Trailer fires: Is CPM data required?
In past years, brake chambers lasted for a long time. We never really had any issue with chambers, almost to the point that we never even looked at them. If you ask most mechanics, they would say “yes, I check them”—but more questions would reveal that they don’t look too closely. This is not to
Why many fleets are fed up with service fees
Everywhere you look, fees are piling up with everything we pay for. When was the last time you rented a car? Look at the list of fees—facility fees, battery fee, tire recoup fee and additional recoup fee, local tax, city tax, county state tax, not to mention if you forget to fill it up with
Battery maintenance: Know your warranty
What do you do when your dealer refuses to warranty batteries because their pocket electronic tester says the batteries are good?
New software won’t fix your fleet’s costs by itself
New software, updated software, data, reports, pie charts, graphs and charts do not fix the high costs of running a fleet.
Know what you are getting when it comes to fuel
In the upcoming winter months, we will see temperatures start to dip below zero in certain parts of the country. Certain trucks may die or not start. At the center of the board is proper fuel, maintenance and experience.
The value of experience in fleet management
As we get older, we are retiring or simply getting tired of the grind, especially in today’s high-stress world of sky-high performance expectations and razor-thin margins. You need to remember, however, that there’s value in experience.
Onsite, en-route outsourced trailer maintenance: Is it the answer?
Trailers, trailers, trailers! Trailer builds are going up like drive-in movies of the ’50s, and with the world of online buying and overnight deliveries increasing demand for freight and storage, the demands for trailer maintenance, annual inspections and roadside DOT compliance is more important than ever. Most fleets are not investing in brick-and-mortar maintenance facilities,
Bidding, quoting and reverse auctions—is this the wave of the future?
Strategic Sourcing: Now playing in a theater near you. We have gotten so tech-focused, with sophisticated software, aggressive purchasing groups and an app for everything, that personal communications suddenly appears to be less important. It is now evident that experienced vendor relationships are slowly being diluted. Have we gotten to a place where relationships have
Analysis paralysis: Keeping it simple can still trump data
Recently, an established fleet maintenance manager—let’s call him Zackary—asked me to attend a regional meeting one of his vice presidents was having with his newly formed regional maintenance staff. I have great respect for Zackary and his success working with pervious fleets. The difference this time was that he had little control because his current
Dealing with wheel corrosion issues
Wheels are rusting faster than ever. Corrosion has continued to increase and it appears that there is no slowing it down. Even with shot peening, zinc primers and powder coating, they are still rusting quicker than before. This means that for tire dealers, customer complaints and credits are rising faster than a rocket, as I
Tire decisions: Deep rubber vs. shallow rubber
Low rolling resistance (LRR) tires have been a frequent topic of conversation among fleets recently. Back when the cost of fuel was closing in on $4 per gallon, fuel MPG became the focal point, and everyone seemed to go crazy and focus on fuel alone. With the advent of LRR tires and Smartway, the focus
Maintenance- and headache-free truck ownership
When you buy an upscale vehicle, more and more come with all future maintenance included. The automobile manufacturers want to support more captive work for the dealers, control the customer and the maintenance of the vehicle with the full circle of ownership, and the next sale. Included is all maintenance including tires and some options.
