. The majority of customers might have had a 5W-40 and a 10W-30 for all-weather operations, but now we’re seeing not just cold-climate grades but also fuel economy—and you’ve got a variety of OEM-specific requirements here and abroad,” Whitacre says. “And now we also have not just diesel engines but natural gas. So now we’ve got a whole suite of product offerings. And that’s going to extend further.” The challenge and the opportunity, he continues, is for oil marketers to make sure they have the right products for the business needs of the customer. “We’re pretty excited. We enjoy the challenge of these new tighter specifications because we’ve got a comprehensive in-house capability: We’re not only oil marketers, but we’ve got the base oil; we have a division that does additive chemistry; we’ve got blending facilities around the world,” Whitacre says. “That’s why we embrace these category upgrades that the OEMs request, and we take a very active role in leading the categories to market. It’s going to be busy the next 14 months, but important.” In the lab Indeed, the engine oil testing labs at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will be running at 100% capacity for the next two years, according to Martin Thompson, a research engineer in fuels and lubricants. His engine tests are designed “to separate the great from the good oils.” For PC-11, this typically means running engines under severe, high-torque conditions. The tests don’t come cheap, typically running $100,000 or more—and there are several tests for each standard. A formulation that passes all of the tests will run up a tab of close to $1.5 million. And some formulations won’t succeed. “If you have to adjust the oil to pass a particular test, you may have to rerun a test you’ve already passed,” he says. “Running the full battery of tests is no small feat. It’s not a cheap or an easy process to get an API stamp on a bottle of that oil.” Big diesels, anchored to the floor in the testing rooms, are hooked up to more tubes and monitors than any patient in intensive care, as Fleet Owner witnessed while visiting SwRI’s sprawling San Antonio campus. For the PC-11 specific Volvo/Mack T-13 oxidation test, for instance, researchers monitor and measure “just about every temperature and pressure” of importance on the engine. Individual cylinder temps and the air the engine breathes in and out are all controlled to within 1 deg. Celsius or 1 kPa pressure. “We have very tight limits on the controls, trying to keep these tests scientifically repeatable,” Thompson says. A large part of the cost is to pay for fuel: Engines can burn 20 gals./hr., and tests will run 500 hours—three-and-a-half weeks at full throttle, with the dynamometer holding the engine back to simulate the stress of running under load. The engines are then torn down and rebuilt after each test, and the parts are examined for wear. The engineers sometimes notice that a number of tests are being ordered all at once, with the same product code for each—and that would indicate a “flagship oil” formulation, Thompson notes. And, with just over a year to go before the new categories will be on the shelf, the oil companies are doing less experimenting and working more toward a lubricant formulation that will be approved. “There’s not a CJ-4 oil that will pass the CK-4 tests,” the engineer adds. On the road If you want to know about the real-world effects of a particular lubricant formulation on a truck engine, Shell engineer Howard Hill, the company’s North American field trial coordinator, is the man to see. Shell has been performing road tests on its FA-4 candidate oils to find out if the low viscosity HTHS formulations designed for tomorrow’s engines will indeed be backward-compatible with older equipment. Earlier this year, Hill walked Fleet Owner through the teardown of a 2012 Detroit Diesel 15L with more than 800,000 mi. on it. The engine was pulled from a test fleet truck to evaluate the effects of the lubricant on the various engine parts. Hill checked the cylinders for carbon buildup, and the cam shafts, rings and rod bearings, connecting rods, and rocker arms for wear and polish—and all showed no more wear than the parts from an engine using a current lubricant. And that’s potentially good news for fleet maintenance managers who would rather not stock two different engine oils, explains Matt Urbanak, primary formulator for the Shell Rotella T product line. “You can run all the engine tests you want in the lab, but the real proof of performance is how that oil works out in someone’s actual engine under various operating conditions and locations,” Urbanak says, adding that Shell accumulates about 40 million test miles a year globally, in a full range of vehicles and applications. He also points out that Shell is very particular in the selection of its test fleets, looking specifically for small, high-mileage fleets with good maintenance practices and ideally with a range of engines. “Oil analysis alone is a nice tool, but it doesn’t give us a complete picture of how well oil is protecting an engine. You can’t see cleanliness in an oil analysis,” Urbanak says. “You really need to get in there and see what’s happening.” Such field testing was critical in convincing customers to move to the Rotella T5 10W-30 oil introduced in 2009. “One of the challenges that we’ve had is acceptance of these lighter viscosity grades by our customers who feel that switching is going to compromise the durability of their engine,” Urbanak says. “We’ve tried to debunk that to prove that you can use a 10W-30 product effectively compared to a 15W-40.” And customers likely will need even more reassurance with the new categories. So testing continues at the lower HTHS levels with well over 20 million miles conducted to date. Not a magic formula ExxonMobil also reports working closely with commercial vehicle manufacturers and engine builders on PC-11 for several years, conducting extensive laboratory testing and field trials. And, points out Paul Cigala, a commercial vehicle lubricants application engineer, ExxonMobil has already been working with its fleet partners to educate them about the updated specification. “It’s important to note that PC-11 will not affect every business in the same way. In fact, it’s possible some fleets will see only a small impact from PC-11,” Cigala says. A fleet that may see a small impact from PC-11 is one that is operating older equipment and mixed engine types. Such a fleet would likely only need to switch from its current CJ-4 engine oil to the newer CK-4 formulation. More importantly, Cigala emphasizes that the new category, in the big picture of fleet operations, will hardly move the needle compared to fundamentally sound management. These include the following: - Recruiting the right drivers; - Embracing strict safety protocols for drivers on the road and within a maintenance shop; - Following a proactive maintenance approach, whether in-house or outsourced; and - Using a data-driven approach to optimizing drain intervals and vehicle performance. “PC-11 will not change the best practices that help drive the success of fleets,” Cigala says. “In fact, many of those success factors will remain the same after PC-11 implementation.”