Massive Bendix ECU recall impacting 126K Volvo trucks

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Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024:

Massive ECU recall hits 126K Volvo trucks

A huge recall of electronic control units (ECU) from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems has led to a major recall from Volvo Trucks North America, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.

Bendix’s recall affects 445,208 Bendix EC80 Advanced ECUs with specific part numbers. In the affected ECUs, electrical noise and low signal to the power line carrier may cause the ECU to incorrectly process commands or stop working.

Bendix said only tractors or trucks that pull trailers and that communicate over the Power Line Carrier (PLC) network are affected. The PLC is a trailer-to-tractor communication system that sends a signal on the electrical connection between the tractor and trailer. Its purpose is to control the cab-mounted trailer ABS indicator lamp in the truck

In the presence of high electrical interference (noise) on the vehicle power line and low PLC signal strength, the EC80 PLC functionality may incorrectly process certain signals and may set a fault or stop operating or malfunction.

As such, safety systems that depend on the ECU -- Automatic Traction Control, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Active Cruise Control, and Collison Mitigation System -- may have diminished or lost functionality, increasing the risk of a crash.

[Related: NHTSA investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving feature following crashes]

Bendix noted that the combination of high electrical interference and low PLC signal strength is more likely on vehicles that tow more than one trailer than vehicles that tow only one trailer. Additionally, the PLC signal strength may be substantially reduced when other optional devices are connected to the power line, such as trailer-based tracking systems.

Bendix will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 1. Owners may contact Bendix Customer Service at 440-329-9000. NHTSA’s recall number is 24E-086.

As a result of Bendix’s recall, Volvo Trucks is recalling certain 2020-‘25 VN, VAH, VHD and VNR Electric trucks with Bendix’s EC80 ECU. Volvo’s recall includes 126,649 trucks.

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Dealers will reprogram the ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 13. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks customer service at 1-800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2409. NHTSA’s recall number is 24V-790.

[Related: Should customers get paid by OEMs for recalls?]

Women in Trucking recognizes top companies for women to work

The Women in Trucking Association, via its Redefining the Road magazine, has announced the recipients of the organization’s 2024 Top Companies for Women to Work in Transportation.

The magazine created the award in 2018 to support an element of WIT’s mission: to promote the accomplishments of companies that are focused on the employment of women in the trucking industry, according to Jennifer Hedrick, president and CEO of WIT.

There are a number of characteristics that distinguish the companies recognized on this list, according to Brian Everett, publisher of Redefining the Road. These characteristics include corporate cultures that foster gender diversity; competitive compensation and benefits; flexible hours and work requirements; professional development opportunities; and career advancement opportunities.

“Companies named to this prestigious list must demonstrate corporate attributes that are essential to any successful enterprise committed to gender diversity as part of their corporate strategy,” said Everett. “Qualifying companies to this list involves a two-step process. First, nominations by companies are carefully reviewed to ensure they meet a minimum threshold of qualifications. Then the final ballot of companies is voted on by individuals in the industry. This is the seventh year of this prestigious recognition program, and it garnered a record number of more than 31,000 votes to identify and validate the final companies named to the list.”

Qualified companies also must meet minimum requirements of what they report through the WIT Index, the industry barometer that benchmarks and measures the percentage of women who make up critical roles in transportation.

The list is comprised of a diverse range of company types in the trucking marketplace, including motor carriers, third-party logistics companies, and OEMs. More than 100 companies were recognized this year by the magazine. The full list can be seen here.

These companies will be recognized at the upcoming WIT Accelerate! Conference & Expo, Nov. 10-13 in Dallas. International Motors, formerly Navistar, is the sponsor of this year’s program.