Uber’s First Self-Driving Fleet Arrives in Pittsburgh, PA

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Uber’s First Self-Driving Fleet Arrives in Pittsburgh This Month

The autonomous cars, launching this summer, are custom Volvo XC90s, supervised by humans in the driver’s seat.

 

Uber-first-Self-Driving-Car-pittsburg-pa

Uber-first-Self-Driving-Car-pittsburg-pa

Starting later this month, Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet achieved. Google, widely regarded as the leader in the field, has been testing its fleet for several years, and Tesla Motors offers Autopilot, essentially a souped-up cruise control that drives the car on the highway. Earlier this week, Ford announced plans for an autonomous ride-sharing service. But none of these companies has yet brought a self-driving car-sharing service to market.

Uber’s Pittsburgh fleet, which will be supervised by humans in the driver’s seat for the time being, consists of specially modified Volvo XC90 sport-utility vehicles outfitted with dozens of sensors that use cameras, lasers, radar, and GPS receivers. Volvo Cars has so far delivered a handful of vehicles out of a total of 100 due by the end of the year. The two companies signed a pact earlier this year to spend $300 million to develop a fully autonomous car that will be ready for the road by 2021.

 

Ford Full Autonomous/Driverless car in 2021

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ford-driverless-car-2021

ford-driverless-car-2021

FORD TARGETS FULLY AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE FOR RIDE SHARING IN 2021; INVESTS IN NEW TECH COMPANIES, DOUBLES SILICON VALLEY TEAM

 

 

  • Ford announces intention to deliver high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle for ride sharing in 2021
  • Ford investing in or collaborating with four startups on autonomous vehicle development
  • Company also doubling Silicon Valley team and more than doubling Palo Alto campus

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 16, 2016 – Ford today announces its intent to have a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service.

To get there, the company is investing in or collaborating with four startups to enhance its autonomous vehicle development, doubling its Silicon Valley team and more than doubling its Palo Alto campus.

“The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO. “We’re dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”

Fields says he’s not closing the door on potential partnerships. Ford and Baidu Inc., the Chinese Internet behemoth, announced that both companies jointly invested $150 million in Velodyne, a Silicon Valley company that specializes in sensors. Already Silicon Valley and the auto industry have been in a dating frenzy looking for long-term partners to help develop the technology behind a self-driving car. Volkswagen spent $300 million to get a piece of ride-hailing company Uber’s European rival Gett. General Motors spent $1 billion to purchase Cruise Automation, as well as investing in ride-hire service Lyft. Meanwhile, Toyota invested in Uber.

Ford’s engineers may be confident, but are riders? The announced plan would have cars without not only drivers but obvious vehicle controls. Visintainer says he understands the public’s uneasiness about autonomy. He says the company is looking for ways to convince the public that self-driving cars can be safe. “It’s going to be an education and a journey, being transparent and open about the progress we’re making, and how we’re doing is a key part of that.”

Analysts say discussing the technology is a move to placate the concerns of Wall Street. General Motors, Google and some of Ford’s other competitors have spent the year making announcements and investments in advanced technology. Michelle Krebs with autotrader.com says GM has been grabbing all the headlines recently “and Ford can’t be happy about that, especially as some Wall Street analysts have wondered if Ford is falling behind in future mobility.” Ford’s Mark Fields has said Ford has been setting the pace.

 

Read More

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/08/17/490406911/ford-looks-to-a-fleet-of-driverless-cars

DOT Brake Safety Week Coming in September

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Truck Brake Inspection week sept 11 - 17 2016

Truck Brake Inspection week sept 11 – 17 2016

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Association will be holding its annual brake safety inspection campaign the week of Sept. 11-17, 2016. The event is designed to promote brake safety in commercial vehicles and will focus on brake system compliance.

Commercial vehicle operators should be prepared for inspections by law enforcement officials to include checks for loose or missing parts; air or hydraulic fluid leaks; worn linings, pads, drums or rotors; and other faulty brake-system components.

If inspectors find defective or out-of-service brakes, those vehicles will be placed out of service.

During the week of Sept. 11-17, 2016, law enforcement agencies across North America will conduct inspections on large trucks and buses to identify out-of-adjustment brakes, and brake-system and anti-lock braking system (ABS) violations as part of CVSA’s Brake Safety Week, an annual outreach and enforcement campaign designed to improve commercial motor vehicle (CMV) brake safety throughout North America.

Properly functioning brake systems are crucial to safe CMV operation. CMV brakes are designed to hold up under tough conditions, but they must be routinely inspected and maintained carefully and consistently so they operate and perform properly throughout the vehicle’s life. Improperly installed or poorly maintained brake systems can reduce braking efficiency and increase the stopping distance of trucks and buses, posing serious risks to driver and public safety. ABS systems help the vehicle, and thus the driver, maintain control in certain situations, which reduces the risk of some types of crashes.

Brake-related violations comprised the largest percentage (representing 43 percent) of all out-of-service violations cited during Operation Airbrake’s companion International Roadcheck campaign in 2015, which focused on inspections of both vehicles and drivers.

Inspections conducted during Brake Safety Week include inspection of brake-system components to identify loose or missing parts, air or hydraulic fluid leaks, worn linings, pads, drums or rotors, and other faulty brake-system components. ABS malfunction indicator lamps are also checked. Inspectors will inspect brake components and measure pushrod stroke where applicable. Defective or out-of-adjustment brakes will result in the vehicle being placed out of service.

Many inspectors will be conducting Level I Inspections, and in the 10 jurisdictions currently using performance-based brake testing (PBBT) equipment, vehicle braking efficiency will be measured. These systems include a slow speed roller dynamometer that measures total vehicle weight and total brake force from which braking efficiency is determined. The minimum braking efficiency for trucks is 43.5 percent, required by U.S. federal regulation and the CVSA out-of-service criteria.

Outreach and educational efforts by CMV inspectors, participating motor carriers and others in the industry will also take place during Brake Safety Week and are integral to the success of the campaign.

More than 3.4 million brakes have been inspected since the program’s inception in 1998.

Brake Safety Week is part of the Operation Airbrake program sponsored by CVSA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

2016 Brake Safety Week

 

Great American Truck Show 2016 Coming, Dallas, TX

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August 27-29, The Great American Trucking Show (GATS), one of the nation’s largest trucking trade shows, will be at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Find a job, attend free educational seminars, get the latest information from top industry leaders or see the amazing works of art at Overdrive Magazine’s Pride & Polish Truck Beauty Contest. GATS is the culmination of Overdrive’s Pride & Polish National Championship Series. Best of show winners from the 2014-2015 shows will gather to find out who is the best of the best. Pre-register for FREE before August 27. Visit truckshow.com/register and join the fun!

 

Tuesday, August 23, 2016
12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Check-In
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Parking and Check-in
6 p.m. Drivers Meeting
Pizza dinner provided by Randall-Reilly
Thursday, August 25, 2016
8:30 a.m. Rags Down!
9 a.m. Judging Begins
Friday, August 26, 2016
Enjoy GATS
Saturday, August 27, 2016
10:30 a.m. Award Ceremony

How TransIT TMS can Help Your Trucking Company Manage Your Business?

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The Transportation Management System (TMS) is dedicated to help companies to move consignments from one place to other with more efficiency, cost effectiveness and reliability. TransIT Transportation Management System provides an amazing solution to all TMS related services. The best thing to know is that TransIT TMS system is compatible with mobile phones that makes your customers as well as stake holders capable enough to access websites using their smartphones so that they can anytime order for a truck, check its availability, track shipment, rate quote and many more. It also provides benefits to drivers with various facilities so that they can check complete details of dispatch information for load, make easy settlements and can apply for new job openings.

Generally, the process of consignment dispatch takes long time because processes are executed manually but this latest software provides fastest order processing facility and it is very intuitive to use.

 

How TransIT can help your Trucking Business?

Following information will help you know about this effective software and its abilities to boost your business output within very less time:

  • TransIT works with fastest order processing facility where you can enter details of stops, destination and origin within seconds and it automatically calculates miles, scheduled pick up, quote rates, deliveries and does efficient order processing. With all such facilities it becomes best system for trucking business companies.
  • Once you have entered details about load and processed it further, it will start waiting for dispatch and it can be managed with just a few clicks to right truck.
  • You will be glad to know about its LTL processing feature that makes processing possible with less than actual truckload cargo even with multiple stops and customers. It allows you to fix unlimited number o stops as per customer requirements and helps to achieve greater profits with best utilization of modules.
  • TransIT works for easy billing and send immediate invoice to customers with few clicks only. It allows easy reception of payments and removes chances of mistakes.
  • This software helps users to allocate right vehicle as per requirement and it becomes possible due to ability of this software to store all important details like unlade weight, GVW, Axles, Types, Length, Model, Make as well as engine.
  • Using TransIT, you can also track and record of fuel for your vehicle so that fuel expenses can be controlled to generate profits. It also allows user to use fuel integration facility and keeps records for future use.
  • Here you can manage all your documents easily as like tickets, legal documents, receipts and invoices.
  • It provides best payroll facility to business owners so that they can generate salaries of drivers and office employees with few clicks only.
  • TransIT Software comes with completely integrated website that displays details about offered services, client accounts, recruit drivers, list jobs, driver accounts, settlements, shipping tracking and many more.
  • It makes your trucking system completely online and highly safe.

With all such incredible features, TransIT software becomes best choice for trucking business owners.

How to Choose a Profitable Trucking Lane?

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It takes efforts to make decision about profit oriented things but it demands more experience to ensure that we are going to follow profitability for long run. For a trucking company, the waiting time and collection is one of the most contentious problems and a wrong decision about trucking lane can also lead to more fuel wastage with least profits. It is good to develop better strategies for driving out on profitable lanes with perfect loads, drivers so that companies can improve their services and some latest software tools help to resolve this decision making issue in very efficient manner. Such advanced and highly interactive software can pre-determine profitability of trucking lanes in real time and it also controls wastage of resources.

In order to make decision about profitable trucking lane, you have to follow these steps:

  • Determine your beginning point which is commonly your domicile or operation home base.
  • Generate a list of all local distribution centers and local manufacturers within a specifc radius of 50 to 100 miles.
  • Call all of them; although some may not be interested but several will join hands with you and they will make your first leg of freight lane.
  • Now for those who have refused for your services, it is possible that they are already using 3PL or freight brokers services for their shipments; now your next step is to get details of all those service providers and get information about where they are failing to satisfy clients on the way.
  • Look at those dead areas where brokers are not providing services; this area can serve as strength for your business and you can make analysis about this lane while managing perfect truck to load ratio.
  • Look for an ever widening circle of services ranging from low rate to no freight area till the time any freight fits perfectly to your hauling rate range.
  • Your final objective must be to design a freight lane for trucks that can cover hauling for whole month and can generate required revenues.

Sometimes it may seem that one lane or back can bring profits to your business but actually you need to go somewhere else where it is possible achieve better profits. Experts say that tri haul or more than that is always a better choice and it can help you to generate more revenues.

Once you are able to find right routes for your trucking business then the next part is to find loads. It is not always good to go ahead with a broker rather try to collect experience from market by yourself. Go directly to clients and make them aware about your services; let them know how your trucking service can be better and profitable for them and develop trust among clients for your quality of services. There are so many factors that play important role in this selection process; but experts say that it is always good to move ahead with industry standards. A tri haul lane can lead to more profits because here your return trip is also dedicated to cover few loads and there is no wastage of resources as like straight lane service.

     

 

Why it is important to properly maintain your truck or tractor trailer?

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Vehicles that never receive proper care and time to time maintenance usually face lots of problems leading to reduced lifespan, expensive repairs, excessive breakdowns, lost time over the roads and many more. In fact, experts say that preventive maintenance programs of trucks/ tractors or other commercial vehicles are actually as much important as the driver safety programs use to be. An unsafe vehicle leads to dreadful risks to the driver’s life as well as to others on road and most of accidents use to occur just because of such maintenance negligence. If you ever wish to avoid the scary and costly affairs of on road vehicle damage then it is good to stay on safer side by offering time to time repair and maintenance to your vehicle.

Preventive maintenance are usually proactive and one has to schedule them time to time on the basis of engine hours, mileage, time and fuel usage. Most of vehicle maintenance tasks include inspections, cleaning, lubrication, adjustments, testing and replacement or repair of worn parts. Breakdown of vehicles generally lead to huge losses in productivity and it is difficult to bear for any company but behind all these facts, it is important to keep track of vehicle maintenance and one must have facility to add remainders for time to time repair schedules. One of the best options to manage this maintenance schedule is to have TransIT software in your device as because this software can save complete details of your vehicles including its scheduled maintenance and repairs.

TransIT software platform can easily hold all details about oil changes, tire pressure, tire rotations, tire tread as well as maintaining battery. This analysis is very important to avoid vehicle accidents and it also helps to reduce cost of repair that otherwise owners use to bear after miss-happenings. The best thing to note about TransIT is that it can better handle remainders for time of PM and also manages records for DOT. Some of the common and most essential maintenance checklist points are:

  • Checking fuel leakage and auxiliary systems.
  • Seats and seatbelts.
  • Windshield wiper and horn mechanism.
  • Exterior, interior, body, glass as well as mirrors.
  • Tires, rims, wheels and exhaust systems.
  • Belts, houses, cooling systems and engine.
  • Braking mechanism as well as tune ups.
  • Transmission fluids and many more.

Paying proper attention to all these parts is an important step towards vehicle maintenance and it leads to long term benefits while saving more money of owner. Negligence of maintenance issue may lead to sever harmful results as no one can predict where your truck will face a failure on road and how much loss it can make for others too. Vehicle safety requirements include proper functioning of every part of vehicle so that it can be driven perfectly on road; owners and drivers are suggested to fulfill all truck repair as well as safety requirements so that your vehicle can serve you for long life without any trouble. A well managed truck can ultimately boost productivity by great extend and leads to huge profits for trucking company. TransIT is best tool to save your money and time with highly interactive interface that allows truck owners to be careful about their vehicles.

Growing 1 truck to 1000’s of truck with proper management

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Growing 1 truck to 1000’s of truck with proper management

The Trucking Business can be highly profitable and successful but for this growth it demands lots of hard work and ability to fight against competitive forces. You can commonly find so many truckers who use to enter inside this market every year but end up with failure; the major reason behind this loss is the lack of resource management skills, less disciplined approach as well as lack of decision making ability. Understanding requirements of trucking business and managing each and every need of company is much difficult then driving a truck and choosing path towards destination. If you are new to this field then you surely need a guidance providing partner with you but instead of trusting a person, it is good to trust on software that knows everything that is required at different stages of business path. TransIT is rated as best software for trucking company management because it can save all required data at one platform and ensures users to take right decision with right information at right time. This software serves operators or owners with best solution to complete their goal so that even a new setup of trucking company can grow with huge profits and one can maintain 1000’s of trucks at a time.

Here are few important facts that help in growth of trucking company:

  1. Get right equipment:

It is easier to start with one truck and serve a limited area with load dropping facility but if you wish to generate real profits and want to growth your company from one truck to thousands of trucks then it is good to make selection of right equipment. It must be capable enough to handle loads and should meet your business requirements.

  1. Finding profitable loads:

Your transIT software can be installed in any smart phone as well as PC and it saves complete details about loads on the way and dropping as well as pick up centers including right payment details at every stoppage. If you are able to manage this routine task in controlled manner then naturally it becomes much easier to generate profits for long run in order to ensure growth of business.

  1. Maintains documentation:

It is really a difficult part of driver as well as owner to manage documents for every day deals and have right storage for them. TransIT software platform is designed to manage complete details about your load trips and each stoppage including payment details so that everything can be automatic and chances of error can be removed. It asks you about complete trip information before starting your journey and these details can be filled up in much easier manner within few minutes; such managements ensure perfect growth of trucking business.

  1. Manages profitable freight lanes:

TransIT software can assure you work on most profitable lanes so that wastage of fuel as well as time can be reduced and ultimately profits can be increased. It lets to calculate the time to reach at different stoppages and keeps your business fully functional with interactive interface.

How to start and run a successful trucking company?

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How to start and run a successful trucking company?

If you are a truck driver for years then you must be making resolution every year to start your own trucking business. But, due to the competency and difficulty of the procedure you remained unable to get around it. But, now you don’t need to worry or get disappointed, as we are going to tell you some secretive tips to run your own trucking system. Our tips will help you to succeed faster than you have dreamt of. Here are the things that you need to consider and do.

  • Create a plan

If you have not run your own business yet, then you may not be aware of the importance of making a business plan. Creating a full-fledged plan is really important as it will keep you on the track during various phases of your business. It should include your business needs, your goal, the strategies that you would implement and the tips to manage to business once it is established.

  • Choose your equipment

Transportation industry is very vast, so you are required to choose your equipment wisely. There are some considerations for choosing the equipment which are:

  • Whether you want to lease a vehicle or are interested in purchasing your own?

Though you may have your own choice about leasing or buying a vehicle, but it is always recommended to purchase your own vehicle. No doubt that it will cost you more initially, but you will be profited in the long run. It will also let you have full control over your business.

  • Which vehicle would be appropriate for your business?

As you have a great choice, you need to consider that which vehicle would be appropriate for your business. Like, if you are thinking to run a food transportation business, then you would need a refrigerated truck.

  • How many commercial vehicles you need or you are able to buy?

Though it would be good to have as many vehicles you can, but depending on your financial ability, you can start even with a single vehicle. You can further add to your fleet as your profits will grow.

  • Bid well by keeping all your expenses in mind

This is the most important fact to consider. You should choose your rates in a way that they must be high enough to be gainful and low enough to be competitive. You will only be able to earn and make profits, if you know your expenses properly.

  • Ensure proper management of your business

Once you have started your business, you are required to ensure it proper management to keep it on track and make it profitable. As it would be little difficult to manage all the aspects if you are running the business alone, investing in management tools can help you to get success. Proper management software will give you peace of mind that everything with your business is going well. Though you can get many such management tools, but if you want the one especially for managing the trucking system, then you can rely on TransIT.