TransportFool

Important info or propaganda?

The teamsters have released a report entitled “Damaged when Delivered“. I have started through it and They seem to have found some poor transport practices that need to be improved but some of them don’t look like a problem to me.  Why would dropping a tire into drop pockets be an issue? I used to drive a stinger rig that had a head rack equipped like the one in the picture and I never had any problems using those pockets the whole time I drove it. Leave me your comments.

Another blogger’s view “Teamsters try a new angle”

Update 12-8-09: Mr Fred Zuckerman took the time to go over the report with me and address my questions. I miss understood the issue with truck in the picture above. It isn’t a safety/damage issue but rather the manufacturer that this truck is loading for has some specific requirements that prohibit bottomless drop pockets. I would agree with him that if the customer wants it done a certain way then that is the way it should be done. Since that seems to be a whole different set of  issues then I think that picture needs more explanation under it. especially since the rest of the report deals with Damage and safety issues.

Basically the point he is trying to make is that if the manufacturers use the lowest bid model then the rate will be lower than what  is possible to do a safe quality job at.  He states that the typical union driver has had several weeks of training and that often non-union drivers have inadequate training and sometimes they have had no training.

If you have an opposing view point you are welcome to leave a comment but lets keep them professional.

Update 12-8-09: Another update, I spoke with Tom from Accelerated services and he looked up The load that truck 107 did out of Ohio and it appears that the vehicle pictured above is a 2005 Equinox that was a smart auction car that was successfully delivered to it’s destination with no damage.

If you are featured in this report you are welcome to leave your response to the allegations in the comments section.

New steer tire available

Continental Tire North America Inc. will begin selling its new HSL2 Eco Plus (Heavy Steer Long Haul) medium truck tires in size 295/60R22.5 this month.

“These truck tires are a full three inches shorter than the 275/80R22.5 sizes, but each has 1,215 more pounds of additional carrying capacity in a single fitment for Load Range G,” say Continental Tire North America officials.

Were the new police cars being delivered too fast?

Off of abc6.com:

According to the report the carrier had violated a weight restriction on a bridge but the reporter is evidently guessing because they also reported that the state police and the trucking company both had “no comment”

8 vans on a straight truck?

Car hauling isn’t done on the same type of auto transporters everywhere! Check  out the height and width of this transporter!

3/4-car wedge rolls over with Audi

This happened in East Hazel Crest Ill.

Salesmen have a tough job

Manheim UPS Alliance

UPS’s Automotive Industry Solutions Group will work on behalf of Manheim’s customers – including dealerships, auto manufacturers, car rental companies and financial institutions – to arrange pick-up and drop-off of vehicles bound for Manheim’s 77 operating locations in the United States. Customers can expect professional and expert handling of their vehicles by UPS and consistent transport service, regardless of where they do business with Manheim. UPS anticipates an 18- to 24-month timeframe to transition all of Manheim’s operating locations to UPS’s services.

UPS will coordinate and dispatch requests from all of Manheim’s operating locations, enabling UPS to make the most cost-effective supply chain decisions, such as consolidating multiple shipments from one region into one delivery. UPS also will provide Manheim with consistent transport paperwork, payment terms and processes.

If you are interested in becoming an approved UPS carrier send an email to upsvehicleship@ups.com with the name of your company, a contact name,a phone number, the types of equipment you operate, the area you service and whether or not you currently service  Manheim auctions. You can also inquire on the phone at 248-465-2640

Driver injured in car carrier wreck.

This is off of newswatch:

The driver of the articulated truck – which had been carrying SUV’s – apparently lost control of the vehicle at around 6am.

He’s been seriously injured.

Car carrier wreck in Virginia

This is off of WAVY-TV:

YORK COUNTY, Va. -

Virginia State Police were on the scene of a multi-vehicle accident involving a car carrier and another vehicle in York County at Camp Perry Thursday afternoon just before rush hour, causing a messy commute.

According to state police, the car carrier came apart and struck an overhead sign and a pole at Camp Perry.

I found several reports of this accident and none of them reported the condition of either driver involved. From the looks of the truck in the picture it’s bad.

UPDATE: 11-10-09 comment from a reliable source: “I know the company owning this truck, and to correct the record, the truck had a steering tire blowout, and only this truck was involved. The SUV beside the truck was off the headrack. Further the driver was not injured.” A “steering tire blowout” makes sense to me instead of the statement that “the car carrier came apart”. Somewhere between the state police and the reporter a tire comming apart became a carrier coming apart! Best part is no injuries. The suv beside the truck apparently was sill on the headrack at point of impact. Check out the pole imprint on it.

Teamsters take on Fiat/Chrysler

This is off of PR Newswire:

“Fiat management is seeking to transform the auto transport industry from one that provides stable jobs that support drivers and their families into a cut-throat, low-cost, low-quality segment of its supply chain,” Hoffa wrote. “In the United States, Fiat/Chrysler has recently embarked on an effort that transforms how automobiles are delivered to dealer showrooms. The results are disturbing from the perspective of both business and consumers.”

“Not only is Fiat/Chrysler attempting to destroy thousands of good jobs in the carhaul industry, but they are contracting to brokers that hire improperly trained workers. These inexperienced drivers are securing new vehicles in such a manner that the automobiles are at risk of being damaged while being transported to the dealerships,” said Fred Zuckerman, Director of the Teamsters Automobile Transporters Industry Division. “The consumer is not only getting a product that is not in the same condition it was when it came of the line, but may in fact be at risk of injury due to the damage inflicted on these automobiles by inexperienced carhaul drivers.”

Having been a non-union transport driver for an entire career I have certainly seen drivers damage vehicles while moving them but I certainly don’t think the scope of the problem is as big as Hoffa implies. I also know first hand that the union carriers are not immune form this problem either!