News roundup, Feb. 20: Jayne Denham to headline MATS concert; I-10, I-17 closures set for Phoenix this weekend

Updated Feb 21, 2020

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020:

Australian trucking troubadour Jayne Denham to headline MATS concert

Jayne Denham will headline the MATS concert on Friday, March 27, at Fourth Street Live in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.Jayne Denham will headline the MATS concert on Friday, March 27, at Fourth Street Live in downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

Australian country-rock singer-songwriter and truck show regular Jayne Denham will headline this year’s concert at the Mid-America Trucking Show. She’ll be joined by Tennessee country singer Larry Fleet, whose debut album was released in November.

The concert, sponsored by MobilDelvac, will be held Friday, March 27, at 7 p.m. at Fourth Street Live, an entertainment and retail venue in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The concert is free and open to show attendees who show their MATS badges. There will be free shuttles between the Expo Center and Fourth Street Live.

Trucker and singer-songwriter Tony Justice performs at the concert’s after-party.

MATS will be held March 26-28 at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville. Registration for MATS is free until Tuesday, Feb. 25 and can be done here.

Sections of I-10, I-17 set to close this weekend
Arizona Department of Transportation crews will close sections of I-10, I-17 and Loops 101, 202 and 303 near Phoenix for construction work including bridge removal and pavement repairs.

Westbound I-10 from 83rd and 99th avenues will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, through 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24. Additionally, the northbound Loop 202 ramp to westbound I-10 will be closed. ADOT suggests westbound I-10 drivers from the Tucson/Casa Grande region traveling beyond Phoenix take westbound I-8 to northbound State Route 85 to avoid the closure.

I-17 will be closed in both directions at Happy Valley Road (exit 218) from 10 p.m. Friday to 10 p.m. Sunday. I-17 traffic will be detoured along the off- and on-ramps at Happy Valley Road.

Northbound Loop 101 will be closed between Loop 202 and Ray Road in the Chandler area from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Eastbound Loop 202 will be closed between I-10 and Loop 101 from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday. Northbound Loop 303 will be closed between Cactus and Waddell roads from 10 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday.

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New TA Express opens in Utah
TravelCenters of America opened this week a new TA Express in Salina, Utah, along I-70 at exit 56 at the site of the former Xpress Fuel Stop.

The location offers 67 truck parking spaces, a Little Caesar’s restaurant and more. It is the company’s third location in Utah.

Knight-Swift joins pilot of DAT’s new Book Now instant load-booking feature
Knight-Swift Transportation and DAT Solutions announced Wednesday the fleet will lead a pilot of DAT Book Now, an automated system that lets carriers on the DAT load boards search for freight and lock in the rate by simply clicking a button.

DAT says the pilot program will run through the end of May, and the DAT Book Now feature will become available to all brokerages in June.

“DAT Book Now is a game-changer for brokers and carriers,” said Claude Pumilia, DAT CEO and President. “Today, tendering a load can involve multiple phone calls and interactions. DAT Book Now speeds up the process and leverages the trust and confidence the industry has in the DAT network as a place to do business. One click and everyone will know that the load is good to go.”

The news follows Tuesday’s announcement that the fleet is integrating Truckstop.com’s Book It Now feature into its logistics network.