MY ETT News

Squarerigger Software opens a new ‘revolution’ in tire management

Mryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:20:03 +0000

Squarerigger Software recently released a revolutionary product two years in the making that can yield important information about tires and their return on investment. Revolution, the software company’s tire management system, operates on wireless, handheld PC’s and utilizes mobile and server-based software to track tire inspections, inventory, miles per and cost per metric entered. Over time, the system will yield customized reports on how fleets compare to others in the same vocation, equipment, tires, etc., in terms of best buying practices and best wear.

Handheld, Wireless Tire Tracking System Records Inspections, Inventory, More

After two years of development work, Squarerigger Software announced the release of its Revolution tire management system, says Ed Cooper, president of the fleet maintenance management software provider based in the Seattle region.

Revolution was designed to be a stand alone product that will supplement any fleet maintenance management system. Revolution utilizes mobile and server-based software; wireless hand held PCs; and electronic data collection methods to eliminate paper from the tire tracking process for commercial and private fleets.

The company highly recommends that fleets who use the Revolution system deploy the software on Motorola 5590 mobile wireless handheld PCs to increase the accuracy and speed of gathering tire data, Cooper says. Fleets can purchase the Motorola computers from Squarerigger.

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90% of trucks serving Port of Tacoma meet 2010 clean air standards

Mryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:19:43 +0000

A recent report about the Port of Tacoma’s Clean Truck program is showing some improvements, even from last year when it was implemented. Of the 3,100 short-haul drayage trucks that regularly serve terminals on the Tacoma Tideflats, 90 percent are model year 1994 or newer, up 4 percent from last year, which complies with the program’s standards. In addition, new trucks are replacing older trucks, and newer, cleaner trucks visit the terminals moreso than older ones, reducing emissions even more.

Port of Tacoma's Clean Truck Program Gets High Marks in Study

A study presented Thursday, Feb. 18, to Port of Tacoma commissioners shows that 90 percent of the heavy-duty trucks serving terminals meet the port’s 2010 clean truck standards, 4 percent more trucks than a year ago. The Washington State port’s Clean Truck Program’s 2010 standards, aimed at reducing port-related diesel particulate emissions, require trucks to have 1994 model year engines or newer.

Clean air goals were adopted in early 2008 as part of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, a partnership among the Port of Tacoma, Port of Seattle and Port Metro Vancouver, B.C. The strategy outlines jointly established short- and long-term clean air goals for ships, cargo-handling equipment, rail, trucks and harbor craft. In 2009, the Port of Tacoma launched its Clean Truck Program, adopting the regional strategy’s goals as standards.

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Trucking should keep eye out for global carbon-scoring standards

Mryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:19:35 +0000

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is developing carbon emissions reporting standards for logistics and transportation operations, and those could become reality in just three years. The WEF, a Swiss non-profit foundation, works to draft standards that ensure economic progress and social development with environmental sustainability in mind. New carbon emission guidelines recently endorsed by WEF’s governors at the organization’s recent annual meeting include principles for defining the scope of emissions to report and how these emissions should be allocated in cases such as shared transport or backhaul.

A new global framework for calculating consignment-level carbon emissions from logistics and transportation operations is taking shape under the auspices of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The standards, albeit still in draft form, could become a reality in as little as three years.

WEF is an independent, international organization incorporated as a Swiss not-for-profit foundation that aims to help foster what it calls “a world-class corporate governance system.” One of WEF’s core tenets is that economic progress without social development is not sustainable, while social development without economic progress is not feasible.

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It’s a shipper’s market

Mryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:19:21 +0000

According to a new report, railroads are positioned to rebound faster than any other mode of shipping, both because of the wide variety of industries it supports and market confidence signaled by recent investments. The less-than-truckload (LTL) market is struggling due to low pricing, but analysts speculate that is a move to weed out the carriers who are barely hanging on. Though the truckload market shows signs of improvement, it continues to be plagued with overcapacity. To combat this, fleets are either removing equipment or choosing not too replace aging vehicles. Significant changes that would affect capacity are not being projected until the end of the third quarter of 2010.

Rail Rebounding Faster Than Truckload, LTL

A new report by Ariba North America, a spend management solution company, speculates that because of the day-to-day survival mode of many carriers, the market remains “shipper friendly.” As a result, shippers should, and will, “continue to look to the carriers that can maintain high levels of customer service and grow their relationship, while carriers must continue to examine their cost model to ensure their sustainability,” the report, written by Rachel Rutkoski, said.

Rutkoski is a senior category manager, transportation and logistics, Ariba North America. In her report, she noted that “activities that typically reflect the health of the transportation industry continue to show that we are moving in the right direction.”

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Monthly freight index unchanged, year-over-year down 4.1%

Mryan — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:19:12 +0000

Though the year-over-year freight index is down, the Freight Transportation Services Index increased 2.9 percent since June 2009. Those gains have come since the Freight TSI’s lowest level since June 1997, which was May 2009. The index hit its peak in May 2006 with a Freight TSI of 112.9. 2009 ended with a December Freight TSI of 96.2, a 2.9 percent increase since May’s 93.5. The Freight TSI is a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-to-month output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

Freight Index Shows Slight Gains Since May 2009

The Freight Transportation Services Index was unchanged in December from its November level after one monthly increase, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported Thursday, Feb. 18. BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that though the Freight TSI declined 4.1 percent during 2009, the index increased 2.9 percent over the last seven months of the year, beginning in June.

The December Freight TSI of 96.2 is a 2.9 percent increase from the recent low of 93.5 reached in May, when the index was at its lowest level since June 1997. However, the Freight TSI is down 14.8 percent from its historic peak of 112.9 reached in May 2006. With the 4.1 percent decline in 2009 following an 8.7 percent decline in 2008, the Freight TSI has declined 12.4 percent in two years. The freight index is also down 13.2 percent in the five years from December 2004, and down 8.4 percent in the 10 years from December 1999.

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Golden Foods targets temperatures with PAR’s Reefer Watch

Mryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:56:19 +0000

PAR Logistics Management Systems’ Reefer Watch provides real-time monitoring of food product temperature every 15 minutes during transit cycles and also provides immediate alerts to drivers and shipping managers, thanks to a GPS positioning satellite antenna that transmits vital information concerning cargo temperature via alert messages direct to e-mail or text messages to cell phones. In addition, the system delivers Web-based utilization, status and history reports, allowing managers to review the entire transit history of a specific shipment of foodservice cargo and verify reefer temperatures during every stage of the shipment.

PAR Logistics Management Systems announced Monday, Feb. 8, at the Technology and Maintenance Council’s Spring meeting in Tampa Bay, Fla., that Irvine, Calif.-based Golden Foods has selected its Reefer Watch cold chain management solution. Golden Foods is one of the largest diversified suppliers to the foodservice industry, servicing more than 20,000 restaurants on three continents.

The Reefer Watch Refrigerated Trailer Tracking System RT-200 from PAR Logistics provides Golden State Foods with the ability to track actual food temperatures consistently in a trailer, instead of air temperature around the cargo.

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No time to be idle: Suppliers team up on solutions

Mryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:56:08 +0000

Partnerships among manufacturers of idle-reduction systems could pay off both for customers and the OEMs. By pooling resources, vendors potentially tap into greater innovations that offer higher returns on investment for customers, and fleets benefit from utilizing more advanced equipment. OEMs agreed that to succeed in the manufacture of idle-reduction systems, for example, they had to constantly seek out innovations and improvements, and with the struggling economy, there wasn’t much profit to be had in trucking.

Partnerships Lead to More Advanced Idle-Reduction Systems for Customers

Manufacturers of idle-reduction systems have begun combining their strengths to create solutions that meet user needs across a wider spectrum of applications. It’s a trend likely to increase with time. Last February, for example, Bergstrom, Inc. and Kohler Power Systems announced that the companies had joined forces to offer a “hybrid” idle-reduction system.

“We have partnered with Bergstrom to create a new hybrid power system,” said Sean Kenefick, sales manager for Kohler. “Basically, it pairs the new battery-driven NITE Plus system from Bergstrom, which is 30% more powerful but has the same footprint as the original NITE system, with Kohler’s 3APU power unit. The Bergstrom system manages the heating and cooling while the Kohler unit recharges the batteries. The only time that the system is not CARB-approved is when the battery charger is running, but we are working now to get full system approval.

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Diesel to Average Near $3 This Year, DOE Says

Mryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:55:58 +0000

The Department of Energy’s monthly short-term energy outlook projects that diesel fuel will average nearly $3 a year before eclipsing that mark in 2011. Gasoline will rise to $2.84 a gallon this year from $2.35 last year and continue climbing to an average $2.97 in 2011, DOE said, pinning the gain to projected higher crude oil prices. DOE said the cost of oil per barrel will remain at or near current levels in the mid-$70s over the next few months before rising to near $82 in the late spring and $85 by late next year.

Diesel fuel will climb to average $2.95 a gallon this year before rising to $3.16 in 2011, the Department of Energy said.

Trucking’s main fuel averaged $2.46 a gallon last year, DOE said in its monthly short-term energy outlook released Wednesday.

The projection is in line with a previous department forecast. DOE’s latest weekly price survey released Feb. 1 showed a 5.2-cent decline to $2.781 a gallon.

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DOT awards $1.5B in Tiger grants to 51 projects

Mryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:55:47 +0000

The Department of Transportation recieved requests for more than 40 times the amount of the $1.5 billion it doled out to TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grants, but the government agency said those projects it OK’d would create jobs and spur lasting economic growth, reduce gridlock for the traveling public, and provide Americans with more safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices. Projects funded will include improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities.

DOT Awards Grants to 51 Innovative Transportation Projects

One year to the day after President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood on Wednesday, Feb. 17, announced Recovery Act awards to states, tribal governments, cities, counties and transit agencies across the country to fund 51 innovative transportation projects.

The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur a national competition for innovative multimodal and multijurisdictional transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region or the nation. Projects funded with the $1.5 billion allocated in the Recovery Act include improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities.

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Grote Industries introduces Ultra-Link-Coil-Cords

Mryan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:55:33 +0000

A new coil cord product from Grote Industries promises to exceed expectations of strength, durability and corrosion resistance in its performance. Ultra-Link-Coil-Cords are manufactured with extremely durable materials, including advanced polymer jackets, which are designed to perform flawlessly between 55 degrees below zero to over 190 degrees F, and solid brass terminals, which are corrosion resistant, according to the company.

Grote's Ultra-Link-Coil-Cords Designed for Extreme Durability

Grote Industries, a provider of high-performance LED lighting technology for the transportation industry, has introduced its new Grote-manufactured Ultra-Link-Coil-Cords.

“Competitors often produce coil cords using stamped terminals with minimal thickness,” said Bob Dobrow, business development manager for power delivery systems for Grote Industries. “Their plug bodies are subject to crushing and do not prevent water from entering. We have engineered our new coil cords with extremely durable materials, such as advanced polymer jackets and solid brass terminals. Our new coil cord will offer levels of strength and reliability that will exceed most other coil cords on the market.”

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