Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1004801
18 commercial carrier journal | july 2018 JOURNAL NEWS INBRIEF 7/18 • The number of trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2016 increased 3 percent from 2015, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's annual Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts report. In 2016, there were 3,864 fatal crashes involving 4,213 large trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, up from 3,622 crashes with 4,074 trucks in 2015, the report states. The 2016 crashes resulted in 4,317 fatalities, 722 of which were occu- pants of the trucks. • The Small Business in Transportation Coalition asked FMCSA to waive the required use of electronic logging devices for carriers with fewer than 50 employees. FMCSA was accepting public comments on SBTC's exemption request for 30 days following its June 5 publication in the Federal Register. • A May 30 explosion rocked a UPS Freight (CCJ Top 250, No. 1) facility in Lexington, Ky., when a truck and trailer with an acetylene tank exploded while inside a building. Eight people were transported to area hospitals following the explosion — two with non-life- threatening injuries and six for observa- tion. Authorities said the building's roof and walls sustained significant struc- tural damage and that the cause of the explosion was unknown but that it was not being considered suspicious. • The Teamsters Union withdrew a petition that sought to unionize XPO Logistics (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) drivers at the company's terminal in Erie, Pa. A vote had been scheduled for June 1 to determine if the drivers would proceed with the Teamsters' move for represen- tation, but XPO said that a lack of sup- port prompted the union to withdraw its petition and cancel the vote. XPO's Erie terminal previously was owned by Con-way, which XPO acquired in 2015. • Brink's Co., the nation's second- largest cash management company, announced plans to acquire privately held Dunbar Armored, the nation's fourth-largest cash management com- pany, for $520 million in an all-cash deal expected to close by the end of 2018. Brink's plans to fully integrate Dunbar into its operations and expects run-rate cost synergies in the $40-$45 million range to be generated from improved route density and facility consolidation. Rhode Island begins trucks-only tolls T ruck drivers traveling through Rhode Island began receiving bills on June 11 for two toll locations. A total of 14 toll locations are planned, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation expects construction will begin or be completed on the remaining 12 locations within the next 18 months. The first active location is between exits 2 and 3 on Interstate 95 and is charging truckers $3.25 once per day in each direction. The second location between exits 4 and 5 is charging truckers $3.50 once per day in each direction. Truckers will be tolled only once per toll facility per day in each direction, with a $20 total to travel I-95 across the state. Tolls cannot exceed $40 per day. Peter Alviti Jr., RIDOT director, said the two locations are expected to raise $7.2 million per year. The tolling program is expected to create an additional 10 percent in revenue for the state over the next 10 years, which will be used to reconstruct or rehabilitate bridges damaged mostly by commercial vehicles, Alviti said. The tolls will work with E-ZPass transponders and be charged to a truck's account. For trucks without E-ZPass, drivers will be billed based on their license plates. – Matt Cole Volvo donates new VNL 760 truck to ATA's America's Road Team program A fter announcing last year Volvo Trucks North America would extend its 16-year sponsorship of the American Trucking Associations' America's Road Team outreach program, the truck maker delivered a new Volvo VNL 760 truck to ATA officials and America's Road Team captains at a ceremony in Newport, R.I. "The America's Road Team embodies all the greatest elements of this indus- try," said Magnus Koeck, VTNA vice president of marketing and brand man- agement. "They're truly heroes, and we're happy to support them with the best tools for the job — a new VNL 760 outfitted with our top safety, efficiency, comfort and connectivity features." The four America's Road Team captain drivers at the ceremony have a com- bined 117 years of driving experience and 11.5 million accident-free miles. "These America's Road Team captains speak to tens of thousands of people every year about the essential and safe role the trucking industry plays in the American economy, and being able to showcase industry-leading equipment like the Volvo VNL 760 really helps reinforce our message," said Chris Spear, ATA president and chief executive officer. "ATA is a proud organization, and it's because we have great members like Volvo that partici- pate and are engaged and understand what support means." In addition to active safety technolo- gies, the fully spec'd VNL 760 tractor is equipped with a Volvo D13 engine and I-Shift 12-speed automated manual transmission, as well as remote diagnos- tics and remote programming. – Jeff Crissey Volvo officials delivered a new VNL 760 truck to ATA officials and America's Road Team captains at a ceremony in Newport, R.I.