Overdrive

July 2018

Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info

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14 | Overdrive | July 2018 Logbook Freightliner Trucks tossed its hat into the electric heavy-duty truck ring last month, debuting two fully electric commercial trucks during the Daim- ler Trucks Capital Market and Tech- nology Day in Portland, Oregon. The Freightliner eCascadia features up to 730 peak horsepower. Its batteries provide 550 kilo- watt-hours (kWh) of usable capac- ity, which translates to a range of up to 250 miles with the ability to charge up to 80 percent – providing a range of 200 miles – in about 90 minutes, perhaps during a driver's break period. The Class 8 80,000- lb. GCWR tractor is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage. The smaller eM2 features up to 480 peak horsepower. Its batteries provide 325 kWh of usable capacity, giving it a range of up to 230 miles. It is able to charge up to 80 percent in about 60 minutes, providing a range of 184 miles. The 26,000-lb. GCWR truck targets local distribu- tion, pickup-and-delivery, food and beverage delivery and final-mile logistics applications. Both trucks are designed for dedi- cated predictable routes where most daily runs fall between 45 and 150 miles, said Roger Nielsen, president of Daimler Trucks North America. The eCascadia and eM2 are slat- ed for production in 2021. Freight- liner plans to deliver 30 vehicles to customers this year for real-world testing. – Jason Cannon Freightliner debuts two electric trucks Two bills have been filed in the U.S. Senate aiming to alter hours of service regulations for truckers hauling agri- cultural commodities and livestock. One bill, filed by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), would rework hours regula- tions for livestock and insect haulers. It calls for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to boost the available drive time for haulers oper- ating within the 300-air-mile radius of their on-duty origin to at least 15 hours, but potentially up to 18 hours. Once completing their on-duty day, drivers then must take a break of five hours less than their drive-time maxi- mum, so between 10 and 13 hours. In addition to adding up to seven hours of drive time for truckers haul- ing livestock and insects within the 300-air-mile radius, the bill also would allow drivers to deduct certain breaks from their on-duty time and exempt them from the 10-hour rest break requirement of the current HOS rule. The other bill, filed by Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), would require that FMCSA establish a group of public and private stakeholders tasked with reshaping hours regulations and electronic logging device requirements for those hauling livestock and agricultural commodities. It calls for the group to be formed within 120 days of the bill's passage and that a report be issued within a year of the group's formation. The Senate proposals come as reg- ulators and lawmakers have grappled in recent months with how to handle livestockers' hours needs following implementation of the ELD mandate. Congress in March passed legislation exempting those haulers from ELD compliance through September. A House bill would extend that exemp- tion through September 2019. – James Jaillet Congress grappling with hours changes for livestock/ag carriers A MAY 30 EXPLOSION rocked a UPS Freight facility in Lexington, Ken- tucky, when a truck and trailer with an acetylene tank exploded while inside a building, injuring at least two people and damaging the building. Authorities said the explosion was not considered a suspicious event. TRUCK OPERATORS based at XPO Logistics' terminal in Erie, Pennsyl- vania, filed for representation by the Teamsters Union. XPO's Erie terminal is a former Con-way Freight facility acquired in 2015 by XPO in its $3 billion purchase of Con-way and its affiliates. The union later withdrew its petition to unionize the drivers due to lack of support. NAVISTAR NOW OFFERS Allison's TC10 transmission as an option on International LT Series trucks and Allison's 3000 Highway Series on International RH Series tractors spec'd with a Cummins X15. Both transmissions use a torque converter engineered to enable smoother, fast- er and more efficient acceleration without a dry mechanical clutch. The eCascadia is designed for local and regional distribution and drayage.

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