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18 • OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 BUSINESS THETRUCKER.COM SAFETY SERIES Seasonal tips PREPARATION AND SKILL NEEDED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS CLIFF ABBO<strong>TT</strong> | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The leaves are turning, and in some areas summer heat is giving way to crisp fall nights. The changing scenery is a welcome sight to many — but it’s also a warning that winter is rapidly approaching. In fact, in some parts of North America, it’s already here. Experienced drivers know winter presents its own set of driving rules. Unfortunately, even experienced drivers can be surprised by that first snowstorm. Even worse, winter isn’t always heralded by falling snow; sometimes, it’s sleet or freezing rain. DRIVE WITH PRIDE JOIN OUR DRIVING TEAM At Penske, success behind the wheel is kind of in our DNA. Our professional truck drivers are the best in the business. If you want to work at an industry-leading company and move freight for some of the world’s biggest brands, we want you to join our team of safe, professional drivers. It’s a good idea to review winter driving practices before encountering that first cold-weather hazard. At the first hint that your truck’s road traction might be compromised, slow down. When you see vehicles that have run off the road or spun out, it’s a good indication there are patches of ice or snow on the road. The appearance of brake lights or emergency flashers on the road ahead could indicate a problem area, so be prepared to slow down or stop. The pavement can appear dry and clear — Call now: 855-CDL-PENSKE Apply online at driver.penske.jobs Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MORE THAN YOU REALIZE ® iStock Photo Altitude changes mean temperature changes. More than a few drivers have discovered that raindrops at the bottom of a hill can turn into snowflakes near the top. If you’re driving in the mountains, be prepared for conditions to change quickly. until you round the next curve. In fall and early winter, the ground underneath the road surface still may still hold some heat from the summer sun, keeping the road surface warm enough to melt a light snow. On the other hand, bridges and overpasses, without that warm ground underneath and with the wind blowing, are usually the first to freeze. Be prepared when approaching bridges and overpasses. If you’re suspicious about the road surface, hold the wheel steady, without braking or accelerating, as you cross. Altitude changes mean temperature changes. More than a few drivers have discovered that raindrops at the bottom of a hill can turn into snowflakes near the top. If you’re driving in the mountains, be prepared for conditions to change quickly. Changes can also occur as the sun sets. A day that’s been warm enough to keep the snow melted can quickly turn into a night cold enough to freeze that snowmelt into a treacherous sheet of ice. Adding more distance between your front bumper and the vehicle ahead is always a good idea. During inclement weather, leaving a bit of extra following distance can give you more time to react to hazards ahead. When roads are wet, and especially when the temperature is near freezing, test your brakes periodically. A gentle application while on a straight stretch of road will give you an idea of how your truck is reacting. If you do have to stop on a slippery surface, remember that modern vehicles are equipped with anti-lock brakes. You shouldn’t need to pump the brakes, as the braking system does this for you at a rate much faster than you could ever achieve. If, however, your vehicle begins to skid, you may have to release the brakes and reapply pressure. Some of the features of your vehicle that are designed to make life easier can become deadly when roads are slippery. Cruise control can’t sense that there is ice ahead and will do what it’s designed to do — maintain the speed it is set for. Unfortunately, that speed may be totally wrong for the road ahead. Likewise, engine brakes can cause drive tires to break traction and skid, possibly causing a jackknife. Depending on the conditions, you may be able to set progressive engine brakes at a lower level if you’re descending a grade and need the braking power. If they aren’t needed, turn the engine brakes off. It can be hard to tell when rain starts freezing. One of the easiest ways to tell is by looking for road spray from the tires of other vehicles. Wet roads create road spray. If there isn’t any spray, that “wet” road could be iced over. Sometimes ice buildup on mirrors and brackets is visible. Obviously, if you see ice forming, you should assume it is also forming on the road surface. Keep an eye on the radio or CB antennas of other vehicles, too. Normally they will move with the wind stream, being pushed straight back. If they start moving wildly or in a circular motion, they may be coated with ice. Visibility can also be an issue in winter. Blowing snow, road spray and windshields covered in dried ice-melting compounds that were applied to the road surface can make it more difficult to see. Keep windows and mirrors as clean as possible, and don’t forget to stock up on washer fluid. On winter days when the sun is shining, the glare coming off snow-covered fields can be blinding. Because of the angle of the earth to the sun, the sun appears lower on the horizon, and sun visors are limited in how they can be positioned. A pair of quality sunglasses can improve your vision, increasing your safety while providing comfort for your eyes. It’s a good idea to stay up to date on weather reports for the areas you’ll be driving into. There are a number of phone apps that provide this information, and some provide alerts when bad weather is expected. Online and phone resources can provide time-lapse video that projects the trajectory of storms, providing a better understanding of what’s ahead. Some AM-FM radios or CB radios have weather “bands” that pick up weather reporting from the closest airport. When possible, a review of expected weather should be part of your consideration before accepting a load. Weather will certainly impact travel time and may determine if you get there at all. Finally, park your truck when conditions are unsafe. Driving on icy roads is always dangerous. Snow-covered roads aren’t quite as slippery and may be traveled safely at reduced speeds, but consider your trip plan. You may find it beneficial to take a break while you wait out the storm; it may be possible to travel at normal road speeds once you get back on the road. Regardless of any time crunch you’re under, when it isn’t safe, park it. No load, no customer and no job are worth your life. Careful trip planning, followed by following safe driving practices, will help you survive winter weather. 8
THETRUCKER.COM BUSINESS OCTOBER 1-14, 2021 • 19 Circle Logistics launches drayage division at Port of Detroit FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Circle Logistics announced in mid-September that it has launched a drayage division to provide support at the Port of Detroit, the largest seaport in Michigan. Circle Logistics, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, provides coverage across all modes of transportation in the continental United States and Mexico. According to a company statement, the drayage initiative was developed to help alleviate pressure created by global shortages in equipment and labor that have caused extended turnaround times and delays within the drayage process. Circle will now provide drayage offerings for its customers, servicing the U.S. and Canada. Intense backlog at shipping ports has become a prevalent issue affecting every facet of global freight, the statement continued. In addition, the culmination of driver, rubber, truck and chassis shortages has produced a trickle-down effect, making drayage operations increasingly difficult to execute. THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF “When analyzing the current state of the supply chain, we identified an opportunity to apply our most successful end-to-end logistics service philosophies to the drayage industry,” said William Costello, terminal manager for Circle. “For the past decade, Circle’s operations have committed to providing no-fail service that establishes visibility and reliability, even in the most complex market conditions.” As part of its drayage division services, Circle will connect customers to its private pool of chassis to help alleviate the chassis shortage that has been limiting drayage processes at ports around the world for the past year. Circle’s private pool of chassis will be available to haul inbound loads and facilitate necessary processes. Circle’s drayage division will also move 20-, 40-, 45- and 48-foot intermodal containers and service 53-foot domestic lanes. The division will offer truck-to-port service, pre-pull, storage, same-day expedited shipment, and tracking of containers, as well as optimized refrigerated monitoring. 8 Courtesy: Port of Detroit Indiana-based Circle Logistics has launched a drayage division to provide support at the Port of Detroit, the largest seaport in Michigan. PARTS cont. from Page 17 electronic control units to floor mats and mattresses — are used in new Class 8 truck production. COVID-19 closures, weather incidents other issues have resulted in huge backlogs at ports around the world. The resulting delays have caused a capacity imbalance, with more demand for containers than for the ships to haul them. Just as in trucking, when demand exceeds capacity, shipping rates rise. According to the Drewry World Container Index (drewry.co.uk), the composite cost of shipping one 40-foot container topped the $10,000 mark Sept. 9, increasing a whopping 309% over the price during the same week of 2020. According to Drewry, the cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Shanghai to Los Angeles rose to $11,569 in the past week, nearly eight times higher than pre-COVID levels. Those looking to the used truck market to find equipment are likely to find similar issues with available inventory. “At the heart of the issue is used truck inventory, which continues to lose traction,” said Steve Tam, vice president of ACT, in a late- August release. “Underscoring the point, sales were also down year over year.” Used truck prices for units sold in July lagged only a few dollars behind those sold in June, but they showed a significant 46% increase from the average price in July 2020. That doesn’t necessarily mean the price of all used trucks rose 46%, but it could indicate that a different mix of trucks, including newer models, left the market this year. On an individual OEM basis, only Kenworth and Peterbilt saw declines in sales for August from July numbers. Kenworth’s 2,861 trucks sold in the month were 5.6% lower than July sales of 3,031 but 20% better than Courtesy: Port of Detroit According to the Drewry World Container Index, the cost of shipping one 40-foot container topped the $10,000 mark Sept. 9, increasing a whopping 309% over the price during the same week of 2020. August 2020 sales of 2,385. Peterbilt’s 2,605 sold declined by 130 trucks (4.8%) from July but bested August 2020 sales of 2,428 by 7.3% International sales of 2,867 represented an improvement of 244 trucks for a 9.3% increase. Compared to August 2020, sales increased by 588 (25.8%). Volvo sales jumped by 305 trucks from July to August, an increase of 34.3%. Compared to August 2020, however, results were down by 678 trucks (36.2%). Mack’s 1,495 trucks sold in August topped July sales of 1,252 by 19.4% and bested August 2020 sales by 46.4%. Freightliner sold 6,646 trucks in August, 13.7% better than July but 8.5% worse than August 2020. Market shares for the year to date are as follows: Freightliner, 38.2%; Peterbilt, 15.3%; Kenworth, 14.7%; International, 12.6%; Volvo, 8.7%; Mack, 7.9%; and Western Star, 2.6%. Both production and sales of over-the-road Class 8 trucks are expected to remain constrained for the next few months. 8 Fleetmaster Express and Englander Transportation begin transition from diesel to electric trucks ROANOKE, Va. — Fleetmaster Express and Englander Transportation have partnered with Volvo Trucks North America to begin the process of transitioning from a dieselpowered fleet to an electric one. The company has ordered 10 commercial electric trucks from Volvo and expects to receive the first two in late November or early December. According to a company statement, these will be the first Class 8 electric trucks in operation outside of the west coast. “Our goal is to create a better environment as we deploy these trucks” said Travis Smith, COO of Fleetmaster Express and Englander Transportation. The new Volvo electric trucks will operate out of Fleetmaster Express’s Fort AUDIT cont. from Page 4 chief engineer, depending on the amount. “While full implementation is not complete, progress has been made and is continuing,” Boyette wrote. A state law, approved following the 2020 audit and as COVID-19-related revenues for road-building declined, gave legislative leaders the authority to pick six Board of Transportation members. DOT performance audits are now required annually. And a new position was created within Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget office to scrutinize DOT, which is one THE TRUCKER NEWS STAFF Worth, Texas, terminal. Fleetmaster Express has a goal of creating a sustainable, energy-efficient fleet through the use of the electric trucks, which are estimated to offer about a 40% increase in efficiency of diesel-fueled trucks. In addition, the company statement continues, the electric trucks are significantly quieter and reduce gas emissions by about 50%. Fleetmaster Express and Volvo’s engineering teams have tracked the performance and efficiency of the electric trucks through studies, and will continue to perform more evaluations along the way. Fleetmaster Express’s goal is to have a total of 18 units deployed by the end of 2022. 8 of the governor’s Cabinet departments. DOT finances are in significantly better shape compared to three years ago, when widespread storm repairs required outsized spending that led to a 2019 cash bailout of the agency. 2020 revenue declines related to COVID-19 delayed construction and led to department-wide furloughs. The department’s unreserved cash balance was $1.1 billion at the end of 2020, compared to just $214 million six months earlier, according to DOT data. The balance has now soared to just over $2 billion. By Gary D. Robertson, The Associated Press 8
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