Posted by Steve Robinson Jr. on Thu, Jul 15, 2010
| July 2010 DOE REGIONAL DIESEL FUEL PRICES |
|
Date
|
U.S. Average
|
East Coast
|
New England
|
Central Atlantic
|
Lower Atlantic
|
Midwest
|
Gulf Coast
|
Rocky Mountain
|
West Coast
|
California
|
|
7/12
|
2.903
|
2.921
|
3.017
|
3.022
|
2.869
|
2.865
|
2.857
|
2.912
|
3.057
|
3.123
|
|
7/5
|
2.924
|
2.944
|
3.033
|
3.055
|
2.889
|
2.890
|
2.866
|
2.928
|
3.077
|
3.132
|
Posted by Steve Robinson Jr. on Wed, Jul 14, 2010
2009 closed out with an uptick in the volume of used truck sales reported to us. This increase is likely due to trade-in activity as late 2010 model year trucks were delivered to fleets in advance of the 2011 emissions changes. We expect this trend to continue for another month or two as the last of the 2010 model year is cycled into the vehicle stream.
The increase in sales volume did not appear to have an impact on depreciation trends. The moderate monthly decline in selling prices continued through December, with mileage and cab configuration the primary factors in a used truck’s value. To that end, we updated our mileage tables for February to reflect the introduction of the 2011 model year. The net effect was to boost the low mileage addition for newer trucks.
We will also look at construction vehicles starting with this update. Despite the introduction of highway construction stimulus funds, there were no major monthly changes to the value of construction vehicles throughout 2009. Our mileage calculation revision also affected construction trucks, and we have kept value declines minimal from January to February.
Medium duty trucks lost a substantial percentage of their value throughout 2009. Mileage was not as critical a factor as with the Class 8 market, with a smaller difference between low and average mileage. Most segments of the market saw their heaviest depreciation in early 2009, and then appeared to find a bottom of sorts sometime in the 3rd quarter.
Thank you to Chris Visser for his report information.
The increase in value shown for 2010 reflects an upward adjustment to “1-ton” cab & chassis models. Other weight classes were mostly unchanged.
Posted by Steve Robinson Jr. on Wed, Jul 07, 2010
Stability with Top Performance and Maneuverability Landoll has been the leader in the traveling axle industry since Don Landoll invented the traveling axle trailer concept decades ago. Landoll continues to bring you the most innovative design by offering the Model 400 Series trailer, now updated with increased capacities. The Model 400 Series consists of three models, the tandem 425 or 440 and triple axle 455. Beginning with 2010 model year production, Landoll offers the 440 and 455 models with increased frame capacity as standard feature. There is a model to fit every need. A solid, four beam frame design coupled by a lowered upper deck transition makes the Landoll standard "the industry standard".
The 425 is a medium-duty, tandem axle, 25 ton capacity trailer available in lengths of 41’ and 45’. The 425 is ideal for the narrow, tight, winding road and inner-city applications with a lighter hauling capacity. The 440 is a tandem axle, 40 ton capacity trailer available in lengths of 48’, 53’ and California legal 50’. The 440 can handle the toughest equipment including super low clearance pavers with an easy one-man operation.
The Model 455 rounds out the 400 series with triple axles and 55 ton capacity. Lengths available are 48’, 50’, 53’ and California legal 50’. To maximize the load capacity, the 455 is Standard with 60" axle spread. Wider Main Beams Wider Undercarriage Wider Tilt Cylinder Mounts Wider Outer Beam Pivot Point Low Clearance Upper Deck Transition.
The 400 Series four beam frame design is the backbone of a super versatile, solid piece of equipment. A wider main beam configuration adds that all-important factor of stability with wider undercarriage, tilt cylinder mounts and outer beam pivot points. Not only is the 400 Series the finest trailer manufactured today, it gives you peace of mind in knowing that we stand behind our products with a five year warranty. Landoll has been manufacturing since 1963 and takes the guesswork out of purchasing a trailer to meet your toughest needs. Landoll manufactures the entire trailer line in a state-of-the-art production facility. Powder Coat Paint, Landoll is the only trailer manufacturer to offer powder coat paint on an entire large trailer frame as a standard feature. The benefits of powder coat includes a uniform, durable, high-quality and attractive finish which is more resistant to the salt and chemicals used on winter roads. Six standard colors are available with options for special color requests. The powder paint process begins with surface preparation, which is done in a 400º oven to help purge the oils and other contaminants found on raw steel. The metal is then steel shot blasted to a bright, smooth finish for superior paint adhesion. A zinc-rich powder primer is applied prior to painting the entire frame with one of six standard TGIC polyester powder coat colors. The powder is applied approximately 4 mils thick while the frame is being rotated 360º ensuring even and complete coverage. The frame is then moved to the baking oven where they are baked simultaneously for approximately 1½ hours.
• Slope Transition
Another outstanding feature on all
400 Series is the super low clearance on the upper deck transition. This makes loading manlifts, forklifts, and other difficult, low clearance equipment easy to load onto the upper deck. Buying a Landoll means you get the total package.
• Greaseable Pivot Pin
The greaseable pivot pin is easily accessible from the outside of the
trailer for ease of maintenance. All cylinder anchors, hinged king pin plate and undercarriage rollers have grease zerks. High quality maintenance improves performance for many years of service.
• Rigid Flat Approach Plate
Is fully supported by the four main beams of the trailer. It allows the entire trailer bed to become one single, even plane for safe loading from the ground or at dock height.
• Tie Downs, Front Roller, and Traction Plate
Standard tiedowns are combination stake pocket "gotchas" for securement of equipment. The standard slope roller and steel wear plate act as a barrier against rubbing and prevent extra wear on the winch cable. The exclusive Landoll traction plate provides superior grip when loading onto the upper deck.
A great trailer packed with features such as low loading angle, ease of operation, superior quality and the highest retained resale value in the market today. With a Landoll you can have the highest return on investment and the lowest cost of ownership.
Posted by Steve Robinson Jr. on Fri, Jul 02, 2010
Spend a little time and money on your preventive maintenance, and save your self major maintenance and high blood pressure down the road. It is easy to overlook the most basic steps in keeping your fleet of trucks moving. Spending a little time and money will keep your trucks moving and a consistant flow of revenue on your side. The longer you ignore or put off will generate bigger problems and downtime. We are in an industry and economy, when your customer says go...you better be ready to go.
1. Daily Inspection: Have your drivers do a 5 minute inspection on your trucks at the start of the day. Check oil, coolant, brake fluid, engine belts, and hoses. Pay attention to air pressure, head lights, brake lights, and directionals.
2. Global Positioning: A GPS can provide the most direct route and fuel efficiency for your truck drivers.
3. Fuel Management: Monitor fuel costs with a daily report on your trucks fuel consumption. Track expenses and set limits on purchase and spending.
These small steps will ensure business savings and driver pride. Keep your tractors, dump trucks, tow trucks, landoll trailers, refrigerated trailers, and dry freight cargo vans moving with time and care.
Posted by Steve Robinson on Fri, Apr 02, 2010
The Top 10 Worst Foods To Eat While Driving
Numerous studies suggest that using a cell phone while driving causes distractions that increase the risks of traffic accidents. While information of this nature is certainly valuable, we should also remember the multitude of other distracting things drivers do when they should be keeping their eyes on the road.
For instance, did you know that eating while driving is considered even more dangerous than talking on a cell phone?
The Dangers of a Distracted Driver
That's right. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in concert with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, eating while driving is one of the most distracting things a driver can do.
It's been estimated that 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes involve some element of driver distraction. "Distraction was most likely to be involved in rear-end collisions in which the lead vehicle was stopped, as well as in single-vehicle crashes", says the NHTSA.
The NHTSA also indicate that eating is a significant negative factor in a driver's reaction time. Since it is widely recognized that most crashes can be avoided if the driver had just one additional second to react, taking a bite of your breakfast burrito on your commute to work takes on a whole new meaning.
Top 10 Foods to Avoid While Driving
Even the insurance industry warns against the pitfalls of eating and driving. For instance, insurance.com has released their "Top 10 Foods to Avoid While Driving". They remind drivers that by cutting back on everyday driving distractions that lead to crashes and tickets, you can save big dollars on your insurance premium. Oddly enough, according to a 2008 Nationwide Mutual study, only 3% of respondents admitted that eating was the most dangerous driving distraction.
Nevertheless, the folks at insurance.com advise avoiding the practice, especially hot, greasy, and gooey foods and drink. In addition they identify the following as being the Top 10 to stay away from:
- 1. Chocolate (Qualifies for the "gooey" category)
- 2. Soda (Tilting your head back to drink a soda could lose you the aforementioned extra second)
- 3. Jelly donuts (Another "gooey" candidate)
- 4. Fried chicken (Grease on the fingers= a greasy steering wheel)
- 5. Ribs and wings (Wouldn't you rather enjoy these sitting down at a table?)
- 6. Hamburgers (It's hard to wait to get back to the office with a double-meat, double-cheese sitting in the seat next to you)
- 7. Chili dogs (The problem here is obvious)
- 8. Tacos (If you're going to eat tacos while driving, go with the soft; crispy shells are harder to manage)
- 9. Soup (Liquid + hot= potential disaster)And, what's the most common dangerous food for drivers? It's actually another beverage . . .
- 10. Coffee (There are just so many things that can go wrong with a cup a' joe, even if you use a cup holder)
Conclusion
Like you, I can think of a few others that should have been on the list, such as ice cream and French fries. But, let's face it, everything you do other than paying attention to your driving is a distraction, whether it be conversing with a fellow passenger, adjusting your seat or mirrors, or looking for the eject button on your CD player. Like all other safety hazards, the more risks you add, the more likely trouble can be - in this case - literally right around the corner.
Posted by Steve Robinson on Fri, Mar 26, 2010
Truck tonnage rose 2.6% in February from a year ago, the third consecutive year-over-year gain, American Trucking Associations said Thursday.
ATA's seasonally adjusted for-hire truck tonnage index slipped 0.5% from January to February, following a revised 1.9% month-to-month figure for January that had originally been reported at 3.1%.
For the first two months of this year, seasonally adjusted tonnage was up 3.5% over the same period last year, while for all of 2009 the index contracted 8.7%, marking the largest annual decrease since 1982.
But ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello told CNBC in an interview aired Thursday that "things are starting to pick up a little and we are cautiously optimistic" that will continue.
"I continue to hear from motor carriers that both the demand and supply situations are steadily improving," Costello said in a statement. "Certainly it will take a while to make up the ground lost during the recession, but the industry is on the path to recovery."
Costello said he expects to see some volatility on a month-to-month basis throughout this year, but the trend line should be for moderate growth.
ATA calculates the tonnage each month based on reports by its member trucking companies.
By Transport Topics
Posted by Steve Robinson on Tue, Mar 23, 2010
Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico decreased by 23.3 percent in 2009 compared to 2008, dropping to $637 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The 23.3 percent decline in trade was the largest year-to-year decline for the 15 years covered by these data. NAFTA went into effect in 1994, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported that the value of trade by surface transportation with Canada and Mexico decreased by 31.1 percent during the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. It decreased by 14.9 percent in the final six months of the year but increased by 10.5 percent in December compared to December 2008. For 2009 data by month, see the BTS December 2009 North American Surface Freight press release.
Total North American surface transportation imports decreased by 26.5 percent in 2009 from 2008, and exports decreased by 19.2 percent during the same period.
In 2009, 86.6 percent of U.S. merchandise trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land. Total North American surface transportation trade value in 2009 increased 0.5 percent compared to 2004, and was up 27.0 percent compared to 1999, a period of 10 years.
U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada
U.S. - Canada surface transportation trade totaled $386 billion in 2009, a decrease of 28.1 percent compared to 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 25.7 percent lower in 2009 than 2008 while the value of exports carried by truck was 20.2 percent lower.
Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in 2009 with $42.5 billion.
U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico
U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $251.0 billion in 2009, a decrease of 14.4 percent compared to 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 12.2 percent lower in 2009 than in 2008 while the value of exports carried by truck was 10.8 percent lower.
Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in 2009 with $86.0 billion.
The TransBorder Freight Dataset is a special extract of the official U.S. foreign trade statistics. The data are obtained by BTS from the U.S. Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division. TransBorder numbers include data received by BTS as of Feb. 16.
The news release and summary tables can be found at http://www.bts.gov/. More information on Transborder freight data is posted on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/transborder/.
*Above Information Provided by the U.S. Dept of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on Transborde
Posted by Steve Robinson on Tue, Mar 23, 2010
Driving a commercial motor vehicle is a big responsibility. It requires special skills and knowledge. Most drivers must obtain a commercial driver's license (CDL) through their home State (it is illegal to have a license from more than one State). In addition, special endorsements may be required if you or your company drivers will be driving any of the following vehicles:
- a truck with double or triple trailers
- a truck with a tank
- a truck carrying hazardous materials
- a passenger vehicle
Contact your State licensing bureau (e.g., Department of Motor Vehicles) for details.
The following links provide more information on federal requirements for drivers.
*Provided by the US Department of Transportation FMCSA*
Posted by Steve Robinson on Thu, Jan 28, 2010
For your On Site Storage and Ground Level Storage Containers we carry two excellent choices for your portable onsite residential or commercial needs...
20 ft Steel Storage Containers feature frames constructed from approximately 8' gauge steel and body construction of 14' gauge steel. They have cargo doors and the overall outside dimensions are 20' x 8.5' x 8. The interior floor consists of wood that can take a tremendous amount of weight and protect your equipment.
- Approximate Weight: 4,700 - 4,900lbs
- Cubic Capacity: 1,165 cu ft
- Exterior Length: 19' 10.5"
- Interior Length: 19' 3"
- Exterior Width: 8'
- Interior Width: 7' 8"
- Exterior Height: 8' 6"
- Interior Height: 7' 9"
- Door Height Opening: 7' 5"
- Door Width Opening: 7' 8"
40 ft Steel Storage Containers feature frames constructed from heavy steel and body construction of 14' gauge steel. They have cargo doors and the overall outside dimensions are 40' x 8.5' x 8'. The interior floor consists of wood that can take a tremendous amount of weight and protect your equipment.
- Approximate Weight: 8,200lbs
- Cubic Capacity: 2,325 cu ft
- Exterior Length: 40'
- Exterior Width: 8'
- Interior Width: 7' 8"
- Exterior Height: 8' 6"
- Interior Height: 7' 9
- Door Height Opening: 7' 5"
- Door Width Opening: 7' 8"
Posted by Steve Robinson on Thu, Jan 28, 2010
Do I have the proper tools, iron and trucks in place? What is my budget for equipment? Should I buy new wheel loaders? What are the "pros" to running used trucks in my fleet? Would renting equipment, tools, and on site storage containers be more beneficial? These are just some of the many pieces of the puzzle that you General Contractors undertake in the planning, develpment, and undertaking of projects and budgets. Be smart and plan ahead. Talk and network with other experienced professionals. Share your experiences with others. Having this kind of team you can trust and rely on is critical.
A good source for updates and coaching comes from Matt Stevens at the Contractors Blog. Here he shares...
"The proper management of a project involves more than just getting the project built. Financial Management is a critical part of the overall project management process. If a project is managed well financially, it is more likely to be successful and profitable. If your organization has the appropriate resources, such as reports, documents, and checks and balances, there should be no surprises. Remember to use all of your available resources to help you manage the financial aspects of your project. A well-built quality project that loses money is still a losing situation."
Matt Stevens is a management advisor who works only with construction contractors. He has performed training and business consultation for the contracting community since 1994. Matt can be reached at mstevens@stevensci.com.