Arkansas Trucking Report Volume 22. Issue 3

TA/PETRO STALLION TRANSPORTATION leg of the four day torch run.
CELEBRATES 2017 SPECIAL The run ended that evening at the
Did you know that on a hot sum- OLYMPICS ARKANSAS SUMMER
mer day, highway surface temperatures GAMES Harding University stadium in Searcy,
can climb to more than 150 degrees? Ark. where the 2017 Special Olympics
Couple that with an underinflated tire Stallion Transportation Group Arkansas opening ceremonies kicked
that’s already running hot, and it’s only celebrated the 30th anniversary of the off.
a matter of time before you have a seri- Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special
ous tire issue on your hands. Olympics Arkansas on May 25 as the Stallion Transportation is a long-
officers and athletes gathered on the time supporter of the Special Olympics
Under inflation is the number one steps of the capitol. and, in addition to sponsoring the
cause of hot weather tire failures. As the torch run, raises funds for the games
tire rolls down an already hot surface, Stallion CEO Butch Rice attended each year during the Arkansas Highway
the sidewall flexes causing a buildup of the ceremonial lighting of the Flame of Truck Convoy, when law enforcement
explosive levels of heat. This can result Hope before officers set off on the final escorts a convoy of trucks through the
in tread separation, or gators, and an metro to raise awareness and support.
increased risk of accidents or break- Last year, Stallion unveiled a custom
downs. trailer to celebrate the cause.

The key to staying rolling this sum- “I am continually inspired by the
mer is proper inflation. Investing in a competition and perseverance of the
quality tire gauge will save you money athletes at the Special Olympics,” said
in the long run, especially when you use Rice. “Our company is blessed to be a
it on a regular basis. Once your tires are small part of their lives and to cham-
cool, use it to check your tire pressure. pion the hard work of everyone that
You’ll also want to look at your tread makes this event happen.” ATR
depth, tread wear and visually inspect
tires for nails, cracks, cuts, bulges and
missing valve caps.

The key to long tire life is catching
and correcting problems early, but if
you do break down, RoadSquad is here
to help. Our team of expert technicians
services all major tire brands roadside
to get you back on the road quickly and
safely.

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 3 2017 51

STAT VIEW

TRUCK PARKING DIARY REPORT

The American Transportation Research Institute, the trucking industry’s not-for-profit research organization,
released the results of its Truck Parking Diary Report, in which drivers kep diaries of 14 days of parking activity.

ATRI’s research from 148 drivers and 2,035 days of parking found that drivers are losing drive time looking for
spaces and often have to choose unauthorized parking at the end of their shifts. The study found drivers spent
an average of 56 minutes a day looking for parking, leaving wages on the table every day ($4,600 annually),
and drivers with ELDs were nearly twice as likely to spend more than 30 minutes searching.

Parking I ssue
Midnight -
4:59 a.m.
5:00 a.m. -
8:59 a.m.
9:00 a.m. -
11:59 a.m.
Noon - 3:59

p.m.
4:00 p.m. -
6:59 p.m.
7:00 p.m. -
11:59 p.m.

Search Time Peak
Peak
Non-CMV Occupation of Truck
Parking Spaces Peak

Unauthorized Parking Peak Frequency of Unauthorized/
Undesignated Parking
Average Remaining
Drive Time at Time of Parking

31 - 60 minutes 61 - 121 minutes Daily 1 - 2 times/week
Never 3 - 4 times/week
30 minutes or less 121+ minutes 2 times/month 5 - 7 times/week

Source: American Transportation Research Institute ATR
52 Issue 3 2017 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT

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This edition of Arkansas Trucking Report
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ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 3 2017 53

THE LAST WORD

Self-Driving Prophecy

By David O’Neal, CDS The common objection is that the technology fail along the way. Unlike
technology isn’t perfect, as evidenced by the pilot allowing his aircraft to oper-
Arkansas Trucking Association the 2016 crash involving a Tesla vehicle ate on autopilot who may have several
Director of Safety Services being operated in self-driving mode. seconds (if not minutes) to respond to a
While recent reports indicate the driver critical event, the reaction time needed
Some headlines predict “Robot ignored repeated warnings to put his behind the wheel of a truck (or any
trucks could replace 2 million drivers by hands on the wheel, there remain ques- vehicle operating at highway speeds) is
2030;” some titles ask “Trucks with no tions about why the system didn’t brake measured in quarter-seconds.
drivers?” Others just report our anxiet- the vehicle in time to avoid a collision,
ies “From cowboys to robots: truckers and why it continued to operate even As an optimist, I want to believe
wary of autonomous rigs.” after the initial crash. the technology will prove itself and
earn the confidence of the public.
Truckloads of ink and more than The current machines may be Perhaps, then, driver qualifications can
a few bytes of data have been (and will imperfect still, but humans (myself be relaxed and today’s training require-
continue to be) generated on the subject included) will be imperfect always, sus- ments diminished. That provides a
of how autonomous technology will ceptible to fatigue and distraction, lack- potential solution to — or at least miti-
affect the role of truck driver. Is there a ing timely reflexes. The computers are gates — the driver shortage concern, and
signal in all this noise? capable of performing countless calcu- yet replacing 2 million drivers by 2030
lations in less time than it took you to seems far-fetched.
Here is what we know: (1) The read this sentence and have the capac-
trucking industry continues to deal ity to make us all safer. However, that It’s just twelve-and-a-half years
with a shortage of qualified drivers; assumes the system “uptime” is virtu- away. We like those future-markers;
(2) Technology doesn’t just evolve, it ally 100%. Even 99% won’t cut it; that they’re usually far enough away to seem
often appears to make exponential leaps missing 1% translates to 7.3 hours of futuristic, yet reasonable — within our
forward; (3) Much of the necessary “downtime” per month. For reference, careers and lifetimes. But they’re arti-
technology already exists and is in use 99.9% still allows for 43.8 minutes of ficial and often hyperbolic. A “spiritual
across all types of vehicles; and (4) Up failure, with 99.9999% allowing 2.63 goal” to gin up interest in the topic and
to 90% of all vehicle crashes are the seconds per month. draw eyeballs to articles, they make
result of human error. assumptions based on trends that are
If the machines are so much better almost immediately outdated by new
That last one sticks with me. While than humans, what happens to the mil- technology, a changing cultural and
the professional drivers of the trucking lions of human truck drivers? political landscape and other factors
industry are among the safest drivers on that don’t yet exist.
our highways, the motorists with whom We are told that drivers will have a
they share the road often are not. If role to play “for the foreseeable future”. It’s a nice thought though, to imag-
safer highways are among the outcomes But I’ve yet to see a practical solution ine a future with safer highways by
of the growth and expansion of autono- that squares the circle of keeping a driv- way of robots. But I wouldn’t count the
mous technology, then these efforts are er engaged, alert and ready to react over driver out so soon.
worthwhile. an extended period of time, should the
No matter what the headlines say ATR

Opinions expressed on this page may not reflect official policies or opinions of the Arkansas Trucking Association or the American Trucking Associations.

54 Issue 3 2017 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT

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