UPS Expands Investment In Vehicle Collision Mitigation Technology
October 31 2017 - 11:00AM
UPS (NYSE:UPS), which operates one of the largest commercial
trucking fleets in the country, is equipping more than 5,700 of its
existing Class 8 tractors with advanced collision mitigation
technology. The technology alerts drivers to moving and stationary
objects in front of the tractor and moving objects surrounding the
vehicle.
More than 60 percent of UPS’s Class 8 tractor fleet, or more
than 11,000 vehicles, will feature collision mitigation technology
once the project is complete. Every new Class 8 tractor that UPS
has purchased since June 2015 includes the technology, which
provides blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, electronic
stability control, and forward collision warning with automatic
brake application. Driver assistance technologies complement safe
driving practices.
“UPS has some of the safest drivers on the road, and some of our
best drivers have told us that collision mitigation systems help
make them even better drivers,” said Carlton Rose, president of
global fleet maintenance and engineering for UPS. “This investment
is indicative of UPS’s commitment to the safety of our employees,
their families, our customers and the motoring public.”
UPS's 102,000 drivers worldwide log more than 3 billion miles
and deliver nearly 5 billion packages each year. Before ever making
a delivery, all UPS drivers are taught safe driving methods through
the company's defensive driving platform. The training continues
throughout their careers.
“Driving conditions can change quickly. Collision mitigation
technology is like an extra set of eyes that helps you make
decisions more quickly, especially when you’re driving in rain or
fog,” said Lexington, Ky., based UPS driver Dale Brenaman, who won
the 2017 Kentucky State Truck Driving Championship and placed third
in the 2017 National Truck Driving Championship for precision
driving.
The collision mitigation system supplements the vehicles’
current safety technology package by adding features including
adaptive cruise control, which helps the driver maintain a constant
distance behind the vehicle in front of the UPS tractor. With the
adaptive cruise control turned on, the UPS tractor will
automatically slow to help the driver mitigate a collision.
Secondary benefits include reducing the accordion effect caused by
traffic and, from that, enhanced fuel economy. The UPS tractors
that will receive the new systems were selected based on the
collision mitigation system’s compatibility with the vehicles’
powertrain and existing safety systems.
“As truck drivers, we all know the right side of
our vehicle is our largest blind spot. Now we have technology that
watches this every second of the day. Initially, I thought the
blind spot alarms would be an annoyance, but now that I’ve driven
with this technology I’ve become a believer,” said John McKown,
UPS® Freight driver and American Trucking Association’s America’s
Road Team Captain from East Berlin, Penn. “Words can’t describe how
much I appreciate UPS’s commitment to safety and investing in this
technology. It gives me goose bumps.”
Nearly 10 percent of UPS’s drivers, more than 9,349, have gone
25 years or more without a preventable accident. Training is the
key to that record. At UPS driver training locations, future
delivery drivers and tractor-trailer professionals learn safe
driving methods that include experiential “hands-on” training and
new technologies such as virtual reality. These drivers have logged
more than 14 billion miles and more than 266,554 years of safe
driving through their careers. That's enough miles to travel to the
moon and back nearly 29,000 times.
About UPS
UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a
broad range of solutions including transporting packages and
freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced
technology to more efficiently manage the world of business.
Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and
territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web
at ups.com or pressroom.ups.com and its
corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To
get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on
Twitter.
Matthew O’Connor
404-828-8113
matthewoconnor@ups.com
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024
United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024