Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021:
Knight-Swift places order for battery-electric Kenworth
Kenworth announced Monday that Knight-Swift Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 4) has ordered a zero emissions Kenworth T680E battery-electric truck for use in its Southern California port operations.
“The new Kenworth T680E day cab will provide valuable data from real-world drayage service at Knight Port Services in Southern California over the next three years,” said Dave Williams, Knight-Swift Transportation senior vice president of equipment and government relations. “We expect the T680E to reduce emissions and be cost-effective. Our ambitious long-term objective is to reduce carbon emissions generated by our fleet by 50 percent by 2035.”
The company’s T680E will be operated under a three-year lease through PACCAR Financial.
FMCSA’s Medical Review Board tasked with addressing recalled CPAP devices
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Medical Review Board Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 29, during which it will discuss the recall of millions of Philips CPAP devices.
FMCSA will task the MRB with providing recommendations about how to best assist the truck drivers who use the recalled CPAPs, as well as medical examiners on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, on identifying reliable sources of information concerning options for drivers with machines covered by the recall.
The recall, which was issued in June, was intended to address the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam in the devices, which is used to reduce sound and vibration in the affected devices. The material may break down and potentially enter the device’s air pathway.
The meeting, which will be held via videoconference, will be from 1-5 p.m. Eastern and will be open to the public for its entirety. Advanced registration is recommended and will be available on the FMCSA website in the coming days. Registration is requested by Sept. 20.
DAT adds per-load insurance to load board
DAT Freight & Analytics announced that cargo insurance provider Loadsure is now available to motor carriers, shippers and brokers on the DAT network.
This partnership provides DAT customers with a fully integrated and seamless way to add or expand cargo coverage, making it easier than ever to insure a load in seconds directly from DAT’s load boards.
Loadsure harnesses the power of AI and automation to provide affordable, all-risk, single-trip cargo insurance with pricing dynamically matched to each load, reducing costs up to 80%. DAT customers can manage claims directly from within their DAT desktop dashboard, custom integration or third-party transportation management system.
Loadsure underwrites risk in real-time, enabling carriers, brokers and shippers to secure cargo insurance coverage in 40 seconds or less.
Medium-duty Macks recalled for brakes issue
Mack Trucks is recalling more than 2,800 trucks for an issue that could affect the brakes of certain medium-duty trucks, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
The recall includes approximately 2,823 mode year 2020-2022 Mack MD trucks in which the cotter pin that retains the brake pedal clevis pin may not have been properly installed, which could result in an unsecured brake pedal.
Dealers will inspect the cotter pin installation and repair it if necessary. Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until the remedy has been performed. Owners can contact Mack's customer service at 1-800-866-1177 with recall number SC0429. NHTSA’s recall number is 21V-684.
