CCJ

February 2018

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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26 commercial carrier journal | february 2018 Peloton touts truck platooning in Michigan, Florida demonstrations P eloton Technology recently gave live platooning demonstrations on Inter- state 96 in Novi, Mich., west of Lansing, and on the Florida Turnpike. e Michigan demonstration fea- tured a pair of Peloton-equipped Volvo VNL670 Class 8 trucks platooning at about 65 feet and allowed participants to experience how semi-automated and connected vehicle technologies, in- cluding vehicle-to-vehicle communica- tions, assist drivers in a real-world setting. "e demonstration showed key Michigan leaders the safety, efficiency and mobility benefits that this technolo- gy provides to fleets and the public," said Steve Boyd, Peloton cofounder and vice president of external affairs. "We look forward to our ongoing work with the State of Michigan and industry partners across the region as we bring driver-as- sistive truck platooning into commercial deployment." e Dec. 1 demonstration occurred in collaboration with the Michigan De- partment of Transportation, Michigan State Police and Michigan Economic Development Corp. Peloton said it is on track to deploy its system commer- cially during 2018. "Many companies in Michigan's automotive industry are playing a key role in the development of connected and automated vehicle technologies like platooning," said Kirk Steudle, MDOT director. During Florida's Driver-Assis- tive Truck Platooning Pilot Project, two Peloton-equipped VNL670s traveled more than one thousand miles on the Florida Turnpike. e demon- stration was held in collaboration with the Florida DOT, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Boyd said the two drivers in the Dec. 26 demonstration benefited from connected safety systems and enhanced driver-to-driver communications while achieving high levels of aerodynamic fuel savings. "e demonstrations were very successful, and we look forward to working with the Florida transportation agencies, the Florida Trucking Associa- tion, major fleets and others as we bring this safety and efficiency technology to the Sunshine State," he said. Tom Byron, assistant secretary of strategic development for the Florida DOT, said vehicle platooning's economic, environmental and mobility benefits offer a competitive advantage for the state. "We welcome this and other opportunities to test connected vehicle systems and other advanced transportation concepts that will improve roadway safety and bring new economic opportunities to the region," Byron said. Peloton's system is designed to allow drivers to form two-truck platoons and provide a wireless communications link between their active safety systems, en- abling pairs of trucks to coordinate their speeds and maintain a safe, aerodynamic following distance. e Peloton system limits platooning to multilane divided limited-access highways. – Jason Cannon and Aaron Huff INBRIEF • DTNA announced enhancements to its Express WriteUp mobile application that allows service advisers at Freightliner and Western Star dealerships to create repair orders with a mobile device: digital interview forms for collecting information on typical service issues such as air con- ditioning and overheating, photograph uploading to include in the RO, and digital signature capturing. • Navistar International Corp. and FleetUp announced a partnership to create a comprehensive vehicle diagnostics and preventive maintenance system by integrating FleetUp's electronic logging device and fleet management service technology with Navistar's On- Command Connection program, an open architecture diagnostics system, providing fleet managers with access to information from all vehicles by leveraging FleetUp's telematics technology for real-time data analysis of vehicle performance. • Peterbilt announced that its one millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line at its manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas. The Model 567 Heritage will be awarded to the winner of the company's "Super- Fan" contest during a ceremony at the Mid-America Trucking Show in March in Louisville, Ky. Peterbilt received 1,200 contest entries. • Cummins Westport's L9N and B6.7N natural gas engines both received U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certifica- tions for 2018. Both engines meet CARB's optional Low NOx standards and 2017 EPA greenhouse gas emissions requirements. • Meritor launched the first products under its new Mach value brand that includes about 2,000 part numbers for the compa- ny's driveline, drive axle and transmission offerings, including U-joints, gears, shafts, bearings, seals, repair kits and hardware for a variety of commercial vehicle applica- tions. • Volvo Trucks is acquiring 49 acres from Pulaski County, Va., adjacent to its new 36,000-square-foot Volvo Trucks Customer Center and 1.1-mile Customer Experience Track in Dublin, Va. The purchase will allow the truck OEM to extend the track, which currently features on-highway and off-road areas. Also signed was a lease-to-purchase agreement for an additional 221 acres for future use. The Dec. 1 live demonstration in Novi, Mich., featured a pair of Peloton-equipped Volvo VNL670 Class 8 trucks platooning at about 65 feet.

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