Walmart and Ford have begun working together on a joint program that will explore how the two companies can utilize self-driving cars.

According to reports, the project was announced by Ford and has begun in the Miami area, where the automaker has begun building an autonomous vehicle business expected to launch in 2021.  The joint venture between the two companies will focus on how self-driving vehicles could be used to deliver groceries and other products.  Research will focus on which vehicle configurations will work best and which products would be most easily deliverable.

Ford has been performing tests with their autonomous vehicles in Miami since February.  Walmart has also been working with self-driving cars, as they partnered with a Phoenix area company called Waymo on a similar grocery delivery program.

Brazilian authorities have demolished several unregulated mines operating in the Amazon during a days long operation involving police and national guard members.

According to sources, the mines dismantled included open pit gold and cassiterite mines that had been operating illegally in Brazil’s Jamanxim and Rio Novo National Parks.  Officials also seized several pieces of large mining equipment, including hydraulic excavators and motor pumps.  It is estimated that illegal mining in these remote areas generates profits of up to $120,000 per month.

The Amazon Rainforest occupies 1.6 billion acres and faces continuing deforestation.  Some statistical models estimate as much as 55 percent of the rainforest could be destroyed by 2030.  Mining counts for around 1 to 2 percent of the damage.

Bouncing back from downtime can be a challenge, but steps can be taken to ensure the process goes quickly and efficiently.

It’s no secret that downtime can be costly to businesses of all shapes and sizes across a wide range of industries.  Costs can get out of control quickly, especially for those in the automotive industry.  Industries like manufacturing, metalworking and mining can be extremely vulnerable to downtime, as they rely on complex machinery and detailed processes daily.

There has been a lot of discussion on ways to prevent downtime before it happens.  While prevention is important, the odds are that every company is going to face downtime at some point.  It is important to have a plan for getting back on track as well as a plan for preventing downtime in the first place.

Related: Logistical Issues Add Difficulty to Fleet Management

Understanding what steps need to be taken to achieve full operational recovery will go a long way in minimizing downtime and preventing loss.  While there are some details that will change from industry to industry, there are a few simple, universal things that can help any company put together a baseline strategy for when things go wrong.  Some strategies include:

Identify possible trouble points in your facility – Some equipment is going to break down more often than other equipment, whether it is due to age, complexity or other factors.  Some products are more likely cause issues than others.  Identify these potential problem spots and come up with a detailed checklist for what to do if something goes wrong.

Define Roles – Make sure everyone knows their role when it comes to getting everything back in order.  Each scenario is going to be different and some are going to require more resources than others, but everyone should know what their role is in downtime scenarios, from repair, to cleanup, to management and anything else that is necessary.

Practice Makes Perfect – Having a plan is great, but it won’t help much if you or your employees can’t execute it.  Taking some time, even just a few minutes, to walk through and practice your plan.  Maybe even have an official training session every quarter.  This will ensure everyone can act right away and avoid a panic, which will make coming back online easier.

Have your contact list in order – Your problem may require you to bring in some help immediately, whether it is from outside the company or another part of your facility.  Having a set contact list for these situations can greatly reduce the time spent trying to figure out who that person is.  You may need to do more than just call a tech.  If your equipment is leaking fluid, do you need to report it?  What about if repairs require handling hazardous material?  Reaching out right away could prevent even more long-term damage.

Backups to Backups – Keep backup products and parts in stock.  It may not be feasible for everything but having an equipment part on hand versus having to order it can save days when it comes to going back online.  That goes for lubricants and fluids too.  If you repair a leak quickly, but still don’t have the fluid you need to put back into your system, its not much better in terms of downtime than not fixing the leak at all.

Toyota is considering removing models from its United States lineup as demand for some vehicles continues to remain flat.

There have been no reports as to what vehicles the Japanese automaker is considering for elimination.  However, the American market has become increasingly focused on light trucks in recent years and the company is said to be taking a hard look at some of its convertibles and coupes.  Toyota joins other automakers like Ford and Chrysler that are reconsidering their vehicle lineups as demand changes.

Despite demand remaining flat in North America, Toyota was still able to post an 11 percent increase in profits.

The next phase in the redevelopment of Chicago’s Union Station could create more than 5,000 construction jobs, although those jobs would likely be temporary.

According to reports, the city council is set to vote on the latest portion of the $900 million piece of the more than $1 billion project.  This portion of the product will feature a 1.5 million square foot, 50 story tower that will be built on property currently owned by Amtrak.  It will also include a 1.5 acre public park and two hotels.

The project will be spearheaded by Riverside Development and could create up to 5,100 temporary construction jobs.  If approved, the project is expected to begin sometime in 2019.

GM announced it is offering voluntary buyouts to about 18 thousand salaried employees in North America soon after reporting a 25 percent increase in pretax profit for the third quarter.

According to reports, the automaker is calling the buyouts a “proactive” measure as it expects to face headwinds as it invests more in autonomous and electric vehicles.  The buyout targets salaried employees who have been with the company for 12 years or more.  It is unclear how many employees GM expects to take the buyout, or if they will lay off employees if too few accept the offer.

GM recently reported a major increase in pretax profit for the quarter, with a net income of $2.5 billion.  That the buyout has been announced after such a strong quarter is rare for the automotive industry, as most automakers only use such measures if they are struggling or restructuring.

A new report by AAA shows that advanced driver assistance systems, like cameras and sensors, can add an average of $3,000 to repair bills after a crash.

According to the report, the complex mechanisms and calibration required for these features are the biggest drivers behind these increased repair bills.  Many vehicles now feature automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warnings and repairing these things when they break doesn’t come cheap.  The report saw instances where repairs after minor collisions cost as much as $5,300, almost double what the cost of a vehicle without the systems would be.

Related: Learn more about PetroChoice’s automotive industry products and services

The study did note that costs can vary based on vehicle make, model and location.

Oil prices have continued to fall, dropping below $68/barrel just weeks after reaching a four year high in early October.

Prices have dropped 12 percent from earlier this month, when the price of oil reached its highest level in years and some industry experts were discussing the serious potential for prices to exceed $100/barrel.  According to reports, concerns over economic growth and energy demand are driving the dip.

Many investors are unsure whether OPEC and its partners have the ability or desire to increase production to fill supply gaps.  The organization has shown signs it will reduce its production output in 2019.

Officials in Florida believe nearly all power will be restored to the panhandle by early November, one month after the area was ravaged by Hurricane Michael.

According to reports, utility providers believe they can return power to the homes of all customers whose homes are still properly equipped.  The estimate includes areas like Mexico Beach, Calhoun County and Jackson County, which were damaged so severely their power infrastructure needed to be completely rebuilt.

A release from the office of the Governor said about 47,700 are still without power, including businesses or homes that were destroyed completely or too damaged to receive electricity.  More than 400,000 were without power immediately after the hurricane.

Logistical issues can add an additional layer of difficulty to the already challenging task of managing and maintaining a commercial fleet. 

Fleet managers already face the daunting task of keeping a huge number of vehicles in top form on a tight budget.  The fact that those vehicles are rarely in one place for long makes that even more challenging.  The more spread out a fleet is and the longer the intervals where vehicles are in the field, the more difficult maintenance becomes.

New regulations have also added to the challenge.  New electronic logging mandates have led to maintenance intervals becoming even longer, as travel time is now more strictly controlled.

“Most trucking companies are facing continuous changes,” Chris Wolter, Territory Manager for PetroChoice, said.  “The mandate for e-logs this has put constraints on how much travel can be done in a day’s time to get freight from point a to b.”

Related: Keep your fleet fueled with quality engine oil from PetroChoice

Those long intervals make maintenance schedules hard to maintain, cause additional wear and tear on trucks and reduce the amount of times the trucks can be evaluated.  This can lead to otherwise small problems falling through the cracks and becoming bigger over time.

“Some of my customers may not see their truck for 90 days at a time,” Wolter said.  “This can be hard on equipment without proper maintenance scheduling.  If their unit doesn’t get serviced routinely you can run into all sorts of problems that can affect your CSA scores.  Most fleets I work with like to see their units every 14-21 days to thoroughly review the truck and perform a checklist before the driver hits the road again.”

Creating a routine maintenance schedule is critical to ensuring trucks are running properly.  This can be difficult with so many vehicles in so many places at any given time.  Coordinating regular check ins across different facilities, or even with outside partners, requires time and cost commitments from fleet managers.  While its challenging, it is worth it in the long run to prevent emergency repairs and lost hours.

“If the truck isn’t serviced or maintained properly it can result into costly tow bills,” Wolter said.  “Service work performed on the road costs a-lot more than performing it in house, not to mention the driver not being able to make his delivery.  Routine maintenance saves money in the long run and should improve the companies CSA scores and the longevity of their equipment.”