Latest news with #Peterbilt579
Express Tribune
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Aurora launches US's first fully driver-less commercial truck
A Peterbilt 579 truck equipped with Aurora's self-driving system is seen at the company's terminal in Palmer, south of Dallas, Texas, U.S. September 23, 2021. Picture taken September 23, 2021. PHOTO:REUTERS Aurora Innovation has officially launched the United States' first fully autonomous commercial trucking service, marking a significant milestone in freight transportation. The company commenced driverless freight deliveries between Dallas and Houston, covering over 1,200 miles without human intervention. This achievement positions Aurora as a leader in autonomous logistics, with plans to expand its fleet to "tens of self-driving trucks" and extend operations to cities like El Paso and Phoenix by the end of 2025. The launch follows the completion of Aurora's safety case, a comprehensive assessment demonstrating the readiness of its self-driving technology for public roads. The Aurora Driver, an SAE Level 4 autonomous system, has undergone extensive testing, accumulating over 10,000 customer loads and 3 million autonomous miles. The system utilizes advanced sensors and AI to navigate highways, predict potential hazards, and ensure safe operation in various conditions. Aurora's inaugural customers, Uber Freight and Hirschbach Motor Lines, have been collaborating with the company for several years. Both partners have expressed confidence in Aurora's technology, citing its potential to enhance safety and efficiency in long-haul trucking. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas also lauded the initiative, emphasizing the state's commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth. Despite the success, Aurora faces challenges, including regulatory hurdles and the need to scale operations rapidly. The company remains focused on expanding its autonomous trucking services while maintaining a strong safety record and building trust among stakeholders. With the backing of industry leaders and a clear roadmap for growth, Aurora is poised to play a pivotal role in the future of freight transportation.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Tow company plotted to torch rival trucks in Bay Area, federal indictment alleges
A federal grand jury indicted a tow truck operator in San Francisco this week for conspiracy to commit arson as part of an alleged plot to drive more business to his companies by torching the trucks of his competitors. The indictment accuses Jose Vicente Badillo, 29, and four co-conspirators of setting fire to at least six tow trucks across the Bay Area on four occasions between April and October 2023. Authorities allege Badillo orchestrated and directed others to set the fires to retaliate against rivals for perceived wrongs, according to the indictment. The first incident detailed in the indictment was April 4, 2023, when a 2008 white Sterling Bullet 45 tow truck and a 2012 white Dodge Ram 4500 tow truck were torched. Several weeks later, a 2018 Peterbilt 579 'heavy wrecker' was set on fire in East Palo Alto, Calif. A 2009 Ford F-550 tow truck was lit on fire on July 25, 2023, followed by two more tow trucks on Oct. 3 of that year, including two Ford F-550s and a 2022 Dodge Ram 550 flatbed. Authorities did not detail how investigators linked the fires to Badillo, or how the alleged conspirators were involved. At least one co-conspirator was a business associate of Badillo's and was affiliated with one or more towing companies, including Specialty Towing, according to the indictment. The indictment is the latest of several criminal investigations centered around Badillo. On Aug. 9, Badillo was charged with auto insurance fraud. FBI agents executed search warrants in connection with the case, including at one of his towing yards. Also charged in that case was 31-year-old Jessica Elizabeth Najarro. A grand jury indictment in that case accused Badillo of purchasing an 'undriveable' car with 'severe front-end damage' in July 2019 before transferring ownership of it to Najarro, who then allegedly filed a false claim after obtaining auto insurance for it. Read more: Feds charge San Francisco towing company operator amid FBI raids About two weeks later, a federal grand jury again indicted Badillo and three others in a similar auto insurance scheme. Badillo and Abigail Fuentes, who authorities say are in a relationship and have children, were already facing multiple felonies from an alleged welfare fraud scheme filed by the San Francisco district attorney's office in October 2023. Prosecutors in that case accused Fuentes of improperly approving Badillo's welfare application when she was an employee of the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Prosecutors said Fuentes failed to disclose her relationship to Badillo and accused the pair of lying about their income and assets. At the time the application was filed, investigators said the pair had been operating three towing companies — Auto Towing, Jose's Towing and Specialty Towing — which generated more than $2 million in gross annual income. The case led to more scrutiny of the pair's business practices by San Francisco authorities last year, specifically from San Francisco City Atty. David Chiu, whose office later alleged that one of the couple's companies was profiting from illegal tows. Last February, Chiu moved to suspend the company, Auto Towing, and its affiliates, which included Specialty Towing, from receiving contracts from the city. The company came under public scrutiny two months later when a bystander recorded one of its trucks trying to tow a woman's car as she was driving in San Francisco. "We were freaking out calling and basically rolling down our window and saying, 'Hey what you are doing? You can't be doing that,'" the driver, identified only as Joanne, told ABC 7 News in an interview. "He started backing up and his lever came down and basically he was just backing up trying to latch onto our car." Representatives for Auto Towing and Specialty Towing did not immediately respond to calls or voicemails seeking comment. Badillo is scheduled to appear in district court for arraignment on March 20. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted on all charges, according to authorities. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
15-03-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Tow company plotted to torch rival trucks in Bay Area, federal indictment alleges
A federal grand jury indicted a tow truck operator in San Francisco this week for conspiracy to commit arson as part of an alleged plot to drive more business to his companies by torching the trucks of his competitors. The indictment accuses Jose Vicente Badillo, 29, and four co-conspirators of setting fire to at least six tow trucks across the Bay Area on four occasions between April and October 2023. Authorities allege Badillo orchestrated and directed others to set the fires to retaliate against rivals for perceived wrongs, according to the indictment. The first incident detailed in the indictment was April 4, 2023, when a 2008 white Sterling Bullet 45 tow truck and a 2012 white Dodge Ram 4500 tow truck were torched. Several weeks later, a 2018 Peterbilt 579 'heavy wrecker' was set on fire in East Palo Alto, Calif. A 2009 Ford F-550 tow truck was lit on fire on July 25, 2023, followed by two more tow trucks on Oct. 3 of that year, including two Ford F-550s and a 2022 Dodge Ram 550 flatbed. Authorities did not detail how investigators linked the fires to Badillo, or how the alleged conspirators were involved. At least one co-conspirator was a business associate of Badillo's and was affiliated with one or more towing companies, including Specialty Towing, according to the indictment. The indictment is the latest of several criminal investigations centered around Badillo. On Aug. 9, Badillo was charged with auto insurance fraud. FBI agents executed search warrants in connection with the case, including at one of his towing yards. Also charged in that case was 31-year-old Jessica Elizabeth Najarro. A grand jury indictment in that case accused Badillo of purchasing an 'undriveable' car with 'severe front-end damage' in July 2019 before transferring ownership of it to Najarro, who then allegedly filed a false claim after obtaining auto insurance for it. About two weeks later, a federal grand jury again indicted Badillo and three others in a similar auto insurance scheme. Badillo and Abigail Fuentes, who authorities say are in a relationship and have children, were already facing multiple felonies from an alleged welfare fraud scheme filed by the San Francisco district attorney's office in October 2023. Prosecutors in that case accused Fuentes of improperly approving Badillo's welfare application when she was an employee of the San Francisco Human Services Agency. Prosecutors said Fuentes failed to disclose her relationship to Badillo and accused the pair of lying about their income and assets. At the time the application was filed, investigators said the pair had been operating three towing companies — Auto Towing, Jose's Towing and Specialty Towing — which generated more than $2 million in gross annual income. The case led to more scrutiny of the pair's business practices by San Francisco authorities last year, specifically from San Francisco City Atty. David Chiu, whose office later alleged that one of the couple's companies was profiting from illegal tows. Last February, Chiu moved to suspend the company, Auto Towing, and its affiliates, which included Specialty Towing, from receiving contracts from the city. The company came under public scrutiny two months later when a bystander recorded one of its trucks trying to tow a woman's car as she was driving in San Francisco. 'We were freaking out calling and basically rolling down our window and saying, 'Hey what you are doing? You can't be doing that,'' the driver, identified only as Joanne, told ABC 7 News in an interview. 'He started backing up and his lever came down and basically he was just backing up trying to latch onto our car.' Representatives for Auto Towing and Specialty Towing did not immediately respond to calls or voicemails seeking comment. Badillo is scheduled to appear in district court for arraignment on March 20. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if convicted on all charges, according to authorities.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Georgia-based RSTZ, with operations also in New England, files for bankruptcy protection
A Georgia-based carrier which also has deep roots in Massachusetts and which has been in business since 2017 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. RSTZ Transport Inc., based in Cumming, filed Friday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia. In its filing, it provides a long list of products it carries, heavily skewed toward edibles: meat, dry bulk commodities, fresh produce, refrigerated food and beverages. It also lists paper products, chemicals and building is owned by Richard W. Bethune, who is also CEO. Ian Falcone, an attorney representing RSTZ in the bankruptcy, said in an email that the company is continuing to operate during the Chapter 11 process. His client, Falcone said, attributed the bankruptcy to 'the longest lasting downturn in trucking in 15 years.' 'We pride ourselves on great customer service and the business relationships that we have nurtured for these years,' Bethune said through Falcone. 'We have a great group of drivers that love working here and are loyal and onboard with us through this hardship.' RSTZ's page with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lists its 2023 mileage as 2,435,899 miles. Its vehicle out-of-service percentage for the 24 months just ended was 20.5%, compared to a national average of 22.26%.The RSTZ page also lists Webster, Massachusetts, as its home base, but the bankruptcy documents all have Cumming as the headquarters. Falcone said RSTZ has a terminal in Webster and that region is where the company began operations. The customer and employee base is in New England, he added. In its filing from Friday, the carrier lists total liabilities as $4,588,041.34. Total assets are listed as $3,464,462.48. But secured liabilities are $4,356,747.74. The company lists the total value of its trucks as $2,865,000. It also listed accounts receivable of $559,417.48. Of the main secured creditors, among the largest are truck manufacturer Daimler Truck Finance. There are multiple entries listed for Daimler in the bankruptcy filing, with most of them having debts that are less than the value of the collateral, all of them trucks. Total secured debt to Daimler North America is about $730,000. There also are multiple entries for Mitsubishi HC Capital, all of them for trailers. Most of the debts held by Mitsubishi are in excess of the value of the collateral. Total secured debt to Mitsubishi is approximately $462,000. Factoring company Riviera Finance of Texas is listed as having secured debts with RSTZ of about $559,000 but with collateral of about $579,000, a tight balance that would be expected in the flow of invoices to a factoring company from a carrier. The 14 trucks in the listing of assets are for models of numerous vintages. Among them are a 2007 Western Star 5700XE with 493,000 miles and a 2023 Peterbilt 579 with 205,000 miles. That is the lowest mileage figure among the fleet , which also includes a 2014 Peterbilt with 820,000 miles. (The FMCSA page for RSTZ lists RSTZ as having 21 power units.)The bankruptcy filing also lists 21 trailers owned by the company. Falcone said the working number on drivers at present is 18. More articles by John Kingston Trucking-backed suit may be arena for dumping Biden independent contractor rule Western Express prevails at federal appeals level in 'wall of water' case ATA saw as important Drivers settle class action with Lytx over in-cab surveillance, data gathering The post Georgia-based RSTZ, with operations also in New England, files for bankruptcy protection appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
