Today's Pickup: EROAD, Georgia DOT Earn Global Recognition

Good day,

EROAD was among the winners at last week's International Road Federation (IRF) Global Road Achievement honors in Las Vegas, winning in the Technology, Equipment and Manufacturing category.

IRF honors companies across 12 categories each year, recognizing innovation in road and highway disciplines.

"As an industry, we understand the importance of setting a long-term agenda for our research activities and capital investments," Abdullah Al-Mogbel, IRF chairman, said. "By promoting innovations and the successes in our industry, we can provide a forward-looking road map for others to follow."

EROAD's Nina Elter, senior vice president of global market development, said the honor is an acknowledgement of EROAD's "core purpose of enabling safer, more productive roads."

"Our customers tell us that using our products and services helps them significantly decrease things like overspeed events, harsh braking, fatigue and other precursors that cause incidences on our roads," she said.

EROAD, which operates across Australia, North America and New Zealand, offers technology solutions that support fleet management, regulatory compliance, driver safety and cost reductions. The company introduced the world's first nationwide electronic road user charging system more than 10 years ago in New Zealand, and in 2014, put into operation the first electronic weight mile tax service in the U.S.

The Georgia Department of Transportation was honored in the Project Management category. Other winners were:

• Asset Preservation and Maintenance Management: RoadBotics
• Construction Methodology: Ministry of Public Works, Kuwait / PART
• Design: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Republic of Turkey
• Environmental Mitigation: Sinotech Engineering Consultants Ltd. and Directorate General of Highways, MOTC, Taiwan
• Project Finance and Economics: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Republic of Turkey
• Quality Management: CMS Works Sdn. Bhd.
• Research: Consulpav, Conbloc Infratecno, Marga Lingkar Jakarta
• Safety: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai, UAE
• Traffic Management and Intelligent Transportation Systems: Parsons
• Urban Planning and Mobility: City of Torino

Details on each project may be found in the 2019 GRAA Book of Winning Projects.

Did you know?

The Institute for Supply Management's PMI, a key measure of manufacturing output in the U.S., dropped for the fourth straight month to 48.1. A reading of 50 or more indicates manufacturing growth.

Quotable:

"Rural America is not looking for a handout. … They merely want not to be overlooked or discriminated against and to have their fair share in the distribution of federal resources."

— Elaine Chao, U.S. transportation secretary, speaking to the Washington Examiner on the new Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success, or ROUTES, program.

In other news:

USDOT shifts federal infrastructure payouts

The U.S. Department of Transportation is shifting more funding to small, rural infrastructure projects, promising that 50% of all future funding will go to these efforts. (Washington Examiner) 

Walmart creates supply chain training academy

Walmart has turned the inside of a distribution center into a training academy for supply chain professionals, hoping to help employees develop the skills needed to navigate the modern supply chain. (Association for Talent Development)

Driver leasing booms in California

As fleets try to work around AB5, California's law on contractor status, a new business is booming: the leasing of drivers. (California Globe)

Christmas to arrive on time, says freight transport group

Despite staffing shortages, the Freight Transport Association said logistics businesses will be able to meet the holiday freight demand. (Handy Shipping Guide)

Volume declines hurting China's air cargo market

China's air cargo industry has suffered through a drop in volume and sudden overcapacity, leading to declining rates. (The Loadstar)

Final Thoughts

The U.S. Department of Transportation has launched the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success, or ROUTES. The program will ensure that 50% of federal infrastructure funds going forward will be invested in rural areas — a major shift from the current system that has seen almost 80% of funds some years go to cities and urban areas. While a boost to small towns across the country, it could mean less in federal funds for some of the most congested highways in the nation.

Hammer down, everyone!

Image by Peter H from Pixabay