Electronic logs and driver harassment: Where do the vendors stand?

We’ve heard a lot about electronic logging in recent years. It’s not because truckers and others are debating the pros and cons. It’s because Congress and the administration have proposed to make them mandatory.

As reported in Land Line, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published its supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for electronic logs in the Federal Register on Friday during MATS week.

One of the manufacturers of such devices, a company called VDO, part of Continental Corp., was at MATS to discuss their RoadLog products with the press and the public.

When asked how their devices would meet the technical specs that accompany the proposed rule, company officials said they were still reviewing the materials and were not prepared to comment. But they did share some information that truckers may find valuable as the discussion moves along.

OOIDA and truckers are concerned that an ELD mandate would not address the issue of technology being used by carriers, dispatchers and others to harass drivers. This concern extends to being bothered or "pinged" to report or answer questions during on-duty, not-driving hours.

The basic VDO RoadLog device

The people at VDO say the basic device they offer is not equipped for direct communication.

“One of the key elements of the driver harassment issue is having the fleets do something they don’t feel like doing, for whatever reason,” Jeff Waterstreet, sales manager for VDO RoadLog, told Land Line.

“The existing Roadlog product that we sell today has no over-the-air communication, so there’s not a way for a fleet to harass a driver.”

In addition to the harassment issue, truckers may also be concerned about the cost of doing business under an ELD mandate.

VDO says an owner-operator could expect to pay about $600 for a basic VDO Roadlog. The fleet-specific packages would run about $700.

Waterstreet says the RoadLog does not come with additional costs, subscriptions or monthly fees.

Testing, testing ...

It's Friday morning, and the show is in full swing. Attendees are strolling along, filling their tote bags with MATS goodies. In a South Wing conference room just off the main corridor, a few truckers have stopped to sign up on clipboards - not for a chance to win a fancy prize, but for the opportunity to speak directly with the people who develop the rules they must live by on the highways.

FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro with
OOIDA Life Member Michael Potwin
and Rachel Martin
Photo by David Tanner, Land Line Magazine

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has hosted a public listening session at MATS each of the past few years. And although this year's session was about "New Entrant Knowledge Testing" - not the most exciting subject - the panelists, including FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro, heard a wide variety of topics on truckers' minds.

A few truckers used their time at the mic to speak about driver training and the role of technology -- for better or for worse -- in vehicle safety and industry compliance.

Truckers like Michael Potwin of Ridgewater, Mass., used his podium time to talk about big-picture issues such as the shortage of safe truck parking; the effects of CSA and enforcement on the small-business operator; and how technology such as electronic logs, adaptive cruise control and speed limiters are no substitute for a trained and experienced driver behind the wheel.

"Safety is a wonderful thing but (technology) is something that a lot of people hide behind," Potwin said.

During a midday break between morning and afternoon sessions, Potwin and companion Rachel Martin said they were glad for a chance to interact directly with Anne Ferro, the top federal regulator for their industry. Ferro in turn said she was glad to meet with truckers and hear directly about issues that affect them.

"I wish there were more truckers here for this opportunity," Potwin said.

Goodyear Highway Hero: OOIDA Member Ivan Vasovic

In those critical moments when a person's life hangs in the balance, there are people who would risk harm or even death for the chance to save that life. Ivan Vasovic is one of those people.

His actions on a fateful day last year have earned him the title of Goodyear Highway Hero. Goodyear presented Vasovic with the 31st annual award during this year's Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, and he was selected from an extraordinary group of four finalists.

Goodyear Highway Hero and OOIDA Member Ivan Vasovic.
Photo by David Tanner

Vasovic is a truck driver, an OOIDA member, and resident of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. He is an immigrant from Serbia, a part of Europe ravaged by conflict and war. He is grateful for his job and his way of life, and at least one family out there is forever grateful to him.

Vasovic had just begun his workday last October in Los Angeles when he witnessed a double tanker truck crash, first into a concrete divider and then into a guardrail. The tankers, punctured in the crash, were full of diesel fuel. The truck and first tanker ended up hanging precariously off the side of an overpass. The tanker driver, still conscious but now on fire from the ignited diesel fuel, kicked out a window and plunged to the ground, breaking an arm and a leg.

"In that moment, I saw him in danger," Vasovic said.

He then did something that put his own safety on the line. He and another witness had rushed forward to drag the tanker driver to safety, but the flames and heat were becoming too great. With seconds to spare, Vasovic rushed back to his own rig, doused himself with water and managed to drag the other driver another 20 yards to safety. Literally moments later, the double tanker came crashing down to the ground.

Vasovic did not stay around long at the scene. In fact, he went back to work not long after his heroic save. His company, Hub Group Trucking, nominated him for Goodyear Highway Hero.

 "I went back to work, you know," he said. "I washed my hands and I tried not to think about it. Only after, when people approached me and people saw the (news) video, then I got scared."

Vasovic has been trucking for 11 years, the past four with Hub Group Trucking.

Prior to that, he was in the military in the war-torn former Yugoslavia, where he worked for a Red Cross platoon.

"I grew up in a tough neighborhood," he says. "I had a tough childhood and everything."

Vasovic came to the U.S. in 2003 through the Red Cross, taking a job, fittingly, as a lifeguard.

He is now a member of the prestigious Goodyear Highway Hero family. He joins recent past winners Jason Harte, Mike Schiotis and Tilden Curl.

"Ivan's quick thinking and brave actions saved a fellow truck driver from a life-threatening situation," said Gary Medalis, marketing director, Goodyear Commercial Tire Systems. "He literally put himself in harm's way to save another person's life. Ivan's decision to interject himself into this deadly scenario is a powerful example of the selflessness exhibited by professional truck drivers. He has earned the right to be called a Highway Hero."

Scott Nelson, Highway Hero finalist Tim Horton, and
Karen Nelson meet in person for the first time.
Photo by David Tanner

Goodyear recognized three other finalists at this year's award presentation.

Brian Dunn of Knoxville, Tenn., pried the door from a burning car to rescue a 2-year-old boy. He says all he could think about were his own young children.

OOIDA Member Scott Rosenburg, Isanti, Minn., used a boom on the back of his truck to turn a vehicle back over after it landed upside down in a pond. His actions saved the driver, who would certainly have drowned.

Tim Horton, Sheridan, Ark., witnessed a vehicle crash 35 feet down into a ravine near Tuscaloosa, Ala., and braved the slope and treacherous terrain to help rescue a college graduate student, Tyler Nelson.

The Nelsons show a picture of their son, Tyler,
who was fortunate to have trucker Tim Horton
looking out for him after a crash.

Nelson's parents, Scott and Karen, of the Nashville area, attended MATS as guests of Goodyear. Although they knew one another would be in attendance, the Nelsons had never met Horton in person until the award presentation.

Grateful hugs and tears of joy flowed for these friends for life. Horton says he plans to meet Tyler, now 24, when he passes through Atlanta where Tyler studies.

"This is really amazing," said Karen. "His survival instincts just kicked in."

The droid he was looking for?

New recruit?

In February's Land Line Magazine I wrote about robotic trucks and efforts to develop a truck-driving robot. So I was more than a little surprised walking through the West Wing of the Kentucky Expo Center this week at MATS to bump into recruiter Josh Parker and his newest recruit.

I'm not sure how R2D2 can reach the pedals, or even if he will need to. But he was really eager to get going, of course. I think his pal Threepio was off talking to a logistics outfit.

If you had a hammer ... or a Mack truck

Photo courtesy of Mack

Mack’s press conference at MATS this year could have been inspired by the late Pete Seeger, who wrote “If I Had a Hammer” along with whole slew of other iconic folk songs that celebrated America’s working people. Mack’s VP of Marketing John Walsh likened the Mack truck to a hammer and said, “People want tools they can understand and relate to.”

In fact, the whole press event had a Seeger feel to it, especially the “Man and the Machine” video.

Stephen Roy, President of Mack Trucks North America, Sales and Marketing announced clear new goals for its time-tested bulldog brand. Roy also told the trucking press that while Mack has enjoyed success in regional haul and vocational trucks, the truck maker is ready to expand its focus on the highway side.

Roy’s forecast: Mack now has the “right product, the product support and product solutions” to expand its focus to pursuing a bigger part of the Class 8 on-highway market share in North America.

Roy said in order to expand Mack’s focus on highway trucks, it has invested heavily in its tech support and increasing its support network for Mack customers. He said Mack’s total dealership network now numbers 428 full dealerships and facilities that offer parts and service.

Roy said Mack had worked hard to dominate vocational truck sales but hasn’t “done the job on the highway side.” A critical part of the plan is the new “uptime command center” at the Greensboro, N.C., campus, which is due to open in October. Roy said uptime had been a big focus for the past five years but the new three-story building will, for the first time, put all of their experts and tech support together in one location.

As part of the uptime focus, Roy talked about a new feature of Mack’s GuardDog Connect, which was introduced last year. GuardDog is a remote diagnostics program that sends vital breakdown info to Mack’s OneCall customer center.  A team of technicians evaluate the fault code and identify the exact issue and repairs needed. The driver is then instructed where to take the truck.

Roy said starting this year, GuardDog Connect now includes a new feature. When the truck pulls into the dealership, there’s a system to ensure it gets fixed and back on the road as soon as possible, using a virtual perimeter around a geographic location.

“There’s a geofence around every one of our dealerships,” Roy said. “So we’ll know when a truck comes into a dealership and when a truck leaves a dealership.” Roy said the GuardDog isn’t set up to be Big Brother, but to help the customer and assist the dealer.

“We’ll call the dealer and say, ‘We notice this truck is in; what can we do to help you get it out the door as soon as possible’?”

In another uptime plan to keep trucks rolling, Roy said the company was pushing hard toward 24/7 phone service. “Knowing there are after hour events,” he said, “the Mack Center is now answering calls on behalf of 60 percent of Mack dealers after their doors close.”

“We now stack up against anybody,” Roy said. “We hope our competitors will hear our footsteps.”

Mack’s overall share of the North American Class 8 truck market remains just under 10 percent, a level Roy hopes to see increase this year.

Roy has been on the job since Jan. 1, 2014. Previously, he led the company’s aftermarket business.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard Mack’s new mantra. I went to Allentown about a month ago and had a chance to find out more about this.

For one thing, doesn’t Mack’s sister truck builder Volvo more or less have dibs on the on-highway segment? Roy clarified that the perception that Mack had developed its vocational focus as part of the Volvo Group to avoid infringing on Volvo Truck North America’s quest to dominate the highway segment was not accurate.

“One and one is not always two,” he has said, saying the Volvo Group does not want to place limits on the two truck makers. Roy said if one of the sister companies did not make a competitive highway truck, it shouldn’t be assumed the sales of such trucks would automatically go to one who did.

“So we want to see what Volvo can do on the vocational side and see what Mack can do on the highway side.”

Roy told the press in February the Mack Pinnacle with axle-forward configuration, especially the well-appointed Rawhide package, will likely play a role in the stepped-up effort.  

Trucking Moves America Forward ... indeed it does

What does the word “movement” mean to you? Action, process? Take me -- a cause-oriented '60s kid and a longtime employee of OOIDA, an organization that is all about fighting for the rights of professional trucker. I guess I am somebody who can’t resist the launch of a big “movement.”

Today at MATS, a group representing people from every corner of the trucking industry got together and launched an industry-wide movement to shape a positive image of trucking. And it’s going to be done by telling the story of the people who make trucking possible.

Among the speakers were OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer, President of Jet Express Kevin Burch, driver Allen Boyd and technician Herschel Evans.

In the words of OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer, “we’ve got a story to tell.” And in my words -- it needs to be one that is shouted from the mountaintops. Because legislators and regulators need to keep hearing about the “essentiality” of truckers. Without them, the nation’s economy will hit the skids. That message seems to keep on getting ignored.

OOIDA Executive VP Todd Spencer
Photo by Suzanne Stempinski

Spencer said truckers are the most important people in the trucking industry. The job they do “moves the nation.”

“And the trucking industry needs to see it,” said Spencer at a press conference today in Louisville. “If we cannot see it, the public won’t either.”

The movement is called Trucking Moves America Forward – or TMAF if you must have an acronym. It brings all sectors of the trucking industry together in a positive movement that intends to do some serious steam-rollin’ in order to engage policymakers, industry professionals and the public.

Kevin Burch, president of Jet Express, cited a statistic I have not heard updated for a while but I jotted down. Did you know that 1 in 16 people in the U.S. are employed by the trucking industry? That doesn’t necessarily mean they are behind the wheel, but – 1 in 16? That’s impressive. Why can't this industry get the proper respect?

Plenty of people in the industry are on board with this one. Along with ACT 1, an initial founding member of the movement, other supporters include OOIDA, ATA, Allison Transmission, Bendix, Bridgestone, Cummins Inc., Daimler Trucks North America, Dana, Detroit and Eaton. Lots of familiar names. Here’s more: GE Capital, Goodyear, Great West Casualty, Hahn Transportation, Hendrickson, J.J. Keller, Jet Express Inc., Kenworth, Longistics, Love’s, Mack Trucks, Meritor, Michelin, Motor Carrier Service Inc., Old Dominion, Omnitracs, Pegasus, Peterbilt, Randall Reilly, Tennant Truck Lines, Tennessee Express, Trans Tech, TCA, Volvo and TRW.

You're going to hear more about Trucking Moves America Forward in the future. For now, check it out at www.TruckingMovesAmerica.com or follow it on Facebook (Trucking Moves America Forward) or Twitter at @TruckingFWD.

Somebody has to do this.

Chasing mpgs

With profit margins thinner than Audrey Hepburn, truck builders are squeezing the brainpower out of their engineers to come up with every single thing that can be done to tweak fuel-saving enhancements.

Check out this slippery T680. (Photo by Jami Jones)

Some of those tweaks are obvious; some details you kind of have to look for them.

This morning at MATS, Kenworth, for example, showed the trucking press its T680 Advantage with 76-inch sleeper (it’s a new truck, just introduced in October) and pointed out some of the tricky new tweaks.

So there are the longer side extenders, lower cab fairing extenders for the 76-inch sleeper and front air dam. Then there are those aerodynamic mud flaps, even some optional wheel covers for drive tires.

The goal is to get as much as 5 percent more fuel efficiency. Kevin Barry, chief engineer, says the T680 will do that by May.

KW is chasing that 5 percent by combining the Paccar MX-13 engine, Eaton Fuller Advantage transmission, a Meritor 6x2 axle configuration and wide-base tires.

I’m not a fan of speed governors on all trucks, so their speed control management that utilizes speed limiters isn’t my favorite fuel-efficient feature. But the tire pressure monitoring system is neat, keeping tires at optimum PSI.

The new Kenworth Idle Management System, which provides 8 hours of A/C without idling, saves you about $4 an hour.

MATS – It just got real

It's real, we're here, and I'm revved up. I stashed piles of pre-trip paraphernalia all around the house: batteries, chargers, last year’s badge holder, socks, the pedometer that will surely track my mileage around the convention center, ibuprofen, those Dr. Scholl foot massagers to put in my shoes, a few more batteries, my laptop, iPad, iPhone, emergency chargers, cameras, lenses, favorite pen, last year's parking pass. Oh my favorite "must have" was a set of Chicago Bears cheek decals to share with a friend who lost a bet on a Chicago vs. Green Bay game. Yep, he's bringing some for me, too –although green and yellow are really not my best colors. I'm sure someone will snap a picture ... stay tuned.

Of course the weather can be just about anything and already is ... a little snow, a lot of wind and the need for gloves, hats and long johns. Seriously. But MATS is not a place to be weak. 

The show doesn't even open ’til Thursday, but the parking lots are full of vendors setting up. Along with the rest of the trucking press, we're here for Media Day where we get a chance to hear from OEMs and industry specialists about last year’s results, this year’s goals and expectations and product introductions.

And there's more. Don't miss this year's collections of shiny show trucks parked behind the West Wing. At last count, they were fast approaching 100. New ones, refurbished old ones, and some stuff that's just off the hook different. The light show is tonight. There will be enough lumens to power a medium-sized city.

I need more hours in my day. Gonna throw pages out of my MATS logbook and keep running. Woo-hoo!

Bendix looks forward

They may not have a crystal ball, but the folks at Bendix are confident the administration will issue a final rule on electronic stability control systems on trucks and buses by the end of 2014. And that's not all. The company says another potential mandate, this one known as forward collision avoidance, is just around the corner.

Fred Andersky, director of government and industry affairs and fleet marketing for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, briefed members of the press Wednesday morning at MATS about electronic stability control, or ESC, and forward collision avoidance.

Andersky says the ESC proposal, which was introduced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in May 2012, could happen as early as October.

"We do expect a final rule to be published this year," Andersky said.

NHTSA estimates that the systems would add $1,160 to the price of new trucks and would prevent up to 2,300 crashes per year.

OOIDA has challenged those figures in comments filed to the official docket, saying the administration has overstated the benefits and understated the costs.

Turning to forward collision avoidance, Andersky says NHTSA is considering a 2015 to 2016 time frame to make a proposal, with a possible final rule in 2019.

Fred Andersky, director of government affairs for Bendix

Andersky is the face of Bendix in Washington, D.C., where he meets with lawmakers and regulators on issues such as stability control and collision avoidance for trucks and buses.

Preventing crashes is the stated mission of NHTSA, the FMCSA and other administrative departments in D.C.

"Things have changed a bit. NHTSA is doing a lot more reaching out," Andersky says.

He says Bendix is not in the business of pushing for mandates, but rather is providing guidance and research to federal agencies to make the right choices.

The example Andersky provides is the preference for ESC, as opposed to RSC, which is rollover stability control. With ESC, it's a more comprehensive technology that expands beyond rollover prevention.

"These systems are not going to make a bad driver a good driver, but they can help a good driver avoid having a bad day," Andersky said.

Keep an eye out for more information on the ESC proposal, and a future proposal for forward collision avoidance.

The all-access, back-stage, Wayne's World look at Wednesday at MATS

Most attendees are either plotting or plodding their way to Louisville at this point late on Tuesday evening. The LL crew is situated and settled in and ready to hit the ground running Wednesday morning.

I can sense the puzzled looks. The show doesn't start until Thursday. ... You're right it doesn't. But much like in "Wayne's World" when Wayne and Garth got the all-access passes to an Alice Cooper concert, that's pretty much what press credentials are like on the Wednesday before MATS starts.

Anyone who has been here knows the yellow windbreaker-clad people manning the doors. Some are sweet. Some are nice. Most are, well ... let's go with very serious about their jobs.

There have been plenty of times when I have had to flaunt my media credentials -- much like Wayne and Garth -- at them to get to where I need to be on Wednesday. See, it's the unofficial-official press kickoff for the show.

While the crews are finishing off booths, and maybe even starting them, the OEM, product and service suppliers and different groups are hosting press conferences. It's a full day.

But Wednesday is our chance to glimpse into the crystal ball of trucking's future. We'll talk the California Air Resources Board (hopefully), LNG/CNG/alt fuels, tires, aerodynamics, business tools and more.

Stay tuned and watch on Twitter too. We will be sneaking off to the show floor all day blogging and tweeting out sneak peeks. (It's the least we can do since we're like Wayne and Garth partying with Alice. ... Or in the real world actually getting to do what anyone without their own all-access pass to MATS can't do.)

Road trippin'

I admit it; I love getting sprung from the office for the Mid-America Trucking Show. Of course, I love the show and seeing so many friends and OOIDA members. But the road trip there is a blast too.

Our usual crew from Land Line includes LL's Editor-in-chief Sandi Soendker, Associate Editor Dave Tanner and me. We don't set out to break land speed records. we are firm subscribers to the philosophy that the trip there is half the fun.

So we're armed with a load of snacks -- most healthy, but not all -- Sirius XM is playing the classics, and we have a willingness to stop anywhere that intrigues us. We'll also snap plenty of photos along the way. You'll catch some of those here, like this uber cool one of the new Mississippi River Bridge Dave took instead of angling for the standard St. Louis Arch pic.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, also. Lots going on over there too. @shewhoknowstruk (me), @LandLineCanuck (Dave), and @truck_editor (Sandi).

Reasons you can’t even fathom

In the days leading up to the Mid-America Trucking Show, something starts to stir inside you.

For three days, Louisville, Ky., turns into the trucking “mecca” of sorts. It is all things trucking and people who are the world of trucking.

With the wide array there of equipment, products, services and professional organizations like OOIDA – which has your back year-round – it makes good sense that you should go if at all possible.

With all of the prep work and scheduling, it can be overwhelming. But there are still other emotions – excitement and a longing that stirs, too. Thoughts rush through your brain millions at a time.

There are so many you can’t get a grasp on any one in particular.

Yet you know you need to go. It’s almost an involuntary, unconscious force that pulls you.

It’s a lot like the way James Earl Jones’ character Terence Mann described the “Field of Dreams.”

You go for reasons you can’t even fathom. You turn into the Exposition Center driveway not knowing for sure what this year will bring. You arrive at the door as excited as children. Of course we won’t mind if you look around, they say.

You walk into the crowds of people, drawn by that same unknown force. You’ll find they have aisle after aisle of everything great about trucking. And you’ll soak it all in, and it’ll be as if you dipped yourself in magic waters. The memories will be so thick you’ll have to brush them away from your face – months after you leave.

People will come. One constant through all the years, has been trucking. It has rolled by and through America, providing a pulse for the lives we live. It has carried with it a mystique and fascination of both those who live it and those who watch it roll by.

But it has marked the times. This industry, this life: It’s a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good and could be again. Oh ... people will come. People will most definitely come.