BMT

DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 

Features 

14 

Kenneth Jones can’t picture 

himself anywhere besides 

behind the wheel 

staff 

General Manager: Megan Hicks 

Sales Manager: Ed Leader 

Editor-in-Chief: Lyndon Finney 

Staff Writers: Dorothy Cox, 

Cliff Abbott, Aprille Hanson 

Art Director: Kelly Young 

10 

18 

22 

On Trucking 

Equipment Matters 

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to be a part of that story. At Carrier One, we know our professional independent 

contractors are what keep the flatbed business, this country, and our company rolling. 

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Lyndon Finney, Editor 

HOS, TRUCK PARKING, ELD MANDATE 

TOP ATRI ‘CRITICAL ISSUES’ SURVEY 

3RD YEAR IN A ROW 

If only it had been the lottery. 

You may recall that in the November 1-15 issue, 

we made a prediction that when the American 

Transportation Research Institute issued its “Critical 

Issues in the Trucking Industry - 2018” survey on 

October 29 during the American Trucking Associations’ 

management Conference and Exhibition, that the top 

three concerns within the driver audience would be 

the same as in 2016 and 2017: Hours of Service, truck 

parking and the ELD mandate. 

Sure enough, that was the case. 

Cha-ching. 

We’re waiting for the quarters to come pouring out of 

our desktop. 

The order may have changed from year to year, but 

the issues did not. 

Of course, as we reported in our Page 1 story in this 

issue, there were some disparities among the responses 

of professional truck drivers, motor carrier executives 

and other trucking industry stakeholders, the two 

larger audiences for the survey (drivers and executives 

accounted for about 90 percent of the respondents). 

Truck parking was the most blatant disparity. 

Drivers rated truck parking as the No. 2 issue, the 

other two audiences rated is No. 9. 

For each of the top 10 issues listed, there were three 

strategies for dealing with that particular concern. 

Here are the strategies for truck parking, which 

ranked No. 5 overall: 

1. Identify strategic locations on the National 

Freight Network for new or expanded truck parking 

because of increased traffic congestion and industry/ 

regulatory changes. A majority of survey respondents 

(50.2 percent) have indicated that identifying strategic 

locations to expand truck parking capacity is their 

preferred strategy for addressing the pervasive shortage 

of truck parking. In particular, re-opening shuttered 

parking facilities and investing in new facilities are the 

most direct strategies aimed at alleviating the chronic 

and growing shortage of truck parking. 

2. Educate the public sector on the safety consequences 

that result from closing public parking facilities and/or 

failing to expand truck parking availability. The Jason’s 

Law Report first brought attention to the safety risks 

commercial drivers face as a result of the truck parking 

shortage, and more recent research continues to quantify 

the safety impacts of an inadequate supply of truck 

parking. ATRI’s truck parking diary research quantified 

the frequency in which drivers are forced to park in 

undesignated or unauthorized truck parking locations 

like highway shoulders or on-ramps, with 48.7 percent 

of drivers reporting that the parking shortage leads 

them to do so between three to seven times per week. 

As such, this is the preferred strategy for 38.2 percent of 

respondents, up from 29 percent in 2017, as a growing 

number of industry stakeholders hope that educating 

state and local officials on the critical need for safe truck 

parking facilities could lead to new investments. 

3. Research the role and value of real-time truck parking 

information availability and truck parking reservation 

systems. Leveraging technological advancements to 

develop real-time truck parking solutions was the 

preferred strategy for a small, but growing percentage 

of respondents. The share of respondents selecting this 

strategy increased from 7.2 percent to 11.7 percent, 

reflecting the considerable public sector interest and 

investment in these systems. 

Driver retention was No. 3 overall issue and on 

the subject of recruiting and retention, the survey 

10 

Big Money Trucking 


mentioned that many carriers have (some more than 

once this year) increased compensation packages 

for drivers, including salary, bonuses and benefits. 

We wondered if the compensation increases were 

attracting new drivers and just causing a churn 

in the existing driver pool, knowing among large 

truckload carriers, the turnover rate is almost 100 

percent. 

We turned to Rebecca Brewster, president and 

COO of ATRI for the answer. 

“The question of whether increases in compensation 

packages leads to more entrants to the industry or 

just exacerbates churn is difficult to quantify but at 

the end of the day, the driver is coming out on the 

winning side of that equation whether experienced 

or new entrant as we see increases in sign-on, 

retention and driving performance bonuses as well 

as wages and benefits,” she told us. 

Let’s hope these enhanced benefits packages will 

entice new entrants. 

12 



He’s been a lot of places, seen a lot of things, but 

driver can only picture himself behind the wheel 

Klint Lowry 

T 

here’s an art to finding drivers to interview for the At the Truck 

Stop feature. It takes a combination of a reporter’s gut instinct 

along with the seasoned ability to read a person’s body language 

— do they want to be approached? Are they going to be relaxed enough 

to talk about themselves to a complete stranger who’s come up to them 

out of nowhere? 

It really is kind of a weird thing to ask of someone. 

Kenneth Jones was fueling when he saw the reporter and his camera. 

Jones waved to get his attention. 

“Hey, take my picture,” he yelled from 50 feet away. “Tell them I’m the 

best truck driver there ever was.” 

OK, this guy’s a definite maybe. A few minutes later, as he was getting 

ready to have his picture taken, Jones expressed a tiny bit of hesitancy, but 

only because he was wearing his Barack Obama T-shirt. 

He’d soured on Obama since he’d gotten the shirt. Obama’s politics were 

OK, Jones explained, but he was totally disappointed in his social policies. 

Now, Trump, on the other hand, is a lunatic, Jones continued. But he’s 

been a pretty effective lunatic, so he’s OK with him so far. 

14 



Obviously, he’s not shy talking about himself or his opinions. 

Jones was on his way to Oklahoma City, the last leg of an unusually long 

run — long in terms of time. He’s usually home Mondays, he said, home 

being Dallas. 

“You got to do a reset, and I like to do my resets at home, not out on the 

road,” he said. “I usually get in on a Sunday night, or Monday, and I’m back 

out on Wednesday, and that’s every week.” 

Jones drives for Genem Logistics, out of Richardson, Texas. Most weeks 

he makes round trips to the Northeast, to New York or Pennsylvania or 

up into New England. This week, the route included two stops each way 

instead of one, so he’ll have to forego time at home. 

“That’s the only way I can still make enough money to support myself and 

my family,” he said, then as an afterthought he smiled and added, “and the 

owner makes three or four dollars.” 

Jones has been working for Genem for the last year and a half of a career 

that has spanned nearly four decades. 

“I’ve been driving a truck ever since I was 16,” he said. “I’ve been getting 

paid to drive a truck ever since 1980.” 

In between he served in the Marines. Now 60, he’s a truck driver right 

down to his bones. 

“I love it, I wouldn’t do anything else,” he said. He’s not too sure he could 

do anything else. You have to be honest with yourself about your strengths 

and weaknesses, what you like and don’t like. 

“I’ve tried to do other things. But I can’t work in a factory, because it’s 

confined. And I can’t work at nighttime because it seems like it takes too 

much of my time. But driving this truck, I’m satisfied with that. 

“I guess I’m a loner. I like being by myself. Every now and then my wife or 

my children may ride with me, but I like being by myself. And I like deciding 

what I’m going to do today, how far I’m going to go, if I’m going to go at all 

— I like that.” 

When many drivers start their careers, they say one of the things that 

drew them to the profession was the chance to see the country. That never 

wears off, Jones said, at least not for him. That’s why he likes those New 

England runs. 

“I want to see the ships, the bridges. I like water, I like the ocean,” he said. 

Over the years he’s seen the entire country. Every region has different 

terrain, different wildlife. He hasn’t seen a wild moose yet, he said, but he’s 

on the lookout. Enjoying the sights is about the only entertainment he gets 

on the road. 

“I love driving a truck,” he said, “but don’t get me wrong. I love driving a 

truck, but I drive a truck to make a living.” 

And making a living at trucking takes discipline, he said. In a way, it 

sometimes feels lately like he isn’t making any more than he made when he 

started, or at least not getting further ahead. 

“Those E-logs slowed us down” this past year, he said. But he’s more 

concerned lately about the rates he’s been getting. They’ve dropped 

considerably in the last few months. 

“I don’t understand how it could have gone down so much. To me, it 

seems the brokers are getting too greedy,” he said. 

Part of being a professional is looking at the bottom line, Jones said. “If 

I’m not making a living, I’m not going to be driving your truck very much.” 

That said, he has no doubt after all these years in the business, he’ll 

always be driving a truck. 

“Once you start driving it gets in your blood.” 

16 



FEATURE 

VOLVO ENHANCES ITS REMOTE 

DIAGNOSTICS WITH ADVANCED 

ANALYTICS PLATFORM FROM SAS 

Volvo Trucks North America says it is further 

strengthening its portfolio of uptime-boosting 

services by enhancing its remote diagnostics 

with an advanced analytics platform from SAS. 

SAS’ analytics support Volvo’s artificial intelligence 

efforts and provide even greater capabilities for remote 

diagnostics users, allowing for more precise analysis and 

decision-making, according to Ash Makki, Volvo Trucks 

North America product marketing manager. 

“Working with SAS has helped us further refine our uptimeenhancing 

remote diagnostics through greater processing 

power to the data behind diagnostic codes,” Makki said. 

“We’ve been able to expand the parts and trouble codes 

we monitor and recognize situational patterns that help us 

improve accuracy and obtain better insight into root causes. 

These enhancements ultimately mean Volvo Action Service 

(VAS) agents receive more precise data that allows them 

to better analyze trouble codes and provide actionable 

information to decision-makers and repair facilities, helping 

maximize vehicle uptime.” 

18 



FEATURE 

“Machine learning and artificial intelligence are areas 

we’re putting a lot of emphasis on right now, utilizing the 

SAS platform,” said Conal Deedy, director of connected 

vehicle services for Volvo Trucks North America. “We’re 

uncovering hidden insights in our data and merging that 

with the truck knowledge from our engineering group. 

Together we are in a much better situation to understand 

exactly what the data is telling us and integrating it into 

the Remote Diagnostics service. We are already seeing 

the benefits and the future is extremely exciting. With 

the SAS platform in place, Volvo can process millions 

of records in real-time, expanding Volvo’s remote 

diagnostics capabilities, which on average helps reduce 

diagnostic time by 70 percent and repair time 25 

percent.” 

Jason Mann, SAS vice president of Internet of Things, 

said Volvo Trucks and SAS have worked together to 

create a robust, flexible analytics system. 

“Trucking is a key part of the global logistics system that 

makes our economies work. Improving performance and 

lowering costs helps everyone across the value chain,” 

he said. “Using a variety of analytical 

techniques from SAS to extract value 

from IoT data flowing from each vehicle, 

Volvo Trucks delivers for its customers — 

literally and figuratively.” 

Since 2013 all Volvo trucks with 

Volvo engines have come standard 

with factory-installed telematics 

hardware that provides connectivity for 

remote diagnostics, Volvo’s diagnostics 

and monitoring of critical engine, 

transmission and aftertreatment trouble 

codes. Upon detecting a code, sensors on 

the truck collect streaming data in real 

time to provide context. Data points and 

operating conditions, like truck location, 

altitude, ambient air temperature, truck 

gear, RPM level and torque load help give 

the information needed for more precise 

diagnosis. 

The same standard connectivity 

hardware powering remote diagnostics 

also allows customers to perform 

powertrain software and parameter 

updates over-the-air with remote 

programming, which helps improve uptime and vehicle 

efficiency without taking the truck out of service. Remote 

programming of software and parameter updates 

provides a significant time savings when compared with 

the 2.3-day industry average when a truck arrives at a 

bay, is plugged in, and manually receives updates. 

Deedy said support for Volvo trucks is provided 24/7 

by highly trained VAS agents, who monitor critical 

vehicle codes. 

“If an issue is detected, VAS agents will assess the 

severity and provide the vehicle’s designated contact 

with actionable information to determine whether 

to keep operating the truck or take it for immediate 

service,” he said. “All details from the service process 

are captured and tracked through ASIST, Volvo’s online 

service management and communication platform. This 

gives the driver, customer contact and dealer real-time 

visibility to case status, repair scheduling, and parts and 

service bay availability. Remote Programming updates 

are also facilitated by VAS agents.” 

For more information, visit www.volvotrucks.com. 

20 



Boyle Transport.............................................5, 13 

Carrier One....................................................9, 23 

Central Marketing Transport.......................... 17 

Clark Transportation....................................6, 15 

East West Express............................................ 2-3 

NuWay.................................................................19 

P.I.&I. Motor Express........................................ 11 

Roehl.....................................................................7 

Star Freight.....................................................8, 21 

UPS Freight........................................................24 

How to play: You must complete the Sudoku puzzle so that 

within each and every row, column and region the numbers 

one through nine are only written once. 

There are 9 rows in a traditional Sudoku puzzle. Every row 

must contain the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. There may 

not be any duplicate numbers in any row. In other words, there 

can not be any rows that are identical 

There are 9 columns in a traditional Sudoku puzzle. Like the 

Sudoku rule for rows, every column must also contain the 

numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Again, there may not be any 

duplicate numbers in any column. Each column will be unique 

as a result. 

A region is a 3x3 box like the one shown to the left. There are 9 

regions in a traditional Sudoku puzzle. 

Like the Sudoku requirements for rows and columns, every 

region must also contain the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 

9. Duplicate numbers are not permitted in any region. Each 

region will differ from the other regions. 

22 



BUILD YOUR STORY 

AT CARRIER ONE 

WHERE HONOR, INTEGRITY, AND TRUST HAVE MADE A COMEBACK. 

Carrier One is putting integrity back into owner operator partnerships and asking you 

to be a part of that story. At Carrier One, we know our professional independent 

contractors are what keep the flatbed business, this country, and our company rolling. 

With the entire Carrier One team behind you and starting pay of 80% – 

you’ll have all the tools and resources you need for your flatbed business to gross 

$260,000 PLUS per year! 

DriveC1.com 

877-884-5065

Are you an Owner Operator or Owner Operator Team? It’s time for you to begin 

building your business with an industry leader. Get started with UPS today. 

• Practical mileage pay on ALL miles 

• Full fuel surcharge 

• Fuel & tire discounts 

Call Jill or Amanda 

Teams always welcome! 

888-480-4010 

• Plate, permits, taxes (road & fuel) provided 

• PrePass Plus 

• Cargo & liability insurance 

• Fast pay 

• All no-touch freight; 90% drop & hook 

• No NYC driving 

Complete your owner operator application online at: upsfreightowneroperators.com 

© 2018 United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

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