Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., (MOL), has recently become a part of the Smart Freight Centre, an international non-profit organisation dedicated to reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) from freight transportation.
AAccording to MOL, its commitment to sustainability is aligned with joining SFC. MOL has identified five major sustainability issues that it is actively addressing through its “MOL Sustainable Plan.” Guided primarily by its corporate mission, which is to sustain lives in the oceans and ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for all, MOL’s initiatives aim to increase both economic and social value.
The Smart Freight Centre
Smart Freight Centre is a non-profit organization that works globally to promote climate action within the freight industry. Its goal to mobilize the global logistic ecosystem, especially its members and partners in tracking and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The organization wants to accelerate the reduction in logistics emissions, with the goal of achieving a global logistics sector that is zero-emission by 2050.
MOL, by participating in SFC and furthering its sustainability efforts aims to contribute to global efforts to combat climate change. It also aims to enhance its role as an accountable corporate entity committed towards sustainable development.
The Trucking Association of New York filed a lawsuit last week against the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA over a framework for congestion pricing in New York City, which was supposed to start at the end of this month.
The lawsuit, filed on May 30 in the Southern District of New York, argues that congestion pricing unfairly targets trucking companies and logistics companies who are charged rates far higher than passenger vehicles. The group stated that TANY and its member are not fundamentally against congestion pricing. TANY, however, is fighting to overturn current version of plan in hopes to improve it to reduce its negative impacts and introduce equality for truckers and other transportation.
According to local reports on Wednesday morning less than a week has passed since the lawsuit was filed. Kathy Hochul has been working to postpone indefinitely the implementation of the congestion pricing plan, which was scheduled to take effect on June 30. Hochul cites “unintended consequences” for New Yorkers.
A court document addressing U.S. district court judge Lewis J. Liman, filed on behalf of MTA on June 5, informed the court that Hochul ordered MTA to pause the implementation of this program: “As a consequence, at this point, we do not anticipate implementation of the Program by the previous expected implementation date of 30 June 2024.”
If the plan was to be implemented, vehicles will be charged a toll to enter the Congestion Relief Zone, (formally known as the Manhattan Central Business District), which is the area of Manhattan south and including 60th Street. This excludes the FDR Drive and West Side Highway/Route 9A and the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connection to West Street.
The E-ZPass will charge $36 for large trucks (tractor-trailers), which are defined as arriving in the zone between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. during the weekdays, and 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the weekends. Trucks will be charged $9 for overnight entry. Box trucks with a single unit would be charged an additional $24 during peak times and $6 at night.
Passenger vehicles would pay $15 during peak hours, and $3.75 after-hours.
The city also planned on offering crossing credits to vehicles that enter during peak hours via one of four tolled entry points: the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel Queens-Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel. The credit amount would be up to $20 per large truck and up to $12 per small truck. There would be no crossing credits offered overnight if the toll was reduced by 75% compared to the peak period toll.
TANY, in its lawsuit, cited an exemption for Uber and Lyft drivers, taxis, and other vehicles that make up over half of the traffic in Zone. “To make this unfairness even more pronounced, TANY trucks cannot use subways or buses to complete deliveries. They are therefore forced to enter and reenter the Zone multiple times per day to meet the needs of their customers.”
TANY sought a declaration that the tolling system was unconstitutional, and a preliminary order preventing its implementation.
OMAHA, Neb. — A new federal rule finalized June 24 aims to ensure first responders can find out what hazardous chemicals are on a train almost immediately after a derailment so they can respond appropriately.
Too often in past disasters like last year’s fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, firefighters risked their lives trying to extinguish a blaze without knowing the right way to respond. The local fire chief in charge of the response said it took him 45 minutes to learn exactly what was in the 11 burning tank cars on the train, but some firefighters from neighboring departments that came to help said they didn’t know what they were dealing with until two hours after the Feb. 3, 2023, crash.
First responders need to know exactly which hazardous materials are on a train so they can look it up in the government’s official guidebook and make sure they have the right protective gear and firefighting tools, said Tristan Brown, deputy administrator of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration agency that proposed the rule.
Knowing what chemical is involved and how much of it is aboard also affects how big of an evacuation zone might be required to protect the public.
“There are so many different types of hazardous materials being transported across the country on any given day — one in 10 goods that move across the United States — and each one, poses unique risks and hazards, certainly to the folks who are running towards a fire,” Brown said. “But certainly as well for anybody who may be living or working in that vicinity.”
Train crews have long carried lists of their cargo in the cabs of their locomotives, but in the middle of the chaos after a derailment those engineers and conductors, who might have moved their locomotives miles down the track, can’t always be found right away.
That’s part of why the largest freight railroads developed an app called AskRail roughly a decade ago that enables firefighters to quickly look up the details of what each train carries. But not every firefighter had the app, and cellphones don’t always have a signal strong enough to work in a disaster.
Regulators want the railroads to continue expanding access to that app, including to 911 centers, so information reaches first responders sooner. The railroads have been expanding access over the past year. The Association of American Railroads trade group estimates some 2.3 million first responders now have access to that information as a result of the effort to expand into dispatch centers.
The six biggest railroads also make train cargo information immediately available through the chemical industry’s hazardous materials hotlines in the U.S. and Canada known as the CHEMTREC and CANUTEC, emergency call centers.
But the new federal rule also applies to the hundreds of smaller railroads that aren’t involved in AskRail. Even railroads that only have one or two employees now must have a plan to get the crucial details of their cargo to the local fire department quickly, even if its as simple as having the fire chief’s cellphone number at the ready. Railroads also must test their plan at least once a year.
“In a hazmat incident, firefighters and first responders arriving on scene need to know what kind of hazardous materials are present so they can protect themselves and their communities,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
It’s not clear how this rule might have changed the outcome in East Palestine, but more information could have helped responding firefighters.
The derailment prompted a nationwide reckoning over railroad safety and prompted Congress to propose changes and regulators like Buttigieg to urge railroads to do more to prevent derailments.
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued various advisories about different aspects of railroad operations, but the reforms in Congress have stalled because Republicans wanted to wait for the final NTSB report and regulators have had only limited success making changes.
Fenwick represented Canaan
Partners, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies, in its
investment in Aim Security’s $18 million Series A funding. The round, which
brought the total amount to $28 million, was led by Canaan Partners, with participation
from YL Ventures.
Aim Security, a company enabling the secure adoption and
use of AI across enterprise organizations, will use the funds to expand
operations and its development efforts. More information can be obtained from Aim
Security’s announcement.
The transaction was led by corporate partners Einat Meisel
and Matt Quilter and included associates Joanna Xu, Julia Kerr and Leya
Maloney.
C15 Studio is a FAST channel operator, and broadcasting service. It was launched on Wednesday, with multiple investments from Venture Capital Funds with sports ties.
Initial channel partners include Formula One and the martial arts promotion ONE Championship. Triton Poker Series, Professional Squash Association, and others will be added later. C15 Studio’s first distribution partners include Samsung TV Plus Amazon Freevee Pluto TV and others that have yet to be announced.
C15 Studio has the backing of Lloyd Danzig’s venture-capital and advisory firm Sharp Alpha Advisors, sports technology venture capital fund KB Partners, and Raptor Group, another venture-capital fund run by former Boston Celtics minor owner Jim Pallotta. Joe Nilsson, Amory Schwartz and others founded C15 Studio in the year 2023.
Nilsson was previously the international streaming manager for Jukin Media. Schwartz founded North American Sports Network, which was purchased by Disney for $120 million in 2006.
FAST is the acronym for free, ad-funded, streaming television. Nilsson, CEO of the studio, said that FAST is “TV delivered via the internet.”
“If you’ve never heard of (FAST), that’s just a waiting audience. It’s free. Nilsson said, “It’s free. “Sports are well-known for being the best vehicles for audience acquisition on IP and broadcast.”
He also hopes that binge-watchers will flock to the FAST channels to consume as much content as they want.
C15 Studio has the live broadcasting rights for each of its channel partners, except Formula One. Formula One has a broadcast agreement with ESPN until 2025. Formula One races are broadcast on the channel five day after they have aired live. The Formula One channel will air post-produced shows such as Tech Talk and Jolyon Palmer’s Analysis, as well as pre- and post-race shows. It will also feature documentaries and features like Beyond All Limits , Inside Story, and Chasing The Dream .
Nilsson said that Formula One, in particular, has a lot of content released during race weekends. “Whether someone comes in for a brief moment during [the weekend] schedule and leaves, then returns to watch the full race replay on the Formula One Channel, you can get the whole story.”
C15 is the newest player in the FAST sports space. Roku, a streaming service, is paying MLB $30m to air games on the Roku Channel. This includes the Sunday morning package which aired on Peacock during last season.
A Kodiak Robotics Artur Express tractor/trailer. The exact time the trucks will be on road is still being worked on. (Artur Express)
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Artur Express will operate 100 sleeper vehicles with Kodiak Robotics self-driving technology installed as part of a partnership between both companies, they announced.
Artur Express, based in Hazelwood (Mo. ), is ranked No. Transport Topics Top 100 List of North America’s largest for-hire carriers ranks Artur Express at No. The hauler is also ranked No. The hauler also ranks No. 22 refrigerated carrier.
“Being part of the development of self-driving trucks is extremely exciting, as it will transform transport and save lives. It will also improve our drivers’ quality of work, as the technology allows them to spend more time at home,” Artur Express co president Artur Wagrodzki stated.
“We are excited about the future and how autonomous trucks can transform the way freight is moved.” “We will not only increase autonomous capacity, but also improve safety while reducing fuel consumption,” said Artur Express co president Tom Tokarczyk.
The exact time frame for the trucks to be on the roads is still being worked out. “We are working with Kodiak to develop a timeline. Mark Koch, Vice President of Operations at Transport Topics, told Transport Topics that this includes selecting drivers who will be inside the units and implementing training to show how Kodiak technology and our drivers can work together.
Artur Wagrodzki and Tom Tokarczyk, Artur Express executives. (Artur Express)
Both companies are also determining the best routes.
Kodiak’s network, which spans over 19,000 miles, offers Artur Express a number of lane opportunities.
Artur Express is a truckload carrier that specializes in hauling dry goods and refrigerated products.
Artur said in announcing its partnership on June 11 that the technology could help Artur’s drivers be successful when delivering their loads across the country.
It said: “We believe that engaging with new technology early will provide an additional edge in taking care of our driver and providing them everything they need to perform at their best for our clients.”
Jimmy Shaffer, the Artur Express driver, walks towards his cab. (Artur Express)
Artur Express operates four battery electric trucks in the metropolitan St. Louis region as part of its more than 700 semis.
The company stated that Kodiak expects to integrate its technology into its first fleet partners’ trucks in the second half 2025.
Kodiak, based in Mountain View, Calif., plans to launch its first driverless operation along its Dallas-Houston routes later this year. The company owns its trucks, with a driver inside the cab. Don Burnette, CEO of Kodiak, told TT that the company’s main focus in 2024 will be on the Dallas-Houston-Dallas-Atlanta route.
Kodiak has so far publicly announced that it is working with Martin Brower Co. England, Tyson Foods and Forward Air are among the companies that have announced their collaboration with Ceva Logistics, Ikea, Werner Enterprises and 10 Roads Express.
Corey Cox, of the Tandet Group, discusses how early AI users are beginning to reap the benefits of the latest wave. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
In April, Kodiak formally announced a new advisory council that will help to promote the commercialization of autonomous trucks.
The Arkansas Trucking Association is among the first members. Other members include Loadsmith Walmart Werner and UPS.
Walmart ranks No. Walmart ranks No. 2 on the private TT100. UPS is ranked No. UPS ranks No. 1 on the for hire TT100. Kodiak operates two truck ports in Houston and Villa Rica, Ga. The Georgia facility will open in August 2023. The Houston site will open in January. Burnette told TT that the latter will allow Kodiak validate the Houston-Dallas routes.
Female entrepreneurs have blamed sexist attitudes and male-led venture funds for the failure of the industry in addressing a significant funding imbalance for female-led startups.
Lucy Liu is the co-founder and President of unicorn funds transfer startup Airwallex. She said that investors still assume women are gentle and only work in start-ups because their careers have plateaued.
Anglo-French VC firm Breega has launched a $75m (£59m) fund to invest in early-stage startups in Africa.
The London, Paris and Barcelona-based investment firm will open two new offices in Nigeria and Cape Town.
It is Breega’s first fund in Africa since it closed its first fund in 2015 and gives the VC a footprint in both Europe and Africa.
The “Breega Africa Seed I” will look to back early-stage startups based in Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The new fund will be led by entrepreneur and angel investor Melvyn Lubega, who co-founded African digital education unicorn Go1, and Tosin Faniro-Dada, the former CEO of Endeavor in Nigeria and former founding executive of startup incubator Lagos Innovates.
“Startup ecosystems work like pyramids: they are only sustainable if the base, i.e. the early stage, is well financed,” said Ben Marrel, CEO and co-founder of Breega. “It is with this impact-driven mindset that Breega is positioning itself as the first investor to back and support entrepreneurs from idea to impact.”
The new fund has already made several investments, including in Numida, Socium, Klasha, Kwara, Coachbit and Sava. It plans to make investments ranging from $100,000 to $2m as the initial investor.
“Breega invested when we didn’t have a product yet, so their early trust was key,” said Kolawole Olajide, CEO & co-founder of Sava, based in South Africa.
“With the invaluable support of the scaling team, not only have we now reached the commercialisation phase, but we’ve also defined our internal culture and processes, and established our brand. We never thought we’d receive so much help and support from a venture capital fund.”
Indigenous Peoples in B.C. Indigenous Peoples in B.C.
This has led to the creation of programs that support Indigenous entrepreneurs. Some venture capital funds are now specifically looking for Indigenous-owned companies to invest in.
BDC has long had an Indigenous banking department. BDC has long had an Indigenous Banking Department.
Other loan programs are run by organizations like the 100-percent indigenous-owned All Nations Trust Co.
The B.C. The B.C. It lists 22 programs, some of which are run by external organizations and 20 that are exclusively open to Indigenous people.
Venture capital funds that target First Nations entrepreneurs specifically are relatively rare.
Althea WISHLOFF, Raven’s general partnership, told BIV that “Raven is the only venture capital fund with a thesis of funding Indigenous and Native American entrepreneurs.” “There is no venture fund with a thesis similar to Raven’s.”
Raven invests in businesses with strong leadership and good prospects. She said that the investments range between $250,000 and $3 million.
The venture capital company launched in 2018 with an initial fund of $25 million. Later, a $110 million fund was launched. BIV covered that fund in January of 2023 when it was referred to as a $100 million fund. The Raven Fund Group has a $20.4-million non equity fund.
Wishloff, originally from B.C., said: “We have a mixture of institutional corporate partners.” Gitxsan Nation member. “BDC is the anchor LP (limited partner) for funds.”
Wishloff stated that BDC is only a minor component of equity investments, with the remainder coming from a mixture of institutions and corporate partners.
She said that about a dozen Raven employees are responsible for executing the venture fund strategy of the company.
Raven has made 20 investment since its inception, she says.
Indigenous people in B.C. Indigenous people in B.C.
In the 1700s, indigenous people fished and hunted animals like sea otters. They harvested trees, and added value to them. They were also avid traders and provided items such as blankets.
Settlers paid Indigenous guides who were entrepreneurs to guide them on trails. According to Rick Mickelburgh’s book on the Line: A History Of The British Columbia Labour Movement, members of the Kwakwaka’waku warned Hudson’s Bay Co. about the coal beneath their village in Port Hardy.
Today, the entrepreneurial spirit is still alive.
Raven’s latest investment announcement was made for Artemis, a Vancouver-based company even though the website lists Seattle as its contact address.
The funding round was held last summer, but nothing was announced until the 22nd of May this year.
Artemis raised $1.5m in pre-seed financing. Raven led the round, with Ripple Ventures, Telegraph Hill Capital and angel investors rounding things out.
Artemis executives were familiar with partners at Raven before the investment.
Wishloff, along with other partners, then conducted due diligence from May to July last year. They were sufficiently impressed to lead the fundraising campaign.
Artemis has five employees and a 1,200 square foot office near Smithe Street and Cambie Street, Artemis cofounder and CEO Josh Gray said to BIV.
He said that he was looking to hire between two and five more people by the end the year.
Gray, a serial-entrepreneur, cofounded Artemis with William Shi who he says he has known from middle school.
Artemis CEO Josh Gray | Submitted
Their company makes software to help companies “clean up” their data, or standardize it in a way that data input from various sources is consistent and searchable.
“Companies today are awash in data, but the problem is that it’s messy,” he said.
Gray said that data sets are messy because owners often input data using different tools such as Salesforce Inc.’s (NYSE CRM) customer relationship management, Intuit Inc.’s (Nasdaq INYU) Quickbooks, and other software by HubSpot Inc.
He suggested that HubSpot’s software could list customers as “customers”, whereas Stripe’s software might list those customers as “accounts.”
In some cases, the corporate name may include “Inc.” and “Ltd.” while in other instances it might not.
Gray said that to get any value out of data, it must be cleaned and made reliable. Once it is ready to go and clean, you can begin to extract value from it.
He said that his technology uses artificial intelligence (AI), agents who plan and execute tasks for the users.
Gray said: “Let’s imagine I’m a data scientist and I’m building a analysis to understand the marketing on our website, and how it impacts our bottom line.”
He said that a data engineer would have to document a large amount of data in order to clean and build datasheets.
“I need documentation of the formulas I use and the columns and tables that I use.” Documentation work can take you away from the hard work involved in building an analysis.
He said that the AI agents of his company can read code written by users, understand how they are being used, and then document them for the user.
Gray described his company’s status as “pre-revenue” with approximately 30 customers using the platform in a beta phase.
He plans to charge some customers for the use of the software by the end of this year.
Gray said that he attended many trade shows in the past year, and that networking has helped to spread the word about his company.
He said, “We’ve seen a lot of interest in the live events.”
Trucking News and Briefs for Wednesday, 6th June 2024:
Washington State warns of carbon-monoxide dangers after trucker’s death
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries warns truck drivers of the dangers of carbon dioxide poisoning after the death of a driver on June 1.
A FACE report stated that “around 9:30 am, he walked to the main terminal,” Another driver saw him struggling with a door leading to the employee bathroom and shower area. The driver helped open the door, but noticed that he was disoriented, had difficulty walking and standing, and was having trouble breathing.
After calling 911, the first responders arrived and brought the driver to hospital, where he later died. The toxicology report concluded that he died of CO poisoning.
These bottles of butane fuel, which bear a warning about carbon monoxide, were found in the truck that the driver died from.
The investigation found:
The driver was likely poisoned with CO from the single-burner, butane stove that was found in the truck.
The bunk heater in the sleeper was powered by a small diesel blower motor. The air monitoring in the sleeper, and near the heater exhaust, while it was running, did not show any significant amounts of CO.
No exhaust leaks have been detected in the engine or undercarriage of the truck.
FACE investigators concluded, to prevent similar incidents, employers and drivers:
Install battery-powered CO alarms in truck cabins and sleeping berths. Use only vehicle-specific detectors.
Develop and enforce clearly-written accident prevention program (APP), policies for CO poisoning. Policies should:
1) Do not use butane, propane or other fuel-burning stoves or space heaters in cabs, trailers, and sleepers. Fuel canisters emit CO, which is a toxic, colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. It can cause brain and cardiac damage, unconsciousness and suffocation quickly and without warning. 2) Tell drivers whose CO alarm is activated to exit their vehicle immediately, get fresh air and have their truck towed and checked for CO leaks. If the driver feels poisoned, call 911. 3) Tell drivers to avoid parking near trucks that are idling, or using APUs (auxiliary power units) that produce exhaust fumes. Even if the windows and vents of a truck are closed, exhaust fumes may still enter. This can be difficult to do in a truck-stop setting.
Drivers’ knowledge of CO hazards, exposure sources and prevention methods, detector alarms and poisoning symptoms as well as emergency responses should be evaluated. Conduct periodic refresher courses.
Check and service the engine and bunk heater exhaust system on a regular basis to ensure that CO leaks can be detected and repaired prior to returning the truck to service.
Paccar MX-13 now Low-NOx Compliant
The new MX-13 from Paccar is compliant with CARB regulations on low nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Peterbilt
Paccar announced on Tuesday the availability of the new MX-13 engine, which is compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations for low nitrogen oxides (NOx). The engine is compliant with the CARB Omnibus Regulation, and features a redesign of the internal hardware and aftertreatment system in order to reduce NOx emissions.
The aftertreatment system for larger volumes includes an innovative compact twin assembly. It features a 48-volt-generator located in the flywheel housing and an electrical heater in the inlet. This reduces NOx emissions.
The internal hardware features a larger mixer, a longer selective catalytic convertor and a more durable and long-lasting NOx sensor. This will improve uptime. These features will allow Paccar to increase engine efficiency and fuel consumption while still meeting CARB emission regulations, the company said.
The CARB low-NOx compliant Paccar MX-13 is available in two ratings. A flat torque curve provides performance across a wide range of rpms to improve fuel economy and drivability. There are two ratings: a high-performance 510-horsepower with 1,850 lb.ft. torque and an efficiency-focused 455-horsepower and 1,650-lb.ft. torque between 900-1,325 rpm.
Peterbilt models 579, 567, and 589 with new MX-13 engines are now available to order. Kenworth has yet to announce the availability of updated engines in its models.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation, Interstate 17 will be closed between Happy Valley Road in north Phoenix and Loop 303 this weekend, from June 7-10. This is to improve the pavement.
ADOT advised drivers to allow extra time for travel, to consider traveling at non-peak times, such as mornings or nights, and to stay on the designated route. The closure will be in effect from 10 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday. The on-ramps to Deer Valley and Pinnacle Peak will also be closed.
The detour is WB Happy Valley Road, NB Lake Pleasant Parkway, and EB Loop 303 to I-17. ADOT noted that the reverse of this route was effective in moving traffic during last weekend’s SB I-17 shutdown between Loop 303 & Happy Valley Road.
The department said that truck drivers could also consider using I-10 West Valley to NB Loop 303 for an alternative detour route.
ADOT stated that crews are continuing a project to improve the ride along 6 miles of I-17, between Happy Valley Road State Route 74. This is the final of a series of four weekends that will be closed to allow crews to safely and efficiently remove the surface asphalt, and clear as much debris and dust as possible before the highway reopens. As the work progresses, additional I-17 closures and lane restrictions may be required.
