Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Dec. 1, 2023:
30 semis 'spun out' on I-90 in Washington
After a hard snowstorm hit Washington state's Snoqualmie Pass along I-90, the state's DOT reported approximately 30 semi trucks had spun out, briefly closing the eastbound portion of the interstate.
"Eastbound I-90 is closed at North Bend (milepost 34) to clear out approx. 30 spun out semi trucks that did not chain up," a WSDOT page posted on Friday.
"Conditions change rapidly," the account continued before linking readers to weather updates and information on chaining up.
Those 30 or so trucks must not have been stuck too badly though, as WSDOT reported all lanes open again just an hour after reporting the closure. WSDOT did not yet respond to Overdrive inquiries about the status of the drivers that spun out.
Electric charging station planned for Port of Long Beach
Forum Mobility's planned Port of Long Beach charging depot.
Freight electrification provider Forum Mobility said it plans to erect a new heavy-duty truck charging depot in the Port of Long Beach capable of providing high-speed charging infrastructure for hundreds of drayage trucks per day and supporting the transition of the state's drayage fleet to zero-emission.
Drayage carriers are already reserving chargers at the FM Harbor depot, the company claimed, because of the strategic location adjacent to terminals.
"Securing fully-staffed and dedicated charging inside the port makes us pioneers in the space, which puts us ahead of the competition," said Emmanuel Carrillo, CEO at Talon Logistics, a national drayage carrier based in Chino that has already secured dedicated charging at FM Harbor. "FM Harbor couldn't be more convenient – 7,000 trucks a day go into the Port of Long Beach, and our fleet will be one of the few able to charge right next to the terminals. Forum's turnkey charging solution allows me to focus on growing my business and serving my customers."
[Related: California 'not' dreaming: CARB year-end deadlines getting real for truckers]
The California Air Resources Board is requiring all of California's drayage fleet – approximately 33,000 class 8 trucks – to be zero-emission by 2035. By Jan. 1, 2024, any diesel trucks operating at the ports are required to register in CARB’s new system to be allowed to continue to operate. New trucks operating at the port will be required to be zero-emission after Jan. 1.
Charging infrastructure is a key ingredient for success: the California Energy Commission estimates that to comply with the Advanced Clean Fleet and other regulations, California will need 157,000 medium and heavy-duty chargers by 2030.
Forum's Port of Long Beach charging depot will offer 19 dual-port 360 kW chargers, and six 360 kW single-dispenser chargers, able to charge 44 trucks simultaneously, with the ability to charge an electric Class-8 truck in about 90 minutes, depending on battery size. The depot will be fully staffed and is scheduled to be online fall of 2024. At full capacity, it will serve over 200 trucks a day.
Forum Mobility's first tranche of eight charging depots, with capacity to charge about 600 trucks simultaneously, is scheduled to come online over the next 10-20 months.
[Related: With CARB ZEV deadline looming, port dray haulers turn to battery electric trucks]
Driver qualification management service added to Truckstop Marketplace
FleetDrive 360, a provider of a comprehensive, cloud-based service for managing driver qualifications and compliance, announced this week that it has joined the Truckstop Partner Marketplace.
“Managing compliance to ensure driver qualifications is critically important,” said Nic Salis COO at FleetDrive 360. “There is not only a legal obligation to comply with the Code of Federal Regulations for driver fitness and avoid penalties, fines, and potential legal and financial liability, there is a responsibility to ensure safety.”
FleetDrive 360 on the Truckstop Partner Marketplace is listed under the Compliance & Safety, Background Screening and Process Automation product categories. The single, consolidated system allows users to access and maintain:
- Driver qualification files
- Drug and alcohol clearinghouse
- Vehicle maintenance documents
- Accident reports
The platform also enables API connections for integration with existing transportation management systems and human resource platforms.
Peterbilt’s 750,000th tractor rolls of Denton assembly line
TMC Transportation received the 750,000th Peterbilt -- a Model 579 -- that rolled off the company's Denton, Texas, assembly line.Peterbilt
Peterbilt recently celebrated the production of the 750,000th truck assembled at its Denton, Texas manufacturing facility. The milestone truck, a Model 579, represents Peterbilt's dedication to excellence in manufacturing and the commitment of its workforce to maintain superior production quality since the facility opened in 1980, the company said.
Peterbilt presented TMC Transportation, Inc. with the keys to the truck at the Denton plant on November 14th. TMC, based in Des Moines, Iowa, a privately held flatbed carrier, runs a 100% Peterbilt fleet.
“TMC demands excellence when it comes to our equipment. Peterbilt trucks are meticulously specified for high performance and driver comfort to meet that demand,” said Jason Webb, TMC Transportation executive vice president, asset management. “It’s a great honor to receive this Model 579 and 750,000th truck assembled at the Denton manufacturing plant, and we celebrate this significant milestone with Peterbilt and Allstate Peterbilt Dealer Group, our outstanding partner.”
[Related: Peterbilt's 100,000th 389 goes to Texas-based fleet]
