Trucking information and briefs for Monday, Aug. 16, 2021:
FTC recordsdata second criticism towards Comdata father or mother firm FleetCor
The Federal Commerce Fee has filed an administrative criticism towards FleetCor and its CEO, Ronald Clarke, for charging clients “a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} in thriller charges related to gas playing cards.” FleetCor is the father or mother firm for a number of gas card service and cost resolution suppliers.
In keeping with the FTC, FleetCor, advertising and marketing below the “Fuelman” model identify (and thru co-branded playing cards with companies across the nation) falsely advised its enterprise clients that they might get monetary savings, be protected from unauthorized prices, and haven’t any set-up, transaction, or membership charges. FTC alleges that, in actuality, and in keeping with FleetCor’s personal information, clients usually haven’t achieved the marketed per-gallon financial savings by utilizing FleetCor’s playing cards.
The FTC filed suit in federal court against FleetCor and Clarke in December 2019, alleging that they charged a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} in hidden and undisclosed charges to their clients after making false guarantees they might save clients on their gas prices. Nevertheless, in a ruling earlier this 12 months, the Supreme Courtroom decided that the FTC was not capable of search redress for customers below part 13(b) of the FTC Act. In an effort to make sure that the company’s case towards the gas card marketer remains to be capable of recuperate cash misplaced by customers, the FTC has filed a brand new administrative criticism which alleges that FleetCor and Clarke violated part 5 of the FTC Act.
“FleetCor fleeced its clients out of a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} by its dishonest practices,” stated Samuel Levine, Performing Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Client Safety. “The FTC will do every part it could possibly to get a refund to FleetCor’s enterprise clients and unsuspecting gas card customers by refiling this criticism administratively. We will even proceed to work with Congress on a broader legislative resolution following the Supreme Courtroom’s resolution in AMG, which has hindered our capability to recuperate redress for households and trustworthy companies.”
[Related: Struggling small fleets stung by aggressive merchant cash advance lenders]
Trucking Christmas Group internet hosting mid-summer digital live performance this weekend
Following the success of last year’s virtual winter concert, Truckers Christmas Group (TCGO) embarks on a brand new custom for 2021 by including a digital summer time live performance to their outreach program and fund-raising efforts. The theme for the 12 months’s summer time live performance is UnChristmas – and can focus on Christmas songs sung by musicians Laura Pleasure, Ken Freeman, and Jeremiah Craig. Every musician will play a 15-minute set throughout which they may sing covers of Christmas songs. The live performance will likely be out there on TCGO’s Facebook and YouTube pages, in addition to being broadcast on TNCRadio.live.
Just like final 12 months’s winter live performance, this 12 months’s summer time live performance hopes to offer over-the-road drivers with the expertise of attending a live performance nearly, since most don’t have the chance to attend stay occasions. Whereas the primary objective of this live performance is to offer truckers with leisure, enjoyable, and as an appreciation for all their arduous work, this live performance additionally gives TCGO with a fund-raising alternative to succeed in a bigger viewers and kickstart the trouble towards their 2021 objectives.
Mark Abraham, the president of TCGO, famous that “during the last a number of years now we have been inspired to begin elevating consciousness and different efforts earlier within the 12 months. This 12 months, after a lot dialogue, we determined to do an UnChristmas occasion in August. The phrase Christmas earlier than Halloween made a number of of our volunteers shudder in horror,” but “we additionally know that many different nice organizations do Christmas in July occasions and we didn’t need to distract from them and their efforts.”
The PR elves, in essence, “got here up with UnChristmas,” Abraham added.
The occasion will kick off August 21, 2021, at 7 p.m. Japanese. Visit the TCGO website for more.
KeepTruckin launches new dashcam
KeepTruckin’s new AI Dashcam immediately detects unsafe driving and alerts drivers in actual time.KeepTruckin has launched its new AI Dashcam, which is powered by an AI processor and superior pc imaginative and prescient algorithms that declare to immediately detect unsafe driving and alert drivers in actual time.
In keeping with the corporate, the AI-based detection for driver distraction and shut following permits the AI Dashcam to mix a number of key recognition elements — mobile phone use, driver fatigue, seat belt monitoring — into the platform.
KeepTruckin’s occasion intelligence expertise and in-house security group analyze every AI Dashcam video inside seconds to decide the context and severity of every occasion. Movies that don’t characterize actual threat are filtered out, and remaining video footage is prioritized primarily based on threat ranges. Upon finishing a visit, drivers are mechanically coached on correctable behaviors, enabling security departments to extend effectivity.
The system additionally creates a threat rating for drivers, which KeepTruckin calls a DRIVE rating. The proprietary DRIVE threat rating gives a holistic view of the efficiency of a driver and benchmarks each habits towards the KeepTruckin community of greater than 400,000 linked autos. DRIVE claims to pinpoint particular behaviors to educate, whereas concurrently figuring out secure driving behaviors, so incentivizing prime driver efficiency and driver retention is made simpler.
[Related: How to make the decision to accept your fleet’s camera — or not]
HD Radio out there in Freightliner Cascadias beginning subsequent 12 months
Xperi Holding Company introduced that HD Radio expertise is increasing into business vans, and receivers will likely be out there on the digital sprint show of the Freightliner Cascadia starting within the first quarter of 2022.
HD Radio expertise is a digital broadcast system for AM and FM radio stations. It broadcasts a digital sign over conventional radio frequencies, permitting for as much as three extra channels of recent audio programming with crystal clear, static-free sound, in addition to on-screen data akin to: album artwork, station logos, track and artist data, visitors, climate and significant emergency alerts.
HD Radio expertise is presently out there from 40+ producers throughout over 200 car fashions and is presently in 75+ million autos. HD Radio receivers have achieved an estimated 85+ billion listening hours in automobiles since 2005 and over 95% of all Individuals are capable of obtain an HD Radio sign, with 79% of all radio listening to stations broadcasting through HD Radio expertise. HD Radio expertise not too long ago marked the fifteenth anniversary of its first deployment in a passenger car and 10 years in Mexico with 200 HD Radio broadcast channels.
