Trucking

Last week, President Obama announced that the administration will begin to work on new fuel-economy standards for heavy- and – medium-duty trucks starting in 2019.

            “The fuel standards we set over the past few years mean that, by the middle of the next decade, the cars and trucks we buy will go twice as far on a gallon of gas. And in the coming months, we’ll partner with truck makers to do it again for the next generation of vehicles,” Obama said.

            The standards on fuel consumption and emissions, issued in 2011, call for reducing the maximum levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in trucks and engines manufactured in 2014 and 2017.

            The goal for the new round of fuel-economy standards is to improve fuel economy, while reducing carbon emissions, and without sacrificing vehicle performance. The new standards may include rules for trailers, and will likely cover Classes 2-8 trucks.

Corporate fleet managers are now using recording devices, such as in-cab cameras, to monitor driver behavior. The goal is to improve safety and use fuel more efficiently. Many companies have reported that they have already seen a major reduction in vehicle incidents since they have installed the in-cab cameras. Lily Transportation Corp. in Needham, Mass. said they have seen a 30% decrease in incidents since 2011, when they installed the cameras.
Drivers who were once skeptical of the in-cab cameras, viewing it as “Big Brother” spying or as punishment, now see it as an opportunity to prove their professionalism and earn rewards, increased pay, and therefore increased job security.
Dane Smith, Vice President of worldwide sales for SmartDrive Systems Inc., said “We teach [customers] to coach drivers like athletes and not just to catch them doing something wrong. Drivers oftentimes don’t recognize how much they are affected by distractions on the road or when they are reaching for something in the cab. They are in a trance-like state. They don’t realize the amount of time they take their eyes off the road.”
In 2012, SmartDrive came out with a study from over 15.1 million video events, that revealed that mobile phone usage, along with the manipulation of objects, smoking, and eating were the main sources of distractions for drivers. The video recordings have also been used to acquit thousands of drivers involved in crashes caused by other drivers. 80% of the time it is not their fault. By closely monitoring speed, engine idling, and other factors through the technology, vendors can also improve fuel efficiency by as much as 20%.

Georgia Logistics assembles a set of facts and figures concerning the Logistics Market every month. Here are some of the highlights taken directly from the report:

• Dow Jones Transportation index rose 3.9% during the month of February.

• The USDOT’s freight transportation services rose 1.2% in January 2013. The index’s reading of 111.3 was up 1.3% from January 2012. (Source: US DOT)

• The February shipments index rose 5.6% over the previous month and rose 0.5% year-over-year. The February expenditures index increased 1.8% for the month, and decreased 1% year-over-year. (Source: Cass Information Systems | Cassinfo.com)

• Intermodal rail traffic in February 2013 was 10.5% higher than in February 2012 and 3% higher than January 2013 totals. Intermodal loadings have experienced year-over-year gains for 39 straight months. (Source: AAR.org)

• The spot market for truckload freight in January fell 8.1 compared to the previous month, and was 1% lower year-over-year. Truck capacity fell 6.3% for the month, and was up 16% year-over-year. (Source: TransCore Freight Index | www.transcorefreightsolutions.com)

• U.S. average diesel prices fell to $4.09 per gallon, down 4.2¢ since last week. The U.S. average diesel price was 3.5¢ lower than the same week last year. The average price of diesel in the lower Atlantic states was $4.06 per gallon. (Source: U.S. DOE)

• The trucking industry added 5,600 jobs in February. The trucking workforce increased 0.4% over the previous month and rose 3.2% over the previous year. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Global air freight traffic in January increased 5% from one year ago. North American air freight in January rose 0.6% year-over-year. (Source: IATA.org)

• In January, the average international air cargo rate fell 10.5 points from December; the largest monthly drop in the index since its inception in May 2012. The average price of air cargo leaving the United States in January stood at $3.25 per kilogram. (Source: Drewry)

• Import volume through major U.S. container ports is expected to increase 2.3% in March. Total U.S. containerized imports are expected to increase 4.3% during the first half of 2013. (Source: NRF/Hackett Associates)

• The U.S. GDP increased 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012 according to the second preliminary estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (Source: US BEA)

• The U.S. trade deficit increased by 16.5% in January to $44.4 billion, the largest deficit increase since January 2011. Exports fell 1.2% to $184.5 billion and imports rose 1.8% to $228.9 billion. (Source: US DOC & Census Bureau)

• The Consumer Confidence Index increased to 69.6 in February 2013 from 58.4 in January 2013. (Source: The Conference Board)

For the full report click here: http://www.georgialogistics.com/images/public/snapshot/Snapshot_2013_3.pdf