The keys to recruiting and retaining drivers
Talk to any fleet, any small trucking company, or even the drivers themselves and ask them to identify the biggest problem facing the trucking industry. Chances are they’ll tell you it’s driver retention and recruitment. The American Trucking Association reported a shortage of 50,000 drivers just two years ago, and that number is expected to
Conquering the challenges of fleet data management
When the fleet is on the road, you’re making money. That’s why fleet managers spend much of their time doing their best to minimize roadside incidents. Roadside incidents can easily cost fleets thousands of dollars considering the crew needed to handle the road call, which also means time lost. A roadside incident puts a vehicle
ATA expresses support for Modern, Clean and Safe Trucks Act
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) released a statement praising the introduction of the Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2021 by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD). The bipartisan legislation would repeal the 12% federal excise tax (FET) on heavy-duty trucks, which currently adds approximately $22,000 to the cost of the average
TMC survey finds increase in unscheduled roadside truck maintenance
A recently released TMC/FleetNet America Vertical Benchmarking Program survey found an industrywide increase in the frequency of unscheduled roadside maintenance, the American Trucking Associations announced. The TMC/FleetNetAmerica survey found that during the first quarter of 2021, fleets averaged 29,506 miles of operation between unscheduled road repairs—down 18.7% from the fourth quarter of 2020. Truckload carriers
It’s National Tire Safety Week: Here are some tire pressure tips
Proper tire pressure matters so much. With National Tire Safety Week 2021 coming up, the following tips from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems remind fleets and owner-operators across North America just how big an impact the air in your tires has on how much fuel you burn, how much downtime you risk and the effectiveness of
TMC welcomes Collision Repair Forum to 2021 Fall Meeting
The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council and the Heavy Duty Repair Forum (HDRF) has agreed to co-locate its fall events at the 2021 TMC Fall Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition this September in Cleveland. The HDRF is the largest conference solely dedicated to the heavy-duty collision repair industry, the group says, and this
ATA Truck Tonnage Index decreased slightly in May
American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index decreased 0.7% in May after falling 0.6% in April, the organization reports. In May, the index equaled 113.7 (2015=100) compared with 114.5 in April. April’s reading was revised down slightly to -0.6% from ATA’s May 18 press release. Compared with May 2020, the SA
TMC releases report examining use of intelligence trailer products
The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council released its first report on the use and adoption of intelligence products and services across the trucking industry with an examination of adoption of the trailer and lease fleet sector. In looking at trailer rental and lease companies, TMC and eSMARTT gauged 12 of the top 15
TMC, Decisiv unveil parts, labor cost benchmarking survey
The American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) launched a new partnership with Decisiv to produce a benchmarking tool designed to track key performance indicators for commercial vehicle parts and labor based on the council’s Vehicle Maintenance Reporting Standards. After being offered initially as a TMC member benefit, the Council and Decisiv plan to
Five truck trend takeaways from April
We know it’s not easy to keep up with everything that happens in the world of trucking. So here are the biggest stories from April focused on the latest truck trends, all in one place. 5. Kenworth launches new medium-duty truck lineup Kenworth has introduced a new medium-duty conventional truck lineup ranging from Class 5
