EnRoute - May 16, 2019

• By: Shannon Davison
• On: 05/16/2019 15:29:44
• In: EnRoute

TOP STORIES

Industry experts said that it is an becoming increasingly difficult challenge for many motor carriers on whether truck drivers are classified as employees or independent contractors. FULL STORY
 
On May 2, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California dismissed a truck driver's claims regarding the state's meal-and-rest-break provisions, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has determined are pre-empted by federal law. FULL STORY

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Fleets and truck operators buying new Kenworth T270, T370, T440 and T470 models will be able to order Kenworth TruckTech+ Remote Diagnostics. The system enhances vehicle diagnostics by providing real-time engine health information to fleet managers and Kenworth dealers to help optimize truck uptime and productivity and allows fleets to track the location of their Kenworth trucks. FULL STORY
 
Mack Trucks is making a battery refresher standard on all Mack models. The battery refresher helps reduce and reverse the effects of sulfation, giving lead-acid batteries longer life and superior performance. FULL STORY
 
Ford introduced the F-600 Super Duty, which sits in between its F-550 and F-650 in the automaker's truck lineup. FULL STORY


 

BRIEFLY

PENSKE TRUCK LEASING has joined Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, a coalition of industry leaders that seeks to educate and assure the public about automated vehicles. . .MERITOR INC. has entered into an agreement to acquire AxleTech from an affiliate of The Carlyle Group for $175 million. . . .MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA INC. has opened its largest distribution center in the world — in Greenville, S.C. It spans 45 football fields with the capacity to move four million tires a year. . . BENDIX COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SYSTEMS will be expanding its Huntington, IN, footprint with the addition of a sixth location, a 409,000-square-foot facility, which will enable strategic alignment of its manufacturing operations and expanded opportunities to support the company's escalating commercial vehicle aftermarket business. . .HENDRICKSON is expanding its Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems operations in Northeastern Ohio with 35 acres purchased from the more than 325-acre parcel of the Stark County Farm property. This new plot will be home to Hendrickson's sixth trailer suspension plant. . .GEOTAB has signed an agreement to acquire BSM Technologies (BSM). BSM provides telematics and asset management solutions to more than 165,000 vehicles across government and private fleets in Canada and the United States.

NUMBERS

Ryder System Inc. reported net income of $45.3 million for the second quarter of 2019 , compared with $36.9 million in the same period a year ago. Total revenue climbed 15% to a record $2.18 billion from $1.9 billion. FULL STORY
 
U.S. retail sales of Class 8 trucks in April continued to climb and were the highest of the year. Heavy-duty truck sales rose 26.8% to 24,024 compared with 18,950 a year earlier. FULL STORY
 
Continental is increasing production at its pre-cured tread manufacturing plant. The plant is preparing for a 300% increase in production this year due to retread sales growth. FULL STORY

TRALA ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRALA Industry Scholarship Deadline Approaching 
You have two more weeks to to submit your applications for TRALA's Industry Scholarship. The deadline is 3:00 p.m. Central Time on May 30, 2019.
 
The TRALA Industry Scholarship Program awards scholarships to TRALA-member company employees or their children to pursue vocational training as maintenance technicians or are seeking a 4-year degree in the truck transportation industry. The program has no age limit and eligible veterans are also encouraged to apply.
 
Eligibility
Applicants to the TRALA Industry Scholarship Program must be:

• Employees or interns of TRALA member companies in North America, or dependents/children of part-time or full-time employees of TRALA member companies in North America.

• Pursuing a course of study related to the truck transportation industry at an accredited two-year vocational program or four-year college or university. Examples include, but are not limited to Heavy Duty Truck Technology, Diesel Technology, Industrial Mechanics and Medium/Heavy Vehicle Technology.

How to Apply
Applying for TRALA's Industry Scholarship is even easier than before! The new online application is now available.The application can be found through this link, https://www.scholarsapply.org/trala/
 
If you have any questions, please contact TRALA's Tonya Gibbs at tgibbs@trala.org or (703) 299-9120.