Trucks at Work Blog

“Since December [2010], we have seen industry-wide small car purchases increase from 19% to 24%. It drives home the point that consumers are looking at more fuel-efficient choices.” –George Pipas, sales analyst, Ford Motor Co.

You know, discussing a survey that discerns a growing long term focus among U.S. consumers on fuel economy is kinda like saying research confirms people enjoy saving money – leading to a ubiquitous “um, duh!” reaction for many.

Yet for fleets that rely on light and medium-duty trucks, such a shift is of critical importance. For if more and more everyday consumers make fuel economy a “must have” item on their vehicle specification list – even among buyers of sports cars – then OEMs are going to increase investments along that technological line.

Fleets feel the “ripple effect” of such decisions because OEMs like Ford Motor Co. and others are increasing moving to global vehicle platforms, meaning the cars and trucks sold in every corner of the world – along with the engines that power them – share similarly components. And if more of those components are focused on delivering better fuel economy for consumers, fleets are going to get it too.

Let’s take a look at some of the findings from the annual New Vehicle Customer Study conducted since the 1970s by Maritz Research – a study that surveys some 200,000 consumers a year: more

“Our engineering teams tested this technology for thousands of miles in many parts of the country to help ensure it performs on a wide range of roads with different lane markings.” –Michael Kane, vehicle engineering supervisor for driver assistance technologies, Ford Motor Co., discussing the company’s new Lane Keeping System

Lane departure warning (LDW) technology is nothing new to the trucking industry – heck, it’s been proven a life and money saver for nearly half a decade now by some fleets. Yet it’s still something of a rarity for the everyday motorist, as up to this point at least, such systems are offered only on pricey luxury vehicles such as those built by Mercedes Benz.

No more, however.

Starting next year, Ford Motor Co., for example, is going to roll out an optional suite of what it calls “lane keeping technologies” on its 2012 model Explorer sport utility vehicle (SUV) – systems that detect drowsy drivers, helps them stay alert and stay within their lane. And I can bet that, over time, this package is going to migrate to other Ford models as well.

[Here’s a video overview of the technologies involved within Ford’s “lane keeping” suite.]

The reason for Ford’s “lane keeping” push – and that of other light vehicle makers as well – is pretty simple: more than 40% of Americans admit to falling asleep or “nodding off” while driving, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Thus, as you can see, “drowsy driving” is not a problem solely associated with truck drivers – though some in the safety community sure try to paint it that way. more

“There has been a significant shift away from optimism for the U.S economy among U.S. industrial manufacturers over the past three months. Yet they aren’t pessimistic.” –Barry Misthal, global industrial manufacturing leader for global consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers

If there’s anything good to be said about the state of the U.S. economy right now (and for the global economy, too) is that we’re definitely down but not out.

Things are certainly unpleasant and will probably become more unpleasant before we start seeing improvements. That’s cold comfort to those unemployed and under-employed, but it’s sure better than some of the alternatives – such as the feared “double dip” recession.

Take a look at freight volume trends of late: The American Trucking Associations’ (ATA) for-hire truck tonnage index jumped 1.6% after falling a revised 0.5% in August. Nothing to pop champagne corks about, obviously, but compared to the September and August last year, tonnage is up 5.8% and 4.9%, respectively. I, for one, will take that, thank you very much.

More critically, though, in the third quarter tonnage is up 0.4% from the second quarter. That’s important, according to Bob Costello (at right), ATA’s chief economist, because the right before the last two recessions hit, truck tonnage took a nosedive. But that’s not happening this time, he explained. more

“We recognize that most small business owners are focused on running their businesses, and have limited resources and IT staff dedicated to managing their cyber security needs. Unfortunately, cyber criminals are increasingly making small businesses their targets, knowing they are likely to have fewer safeguards in place to protect themselves.” –Cheri McGuire, vp-global government affairs and cyber security policy, Symantec

I’ve been camping out on the information technology (IT) beat of late in this space simply because so much of trucking’s present and future is increasingly tied to IT systems of some sort or another.

Indeed, so much of our daily lives is now intertwined with IT that the issue of “cyber security” has far ranging importance for everyone, truckers and non-truckers alike.

Of course, the results a survey of U.S. small businesses sponsored by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and conducted by Zogby International are what sparked this particular rumination on IT security … and, yes, it’s fair to add that I am perhaps a bit too fond of data gleaned in such a manner.

[The great Winston Churchill offered up this famous quip concerning the use polls, surveys, and such like: “It is not always a good thing to be feeling your pulse and taking your temperature. Although one has to do it sometimes, you do not want to make a habit of it. I have heard it said that a Government should keep its ear to the ground, but they should also remember that this is not a very dignified attitude.” Did he have a way with words or WHAT?!] more

“Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours.” –Swedish Proverb

Perhaps one of the hardest things for any small business owner to do – and this is especially true in the trucking community – is “letting go” of responsibility.

Now, this is NOT by any stretch of the imagination an invitation for owners to hand over the keys to their fleet and then go on permanent vacation in the South Pacific.

But “letting go” does mean owners should delegate authority over time to proven staffers, for as a trucking company grows, one person – no matter how talented – simply cannot do it all.

And if one person TRIES to do it all, especially as a business grows, the results can often be less than ideal. more

“Expectations continue to rise dramatically for the IT [information technology] function to support new technologies, such as mobile devices and social media platforms that can be integrated with existing corporate systems, as well as the pervasive accumulation of sensitive data at multiple locations worldwide.” –Kurt Underwood, managing director and head of global consulting firm Protiviti’s IT practice

You know, even as the trucking industry attempts to grapple with a variety of challenges – regulatory changes, equipment changes, shortage of drivers, flat lining freight volumes, etc. – there’s one in particular that’s going to be felt in almost every corner of a motor carrier’s daily life: the evolution information technology (IT).

Take regulations, for starters. The ongoing effort by the Feds to reform hours-of-service (HOS) rules includes a technological component, in the form of electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs) or so-called “black boxes.” Such IT functionality opens up quite a “Pandora’s box” of issues: law enforcement access to such data, usage in a courtroom, 100% accuracy and infallibility, etc.

On the equipment side, fleets are trying to manage maintenance, up-time, route adherence, and fuel consumption electronically via sensors tied by wireless and satellite communication pathways back to their operation centers – again, an example of IT at work.

And of course, with so much data flying around electronically, security becomes a much hotter topic, too – especially as electronic information concerning freight shipments is now becoming the preferred fulcrum of contact between shippers and truckers as well as customs agents and border security personnel. more

“Drivers face more challenges on the road today than ever before, from work zones and distracted drivers to CSA and the daily demands of their jobs.” –Fred Andersky, director of government relations, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

It’s no secret that distractions abound for truck drivers these days – both inside and outside a truck’s cab. Indeed, a variety of truck driver safety courses – like the snippet below from ProTread Instructional Technologies – note that “distracted driving” can often be a greater threat when it occurs among other motorists operating alongside a big rig.

Just consider these numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): In 2009, 20% of all injury crashes involved reports of distracted driving, but the greatest proportion of such behavior occurred within the under-20 age group, of which 16% percent of those in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving.

As we all know, no one under 20 can get their CDL, so those youngsters aren’t maneuvering tractor-trailers with one hand on the wheel whilst texting their friend with the other (thank goodness). Yet such behavior poses a threat to truckers, since a mistake by a distracted teenager can cause a major accident. more

“The pool of new drivers simply doesn’t learn how to shift gears growing up anymore. It’s estimated that upwards of 50% to 60% of the new drivers coming into this industry today don’t know how to shift a manual transmission. Consequently, transmissions must be easier to use, more robust and provide better fuel economy.” –Darry Stuart, president, DWS Fleet Management Services

A few weeks back, I found myself tooling around a short yet wicked little test track at Allison Transmission’s headquarters outside Indianapolis at the helm of a 2011 Peterbilt Model 384 pulling a 48-foot trailer, loaded out at 62,000 pounds.

[Click here to access a photo gallery of the ride and drive even Allison hosted to show off its new TC10 gearbox.]

I call it “wicked” because it’s a narrow track that contains all kinds of sharp hairpin turns – providing quite the maneuvering challenge (fortunately without the added hassle of four-wheelers zooming hither and thither).

I didn’t get much chance to put the tractor’s Paccar MX 455 hp engine though its paces, either, as all the curbs required me to keep under 45 mph most of the time.

So why does any of this matter to you? Well, this particular Model 384 came equipped with Allison’s new TC10 TS automatic transmission, allowing me to fully concentrate on keeping my big rig (for that afternoon, at least) on the blacktop. more

“It’s all part of a process; finding out what works and what doesn’t. And there are always going to be speed bumps along the way.” –Ben Olsen, head coach, D.C. United

One of the many hats I wear in my personal life is that of a youth soccer coach, so needless to say, I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I got the chance to attend a special open practice/coaching clinic event put on by our local major league soccer [MLS] franchise, the D.C. United, this past August.

[Now, bear with me everyone – there’s a trucking tie-in to this story … and a valuable one I think.]

Let me be honest: “good fortune” is an understatement, coming from my perspective. For me and probably a hundred other youth coaches to get an inside “soup-to-nuts” overview of a professional soccer team practice, with an hour or so clinic conducted by D.C. United’s coaching staff – head coach Ben Olsen, with assistants Chad Ashton and Pat Onstad – thrown in for good measure, is like winning the mega-millions lottery. more

“CFO [chief financial officer] sentiment is driven by demand. [So] the deepening impact of the European debt crises combined with stagnant employment, continued housing issues and volatile financial markets at home do not bode well for consumer demand anywhere.{thus it’s] little wonder some CFOs are stepping back – even retreating – from their previous growth projections.” –Sanford Cockrell III, national managing partner-CFO program, Deloitte LLP

It’s been quite a mixed bag this past month or so, with a variety of surveys and polls indicating both positive and negative economic trends taking shape in the U.S. and around the world – though, for the most part, most of those findings are negative.

That’s creating an unfortunate “self-fulfilling” prophecy of sorts – and that’s an outcome that doesn’t bode well for the freight sector.

Take a survey of 91 chief financial officers (CFOs) – 75% of whom are from publicly traded companies, with another 75% from firms generating more than $1 billion in revenue – conducted back in late August by global consulting firm Deloitte LLP.

Sanford Cockrell III, Deloitte’s national managing partner for its CFO program, said the survey found that the persistent drumbeat of negative economic news is taking a toll on CFO optimism. In fact, for the first time in the history of this poll, CFOs who are more pessimistic about their own company’s prospects outnumber optimists. more