| Archives/Subscribe | Printer-Friendly | Send to a Friend | www.foodshippersofamerica.org | March 11, 2015 |
This year’s conference included a "Ladies of Logistics" afternoon tea on Sunday as well as a first time attendee reception allowing different groups smaller venues to meet and talk with other participants.
Learn More... CSX, which operates the railroad that runs through Richmond and Berea, and The Conservation Fund, announced this past week that Berea-based Grow Appalachia will receive a $10,000. The money will be used to purchase a truck and refrigerated trailer to serve as a Grow Appalachia food aggregator, delivering perishable produce from Kentucky to markets and other hubs of distribution. Grow Appalachia supplies financial aid and technical support to 43 nonprofit organizations, according to the announcement. It will use their refrigerated truck to collect product from its growers in Kentucky and deliver it to markets, food hubs and other centers of distribution.
Learn More... They drove 3-inch nails into tires and the Goodyear tires stopped leaking more quickly.
A coast-down test got a pair of trucks up to 50 mph and then the drivers shifted into neutral in order to demonstrate low rolling resistance. The traction test had two trucks enter a wet pavement area — serially, not simultaneously — at 25 mph and then the drivers stomped their brakes to see who could stop most quickly. Improving fuel economy, even in small increments, is crucial, Buckham said, and he cited a study by the American Transportation Research Institute. Learn More... 
Celadon Group Inc., a large trucking and logistics provider with a major presence in the U.S.-Mexico and intra-Mexican markets, said yesterday it broke ground for a truck terminal complex in Laredo, Texas, that, when completed, will be roughly twice the size of its current facility.
The first phase, set for completion by year's end, calls for a 126,000 square-foot warehouse operation with 20 cross docks, Celadon said. The second phase of construction, which will begin six to 18 months after the first phase is finished, will expand the terminal to 200,000 square feet and to 40 cross docks. The new complex will be constructed on a 51-acre site, Celadon said. Its existing Laredo facility sits on 25 acres. The older facility will be converted into a driver training school and a maintenance operation, according to the company. Learn More... Trucker Path, the San Jose-based startup that helps truck drivers find rest stops and weigh stations through a mobile app, announced yesterday it received US$1.5 million in funding from RenRen, the Chinese internet company best known for its eponymous social network.
Launched in 2013, Trucker Path provides truckers with a crowds sourced map of parking areas, truck washes, petrol stations and the like. But the future of its business looks to be Truckloads, a separate app (currently invite-only) that connects drivers looking to fill their cargo space with shippers and brokers looking to offload units. In short, it’s Uber’s model, but applied to trucking. Learn More... 
The number of miles vehicles travel on Utah roads is projected to increase 80 percent over the next 30 years.
Andrew Gruber, executive director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council, said that’s what transportation officials are anticipating for the future needs of the state’s transportation system, with Utah’s population expected to double by 2050. Learn More... When it comes to new fuel developments within the trucking industry, there are naysayers left and right with mixed opinions about alternative fuels. What we offer here are some myths about alternative fuels — and perhaps a dose of reality.
In the last decade, heavy-duty truck emissions have been reduced some 95 percent and, specifically, diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. As a reference point, today it takes about 60 big rigs to produce the emission levels of one unit built on the late 80s. Rarely do we see a truck engine smoking today. At last October’s Green Fleet Conference, a panel of experts talked about the misconceptions that are often floated regarding alternative fuels. Although the panel took the format of a humorous late-night talk show, the topics discussed were serious. So we thought we’d look at debunking the five biggest myths regarding alternative fuels according to Edmunds. Learn More... 
The Michigan Department of Transportation laid out its plan for the northwest lower area of Michigan on Tuesday afternoon, during their annual public input meeting in Grand Traverse County.
Three projects are planned for the rest of 2015. The major project to hit drivers first is a $10.5 million road re-construction of US 31 between Holiday Rd. and Three Mile Rd. near Acme. Learn More... Gladstein, Neandross and Associates (GNA), organizer of the Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, has announced the featured speaker lineup for its 2015 conference and exhibition, which will take place May 4-7 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
On May 5, Gregg Roden, SVP of productivity and sustainability at Frito-Lay, will provide the keynote presentation. Frito-Lay operates an AFV fleet of nearly 300 electric trucks, 200 CNG trucks, 650 hybrids and a growing number of propane autogas and biodiesel vehicles. Roden will share why the $13 billion division of PepsiCo is set on becoming the most fuel-efficient fleet in the country. Learn More... 
Oregon is home to 31 bottled water companies, and only Nestlé is controversial enough to flood state officials' inboxes with protest emails.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Curt Melcher received so many in the wake of the Cascade Locks City Council's vote to fast-track the approval process for a proposed Nestlé bottling plant in the town, he filtered them into a special folder. Learn More... Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America Inc. announced that beginning March 2 Freightliner Cascadia and Cascadia Evolution trucks can roll off of the production line equipped with Webasto’s digital SmarTemp Control.
Designed to work exclusively with Webasto’s Air Top 2000 ST bunk air heater, Webasto’s SmarTemp Control delivers precise temperature control with a rotary dial that lets drivers dial in the temperature they want while the device does the rest. The SmarTemp Control maintains constant bunk temperatures, which reduces idling and leads to fuel savings, according to the company. Learn More... 
With a strong portfolio of unrivaled brands and an innovative pipeline to address changing consumer preferences, this food and beverage giant is striving to improve its operational strategy and product quality to avoid costly executional missteps and recalls that held back its productivity in the past year.
Learn More... The ad tagline, "You’ve come a long way, baby," was created for a women’s cigarette, but it’s just as applicable to the logistics of food and beverage transportation.
Supply chain logistics was a back-burner concern for food manufacturers in the 20th century. Production was where companies concentrated time and capital, and today’s finely tuned lines are testaments to the success of those efforts. As management cast its gaze for the next target, logistics waste stood out as a fat target for cost savings. As recently as 2003, one-quarter of food transport trucks on the road were empty, estimated KPMG. General Mills Co. believed it could save $1 billion over the ensuing decade simply by collaborating with other food companies to fill trailers on the back haul. The cereal giant even entered discussions with competitor Kellogg Co. to piggyback grocery store deliveries, before cultural and personality differences put the kibosh on the idea. Learn More... |
| Food Shippers of America 1546 Shire Circle, Inverness IL 60067 303-319-5215 | media@foodshippersofamerica.org |