Today’s Pickup: TMC launches roadside breakdown dashboard

Good day,

The American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council (TMC) and FleetNet America announced their launch of a benchmarking service that will allow fleets to compare their unscheduled repairs to similar fleets through an online dashboard. Unscheduled repairs—i.e., roadside breakdowns—cost four times as much as in-shop maintenance.

There is no cost to participate in the dashboard; carriers simply need to commit to using VMRS codes and submitting all of their roadside breakdown data. 

“Every fleet I know of uses VMRS, but this puts it in action,” said Jack Poster, TMC VMRS services manager. “I ask them if they collect all this data, and they do, but what do they do with it? This tool puts it in action. This gives them a viable way to use their information.”

Did you know?

The average truckload carrier fleet has a roadside breakdown every 11,594 miles, but the best-in-class fleet reported a roadside breakdown only every 45, 560 miles.

Quotable:

“From what I can see, 2017 was definitely an improvement over 2016, and what’s really exiting for trucking companies is that 2018 looks like it could be one the best years ever.”

-David Roush, President of KSM Transport Advisors

In other news:

Diesel mechanics and forklift operators are training on VR

Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI, has implemented a virtual reality program that simulates a six cylinder ISX Cummins engine in its diesel technician program. (Transport Topics)

Global oil players flock to Houston as OPEC, U.S. shale tensions ease

OPEC nations are cozying up to American shale producers after failing to starve them out of the market in 2015-6. (Reuters)

Omnitracs pivots to SaaS

Omnitracs is launching a “hardware-agnostic” software platform for managing fleet data, marking its entry into the software-as-a-service industry. (Heavy Duty Trucking)

The Port of Virginia now requires truck reservations

Trucks arriving between 5 AM and 7 AM M-F, and between 7 AM and 9 AM on Saturdays, must have reservations or they will be turned away. (Supply Chain Dive)

CSX slashes capex, focusing on streamlining operations

Hunter Harrison’s legacy lives on, as the railroad promises to cut capital expenditures by 20% and dump unused real estate. (Wall Street Journal)

Final Thoughts:

Trucking’s digital revolution is here: from TMC’s maintenance dashboard to Omnitracs’ new platform, 2018 will see a wave of new data and software offerings in the industry. FourKites’ growth is set to accelerate after completion of a $30M funding round; Rolling Strong is quantifying driver wellness; and Fr8Star’s digital marketplace streamlines permits for heavy haulers. There’s a lot happening in the digital space, and we can’t wait to see what happens during the rest of the year.

Hammer down everyone!

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