Page 14 - ATR 3 2016 web

CALENDAR NEWS IN BRIEF,
Continued from page 13
OF EVENTS

Ford Motor Co. has planned an
experiment where pickups will be elec-
JULY tronically tethered to drones in rugged,
JULY 14–16 natural disaster zones.
ARKANSAS TRUCKING The Rwandan government plans
CHAMPIONSHIP to begin using Zipline drones later this
Rogers, Ark.
year to transport blood to 21 medical
AUGUST facilities located in the western half of
AUGUST 10–14 the country.
NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVING The operation is expected to save
CHAMPIONSHIPS thousands of lives over the next three
Indianapolis, Ind.
years, UPS said. It may also serve as a
AUGUST 25 model for other countries. which supporters say could alleviate
MAINTENANCE & TECHNOLOGY
COUNCIL MEETING “The inability to deliver life-saving traffic for commuters and help efforts
medicines to the people who need them to expand mass transit in the region.
SEPTEMBER the most causes millions of preventable The commission approved partner-
SEPTEMBER 8 ing with Metroplan, the planning orga-
ATA-PAC FALL GOLF TOURNAMENT nization for the central Arkansas area,
Fianna Hills Country Club to study adding “high occupancy toll”
Fort Smith, Ark.
lanes to Pulaski, Faulkner, Saline and
SEPTEMBER 11–17
NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER Lonoke counties. The study will likely
APPRECIATION WEEK take six months to a year to complete.
SEPTEMBER 15 “There are a lot of things being
ATA & TRAVELCENTERS OF AMERICA done in urban areas around the coun-
TRUCK DRIVER APPRECIATION DAY try, and we want to see if it could be
TA/Petro, North Little Rock, Ark.
implemented in Arkansas and how it
SEPTEMBER 18–22 would work,” Arkansas Highway and
2016 CVSA ANNUAL CONFERENCE &
EXHIBITION Transportation Department Director
Little Rock, Ark. Scott Bennett said.
SEPTEMBER 19–22 Arkansas currently doesn’t have
AMERICAN TRUCKING any toll lanes in the state, though
ASSOCIATIONS’ TECHNOLOGY & the idea has been debated in the past.
MAINTENANCE COUNCIL (TMC) FALL
MEETING & TMC SUPERTECH deaths each year,” said Keller Rinaudo, Bennett said the department is current-
Raleigh Convention Center chief executive of Zipline. “The work ly studying HOT lanes for a portion of
Raleigh, N.C. of this partnership will help solve that Interstate 30 between south Little Rock
OCTOBER problem once and for all.” and Benton.
UPS is supporting the Rwanda ini- McKenzie and Bennett said the
OCTOBER 1–4 tiative with an $800,000 grant. study would look at pricing options for
AMERICAN TRUCKING
ASSOCIATIONS’ MANAGEMENT While this project has a humani- using the HOT lane, demand for such
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION tarian motive, UPS is closely watch- a lane and who can have access to the
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino ing how drones can be used to deliver lane during non-peak hours. In a letter
Las Vegas, Nev.
goods. to Bennett in March, McKenzie also
OCTOBER 12–14 said the time the lane is tolled could
NATMI FLEET MAINTENANCE
CERTIFICATION TOLL LANES TO BE STUDIED IN expand as demand grows.
Little Rock, Ark. ARKANSAS… AGAIN McKenzie said the lanes are far
OCTOBER 15 The Arkansas Highway Commission from a certainty and cautioned drivers
ATA RAZORBACK TAILGATE has voted to study adding part-time to not expect to pay for driving on any
Fayetteville, Ark. toll lanes to Little Rock area freeways, of the region’s highways anytime soon.



14 Issue 3 2016 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT