Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Nov. 8, 2024:
Midwest LTL carrier announces acquisition
Moran Transportation, a 127-truck LTL carrier based in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, recently announced the acquisition of RMX Freight Systems, a 42-truck LTL carrier out of Roseville, Ohio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Moran said the move “will enhance our capacity to serve customers across the Midwest and extend our direct services into Ohio and parts of West Virginia.”
Combined, the companies will operate 12 service centers and more than 675 pieces of equipment, Moran added.
The companies will begin the integration process on Nov. 11.
Port of Oakland receives $322 million EPA grant
The Port of Oakland, one of the country's busiest ports with over $174 billion in annual economic activity, has been awarded a $322 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Ports Program to expedite its conversion to almost 100% zero-emissions cargo operations. To date, this is the largest amount of federal-level funding for a Bay Area program.
Combined with local partner and Port matching contributions, an estimated half a billion dollars in total investment will be used for these green initiatives.
The Clean Ports Program was approved as part of 2022's Inflation Reduction Act, which made a total of $3 billion available to fund and implement zero-emissions technologies at U.S. ports.
The grant will specifically be used to finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment, including 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.
“The Clean Ports grant from the U.S. EPA is a major environmental victory,” said Port of Oakland Board President Michael Colbruno. “We are grateful to U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and the Bay Area congressional delegation who stood together in strong advocacy for this grant. This funding will go a long way toward decarbonizing the Oakland supply chain and providing environmental and economic benefits for the region.”
A variety of partners benefitting from the grant in a variety of ways include the Black Cultural Zone, Machinist's Institute, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Forum Mobility, WattEV, and Talon Logistics.
Mack surpasses 200,000 connected trucks on the road
Mack Trucks announced Thursday that it has achieved a significant milestone in its connected vehicle journey, with more than 200,000 Class 8 trucks built with its proprietary telematics gateway since 2014.
Connected Mack trucks are supported around the clock by Mack OneCall agents at the company's 24/7 Uptime Center, ensuring customers receive continuous support for their operations.
"This milestone represents more than just connected trucks – it demonstrates our commitment to providing customers with the tools and support needed to maximize uptime and operational efficiency,” said Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America. "Every connected Mack truck on the road today benefits from our integrated approach to vehicle diagnostics, maintenance and performance optimization. Connected vehicles include diagnostics through Mack GuardDog Connect, remote software updates via Mack Over The Air and fleet monitoring services through the Mack Connect portal.”
The proprietary telematics gateway, standard on all Mack trucks with Mack engines since late 2014, powers several key services. Mack GuardDog Connect serves as a proactive diagnostic and repair planning solution that monitors critical fault codes and immediately notifies customers of issues requiring attention. The system categorizes alerts by severity and provides detailed repair information, allowing fleets to make informed decisions about service needs.
Mack Over The Air (OTA) provides remote software update capability that has demonstrated a reduction of unplanned downtime by more than 24%. Customers can perform software updates remotely, ensuring their trucks maintain optimal performance without unnecessary shop visits.
The Mack Connect portal provides real-time visibility into vehicle location, fuel economy and safety metrics, enabling fleet managers to optimize their operations and improve efficiency. Mack Connect allows its customers unprecedented visibility into key performance as well as the status of any GuardDog or Mack OTA information.
The connected vehicle portal also supports proactive maintenance services through Mack's service contracts, using real-time vehicle data to anticipate maintenance needs based on actual operating conditions.
