NEXT HEALTHY FLEET CHALLENGE KICKS OFF MAY 1

TORONTO, Ont. — The 2016 Healthy Fleet Challenge is just weeks away, kicking off May 1 and spanning until the end of September.

Organizers of the challenge say the challenge promises to be the most exciting one yet, new ways to participate and for the first time, some great prizes to be awarded to participants at the end of May. The challenge allows participants in the trucking industry to compete aganst one another to see how many steps each person can take per day. An online leaderboard keeps score of every participant in the challenge via a signal from his/her activity tracker.

DAT FREIGHT INDEX: SEASONAL FREIGHT UP AS LINEHAUL RATES DIP

Seasonal freight volumes got a 38 percent boost from seasonal freight in March, according to the DAT North American Freight index. Compared to February, van freight availability increased 25 percent, flatbed volume rose 64 percent, and reefer volume added 16 percent.
Month over month, linehaul rates on the spot market declined 1.4 percent for vans, and 1.8 percent for reefers, but flatbed rates increased 0.6 percent.

VOLVO TRUCKS’ I-SEE FEATURE MEMORIZES ROADS TO SAVE FUEL

In an effort to further increase productivity and fuel efficiency, Volvo Trucks North America developed Volvo I-See, a new feature that memorizes thousands of routes traveled and uses that knowledge to keep the truck in the best, most fuel-efficient gear possible.
When cruise control is activated, Volvo I-See will record the topography of the route, storing up to 4,500 hills in its memory. The next time the vehicle travels that route, I-See will recognize it and work in tandem with the Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission to choose the optimal gear.

NATIONAL WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK REMINDS DRIVERS TO BE AWARE, SLOW DOWN

WASHINGTON — Every year at the start of the highway construction season, the goal of the National Work Zone Awareness Week campaign which runs Monday through Friday is to save lives by urging motorists and workers to take basic steps to prevent crashes and occupational injuries in work zones.

“Safety must always be our highest priority,” said Bud Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

FMCSA CONTINUES TO DEFEND DATA-DRIVEN CARRIER FITNESS PLAN

No 'relative' scoring, so no problem with FAST Act restrictions
In a conference call with trucking industry media, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration representatives on Thursday emphasized the proposed changes in the Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) process are indeed still just “proposed,” and that the clock is ticking on the extended public comment period. And, by the way, the proposal isn’t illegal.

WOMEN IN TRUCKING INTRODUCES 2016 IMAGE TEAM

The Women In Trucking Association announced the 13 members of its 2016 Image Team at the 7th annual Salute to Women Behind the Wheel event in Louisville, Ky.

VOLVO TRUCKS’ I-SEE MEMORIZES ROADS TO INCREASE FUEL EFFICIENCY

In an effort to further increase productivity and fuel efficiency, Volvo Trucks North America developed Volvo I-See, a new feature that memorizes thousands of routes traveled and uses that knowledge to keep the truck in the best, most fuel-efficient gear possible.