Truck drivers keep on rolling during the holidays

While families gathered together and celebrated the holidays surrounded by the comforts of home, The Signal of Santa Clarita Valley reports that many truckers keep on working.

Truckers are not the only ones working through the holidays. Gas station employees had to be duty to keep the trucks fueled up.

Want to drive a truck? Get in the drivers seat for 44 hours first

Could you qualify to drive a big truck just by pushing a pencil instead of a gearshift?

Land Line magazine reports on a proposed rule from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), requiring truck driving students to fulfill a requirement of 44 hours training behind the wheel, along with 76 hours of classroom time, before taking the test.

The demand for behind the wheel training has been the subject of legal rulings, lawsuits and legislation since 1991.

The full text of the rule can be found here on the Federal Register database.

GPS truck tracking systems could help prevent truck mishaps

Boston.com features a story on GPS technology that could prevent truck accidents by tracking a truck's position and speed.

One such system is Cadec's PowerVue. While other systems are mounted on the truck and monitor speed and position, PowerVue uses satellite tracking to determine if a truck is in danger of a rollover or moving too fast.

According to Cadec...

Designed to enable companies to maximize the business value of their fleets, Cadec’s PowerVue helps fleet managers address challenges such as:

• Improving efficiency and reducing costs by integrating actionable fleet information with existing routing, mapping and supply chain management software

• Creating dashboards of relevant information for each stakeholder in the supply chain – from dispatcher, to fleet manager, to CEO, to customer

• Ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations by automating paper-based administrative processes such as DOT logs and fuel tax

• Visibility into driver safety data including speed, route/location, and idle time and meeting and exceeding customer service expectations.

Unlike traditional mobile communications systems that primarily emphasize messaging and location, or OBC systems that focus on collecting data, PowerVue adds a level of intelligence by combining the most advanced on-board computer system with a web-based, enterprise-class data management application. This enables PowerVue to translate vast amounts of fleet data collected from each vehicle into actionable information that can be leveraged throughout the supply chain.

Source: Boston.com and Cadec

CommercialTruckTrader unveils redesigned web site

CommercialTruckTrader, a leader in the work truck classifieds industry, recently unveiled its redesigned website, featuring a simpler graphic layout, improved search, expanded content and enhanced dealer positioning designed to attract, engage, and retain visitors longer.

The new design, based on customer research and Web analytics, allows users to quickly find useful information. A vast amount of relevant cycle-specific content has been added to the site. Dealers now have the opportunity to more precisely target customers who are searching for their products and services, driving more qualified leads.

The site now features:

• An optimized homepage design geared to quickly serve up more relevant, meaningful content to different audience segments, be it consumers, dealers, or manufacturers.
  
  
• An intuitive user interface based on the three drivers of classified advertising – “Finding”, “Researching”, or “Selling” a work truck. The layout allows customers to navigate the site to find exactly what they are looking for quickly and easily.
  
  
• Integration of Internet standard banner sizes, allowing advertisers to deploy standard advertising packages without modification.
  
  
• Improved search capabilities, sharpening the results to more precisely match the request.
  
  
• Expanded search results, taking the returned value from 200 to 1,000 products, in line with industry standards used by companies such as Google.
  
  
• Rich, relevant content including vehicle specifications, press releases, industry news, lifestyle features, information and more.
  
  
• Information on more than 85,000 work trucks, products and services.

The new address for this blog is http://blog.commercialtrucktrader.com
Source: CommercialTruckTrader

New biometric system could secure ports and trucks

Biometrics used to be the stuff of science fiction films, where futuristic scanners read fingerprints or retinas to open doors or activate computers.

Land Line features a story on biometrics in real life and how the technology could be used by truckers to gain access to port gates or even be used to start engines instead of keys.

One of the companies mentioned in the Land Line story is Privaris, a company that supplies the hardware and software used in biometrics.

The Privaris web site features details on the Plus ID system that provides identity verification at security gates.

According to Privaris...

Facility operators must be able to quickly and reliably verify the identity of drivers and vehicles without imposing solutions that violate privacy, add substantial costs or create additional security risks. Existing solutions that require drivers to come to a full stop for manual inspection cause traffic delays and significantly impact productivity. Privaris' latest enhancements allow drivers who regularly enter ports, military bases or logistics centers to verify their identity using plusID 90 by simply swiping their finger on their personal biometric fob as they approach the gate. Once the fingerprint is matched to the stored template on the fob, it wirelessly transmits encrypted credentials (not the fingerprint) to the gate control system to validate the access rights for the driver and the vehicle, without the need to come to a full stop or roll down the window.

Land Line reports that the Privaris plusID 90 is now being tested at a military base and several ports are inquiring about the system.

Source. Privaris and Land Line

North Carolina Trucking Association Teams With Government Agencies to Enhance Highway Safety

The North Carolina Trucking Association has teamed with the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program to spearhead a new state initiative aimed at enhancing commercial vehicle safety.

The program is unique in that it not only seeks to educate passenger vehicle drivers about how to drive safely near trucks, but it also focuses on maximizing the trucking industry’s understanding and compliance with safety laws and regulations. The general public outreach effort centers on a highly visible “No Zone” campaign which features a dozen wrapped trailers, including one tank trailer, and the distribution of “No Zone” brochures.

In addition to the wrapped truck trailers, at least one thousand back door decals and one thousand sets of mud flaps emblazoned with the “Be Safe-Share the Space” logo will be distributed throughout North Carolina’s trucking industry to help get keep the message in the public eye. 150,000 sixty-page NC Commercial Motor Vehicle Information Guides have been printed as a comprehensive tool to help motor carriers and truck drivers stay abreast of current operating requirements

Addressed issues include registration requirements, inspections, weights and dimensions, hazardous materials, and insurance requirements, among others. Additionally, the truck wraps and the printed materials direct truckers to visit NCTA’s website, www.nctrucking.com, to access safety information.

Source: North Carolina Trucking Association