Safety has been a priority since David L. Stevenson purchased his first cabover Peterbilt tractor in 1984, beginning the transformation of his family’s feed and fertilizer business into a bulk transportation company.
The only thing that changes is the technology.
Stevenson’s company, Gilmer TX-based Custom Commodities, today deploys the latest collision mitigation and stability-control technologies, equips dual-facing and side-mounted cameras, and specs disc brakes on all wheel ends; and now it’s utilizing ConMet’s intelligent PreSet Plus SmartHub to further boost safety.
“Safety is a huge part of what we do, and we have such a commitment to safety—for not only our drivers, but the motoring public and our customers—that we deploy many safety systems,” said Stevenson, the CEO of Custom Commodities. “And this SmartHub is a function of that safety plan that we work each day to implement, not only in our processes but in the products we use to ensure a higher level of safety and reliability for all.”
SmartHub system
The PreSet Plus SmartHub is the latest technology from ConMet, which is helping improve vehicle safety and efficiency with powerful new wheel-end telematics.
ConMet, which Stevenson said he’s turned to for wheel-end products for many years, is a leader in wheel ends for commercial vehicles. And by harnessing more than 50 years of experience, it was able to innovate in the wheel-end space to develop the first connected health monitoring system built into a hub assembly.
With sensors placed strategically on all hubs across the asset, the SmartHub generates actionable intelligence for fleets on the condition of a vehicle’s entire wheel-end ecosystem, which includes the hubs, tires and brakes. This information is easily viewed and analyzed through ConMet’s dashboard or a driver’s existing telematics provider, helping fleets take quick action and reduce occurrences of roadside repairs, thermal events, wheel-offs and other costly incidents.
ConMet said it also plans to soon expand the capabilities of the PreSet Plus SmartHub to help create even safer vehicles.
“SmartHub is getting smarter at every mile,” said Paul Washicko, vice president and general manager of the ConMet digital business unit. “It’s always collecting new information, which our data scientists use to create algorithms that identify diagnostic and predictive maintenance insights.
“This information can help fleets make even more precise decisions about vehicle maintenance. ConMet will also expand the capabilities of the PreSet Plus SmartHub by leveraging its vehicle area network, or VAN, which will be a platform for additional data services that will use the same wireless communications network and cloud-based back-end.”
Hitting the road
In March 2020, fleets across North America began trial use of ConMet’s SmartHub technology. While affected by COVID-19, the trials were a success and the SmartHub has strongly resonated with fleets. More than 30 fleets have begun to upfit their equipment with SmartHub, with additional fleets scheduled every day, the company said.
Custom Commodities, as a technology innovator, now specs the PreSet Plus SmartHub on all new transportation equipment. Stevenson says ConMet’s smart wheel-end technology is an important safety measure for tanker fleets that haul sensitive cargo, helping protect shipments and prevent dangerous accidents.
“The SmartHub aligns with our drive to provide safer solutions to employees and customers,” he insisted. “It is a premier, vetted and reliable solution from an industry leader, offering long-term value that will bring us to a higher level of safety.”
That’s been Stevenson’s goal since he first hit the open road in the mid-1980s.
Stevenson grew up in the family’s feed and fertilizer business, Gilmer Seed & Feed Company, which opened its doors in the 1950s. But he always dreamed of driving trucks, so when he got married and started his own family, he decided to add transportation to the business, and started hauling feed from Oklahoma to Texas.
“My dad wanted me to be a dentist,” Stevenson recalled. “I wanted to be a truck driver.”
Stevenson applied for operating authority in 1984, spun off the transportation company as Custom Commodities Transport the following year, and grew the business from there. The company now boasts 250 employees, 215 tractors and 400 tankers that haul kosher-approved and non-hazmat liquid and dry bulk commodities.
Most trailers are vacuum pneumatic dry bulkers ranging in capacity from 1,600 to 2,600 cubic feet, and the rest of the fleet consists of liquid chemical and food grade tanks. Products hauled include food grade flour, salt and sugar, liquid sweeteners, activated carbon, wax, frac sand and other proppants, and plastic pellets.
Custom Commodities still hauls feed ingredients and fertilizers, too, but it’s a smaller segment of the family business, Stevenson said, which now includes son David A. Stevenson, vice president of sales and marketing, and daughter Sarah Bones, a remote auditor.
“I always wanted to get into the plastics industry because of the consistency the industry enjoys year-round, whereas agricultural can be cyclical throughout the year,” he said. “So I wanted something that was more consistent and had long-term growth potential.”
Actionable intelligence
With the help of SmartHub, Custom Commodities is equipped to continue strengthening its long-term commitment to safety and dependability by establishing a new standard for vehicle service, support and security.
“It’s a well-designed product that ensures reliability,” said the elder Stevenson, who still enjoys piloting a truck whenever possible.
As commercial vehicles continue to adopt telematics, a connected wheel-end will play a pivotal role in the performance and affordability of heavy-duty trucks and trailers. With ConMet’s PreSet Plus SmartHub, fleets gain a connected solution that grows more intelligent with every mile driven and, through the use of smart sensors and the VAN, delivers actionable data that can help fleets meet the transportation demands of today, tomorrow—and the foreseeable future.
“It’s great for bulk carriers due to the weight constraints we work with, and I recommend it because it’s a premier product that promotes uptime, which is a huge part of our commitment to customers and drivers,” Stevenson concluded.
Carla Torquato, ConMet’s marketing director, contributed to this report.
