Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Feb. 9, 2024:
Tony Justice opening MATS concert for The Steel Woods
Tony Justice will open for The Steel Woods at the Friday night concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show on March 22.Mid-America Trucking Show
Trucker/singer-songwriter Tony Justice has been named the opener for the Mid-America Trucking Show’s annual concert, with The Steel Woods as the headliner.
The concert will be held Friday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at Freedom Hall in the Kentucky Expo Center.
Justice has long been a leading country music star in the trucking industry, having most recently released his “Greatest Shifts” album with six new tracks (five originals plus a fantastic rendition of Jerry Reed's classic "Eastbound and Down") and 14 previously released highlights from four records.
The Steel Woods are a country rock band from Nashville. The band has cited influences such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Led Zeppelin, and have toured in support of a variety of artists, from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Dwight Yoakam to Jamey Johnson, Cody Jinks, Miranda Lambert, and Blackberry Smoke.
Led by Wes Bayliss, the band’s guitarist, lead vocalist and cofounder, The Steel Woods have poured their heart and soul into their fourth album, “On Your Time,” creating a record that reflects their resilience, growth and unwavering spirit.
Those interested in attending the Mid-America Trucking Show and the concert can still register for MATS for free through Feb. 21. Beginning Feb. 22, MATS tickets will cost $10 each.
To attend the free concert, attendees are asked to stop by the Bennett Family of Companies Booth (#65052) on Thursday or Friday of the show to get tickets.
[Related: MATS hosting invitation-only 'Big Rig Build-Off']
Sheetz to open new truck-friendly location
On Thursday, Feb. 15, the Sheetz convenience store chain will officially open a new store in Hope Mills, North Carolina. The new store, located at 310 Chicken Foot Rd., will officially open to the public at 9 a.m.
It will include seven diesel lanes that offer high-flow diesel and DEF for trucks, along with 41 truck parking spaces available for overnight parking.
This new location, which will be Sheetz’s 41st store to offer truck diesel fuel lanes, can be easily accessed by truck drivers from I-95 Exit 41.
[Related: Sheetz opens two new locations with truck parking, fueling]
Bestpass integration with Geotab telematics/ELD system
The Bestpass payment/toll management platform announced a new integrated system within the Geotab telematics ecosystem that will enable Bestpass customers access to toll data and reporting tools in their Geotab account.
The service will be newly available to customers of Geotab's telematics platform for vehicle and asset tracking and with electronic logging device capabilities. The integration will allow fleets and owner-operators to gain new insight into toll activity to more effectively manage tolls and identify opportunities to reduce toll expenses, Bestpass said.
Bestpass noted it developed the new Toll Genius data reporting system to integrate with telematics providers, such as Geotab, to synchronize and share toll and telematics data through a single interface.
The integration also has a new toll activity reporting feature that shows a high-level heat map to identify hot spots for toll spend. “This information can help fleets leverage the toll data to optimize routes and avoid costly tolls,” according to David Long, Bestpass head of product. “Fleets and owner-operators using Bestpass can also monitor all toll transactions and expenses in real-time, easily ensure necessary transponder coverage across your fleet, identify fraudulent activity, and more through their account.”
[Related: Toll roads on the rise: What's an operator's best electronic-collections option]
