While praised for cutting emissions and improving cetane levels, another incentive that may draw fleets to renewable and biodiesel is the potential rise in ultra-low sulfur diesel prices this year brought on by mandated maritime use. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) ruled that starting on Jan. 1 vessels traveling in international waters would have to reduce […]
Beware and prepare. Tractor-trailer insurance rates saw an uptick this year, brought on by a rise in truck crashes and massive settlements and judgements. The worst possible rate surge could come from Washington, D.C. where U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., 8th District, is sponsoring a bill (H.R. 3781) to raise the minimum liability coverage on semis […]
Sport trophies in a hallway cabinet at Smith Transport’s maintenance building look nothing like the awards for customer service and safety displayed in its main office. The trophies go back to the early 1980s for winning sled pulls and drag races. Company founder Barry Smith’s custom V-12 semi, the “Black Tornado,” beat Corvettes on the […]
Temperatures nationwide are beginning their downward trend and some parts of the country are already seeing snowfall. In extreme temperatures, Petro-Canada Lubricants OEM Technical Liaison Brian Humphrey says lubricants can harden or become too viscous, possibly causing equipment to seize up or fail. “To avoid this situation, fleet managers and owner-operators need to use a lower viscosity oil, one […]
Nearly 40 years ago, mileage replaced weight as the top-used valuation for freight rates after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 opened the floodgates of competition. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) no longer granted carriers operating authority for lanes with rate structures based on the poundage or “hundredweight” by freight type.
replaced weight as the top-used valuation for freight rates after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 opened the floodgates of competition. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) no longer granted carriers operating authority for lanes with rate structures based on the poundage or “hundredweight” by freight type.
“Nuclear” verdicts by juries in the last decade will cause insurance premiums to go up between 20 and 25 percent when carriers renew their policies in 2020, “even if they are doing an outstanding job,” a speaker told fleets at the CCJ Solutions Summit, Nov. 19 in Scottsdale, Ariz. Insurance companies in the trucking market have been running […]
Evaluating the truck makes and models that best fit a fleet’s operation – and drive the best cost of ownership – can be a long and arduous process, but knowing when to sell or trade that equipment can be just as important. Advancements in new trucks have made studying trade cycle critical for carriers looking to maximize […]
