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SwampRatt said:
Carrier ordered to pay driver $17k for refused load firing

https://www.ccjdigital.com/carrier-ordered-to-pay-driver-17k-for-refused-load-firing/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_content=06-26-2018&utm_campaign=Commercial Carrier Journal&ust_id=124f9551466b2c5785e539d1cda3c973&utm_term=newsletter-2-daily-position-1

"Poulter had worked nearly three years as a truck driver when she began at CCT. Her CCT route ran from the Lathrop-Stockton area of California to Reno, Nevada, and included the Donner Pass. On Dec. 18, 2015, she picked up an intermodal load and stopped a Stockton truck scale. She reported to Rotan her tandem axle weight was 600 pounds over the DOT limit of 34,000 pounds. Rotan told her to slam the load, which is to adjust freight by pulling or speeding forward and braking. He fired her for insubordination after they exchanged a series of texts and calls over the issue."
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I thought “slamming the load” was SOP!!
 
It's great to see that we're now supporting drafting and following at distances as close as 40 to 50 feet to save 7% of fuel...

http://www.ttnews.com/articles/volvo-fedex-team-live-platooning-north-carolina

Since minimum following distance is 4 seconds at speeds less than 40mph, why are these trucks being set to platoon at 1.5 seconds at 62mph?

Oh, it's because the short range of the fancy new communications systems wouldn't function properly at a safe distance.

The great fuel savings would decrease over distance as well.

7% fuel savings at 40 to 50 feet only amounts to 5 gallons of fuel over a 500 mile trip.

Please call it for what it is, this technology is designed to eliminate the expense of a professional road driver. It's not the $15 or $20 in hypothetical fuel savings, but the $300 - $400 in driver pay.

The poor drivers having to hold the steering wheel as these things tailgate one another, will just be scapegoats for when these systems fail...
 
Just a question here, Do you have that much freight all leaving at the same time going in the same direction for that many miles?And I don't know if it's legal in that state why not just run triples and you have your savings in fuel.Also how does this work if the lead truck has to move over for somebody broke down or for any other reason,will the guys in 2 and 3 have a reaction time to avoid an accident. Sounds all good on a nice bright day and no traffic look out when it turns bad film at 11
 
Only the lead driver controls throttle and brakes. The drivers behind him steer. Their systems braking is tied to his truck. He brakes, the platoon brakes...

There are only 3 systems that control a vehicle: throttle, brakes and steering.

Smart Cruise, (when coupled with a lovely automatic transmission) controls system one.

Bendix now controls the automation of braking. (Meritor dropped the ball when the systems Ghost Brakes).

Steering is the next sytem to add automation. It'll be undoubtedly be sold to us as a safety feature.

When you nail all three, you have a fully automated dream machine, capable of heaping profits on whatever Pilgrim gets there first. In the meantime we'll be required to beta test these systems that are eventually going to eliminate us.

The platooning system is just the next incremental step down this road.

Freight 2020 - charging ahead with guns blazing!
 
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truckingBORED said:
Only the lead driver controls throttle and brakes. The drivers behind him steer. Their systems braking is tied to his truck. He brakes, the platoon brakes...

There are only 3 systems that control a vehicle: throttle, brakes and steering.

Smart Cruise, (when coupled with a lovely automatic transmission) controls system one.

Bendix now controls the automation of braking. (Meritor dropped the ball when the systems Ghost Brakes).

Steering is the next sytem to add automation. It'll be undoubtedly be sold to us as a safety feature.

When you nail all three, you have a fully automated dream machine, capable of heaping profits on whatever Pilgrim gets there first. In the meantime we'll be required to beta test these systems that are eventually going to eliminate us.

The platooning system is just the next incremental step down this road.

Freight 2020 - charging ahead with guns blazing!
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Some companies have been testing platooning for at least two years now...
 
On I-5, our NAFTA trading partners (excuse me, just threw up in my mouth) have fine tuned this practice into an art form. They run 65mph one car length apart. Awesome to see. Especially when there’s a curve and all the lesser platoon members are all over the road trying to get back in line.
 
The automation revolution is coming in the name of safety. There is no doubt automation will make travel safer and quicker but what does that mean for us?
 
truckingBORED said:
So, we can't be trusted to draftoon, but the always reliable equipment can? Awesome.
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Not to mention, the extreme variety of loads and weights, as well as real world variations of identical trucks. Castrated trucks need not apply. The heaviest (slowest) truck will have to be the lead. Then, let's imagine the effect of "ghost braking".

Flat ground, identical load factors, compatible power to weight ratios, and irrational trust in the technologies, would all be required. Seem to make this concept a distant fantasy, suitable only in isolated cases, IMHO.

Sure, one of these days will come in some form. But just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should (or must) be done.
 
SwampRatt said:
Not to mention, the extreme variety of loads and weights, as well as real world variations of identical trucks. Castrated trucks need not apply. The heaviest (slowest) truck will have to be the lead. Then, let's imagine the effect of "ghost braking".

Flat ground, identical load factors, compatible power to weight ratios, and irrational trust in the technologies, would all be required. Seem to make this concept a distant fantasy, suitable only in isolated cases, IMHO.

Sure, one of these days will come in some form. But just because it can be done, doesn't mean it should (or must) be done.
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Considering how many carriers don't want the responsibility of operating their own tractors and hiring their own drivers (both of which are "too expensive") this concept is a loser at best. You're never going to convince an owner/operator to buy a truck equipped with this technology and get in lines with other owner/operators.

Nobody has explained yet how this makes any more sense than running LCV's. For it to be of any real value, the trucks in the platoon need to be traveling long distances together, not dropping in and out as they would in reality. And the expense involved when the sensors fail and a crash happens?

How can this stupid idea ever be worth it? It works in closed environments with identical trucks and identical loads, but that will never be realistic. Out in the real world, we have hills. The Midwest isn't as flat as everyone likes to pretend it is.
 
Canadian Flyer said:
Considering how many carriers don't want the responsibility of operating their own tractors and hiring their own drivers (both of which are "too expensive") this concept is a loser at best. You're never going to convince an owner/operator to buy a truck equipped with this technology and get in lines with other owner/operators.

Nobody has explained yet how this makes any more sense than running LCV's. For it to be of any real value, the trucks in the platoon need to be traveling long distances together, not dropping in and out as they would in reality. And the expense involved when the sensors fail and a crash happens?

How can this stupid idea ever be worth it? It works in closed environments with identical trucks and identical loads, but that will never be realistic. Out in the real world, we have hills. The Midwest isn't as flat as everyone likes to pretend it is.
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My brother’s company has been testing platooning in Florida (on the turnpikes/toll roads) and Texas for over a year now. They utilize this practice by having drivers leave the DC together and once they get up to speed, they engage platooning. When a driver in line approaches his exit, he retakes control of the truck, falls out of line and exits, while the remaining trucks continue on.

Although this practice is still in its infancy, he claims the fuel savings gained are worth the investment already...and we already know it’s about the bottom line for most companies.

I wouldn’t expect O/O’s to benefit from this technology for obvious reasons...and again, it’s why I claim this technology is nothing more than us beta testing the systems for future autonomous trucks. While the fuel savings are a plus for the present, it’s just not feasible for every truck/every company on the roads today but the technology would definitely benefit the future of trucking...just not the future of drivers.
 
Again, it saves 15 dollars a trip in fuel, eliminating the driver would save 25 times as much.

As ludicrous as we think this is, it's obviously a big deal for our incoming CEO who took time from his busy day to get personally involved with the photo opportunity...

In last month's Mike D. video, John S. looked into the camera and spoke passionately about finishing what he started in regards to being a "technology leader" and rolling out Freight 2020 in a timely manner.

His background in fleet maintenance makes him quite the candidate to spearhead all of this.
 
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