Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/815349
22 commercial carrier journal | april 2017 • Volkswagen Truck and Bus' equity in- vestment in Navistar became official Feb. 28. As part of the joint venture and strate- gic technology and supply collaboration, VW Truck and Bus acquired about 16.2 million newly issued shares in Navistar – a 16.6 percent stake – for $256 million, and VW Truck and Bus CEO Andreas Ren- schler and CFO Matthias Gründler joined Navistar's board of directors. • Velociti introduced a program designed to allow fleets to use their return on investment to finance the purchase of a Meritor Tire Inflation System by PSI. The program defers the billing of the MTIS by PSI in combination with an extended payment plan that uses the savings generated by the system to pay for the automatic tire inflation system's hardware, retrofit installation and 24/7 remote monitoring and event reporting. • Noregon released JPRO Professional 2017 V1, an update to its in-shop diagnos- tics and repair solution used by service centers and fleets for both heavy- and medium-duty vehicles. The latest version adds aftertreatment control module resets and cylinder cutouts. • Dana Inc.'s Spicer AdvanTek 40 tandem axle now is available with a seventh ratio – 2.47:1 – designed to support engine downspeeding for linehaul trucks. Suited for direct-drive versions of Eaton and Cummins' jointly-developed SmartAd- vantage Powertrain, the ratio is recom- mended for regional-haul applications that travel interstate highways, secondary roads and urban streets. • Dana Inc. agreed to purchase the axle housing and driveline shaft manufactur- ing operations from Warren, Mich.-based U.S. Manufacturing Corp. for $100 million. Dana said the acquisition will transition significant purchased content to a verti- cally integrated supply and provide the company with additional lightweighting product and process technologies. • Great Dane announced its smart trailer telematics concept designed to keep driv- ers and fleet managers informed about basic pre-trip inspection checks and alert notifications such as tire inflation, weight distribution, door sensors, lights and GPS location. The company also enhanced its PunctureGuard and ThermoGuard linings by adding broad- spectrum antimicrobial protection, which help fight bacteria growth, stains and odors. INBRIEF Autonomous truck race heats up W ithin the span of a week in late February and early March, two California-based startups announced intentions to develop retrofit systems to convert existing tractors into autonomous rigs. e companies join the Uber- owned Otto in that venture. Otto in late 2016 ran two successful autonomous tests, one in Colorado and one in Ohio. e two latest retrofitters, Embark and Starsky Robotics, say they don't intend to bump drivers from truck cabs. Both have begun testing their systems in closed courses. eir announcements point to a hotter race for truck automation, with traditional truck makers, Silicon Valley startups, states and industry trade groups all jockeying for leadership positions. Embark hopes to deploy its system for $50,000 per truck and focus on truck- er-friendly operation, says co-founder Alex Rodrigues. e company already has run 10,000 miles of tests, he says. Starsky Robotics wants to develop remote control technology, particularly for final-mile delivery. "A lot of Silicon Valley types are barely ever talking to anyone who's ever spent any time on the road," says Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, a Starsky co-founder. "Our sixth employee was a truck driver. We came at this from a trucking-first per- spective rather than a technology-first perspective. We're this uncomfortable mix of a trucking company and a technology company." California-based techies aren't the only companies vying for a piece of the autono- mous pie, however. In March, Volvo Trucks announced a successful test run of its platooning technology developed in collaboration with Peloton. ree VNL 670 model tractors hauled cargo containers in simulated real-world conditions, Volvo says, traveling at 55 mph while maintaining a 50-foot following distance — closer than usual for most on-highway trac- tor-trailers. Volvo leveraged an advanced cruise control system for the test. Iowa is positioning itself to become a proving ground for platooning technology. Pla- toons could begin traversing the state's highways within a year, says Mark Lowe, interim director of the state's DOT. Lowe stressed the state isn't investing in the development or deployment of the technology, but simply giving manufacturers space to explore. Despite the rapid pace at which the private sector is working on the technology and limited interest from the federal and state governments, a coalition of large carriers has positioned itself against fully automated rigs. e Trucking Alliance, representing several large fleets, has said it supports autono- mous technology as long as it doesn't boot drivers from truck cabs. "Driver are integral to supply chain accountability, as well as managing unforeseen weather events, emergencies, detours, vehicle conditions, computer soware programs, cybersecurity disruptions, cargo security and in providing efficient customer service," the group said. – James Jaillet In March, Volvo completed its first on-highway platooning test in California, employing Peloton's autonomous technology.