Blog

EnRoute - May 31, 2018

On May 23, 2018, the Small Carrier Electronic Logging Device Exemption Act was filed in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, if passed, would exempt the smallest trucking companies, those with 10 trucks or fewer, from compliance with the U.S. DOT's electronic logging device (ELD) mandate on a permanent basis. FULL STORY





 

TOP STORIES

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal 2019 transportation bill which included language that would prohibit states from enacting meal-and-rest break laws in an effort to clarify a requirement in the 1994 aviation law. FULL STORY
 
Leasing and rental companies don't have the same luxury of selecting a specific set of fuel efficiency specs. Instead, they need to spec to maximize fuel efficiency across different applications. FULL STORY
 
The trucking industry is finding that blockchain, a technology platform that allows for secured and immutable exchange of information, is gaining more and more momentum. FULL STORY



 


TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

RyderGyde is a free mobile fleet application from Ryder System, Inc. It is one of its kind that allows users to do everything from compare real-time fuel rates, to schedule shop services. FULL STORY
 
More fleets are requesting downsped engines that run at about 1,100 rpm at highway speeds. This trend is driven by fleets' desire to save money on fuel and by federal greenhouse-gas emission regulations. FULL STORY
 
Fleet maintenance management systems data can come in many forms and it is important that fleet personnel can make sense of the data so it can be interpreted and converted into actionable information. FULL STORY




 

BRIEFLY

PENSKE TRUCK LEASING has completed a million voice-directed preventive maintenance inspections and is part of the company's recently deployed paperless technology. . .At MICHELIN'S Movin' On summit in Montreal, the company said that by 2048 all of its tires will be manufactured using 80 percent sustainable materials and that 100 percent of all its tires will be recycled. . .MACK TRUCKS is launching a video series on June 19 that shares the stories of everyday men and women doing extraordinary things to keep the wheels turning and the world moving. The eight part series will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. . .CUMMINS INC. has recently launched a new on-line parts catalog in five languages in addition to English at https://parts.cummins.com. This is the first time in the company's history that the parts catalogs has been translated on one site for global use. . .DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA is opening its newest parts distribution center in Grimes, IA, intending to provide faster service to customers located in the Midwest. This facility marks the third center DTNA has opened in two years and the ninth in DTNA's overall supply chain network. . .MAXIM TRUCK & TRAILER raised $28,000 for charity in just two hours at their annual barbeque. The record amount from this year's event is going to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation through their Challenge for Life campaign. . .KENWORTH and UPS are working together to develop a truck under the U.S. Department of Energy-funded SuperTruck II program. The goal is to improve efficiency by more than 100% over a 2009 baseline, and to achieve a 55% increase in engine brake thermal efficiency. . .THE UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURING COMPANY'S plant in Paragould, AR has recently received a plant safety award from Liberty Mutual.



 

PEOPLE

Rush Enterprises, Inc. announced that its founder W. MARVIN RUSH passed away on May 17 at the age of 79. Marvin Rush founded the Company in 1965 and served on its Board of Directors from its incorporation until August 2016. Rush also served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer from its founding through 2006.



 

NUMBERS

ACT Research Co. reported April's trailer orders climbed 11% year-over-year to 23,100 and is the 17th straight month of year-over-year gains for orders. FULL STORY


 


TRALA ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRALA's Industry Scholarship Program
TRALA members and their dependents are invited to apply for TRALA's Industry Scholarship. We're moving our industry forward by awarding up to four-$2,500 scholarships to qualified applicants. Applications must be submitted by June 1, 2018 for consideration. Visit our website for details: www.trala.org/scholarship.  
 
Please contact TRALA's LaTisha Thomas at (703) 299-9120 or lthomas@trala.org with any questions regarding the scholarship program.