14 DC VELOCITY MAY 2019 www.dcvelocity.com
newsworthy
Trucking industry faces challenges in parking, safety, insurance
Critical issues facing the trucking industry in 2019 include
truck parking, younger-driver safety, the return on investment (ROI) for new truck safety technologies, and the
impact of outsized “nuclear” verdicts, according to the
American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), the
research arm of the American Trucking Associations.
Arlington, Va.-based ATRI
put those issues at the top of
its 2019 Top Research Priorities
list, developed in collaboration
with its board of directors and
its research advisory committee.
The nonprofit research organization studies freight transportation’s role in maintaining a safe,
secure, and efficient transportation system.
According to ATRI, the top
research priorities for 2019 are:
b Standardizing truck parking information systems:
Developing ideal truck parking data formats and standards
based on truck-driver preferences
b Rethinking mileage-based safety metrics: Given the
growth in e-commerce and other industry trends that have
changed trip lengths and route locations, examining the
potential for new metrics to evaluate safety performance
beyond traditional accident rates per million vehicle miles
traveled
b Analyzing younger driver safety in intrastate driving:
Quantifying the safety performance of 18- to 20-year-old
truck drivers who are currently driving in intrastate oper-
ations versus experienced inter-
state commercial drivers
b Revising the ROI of truck
safety technologies: Updating
cost-benefit analyses that
ATRI originally conducted for
FMCSA (the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration)
on several more advanced safe-
ty technologies being deployed
today
b Analyzing the impact of
“nuclear” verdicts on trucking:
Documenting and quantifying historical trends associated
with growing jury awards and out-of-court settlements
b Revisiting tolls: Updating ATRI’s previous infrastructure
analyses to focus on tolls; conducting a comparative analy-
sis of toll revenue reinvestment in roads versus administra-
tion, and the equity of toll formulas for cars and trucks.
WDSrx has opened a 73,300-square-foot pharmaceutical
logistics facility in Lockbourne, Ohio. Located in Franklin
County, the warehouse is licensed by federal, state, and
other regulatory authorities for warehousing and ful-
fillment of prescription medications as well as human
and animal health and wellness products. … Arvato
SCM Solutions, an international supply chain manage-
ment and e-commerce service provider, has opened a
104,500-square-foot distribution center in Hong Kong
for a global high-tech client. … Third-party logistics
company Ceva Logistics and home furnishings retailer
Ikea have celebrated the opening of a new customer
distribution center at Staten Island, a borough of New
York City. Under terms of a five-year deal, Ceva will pro-
vide warehouse management and fulfillment services
at the 975,000-square-foot site for its client. … Apex
Companies, a provider of customized material handling
and storage solutions, has opened a “quick ship” ware-
house in Emporia, Va. The facility provides over 45,000
square feet of storage space to support Apex’s growing
new and used pallet rack business. … Pallet, crate, and
container manufacturer CHEP Automotive & Industrial
Solutions has celebrated the grand opening of its con-
tainer management service center in Querétaro, Mexico.
… Freight transportation and supply chain solutions com-
pany Averitt Express has opened a 75,000-square-foot
service center in Round Rock, Texas, to serve the Austin
market. In addition to 21,000 square feet of dock space
and 39 doors, the facility features 50,000 square feet
of warehousing space. … Integrated
design-build firm AM King has com-
pleted a 170,000-square-foot expan-
sion and renovation on grocer Aldi’s
South Windsor, Conn., food distribu-
tion facility, bringing the total space to 670,000 square
feet. … DHL Supply Chain, a contract logistics provider
and part of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has announced
plans to construct a distribution and warehouse park in
Dorchester County, S.C., that will open in phases. The
first new facility is expected to be completed in Q1 2020.
ground breakers
AM KING
