Here are five things worth knowing today:
1. Rally challenges Rhode Island truck tolls
The Rhode Island Trucking Association and NATSO, the national association representing travel plazas and truckstops, will host an informational rally Tuesday to explain the "devastating" effects that RhodeWorks — the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s truck-only tolling plan—will have on local businesses and commercial truck drivers that operate within the state. Fleet Owner’s sister publication American Trucker reports the 11 a.m. rally will be held at TravelCenters of America, 849 Victory Hwy, West Greenwich, RI.
2. Seattle tests Urban Freight Lab
The city of Seattle has teamed up with the University of Washington to invest $285,000 over the next three years to test a new Urban Freight Lab, which will test more efficient ways to deliver goods ordered online and delivered to large residential or retail and commercial buildings, the Denver Post reports. According to the report, researchers will study possible strategies such as centralized drop-off lockers or managing curb space with different pricing or restrictions. Cities all over have been testing similar ideas, such as the New York pilot project studying off-hour freight deliveries. According to the report, about 170,000 truck trips are taken on Seattle’s road network every day.
3. Matheson Trucking receives NGVAmerica Achievement Award
Sacramento-based Matheson Trucking has received a Natural Gas Vehicle for America (NGVAmerica) award for converting 37 truck tractors in its Matheson Postal Services Division fleet to compressed and liquefied natural gas. The American Journal of Transportation reports that the announcement came during the NGVAmerica conference in September.
4. J.B. Hunt third-quarter earnings fall
Nasdaq reports that J.B. Hunt Transport Services reported a fall in its third-quarter earnings amid lower customer rates and weak demand. According to the report, J.B. Hunt also said that bottom-line growth was weighed down by increased driver wages and recruitment costs. Nasdaq has more.
5. CMAP conducts truck traffic study
The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning announced it is working with the Will County Land Use Department to conduct a truck traffic mobility study in the Sugar Run Creek area, 1340 WJOL reports. The region is being looked into as a potential location for additional park space and green space, but officials say a major problem in the area is truck traffic. Right now, according to the report, one in five vehicles that go through the area are trucks.
