inbound
When it comes to logistics tools
that must be connected to the
power grid, most people think of
bar-code scanners, RFID readers,
smartphones, and maybe even
electric trucks. But operators at
the Port of Oakland say they’ve
seen a steady rise in something
much larger plugging into their
electric grid—cargo ships.
Oakland officials recently
announced that 75 percent of
the 1,543 ships that called at the
port in 2018 used “shore power,”
meaning they cut their engines
and used landside electrical
power while docked at the facility. That was up from 68 percent
the prior year. Port officials also
said shore power use reached an
all-time high of 82 percent in
December—a number they’re
now working to push even higher.
As for what’s behind the push,
it’s all about curbing emissions
and improving air quality. By
switching to landside power to
run systems ranging from lights
to container refrigeration systems, ships reduce the amount of
diesel particulate exhaust released
into the atmosphere.
“Shore power is the most effective way we know to reduce vessel emissions,” Port of Oakland
Environmental Planner Catherine
Mukai said in a statement. “We’re
pleased because the trends are
positive.”
Port of Oakland
finds success with
“electric avenue”
When we think of “virtual assistants,” Siri and Alexa typically
come to mind. But truck drivers now have another option: Elle.
Developed specifically for use by U.S. fleet drivers, Elle is a
voice-enabled virtual assistant designed to provide quick and easy
access to vehicle- and fleet-related information, according to the developer,
Alpharetta, Ga.-based fleet management company LeasePlan USA. The company, which says it will offer Elle as a feature within its MyLeasePlan mobile
app, describes Elle as an “intelligent” virtual assistant that leverages voice recognition technology and artificial intelligence to help drivers make the most of
their time by delivering instant answers to their questions.
“When a driver is faced with a challenge or needs answers to questions like
‘what is my fuel card PIN?’ or ‘I have a flat tire, where do I go for service?’, it
may take several minutes or more to locate a fleet manager or call in to a phone
line,” Felipe Smolka, LeasePlan’s executive vice president of transformation,
said in a release. “Our goal with Elle has always been to increase independence
for drivers, reducing their need to reach out to their fleet managers about day-to-day operational questions.”
Goodbye, Siri. Hello, Elle?
Trucking professionals may debate their pet peeves, from hours-of-service
caps to lengthy detention times at customers’ DCs. But one earns universal
scorn—traffic. The reason for that is no mystery. Congestion costs the trucking industry 1.2 billion hours of lost time a year, according to the American
Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the research arm of the American
Trucking Associations (ATA).
To assess the level of congestion on U.S. highways, ATRI compiles a list of the
nation’s biggest chokepoints each year. The rankings, which are based on GPS
data from nearly a million heavy-duty trucks, are intended to support federal
infrastructure planning initiatives by identifying problem areas, ATRI says.
So where is the most notorious chokepoint in the country? According to
the 2019 “Top 100 Truck Bottleneck List,” it’s Fort Lee, N.J.—specifically the
intersection of I-95 and SR 4 at the western end of New York City’s George
Washington Bridge. The rest of the top 10 include:
2. Atlanta: I-285 at I-85 (North)
3. Atlanta: I- 75 at I-285 (North)
4. Los Angeles: SR 60 at SR 57
5. Houston: I- 45 at I-69/US 59
6. Cincinnati: I- 71 at I- 75
7. Chicago: I-290 at I-90/I-94
8. Nashville, Tenn.: I-24/I- 40 at I-440 (East)
9. Atlanta: I- 20 at I-285 (West)
10. Los Angeles: I-710 at I-105
“ATRI’s research shows us where the worst pain points are—but they are far
from the only ones,” Chris Spear, ATA president and CEO, said in a statement
accompanying the list’s release. “Without meaningful investment in our nation’s
infrastructure, carriers will continue to endure billions of dollars in conges-tion-related costs—which results in a self-inflicted drag on our economy.”
Damn the traffic jam!
