What the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act means for fleets
Passed on Dec. 12, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits and deductions for many individuals and businesses. I reached out to several fleet financial experts to find out how it may impact your business. “The passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs
Optimizing truck tire performance: How to protect your investment
When choosing tires, Sharon Cowart, product marketing director for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, says that the first step is to determine what your goals are for your tire program. “For over-the-road operations, it is a common goal to maximize fuel savings,” she begins. “For more localized operations the goals may be more focused on lowering
Why you might want to consider wide base tires
If you run a fleet in a weight-sensitive application, you might want to consider wide base tires. A 2015 report from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency found that wide base tires intended for the over-the-road line-haul market will save significant amounts of fuel when compared to tires that are not designed for low
Avoiding lighting problems and CSA citations
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) lighting violations or safety concerns often result from intermittent flickering of lights, diodes being out on LED lights, voltage drop on double or triple trailer configurations and non-functioning lights on the trailer. “Just one inoperable lamp can make a law enforcement official suspect that the vehicle, the driver and the fleet
Truck maintenance and fuel tips for winter
This is a winter we won’t soon forget. Temperatures in the sub zero range across the country and snow covering roads from north to south have made it a treacherous time for those who make their living on the road—and a challenging time for fleet managers who must make sure vehicles are road-ready and prepared
It’s in the air: Managing and maintaining tires to increase service life
The number of tire-related issues and roadside events could be significantly reduced by maintaining proper tire pressure inspections; ultimately, downtime on the side of the road can be reduced. If a tire is 20% below recommended pressure, it must be considered flat. “Maintaining proper tire air pressure is probably the single most important maintenance activity
Upgrading to newer trucks more frequently is paying off
Fleet Advantage, a truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle cost management company, released its 2017 Truck Lifecycle Data Index (TLDI) comparing all-in operating costs of early-model Class 8 trucks to 2018 model year (MY) replacements. The TLDI shows significant cost savings when replacing older-model vehicles with 2018 MY trucks. Working from Fleet Advantage’s
Temperature control: What you need to know about reefer trailers
The mandated FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) program is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards. It covers everything from raw material production, procurement and handling to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product.
Raising the bar for automated commercial vehicles
Our industry has been buzzing about automated trucks for several years now, including examining and addressing all the benefits and pitfalls. While our initial introduction to the technology seemed like an encounter with the distant future, like most innovations, the more we have talked about them and refined them, the closer they have come to
To perform maintenance in-house or outsource? That is the question.
Historically, fleets have weighed the benefits of doing in-house maintenance versus outsourced maintenance. As equipment has become more sophisticated and complex, it has changed the decision-making process. Warranties and OEMs “We use Volvo trucks and we use Volvo dealers around the country because we have purchased extended warranty programs,” began Peter Nativo, director of maintenance
Cummins promises productivity, fuel efficiency from X12
Cummins Inc. recently announced that its new X12 engine will be released in 2018. Steve Reedy, the Cummins X12 program leader, took the time to talk about the engine and outline its features and benefits. Taking off weight While reduction for improved fuel economy is great, it is only important if the engine can also
Optimizing trailer life and service with doors, lift gates and floors
By nature of their application, trailers tend to spend more time away from the home base than in residence. For that reason, it becomes very important to mitigate the wear-and-tear damage related to cargo shifting, loading and unloading, all of which can have a direct impact on doors, lift gates and floors. You can do
