91ÊÓƵ

Despite LightSquared Subsidiary LLC promising major changes to its nascent broadband network, truckers and technology companies said they are not convinced the revamped system won’t jam Global Positioning System devices critical to freight operations.

Statistics on just how much money is lost annually to fraudulent fuel sales are elusive — neither the U.S. Department of Energy nor its Energy Information Administration maintains such records — but the industry is aware that it’s going on.

Technology that can detect from the roadside whether a vehicle is current on its registration and insurance has been launched successfully on a small island nation and could be expanded to save North American cargo fleets some time on the road and in the back office.

SkyBitz said its GLS trailer tracking system has been selected by regional dedicated carrier Brown Trucking to enhance the truckload carrier’s asset management.

New technology and a changing business environment are having a profound effect on the way transportation services are bought and sold.

Insurance executives said they strongly support electronic logging but that use of the devices by truckers will not automatically lower fleets’ coverage expenses because carriers’ overall safety records dictate rates.

BALTIMORE — Fleets that adopt electronic logging devices are encountering challenges from competitors who don’t use them and who poach their drivers and customers, three carrier officials said last week.

American Trucking Associations told the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that while it supports the agency’s proposal to require electronic devices to record drivers’ hours of service, it also is urging FMCSA to address important device design and performance requirements.

Equipment upgrades, fleet failures and tuck-in acquisitions have created an inventory of used mobile communications units, and bargain-seeking carriers looking for small batches of these systems have created sustainable demand for secondhand units, several tech executives have said.

The role of engine oil in fuel efficiency, maintenance challenges for intermodal operations, disaster recovery planning, and coatings for corrosion protection are among the topics on the wide-ranging agenda for the fall meeting of the Technology and Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations.