Let’s talk equipment and drivers.
American Transportation Research Institute pointed to the driver shortage as the industry’s top concern. As the many of the Class 8 OEMs rolled out their new trucks over the past two years, driver comfort and productivity was a top focus. New cabs, new creature comforts and new uptime solutions were rolled out in an effort to help fleets retain drivers through top-notch equipment.
Drivers have a huge impact on tires. Driver impact on tire removal mileage reached as high as 35%. Drivers are the first line of defense when it comes to tires operating on their vehicle. Just kicking the tires during the daily vehicle walk-around is not enough. Maintaining proper tire inflation pressure is extremely important when trying to maximize tire removal miles, fuel economy and retread-ability. When tires have the correct tire footprint irregular wear will be minimized and the tire will achieve maximum mileage.
In terms of automated trucks, the conversation is turning more toward automated driver assistance systems such as collision mitigation and steering assist systems. The idea is that these systems make good drivers great drivers. The goal is to improve your equipment’s operational efficiency, not replace the drivers.
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