Trucking Industry

Sensing Technology Becomes More Common Among Braking Systems

October 8, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Sensors have become an integral part in both proper brake monitoring and advanced driver assistance systems, and integrating these two aspects of modern trucking can boost component longevity, decrease vehicle downtime, and create easier maintenance, according to industry manufacturers.

The marrying of these two aspects is crucial for progressive development of ADAS–the foundation of autonomous driving and truck platooning technology.

Truck platooning is when multiple trucks travel together, with one typically following the other closely. In these circumstances, “you want to know what the brake health is on all the vehicles,” said Meritor director of brake engineering, Joe Kay.

This means fleet operators must always know exactly how a brake is functioning, and temperature, wear, and stroke sensors can detect an issue on any of the 10 wheel ends of a tractor-trailer and send an alert.

“Sensing is a key component of the future of our industry,” said fleet maintenance executive and consultant Brett Wacker. “In the absence of the human, you have to have the ability to know whether things are working or not working.”

Camera, radar, and lidar sensors are used on a vehicle to implement accurate overall perceptions and to detect object speed and vector. Once those sensors are in place, braking system tech can work in tandem with them.

Haldex vice president of research and development, Brian Marshall, explained that the difficulties of developing effective ADAS lies in the ability for sensors to detect everything around a vehicle “and plan accordingly, whether for brake actuation on automatic emergency braking or for autonomous vehicle development.”

For example, if a roadway is slick from rain, ADAS should be able to detect that and increase the vehicle’s following distance, said Marshall. “That has to be determined by an integrated approach where the brake system can openly communicate and provide data from the wheel end up to the controller.”

For SAE International, automated driving capabilities have been sectioned into six levels–from zero to five.

“There’s a lot of talk about getting to Level 4 and Level 5,” said Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems director of marketing and customer solutions for controls, TJ Thomas. Presently, he said, ADAS for commercial vehicles is at Level 1, and nearly at Level 2.

Bendix has been collaborating on upgraded features for its driver assist product that will be “enabled by the current level of technology–the current radars, the current cameras,” explained Thomas. “As we learn more about them over time, we can enable new features.”

ZF North America’s Julian Plenchette explained that with sensors, brake actuation can be improved “to automatically reproduce the comfort and finesse of the human-actuated braking.” ZF has a modular braking system platform called mBSP, which simulates driver brake actuation with the utilization of a “digital foot brake valve.”

This platform gives trucks the ability to have adaptive cruise control, which includes “Stop & Go,” a feature that allows a truck to “safely reduce speed down to [zero] miles per hour when following another target and maintaining [zero] miles per hour until the vehicle detects that it is safe to increase speed once again,” explained Plenchette.

Electronic stability control also uses sensors, and can detect wheel speed differences and mass transfers in order to notice any possible instability or loss of control.

ZF North America’s Patrick Kealy also explained that brake pad and axle monitoring sensors on trailers can also work with a ZF Intelligent Anti-Lock Braking System so that information can be sent throughout the trailer from the sensors. This system can decrease connectivity costs between a fleet management system and a trailer, and with Wabco’s TrailerCast, this telematics device can communicate with iABS and its sensors. Then, data is sent to the fleet’s management system from the device over a 4G network.

One instance of iABS connecting to brake pad and axle monitor sensors is that of Hendrickson’s MAXX22T trailer air disc brake, which connects to brake pad-wear sensors and communicates with iABS for brake pad status updates. Then, iABS is paired with TrailerCast and can send trailer mileage, ABS faults, and brake system status reports straight to a fleet.

Supply Chain Issues During Pandemic Become Focus of Lawmakers

October 7, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Lawmakers have been calling for manufacturing environment boosts regarding supply chain products and equipment in an effort to decrease any potential difficulties among supply chains hindered by COVID-19.

Last month, policymakers iterated the need for a safer and more efficient manner of goods production throughout the freight sector at a House Ways and Means hearing.

Oregon Representative and chairman of the trade matters subcommittee, Earl Blumenauer said he plans to move forward a bipartisan trade and manufacturing policy effort that will aim to create more reliable supply chains.

“In the conversations that have been developing around the topic of re-examining supply chains and the relationship between trade and manufacturing at home, there has been a lot of excitement regarding tax incentives, ‘Buy American’ policies, or applying additional tariffs,” said Blumenauer at the hearing. “In our examination, let us not fixate on one particular tool to the exclusion of others.”

The key, he explained, will be a collaborative effort to create the best possible changes and upgrades.

“Meaningful solutions will require us to work together, to be thoughtful, strategic, and creative. They will require our best tools and ideas to work in concert, likely across different policy areas. Without prejudging what those specific tools may be, I am confident that trade policy is an important part of the answer.”

Throughout the pandemic, particular instances of supply chain disruptions have proven to be catastrophic–especially those of Personal Protective Equipment. PPE supply chains have been unable to meet the demand brought about by the coronavirus, especially with July’s spike in nationwide cases. Since then, the country has seen major PPE shortages, as well as shortages of important drugs like Remdesivir.

Although the Trump Administration often turns a blind eye to the shortage of supplies like these, many members of the administration, as well as congressional Democrats and Republicans, have been working to relocate some of these PPE supply chains to the U.S. This effort would require an increase in domestic production, and would align with calls to return manufacturing efforts to the country–a major focus of the Trump Administration’s economic plan.

“This pandemic has shown us how important it is for us to be medically independent and to have supply chains that are reliable and flexible, no matter how they are structured,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida. “If we want stronger and more resilient supply chains here, then this must be the best place in the world to do business. The pandemic has showcased the urgency for having vital medical products like PPE and pharmaceuticals available quickly and reliable. We cannot rely on our adversaries, like China.”

To combat the virus, the United States quickly leaned on foreign manufacturers for PPE and for masks in general. Because of China’s own outbreaks, its factories could not operate a full capacity and many American companies and factories began breaking from their usual inventory to produce face shields and masks.

Tax-writing Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley explained the need for large changes in how the country has operated its supply chains thus far. “We cannot allow our supply chains to rely so heavily on China,” he said, “and I look forward to working with my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to discuss how we can diversify our supply chains and increase our domestic manufacturing capacity.”

Other experts have studied how the pandemic has affected pricing changes within the marketplace, especially as delivery drivers and essential workers have been working overtime to meet demands.

Carnegie Mellon University professor of engineering and public policy, Erica Fuchs, discussed with House lawmakers the ways in which manufacturing could get the improvement it needs through specific infrastructure investments.

“By infrastructure, I mean not just roads, bridges, transit networks, water systems, and dams, but also [the] energy, communications, manufacturing, and data infrastructure necessary for all of those,” she explained. “In the same way that we need to build domestically the products that global markets want and only we can make, our infrastructure investments need to be for the infrastructure and the future.”

She also noted that transit infrastructure needs new designs that will allow for safe and easy implementation of smart city systems and driverless vehicles, as well as enable the necessary data infrastructure for better security and privacy.

New International Roadcheck Dates Set For September 9th-11th

October 5, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Like many events previously scheduled to take place this year, 2020’s International Roadcheck was postponed and rescheduled. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced this month that the event, originally scheduled to take place in March, is now set for September 9th through the 11th.

“Although the coronavirus pandemic understandably shifted priorities and personnel during the spring, the commercial motor vehicle law enforcement community has reasserted its focus on the roadside inspection program and enforcement duties,” said Sgt. John Samis, President of CVSA. “Jurisdictions are nearly back to their pre-pandemic capacity with a strengthened concentration on identifying and removing unfit vehicles and drivers from our roadways using federal safety standards and the out-of-service criteria.”

The International Roadcheck has occurred right on schedule every year for the past 32 years, so the decision to postpone was “thoroughly and thoughtfully discussed,” Samis explained.

“This experience is unprecedented in our modern society, and we need to do all that we can to help stop the spread of this global pandemic,” he said at the time of postponement.

2020’s Roadcheck will be a 72-hour, boosted effort focusing on the category of driver requirements. CVSA-certified inspectors across North America will conduct visibility inspection and enforcement efforts including motor vehicle and driver inspections at weigh-in stops or inspection stations, which may be part of roving mobile patrols or specific fixed locations.

Throughout the three-day event, commercial motor vehicles will be thoroughly checked for federal regulation compliance, and law enforcement personnel will inspect for any item violations with the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.

“As we urgently respond to this time-sensitive crisis, we must remain diligent and committed to ensuring that the commercial motor vehicles and drivers providing essential goods and services to our communities are following motor carrier safety regulations,” said Samis. “Safety doesn’t take a break. It is always our top priority.”

Inspectors will collect and verify a driver’s documents during the driver portion of the inspection. They will be careful to accurately identify the motor carrier, check records-of-duty status, examine the driver’s license, and check periodic inspection reports. If needed, the inspector will also check the Medical Examiner’s Certificate, the driver’s daily vehicle inspection report, and the Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate.

Drivers will also be checked for illness, fatigue, proper seat belt usage, and any drug or alcohol possession or impairment.

Any commercial motor vehicle drivers operating without all necessary credentials, driving while ill, fatigued, or otherwise impaired, in violation of any hours-of-service rules, or under the influence of or possessing any drugs or alcohol could be placed out of service.

When placed into an out-of-service status by an inspector, the vehicle will become restricted from any travel until all violations are corrected.

The inspection portion for vehicles include thorough checks of: brake systems, cargo security, coupling devices, drive-line components, drive-shaft components, presence of the driver’s seat, exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims, hubs, and windshield wipers.

All American commercial motor vehicle inspections are an effort to check for compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Canadian standards are based on many provincial and territorial mandates along with the National Safety Code, and Mexican commercial motor vehicles are checked for compliance with Normas Oficiales Mexicanas standards.

Inspectors will typically perform the North American Standard Level I Inspection during an International Roadcheck. This inspection consists of 37 steps within two main categories, along with a driver operating requirements and vehicle mechanical fitness examination. Hazardous materials and dangerous goods may also be a third category component of a Level I Inspection, if needed.

CVSA’s International Roadcheck partners with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, and the Ministry of Communications and Transportation of Mexico.

The International Roadcheck gives particular emphasis to one specific category of violations each year. This year’s focus on driver requirements comes after FMCSA’s data from last year’s Roadcheck showed that out of approximately 3.36 million inspections, 952,938 driver violations were found, and 199,722 of those were out-of-service conditions.

Many Fleets Moving Quickly to Hire Furloughed Drivers During Pandemic

September 28, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

“We felt this was a great opportunity to add experienced, top talent to our fleet,” said U.S. Xpress recruiting director, Kendra Patton, of this time of pandemic.

U.S. Xpress was able to bring on more previously-furloughed drivers throughout the time of COVID-19, and is still continuing to do so–especially within the divisions of over-the-road drivers. This comes as an effort to meet high demand for grocery, retail, and consumer goods.

Many such carriers have been on-boarding the drivers furloughed by many other fleets, as the pandemic has brought about unprecedented employment efforts and recruitment methods.

“There was a smaller pool of companies actually continuing to hire, and yes, with the furloughs that took place, there was a slightly larger pool of applicants looking for their next opportunity,” said Grand Island Express vice president of operations, Deen Albert.

The larger potential selection of drivers seeking jobs is also filled with experienced commercial vehicle operators, giving fleets needing more truckers an opportunity to be pickier than usual in regards to their new employees.

DriverReach CEO, Jeremy Reymer, says this hiring situation is not unlike that of 2008’s recession.

“In many cases, there were a lot of really good drivers available as a result of that [recession],” he explained. “Through no fault of their own, they were out of work.”

For nearly a month-long period, highly talented and safe drivers were widely available, said Penske Logistics senior vice president of operations for dedicated contract carriage, Jeff Jackson.

Penske did indeed take advantage of this opportunity, although the company also laid off some of its drivers in areas with decreased demand, and even moved drivers to other sectors in need. Overall demand increase spiked much more quickly than was expected, Jackson said.

“Where we felt we had a surplus of drivers, it flipped to having to hire a lot of drivers again over the course of a couple of weeks,” he said.

Although many experienced drivers have been available for hire, fleets have been especially careful about who they bring onboard, said WorkHound CEO, Max Farrell.

“During this time, it isn’t just who can fill the truck. It is who is the right culture fit,” he said.

Still, a fleet’s main focus is safety, and bringing in veteran drivers helps boost that focus and get new employees on the road more quickly.

“Entry-level drivers, those with less than one year experience operating a [commercial motor vehicle] requiring a CDL, are subject to additional training requirements, and carriers often take special care to ensure they are as safe as possible,” explained CEO of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting, Dave Osiecki. “This training and on-boarding process adds time for new or less-experienced drivers.”

Grand Island Express’ Albert agreed, saying experienced truckers make on-boarding a much simpler process across the board.

“From a safety standpoint, we have some idea of the type of driver that they are,” he said. “From an efficiency standpoint, we know that they’ve been exposed to some of the technology used in the industry today. From a longevity standpoint, we know that experienced drivers understand the lifestyle of an OTR driver.”

Additionally, because COVID-19 has brought such a negative change in regards to job security, many trucking companies have also noticed higher overall driver retention rates.

“The broad job market is a little scary right now,” said Osiecki. “If you have a good driving job right now, you’re pretty happy, and most drivers are staying put.

Unemployment rates throughout the country increased to 14.7% in April, but fell back slightly to 11.1% in June. Staying put longer in a job is a natural effect of an uncertain job market, Osiecki explained.

“The grass may not be greener on the other side,” added Farrell, who explained that drivers are not likely to jump to another carrier, even if they had been considering it pre-pandemic.

Turnover rates have also dropped for both Penske and U.S. Express.

“Especially during the earlier days of COVID-19, uncertainty was greater, and more drivers decided to stay put in their current positions,” said Patton.

Jackson agreed, saying Penske’s turnover rate has decreased by 7%. “In 2019, our driver turnover was 29%. This year we’re trending at 23% through May.”

Additionally, trucking companies are often working to keep drivers at ease during these times by increasing communication efforts and staying mutually updated throughout the work day.

Penske, for example, implemented a communications strategy that utilizes both a COVID hotline and website for easier communication and question-asking.

“Drivers were not only concerned with COVID, but also with personal schedules that were in flux,” said Jackson. “From a [personal protective equipment] standpoint, we were ahead of pretty much every mandate with securing PPE. We also implemented temperature checks prior to the mandate. The drivers felt really good that we were putting this energy into it.”

Carriers Say They are “Not Prepared” to Begin Shipping COVID-19 Vaccines

September 27, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As the nation relies on the trucking industry to keep it stocked on essential goods, food, and medical equipment, freight companies say they will not be ready to meet the challenges of shipping COVID-19 vaccines to all who need it once it becomes readily available.

Carriers have had tirelessly-working employees throughout the current health crisis and have seen issues such as low containership and cargo capacity as well as a lack of a timeline in regards to the arrival of a vaccine. The rush to safely transport fragile medicines in larger-than-ever quantities will call on the use of reliable, innovative technology, and, unless these innovations are adopted widely soon, vaccine transport will face heavy delays.

“We’re not prepared,” said Flexport’s global head of air carrier relationships, Neel Jones Shah. “Let’s all be honest here, vaccine supply chains are exponentially more complex than PPE supply chains. You can’t ruin PPE by leaving it on the tarmac for a couple of days. You will destroy vaccines [by doing that].”

Distributing vaccines will bring a lot of unprecedented challenges, especially with a scaling-down infrastructure behind the global economy as it prepares for widespread downturn, which comes just as pharmaceutical professionals work toward their largest export to date.

Health officials have brought up the issue of refrigeration, saying a new vaccine must be kept at between 35.6 and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit during the entire shipment process. Newer tech methods may require advanced freezer machinery to keep them at 80 degrees below 0 Celsius, but any change in temperature, at any time, could ruin the vaccines entirely.

According to Shah, Flexport is still working out how products needing such careful transport could reach rural or impoverished areas, or what pharmaceutical companies working on these vaccines will need from companies like his. “To a T, they’re all extremely nervous about being able to bring these to market as quickly as people might expect,” he explained.

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently at least 160 COVID-19 vaccines being developed, with 25 presently in human studies. Those that have been most successful are heading into late-stage trial experiments, and may reach emergency-use authorization before the end of 2020. This would bring potentially usable shots–although in limited quantity–to health care workers and others who are most at risk.

“Often, people are talking about the scientific conundrum of coming forward with a vaccine that works,” said Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck & Co. “None of us are safe until all of us are safe, so it’s got to be given broadly to humanity. We need a vaccine that we can make and distribute around the world.”

Right now, companies are working out manufacturing deals while facilities prepare to produce still-risky vaccines that may fail in clinical trials. Although these vaccines are not yet ready for mass distribution, that level of production looms over the transportation industry, with pharmaceutical experts saying this distribution will be the greatest difficulty of the entire vaccine-producing process.

In regards to overseas travel, a single Boeing 777 will be able to ship one million individual vaccine vials, according to head of Emirates SkyCargo’s pharmaceutical division, Julian Sutch. Airlifting double-dose regimens–to be administered to half of the global population–would require 8,000 cargo planes.

Freeing up air freight capacity and preparing idled passenger planes to carry essential goods is helping to develop an international strategy. Currently, Emirates is using 70 passenger 777s just for cargo.

“I don’t think we’re ready because I don’t think we know what to expect,” said Miami International Airport aviation trade and logistics manager, Emir Pineda. “If, all of a sudden, 20 to 30 charter flights land at Miami International Airport full of pharmaceuticals for distribution throughout the Americas, we’re going to have a challenge.”

Governments may begin to intervene if private industry cannot meet the demands of this vaccine, as well. The Pentagon could potentially call Civil Reserve Air Fleet-contracted commercial airlines to aid in the efforts.

Additionally, as economies attempt to regain footing, stock demands will skyrocket ahead of the holiday season. Shipping prices may rise even higher, especially with current–and future–capacity shortages.

“We are going to see spikes driven by commercial freight,” said vice president at Atlas Air Worldwide, Michael Steen. “The typical calendar peak will be strong–that’s what we’re expecting.”

Although some international companies have been working to truck products into the U.S. or have been chartering private planes to deliver therapeutics, these Band-Aid solutions will likely fail with the complicated, expensive needs of shipping an international vaccine.

“We’re not planning proactively for accommodating that vaccine distribution going forward, because the various parties here are not connecting,” said Steen. “Shippers and manufacturers are not connecting.”

Still, supply chain companies, governments, and drug manufacturers are working diligently to find ways to “take this very scarce capacity and support the distribution of those vaccines in order to stimulate the economies and, most importantly, make people healthy again,” Steen said.

FMCSA Holds Virtual Trucking Safety Summit

September 25, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

The 2020 Trucking Safety Summit, hosted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration August 5th, focused on finding ways to improve safer operation of commercial motor vehicles throughout the country.

Stakeholders, including drivers, safety technology developers, motor carriers, safety advocacy groups, and federal and state partners, were allowed to discuss their ideas on improving road safety during the virtual event, hosted from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s headquarters in Washington.

All presentations and public participation were provided electronically in order to follow federal guidelines around public events held during the COVID-19 pandemic. The safety summit was originally scheduled for mid-March, but had to be postponed due to the current public health emergency.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data have shown an increase in large truck-involved crash fatalities over the last few years, an issue that was a major focus of the online event.

“To respond to this trend, FMCSA continues to work with state entities, industry, and others to identify new approaches to safety,” said the summit announcement. “These approaches can involve technology, company management practices, enforcement, outreach and education, and other techniques–encompassing a holistic approach to truck safety.”

The virtual meeting consisted of six individual panel discussions, with FMCSA also streaming live video of the summit to allow viewers to weigh in. The event began with an association perspective moderated by Deputy Administrator Jim Mullen, along with ATA’s Chris Spear, NTTC’s Dan Furth, Road Safe America’s Steve Owings, and OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh on the panel. Next was a “What’s Working” discussion by Schneider National‘s Steve Parker and Thomas DiSalvi, followed by a second “What’s Working” discussion by Rollin’ B’s Shannon Watson and Ingrid Brown. There was also a state partner discussion, a panel discussion on industry technology, and a “Florida Safety Story” discussion which included members of the Florida Trucking Association and Florida Highway Patrol. Special guest speakers during the summit included a FHWA Administrator and NHTSA Deputy Administrator.

The summit was originally set to follow up on the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in January, where Jim Mullen explained that the agency would be working to reverse the increase in recent large-truck fatalities.

“When I assumed this role as acting administrator three months ago, the members of this panel asked me, what are my top priorities,” said Mullen. “That, to me, was a no-brainer. The top priority for me at this agency is to reverse that four-year trend increasing fatalities involved with large trucks and buses.”

Jack Van Steenburg, chief safety officer for FMCSA, reiterated Mullen’s worries around the trend of big-rig-involved deaths over the last four years in a briefing about the industry during TRB.

Between 2017 and 2018, the number of trucks weighing between 10,001 and 14,000 pounds involved in deadly crashes rose by 4.6%, and the number of trucks over 26,000 pounds involved in these crashes rose by 1.6%, according to Van Steenburg. In addition, the number of big-rig occupant deaths increased from 815 to 885 between 2016 and 2018. Of truck drivers who were ejected from their vehicles in fatal crashes, over 40% were not wearing a seat belt.

Earlier this year, the FMCSA released a formal request for public comment regarding the best ways to study contributing factors in large-truck crashes. The Large Truck Crash Causal Factors Study will replace a 15-year-old study that has been used to make policy decisions by the agency.

“In the more than 15 years since the original study, many changes in technology, vehicle safety, driver behavior, and roadway design have occurred that affect how a driver performs,” said the agency in its formal request. “Since the study ended in 2003, fatal crashes involving large trucks decreased until 2009, when they hit their lowest point in recent years (2,893 fatal crashes). Since 2009, fatal crashes involving large trucks have steadily increased to 4,415 fatal crashes in 2018, a 52.6% increase when compared to 2009. Over the last three years (2016-2018), fatal crashes involving large trucks increased 5.7%.”

FMCSA has also been working on “completing the picture of crashes” through a study that will use the agency’s crash datasets in addition to other information sources to create a full picture of big-rig and bus crashes in order to better determine the root causes at hand.