Expect more Run on Less from NACFE

The North American Council for Freight Efficiency has unveiled a new look and redesigned website (www.nacfe.org) as it widens its focus beyond the fuel-saving equipment and components on the road today. The organization’s original goal was to promote the doubling of freight-moving efficiency. And the recent Run on Less event proved that target is “pretty practical”, said executive director Mike Roeth, during a briefing at the Technology and Maintenance Council’s annual meeting. Seven trucks participating in Run on Less proved an average of 10.1 mpg (23.3 L/100 km) is possible with existing technologies, and under real-world operating conditions. This compares to a national average of 6.4 mpg (36.75 L/100 km), and U.S. Department of Energy super trucks achieving 11-13 mpg (21.38-18.09 L/100km).

Omnitracs looks to place more focus on its efforts in Canada

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following last year’s Shaw Tracking acquisition, Omnitracs is focused on increasing its footprint in the Great White North. Speaking during Outlook 2018, Mike Segal, director of product…

OTA Next Gen training returns

TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario Trucking Association’s (OTA) Next Gen Certificate is returning, with a kick-off planned for Apr. 19 at Truck World. Registrations are now being accepted. Training occurs…

Border can represent a technical divide

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Marc Greco, manager of corporate solutions with Challenger Motor Freight, was direct when he summed up a comparison of Canadian and U.S. trucking operations. “We do things slightly differently,” he told a crowd at Omnitracs’ Outlook user conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Cyberattacks are a real threat to trucking: panel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It can begin with someone surfing porn on a fleet tablet, clicking on the link in an email from someone who appears to be a trusted customer, or even using a poorly designed ELD. But no matter how a breach in fleet systems is created, the cybersecurity threats in trucking are all too real.

Let’s step things up and be more social

Social media is here to stay, and trucking companies would benefit if utilized properly

Trucking faces greatest change since deregulation: Greer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ray Greer, the chief executive officer of Omnitracs, believes the trucking industry is undergoing its greatest period of change since deregulation.

Alliance wants ELDs in ’95 and later trucks

Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau announces plans for an ELD mandate. OTTAWA, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is calling on Transport Canada to expedite a mandate for…

Celadon Group releases enhanced tracking platform

INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Celadon Group is calling on users of its load-tracking platform CelaTrac to test its latest update. The online real time shipment-tracking platform began open beta-testing this week…

Impact of ELD mandate yet to be determined: FTR

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The full effect of the U.S. electronic logging device (ELD) mandate on trucking capacity remains to be felt, according to an analysis by industry forecaster FTR. Enforcement…

Small business ELD exemption ‘not likely’, analysts say

BLOOMINGTON, IN – The rollout of mandated Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) continues in the U.S. And while some trucking operations have secured temporary waivers, analysts at FTR Intel believe a bid to exempt small carriers outright is unlikely to succeed. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has asked regulators to exempt small businesses making less than US $27.5 million in revenue, that don’t have an unsatisfactory safety rating, and have a safe record with no attributable at-fault crashes. It would last five years. An exemption like that – already rejected during the regulatory review process – would essentially gut the mandate for ELDs, and has been opposed by the American Trucking Associations and safety advocacy groups. Eighty-one percent of over-the-road trucking companies, and 93% of one-truck operators among them, have had no DOT-recordable crashes in the past two years, FTR notes.

Private fleet survey opens

MILTON, Ont. – The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) is collecting data for its second annual benchmarking survey of private and dedicated fleets, building on work by the…

Fleet makes case for hourly pay

JEAN-SUR-RICHELIEU, Que. -- CH Express drivers were not alone in worries that a U.S. mandate for Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) might affect how much they could make. But ­managers at the flatbed fleet have responded in a bold way – by paying the long-haul drivers by the hour rather than distances.

Little engines that can: Big power from small displacements

TORONTO, ON -- Canada has always been big-bore territory: big trucks, big loads, big hills, big engines. Right? If you're one of those with feet firmly planted in the big bore camp, it might be time to re-think that position. Some of today's smaller engines are surprisingly capable. They are lighter and more fuel-efficient, and deliver performance that's nearly equal to their larger brothers.

Alternative Financing: Will your lender buy in to alternative fuel?

MONTREAL, QC -- Trucks that run on alternative fuels promise to be easier on the environment, but the equipment itself can be tougher on a capital budget. Consider natural gas. It’s historically cheaper than diesel, but the trucks that use it can cost an extra $50,000 to $100,000 over the price of their conventionally fueled counterparts, depending on the spec’s.