Trucking

Amazon, UPS, and Fedex Face Challenges in Protecting Workers During Delivery Surge

May 17, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many delivery services are making sure employees and customers are as well-protected as possible.

In a statement, UPS said it is making efforts to enhance cleaning in all facilities, especially around shared equipment, and is encouraging its employees to practice social distancing and to follow guidelines around proper hygiene. The company said it is also providing sanitizing supplies to all drivers, refilling automatic hand sanitizing stations, and providing emergency paid leave to any employee affected by coronavirus. UPS also said its facilities keep 60 days worth of stock in soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and other hygiene products.

Additionally, the company is adjusting signature regulations so that a majority of deliveries will not require a signature. If a delivery does need one, UPS will not share a pen with the recipient and will maintain social distancing guidelines.

Currently, UPS is working with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters regarding paid-leave for unionized workers.

FedEx is also temporarily suspending most U.S. and Canada signature requirements for its FedEx Express and FedEx Ground deliveries. The company has also relaxed signature requirements for same-day service, at FedEx office stores, and for FedEx Freight operations.

“This change is meant to help protect our couriers, drivers, and customers by preventing exchange of the signature equipment and keeping them at a safe distance from each other [that is] consistent with social-distancing guidelines from the WHO,” said a Fedex spokeswoman in a statement.

Amazon is temporarily suspending shipments of nonessential items and is focusing on making household goods and medical supplies a priority throughout its facilities.

Customers can still order in-stock nonessential goods that are already in warehouses, and can choose the “unattended delivery” option during checkout when ordering from Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market. With this option, their items will be dropped off at a specific location in order to maintain social distancing.

Amazon said it has also increased its sanitizing practices in all facilities, especially around door handles, stairway railings, lockers, touch screens, and elevator buttons. Any Amazon employee placed into quarantine or diagnosed with COVID-19 will be able to receive two weeks of pay.

Amazon has also been working to hire 100,000 additional full-and part-time employees throughout the country in order to keep up with increased demand. The company has said it will be boosting hourly pay for its workers by $2 through April.

As for UPS, the company said its paid-leave agreement applies to around 300,000 full-time and hourly employees–especially drivers, mechanics, and package handlers who are directly impacted by the virus.

UPS’ agreement with the Brotherhood of Teamsters will provide paid leave for any worker diagnosed with COVID-19 or who is placed under quarantine.

While on leave, full-time employees will receive payment for eight hours per workday for up to 10 workdays. For part-time workers, employees will receive payment for 3.5 hours per workday for up to 10 work days. Part-timers are also guaranteed at least 3.5 hours per day when they are called into work. Part-time UPS Freight workers will receive pay for four hours a day for up to 10 workdays, and UPS Cartage Service part-time employees will have local addenda guarantees applied. All workers will have health and pension plan contributions made in alignment with union requirements.. If a worker uses paid time off or self-quarantines and is later diagnosed with COVID-19, UPS will repopulate that accrued paid time off for up to 80 hours for full-time workers and 35 for part-time workers.

This agreement also maintains that any employee missing work due to the virus will not have any days missed counted as an attendance infraction.

UPS has also worked with the federal government to provide logistical support and transportation for the COVID-19 drive-through testing sites throughout the United States. Union members’ roles will only be associated with the delivery and pick up of supplies and test kits.

Regarding the safety of handling packages, the U.S. the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have both stated that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from packages or mail is low. Coronaviruses typically spread through respiratory droplets, according to the CDC.

“In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packages that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures,” the CDC explained.

America’s Truck Drivers Can’t Stay Home

April 30, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

When we think about the people in our communities who definitely can’t work from home, we most often think of emergency room doctors and nurses, and rightly so. However, there are many workers on the front lines in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 who may not be top of mind for most people, yet their contributions are vital to allowing people to get food and supplies in this critical time.

Whether you’re buying your food and essentials from a store or getting them delivered, those items most certainly spent part of their journey to your home on a truck driven by one of the over 3 million professional truck drivers in the United States. Since most the country is under some form of quarantine order or another, food, essentials, and medical supplies are nearly entirely moved only by professional drivers.

Some drivers regularly travel thousands of miles as part of a supply chain that keeps grocery store shelves fully stocked. If a driver were to get sick far from home at a time when there is no guarantee of testing, they may be left with few options and they even might get stranded. With so many businesses closed, many drivers will rely on truck stops and travel centers for rest, fuel, essentials, and supplies. In Some cases, these facilities may be the only ones available for drivers who are far from home.

The National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), a trade association based in Washington D.C. that represents the truck stop industry keeps a directory of stops and travel centers on their website to make it easier for drivers to locate facilities near them.

What if a driver gets sick?

Each trucking company is likely to have a different set of policies for its employees. In March, new Federal legislation was signed into law, called the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The law requires employers with less than 500 workers to provide additional paid sick leave to their employees. Some of the provisions that require employers to provide additional paid leave to an employee situations where an employee has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine, or to someone is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking diagnosis. There are also provisions requiring higher compensation rates for some employees. However, there are exceptions to these rules given to some smaller businesses whose viability would be jeopardized by enacting these provisions. These new rules are set to expire at the end of 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued some guidelines to help delivery drivers stay safe while working. Some of these tips can also apply to long-haul truckers. Additionally, truck drivers should be diligent about taking all the precautions they can to prevent the spread of this virus.

You’re probably tired of hearing this, but wash your hands:

Hand sanitizer may be helpful to have in a bind. However, it doesn’t substitute for washing your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds. This may seem like overkill, but you should wash your hands every time you get fuel, use the washroom, or before you eat. Just think about how many people touch a fuel pump or use the bathroom every day. In fact, try to avoid things that multiple people come into contact with, like buffet style dining facilities or public computers.

Finally, if a driver does get sick – stop working. You should contact your company’s safety department as soon as you feel ill. Not only are you risking getting someone else sick if you keep working, but it’s also unsafe to operate a rig if you’re sick or fatigued.

Airman Introduces Automated Landing Gear System

April 20, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

At the recent 2020 American Trucking Associations Technology and Maintenance Council Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Airman Products unveiled its new Automated Landing Gear Deployment and Retraction Technology.

The company’s patent-pending device allows drivers to limit their exposure to potential injuries–such as knee and back damage–by eliminating manual cranking needs for raising and lowering the landing gear of a truck, and replacing it with the flip of a switch.

“What we’re bringing to the fleets is a faster solution that requires significantly less effort out of the driver,” said vice president of Airman sales, Jim Babbitt.

The electrically-driven unit can be OEM-installed in under an hour, works easily with all existing landing gear makes and models, and only weighs 15 pounds. A driver can deploy and retract landing gear much more quickly with the new technology than he or she could manually.

When drivers work with the manual system and sustain injuries, they often end up missing work for months–which can even cost them their jobs.

“You do this tens of thousands of times over a lifetime of being a truck driver, and that’s going to cause problems,” said Shane LaHousse, Airman vice president of engineering. “Automation is the way to eliminate this problem”

Repetitive cranking motion can also because heavy wear on muscles and joints, especially in aging drivers, which is a growing issue as the median truck driver age continues to rise.

“Depending on the equipment and circumstances, it can take between 50 to 60 crank arm rotations to get the legs on a trailer’s landing gear at the ground, and this task can keep some otherwise great drivers from working or coming back to work,” LaHousse explained. “Operating the crank arm can be awkward and physically taxing, even if the driver is young and uses the proper technique for landing gear operation, so we’ve taken this task out of the driver equation by automating it.”

Babbitt assures that this is a major solution.

“The fleets we’ve surveyed tell us that shoulder, back, and rotator cuff injuries are at the top of their list for workers’ comp claims, and that cranking landing gear up and down can cause or exacerbate these injuries,” said Babbitt. “Truck driving is already a physically demanding profession, so our automated system focuses on one primary stressor–making trailer drops and hookup operations safer and faster, while improving the truck driver experience and, as a result, driver retention.”

According to LaHouse, the Automated Landing Gear Deployment and Retraction system also increases lot utilization by allowing trailers to park closer together. This is made possible because the controller is mounted directly under the trailer apron and there is no longer a need to be able to reach a crank arm.

Babbitt said installing the system is simple–it arrives in kit form with all mounting hardware included. It only needs two bolts on the landing gear crossbar removed, the Airman landing gear actuator attached, and then the crossbar reinstalled.

The interface also only needs a 12-volt power supply, and the unit’s control box mounts easily under the trailer. Its two-way toggle switch sits on the side of the trailer frame rail and is easily accessible.

There is no maintenance required once installed, besides periodic battery replacement as needed. The company’s landing gear actuator is self-contained and does not need any lubrication.

“Some landing gear manufacturers offer automated systems now, but they are expensive, upgrading requires discarding an existing drive leg, and if the landing gear is damaged, may require complete replacement,” said Babbitt. “Not only is the Airman system about half the cost of other systems, it also works universally with all existing landing gear makes and models, and doesn’t have to be replaced if the landing gear is damaged.”

Airman also asserts that fleets with multiple trailer brands using various types of landing gear are now able to use one piece of equipment and one single source overall. Thus, whether a fleet orders the Airman Automated Landing Gear Deployment and Retraction Technology on new trailers, retrofits older trailers, or utilizes both options, it can still increase its parts inventory by just one SKU.

As of now, implementing the new automated landing gear system–which is expected to enter production in the third quarter–will only cost fleets about $700 per unit.

Additionally, it will come with a standard five-year warranty, or a seven-year warranty with a fleet agreement.

No Need to ‘Hoard’ Groceries Amid COVID-19 Concerns Say Experts – Supply Chain Intact

March 31, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 have put a strain on the transpiration industry charged with getting food and supplies from point A to point B. Many stores quickly ran out of toilet paper when news of confirmed infections began breaking in the United States.

Seeing empty store shelves in a country where we often encounter abundance can seem ominous. People are facing a lot of uncertainty surrounding this pandemic. Many people are out of work and have had to apply for unemployment. Businesses are shut down and there are certainly some that may not recover. This whole situation has the potential of changing our realities, possibly even permanently.

Fear of the unknown is likely what sent people rushing to their local convenience and grocery stores to buy more toilet paper and paper towels than they will likely use in a year. There was a run on food as well. Grocery aisles emptied out quickly even before the Governor here in Illinois told everyone to stay home. Items with a long shelf life, like rice and pasta went first, along with the inventory of most of your local meat departments. However, it wasn’t long after that stock started to replenish at most stores. The main reason for this is the hard work of our nations professional truck drivers. Thankfully, food production hasn’t stopped, and stores are continuing to receive their shipments of supplies.

After the Governor of Illinois announced the shelter-in-place order, he deemed certain facilities and the people employed by them as “essential,” stating that such would remain open and continue to work. Not only did this category include hospitals and pharmacies, but also restaurants and grocery stores. As a result, professional truck drivers continue to work to deliver supplies to grocery stores and restaurants so that people can get what they need. Additionally, in order to stop others from “hoarding” specific items such as hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, paper towels and the like, grocery stores have implemented policies which limit the amount customers may purchase.

Although there are less vehicles on the road due to the “stay-home” orders local governments have been issuing throughout the country during this pandemic, it is still important for truck drivers to be able to practice safe and careful driving when transporting essential goods. If anything, there are a much higher percentage of semi-trucks driving around trying to get supplies delivered to stores than ever before and the last thing that anyone would want to happen is for these trucks and the drivers to get into a crash and possibly be injured. We need truck drivers to be able to do their jobs. However, they need to be able to do so while still following safety rules, including limits on the hours they remain on duty and still meet the needs and demands of each community. Accordingly, government, as well as private trucking companies, must provide truck drivers the ability to get enough rest and not be overworked in order to avoid driving while fatigued. This would ensure the safety of drivers, both truck drivers and other drivers on the road, as well as the arrival of the cargo professional truck drivers are carrying.

In uncertain times like these when some things may be out of our control, we still need to take all the measures we can to prevent crashes and injuries, not only to protect the supply chains that keep us fed, but to allow our hospitals and medical professionals the ability to focus on treating people suffering from this terrible virus.

Outrider Startup Raises $53 Million to Automate Trucking Yards

March 26, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Outrider, a startup tech company formerly known as Azevtec, rose to prominence this month with its announcement of having raised $53 million for its autonomous trucking yard operations system.

The funding will work toward aiding both warehouses and logistic hubs with their outdoor vehicle operations, while also helping distribution yards to move freight-heavy semi-trailers efficiently between warehouses and public roads. Currently, methods around yard operations are hazardous, the company said.

“While there’s been lots of automation in other aspects of the supply chain, what happens in yard operations is almost entirely manual and inefficient,” said CEO and founder of Outrider, Andrew Smith. “This means there is congestion when over-the-road trucks are coming to drop off trailers or containers into a yard. There are misplaced trailers that can cause all sorts of issues within the supply chain. Equipment gets damaged. So, we are laser-focused on autonomous yard operations and the movement of that freight.”

The new funding came through Series A financing–a series of investments for private startups showing potential and progress in their efforts.

“The important thing to understand about our system is that we don’t just automate the truck,” Smith continued. “We automate the entire yard. What this means is, we think about what are those components that come together that allow one person to dramatically increase the safety and productivity of the yard, as opposed to having lots of people running around doing those things.”

Right now, with around 50,000 yard trucks across the nation handling freight container and trailer transfer from warehouses or distribution center trucks, Outrider aims at automating these yard trucks through a new electric vehicle equipped with Level 4 autonomy features. This goal will potentially improve overall safety within distribution center yards.

Outrider is looking to automate processes such as:

-Moving trailers around yards

-Transporting trailers to and from loading docs

-Hitching and unhitching trailers

-Connecting and disconnecting brake lines

-Monitoring trailer locations

This new system will work to “deliver yards that are more efficient, safer, and more sustainable,” the company said.

According to Smith, the system is comprised of three components. First, a web-based interface that lets customers use a dashboard to move vehicles throughout the yard; second, a modular site infrastructure allowing vehicles to maneuver easily around workers; and third, using software, robotics, and sensors on a base electric truck platform to automate the vehicles.

The software is easily able to be integrated with current warehouses and yard management systems, he explained further.

As many other trucking industry companies work to automate warehouse operations and over-the-road trucks, Outrider said it has found the opportunity to bring more automation to the logistics yard, which is connecting factor between those processes.

“Yards are dangerous environments–essentially, anywhere you have people interacting with 80,000-pound pieces of equipment, operating in all weather conditions during all hours of the day [is dangerous],” said Smith. “Unfortunately, yard accidents are quite frequent, so safety is core to everything we do.”

To reduce equipment damage and accidents as trailers move throughout fast-past work environments, Outrider is developing new yard safety cases with customers and outside experts.

With Outrider, “people inside the warehouse can communicate safely with the autonomous truck to limit how those vehicles get pulled away from the warehouse doors,” Smith said about one of the most common and hazardous activities in a yard. Outrider’s system also automates how drivers connect and disconnect air lines on a trailer, which they typically have to do manually.

The company, based out of Golden, Colorado, has impressed investors with its 75 employees, 50 of whom focus exclusively on distribution yard automation.

“We consider hundreds of investment opportunities in the logistics space every year,” said 8VC founding partner, Jake Medwell. “Our decision to be an early investor in Outrider was an easy one. Andrew’s vision and plan for the industry are highly compelling, and he’s mobilized an unmatched team to execute.”

As automated technology has industry workers hoping for large economic wins, it still brings worry regarding displaced workers. Conversely, Smith said Outrider is designed to allow workers more time for more important tasks.

“We, as a company, are focused on thinking about what is the responsible deployment of autonomous technology,” he said. “For all the cases we are working on with our customers, there is little-to-no direct job loss for the employment of these systems. Yard truck driving is a repetitive and hazardous task where you see high levels of turnover.”

People Still Need Food and Supplies – Truck Drivers are Essential and We Need to Keep Them Safe Too

March 24, 2020 by Levinson and Stefani Leave a Comment

Many store shelves have been empty with retailers selling out of essentials as people are legitimately concerned over the spread of COVID-19, commonly referred to as coronavirus. While many people are sheltering in place at home, our economy continues to rely on the trucking industry to transport goods wherever they need to go.

Some states have restricted non-emergency travel and imposed curfews. The safety and health of our communities are, of course, foremost on everyone’s minds. Yet, we still need things to get by. This pandemic has brought on a near shutdown of the American economy and, as I write this, Congress is hopefully finishing negotiations over the proposed stimulus package aimed at propping up businesses and protecting household’s savings accounts, as well as people just managing to get by.

Truck drivers and transportation companies play a vital role in keeping grocery stores stocked and allowing hospitals to replenish supplies. Most every item on a store shelf from produce to paper towels got there on a truck. It is essential that processional truck drivers are able to do their jobs. It won’t be the same as before, of course. Closed restaurants and truck stops will make it hard for drivers to find places to stop to rest or even wash their hands. This is where elected officials in every state need to step in and make sure there are adequate facilities available to drivers and that proper precautions are taken to prevent them from getting sick.

Although the transportation of essential good needs to continue as uninterrupted as possible, every effort should be taken by trucking companies and government to allow drivers the ability to rest when needed and when the law requires. For instance, federal and state laws prohibit trucks from parking on highway shoulders overnight. States that have taken action to limit business operation and travel, must make accommodations for drivers making cross-country trips that require overnight stops.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website contains information regarding emergency declarations, waivers, exemptions, and permits for drivers. The site continues information about which states have issued emergency declarations and some of the regulatory information associated with that. In addition to check with the FMCSA, drivers and transport companies should check each state’s website where they intend to travel to make sure they are following all local rules as well. FMCSA has also set up a toll free hotline for questions at 1-877-831-2250.

This pandemic is unprecedented. We will likely continue to deal with not only the health and medical emergency resulting from the spread of COVID-19, but also the economic ramifications, as well as continued restrictions on work and travel. As we move forward, we have to understand that we are all in this together. We should continue to do everything we can to try and keep people from getting sick, but we also need to keep I mind that although we are dealing with an extraordinary situation, we must continue to focus on taking precautions in our normal activity, including getting around from place to place when needed, and moving food and goods where they need to go.

Staying healthy from the threat of infections is not our only concern. With the spread of this virus a hospital stay resulting from a car crash could increase someone’s risk of coming into contact with a person seeking treatment for the virus. All the more reason for transportation companies and government to work together to make sure drivers are able to follow safety rules and get the rest they need as well as the facilities they need to be able to do their essential jobs properly.