Drivewyze truck parking alerts now available in Iowa

Trucking news and briefs for Friday, June 12, 2020: 

Drivewyze adds Iowa rest areas, truck stops to parking alerts
Iowa has joined the list of states that are now included in Drivewyze’s Parking Alerts, a free service for Drivewyze PreClear weigh station bypass subscribers.

The system will alert drivers if a rest area is open or closed and also provide the number of parking spots available. In addition, Drivewyze is providing the number of parking spaces available at select truck stops and other locations that offer truck parking in Iowa.

A total of 22 Iowa locations with more than 500 parking spots along I-80, I-35 and I-29 are in the Drivewyze system.

Drivers will receive in-cab notifications when they are 25 miles out from a location, then the information will be updated again when they are 5 miles out.

New Mack dealer group opens Burbank, Washington, location | Northwest Equipment Sales expanded its dealer footprint with the fourth location, Tri-Cities, based in Burbank, Washington. The new facility will serve one of the fastest growing areas of Washington State. Located off U.S. 12, the 30,000-square-foot facility rests on 10 acres at 171 Gateway Road, Burbank. The Tri-Cities facility offers $250,000 worth in parts inventory, with plans to increase that amount in the next few months. The facility has four drive-through service bays and an end bay, allowing 15 trucks to be serviced at one time. it employs eight service technicians and plans to have 18 total employees total by the end of the year. The Tri-Cities location joins Northwest Equipment Sales sites in Twin Falls and Boise, Idaho, and Hermiston, Oregon. Jim Hibler, founder of the dealer group, first opened a used truck facility in 1981 in Twin Falls. In 1988, he purchased a Mack franchise and expanded to Boise in 1995, followed by Hermiston in 2007. Opening the new site had its challenges, Hibler said. Ground was broken on March 1, 2019, but work was stopped March 23, 2020, due to Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. However, as part of the transportation industry, the new facility was considered essential, and construction resumed at their new location on March 31. “It was definitely a challenge, but we’re pleased that we were ultimately able to move forward and open this new dealership for our customers.” Hours for the facility will be 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.New Mack dealer group opens Burbank, Washington, location | Northwest Equipment Sales expanded its dealer footprint with the fourth location, Tri-Cities, based in Burbank, Washington. The new facility will serve one of the fastest growing areas of Washington State. Located off U.S. 12, the 30,000-square-foot facility rests on 10 acres at 171 Gateway Road, Burbank. The Tri-Cities facility offers $250,000 worth in parts inventory, with plans to increase that amount in the next few months. The facility has four drive-through service bays and an end bay, allowing 15 trucks to be serviced at one time. it employs eight service technicians and plans to have 18 total employees total by the end of the year. The Tri-Cities location joins Northwest Equipment Sales sites in Twin Falls and Boise, Idaho, and Hermiston, Oregon. Jim Hibler, founder of the dealer group, first opened a used truck facility in 1981 in Twin Falls. In 1988, he purchased a Mack franchise and expanded to Boise in 1995, followed by Hermiston in 2007. Opening the new site had its challenges, Hibler said. Ground was broken on March 1, 2019, but work was stopped March 23, 2020, due to Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order. However, as part of the transportation industry, the new facility was considered essential, and construction resumed at their new location on March 31. “It was definitely a challenge, but we’re pleased that we were ultimately able to move forward and open this new dealership for our customers.” Hours for the facility will be 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Xtra Lease 4 2020 06 12 14 31Trailer rental/lease pool growth milestone, in a tough time
The XTRA Lease trailer rental and lease company list is seeing new orders coming off the production line following a 4,000-trailer order for 2020. With trucking and the wider economy suffering an unparalleled dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is still adding a mix of new trailers, which will arrive at each of the company’s nearly 50 rental locations throughout the year. They will include:

  • 53-foot dry vans
  • 53-, 48- and 28-foot liftgate vans
  • A select set of 53-foot reefers, and 53- and 48-foot liftgate reefers

All vans and reefers will have fuel-saving aerodynamic side skirts, low rolling-resistance tires and trailer tracking units to help fleets and operators improve utilization and lower costs. Each dry van will also be equipped with a cargo sensor.

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