Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/599511
commercial carrier journal | november 2015 73 Graves: 'Look no farther than Washington' DurinG a Luncheon aD- Dress at the ATA conference, Bill Graves, president, said that while 2015 was a good but not great year for most fleets, 2016 is look - ing as good or slightly better. "If there's a boogeyman we need to be concerned about, look no farther than Washington," said Graves. "Disarray within the House of Representatives could lead to all sorts of negative outcomes and unintended consequences for our economy. Government is not the enemy. Unfocused, un - responsive and overreaching government is the enemy." On the up - coming presi- dential election in 2016, Graves said the actions of political leaders could have an enormous impact on whether trucking companies will be successful in the future. He also pointed to the current political uncertainty as a potential reason for softer freight volumes in recent weeks and months. "While other freight modal part - ners will continue to play support- ing roles in moving this economy, the star of this show has been, is and will be the truck," said Graves, who will be leaving ATA at the end of 2016 when his contract expires. The former Kansas governor has headed the industry lobbying group since 2003. ATA's board has formed a com - mittee to find a new president. aTa President Bill Graves said the prospects for the trucking industry should be as good or slightly better in 2016 compared to 2015. ruan, searcy take home Volvo Trucks safety awards VoLVo Trucks norTh america named Ruan Transportation Management Systems and Searcy Trucking Ltd. the recipients of the 2015 Volvo Trucks Safety Awards. The award program, co-spon - sored by Michelin Truck Tires, is open to all U.S. and Canadian motor carriers oper- ating at least five Class 8 units, including at least one Volvo model. Winners are selected based on U.S. Department of Transportation recordable accident frequency rates, as well as their safety and accident prevention programs. Ruan won in the over 20 million miles category. In 246 million miles logged by Ruan drivers in 2014, the 3,900-truck company had an accident frequency rate of only 0.61 per million miles. The Des Moines, Iowa-based company also developed its Megasafe training program to im - prove safety performance for its drivers. Searcy, a family-owned company located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and a division of Bison Transport, won in the under 20 million miles category. With a fleet of 88 trucks, Searcy's drivers logged more than 6.8 million miles in 2014 and had an accident frequency rate of just 0.58 per million miles. Company safety practices include a "Right to Decide" policy that empowers drivers with the right and the responsibility to temporarily discontinue a trip when conditions are too hazardous to drive safely. michelin's mike cain, third from left, and Volvo's Göran nyberg, fourth from left, presented awards to ruan Transportation and searcy Trucking. Daimler provides FOTA, Detroit Connect updates DaimLer Trucks norTh america said it is nearing completion of the develop- ment of a new telematics platform with connected vehicle communications hardware that will allow flashing-over-the-air (FOTA) capabilities, including remote vehicle parameter settings, remote flashing of electronic controller firmware updates and download of Detroit Diesel Engine Control diagnostics reports. The new platform uses cellular service connectivity for FOTA and will integrate with third-party applications, reducing the need for additional hardware. The system will be available on select truck models in 2017. "Vehicle connectivity is going to continue to have a significant impact on how cus - tomers do business, and DTNA will continue to push the envelope to be part of that evolution," said Matt Pfaffenbach, DTNA's director of technology. DTNA also announced new features for Detroit Connect, the company's connected vehicle solution, and the Virtual Technician remote diagnostics system designed to further improve integration and communications. A new portal with Detroit Connect will allow users to access more detailed infor - mation about specific fault events communicated by Virtual Technician. The portal will include options for communications, reporting and subscription management customization and currently is being piloted by select customers, with rollout set for mid-2016.