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MT_DOT_1

News · Sep 26, 2019

Blizzard to slam northern Rockies this weekend

Story by: Nick Austin, Director of Weather Analytics and Senior Meteorologist The northern Rocky Mountains are about to get a harsh blow from Mother Nature. A potential blizzard-like storm could shut down roads and knock out power in many high-elevation areas. The National Weather Service (NWS) has already issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of Montana, mostly along and north of I-90 and west of I-15, where the worst of the storm may hit. However, the Watch may be expanded to include other are

Camera systems in trucks

News · Sep 26, 2019

Tech company petitions FMCSA to allow camera systems to replace mirrors on trucks

Story by: Matt Cole Another technology company that manufactures mirrorless rearview camera systems for trucks is petitioning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to allow its system to be used on trucks in the United States. According to Matt Cole and his article in the overdriveonline.com Vision Systems North America (VSNA) is asking FMCSA to allow carriers to operate trucks equipped with its Smart-Vision high-definition camera monitoring system as an alternative to the two rearview

omnitracks2

News · Sep 23, 2019

Lawsuit sheds light on aborted Omnitracs deal, shows that telematics provider may be in troubles

Story by: John Paul Hampstead, Associate Editor A federal lawsuit filed last week in the Central District of California against Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm with more than $50 billion of assets under management, alleged that Omnitracs, a leading telematics provider for the transportation and logistics industry, is in dire financial straits. Dr. Kurt Lauk, a former board member of Solera, which is owned by Vista, characterized Omnitracs as “failing,” writing that Vista “overpaid”

Drop-Hook

News · Sep 23, 2019

Safety and autonomous trucking drive new standards for tractor-trailer hookups

Story by: Alan Adler Smaller gaps between truck and trailer help fuel economy but raise the difficulty of drop-and-hook operations As the gaps between tractors and trailers shrink through aerodynamic design, making connections safer is only one concern for standards-writing engineers who must account for autonomous trucking in the near future. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is developing new standards for hookups that tackle two contentious issues: tractor-trailer interconnection that

autonomous truck

News · Sep 23, 2019

Drivers shouldn't fear that autonomous trucks will replace them, tech developers say-at least for now

Story by: James Jaillet Speaking last week at the FTR Transportation Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, representatives from three autonomous truck tech developers sought to quell fears about their technology displacing drivers’ jobs. Instead, they offered a rosy outlook for the technology, in which autonomous trucks don’t displace drivers but alter the job to boost home time, reduce the grind of spending hours behind the wheel and increase the industry’s efficiency. “We see this partnership b

Trucking Industry News

News · Sep 22, 2019

FedEx and Walgreens to begin drone deliveries in Virginia

AUTHOR Morgan Forde@morgan_forde_ Story by: SupplyChainDive.com Alphabet subsidiary Wing Aviation has partnered with FedEx and Walgreens to begin commercial drone deliveries of select items to customers in Christiansburg, Virginia, next month (an exact date has yet to be released), according to a blog post. The drones will primarily carry food, healthcare, wellness-related and convenience products, according to FedEx. Consumers can opt-in to a waitlist to receive packages by drone, but FedEx did

car hauler 2

News · Sep 22, 2019

Diesel production disruption and GM strike hit trucking hard

Zach Strickland, FW Market Expert & Market Analyst @ freightwaves.com Chart of the Week: Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Rack Price – USA, Outbound Tender Rejection Index – Detroit (SONAR: ULSDR.USA, OTRI.DTW) Like an earthquake, the two major stories of the week hit trucking hard with the fallout yet to be fully measured as neither are fully resolved. The attack on Saudi Arabian oil production and the General Motors labor strike had an immediate impact to the freight market as wholesale diesel prices j

Houston-flooding_2-9-19-19-@MarcLongoria

News · Sep 20, 2019

Record floods in Texas fading, but not gone (forecast video)

Nick Austin, Director of Weather Analytics and Senior Meteorologist @ freightwaves.com More Flash Flooding potential in Texas The remnants of Tropical Depression Imelda have lost some steam, but not before dumping record rainfall across southeastern Texas for three days, causing major flooding and killing two people. Even though the widespread rain has stopped across the region, many roads, homes and businesses in Houston, Galveston, Port Aurthur, Beaumont and places in between remain flooded. S

UPS_Uniforms_1

News · Sep 20, 2019

UPS driver uniforms getting makeover first time in 100 years

Corrie White @ freightwaves.com Announced on Wednesday, the UPS (NYSE: UPS) driver uniform is getting a makeover for the first time since the 1920s. UPS currently has 125,000 drivers. UPS drivers around the world have worn the recognizable brown “shirt jack” with pants for nearly 100 years. For relief in warmer climates, shorts were added to the ensemble in the 1990s. The old uniform will remain an option for drivers or they will be recycled. “UPS is in the midst of a company-wide transformation

Amazon_orders_100000

News · Sep 19, 2019

Amazon announces purchase of 100,000 EV delivery vehicles from Rivian — the largest order ever

Linda Baker, Staff Writer @ freightwaves.com Raising the stakes in the eco-friendly delivery wars, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) said it has ordered 100,000 electric delivery vans from electric vehicle startup Rivian. The announcement coincided with a broader pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the e-giant generates by delivering over 10 billion packages a year. “We want to be leaders and role models,” CEO Jeff Bezos said during an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on Sept. 19. “

martintransportation

News · Sep 19, 2019

GM strike brings layoffs to truckers in Canada

Nate Tabak, Canada Correspondent @ freightwaves.com A U.S. truckload carrier has temporarily laid off at least 40 drivers and five mechanics at its Canadian branch because of the strike by auto workers at General Motors (NYSE: GM) plants in the United States, a union official said. Martin Transportation Systems issued the notice for employees at its Windsor, Ontario, facility on Sept. 17. Unifor, the union representing about 100 of the carrier’s Canadian employees, said the layoffs stemmed from