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South Korea’s Truckers Rock Supply Chains with Strike Action

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

South Korea’s Truckers Rock Supply Chains with Strike Action

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South Korea’s unionised truckers have gone on strike in a row with the government over minimum pay.

The indefinite strikes, which began local time 12.00 am 24 November, will see at least 20,000 truckers join the picket line, predicted the organiser Cargo Truckers Solidarity (CTS) union.

CTS is affiliated with the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union (KPTU-TruckSol).

Truckers are calling on the government to extend and increase capabilities of a system which calculates minimum wage based on growing operating costs due to fuel prices soaring.

The system, dubbed ‘Safe Trucking Freight Rates’, applies a minimum freight fare so drivers are not forced to drive dangerously to make deliveries.

The rate currently applies just to container and bulk cement hauliers and is due to expire at the close of the year. Truckers are calling for the scheme to be made permanent and coverage to be expanded to all cargo and freight types, including oil tankers.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) affiliate KPTU-TruckSol called a halt to a strike in June after eight days when the government and industry agreed to continue and expand the Safe Rates programme.

Since then, KPTU-TruckSol argues government has caved to pressure from big business and done everything possible to block progress. In response, KPTU-TruckSol has called a new unlimited national strike.

“The government is backtracking on its promise to the determent of workers and public safety,” said Bongju Lee, KPTU-TruckSol President.

“We are prepared to strike until that changes. Legislation to make Safe Rates permanent and expand coverage must pass in the National Assembly. It’s as simple as that.”

At the Port of Busan, police officers and buses were seen lined up along key routes.

Container traffic at ports has dropped to 40 per cent compared to normal levels since the strike began, the transport ministry said on 24 November.

The eight-day strike by truckers in June over the same issue was estimated to have cost the South Korean economy $1.2 billion and sent shockwaves through global supply chains.

Strike action has plagued global supply chains throughout 2022.

In November in the UK, Peel Ports Group (PPG) and Unite the union members reached a deal after a months-long strikes at the Port of Liverpool.

In November the Port of Antwerp was hit by staff walkouts.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

Creating an Employee Care Package for Trucking Employees

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Trucking professionals are indispensable global workforce members. Goods wouldn’t reach their destinations without them, leaving consumers everywhere seeing nothing but empty shelves at their favorite stores.

However, sometimes, these hard-working people who spend much of their time on the road can forget how much they’re needed and appreciated. That reality opens an excellent opportunity for their employers to make care packages for their team members. Here are some great gifts to consider for anyone in the trucking industry.

Seat Cushions

Being a professional truck driver means spending a lot of time seated. More specifically, federal trucking limits in the United States stipulate that a person can drive for a maximum of 14 consecutive hours before going into a mandated 10-hour off-duty period.

Being in the same position for so many hours at a time can cause a person to develop pressure points. However, specialized seat cushions can help drivers stay comfortable while they’re behind the wheel. Some seat cushions for truckers provide extra lumbar support. That makes them ideal for people who already deal with back discomfort or want to avoid developing it as a consequence of the job. However, others don’t have built-in backrests.

Many options also exist concerning what provides the necessary support to the user. Some are inflatable, but there are also memory foam and gel-filled possibilities. Choosing the outer material for the cushion is also important. Buyers should keep comfort and user-friendliness in mind by considering things like whether the fabric is extra soft, has moisture-wicking capabilities or a washable cover.

Anti-Sleep Alert Products

Even drivers who do everything they can to stay well-rested will inevitably have some instances where they start to feel sleepy. Unfortunately, if a person experiencing that doesn’t act in time, the sleepiness could result in disastrous consequences.

Data from the U.S.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated there were 697 fatalities caused by crashes associated with drowsy driving in 2019. Avoiding such accidents starts with encouraging drivers to take rest breaks when they start to feel tired. However, people don’t always know how tired they are until they begin nodding off.

That’s why people should consider adding an anti-sleep alarm to a care package for trucking team members. These small and lightweight accessories attach to various parts of the body, including the hands, behind the ear and the neck. They detect signs that people are getting tired, then emit audible warnings.

After hearing them, drivers would realize it’s time to pull over and take steps that’ll help them become more alert. However, feeling permitted to stop when necessary has a lot to do with the company culture. If a driver feels they will receive negative repercussions for resting when they truly need a break, some may try to push themselves too far.

Branded Coffee Mugs

When truck drivers need perking up during a long shift, coffee is usually one of the most accessible ways to get it. That’s why a coffee mug is a thoughtful item for a trucking care package. Statistics show that 62% of adults in the United States drink coffee daily.

However, the people giving these products to team members should go beyond picking a standard type sold in many online and physical stores. It’s ideal if the mug’s design features the employer’s name, logo, contact details and other specifics. Having an accessory like that helps a person take pride in where they work while appreciating the practicality of the present.

A branded coffee mug could also be an excellent recruitment tool. Truck drivers typically make from $50,000-$100,000 annually depending on experience and the nature of their duties. Those that your team member encounters at truck stops, hotels or otherwise along a route may be interested in working for a new company for various reasons.

A branded coffee mug is a smart way to promote a trucking company to others. It could all happen naturally while the recipient drinks their cup of joe while on a break. It’s also a good gift for people who aren’t coffee drinkers. After all, a person could use it for tea or even water. Staying hydrated is an essential part of remaining healthy while on the road.

Organizational Gifts

A truck is the driver’s home while they’re on the road. A clean desk can help office workers stay productive, and the same is true for a person who spends their time behind the wheel for work. Many professional truckers get creative with their methods. For example, Velcro strips are handy for attaching hard products, like boxes, to flat surfaces. However, there are also plenty of purposeful gifts that can help a trucker achieve an organizational level that helps them feel more comfortable and less stressed.

Many of them help people make the most of available space, such as by featuring designs that let storage containers hang over the back of a seat. A hanging toiletry bag is also a useful gift to include in a trucking care package, especially since so many professionals spend days on the road at a time. People choosing these gifts should also think about whether the budget might allow for getting an organizer monogrammed or adding another type of personalization.

It’s not always easy to know which challenges people encounter most while trying to get their trucks organized. Similarly, it may not be feasible to buy different products for each care package recipient depending on their needs. An alternative is to take a survey and find out what kinds of products would help recipients best stay organized. Then, purchase the items of most benefit to the largest number of truckers at the company.

12-Volt Coolers

Trying to have fast-food for every meal as a trucker likely isn’t sustainable from a financial point of view, and it’s not an ideal option for long-term health. That’s why many truckers prepare meals before going out on the road. After that, they need somewhere to keep them until it’s time to eat.

That’s why a 12-volt cooler is another fantastic addition to a care package for trucking professionals. Then, people can keep food cold without ice by plugging these gadgets into the truck’s cigarette lighter.

Some coolers even have settings that allow people to keep food hot, too. Others have extra-long cords that give people more flexibility in where they place the cooler inside the truck.

As people browse for coolers to give truckers, they’ll get the best results by trying to envision themselves in the position of the recipients. Some of the administrative members at a trucking company may never spend the hours driving per day that the professional drivers do. However, imagining the features or design choices that users would find most valuable will increase the chances that recipients genuinely love their coolers and use them during all their trips.

Delight Trucking Professionals With These Ideas

The suggestions here will get people off to a good start as they shop for items to put into a trucking employee care package. When these professionals get reminders of how they’re valued members of the workforce, they’re more likely to have higher morale, which could cause associated benefits, such as better productivity and safer driving.

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Why the Current System of Long Supply Chain Contracts is Broken

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Over $11 billion has been invested globally in last-mile logistics over the past decade, showing the growing importance of the last leg of a shipment’s journey. This reality is especially prevalent with E-commerce exploding—up 33% to $792 billion in 2021 alone.

Although the transportation industry is upping its game in the last leg sector, its means of financial contracts are antiquated and broken. Let’s explore why the supply chain’s current financial engagement system needs an update.

Static Prices Are No Longer Relevant

The primary method of operations employed in the supply chain, especially within trucking, is in the format of annual contracts with static prices. In times when the market is volatile as a result of crisis or instability, statically priced contracts do not correlate, creating big problems in the supply chain.

With this rigid system, carriers take on all of the pricing risks when freight prices spike. Alternatively, service-level is unpredictable for shippers, taking the chance that their freight might not be delivered. This creates an unbalanced equation where money is only being taken out of the pocket of the carriers, while credibility is unreliable for both parties.

Covid-19 only exacerbated this phenomenon. Long-time contracts are embedded with static prices, ultimately resulting in rejection from carriers in a high-demand era. This has resulted in prices dropping dramatically, and shippers turning to “mini-bids” where contracts are signed multiple times throughout the year—stepping away from the traditional annual process. Static prices only work in a market with highly stable, if not guaranteed, prices—but since the onslaught of the pandemic, the transportation network is nothing of the sort.

Broken Touch Points Along the Supply Chain

Logistics is vital in transportation today, but it is currently exposed to too many risks on every level throughout operations—with everything from lack of drivers to freight capacity unpredictability.

A more flexible and efficient system of freight transportation pricing needs to be procured to try and steady some of the variables. With the current system of brokers acting as contract facilitators, dozens of annual contracts that may—but mostly may not—work out are created. This leads to an ambiguous network where the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. By cutting out the middle-man, high-tech startups who provide a digital interface that caters to all parties can start to generate a long-term answer for pricing in the supply chain.

“Applications can implement a dynamic pricing model and connect shippers and carriers directly, giving both parties a precise and transparent price resulting in a win-win pricing proposal,” says Dmitri Fedorchenko, a founder and CEO of Doft.

Creating a large network of truckers that can bid instantly, the demand is then directly connected to the suppliers. A great example of the feasibility of this design is how Uber connected all taxis into one single network via their platform, reducing rates and making it fast and convenient to book.

“Infused with the power of AI, apps can share what is feasible in real-time, with little risk of rejection because rates are accurate up to the very minute of booking,” adds Sergey Zaturanov, CTO and co-founder of Doft.

On-demand shipping applications help shippers source trucks when they need them, and at a price they are willing to pay. Dynamic pricing is calculated by artificial intelligence that has a finger on the pulse at all times, ensuring all parties of accurate information. Some examples of apps currently blazing trails in freight partnership are Convoy, Uber Freight, and Doft.

Digital apps can offer an open forum platform for the last mile of the supply chain. This helps to provide a more up-to-date method of delivery and stimulates Just-in-Time (JIT) shipping—something the transportation industry desperately needs right now. With trucks just one click away at a fair market price, on-demand freight shipping marketplaces will commence a revolution for the future of trucking.

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Dmitri Fedorchenko is the CEO and co-founder of Doft, an online shipping marketplace & technology company with a mission to create a global positive impact in logistics optimization.

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Vehicle-to-Everything Technology and Autonomous Long-Haul Trucking Are Among Winning Emerging Automotive Technologies

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As automotive technology trends continue to create new and exciting opportunities within the industry, tech-savvy companies are building and launching innovations that are changing the auto sector’s landscape. Businesses looking to follow suit and capitalize on the latest trends have a lot to discover, with autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI) applications, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, tech-driven vehicle insurance and voice-operated features taking center stage as some of the most important emerging technologies.

To keep pace with disruptive tech companies that are active in the automotive sector, and convert digital threats into opportunities in 2022, automakers and aftermarket players need to grasp how these developments are impacting their vertical, and see which companies are leading the way.

Vehicle-to-Everything Technology

V2X technology is a cover-all term for the connected communication inside a vehicle. The idea is that, via V2X, a vehicle can use its onboard communication tools to deliver numerous benefits to both the driver and vehicle. This technology provides businesses and individuals with:

-Easy vehicle data tracking for insurance

-Increased driver safety

-Improved traffic management

-Predictive maintenance

V2X will help improve driver safety by using big data that can adjust vehicle settings based on current road conditions and identify warnings and road signs. Vehicles should also gain more longevity through the use of cloud-stored vehicle data that can predict potential maintenance issues. Mechanics can use predictive data analytics to offer maintenance suggestions directly through the vehicle or a connected user device.

V2X functionality is also key to an autonomous vehicle’s ability to create a picture of its surrounding environment. Within a specified range, this technology can communicate with nearby vehicles, instantaneously helping to assess the risk of crashes and take evasive actions. This makes it an essential supportive technology for autonomous vehicles as they become a more regular part of the automotive industry in the coming years.

Experts estimated that the global automotive V2X market grew from $517.31 million in 2020 to $619.42 million in 2021, and they expect the market to reach $2.25 billion in 2025. Based on these numbers, V2X seems likely to continue experiencing exponential investment and growth.

Human-Machine Interface

Human-Machine Interface (HMI) is AI that features easy-to-use high-tech functionality to better operate vehicles. It allows drivers and passengers to interact with their vehicles more easily through touch screens, swipe and gesture functions, as well as speech recognition.

HMI safety features, such as gesture functions and speech recognition, allow the driver to focus on the road without additional dashboard displays or buttons, and increases overall driving safety and enjoyability.

Car makers are already implementing multi-information displays in vehicles. HMI solutions are enabling drivers to operate their vehicles more efficiently, using technology that, for instance, aids parking, recognizes objects around the vehicle and alerts drivers when they are being distracted. All the while, passengers can enjoy online streaming entertainment or get work done on their own displays.

Investment and advancement in HMI features should continue to grow as these interfaces become a regular part of every modern vehicle. There will be an increased need for customizable technology for these interfaces, opening up an entirely new sector of business within auto tech in what experts believe will become a $4.5 billion industry by 2026.

AI-based Vehicle Insurance

While it may not grab the attention of autonomous vehicles or augmented reality interfaces, vehicle insurance is also going through tech-powered changes that are nothing short of revolutionary.

Experts predict that in the next decade vehicular AI will be able to suggest routes that are safer and trigger instant reductions in monthly insurance premiums; it will do so in real-time. When an accident occurs the car will be able to instantly determine the extent of the damage, after which the driver can send photos to the insurance company and, within minutes, receive claim approval via their car’s dashboard.

While implementation of this slick end-to-end process is still on the horizon, the technology is now available and ready for implementation. With $300 billion available annually in the automotive insurance market, the companies arriving earliest to this high-tech party will be able to reap the benefits from the start.

Autonomous Long-Haul Trucking

The era of fully autonomous vehicles dominating roads is drawing near. While much of the public’s attention is on the thrilling prospect of a car share service like Uber scooting commuters around town sans human driver, driverless commercial trucks are closer to becoming mainstream.

Two companies leading the way in developing driverless commercial transport vehicles, Aurora and Kodiak, expect their trucks will be on American roads by 2023. This is a full year ahead of the estimated release of driverless passenger vehicles.

Manufacturers have shifted their focus to driverless long-haul trucking over driverless taxis for two key reasons: the rise of e-commerce, and more technologically feasible development and implementation.

This strategy of focusing on driverless trucks makes sense, considering autonomous vehicle development took on an estimated $120 billion in investment from car companies between 2017 and 2019. Manufacturers are now ready to get their technology out into the world. The potential financial gains of getting into the commercial trucking sector are huge, raking in a whopping $791.7 billion per year, giving automotive companies plenty of motivation to get vehicles on the road.

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Jan Beránek is chief executive officer and founder for U+, a leading global digital product development company, specializing in corporate research and development, the launch of corporate and startup innovations, and the transformation of Fortune 1000 companies’ digital ideas into real products. During the past 12 years, U+ has successfully turned more than 90 ideas into reality with total valuation exceeding $1B in the fintech, energy, telco, e-health and automotive industries. U+ is a digital innovation provider for Bridgestone, Volkswagen Group and other companies within the automotive sector. For more information, please visit https://u.plus/.

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Leveraging GPS Tracking for Automated Fleet Maintenance

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Maintenance is one of the most important parts of fleet management. A good maintenance strategy can help a business cut repair costs, improve fuel efficiency, and eliminate vehicle downtime.

Scheduling vehicle maintenance can be difficult, however, especially for businesses that don’t know exactly where their fleet vehicles are.

GPS tracking technology is one of the best tools that fleet managers can use to streamline maintenance — or even completely automate it.

Why Businesses Use GPS Tracking for Fleet Management

GPS tracking is a fleet tracking strategy that uses networked GPS systems to provide managers with the real-time location of each vehicle in the fleet. Location data is often used to streamline scheduling and routing, allowing administrators to make more informed decisions when they need to dispatch a vehicle or schedule a new job.

GPS data may also enable a system to track driver behavior, including unnecessary idling, speeding, and harsh braking events. This information can be provided to fleet managers and dispatchers, as well as passed on directly to drivers.

Fleet managers and dispatchers can use the information to improve their decision-making while drivers can learn more about their own habits and practices — allowing them to identify potential areas of improvement.

These tools are popular among businesses in parts of the country where idling laws may mean hefty fines for businesses that allow drivers to leave vehicles idling. They are also frequently used by businesses that want to track and reduce dangerous driving habits that can harm vehicle health, reduce fuel economy, and make drivers less safe.

The benefits of a GPS tracking system can vary from business to business, but most will see noticeable improvements to vehicle fuel efficiency, overall driving hours, driver behavior, compliance, and safety.

Many GPS tracking systems are also part of a larger telematics system that can provide managers with even more fleet data. These systems may also include dashboards and data visualization tools that help fleet managers better understand the data they’ve collected.

With the right solution, it can be much easier to predict fleet expenses and implement new business policies that help improve fleet performance.

Automating Maintenance With GPS Tracking

The most effective maintenance strategies are preventive. Long before small problems with a vehicle become serious issues, the business takes action to keep the vehicle in the best operating condition possible.

For example, a business may hire a mechanic to regularly inspect brakes, check oil levels, change filters, or check tire tread. These simple checks allow businesses to prevent most common vehicle issues, like brake failure, frequently seen in vehicles like semi-trucks or tractor-trailers when they’re not properly maintained.

The simplest maintenance tasks aren’t usually expensive or time-consuming, and they can help keep vehicles on the road while providing other benefits — like better fuel economy and a lower risk of breaking down.

Preventive maintenance can be hard to implement, however — especially for businesses that have relied on a reactive maintenance strategy in the past.

The time and money needed for preventive maintenance are usually repaid over time, as maintenance reduces the need for repairs or the frequency of breakdowns. Typically, preventive maintenance only becomes challenging when a business doesn’t have enough information on its vehicles, drivers, or maintenance providers.

This information could be a shipping estimate on essential replacement parts, a mechanic’s availability, or the current status of fleet vehicles.

Without the right information, fleet managers can struggle to coordinate the different parts of a preventive maintenance strategy — like the business’s mechanics, tools, replacement components, or the vehicles themselves.

How GPS Tracking Makes Maintenance Automation Possible

GPS tracking provides a valuable source of information on fleet vehicles’ location and driving conditions. The system is continuously updating managers on the position of each vehicle and how drivers are operating those vehicles.

With a GPS tracking solution, it’s typically possible to create automatic maintenance alerts that instantly notify managers when maintenance is needed.

These maintenance alerts are customizable, meaning managers can configure them to appear after a certain number of hours have passed, or when a vehicle passes a number of miles driven.

Many of these solutions also track how employees are driving their vehicles, allowing managers to draw connections between driver behaviors, maintenance costs, and specific repairs.

This data can help managers identify behaviors that harm vehicle health the most, allowing them to track driver behavior and maximize vehicle lifespan while minimizing maintenance costs.

A more advanced system could also provide additional benefits — for example, by automatically scheduling maintenance when it’s needed. Using information from the GPS trackers, the system could automatically schedule maintenance and generate a route to the maintenance garage based on the vehicle’s current location, the driver’s job status, and the distance to nearby maintenance locations.

Over time, information from GPS tracking systems can also help managers understand their fleet’s schedule. With this data, managers can know exactly when business tends to be slow or when specific vehicles are available, allowing them to schedule maintenance in a way that won’t disrupt work.

They may also be able to provide better availability estimates to customers and help their team dispatch vehicles more effectively.

For businesses that have struggled with creating driver schedules or meeting client needs, these tools could help them create better schedules for their team, making it easier to dispatch drivers and complete jobs.

Integrating GPS With Other Maintenance Automation Tools

Fleet managers that benefit from using GPS to automate fleet maintenance will probably also benefit from many of the other fleet maintenance automation tools available.

Many of these tools are built with technology like GPS tracking in mind, meaning they may integrate easily with existing GPS tracking solutions or be able to utilize the real-time data these solutions provide.

For example, a comprehensive telematics and maintenance automation system may be able to provide managers with automatic alerts based on both miles driven and data collected by vehicle components — like tire pressure sensors, brake system sensors, and the engine control unit.

Using GPS to Improve and Automate Fleet Maintenance

An automated preventive maintenance strategy can help any business keep its fleet on the road. Implementing preventive maintenance without the right information may be difficult, however.

GPS tracking systems provide real-time updates on fleet vehicle locations that managers can use to make preventive maintenance much more practical. These tools can also help managers identify reckless driving or bad habits, like idling.

Combined with other maintenance and telematics solutions, GPS tracking can also help make automating maintenance much easier. The right solution can provide automatic notices when a vehicle hits a major milestone or number of hours driven.

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

How Can We Make Trucking More Sustainable?

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Transportation accounts for around one-fifth of global carbon emissions, with road freight being one of the largest contributors.

As a result — and as sustainability becomes more important to businesses, investors and consumers — trucking companies are looking for ways to make their work greener. New strategies and technology are helping the industry improve its sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint.

Utilizing these strategies could help make a trucking industry that’s more sustainable and just as capable of moving goods around the country. Here are some tactics that are helping companies to go green.

New Technology Paves the Way for Green Trucking

A handful of innovations may help the trucking industry tackle its most significant sources of carbon — primarily, emissions generated by trucks burning fossil fuels.

The most significant new technology will likely be the electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) arriving on the market. These trucks are powered by nondiesel energy sources — like hydrogen, biodiesel, renewable natural gas or pure electricity.

Depending on their particular fuel source, they can produce reduced carbon emissions compared to diesel, or none at all. This allows trucking companies to significantly reduce their largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Limitations of these EVs and AFVs — like a lack of national electric vehicle charging and infrastructure — made them a risky investment in the past. However, as charging stations become common and manufacturers release electric trucks with ranges comparable to diesel ones, companies are beginning to reconsider these vehicles. The growing AFV and EV market segment also means businesses have more options than ever when it comes to nondiesel trucks.

Some AFVs, like those powered by biodiesel and renewable natural gas, aren’t emissions-free but are a more sustainable option than conventional trucks. For example, biodiesel is a renewable resource produced from feedstock that absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it grows. Burning it isn’t completely green, but making it can help to actively sequester atmospheric carbon.

Adopting either AFVs or EVs will take a major investment from the industry, and there are still risks to pivoting away from conventional fuel-powered trucks. However, these AFVs are likely the best way for a trucking business to reduce its individual carbon footprint.

Other significant innovations come from the IT world. New monitoring and driver management software provides businesses with data management and gathering tools that were never available before. Telematics and GPS technology can help companies monitor their fleets and driver behavior, allowing them to identify unsustainable driving habits and route choices.

These GPS devices could be combined with other monitoring technologies, like Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors that gather truck health and performance information. They are already being used in the intermodal transportation industry to improve business efficiency.

This technology could make tracking driver behavior and vehicle health much easier.

Best Practices Could Reduce the Trucking Industry’s Carbon Footprint

Businesses may not need to adopt entirely new technology to improve their carbon footprint. Instead, new business services, models and best practices may help the trucking industry cut back on carbon emissions while using existing trucks.

Full truckloads (FTLs) are a strategy that aims to minimize empty miles and underutilized truck storage space. This allows businesses to make trucking a much more sustainable shipping approach.

In some cases, trucking companies may be able to maximize their FTL count by outsourcing logistics operations to the right partner. Business-to-business freight shipping company FlockFreight has launched a new service that combines multiple less-than-truckloads (LTLs) to maximize goods shipped while reducing carbon emissions.

In 2017, empty miles accounted for around 17% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the trucking industry. Cutting down on these miles while maximizing full truckloads could help improve the industry’s productivity and minimize carbon emissions at the same time. All it takes is partnering with a sustainable logistics company.

The Right Maintenance Approach Can Minimize Carbon Emissions

Even simple changes to a business’s maintenance strategy can significantly reduce carbon emissions. For example, tire rolling resistance is considered to be one of the main factors impacting a vehicle’s fuel efficiency, along with the engine and aerodynamics.

A company’s choice of tire and maintenance practices that keep tires inflated can help significantly reduce the amount of fuel a vehicle needs. Lower consumption can reduce operational costs and carbon emissions.

Other effective maintenance practices can also help minimize fuel consumption and risks like downtime. Oil changes and other repairs that keep engines as efficient as possible can improve fuel economy and keep carbon emissions low.

Businesses are also beginning to invest in new telematics strategies that provide them with additional maintenance data. Remote monitoring solutions with IoT devices give companies a real-time snapshot of their entire truck fleet’s health.

Virtual dashboards can collect and display data like fleet-wide tire pressure, maintenance needs and fuel consumption, allowing managers to pinpoint potential problems.

Over time, these monitoring solutions can also lay the foundation for predictive maintenance strategies. They use a combination of real-time maintenance data from telematics systems and artificial intelligence to predict when a truck will need work. These algorithms can often significantly improve vehicle performance, increase life span and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.

These benefits can help companies reduce operating costs while minimizing their carbon footprint.

New Technology Can Create a Sustainable Trucking Industry

The trucking industry has long struggled with carbon emissions and pollution. Trucks that burn fossil fuels, like diesel, naturally produce a large amount of greenhouse gas. This takes a huge toll on the environment. Trucking companies would be wise to adopt sustainable practices as more consumers and corporations look to green practices.

New technology and best practices can enable the sector to become more sustainable. Combined with new monitoring or maintenance platforms, AFVs and EVs may allow a business to almost eliminate its carbon footprint. Even simple changes to business processes that help maximize the number of FTLs can have a major impact on emissions. Employing these tactics paves the way for a more sustainable trucking industry.

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Emily Newton is an industrial journalist. As Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized, she regularly covers how technology is changing the industry.

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How Can Hauliers Cope With an Even Higher Demand This Christmas?

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The Christmas rush is something hauliers anticipate every year. But it’s going to be felt more acutely this year with the additional pressures of a driver shortage and Brexit affecting the supply of some goods.

The haulage sector is set to experience its busiest Christmas period on record. On top of the usual increase in demands, there’s the perfect storm of the HGV driver shortage and supply chains impacted by Brexit and COVID. By focusing on increasing efficiency and reducing empty running, hauliers can meet these higher demands and ensure their customers receive the highest level of service.

This means hauliers will need to be even more efficient and prepared in order to meet the demands of businesses and consumers this Christmas.

Here, we cover how hauliers can cope with arguably the most demanding Christmas we’ve ever experienced.

Make planning more efficient

Efficient planning is paramount to success for all hauliers, but never has it been more important than right now. A Logistics UK survey revealed that 96% of hauliers are struggling to recruit drivers, with 13% saying their shortage is severe to very severe. To meet high demands with a potentially depleted workforce, hauliers need to get the most out of their available resources.

That’s where route planning software comes in. By feeding in all the collections and deliveries you need to make, and your vehicle and driver availability, you’ll be able to plan the most efficient routes and get the most out of your fleet.

With these solutions, you’ll have one view of your business supported by real-time information. Your planners can then make informed decisions. In the hectic traffic rush leading up to Christmas, it’s critical you can identify and manage exceptions as deliveries progress because it’s undoubtedly the busiest period on the road.

Eliminate empty running

When you have a larger-than-usual task on your hands to keep up with demand this Christmas, running empty seems even more wasteful than usual. Yet, for many hauliers, this is the case on their return journeys. If your drivers travel back empty from Glasgow to Plymouth on their return journey, for instance, that’s a lot of wasted mileage.

Using a freight exchange platform gives hauliers the opportunity to not only make the most of their journeys but also serve more customers in a time of increased demands. This can help optimize fleets in the short term and also enables hauliers to expand their network to connect with new shippers. Haulage companies with loyal customers but limited resources have the opportunity to subcontract their excess work on these platforms, meaning they can still take on additional haulage loads and get customers’ jobs done.

Allow your drivers to do more in their workday

The changes to drivers’ hours, which means drivers can work up to 11 hours a day twice a week, has been extended once again to January. But we know that making already overworked drivers work longer hours isn’t the solution, especially when many of the drivers who’ve left the sector have done so due to poor working conditions.

Giving your drivers the tools they need to achieve more in their workday is a much better solution. Not only will this allow your business to be more efficient, but you’ll also improve their satisfaction by making their jobs easier. Let’s face it, dealing with paper proof of deliveries is difficult to manage and adds time to their day.

It’s these inefficient processes that can frustrate drivers, cause delays, and even result in them finishing their day later than expected. It’s no wonder that drivers are leaving businesses that aren’t addressing this problem. Using digital tools like electronic proof of delivery and apps that provide real-time details of their deliveries allows them to focus on the job and get more done in their day.

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5 Steps Trucking Employees Should Take When Involved in a Truck Accident

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As a trucker, safety is your number one priority. When an accident happens, there’s a lot to consider. 

How do insurance claims work? Who is liable? Who will pay for your medical bills? When can you return to your job? It’s an intimidating situation, to say the least.

As a Houston truck accident lawyer and head of my own personal injury firm for over 20 years, I’m here to give you the details. Below you’ll find the steps you need to take for a smooth recovery—physically and financially.

Truck Accident Liability: Who’s At Fault?

The basis of every personal injury case is simple: someone’s negligence hurt someone else. The negligent person is known as the “liable” or “at-fault” party.

In truck accident cases, there could be multiple liable parties and multiple insurance companies to deal with. The goal of a truck accident lawyer is to determine which parties should be held responsible for an injured victim’s losses and expenses, and then pursue maximum compensation from all the available sources.

So who is liable for a truck accident? 

In general, trucking companies are responsible for accidents caused by their drivers as long as the driver is “on the clock” at the time of the accident, acting “within the scope of employment.” Exceptions to this rule include: 

-if the driver was an independent contractor

-if the driver intentionally caused the accident

-if the driver was given a ticket

Were you given a ticket at the scene of the accident? You’re more likely to be placed at fault if you broke the law by speeding, driving under the influence, or violating company regulations, just to name a few possibilities.

If you were employed by a company, the injured victim(s) will probably go after your employer, not after you individually. This is because trucking companies tend to hold commercial insurance policies with higher payout limits.

There are many ways a trucking company could contribute to an accident. For example, did these employers fail to properly service their trucks? Did they set unreasonable goals for their truckers, forcing them to drive in unsafe conditions or exceed federal restrictions for the number of driving hours? Did they hire irresponsible drivers without doing background checks? Did they fail to provide proper training? There are a ton of possibilities, and a truck accident lawyer will investigate them all.

Here are other potentially liable parties in a truck accident:

Other Motorists

Drivers in smaller cars can cause trouble for big trucks. Did an aggressive driver cut you off? Did traffic come to a sudden standstill? Many factors come into play here.

Truck Manufacturers

Auto parts manufacturers are responsible for producing safe vehicles and parts free of defects. If a faulty auto part causes an accident, the manufacturing company may share the blame for the accident. Truck accident lawyers, crash reconstruction experts, and investigators can help you get to the bottom of this.

Fleet Mechanics

Fleet mechanics conduct routine inspections on trucks to ensure they’re safe to take on the road. If a mechanic fails to notice a problem that later causes a wreck, it can quickly turn into a matter of life and death! They could potentially be liable for accident-related damages.

Whoever Loaded the Truck

Did cargo fall off of the truck and cause an accident? Did the shifting weight of an unsecured load contribute to a rollover? In scenarios like these, it’s important to find out who loaded the truck and what company they worked for. Shippers and loaders may be held responsible for any accidents related to unsecured cargo.

Remember: truck drivers are protected from retaliation under federal law. You cannot be fired for reporting hazardous working conditions to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If you notice shady practices, speak up. You could save a life.

Other Common Causes of Houston Truck Accidents

Speeding

If you need to meet a particularly tight deadline, you may be tempted to go over the speed limit. Don’t press your luck. “Failure to control speed” was a factor in more than 113,000 auto accidents in Texas last year. 475 were fatal.

Distracted Driving

This is a broad category: snacking, checking a map, talking on the phone, you name it! Always remember to check your blind spots, and never engage in any behavior that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, or your mind off of driving.

Fatigued Driving 

Unfortunately, exhaustion is a common issue among long-haul truck drivers. That’s why the FMCSA wants you to keep your logbooks up-to-date and allow for adequate break times. Did you know drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving? Speaking of…

Driving While Intoxicated

In 2020, there were 75 fatal DUI accidents in Houston alone. Drunk driving contributed to an additional 2,280 accidents in the city. Trucking companies are supposed to conduct routine drug tests, but they don’t always follow this rule. Never turn to alcohol or drugs to cope with the stress and monotony of long journeys. 

Mechanical Problems

Tire blowouts, faulty brakes, and shifting cargo can all cause problems for large trucks. This is why they require thorough routine inspections. Trucking companies are responsible for conducting these inspections and properly maintaining their fleet in order to keep everyone on the road safe and sound.

Environmental Factors

Even if you’re a safe and responsible driver, you may be unlucky enough to encounter roads with sudden or sharp curves, unexpected debris, or bad weather conditions like wind and rain. All of these increase the likelihood of a truck accident.

What Do I Do After a Truck Accident?

Now you know who might be liable for a truck accident, but how do you prove it?

After any accident, follow these steps:

#1. Call 911 

Truck accidents often leave devastating injuries in their wake. Even if no one seems injured, you still need to call to report the accident, and the police need to visit the scene so they can create an accident report. 

Note: Texas law requires you to report any auto accident that involves injury, death, or more than $1,000 of property damage.

In addition to a police accident report, your company should have established a process on how you can create your own accident report. Your report will include as many details as possible, such as the date, time, weather conditions, and location of the accident, and contact information and insurance information for anyone else who was involved. Do not leave the scene of the accident until an officer instructs you to. 

#2. Exchange Info and Collect Evidence

Stop and exchange contact info and insurance info with everyone involved. Carefully take photos of the vehicles and surrounding area. Don’t make a statement, don’t admit fault, and don’t speculate! It sounds easy enough, but when you’re nervous and stressed, you may say things that will harm your claim.

It’s important to preserve all evidence as soon as possible. Truck accident lawyers know how to track down every bit of available evidence, such as:

-Photos of the accident scene and damaged property

-Eyewitness testimony

-Police reports (Note: police reports don’t always determine fault, and when they do, they aren’t always 100% correct.)

-Truck black boxes (These devices record info like the speed at which the truck was traveling, how long the driver was on the road, and when they used their brakes.)

-Dashcam footage or other surveillance videos

-Logbooks and trucking company records

-Cell phone records

-Medical records

Subpoenas allow your truck accident attorney to access trucking company logbooks, truck GPS system records, the black box, cell phone records, and more. These sources provide valuable supporting evidence for your Houston truck accident case, helping you maximize your settlement.

#3. Go to a Doctor ASAP

After a truck accident, prompt medical care is important. Even if you weren’t whisked away in an ambulance, you need to see a doctor and follow through with any recommended medical treatment. 

The treatment process uncovers details about injuries you suffered in the crash and how they’ll change your daily life. When accident victims try to ignore their aches and pains, the results are never good. Sometimes, symptoms of serious injuries don’t appear until days after the accident. Additionally, insurance adjusters will use any “gaps in treatment” to deny your claim. Don’t delay.

Lawyers have networks of doctors, therapists, investigators, and other experts. Together, they collaborate on cases and help injured victims recover. Whether you need x-rays, physical therapy, a rental car, or all of the above, we’ve got you covered. Best of all, you won’t pay a cent out of your own pocket. Thanks to liens and letters of protection, your lawyer can coordinate payment with various providers via a portion of your final truck accident settlement. You won’t have to worry about following up and settling these bills—that’s our job, too!

#4. Report the Accident, But Never Give A Recorded Statement

If you are working for a trucking company, they should provide you with insurance coverage, but you’ll still need to call and report the accident. Proceed with caution! Insurance adjusters might act friendly, but they’ll twist your words and accuse you of exaggerating your losses. They’ll ask you for a recorded statement, and anything you say can—and will—be used against you! 

There is no obligation to provide a recorded statement to the insurance company. 

Bottom line? Don’t let anyone pressure you. Your best option is to direct all further communication to your truck accident attorney. Insurance companies aren’t on your side, but a truck accident lawyer can be a vital ally against them. Let us protect your rights and your finances.

Most accident claims settle out of court during the negotiation phase. However, if you cannot reach an agreement even with the help of a mediator, you’ll move on to litigation.

#5. Contact A Local Truck Accident Lawyer

Most Houston truck accident lawyers work for a contingency fee. This means you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all unless you win; payment is entirely contingent on the success of your case. Put simply, we don’t get paid unless you get paid! Legal fees are taken from a percentage of your final settlement award. This percentage is usually discussed during your initial consultation, and this arrangement ensures the lawyer’s goals are aligned with your goals.

Houston Truck Accident FAQ

Will I Get Penalized for a Truck Accident?

All commercial truckers need a  Commercial Driver’s License (CDL.) Since your CDL is regulated by the Federal Government, fines and other punishments may be stricter for you than for the average person.

Additionally, you will have to undergo drug and alcohol testing soon after the crash. Bad results could get you fired on the spot. Your license may even be revoked, preventing you from continuing in the trucking industry. 

Having an accident doesn’t always mean you will be fired, but keep in mind your driving history and criminal record may be checked. Further, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) states that each motor carrier shall conduct an annual inquiry/review of the driving record for each driver under their employ, where they’ll see any “points” on your license. If you have more than one accident on your record, it will be tough to find another truck driving job.

What if I’m Partly at Fault for the Truck Accident?

Texas is a “proportionate responsibility” state, so even if you’re found partially at fault for a truck accident, you can still recover damages. You just have to be less than 50% at fault. Reach out to a Houston truck accident lawyer for more info on how fault is determined.

Who Can File A Wrongful Death Claim in A Fatal Houston Truck Accident?

The Texas Wrongful Death Act allows certain relatives to pursue compensation if they’ve lost a loved one in a truck accident. The surviving spouse, children, or parents of the deceased victim can sue for the damages and suffering associated with the loss of their loved one. They can file the claim either individually or together as a group. If no one files within three months of the date of death, a representative of the estate can file on their behalf.

What Are My Potential Damages? 

The money you collect from a personal injury claim is known as your “damages.” Damages are divided into different categories.

Economic Damages 

Economic damages include things like property damage and medical bills. The exact amounts of these losses and expenses are easily proven with copies of your bills and receipts. Additionally, if you had to take time off work while recovering from your injuries, you can be compensated for your lost wages. This can be done by providing past pay stubs, timesheets, and/or a statement from your employer. If your injuries are severe enough to permanently change the course of your career, your lost earning capacity will be included in your damages as well. Sound confusing? Don’t worry; a lawyer can help you keep track of everything.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to more abstract losses like your pain and suffering. In addition to being emotionally distressing, your Houston truck accident might cause you to miss important events, quit your hobbies, or leave you unable to support your family. PTSD symptoms like insomnia and anxiety would also be included under pain and suffering.

Punitive Damages

A third category known as punitive damages applies only in scenarios where the at-fault driver was particularly reckless. (For example, if the other driver was arrested for drunk driving at the time of the crash.) Punitive damages exist to punish the at-fault driver for bad behavior and discourage others from being negligent.

When Should I Hire A Truck Accident Lawyer? 

When should you hire a Houston truck accident lawyer? 

As soon as you can! 

It may shock you to hear all truck accident cases have a time limit known as the statute of limitations. This differs from state to state, but the statute of limitations in Texas is two years.

Two years seems like a long time, but your team will need time to investigate and compile evidence. The countdown starts the moment your accident happens. If you don’t take action before the deadline, the case may be thrown out entirely. Protect your rights by contacting a truck accident lawyer.

Still Lost? Free Consultations Available Now

Handling a truck accident case is a full-time job. Don’t do it alone. Let an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer handle the messy details while you focus on what matters most: your health and recovery.

Since they’re well-versed in commercial trucking regulations and industry standards, truck accident lawyers can help you secure way more compensation than you ever could alone. Entering the showdown alone could mean you miss out on thousands or even millions of dollars of a truck accident settlement.

Don’t miss out on the money you need. 

Get a free case evaluation from a Houston truck accident lawyer today!

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Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily, Trucking

Tenstreet Market Index: With Turbulence Ahead, Take Advantage of Seasonal Gains

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2021 has been an especially unpredictable year in an industry that already suffers from major uncertainty. The effects of COVID-19 on the economy and on the driver market are still being felt all across the nation, and carriers have their work cut out for them when it comes to keeping up with the need to fill and run their trucks profitably.

That being said, the past few months have been marked by optimistic data. Despite a challenging start to the year, the hopeful uptick we had begun to observe in our last Tenstreet Market Index has crystallized into an objective positive improvement over the past several months.

We’ve continued to observe several positive industry-wide trends in our data that indicate things are moving up for transportation – which should mean smoother sailing for carriers in the months to come. Let’s review the data to understand what’s happening with drivers and carriers – as well as how to prepare for the next big changes we’re predicting.

Weekly Driver Activity – 2021

We last visited this chart at the end of May, when the trend lines were all starting to move upward after a dip-filled start to the year.

As the chart, which describes weekly driver activity over the course of 2021 so far, details, driver activity has continued to climb. Since the beginning of June,  we’ve seen the number of drivers filling out lead forms and full IntelliApps climbing along with monthly Driver Pulse users, indicating a clear focus from drivers on finding carriers and getting hired. This is commensurate with most year-over-year trends that see stable volumes of applications in the summer months.

The only major dip during this season occurred right before the 4th of July, a common time for drivers to focus more on the holiday before returning to the job hunt. It’s important for carriers to remember how seasonal hiring can be, even on a week-over-week basis, as we enter the end of the year. As family holidays start to dominate the later months of the calendar, carriers need to be prepared for these dips in activity, which often occur in the weeks leading up to a holiday.

Application Activity Index

The Application Activity Index is a measure of Tenstreet clients who have had a consistent IntelliApp volume for the past 31 months. We assigned January 2019 a value of 100 for comparison, which gives us an easy way to see the rate of application activity change over the last two and a half years while removing the impact of growth in the number of carriers using the platform.

As you can see below, carriers as a whole took a huge hit starting in February of 2020 (just as COVID-19 was beginning to emerge in America) and the market slid steadily downward until May of this year. However, we finally seem to be on the rebound. Application numbers have been rising every month since April, finishing the summer off strong. This seems to suggest we’ll see the market move steadily back toward the growth patterns we were expecting before COVID hit – note how many of the lines nearly mirror where the index first started. Expect an increase in applications over the summer and into the fall.

Cost Per Full Application

For most of 2021, carriers were paying more and more each month for full applications (and on average more than they had to pay in 2020), but May marked a turnaround. The cost of a full app began to drop and continued in freefall for the next two months. The rapid cost decline has started to level out, but we’re back to the levels we were seeing at the beginning of 2020, before the start of COVID-19. Take advantage of this trend now to cut your recruiting costs while a wider selection of candidates are in the market.

How To Prepare for the Future

Improved market conditions, like a lower cost for full applications and more driver applications coming in, are obvious positives for carriers that result in saved advertising budgets and faster hiring timelines. Now is the right time to take care of hiring trends and recruit the best drivers you can.

Just as important as paying attention to current data is reflecting on seasonal patterns we’ve seen before. With Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon, we’ll likely start to see these positive trends start to turn around again as soon as early November.

At the same time, the industry still faces uncertainty around COVID-19. The delta variant could cause staffing and logistics issues through the coming seasons and into next year, so companies should be prepared for potential turbulence in the months ahead.

If you have seats to fill or are planning to grow your fleet in the coming months, getting that done soon will help you avoid losing money on empty trucks.

Strategies for Increasing Hires

If you’re one of the carriers looking to hire, consider picking up some new marketing tools that can help you improve your personal performance, regardless of industry trends.

Here’s a few marketing services that can jump-start your business as you look for new drivers:

-Tenstreet’s Job Store lets you post all your job openings from one place inside the Tenstreet dashboard. It brings more than 20 popular job boards together to save you considerable time, helping you find the drivers you need quickly at the best cost for your budget.

-Our free Job Store concierge service pairs clients with a specialist who can advise on maximizing the utility of the Job Store, writing better ads, setting hiring geos, choosing the best merchants for you, and managing your recruitment budget – all for no cost or long-term commitment.

-Pulse Match shows your job postings to candidates who meet the qualifications you’ve set for the position, keeping scattershot applicants out of your pool. Only pay a low price-per-application when you get one, and not a thing until then.

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Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

Splice Introduces Its Yard Management System and Changes the Spelling of Its Name

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Today Splice announced the launch of Yard Spot, its integrated yard management system application built on the foundation of Splice. The cloud-based application combines numerous sources of data in a common operating view to reduce turn-times, avoid detention fees, and increase productivity of container yards.

Yard Spot displays location data from global positioning system (GPS) and electronic logging devices (ELD), operational data from transportation management systems and terminals, and real-time locations from fixed and mobile cameras. The integration of disparate data sources provides a complete picture of the yard to find equipment quickly and simply, and it helps prioritize movements for dispatch operations.

“Yard Spot enters the market when efficient yard management is essential,” said Kevin Speers, CEO of Splice. “Its benefits extend well beyond knowing where equipment is. Yard Spot helps retain precious truck power, reduce equipment-late fees and alleviate yard congestion.”

Yard Spot’s visual representation of yards has numerous benefits:

-Know where containers and equipment are in real-time to allow trucks in and out of your facility quickly.

-Prioritize dispatch movements to reduce per diem and detention fees by having last free day, gate in/out, empty/full mapped to the location of equipment.

-Audit the yard from anywhere, anytime and use the common operating view to see potential problems and immediately solve them.

“Yard Spot is powered by Splice’s integration platform, and it shows how we can stack applications that otherwise cannot talk to each other to build an altogether new tool,” said Chris Ruddick, COO of Splice. “Splice is continually adding integrations that will strengthen Yard Spot and our overall ability to improve supply chain logistics. Splice can integrate EDI, APIs, sensors, and IoT devices, which opens a whole new level of visibility, analytics and automation for Yard Spot users.”

Additionally, Splice announced that it has changed the spelling of its name. “The magic of Splice is analogous to splicing rope. We take existing applications and data and weave them together to make something stronger and more useful for supply chain and logistics operations,” said Speers. “The name highlights many facets of our value, and by using the accepted spelling of splice, we can better articulate the benefits of our solutions.” Formerly written as Splyc, the company is rolling out updates to its visual identity and branding. Learn more about Splice at www.splice-it.com.

For more information about Yard Spot, visit www.splice-it.com/yard-spot.

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About Splice

Splice is a solutions platform for supply chain logistics that helps applications that otherwise are disconnected share data and talk to each other. It grew out of the need for integration-driven innovation to speed up information flows, streamline supply chains, and eliminate manual and error-prone processes. We make it easier to work with partners and across organizations. Splice accelerates digital transformation through integration-enabled automation, and we are continuously building our library of integrations. By stacking applications and data sources on top of Splice, we can create point solutions like Yard Spot, our integrated yard management system. We value interconnectedness and inclusion, and we look forward to hearing from you. Learn more about Splice at www.splice-it.com.

For media questions and conversation, please contact Kevin Speers at 757-530-5300 or communications@splice-it.com.