Latest news with #ChrisSpear
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
C.R. England adopts AI-powered driver-facing cameras
Nationwide truckload carrier C.R. England recently announced it has chosen safety and telematics provider Lytx to equip its 3,500-truck fleet with driver-facing cameras. The cameras are part of a larger suite called Lytx Drive Cam Event Recorders, which use AI and computer vision to 'identify driving risks, including distracted driving, handheld cell phone use, lack of seat belt use, following too closely, and more.' This comes as other large truckload carriers including J.B. Hunt and Prime Inc. have tested or adopted camera technology. For J.B. Hunt, Trucking Dive reported that the fleet had completed adopting driver-facing cameras across its entire fleet after having piloted the technology back in 2018. For large truckload carriers, the legal benefits appear to outweigh the privacy costs. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) wrote in a 2023 report, 'According to surveys of legal and insurance experts, DFC [driver-facing camera] footage, when available, exonerates drivers in 52 percent of insurance claims and 49 percent of litigation cases as well as leading to settlements in 86 percent of cases versus proceeding to trial.' Despite the benefits, road-facing cameras remain the primary camera option for surveyed fleets. The same ATRI report noted that as of 2023, only 32% of survey respondents used DFCs compared to 72% who use over 100-year-old federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks is again under scrutiny. The U.S. House of Representatives recently reintroduced legislation aimed at removing it. The bipartisan legislation is called The Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2025. Trucking lobby groups supported the measure. American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said in a release, 'First implemented over a century ago to help finance America's effort in World War I, the FET has become the largest excise tax on any product, adding $24,000 to the cost of each new clean-diesel tractor-trailer.' Spear added that keeping the tax on the books would continue to impose enormous hardship especially for small fleets and independent truckers. The ATA estimates that the federal excise tax, currently at 12%, the highest levied on any product, creates $6 billion in an added annual burden on the trucking industry. The Commercial Carrier Journal reports that during testimony to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, the FET was noted as adding an average of $22,000 to the cost of each vehicle. CCJ adds that similar efforts in recent sessions of Congress have failed. The exact costs added vary. CDL Life reports that according to Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., 'it adds $15,000 to $30,000 the cost of new heavy trucks, trailers, semitrailer chassis, and tractors for highway use. LaMalfa also says the FET encourages the sale of used trucks because these vehicles are not subject to the 12% tax.'March preliminary Class 8 orders further retreated based on year-over-year comps, according to data released Wednesday by ACT Research. March preliminary North America Class 8 net orders were 16,000 units, down 8.3% y/y. A central theme for March and Q1's overall performance remains uncertainty. Carter Vieth, research analyst at ACT Research, wrote, 'Whether the slowdown in orders is a result of moderating economic activity, private fleets' pausing expansion, or a response to trade and policy uncertainty is difficult to surmise and remains an open question.' Vieth adds that while March orders were down 8.3% y/y compared to February, seasonally adjusted Class 8 orders rose 1.1% from February to 16,500 units, with a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 198,000 units, 'one of the lowest 1-month SAAR readings in almost three years.' The impacts of reciprocal tariffs announced by the Trump administration on Wednesday add further uncertainty, due to the extensive supply chain integration between Mexico, Canada and the U.S. when it comes to producing a Class 8 tractor. While the recent tariffs avoid items under the existing United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the raw materials such as aluminum and steel used in making the tractors may increase. Dan Moyer, senior analyst of commercial vehicles at FTR Transportation Intelligence, added in a February release, 'Approximately 45% of all Class 8 trucks built for the U.S. and Canadian markets will be subject to the 25% U.S. tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico and planned Canadian counter tariffs. About 40% of U.S. Class 8 trucks are produced in Mexico, and roughly 65% of Canada's Class 8 trucks are assembled in the U.S.' Summary: For the dry van segment, the beginning of spring brought little change in tender rejection and volume rates, with the past week seeing little movement. On a positive note, compared to the previous year, dry van conditions are more favorable for carriers despite lower dry van tender volumes. Dry van outbound tender rejection rates were flat w/w at 5.48% but are 183 basis points higher than last year's value of 3.65%. Dry van outbound tender volumes saw slight gains w/w but remain lower compared to y/y comps. VOTVI rose 86.16 points or 1.2% w/w from 7,188.76 points on March 24 to 7,274.92 points. Compared to last year, VOTVI is 359.63 points or 4.71% lower than last year's value of 7,634.55 points. Tariffs and their potential impacts remain an important concern for the dry van segment, with manufacturers' demand planning struggling due to uncertainty. Manufacturing indexes saw dips in their March releases. Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said, 'A key concern among manufacturers is the degree to which heightened uncertainty resulting from government policy changes, notably in relation to tariffs, causes customers to cancel or delay spending, and the extent to which costs are rising and supply chains deteriorating in this environment.' Less consumer demand means less spending and fewer upstream replenishment orders. For the dry van space, a marked downturn in automotive, retail and other durable goods orders could explain some of the poor performance in dry van tender volumes compared to seasonal expectations. The $3,500 Divide: Trucker Pay Trails National Average, Impacting Truck Driver Job Satisfaction (FinditParts)Lawmakers try again to improve truckers' bathroom access (FreightWaves) Freight industry: Which regulations should DOT cut? (FreightWaves) Mullen preps more layoffs, lease terminations (Fleet Owner) Truck driver triumphs at Supreme Court in case involving marijuana testing (FreightWaves)FMCSA calls fraud a 'public safety crisis masquerading as an economic problem' in tech-focused MATS talk (Overdrive) The post C.R. England adopts AI-powered driver-facing cameras appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Atlanta interchanges are some of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the US, study finds
The Brief If you get headaches from Atlanta's congestion, you're not alone. Multiple interchanges were recently named on a list of the worst traffic bottlenecks around the country. Atlanta's worst spot is Spaghetti Junction, which took the fourth spot on the American Transportation Research Institute's list. Atlanta had five spots in the top 20. ATLANTA - Drivers have complained about Atlanta traffic for years, and a new report says that the metro area has some of the biggest spots of congestion, causing drivers headaches in the entire United States. The American Transportation Research Institute released its 2025 survey of the worst truck bottlenecks in the country earlier this month. By the numbers The group analyzed hundreds of spots on the national highway system using freight truck GPS data and other information from trucking operations. Three Atlanta interchanges made the group's top 10 this year. Spaghetti Junction took fourth place - which is no surprise to anyone trying to brave its traffic during rush hour. Number six is Interstate 75 and Interstate 285 - also known as the Cobb Cloverleaf. Taking the 10th spot was Interstate 20 and Interstate 285 on the west wall. Others in the top 100 included: 12: McDonough, I-75 14: Atlanta, I-20 at I-285 East 29: Atlanta, I-285 at SR 400 38: Atlanta, I-20 at I-75/I-85 80: Atlanta, I-75 at I-85 82: Atlanta, I-75 at I-675 Big picture view If traffic in Atlanta can be frustrating, at least we're not in Fort Lee, New Jersey. The survey named the intersection of I-95 and SR 4 near the George Washington Bridge the top freight bottleneck in the country for the seventh year in a row. Following that was Chicago's I-294 at I290/I-88 and Houston's I-45 at I-69/US 59. The group's analysis also found that traffic conditions dropped compared to the previous year. In the top 10 locations, the average rush hour truck speed was 29.7 mph. What they're saying "As the Trump Administration and new Congress kick off the process of reauthorizing the federal highway bill, this report provides a precise blueprint on where to begin," American Trucking Association's President and CEO Chris Spear said. "These traffic bottlenecks not only choke our supply chains, adding $109 billion annually to the cost of transporting the everyday goods that Americans depend on, but they also impact the quality of life for all motorists who rely on the national highway system to commute to work, school, church, and other life events. Targeted investments to reduce this traffic congestion are exactly the kinds of projects, with a measurable return on investment, that taxpayers come to expect of their elected officials." Dig deeper You can see the whole list of the worst bottlenecks in the country here. The Source Information for this story was taken from a recent report by the American Trucking Association.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Trucking bottlenecks cost U.S. billions — and a Nashville freeway is one of the worst
Americans are paying dearly for traffic congestion along U.S. highways — to the tune of a record-high $108.8 billion nationally — and one Nashville interchange landed in the top five on a list of the worst trucking bottlenecks in the country. That's according to the American Transportation Research Institute, a nonprofit focused on the trucking industry's role in a safe and efficient transportation system. Last week, the institute released its annual report of the nation's top 100 truck bottlenecks for 2025, compiled using a database of freight truck GPS data. 'Delays inflicted on truckers by congestion are the equivalent of 436,000 drivers sitting idle for an entire year,' the institute's president and chief operating officer, Rebecca Brewster, said in a news release announcing the report. 'These metrics are getting worse, but the good news is that states do not need to accept the status quo.' In the same release, the president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, Chris Spear, said these bottlenecks 'choke our supply chains' and add almost $109 billion annually to the cost of transporting goods — on top of impacting the quality of life for other motorists who rely on the national highway system for their daily commute. In Tennessee, former President Joe Biden's Infrastructure and Jobs Act provided a few billion dollars of investment in highway infrastructure after its passage in 2021, but the state's unmet need for the five-year period between June 2023 and June 2028 has ballooned to nearly $38.5 billion according to the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. The combined Interstate 24/40 heading east in Nashville where it meets I-440 lands at fifth on that list, up five spots from 2024. According to the institute, trucks travel along that roadway at an average speed of just 38.1 miles per hour and 27.2 miles per hour on average during peak traffic. That's not the only Nashville roadway to make the list. The next highest at 16th is where I-40 and I-65, heading east, converge on the west side of downtown. The split of I-65 and I-24 several miles north of downtown clocks in at 53rd. Those Nashville roadways are part of a list of seven truck bottlenecks throughout Tennessee that cracked the top 100. Four other highway interchanges, two each in Chattanooga and Knoxville, made the list between the 28th and 68th spots. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville has one of worst truck bottlenecks in the U.S. See where
