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The ‘long and forced’ march toward lower truck emissions continues
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ATLANTA, Ga. – The push to reduce vehicle emissions has been
relentless. Eaton’s Mihai Dorobantu, director – technology planning and
government affairs, refers to it as nothing less than a “long and forced
march”. And it’s not done yet.
While 2021 emissions limits can be met with incremental equipment
changes, those established for 2024-27 will require levels of
smog-producing NOx and carbon dioxide to be cut “pretty significantly”,
he said during a media briefing at the annual meeting of the Technology
and Maintenance Council (TMC).
“How do we reduce emissions, keep increasing performance, and do that
in a cost-effective manner?” he asked. After all, each new layer of
emissions-reducing technology is making designs evermore “fragile”, with
costs, weights, and complexity on the rise.
Eaton hopes to address this with a focus on integrated systems, which will require components to be modular and smarter.
“We believe the future will be a mix of diesel engines and
electrification in some applications,” he added, noting how the company
projects 11% of trucks to be electrified by 2030.
Each engineering path will require different advancements, too.
Combustion engine updatesUpdating combustion-related systems is no small task, in part because of opposing forces at play.
Consider aftertreatment systems as an example. While they are
effective at high loads, they can struggle under low loads or when
engines are at idle. Simply adding higher levels of catalysts would do
the job, but that would be an expensive and heavy proposition, he said.
Instead, Eaton is looking to better manage engine exhaust to create the
temperatures that aftertreatment systems need.
In the engine itself, emissions can be reduced through approaches
such as modular variable valve actuation, closing intake valves, opening
exhaust valves, and internal exhaust gas recirculation. There are also
options including cylinder deactivation, Twin Vortices Series (TVS) EGR
pumps, and hydraulic lash adjusters.
“We can command different valve behavior,” he explained, referring to
the way modular variable valve actuation could alter the motion of a
rocker arm or valve – essentially modifying cam profiles on the fly.
Eaton’s Late Intake Valve Closing Capsule will keep an intake valve open
beyond the timing driven by the cam, leading to the benefits that come
with a Miller cycle. And opening an exhaust valve at the top of a
compression stroke while coasting could increase aftertreatment
temperatures by 20-30 C.
There are also new approaches to addressing valve lash. Today,
manufacturers require the lash to be readjusted when an engine breaks
in, as well as other times during the truck’s life. “It keeps them away
from the optimal, the absolute optimal, combustion strategy,” he said.
But the automatic hydraulic lash adjusters that were first developed for
passenger cars are now being rolled out for diesels, delivering on a
promise of uniform combustion and reducing noise in the process.
Gasoline engines already deactivate cylinders to save fuel under low
loads, but that approach could also be used to increase the load on two
or three cylinders in a diesel engine, he said. And the benefits are not
limited to boosting fuel economy by 5-25% at low loads and idle.
Follow the path to the aftertreatment system. If exhaust is pumped
through a cold catalyst, a lot of the NOx continues to be released into
the air, he said. A catalyst needs to be somewhere around 250 C to be
98-99% efficient, but temperatures can run closer to 150 C when a truck
is idling or at a low load. “Neutral coasting has a limitation today
because it cools down the aftertreatment system,” he added, referring to
one approach that’s being used to improve fuel economy.
Running two or three cylinders would generate the required temperatures.
Deactivating valves also makes it possible to trigger engine
decompression events during every other stroke – in other words,
doubling the engine braking capabilities. “The need for [engine] brakes
goes up the same time you’re downspeeding the engine,” he said,
referring to another strategy that has been used to enhance fuel
economy.
Electric trucks
Other emission-eliminating options will involve electric power. A lot of it.
“We’re on the cusp of going to 48 volts,” he said, referring to
vehicle systems. “For long-haul we believe 48 volt is happening.”
One way Eaton hopes to control costs is through a high-voltage power
distribution unit, with modules that are sized for various currents. “We
allow OEMs to mix and match, and only have to pay for the power
distribution they need,” he said.
As an alternative to the high-torque and heavy electrical motors used
in buses, Eaton has also unveiled a two-speed transmission that makes
it possible to reduce motor sizes and also deliver the torques needed
when the wheels first begin to roll and for high-speed driving.
The costs of an electric motor are often driven by the available
torque, he explained. This approach can reduce the size of a motor by a
factor of four.
Of course, electric vehicles will also require charging infrastructure, and 4 megawatt charging does not yet exist.
“For longhaul trucking electrification in the span of the next 10-20
years, probably the technology is hydrogen,” he said, referring to the
way the energy will need to be stored and carried.
Utility companies have an obvious interest in addressing the need.
Dorobantu referred to the transportation sector as a “juicy target”
because there are limits to how many homes require electricity. But
there is a challenge of delivering the energy at the right time. Solar
and wind power, for example, tend to be intermittent, and trucks will
need to be recharged at random times.
“Hydrogen then becomes a buffer. It really becomes an energy storage
device,” he said. “You can deliver hydrogen like you deliver diesel
today.”
Just don’t expect that to happen overnight.
“We’re very far away,” Dorobantu said, referring to the need for the
solar and wind power network to grow; a hydrogen generation and
distribution network to be established. “There’s a lot of ifs here.” Source of article and more great articles click here
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Two lanes reopen after multi-vehicle crash closed southbound Highway 427
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Roads were slick for the morning commute after a light dusting of snow fell on the GTA overnight Two lanes of southbound Highway 427 are open to traffic after a
multi-vehicle collision closed all lanes near Airport Road early
Tuesday morning. A tractor-trailer jackknifed after 4 a.m., and a
second truck slammed into it, OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt tweeted from the
scene. At least two cars were also involved in the collision. A dusting of snow led to a "flash freeze," Schmidt said, which "created very slippery conditions." Shortly after 6 a.m., sanders and sweepers were at the scene
cleaning up a small fuel spill on the road that followed the collision.
The Ministries of the Environment and Transportation have been notified
about the incident, Schmidt said. The crash was just one of several accidents on GTA highways Tuesday after the overnight snowfall. Westbound
Highway 401 near Highway 427 was closed for a time, but has since
reopened. And the eastbound lanes of the 401 reopened before 6 a.m.
after being closed for a five-vehicle crash near Carlingview Drive. That
collision also involved a jackknifed tractor-trailer. Other minor crashes occurred on Highways 409 and 410, as well. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Canada truck sales boost Cervus Equipment
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Cervus Equipment (TSX:CRV) saw increases in its fourth quarter and annual profits, buoyed by “outstanding performance” from its Peterbilt truck dealerships in Canada. Cervus, which owns heavy equipment dealers in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, reported adjusted income of C$8.1 million (a Canadian dollar currently is valued at US$0.75) in the fourth quarter, a 38 percent increase, on C$300.25 million of revenue, a 10 percent increase. Adjusted income for 2018 increased by 32 percent to 36.5 million, while revenue increased by 11 percent to C$1.35 billion. Calgary-based Cervus’s transportation segment, which includes 16 Peterbilt dealerships, primarily in Ontario, rose by 51 percent during the fourth quarter, to C$44.56 million, and an adjusted income of C$3.7 million. Revenue for the year increased by 23 percent to C$362.16 million, and adjusted income was C$5.5 million, a 221 percent increase. “The North American truck demand has significantly increased,” said Cervus CEO Graham Drake, during a call with analysts today [March 18]. “The question is when they [trucks] are available from the factory, in terms of when they can be delivered to the customers.” The bulk of revenue in Cervus’ transportation division came from the sale of new equipment (C$228 million in 2018, and C$44.56 for the quarter). The company does not disclose unit sales in its financial results. Apart from the overall demand for trucks, Cervus said it improved its performance of its dealerships through a restructuring process. “We sold and serviced more trucks than ever before by managing our costs,” Drake said. Drake characterized 2019 as a “positive market” for trucks. Transportation represented 27 percent of Cervus’ revenue, while 39 percent came from agricultural equipment and four percent from industrial equipment.
Source of article and more great articles click here
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Hydrogen fuel test project underway in Alberta, Canada
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One of Canada’s prairie provinces is testing hydrogen fuel in its heavy-duty freight transportation sector.
A $15 million industry-led hydrogen fuel test project will reportedly
be a first step in exploring a potential made-in-Alberta hydrogen
economy. The project will test the ability of hydrogen to fuel Alberta’s heavy-duty freight transportation sector. The three-year project is slated to run until mid-2022.
The hydrogen fuel test project, which is called Alberta
Zero-Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC), will be led
by the Alberta Motor Transport Association. Part of the funding ($7.3
million) will be provided by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), reports JWN Energy.
This funding is being provided through ERA’s competitive BEST
Challenge program. This program focuses on technologies that demonstrate
potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the province and secure
its success at achieving a reduced-carbon economy.
The AZETEC project will test hydrogen as a zero-emissions alternative
to diesel for freight transportation. It involves the design and
manufacture of two heavy-duty, extended-range, hydrogen fuel cell
electric hybrid trucks (64-ton, B-train tractor-trailers) which will
transport freight year-round between Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta’s two
largest cities. The project is expected to run until mid-2022.
By the end of the hydrogen fuel test project the trucks will have travelled over 500,000 km.
The 64-ton, B-train tractor-trailers will reportedly be the first vehicles of their size and capacity built in the world.
They will be capable of traveling distances of up to 700 kilometers
(434 miles) between refueling and are expected to have travelled over
500,000 kilometers (310,685 miles) by the end of the project, having
carried roughly 20 million ton-kilometers of freight by two Alberta
trucking companies, Bison Transport and Trimac Transportation.
Presently, freight transportation accounts for nearly 70% of diesel
fuel demand in the province and contributes an estimated 12 million tons
of greenhouse gas emissions per year in Alberta. If the Alberta Zero-Emissions Truck Electrification Collaboration hydrogen fuel test project is successful, it will help 
to
lower greenhouse gas emission during the pilot as well as help Alberta
take the next steps toward becoming a global leader in the transition to
a hydrogen economy. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Healthy Fleet Challenge participants lose close to 1,500 pounds
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LONDON, Ont. – The first leg of the 2019 Healthy Fleet 10-Pound
Challenge has wrapped up, and the results have proven it to be the most
successful challenge yet.
Over the course of January and February, participants from across North America lost a total of 1,436 pounds.
Andrea Morley, nutritionist at Healthy Trucker said: “Weight loss can
be overwhelming, especially for those on the road, so I broke down the
steps they would need to take into fun challenges, and delivered the
content in an easy to follow, simple way.”
Companies and associations of all sizes joined in on the challenge,
with anywhere from 1-30 drivers and staff participating from each team.
Top teams, total pounds lost:
- Erb Group of Companies: 217.9
- Challenger Motor Freight: 144.5
- Trans-Frt McNamara: 118.0
- Sutco Transportation: 110.3
- TCW: 68.6
“I believe the challenge was a great start to 2019 and it was really
exciting to be part of this great team effort. Really proud of many of
our team members that were engaged and have truly put themselves in a
healthier position to conquer their 2019 goals. Thanks Healthy Fleet for
this 10 Pound Challenge, ” said Doug Sutherland, v.p. Sutco
Transportation.
Ready to get involved? The second leg of the Healthy Fleet Challenge
begins May 1st and will end June 30th. Individuals can join now at
www.healthytrucker.com/challenge-signup and teams can sign up by
emailing info@healthytrucker.com. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Bison wins TCA Fleet Safety Award for ninth year in a row
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. – For the ninth consecutive year, Winnipeg’s Bison
Transport has been named the grand prize winner for the large carrier
category in the Truckload Carriers Association’s annual Fleet Safety
Awards.
The awards recognize carriers that display an unrivaled commitment to
safety. Divisional winners were selected earlier and were divided into
six categories based on miles driven. Division winners were then invited
to compete for one of two grand prizes — one for carriers with total
annual mileage less than 25 million miles and one for mileage more than
25 million miles. The grand prize winners were announced at the TCA’s
annual awards dinner on March 12. “Our large carrier winner has a safety program that exudes excellence
through its team spirit of culture and of caring,” said Mandy Graham of
Great West Casualty, who presented the award. “Furthermore, this
carrier’s dedication to driver retention through coaching and
professional development is the key to its success.”
Garth Pitzel, director of safety and driver development at Bison,
accepted the award saying, “On behalf of our executive team and all of
drivers and contractors, I’d like to thank the TCA, and Great West
Casualty for their continued support and sponsorship of these awards. As
a business, we’re very fortunate that all of our people believe and
support our culture of safety.”
After this win, Bison has now won this award 12 times total, since it was introduced in 2003.
The grand prize winner in the small carrier category was Grand Island Express.
According to Graham, who presented the award, Grand Island Express
won the honor as it has completely eliminated preventable rear-end
collisions thanks in part to ongoing training, coaching, and technology. Source of article and more great articles click here
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No Injuries After Transport Trucks Collision on TCH Near South Branch
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A dramatic collision earlier this week
resulted in lumber and debris being scattered across the Trans-Canada
Highway, but no significant injuries.
RCMP say the two transport trucks and a vehicle left the highway near
South Branch in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Conditions were
slippery at the time.
Highway workers were called to the scene to salt the roads and help
clear debris. Lumber from one of the trailers had come free, and spread
across the road.
The transport truck drivers were checked out for minor injuries, but police say the other driver was uninjured.
Source of article and more great articles click here
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Lion Electric targets urban deliveries with Lion8 truck
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The North American electric truck market has a new entry as of today (March 11) with the introduction of the Lion8, a Canadian-made Class 8 vehicle that specializes in urban deliveries.
Produced by the Montreal, Canada-based Lion Electric Company, the Lion8 will be able to travel up to 250 miles on a single charge and handle payloads of 25,000 pounds, depending on the battery size.
“There are so many uses for it. Anything in the delivery space. A lot of people will put a dry box on it, or in the food industry, a refrigerated box on top of it,” said Lion Electric spokesperson Patrick Gervais. “It also could be a garbage truck.”
Lion envisions the truck primarily working within cities. Customers who get the largest battery package could potentially use Lion8 trucks on inter-city routes, Gervais said.
The Lion8 is also designed with cold temperatures in mind.
“We’ve put in a heating and cooling system for the batteries to make sure you lose no more than 10 percent in winter,” Gervais said.
The company plans to deliver the first Lion8 in September to Société des Alcools du Québec, the government-run alcohol distribution system in Quebec. The estimated price range is C$300,000-C$400,000. (A Canadian dollar currently is valued at US$0.75.)
Lion seeks to sell the Lion8 across Canada and the United States, particularly in California, with its extensive electric vehicle infrastructure.
The Lion8 adds to the company’s existing line of electric buses. The company has the capacity to sell 1,000 vehicles per year but hopes to grow that with demand.
Lion Electric also believes that it’s bringing a more mature electric truck to market. Freightliner is currently testing its eM2 Class 6-7 and eCascadia Class 8 electric trucks with Penske.
“Ours is not a pilot program,” Gervais said.
Source of article and more great articles click here
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Montreal will reduce speed limits to make streets safer for pedestrians
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Main streets to be reduced to 40 km/h, residential to 30 km/h as part of Vision Zero The City of Montreal is launching a wide-reaching plan with the goal of eliminating pedestrian and cyclist deaths. While
the details still need to be ironed out, a key point is reducing the
speed limits on many of the city's main streets to 40 km/h and
residential streets to 30 km/h — a measure already in place in several
boroughs and de-merged municipalities. "Speed limits must go
down," Coun. Éric Alan Caldwell told reporters Monday as the city
unveiled its new, three-year Vision Zero plan. "We will give the fine details of that after consulting in the neighbourhoods, with the boroughs and the police service." Caldwell
is the city's executive committee member responsible for urban
planning. He said reducing speed limits will be one of the city's top
priorities, especially in areas where there are a lot of pedestrians and
cyclists. Mayor Valérie Plante said it is important "for
us to do this step by step" as the city moves as "quick as we can" on
reducing speed limits. |
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Magnum delivers custom-designed, live-haul poultry trailers
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ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Magnum Trailer and Equipment has manufactured new
poultry trailers aimed at improving the well-being of the birds being
transported, decreasing load times, and easing maintenance.
“These trailers are designed to improve the internal environment for
the birds by moderating the temperature, improving on-off loading, and
using smooth steel surfaces that are quick to clean for improved
biosecurity,” said Mel Wubs, vice-president of trailer and engineering
for Magnum.
Thirty-five of these newly designed trailers were delivered to Maple Lodge Farms in Ontario.
“Magnum’s engineering team worked with us to design features that
would improve poultry welfare, which is really important to us,” said
Fred Marques, COO of Maple Lodge Farms. “We were impressed with their
material choices and manufacturing process to deliver a quality trailer
that is expected to significantly increase the life expectancy over our
previous fleet.”
The trailers boast multi-zone, full height, electric sliding vent
panels for airflow and temperature and humidity control. They also have a
Stenx 100XF steel deck surface for high durability and light weight, a
clear-span hydraulic raising roof, and roll-up curtains.
Based in B.C., Magnum has been manufacturing and servicing heavy-duty trucks and trailers since 1984.
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BlackBerry launches new data-driven asset monitoring device
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Radar H2 was unveiled at the American Trucking Associations' Technology & Maintenance Council annual meeting
Today at the American Trucking Associations' Technology &
Maintenance Council Annual 2019 Meeting, the industry's largest
fleet-focused technical event, BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB)
launched BlackBerry Radar H2, a new intelligent, data-driven asset
monitoring device that can help automate operations, improve utilization
of trailers, containers, chassis and other remote assets, as well as
ensure assets are safe and secure.
Available now, BlackBerry Radar H2 expands on the core capabilities
of BlackBerry Radar-M, to provide enhanced coverage and connectivity to
the latest 4G LTE cellular networks, as well as a wireless gateway that
can also connect to wireless sensors, such as cargo sensors, tire
pressure monitoring systems, brake sensors and weigh-in-motion devices.
Additionally, when mounted on a chassis, BlackBerry Radar H2 can detect
whether a container is either 'on' or 'off' with no additional wires or
external sensors.
"For the intermodal and trucking industries, timely and accurate
information on asset location, performance, and utilization improvement
has never been more important," said Christopher Plaat, SVP and GM,
BlackBerry Radar, BlackBerry. "BlackBerry Radar H2 will deliver what our
solution has long been known for – data you can trust, 10-minute
installation, long-lasting battery life, low maintenance and the
scalability that fleet owners need as business needs change." BlackBerry Radar H2 collects up to 100x more data than conventional
GPS-based track and trace solutions, and provides this information in
near real-time through an intuitive online dashboard. Its high-capacity
built-in lithium thionyl chloride battery provides three times the
energy density of other industry deployed power sources, and operates in
extreme temperatures from -40°C to +85°C (-40 to +185°F). No
installation training is needed, and devices begin tracking without
calibration.
Companies interested in learning more about the benefits of
BlackBerry Radar H2 are encouraged to visit the BlackBerry Radar booth
(#2314) at ATA TMC from March 18 – 21 in Atlanta or visit www.blackberry.com/radar. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Lucy, dog stolen along with the truck she was in, has been found safe: police
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Lucy, a 6-year-old boxer, was taken on Saturday A dog who was stolen along with the truck she was in, Hamilton police say, has been found safe and returned to her family. Police tweeted early Tuesday morning that Lucy, a six-year-old boxer, "is in good spirits." Lucy
was taken along with the truck, police say, on Saturday night at around
11 p.m. in the area of Stone Church Road East and Arbour Road on the
Mountain.
The truck, a black 2016 Ford F150 with the licence plate AP92006, is still missing. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-546-3886. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Mandatory truck driver training begins in Saskatchewan
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Starting today, new commercial truck drivers must undergo mandatory
training in Saskatchewan where an inexperienced driver blew through a
stop sign last April, killing 16 members of a hockey team.
The new regulations were announced in December,
eight months after a semi-trailer driven by Jaskirat Singh Sidhu
collided with the Humboldt Broncos team bus. Sixteen people were killed
and 13 injured. In January, Sidhu pleaded guilty to 29 charges of
dangerous driving, and is expected to be sentenced on March 22. At a
sentencing hearing earlier this year, it was revealed that Sidhu had
only two weeks of training before the incident. Prior to the new
guidelines, training was neither mandatory nor regulated in the
province.
“These changes will improve safety on our province’s roads by ensuring
Class 1 drivers receive more rigorous standardized training, based on
strengthened curriculum requirements,” said Joe Hargrave, minister for
Saskatchewan Government Insurance in a media release
The new guidelines, called “Saskatchewan’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program,”
require drivers seeking a Class 1 commercial licence to take at least
121.5 hours of training and undergo a full year of monitoring. Training
hours include 47 in the classroom, 17.5 in the yard and 57 behind the
wheel. Training focuses on four areas: basic driving techniques,
professional driving habits, vehicle inspections and air brakes.
While current Class 1 drivers need not undergo new training, anyone
wanting to drive a semi-truck as part of a farming operation must pass
the new tests.
Driving schools saw a spike in enrolment in recent months as new
drivers raced to beat the regulations. The number of booked exams
reportedly doubled between December and February after the regulations
were announced.
Earlier this month, Alberta announced new minimum-hours requirements
for truck drivers. Ontario was previously the only province with
mandatory training.
National training standards for entry-level semi-truck drivers will be
in place by next January, according to the country’s transportation
ministers.
"We are motivated by the need for safety," said Federal Transport
Minister Marc Garneau in January. "Canadians expect that people who
receive their licence as drivers of semi-trailers and large vehicles
should be properly prepared through training before they assume those
duties." Source of article and more great articles click here
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Conference season for western Canadian trucking associations is upon us
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WINNIPEG, Man. – It’s the time of year again when several
western Canadian trucking associations hold their respective AGMs,
kicking off in Winnipeg April 5 for the Manitoba Trucking Association’s
(MTA) 87th annual event.
Included in the MTA’s agenda is a presentation from Newcom Media’s
Manan Gupta on the ever-changing demographics of the trucking industry.
Angela Splinter will also provide an update on what Trucking HR Canada has been up to this past year and moving into the future.
Rounding out the list of guest speakers will be Abacus Data’s David
Coletto with a presentation on how to attract the next generation of
workers.
The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) AGM will be held in
Kananaskis April 26-27, and will include a panel discussion moderated by
Truck News-West editor Derek Clouthier on the use of technology in the workplace, with a focus on electronic logging devices.
The AMTA’s 2019 Leadership Conference and AGM will also include guest
speaker Dr. Louis Francescutti who will discuss safety culture
measurements within an organization, the impact of mental illness and
substance abuse, and why good people do bad things.
Industry injury trends, as well as the Partners in Compliance AGM will take place during the annual conference.
In May, the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) will hold its AGM and Management Conference in Kelowna.
Conference highlights include a discussion on how to attract
millennials to the trucking industry, as well as updates from the
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and on the provincial
economy from chief economist and vice-president of the Business Council
of B.C. Ken Peacock.
The BCTA conference kicks off May 31 and runs until June 2.
The Saskatchewan Trucking Association holds its annual conference in October. Source of article and more great articles click here
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OTA announces 2019-2020 Road Knight Team
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TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is proud to
knight seven exceptional professional truck drivers who will travel the
province, promoting the industry to the media as well as sharing their
experiences and knowledge of the trucking industry and highway safety
with students and community groups.
This year’s team represents multiple segments of the industry
including city and highway drivers, driver/trainers, truckload, LTL,
refrigerated/reefer, and dangerous goods haulers, both small and large
from Ontario.
The 2019-2020 OTA Road Knights Team is:
- William Hickey, Ajax, Ont., ONE for Freight
A former pro golfer in the 1980’s and Jr. AAA Hockey coach in Montreal,
Bill is fully bilingual and brings a varied background, including driver
training to the team. - Mike Iasparro, Maple, Ont., Canadian Tire
Mike brings a diverse career background with experience behind the
wheel, training new drivers and technical training related to safety and
compliance issues - Michael Mann, Kitchener, Ont., Trimac Transportation
Mike comes from a family of long-haul truck drivers. He began washing
trucks at the age of 13. Mike enjoys coaching children’s soccer, playing
hockey, golf and football. - Kevin Matthews, Kitchener, Ont., Trans. Frt. McNamara Inc.
Kevin is a classic car enthusiast and an avid traveller that loves going
on cruises. Kevin’s father was also a truck driver, and he brings
extensive experience both on the road and training new drivers - Treana Moniz, Kitchener, Ont., Bison Transport
Treana was selected to be part of the Women in Trucking image team and
is passionate about the employment of women in the industry. She enjoys
learning about new technologies available in trucks today. - Jackie Van Wynen, Niagara Falls, Ont., Zavcor Trucking Limited.
Jackie is passionate about the industry and is willing to go the extra
mile when the job calls for it. When she’s not on the road Jackie loves
exploring new places in her RV. - Rod Verbeke, Sarnia, Ont., Trimac Transportation
Rod loves coaching Little League baseball and is passionate about truck
safety. He was also recognized by the City of Windsor for stopping a
burglary at a gas station.
“OTA is honoured to have this group of professional, knowledgeable
and enthusiastic truck drivers spread the message of road safety,
promote the many career opportunities in trucking and proudly represent
the industry to the public,” said OTA president Stephen Laskowski. “I
also want to thank the carrier companies who sponsored these drivers for
their commitment to this important industry program.”
The free, province-wide community outreach program selects elite
transport drivers from OTA member companies to share their knowledge of
sharing the road with a truck. Over the next two years, team members
will participate in media interviews and speaking engagements in order
to help improve road safety and increase awareness of the economic and
social importance of the trucking industry. The Knights will also visit
local schools with their trucks to introduce young people to the
industry. Team members also participate in career fairs to promote
awareness of the wide array of careers that are available.
The Road Knights team members were selected by a panel of representatives from the OPP, MTO, Road Knights Alumni, Truck News, 680 News, and OTA staff members.
To be considered for the team, drivers are nominated by their
employer (or company they are contracted to in the case of an
owner/operator). OTA then scrutinizes the applications and shortlists
the candidates, who then appear before the selection committee to
deliver a speech, participate in a personal interview, and prepare a
detailed written statement outlining why he or she wants to serve on the
team.
OTA Road Knights are available for community outreach events and will
provide insight on sharing the road with a transport truck and how all
road users can be partners in safety. Please contact Hina Brinkworth at
416-249-7401 ext. 234 or email hina.brinkworth@ontruck.org to book a
free presentation by an OTA Road Knight for your school or community
event. Source of article and more great articles click here
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TESLA’S CEO DISRUPTS LOGISTICS TRANSPORTATION
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For
proof that Elon Musk is an innovator when it comes to logistic
transportation—as opposed to, in this exercise, space travel, electric
cars, solar power, hyperloops, artificial intelligence, neurotechnology,
tunnel boring and flame throwers—we turn not to his associated company
(Tesla) but a competitor (Volvo).
“Tesla shook up the whole industry and made it go a little bit
faster,” conceded Volvo Trucks North America President Peter Voorhoeve
late last year of the race to get electric big rigs on the road.
He is referring to Musk’s January 2018 announcement from a stage
displaying a Tesla Semi that shortly thereafter delivered battery packs
from his Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada, to Tesla Factory in Fremont,
California,
After
that maiden 239-mile cargo trip, Tesla Semi prototypes were spotted
sporadically last year, although it was unknown whether there was
anything inside the trailers they were hauling. The suspense ended this
past January, when Jerome Guillen, Tesla’s president of Automotive and
vice president of Truck programs, shared on LinkedIn a photo of a Model X sedan being loaded on a car carrier trailer attached to a Tesla Semi.
The Tesla Semi is promised to deliver a far better experience for
truck drivers, while increasing safety and significantly reducing the
cost of cargo transport. Without a trailer, it is said to achieve 0-60
mph in five seconds, compared to 15 seconds in a comparable diesel
truck. It does 0-60 mph in 20 seconds with a full 80,000-pound load, a
task that takes a diesel truck about a minute. Most notably for truck
drivers and other travelers on the road, it climbs 5 percent grades at a
steady 65 mph, whereas a diesel truck maxes out at 45 mph on a 5
percent grade.
Semis require no shifting or clutching for smooth acceleration and
deceleration, and its regenerative braking recovers 98 percent of
kinetic energy to the battery, giving it a basically infinite brake
life. Overall, the Tesla Semi promises more responsiveness, covering
more miles than a diesel truck in the same amount of time, while more safely integrates with passenger car traffic.
Reservations of $20,000 per Tesla Semi are being taken, with
production slated to begin this year. But other car makers are not
taking those prospects lying down. Volvo Trucks on Dec. 12 announced it
will introduce all-electric Volvo VNR regional-haul demonstrators in
California later this year, operating in distribution, regional-haul and
drayage operations, with sales of the VNR Electric in North America
scheduled to begin in 2020.
“The Volvo VNR Electric leverages the versatility of the new Volvo
VNR series with a proven fully-electric powertrain, and represents a
strategic stride toward a comprehensive electrified transport
ecosystem,” Voorhoeve said at the time. “Cities prioritizing sustainable
urban development can leverage electrified transport solutions to help
improve air quality and reduce traffic noise. Cleaner, quieter,
fully-electric commercial transport also creates opportunities for
expanded morning and late-night operations, helping cut traffic
congestion during peak hours.”
Mack Trucks, Peterbilt, Freightliner and Navistar are also in various
stages of testing with electric trucks, and Ryder recently ordered
1,000 battery-electric Chanje panel vans to be put in service in the
next two years. UPS and Thor Trucks as well as Canadian food retailer
Loblaw and Build Your Dreams (BYD) are teaming up on electrics. Phoenix,
Arizona, hybrid designer Nikola
has pre-orders for hydrogen-electric trucks, and Kenworth and Toyota
are developing a Zero Emissions Cargo Transport fuel cell truck
prototype.
If Elon Musk’s bold EV semi moves represent the stick, California Air
Resources Board grants are the carrot. Most manufacturers are focusing
their efforts in and around the Golden State, leveraging the grants that
fold into the Port of Los Angeles’ goal to ban anything but
emission-free trucks by 2035. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Alberta funds 16 green transport projects, including zero-emissions truck
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EDMONTON — Alberta is ponying up $100 million to kick-start new
green transportation projects, including a truck that can drive long
distances while delivering net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The truck project is being developed by the Alberta Motor Transport Association. The
province is funding 16 such projects that it says will create 114 new
jobs while, in terms of GHG reductions, taking the equivalent of more
than 530,000 cars off the road. Another project will see the City
of Edmonton test market a more cost-effective charging system to
transition buses from diesel to electric. The province is also
providing an additional $5 million to assist small and medium-sized oil
and gas companies at reducing methane waste through energy-efficient
equipment upgrades. Environment Minister Shannon Phillips announced the projects Tuesday. “Alberta
is better positioned than ever before to help our homegrown industries
reduce emissions and become more competitive in a lower-carbon future,”
Phillips said about the projects. Source of article and more great articles click here
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Canadian Armed Forces at Gagetown receives new logistics trucks
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The Canadian Armed Forces at 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown (CFB Gagetown) has received new logistics trucks.
The delivery follows the receipt of the first trucks in November. CFB Gagetown now has 37 trucks and 16 trailers.
In July 2015, the Canadian Government contracted Mack Defense to
supply logistic trucks, trailers, armour and in-service support. The
contract was valued at C$834m ($623m).
Under the agreement, the company will deliver more than 1,500 trucks,
300 trailers, and 150 armoured protection systems in the next two
years.
Of these, 218 trucks will be handed over to the armed forces, including reserves in the Atlantic region.
Canadian National Defence Minister Harjit S Sajjan said:
“Providing our women and men in uniform with what they need to do the
important job we ask of them is one of our top priorities.
“The cabs of the trucks can be modified
into an armoured version to provide improved protection to the soldiers
in combat zones.”
“Whether it is providing essential supplies and equipment to soldiers
during an operation or supporting local communities in times of need,
these vehicles are a key component to the work the Canadian Armed Forces
does.”
Designed to carry up to 9.5t, the trucks vary in size and use,
ranging from a regular cargo truck to a large tractor to haul artillery.
The cabs of the trucks can be modified into an armoured version to provide improved protection to the soldiers in combat zones.
Logistics trucks and other support vehicles form the basis of
ground transportation for the armed forces. They transport crucial
equipment, supplies and personnel to perform missions that include
natural disasters or Nato operations in countries such as Latvia.
The acquisition of these trucks is subject to Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy.
Based on this policy, the government allocates funds to support innovation and generate middle-class jobs
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Addressing Canada’s Shortage of Women Truckers
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According to research conducted by Trucking HR, women currently
make up only three percent of the trucking community in Canada. The
under-representation of women in the transportation industry in Canada
extends to mechanics (three percent), dispatchers (18 percent), and
managerial staff (11 percent).
CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, Uvanile-Hesch,
said, “We need to get into the schools and colleges to get more women
and girls interested.”
Uvanile added that attitudes towards women in the industry have improved but there’s still work to be done.
“There is still sexual harassment going on [in] the workplace,” she said.
According to David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data and has been involved
in the Trucking HR study, said ‘the industry needs to improve its image
among millennials as a whole when it considers how to attract more
women.’
Currently, only about one in 10 million millennials would consider trucking as a career, with added hesitance for young women.
Source of article and more great articles click here
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AMTA gets funding for truck electrification project
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EDMONTON, Alta. – Part of Emissions Reduction Alberta’s (ERA) $100
million investment into clean technology projects will be put into the
province’s trucking industry.
The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) will receive over $7.3
million for the Alberta Zero Emissions Truck Electrification
Collaboration (AZETEC).
“This is a very exciting project for the AMTA and our member
companies,” said AMTA president Chris Nash. “This initiative is
primarily about moving freight on Alberta’s highways with zero
emissions, but it is also about the future of the Alberta economy.
Alberta is in the transportation fuel business, and that business is
changing. The AZETEC project demonstrates that Alberta’s commercial
transportation industry is leading the transition towards innovative,
zero-emission transportation that meets the province’s unique needs.”
Funding projects were selected through the ERA’s Best Challenge,
which providing funding for biotechnology, electricity, and sustainable
transportation innovations.
“Our Best Challenge is about accelerating the most promising clean
technology solutions across multiple sectors—from new solar
opportunities in coal-impacted communities to electrification of bus
fleets to energy storage and bold new uses for hydrogen,” said Steve
MacDonald, ERA CEO. “These projects will help demonstrate and scale-up
innovative technologies that can be adopted in communities across
Alberta and around the world. They support economic growth, community
health and demonstrate environmental leadership on a local, national and
global scale.”
According to the ERA, the combined value of the new clean technology
projects is $600 million, and if successful, would lead to a cumulative
greenhouse gas reduction of more than 2.5 million tons of CO2 by the
year 2030.
Other projects receiving funding include Shell Canada Energy for the
Shell Alberta Bioenergy Project, eCamion for a demonstration of
battery-based bus charging routes, and Enmax Generation Portfolio for
its e-fleet pilot.
“At Enmax, we are actively exploring technology advancements and the
potential they can create for our customers and our communities,” said
James McKee, executive vice-president of energy services for Enmax. “The
funding received from ERA will enable us to implement an E-Fleet pilot
and a Midstream Industrial Solar Storage pilot, and these
first-in-Canada demonstrations will test innovative and
environmentally-responsible technology in real life environments,
providing learnings that can be transferred to broader applications in
support of a lower carbon future.”
The ERA receives grants from the Alberta government from the Climate
Change and Emissions Management Fund and provides funding to reduce
emissions by investing the carbon levy paid by large industrial emitters
into clean technology solutions.
So far, the ERA has committed more than $572 million in funding to 164 projects.
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