Watch: Matching axle spec to load demands
Let’s talk matching axle spec to load demands. When it comes to handling maximum, constant and/or diminishing loads, axle spec choices can be influenced by the amount of time spent in each load situation. Startability and gradeability come into play when discussing load situations. The more time your trucks spend in a maximum load situation
On the Road: Freightliner electric trucks; Shell Starship; ZF Lane Keep Assist Technology
Our travel schedule took the FE team across the country last month. The biggest news was the unveiling of Daimler Trucks all-electric eCascadia and eM2 medium-duty trucks, signaling an all-in approach to electrification. The eCascadia has up to 730 peak HP. The batteries provide 550 Kwh usable capacity, a range of up to 250 miles
Watch: Penske Truck Leasing’s voice-assisted service tool in action
Penske Truck Leasing recently announced it had successfully completed its 1 millionth voice-directed preventive maintenance inspection using its paperless technology. The system provides voice prompts via a headset to direct maintenance technicians through a preventive maintenance (PM) inspection. While you can read more about it in the July issue of Fleet Equipment (click here to read
Predictive maintenance is coming
“Machine learning.” It’s a phrase that’s cropping up more and more in conversations about data-driven solutions. In the heavy-duty service world, one of the ways it’s being employed is through predictive maintenance algorithms, complex strings of code that crunch your service data, analyze it and then give you recommendations based on probability models. Make no
Software selection and the ELD hangover
Your head pounds. You can’t focus. The world swirls around you, and all you want is a heaping plate of comfort food. Symptoms of the ELD hangover—a technology implantation process that has plagued unprepared fleets that are still having issues due to poor ELD device training and misguided ELD selection. The industry has already seen
The brains behind the reman operation: Reman ECMs
Don’t overlook the engine control modules (ECM) in your conversations with reman equipment suppliers. The ECM programming needs to match your engine spec and performance expectations. You want to ensure you port over your parameters. You’d also have the ability to reset your operational parameters, but be forewarned: It is illegal to modify the calibration
Busting reman myths and building the business case
Class 8 truck orders are effectively booked for the remainder of the year. OEMs are at capacity and that means you’re going to need to breathe some new life into your tractors to pounce on the current carrier-favorable environment. So let’s turn our attention to remanufactured equipment and components. For many fleets, reman options, particularly
More than a truck: Daimler unveils its electric strategy
Roger Nielsen steps out of the Thomas Built all-electric Saf-T-Liner C2 school bus and stands in front of more than one hundred analysts and media representatives to make the biggest product announcement since he took the position of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) president and CEO. He shakes Martin Daum’s hand as Martin hands him
Watch: Buying used trailers? Here’s what to consider
Given that new dry van orders are booked into 2019, buying a used dry van trailer is going to be your best short-term bet in getting new-to-you equipment into your fleet to capitalize on today’s increased freight demand. The first step in the buying-a-used-trailer process is to communicate your application needs and find out how
The value of trailer visibility
The value of a having a bird’s eye view and receiving real time notification of your trailer activities cannot be understated. “When everyone in a fleet has access to the same information simultaneously, it can help eliminate guesswork and improve overall operational efficiency,” said Lenworth Gordon, senior product manager for Verizon Connect. “Businesses can also
Where to start with trailer telematics
Fleet Equipment is here to help you along your way as you hit the next mile marker on the road to improved asset efficiency.
Root your next-gen equipment expectations in reality
Talking about the upcoming truck technology—be it advanced driver assistance systems, platooning, electrification or beyond—is fun, but it’s easy to jump to conclusions about what it means for your fleet and the industry. The gap between technology possibilities and application in reality is often wider than we anticipate. That’s not to say talk of new
