Calling it "an important tool, enabling law enforcement to take unsafe trucks and unsafe truckers off our roads," Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater is urging Congress to enact new safety legislation that will significantly increase the government's authority over intrastate operations of trucking firms, as well as shippers, brokers, and others involved in transportation.

Under the Motor Carrier Safety Act of 1997, shippers, brokers, and others who place economic coercion on truckers to break regulations will be held responsible for their actions for the first time. The legislation would allow the Dept. of Transportation to bring civil or criminal penalties against anyone who pressures truckers to violate safety regulations.

This means that a shipper, for instance, could be held liable -- along with the trucking firm -- if it demands that the trucker exceed the speed limit to make a deadline. Currently, trucking firms bear the full responsibility for such violations.

Although many large fleets can resist such pressure, many smaller fleets, for economic reasons, cannot. This legislation could help many trucking companies, large and small, resist undue pressure.

Dale Craig, chairman and CEO of Craig Transport, Perrysville, Ohio, says that his company resists pressure to break safety regulations, but that no company wants to disappoint a client. "Sometimes they put us in a tough spot," says Craig. He supports this section of the legislation. "I think shippers should have some responsibility."

The proposed legislation also would give federal officials more power over intrastate trucking operations if the company is bound by federal laws. In other words, if an interstate carrier's intrastate operations are suspect, this law would give federal investigators jurisdiction over the in-state violations.

Under the proposal, DOT would also have the power to close unsafe operations if a company does not meet safety criteria. Currently, DOT only orders companies to close if their operations are `an imminent hazard' to public safety. Passenger and hazardous materials carriers would still have 45 days to correct their problems, the same as current regulations. All other carriers would have 60 days to correct problems, although the law provides for an additional 60 days under certain circumstances.

The Act would also close a current loophole that allows companies to dangerously overload trucks as a way to bypass safety regulations. DOT proposes that vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) of at least 10,001 lb. be considered commercial motor vehicles. This would put a stop to the fleet practice of purchasing vehicles with low GVWRs and then purposely overloading them. In essence, this provision would change the definition of a truck's weight to be the actual gross vehicle weight rather than its gross vehicle weight rating.

Trucking companies would also receive relief from some liability issues associated with hiring drivers. Currently, carriers are required to ask for drivers' previous safety performance history, but companies have been hesitant to supply this information for fear of being sued if they give a driver a poor rating. This legislation would limit liability for defamation, libel, and invasion of privacy for both the requesting company and the company supplying the information.

While chances for this legislation are dim for this session, Slater hopes to tack it onto the ISTEA II legislation that is nearing a compromise on Capitol Hill. Although Congress may not enact a multi-year highway bill this session, stopgap legislation of six months to a year is expected to ensure that road-building funds continue to flow.

Next year's safety agenda will include two other major issues. The first is hours-of-service/driver fatigue. The second is safety ratings.

Because of the big stakes involved, DOT is taking its time collecting data on fatigue and hours of service. It has been gathering information from governments and industries around the world. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that we will not see draft legislation until 1999. "DOT is being very methodical in its hours-of-service inquiry," notes John Collins, senior vice president of government affairs for the American Trucking Assns. "There are many dimensions to it." The crux of the problem lies in how to draft a mass regulation when fatigue and alertness is an individual medical matter.

FHWA is in the process of rethinking its safety ratings program after a court ruled in March that the rulemaking process was invalid. Office of Motor Carriers Administrator George Reagle has stated that he will continue to focus the organization's attention on producing a system of performance-based ratings for carriers, such as the number of accidents, rather than other recordkeeping exercises like driver and inspection logs.

Lending credence to this beefed up safety presence, FHWA shut down a Maryland-based motor carrier following a series of serious safety violations, including a fatal crash while one of its trucks was being driven illegally. The order declaring J&D Byrd, Fort Washington, imminently hazardous and unfit for highway transportation will remain in effect until all violations are corrected and the carrier demonstrates an improvement in safety control.

The company was involved in a highly publicized accident that killed a motorist when a dump truck loaded with sand flipped and landed on top of a passenger car. The driver had been found to have numerous violations, including driving out-of-hours. FHWA determined that the fleet had helped the driver obtain a restricted license. Further, the carrier was not conducting the required drug testing, lacked proper insurance, and had failed to keep driver qualification files and inspection reports.

Heavy-truck emissions rules confirmed for model-year 2004.

As expected, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized new diesel emissions standards designed to further reduce pollution. The EPA action confirms earlier emissions targets for combined oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and hydrocarbon (HC) from heavy-duty diesel engines used in trucks and buses effective for model-year 2004.

Under the rules, engine makers can certify their engines to either 2.4 g/bhp-hr. NMHC + NOx, or 2.5 g/bhp-hr. NMHC + NOx with a limit of 0.5 g/bhp-hr. on NMHC. Those levels represent a 50% reduction in NOx emissions from the 1998 standard. EPA proposed the same standard for gasoline-fueled engines, but opted not to finalize it, pending further evaluation. A technology review will be undertaken in 1999 to assess industry progress and propose changes in the standards if necessary.

In addition to the truck and bus rules, EPA proposed tighter standards for most off-road equipment with diesel engines, including bulldozers, logging equipment, and forklifts.

The agency said this final action, combined with a proposal announced the same day to phase in tighter emissions limits for off-road diesel engines, will reduce pollution by 2.7-million tons a year. According to EPA, this is equivalent to taking 6-million heavy trucks off the road.

The regulations were released as the Clinton Administration unveiled its strategy for the international global-warming treaty to be negotiated in December. In an effort to build awareness and support of the treaty, Clinton has said he wants developing nations to agree to reduce carbon dioxide and other man-made pollutants.

Many American businesses, fearing that the burden of the proposed remedies may fall disproportionately on them, are monitoring the negotiating process closely.

Over the last two years, the trucking industry has worked closely with the government in the development of this rule. "This is the culmination of the process to lead us to the cleanest diesel engine in history in 2004," says Allen Schaeffer, vp-environmental affairs for the American Trucking Assns. "This is a different kind of leap in technology because we may very well be seeing some things on the engine that could have had a reputation in the past of causing problems, e.g., exhaust gas recirculation and exhaust aftertreatment. We hope it works out without any major penalties to fuel economy or maintenance."

The real question is whether the new rule will be sufficient to avoid other restrictions. "As the debate over ambient air quality standards heats up, the rule be the subject of increased discussion, especially since it doesn't do anything to the particulate standard, which seems to be the new focus now," adds Schaeffer.

Continuing concerns over alleged financial improprieties continue to dog the Teamsters Union and will force a new election early next year.

U.S. District Court Judge David Edelstein has set a new election for March 1998, just as the Teamsters' National Master Freight Agreement comes up for renewal.

Edelstein also appointed former U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Conboy to oversee the election after Barbara Zack Quindel resigned.

Conboy's first decision will be to determine whether current Teamster president Ron Carey is eligible to run in the election. Two days of testimony in October before the House Education and Workforce oversight subcommittee about the Teamsters' 1996 election brought to public attention several instances where union members said they were coerced into contributing money to the Carey campaign.

Electronic challenge ATA has challenged an FHWA policy allowing the agency's field staff to demand satellite tracking data from motor carriers for law enforcement purposes. The directive, issued last August, authorizes field inspectors to require carriers in compliance reviews to provide electronic records to back up their drivers' log books in demonstrating compliance with hours-of-service rules.

Hiring rules tightened Under the Fair Credit and Reporting Act, effective Oct. 1, 1997, employers must inform driver applicants in writing, and obtain written consent in return, if they plan to check safety and/or performance records through third-party providers. If this information results in a "no hire" decision, applicants must be told how to get a copy of the report. The Truckload Carriers Assn. is lobbying to get an exemption for trucking.

Self-insurance redux As part of ICC sunset legislation, DOT was directed to evaluate standards for carriers to be approved as self-insurers. Under an advance notice of proposed rulemaking, published last September, existing requirements will be examined and the need for changes in the fee structure will be addressed.

Haz-mat rules delayed DOT has delayed for one year a rule extending federal haz-mat regs to intrastate transportation. Intrastate haz-mat carriers must comply with the rule beginning Oct. 1, 1998.

Transport spending up House and Senate members, meeting to hammer out differences in their respective transportation budgets for fiscal-year 1998, agreed to a $42-billion measure that will increase spending on highways by 20%. The overall budget contains $5 billion more in spending than the 1997 package that expired Sept. 30.

Manufacturers also reveal strategies to carry them through coming years.

Despite a new study that called into question the magnitude of the driver shortage, drivers, or rather the lack of drivers, dominated the discussions at the annual management conference of the American Trucking Assns. last month.

The new study, "Empty Seats and Musical Chairs," conducted by the Gallup Organization for the ATA Foundation, blames the nagging number of vacancies on "churning" -- trading drivers between companies. In fact, 80% of the roughly 400,000 openings that appear every year at U.S. trucking companies are created by drivers seeking better opportunities with other companies.

The study found that continued industry growth and driver attrition will require the industry to hire some 80,000 new drivers annually over the next decade -- a much smaller number than previously thought.

Recognizing that satisfied drivers tend to stay in their jobs, Gallup looked into the factors that encourage loyalty among employees by interviewing 801 drivers who have been with their current employers for at least five years. By shedding light on what motivates drivers, the Gallup study can give trucking companies some insight on how to improve driver retention and reduce "the number of empty seats and the tendency toward musical chairs," said Greg Lebedev, managing director of the ATA Foundation.

Some examples: Provide steady work and regular driving assignments; show genuine care, friendliness, and fairness on the part of managers; boost pay; give drivers support from the company while they're on the road; balance workhours with time at home; and provide good equipment.

The Gallup study found that most drivers say they are very satisfied (43%) or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. As a rule, the longer they had been driving, the greater the degree of satisfaction. The study then looked at the level of loyalty to the profession. To gauge the level of commitment, the survey asked two questions: "If you had it to do over again, would you choose trucking as a profession?" and "would you recommend truck driving as an occupation to your family and friends?"

Answers to both questions demonstrate that the commitment of long-tenured drivers is not as great as their job satisfaction. Some 63% of the surveyed drivers said they would choose to drive a truck again, while only 44% said they would recommend it.

"Obtaining commitment among workers should be a goal for the trucking industry because it leads to high retention and helps create a positive image for the occupation," according to the report.

The study also revealed that the industry's perception of how the public views drivers could be hurting its ability to recruit qualified people. "While trucking executives and truck drivers believe the public has a very negative attitude about truck drivers," the report said, "most adults (80%) have a positive view of them."

The industry's search for new drivers will force it beyond traditional labor pools. The segment that historically has been a prime source of labor for trucking is white males age 20-24. The growth rate for that group is anticipated to lag behind the number of job opportunities. That means trucking should look to minorities and women to slip behind the wheel.

Don Schneider, president of the nation's largest truckload carrier, Schneider National, agrees that retaining drivers remains the fundamental challenge. "Simple solutions don't work," he says. "Pay and improved working conditions address only part of the problem. Driving is hard work, and in an economy that has a number of opportunities that are less demanding in terms of personal time, we need to continue to find ways to make the job attractive to people in different categories."

While recent increases in driver pay have helped, Schneider hinted that the industry would benefit from more advances through more productive trucks. "The customer and the industry benefit from those productivity adjustments."

That's music to Jim Hebe's ears. The president and CEO of Freightliner Corp. said his company was pushing new product improvements designed to attract quality drivers and to help increase productivity.

"The goal of driver productivity improvements is to keep them more alert, more informed, and in control so they can make the most of their driving hours every day," Hebe said. Most of this falls into the areas of better comfort, ergonomics, and information.

New comfort factors to look for include better suspension systems, such as adjustable shock absorbers and reductions in cab noise. "Manufacturers will do this by improving isolation, insulation, and reducing the openings in the cab, such as around the shift lever, using new shift assist systems, by new exhaust compression brake technology, new transmission gearing technology, and by reducing even the most minute vibrations," said Hebe.

The new cabs will also offer improved ergonomics, enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheels with access to driver information in one integrated center.

Hebe also said coming attractions include improved seating, better batteries, new belt systems, and electronic brakes, as well as extended service components designed to increase reliability and durability.

Mack fuels electronic revolution As Hebe was spelling out his vision for future product launches, officials at Mack Trucks confirmed the customer was looking for increased longevity, reliability, and quality.

"Fleets are looking for vehicles that operate as a system," said Michel Gigou, president and CEO of Mack. "They are not just buying the hardware; they ar e looking to buy a transportation solution. They are looking for our input in what kinds of trucks they operate.

"As manufacturers take on more equipment responsibilities, fleets can focus on the economics of their operation," he said. "Increasingly, they are looking for us to understand their operations and develop a truck to do the job. It's the dealer's responsibility to make sure the trucks stay on the job.

"As a group -- OE, dealer, and fleet -- we have to concentrate all of the resources to optimize the system. Each part has to add value to the whole line."

It used to be that Mack's value came from combining the metal, aluminum, and rubber. No longer. "Now, the strength of Mack is that it is integrating information throughout the system," Gigou said. "All the systems must talk with each other."

That points to the challenge of new product development. As Mack looks to continue to improve its product lineup, "we are at the advent of the electronic revolution," said Steve Homcha, vp-engineering. "Electronics will play a stronger role in the operation of a truck."

Mack's vision is an electronic architecture that reads all systems, determining whether they are working properly and helping to forecast when conditions have deteriorated. The system could help reconfigure the truck on the road to provide the most appropriate power needed.

"The data is available," Homcha said. "We are on the threshold of a revolution in electronics that will provide business with better control over the operations, the environment, and the skills of their drivers."

The electronic information must fit differently with the existing CH highway product, as well as future product launches. That means vehicle architecture configured without all the various add-ons.

In some cases, it will mean teaming with other suppliers to bring in the right technology. Homcha mentioned the recent Eaton alliance on transmissions as a case in point. That infusion of sophisticated technology into the product will continue to drive down the number of suppliers in the process.

This new electronic era will require a different type of person to do the servicing. That will continue the exodus of fleet maintenance and servicing from the fleet shop to dealer locations -- a move Mack is backing with improved training and a network of dealers.

Paul Vikner, executive vp-sales and marketing, spoke of a future in which Mack dealers would be divided into regional or core dealers that would handle services supported by satellite offices. "A lot of dealers are facing radical change," he pointed out. "They will be challenged. But the visionary dealer will help us set up systems that will handle changing customer needs."

The next several years will be heavy in terms of product development, with new products expected in the over-the-road market and vocational niches. "Our strategy is not to outgrow ourselves," said Gigou. "We are not going to forget that we are a leader in the vocational market."

And new product offerings will not be limited to the heavy-duty market, Mack officials said.

Volvo details global vision Another company with designs on new markets is Volvo Trucks North America. While performance in Volvo's core fleet customer base, the LTL sector, has been solid so far this year, the company has developed a new 770 super sleeper, which is derived from the VN platform, and aimed at the heart of the premium-spec'd owner-operator segment.

More than a year after taking the helm of Volvo Trucks North America, Marc Gustafson has put in place the management team and vision -- firmly grounded in customer support and global presence -- needed to restore the luster to the company's image. "The reality of the situation," he admitted in an exclusive interview with FLEET OWNER, "is that the magnitude of change to move Volvo forward was greater than I had expected."

The first step in Volvo's road to recovery was to develop a seasoned leadership team. Towards that end, he has added 15 new executives, all but two from outside the company.

With the team in place, Gustafson's immediate mission was to strengthen the operation by drawing on global synergies in areas "where they make sense," such as research, engineering, purchasing, and financing," explains Gustafson, who is president and CEO.

To move in that direction, Volvo has established global centers of excellence in areas such as electronics, chassis development, and cab design that can help differentiate it in the marketplace. Gustafson heads the electronics group.

Volvo's global strategy helps boost the reliability and the quality of the products, according to Gustafson. It also is the foundation for Gustafson's five-point program, dubbed "Our Road":

* Focus on operating efficiency. The goal, which includes new quality benchmarks, is well under way with the consolidation of manufacturing into one plant and harmonization of purchasing.

* Image management. In a bid to attract new customers, Volvo recognizes it needs to blow its own horn. "We have the highest close rate in the industry, but the lowest awareness," says Gustafson. "More than 73% of the buyers exposed to the VN buy it. Yet we still don't have high awareness."

The push to revitalize its image came earlier this year when Volvo bought out the remaining GM stake in the company and changed from Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corp. to Volvo Trucks North America.

* Distribution management. Gustafson wants to ensure that Volvo satisfies its customer's demands for equipment, parts, and service.

* Customer interface. Following the lead established in Europe, Gustafson plans on inaugurating an Action Service team in the U.S. The team monitors the activity of all Volvo fleets, scheduling rental units and arranging for service calls in the event of a breakdown. That will move Volvo a step closer to guaranteeing uptime for the customer.

* Product innovation. This goal helps retain existing customers and capture new ones.

Product innovation underscores the company's belief in integrated, or modular, product offerings. "When people take a look at the total Volvo offering, they're buying it," he says. In fact, nearly one in three VN customers spec the unit with Volvo power. Across the product line the numbers are not as strong, but clearly trending in that direction. So far this year, the number of customers spec'ing Volvo power is 22%, up four points from '96 figures and 10 from two years ago.

Properly implemented, Gustafson believes that continued customer focus combined with strong financial performance and dealer support will help Volvo recapture market share lost over the past several years.

Freightliner names division acquired from Ford Heavy Truck

Freightliner Corp. has announced that its new Ford Heavy Trucks acquisition will be known as Sterling Truck Corp. The new name, months in the making, "originally a measure of the high purity of silver, has come to describe the condition of delivering first-rate quality and full value," Freightliner president and CEO James L. Hebe said in making the announcement. "Sterling is not just our name, it's the reputation we intend to earn."

The nameplate will be applied to the entire line of heavy trucks formerly produced by Ford, including the Cargo and the Louisville/ AeroMax (HN80). Freightliner acquired the Ford division earlier this year.

Sales and marketing of the Freightliner and Sterling products will follow independent paths, directed from separate headquarters and regional offices. Sterling will be based in Willoughby, Ohio.

Freightliner also announced that it was assimilating the $60 million in parts inventory received in the acquisition into its network of parts distribution centers, including a new 800,000-sq.-ft. site in Memphis.

John Merrifield, former general marketing and sales manager at Ford Heavy Truck, has been appointed senior vp-sales and marketing for Sterling. Scott Kress, formerly senior vp-fleet sales and national accounts at Mack Trucks, has been named vp-sales. Kress will lead a team of four regional managers responsible for sales of the HN80: Bob Carrick, eastern region; Matthew Kelly, central region; Dean Lindquist, southeast region; and David Wood, western region.

Navistar International Transportation Corp. has announced the most significant new truck product development effort for the company in the last 22 years. In addition, the company has announced a simplified ordering process for its medium-duty trucks.

Central to the effort was the renewal of the "next generation" truck. That initiative provides a $686-million infusion for the creation of a full line of medium trucks and chassis, school bus chassis, and conventional heavy trucks and chassis.

Featuring advances in cab environment, visibility, and maneuverability, the first new products are expected to roll off the assembly lines beginning in 2001.

This modular approach was evident as Navistar rolled out its Diamond SPEC for Medium. The program allows fleets to choose from 16 pre-engineered component modules instead of the 1,250 individual feature codes.

"Customers benefit with a faster, simpler order process, pre-engineered component compatibility, improved quality, and enhanced overall vehicle performance," said Don DeFosset, president of Navistar's truck group. "More importantly, customers get guaranteed reliability with unprecedented service and limited warranty options."

The program can be used to order International 4000 trucks in van, flatbed/stake, dump, refrigerated van, and recovery configurations. That covers more than 65% of its customers.

Plus, Navistar is backing those trucks ordered through Diamond SPEC with two-year unlimited mileage warranty, double that of the company's standard warranty.

Cummins Engine Co. has introduced a new and improved 2,200-rpm governed speed 8.3-liter vocational engine. The ISC is a 1,530-lb. engine with full-authority electronic controls that can produce the power and torque of heavier 10-liter powerplants, but weighs nearly 500 lb. less. The new unit is available in ratings up to 300 hp. (950 lb.-ft. of torque) for truck and bus applications, and 350 hp. (1,050 lb.-ft. of torque) for RVs and fire apparatus.

The engine maker says that there are several reasons for the ISC engine's high level of performance. The first is a new breathing system. The ISC's head has a two-exhaust, two-intake per cylinder valve arrangement. Boost is provided by a wastegated HX40 turbo. This blower and head combination gives the engine significantly greater volumetric efficiency, allowing it to generate more torque for its displacement size.

The 24-valve head, with a redesigned rocker system that requires no checking for at least 150,000 miles, made it possible for Cummins to locate the fuel injectors in the center of the cylinders. Fueling is handled by the Cummins Accumulator Pump System, consisting of small Bosch injectors and a single solenoid at the pump that serves all six injectors. This is a hybrid system that features elements of common rail and pump-line-nozzle technology. This system controls injection pressures independent of engine speed.

Working with the new head, the fueling system raises combustion efficiency, thus producing greater low-end torque. This gives the driver a faster throttle response across the operating range.

Cummins demonstrated the ISC engine's performance advantage in a recent Las Vegas demo. Two Kenworth dump trucks were pitted against a 5% grade. One of the trucks was powered by a new ISC, the other by a Cummins L-10. Both engines had similar 300-hp. ratings and were set up for equal road speed at governed engine rpm. Despite being burdened with an extra 5,000 lb. of payload, the ISC-powered unit won the hill climb.

Not only does the ISC engine produce additional torque throughout its operating range, but it does so with less mechanical noise. The engine has been hushed by up to 3 dbA at maximum governed speed, and 2 dbA at idle.

The engine's block needed to be stiffened and its gear housing beefed up to handle the additional demands. There are fewer external lines in the ISC than the C 8.3 engine, which is in keeping with the OEM's efforts to integrate fluid lines into blocks and heads to eliminate potential leak points.

Special attention was also given to front accessory drives. Repositioned elements give more precise pulley-drivebelt alignments and better tensioning control, which should mean longer belt life. Since service intervals have been stretched to 15,000 miles for oil and filter, the ISC needs less routine maintenance. Cummins believes that it is possible to achieve a 20% or greater reduction in cost of ownership with the ISC engine.

The ISC is the first engine in its class to offer J1939 capability. This expands powertrain and vehicle communications capabilities, including improved diagnostics.

ISC not only adjusts engine operation to deliver optimum engine performance, but coordinates functions between the powerplant and vehicle systems such as transmission, antilock brake and traction control, cab information, and even collision avoidance. It also interfaces with the entire family of Cummins Intelect engine software programs, including RoadRelay and Inform.

Cummins Engine Co. teamed with Amtech Corp. to produce a short-range RF (radio frequency) tag that can transmit engine and vehicle operating data whenever a vehicle drives by a fixed tag reader. The two-way tag can also be used to reprogram Cummins' electronically controlled diesels -- eliminating the need for a hard-wired connection.

The Datalink System works with all Cummins CELECT Plus electronically controlled engines, including the new ISC, the ISB, the M11, and the N14. The system works with a small RF tag that connects to the J1587 databus and is affixed to the windshield. Information gleaned by the tag reader is transferred via a serial port connection to a PC loaded with either Cummins' INFORM or INSPEC fleet management software, and processed. Software can help analyze trip performances, check fuel economy and idling times, and provide information on fleet-vehicle trends. If fleets want, reports can be customized to highlight specific requirements or specialized applications.

Visitors to the exhibition at the 1998 American Trucking Assns.' annual convention in Las Vegas might think they'd wandered into a leftover from the COMDEX computer exposition. As might be expected, there were some trucks and components on the show floor, but software developers, wireless communications systems, and other information technology providers filled the lion's share of the booths and floor space. What follows are some of the information management highlights from the show and related events.

ORBCOMM prepares for full service With two launches scheduled over the next few months, ORBCOMM announced at the ATA annual meeting that it will add 10 satellites to its LEO (low earth orbiting) network by January and have full commercial communications service by mid-1998. Currently, the company has two satellites in orbit, giving U.S. customers access to the wireless tracking and communications system approximately eight times a day. Eventually, the company plans to have a 36-satellite LEO network.

ORBCOMM is relying on value-added resellers such as ARINC, LoadLink, DAC Services, and GemTrac to provide fleets with messaging, untethered trailer tracking, and other wireless services.

Internet dispatch system from XATA Expanding beyond its on-board computer products, XATA Corp. announced a Windows-based dispatch system that can be deployed over the Internet. Called Desktop Dispatch, the program has already been chosen by Ryder Integrated Logistics for its freight management services division.

A second Internet-based program announced at ATA automates and manages road service operations, including tracking and reporting calls for road assistance. According to XATA the first user of the Transportation Breakdown Management System will be UPS Truck Leasing

The company also announced new GPS vehicle tracking software for use with its new Mobile Application Server onboard computer system. Called Position Plus, it automates fuel-tax reporting by recording state-line crossings without any input from drivers.

Lanier offers imaging services, systems Taking a consultative approach, Lanier Worldwide is offering fleets a range of document-management services that includes analysis of current operations, non-vendor specific proposals for automating document handling, and integration support, as well as its own Centralized Automated Billing System (CABS).

The CABS document imaging system can be customized to fit a wide variety of truckload and LTL applications. However, Lanier says successful implementation of such an automated system requires more than hooking up scanners and data storage equipment, so the company has also developed its menu of consulting and support services to help fleets obtain the productivity gains they expect from document imaging.

Teletrac adds two West Coast cities The land-based vehicle location and communications services offered by Teletrac Inc. are now available in San Francisco and San Diego. With operations in nine U.S. cities, Teletrac announced at the ATA meeting that it plans to expand coverage into the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., in 1998.

Other plans for the system, which offers real-time vehicle location even in dense, urban environments where GPS is sometimes ineffective, include new fleet management software options.

RAM's entry-level wireless dispatch Using a small two-way pager with a full keyboard, RAM Interactive Dispatch provides simple wireless messaging for a flat per-month fee. The system from RAM Mobile Data also includes PC software for managing the system and wireless service over RAM's land-based packet data communications network.

Intended as an entry-level wireless system, it is pre-programmed with industry-specific messages for P&D, field service, utility, and other fleet applications, and can also handle short, free-form messages. If a mobile unit is out of reach or turned off, the system stores messages until they can be delivered, and it sends receipt acknowledgement once they are delivered. The monthly costs for the system, including the pager, range from $65 to $75, depending on the specific fleet application.

Haz-mat and street-level routing ALK Assocs. took the opportunity at ATA's annual show to introduce a Windows-based versions of its PC*Miler routing software.

PC*Miler/HazMat is designed to build routes and calculate mileage for fleets that need to work with federal, state, and local hazardous-materials restrictions. The Windows program can quickly generate compliant routes by haz-mat class, including explosives, inhalants, and radioactive materials.

PC*Miler/Streets, which should be ready for release by the beginning of 1998, provides address-to-address routing and mileage for commercial fleet operations.

Device measures vibration exposure Developed by Liberty Mutual's research center for safety and health, a portable device can measure and analyze whole-body vibration that may increase the risk of work-related spinal damage. For example, Liberty Mutual has already used the computerized meter to measure the effectiveness of a new driver's seat in a specific truck and to test various adjustments for that seat.

Robert Gosnell, asst. vice president for contracting and transportation services at Liberty Mutual, says the new tool will help the company explore the relationship between whole-body vibration and lower-back disability out in truck cabs and other field locations that can't be readily duplicated in a lab.

Vibration exposure evaluations and recommendations are now available to Liberty Mutual insurance customers as part of its loss prevention consulting service program. Non-customers can also get a one-day field evaluation on a fee-for-service basis.

"Maintenance Master" honored Dryden Oil Co. has named Pat Mulrooney as it 1997 Maintenance Master. The fleet maintenance manager for Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., Mulrooney has successfully led his shop operation through a restructuring that reduced maintenance costs while improving equipment uptime by 50%. In the process, he convinced the company's management to keep its maintenance operations in-house rather than go to full-service leasing.

Runners-up in the program's fleet category were Seven Hills Transport of Catersville, Ga., and Lily Transportation of Needham, Mass.

Dryden inaugurated the Maintenance Master program this year "to honor the people who maintain the vehicles day in and out," according to Bob Celia, vp of sales. "Maintenance technicians and operators are often overlooked and under-appreciated. We intend to change that with our national recognition program."