Baking & Snack - August 2019 - 155

ABA heads IBIE logistics conference

When choosing a vehicle, the price tag
is important, but the expenses after the
purchase can be even more critical.
a commercial truck is imperative
because one thing is certain: All of
these factors make a difference in
a delivery vehicle decision.

Spoiled for choice
From the type of fuel to the size of
the truck, the selection for commercial vehicles can be overwhelming
yet beneficial and flexible for a variety of customers.
MT chassis from Freightliner
Custom Chassis, a Daimler Group
brand, include an option to pick a
power such as gas, diesel, propane or
compressed natural gas (CNG). These
range from 200 to 308 horsepower
and come with Allison transmissions,
reducing maintenance cost by up to
five times, according to Bryan Henke,
product marketing, Freightliner.
With a variety of vehicle choices
from Class 3 NPR (gas) with
12,000 to 18,000 gross vehicle
weight rating (GVWR) to Class 4
NPR-HD (diesel) with 14,500 to
20,500 GVWR Isuzu suggests
single cab for baking and snack
operations, though the company
also has crew cabs. "All Low Cab
Forward designs work exceptionally
well for tighter or smaller roads or
loading areas and are obviously ideal for urban settings," Mr. Tabel said.
"It allows you to have a larger body
on a similar footprint as you would
a conventional-style vehicle. Why is
that important? The biggest reason
is you can carry more payload without having a longer vehicle."
The location of the routes is another
major factor. "Many times, geography
or weather conditions can determine
whether we need specialized equipment; for example, mountainous terrain, snow-prone areas, hot weather

or high-traffic areas," Mr. Stone said
about Flowers Foods' routes.
City vs. rural routes impacts fuel
efficiency and maintenance. "The
frequency of stop-and-go city traffic
can be tough on your vehicle's engine,
transmission and brakes," Mr. Henke
explained. "For rural driving, you'll
likely be covering long distances,
so fuel efficiency might be a more
important consideration as well as
shocks for uneven roadways."
Freightliner has MT-45 and MT55 model trucks, which are built for
versatility. The most important difference in quality is with the brakes.
Standard models have hydraulic antilock braking systems and 15-in. Bosch
pin-slide disc brakes. "These are built
to make stopping heavier loads easier
with increased heat resistance and
decreased brake fade and wear," Mr.
Henke said. "The standard brakes also
feature a pin-slide design that reduces
maintenance time." Enhanced models include premium 71-mm Walther
Engineering and Manufacturing Co.
quad-piston hydraulic disc brakes as
well as corrosion resistant tone rings.
Trucks also offer options for a variety of product needs. "A number of
our customers have multiple temperature requirements," Mr. Tabel
said. "They need part of the truck
to be frozen, part of the truck to be
cold or part to be dry. Especially in
hot areas such as on the West Coast,
a lot of products have to maintain
certain temperatures inside the
truck." Special product considerations should be discussed with the
dealer upfront.

Calculating the cost

Just before the education sessions
commence and Expo hall opens at
the International Baking Industry
Exposition (IBIE), held Sept. 7-11
in Las Vegas, the American Bakers
Association (ABA) will host a logistics conference for distribution,
logistics and transportation executives on Sept. 6. The ABA Logistics
Professionals Group spearheaded
by Jack Detiveaux, staff liaison for the
group and manager of government
relations and public affairs at ABA,
and Bob McGuire, committee chairman as well as vice-president and
director of logistics at Alpha Baking
Co., Chicago designed the event
based on member feedback and current industry updates.
The conference will inform attendees about issues and policies that
are impacting this segment through
presentations and discussions. Some
of these key challenges include Food
Safety Modernization Act compliance,
truck-only tolling and bakery equipment loss or retail theft such as
with plastic trays and dollies. Another
discussion will be about the proposal
to decrease hours of service for truck
and freight drivers, which is currently
under review by the White House
regulatory oversight office.
"This is the fourth rewrite of the
Hours of Service regulations in twelve
years," said Robb MacKie, ABA president and CEO, on the association's
website. "The proposal would require
significant changes to industry distribution systems, affect employee work
hours and increase the cost of delivering fresh bakery products. Ultimately,
the consumer would feel these costs
at the checkout aisle. With high unemployment and high food inflation, now
is the worst time to push regulation
for regulation's sake."
The conference will take place from
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the IBIE Las Vegas
Convention Center. To register for
the informational event, please visit
www.americanbakers.org.

When choosing a vehicle, the price
tag is important, but the expenses

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