Transportation electrification: Investing in the future
At the 2015 Electric Utility Fleet Managers Conference (EUFMC), an annual educational conference for fleet representatives from investor-owned electric utilities, electric cooperatives and electrical contractors, fleet electrification was the subject of a presentation by Kellen Shefter, manager of sustainable technology at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), an association representing investor-owned electric companies. Providing highlights of a
Raven Transport adds heavy-duty natural gas vehicles to meet sustainability goals
“Through relationships with suppliers, we can collectively bring everything together for our operation,” says Stephen Silverman, chief operating officer at Raven Transport. “That’s especially true as we rise to the challenge of moving customers’ goods with clean-burning fuel. “Industry-leading shippers continue to set the standard in sustainable logistics,” Silverman adds. “By partnering with environmental and
Provide added cargo protection with access control
You see it all the time: Fleets spend whatever it takes on fences, alarms, cameras and security guards to protect warehouses and yards but a simple padlock is often seen as sufficient on trailers and shipping containers. “Aren’t cargo carrying vehicles just an extension of the facilities where they have systems in place to control
Spec’ing the proper suspension support
A range of factors impact air suspension design, notes Reyco Granning’s vice president of Engineering, John Stuart. “One requirement showing no signs of diminishing is the ever-present demand for weight reduction,” he says. “If you had told me 10 years ago that the market required a 1,300-lb. slider air suspension, I would have said it
Ongoing commitment: UPS, partners continue deployment of alternative fueled vehicles
Behind the recent announcement that UPS plans to build 15 compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations is that the company is also planning to deploy 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year. The purchase represents a nearly 30% increase in UPS’s alternative fuel fleet of 5,088 vehicles worldwide. In the United States, UPS plans to
Tennant Truck Lines focuses on equipment that meets application demands
It’s a long way from hauling hogs on a milk run from Quad Cities to Chicago to becoming one of the Nation’s pre-eminent high and heavy freight specialists, but in the 69 years since Sidney Tennant acquired his first truck and trailer that is exactly what Tennant Truck Lines (TTL) has achieved. Headquartered in Orion,
Mitigating collisions with the latest in safety systems
At the 2015 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Jack Van Steenburg, assistant administrator and chief safety officer at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), reported on trends in commercial motor vehicle safety. Citing 2013 data on crashes involving large trucks, Van Steenburg indicated that the increase from 2012 was less than half that in
Enhancing safety through vehicle visibility
One year ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule requiring rear visibility technology in all new vehicles under 10,000 lbs. GVWR by May 2018. At the time, it noted that the new rule “enhances the safety of these vehicles by significantly reducing the risk of fatalities
Making sure your tractor-trailer connection is safe, secure
What should shops inspect on fifth wheels to ensure safe and reliable operation? “During the shop’s inspection and maintenance of the fifth wheel, it is important to understand how the fifth wheel operates, and that all parts and adjustments are maintained to the manufacturer’s specifications,” says Rob Nissen, director field service at SAF-Holland Inc. “Proper
The vocational truck rollouts roundup
When more than 10,000 truck fleet managers, manufacturers and equipment distributors descended on the Indiana Convention Center for The Work Truck Show 2015 they were able to witness the debut of a number of new vocational truck products. Among them were three vehicle announcements. Extending its lineup from Class 4 through Class 7, Hino Trucks
Defining downtime to make effective service choices
Any fleet manager will tell you that well maintained vehicles are safer, more fuel efficient and can provide for a longer and lower cost service life. For that reason, they would say, planned downtime for maintenance and repair events is a good investment. “While some downtime is a necessary and routine part of doing business
The right network helps fleets cut downtime with telematics solutions
With the growing number of onboard applications being utilized by commercial vehicle fleets, addressing needs for communications networks that link with telematics systems is essential. Network requirements, costs and reliability are all increasingly important considerations for an industry that is inherently mobile. “No one wants to add downtime, so we’re seeing a rising rate of
