Baking & Snack - September 2015 - 130

TRUCKS

ABA addresses logistics
The American Bakers Association (ABA)'s logistics committee is designed to keep fleet/distribution managers
and executives in the baking industry abreast of the latest
transportation issues and public policy changes. The committee meets twice a year, with the second meeting coming up on Oct. 20 as part of ABA's Fall Policy Conference,
taking place Oct. 20-22 in Washington, DC.
At the conference, the committee will meet for a threehour session to discuss legislative and regulatory updates
on the Commercial Driver Act, Highway Reauthorization
and Hours of Service Regulations. In addition, Sean
Garney, director of safety policy, American Trucking
Association, will address CSA reform and what fleet executives can expect for 2016.
Joshua B. Waxmann of San Francisco-based law firm
Littler (formerly Littler Mendelson PC), will speak on issues
and rules pertaining to independent contractors, such as
the definitions of "employee" and "employer" in such situations. "A lot of our baker members use independent contracting fleets as opposed to in-house, so this is important
information when it comes to where the line is regarding
labor laws under the independent contractor definition,"
said Mike Goscinski, ABA manager, government relations
and public affairs.
ABA's Fall Policy Conference will bring together all the
association's committees and offers advocacy education,
leadership training, Capitol Hill lobbying visits, opportunities to network and more. For information and to register,
visit www.americanbakers.org.

Maneuverability and visibility are two major safety considerations in truck design.
Isuzu

130 Baking & Snack September 2015 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Promaster series, are put in place to protect drivers from
outside influences. "The system is making a thousand
decisions per second, depending on a driver's input on
the steering wheel, brake pedal, throttle, vehicle speed
and how much lean the vehicle is experiencing," Mr.
Cappa said. "It's measuring those inputs constantly to
come up with a solution for what the driver is trying to
do and ensuring the vehicle is headed in the intended
direction." If a delivery truck is carrying a heavy load,
Ram's ESC system can compensate and assist in maintaining control over the vehicle and the extra weight.
Safety isn't just a concern when drivers are behind the
wheel, though. Risk is all around even when they get out of
the truck. To address these external risks, Ram's Promaster
vans come with side-door access on either side of the vehicle, so drivers have options for entering the vehicle regardless of which side of the street they need to park.
In areas where weather is a factor, small details such as
Isuzu's covered grate entrance can make a big difference in
minimizing risk of injury. "We have some customers who
didn't think it was a big deal but have since told us that they
had drivers sustain injuries from slipping on vehicles' steps
that weren't covered in the winter," Mr. Tabel said.

Tech-savvy transport
One of the most immediate ways bakeries and fleet
managers keep drivers safe is through technology.
"Technology is changing, and the North American market is one of the most technologically advanced in the
world," Mr. Tabel said. And that's evident in the auto
industry, not only for consumers' cars but for commercial vehicles as well, from GPS to backup cameras and
alarms to vehicle health reports and more.
"We test everything for potential application and payback," Mr. McGuire said. "Devices designed to solely
prevent accidents and injuries are extremely difficult to
argue about the payback."
Ram trucks offer steering-wheel controls, including
telephone, radio and, in some cases, trip settings for GPS
navigation. "You have all those capabilities on the steering wheel so drivers can keep their hands on the wheel,"
Mr. Cappa explained.
As with any large vehicle, backup sensors and cameras are among some of the most critical safety features developed in recent years, and they're especially
important in commercial vehicles when the rear view
could be hindered by the load size or even the size
of the truck itself. "When hauling a full load, drivers
often don't have vision to the rear, and these systems
provide visual and audible information about what's
going on around the vehicle," Mr. Cappa said.
Wireless capabilities are also becoming increasingly important to commercial vehicle operators. With

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