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The potential of natural gas to help alleviate high fuel prices was put on display this month during the nation’s largest commercial trucking show as it was announced that more and more truck manufacturers are increasing in their interest of natural gas powered commercial trucks.
The potential of natural gas comes at a time when the commercial trucking industry is experience higher demands for drivers as the economy continues to grow. For the past few years the commercial trucking industry has been desperate to hire professionally trained drivers, but that need is even greater today as the national economy begins to show signs of solid growth.
Many natural gas powered commercial trucks were displayed and discussed during the Mid-America Trucking Show in March as presentations by Cummins, Freightliner, Kenworth, Navistar and Peterbilt all highlighted the potential natural gas has for providing commercial truck carriers with lower fuel costs and a more efficient energy source.
According to a Transportation Topic article on about the trucking convention, “Navistar Inc. rented five times more space in the Kentucky Exposition Center than ever before, as it brought most of its dealers and many of its biggest customers to the show to promote its truck lineup.” The article also said Navistar used the extra space to host meetings between commercial trucking officials and giants in the natural gas industry, including energy magnate T. Boone Pickens.
“It’s a good time to be in the trucking industry,” Bill Kozek, general manager of Peterbilt Motors and said in the article. Kozek also expressed optimism in what he natural gas sector could do for the commercial trucking industry.
During the commercial trucking trade show, Cummins Inc. displayed a new spark-ignition engine that is completely based on natural gas and other truck manufacturers discussed plans for new natural gas powered commercial trucks expected to be released in the coming months and years.
“Navistar said this new engine will be a variant of its 13-liter MaxxForce engine and will be available in the fall of 2013,” Transportation Topics reported. “The technology is called diesel-pilot injection, and it would become Navistar’s heavy-duty choice for natural-gas power.”
Natural gas solutions could help commercial truck carriers offset high fuel costs during a time when even more trucks are needed to meet growing demand. That also means more drivers are needed to operate commercial trucks and carriers all across the country are looking for professionally trained drivers who can help meet the rising demand.
If you are looking to enter a growing profession then there is no better place to look than the commercial trucking industry. The West Michigan CDL training program has been preparing students for this growing career field and many students are finding employment quickly with some of the nation’s best carriers.
Commercial truck sales continue to rise in North America, leading economists and commercial truck officials to increase their confidence in the future of trucking, especially as it relates to job growth.
A recent ACT Research Co. expo featured at least three economists who said there are many positives when it comes the future of commercial trucking and the rise in commercial truck sales was highlighted as one of those positives. With more trucks being purchased by commercial trucking carriers means there is a need for more drivers to operate those new trucks.
“The recovery of freight is for real, with manufacturing rebounding and inventories being rebuilt,” said Jim Meil, chief economist of Eaton Corp. “What we’re seeing now is like 2004 and 2005, in that we’ve got one decent year behind us, with better times yet to come.”
The consensus forecast for growth in U.S. gross domestic product this year is 2 percent to 2.5% percent over 2011, Steve Latin-Kasper, director of market research and data for the National Truck Equipment Association, said during the ACT Research Co. event. Domestic production is closely tied to the commercial trucking sector, which is one of the first industries to benefit from a growing economy.
If you are looking to enter a job market that is already growing and shows no signs of slowing down then the West Michigan CDL training program is the place to start as carriers all across the nation are looking for professionally trained drivers to help meet growing demand.
The Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index — managed by the UCLA Anderson School of Management and Ceridian Corporation — also shows inconsistent recovery in the trucking sector.
By using diesel fuel consumption data for over-the-road commercial trucking, Ceridian-UCLA Pulse of Commerce Index has reported an increase of 0.7 percent in commercial trucking services in February 2012 when compared to the previous month.
The report is one of many that points to a bright future for the commercial trucking industry, which has been growing over the past few years as trucking services are in high demand all across the nation.
The positive reports also mean there is a bright future for those employed in the commercial trucking industry, especially for drivers who have received professional training from a school such as West Michigan CDL.
Possessing a CDL is the minimum requirement to driving trucks but a person that simply memorizes the CDL manual and logs a few hours behind a truck will find that the life of a truck driver is different than they had expected. It requires skill and concentration but with the right training it can be a great career.
The West Michigan CDL training program provides some of the best commercial truck driver instruction in the nation and prepares students to not only meet the challenges of the job, but thrive in them. Students of the program are often at the top of the list for some of the best carriers who are looking for the best drivers to help them meet growing demand.
Kevin Gates stopped in to visit and show everyone his truck.
Bob, who is now a driver for Stevens Transport, stopped by to discuss driving opportunities and answer questions for current students.
A St. Louis-based firm that tracks the commercial trucking industry is reporting positive growth for the industry, which in turn should indicate an overall healthy picture for the national economy.
Case Information Systems produces the Cass Freight Index each month, which tracks the growth of the commercial trucking industry.
“Compared to January, freight shipment volume was 2.5 percent higher in February, while freight spending was 1.2 percent higher,” the Case Index report stated. “Annually, freight volumes were up 3.5 percent from January 2011.”
Case uses data from transactions made by over 350 large shippers in various sectors of the industry, including foot, automotive, chemical, consumer packaged goods and other equipment moved by the commercial truck industry.
The report is yet another sign that the commercial trucking industry has a bright future and the industry has been experiencing a great demand for more professionally trained drivers. If you are looking for a new career then becoming a commercial truck driver might be a great options as the professional can offer long-term stability and great pay, especially for those who have received professional training.
Companies are desperate to hire more drivers, but they are also desperate to find professionally trained truckers that not only possess a CDL but also have a wide variety of training. The best way to become a professional truck driver is to complete a training program, such as the West Michigan CDL training program. Through the help of experienced instructors and hands on training, students receive some of the best commercial truck driver training in the nation and are put in a position to secure a long-lasting career in this growing – and important – industry.
Tim Summers stops in to show off his 2011 Volvo. Congratulations on one year with ALTL!
The amount of freight carried by U.S. commercial trucks continues to rise as statistics from February showed an increase in truck tonnage.
The American Trucking Associations’ seasonally adjusted index rose 0.5 percent in February making the index total 119.3. That is good news following a slight dip in January and the growth continues a long-term trend as the index is 0.6 higher than it was in January 2011.
“Fleets told us that February was decent, and that played out in the numbers,” Bob Costello, chief economist for the American Trucking Associations, said in a press release about the new index figures. “I’m still expecting continued truck tonnage growth going forward. Rising manufacturing activity and temperate consumer spending should be helped a little from an improving housing market.”
The February tonnage level was also 5.5 percentage points higher than the same period last year, giving trucking officials even more confidence that the commercial trucking industry’s growth is here to stay.
In a nation where many people are out of work or looking for a career that can offer more stability, the growing trucking index indicates that many great careers can be found as a professional truck driver. West Michigan CDL offers a training program that can help jobseekers not only learn the skills to be a successful trucker driver, but also helps students obtain employment through the work of recruiters.
Each time the trucking tonnage index increases – which is becoming a regular occurrence – it means there is a need for more professional truck drivers as demand increases.
Layoffs and cutbacks have been a problem for many employment sectors over the past few years but America’s commercial trucking industry is growing and carriers are desperate to find quality and professionally trained drivers to get behind the wheel.
In an interview last year with the State Journal-Register newspaper in Illinois, Bob Howard, director of truck driver training at Lincoln Land Community College, said the trucking industry is facing a shortage of at least 200,000 drivers with that number expected to double over the next few years.
Part of the challenge to fill the needed positions is driving trucks is no easy work. But, with the right training, a quality driver can make a great living in a industry that continues to grow. That is why students who complete the training program at West Michigan CDL Are some of the most highly sought after drivers as carriers look for drivers who understand the importance of safety and have experience behind the wheel.
Like all industries, commercial trucking was hit by the recession, but it is also showing one of the biggest rebounds in the post-recession era. Driving the growth is a rebound in manufacturing that requires parts and products to be shipped across the country. However, air shipping continues to be expensive and trains can be limited in what areas they serve. Trucks offer the most flexibility and work is underway to ease restrictions for international crossing that will make shipping via trucks even more attractive to manufactures and commercial businesses.
The cost of importing and exporting products overseas is also on the rise, which has many manufactures looking to American companies for parts. American companies are also refocusing efforts on selling to the American consumer, which is all good news for the trucking industry as it continues to stand as the country’s No. 1 domestic shipping source.
For those looking for a new career, commercial truck driving can be a great opportunity that offers a bright future and continued growth.
The commercial trucking industry added over 40,000 jobs in 2011 and this year that trend is expected to continue as the demand for professionally trained drivers remain and carriers continue to experience increases in shipping orders. Even before the increase in 2011 there were already more than 1.3 million commercial truck drivers on America’s roads.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the trucking industry added over 5,000 new workers in December, the largest single month increase since last March. Additionally, the new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the commercial trucking industry has added almost 69,000 jobs since March 2010. That means the commercial trucking industry has seen its employment grow by 5.6 percent over the past two years while many employment industries attempt to slowdown job loss.
If you want a job in a growing industry then commercial trucking is for you and West Michigan CDL is the place to start.
A solution to rising fuel prices for commercial trucks may be compressed natural gas (CNG), which is increasingly being considered as a viable alternative to diesel with programs underway to convert normal truck engines to CNG.
Despite rising gas prices the commercial truck industry can’t afford to cut back on its routes as the demand for trucking services continues to grow all across the nation. The commercial trucking industry needs to be able to put more trucks and more drivers on the road in the coming years but rising fuel prices is making that more and more challenging. However, commercial trucking officials are encouraged that experiments with energy efficient engines and are beginning to believe that CNG trucks might begin to help transition the commercial trucking industry into a cheaper way to operate, especially with the recent announcement that 3M and Chesapeake Energy are working together to manufacture a variety of compressed natural gas tanks for use by commercial trucks.
The new CNG tanks developed through the 3M and Chesapeake partnership will work to reduce costs while increasing performance by making the cost per mile much lower that with traditional diesel engines. Plus, the CNG tanks are also less expensive than traditional commercial tanks, according to CNG officials.
“This partnership brings together two leading companies from different sectors, both committed to advancing the natural gas transportation fuel market,” Aubrey K. McClendon, Chesapeake’s CEO, said in a statement. “We applaud 3M for recognizing the future of natural gas as a low-cost, cleaner alternative to gasoline, and for creating innovative tank technology that will make natural gas vehicles more affordable and accessible to fleets and individual consumers nationwide.”McClendon said that Chesapeake has pledged $10 million toward design, market development support and a commitment to use the new tanks for its own corporate fleet of trucks.
Trucking officials are welcoming any news of energy efficiency developments in the commercial trucking industry as shipping demand continues to grow and the need for more trucks is also growing.
During a presentation last year, American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves spoke about the government’s desire to see fuel efficiency standards increased and he warned that is alternative fuel sources are not found, these standards are going to be costly for commercial truck carriers. CNG might be one solution to meeting increased fuel efficiency standards, while offsetting the high costs.
However, despite what standards are put in place, the reality is the demand for professionally trained truck drivers is only going to continue, which is why the training program at West Michigan CDL is one of the bets places to begin your search for a long-term and good paying carrier. Some of the best instructors and job placement specialists are located at West Michigan CDL and carriers recognize the high standards that students are taught while at the CDL training program.
